Xiao Guozi found it incredible. Chen Xi actually predicted Zhu Houzhao's decision in advance, or Chen Xi had seen through everything in advance.

"How is this possible? Does Lord Shen know that Your Majesty will use some scheming to decide the door yourself, but rely on his subordinates to decide, so that His Majesty will fall into his trap?" Xiao Taozi was puzzled and came out to see Chen Xi.

At this time, Chen Xi was still standing outside the gate, looking calm.

"Mr. Shen, it's time for you to go back."

Xiao Tiaozi went up to salute, looked around, and whispered, "You asked the villain to say that you appeared outside the four doors in front, back, left and right, and when His Majesty asked the villain to suggest which door to go, he said to go to the main door. The villain had done the same." Then he deliberately amplified his voice, "Your Majesty passed the message, Lord Shen does not have to wait here, Your Majesty will not go anywhere tonight."

Chen Xi nodded at Xiao Tuozi first, then bowed and said loudly: "My dear brother-in-law is working hard. Since I have made a promise to Your Majesty to stay here, I will stay in front of the door around the next few days and nights. This will prevent Your Majesty from leaving the palace to play and disrupt the rules of the court."

Xiao Guozi looked around again and whispered: "Mr. Shen, why are you doing this? Even if you can stop Your Majesty for a while, can you stop it for a lifetime? If Your Majesty sends Guards Jiang and Commander Qian to force them to come out and rob the girl of the people, how should Lord Shen stop it?"

Chen Xi stood up straight, as straight as a green pine, and said seriously: "As long as you keep your heart and fulfill your responsibilities, you should be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, face difficulties, and even if you know that you cannot do it. In fact, I hope that Your Majesty can investigate the public's opinion and compassionately with the people. If Your Majesty does not want to accept it, he dares not complain as a minister, but only blames himself for his poor work."

Xiao Tiaozi couldn't find a reason to refute, and smiled bitterly: "Mr. Shen is futile to wait here, but since Mr. Shen refuses to leave, then I will bring you a chair. How about you waiting in front of the door?"

"Thank you, Daddy Tiao." Chen Xi said with a smile.

Xiao Guozi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly moved the chair, thinking to himself: "It's not easy for Lord Shen. He doesn't sleep at night and guards his way to prevent His Majesty from going out to do evil and destroy his reputation. Where can I find such a loyal minister? Moving a chair for him will at least prevent him from working so hard. Even if His Majesty knows, he will not blame him."

When Xiao Twist brought the chair, Chen Xi was not polite and sat down directly. Obviously he didn't want to be so tired. From today on, he didn't need to do anything else, just guarding the gate here. Even if he just showed a posture, he would sit more relaxed and comfortable.

When Chen Xi sat down, Xiao Tiaozi smiled a little more: "Mr. Shen, you are really rare in the world. The villain admires you very much. In the future, you will be a role model... The villain comes in first to report to Your Majesty."

"please."

Chen Xi had no intention of trying to keep his word and waved goodbye.

Xiao Tiaozi entered and hurried to see Concubine Li. After talking about the matter, Concubine Li sneered: "Mr. Shen is really unconventional in doing things, blocking the door? Haha, no one in the court dares to do this except him. He really knows how to grasp the mentality of His Majesty, but it is impossible to block it for three days in one breath."

Xiao Tiaozi said, "The villain just doesn't understand. Lord Shen should be very clear. Your Majesty wants to travel and seek excitement. If you block the door like this, will Your Majesty not walk through another door? Even if you climb over the wall, it is possible! Lord Shen really has the ability to guess His Majesty's thoughts every time?"

Concubine Li raised her hand: "I guess that Shen Zhihou just wanted to show the world a posture. As for whether he really blocks His Majesty, it is another matter. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, there has never been a person like him who blocks the door. As long as the ministers think he is willing, it will be enough for him. It doesn't matter whether His Majesty goes out."

...

...

