, ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁post hum ous ▁child ▁of ▁his ▁father ▁Li ▁Ch ang ▁( 李 <0xE6> <0x98> <0xB6> ), ▁who ▁trac ed ▁his ▁ancest ry ▁to ▁the ▁Han ▁dynast y ▁general ▁Li ▁Gu ang . ▁ ▁After ▁Li ▁Ch ang ' s ▁death , ▁Li ▁G ao ' s ▁mother ▁married ▁a ▁man ▁named ▁Song , ▁and ▁she ▁bore ▁him ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁son , ▁Song ▁Y ao ▁( <0xE5> <0xAE> <0x8B> <0xE7> <0xB9> <0x87> ). ▁ ▁In ▁Li ▁G ao ' s ▁youth , ▁he ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁be ▁stud ious , ▁rational , ▁and ▁open - mind ed . ▁ ▁When ▁he ▁grew ▁older , ▁he ▁also ▁studied ▁the ▁military ▁strateg ies ▁of ▁Sun zi ▁and ▁Wu ▁Q i . ▁ ▁He ▁had , ▁for ▁a ▁time , ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁house ▁with ▁his ▁half - bro ther ▁Song ▁Y ao ▁and ▁Gu o ▁N en ▁( <0xE9> <0x83> <0xAD> <0xE9> <0xBB> <0x81> ), ▁a ▁minister ▁of ▁Later ▁Li ang ' s ▁found ing ▁em peror ▁Lü ▁Gu ang ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁mag ical ▁and ▁proph etic ▁ab ilities . ▁ ▁Gu o ▁once ▁told ▁Song , ▁" Your ▁place ▁will ▁be ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁hon ored ▁of ▁all ▁subjects , ▁but ▁Mr . ▁Li ▁will ▁one ▁day ▁found ▁an ▁independent ▁state . ▁ ▁This ▁will ▁happen ▁when ▁a ▁mare ▁be ars ▁a ▁p ony ▁with ▁a ▁white ▁fore head ." ▁ ▁After ▁Lü ▁Gu ang ' s ▁official ▁Du an ▁Ye , ▁with ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁gener als