Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

"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.

Since leaving Chang'an, Hu Bugui has started to investigate the whereabouts of the prince's remnants. He secretly visited many places and met some suspicious people, but he still couldn't find any trace of the prince's remnants. However, just when he was about to give up, he accidentally discovered a mysterious organization hidden in the dark.

This organization was secretive and powerful, with influence all over the government and the country, and even some local officials were connected with them. Hu Bugui secretly collected a lot of information about this organization, but he was still unable to find out their true purpose.

"This organization has a tight structure, strict hierarchy, quick actions, and strict discipline. It is definitely not an ordinary gang." Wu Tao frowned as she looked at the information collected by Hu Bugui.

"I suspect they are the remnants of the previous dynasty and are trying to overthrow the Tang Dynasty." Hu Bugui pondered for a moment and expressed his guess.

Wu Tao carefully analyzed the information collected by Hu Bugui and combined it with his own understanding of history. He found that the style of this organization was very similar to that of a secret organization called "Dark Shadow Pavilion" in the previous dynasty. The "Dark Shadow Pavilion" was established by the emperor of the previous dynasty to consolidate his rule. It was responsible for secret tasks such as assassination and intelligence gathering. Its members were spread all over the world and had great power. Later, it disappeared with the demise of the previous dynasty.

"If this organization is really the 'Shadow Pavilion', then their goal is most likely to restore the monarchy." Wu Tao's tone was full of worry.

"Shadow Pavilion..." Hu Bugui repeated the name, feeling uneasy. "If this is true, then things will be troublesome."

The peaceful days did not last long. An undercurrent began to surge in the seemingly prosperous capital. First, a granary in the west of the city caught fire for no reason, and then an official residence in the east of the city was looted. For a time, people were panicked and rumors spread.

"Have you heard? Something happened again in the south of the city last night. A pawn shop was robbed and the owner was killed!"

"What's wrong with this world? Why do things happen every other day?"

"Who knows? I heard there were thieves causing trouble, and the government is trying to catch them!"

The people were talking about it and were full of worries about the future. Behind these seemingly ordinary cases, there seemed to be an invisible hand controlling everything. Its purpose was self-evident, which was to create chaos and shake the people's hearts.

In the palace, the emperor was furious when he heard about the series of cases and severely reprimanded the officials in charge of the capital's security.

"A bunch of useless people! If you can't even defend the capital, what use do I have for you?"

The officials were so frightened that they knelt on the ground and dared not speak. At this time, an old minister stood up and bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. In my opinion, these cases are not the work of ordinary thieves. There may be other hidden reasons behind them."

The emperor suppressed his anger and asked, "What do you think, my dear minister?"

The old minister said in a deep voice: "The time and place of these cases are too coincidental, and the methods used to commit the crimes are cruel and the targets are clear. It is definitely not something that ordinary thieves can do. I suspect that there may be an organized and premeditated action behind this, and the purpose is probably..."

The old minister did not continue speaking, but the emperor had understood what he meant, and his face suddenly became even gloomier. He pondered for a moment, and his eyes swept over the officials kneeling on the ground, and finally fell on one of them.

"Hu Bugui, I order you to be the Imperial Commissioner. You must thoroughly investigate this matter and bring the mastermind behind it to justice. Do you understand?"

Hu Bugui was shocked. He did not expect that the emperor would entrust him with such an important task, but he understood that this was the emperor's trust in him and also an opportunity for him to serve the court.

"I will obey your orders and live up to your majesty's high expectations!"

Hu Bugui received the imperial edict and did not dare to slack off. He immediately launched an investigation. He knew that this matter was very serious and that any carelessness would alert the enemy and even endanger his own safety. In order not to arouse suspicion, he decided to go incognito and investigate secretly. After Wu Tao learned about this, she was worried and insisted on going with him. "It's too dangerous for you, a girl, to go with me." Hu Bugui said worriedly. "I'm not afraid! I know some medical skills and may be able to help at a critical moment." Wu Tao insisted. Hu Bugui couldn't persuade her and had to agree to let her go with him.

