Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 125 The atmosphere is not as relaxed as before

"Your Highness, Princess, something has happened..." General Li's hurried voice interrupted the tranquility in the garden. Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other, and they could see a trace of uneasiness in each other's eyes. This peaceful day seemed to be just a brief break in the eye of the storm.

Back in the bedroom, General Li brought a shocking news: the emperor was seriously ill and summoned Hu Bugui to the palace immediately. Without time to think about it, Hu Bugui hurried to the palace under Wu Tao's worried eyes.

Outside the emperor's bedroom, the queen paced back and forth anxiously. When she saw Hu Bugui, she grabbed his hand as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw, and her voice choked with sobs: "Bugui, your father...you should go and see him quickly."

Hu Bugui walked into the bedroom and saw the emperor lying on the dragon bed with a pale face and a weak breath. He suppressed his grief, stepped forward, held the emperor's hand, and called softly: "Father..."

The emperor slowly opened his eyes and saw Hu Bugui. A trace of relief flashed in his eyes. He used his last bit of strength to say, "Bugui... you're back... good, good..." After that, he closed his eyes forever.

Hu Bugui knelt down in front of the bed, tears falling silently. He knew that the emperor had always placed high hopes on him, hoping that he could become a wise ruler and protect the Tang Dynasty. Now, he finally returned to Chang'an, but it was too late to repay the emperor's kindness.

The news of the emperor's death spread quickly throughout the palace and reached Wu Tao's ears. She suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground. The maid quickly supported her and asked worriedly, "Princess, are you okay?"

Wu Tao took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She knew that now was not the time to be sad, she had to cheer up and help Hu Bugui get through this difficult time.

After the emperor's funeral, Hu Bugui naturally inherited the throne and became the new emperor. At the coronation ceremony, he was dressed in a dragon robe, looking majestic and solemn. Wu Tao stood beside him, feeling mixed emotions.

The new emperor ascended the throne and the whole country celebrated. However, in the festive atmosphere, an undercurrent was quietly surging. Hu Bugui and Wu Tao both understood that under the calm surface, there were countless challenges and crises waiting for them to face.

In the bedroom, the sandalwood incense was curling, but the atmosphere was not as relaxed as before. Hu Bugui was wearing a bright yellow uniform, his brows were furrowed, and he held a memorial in his hand, but he never opened it. Wu Tao sat beside him, gently kneading his eyebrows.

"Your Majesty, are you still worried about the affairs of the court?" Wu Tao asked softly.

Hu Bugui put down the memorial, held her hand, his eyes full of fatigue: "Now the court seems calm, but in fact there are undercurrents. Those old ministers are respectful to me on the surface, but I don't know what they are planning behind my back."

Wu Tao understood his worries. The new emperor had ascended the throne, but his foundation was not stable. The various forces in the court were eyeing him covetously. If he was not careful, he would fall into an irretrievable situation. "Your Majesty, don't worry too much. You are the heir appointed by the late emperor. You are legitimate. Those scoundrels will not be able to make any big waves after all."

"That being said, we should not take it lightly." Hu Bugui sighed, "There are not many people around me that I can completely trust. General Li is one of them, and..." He paused, his eyes fell on Wu Tao, "and you."

Wu Tao's heart warmed, and she held his hand: "Your Majesty, rest assured. Although I am just a woman, I will do my best to help Your Majesty stabilize the country."

At night, Wu Tao tossed and turned in bed. Although she was in the harem, she also keenly felt a sense of uneasiness. During the day, she went to the Cining Palace to pay her respects to the queen, and the two had a good chat. The queen was gentle and treated her like her own daughter. Wu Tao learned from the queen that many ministers in the court had complaints about Hu Bugui's background, believing that he was not the eldest son and was not worthy of inheriting the throne. The queen never mentioned these words to Hu Bugui, which shows her care and love for him.

Wu Tao walked out of the Cining Palace with a heavy heart, but found a sneaky figure next to the rockery in the imperial garden. She hid behind a tree and vaguely heard the man whispering: "... Everything is ready, just waiting for the right time..."

