Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 131 Peach Blossom Confused, Where is the Heart?

Chang'an City, the once bustling streets were now shrouded in a thin layer of haze. The poetry conference was originally scheduled to be held today, but early in the morning, the venue, which was originally decorated with red and colorful decorations and full of joy, was in chaos.

"What happened? Why did it collapse suddenly?!" There were cries of surprise from the crowd. A corner of the originally built platform collapsed without any warning. The wooden boards shattered and dust filled the air. Several craftsmen who had no time to dodge were trapped underneath, groaning in pain.

"Hurry up! Help!" The guards rushed over upon hearing the noise, and the crowd spontaneously helped in the panic, carrying the injured out of the rubble with all their might. When Wu Tao arrived, he saw such a chaotic scene.

"Princess! Are you okay?" The maid Luluo ran over anxiously, with a look of panic on her face.

Wu Tao shook her head, her face pale. She suppressed her anxiety and tried to calm herself down. "How is the injured? Can we get a doctor?"

"Your Highness, the doctor has been called in and is treating the patient inside." The guard stepped forward to report, "But this table..."

"This platform was clearly tampered with!" A loud voice sounded, and everyone turned around to see a craftsman in charge of building the platform walking up angrily, "The wood must have been tampered with, so it collapsed so easily!"

Wu Tao's heart suddenly sank, and an ominous premonition came over him. "Can you find out who did it?"

The head craftsman shook his head and said, "I am incompetent and have not found any clues."

The crowd began to talk about it. Some speculated that someone was deliberately causing trouble, while others said it was a strange sign from the sky, foreshadowing something. All kinds of rumors spread quickly among the crowd like wings.

Wu Tao stood in the middle of the crowd, feeling chaos in front of her eyes and a buzzing in her ears. She tried hard to maintain order, but found that her voice was so weak.

The poetry conference was eventually forced to be interrupted, and the injured craftsmen were sent to the hospital for treatment. Wu Tao returned to the palace and remained silent all the way. Luluo followed her carefully, not daring to make a sound.

Back in her room, Wu Tao slumped in a chair, replaying everything that happened today in her mind. She originally thought that as long as she worked hard, she would be able to realize her dream, but reality dealt her a heavy blow.

"Am I really wrong?" Wu Tao murmured to himself, his eyes gradually turning red.

Outside the window, the setting sun dyed the sky blood red, as if foreshadowing a bigger storm was coming. At this moment, a storm was brewing in Wu Tao's heart. She didn't know if she still had the courage to continue walking...

As night fell and the lights came on, Hu Bugui finished dealing with the follow-up matters of the poetry conference collapse and dragged his tired body back to the palace. As soon as he entered the door, he found that the atmosphere was a little wrong. The room that was always full of laughter in the past was now shrouded in a lingering haze.

"Tao'er?" Hu Bugui called softly and walked to Wu Tao. He saw her holding her chin with both hands, staring blankly out the window, her eyes full of confusion and loneliness.

"You're back." Wu Tao came back to her senses and forced a smile, but that smile could not hide the fatigue and loss in her eyes.

Hu Bugui was very careful and naturally noticed Wu Tao's mood changes. He walked to her side and gently held her in his arms. "What's wrong? Did what happened today make you worried?"

Wu Tao leaned on Hu Bugui's warm chest, her nose felt sore, and she almost cried. She shook her head, "I'm fine, it's just..."

"Just what?" Hu Bugui stroked her hair gently and asked softly.

Wu Tao was silent for a moment before he spoke slowly, "I was just wondering if I had done something wrong. I want to change the world and let more people live a happy life, but I can't even organize a poetry conference, and I almost harmed those innocent craftsmen..."

"Silly girl, why do you think so?" Hu Bugui interrupted her. "This is just an accident. No one will blame you. Besides, you have done a good job. Look at the changes you have brought. Chang'an City has become more prosperous because of your arrival, and the people are living and working in peace and contentment. These are all your credit!"

Wu Tao smiled bitterly and shook his head. "But, I want more. I want a world without war, poverty, and oppression, but..."

"Tao'er, I know your dream is beautiful, but it takes time to realize it, and it requires our joint efforts." Hu Bugui held her hand and said with a firm look, "You are not fighting alone. I will always be by your side. Let's work hard together, okay?"

Wu Tao raised her head and looked at Hu Bugui's determined eyes, and a warm current surged in her heart. She nodded, but the uneasiness deep in her heart could not be dispelled.

The next day, the Queen sent someone to invite Wu Tao to the palace. In the Imperial Garden, the Queen held Wu Tao's hand and said earnestly: "Tao'er, I heard about what happened yesterday and I am very worried. You are a good child, you must not bear a grudge because of this matter. You must believe that good will prevail over evil, and those who try to hinder you will eventually receive the punishment they deserve."

