Zhangjiakou Fort, temporary stay.

Zhu Houzhao was still eating, drinking and having fun. Xiao Twist should have served in it, but Zhu Houzhao's attention was not on him at all, so he arranged all the work at hand and then stepped out.

It’s not that Xiao Guozi didn’t want to stay with Zhu Houzhao all the time, but that there was no need for this at all. He was no longer a little eunuch on call. Zhu Houzhao began to have some younger eunuchs helping with work. These people’s hands and feet were much more diligent than him, the eunuch who had gradually grasped power.

Xiao Tiaozi came out of the attic where Zhu Houzhao was and came down. Several eunuchs quickly came up to salute him.

Xiao Tiaozi looked around and asked, "Where is Xiao Luozi?"

"Reply to the father-in-law, Xiao Luozi is not here. What instructions do you have? Let me do it." Several young eunuchs rushed to help Xiao Guozi do things... Who doesn't know that the father-in-law is favored, he can speak in front of His Majesty, and even the two eunuchs on the pen of Silijian were seriously.

Xiao Twist Zi asked with a stern face: "What can you do? Can you go out and help inquire about the news? It's not easy to ask him to do something. When hasn't come back yet?"

After waiting for a long time, a young eunuch hurried in from outside. After seeing Xiao Twist, he stepped forward quickly and saluted respectfully: "Twist the Housekeeper."

Xiao Guozi didn't say anything, and waved his hand and asked the little eunuch to walk to the corridor on one side. The two of them left the corridor on the other side. Xiao Guozi stopped and said in a reprimanding tone: "It takes so long to ask you to go out and inquire about something? Why are you coming back now?"

Xiao Luozi seemed very nervous: "Dude-in-law, all the yamen in the city have been closed now. Even if you hold your warrant, it is not convenient to enter and exit the yamen... Besides, there are officers and soldiers setting up checkpoints along the way, and they will be interrogated every time they pass the street. I want to go quickly and quickly!"

Hearing Xiao Luozi's words, Xiao Guozi's face improved a little and asked, "Then what did you find out?"

Xiao Luozi said: "I only saw Lord Hu... Lord Hu said that without His Majesty's imperial order, you cannot disclose military operations casually."

"Then you didn't say that our family asked you to go?" Xiao Tiaozi asked with a stern face.

"I said it, I said it!"

Xiao Luozi hurriedly explained, "When Lord Hu heard that it was Mr. Tiao's request, he revealed a little, saying that Lord Shen would hold a conference in the heart of the grassland, and discuss with the people of the grassland who will be the khan, and then lead his troops back to the Central Plains... Zhangjiakou's withdrawal will probably be in September and October! But these are just speculations by Lord Hu, and the young one is not sure, so he can only bring his meaning back to Mr. Tiao."

Xiao Tiaozi frowned and said, "You have to do things well. You have finally gone out and you should go to a few more yamen. I have only asked Mr. Hu, have you not done anything else in the past half day?"

Xiao Luozi's face was full of grievance: "The villain has tried his best to help you do your job."

"It's just that you are responsible for your work, so that we can promote you. We will be smarter in the future." Xiao Zhuozi was a little dissatisfied and muttered, "I don't know what Concubine Li likes you."

Xiao Luozi was not the little eunuch in front of Zhu Houzhao, but was "recommended" by Concubine Li to Xiao Guozi.

In the past, when Xiao Luozi served Concubine Li, as Concubine Li's power grew, she naturally wanted to give some benefits to the people around her. Concubine Li introduced Xiao Luozi to Xiao Taozi to do things, so that there was someone in front of Xiao Taozi who could listen to them at any time.

Concubine Li smiled and said, "Others can do it, but who knows what he is thinking in his heart, Lord Shen? I'm afraid that the person in this world who can guess his mind does not exist yet, right?"

Xiao Zhuozi's face looked a little ugly, and she felt that she was thankless. Li Fei's words clearly meant sarcastic.

Li Fei took a sip of tea and continued to ask, "Is there any news about that old man from Zhang Yuan?"

"This has...this has..."

Xiao Zhuozi couldn't wait and said with some gloating, "That Zhang Yuan has now gone to the imperial tomb. I guess he is already guarding the tomb of the former emperor at this time, and he is responsible for everything."

Concubine Li nodded and said, "Yes, when he learned about the great victory of Yuxi River before, he forced himself to stay in Zhangjiakou Fort and tried to wait for Shen Zhihou to come back to help him. But now he knows that Shen Zhihou is making a big fuss on the grassland, and knows that he can't wait, so he can only go to the imperial tomb first. I'm afraid that he... the thief will not die."

Xiao Zhuozi asked in confusion: "Empress, Zhang Yuan...hasn't he left His Majesty's side, can he still pose any threat to us?"

Concubine Li's eyes suddenly became cold and she asked, "He is not scary himself, but he was convinced that Shen Zhihou could help him, so that's scary... Have you not found any clues yet?"

Xiao Tiaozi's eyes showed a puzzled look, and finally he shook his head honestly.

