so depressed that he wrote a poem about his ordeals, reading: A golden wind has lost its gust. The dew has fallen on the dark forest. Tonight, this poor and confused man, Is depressed in this Tao region with a broken heart. In the wild plains, the reed and the aloe are mixed; In the wilderness near the village, the pigweed and the wild beans grow tall. I look and I listen with many emotions, I lie down on my pillow in tears. But why do I shed tears? In sadness I think about the ancients. Without first ending adherence to the Qin, How can the road to Han be clear? Fan Kuai was but a commoner in the market, And Xiao He was but a minor bureaucraft. When they received their chances, They gained posthumous names that lasted a thousand years. I talk about the heroes of the world, But I shamefully live in emptiness. When Li finished the poem, he broke down in tears. People saw his behavior and reported to the commandery governor Zhao Tuo (), who sent soldiers to arrest him, but he was able to escape. He then went to his brother-in-law, Qiu Junming (), who was then the county magistrate for Yongqiu (雍丘, in modern Kaifeng, Henan). Qiu did not dare to keep him, but referred him to Wang Xiucai (), who was known for his bravery. Wang took Li in and gave his daughter to Li in marriage. Later, however, Qiu Junming's relative Qiu Huaiyi () informed on them, and by Emperor Yang's orders, the general Yang Wang () led soldiers to surround Wang Xiucai's house. Li happened to be away at the time and so escaped, but both Qiu Junming and Wang Xiucai were executed. Li again tried to visit the rebel leaders to try to persuade them to follow his strategies. Most of the leaders considered Li's strategies overly grandiose, and they initially did not respect him. However, as time went by, some of them began to respect Li, particularly when they heard prophecies that the next emperor would be named Li, some speculated that Li, who was of noble birth and who had many times escaped death, would be the one. He became particularly close to the rebel leader Wang Bodang (). Assassinating Zhai Rang By 616, Li Mi saw that Zhai Rang was the strongest rebel leader of the