Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 105 Taoer, Protect the Emperor and the Queen

"The Queen...she...she committed suicide by taking poison!"

The palace maid's words were like thunder, exploding in everyone's ears. The Tang Emperor staggered, his face turned pale in an instant, and he murmured in disbelief: "How could this happen... How could this happen..." He turned his head sharply to look at Hu Bugui, and asked in a trembling voice: "Uncle, what... what is going on?"

Hu Bugui was also shocked. He looked at Wu Tao beside him with concern, frowning. Why did the queen suddenly commit suicide? What secrets were hidden in this? He was about to speak, but suddenly he felt a fierce murderous aura approaching!

A black shadow flew out from the crowd and headed straight for Emperor Tang! The black shadow moved as fast as a cheetah, and a cold light flashed in his hand, revealing a sharp dagger!

"Protect the Emperor!" The guards shouted, and rushed forward with swords drawn, but they were easily avoided by the black shadow. This mysterious man's martial arts skills were not inferior to Hu Bugui!

"Tao'er, be careful!" Hu Bugui's mind raced, and he protected Wu Tao behind him, while drawing his long sword and heading towards the shadow. The two swords collided, making a harsh metal collision sound and sparks flying!

Wu Tao's heart was in her throat. She stared at the battle closely, her eyes full of worry. Who was this mysterious man? Why did he want to assassinate the emperor?

The mysterious man was wearing a nightgown, with a black cloth covering his face, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes. He was entangled with Hu Bugui, and his moves were fierce and fatal, and he was obviously determined to kill him!

Hu Bugui is a veteran of the battlefield and has great martial arts skills, but the mysterious man is equally skilled, and it is difficult to tell who will win between the two!

While Wu Tao was nervous, a thought kept flashing through his mind: Is this mysterious man's target really the emperor? Why hasn't he killed him yet? Could it be...

At this moment, the mysterious man suddenly made a feint, forcing Hu Bugui to retreat, then he stepped back like a ghost with a tiptoe, and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.

"Chase!" Hu Bugui was worried about the emperor's safety, so he didn't think too much and immediately led people to chase.

Wu Tao stood there, watching the shadow disappear into the night, but her heart was filled with turmoil. She noticed a detail: when the mysterious man was fighting with Hu Bugui, his eyes seemed to sweep over her intentionally or unintentionally...

Could it be that his target was not the emperor, but himself? As soon as this thought came to mind, it grew wildly in Wu Tao's mind like a weed.

As the night deepens, undercurrents surge in the palace, and a greater crisis is quietly approaching...

Hu Bugui led the guards to chase the mysterious man, but they could not catch up. The shadow seemed to blend into the night, coming and going without a trace. Not long after they left, the shadow strangely appeared near the imperial study.

"Tao'er, follow me closely." Hu Bugui's face was solemn. He knew that the mysterious man had a clear goal and would never give up easily. He protected Wu Tao behind him and approached the imperial study cautiously step by step.

In the imperial study, the Tang emperor was still in shock, trembling under the protection of several guards. The queen was slumped beside him, with blood on her sleeves, obviously injured in the chaos.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Hu Bugui stepped forward quickly and asked with concern.

"Uncle, I... I'm fine..." The Tang Emperor's voice trembled, and he was obviously frightened by the assassination just now.

"Who is it? Who wants to assassinate me?" The Tang Emperor tried to remain calm, but his tone still couldn't hide the fear.

Hu Bugui frowned and shook his head: "I don't know, but this man is very skilled in martial arts and comes and goes without a trace. He is definitely not an ordinary person."

"Could it be..." The Queen covered her wound and said weakly, "Could it be the Crown Prince..."

"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words!" Hu Bugui interrupted her sharply, "This matter has not been fully investigated yet, so please do not speculate."

The queen moved her lips, but ultimately said nothing.

At this moment, a sinister laugh suddenly sounded outside the imperial study: "Hahaha, Hu Bugui, how long do you think you can protect them?"

It’s that mysterious man!

