Meanwhile, Fang Qi was choked speechless, his face livid. For a moment, he could not think how to refute him.
So he turned to glance at Shen Duan.
Shen Duan still stood at the very front of the civil officials' ranks, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his face expressionless.
Just as Fang Qi found himself astride a tiger, unable to dismount, Song Jing proved perfectly capable of taking up the blade.
He stepped straight out of the ranks and declared in a ringing voice, "Your Majesty, I request permission to speak."
Emperor Jing of Zhou gave a slight nod.
"Grand Secretary Fang." Song Jing held his court tablet, his voice clear and resonant.
"You just questioned the accounts listed by Wei Compiler as 'unverified.' I believe that assertion is improper.
"By imperial decree, I preside over the Three Judicial Offices Joint Trial. From the Censorate Archives, I have already
"retrieved the original memorials of the three Granary-Inspection Censors, Zhang Mao, Li Han, and Zhao Ding,
"and checked them against the figures listed in Wei Compiler's memorial, one by one!"
Song Jing's gaze swept over Fang Qi before he said, enunciating every word, "They match exactly, without the slightest discrepancy.
"This shows that Wei Compiler not only compiled history in accordance with regulations, but also sought to record the truth.
"Grand Secretary Fang's doubts are entirely unfounded."
That damned Song Mad Dog! Fang Qi cursed inwardly, his expression growing uglier.
He had assumed that Song Jing, having only just taken office, would have little solid evidence in hand. He had never expected him to move so swiftly.
The three censors' original memorials were already firmly in his grasp.
Lu Jing paved his way at the Censorate, Feng Yan supplied him with ammunition at the Hanlin Academy, and Kou Yuan blocked