Liu Bang is one of the most controversial emperors in the history of China. A lowly commoner by birth, he conquered the entire country and laid the foundation for the great Han dynasty. Bold and wise, but conniving and cunning, never completely trusting even his most loyal generals, he was known to have survived 9 deaths. Gao Xi Xi quotes a famous Qing poem about Liu Bang, "The Han King was an icon of heroism only found once in a thousand years, with few in history ever matching his prowess. The subsequent emperors who followed his footsteps, who can surpass his achievements?"