The quarrel in court raged for a full hour, yet still reached no conclusion.
The emperor sat upon the dragon throne, his face livid.
Listening to the civil and military officials below trade barbs and accusations, he felt his temples throb and his head split apart.
Just as everyone was about to argue themselves into an irreconcilable deadlock, an unhurried voice suddenly rang out.
"Your Majesty, this minister has a plan."
Everyone followed the voice. The speaker was Grand Commandant Qin Huaiyuan.
The old general had remained silent through most of the morning court, keeping his eyes closed in repose as though everything happening in court had nothing to do with him.
Now, he opened his eyes, and a glint of sharp light flashed through those cloudy old eyes.
The emperor hurriedly sat upright. "Grand Commandant, speak."
Leaning on his cane, Qin Huaiyuan slowly rose to his feet and bowed to the emperor.
His gaze swept across the civil and military officials filling the hall before finally turning toward the doors outside.
"Transfer Li Xuancang, the garrison commander of Sweet Spring Commandery, and have him lead his army south to quell the rebellion in Yang Prefecture."
The moment those words were spoken, the hall first fell silent, then erupted into uproar.
"Sweet Spring Commandery? Isn't that in Cool Prefecture?"
"Madness! How can the troops in Cool Prefecture be moved?"
"Wouldn't that give the Grassland People the chance to raid us?"
"..."
Ignoring the crowd's clamor, Qin Huaiyuan continued.
"Li Xuancang, the garrison commander of Sweet Spring Commandery, is immensely powerful, and the Battle Soldiers under his command are elite. He will surely be able to suppress the rebellion in Yang Prefecture."
As Qin Huaiyuan finished speaking, the hall fell quiet for a brief moment.
Zhou Yuanshan, the Minister of War,