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The Four Heavenly Ministers (Chinese: 四御; pinyin: Sì yù), also translated as the Four Sovereigns, are four of the highest sky deities of Daoism and subordinate only to the Three Pure Ones (Chinese: 三清; pinyin: Sān qīng). They assist the Three Pure Ones in administering all phenomenon of the universe.[1][2][full citation needed]
The Four Heavenly Ministers are:[3][full citation needed]
The Great Jade Emperor is the head of all sky deities and presides over the heaven. The Great Emperor of the North Star assists the Jade Emperor in managing the sun, the moon, stars, and the climate of the four seasons. The Great Emperor of the Curved Array/Little Dipper oversees all matters in heaven, earth, and the human world. The Empress of the Earth is in charge of fertility, land, rivers, and mountains.[4] The four heavenly ministers are often worshiped in Daoist temples.
In some later Daoist accounts, this group is extended to six. The Six Heavenly Ministers (六御) include, in addition to the prior four:[5][6]
Other accounts instead add:
