Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 163 Life or death is uncertain

Hu Bugui got up before the morning star in the sky disappeared. He walked out of the cave lightly, fearing to disturb Wu Tao who was still sleeping. Outside the cave, the morning mist was everywhere, rendering the valley like a dream. The cool air was mixed with the faint fragrance of plants and trees, which calmed Hu Bugui's slightly irritable mood a little.

Li Xiaoyao's whereabouts are still unknown, and his life or death is uncertain, which makes him unable to sleep or eat. Yesterday, he fought with the enemy and suffered heavy losses. The instigator of all this is likely hiding in the court. Hu Bugui clenched his fists, his heart filled with anger and powerlessness.

"Brother Bugui, what are you thinking about?" Wu Tao's gentle voice came from behind, pulling Hu Bugui back from his thoughts.

"Taoer, why are you up? It's still early, sleep a little longer." Hu Bugui turned around and forced a smile on his face.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come out to take a look." Wu Tao walked to his side, glanced at his slightly tired face, and said distressedly, "Don't worry too much. Xiaoyao is a lucky man, and everything will be fine."

"I hope so." Hu Bugui sighed. He knew that these were just words to comfort each other.

After a simple breakfast, the team set out again. In order to avoid the enemy's pursuit, they could only choose a remote path, crossing mountains and ridges, and the journey was very difficult.

That afternoon, the team was walking deep into a dense forest when suddenly a burst of rapid horse hoof sounds came. Hu Bugui was startled and quickly ordered everyone to hide.

"It looks like the enemy has caught up with us." Li Erniu lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, let's fight them!"

"Don't act rashly." Hu Bugui analyzed calmly, "We are exhausted now, so we shouldn't fight hard. Let's see how the situation develops first."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of cavalry rushed out of the woods ahead. There were not many of them, but they were all wearing heavy armor. It was obvious that they were elite troops. They seemed to be searching for something, moving back and forth in the woods, and did not find Hu Bugui and others hiding in the dark.

"Strange, they don't seem to be coming for us." Wu Tao said in a low voice.

"Don't worry about them for now, let's hurry up and leave here." Hu Bugui made a prompt decision and led everyone to evacuate quietly.

They carefully avoided the enemy's search area and did not find a relatively safe abandoned camp until the evening, where they decided to rest for the night.

"This place has been abandoned for a long time, and no one should come here." Li Erniu said after checking the surroundings.

"It's better to be safe than sorry. Erniu, take a few people to patrol the area and be careful." Hu Bugui warned.

"Yes, Your Highness." Li Erniu took the order and left.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao walked into a dilapidated tent in the center of the camp, ready to rest. At this moment, Wu Tao suddenly found a few yellowed papers scattered on the ground.

"What is this?" Wu Tao picked up the paper curiously, took a closer look, and his face suddenly changed.

"Brother Bugui, come and see!" Wu Tao exclaimed.

Hu Bugui hurried over and saw that the paper was covered with dense handwriting. The content turned out to be a secret letter between the Prime Minister and the enemy army!

"How is this possible?!" Hu Bugui widened his eyes in disbelief. He read the contents of the secret letter word by word, and his face became increasingly gloomy.

The secret letter recorded in detail how the prime minister colluded with the enemy army in an attempt to overthrow the Tang Dynasty regime, and even the time, place, troop deployment and other details of the rebellion were clearly written.

"I will never let this old thief go!" Hu Bugui said gritting his teeth, with a raging rage burning in his heart.

He never expected that the prime minister he had always respected would be the mastermind behind the rebellion!

"With this secret letter, we can expose the prime minister's true face and prove our innocence to our father!" Hu Bugui clenched his fists, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

However, he didn't know that the fight had just begun...

Hu Bugui repeatedly checked the secret letter in his hand and confirmed that the handwriting was indeed the Prime Minister's. This ironclad evidence made him both angry and excited, angry at the Prime Minister's betrayal and excited that he finally found a chance to prove his innocence.

"Tao'er, this secret letter is of great importance. We must rush back to Chang'an as soon as possible and report this matter to our father!" Hu Bugui said in a firm tone, with the flame of revenge burning in his eyes.

"But, Xiaoyao..." Wu Tao looked at Li Xiaoyao who was sleeping in the corner with concern. Although his injuries had improved slightly under Wu Tao's careful care, he was still too weak to withstand a long journey.

"Xiaoyao will stay here to recover. I will send someone to pick him up." Hu Bugui understood Wu Tao's concerns, but he had made up his mind. "There is no time to lose. We must act as soon as possible!"

