The Weight of the Tiger Tally

In the turbulent Warring States period, the Qin military operated under an intricate system of command verification. The state’s military tallies came in three distinct forms, each representing different levels of authority. The highest-ranking Black Eagle tally remained exclusively in the ruler’s possession, only issued to supreme commanders for major campaigns involving deployments of 100,000 troops. The secondary Dragon tally authorized movements of 20,000-30,000 soldiers, typically granted to fortress commanders or generals leading smaller engagements. Then there was the Tiger tally – the very object that now weighed heavily in Ying Zhuang’s hands – which could mobilize no more than 8,000 troops, usually assigned to special envoys or confidential state missions.

This meticulous system, refined after Shang Yang’s legal reforms, had effectively abolished private armies and centralized military authority under the monarch. Every troop movement required the matching of left and right tally halves, publicly verified before assembled officers before any deployment could commence. From the thousand-commander level upward, garrison generals each held either a Tiger or Dragon right tally corresponding to their rank. During wartime, the commanding general would receive the left tally from the ruler, matching it publicly with the officers’ right tallies before assuming full command. When campaigns concluded, the left tally had to be immediately returned to the sovereign. Any discrepancy in this process rendered troop mobilization impossible.

The Dilemma of Deployment

Yet Ying Zhuang faced a quandary far beyond ceremonial verification. Qin’s elite forces were strategically dispersed in three critical locations. The 8,000 royal guards stationed within Xianyang’s walls answered to no tally – only to the ruler’s secret missives and ever-changing authentication tokens. Then there were the border garrisons at vital passes like Hangu, Wuguan, and Dasan, none exceeding 8,000 troops except Hangu’s 10,000-strong contingent. Withdrawing an entire garrison would raise immediate suspicion. Finally, the Lantian encampment housed the largest concentration of frequently deployed troops, but presented its own logistical nightmares – which units to mobilize, when to move them, and how to sustain them covertly.

For a man like Ying Zhuang, lacking military experience even compared to the battle-tested Ying Dang, lawful troop transfer through tally verification stood as the only viable path. His challenge lay not in the ritual of command, but in the practicalities of assembling a credible force without alerting the entire court to his intentions.

The Web of Conspiracy

As Ying Zhuang paced his garden in frustration, a small boat glided across the lotus pond. A serving girl flashed a knowing smile before hurling a bamboo tube his way. Unrolling the silk missive inside, he recognized the distinctive calligraphy of Ying Li: “Gone to Handan. If you obtain the tally, seek Xian. The three-star jade pendant serves as token. Remember.”

This cryptic message ignited Ying Zhuang’s resolve. Disguised in a covered wagon, he slipped through Xianyang’s east gate toward the southeast. His destination: the Lantian camp, where Deputy General Ying Xian held command.

A Fateful Meeting at Twilight

The sprawling Lantian military complex stretched beneath fiery sunset clouds as evening drills concluded. When informed of a Chu merchant seeking him, Ying Xian initially scoffed – until presented with that unmistakable green jade pendant. His demeanor transformed instantly.

Under cover of darkness, the two conspirators met in a merchant’s carriage. The urgent whispers within that rolling chamber would determine Qin’s future. Ying Xian, it emerged, bore a secret identity – born to Consort Mi before her marriage into Qin’s royal house, his true parentage shrouded in mystery. This shared outsider status created an unbreakable bond with the disfigured Ying Li, who recounted their childhood friendship in Chu: “We were both rootless wanderers for ten years.”

The Mobilization

With this personal connection secured, the conspiracy moved forward. The next evening, Senior Lord Ying Zhuang arrived at Lantian with six cavalry escorts, presenting tally and arrow tokens to temporary commander Meng Ao. Officially mobilizing 8,000 cavalry under Ying Xian to “escort Queen Dowager Huiwen to Yongcheng for retirement,” the force instead veered northwest after thirty li, establishing a secret camp in the dense forests north of the Ba River.

Now commanding this formidable cavalry wing, Ying Zhuang turned to consolidating his position. He approached several aristocratic clans with remaining feudal lands – though Shang Yang’s reforms had limited these to under twenty li without governing rights or significant taxation. These nobles maintained only small retinues of battle-scarred veterans from past campaigns, men whose loyalty to their former commanders remained absolute. Gathering several hundred such warriors could create a formidable strike force against the palace.

The Unraveling

Yet the elderly nobles proved unexpectedly resistant. Whether feigning deafness or genuine disinterest in court politics, they rebuffed Ying Zhuang’s overtures, even when framed as providing escorts for the queen dowager’s hunting excursions. The sudden coordinated reluctance raised alarms. When intelligence revealed that Right Minister Chu Lizhi had been making rounds of these noble houses – each time leaving conspicuously inebriated – Ying Zhuang’s fury erupted: “That old swine! Black boar!”

The Handan Connection

A pheasant feather message brought Ying Li’s return from Zhao. The news was mixed: General Lian Po would indeed attack Qin’s western territories with 80,000 troops from Jinyang, creating the necessary diversion. But King Yong’s price was steep – twelve western cities upon Ying Zhuang’s ascension. Though initially outraged, Ying Zhuang acquiesced to his brother’s pragmatic counsel: “Give them today, take them back tomorrow.”

The Countdown

With military forces secured and Zhao’s cooperation obtained, the conspirators set their plan in motion. Ying Li’s haunting recitation of the Book of Songs – “No grass but dies, no tree but withers, the valley winds blow, the mountains tower high!” – seemed to acknowledge the high stakes. His only desire: recognition as a true man of worth, not shared power. As the moon climbed overhead, his sudden emotional breakdown in the lotus garden revealed the profound personal toll of their ambition.

The Return of the Rightful Heir

Meanwhile, Bai Qi’s elite cavalry completed their lightning journey from Yan, delivering Prince Ying Ji to the safety of Zhangtai palace under cover of darkness. Wei Ran’s meticulous preparations created concentric rings of security, while his strategic mind analyzed incoming intelligence: Zhao’s military movements, the missing Lantian cavalry, and the infiltration of Ying Zhuang’s veterans into the capital. Recognizing the need to expose the conspiracy fully, he deliberately left the decoy royal convoy vulnerable to attack – creating irrefutable evidence of treason.

The Brother’s Secret

The revelation that Ying Xian was actually Wei Ran’s nephew through his sister Mi created an unexpected complication. Wei Ran’s initial reaction – “Once involved in treason, he’s guilty regardless” – softened when presented with a letter from Mi. After reading its contents, he acknowledged: “This might work.” The stage was set for a confrontation that would determine Qin’s future ruler.

The Gathering Storm

As Ying Ji quietly prepared in Zhangtai, polishing the Wu hook sword that had accompanied him through years of exile, the opposing forces maneuvered toward their inevitable clash. The young prince’s experiences in Yan’s brutal power struggles had forged a resilience beyond his years. Now surrounded by formidable Qin statesmen and generals, he maintained a disciplined silence, observing and learning from Wei Ran’s decisive leadership and Bai Qi’s military brilliance.

The coming days would test whether Ying Zhuang’s intricate conspiracy could withstand the combined might of Qin’s loyalist forces – and whether the tiger tally’s authority would prove mightier than the bonds of blood and brotherhood.