Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 239: Moonlit Vow

The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the peach blossom forest, gilding the blossoming peach blossoms and outlining a soft halo around the figures of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui. They held hands and stared into each other's eyes, as if they were the only two left in the world.

"Tao'er, the wonderful ideas you brought have made the Tang Dynasty more prosperous and the people live and work in peace and contentment. You have made an indelible contribution." Hu Bugui's voice was full of gratitude and admiration. He knew very well that everything Wu Tao did was for him and for the Tang Dynasty.

"I just did what I should do." Wu Tao smiled slightly, her eyes moving with tenderness, "Because here are the people I love the most and everything I want to protect the most."

However, the beautiful scene was always short-lived. A palace servant came running in and broke the peaceful atmosphere. He knelt down in front of Hu Bugui in a panic and said hurriedly: "My Lord, something bad has happened. The Emperor summons you to the palace immediately!"

Hu Bugui's heart tightened, and he vaguely felt a little uneasy. He turned to look at Wu Tao and comforted her softly, "Tao'er, don't worry. I'll be back soon."

Wu Tao nodded and watched Hu Bugui leave, but a sense of uneasiness arose in her heart.

The atmosphere in the palace was solemn, and the ministers were all serious and whispering. As soon as Hu Bugui entered the palace, he felt an invisible pressure.

"Brother Emperor, please urgently summon me to the palace, but what happened?" Hu Bugui asked the Tang Emperor who was sitting on the dragon throne while bowing.

Emperor Tang sighed and handed a memorial to Hu Bugui, "Take a look for yourself."

Hu Bugui took the memorial and read it carefully, his face gradually becoming solemn. The content of the memorial was exactly about Wu Tao's true identity - a woman from the future world.

"This matter has caused a great uproar in the court and the country. Many ministers believe that this woman has an unknown origin and may be detrimental to the Tang Dynasty. Some even suggest that she..." The Tang Emperor did not say anything else, but the worry and embarrassment in his tone were evident.

Hu Bugui took a deep breath. He knew that a storm was coming. He raised his head and looked at Emperor Tang firmly, saying word by word: "Brother, Tao'er..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a sharp voice, "Your Majesty, you are a member of the royal family. Are you going to disregard the safety of the Tang Dynasty for a woman of unknown origin?"

Hu Bugui turned his head abruptly and looked at the person who spoke, who was none other than the Minister of Rites, with whom he had always disagreed with political views.

"you……"

"Enough!" The Tang Emperor shouted angrily, stopping the quarrel that was about to break out. "This matter is of great importance. I will make my own decision."

His eyes swept back and forth between Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, and finally fell on the memorial in Hu Bugui's hand. He said slowly: "Pass on my order and summon..." "Pass on my order and summon Wu Tao to the audience!" The Tang Emperor's majestic voice echoed in the hall for a long time.

Wu Tao stood alone in the empty hall, facing the scrutinizing eyes of the Tang Emperor and the complicated looks of the ministers, with a clear mind. She knew that this was a test she had to face, for herself and for Hu Bugui.

"Wu Tao, do you admit your guilt?" The Tang Emperor's voice was majestic and low.

"I don't know. Please tell me clearly, Your Majesty." Wu Tao replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Where are you from? What is your purpose in coming to the Tang Dynasty?" asked the Tang Emperor, with a hint of inquiry in his tone.

Wu Tao took a deep breath and told her story of how she traveled to the Tang Dynasty. She did not hide anything, nor did she exaggerate. She just used the most plain language to tell this incredible experience.

Her story gradually quieted the originally noisy hall, and everyone was listening attentively, as if they were listening to an ancient and mysterious legend.

"Absurd! This is sheer nonsense!" The Minister of Rites was the first to jump out and refute. "How could there be such a ridiculous thing in the world? In my opinion, this woman must be spreading rumors to confuse the public. She deserves death!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Some other ministers also echoed.

Faced with everyone's doubts, Wu Tao did not panic. She calmly took out a piece of paper, on which was a rice planting map she had drawn based on her memory.

"Your Majesty, everyone, although I come from the future, I have no ill intentions. I just want to use what I have learned to do something practical for the Tang Dynasty and the people." Wu Tao pointed to the blueprint and explained to everyone, "This is a rice planting method that can greatly increase food production and solve the problem of food and clothing for the people."

Emperor Tang took the drawing and looked at it carefully, with a hint of surprise and interest in his eyes.

In the following days, Wu Tao proved her worth with her actions. She not only taught advanced agricultural techniques, but also used modern medical knowledge to help people prevent and treat diseases. For a time, Wu Tao's name spread throughout the streets and alleys, and people affectionately called her "the fairy who came down to earth."

However, all this did not eliminate the doubts within the court, but instead made some dignitaries feel threatened. They secretly colluded and spread rumors in an attempt to drive Wu Tao away again.

"Your Highness, do you really believe that woman's lies?" In a dark corner, the Minister of Rites whispered to Hu Bugui, "She is clearly trying to deceive people and has evil intentions!"

Hu Bugui looked at him coldly, with a flash of coldness in his eyes, "I believe in my own eyes and my own judgment!"

