Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 134 The Old Man in Sackcloth

"Bugui!" Wu Tao shouted at the top of her lungs, desperately running towards Hu Bugui. However, before she could touch Hu Bugui, she was grabbed by the man in gray, with a cold dagger pressed against her neck.

“Don’t come over here!” The man in gray took Wu Tao hostage and retreated step by step, staring at Hu Bugui fiercely, “Otherwise I will kill her!”

Hu Bugui endured the severe pain in his arm and was extremely anxious, but he was afraid to act rashly.

"Let her go!" General Li also pointed his knife at the man in gray and shouted, "If you hurt her even a little bit, I will tear you into pieces!"

The man in gray snorted coldly, not moved at all. Instead, he pushed the dagger deeper into Wu Tao's skin. A trace of blood slowly slid down the blade.

“Don’t come over here!” Wu Tao felt the stinging pain in her neck, but forced herself to calm down. She knew that the more times like this, the more she couldn’t panic. “Let him go. I promise he won’t hurt me!”

Hu Bugui felt heartbroken when he heard this. How could he let Wu Tao take the risk? He was about to refuse, but Wu Tao shook her head slightly, signaling him not to be impulsive.

"Do you think I will believe your nonsense?" Although the man in gray said he didn't believe it, there was a hint of hesitation in his eyes. Obviously, he also knew that it would be difficult to get away unscathed today, and he just wanted to find a chance to escape.

At this moment, an old voice came from outside the crowd: "I do have a way to ensure the safety of both parties."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man with white hair and beard, wearing a coarse linen robe, walking towards them with a stumbling gait, leaning on a cane.

"Who are you?" the man in gray asked vigilantly.

The old man ignored the man in gray and walked straight to Hu Bugui, bowed and said, "I greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Hu Bugui saw that although the old man was dressed simply, he had an extraordinary temperament. He guessed that he was not a simple person, so he quickly helped the old man up and asked, "Please stand up, old man. I wonder what you think?"

The old man stroked his beard and said slowly, "I think this warrior is not a vicious person. He just acted like this because he was coerced. Why don't you agree to one condition and let him go? He will naturally release the Crown Princess."

When the man in gray heard this, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, and he quickly asked, "What are the conditions?"

The old man turned to look at the man in gray and said meaningfully: "I can tell you who instructed you to do this."

The man in gray was stunned for a moment, then his face turned pale as if he thought of something. His hand holding the dagger began to tremble slightly, and his eyes were full of fear and struggle.

Finally, he seemed to have made a decision, and said through gritted teeth: "Okay, I promise you!"

 Peach Blossoms Bloom in Chang'an Chapter 134 Peach Blossoms Bloom, Dreams Come True

As soon as the gray-clothed man finished speaking, he dejectedly put down the dagger in his hand, letting it fall to the ground with a crisp sound. Wu Tao felt his neck loosen, and was immediately pulled into Hu Bugui's arms and hugged tightly.

"Tao'er, are you okay?" Hu Bugui's voice was trembling slightly. He gently stroked Wu Tao's cheek and only felt relieved after confirming that she was not injured.

Wu Tao shook her head and looked up at Hu Bugui, her eyes slightly red, but she tried hard not to cry. She knew that now was not the time to relax.

The old man looked at the scene in front of him, with a hint of relief in his eyes. He turned around and waved to the soldiers behind him, signaling them to take the man in gray away.

"Old man, I haven't asked you yet..." Hu Bugui looked at the old man and said gratefully.

"My surname is Zhang, and I am just an idle person." The old man waved his hand, unwilling to say more, "Your Highness, now that the matter has been resolved, it is time for me to take my leave."

Hu Bugui wanted to ask more, but the old man had already turned and left, leaving behind only an old and mysterious back.

With the destruction of the mysterious organization, the opposition voices within the court gradually disappeared, and Hu Bugui's position was consolidated. The emperor was very satisfied with Hu Bugui's performance, and publicly announced that he would be made the crown prince, and began to prepare for the abdication.

The emperor also heard about Wu Tao's outstanding performance in the poetry conference. The emperor was very curious about this talented woman and specially summoned her into the palace.

In the imperial study, Wu Tao knelt respectfully in front of the imperial desk, feeling a little uneasy.

"Raise your head and let me see you." The emperor's voice was gentle and kind, without any imperial majesty.

Wu Tao raised his head and saw that the emperor was an old man over fifty years old, but he was in good spirits and his eyes were bright.

"Good, what a beautiful and talented woman!" The emperor looked at Wu Tao with an admiring smile on his face. "I have read your poems. They are brilliant and talented, comparable to the poet Li Bai!"

Wu Tao was flattered and quickly knelt down to express her gratitude: "I am not worthy of this. Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."

"Don't be modest. I have seen your talent." The emperor said with a smile, "I have decided to confer you the title of 'Poet Immortal' and grant you a mansion. Are you willing?"

Since Li Bai, no one dared to bear the title of "Poet Immortal". But now the emperor bestowed this title on Wu Tao, which shows how much he appreciates Wu Tao's talent.

Wu Tao was so excited that she knelt down again to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Lord, for your grace!"

The emperor looked at Wu Tao with relief in his eyes. He seemed to see the bright future of the Tang Dynasty.

However, in the dark, a pair of sinister eyes were watching all this, with a gleam of resentment in their eyes...

After Wu Tao thanked him, she couldn't calm down for a long time. From an ordinary girl in modern times to living in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, being named "Poet Immortal" and having her own mansion, it was like a dream. However, Hu Bugui's warm embrace reminded her that all this was real.

