沛县
Liu returned to Pei County. His close friends at the county office, Xiao He and Cao Shen, hid his delinquent behaviour and helped him to be appointed as the local sheriff () at Sishui Pavilion (). Liu Bang forged close relationships with most of the local county bureaucrats, and earned a small reputation in the district. While performing statute labour in Xianyang, the Qin capital, he witnessed Qin Shi Huang undertaking an inspection tour; the royal procession impressed Liu.