bayedsolid Chapter 193 Taotao, are you okay?
Chapter 193 Taotao, are you okay?
Wu Tao's heartbeat was deafening like a drum, cold sweat dripped down her temples and soaked her clothes. She ran desperately, the shouts of the man in black behind her followed her like a death warrant from hell. The night was dark, and the rugged mountain road stretched out under her feet. She didn't dare to stop for a moment, she just knew to run desperately, the farther the better.
However, human power is limited after all, and the long run has exhausted Wu Tao's physical strength. She stumbled and almost fell to the ground. At this moment, a black shadow fell from the sky and steadily caught her shaky body.
"Taotao, are you okay?!" The familiar voice was filled with anxiety and worry. Wu Tao looked up suddenly, and what caught her eyes was Hu Bugui's angular face, which was now full of worry and self-blame.
"Bugui, why are you here? They..." Before Wu Tao could finish her words, Hu Bugui hugged her tightly in his arms.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Hu Bugui's voice was low and powerful, as if it carried some kind of magic, which instantly soothed the fear in Wu Tao's heart.
It turned out that after receiving the secret code left by Wu Tao, Hu Bugui realized the urgency of the situation and immediately led his men to the ruined temple. When he saw Wu Tao being chased by the men in black, his heart seemed to be tightly clenched. At that moment, he wished to chop those men into pieces.
"Let's go!" Hu Bugui whispered. He held Wu Tao in his arms and disappeared into the night after a few jumps.
The men in black gave chase but lost their target and could only watch them disappear into the night.
"Damn it! They actually let them get away!" The leading black-clad man cursed angrily, "Chase them! We must catch them!"
However, no matter how hard they searched, they could not find any trace of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao.
In a cave not far from the ruined temple, Hu Bugui was treating Wu Tao's wounds.
"Who are those people?" Hu Bugui asked in a deep voice while bandaging Wu Tao's wound.
"They..." Wu Tao took a deep breath and told Hu Bugui everything he had heard in the dilapidated temple.
After listening to Wu Tao's story, Hu Bugui frowned tightly. He originally thought that this was just an ordinary rebellion, but he didn't expect that there was a bigger conspiracy hidden behind it!
"It seems that the opponent we met this time is not simple." Hu Bugui pondered for a moment and said in a serious tone.
At this moment, an old voice came from the cave entrance: "I do know something about those people."
Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked over when they heard the sound, and saw an old man in coarse linen clothes slowly walking into the cave.
"Who are you?" Hu Bugui asked vigilantly.
"I am just a country bumpkin who accidentally learned some secrets." The old man smiled slightly, with a hint of mystery in his tone, "If you two don't mind, I am willing to lend you a helping hand."
Hu Bugui and Wu Tao exchanged a look, and they both saw the light of hope in each other's eyes. Perhaps, this mysterious old man is the key to their breakthrough.
(To be continued)
Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked at the old man who called himself a "country bumpkin". He was dressed simply, but his eyes were sharp and shrewd. His gestures revealed an indescribable demeanor, and he was definitely not an ordinary person.
"Why do you say that, old man?" Hu Bugui asked cautiously. He didn't understand why the old man wanted to help them.
The old man stroked his gray beard and said in a deep voice: "I have lived in seclusion in the mountains for many years, but I am not oblivious to what is happening outside. I know a little about the power behind those men in black. They are not simply remnants of the rebels, but come from a mysterious organization called 'Shadow Pavilion'."
"Shadow Pavilion?" Wu Tao and Hu Bugui asked in unison. They had never heard of this organization.
"This organization acts in secret, and its influence spreads across countries," the old man explained. "They mainly collect money and intelligence, and secretly manipulate the political situation in many countries. I suspect that their purpose of supporting the remnants of the rebellion this time is not just to disrupt the government, but more likely to take the opportunity to infiltrate the Tang Dynasty and seek greater benefits."
The old man's words were like a stone that stirred up thousands of waves in the hearts of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao. They originally thought it was just a rebellion, but they didn't expect that there was such a complicated conspiracy behind it!
"Why did the old man tell us all this?" Wu Tao asked. She keenly realized that it was no coincidence that the old man chose to appear at this time.
The old man sighed, with a hint of helplessness in his tone: "I was once an official appointed by the imperial court, but unfortunately I was framed by a traitor and have to hide my identity until now. Now that I see the country in danger, I can't just sit back and watch."
He paused, looking at Hu Bugui with a burning gaze, "Your Highness is devoted to the country and the people. I believe you will be able to crush the conspiracy of the Shadow Pavilion and bring peace to the world!"
Hu Bugui was moved by the old man's sincerity. He bowed and said solemnly: "Don't worry, old man. I will definitely fulfill my mission!"
"Okay!" The old man nodded with satisfaction. "Although I am old, I still have some connections and information. Maybe I can help Your Highness."
In this way, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui reached a cooperation with this mysterious ally. They knew that the road ahead was still full of thorns, but with the help of this old man, they were more confident to face the challenge. In a secret meeting, they made a detailed plan to expose the crimes of the remaining gang leader in public at a banquet, and follow the clues to make the true face of the "Shadow Pavilion" public.
However, they didn't know that danger was approaching quietly...
