The tiger tally was the military tally used by successive emperors of the Liu Kingdom to mobilize troops. It was personally forged by the founding emperor with red gold and split into two halves. The right half was held by the emperor, while the left half was given to the generals.
Only those in control of the right tiger tally could order the generals to act after verification.
Seeing the tiger tally was like seeing the emperor in person. However, if the emperor didn't have the tally and wanted to mobilize the troops from all over, he had to go in person. Otherwise, even with the imperial edict, he couldn't mobilize the troops.
In this way, a great deal of precious time would be wasted when a great war came.
The tiger tally was originally passed down from generation to generation by the founding emperor. Only the legitimate emperor could obtain the tally from the previous emperor.
However, Qi Hong, who had usurped the throne by murdering his father, hadn't received any information about the tally even when the previous emperor closed his eyes.
Therefore, when he learned that Yun Sheng might be in possession of the tiger tally, he was thrown into the imperial prison. After being tortured by the imperial guards, Yun Sheng always denied that he was hiding the tiger tally.
At this moment, Qi Rong directly demanded the tiger tally. Yun Sheng hesitated, looking at Qi Rong with a very complicated look in his eyes.
"How can you be sure that the tiger tally is in my hands? Haven't you thought that you might have the wrong person?!"
When Qi Hong forced the palace, the previous emperor did ask a palace servant to secretly hand over the tiger tally to him. It was also the previous emperor's entrustment that made him, who was about to reach the palace gate, secretly turn back.
Because he knew that the situation was already settled at that time. The previous emperor had been poisoned by Qi Hong. Even if he had entered the palace, he couldn't have protected the emperor. He would only have gone to his death.
Moreover, he still had the previous emperor's entrustment to fulfill, so he couldn't die yet!
And at this moment, it wasn't the best time to hand over the tiger tally!
Qi Rong didn't answer Yun Sheng's question. His tone was unarguable as he said,
"Unless you exchange it with the tiger tally, otherwise, there's no need for this king to talk to you."
Regardless of whether Yun Sheng had the tiger tally in his hands or not, even if he did, since he had endured the imperial prison but still refused to take it out, he must have had a greater plan, even one that surpassed his own life!
So, Qi Rong directly set the condition to the extreme, trying to put Yun Sheng in a dilemma!
"You're deliberately making things difficult for me. You know very well that it's impossible for me to have the tiger tally in my hands!"
After a moment of silence, Yun Sheng said in a cold voice with a straight face.
Qi Rong's thin lips curled slightly, a sneer on his face.
"This king doesn't know whether you have the tiger tally in your hands or not. But if you say this king is deliberately making things difficult for you, that's for sure."
Qi Rong paused, the disgust on his face extremely obvious as he said,
"Because you also know that this king will never let you feel comfortable!"
Qi Rong deliberately imitated Yun Sheng's words, full of sarcasm in every sentence, which made Yun Sheng burn with anger. He condemned in a cold voice,
"The previous emperor once said that he who wears the crown must bear the weight."
"All you have now is scheming. You don't care about the common people in the world, nor do you have a sense of national righteousness. Even if you get the tiger tally, it will only bring endless disasters to the Liu Kingdom! Let alone that I don't have the tally. Even if I did, I would never give it to someone like you!"
Yun Sheng's face was gloomy, and his tone was severe. He didn't give Qi Rong, the King of Xian, any face at all!
Qi Rong had been calm at first and didn't take Yun Sheng's words to heart. But when he heard the other mention the previous emperor, his face turned cold and he immediately became extremely violent.
"Don't mention my father in front of this king. You're not qualified!"
Qi Rong suddenly grabbed Yun Sheng's neck with lightning speed and pressed him hard against the chair!
He gritted his teeth, not considering Yun Sheng's physical condition at all. There was still a strong killing intent in his eyes!
"Qi Rong! What are you doing? Let go of my father quickly!"
Yun Sheng was instantly suffocated by Qi Rong's sudden action. His pale face quickly flushed due to the lack of oxygen, and his eyes widened involuntarily.
Yun Xi, who had been hiding at the door for a long time, immediately rushed in from outside after hearing Qi Rong's roar and the noise in the room.
When she saw Qi Rong tightly holding her father's neck with one hand, Yun Xi was shocked. She quickly hugged Qi Rong's arm and joined Yun Qi and Xiao Anzi, who came in later, trying to pull away the hand that was about to commit violence.
However, Qi Rong was much stronger than ordinary people. Even three strong adult men might not be able to pull Qi Rong away, let alone the three of them?
Seeing that Qi Rong still refused to let go and her father's eyes were gradually losing their luster, Yun Xi was extremely anxious. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"What on earth do you want to do to let my father go? I won't leave, okay? Please let him go!"
Yun Xi shouted angrily, sad and humble. Seeing that Qi Rong seemed to be blinded by anger, she then opened her mouth and bit hard on his wrist!
Feeling the stabbing pain in his wrist, Qi Rong stared blankly at Yun Xi biting the same place as before. Yun Xi's tears fell on the back of his hand drop by drop, instantly waking up his rationality.
He suddenly let go of the hand that was holding Yun Sheng's neck. With the other hand, he gently held Yun Xi's cheek. Looking into her tear - filled eyes, his heart tightened. He comforted her softly,
"Don't cry. I won't hurt him."
Yun Xi still bit Qi Rong, but the more she cried, the more aggrieved she felt.
Yu Zhu went out of the bathroom to get something and accidentally heard the guards talking. She learned that her father and younger brother had come to the King of Xian's Mansion in person.
When Yu Zhu told her the news, she was afraid that her father would conflict with Qi Rong, so she quickly put on her clothes and rushed here. Her hair was still wet.
However, when she got to the door, she saw her younger brother standing outside. It seemed that her father had something to say to Qi Rong alone, so she immediately stopped and quietly listened at the door.
She not only understood the whole process of how Qi Rong had used her, but also knew that she had played a part in her father's being successfully schemed against by Qi Rong.
In her heart, besides anger, there was more sadness!
Because although she had already guessed roughly, she still found it hard to accept when she heard it with her own ears.
She didn't want to admit that all the kindness he had shown her before, even risking his life to save her many times, was just to use her one day to restrain her father!
What was even more sad was that although she already knew the cruel truth, she still couldn't let go of her feelings for him.
"My father doesn't have the tiger tally. Stop forcing him. Let him go!"
Yun Xi let go of Qi Rong's wrist. Looking at the tooth marks she had left on it and the small round scar in the middle, she said with a sob.
If Qi Rong's ultimate goal of approaching her was the tiger tally in her father's hands, then no matter what, she wouldn't let her father exchange it for her.
Because her father had sacrificed enough for her. She would never force her father to make any more concessions!
She would continue to stay in the King of Xian's Mansion until she completely cut off her illusions about Qi Rong and had nothing to do with him ever again!
Hearing Yun Xi's plea and seeing her extremely sad look at this moment, Qi Rong stroked Yun Xi's wet hair. His heart ached so much that he no longer cared about anything else.
"Okay, I'll do as you say. Don't cry. I'll send them away right now."