Who is plotting in secret? Who are they going to deal with? Wu Tao's heart is filled with alarm bells. She realizes that under the calm surface, there is a huge conspiracy hidden, and the target of this conspiracy is her beloved husband, Hu Bugui.

Wu Tao did not dare to alert the enemy and quietly left the Imperial Garden. She did not know who the mysterious man was, nor did she know when the "opportunity" they were talking about was, but she knew that she had to find out the truth as soon as possible to protect Hu Bugui's safety.

After returning to the palace, Wu Tao was restless and couldn't even enjoy her dinner. Hu Bugui noticed her abnormality and asked with concern: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Wu Tao hesitated for a moment and decided not to tell Hu Bugui about this matter, so as not to worry him. She forced a smile and said, "Nothing, just a little tired."

Seeing that she didn't want to say more, Hu Bugui stopped asking questions and just gently held her in his arms, comforting her softly, "Have a good rest, I'll take care of everything."

That night, Wu Tao tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She kept thinking about the words of the mysterious man, feeling uneasy. She decided to find a way to find out the identity of the mysterious man tomorrow.

Perhaps God wanted to help her, because the next day, when Wu Tao was tidying up her study, she accidentally found a secret letter hidden in a secret compartment of a bookshelf. The letter was written in a special cipher, and Wu Tao took great pains to decipher it.

The content of the letter shocked her. It turned out that some dissatisfied officials in the court had secretly colluded and were preparing to assassinate Hu Bugui and enthrone the son of the deposed prince as emperor at the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven three days later!

Wu Tao suddenly felt a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She finally understood what the "opportunity" that mysterious person was talking about was!

She immediately took the secret letter to find Hu Bugui and told him the whole story. After hearing this, Hu Bugui's face turned pale and his fists clenched. He had known for a long time that some people in the court were dissatisfied with him, but he didn't expect them to be so bold!

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?" Wu Tao asked anxiously.

Hu Bugui took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew that the more times like this, the more he should not lose his composure. "Don't tell anyone about this matter. I will investigate it secretly. As for the secret letter..." He paused, "Just pretend you have never seen it."

Wu Tao understood what he meant. He wanted to take advantage of the situation and lure the snake out of its hole.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I know what to do." Wu Tao nodded, with a determined light in his eyes.

What Hu Bugui didn't tell Wu Tao was that he had secretly deployed his own confidants, ready to give those rebels a fatal blow at the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony! A storm is about to quietly descend over the seemingly peaceful Chang'an City... The cicadas outside the window are chirping, as if foreshadowing something. Wu Tao has no intention of appreciating the summer scenery. She frowns, holding the secret letter tightly in her hand, with her fingertips turning white. How can she feel at ease after learning about this shocking conspiracy?

Hu Bugui saw her anxiety and gently held her in his arms, "Don't be afraid, I'll take care of everything." His warm breath sprayed on Wu Tao's ears, like a sedative, gradually calming Wu Tao's panicked heart.

"But how should we deal with those people who are so bold and arrogant?" Wu Tao raised his head, his eyes full of worry.

Hu Bugui gently stroked her hair and said, "Don't worry, I have made arrangements. They will never come back." A fierce look flashed in his eyes. In order to protect Wu Tao and to guard this hard-earned happiness, he would never show mercy.

In order to cope with the impending crisis, Wu Tao decided not to be a flower in a greenhouse anymore. She began to learn martial arts. Every morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone into the yard, she began to practice swordsmanship, sweating profusely. From being clumsy at the beginning to being able to do it well later, Wu Tao made rapid progress. She knew that only by becoming strong could she protect herself and Hu Bugui in times of crisis.

Hu Bugui gave his greatest support to her decision. He specially invited the guard with the highest martial arts skills in the palace to teach Wu Tao. Looking at Wu Tao's increasingly determined eyes, his heart was filled with relief and pride.

Time flies, and in a blink of an eye it is the day before the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony. Chang'an City is decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, presenting a festive scene. However, behind this prosperity, there is an undercurrent, waiting for an opportunity to move.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao appeared calm on the surface, but secretly they had already laid a tight net, waiting for the rebels to fall into their trap.

However, just when they thought everything was under control, an unexpected change broke this seemingly peaceful situation...