Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 164: The evidence is irrefutable, but you still want to deny it

The atmosphere in the Golden Palace was so solemn that it was almost suffocating. The letter and list in the emperor's hand seemed like a huge stone, weighing down Wang Yun so much that he couldn't breathe. He was speechless and wanted to explain himself, but he couldn't find a way to speak.

"This... this is all a false accusation! Hu Bugui and Zhao Hai colluded with each other and forged evidence to frame me!" Wang Yun knelt down in panic, his forehead against the cold gold brick, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.

"False accusation? Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?" The emperor was furious. He stood up suddenly and pointed at Wang Yun's nose and shouted, "The handwriting on this letter is clearly the Prime Minister's handwriting. The names on this list are all officials who are very close to you. Do you still want to deny it?!"

Wang Yun's face turned pale, and he knew that the situation was hopeless. He collapsed to the ground like a deflated ball, unable to utter a single word.

The emperor took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and ordered in a deep voice: "Come here! Dismiss Wang Yun from his post, investigate him, and throw him into the prison to await his fate!"

Following the emperor's order, the guards rushed forward and took Wang Yun away. In the Golden Palace, cheers suddenly rang out.

Hu Bugui stood in the crowd, watching Wang Yun being taken away, feeling a thousand emotions in his heart. He had finally cleared his name and restored his innocence.

However, he knew that the matter was not over yet. Although Wang Yun was arrested, he had many followers and was deeply rooted in the court. It would not be easy to completely eradicate his power.

As Hu Bugui had expected, after Wang Yun was imprisoned in Tianlao, he was unwilling to accept defeat. He secretly contacted his old subordinates in an attempt to escape from prison and make a comeback.

"Your Highness, I have received news that Wang Yun has been active in prison and may be planning to escape." One day, Li Xiaoyao hurried into the study and said to Hu Bugui with a serious expression.

"Oh? It seems that this old fox won't cry until he sees the coffin." Hu Bugui sneered, with a cold light flashing in his eyes, "He doesn't even think about what the Heavenly Prison is. Can he come and go as he pleases?"

"Your Highness, we must not take it lightly. Wang Yun is extremely cunning and we must be on guard just in case." Wu Tao also walked in and said worriedly.

"Madam is right. We can't give Wang Yun any chance to take advantage of us." Hu Bugui nodded. After thinking for a moment, he said to Li Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, go to the prison immediately and strengthen the guards. Be sure to closely monitor Wang Yun's every move. If there is any situation, report to me immediately."

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

In the next few days, the security inside and outside the prison was strengthened, and no suspicious person was allowed to approach. Wang Yun's every move was under the control of Hu Bugui and Li Xiaoyao.

However, Wang Yun was a shrewd man after all. He did not act rashly, but observed secretly and looked for opportunities.

On this day, there was a sudden commotion outside the prison, as if someone was trying to break in.

"Oh no! Wang Yun is trying to escape from prison!" Hu Bugui was shocked and immediately stood up and walked out.

As soon as Hu Bugui rushed out of the study, he ran into Li Xiaoyao, who looked panicked. "Your Majesty, this is bad! Someone is breaking into the prison!"

Hu Bugui's face darkened, and he immediately realized that this was Wang Yun's conspiracy, and he deliberately created chaos and took the opportunity to escape. He immediately made a decision and ordered: "Xiaoyao, you immediately take people to hunt down Wang Yun and make sure to arrest him! I will go to the Tianlao to check the situation!"

After saying that, Hu Bugui flew to the prison. At this time, outside the prison, shouts and screams shook the sky, flames shot up into the sky, and a group of men in black armed with sharp blades fought fiercely with the guards. Hu Bugui could see at a glance that these men in black were all highly skilled in martial arts and well-trained, and were obviously Wang Yun's elite warriors.

