Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 168 We must find a way to break through

The man in black spoke in a grim tone, his eyes flashing with bloodthirsty light, as if he was going to devour them in the next second. Hu Bugui protected Wu Tao behind him, his eyes swept around coldly, and he was calculating rapidly in his mind. The enemy army was coming fiercely, and it was obvious that they were well prepared. Fighting hard would only end in the annihilation of the whole army. We must find a way to break through!

"General, you take Tao'er and Brother Li and go first. I will cover your retreat!" Hu Bugui said in a low voice, his tone firm and unquestionable.

"No! If you want to go, let's go together!" Wu Tao grabbed Hu Bugui's sleeve, his eyes full of worry.

"Listen! This is an order!" Hu Bugui said sternly. He knew that this was not the time to be sentimental and someone had to make sacrifices.

"But..." Wu Tao wanted to say something else, but was stopped by Li Xiaoyao.

"Don't worry, Princess. I will protect Your Highness at the risk of my life!" Li Xiaoyao said in a firm tone. He knew that Hu Bugui had already made up his mind. All he needed to do now was to trust him and follow his orders.

The general also understood Hu Bugui's intention. He looked at Hu Bugui deeply and said in a deep voice: "Take care!" After that, he took Wu Tao's hand and broke out to the other side of the valley together with Li Xiaoyao and others.

"Want to leave? Not that easy!" Upon seeing this, the man in black immediately ordered a pursuit.

However, at this moment, Hu Bugui suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at the sky, shouting loudly: "Everyone listen up, follow me and kill the enemy!"

Although the soldiers behind him were confused, they drew their weapons without hesitation, shouted loudly, and rushed towards the enemy.

The man in black was stunned by Hu Bugui's sudden action, and then sneered: "Death struggle!"

However, just as he was about to order the entire army to attack, he discovered that Hu Bugui did not lead his soldiers to confront them head-on, but instead ran towards the depths of the valley with a small group of people.

"Oh no! We've fallen into a trap!" The men in black immediately realized that Hu Bugui was deliberately attracting their attention to buy time for others to escape!

"Chase! Chase! We can't let them get away!" The man in black roared and personally led his elite soldiers to chase in the direction Hu Bugui fled.

The deep valley had complex terrain and dense trees, which was very suitable for hiding. Hu Bugui and his companions took advantage of the terrain to fight with the pursuers and gradually left them behind.

"Your Highness, where are we going now?" a soldier asked breathlessly.

"Go and meet up with the general and the others!" Hu Bugui said in a firm tone. He knew that now was not the time to let down his guard. Only by joining up with others could he be truly safe.

Hu Bugui led a dozen personal guards and shuttled through the dense forest like a ghost. He knew that the pursuers behind him would not give up easily, so he did not dare to slack off. The mountain road was rugged and full of thorns. Wu Tao was exhausted and almost fell. Hu Bugui quickly supported her and asked with concern: "Can you still hold on?"

Wu Tao shook her head, resisting the fatigue in her body, and said firmly: "I'm fine, don't worry about me, let's go!"

Hu Bugui looked at the weak yet strong woman in front of him, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He had never thought that this girl from modern times could give him such powerful strength in his most critical moment.

"There is a cave ahead. Let's go in and take shelter first." Hu Bugui said, pointing ahead.

Everyone hid in the cave, Hu Bugui arranged for someone to guard the cave entrance, while he carefully observed the surrounding terrain. He knew that if he wanted to get rid of the pursuers, he had to make full use of the terrain advantage.

"Your Highness, what should we do now?" asked a guard, with a hint of anxiety in his tone.

"The enemy is strong and we are weak, so we can't fight head-on. We can only outsmart them." Hu Bugui analyzed calmly, "Let's rest here for a while and then take action after dark."

At night, the forest was pitch black, and one could not see one's hand in front of one's face. Hu Bugui and his companions took advantage of the cover of darkness and quietly left the cave.

"Your Highness, where are we going now?" the guard asked in a low voice.

"Let's go around the enemy's rear and take them by surprise." A cunning look flashed in Hu Bugui's eyes.

They sneaked all the way and finally arrived at the rear of the enemy. At Hu Bugui's command, everyone rushed out like a tiger descending from the mountain, the shouts of killing shook the sky, and the men in black were caught off guard and their formation was in chaos.

Hu Bugui led the crowd, charging left and right, as if entering an empty space. Although the black-clad men were numerous, they were defeated step by step under Hu Bugui's exquisite command.

During the fierce battle, Wu Tao stayed by Hu Bugui's side, delivering arrows and bandaging his wounds. Although she was afraid, she did not retreat, but showed amazing calmness and courage.

"Tao'er, step back, it's dangerous here!" Hu Bugui shouted anxiously while swinging his sword.

"No! I want to be with you!" Wu Tao said in a firm tone, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.

