"Your subordinate accepts the order."
Zhao Cheng accepted the Tiger Tally and the Yak-tail Staff. "I will report back to His Majesty: I shall break through the Han Capital and return within ten days."
His words were calm, yet their force was like a rainbow spanning the sky. An boundless certainty surged toward them, filling the Chief of the Gentlemen of the Palace with quiet admiration.
He returned the salute, then stood at attention and declared, "From this day forth, His Majesty appoints Zhao Cheng as Great General for the Conquest of Han and bestows upon him the General's Seal, an Imperial Edict and Tally Contract, a precious sword and Black Armor, as well as banners and a staff of command!"
Behind him, an Attendant took all the appointed items down from the carriage.
Among them, the General's Seal was a gold seal with a purple ribbon, of the highest rank.
Generally, only a commander-in-chief had a gold seal like this. It bore the words "Great General Cheng" and represented Zhao Cheng's authority over life and death in the army he led. He held it all in his hands and could use it to command the other generals.
The Imperial Edict was a formal appointment written on silk. It stated the reason for the appointment, the scope of his authority, and the expectations for him, and bore the seal of the King of Qin.
The Tally Contract was divided into two halves, one held by the emperor and the other by the general. It was used to verify the authenticity of orders.
The Black Armor was a suit of black scale armor, tempered through a thousand hammerings. It was even sturdier and more imposing than Zhao Cheng's Gilded Scale Armor, and was fit for a Great General.
The precious sword