Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

It was late at night, but the emperor was sleepless. He kept thinking about the contents of the secret report, and felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his heart. The secret report came from an old official in the court. The letter said that after Hu Bugui retired, he had been practicing benevolence and won the hearts of the people. Now he has recruited many talented people, and it seems that he has other intentions.

The old minister also mentioned Wu Tao in a veiled way in the letter, saying that she was not an ordinary woman, and her words and deeds were quite knowledgeable, and she was definitely not an ordinary peasant woman. These words, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples in the emperor's heart.

"Could it be that he really has a rebellious heart?" the emperor muttered to himself. He thought of Hu Bugui's resolute look before he left, and felt even more uneasy.

The next morning, the emperor told his trusted minister about this matter and ordered him to secretly investigate the details of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao. The minister took the order and left, but secretly complained in his heart. Hu Bugui once had great power in the court, and although he has retired now, there are still many of his old subordinates in the court. How easy is it to find out his details?

A few days later, the minister reported the results of the investigation to the emperor, but the emperor was shocked by the result: Hu Bugui and Wu Tao lived a simple and frugal life in the countryside. They opened a clinic and treated the people for free, and were deeply loved by the local people.

"How is this possible?" the emperor asked in disbelief, "Has he really given up everything and is willing to be an ordinary doctor?"

The minister lowered his head and dared not speak. He knew in his heart that this investigation result would not dispel the emperor's doubts, but would make him more suspicious.

Sure enough, after hearing the report, the emperor was not relieved, but even more uneasy. He thought of the words mentioned in the old minister's letter, and his doubts deepened.

"Could it be that all this was a deliberate illusion created by him? Is his purpose to paralyze me and then wait for an opportunity to act?" The emperor found it more and more terrifying the more he thought about it. He decided to go to the small mountain village in person to see what was going on.

A few days later, one morning, the tranquility of the small mountain village was suddenly broken by the sound of hurried horse hooves. Several people in official uniforms rode their horses and stopped directly in front of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao's clinic.

The villagers had never seen such a scene before, and they gathered around curiously, pointing and talking.

"What's going on? Why are there so many soldiers here?"

"I don't know. Could it be that Doctor Hu and Madam Wu have done something wrong?"

"Impossible? They are our great benefactors!"

……

Several officers dismounted and rushed into the clinic. The leading officer had a stern look on his face, and his eyes scanned everything in the clinic fiercely, finally locking his eyes on Hu Bugui and Wu Tao who were treating patients.

"Are you Hu Bugui and Wu Tao?" the officer asked in a cold tone.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other, feeling a little uneasy.

"It is I who am." Hu Bugui put down the silver needle in his hand, stood up, and answered in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "I wonder what can I do for you gentlemen?"

The officer snorted coldly, pulled out a bright yellow scroll from his bosom, unfolded it, and read aloud: "In compliance with the Emperor's order, I have come to investigate your details. If there is anything false, you will be punished according to the law!"

When the onlookers heard the words "the Emperor's order", they were immediately in an uproar.

"What? The Emperor wants to investigate Doctor Hu and Madam Wu?"

"What's going on?"

There was a sudden chaos among the crowd, mixed with fear, confusion and anger.

"Everyone be quiet!" Hu Bugui said loudly, his deep voice drowning out the noise of the crowd. "I believe that those who are innocent will be cleared. I hope all officials will be able to see clearly!"

The officer ignored Hu Bugui's words and started to ask about their origins, identities and what they had done in the village. Facing the officer's severe questioning, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao responded calmly without any panic.

However, no matter how they explained, the officials always looked suspicious, as if they were sure they were hiding something. Seeing this, the villagers came forward to testify for them, telling how they saved the dying and the wounded and how they helped the villagers improve their lives, with their words full of gratitude and admiration.

"Doctor Hu and Madam Wu are both good people! They saved many lives in our village!"

"Yeah! Without them, we don't know what we would do!"

"They were all wronged!"

However, in the face of the villagers' support, the officials were indifferent, and their cold eyes seemed to say: What do you unruly people know? Wu Tao and Hu Bugui exchanged worried glances. They understood that this sudden investigation was not accidental, and there must be a bigger conspiracy behind it. They knew how powerless "the innocent will be cleared" in the face of power. Instead of waiting for death, they might as well take the initiative.

"Sir, we are upright and not afraid of investigation," Wu Tao stepped forward and said firmly, "In order not to disturb the village, we are willing to follow you to the capital and report to the emperor in person to prove our innocence."

The officers looked at each other in bewilderment, obviously not expecting Wu Tao to be so straightforward, but thinking of the purpose of this trip, they nodded and agreed.

