Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 152: The Moon Shines After the Clouds Have Cleared

The secret passage Li Xiaoyao mentioned was hidden in a dry well in an abandoned temple outside the city. After much trouble, they finally found the entrance and sneaked along the narrow and dark passage. Wu Tao's heart was beating fast and her palms were full of cold sweat, but she held Hu Bugui's hand tightly and drew strength from his firm eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, a ray of light finally appeared before their eyes. They passed through the secret passage and came to a secluded courtyard, which turned out to be a corner of the inner courtyard of the imperial palace, and was rarely visited on weekdays.

Hu Bugui did not dare to delay and immediately took Wu Tao and the documents and went to the emperor's bedroom under the guidance of the eunuchs.

The emperor was old but in good spirits. When he heard that Hu Bugui and Wu Tao had asked for an audience late at night, he had a premonition in his heart. He dismissed his attendants, took the document handed over by Hu Bugui with a solemn expression, and read it carefully.

As the pages turned, the emperor's face became more and more ugly, his brows knitted, his eyes full of shock and anger. The document recorded in detail the actions of the mysterious organization over the years, from assassinating important officials of the court to manipulating government affairs, and even involved the heinous crime of colluding with foreign enemies and intending to rebel.

"How ridiculous! How audacious!" The emperor slammed the document on the table, furious, "I have been kept in the dark for so many years!"

"Father, please calm down." Hu Bugui knelt down and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I and Tao'er risked our lives to bring this document out just to expose the conspiracy of the mysterious organization. Please understand clearly, Father!"

Wu Tao also knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "I dare you to believe in us, Your Majesty!"

The emperor looked at the young couple in front of him with admiration in his eyes. He knew that Hu Bugui had always been upright and brave, and Wu Tao was not an ordinary woman. They risked their lives to deliver this document to him, which was enough to prove their loyalty and determination.

"Good! Good! Good!" The emperor said three good words in a row, took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I will thoroughly investigate this matter and bring these traitors to justice!"

He stood up, walked to Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, helped them up, and said solemnly: "You have done a good job and made great contributions to the court. I will not treat you unfairly."

"It is my duty to share the emperor's worries," said Hu Bugui.

"It is the responsibility of women to protect their homes and defend their country." Wu Tao also said firmly.

The emperor nodded with satisfaction, his eyes burning with fire, as if he had made up his mind: "Pass the order down, mobilize the imperial guards, block all the gates of the capital, and no one is allowed to enter or leave! In addition, secretly summon Li Xiaoyao and the general, I have something important to discuss!"

A large-scale operation against a mysterious organization is about to begin...

Li Xiaoyao and the general were soon summoned to the palace. Li Xiaoyao was unrestrained and uninhibited like a chivalrous knight, while the general was in military uniform, looking majestic and awe-inspiring. Although they were from different worlds, they both looked solemn at the moment, obviously realizing the seriousness of the situation.

The emperor handed them the document and said in a deep voice: "Take a look at it. I need your help."

Li Xiaoyao and the general took the document and read it carefully, their faces becoming more and more solemn. The contents of the document were shocking, and they were deeply shocked and angry.

"Your Majesty, is this document credible?" asked the general.

"It is absolutely true." The emperor said in a deep voice, "This was brought back by Hu Bugui and Wu Tao at the risk of their lives."

Li Xiaoyao and the general looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes.

"Your Majesty, we are willing to serve the court at all costs and will do our utmost to eradicate these traitors!" the two said in unison.

"Good!" The emperor nodded with satisfaction. "I appoint the two of you as the leaders of the special operations team. You will be responsible for collecting intelligence, formulating combat plans, and making sure to wipe out this mysterious organization in one fell swoop!"

"I will obey your orders!"

Li Xiaoyao and the general took the order and immediately started the operation. They knew very well that this was a war without gunpowder smoke, the opponent was cunning and powerful, and they would lose everything if they were not careful.

Wu Tao watched them leave with a worried look in her heart. She knew that it was almost impossible to defeat this mysterious organization with modern technology with only ancient weapons and tactics.

So she took the initiative to find Li Xiaoyao and the general and told them some of her ideas.

"Generals, I have some ideas that may be able to help you." Wu Tao said.

"Oh? Please speak, Miss Wu." Li Xiaoyao and the general were full of curiosity about Wu Tao. They knew that this seemingly weak woman actually possessed wisdom and courage that ordinary people could hardly imagine.

Wu Tao took out a few blueprints from his pocket, handed them to them, and explained: "These are some special equipment I designed based on modern technology. They can help you better collect intelligence and carry out covert operations."

Li Xiaoyao and the general took the blueprints and looked at them carefully, with surprised expressions on their faces. On these blueprints, various ingenious devices were drawn, some of which they had never heard of, but in principle, they seemed to work.

"Miss Wu, can these things really be manufactured?" the general asked with some doubt.

"Of course." Wu Tao said confidently, "I have found the right craftsman. It only takes some time to make them."

In addition to equipment, Wu Tao also developed a series of new tactical strategies for them based on the military knowledge he learned in modern times, including how to collect intelligence, how to camouflage and lurk, how to conduct surprise attacks, and so on.

Li Xiaoyao and the general were fascinated by what they heard. They had never thought that war could be fought in this way. Wu Tao's ideas were like opening the door to a new world for them.

"Miss Wu, you are so amazing!" Li Xiaoyao couldn't help but admire, "With your help, we can definitely defeat those traitors!"

The general also said excitedly: "Yes, Miss Wu, you are really our great benefactor!"

