These words were not entirely meant to obstruct.
However, this also severely blocked Prince Yi's path to expanding his power.
The Ministry of Revenue immediately replied, "We cannot allocate 30,000 taels of silver at once."
"The imperial treasury didn't have much silver left at the end of the year. The cost of the imperial Imperial Guard in the capital, the emperor's medicine, the fifth prince's funeral, and the lockdown of the palace all required money."
If Yi Prefecture takes away 30,000 taels first, the relief efforts in various places next spring will likely be in dire straits.
Su Wenyuan looked at the ledger but didn't rush to refute it.
After a moment's thought, the Minister of Ministry of Punishments proposed a neutral solution.
"We cannot delay in defending the border, nor can we allow authority to slip out of control."
"We can agree on three things first."
"First, all prefectures in Jiannan Circuit should immediately strengthen patrols at passes and along supply routes; this need not wait until Prince Yi assumes military power."
"Secondly, allocate ten thousand taels of silver for garrison duty, and also procure medicinal herbs, ironware, bows and crossbows, and provisions, which will be escorted to Yi Prefecture by the Department of State Affairs."
"Thirdly, regarding the power of discretionary power, the Central Secretariat drafts the edict, the Chancellery reviews it, and it is then sent to the Emperor for the imperial seal. If Your Majesty is sober, then Your Majesty shall make the decision personally."
If His Majesty is still unable to govern, then the Hall of State Affairs must countersign, and the Inner Gao Fu and the Imperial Medical Bureau must jointly witness this.
The Ministry of War frowned and said, "With the Crown Prince still alive, how can the court allow us to arbitrarily determine military and state power?"
The Minister of Ministry of Punishments looked up at him.
"The Crown Prince is currently under arrest, implicated in a serious case of fratricide. Who would dare to appoint him as regent?"
The Ministry of War's expression changed slightly, and he did not reply.
The room fell silent, save for the soft crackling of burning charcoal from the underfloor heating system.
Su Wenyuan finally spoke.
"The crown prince cannot oversee the country, and the emperor is seriously ill and has not yet woken up, but the court cannot be left without anyone to do its work for even a day."
"According to the old system, urgent military and national affairs were discussed by the Hall of State Affairs, drafted by the Central Secretariat, rejected by the Chancellery, and executed by the Minister."
All matters involving military tallies, the conferment of titles of kings, the deposition and establishment of emperors, and the mobilization of troops must be submitted to the emperor for the imperial seal; private actions are strictly prohibited.
He looked at the Ministry of War.
" Minister Liu, if Prince Yi truly harbors rebellious intentions, even if you give him ten thousand taels of silver and several cartloads of military equipment, he still won't be able to cause any trouble."
"But if the Tubo really enter Jiannan Circuit, and we fail to take precautions today because of suspicion, who will bear the consequences?"
The Ministry of War remained silent, his face grim.
Su Wenyuan turned to the Minister of Ministry of Revenue.
"Is 10,000 taels enough to repair the passes, stockpile provisions, and replenish armor in Yi Prefecture?"
The Ministry of Revenue picked up the counting rods and moved them a few times on the account book.
"If it's limited to defense and relief, it's barely enough."
"However, the accounts must be kept transparent. Yi Prefecture cannot withdraw the funds on its own; they must be jointly signed and sealed by Si Renyou, Zhen Daijin, and the Prince's Mansion."
"Allow."
Su Wenyuan then looked at the others.
"Is the decree for temporary control acceptable?"
The Minister of Ministry of Personnel said, "It can be drafted, but the Chancellery will not approve it directly."
"The decree must clearly state that Prince Yi, Gu Moran, is only permitted to respond to the Tubo invasion, protect supply lines, and rescue strategic passes. He must not use this opportunity to interfere in the civil affairs of various prefectures, pursue enemies across borders, or expand his army without authorization."
"Judging from the timeline, if the Tubo truly attack the city after the snow melts, a six-month timeframe needs to be set."
"Upon expiration, the military tally will be returned, and the accounts will be sent to the capital for verification."
Su Wenyuan nodded.
"Write it in."
The Ministry of War stared at the memorial from Yi Prefecture on his desk for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "Add one more clause."
"If Prince Yi mobilizes troops outside of Yi Prefecture, he must have the deputy commander of the Ministry of War."
If the military situation is urgent and there is no time to request a tally, it must be jointly signed by Zhen Daijin, Si Renyou, and Prince Yi.
"Otherwise, it will be considered unauthorized intervention."
Su Wenyuan did not object.
This meant that while the Prince An's Faction had taken a step back, they had also left a lock on the head of the Prince Yi.
Su Wenyuan raised his hand and picked up the secret letter from Prince An.