Just as the two were discussing, there was a sudden commotion outside the tent. Li Erniu ran in in a panic and reported nervously, "Your Highness, it's bad. A group of people came outside and surrounded us!"

Hu Bugui's heart sank. Could it be that the enemy discovered their whereabouts? He carefully hid the secret letter in his arms, drew the sword from his waist, and said in a deep voice: "Let's go out and take a look!"

When they walked out of the tent, they saw flames all around the camp. Hundreds of soldiers holding torches surrounded them. The leader was wearing a black cloak and his face could not be seen clearly, but from the fierce aura emanating from him, it was clear that he was no ordinary man.

"Who are you? Why are you surrounding this place?" Hu Bugui stepped forward and asked sternly.

The man in black sneered and slowly took off his cloak, revealing an angular face. It was the chief aide of the Prime Minister's Office - Wang Yun!

"Hu Bugui, you colluded with the enemy and intended to rebel. Now that the evidence is conclusive, why don't you surrender!" Wang Yun shouted sternly, with a hint of viciousness in his eyes.

Hu Bugui was shocked. Could it be that Wang Yun had discovered the secret letter? Impossible. The secret letter had always been kept by him, so there was no possibility of it being leaked!

"Lord Wang, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! When did I collude with the enemy and intend to rebel?" Hu Bugui asked, trying to remain calm.

"Humph, you dare to quibble when you are about to die!" Wang Yun snorted coldly and waved his hand, "Catch him for me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding soldiers rushed forward and surrounded Hu Bugui and others.

At this critical moment, a loud shout suddenly came from the crowd: "Stop!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a burly middle-aged man pushing through the crowd and walking out with big strides. He was wearing a coarse linen shirt and had a plain sword on his waist, but his whole body exuded an aura that no one could underestimate.

"Who are you? How dare you interfere in this matter?" Wang Yun frowned and asked sternly.

The middle-aged man ignored Wang Yun and walked straight to Hu Bugui, bowed and said, "Your Highness, I am late in coming to your rescue. Please forgive me!"

Hu Bugui was stunned. He had never seen this person before, so why did he call him "Your Highness"? Moreover, judging from his tone, he seemed to be one of his own?

"You... who are you?" Hu Bugui asked puzzledly.

The middle-aged man raised his head, a complicated look flashed in his eyes, and he slowly said: "I was sent by the Prime Minister to protect you..."

 Peach blossoms shine brightly in Chang'an

The middle-aged man's words shocked Hu Bugui. He looked at the strange man in front of him in disbelief, and his mind was full of thoughts. The prime minister actually secretly sent someone to protect him? What on earth was going on?

"You mean... you were sent by my father to protect me?" Hu Bugui asked in a low voice, his tone full of suspicion.

"It is absolutely true, Your Highness." The middle-aged man nodded and took out a token engraved with the words "loyalty" from his arms. "This is a token given to me by the Prime Minister. Please take a look, Your Highness."

Hu Bugui took the token and looked at it carefully. He was very familiar with this token. It was his father's personal belonging. Could it be that his father was really protecting him in secret? But if that was the case, why did he have to watch himself being framed and hunted down?

"What is going on? Father... " Hu Bugui's heart was full of doubts and confusion.

"Your Highness, this is a long story. Please allow me to explain it to you later." The middle-aged man looked around and said in a low voice, "The situation is urgent now. Let's leave here first."

Hu Bugui nodded, knowing that now was not the time to ask further questions. He turned to look at Wang Yun, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and sneered: "Wang Yun, do you think you can catch me with just these people? I, Hu Bugui, will pay you back a hundredfold for today's shame!"

"Hmph, you still dare to be stubborn when you are about to die!" Wang Yun snorted coldly. Just as he was about to give the order to attack, he saw the middle-aged man suddenly draw his sword. With a flash of sword light, several soldiers who rushed up fell to the ground instantly.

"Who is it?!" Wang Yun was shocked. He didn't expect that this seemingly ordinary man had such skills.

"Protect His Highness and fight their way out!" The middle-aged man ignored Wang Yun and shouted loudly, leading Hu Bugui and others to fight their way out and break out.

Wang Yun watched Hu Bugui and his men flee, gritting his teeth in anger, but he could do nothing about it. He knew that he would not be able to catch Hu Bugui today.

After escaping the encirclement, Hu Bugui and others ran all the way until it was getting dark before stopping to rest.

