Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Qian Xu's eyes went dark and he fainted. When he woke up, he found himself lying in an unfamiliar thatched house, with his wife Dou Qing and two children anxiously guarding his bedside.

"Dad, you're finally awake!" When his son Qian Xiaobao saw Qian Xu open his eyes, he happily jumped into his arms.

"What's wrong with me?" Qian Xu struggled to sit up, but felt dizzy.

"What are you talking about! You were knocked unconscious by a bag while trying to catch a thief. Fortunately, a kind-hearted person sent you back." Dou Qing complained while helping Qian Xu lie down.

Qian Xu then remembered what happened before, and he quickly asked: "Has the thief been caught? Where is my bag?"

"The thief ran away a long time ago, and your bag is missing too." Dou Qing sighed, "Luckily you are okay, otherwise what would we do!"

Qian Xu was frightened when he heard this. He had brought a lot of silver with him when he went out this time. He had planned to use the money to buy a shop in the city so that his family could live a good life. He did not expect to encounter such a thing.

"It's all my fault. If it wasn't for catching the thief, I wouldn't have..." Qian Xu blamed himself.

"Dad, don't blame yourself. You were also trying to help the person whose item was stolen," said his daughter Qian Xiaobei, comforting him.

Qian Xu felt a little comforted when he heard this. He looked at his two children and made up his mind to work hard to make money and give them a stable life.

The camera turns and arrives at a small mountain village thousands of miles away.

"Bugui, come and try the osmanthus cake I made!" Wu Tao walked out of the kitchen holding a plate of fragrant cakes.

Hu Bugui put down the hoe in his hand, took the cake with a smile, tasted it, and praised it highly: "It's delicious! Taozi, your cooking skills are getting better and better!"

"Of course, don't you see who I am!" Wu Tao raised his chin proudly.

Since arriving in this small mountain village, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao have been hiding their identities and living a pastoral life of men farming and women weaving. They rented a piece of land under a pseudonym, went out early and returned late every day, working hard, and although their lives were poor, they were also very fulfilling.

"Bugui, when do you think we can go back?" Wu Tao asked quietly, looking at the green mountains in the distance.

Hu Bugui was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's talk about it after the storm has passed."

He knew that Wu Tao had always wanted to go home, but he knew that they could not compete with the imperial court in their current situation. In order to protect Wu Tao's safety, he could only choose to endure it temporarily.

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

"Taozi, believe me, I will take you back." Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand and said with a firm look in his eyes.

Wu Tao nodded and stopped talking, but her heart was filled with uneasiness. She vaguely felt that something seemed to be happening...

That day, Hu Bugui went to the neighboring village to help someone repair their house. When passing by a forest, he accidentally discovered several men with suspicious behavior.

These men were dressed in black, with swords on their waists. They looked around fiercely, and it was obvious that they were not ordinary villagers.

Hu Bugui was shocked and realized that these people were probably spies sent by the imperial court, who were searching for their whereabouts.

In order not to alert the enemy, Hu Bugui pretended to walk past them as if nothing had happened, but his heart was filled with alarm. He knew that danger was approaching quietly...

Hu Bugui hurried home, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He knew that the spies were targeting him, and as long as he was in the village, the villagers and Wu Tao would be in danger. He had to find a way to lure them away!

After returning home, he ate dinner in a calm manner, then left home alone under the pretext of returning tools to the neighboring village. As the night deepened, Hu Bugui deliberately shuttled through the woods, leaving obvious traces. He knew that the spies were highly skilled in martial arts, and these little tricks could not be hidden from them, but what he wanted was for them to discover him.

Sure enough, not long after, there was the sound of rustling footsteps behind him. Hu Bugui showed a sneer on his face, quickened his pace, and led the pursuers to a remote valley outside the village.

"Who are you? Why are you following me?" Hu Bugui stopped, turned around and asked, with a hint of vigilance in his tone.

"We have been ordered to arrest the wanted criminal of the imperial court. If you know what's best for you, surrender!" The leading spy drew his sword and pointed it at Hu Bugui.

Hu Bugui said in his heart, "As expected," but he remained calm and said, "You have the wrong person. I am just an ordinary villager."

"Stop talking nonsense! Come with us and you'll know!" The spy obviously didn't believe what he said. He waved his hand, and several people behind him rushed forward and surrounded Hu Bugui.

Hu Bugui knew that he was outnumbered and could only fight and retreat, looking for an opportunity to escape. However, these spies were obviously well prepared and set up a circle to trap him.

During the fierce battle, Hu Bugui accidentally stepped on a trap, and his ankle was firmly clamped, unable to move. He secretly said "not good", but it was too late. Seeing this, several spies immediately rushed over and subdued him to the ground.

Meanwhile, Wu Tao waited anxiously for Hu Bugui to return home. It was late at night, but he had not returned yet, which made her feel uneasy.

