Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 114 Urgent Report at the Border

Wu Tao's figure was like a flash of lightning, instantly blocking Hu Bugui. The dagger in her hand flashed coldly in the dim candlelight, reflecting her resolute eyes. The prince obviously did not expect this to happen, and was slightly stunned.

"Where did this ignorant little girl come from? How dare she act so presumptuously in front of me!" The prince came to his senses, burning with rage, and stabbed Wu Tao mercilessly with the sword in his hand.

"Stop!" Hu Bugui shouted and wanted to step forward to stop it, but was stopped by the guards around the prince.

Wu Tao was quick-witted and dodged the prince's attack. With a flick of her wrist, she pointed the dagger directly at the prince's face. The prince was startled and quickly stepped back to avoid it, angrily saying, "How dare you, you daring woman, to assassinate me!"

"Your Highness, please calm down," Wu Tao said calmly, "I just want to protect my son. Your Highness, why did you visit me so late at night?"

The prince snorted coldly, his eyes swept back and forth between Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, his heart full of doubts. He originally just wanted to test Hu Bugui, but he didn't expect to encounter such fierce resistance, which made him more suspicious of Hu Bugui's identity.

"It's not your turn to ask about my affairs!" The prince said coldly, "Come here, take them down!"

The guards received the order and immediately drew their swords and rushed towards Hu Bugui and Wu Tao. Although Hu Bugui was unarmed, he was agile and fought with the guards. Wu Tao used the complex layout of the study to flexibly avoid the guards' attacks, and for a while no one could get close to him.

"Your Highness, why are you mobilizing such a large army?" Hu Bugui asked loudly while dodging the guards' attacks.

The prince did not answer, but looked at Hu Bugui coldly with murderous intent in his eyes.

"Your Highness," Wu Tao suddenly spoke in a clear and loud voice, "You've gone to so much trouble, just to get the letter in my hand, right?"

As he spoke, Wu Tao took out a letter from his arms, which was the one that Hu Bugui had hidden before.

When the prince saw the letter, his eyes suddenly lit up. He pushed away the guards who were blocking his way, strode towards Wu Tao, and reached out to snatch it.

Wu Tao's mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a sly smile. Just as the prince was about to touch the envelope, she shook her wrist, and the envelope suddenly caught fire and turned into ashes in the blink of an eye.

"You!" The prince was so angry when he saw this that his hand trembled as he pointed at Wu Tao.

"Your Highness, you should think about how to explain to the Emperor and Empress what happened tonight." Wu Tao clapped his hands and said calmly.

The prince's face changed, as if he had thought of something. A trace of panic flashed across his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He glared at Hu Bugui and Wu Tao fiercely, and said through gritted teeth, "Just wait for me!"

After saying this, the prince left in a hurry with his guards, leaving only Hu Bugui and Wu Tao in the study.

"Tao'er, are you okay?" Hu Bugui asked worriedly, his eyes full of concern.

"I'm fine," Wu Tao shook his head and said with a smile, "Don't worry, everything is as planned."

Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao's confident smile, his heart filled with gratitude and admiration. He knew that they were able to escape danger tonight thanks to Wu Tao's wit and courage.

However, what they didn't know was that the real danger had just begun... The candlelight in the study flickered, stretching the figures of the two people. Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand, and all his words turned into a sigh: "Tao'er, thank you."

Wu Tao held his hand in return, her eyes firm: "There's no need to thank me between us." She knew that tonight was just the calm before the storm, and greater challenges were still to come.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps came, accompanied by the clanging sound of metal colliding, breaking the silence in the study. Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other, and a glimmer of hope rose in their hearts.

"Your Majesty, Princess, I am late in coming to your rescue. Please forgive me!" A general in armor pushed open the door and walked in, followed by a team of well-equipped soldiers. The man was none other than General Wang, the commander of the imperial guards who was on good terms with Hu Bugui.

"General Wang has arrived at the right time!" A gleam of light flashed in Hu Bugui's eyes, and he knew that the situation was about to be reversed.

The soldiers brought by General Wang quickly surrounded the study and started a fierce battle with the guards brought by the prince. General Wang's swordsmanship was sharp and fierce, and he soon forced the prince into a desperate situation.

Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the prince decided to retreat and turned to escape. However, as soon as he took a step, he heard a "crack" under his feet, and then he felt his body lose balance and fell down.

"Ah——" The prince screamed and fell into the dungeon entrance that was originally prepared for him. It turned out that in order to prevent Hu Bugui from escaping, he had specially ordered people to dig a secret passage leading to the dungeon in the study, but he didn't expect that he would become a turtle in a jar.

Upon seeing this, General Wang immediately ordered his men to surround the entrance to the dungeon to prevent the prince from escaping.

"Your Highness, surrender!" General Wang shouted loudly, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

In the dungeon, the prince got up from the ground in a miserable state, his face full of fear and anger. He never thought that his carefully planned plan would fail in this way.

"Hu Bugui, Wu Tao, just wait for me, I won't let you go!" The prince roared hysterically, his voice echoing in the empty dungeon, but it seemed particularly powerless.

In the study, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao stood side by side, looking at the prince being escorted out by the soldiers, with mixed feelings in their hearts. They knew that this struggle was far from over, and the prince's defeat was just the beginning...

