How did opponents obtain an order stopping work in Jerusalem?

When the enemies of Juda and Benjamin learned that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord the God of Israel, they approached Zorobabel and the chief of the fathers. They proposed to join in the building, asserting that they sought the same God and had offered sacrifices to Him ever since the days of Asor Haddan king of Assyria, who had transported them to the region. Zorobabel, Josue, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel rejected the proposal, declaring that the outsiders had nothing to do with them in erecting a house to their God, and affirming that the exiles alone would build to the Lord their God in accordance with the decree of King Cyrus of Persia.

Following this refusal, the local populations worked to hinder the hands of the people of Juda, troubling them in the work of construction. They hired counsellors against them to frustrate their purposes throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia, continuing until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

In the beginning of the reign of Assuerus, the adversaries lodged a written accusation against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem. (An annotation in the text notes that Assuerus is otherwise called Cambyses, the son and successor of Cyrus, and is also called Artaxerxes in the following verse, a name common to almost all Persian kings.) In the days of Artaxerxes, Beselam, Mithridates, Thabeel, and their council wrote to the Persian king, drafting their memorandum in the Syrian language, which was read in Syrian before the court.

The official letter was sent by Reum Beelteem, Samsai the scribe, and their fellow counsellors, representing the Dinites, Apharsathacites, Therphalites, Apharsites, Erchuites, Babylonians, Susanechites, Dievites, Elamites, and the other nations settled in the cities of Samaria and the territories beyond the river by the great and glorious Asenaphar. Addressing King Artaxerxes, the petitioners alleged that the Jews in Jerusalem were rebuilding a rebellious and wicked city, repairing its walls and restoring its ramparts. They warned that if the fortifications were completed, the inhabitants would withhold tribute, tolls, and annual revenues, resulting in royal financial loss. Declaring loyalty because they ate the salt of the palace, they requested an examination of the royal historical annals, contending that the archives would demonstrate Jerusalem had historically caused seditions and wars hurtful to kings and provinces, leading to its destruction, and warning that the crown would forfeit control over the territories beyond the river.

King Artaxerxes sent his royal reply to Reum Beelteem, Samsai the scribe, and their provincial council. The king stated that following a search of the records he had commanded, he found that Jerusalem had of old rebelled against kings, experiencing seditions and wars, and that mighty monarchs had formerly ruled there with dominion and revenue rights across the region beyond the river. Artaxerxes decreed that the men be stopped so that the city would not be built until further orders, commanding his officials to act without negligence lest harm increase against the throne. Upon hearing the royal edict read, Reum Beelteem, Samsai the scribe, and their counsellors hastened to Jerusalem and compelled the Jews to suspend operations with arm and power. Consequently, the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was interrupted and ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.