Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 115: New Life

Wu Tao's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and she could hardly breathe. Every word on the letter was like a red-hot iron, burning her eyes. The Turkic invasion and the border emergency were no longer cold records in history books, but living realities, a cruel storm that was about to come.

"How could it be so sudden..." Wu Tao murmured to himself, and the scene of displaced people and soldiers fighting bloody battles emerged in his mind. A chill spread from his heart to his whole body.

Hu Bugui gently embraced Wu Tao in his arms, stroking her hair with his chin, and said in a gentle but firm tone: "Tao'er, I know you are afraid, but we can't retreat. It is the duty of every citizen to defend the country, not to mention..." He paused, a trace of determination in his deep eyes, "Now that I am the crown prince, I should shoulder this responsibility."

Wu Tao raised her head, and saw Hu Bugui's resolute face reflected in her eyes, and a warm current surged in her heart. Yes, no matter how thorny the road ahead is, as long as she walks side by side with him, she will have nothing to fear.

"I understand." Wu Tao's voice was soft but firm. "No matter where you go, I will be with you."

Hu Bugui nodded with relief. He knew that Wu Tao was not a weak woman who would only hide behind him. She had a strong and brave heart.

The next morning, Hu Bugui went to the palace to meet the emperor and reported the situation of the border battle truthfully. The elderly emperor was furious when he heard about it, and immediately decided to send troops to support and appointed Hu Bugui as the Grand Marshal of the Northern Expedition, with full authority to take charge of the war.

"Bugui, I believe in your ability, and I also believe that you will return in triumph!" The emperor handed the tiger talisman, which symbolized supreme power, to Hu Bugui, his tone heavy but full of expectations.

Hu Bugui took the tiger talisman with both hands, knelt on one knee, and said in a sonorous and powerful tone: "I will live up to my father's trust and defend the territory of the Tang Dynasty to the death!"

After leaving the palace, Hu Bugui began to mobilize troops and prepare food and supplies. Wu Tao used his modern knowledge to draw maps, analyze the enemy and our situation, and give advice to Hu Bugui.

With their joint efforts, a well-equipped and high-spirited army was quickly assembled and ready to rush to the border.

Before leaving, Hu Bugui, wearing silver armor and a sword at his waist, stood on the reviewing platform with a heroic look. Looking at the dark army in front of him, his heart was filled with lofty ambitions, but there was also a lingering worry.

He turned around and looked at Wu Tao, who was standing in the crowd and silently watching him. Their eyes met, and no words were needed. Everything was said without words. He knew that he didn't know when he would be able to return, but he believed that the flag of victory would eventually fly above the tower at the border. A new journey

Hu Bugui climbed onto his horse, his silver armor gleaming in the sun. His deep gaze swept across the army ready to go, and a sense of lofty ambitions arose spontaneously. However, when his eyes fell on the slender figure in the crowd, a trace of tenderness that was hard to let go rose in his heart.

Wu Tao was wearing a simple dress today, with only a simple wooden hairpin in her black hair, and a resolute look on her plain face. She knew that this trip would be long and difficult, and her life or death was uncertain, but she didn't want Hu Bugui to worry about her, and she didn't want to be a burden to him.

"Tao'er, wait for me to come back." Hu Bugui rode his horse to Wu Tao's side, with a barely perceptible tremor in his deep voice.

Wu Tao nodded gently and handed him a cloth bag. "Here are some cold-repellent medicines I made. Take them with you. It will be helpful if you catch a cold at night."

Hu Bugui took the cloth bag and held it tightly in his hand, as if he was holding Wu Tao's heart. He knew that the cloth bag contained not only cold-repelling medicine, but also Wu Tao's deep love and concern for him.

"Don't worry, I promise you that I will come back safely." Hu Bugui leaned down and kissed Wu Tao lightly on the forehead. Then he turned around resolutely and led the army to march towards the northern border.

When the army left Chang'an, Wu Tao did not indulge in the sadness of parting. She knew that Hu Bugui was shouldering the heavy responsibility of defending the country, and all she could do was to do her best to share his worries.

She studied maps day and night, analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, and worked out a detailed battle plan. She even designed a simple but powerful catapult based on modern physics knowledge, and ordered craftsmen to speed up the production in case of emergency.

"Princess, is this thing you designed really useful?" The general in charge of supervising its manufacture looked at the huge thing in front of him with a puzzled look on his face.

"Don't worry, General. This is called a catapult. As long as it is operated properly, it will be extremely powerful, enough to withstand thousands of troops." Wu Tao pointed to the blueprint and patiently explained to the general the principles and usage of the catapult.

Although the general was skeptical, he decided to give it a try after seeing Wu Tao's confident eyes. As a result, on the first day of the trial, the catapult showed its amazing power, with huge rocks whizzing into the distance and smashing the target to pieces.

"The princess is truly a genius!" The general was stunned and admired Wu Tao very much.

Wu Tao smiled faintly, but her heart was full of worries. She knew that this was only the first step of a long journey, and there were still countless difficulties and obstacles waiting for them. She only hoped that everything she did could help Hu Bugui return triumphantly as soon as possible.

At this time, the army led by Hu Bugui had arrived at the border and joined the frontier generals stationed there. Looking at this high-spirited army and the new weapons they brought, the frontier generals' eyes were ignited with the flame of hope...

 new journey

The news of Hu Bugui's arrival at the border was like a spring breeze that blew away the haze that had shrouded the hearts of the soldiers for many days. The border general was a veteran who had experienced many battles, named Zhao Yi. He had long heard that the new crown prince was brave and good at fighting. When he saw him today, he was indeed majestic and admirable.