When Concubine Li appeared, Zhu Houzhao was upset. For the emperor, there was something he wanted to do but was stopped, and he must be very uncomfortable. Zhu Houzhao was not the kind of person who was calm.

"Person Li, what are you here to do?"

Zhu Houzhao was watching the show, but because she was absent-minded, she only discovered it after Concubine Li approached.

Zhu Houzhao is qualified to meet directly without reporting, and there is no one else except Concubine Li.

Although Xiao Taozi and others were logically qualified, because Zhu Houzhao's changing personality, no one dared to act rashly. Instead, Concubine Li seemed to be scruples.

Concubine Li bowed: "I heard that Your Majesty stayed here today, so I will come and serve you."

Zhu Houzhao said: "No need... I am not in the mood today, and I feel that it doesn't taste like drinking, and I feel even more bored when watching the show. After all, I have watched this "The West Chamber" many times, and the singing style is not very good, and the actors are not outstanding in appearance. How can I continue to watch it? Come on, let them change to a newer play, preferably one I haven't seen."

Concubine Li smiled and said, "Your Majesty, this opera troupe is actually the best opera troupe in Zhangjiakou and even Xuanfu. They only have so many operas. Even if they want to innovate, they can't do it in a short while. The reason why Your Majesty is so upset is that he wants to travel but is stopped by Lord Shen?"

Zhu Houzhao said angrily: "You even know this?"

Concubine Li smiled and asked, "Why don't Your Majesty go out and try again? In fact, Lord Shen stood up and stopped, but it was just enough. After all, he did not dare to commit the crime of deceiving the king. If only because Lord Shen was sitting and walking at the main gate blocking his way, His Majesty would retreat, wouldn't the court be in chaos?"

Zhu Houzhao said: "It's not that I don't have the ability to go out, but I have to respect Mr. Shen. He just helped the Ming Dynasty to fight a rare great victory. If I don't understand it at all, if I turn back to the court officials and talk about this, his face will be too unstoppable. Mr. Shen sat there without hesitation, and I feel the loyalty and patriotism of the emperor. Therefore, even if I stay and walk, I cannot step beyond the line."

Concubine Li looked around and did not find Jiang Bin. She probably thought that although Zhu Houzhao was not traveling, Jiang Bin had already sneaked out to do business. Although Zhu Houzhao did not participate in the evil, the final result was probably the same. Thinking of this, Concubine Li said again: "Your Majesty is not traveling, I wonder if Guard Jiang can return with his people smoothly?"

Zhu Houzhao frowned: "My beloved concubine, what do you mean?"

Concubine Li said: "Does Your Majesty think that Lord Shen has no other arrangements except to guard the door? Lord Shen is trying to figure out his intentions, and there is no one in the court... If Your Majesty wants to do things behind Lord Shen's back, it will be extremely difficult, and the result may also make Your Majesty even more unhappy."

The muscles on Zhu Houzhao's face twitched slightly, obviously thinking that Concubine Li said was not an exaggeration... Since Shen Xi could guard the door and block him from going out, he should be wary of Jiang Bin's actions on his behalf and would strengthen the inspection of Zhangjiakou Fort in advance.

Zhu Houzhao quickly waved his hand: "Come here!"

Concubine Li explained: "It's too late for Your Majesty to dissuade me now. It's better to take the opportunity to test what Lord Shen is thinking... If the minister always points fingers at what Your Majesty does, then Your Majesty must be appropriately alienated from Lord Shen, otherwise, Your Majesty will no longer be as free as before in the future."

Concubine Li changed her previous attitude of speaking for Chen Xi and began to attack for no reason. She knew how to calculate gains and losses and knew how to maximize her own interests. If she kept her approach to Chen Xi, she might suffer a loss in the future. Therefore, her current change in her attitude can be regarded as a precursor to retaliation against Chen Xi.

Zhu Houzhao said: "I don't want to go out and make Mr. Chen unhappy. Don't tell me if I have anything to do. Let's wait for tomorrow!"

