Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 227 Before the Flowers and Under the Moon

The red candle flickered, illuminating the room. Wu Tao gently put down the book in her hand and looked out the window. The night sky was dotted with stars, just like her mood at the moment, calm and happy.

"What are you thinking about?" Hu Bugui's low voice came from behind, with a hint of smile.

Wu Tao turned around and saw that Hu Bugui had changed out of his wedding dress and was wearing a moon-white gown, which made him look even more gentle and graceful. He walked over to her and gently held her in his arms.

"Nothing, I was just thinking that the news of our marriage should have spread throughout Chang'an City by now." Wu Tao leaned her head gently on his shoulder with a sweet smile on her lips.

"Of course, you are the most beautiful bride in Chang'an." Hu Bugui lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead. "From now on, you are my princess. I will spend my whole life loving and protecting you."

Wu Tao raised her head, her eyes sparkling with happiness, "I know."

In Chang'an, peach blossoms are blooming, filling the city with a festive atmosphere. This day is the wedding day of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao. The palace is decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, and guests are everywhere. Wu Tao, wearing a bright red wedding dress and a phoenix crown, walks slowly into the hall surrounded by people. Hu Bugui, wearing a wedding gown, looks handsome, his eyes full of affection, quietly waiting for his bride.

When their eyes met, time seemed to stand still. They smiled at each other, their eyes full of happiness and satisfaction.

"Taotao, I love you." Hu Bugui gently held Wu Tao's hand and said in a low voice.

"Me too." Tears welled up in Wu Tao's eyes and she snuggled happily in his arms.

This grand wedding is a testimony to their love and the beginning of their new life.

After marriage, Hu Bugui took great care of Wu Tao and put aside his official duties to accompany her almost every day. The two of them often strolled in the garden of the palace or went boating on the lake, enjoying this rare tranquility and sweetness.

"You know what? I've read a lot about the Tang Dynasty in books before, and I thought at that time it would be great if I could see this prosperous era with my own eyes." Wu Tao snuggled up to Hu Bugui, looking at the bright moon in the sky, and said softly.

"Have you got what you wanted now?" Hu Bugui asked with a smile.

"Well, I met you too." Wu Tao turned and looked at him, her eyes full of tenderness.

Hu Bugui's heart moved and he held her hand tightly. He was about to say something when he suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps.

"Your Majesty, someone is coming from the palace."

The housekeeper came hurriedly, with a look of panic on his face, "It is said that the emperor urgently summoned the prince to the palace."

The smile on Hu Bugui's face gradually faded. He patted Wu Tao's hand and comforted her softly, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

Wu Tao felt slightly uneasy, but still forced a smile and nodded, "Well, the sooner we go, the sooner we'll be back."

After Hu Bugui left, Wu Tao's heart was always hanging, unable to calm down. She knew very well that the palace was treacherous, and although Hu Bugui was a prince, his achievements were so great that he would inevitably attract jealousy.

At night, Hu Bugui finally came back, but his face looked a little solemn.

"What's wrong? Did something happen in the palace?" Wu Tao stepped forward and asked with concern.

Hu Bugui shook his head gently, took her into his arms, and whispered, "It's nothing serious, it's just that my father has been in poor health recently, and there are some affairs in the court that require my extra care."

Seeing that he didn't want to say more, Wu Tao didn't ask any more questions and just stayed by his side silently.

In the following days, Hu Bugui often went to the palace, sometimes even staying out all night. Although Wu Tao was worried, she knew that she could not help much, so she could only try her best to manage the palace so that he would not have to worry.

One day, Hu Bugui was handling official business in his study when Wu Tao walked in with a cup of hot tea.

"Your Highness, please take a rest." Wu Tao placed the teacup on the desk and said softly.

Hu Bugui rubbed his brows, took the teacup, and took a sip, "Taotao, thank you for your hard work during this period."

"I'm not tired, I'm just worried about you." Wu Tao sat down beside him, his eyes full of concern, "Are things going well in the court?"

Hu Bugui sighed, "It's not going well. My father is seriously ill, and various forces in the court are ready to take advantage of the opportunity to fight for power."

Wu Tao pondered for a moment and said, "I once read a sentence in a book, 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world.' Now that the emperor is seriously ill and the situation in the court is unstable, why don't you take this opportunity to do more practical things for the people and win their hearts?"

Hu Bugui's eyes lit up. Wu Tao's words were like a revelation to him. He held Wu Tao's hand and said gratefully, "Tao Tao, you are really my good wife!"

With the help of Wu Tao, Hu Bugui began to actively visit the people, understand their sentiments, and solve their problems, and soon won the love and support of the people. His rising reputation also aroused the fear of some people in the court.

One day, Hu Bugui received a secret letter with only one sentence in it: Be careful of the person next to you.

Hu Bugui's face suddenly changed and he clenched the letter paper in his hand.

 under the moon before flowers

The five words "Be careful of the person beside you" were like a branding iron, deeply imprinted in Hu Bugui's heart. He took a deep breath, threw the letter into the candlelight, and watched it turn into ashes. Wu Tao was beside him, and seeing that he looked different, she asked with concern: "What's wrong? What happened?"

Hu Bugui looked into Wu Tao's clear eyes, feeling mixed emotions. He hesitated for a moment, but decided to confess: "Someone sent me an anonymous letter, telling me to be careful of the person next to me."

