Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Hu Bugui pushed aside the guards who were blocking his way and rushed into the backyard regardless of everything. He remembered that Wu Tao liked to read under the peach tree in the backyard the most, and hoped that she was still safe there. However, what came into view was a mess on the ground. There was no one under the peach tree, only a few peach petals blown down by the wind, which looked particularly desolate in the firelight.

"Princess! Princess, where are you?!" Hu Bugui's voice was hoarse and desperate, echoing in the burning palace.

"Prince, stop shouting. The princess has already left with Chuntao through the secret passage!" A familiar voice came from behind. Hu Bugui turned around suddenly and saw the butler Lao Hu, covered in dust, staggering towards him.

"Secret passage? Where did they go?" Hu Bugui grabbed Lao Hu's shoulders and asked anxiously.

"I don't know either!" Old Hu burst into tears, "The princess only told you to save your life first, and we can discuss other matters after you are safe..."

Hu Bugui let go of her hand dejectedly. He knew that now was not the time to be sad. He had to cheer up, find out the truth, and seek justice for the princess and himself. He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and turned around to leave this place of trouble.

"Your Highness, please stay!" A clear voice came from outside the courtyard wall, and then two figures climbed over the wall and landed steadily in front of Hu Bugui.

"Miracle doctor! Brother Yun!" After seeing who was coming, Hu Bugui felt a glimmer of hope again.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. We have heard about this and have come to help!" The genius doctor stroked his beard with a serious expression.

"I have long been fed up with the prince's evil deeds, so today I will lend a helping hand to His Majesty!" The chivalrous hero Yun Feiyang drew the long sword from his waist, and the sword flashed coldly in the firelight.

"Great! With your help, great things can be accomplished!" Hu Bugui raised his arm and shouted, and the three of them smiled at each other, their eyes full of determination.

The doctor took out a blueprint from his bosom, pointed at the intricate lines on it, and said, "Your Highness, please look, this is the distribution map of the secret passages in the palace. I once treated the late emperor, so I am familiar with the structure of the palace. The prince and the concubine colluded privately, so they must have left clues. Let's start from here and look for evidence!"

Yun Feiyang leaped onto the roof, observing the movements around him and escorting them.

Following the instructions of the genius doctor, the three quietly sneaked into the secret passage of the palace...

In the deep secret passage, the air was stuffy, and only the faint light of the torches illuminated the determined faces of the three people. Relying on the memory and drawings of the genius doctor, they avoided the heavy guards and finally found the prince's secret room. The secret room was magnificent and filled with gold, silver and jewelry, which was in sharp contrast to the simple palace outside. Yun Feiyang had sharp eyes and saw a secret compartment in the corner at a glance. He pried it open and found letters and account books hidden inside.

"Your Highness, please read this!" Hu Bugui took the letter and read it carefully, his face becoming increasingly gloomy. These letters were evidence of the prince's affair with the imperial concubine, and the words were full of covetousness for the throne and frame-ups of Hu Bugui. The account book clearly recorded the evidence of the prince's corruption, bribery, and forming cliques for personal gain over the years.

"The net of heaven is vast and wide, nothing can escape it! Prince, you have come to this day!" Hu Bugui tightly grasped the evidence in his hand, and a raging anger burned in his heart. He no longer cared about anything else, and took Yun Feiyang and the miracle doctor and went straight to the Golden Palace.

At that time, the emperor was in the morning court, listening to the officials' reports on government affairs. Hu Bugui ignored the guards' obstruction, rushed into the palace, covered in dust, held up the evidence in his hand, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Father, I am innocent! The prince colluded with the imperial concubine, intended to rebel, and framed me. Please investigate!"

As soon as these words came out, all the civil and military officials in the court were shocked, and they all whispered and discussed. The emperor was also shocked by this sudden change and stood up from the dragon throne, shouting angrily: "Hu Bugui, do you know what you are talking about? How dare you slander the prince? Come, take him down!"

"Father, everything I said is true. If I lie, I will be cut into pieces!" Hu Bugui walked to the center of the hall regardless of everything and presented the letter and account book in his hand. "Please understand, Father!"

The emperor took the letter and read it carefully. The more he read, the uglier his expression became. When he saw the shocking figures in the account book, he was so angry that he trembled all over and shouted angrily: "Come here, announce the crown prince and the imperial concubine!"

