The popular representations of Wen Ch’ang depict the god himself and four other figures.  The central and largest is the demure portrait of the god, clothed in blue and holding a sceptre in his left hand.  Behind him stand two youthful attendants.  They are the servant and groom who always accompany him on his journeys (on which he rides a white horse).  Their names are respectively Hsuean T’ung-tzu and Ti-mu, ’Sombre Youth’ and ‘Earth-mother’; more commonly they are called T’ien-lung, ‘Deaf Celestial,’ and Ti-ya, ‘Mute Terrestrial,’ or ‘Deaf as Heaven’ and ‘Mute as Earth.’  Thus they cannot divulge the secrets of their master’s administration as he distributes intellectual gifts, literary skill, etc.  Their cosmogonical connexion has already been referred to in a previous chapter.

Image of K’uei Hsing

In front of Wen Ch’ang, on his left, stands K’uei Hsing.  He is represented as of diminutive stature, with the visage of a demon, holding a writing-brush in his right hand and a tou in his left, one of his legs kicking up behind—­the figure being obviously intended as an impersonation of the character k’uei (2). [16] He is regarded as the distributor of literary degrees, and was invoked above all in order to obtain success at the competitive examinations.  His images and temples are found in all towns.  In the temples dedicated to Wen Ch’ang there are always two secondary altars, one of which is consecrated to his worship.

Mr Redcoat

The other is dedicated to Chu I, ‘Mr Redcoat.’  He and K’uei Hsing are represented as the two inseparable companions of the God of Literature.  The legend related of Chu I is as follows: 

During the T’ang dynasty, in the reign-period Chien Chung (A.D. 780-4) of the Emperor Te Tsung, the Princess T’ai Yin noticed that Lu Ch’i, a native of Hua Chou, had the bones of an Immortal, and wished to marry him.

Ma P’o, her neighbour, introduced him one day into the Crystal Palace for an interview with his future wife.  The Princess gave him the choice of three careers:  to live in the Dragon Prince’s Palace, with the guarantee of immortal life, to enjoy immortality among the people on the earth, or to have the honour of becoming a minister of the Empire.  Lu Ch’i first answered that he would like to live in the Crystal Palace.  The young lady, overjoyed, said to him:  “I am Princess T’ai Yin.  I will at once inform Shang Ti, the Supreme Ruler.”  A moment later the arrival of a celestial messenger was announced.  Two officers bearing flags preceded him and conducted him to the foot of the flight of steps.  He then presented himself as Chu I, the envoy of Shang Ti.