Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

After the imperial physician examined the patient, he knelt tremblingly on the throne room, "Your Majesty, there is indeed poison in the wine... in the wine."

The imperial concubine's face turned pale, she collapsed to the ground, muttering to herself, "Impossible, this is impossible..."

The emperor was furious and slapped the armrest of the dragon throne with his palm, "My beloved, what else do you have to say!"

The imperial concubine's lips trembled, but she couldn't say a word. She had carefully planned all this, but she didn't expect that Wu Tao would easily see through it, and she didn't expect that the emperor would disregard the relationship between husband and wife for a free and easy princess.

"Someone come! Banish the imperial concubine to the cold palace. No one is allowed to visit her without my order!" As the emperor gave an order, the guards stepped forward and dragged the imperial concubine away.

Wu Tao looked at the imperial concubine's embarrassed back, but she didn't feel the slightest bit of joy in her heart. She knew that although the storm seemed to have subsided, the real crisis had just begun.

Although the emperor dealt with the imperial concubine, his suspicion of Hu Bugui was not completely eliminated. He began to monitor Hu Bugui's every move, and even replaced the servants and guards in Hu Bugui's house with the emperor's confidants.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui naturally sensed the emperor's suspicion. They knew that in order to completely dispel the emperor's doubts, they had to find the real assassin and prove their innocence.

"Your Highness, our every move is now under the surveillance of the emperor. It may be extremely difficult to investigate the case." Wu Tao frowned and said worriedly.

Hu Bugui gently held Wu Tao's hand and gave her a soothing look, "Tao'er, I know you are worried, but don't worry, I won't sit idly by. The truth will eventually come out, we just need to wait patiently for the opportunity."

"But, we can wait, but the prince's situation cannot! The emperor is now suspicious of the prince. If no evidence is found, I'm afraid..." Wu Tao's voice choked. She didn't dare to say anything more, for fear that her bad words would come true.

Hu Bugui took Wu Tao into his arms and comforted her softly, "Tao'er, don't be afraid. I'll take care of everything. Believe me, I will find out the truth and clear my name."

Although Hu Bugui's tone was firm, Wu Tao was still filled with anxiety. She knew that Hu Bugui was now facing pressure from the imperial power, and if he was not careful, he would be crushed to pieces.

"Your Highness, I have an idea..." Wu Tao raised his head, his eyes gleaming with determination.

At the same time, Chun Tao, who worked in the palace, had been secretly following the development of the situation. She knew that the fall of the imperial concubine was only a matter of time, but the person who really wanted to bring down Hu Bugui was still at large.

Chun Tao used her connections in the palace to secretly investigate the whereabouts of the assassin. She believed that as long as the assassin could be found, Hu Bugui's suspicion could be cleared and Wu Tao could rest assured.

Wu Tao, on the other hand, turned her attention to the people. She believed that there were experts among the people who might be able to find the key to breaking the impasse from a different perspective...

The storm was raging, and undercurrents were surging in Chang'an City. A bigger storm was quietly brewing...

"Chun Tao, are you sure you want to do this? This is a crime of deceiving the emperor!" In a secluded courtyard, Wu Tao looked at Chun Tao in front of him with concern. After the banquet that day, Chun Tao found an excuse to move back to Xiaoyao Palace, saying that it was convenient to take care of Wu Tao, but in fact it was to facilitate cooperation with Wu Tao to find out the truth.

"Don't worry, Princess. I know what's going on." Chun Tao said firmly, "I've been in the palace for many years, and I know a little bit about it. Now that the Imperial Concubine has fallen from power, it's the best time for us to find out the truth. If we miss this opportunity, I'm afraid the Prince will really be unable to defend himself."

Chun Tao did what she said. She used her connections in the palace to get information everywhere. Her efforts paid off. She finally learned from an old palace maid that the assassin at the banquet that day looked very similar to a guard named Zhao San in the palace. And this Zhao San was the confidant of the imperial concubine.

After receiving the news, Chuntao immediately informed Wu Tao of the matter. Wu Tao was overjoyed. If he could find this Zhao San, he could prove Hu Bugui's innocence.

At the same time, Wu Tao was also busy. She knew that the palace was not well-informed and it would be difficult for Chun Tao to find Zhao San's whereabouts alone. So she turned her attention to the people.

Wu Tao brought a few of his confidants, disguised themselves, and came to the city's largest restaurant, Zuixianlou. Zuixianlou was a mixed bag, with people from all walks of life, making it the best place to get information.

