A famous prophecy passed down from the Ming Dynasty, "The Song of the Baked Bun," was authored by Liu Ji, the Imperial Preceptor during the reign of the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, also known as Liu Bowen. It is said that Liu Ji had profound knowledge of mathematics and numerology, and folk legends claim he was a celestial being descended to earth to assist the founding emperor in establishing his great enterprise. In folk tales and literary works, he is often depicted as possessing extraordinary foresight, capable of predicting the future without divination, understanding the past and present, and even commanding wind and rain with immense supernatural powers—described as knowing "five hundred years before and five hundred years after"—a figure as divine as a celestial being.
Liu Ji's father was named Liu Yue. Legend has it that his parents were exceptionally kind-hearted. One day, a crane immortal, transformed into a beggar with a scabby head, came to their home to beg for food. Not only did they not disdain him, but they fed him and even climbed the mountain to gather herbs to treat his head sores. Grateful for their kindness, the crane immortal told them to bury their ancestors' remains at the foot of Wufeng Mountain behind their house, prophesying that this would lead to the birth of future generals and ministers. With the immortal's guidance, Liu Yue buried his ancestors' bones at the mountainside. Three years later, Liu Ji was born to Liu Yue's wife.
Upon birth, the infant Liu Ji made no sound, appearing as if mute. Just as Liu Yue and his wife were worrying, the crane immortal reappeared. He told Liu Yue, "This child has clear, bright eyes and a well-proportioned face; he will surely become a king, a marquis, or a high minister in the future." After saying this, he reached into the child's throat and gently patted his chest. Immediately, Liu Ji opened his mouth and let out a cry. The crane immortal then ascended on auspicious clouds and flew away.
As a child, Liu Ji was exceptionally intelligent, possessing an extraordinary memory—he could memorize books after reading them just a few times—earning him great admiration from his teachers.
At the age of twenty-two, Liu Ji passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, but he was upright and incorruptible, dedicated to public service. Later, due to exposing the dereliction of duty by a censorial official, he was ostracized and forced to retire to a life of seclusion. During his seclusion, Liu Ji sought out recluses and Taoist sages, and it is said that he even encountered the immortal Huang Shigong. He ultimately attained the ability to foresee the future and understand the past and present.
There is a folk legend about Liu Ji's encounter with the immortal Huang Shigong. One morning, after obtaining a celestial book with no words from the White Ape Cave, Liu Ji was reading a book beneath a cliff, dozens of zhang to the left of the waterfall at Shimen Cave on the mountain. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed, and the cliff face slowly split apart. As Liu Ji walked forward, he entered a stone chamber. In the center of the rear wall, which was as white and lustrous as jade, were carved two immortals standing face to face, each holding a golden tablet with the inscription: "Mao Jin Dao, hold the stone and knock." Liu Ji, with his exceptional talent, naturally understood the meaning. He immediately picked up a large stone and began knocking on the wall. After a while, the wall opened by itself, revealing a stone casket containing four volumes of military strategy.
Liu Ji was overjoyed, took the four volumes of military texts, and turned to leave. By the time he exited the cave, the cliff face had closed again as it was before.
Back at his residence, Liu Ji took out the four volumes of military texts and examined them closely, yet could not decipher their secrets. When the bright moon rose high in the sky, Liu Ji opened the wordless celestial book and saw the characters "There is someone beyond a person" reflected within. Liu Ji realized this was a sign to seek out a higher master. Thus, he traveled extensively to famous mountains and ancient temples, and finally, one day atop a towering, cloud-piercing peak, he met a Taoist priest of ethereal bearing. The priest handed Liu Ji a book two inches thick and said, "If you can memorize this book by tomorrow, I will guide you."
The clever Liu Ji had memorized the two-inch-thick book by midnight. The priest was deeply impressed, exclaiming, "Truly a genius!" He casually opened a stone chamber and led Liu Ji inside. Liu Ji saw various books within the chamber and was overwhelmed with excitement. The priest then explained the texts from the stone chamber along with the four celestial volumes Liu Ji had brought. Through the priest's careful instruction, Liu Ji finally grasped the essence of the four military texts and the stone chamber's books. Before Liu Ji descended the mountain, the priest revealed that he was none other than Huang Shigong of Jiujiang, the same immortal who had once bestowed military texts upon Zhang Liang of the Han dynasty.
At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, many heroes rose up. After Zhu Yuanzhang raised his army, Liu Ji, following heavenly will, emerged from seclusion to join him and ultimately helped Zhu Yuanzhang achieve imperial greatness.
Liu Ji possessed remarkable foresight. It is said that when Zhu Yuanzhang was King of Wu, a severe drought struck the Jiangnan region. At that time, Liu Ji was in charge of astronomy. Zhu Yuanzhang asked him why the drought was occurring and how to make the heavens send rain. Liu Ji replied, "The heavens have not sent rain because there are wrongfully imprisoned people in the jails with unresolved grievances." Zhu Yuanzhang, heeding Liu Ji's words, sent him to investigate the prisoners. Liu Ji discovered numerous wrongful cases. After reporting to Zhu Yuanzhang, he overturned the unjust verdicts and released the wrongly imprisoned. Sure enough, within a few days, dark clouds gathered, and a thorough rain fell.
Another time, the Hongwu Emperor was in the inner palace eating a baked bun. After taking just one bite, an attendant suddenly announced that the Imperial Preceptor Liu Ji had arrived. The emperor quickly covered the bun with a bowl and summoned Liu Ji into the inner palace. After the formal greetings, the emperor asked, "Master, you are deeply versed in numerology—can you tell me what is under this bowl?" Liu Ji calculated briefly and replied, "Half like the sun, half like the moon, bitten by a golden dragon—this is food." When the bowl was lifted, it was indeed as he had described.
In the fourth year of the Hongwu era (1371), Liu Ji retired to his hometown (granted by the emperor). Because Liu Ji hated evil with extreme intensity, he offended some treacherous individuals. Hu Weiyong was the most notorious villain of the early Ming Dynasty. Liu Ji and the general Xu Da had both advised the emperor not to employ him. As a result, Hu Weiyong later sent people to spread rumors, claiming that Liu Ji had chosen a burial site with imperial qi for himself to secure future glory. Although Zhu Yuanzhang was a diligent ruler, his magnanimity could not compare to that of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Thus, the Hongwu Emperor stripped Liu Ji of his stipend. After being falsely accused, Liu Ji had no choice but to go to the capital to plead guilty. The emperor did not punish him severely and later sent someone to escort Liu Ji back to his hometown. It is said that at the time, Liu Ji was ill, and Hu Weiyong had sent someone to poison his medicine. After returning home, Liu Ji told his son, "Now the court should focus on virtuous governance and reduce harsh punishments, but unfortunately, Hu Weiyong is in power, so speaking of these matters is useless. After Hu Weiyong's downfall, the emperor will remember me. You must convey my thoughts to the emperor." Liu Ji also said, "If my predictions prove false, that would truly be a blessing for the people under heaven." A month later, Liu Ji died at the age of sixty-five. Later, Hu Weiyong became a prime minister and committed many evil deeds. It was not until years later, when his treason was exposed, that he was executed. This once again confirmed the accuracy of Liu Ji's predictions.