Hu Bugui's face changed, and he protected Emperor Tang behind him, while pushing Wu Tao to the side of the Queen: "Tao'er, protect the Emperor and the Queen!"

Although Wu Tao was afraid, she knew that this was not the time to retreat. She held the queen's cold hand tightly and whispered to comfort her: "Queen, don't be afraid, we will protect you."

"Hahaha, you overestimate your abilities!" The mysterious man laughed wildly, and his figure flashed like a ghost. He instantly broke through the guards' defense line and appeared at the door of the imperial study.

"Looking for death!" Hu Bugui roared and swung his sword to meet the enemy.

The two men fought again, with swords flashing and murderous intent everywhere. Hu Bugui was a skilled martial artist, but the mysterious man was even more unpredictable. He could always find his flaws and attack him fiercely.

To make matters worse, the queen's injuries worsened in the chaos, her face turned pale and her breath was weak.

"Tao'er, hurry... hurry and save the queen..." The queen grabbed Wu Tao's hand and said with difficulty.

Wu Tao was extremely worried, but she was helpless. She had no medical knowledge and no medicine, so she could only watch the queen's condition getting worse and worse.

"Hahaha, Hu Bugui, you're distracted!" The mysterious man seized the opportunity and hit Hu Bugui in the chest with a palm, knocking him back several steps.

"Bugui!" Wu Tao exclaimed and hurried forward to support Hu Bugui.

"I'm fine..." Hu Bugui wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes became more fierce, "Tao'er, you take the emperor and the queen away first, I'll hold him back!"

"No, I won't leave!" Wu Tao shook his head firmly, "If you want to leave, let's go together!"

At this moment, the mysterious man suddenly stopped attacking. He glanced at Wu Tao coldly, and a strange smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "We will meet again soon..."

Before he finished his words, he turned into a black shadow again and disappeared into the night.

In the imperial study, only Emperor Tang, the Empress, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were left, and the floor was a mess.

Wu Tao looked at the direction where the mysterious man disappeared, and a strong sense of uneasiness surged in her heart. She had a premonition that this was just the beginning, and a greater crisis was still to come...

The imperial study was filled with a lingering smell of blood. The Emperor was still in shock, and the Empress was dying. Hu Bugui was anxiously trying to stop the bleeding, while Wu Tao was helping. Suddenly, Wu Tao seemed to remember something. She walked quickly to Hu Bugui and said in a low voice, "Bugui, do you remember the Western Region merchant we met at the palace banquet?"

Hu Bugui frowned slightly and asked in confusion: "Why did Taoer suddenly mention him? Could it be..."

Wu Tao nodded, and said hurriedly: "I feel that what happened tonight is related to him! Do you remember? His eyes were always on the emperor at that time, and he came from the Western Regions, which has always been at odds with our Tang Dynasty..."

Hu Bugui suddenly realized, and after Wu Tao's reminder, he also remembered some details. The Western Region merchant's words and deeds were indeed strange, and the direction he left was exactly the direction the assassin fled!

"Tao'er, you are right. It seems that we have to find this Western Region merchant as soon as possible. Maybe we can find out who is behind this!" Hu Bugui acted decisively and immediately ordered the guards to search the whole city for the Western Region merchant.

However, the results of the search were disappointing. The Western Region merchant seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Wu Tao was extremely anxious. She felt that time was running out and a bigger conspiracy was approaching.

"Am I just going to sit here and wait for death?" Wu Tao was in a state of confusion. She paced aimlessly in the imperial study, her eyes sweeping over the files on the bookshelf. Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something and stopped abruptly.

"Bugui, if my guess is correct, that Western Region merchant is not a real merchant at all. He is a spy sent by a neighboring country. His purpose is not only to assassinate the emperor, but also to frame you and provoke a war between the two countries!" Wu Tao said in a firm tone, with a wise light flashing in his eyes.

"Tao'er, why are you so sure?" Although Hu Bugui believed in Wu Tao's judgment, he still wanted to know the basis of her speculation.

