Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 113 The Banquet is Halfway

Hu Bugui tightly grasped the anonymous letter, his knuckles turning white, and the edges of the letter paper almost pierced his palm. He chewed over every word in the letter, trying to find clues. Who wrote this letter to him? What does "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" mean? What does "Be careful of the person next to you" mean?

A series of questions swirled in his mind, but he could not find any answers. He looked out the window out of habit. The sun had already sunk into the horizon, and night had fallen. The entire study was shrouded in darkness, which made him feel even more depressed and uneasy.

He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the brightly lit Chang'an City in the distance, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. The rebellion seemed to have been quelled, but the truth behind it was like a fog that made him unable to see clearly. He vaguely felt that all this was not over, but like the calm before the storm, which made him even more uneasy.

A few days later, the Queen sent an invitation to Wu Tao to attend a palace banquet. The Queen's move was not only an affirmation of Wu Tao's contribution, but also an intention to show the court officials and concubines that Wu Tao was highly valued by the royal family.

On the evening of the banquet, Wu Tao dressed up and went to the palace accompanied by Hu Bugui to attend the banquet. The palace was brightly lit, with elegant people in fine clothes, clinking glasses, and a scene of prosperity and joy.

During the banquet, the Queen showed great concern for Wu Tao, asking about her well-being and rewarding her with many precious gifts. Wu Tao knew that the Queen was making her attitude known to everyone, and she also understood her current identity and situation, so she had to be careful with her words and actions to avoid giving others a chance to criticize her.

Halfway through the banquet, Wu Tao stood up and left the table, intending to go to the side hall to rest for a while. She walked through the long corridor and came to a secluded courtyard. Just as she was about to enter, she heard a whisper coming from not far away.

She stopped curiously, hid behind a dense osmanthus tree, and looked out quietly. She saw Crown Prince Li Chengqian talking in a low voice with a man in foreign clothes. Both of them looked very serious, as if they were plotting something.

Wu Tao was startled, realizing that what they were talking about was of great importance, so she held her breath and pricked up her ears, trying to hear more clearly. Crown Prince Li Chengqian turned his back to Wu Tao and spoke in a low voice with a hint of viciousness, "This time, thanks to the help of the Arab envoy, I was able to escape unscathed."

The envoy smiled and said in not-so-fluent Chinese: "Your Highness, you are too kind. Our relationship is mutually beneficial. As long as Your Highness agrees to our conditions, we will naturally help you with all our strength."

Li Chengqian snorted coldly, "Don't worry, when I ascend the throne, I will fulfill all the conditions I promised you before. But my father has full faith in Hu Bugui now, and I can't do anything to him for the time being."

"Your Highness, don't be anxious. We can plan slowly. Hu Bugui holds military power and is indeed a difficult person to deal with, but as long as we find his weakness, we don't have to worry about him not surrendering." A cunning gleam flashed in the envoy's eyes.

Wu Tao, who was hiding in the dark, was terrified. Although she could not understand what they were saying, she could sense the seriousness of the matter from their expressions and tone. The prince actually colluded with foreign envoys. Could it be that he wanted to...

Wu Tao didn't dare to think about it anymore. She took a deep breath, quietly left the courtyard and returned to the banquet hall.

She pretended to be calm and greeted everyone, but her eyes involuntarily drifted towards the prince, her heart full of doubts.

After the banquet, Wu Tao immediately told Hu Bugui about this. After hearing this, Hu Bugui's face became solemn. He knew that the prince was ambitious, but he didn't expect that he would collude with foreign forces. This was not just a fight for the throne, but a matter of national security.

"I will get to the bottom of this matter." A sharp light flashed in Hu Bugui's eyes and he clenched his fists.

In order to find out the truth, Hu Bugui summoned his confidants overnight to start an investigation. After much investigation, he finally found out that the envoy who had a secret talk with the prince was Abdullah, the envoy of the Arab Empire. He came to the Tang Dynasty on the surface for a friendly visit, but in fact he was ordered by the king of the Arab Empire to contact the prince and conspire to cooperate to divide the land and wealth of the Tang Dynasty.

After learning the truth, Hu Bugui felt even more depressed. He knew that he had to stop the prince's conspiracy as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous. But he knew that the prince was well prepared and backed by foreign forces. It would not be easy to bring him down.

In order to collect more evidence and expose the prince's true identity, Hu Bugui decided to take a risk and go deep into the enemy camp...

 Undercurrent

The night was as cool as water, and Chang'an City was shrouded in silence. However, beneath this seemingly calm surface, undercurrents were surging, and a storm was brewing.