Wu Tao's face turned serious when she heard this. She knew very well that in a power struggle, anyone could be an enemy, even the closest person. "Who does the prince suspect?"

Hu Bugui shook his head, frowning, "The situation in the court is complicated, and there are many people who want to kill me. But..." He paused, his eyes fell on Wu Tao's face, "I really don't want to believe that you are the one who wants to harm me."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will definitely get to the bottom of this matter and clear your name." Wu Tao said in a firm tone, with a wise gleam in his eyes.

In the next few days, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao began to secretly investigate the matter. They were cautious and did not miss any clues. Finally, they found that the matter seemed to be related to a powerful noble in the palace. This person was respectful to Hu Bugui on the surface, but secretly he had been trying to win over court officials and cultivate his own power in order to usurp the throne.

"It seems that our good uncle has great ambitions." Hu Bugui sneered, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"How does the prince plan to respond?" Wu Tao asked.

"This person is extremely cunning, and we don't have any solid evidence, so we shouldn't alert him." Hu Bugui pondered for a moment, "I need you to do me a favor."

"Your Majesty, please give your orders."

"I want you to try to get close to him and collect evidence of his rebellion."

Wu Tao was shocked. This was undoubtedly a dangerous move for her, but she did not hesitate at all and nodded firmly: "Okay, I promise you."

In order to win the trust of the noble, Wu Tao began to approach him intentionally or unintentionally, and showed her admiration and worship for him. She was very smart and soon won the other party's trust, and was even invited to attend the banquet held in his house.

On the night of the banquet, Wu Tao dressed up and went to the banquet alone. She knew that this would be an extremely dangerous game, and if she was not careful, she would be doomed. But she had made up her mind that for Hu Bugui, she was willing to give everything.

After three rounds of drinking, the guests were all happy. Wu Tao left the table on the pretext of something and went outside the study, wanting to find evidence of the noble's rebellion. However, the moment she opened the study door, a cold voice suddenly came from behind her:

"My Lady Princess, where are you going?"

Wu Tao's figure disappeared at the door of the study, leaving only silence in the room. Hu Bugui sat alone at the table, the wine glass in his hand had gone cold. He should have enjoyed this rare quiet time, but he felt uneasy in his heart, always feeling that something was going to happen.

"Where did Tao'er go? Why did she take so long?" He whispered to himself, stood up and walked to the door, looking in the direction of the banquet, but did not see Wu Tao.

With an ominous premonition in his heart, Hu Bugui walked out of the study quickly and searched for Wu Tao in the crowd. The guests were immersed in laughter and did not notice his anxiety at all. He asked several female relatives who were familiar with Wu Tao, and the answers he got were "I didn't notice" or "She was here just now".

As the night deepened, the banquet finally drew to a close. Hu Bugui was extremely anxious. He searched almost the entire mansion, but still could not find Wu Tao's whereabouts. Could it be that something had really happened to her?

"Your Highness, what's wrong with you? You look so unhappy." The housekeeper in the mansion saw that he looked flustered and asked with concern.

Hu Bugui suppressed his anxiety and said as calmly as possible: "The princess is missing, send someone to look for her everywhere."

The housekeeper was shocked when he heard this and immediately ordered his servants to search for Wu Tao's whereabouts. The whole palace was suddenly brightly lit and bustling with people, but no good news came.

Just when Hu Bugui was almost in despair, a servant came running over with a piece of paper in his hand, and said tremblingly: "Your Majesty, this... This was found next to the rockery in the back garden."

Hu Bugui snatched the note and saw a few beautiful small words written on it: "Outside the city, Jingci Temple." Although the handwriting was a little sloppy, he recognized it at a glance. It was Wu Tao's handwriting.

Jingci Temple? An ancient temple located in the wilderness outside the city, not very popular, how could it be related to Wu Tao?

Without time to think, Hu Bugui immediately jumped on his horse and galloped out of the city. He had only one thought in his mind: he must find Wu Tao and not let her get into trouble!

The Jingci Temple looked particularly eerie in the night, with vines crawling all over the dilapidated walls, like monsters with bared fangs and claws. Hu Bugui dismounted and knocked on the temple gate with the whip in his hand, making a dull sound.

"Squeak-"

The dilapidated temple door slowly opened, and an old nun appeared at the door. There was a hint of vigilance in her cloudy eyes: "Donor, you are visiting so late at night. I wonder what you can do for me?"

"Wu Tao, is the princess in the temple?" Hu Bugui asked anxiously, calling Wu Tao's name directly.

The old nun's cloudy eyes flashed with something strange. She shook her head slightly and said calmly, "Amitabha, I'm afraid you have come to the wrong place. I am the only old nun in this temple. How could there be a princess?"

"Impossible!" Hu Bugui pushed the old nun aside and rushed into the temple, searching for Wu Tao. However, the temple was empty, with only a few broken Buddha statues and no other figures.

"Where did you hide her?" Hu Bugui turned back angrily, grabbed the old nun by the collar, and asked with gritted teeth.

The old nun was startled by his sudden action, but her face remained calm. She slowly said, "Donor, monks don't tell lies. I really don't know what you are talking about."

"I'll ask you one last time, where is Wu Tao?" Hu Bugui's eyes were bloodshot and he held the whip high in his hand, as if it would fall at the next second.

The old nun closed her eyes, sighed, and said slowly: "Donor, you should take a look at this first..."