"Thank you for your rescue, brave man. May I ask your name?" Hu Bugui asked gratefully.

"My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Hai." The middle-aged man clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, please don't be polite. It is my duty to protect you."

"Zhao Hai, what exactly is my father's plan?" Hu Bugui finally couldn't help asking, he was eager to know the truth.

Zhao Hai sighed and said, "The Prime Minister had long anticipated that the position of the Crown Prince would cause turmoil in the court. He was worried that Your Highness would fall into the trap of the treacherous people due to his youth and impulsiveness, so he secretly arranged for his subordinates to protect Your Highness and collect evidence, hoping to help Your Highness clear his grievances at a critical moment."

"So that's it." Hu Bugui suddenly realized, his heart filled with emotion and admiration. It turned out that his father had been protecting him secretly, but he never knew it.

"Zhao Hai, tell me, what other tricks did my father leave behind?" Hu Bugui asked anxiously. He knew that with his father's arrangement, he would be able to turn defeat into victory.

"The Prime Minister is well aware of the intricacies of the court. He has secretly cultivated a group of loyal officials and left behind their names and contact information. I believe that as long as Your Highness can find them, he can get their support." Zhao Hai said, taking out a list from his arms and handing it to Hu Bugui.

Hu Bugui took the list and felt like he had found a treasure. This was exactly what he needed most. He held the list tightly, with hope in his eyes. He knew that this struggle had just begun, but he was no longer fighting alone. He believed that justice would eventually triumph over evil, and he would definitely clear his father's name and take back everything that belonged to him!

With the secret support of the prime minister, Hu Bugui ignited a spark of hope in his heart. He knew that if he wanted to overturn Wang Yun's false accusation, force alone was not enough, and he also needed the support of the government and the people.

"Taotao, I have an idea..." Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao, his eyes flashing with determination. Wu Tao grew up among the people and was deeply loved by the people. He had great appeal among the people.

"You said, I'm willing to do anything as long as I can clear your grievances." Wu Tao held Hu Bugui's hand and said without hesitation.

"I would like to ask you to do me a favor and tell the people the truth, let them know that I am not a coward, but was harmed by a villain!" Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand tightly, his eyes full of expectation and trust.

Wu Tao nodded. She understood Hu Bugui's intention. Now that the court was controlled by Wang Yun, it would be extremely difficult to clear the grievances through normal channels. Only by gaining the support of the people could a powerful force be formed to compete with Wang Yun.

So, Wu Tao went from street to street, telling the people about Hu Bugui's experience in an easy-to-understand story. She told the story of how Hu Bugui bravely fought against the enemy and how he was framed by treacherous officials. When she was moved, she couldn't help but shed tears. The people had always admired Hu Bugui, and when they heard that he had been wronged, they were immediately filled with righteous indignation and expressed their desire to seek justice for Hu Bugui.

In a short time, the news about Hu Bugui's experience spread throughout the streets and alleys, and the people spontaneously organized themselves and posted notices everywhere in the city to support Hu Bugui. Some even traveled thousands of miles to the capital just to see with their own eyes this hero who was framed by treacherous officials.

The power of the people gathered into a torrent, gradually impacting Wang Yun's rule in the court. Under pressure, the emperor had to re-examine the case.

On a sunny morning, Hu Bugui, wearing court robes, strode into the Golden Palace. Behind him stood Wu Tao and Zhao Hai, who was holding the prime minister's handwritten letter and the list.

"Your Majesty, I have a grievance to appeal!" Hu Bugui knelt in the center of the hall, his voice loud and clear, echoing in the empty hall.

"Bold Hu Bugui, you colluded with the enemy and intended to rebel. The evidence is conclusive. What else can you say?" Wang Yun stood up and pointed at Hu Bugui and shouted angrily.

"Is the evidence conclusive? Lord Wang, you keep saying that I am colluding with the enemy, do you have any evidence?" Hu Bugui sneered and stared at Wang Yun with burning eyes.

"This..." Wang Yun was speechless for a moment. The "evidence" in his hand was nothing but forged.

"Your Majesty, I have a handwritten letter from the Prime Minister and a list that can prove my innocence!" At this time, Zhao Hai stood up and presented the Prime Minister's token with both hands.

The emperor took the letter and the list and read them carefully. His expression changed from disdain at first to solemnity, and finally he became furious and slammed the letter and the list in his hand on the dragon table.

"How dare you, Wang Yun, deceive the emperor and frame loyal officials!"