Hu Bugui stood in front of the study window, looking at the deep night sky in the distance, frowning. The prince colluded with foreign forces and intended to rebel. This matter was like a huge rock pressing on his heart, making him unable to breathe. He knew that he had to act quickly, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

"What are you thinking about?" Wu Tao walked into the study with a cup of hot tea and asked softly.

Hu Bugui turned around and took the teacup. The warm touch made him feel a little relieved. He looked at Wu Tao, his eyes full of worry: "Tao'er, I plan to go deep into the enemy camp and find out the prince's conspiracy."

Wu Tao was shocked when she heard this, and the teacup in her hand almost slipped. She knew the danger of this trip very well. The prince was ruthless and if she was discovered, the consequences would be disastrous.

"No, it's too dangerous!" Wu Tao grabbed Hu Bugui's hand and said anxiously, "The prince is surrounded by many experts. I'm really worried about you taking the risk alone."

Hu Bugui gently patted the back of Wu Tao's hand and comforted her: "I know you are worried about me, but I have to do this. The prince is colluding with foreign enemies and intends to rebel. This matter concerns the safety of the Tang Dynasty. I can't sit idly by."

"But..." Wu Tao wanted to say something else but was interrupted by Hu Bugui.

"Tao'er, don't worry, I will be careful and will never put myself in danger easily." Hu Bugui's eyes were firm, and his tone was full of unquestionable determination, "I promise you, I will return safely."

Looking at Hu Bugui's determined eyes, Wu Tao knew that she could not change his decision. She took a deep breath, suppressed her worries, and said, "Okay, I promise you. But you must promise me that no matter what happens, you must protect yourself."

Hu Bugui nodded, hugged Wu Tao in his arms, gently stroked her long hair, and said softly: "Silly, you should know that for you and this country, I will do my best."

Wu Tao buried her head in Hu Bugui's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and a warm current surged in her heart. She knew that no matter how many storms there were ahead, as long as he was by her side, she would be fearless.

In order to better conceal his identity, Hu Bugui decided to sneak into the prince's camp under a pseudonym, while Wu Tao pretended to be his servant to protect his safety. The two of them carefully disguised themselves, and after they were ready, they left the palace under the cover of night and headed towards the unknown danger.

As the night deepened, Chang'an gradually fell into a deep sleep, and the adventure of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao had just begun...

On a dark and windy night, people are killing people and setting fires.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao sneaked into the prince's mansion under the cover of night. They were extremely careful along the way, avoiding the patrolling guards, and finally arrived outside the prince's study.

"Be careful, the guards here are tight, don't be careless." Hu Bugui said to Wu Tao in a low voice. Wu Tao nodded and took out a paper bag from her bosom, which contained the incense she had prepared in advance.

Hu Bugui took the incense, lit it, and blew it gently into the gap of the study window. After a while, a slight snoring sound came from the study.

Hu Bugui signaled Wu Tao to stand guard outside, and he gently pushed open the door of the study and slipped into the room. The study was dark, with only a faint moonlight coming in from the window. Hu Bugui used the faint light to carefully search every corner of the study, hoping to find evidence that the prince was colluding with foreign enemies.

Time passed by minute by minute, and the study was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Wu Tao waited anxiously outside the door, silently praying in his heart that Hu Bugui would be safe.

Suddenly, there was a slight noise in the study, and Wu Tao's heart instantly rose to her throat. She clenched the dagger in her hand, stared at the door of the study vigilantly, and was ready to rush in at any time.

"Who's there?!" a deep voice came from the study.

Wu Tao's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, she knew it was the prince!

When Hu Bugui heard the prince's voice, he secretly said something was wrong. He quickly hid the letter in his arms, then turned to look at the door, only to see the prince in his pajamas, holding a long sword, looking at him coldly.

"Who are you and how dare you trespass into my study?!" the prince shouted sternly, his eyes full of murderous intent.

Hu Bugui pretended to be calm, and said with his hands clasped, "I am just a scholar. I came to visit you late at night because I admire your royal highness's literary talent. I hope your highness will forgive me."

"Humph, you're talking nonsense!" The prince obviously didn't believe Hu Bugui's words. He brandished the long sword in his hand and pressed forward step by step. "Tell me, who are you and what is your purpose here?!"

At this critical moment, Wu Tao suddenly pushed the door open and stood in front of Hu Bugui. She drew out a dagger, pointed it at the prince, and said coldly, "Don't hurt my son!"

The prince looked at Wu Tao who suddenly appeared, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he sneered: "Where did this ignorant little girl come from? How dare you act so presumptuous in front of me!"

The atmosphere instantly solidified, and a fierce showdown was about to begin...