The legend of Zhang Shicheng is a folk literature project in the third batch of representative projects of intangible cultural heritage at the provincial level of Jiangsu Province. Speaking of Zhang Shicheng, people who work in salt transportation know that he was the leader of the salt people's uprising in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, and was known as the leader of the "18-pole conquest of the world". In the first year of Emperor Yingzong of Yuan Dynasty (August 23, 1321), Zhang Shicheng was born in a poor peasant family in Baijuchang, Xinghua, Taizhou (now Dafeng, Yancheng), and his nickname was Jiusi. Soon, his three younger brothers Zhang Shiyi, Zhang Shide, and Zhang Shixin were born one after another. At that time, the court was corrupt and the fiscal revenue was insufficient. In order to make up for the ever-expanding government and military expenditures, the rulers issued a large number of salt permits (letters of introduction for the transportation of salt) and continuously raised the price of salt. The salt industry became the main source of national fiscal revenue. Although the price of salt is constantly increasing, the salt people on the southeast coast still have no life. Taizhou is located on the southeast coast. Every midsummer, it will be attacked by typhoons and seawater will flow back. After the sea water receded, the original thousands of acres of fertile land turned into white saline-alkali land. In addition to paying various taxes to the government, the majority of farmers had to pay additional grain and silk to the landlords every year, and even had to perform corvée labor on behalf of the landlords. Under the layers of exploitation by the landlords, the lower class people became poorer and poorer, and their lives were very embarrassing and miserable. In order to support his family, Zhang Shicheng started to "transport salt" on the official salt ship of Baijuchang with his fellow villagers from the age of ten, relying on the meager income earned from selling coolies to subsidize his family. When he was young, Zhang Shicheng "had little physical strength and was chivalrous", not only was he physically strong, but he was also generous and generous. Although his family was so poor that they could not even afford to eat, whenever the villagers encountered difficulties, he always generously donated money and responded to their requests. Gradually, Zhang Shicheng established a high prestige among the local salt workers. Because of the meager income from transporting salt for the government, Zhang Shicheng and several brave salt workers started to make a living by selling private salt. While transporting salt to the government, they also smuggled some salt with them to sell to local wealthy families. These wealthy families in Baijumachang often threatened to report the government. Not only did they not give Zhang Shicheng salt money, but they also beat and scolded them. Due to their low status and the illegality of smuggling salt, they had to swallow their anger. At that time, there was a salt policeman named Qiu Yi in Baijumachang, who was usually responsible for supervising the salt workers to work and arresting smuggled salt dealers. Qiu Yi not only often withheld the labor income of the salt workers, but also required the salt workers to pay tribute to him every month. If there was any omission, he would accuse, beat and scold the salt workers. Zhang Shicheng and his brothers were very angry. At this time, a duck-herding girl with a bald head sympathized with Zhang Shicheng very much. Whenever Zhang Shicheng went out to transport salt, she would take out the cakes and other food she had baked by herself and give them to Zhang Shicheng. Once, Zhang Shicheng went out to transport salt, and it suddenly rained heavily. The duck-herding girl immediately took off her straw raincoat and put it on Zhang Shicheng. Zhang Shicheng was very moved and gradually developed feelings for the girl. Seeing Qiu Yi's arrogance becoming more and more arrogant, Zhang Shicheng and others could no longer hold back their anger. In the first month of the 13th year of Emperor Shundi of Yuan Dynasty (1353), Zhang Shicheng secretly contacted his three younger brothers and 17 brave salt farmers including the warrior Li Bosheng to actively prepare for an armed uprising. In order to prevent the secret from being leaked, one night, Zhang Shicheng invited 17 other passionate warriors to the Beiji Hall in Caoyanchang to swear an oath of blood, picked up 18 shoulder poles for carrying salt, and quietly sneaked into the home of salt police Qiu Yi in the cold