"Your Highness, please do not be fooled by her!" The Minister of Rites lowered his voice with a hint of threat in his tone, "Don't forget your identity and your responsibilities..."

Hu Bugui turned around abruptly, staring at the Minister of Rites with a sharp gaze, and said word by word: "My responsibility is to protect the Tang Dynasty, protect the people, and protect..."

His eyes moved to the window, where Wu Tao was playing with a group of children, with a happy smile on her face...

"... Protect the one I love!" Hu Bugui's voice was not loud, but it was resounding. The Minister of Rites wanted to say something else, but was forced back by Hu Bugui's sharp eyes.

Wu Tao was not completely ignorant. Her modern acumen allowed her to detect the undercurrents around her. By chance, she discovered some private letters between dignitaries, and the contents of the letters confirmed her suspicion: these people were plotting to take advantage of the disaster, hoard goods, and make huge profits.

"How can they treat the lives of ordinary people like grass!" Wu Tao clenched the letter in her hand, burning with anger. She knew she had to do something.

Wu Tao found Hu Bugui and told him everything he had discovered. Hu Bugui's face turned pale after hearing this. He had never expected these people to be so bold and reckless, disregarding the law. "A Tao, don't worry, I will definitely bring them to justice!" Hu Bugui's eyes burned with anger.

The opportunity soon came. At the annual palace banquet, amidst the singing and dancing and the clinking of glasses, there was a hidden storm. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui had a tacit understanding that they would catch all the conspirators at this banquet.

After three rounds of drinks, Wu Tao took the opportunity to toast and walked in front of the dignitaries. She had a harmless smile on her face, but her tone was a little sarcastic: "My lords, how is your business recently? I heard that you have made a lot of money recently, which is really gratifying!"

The faces of the dignitaries froze after hearing what Wu Tao said. They didn't expect Wu Tao to bring up this matter at this occasion, and they were a little flustered for a moment. "Miss Wu, you are joking. How could we..."

"Oh? Really?" Wu Tao interrupted them. She took out a stack of letter papers from her sleeve and slowly unfolded them in front of everyone. "Since the adults said there are none, then what about these letters?"

The contents of the letter were clearly visible, and those dignitaries turned pale. They had never thought that their private letters would fall into Wu Tao's hands.

There was an uproar in the hall. When the Emperor Tang saw the contents of the letters, his face became terribly gloomy. He slammed the table and shouted angrily, "How dare you! You bunch of parasites, how dare you deceive me like this? Come on, take them down!"

Faced with overwhelming evidence, those powerful people were powerless to refute and could only watch themselves being escorted away by the guards.

The banquet ended in displeasure, but for Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, it was a hearty victory. Hu Bugui gained more trust from the Emperor of Tang because he exposed the conspiracy of the powerful, and his power was further consolidated.

However, just when they thought everything would be settled, an urgent message from modern times broke their peaceful life...

"Atao, what's wrong with you?" Hu Bugui noticed that Wu Tao was acting strangely and asked with concern.

Wu Tao looked at the message in her hand, her face pale. She took a deep breath and said slowly: "I... I must return to the modern world immediately..."

The letter in Wu Tao's hand trembled slightly. The anxiety and worry between the lines seemed to turn into sharp ice spikes, piercing her heart. Her family, her concern in the modern world, was experiencing a huge change at the moment, and she needed to go back immediately.

"A Tao..." Hu Bugui gently held Wu Tao's hand, his deep eyes full of worry and heartache. He could feel Wu Tao's inner struggle and pain at the moment, as if an invisible sharp blade was cutting her soul.

"I...I have to go back." Wu Tao's voice trembled slightly, her eyes full of reluctance and worry. She loved Hu Bugui deeply, and was reluctant to leave him, and reluctant to leave this world that made her feel love and warmth. However, her family was her concern, and she could not sit idly by and watch the safety of her family.

Hu Bugui hugged Wu Tao tightly in his arms, and a deep voice sounded in her ears: "I will go back with you."

Wu Tao raised his head and looked at Hu Bugui in surprise, his eyes full of disbelief: "But...what are you going to do? Everything here..."

"No buts," Hu Bugui interrupted her gently, "Your family is my family, your world is my world. No matter where you are, I will be with you."

Wu Tao's eyes were moist, she nodded vigorously and buried her head deeply in Hu Bugui's chest. At this moment, she was extremely grateful that in this strange time and space, she could meet someone who loved and understood her so deeply.

The moonlight poured down like water, making the figures of the two people hugging each other look particularly slender. Wu Tao knew that the journey back was full of unknowns and challenges, but as long as Hu Bugui was by her side, she was fearless.

They returned to the cave that Wu Tao had come from, and it still retained its original appearance, as if time had never passed here. Wu Tao took a deep breath, held Hu Bugui's hand tightly, and stepped into the bizarre portal...

When the dazzling sunlight came into view again, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui found themselves in a bustling street. The towering buildings, the endless stream of vehicles, and the square objects in people's hands that flashed with strange light all made them feel extremely unfamiliar.

"This..." Hu Bugui looked at all the bizarre things in front of him, his eyes full of surprise and confusion, while Wu Tao also stood there in a daze, as if he had even forgotten to breathe.