The night was falling, and the stars were twinkling. In the study of the palace, the dim candlelight illuminated three figures. Hu Bugui, Wu Tao, and the old man who called himself "Bai Weng" sat around the table with solemn expressions.
"Your Highness, in my opinion, the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet in three days will be the best time to expose the crimes of the remnants." Old Man Bai pointed to the floor plan of the palace drawn on the table, his tone steady.
Hu Bugui frowned slightly, tapping the table with his fingers. "The palace banquet is heavily guarded. How easy is it to expose their crimes in public?"
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I have already made all the arrangements." Mr. Bai stroked his beard confidently. "When the time comes, I will try to lead the remaining gang leader to the Star-Watching Pavilion in the southeast corner of the Imperial Garden. Your Majesty can ambush them in advance and catch them red-handed."
"But, it may be difficult to convince the public with just testimony." Wu Tao frowned slightly and expressed her concerns.
"What the princess said is absolutely right." Bai Weng looked at her approvingly. "It is indeed difficult to be convincing with just human evidence, so we need more solid evidence."
"Evidence?" Hu Bugui and Wu Tao asked in unison, their eyes full of questions.
"Yes, evidence." Bai Weng smiled mysteriously, took out an exquisite wooden box from his arms, and gently placed it on the table, "Princess, please take a look."
Wu Tao opened the wooden box curiously, and saw a crystal clear glass bead lying inside, emitting a faint light.
"What is this?" Wu Tao asked puzzledly.
"This is something I found by chance. It's called the 'Image Recording Pearl.'" Mr. Bai explained, "This pearl can record images and sounds. As long as you place it in a secret place in advance, it can record everything that happens around it as evidence."
Wu Tao's eyes lit up when he heard this. Isn't this an ancient version of a surveillance camera? With it, he could record the ironclad evidence of the remnant's collusion with foreign nations!
"Mr. Bai, you really helped us a lot!" Wu Tao said excitedly.
"Don't be polite, Princess. I am only trying my best to help." Mr. Bai waved his hand, indicating that she shouldn't take it to heart.
In the following days, Wu Tao used modern knowledge and combined the characteristics of the "Photo Beads" to design an ingenious display device. She hid the "Photo Beads" in an exquisite vase and set up a mechanism. As long as you gently touch the mechanism on the vase, the image recorded by the "Photo Beads" can be projected onto the wall, forming a simple projector.
Everything is ready, just waiting for the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet in three days.
However, Wu Tao always felt a little uneasy. This operation seemed to be going smoothly, but it always felt too simple, as if an invisible net was quietly covering them...
Chapter 193 A glimmer of hope
It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon was full and people were together. The palace was brightly lit, with singing and dancing, and a festive atmosphere everywhere. Hu Bugui and Wu Tao stood side by side, looking at the scene of toasts in front of them, but their hearts were calm.
According to the plan, Bai Weng had already acted secretly and led the remaining gang leader to the Star-Watching Pavilion in the southeast corner of the Imperial Garden. Hu Bugui had also arranged his guards to ambush around the Star-Watching Pavilion, waiting for the right time to catch the remaining gang leader in one fell swoop.
Everything was ready. Wu Tao quietly placed the vase containing the "Photo Beads" in the corner of the banquet hall and winked at Hu Bugui. Hu Bugui nodded slightly, picked up the wine glass, and toasted the emperor.
After three rounds of drinking, Hu Bugui left the table on the pretext of something and came to the Wangxing Pavilion, signaling the guards to get ready. Not long after, the leader of the remaining gang, accompanied by Bai Weng, staggered into the Wangxing Pavilion.
"Take action!" Hu Bugui gave an order, and the guards rushed forward and surrounded the leader of the remaining gang.
The leader of the remaining gang obviously did not expect to be suddenly rounded up. He sobered up and shouted in a timid manner: "What do you want to do? I am an official appointed by the court, how dare you commit treason!"
Hu Bugui sneered and ordered his men to bring the remaining gang leaders before the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I have something important to report!" Hu Bugui knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice.
The emperor was originally in high spirits, but was interrupted by this sudden change. He couldn't help but feel a little unhappy, but when he saw the leader of the remaining gang tied up, his face changed slightly, "What's going on?"
Hu Bugui listed the crimes of the remnants of the party who colluded with foreign nations and intended to rebel, and ordered people to project the images recorded by the "Photo Beads" onto the wall.
The picture clearly shows the scene of the secret meeting between the remnant leaders and foreign envoys. They not only conspired to overthrow the Tang Dynasty, but also planned to harm the emperor at the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet.
When the emperor and the empress saw this scene, they flew into a rage, and the ministers present were also in an uproar.
Just when everyone thought that the leader of the remaining gang was doomed, he suddenly laughed out loud, "If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext! These are just one-sided statements, how can you take them seriously?"
He pointed at Hu Bugui and Wu Tao and shouted at the top of his lungs: "They are the ones who are really planning a rebellion! They are colluding with foreigners and want to murder Your Majesty and take your place!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was in an uproar. The situation that was originally thought to be settled was reversed in an instant.
Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other, and suddenly a bad feeling rose in their hearts. They never expected that the leader of the remnant gang would be so cunning and dare to bite back!
How should Hu Bugui and Wu Tao deal with this sudden change? Can they clear their grievances and prove their innocence?