"Then investigate his background, is there a way? Could it be that he jumped out of the crack of the stone?"

Concubine Li asked with a bad expression, "Since she doesn't know what he has to do, she can only start with his origin...Where is he from? What relatives do she have?"

Xiao Taozi thought for a while and said, "I heard that Zhang Yuan is from the south. The empress knew about it before. It is very likely from Fujian and Guangdong."

Li Fei narrowed her eyes slightly: "Zhang Yuan was cleansed after she became an adult. Is it possible that he had already had an association with Shen Zhihou before entering the palace? Especially when they were all born in Fujian and Guangdong, they wouldn't be just like a fellow countryman, right? How did Zhang Yuan become rich?"

"This is not easy to inquire about, Empress."

Xiao Zhuozi looked embarrassed, "Not mentioning what Zhang Yuan did before entering the palace, no one knew what his surname was. He only knew that he was sent to the palace from the foreign relative's mansion. He started working in front of the Empress Dowager, but later he was transferred to the Eastern Palace. He rose to prominence within a few years. At that time, I was just a little eunuch, and when others talked about Eunuch Zhang, they didn't know his background."

"Then he has no relatives?" Concubine Li frowned and asked.

Xiao Guozi thought for a moment, then nodded: "This is true. I heard that he bought real estate in Beijing and resettled his wife... I heard from the people of the East Factory that when Eunuch Zhang was in charge of the East Factory, he often moved things home. It is said that his wife was not very beautiful and old. She had a heavy southern accent and often couldn't understand anything."

Concubine Li seemed to suddenly discover some treasure, and a strange light flashed in her eyes: "That's it. Since Zhang Yuan was purified after becoming an adult, it is very likely that she had already married and had children before entering the palace... Do you think Shen Zhihou could be his son?"

"puff!"

Xiao Zhuozi couldn't help laughing, but he still quickly restrained himself.

Concubine Li frowned and looked at Xiaotie, and asked, "What, do you think it's ridiculous, do you?"

Xiao Tiaozi tightened his face and held back his smile and said, "Empress, Lord Shen is the top scholar. His parents are alive and have been granted imperial edicts by the court. How could he be the son of Eunuch Zhang?"

Concubine Li shouted angrily: "Dude-in-law, you have to remember that when faced with all unknown matters, you must make bold plans. The more unreasonable you should diverge your thinking, think about things as deep as possible, and then follow the clues to clarify the situation bit by bit."

"Since you don't know the specific origin of Zhang Yuan now, why don't you choose to start from his wife in the capital, inquire about his past and find out the secret?"

Xiao Taozi basically obeyed Concubine Li's instructions.

Although he did not think that Zhang Yuan had anything to do with Chen Xi, Li Fei's approach to divergent thinking was very much acknowledged.

Xiao Taozi thought to himself: "Although Liu Jin and Zhang Yuan fell one after another, this does not mean that the eunuch who is in power in the future must be me. If Concubine Li reminds me, it will not take the initiative to teach except for her biological parents. How can I feel resentful to her?"

Concubine Li stretched out her waist and looked extremely lazy in her behavior: "Click Zhang Yuan's background clearly so that she can prevent her from making a comeback... Trouble, you must understand that Zhang Yuan was only temporarily sent to guard the imperial tomb. Your Majesty did not deprive him of the status of a great eunuch, and he still had the opportunity to take power, especially he might trust and promote Shen Zhihou... and this is your weakness."

"Empress, I understand."

Xiaotie responded quickly.

Concubine Li said again: "If you don't plan to stay for a cup of tea, then go and serve Your Majesty first. I heard that Your Majesty has added a few more beauties around you recently, so you should pay more attention."

Xiao Guozi knew what was going on when he heard this, and thought to himself: "Concubine Li will be careful of His Majesty's approach and reuse of other women, so let me stare at it, I am still valuable to her..."

"Yes, I'm leaving."

Xiao Guozi didn't plan to stay with Concubine Li for more. He was not afraid that Zhu Houzhao would suddenly find him, but wanted to go back and keep an eye on the emperor. Concubine Li had to be careful of women with ulterior motives approaching the emperor, while Xiao Guozi had to be careful of those eunuchs and guards becoming Zhu Houzhao's new favorites and affecting his status.

Nowadays, Xiao Guozi also learns that Concubine Li has controlled all the eunuchs around Zhu Houzhao and rotated them so that they would not have more opportunities to get along with the emperor.

...

...

Just as Xiao Guozi left, Concubine Li was about to rest for a while, but another eunuch came in and reported that it was Liao Han who was here.

"When he comes to me in the middle of the night, he is not afraid of others making gossips? He is not a eunuch after all."

Concubine Li frowned slightly. Although she regarded Liao Han as someone she could trust, she felt that Liao Han had almost been desperate to curry favor with her and was a little lost.

As the emperor's woman, Concubine Li was very worried that Zhu Houzhao would doubt her chastity, and she met the guards in the middle of the night. It was reported that it would have some hindered her reputation.