Hu Bugui joined the battle without hesitation. His figure was as fast as lightning, and his palms were fierce. Wherever he passed, the men in black fell to the ground. Li Xiaoyao also arrived with his men and joined the battle, and soon turned the situation around.

However, at this moment, a loud noise suddenly came from the depths of the prison, and then Wang Yun rushed out under the protection of a group of death warriors. His face was ferocious, and his eyes were flashing with madness, and he was obviously ready to fight to the death.

"Hu Bugui! Today's vengeance will be avenged tomorrow!" Wang Yun roared with gritted teeth and tried to break out.

"Want to leave? Not that easy!" Hu Bugui snorted coldly, and with a flash of his body, he stood in front of Wang Yun.

"Kill them!" Wang Yun roared, commanding his soldiers to launch a fierce attack on Hu Bugui. Hu Bugui remained calm in the face of danger, wielding his sword to neutralize all the attacks one by one. At the same time, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he seized the opportunity to pierce the chest of a soldier with his sword.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Wang Yun knew that he could not escape death today. He suddenly laughed out loud, looking up to the sky, as if he was crazy. "Hahahaha! Hu Bugui, do you think you won? I tell you, if I die, you won't have an easy life either! My old subordinates will avenge me sooner or later! Hahahaha!"

Hu Bugui ignored Wang Yun's crazy words, and with a flick of his wrist, he pierced Wang Yun's throat with his sword. Wang Yun opened his eyes wide and fell into a pool of blood unwillingly.

With Wang Yun's death, the rebellion was finally quelled. Hu Bugui immediately ordered the arrest of all officials involved in the rebellion and personally escorted them to the palace to meet the emperor.

In the Golden Palace, the emperor was furious after hearing Hu Bugui's report. He slammed the table, pointed at the officials kneeling on the ground, and shouted angrily: "You traitors, I have treated you well, but you dared to collude with Wang Yun and plot a rebellion! Come! Take them all down and torture them severely!"

Faced with overwhelming evidence, these officials could no longer argue and had to bow their heads and plead guilty. In the end, the emperor ordered that all officials involved in the rebellion be executed, their property confiscated and their families exterminated to serve as a warning to others.

Since then, the rebellion started by Wang Yun was completely quelled, and Hu Bugui was finally cleared of his grievances and restored his innocence. However, he knew that this was only the calm before the storm, and the real challenge was still to come.

The enemy troops far away on the border, upon learning of Wang Yun's fall and the chaos within the court, immediately became restless. They secretly gathered their forces, preparing to take advantage of the situation and invade the Tang Dynasty...

 Peach blossoms shine brightly in Chang'an

 Chapter 164: Clearing the Clouds and Seeing the Sun

Wang Yun was executed, and the court seemed to have returned to its former peace. However, Hu Bugui knew that undercurrents were surging under the calm, and the border war was tense. He had to resolve his worries as soon as possible before he could give it a try.

As expected, Tuoba Lie, the enemy commander far away on the border, laughed out loud after hearing the news of Wang Yun's fall and the civil strife in the Tang Dynasty. He summoned all the generals, with greed in his eyes: "The Tang Dynasty has run out of luck, and now is the best time for us to attack! Pass the order down, in three days, march south and take Chang'an directly!"

When the news reached Chang'an, the whole court was shaken. The emperor was worried and urgently summoned all his ministers to discuss countermeasures.

"My dear ministers, the border is in crisis now. How should we respond?" There was a hint of fatigue in the emperor's voice.

The court officials looked at each other, but no one dared to speak. Wang Yun's rebellion had just been quelled, and the army had not yet rested and had low morale. The enemy's invasion at this time was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops to fight off the invading enemy!" Hu Bugui stood up, his tone firm and powerful.

The emperor heard this and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes: "I am very pleased that you are so loyal. But the situation in the court is not stable now. If you leave the capital, I..."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I have made all the arrangements and Chang'an will be safe." Hu Bugui said in a calm and confident tone.

