Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Under the cover of darkness, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui ran all the way, followed closely by the opposition officials' pursuers. They crossed the fields and hills and finally hid in a hidden cave.

"It seems we have to hide here for a while." Wu Tao said, panting. Hu Bugui nodded, his face solemn, "Those people will not give up, we must find a way to tell the emperor the truth as soon as possible."

However, they did not know that at this moment, the opposition officials were fanning the flames in front of the emperor, putting all the blame for the out-of-control epidemic on Wu Tao and Hu Bugui. "Your Majesty," an official said with great sorrow, "since those two people intervened in the prevention and control of the epidemic, not only has the situation not improved at all, but it has become worse. This is clearly because they are not good at medicine and they take human lives lightly!"

The emperor already had a grudge against Wu Tao and Hu Bugui. Upon hearing this, he became even more furious and immediately ordered a cut in funding and resources for epidemic prevention and control.

Without the support of the imperial court, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were in a more difficult situation. The already scarce medicinal materials and supplies became even more scarce, and many patients died in agony because they could not get timely treatment. Looking at the tragic scenes before their eyes, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were heartbroken, but they were powerless.

Outside the cave, the night wind howled like the roar of a wild beast. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui did not dare to light a lamp, and could only look at each other anxiously in the faint moonlight.

"I don't know what the situation is like in the village?" Wu Tao twisted his fingers nervously, "Without the medicine, those patients..."

She didn't say anything else, but Hu Bugui understood her worries. Since the imperial court stopped supporting the village, the epidemic in the village has spread rapidly like a wild horse. At first, there were only a few patients, but now almost every household has someone falling ill.

"It will be fine," Hu Bugui held her hand, trying to give her some comfort, "We have tried our best."

However, he himself was not sure.

The news of their escape soon spread back to the village, and the villagers immediately fell into panic. Without a backbone, they were like lost lambs, watching their relatives and friends fall ill one by one, but they could do nothing to help.

"Ahem..."

Old Li at the east end of the village was coughing violently, his face flushed, and his breathing was rapid. His wife trembled as she held a bowl of water and cried, "Old man, drink some water, it will be fine..."

Old Li shook his head with difficulty. He no longer had the strength to swallow and could only weakly grasp his wife's hand. His cloudy eyes were full of fear and despair.

Even the skilled doctor was helpless in the face of such a fierce epidemic. He rushed around day and night, treating patients without sleep, but the number of patients increased, and his body gradually could not support it.

"Doctor, you should take a rest too," a villager said distressedly, "You haven't slept for several days."

The doctor shook his head and rubbed his temple tiredly, "No, there are so many patients waiting for me..."

Before he finished speaking, his eyes went dark, his body swayed, and he almost fell to the ground. Wu Tao's heart tightened, and he hurried forward to support the doctor, "Are you okay?"

The miracle doctor waved his hands and sighed weakly, "I'm fine, but this disease...I'm afraid it's difficult to cure."

Looking at the haggard face of the miracle doctor, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui felt even more depressed. They knew that they alone could not save the disaster.

"We must ask the imperial court for help!" Wu Tao said firmly, "Only the imperial court can mobilize sufficient resources to control the epidemic."

Hu Bugui also knew that this was the only hope, but would the court really lend a helping hand? Since they left the capital, they had not received any news, and the emperor's attitude was self-evident.

"Let's give it a try. Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, we can't give up." Hu Bugui clenched his fists, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.

They set out overnight and rushed to the nearest town without stopping. Along the way, they witnessed the tragic situation brought by the epidemic: deserted villages, abandoned fields, sick people lying on the roadside everywhere, groaning and crying.

"Please, save my child!" A ragged woman holding a skinny child knelt in front of them and begged bitterly.

Wu Tao's nose was sore, and he quickly stepped forward to help the woman up, "We will do our best, you take the child to a cool place to rest first."

However, when they arrived at the town full of hope, they were stunned by the scene before them. The city gates were closed, and the city walls were full of fully armed soldiers. The atmosphere was solemn, as if they were facing a great enemy.

"What's going on?" Wu Tao anxiously asked an old man passing by.

The old man shook his head and said in a low voice: "I heard that there is an epidemic in the city. No one is allowed to enter now. You should leave quickly and don't get yourself into trouble."

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked at each other, and a bad feeling welled up in their hearts. They finally arrived at the town, but they couldn't even enter the city gate, let alone ask for help from the court.

What made them even more heartbroken was that some people in official uniforms, instead of helping the people, took advantage of the situation to loot and rob the people of their remaining food and property.

"How could you do this!" Wu Tao was furious and rushed forward to argue.

"Get out of here! You're killing yourself!" The official pushed her away rudely, his eyes full of greed and indifference. A memorial from the disaster area was finally placed on the imperial desk. The more the emperor read it, the heavier his expression became. The contents of the memorial were shocking, describing the tragic situation after the epidemic got out of control, the people were displaced, and the people were living in poverty. The words revealed a breath of despair. He then realized that he had believed in the slander and ignored such a serious epidemic.

"What about Hu Bugui and Wu Tao? How are they?" The emperor stood up suddenly and asked the ministers around him anxiously. The ministers looked at each other and no one dared to answer. Since Hu Bugui was demoted to a commoner, no one has paid attention to their life or death, and no one knows their whereabouts.

"Someone, go check!" The emperor was restless, with a sense of foreboding in his heart. He remembered what Hu Bugui said before he left: "The epidemic should not be taken lightly, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."

At that time, he thought that Hu Bugui was unwilling to accept the situation and deliberately said some alarmist words. Now it seems that he had wronged him. Regret and worry surged in his heart like a tide, and for the first time, the emperor doubted his decision.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui decided to take a risk and wrote directly to the emperor for help. They wrote a long letter overnight, describing in detail the severity of the epidemic and the inaction of local officials, and begging the emperor to see the situation clearly and send a disaster relief team as soon as possible.

In order to ensure that the letter can be delivered to the emperor smoothly, they decided to escort it personally. However, their whereabouts have long been secretly monitored by opposition officials, and a conspiracy against them is quietly unfolding.

As night fell, dark clouds obscured the moonlight. The mountain path was pitch black, with only the occasional chirping of insects breaking the tranquility of the night. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui disguised themselves as ordinary farmers. They hid the letter to the emperor in the interlayer of a bamboo basket and walked carefully on the rugged mountain road.

"Bugui, do you think the emperor will believe what we say?" Wu Tao asked worriedly.

"I believe the emperor will understand the right and wrong." Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand tightly, giving her strength. "Everything we do is for the people, for all the people in the world."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves came from afar, breaking the silence of the forest. Hu Bugui's face changed, and he pulled Wu Tao to hide behind the bushes on the side of the road, and whispered: "Someone is coming, let's take a look at the situation first."

A group of people and horses came quickly. They were all dressed in black, holding swords and looking fierce. In the dim moonlight, Hu Bugui recognized the leader, who was the confidant of the opposition official!

"Oh no, they must be coming for us!" Hu Bugui's heart sank, knowing that his and Wu Tao's whereabouts had been exposed.

"What should we do?" Wu Tao also realized the danger and grabbed Hu Bugui's sleeve tightly.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Hu Bugui comforted Wu Tao, looking firmly at the approaching troops, "I'll lead them away in a while, you take the opportunity to escape and deliver the letter to the capital!"

"No, I can't leave you alone!" Wu Tao shook his head firmly, "Let's go together!"

"Be obedient! This is our only hope!" Hu Bugui said without question, "Remember, you must deliver the letter to the emperor!"

Before Wu Tao could react, Hu Bugui pushed her away, drew the dagger from his waist, and rushed towards the man in black...