But it is strange that Zhu Houzhao never seemed to be on guard against these things, as if she didn't care about such things at all, which also gave her more confidence in doing things.

"Let him come in." Concubine Li didn't avoid it. It was not that she was not worried about being spread by gossip, but that she was confident that she could control the people under her.

Concubine Li has a good way of doing things. She breaks things into different parts so that different people know that these people seem to be trusted by Concubine Li, but what they know is basically just a little bit of understanding. Once the news is leaked, Concubine Li can analyze who leaked the news.

This is also a way for Concubine Li to control and prevent the people around her.

Liao Han didn't know that Concubine Li was dissatisfied with him at all. He was very excited when he came to see Concubine Li. After entering the door, he stepped forward and knelt down and said hurriedly: "I have seen my godmother, I miss you so much."

Concubine Li gave Liao Han a blank look and asked with a stern face: "Guard Liao, you are so brave. This is the place where Your Majesty is on the important place. It would be fine if you enter and exit casually. He actually came to see this palace in the middle of the night. Are you afraid that Your Majesty will chop your head when he finds out?"

"ah!?"

Although Liao Han can do things, he is not the kind of person who is good at thinking. He has been taught a lesson by Concubine Li many times when he is frivolous, but he can't change it no matter how hard he studies. It probably has something to do with him not studying much.

Concubine Li said: "Although this is Zhangjiakou Fort, there are many people who hate this palace. Perhaps no one dares to speak out now. But if you return to the capital, your Majesty will show a little distantness to this palace. Those who are gossiping will definitely report what you often come to this palace. At that time, not only will this palace be affected, but you...huh, it will be difficult to keep a whole body."

"The child understands that he is wrong. Please forgive me. If the child has something to do in the future, he will come to see my godmother again during the day." Liao Han kowtowed quickly.

Concubine Li waved her hand: "You still don't know where you are wrong... It's wrong to meet you when you come. If you have something to do, you can tell the eunuchs around me directly that they will naturally pass the news, instead of you coming to meet you in person. Of course, something particularly important is another matter."

Liao Han said: "Yes, yes!"

Concubine Li was very impatient and said listlessly: "If you have something to say, go back quickly after you finish it. I will have to wait for Your Majesty to summon you here. If Your Majesty suddenly comes, I will not be able to explain your purpose to Your Majesty."

Liao Han felt so distressed. He was obviously here to show his kindness to Concubine Li, but he was scolded by Concubine Li as if he was scolded by his son. This was exactly what he wanted to have a relationship between the two, and he complained deeply: "Did you recognize this godmother and admit your mistake?"

"Empress, I'll find out one thing. Eunuch Zhang is indeed from Tingzhou Prefecture, western Fujian. Like Shen Shangshu of the Ministry of War, his ancestral home is Ninghua County." Liao Han said.

Concubine Li asked in surprise: "How did you find it?"

"As the Empress said, I went to check the woman in Zhang's house in the capital. Although the woman was no longer there, I heard from the woman's mistress that the woman claimed to be from Ninghua County and said that her ancestors were from scholarly families. After marrying into the Shen family, she was always in a proper manner. Later, there was an accident and then she came to the capital."

Liao Han said anxiously.

Concubine Li's face suddenly became extremely ugly. She stood up suddenly and looked at Liao Han steadily, her eyes filled with an incredible but reasonable complex emotion.

After a while, she asked, "The Shen family that the woman mentioned is the Shen family of Shangshu of the Ministry of War?"

Liao Han shook his head and said, "This villain is not clear, but the villain found out that the relatives of Shangshu Shen, the Ministry of War, seem to be from Ninghua County. The ancestors of the Shen family have been officials. Lord Shen's lineage is relatively thin, but there have been several scholars. The rest of the matter is unknown."

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Concubine Li seemed to not remember the lesson she had taught Liao Han before and was not in a hurry to rush her godson away. She suddenly learned the news and was thinking about the tricks in her mind. She would not let Liao Han leave without thinking clearly.

"I just said that this matter is not that simple... Zhang Yuan had done so many things that were sorry to Shen Zhihou before, and Shen Zhihou actually tolerated it in every way. Zhang Yuan even boasted in front of me that he could get help from Shen Zhihou. If they had nothing to do with it, I wouldn't believe it if they beat him to death!"

Concubine Li seemed to be talking to herself, but her muttering voice was enough to make Liao Han hear it clearly, "After Zhang Yuan fell, he stayed in Zhangjiakou and refused to leave. He was clearly waiting for Shen Zhihou to come back. They had a long relationship with each other, and it was very likely that they were still a family."

Liao Han asked: "Empress, do you want to send someone to Ninghua County and conduct a good investigation?"

Concubine Li raised her hand: "Don't go to Ninghua County to investigate now, but follow the clues of the woman to investigate. Zhang Yuan goes to guard the imperial tomb. The woman has no place to stay for the time being. Zhang Yuan may also realize that this woman will become a burden to him, so she will rush to let the woman move away... Immediately send someone to find her whereabouts and interrogate her carefully!"
To be continued...