Xiao He

Xiao He was a native of Pei County who served as a clerical scribe under the Qin dynasty. After entering the Guanzhong region, he alone seized and preserved the archival records and administrative documents from the Qin prime minister’s office—enabling the Han court to fully grasp the empire’s population registers, strategic strongholds, and geographical resources. During the Chu–Han Contention, he remained in Guanzhong to oversee logistics, transport grain and troops, and ensure ample provisions and well-equipped forces—laying the indispensable foundation for Liu Bang’s establishment of the Han dynasty. Ranked first among the founding meritocrats, Xiao He compiled the Nine Chapter Statutes, a foundational legal code; he also famously pursued Han Xin under moonlight and recommended him as supreme commander—an enduring tale of discernment and loyalty. Owing to his pivotal role in preserving state archives and administering granaries and accounts, later generations of grain officials and accountants revered him as Cang Shen (God of Granaries). Former granaries in prefectural and county seats across China commonly housed Cang Shen Temples dedicated to his worship, where prayers were offered for bountiful granaries and scrupulously accurate bookkeeping.