Soon, the crown prince and the imperial concubine were brought to the throne room. The crown prince didn't know what had happened yet, and had an arrogant expression on his face. When he saw Hu Bugui's embarrassed look, he laughed triumphantly: "Royal brother, how did you get into this state? Did you get into some trouble outside and come to ask for your help?"

"Shut up!" the emperor roared, throwing the account book in his hand to the prince's feet, "Look for yourself, this is what you did!"

When the prince saw the account book, his face turned pale instantly. He knew he was finished. The imperial concubine was also terrified and knelt on the ground, begging for mercy. The emperor looked at the two people in front of him and felt extremely sad. He never expected that his most beloved son and concubine would do such a treasonous thing!

In the end, the prince was deposed, the imperial concubine was banished to the cold palace, and Hu Bugui's injustice was cleared.

When Wu Tao heard the news, she burst into tears of joy, and finally felt relieved. She ran to a small village outside the city without hesitation, and there she finally saw Hu Bugui, whom she had been thinking about day and night.

The two looked into each other's eyes, and all the words they had to say turned into tears. Wu Tao threw herself into Hu Bugui's arms, hugging him tightly, fearing that he would disappear if she let go. Hu Bugui also hugged Wu Tao tightly, feeling her warmth, listening to her heartbeat, and his heart was filled with the joy of regaining what he had lost.

"Silly girl, I'm sorry to have made you worry." Hu Bugui stroked Wu Tao's hair gently and said softly.

"I'm glad you're okay, I'm glad you're okay..." Wu Tao choked and repeated this sentence over and over again.

Chun Tao, who was standing by, couldn't help but shed tears when she saw this scene. She had always been with Wu Tao and witnessed her love and dedication to Hu Bugui. Now that she saw that the two of them had finally gotten their wish, she was filled with joy.

Hu Bugui looked at Chuntao and said gratefully: "Chuntao, this time it's all thanks to you. If you hadn't been with Tao'er all the time and taken care of her, I really don't know what I would have done."

"Son-in-law, you are too kind. This is what I should do." Chuntao said quickly.

"From now on, don't call me brother-in-law anymore. I have no way to repay your kindness to Tao'er, so I will just acknowledge you as my sister." Hu Bugui said sincerely.

Chun Tao was flattered and quickly knelt down to express her gratitude: "Your servant... no, I thank you, brother!"

In this way, Chuntao became a member of the palace, and started a new chapter of life together with Wu Tao and Hu Bugui.

"Tao'er, let's leave here." Hu Bugui looked at the green mountains in the distance, his eyes full of determination.

Wu Tao was stunned for a moment, then he understood the meaning of his words and nodded gently: "Okay, I'll listen to you." After experiencing this storm, they all understood that instead of scheming in the court, it would be better to find a paradise and live a peaceful and stable life.

They packed their simple bags, said goodbye to the simple villagers, and set off on the journey south. Chuntao looked at them reluctantly, with tears in her eyes: "Brother, sister-in-law, take care of yourself!"

"Don't worry, Chuntao, we will come back to see you often." Wu Tao held her hand, her eyes full of gratitude. If it weren't for Chuntao's careful care during this period, she really didn't know how she would have gotten through it.

Traveling south, they passed through bustling towns and quiet mountains, experienced local customs and cultures, and felt each other's warmth. They cooked together, enjoyed the scenery together, and occasionally quarreled, but they were mostly sweet and happy.

On this day, they came to a beautiful town and decided to rest there. The town was surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the people were simple and honest, which made them feel very comfortable. They rented a small house in the town and planned to live there for a while to enjoy this rare tranquility.

In the evening, the sun was setting, and the sunset glowed half the sky red. Wu Tao was busy in the kitchen, and Hu Bugui was chopping wood in the yard. Everything seemed so peaceful and tranquil. Suddenly, a rapid knock on the door broke the silence. Hu Bugui put down the axe in his hand and walked towards the door in confusion.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Hu?" A dusty man was standing outside the door. He was dressed in black, with a sword at his waist and sharp eyes. One could tell at a glance that he was a man of the world.

"It's me. Who are you?" Hu Bugui was confused, but still asked politely.

"My master has something important to discuss with you. Please move aside and talk." The man in black said in an icy tone that would not brook refusal.

Hu Bugui's heart was filled with alarm bells, and he felt a little uneasy...