Who wanted the Rong-Pacifying King dead most? The Third Prince! (Please show your support!)

The noise in the courtyard quieted somewhat when Yang Ling spoke.

The Bandit Suppression Division and Public Security Division under Kyoto's Iron Garment Division had eighteen directors between them.

Apart from those away on official business, practically all of them had come today.

Ji Kongliu, Xu Wenjun, Yun Buchuan, Wei Xing, and the other directors stopped what they were doing and looked toward Yang Ling.

The elderly Fifth-Grade scholars from the Star-Gazing Academy immediately looked over as well.

The Heavenly Tiger Gang's leader, its Second-in-Command Hou Dazhu, and the others crouched in a corner, quietly watching how things unfolded.

Qi Tairan drew a deep breath. He scanned his surroundings several times out of the corner of his eye, but saw neither the Iron Garment Division Chief nor anyone like Li Zhong.

That meant that of the nine directors in the Strategy Division, Decapitation Division, and Command Division, only Yang Ling, director of the Command Division's Third Office, was present today.

He could not help wondering whether the others were deliberately staying away.

"Lord Yang, I told you this was merely a misunderstanding. I knew nothing about Zheng Hai's treason."

Qi Tairan forced a strained smile onto his face.

He paused. "Besides, this claim that Zheng Hai committed treason... there isn't even any concrete evidence yet, is there?

Even we only heard about it from Director Yang. We have no idea what really happened.

Under these circumstances, it was perfectly reasonable for me to refuse to come to the Iron Garment Division earlier.

After all, I am the Ministry of Justice's Right Vice Minister. Your Iron Garment Division is responsible for making arrests, while our Ministry of Justice is responsible for determining guilt.

Yet Director Yang attacked us right in the street. What justification was there for that?"

As he spoke,