Wu Tao took a deep breath and told his analysis: "Think about it, if he just wanted to assassinate the emperor, he could have killed him with one strike. Why would he wait until we arrived? And his last sentence was obviously said to me on purpose, in order to make us lose our composure and mistakenly think that he was coming for us."

"You mean, he deliberately let us discover his identity, and then follow the clues to find him, so as to lure us into a trap?" Hu Bugui instantly understood what Wu Tao meant, and a chill rose in his heart.

"That's right! His real target is not the emperor, but the border defense deployment map of our Tang Dynasty! Once he succeeds, the consequences will be disastrous!" Wu Tao became more and more frightened as she spoke. She had to find a way to prevent this disaster from happening.

"Then what should we do?" Hu Bugui also realized the seriousness of the matter and asked anxiously.

Wu Tao pondered for a moment, a look of determination flashed in his eyes: "I do have a plan, but it's a bit risky..."

 Peach blossoms shine brightly in Chang'an

 Chapter 105: Life and Death

"What do you want to do?" Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao's determined eyes, his heart full of worry, but he also knew that this was not the time to hesitate.

Wu Tao whispered his plan to Hu Bugui. After listening, Hu Bugui's face became serious: "This is too dangerous! No, I don't agree with you taking the risk."

"No risk, no gain." Wu Tao held Hu Bugui's hand and said firmly, "Trust me, I'll be fine."

Seeing Wu Tao so determined, Hu Bugui knew that he could not stop her and could only nod and agree, but he secretly decided in his heart that he must protect Wu Tao's safety.

According to the plan, Wu Tao deliberately spread the news that he had found clues about the Western Region merchants, and went to an abandoned temple on the outskirts of the city alone.

As night fell, Wu Tao, dressed in night clothes, sneaked into the temple. The temple had long been dilapidated and overgrown with weeds. The night wind blew through it, making bursts of whimpering sounds, adding a bit of eeriness and horror.

Wu Tao followed the route he remembered and came to a room in the backyard of the temple. The door of the room was ajar, and a faint candlelight shone from inside. Wu Tao took a deep breath, gently pushed the door open, and walked in.

In the side room, a dark figure was flipping through a sheepskin map with his back to Wu Tao. Wu Tao recognized it at a glance. It was the border defense deployment map of the Tang Dynasty!

"Who are you?" The black shadow heard the noise, turned around abruptly, and spoke in a cold tone.

Wu Tao was startled. With the weak candlelight, she saw the true face of the shadow. It was a tall man with a green mask with fangs on his face, which looked particularly ferocious and terrifying.

"Don't worry about who I am. Hand over the thing and I can spare your life!" The man pressed forward, with the gleaming dagger in his hand pointing directly at Wu Tao's throat.

Wu Tao tried to remain calm, dealing with the man while looking for a chance to escape. However, the man was obviously a well-trained killer, and every move of Wu Tao was easily resolved by him.

At the critical moment, there was a sound of breaking air suddenly coming from outside the door, followed by a black shadow flashing by. The man groaned, and the dagger in his hand fell to the ground.

"Tao'er!" Hu Bugui hugged Wu Tao and protected her behind him, asking with concern, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Wu Tao shook his head. Seeing that Hu Bugui was safe and sound, he finally felt relieved.

"Take Tao'er away first, and leave this to me." Hu Bugui handed Wu Tao to the guard behind him, then turned to face the man with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

The man covered his injured arm and glared at Hu Bugui fiercely, his eyes full of resentment: "You ruined my good deeds, I won't let you go!"

After saying that, the man took out a smoke bomb from his arms and smashed it on the ground. Suddenly, the room was filled with smoke, making it impossible to open your eyes.

"Oh no, it's poisonous!" Hu Bugui quickly held his breath and waved the sword in his hand, trying to force back the smoke.

When the smoke cleared, the man had disappeared.

"Let him get away!" Hu Bugui pounded the wall in frustration. He knew that this action only revealed the tip of the iceberg of the enemy's conspiracy, and greater challenges were still to come.

"Bugui, look what this is?" Wu Tao picked up a piece of black cloth from the ground and handed it to Hu Bugui.

