The Taoist belief system was also seen as legitimate by many during the middle Ming period when, with the growth of commerce in the state, it became a trend for different industries to worship their own Taoist patron gods. For example, ink makers would worship "Wenchang Dijun" (文昌帝君, wén chāng dì jūn), ironsmiths would worship "Taishang Laojun" (太上老君, tài shàng lǎo jūn), and prostitutes and thieves would worship "Guan Zhong" (管仲, guǎn zhòng) and "Shi Qian" (時遷, shí qiān), in many ways to prove the legitimacy of their occupations.