An Jing watched as Master Zhou, Official Zhao, Official Qian, Official Sun, and Official Li all testified to Official Liu’s character being without issue, and found it even more laughable.
"This is really like being sold out and helping to count the money for the seller."
However, Official Liu’s ability to maintain appearances was indeed well-executed, no wonder these five officials were speaking on his behalf.
Just as An Jing was about to question the junior officials, one of them could not contain himself and spoke up before An Jing could.
To see that junior official denounced, "You’re all blind, he’s deceitful every day, tricking you, thinking of how to take your credit, and yet you still speak for him!"
"Do you not know," the junior official continued to denounce, "that many of your accomplishments have been accredited to him. Take Master Zhou, for example, you’ve been an official for many years, and you’ve clearly made considerable achievements, so how come there’s so little recognized under your name in the end, while most of it has gone to him?"
"He also reported your credit in front of you by taking a letter from me to report, but I never went to report it. As soon as you’d leave, I’d come back and give the letter to him, and he would rewrite one where he claimed most of the credit and report that. Then, the accomplishments allocated to you would diminish, and he would gain more."
"Master Zhou, do you still remember when you questioned him, asking why some of your achievements were attributed to him? He feigned ignorance, saying he didn’t know what those above were thinking, when in fact, he reported all your achievements as his own; he even suggested that it was probably because the higher-ups recognized his hard work at the Agricultural Institute without actual achievements; and shamelessly, he told you not to question it, saying it was the higher-ups’ decision, that you could not express dissatisfaction, and that doing so could likely cost you your position, and so on. And you were foolish enough to believe him!"
As the junior official reached this point, Master Zhou’s face turned steely with anger.
"As for Official Zhao, Official Qian, Official Sun, and Official Li, your achievements were minimized in the same manner!"
Officials Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li also displayed rather displeased expressions. This matter affected their interests; Promotion does not rely on seniority, but on merit!
"There are many more instances of Official Liu being two-faced, too many for me to recount, but if you don’t believe me, you can write down the content of the reports you witnessed him submit and compare them with the reports at the state Agricultural Institute, then you’ll know, I’m not spouting nonsense, I’m not slandering, he is nothing but a hypocrite masquerading as a gentleman!"
Having said all this in one breath, the junior official then turned to Lord Zhang and said, "My lord, I am but a humble junior official. Why wouldn’t I deliver the reports to the Agricultural Institute as expected? It’s not like I wish to die. It was Official Liu. Official Liu said it was fine, that the higher-ups would never find out, that’s the only reason I dared do it! I beseech you to see through this, my lord!"
Official Liu, who had originally wanted to refute, realized the junior official had suggested comparing the submitted reports, which would have archival copies and would not be destroyed.
To refute was futile; Official Liu first knelt there with a pale face, then remembered to start kowtowing, pleading desperately to Lord Zhang, "My lord, please spare my life, spare my life, my lord, please..."
"Outrageous!" roared Lord Zhang. "Not only did you deceive your superiors and subordinates, but you also seized the credit of others for yourself, and this cannot be condoned. I will certainly petition the Emperor to remove you from office and to behead you, to serve as a warning to others!"
"My lord, please spare my life, my lord, ..." Official Liu was afraid of death and hearing that he was to be beheaded, he kowtowed even more fervently to Lord Zhang.