Zhu Houzhao was a little tired at this time. Because he didn't know what Jiang Bin had to do, he could only see what was going on.

Just when Zhu Houzhao was anxious, Jiang Bin, who went out to do business, was indeed in trouble.

At this time, Jiang Bin did not follow the emperor and did not have the courage to directly rob a good woman on the street. He could only find a way to lead the mansion, break into the Hu Shang mansion, and rob the woman he had mentioned to Zhu Houzhao at the banquet, but was stopped by the patrol troops sent by Hu Lian.

Jiang Bin has a military position and holds the gold medal arrow given by Zhu Houzhao as "Like I'm here" in his hand. In the end, Hu Lian could not do anything to Jiang Bin, so he could only let Jiang Bin take his people back.

When Jiang Bin appeared in front of Zhu Houzhao in a dirt face and revealed his experience, Zhu Houzhao slapped the table with a "slap".

Concubine Li kept waiting by her. Although she didn't come forward to disturb her, she was secretly happy. However, he also had a trace of doubt in his heart and thought to herself:

"Shen Zhihou knows the relationship between management and Your Majesty. Since he can think of His Majesty's suspicion of him, why did he insist on doing this? It was just to prove that he was a Qingliu in the court? His Majesty's work was not too much to the point where he had to take action. Doing so was like digging a hole for himself."

"Your Majesty, the villain is incompetent and has not been able to do the errands you have entrusted." Jiang Bin knelt on the ground, crying.

Zhu Houzhao didn't say anything, but anyone could feel the anger in his heart at this moment.

As an emperor, he was repeatedly disturbed by others what he wanted to do. Regardless of whether this matter was appropriate or not, at least his emperor's majesty was challenged. Moreover, this person was Chen Xi, a hero who made great contributions and was destined to be famous in history. He was also a famous minister among the outsiders who were about to be suspected by the emperor.

"Well!"

Zhu Houzhao finally sighed, as if she could do nothing about it.

Jiang Bin knelt there and didn't dare to say anything. Concubine Li blinked and asked, "Your Majesty doesn't want to pursue this matter?"

"What to pursue?"

At this time, Zhu Houzhao seemed to be much more mature, and her tone was a bit solemn, "This time, it was clearly a matter of hitting Mr. Chen's gun. With his stubborn temper, I would fight him, which would only make everyone unhappy... Forget it. Since I agreed to go back to the capital, I am tired of playing in Zhangjiakou Fort. I originally said that I would go back to Beijing in three days. Now it seems that I don't have to wait that long, so I will leave early tomorrow morning!"

This result surprised Concubine Li, but then she realized that the emperor was angry.

Originally, Zhu Houzhao wanted to stay in Zhangjiakou Fort and continue to do lawless things for a few days, but it was obvious that the territory here was too small, so it was too easy for Chen Xi to monitor his whereabouts. Zhu Houzhao could not get what he wanted in a short period of time, so it would be better to return to Beijing earlier. On the one hand, the prosperity of the capital was not comparable to the bitter and cold place like Zhangjiakou Fort, and on the other hand, it was also a shock to Chen Xi...

As for whether it is effective, it is another matter.

Concubine Li hesitated and asked: "Is this too hasty?"

Zhu Houzhao stood up and shook her sleeves and said, "Since I have arrived in such a field, what's the point of staying in Zhangjiakou Fort? Go back to Beijing as soon as possible and go back to the Leopard Room to spend a few days of peace. The battle should end here!"

Zhu Houzhao went back to her room to rest... Since he was scheduled to leave for the morning of the morning, he thought that he should be able to accumulate energy and see if there is any fun on the road.

As for Concubine Li, she was not summoned to accompany the emperor on the same bed and did not dare to move. Jiang Bin did not do so well this time, and Zhu Houzhao didn't even say anything to let him get up when he left, so Jiang Bin, who was kneeling on the ground, felt that the emperor had an objection to him and was frightened.

