✍️ Author’s Note
This is not the tale of a prince born in silks, nor of a hero forged in prophecy.
This is the story of a man forgotten by fate — a drinker, a dreamer, a minor clerk — who, well into his forties, looked the empire in the eye… and took it.Liu Bang began with nothing but a flask of wine and the burden of age. But through cunning, heart, and the pulse of rebellion, he rose to become the first emperor of the Han Dynasty — the very name by which over a billion people still identify themselves today.
This book is a reminder: it’s never too late to rise, even if you start from the lowest dust.
📜 Chapters
Chapter I. Low Beginnings, Deep Waters
In a quiet village nestled among the endless rice fields of ancient China lived a man who was destined for nothing. His name was Liu Bang. He drank often, worked little, laughed loudly, and dreamed quietly. A petty official of peasant stock. Over forty.
And that — as it turns out — was only the beginning.
Chapter II. A Gaze That Changed Fate
One day, a powerful lord saw something strange in Liu Bang — perhaps destiny, perhaps madness. He offered him his daughter’s hand in marriage.
It was a moment easily missed by history… but the hinge on which empires turn.
That same year, the people rose in revolt — and history knocked.
Chapter III. Raising the Flag
As the land blazed with rebellion, Liu Bang did not flee — he stepped forward.
He was no general, yet men followed him. He spoke plainly, but people listened. From farmers to fighters, they gathered beneath his banner.
The drunkard had become a symbol.
Chapter IV. The Art of Earning Loyalty
While rivals sought power through blood, Liu Bang sought hearts.
He abolished cruel laws, reduced taxes, opened roads, and gave voice to the voiceless.
His army was not just an army — it was a movement.
Chapter V. The Battle for the Mandate
Then came Xiang Yu — a warlord of fire and thunder, a hero forged in ambition. Between them raged a rivalry for the ages: brute strength against quiet cunning, arrogance against resolve.
Liu Bang played the long game.
He didn’t swing wildly. He placed his moves like a chessmaster — and waited for checkmate.
Chapter VI. A Crown Without Purple
Liu Bang was not born in silk or prophecy. He was no “Son of Heaven.”
And yet, in 202 BCE, he was crowned the first Emperor of Han.
He forged an empire not from jade and ceremony, but from struggle, will, and rebellion.
Chapter VII. The Hour of Late Triumphs
To be over forty is not the end — not if your heart still dares.
Liu Bang proved that those who fall can rise the highest.
His life became a legend — not of destiny fulfilled, but of destiny created.
Epilogue. What Remains
The Han Dynasty would endure for centuries.
The culture, language, and people he unified would shape the soul of China.
He began as a forgotten man — and became the cornerstone of a civilization.
Perhaps you can, too.
“So long as you live — you can rule.”
— Liu Bang, Emperor of Han
