Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 138 Peach Blossoms Clear, Clouds Clear and Moon Shines

A dark shadow flashed by on the palace wall. The guards immediately panicked and drew their swords, pointing them upwards, shouting, "Who dares to trespass into the palace?"

Hu Bugui's heart was filled with shock. He recognized the unique footwork of the black shadow. It was his good friend - the commander of the imperial guards, General Li!

The appearance of General Li undoubtedly added a glimmer of hope to this strange night, and made Hu Bugui more certain that he had stepped into a dangerous place tonight.

"Your Highness, don't panic. I am here to protect you by your order!" General Li's voice came from above, majestic and powerful. The originally panicked guards looked at each other, and for a moment they did not dare to act rashly.

Just as he finished speaking, there was a sound of orderly footsteps coming from the palace gate. An army holding torches quickly surrounded the entire palace, led by General Li.

"You bold traitor, how dare you bully the emperor and commit treason? Why don't you surrender immediately!" General Li shouted angrily, pointing the sword in his hand directly at the guard standing next to Hu Bugui.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the guards threw away their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy.

Hu Bugui knew in his heart that this sudden change must have been caused by someone secretly helping him, and this person was most likely his sick father.

He calmed himself down, strode into the palace, and went straight to the emperor's bedroom.

Inside the palace, the emperor lay on the dragon bed with a pale face, while the queen sat beside the bed with a worried look on her face. The prime minister and the crown prince stood beside them with unpredictable expressions.

"Father!" Hu Bugui stepped forward quickly and knelt down in front of the bed, his eyes full of worry and concern.

The emperor slowly opened his eyes and saw Hu Bugui. A hint of relief flashed in his eyes, but he began to cough weakly.

"Your Majesty, you're finally awake!" Upon seeing this, the Queen hurried forward and patted the Emperor on the back, her tone full of excitement.

"Prime Minister, Crown Prince, what are you doing?!" Hu Bugui stood up and looked at the Prime Minister and Crown Prince coldly, his eyes full of anger.

The prime minister and the prince looked at each other, a hint of panic flashed in their eyes, but they quickly calmed down.

"Your Highness, what do you mean? We, father and son, are only here to visit you because we are worried about the safety of the emperor." The prime minister said with a wry smile.

"Visit? Humph, I think you want to take advantage of the opportunity to force the emperor to abdicate!" Hu Bugui sneered and ruthlessly exposed their conspiracy.

"You...you are slandering me!" The prince was furious and pointed at Hu Bugui and shouted at him.

At this moment, the emperor suddenly started coughing violently. He struggled to sit up, pointed at the prime minister and the prince, and said with all his strength: "You...you two rebellious sons...I...I will never...never...forgive you..."

Before he could finish his words, the emperor fainted.

"Father!" Hu Bugui and the Queen exclaimed at the same time and hurried forward to check on the Emperor's condition.

"Someone come, call the imperial physician!" Hu Bugui shouted loudly, his voice full of anxiety and worry.

The imperial physician arrived quickly and examined the emperor, but shook his head and sighed, "The emperor is not feeling well. I'm afraid... I'm afraid..."

What the imperial physician didn't finish saying made everyone present understand that the emperor didn't have much time left.

“No… Impossible…” The prince collapsed on the ground, his eyes full of despair and fear.

The prime minister's face turned pale and he said nothing.

Hu Bugui was extremely sad, but he knew that now was not the time to be sad. He must cheer up, protect the Tang Dynasty, and fulfill his father's last wish.

At this time, Wu Tao, who was hiding in the dark, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that the crisis was over for the time being.

The palace was filled with a heavy and oppressive atmosphere. The words of the imperial physician were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart.

Hu Bugui held his father's hand tightly, feeling the weak pulse, and was heartbroken. He had never thought that his father, who had always been majestic and strong, would become so weak overnight.

The queen held back her grief and gently stroked the emperor's pale hair, tears falling silently from her eyes. She knew that what the emperor needed most at this moment was comfort and support.

Wu Tao, who was hiding in the dark, witnessed this scene with her own eyes, and she felt mixed emotions. Although she was not from this world, she was also touched by the love, hatred and vengeance in the deep palace. She clenched her fists and secretly vowed to help Hu Bugui overcome the difficulties.

General Li led the imperial guards to surround the entire palace to ensure the emperor's safety. He knew that at this moment, any negligence could lead to irreversible consequences.

The prime minister and the crown prince stood aside dejectedly like defeated roosters. They never expected that their carefully planned action to force the emperor to abdicate would fail because of the emperor's sudden awakening.

After the imperial physician left, the palace fell into a dead silence. Hu Bugui took a deep breath, suppressed the grief in his heart, and slowly stood up. He walked to the queen, bowed respectfully, and said in a deep voice: "Mother, my father is seriously ill, and the affairs of the court cannot be left without a leader for a day. I beg you to take charge of the overall situation and stabilize the court."

The queen knew very well that the situation was critical at this time. She nodded and said firmly: "Don't worry, my son. I will do my best to assist you in governing the country."

Hu Bugui turned to look at General Li and said in a deep voice: "General Li, the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince are plotting something bad and are trying to force the emperor to abdicate. I order you to arrest them and wait for your punishment!"

"Yes, sir!" General Li took the order without hesitation and waved his hand. The imperial guards immediately surrounded the prime minister and the prince.

The prime minister and the crown prince panicked. They wanted to resist, but it was useless. Under the strong control of the imperial guards, they could only surrender.

The crisis in the palace was temporarily resolved, but Hu Bugui did not relax at all. He knew that this was just the calm before the storm, and greater challenges were still to come. He had to find out the truth as soon as possible and catch all the enemies hiding in the dark in one fell swoop, so as to truly protect the Tang Dynasty.