As soon as Wu Tao sat in the restaurant, she pricked up her ears and listened carefully to the conversations of the people around her. Her efforts paid off, and she finally learned from a gangster that there was a barren mountain thirty miles outside the city, and there was a group of bandits on the mountain who often committed crimes in the nearby area, and their leader seemed to be called Zhao San.

Wu Tao was delighted and immediately led his men to the outskirts of the city. However, when they arrived at the barren mountain, they found that the village was already deserted.

"It seems that we are still a step late." Wu Tao looked at the empty mountain village and felt an ominous premonition in his heart.

"Princess, look!" A guard pointed to a piece of cloth on the ground and said, "This piece of cloth looks like the uniform of a palace guard."

Wu Tao picked up the scrap of cloth, looked at it carefully, and his expression suddenly became solemn.

"It seems that someone has tipped off Zhao San in advance." Wu Tao said in a deep voice, "We must find him as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous!"

However, they did not know that at this moment, a greater crisis was quietly approaching them...

Wu Tao tightly grasped the rag in his hand, and a shadow fell on his heart. Zhao San's disappearance was undoubtedly caused by someone on purpose, and who else could this person be except someone who wanted to kill Hu Bugui?

"Your Highness, we must find Zhao San as soon as possible, otherwise it will be too late." Wu Tao said anxiously. She knew that the longer the time dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for them.

Hu Bugui nodded solemnly, "I have sent people to track down Zhao San's whereabouts. I believe there will be news soon."

However, the development of the matter was far more complicated than they imagined. Zhao San seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth, and no matter how they searched, they could not find any trace of him.

"Damn it, who is helping him secretly?" Hu Bugui slammed his fist on the table, his heart filled with anger.

At this moment, a guard ran in hurriedly, "Your Majesty, something bad has happened. Someone has come from the palace and wants to ask the princess to come in for questioning!"

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked at each other, and suddenly an ominous premonition arose in their hearts.

"It seems that we have been targeted." Hu Bugui said in a deep voice, "Tao'er, don't be afraid, I will go with you."

Wu Tao shook his head, "No, Your Majesty, you can't go. The emperor's spies are everywhere in and outside the palace. If you go, I'm afraid you will alert the enemy."

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

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I know what to do." Wu Tao said firmly, "You stay here and continue to track down Zhao San's whereabouts. I want to see who wants to put us to death!"

Wu Tao followed the guards to the palace. As soon as she entered the palace, she felt a murderous aura coming towards her. She was taken to a remote palace where the emperor's personal eunuch Li Gonggong was waiting.

"Your servant greets Princess Xiaoyao." Eunuch Li bowed with a fake smile, "The emperor is waiting for you inside, please follow me, Princess."

Wu Tao took a deep breath, tried to stay calm, and followed Eunuch Li into the palace.

At the same time, Chuntao's actions in the palace also encountered trouble. She found out that when Zhao San was in the palace, he had a close relationship with a palace maid named Wang Ma. So, she tried every means to get close to Wang Ma, hoping to find out Zhao San's whereabouts from her.

However, Chuntao's every move had already been noticed by those who were interested.

"Sister Chuntao, why are you here?" A familiar voice sounded behind Chuntao.

Chuntao was startled and turned around slowly, only to see a young palace maid standing behind her, looking at her with confusion.

This palace maid is named Xiaolan. She is Chuntao's good sister and they have a very good relationship with each other on a daily basis.

"I... I came to see Nanny Wang for something." Chuntao said hesitantly, her eyes flickering, not daring to look at Xiaolan.

Seeing this, Xiaolan became even more confused, "Why are you looking for Nanny Wang? I heard that she seemed to have committed some crime and was locked up."

"What?" Chun Tao's face changed. "Locked up? When did it happen?"

"Just this morning, I saw the guards take her away with my own eyes." Xiaolan said, "Sister Chuntao, what's wrong with you? Did something happen?"

Chuntao was extremely anxious, but she did not dare to tell Xiaolan the truth. She knew that this matter was of great importance and that any carelessness would lead to disaster.

"I... I'm fine." Chun Tao forced a smile, "I was just asking casually. Since Nanny Wang is not here, I'll leave first."

After saying that, Chuntao left in a hurry.

Xiaolan looked at Chuntao's departing back, a trace of doubt flashed in her eyes. She always felt that Chuntao seemed to be hiding something.

At this moment, Wu Tao is in danger. How can she resolve the crisis? Will Chun Tao's true identity be revealed?

Wu Tao stepped into the hall. The emperor was sitting upright on the dragon throne, staring at her sharply. His gaze seemed to be able to see through everything, which made her feel cold in her heart.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the emperor." Wu Tao took a deep breath, calmed herself, and slowly knelt down to salute.