wind, and beat the bully who usually harmed the neighbors to death. Afterwards, the 18 people rushed into the homes of the local rich and unkind families, opened the warehouses, distributed food and money to the local people, and then burned the houses clean. At that time, the salt workers working in the salt field were fed up with Qiu Yi's anger every day. They were just complaining that the work was too hard and tiring. Seeing that Zhang Shicheng and other 18 heroes had eradicated the scourge for them, they were very happy and joined the uprising team one after another, and unanimously elected Zhang Shicheng as the leader. The uprising team suddenly expanded to more than 10,000 people, and captured Xinghua and Taizhou in one fell swoop, killing the provincial councilor Zhao Lian. So more than 10,000 people gathered at the Desheng Lake in Xinghua, attacked and occupied Gaoyou, killed the defender Li Qi, and called himself "King Cheng", the country was named "Da Zhou", and the year was named "Tianyou". Soon, the court sent Prime Minister Tuotuo to lead a million troops to besiege Gaoyou. When Zhang Shicheng was at a loss, Prime Minister Tuotuo was calculated by the treacherous officials in the court. Emperor Shundi of the Yuan Dynasty dismissed Tuotuo on the spot and sent him to the border with an edict, and gave him poisoned wine to kill him halfway. The million-strong army led by Tuotuo was leaderless and scattered for a while. Zhang Shicheng took the opportunity to defeat the Yuan army. In the 16th year of the Yuan Dynasty (1356), Zhang Shicheng conquered Pingjiang (Suzhou), and then conquered Huzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Hangzhou and other places. In September of the 23rd year of the Yuan Dynasty (1363), Zhang Shicheng moved from Gaoyou to Pingjiang (Suzhou), proclaimed himself "King of Wu", and honored his mother Cao as the Queen Mother. At this time, Zhang Shicheng often missed the duck-raising girl of the year, so he sent dragon boats to the people to select a queen, and stipulated that the bow and stern of the dragon boat should be placed with a springboard, so that unmarried women from the bow springboard should be allowed to board the boat and walk to the stern and get off the boat. If a woman stepped on the dragon boat and the boat body shook, she would be the queen. On this day, the dragon boat was moored at the Huangniang Pavilion Wharf in Qingpu, Dongtai. The girls from Qingpu Village all obeyed the order and walked on the dragon boat, and some ladies from wealthy families were even more eager to get on. However, after these girls walked one by one, the dragon boat did not move at all. At this time, a duck-herding girl with a bald head from a neighboring village happened to pass by. After seeing this situation, she also wanted to try it. However, she was laughed at by everyone, saying that she was a bald toad wanting to eat swan meat! Unexpectedly, as soon as the girl stepped onto the gangplank, the dragon boat began to shake violently. The officials on the boat were shocked and hurried forward to greet her. They took the bald girl to the rear cabin to wash and dress, change clothes. At this time, the girl's bald scalp instantly turned into a silver bowl and fell on the dressing table. The girl's black and shiny green hair was seen, and the whole person instantly turned into a beautiful queen. On the same day, the Houbo brick kiln in Qintong Town, west of Qingpu, suddenly collapsed and cracked, revealing a golden dragon bed. From then on, there was a beautiful saying that "the queen was born in the Qingpu Pavilion, and the golden dragon bed was burned in the East Kiln." Although Zhang Shicheng was defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang, he reduced taxes and levies, protected the territory and the people in Suzhou and other places for more than ten years, and did so many good things for the people of Suzhou. He is still remembered by the people of Suzhou: every July 30th night, there are stars of incense sticks stuck in the ground in the streets and alleys of Suzhou Ancient City, commonly known as "burning long-term incense". "Long-term" is the homonym of Zhang Shicheng's nickname "Jiu Si". When Zhang Shicheng retreated from Changzhou, the people along the way were afraid that their soldiers would get lost, so they set up wooden stakes on the roadside and hung lanterns on them, naming them "sky lanterns". Later, "hanging sky lanterns" as a festival custom continued until the middle of the 20th century, which shows how far-reaching its influence is! (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)