Hu Bugui took the cloth and examined it carefully. His expression suddenly became serious: "This is... the symbol of the Western Region Royal Family!"

Could it be that the Western Regions royal family was behind all this? What was their purpose?

“Ahem…” At this moment, the man who was injured by Hu Bugui suddenly struggled to get up from the corner. While coughing, he used up his last bit of strength to say, “You…you won’t…you won’t succeed…Ahem…he…he…”

The man wanted to say something, but in the end he couldn't get it out. His head tilted and he died.

"What...what happened to him?" Wu Tao looked at the man's eyes before he died, and an ominous premonition arose in his heart.

Hu Bugui tightly grasped the cloth in his hand. He knew that the man's last words must have hidden a shocking secret, a secret about "him". And this "him" might be referring to...himself!

Hu Bugui frowned, staring at the man's body on the ground, his heart surging. The Western Regions royal family, the border deployment map, the mysterious spy, and the unfinished words before his death, all of these were like an invisible net, tightly surrounding him and making him breathless.

"Bugui, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?" Wu Tao noticed that something was wrong with Hu Bugui and asked worriedly.

Hu Bugui shook his head, handed the black cloth in his hand to Wu Tao, and said in a deep voice: "This is the symbol of the Western Region Royal Family. It seems that we are in big trouble this time."

Wu Tao took the cloth, examined it carefully, and frowned slightly. Although she didn't understand the affairs of the court, she also knew that the Western Region Royal Family was not a good person, and this incident might not be as simple as it seemed.

"So what should we do now?" Wu Tao asked, with a hint of uneasiness in his tone.

Hu Bugui was silent for a moment, then he looked towards the direction of the palace, with a hint of determination in his eyes: "This matter is of great importance. I must go to the palace immediately to report this to the emperor."

"But your injury..." Wu Tao looked at Hu Bugui worriedly. His injuries had not yet healed, and entering the palace at this time would undoubtedly make things worse.

"It's okay, this injury is nothing." Hu Bugui interrupted Wu Tao and said firmly, "This is related to the safety of the country. I can't just sit back and do nothing."

After that, Hu Bugui turned around and left resolutely, regardless of Wu Tao's dissuasion. Looking at his receding back, Wu Tao was filled with worry, but she could do nothing about it. She knew that there were some responsibilities that Hu Bugui could not escape.

The palace was brightly lit at night, but it seemed particularly deserted. Hu Bugui walked quickly into the imperial study and reported to the emperor in detail what had happened tonight.

After listening to Hu Bugui's report, the emperor's face became solemn. He never expected that the Western Regions royal family would reach out to the heartland of the Tang Dynasty and even try to steal the border deployment map. Their wolfish ambitions were obvious.

"My dear minister, you have done a great job in this matter. You have stopped the enemy's plot in time." The emperor said in a deep voice, "I will immediately order a thorough investigation of this matter and will not tolerate any treason involved!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Hu Bugui bowed and accepted the order, but his heart was still restless. The spy's dying words were like a thorn in his heart, making him unable to sleep or eat.

"By the way, did the spy say anything before he died?" the emperor asked, as if he remembered something.

Hu Bugui hesitated for a moment, but still told the emperor the spy's last words truthfully.

After hearing this, the emperor's face suddenly changed and a complicated look flashed in his eyes.

"He...what else did he say?" the emperor asked, with a barely perceptible tremor in his tone.

Hu Bugui shook his head and said, "No, Your Majesty, I don't understand who the 'he' he is talking about is? Is there any hidden secret in this?"

The emperor remained silent, as if he was thinking about something. After a long time, he slowly spoke with a meaningful tone: "This matter is of great importance, my dear minister, please don't ask too much. Don't worry, I will find out everything."

Hu Bugui wanted to ask more questions, but the emperor ordered him to leave on the grounds of poor health.

Walking out of the palace, the night became darker and the wind biting. Hu Bugui looked up at the dark night sky, his heart full of doubts and uneasiness. He had a premonition that the spy's dying words would reveal a shocking secret, a secret about his life experience, and this secret might change his life...