After some disguises, the two used the aliases "Huan" and "Taoyao" and mixed in the market as vendors. Based on the clues they had collected before, they tracked down the mysterious organization and finally found a base - an abandoned temple on the outskirts of the city.

As night fell, the moon was dark and the wind was high, which was a good time to act. Hu Bugui and Wu Tao sneaked into the temple and found that it was heavily guarded, and it was obvious that they had been prepared. They carefully avoided the patrolling guards and finally found the secret room where the confidential documents were stored.

Just as they were about to open the door to the secret room, a sinister laugh suddenly rang out. "Haha, it's really true that after searching for a long time, I finally found it without any effort!"

Hu Bugui was shocked and thought to himself, "Oh no, I've fallen into a trap!" He turned around suddenly and saw that a group of men in black had surrounded them. The leader was the mysterious man who had been observing them in secret.

"Who are you? What do you want to do?" Hu Bugui asked sternly, while protecting Wu Tao behind him.

"The one who wants to kill you!" The mysterious man sneered and waved his hand, "Come on!"

The men in black rushed forward and surrounded Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, with swords flashing and murderous intent. Hu Bugui fought hard, but the other side was outnumbered and he gradually felt powerless.

"Taoyao, run!" Hu Bugui shouted, and tried his best to repel a man in black, opening an escape route for Wu Tao.

"I won't leave! If you want to go, let's go together!" Wu Tao shook her head firmly. She didn't want to leave Hu Bugui behind and escape alone.

"Don't be silly! Go quickly and get help!" Hu Bugui said anxiously. He knew that if Wu Tao didn't leave, they would all die here today.

Seeing that Hu Bugui had made up his mind, Wu Tao could only nod with tears in her eyes and turned to run out. However, before she had taken a few steps, she was blocked by the man in black.

"Want to leave? Not that easy!" The man in black grinned and swung his knife at Wu Tao.

"Taoyao!" Hu Bugui's eyes were red with anger, but he could do nothing.

At this critical moment, a white shadow flashed by and knocked the man in black away.

"Who is it?!" the mysterious man exclaimed and looked at the person who came with vigilance.

I saw an old man in white holding a whisk, walking slowly out of the darkness, followed by a burly man.

"I'm Hua Tuo, and this is the hero Li, known as the 'Invincible Iron Palm'. I've come to save you." The old man smiled slightly, his eyes fell on Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, "Are you all right?"

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were immediately delighted, as if they had seen the dawn of hope. In the palace, Chuntao was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, pacing back and forth. Since Hu Bugui and Wu Tao left the palace, there has been no news. Several days have passed, and they have not returned.

"Chun Tao, don't worry. The prince is a lucky man." Although Butler Hu comforted her with his words, he was really unsure in his heart. The capital city seemed calm, but there were actually undercurrents. He didn't know how the prince's investigation was going.

At this moment, there was a rapid knock on the door. Chuntao ran to open the door and saw a man in black standing outside the door. He was wearing a bamboo hat and his face could not be seen clearly. He handed over a letter and said in a low voice, "This is a letter my master asked me to give to Prince Hu. It is a matter of great importance. I hope you can present it in time." After that, he turned around and disappeared into the night.

Chun Tao did not dare to delay and ran to the study room with the letter. Butler Hu followed her and they both opened the envelope with trepidation. The letter was written with a special potion, and the handwriting could only be revealed after being roasted with fire.

"Not good! The prince is in danger!" The few words in the letter were like a bucket of cold water poured over the two people's heads. The letter not only described in detail the location where Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were trapped, but also mentioned that the mysterious organization would launch a rebellion on the night of the full moon, and attack the capital in one fell swoop with internal and external forces. The signature was an unfamiliar symbol, like the mark of some organization.

"Full moon night? That means..." Butler Hu's face turned pale. Tonight is the full moon night! If this rebellion cannot be stopped, the entire Tang Dynasty will be plunged into war, and the consequences will be disastrous!