Hu Bugui was touched. He knew that this was not the time to be pretentious and he could only do his best to protect her safety.

After a fierce battle, the black-clad men suffered heavy casualties, and the rest fled in all directions. Hu Bugui did not linger in the battle, and quickly evacuated the battlefield with everyone.

"Are we safe now?" asked a guard with a hint of fatigue in his tone.

Hu Bugui looked into the distance, a complicated look flashed in his eyes, and he said slowly: "Not yet, we must meet up with the general and the others as soon as possible to be truly safe."

The night was deep and the forest was silent, with only the occasional chirping of insects making it even quieter. Hu Bugui and his companions walked in the night, heading in an unknown direction, their hearts filled with hope and anxiety.

As the night deepened, the cold dew soaked their clothes, but Hu Bugui and his entourage continued on their way, and finally arrived at the gate of Chang'an at dawn. When the soldiers guarding the city saw that it was Hu Bugui, they were immediately cheered up and quickly opened the gate to welcome him.

"Your Highness, you are finally back! The Emperor and the general were so worried!" The soldier reported anxiously while leading the way.

Hu Bugui didn't even bother to rest and went straight to the palace to see the emperor. In the Golden Throne Hall, the emperor paced back and forth anxiously. Seeing Hu Bugui return safely, he was relieved and hurried forward to ask: "Bugui, are you okay? Did you have a smooth journey?"

"Thank you for your concern, father. I am doing fine." Hu Bugui bowed and reported the details of the attack. His tone was calm, but it was difficult to hide the thrill in it. The emperor frowned and was terrified.

"These traitors are so bold that they dared to assassinate the prince under the feet of the emperor! Come, convey my order to thoroughly investigate this matter and bring the mastermind behind it to justice!" The emperor was furious and slapped the dragon throne with one hand. His majestic voice echoed in the Golden Palace.

"Bugui, you were fearless and brave this time, and successfully resolved the crisis. I am really pleased." The emperor looked at Hu Bugui with admiration in his eyes, "I have decided to promote you to the rank of General of the Cavalry, responsible for commanding the imperial guards of the capital and strengthening the border defense to prevent any unexpected events!"

"I obey your order, thank you, father!" Hu Bugui knelt down again to express his gratitude, but he felt uneasy. This attack was obviously not accidental. Who was the mastermind behind it and what was the purpose? All of this is still a mystery.

The emperor inquired about Wu Tao's situation with concern, and was relieved to learn that she was safe. He looked at the young couple who had gone through hardships, and his heart was filled with emotion and blessings.

"Tao'er, thank you for your hard work this time." Hu Bugui returned to the mansion and looked at Wu Tao's slightly tired face, his heart filled with heartache.

"As long as you're okay." Wu Tao shook her head, a gentle light flashing in her eyes, "We are safe now."

After experiencing this life-and-death test, the relationship between Wu Tao and Hu Bugui deepened. They cherished each other more and were more determined to spend their lives together. However, under the calm surface, there was an undercurrent, and a bigger storm was quietly brewing...

Back at the palace, the familiar scenery and atmosphere finally relaxed Wu Tao's tense nerves. She took a deep breath, and the air in Chang'an seemed to have a hint of sweetness. Hu Bugui held her hand, and the warmth of his palm conveyed a reassuring power.

"Tao'er, I'm sorry to have frightened you this time." Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao with pity in his eyes. He knew how difficult it was for a woman from modern times to have experienced all these hardships.

Wu Tao shook her head, held Hu Bugui's hand tightly with her backhand, and said softly: "As long as I am with you, I can endure any hardship." After experiencing the test of life and death, the feelings between them became deeper, as if nothing in the world could separate them.

In the following days, Chang'an City returned to its former prosperity and bustle, as if the thrilling assassination was just a nightmare. The emperor kept his promise and appointed Hu Bugui as the General of Cavalry, commanding the imperial guards of the capital. For a time, the Hu Palace was crowded with officials who came to congratulate him.

However, Hu Bugui was not happy at all. He knew very well that this assassination was not as simple as it seemed. Who was the mastermind behind it? What was their purpose? These questions hung over his mind like a dark cloud, lingering.

That night, with candlelight flickering in the study, Hu Bugui sat alone at his desk, frowning, holding a secret letter from the border. The letter was sent by his good friend Li Xiaoyao, and it mentioned that the border had been unstable recently, and it seemed that an unknown force was secretly operating with unknown intentions.

Hu Bugui's heart trembled, and a bad premonition came to his mind. He held the secret letter close to the candlelight. The flickering flame illuminated the handwriting on the letter paper, and also made the expression on his face more solemn.

"Could it be that there is a connection between these two things?" Hu Bugui muttered to himself, various possibilities emerged in his mind, but he could not piece together a complete answer. He vaguely felt that a bigger storm was quietly approaching, and he might be the center of this storm...