Wu Tao watched everything that happened in front of her with admiration in her heart. She knew that Hu Bugui had a heavy burden on his shoulders, but he would definitely bravely shoulder this responsibility and become a wise ruler.

It was late at night, the palace lanterns were dim, but they could not illuminate the haze in people's hearts. Under the seemingly calm situation, undercurrents were surging, and a bigger storm was brewing.

The prime minister and the crown prince were escorted away, and the palace returned to its former tranquility, but the air was filled with a sense of oppression as if a storm was about to come. The emperor's health was getting worse and worse, and the imperial doctors were helpless and could only use precious medicinal materials to keep him alive.

Hu Bugui stayed by the emperor's side day and night, serving him medicine without taking off his clothes, exhausted but not daring to close his eyes. Wu Tao saw it with her eyes and felt pain in her heart, but she also understood that at this moment, any comfort seemed pale and powerless. All she could do was to accompany him silently, serve him tea and water, and add fragrance to his sleeves.

A few days later, when the emperor was on his deathbed, he summoned Hu Bugui and the queen to his bedside and gave them instructions on his affairs: "Bugui...you are my only son...the future of the Tang Dynasty...is in your hands..."

Hu Bugui knelt in front of the bed, tears streaming down his face, and solemnly promised his father: "Don't worry, I will do my best to protect the Tang Dynasty!"

The emperor nodded with satisfaction and turned his gaze to the queen, his eyes full of guilt and reluctance: "Queen... you have worked so hard over the years..."

The queen held the emperor's hand and burst into tears: "Your Majesty, I am fine... I only ask you... to rest assured..."

The emperor raised his hand with great effort, wanting to touch the queen's face, but it finally fell down powerlessly. He slowly closed his eyes and passed away.

There was a sudden cry in the palace, and the queen was so grief-stricken that she almost fainted. Hu Bugui suppressed his grief, arranged the emperor's funeral, and officially ascended the throne, changing the reign title to "Yong'an".

The new emperor ascended the throne and the dynasty changed. This should have been a time of joy for some and sorrow for others. However, the court was a peaceful scene. The prime minister and the prince's conspiracy was exposed, and their followers were eliminated one by one. No one in the court dared to challenge the new emperor's authority.

Hu Bugui worked hard to govern the country and appointed talented people. Under his rule, the people of Tang Dynasty lived and worked in peace and contentment. Wu Tao became his most trusted wife, giving him advice and helping him solve problems.

On this day, the two walked hand in hand in the Imperial Garden, admiring the spring scenery in the garden. The peach blossoms were bright, the willows were green, and the flowers were red, just like their mood at the moment.

"Tao'er," Hu Bugui stopped and looked at Wu Tao affectionately, "Thank you for always being by my side."

Wu Tao smiled and gently leaned on his shoulder: "We are husband and wife, we should stick together through thick and thin, and share honor and disgrace."

"When everything is settled, we will leave this palace and find a place with beautiful mountains and rivers to live a peaceful life, okay?" Hu Bugui gently stroked Wu Tao's hair, his tone full of yearning.

Wu Tao raised his head, his eyes sparkling with happiness: "Okay, it's a deal."

At this moment, a guard hurried over and interrupted their conversation: "Your Majesty, Queen, an old man who claims to be your old friend has come to the gate of the palace and wants to see you."

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other, and a hint of doubt arose in their hearts. They had just arrived and had no acquaintances in Chang'an City. Who could this old man be?

As the sun sets, the last rays of light from the horizon shine on the gate of the palace, making the old figure look particularly long... The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the vermilion gate of the palace, giving the heavy gate a layer of gold. Standing at the gate is an old man, wearing a whitened coarse cloth, with gray hair casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, and his face is full of wrinkles, but it can't hide his wise eyes.

"Old man, who are you looking for?" the guard stepped forward and asked in a polite tone.

The old man smiled slightly, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth, "My surname is Li, and I'm here to look for my old friend, Miss Wu Tao."

The guard was shocked when he heard this. Although the old man was dressed simply, he was very eloquent and was definitely not an ordinary person. And Miss Wu Tao's identity was special, so he couldn't be careless. He didn't dare to neglect it and hurried into the mansion to report.

At this time, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were having dinner. When they heard the guard's report, they were both stunned. They had just arrived and had no acquaintances in Chang'an City. Where did this old man come from?

"Let him in." Hu Bugui put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands and said lightly.

After a while, the guard led the old man into the flower hall. As soon as the old man entered the door, he looked at Wu Tao with a burning gaze, as if he could see through people's hearts, which made Wu Tao panic inexplicably.

"I greet the prince and princess." The old man bowed, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

"Please stand up, old man. I wonder what you want to talk to me about?" Wu Tao suppressed his uneasiness and asked.

The old man did not answer immediately. Instead, he walked slowly to Wu Tao and looked at her carefully, as if he wanted to engrave her in his heart.

"Similar, so similar..." the old man murmured to himself, with tears welling up in his turbid eyes.

"Old man, do you know me?" Wu Tao was even more confused. She was sure that she had never seen this old man before.

The old man took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "Girl, do you know your own life experience?"

This sentence, like thunder, exploded in Wu Tao's ears. Her life experience was a mystery. She was adopted by her master since she was a child and knew nothing about her parents. Now, this old man suddenly mentioned it. Did he know something?

Hu Bugui, who was standing by, also noticed that something was wrong. He held Wu Tao's hand, signaling her not to panic. Then he looked at the old man and asked in a deep voice, "Old man, what do you know? Tell me."

The old man looked at the two of them, a complicated look flashed in his eyes, and finally he slowly said: "Some things, it's time to tell you..."