The news of the prince's capture spread quickly throughout the palace like thunder. When the emperor heard about it, he was furious and rushed to the study in person despite his old age and frailty.

"Father!" When the prince, who was escorted by the guards, saw the emperor, his face turned pale, his legs went limp, and he fell to his knees.

The emperor looked at his son, who had once placed great hopes on him, and now became a prisoner. He was filled with grief and anger. He pointed at the prince with a trembling hand and shouted angrily: "Rebellious son! How dare you do such a treasonous thing!"

The prince knew that he had committed a grave sin, so he did not dare to look up. He just kept kowtowing and begging for mercy: "Father, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time!"

The emperor looked at the prince crying bitterly, but his heart was not moved at all. He knew the prince's character very well. If he was not severely punished this time, he would become a big trouble in the future. Thinking of this, the emperor's eyes gradually became cold.

"Someone! Put the prince in prison. No one is allowed to visit him without my order!" The emperor's voice was cold and ruthless, announcing the prince's fate.

The prince closed his eyes in despair, he knew that he was finished.

After the emperor dealt with the prince, he looked at Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, his eyes full of admiration and satisfaction.

"Bugui, Taoer, thanks to you, I didn't make a big mistake this time." The emperor's voice was full of gratitude.

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is what Tao'er and I should do." Hu Bugui replied humbly.

The emperor nodded and looked at Hu Bugui with admiration. He knew that Hu Bugui was a man worthy of trust.

"Bugui, you have always been wise and benevolent, and I love you deeply. Now that the prince has made such a big mistake, I have decided to depose him from the throne and let you inherit the throne!" The emperor's voice was loud and firm, echoing throughout the study.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were both shocked when they heard this. They had never thought about fighting for the throne, they just wanted to live a peaceful life.

"Father, this..." Hu Bugui wanted to refuse, but was interrupted by the emperor with a wave of his hand.

"I have made up my mind on this matter. You don't have to say anything more." The emperor's tone left no room for doubt.

Seeing this, Hu Bugui could only kowtow and thank the emperor: "Your son obeys your order!"

Wu Tao stood aside, watching everything that happened before her eyes, feeling mixed emotions. She knew that from today on, her and Hu Bugui's lives would undergo earth-shaking changes.

After the emperor left, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao stood side by side in front of the study window, looking at the sky in the distance. The sun was setting, and a fiery red cloud was burning on the horizon, heralding the arrival of a new day.

"Tao'er, are we really going to become the Crown Prince and Crown Princess?" Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand, with a hint of confusion and uneasiness in his tone.

Wu Tao held his hand in return, her eyes firm and gentle: "No matter what happens, I will stay with you."

The relationship between them has become more indestructible after going through this storm. However, what awaits them will be a more turbulent future...

The news that the emperor decided to depose the prince quickly spread throughout Chang'an City, and the people rushed to tell each other, applauding. The prince was arrogant and extravagant, and bullied the people, and had long lost the support of the people. However, Hu Bugui's reputation for benevolence and righteousness spread far and wide, and the people believed that under his rule, the Tang Dynasty would usher in a more prosperous scene.

There was a great jubilation inside and outside the palace. The maids and eunuchs were busy preparing for the enthronement ceremony, and the originally deserted East Palace was also decorated with festive red decorations. Wu Tao looked at the lively scene in front of her, but she felt a little uneasy. She knew that the change of power was always accompanied by blood and rain. Although the prince was deposed, there was no guarantee that there would not be people who were dissatisfied and waiting for an opportunity to act.

Hu Bugui also noticed Wu Tao's worry. He gently held her hand and said softly, "Tao'er, what are you worried about? I'm here for you."

Wu Tao shook his head and forced a smile, saying, "Nothing, just a little uncomfortable. After all, we never thought of getting involved in these disputes before."

Hu Bugui embraced Wu Tao in his arms and comforted her softly, "I know you have always longed for a peaceful and stable life. But fate plays tricks on us and we have no choice. But don't worry, I will definitely protect you and make you happy forever."

Wu Tao leaned in Hu Bugui's warm embrace, and the uneasiness in her heart gradually dissipated. Yes, no matter what the future holds, as long as he is by her side, all difficulties will no longer be scary.

However, the gears of fate never stopped turning. Just as they were preparing to embrace a new life, an urgent letter from the border broke this brief peace. The soldier who delivered the letter was covered in dust and looked panicked. He knelt on one knee, presented the letter with both hands, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, urgent news from the border!"

Hu Bugui took the letter, quickly read it, and his face suddenly became solemn. The letter said that the Turkic tribes in the north had assembled hundreds of thousands of troops to invade the border. The border guards were outnumbered and the situation was precarious.

"How could this happen?" When Wu Tao saw Hu Bugui's expression, he suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart.

Hu Bugui took a deep breath, handed the letter to Wu Tao, and said in a deep voice: "It seems that we can't enjoy peace here."

Wu Tao took the letter, read it carefully, and turned pale. She knew what this meant. It meant war, separation of life and death, and their peaceful life would be disrupted again.

"What should we do?" Wu Tao raised his head and looked at Hu Bugui, his eyes full of worry and anxiety.

Hu Bugui was silent for a moment, and his eyes gradually became firm. He clenched his fists and said firmly: "Tao'er, we can't just sit there and do nothing. The safety of the people at the border is in our hands!"