"Tao'er, are you happy?" Hu Bugui looked at her gently, his eyes full of doting.

Wu Tao nodded, with a smile on her face: "I am very happy, not only because of these honors, but also because my dream has finally come true."

"Yes," Hu Bugui sighed, "We have been through so much, and finally the hardship has paid off." He held Wu Tao's hand tightly, as if to pass all his strength to her, "Tao'er, from now on, I will always be by your side, protecting your dreams and our love."

Wu Tao looked at him with emotion, her eyes sparkling with happiness. After going through ups and downs, their feelings became deeper, and they were full of trust and reliance on each other.

After moving into the new mansion, Wu Tao did not indulge in the splendor and wealth, but began to realize her dream of promoting the development of Tang Dynasty culture. She used her talent and influence to hold poetry meetings and establish academies, recruiting talented people from all over the world and providing them with a platform to show themselves.

Hu Bugui also fully supported Wu Tao's career. He used his status to obtain funding from the court for the academy and personally participated in the construction and management of the academy. With their joint efforts, the academy soon became famous and attracted many students to study there.

Looking at the vibrant scene in the academy, Wu Tao felt a sense of accomplishment. She knew that her efforts were changing this era and the fate of more people.

However, just when everything was moving in a good direction, an accidental incident broke the peace.

One day, when Wu Tao was sorting books, he accidentally found an old notebook. The paper of the notebook had turned yellow and the handwriting was unclear, but Wu Tao recognized it at a glance. It was the diary of a minister of the previous dynasty.

Driven by curiosity, Wu Tao began to read the diary carefully. The content of the diary was mostly about the records of government affairs, and there was nothing special about it. But when Wu Tao turned to the last page, he found a shocking record.

The diary states that in the last years of the previous dynasty, a mysterious organization secretly manipulated government affairs, which eventually led to the fall of the dynasty. This mysterious organization still exists today and has been operating in secret for unknown purposes...

Wu Tao was shocked, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to his heart. Could it be that the mysterious organization had not been completely eradicated? What was their purpose?

Wu Tao did not dare to neglect it and immediately told Hu Bugui about it. Hu Bugui could not help but frown after hearing it. He knew that this matter was very serious and if it was not handled properly, it would likely cause unrest in the government and the country again.

"Tao'er, it seems we still have a long way to go." Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao with determination in his eyes, "However, no matter how many difficulties lie ahead, I will face them with you."

Wu Tao nodded and held Hu Bugui's hand tightly. They knew that a bigger storm was coming...

Wu Tao closed the diary, feeling uneasy. The mysterious organization was like a poisonous snake hiding in the dark, and no one knew when it would show its fangs. After she told Hu Bugui the contents of the diary, the two decided to conduct a secret investigation.

"This diary mentions a place name - Luoxia Valley." Wu Tao pointed at the yellowed pages with a frown, "Perhaps we can start from here."

Hu Bugui nodded, a gleam in his eyes: "Luoxia Valley is located in a remote area with few people. If this organization really exists, it would be a perfect hiding place."

In order not to alert the enemy, the couple decided to go on a secret visit. They changed into ordinary people's clothes, took a few trusted guards, and quietly left Chang'an City.

Luoxia Valley is just as its name suggests. Every time the sun sets, the sunset glows in the valley, creating a beautiful scene. However, behind this beautiful scene, there are unknown secrets.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui inquired along the way and finally found the dilapidated temple recorded in the diary. The temple had long been abandoned and overgrown with weeds, looking particularly eerie and scary.

"Be careful, it may be dangerous here." Hu Bugui tightly grasped the sword at his waist, protected Wu Tao behind him, and stepped into the temple cautiously.

The temple was empty except for a few broken Buddha statues, which looked particularly strange in the dim light. As the two were searching for clues, they suddenly heard a subtle sound coming from behind the Buddha statues.

Hu Bugui reacted quickly, and immediately drew his sword and pointed it in the direction of the sound: "Who is it? Come out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark shadow flashed out from behind the Buddha statue and attacked Hu Bugui. Hu Bugui was quick-witted and swung his sword to block the opponent's attack. The two of them fought together, swords flashed, and Wu Tao's heart was in his throat.

Taking advantage of the gap between the two men fighting, Wu Tao carefully observed the appearance of the man in black. The man in black had his face covered, revealing only a pair of cold eyes. He held a sharp dagger in his hand, and his moves were ruthless. He was obviously a well-trained killer.

At this moment, the man in black seemed to have discovered Wu Tao's presence, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly pounced on her. Wu Tao screamed, but it was too late to dodge.

"Tao'er!" Hu Bugui was shocked when he saw this. He fought hard to repel the man in black and flew over to hold Wu Tao in his arms.

Seeing that the assassination attempt failed, the man in black turned around and tried to flee. Hu Bugui would not let him escape so easily, so he immediately chased after him. Wu Tao, who was worried about Hu Bugui's safety, also followed him.

The two men, one chasing the other, soon came to the backyard of the temple. There was a dry well in the backyard, and the man in black jumped into the well and disappeared.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao came to the well and looked down, but saw nothing.

"It seems that we still have a lot to do." Hu Bugui retracted his gaze, his eyes full of determination.

Wu Tao nodded and held his hand tightly. They knew that this was just the beginning and there were greater challenges waiting for them.

**At the same time, in Chang'an City, the story of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui has spread throughout the streets and alleys, becoming a topic of conversation after dinner. Their deeds are praised by people, and their names will be remembered forever. At this time, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui do not know that a bigger conspiracy is quietly brewing, and what awaits them will be a more thrilling adventure...**