Early in the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty, Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, has ascended the throne. The three-year Jingnan Campaign has just ended, and the people's lives are only now returning to normal.
The Immortal Street in Yingtian Prefecture is truly a remarkable place. Buddhist temples and Taoist shrines stand side by side, while all kinds of bodhisattvas, Guanyin, and other deities are “claimed” by local powers who carve up the territory. The popular gods have long been monopolized by wealthy households with influence, who rake in vast sums of incense money every year...
