I Am Liu Bang

I am Liu Bang, a commoner who clawed his way out of the muddy streets of Pei County.

You say I was a loafer, a greedy man, a ruler who won the realm through luck. But you never saw how I endured Xiang Yu’s blade, Han Xin’s ambition, and the storms of this troubled age, one step at a time. You remember my ruthlessness, but forget my real strength: I knew how to hold steady.

I won’t deny my humble origins, nor hide the fact that I once drifted through the streets. But I led a rabble to greatness not with smooth talk, but because I knew what I was doing and had a plan for every move. I won not because I was clever, but because I saw things more clearly than anyone else and could endure longer than anyone else.

For two thousand years, too many people have portrayed me all wrong, calling me a rogue emperor. So I’ll speak for myself and tell you plainly how I climbed from the mud to the halls of power, one step at a time.

This is no biography. This is Liu Bang’s own firsthand account!