Xu Yi explained how he had discovered Xiong Jiukui's absenteeism based on reports from the people of Huaixi.
He went on to describe how he had arrested Xiong Jiukui, then released him after educating and reprimanding him.
Later, Xiong Jiukui had repeatedly refused to mend his ways and had been arrested again.
In prison, after Lord Xu had lectured him, Xiong Jiukui had felt his crimes weighed heavily upon him and decided to turn himself in and expose others. In the end, he had brought a major case to light.
"His crimes weighed heavily upon him? He decided to turn himself in and expose others? I'd say he was tortured into confessing, and that this was all a carefully plotted scheme to abuse your authority for private ends and get revenge on the Zhao family."
The speaker was a fair-faced middle-aged man. He was none other than Jin Kuixing, another deputy director of the Household Registration Department.
There had long been rumors that he and Zhao Tingfang were locked in a fierce struggle for power within the Household Registration Department. But beyond that, he could hardly help feeling the sorrow of a fox mourning a dead hare, and had come to share the same enmity.
Xu Yi said, "Deputy Director Jin, please don't make baseless accusations. Everyone here is an important official of Huaixi, well versed in the law and obedient to the Official Law. We are all Sacred Court officials. So I believe we should be precise in what we say. By 'precise,' I mean we should stick to things we can support with evidence."
Jin Kuixing rolled his eyes in anger, but there was nothing he could do.
In truth, Xu Yi knew his explanation was rather strained. But to prove him wrong, they would have to produce