Wu Tao looked at the queen gratefully, but her heart was still heavy. The queen's words gave her a little comfort, but she knew that she still had a long way to go to realize her dream.

After returning to the palace, Wu Tao was still in a very low mood. She walked aimlessly in the garden and unknowingly walked to a remote corner. Suddenly, she heard a faint voice coming from behind the rockery. She walked closer curiously, wanting to find out what was going on.

"This mission has failed. How are we going to explain this to our master?" a deep voice said.

"Don't worry, we still have a chance. That woman won't live long..." another cold voice replied.

Wu Tao's heart was shocked. She held her breath and listened carefully, trying to hear their conversation clearly. Who were these two mysterious people? And who was the "woman" they were talking about?

An ominous premonition came to his mind, and Wu Tao decided to personally investigate the truth of the matter...

Wu Tao's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, as if an invisible hand was tightly grasping her heart. She hid behind the rockery and tried to hold her breath, fearing that she would alarm the two mysterious people. Could the "woman" they were talking about be referring to her? A sense of fear she had never experienced before swept over her, making her shudder.

Who wants to kill her? What is their purpose? A series of questions swirled in Wu Tao's mind, but she couldn't find any answers. She took a deep breath and told herself to stay calm. She had to find out the truth in order to protect herself and the people she cared about.

Wu Tao carefully poked his head out, trying to see the faces of the two mysterious men. However, they were hiding in the shadows, and only vague outlines could be seen. They seemed to have noticed something, looked around vigilantly, and then left in a hurry.

Wu Tao did not act rashly. She knew that with her current ability, confronting them head-on would be like hitting a rock with an egg. She had to find solid evidence to expose their true colors.

She carefully recalled the conversation she had just heard, trying to find some clues. Suddenly, she remembered that one of them mentioned the word "master". Were they just pawns obeying the orders of the mastermind? If so, who was this mastermind? Why did he target her?

Wu Tao decided to start her investigation from the clue of "master". She returned to her study and looked through the various intelligence she had collected during this period, trying to find information related to the mysterious organization. However, she found nothing.

Just when she was feeling frustrated, her eyes accidentally fell on a map. This map was drawn by her, and it detailed the important places inside and outside Chang'an City. Her eyes swept over the marks on the map, and suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind.

She remembered that when she was investigating the collapse of the poetry conference, she had found some suspicious clues, which seemed to point to an abandoned manor outside the city. She didn't take it seriously at the time, but now she thought that the manor might be the base of the mysterious organization!

A glimmer of hope rekindled in Wu Tao's heart. She knew that as long as she found enough evidence, she could bring these evildoers to justice and restore peace to Chang'an City. More importantly, she wanted to prove to those who tried to hurt her that she was not a pawn at the mercy of others, and that she had the ability to protect herself and realize her dreams.

Wu Tao took a deep breath and slowly rolled up the map. Fear receded like a tide, replaced by a firm determination. She couldn't just sit there and wait for death, and she couldn't let Hu Bugui worry about her.

She found Hu Bugui and told him all her findings and speculations. After listening to him, Hu Bugui frowned and his eyes were full of worry. "Tao'er, this matter is very serious. You must not act rashly. I will send someone to investigate secretly. You just stay in the mansion and don't go anywhere."

"No, I can't just do nothing." Wu Tao shook his head, his eyes determined, "I can't just watch them get away with it, I have to do something."

Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao, feeling both distressed and respectful. He knew that Wu Tao had a tenacious spirit in her bones and would never give up easily once she made a decision. He took a deep breath, held Wu Tao's hand, and said firmly: "Okay, let's face it together."

After discussion, the two decided to send someone to secretly monitor the abandoned manor. At the same time, Wu Tao continued to investigate the forces behind the mysterious organization, hoping to find their flaws.

As the days passed, the people monitoring the manor did not find anything unusual, and Wu Tao's investigation made no progress. She began to doubt her judgment. Was she too suspicious?

Just when Wu Tao was beginning to waver, an unexpected visitor broke the silence.

That evening, a man in black and a bamboo hat appeared in front of the Hu residence. He handed over an envelope and said in a low voice, "This is a letter from my master to Miss Wu. Please open it yourself." After that, without waiting for Wu Tao's reaction, he turned around and disappeared into the night.

Wu Tao was puzzled and opened the envelope. He saw only one sentence written on it: "If you want to live, give up the investigation, otherwise you will bear the consequences."

The handwriting was sharp and murderous. Wu Tao felt a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and the letter was trembling slightly in her hands...