The emperor thought for a moment and finally nodded in agreement: "Okay! I will appoint you as the General of the Northern Expedition and give you full responsibility for this war. I hope you can live up to my expectations and return victoriously!"

"I obey your order!" Hu Bugui knelt on one knee, took the token handed over by the emperor with both hands, with a firm light flashing in his eyes.

On the eve of the expedition, Hu Bugui came to Wu Tao's room and gently embraced her in his arms.

"Taoer, I'm going to war, you must take good care of yourself at home." Hu Bugui's voice was low and gentle.

Wu Tao raised her head, her eyes full of worry: "You have to be careful, I'll wait for you to come back."

"Don't worry, I will come back safely." Hu Bugui kissed Wu Tao lightly on the forehead, turned and left, his back revealing a sense of determination.

After Hu Bugui led his army to the border, he did not rush to attack. Instead, he adopted a series of strategies. First, he sent people to spread false information to confuse the enemy, and then secretly contacted the surrounding small countries to form a coalition force to encircle the enemy from the flank.

Tuoba Lie underestimated the enemy and rushed forward rashly, falling into Hu Bugui's trap and being trapped in the encirclement. Hu Bugui seized the opportunity and launched a general attack. The morale of the Tang army was high and the enemy was defeated and fled.

In this battle, the Tang army recovered the lost territory in one fell swoop, and Hu Bugui made great military achievements and was named the Great General of Protecting the Nation by the emperor, with great power in the court. Wu Tao was also named the First-Class Lady of Imperial Concubine for her contribution in this struggle, and became an object of admiration for everyone.

The victory news was sent back to Chang'an, and the people were jubilant and took to the streets to celebrate the victory. However, in the midst of the celebration, Li Xiaoyao felt a little uneasy. He knew that although the war was over, the real challenge had just begun...

 Peach blossoms shine brightly in Chang'an

The court officials looked at each other, but no one dared to speak. Wang Yun's rebellion had just been quelled, and the army had not yet rested and had low morale. The enemy's attack at this time was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I have made all the arrangements and will definitely keep Chang'an safe." Hu Bugui said calmly and confidently. He knew that the Jianghu forces led by Li Xiaoyao had secretly arrived in Chang'an and were enough to protect the safety of the emperor and Wu Tao.

"I obey your order!" Hu Bugui knelt on one knee and took the token handed over by the emperor with both hands, his eyes gleaming with determination. He knew that this battle was not only related to the safety of the Tang Dynasty, but also to his and Wu Tao's future.

After Hu Bugui led his army to the border, he adopted a cautious and effective strategy. He knew that the enemy was coming in force and could not be confronted head-on, so he ordered part of the army to garrison the border fortress to block the main force of the enemy, while he led the elite troops to go behind the enemy and raid the enemy's food and supplies.

At the same time, Li Xiaoyao also led his Jianghu team deep into the enemy's rear, waiting for an opportunity to move. They were like a sharp knife, stabbing the enemy's heart accurately, burning the enemy's food and grass, disrupting the enemy's morale, and creating favorable conditions for Hu Bugui's frontal attack.

After several fierce battles, Hu Bugui finally surrounded the main force of the enemy. Tuoba Lie was at the end of his rope and was eventually captured alive by Hu Bugui.

When the victory news reached Chang'an, the people were overjoyed and took to the streets to celebrate the victory. The emperor was overjoyed and issued an edict to reward the meritorious officials. Hu Bugui was named the crown prince for his merits, and Li Xiaoyao was named the "national protector" and became a hero praised by the people.

On this day, Chang'an City was decorated with lanterns and was bustling with activity. Hu Bugui and Wu Tao held hands and strolled along the streets of Chang'an, looking at the bustling crowds in front of them and listening to the cheerful gongs and drums in their ears, their faces were filled with happy smiles.

However, in the midst of the celebration, Li Xiaoyao felt a little uneasy. He knew that although the war was over, the real challenge had just begun...