Wu Tao smiled and said, "You two generals are too kind. I am just doing my best. I believe that as long as we unite as one, we can overcome all difficulties!"

With the help of Wu Tao, the efficiency of the special operations team was greatly improved. They quickly collected a large amount of intelligence about the mysterious organization and formulated a detailed combat plan.

At the same time, the mysterious organization was also in turmoil because of the actions of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui...

The atmosphere inside the mysterious organization was terribly depressing. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui risked sending the documents to the palace, which undoubtedly dealt them a heavy blow. The leader, who had originally believed that the plan was foolproof, could not help but get furious at this moment and smashed the teacup in his hand to the ground.

"Waste! All of you waste!" the leader roared, his eyes bloodshot, "With so many of us, they succeeded so easily! What use do I have for you!"

The people below were as silent as a mouse, not daring to make a sound. They had followed the leader for many years and had never seen him lose his composure like this.

"Chief, calm down," a thin man with sinister eyes stepped forward and said in a low voice, "The most important thing now is to find out how they got the news and how much the emperor knows."

His words were cold, but they calmed the leader down a bit. He took a few deep breaths, suppressed his anger, and asked in a deep voice, "Have you found out? Who leaked the news?"

"We're still investigating, but..." The man looked troubled, "It seems that we have lost contact with the people we planted in the palace."

The leader looked up suddenly, with a flash of fear in his eyes: "You mean..."

"I dare not speak rashly, but this matter is too strange and we must be on guard."

The leader was silent, with an ominous premonition in his heart. He knew very well that the person who could quietly get rid of him under the nose of the palace was definitely not an ordinary person. Could it be that the plan was really going to fail?

At this time, a man in black came hurriedly to report: "Chief, there is someone outside who wants to see you, claiming to be an 'old friend'."

"Old friend?" The leader frowned, "No! Get him out!"

"But..." The man in black hesitated for a moment, then said, "He said that he knows a lot of your secrets, including...your true identity."

As soon as these words came out, the leader's face changed drastically. He stood up suddenly, his eyes full of disbelief: "Let him in! Quick!"

At the same time, the special operations team also made new progress. Under the influence of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, some members of the organization who were originally deceived began to waver. They realized that everything they did was just for their own selfish desires, and the price they paid was the safety of the entire country. In the end, they chose to abandon the dark and join the light, providing more intelligence to the special operations team.

Based on this intelligence, Li Xiaoyao and the general led the army to raid several bases of the mysterious organization. With thunderous momentum, they quickly disintegrated the enemy's resistance, seized a large number of weapons and supplies, and even captured many members of the organization.

The successive victories made the entire action team excited. They seemed to see the dawn of victory just before their eyes. However, Wu Tao's heart was always shrouded in a shadow. She knew that the real decisive battle had not yet arrived, and that mysterious leader was by no means an easy target to deal with.

During an operation, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui accidentally discovered a hidden cave. According to various signs, this is likely the hiding place of the leader of the mysterious organization. A final decisive battle is about to begin...

 Chapter 152: The Moon Revealed

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui held the map tightly in their hands, their eyes burning. On the map, an inconspicuous red dot marked the location of the mysterious cave - the hiding place of the leader of the mysterious organization. After days of running around and investigating, they finally found the place of the final decisive battle.

"Finally I found you." A sharp light flashed in Hu Bugui's deep eyes. He turned to look at Wu Tao and said firmly, "Taotao, this time, we must completely eradicate this cancer!"

Wu Tao nodded solemnly, with a determined light in his eyes. "I will fight alongside you until the end!"

They summoned Li Xiaoyao, the generals, and the elite troops to prepare for a surprise attack on the cave. Just as everyone was getting ready to set off, an unexpected figure appeared in front of them.

"and many more!"

The man was dressed in green, thin, but with an indescribable majesty. He walked hurriedly in front of the crowd, his eyes swept over them, and finally landed on Hu Bugui.

"You are..." Hu Bugui frowned slightly. He had never seen this person before, but he felt a hint of familiarity in the other's eyes.

"I am your father's man." The man spoke in a low voice, but with an unquestionable majesty, "I am here to help you at the request of the late emperor."

"Father?" Hu Bugui was shocked. His father had passed away many years ago, so why would he suddenly send someone here? He was extremely confused, but he also knew that this was not the time to ask further questions.

"This is a serious matter, there is no time to explain too much." The man took a deep breath, took out a golden token from his arms, and handed it to Hu Bugui, "Seeing this token is like seeing the late emperor!"

Hu Bugui took the token and examined it carefully. The token was cold to the touch, with a lifelike golden dragon engraved on the front and the word "御" engraved on the back. The strokes were vigorous and powerful, and it was the imperial handwriting of the late emperor!

He was deeply shocked. Could it be that his father really had left a backup plan?

"What is going on?" Wu Tao looked at the sudden change in front of him, his mind full of questions.

The visitor did not answer Wu Tao's question, but said to Hu Bugui solemnly: "Your Highness, please follow me. I will take you to a place where you can find everything you want to know."

After saying this, he turned and left without stopping.

Hu Bugui glanced at Wu Tao, his eyes filled with mixed emotions. He knew that this operation was probably more complicated and dangerous than he had imagined. But he had no choice, he had to find out the truth behind it all, for the country and for himself.

"Taotao, wait for me to come back." He held Wu Tao's hand tightly, his eyes full of tenderness and determination.

Wu Tao nodded, and watched Hu Bugui and the mysterious man disappear into the night, but she felt an uneasy premonition in her heart. She always felt that something was about to happen...