During the early Liu Bang period,Xiao He was in charge of the conscription and the obtainment of food at home. Cao Can led
the battles at the front, and won the battles many times. When the war was over, Xiao He and Cao Can competed for the position of the prime minister. The generals backed Cao Can, but when Liu Bang formed the new
government, he took no notice of their opposition, and adopted minister Zhang Liang's opinion. Thus Liu Bang appointed Xiao He, who had never participated in the battles, as the prime minister, the second highest position under Liu Bang himself. For the
officials, this was of great significance. It eased the strained relation between the generals and the Empress Dowager Lü. For the first time, the position of administrative officials was higher than that of the soldiers. Thus, administrative tasks were considered to be as important as military victories. This meant that the previous government system, one that was based on a military hierarchy, had changed into a governmental system designed for daily administration. The appointment of Cao Can was also reasonable. Liu Bang maintained the balance among officials. The appointment of Xiao He and Cao Can made the government stabilized. It became a model for the dynasties to come.