As for the letter from Anyang...
The Ministry of War and the Minister of Ministry of Personnel tensed up.
Su Wenyuan didn't look at them, but simply folded the letter.
"Send this to the Court of Judicial Review for record-keeping, investigate the Chen Qing of this person who submitted the petition, and determine whether he is indeed suspected of slandering a prince and disrupting the court."
"Another oral order was sent to Anyang."
" Prince An must strictly guard his fiefdom, and must not spread supernatural or bizarre tales, nor use rumors to disturb the livelihood of the people of Yi Prefecture, nor secretly investigate the military and political affairs of other vassal states."
The Ministry of War bowed and said, " His Prince An is also concerned about national affairs. Is Prime Chancellor Su's edict too forceful?"
Su Wenyuan raised his eyes.
"It's acceptable to worry about national affairs."
"It's unacceptable to describe a public toilet as a den of venomous insects."
"The court is already in enough chaos; we cannot allow a secret message from a dung cart to spread throughout the land."
The Ministry of War's lips moved slightly.
"You all insist on having Prince Yi lead the army? I fear he is cowardly and afraid of battle, spending his days holed up in his tent."
Su Wenyuan stood up, walked to the window, and said in a calm tone, "As a prince, this is an excellent opportunity for him to gain experience."
"His Majesty is currently bedridden. Do any of you have other foolproof solutions?"
Outside, the wind and snow weighed down the palace walls, and in the distance, the Imperial Guard were still patrolling in the direction of the Hall of Supreme Ultimate, their armor clashing against the snow with a series of resounding sounds.
In the capital, the crown prince killed his younger brother, the emperor fell ill on his sickbed, and the empress and the Consort Xian had a falling out.
Outside the capital, Prince An stared at Yi Prefecture, while Prince Yi stared at the border. The Tubo's blade had already reached Jiannan Circuit.
No one can remain uninvolved in this game anymore.
"Drafting the imperial edict."
Su Wenyuan turned around, his voice steady.
" The Department of State Affairs will first dispatch military equipment, medicines, and 10,000 taels of silver for garrison duty, and will depart from the capital tonight, without waiting for the imperial seal."
"The imperial decree to temporarily control the garrison of Jiannan Circuit is to be immediately delivered to the Hall of Supreme Ultimate to await orders."
"If Your Majesty awakens, please affix the imperial seal."
"If His Majesty is still not awake by tomorrow, the Hall of State Affairs will discuss the matter of appointing a substitute official again."
The clerk put away the rejection book and bowed in acceptance.
Su Wenyuan sat back down behind his desk and raised his hand to press his temple.
"Pass on Gao Fu."
"Please summon the Imperial Medical Bureau to the Wenyuan Pavilion again. No one is allowed to stamp this seal on His Majesty's behalf."
When Gao Fu arrived at the Wenyuan Pavilion, his shoulders were still wet with snow water from the Hall of Supreme Ultimate corridor, and his face looked even worse than before, clearly indicating that he had just come from beside the sickbed.
Su Wenyuan pushed the list of rejected petitions on the table in front of him. "The court assembly cannot remain empty indefinitely, and the outside world must not know that His Majesty is in a coma."
Gao Fu looked down at the register, his fingers pressing against his sleeve. After a moment, he spoke, " The Imperial Medical Bureau has already decided on the explanation. To the outside world, they will only say that His Majesty's old illness has relapsed, and he has also caught a cold. He needs to rest for several days and it is not appropriate for him to see me."
Su Wenyuan nodded, then added the following arrangements, "Starting tomorrow, the Grand Court will be temporarily suspended for five days. Officials' memorials will continue to be submitted to the Office of Transmission, which will handle them in rotation with the Hall of State Affairs and the Six Ministries. Major matters involving military seals, the conferment of titles of kings, troop deployments, and the imperial clan must all be sealed and await further instructions. No one may act on their own initiative."
Gao Fu looked up at the ministers, his eyes filled with suppressed fear. "What if someone uses the pretext of paying respects to His Majesty to request an audience?"
"The palace gates are locked as usual, and double guards have been added outside the Hall of Supreme Ultimate." Su Wenyuan put Yi Prefecture's memorial into the box, his tone flat.
"Anyone who dares to inquire about His Majesty's health at this time is causing trouble for the capital. Write down their names and we'll discuss it again when His Majesty wakes up."
The Imperial Medical Bureau arrived shortly after, and after hearing the arrangements, added only one sentence, "Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), I will, as usual, enter the Hall of Supreme Ultimate to inquire after His Majesty's health, and then the news of His Majesty taking medicine and resting will be spread from the inner court. This should at least suppress the rumors outside for a few days."