In folk beliefs, it is believed that various figures, such as
Bi Gan, the prince of Shang,
Yi Yin, the prime minister of the Shang dynasty,
Zhang Dongzhi, the prime minister of the Tang dynasty,
Fan Zhongyan, the prime minister of the Song dynasty,
Bao Zheng, the magistrate of Kaifeng,
Wen Tianxiang, the Grand Chancellor of the Song dynasty, and
Xu Shilin, the son of
Xu Xian, the male protagonist of the
Legend of White Snake, are all considered incarnations of Wenquxing. In
Li Chunfeng's ''
(Hidden Head Poems''), there is a passage that states, "With Wenquxing descending to the mortal realm, born in a tofu seller's family, later becoming a prime minister, capable of ensuring peace" (referring to the
Zhang Jianzhi-led coup). In
Zheng Guangzu's work
Licheng Tang Yi Yin Gengshen Xiezi, it is stated: "Under the decree of the
Shangdi, Wenquxing was sent to descend into the mortal realm, where he was reborn in Yishui. Later, Yi Yuanwai took him in, raised him to adulthood, and named him Yi Yin. He assisted King Chengtang and established the capital at . This immortal child is the one we summon as Wenquxing". In
Fengshen Yanyi,
Jiang Ziya posthumously granted
Bi Gan the title of 'Wenquxing' in the end. In
Shi Nai'an's great work
Water Margin, it is stated: "Indeed, the
Jade Emperor dispatched two celestial stars from the Ziwei Palace to assist the emperor (
Son of Heaven) of this mortal realm: Wenquxing is none other than the
Grand Secretariat of the Dragon Pavilion and Chief Magistrate of ,
Bao Zheng, while
Wuquxing is the Grand Marshal of the
Western Xia Kingdom,
Di Qing. These two virtuous ministers came forth to aid the emperor of this dynasty." Some people believe that Wenquxing and Kuixing are the same star, while others believe they are distinct. In folklore, there is often confusion between Wenquxing and Wenchangxing. Wenchangxing is also identified with Zitong, a local god of Sichuan who is depicted as dressing up as a scholar, while Kuixing is depicted by a ghostly face. As the civil service examinations gained increasing significance and assessments at Qing-period academies became highly valued, the importance of the Wenchang cult naturally grew. Additionally, Kuixing was highly worshipped at Taiwanese academies, and the combination of both cults led to the veneration of what is known as the
Five Wenchang. The exact origins of the Five Wenchang rites at academies in Taiwan remain unknown. The
Fengshan xianzhi (Gazetteer of Fengshan County), published in 1720, includes a section titled Five Wenchang, which states: ==Astronomy==