When Liu Bang was serving as a village head, he often asked for leave to go home. Empress Lü was weeding in the fields with her two children. An old man passed by and asked them for water, so Empress Lü gave him some food. The old man read Empress Lü's face and said, "Madam is the most noble person in the world." Empress Lü asked him to read the fortunes of the two children. The old man looked at Xiaohui and said, "The reason why Madam will be noble is because of this boy." After a fortune-teller's look at Princess Lu Yuan, he said that she would also be a noble person. The old man had already left. Liu Bang happened to come over from his neighbor's house. Empress Lu told him in detail that a guest had passed by and told her of her nobility and that of their son and daughter. Liu Bang asked, and Empress Lü said, "He hasn’t gone far yet." Liu Bang chased up and asked the old man. The old man said, "The lady and the baby just now look very much like you. The nobility of your appearance is beyond description." Liu Bang thanked him and said, "If it is really as you said, I will never forget your kindness." When Liu Bang became a prominent figure, no one knew where the old man was.
When Liu Bang was a village head, he wore a hat made of bamboo skin. He asked his subordinates, the thieves-hunting officials, to make it in Xue County. He often wore it and he also wore it often when he became an important official. This is the so-called "Liu's crown".
Liu Bang, as a village head, was escorting prisoners from Pei County to Mount Li. Many prisoners escaped on the way, and he estimated that all the prisoners would have run away by the time they arrived at Mount Li. When they reached a large swamp west of Fengyi, they stopped to drink, and at night they released the prisoners they were escorting. Liu Bang said: "You all can go, from now on I will also have to run away." There were a dozen strong men among the prisoners who were willing to follow him. Liu Bang was drunk and took advantage of the night to cross the swamp from a small path.
Liu Bang was drunk and went straight through the swamp at night, having someone exploring the way ahead. The man who was in front of him came back and reported, "There is a big snake blocking the road ahead, I want to go back." Liu Bang was drunk and said, "What is there to be afraid of wherever a warrior goes!" So he went forward, drew his sword and cut the snake. The snake was split into two pieces, and the road was clear. After walking a few more miles, he was so drunk so lay down on the ground. The people behind him came to the place where the big snake appeared and saw an old woman crying in the night. People asked her, and the old woman said, "Someone killed my son, so I am crying here." People asked, "How was the lady's son killed?" The old woman said, "My son is the son of the White Emperor, who shaped into a snake and blocked the road. Today, he was cut into two pieces by the son of the Red Emperor, so I am crying here." People thought the old woman was dishonest and wanted to punish her, but the old woman suddenly disappeared. Then the people behind caught up and Liu Bang woke up. They told him these things, and he was secretly happy and thought he was great. His followers became more and more in awe of him.
(Translation note. According to the Chinese theory of five elements, the red fire of the south destroys the white metal of the west to produce the yellow earth of the center.)
高祖为亭长时，常告归之田。吕后与两子居田中耨，有一老父过请饮，吕后因餔之。老父相吕后曰：“夫人天下贵人。”令相两子，见孝惠，曰：“夫人所以贵者，乃此男也。”相鲁元，亦皆贵。老父已去，高祖適从旁舍来，吕后具言客有过，相我子母皆大贵。高祖问，曰：“未远。”乃追及，问老父。老父曰：“乡者夫人婴儿皆似君，君相贵不可言。”高祖乃谢曰：“诚如父言，不敢忘德。”及高祖贵，遂不知老父处。
高祖为亭长，乃以竹皮为冠，令求盗之薛治之，时时冠之，及贵常冠，所谓“刘氏冠”乃是也。
高祖以亭长为县送徒郦山，徒多道亡。自度比至皆亡之，到丰西泽中，止饮，夜乃解纵所送徒。曰：“公等皆去，吾亦从此逝矣！”徒中壮士愿从者十余人。高祖被酒，夜径泽中，令一人行前。行前者还报曰：“前有大蛇当径，愿还。”高祖醉，曰：“壮士行，何畏！”乃前，拔剑击斩蛇。蛇遂分为两，径开。行数里，醉，因卧。后人来至蛇所，有一老妪夜哭。人问何哭，妪曰：“人杀吾子，故哭之。”人曰：“妪子何为见杀？”妪曰：“吾子，白帝子也，化为蛇，当道，今为赤帝子斩之，故哭。”人乃以妪为不诚，欲告之，妪因忽不见。后人至，高祖觉。后人告高祖，高祖乃心独喜，自负。诸从者日益畏之。
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