"I, the humble general Zhao Yi, am here to pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" Zhao Yi knelt on one knee with his fists clasped. The soldiers behind him also knelt down in unison, their voices shaking the sky.

Hu Bugui dismounted and held out his hand to help Zhao Yi up. "General Zhao, please stand up quickly. The border is in danger now. I, like all the other soldiers, are fighting for the Tang Dynasty. There is no need to be so rigid about these empty formalities."

Zhao Yi stood up, his eyes full of admiration. The prince was not arrogant at all, and his words were full of care for the soldiers, which made him, a veteran of many battles, feel warm in his heart.

"Your Highness, the enemy is coming with great force. We have fought with them several times, but have not been able to achieve a decisive victory." Zhao Yi pointed at the map, frowning, "The enemy's morale is high, and our army is short of food and grass supplies. If we don't have a good plan, I'm afraid..."

"General Zhao, don't worry. I brought plenty of food and excellent weapons with me this time." Hu Bugui pointed to the mighty troops behind him. "In addition, the princess also designed a new weapon called 'catapult' for our army, which will definitely help our army!"

Zhao Yi's eyes lit up immediately when he heard this. He had heard of the legendary Crown Princess a long time ago. It was said that she was proficient in the art of Qimen Dunjia. Now it seemed that her reputation was well-deserved.

In the next few days, Hu Bugui and Zhao Yi carefully studied the situation of both sides and formulated a detailed battle plan. At the same time, he also actively ate and lived with the soldiers, boosted morale, and won the respect and love of everyone.

The moment of decisive battle has finally arrived.

Led by their leader, the enemy army surged towards the Tang Dynasty's position like a tide. The deafening shouts of killing and the clanging of weapons resounded throughout the battlefield.

Hu Bugui led the troops, holding a long sword, and led the soldiers to fight bravely. He was agile and his swordsmanship was sharp. Wherever he went, the enemy fell one after another.

"For the Tang Dynasty! Kill!" Hu Bugui raised his sword high and let out a deafening roar.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The morale of the soldiers was greatly boosted, and they were unstoppable like a tiger descending from a mountain.

The catapults also played a huge role at this time. Huge rocks roared and smashed into the enemy camp, and people and horses were thrown to the ground, and screams were heard everywhere.

Seeing the bad situation, the enemy leader wanted to lead the remaining troops to retreat, but was surrounded by the cavalry led by Hu Bugui.

"Put down your weapons, surrender and you won't be killed!" Hu Bugui's voice sounded like thunder in the ears of the enemy leader.

Finally, the enemy leader had no choice but to order a surrender.

As the sun sets, the battlefield is filled with smoke and blood. However, the Tang flag flutters in the wind in the afterglow of the sunset, looking particularly dazzling.

Hu Bugui stood on the hillside, looking into the distance, his heart full of worries. He knew that although the war was won, greater challenges were still ahead. The stability of the border required long-term management, and logistical support such as food, fodder, and medicine was the top priority.

"Tao'er, are you okay?" Hu Bugui whispered softly, his eyes full of longing and worry. He didn't know whether Wu Tao, who was far away in Chang'an, was also like him, rejoicing over the victory of the war, but also worried about his safety...

In Chang'an, Wu Tao's heart was also fluctuating with the arrival of the war report. The war at the border touched every nerve of her. When Hu Bugui was not around, she felt like she was living a year. But she knew that she could not make a mess. As the Crown Princess, she shouldered the responsibility of stabilizing the rear. Wu Tao turned her worries into practical actions. She personally visited the people, raised food and grass, organized training for female doctors, and provided sufficient supplies and medical care for the soldiers on the front line. She also summoned experienced craftsmen in the city to rush to make the "catapult" mentioned by Hu Bugui day and night.

When cartloads of food, medicine and weapons set out from Chang'an City and were transported to the distant border, Wu Tao stood at the city gate, watching the troops leaving, silently praying for the safe return of her husband and soldiers.

When the victory news came, the whole city of Chang'an was in an uproar. People took to the streets, singing and dancing, celebrating this hard-won victory. Wu Tao stood in the crowd, with a happy smile on her face, but a tear quietly slipped from the corner of her eye. It was a tear of joy, but also a tear of longing.

On the day when Hu Bugui returned triumphantly, Wu Tao waited at the city gate early. When she saw the familiar figure appear on the horizon, she could no longer suppress her excitement and ran over and threw herself into Hu Bugui's arms.

"You've lost weight." Hu Bugui stroked Wu Tao's cheek and said with concern.

"You too." Wu Tao raised his head and looked at Hu Bugui's slightly tired face, his eyes moistened again.

The two hugged each other tightly, without saying much, their love and longing for each other were conveyed in this silent hug.

After the crisis at the border was resolved, Hu Bugui did not rush back to Chang'an. He and Wu Tao decided to stay at the border for a while to appease the people and rebuild their homes.

Standing on the towering city wall, looking at the rolling hills in the distance, Hu Bugui was filled with emotion: "Tao'er, look, this land was once ravaged by war, but now it has finally regained its tranquility."

Wu Tao snuggled up to Hu Bugui and said softly, "Yes, all this is inseparable from your efforts."

"No, it's our joint efforts," Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand tightly, "Without you, I wouldn't be able to win this war, let alone protect the peace of this land."

As the sun sets, the two figures become particularly slender. They look into the distance, their hearts filled with longing for the future. They decide to contribute more to the prosperity and peace of the country. And this land that has been ravaged by war will also be rejuvenated with new vitality under their efforts.