"Stand up." The emperor's voice was inexpressible. "Princess Xiaoyao, do you know why I summoned you to the palace?"

"I don't know." Wu Tao lowered her head and spoke calmly.

"Humph, you are good at playing dumb." The emperor snorted coldly, "Do you know about Zhao San's affairs?"

Wu Tao was startled, but she didn't show it on her face. "Your Majesty, I don't know. Zhao San is a guard in the palace. How can a woman like me know about his affairs?"

"A woman? I think Princess Xiaoyao is not a simple person." The emperor said meaningfully, "Come here, show the things to the princess."

Eunuch Li walked forward holding a tray covered with a bright yellow silk cloth, and an object could be vaguely seen underneath.

The silk cloth was opened, revealing an exquisite dagger. On the handle of the dagger, there was a word "Hu" engraved.

Wu Tao's pupils shrank slightly. This dagger was exactly the one that Hu Bugui often used!

"Does this dagger look familiar to you, Princess?" The emperor stared at Wu Tao closely, not missing any change in expression on her face.

"This..." Wu Tao pretended to be puzzled and picked up the dagger, examining it carefully. "Your Majesty, this is indeed a well-made dagger, but I have never seen it before."

"Are you sure you have never seen it?" The emperor said with a hint of threat in his tone.

"I am sure." Wu Tao met the emperor's gaze without flinching. "Although the word 'Hu' is engraved on this dagger, it does not mean that it belongs to the prince. Besides, the prince is a royal relative. If he wanted Zhao San's life, why would he go to such great lengths?"

Every word of Wu Tao's words was full of wisdom and logic. The emperor was speechless for a moment and could not find any reason to refute.

At this moment, a guard hurried into the hall, knelt down and reported: "Your Majesty, King Xiaoyao requests an audience."

"Let him in." A gleam of light flashed in the emperor's eyes.

Hu Bugui walked into the hall and saw Wu Tao kneeling on the ground. His face suddenly darkened, "Tao'er, what's wrong with you?"

"Your Highness, I'm fine." Wu Tao shook her head, signaling him to stay calm.

"Your Majesty, I heard that the princess entered the palace and was worried, so I came to pay my respects." Hu Bugui bowed to the emperor with a respectful tone.

"Brother, I believe Tao'er is innocent. I hope you can investigate this matter."

The emperor looked at the couple in front of him, one calm and composed, the other firmly defending him, and his suspicion of them grew a little more.

At the same time, Chuntao finally learned from Nanny Wang the whereabouts of Zhao San and the important evidence he had in his hands.

"Miss, we found it, we finally found it!" Chuntao excitedly passed the news to Hu Bugui who was anxiously waiting.

A ray of light finally appeared in the darkness of despair. However, they did not know that a bigger storm was about to come. What would be waiting for them?

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui took Chuntao back to the capital overnight. The carriage was bumpy and dusty, but their hearts were extremely determined. With Zhao San's testimony, they could prove their innocence and wash away their grievances.

"Tao'er, you've worked hard." In the carriage, Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand, his eyes full of pity. Wu Tao was already exhausted after all the traveling, but she still pulled herself together and comforted Hu Bugui who was also worried.

"It's okay, we will find out the truth soon." Wu Tao held Hu Bugui's hand and gave him a firm look.

After returning to the palace, Hu Bugui ordered his men to prepare a carriage and took Wu Tao and Zhao San to the palace without taking a rest. However, when they arrived at the palace gate, they were told that the emperor would not see anyone today.

"How could this happen?" Wu Tao's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition came to his mind.

Hu Bugui frowned, realizing that things were not as simple as he had imagined. He comforted Wu Tao and ordered someone to find out the news.

Soon, news came that the emperor went to the royal hunting ground outside the city today and would not return to the palace for three days.

"Three days..." Wu Tao murmured to himself. To them, these three days were even longer than three years.

After returning to the palace, Hu Bugui immediately summoned his confidants to discuss countermeasures.

"Your Highness, it seems that someone in the palace is obstructing us from meeting the Emperor," an adviser analyzed.

"That's right, we must find out who is behind this as soon as possible, otherwise it will be too late when the emperor returns." Another counselor echoed.

Hu Bugui nodded, his eyes firm, "Pass the order down, investigate with all your strength, and make sure to find out the truth within three days!"

Meanwhile, in the royal hunting ground, the emperor was chatting and laughing with several ministers. Suddenly, a man in black appeared silently behind the emperor and whispered something in his ear. The emperor's face suddenly changed, and he stood up abruptly, with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

"Can King Xiaoyao and the Princess really get through this crisis successfully?" Chuntao looked at the closed door of the study, her heart filled with worry.