When Emperor Gaozu was attacking Ying Bu, he was hit by a stray arrow and fell ill during the march. His condition was serious, so Empress Lü invited a good doctor. The doctor came to the palace to pay his respects to Emperor Gaozu, who asked him about it. The doctor said, "The sickness can be cured." Emperor Gaozu then scolded the doctor and said, "I am a commoner holding a three-foot-long sword to seize the world. Isn't this destiny? Life is determined by heaven. Even if Bian Que is reborn, what use is there!" Emperor Gaozu did not let the doctor treat him, but rewarded him with fifty gold and let him go. Soon, Empress Lü asked, "After your majesty are over one hundred years (death), and if Prime Minister Xiao also dies, who can take over?" Emperor Gaozu said, "Cao Shen can." When asked the next person, Emperor Gaozu said, "Wang Ling can. However, Wang Ling is a little bit upright and outspoken, and Chen Ping can assist him. Chen Ping is wise, but but not capable enough to take on the heavy responsibility alone. Zhou Bo is calm and kind but lacks literary traits, but the one who can stabilize the Liu family must be Zhou Bo, so he can be made the Grand Marshal." Empress Lü asked the next person again, and Emperor Gaozu said, "What will happen after is beyond my version."
Lu Wan led several thousand cavalrymen to inquire about the news at the border, hoping to personally go to the palace to apologize when Emperor Gaozu recovered from his illness.
On the Jiachen day of April, Emperor Gaozu died in Changle Palace. Four days later, the death was not announced. Empress Lü discussed with Shen Yiji and said, "All the generals and the emperor were born as registered commoners. Now they are facing north and paying homage to the emperor. They often feel dissatisfied in their hearts. Now they are serving a young monarch. If they are not all exterminated, the world will not be stable." Someone heard the news and told General Li. General Li went to see Shen Yiji and said, "I heard that the emperor has passed away, but he still hasn't announced his death for four days, and he wants to kill all the generals. If he really does this, the world will be in danger. Chen Ping and Guan Ying led 100 thousand people to garrison Xingyang, and Fan Kuai and Zhou Bo led 200 thousand people to pacify Yan and Dai. Now they hear that the emperor has passed away and all the generals have been killed. They will definitely unite and march back to Guanzhong. The ministers are rebelling internally, and the princes are rebelling externally. The destruction can be expected on tiptoe." Shen Yiji went to the palace to relay these words, and only then did he announce the death on Dingwei day and pardon the world.
When Lu Wan heard that Gaozu had passed away, he fled to the Huns.
高祖击布时，为流矢所中，行道病。病甚，吕后迎良医，医入见，高祖问医，医曰：“病可治。”于是高祖嫚骂之曰：“吾以布衣提三尺剑取天下，此非天命乎？命乃在天，虽扁鹊何益！”遂不使治病，赐金五十斤罢之。已而吕后问：“陛下百岁后，萧相国即死，令谁代之？”上曰：“曹参可。”问其次，上曰：“王陵可。然陵少戆，陈平可以助之。陈平智有余，然难以独任。周勃重厚少文，然安刘氏者必勃也，可令为太尉。”吕后复问其次，上曰：“此后亦非而所知也。”
卢绾与数千骑居塞下候伺，幸上病愈自入谢。
四月甲辰，高祖崩长乐宫。四日不发丧。吕后与审食其谋曰：“诸将与帝为编户民，今北面为臣，此常怏怏，今乃事少主，非尽族是，天下不安。”人或闻之，语郦将军。郦将军往见审食其，曰：“吾闻帝已崩，四日不发丧，欲诛诸将。诚如此，天下危矣。陈平、灌婴将十万守荥阳，樊哙、周勃将二十万定燕、代，此闻帝崩，诸将皆诛，必连兵还乡以攻关中。大臣内叛，诸侯外反，亡可翘足而待也。”审食其入言之，乃以丁未发丧，大赦天下。
卢绾闻高祖崩，遂亡入匈奴。
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