A few days later, they arrived at the prosperous city of Chang'an. However, what awaited them was not the fair trial they had imagined, but a series of difficulties and frame-ups. They were arranged to stay in a simple room at the post station, and their three meals a day were just simple meals, which was in stark contrast to their peaceful life in the mountain village.

What made them even more uneasy was that the officials who came to question them were arrogant and sarcastic, as if they had determined that they were guilty. They asked Wu Tao about her background in an indirect way, hinting that her identity was suspicious, trying to get some clues from her.

"Madam Wu, you are a weak woman, but you have such superb medical skills. Where did you learn them?" an official asked sarcastically, his eyes full of suspicion.

Wu Tao had expected that they would make a fuss about this matter, so she replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Your Excellency, I have been weak and sickly since childhood. Fortunately, a wandering Taoist priest saved me and taught me medical skills. Now I have learned a little bit and can relieve the pain of the villagers."

"Oh? Taoist Priest Youfang? I wonder where this Taoist priest is now? Could you ask him to come and speak a fair word for you?" The official pressed on step by step, trying to make her reveal her true identity.

Wu Tao sneered in her heart, they were going to force her into a desperate situation.

"Mrs. Wu, have you forgotten? Taoist Priest Youfang has been around without a trace, how can you find him?" The official was pressing, and Wu Tao was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to answer. Just as she was in trouble, a guard hurried into the hall and whispered a few words in the ear of the presiding official. The official's face changed, and he immediately stood up, bowed to Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, and said, "Wait a moment, the emperor will summon you soon."

It turned out that the genius doctor had many connections in the palace. After he learned about the experience of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, he asked someone to pass the news to a doctor who was on good terms with the queen. The doctor knew that Wu Tao was a skilled doctor and had received her guidance, so he informed the queen of the matter. The queen was kind and sympathetic to the experience of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, so she persuaded the emperor to personally interrogate them to prevent them from being wrongly accused.

In the imperial study, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui explained the whole story in detail and produced evidence of collusion between the officials who framed them and the opposition. They obtained this evidence during their secret investigation on the way to Beijing. They originally planned to use it to protect themselves at a critical moment. They did not expect that the emperor would personally interrogate them, which gave them hope.

After listening to their statements and carefully reviewing the evidence, the emperor was furious and immediately ordered the officials who falsely accused loyal and good people to be dismissed and investigated. He also praised Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, saying that they were the pillars of the country.

"You two doctors are kindhearted and care about the people. I am very pleased," the emperor said in a gentle tone, his eyes full of admiration. "I wonder what your plans are?"

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked at each other and made up their minds. "I am willing to serve the people of the world with all my heart and soul until my death." Hu Bugui said with a firm tone.

Wu Tao also said: "I hope to open a clinic, practice medicine and relieve the pain of the people."

The emperor was very pleased and immediately ordered a house to be given to them in the capital and allocated funds to build a medical clinic. He also personally inscribed the plaque "Jishitang" as a reward.

In a short time, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui became famous and became known as the "miracle doctor couple" by the people of Beijing. Their clinic was crowded with people seeking medical advice every day. They were not only skilled in medicine, but also had noble medical ethics. They did not charge poor people a penny, so they were deeply loved by the people.

However, the success of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui also attracted the jealousy and dissatisfaction of many people. Some doctors who were originally quite famous in the capital lost many patients because of their arrival, and they hated them in their hearts.

"Hmph, you're just a commoner, yet you dare to act so ostentatiously in the capital!" An old doctor sitting in his clinic said sourly while watching the people coming and going in Jishidi Hall across the street.

"I heard that they have cured many difficult and complicated diseases, and even the imperial doctors in the Imperial Medical Bureau were helpless." The young disciple next to him interrupted.

"Hmph, it's just some unorthodox methods!" the old doctor said disdainfully, "It will be exposed sooner or later!"

These disgruntled people gathered together to discuss how to deal with Wu Tao and Hu Bugui. They spread rumors, slandered their medical skills, and even secretly tripped them up in an attempt to embarrass them.

One day, a gorgeously dressed woman came to Jishitang, claiming that her child had a strange disease and had sought medical treatment from many places without success. After hearing that Wu Tao was a skilled doctor, she came to seek medical treatment. Wu Tao carefully inquired about the child's condition and found that it was a very rare disease that required a special herb to cure.

"Ma'am, please rest assured. I happen to have this kind of herb here, but..." Wu Tao deliberately paused here.

"Just what?" the woman asked anxiously.

"It's just that this herb is very precious and difficult to preserve. It requires special processing methods." Wu Tao said slowly, "I need some time to prepare."

"How long will it take?" the woman asked.

"Three days." Wu Tao said, "Come back with the child in three days, and I will do my best."

The woman thanked him profusely and left. However, just as she left, a mysterious man came to Jishitang and secretly poured a bag of medicine powder into the place where Wu Tao stored the herbs...