"Empress, you want to save the villain."

Seeing that Concubine Li was about to leave even when she stood up, Jiang Bin hurriedly stepped forward to pull the back of Concubine Li's collar and said in a pleading tone.

Concubine Li said angrily: "Mr. Jiang has the support of His Majesty. When will I get my turn to save you? Master Jiang still has to avoid it. This is the forbidden garden. If someone sees it, you may not be able to take it away!"

Jiang Bin did not choose to let go, stood up directly, bypassed Concubine Li and her maid, and knelt down again in front of Concubine Li: "Empress, the villain had also received your instructions to protect His Majesty before, so he had the opportunity to help His Majesty do things, but in fact, the villain's heart has always been on the Queen."

Concubine Li sneered: "Mr. Jiang said this very beautifully, but why don't I believe a single word?"

In fact, even Jiang Bin himself didn't believe this because he knew very well that he was using Concubine Li as a springboard. How could Concubine Li, who claimed to be smart and wise, bewitched by his words?

Jiang Bin said with a shameless face: "The villain's heart has not changed, and the villain is willing to continue to help the empress do things."

Although Jiang Bin seems to be pestering him, he actually knows how to judge the situation very well. He knows very well that Concubine Li is no longer as glorious as before. With Shen Xi’s victory, Zhu Houzhao doesn’t need anyone to be by her side to advise on military operations. Concubine Li gradually loses her position as a think tank in front of the emperor.

With Zhang Yuan's fall, everyone around the emperor had their own thoughts and wanted to control the situation. However, in fact, everyone has one or more shortcomings, but they also have certain strengths, which made the division of forces around the emperor full of various uncertain factors.

Everyone is looking for a balance point of interest, without long-term enemies and eternal allies, and seemingly stable relationships may collapse at any time.

Xiao Jiaozi, Li Fei, Qian Ning, Dai Yi, Gao Feng, Li Xing, and even Jiang Bin each represent one or more forces to find a point of fit in this alliance and hostility.

In this way, Jiang Bin can also take advantage of the troubled waters.

Because Jiang Bin is obviously in the position of replacing Qian Ning, Concubine Li also needs to consider it carefully. Even if Jiang Bin is not her person and has betrayed her before, Jiang Bin is now on a clear upward trend, so she must consider whether it is necessary to accept Jiang Bin as an ally again.

Jiang Bin knew the value of his existence, so he was qualified to negotiate with Concubine Li.

Concubine Li said: "Mr. Jiang, you are very capable. I originally wanted to use more things to find good things to respect Your Majesty. Now you don't need this. If you have any questions, you can tell Your Majesty directly, what can this Majesty help you?"

Jiang Bin kowtowed: "The future of the villain is given to him by the Empress, so the villain is willing to hand over the resources at hand to the Empress. He only needs the Empress to help him say more good things in front of His Majesty!"

"This time Lord Jiang will not see Yi Sichang again, right?" Li Fei seemed to accept Jiang Bin again in his words.

Jiang Bin continued to kowtow: "The villain has never betrayed me, I hope the empress can tell you."

...

...

Concubine Li finally agreed to Jiang Bin to surrender.

No matter what Jiang Bin has done, in her eyes, she is definitely a capable person. Concubine Li deeply feels the significance of Jiang Bin's existence and hopes to strengthen her power through Jiang Bin.

But she was still worried.

Because she has not cultivated someone who can truly stand alone, whether it is Liao Han or Xiao Luozi who she personally promoted, she has all the shortcomings in her eyes.

"Empress, Lord Jiang is clearly a villain of power. He was about to be punished by Your Majesty, so he chose to surrender to Empress again. Is the Empress willing to believe him?"

After Concubine Li returned to the house, Xiao Luozi asked in a low voice while pounding her legs.

Concubine Li looked at Xiao Luozi, as if she was looking at her incompetent brother, shook her head and sighed: "What do you understand? He is very useful now."
To be continued...