"The tally is here with me, bestowed upon me by His Majesty himself."
Su Ziji stepped down from the carriage, holding up the military tally in his hand, with his private soldiers at his side.
He had come here without a single residence guard.
The tally was proof for mobilizing troops and had always been divided into two halves that matched each other.
The ruler held one half, while the commander held the other.
When troops needed to be mobilized, an envoy carried the ruler's half to the commander's camp. Once it fitted the commander's half with seamless precision, troops were dispatched immediately according to orders.
"Your Highness, forgive this subject's discourtesy." Bi Xin knew he was facing a heaven-shaking matter. His expression turned grave, and with a wave of his hand, Thousand-Household Commander Wan Qiao brought out the carefully stored half of the tally and fitted it together before everyone.
The tiger-shaped pattern and serrated edges matched without the slightest flaw.
The successful match immediately extinguished the last flicker of luck in many eyes.
In its place came a bone-piercing chill.
The imperial envoy was real, the edict was real, and the tally was real... Prince Qi had truly rebelled.
Those generals who had once associated with Prince Qi felt their hearts churn madly.
"Prince Qi's utter madness is hard even for me to believe, but His Majesty's will has been decided. There can be no delay whatsoever."
Su Ziji put away his half of the tally and looked up. "Do any of you still have objections?"
"This..." The generals all looked toward Bi Xin, who stood at the front.
Bi Xin drew a deep breath and was about to speak when someone stepped forward. "This general has something to say!"
The words struck like a stone shattering the