"Why hasn't Brother Bugui come back yet? Did something happen?" Wu Tao was very nervous and fidgety. She stood up and walked to the door, looking towards the village entrance, but she couldn't see Hu Bugui.

"No, I have to go find him!" Wu Tao could no longer suppress her worries and decided to go out to look for Hu Bugui. She went to the village chief's house and asked him about Hu Bugui's whereabouts.

"You said he won't come back? He went out in the evening, saying he was going to the neighboring village to return tools. How come he hasn't come back yet?" the village chief replied.

"What? He went to the neighboring village?" Wu Tao was shocked, and a bad feeling came over her. She thanked the village chief and hurried out of the village, asking for news about Hu Bugui along the way.

Wu Tao asked around but still couldn't find any news about Hu Bugui, and she was extremely worried. Some villagers saw her anxious look and came forward to ask. When they learned that Hu Bugui might be in danger, the simple villagers offered to help find him without saying a word.

"Girl, don't worry, we will help you find it!"

"Yeah, we're out in the wilderness here, don't run into any bad guys!"

"Bugui is a kind-hearted kid who often helps us with work. We should help him too!"

Wu Tao looked at the concerned faces in front of her, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. She held back her tears, thanked the villagers, and then set out with them to search for Hu Bugui's whereabouts.

As the night deepened, the forest was completely dark, with only a few stars shining. Wu Tao carried an oil lamp and walked along the rugged mountain road with difficulty, her heart filled with worry and fear. Suddenly, she heard a faint groan not far away, and her heart tightened, and she quickly followed the sound to find it.

"Brother Bugui, is that you?" Wu Tao called softly, with a hint of trembling in her voice.

"Tao... Tao'er... I'm here..." The faint voice came again. Wu Tao was delighted and followed the voice to find a hidden cave.

Hu Bugui was trapped in a trap, his face was pale and his forehead was covered with cold sweat. Beside him, there were several men in black, who were obviously unconscious.

"Brother Bugui, how are you? Are you hurt?" Wu Tao hurried forward and wanted to help Hu Bugui untie the trap.

"I'm fine, my foot is just stuck." Hu Bugui endured the pain and comforted her, "Why are you here? It's dangerous here, leave here quickly!"

"I won't leave! I want to take you with me!" Wu Tao said firmly.

At this time, an old hunter arrived with several villagers. It turned out that the old hunter had seen similar traps when hunting in the mountains, and he knew how to open them safely. With the help of the old hunter, Hu Bugui finally escaped.

"Thank you, old man, and thank you to all the villagers!" Hu Bugui said gratefully.

"Bugui, I'm glad you're okay! What happened?" asked a villager.

Hu Bugui simply told the villagers what had happened. After hearing it, the villagers were filled with indignation and expressed their willingness to help him deal with the criminals.

"Those people should be spies of the imperial court. They will not give up easily." The old hunter said in a deep voice, "You guys come back to the village with me first, and then make plans after daybreak."

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui returned to the village under the escort of the villagers. Looking at the concerned faces around them, they were filled with warmth and touched. They knew that no matter how great the difficulties were, as long as these kind villagers were by their side, they would have nothing to fear.

After returning to the village, Wu Tao did not dare to relax for a moment and carefully bandaged Hu Bugui's wound. Under the dim light, she looked at Hu Bugui's tired face, feeling mixed emotions. "Brother Bugui, are we really safe?" Wu Tao asked in a low voice, with a hint of uneasiness in her tone.

Hu Bugui held her hand, his eyes firm, "Don't worry, Tao'er, I won't let them hurt you." He paused, his tone became heavy, "Those spies are just the vanguard, they will be back soon, and..."

"And what?" Wu Tao's heart was in his throat.

Hu Bugui took a deep breath and said, "I feel that their target this time is not only me, but also... you."

Wu Tao was shocked, and a chill ran down her spine. She knew that she had witnessed too many secrets in the palace, and those people would definitely not let her go.

"Then what should we do?" Wu Tao's voice trembled slightly.

"Tao'er, don't be afraid. I will protect you." Hu Bugui held her in his arms, his tone gentle but firm, "I have arranged for someone to send you away from here tomorrow morning."

"Leave? Where to?" Wu Tao raised his head, his eyes full of confusion.

"Go to a safe place, a place they will never find you." Hu Bugui looked into the distance, as if he saw their future.

Wu Tao wanted to ask more, but was interrupted by Hu Bugui, "Tao'er, be obedient. Time is running out. You must leave immediately."

Wu Tao knew that now was not the time to be willful, so she nodded, held back her tears, and agreed to Hu Bugui's arrangement.

The next morning, before daybreak, Wu Tao quietly left the village with the help of the villagers. She looked back and saw the outline of the village gradually blurred in the morning light, but Hu Bugui's figure seemed to still be in front of her. She didn't know when she would see him again.

At this time, at the other end of the village, an army was quietly approaching, led by the prince. He looked at the quiet village in front of him, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Hu Bugui, this time, you can't escape even if you have wings!"