Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

"I hope you can get to the bottom of this matter for me and catch those parasites in one fell swoop!" The emperor suddenly threw the teacup in his hand to the ground, and the tea splashed everywhere, just like his raging anger at the moment.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui knelt down to receive the order, but they were not afraid, only open-minded. They knew that this was a tough battle, but for the peace of the Tang Dynasty, they had no choice but to do it.

The emperor's trusted minister Du Ru secretly found Wu Tao and Hu Bugui and handed them a list. "These are the officials who have close contacts with the treacherous minister. You can start your investigation from here."

Wu Tao took the list and looked at it carefully. He found that most of the names on it were minor officials with low positions and little influence. He was puzzled. "Master Du, these people don't seem to be scary?"

Du Ruhui stroked his beard and said meaningfully: "Don't underestimate these little people. They may hold unexpected key information. You just need to let go and do it. I will provide you with all the conveniences."

So, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui disguised themselves as ordinary people, wandered around the market, and secretly investigated the details of the officials on the list. They found that these people seemed honest on the surface, but they were actually engaged in corruption and abuse of power behind the scenes. What was even more shocking was that they secretly colluded with the Turks in an attempt to subvert the Tang Dynasty with internal and external cooperation.

Most of the names on the list are unfamiliar and ordinary, just like insignificant waves in the vast sea of people. But Wu Tao and Hu Bugui know that under the calm surface of the water there are often undercurrents. These seemingly insignificant little people may hold the shocking secrets that can subvert the country.

In order to find out the truth, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui decided to take a risk and sneak into the home of the Minister of Revenue, who was the first on the list. As night fell, the two put on night clothes and sneaked into the Minister's mansion quietly.

The Minister's residence was heavily guarded, with high walls and patrolling guards shuttling back and forth, but none of this could stop Hu Bugui, who had special skills. He took Wu Tao and shuttled through the courtyard like a ghost, avoiding the guards' sight and groping towards the study.

The study was brightly lit, and Wu Tao could vaguely see the minister writing something through the window. She signaled Hu Bugui to wait outside, and she gently opened the window and jumped into the study.

Wu Tao walked lightly and slowly approached the desk, only to see that what the minister had written was actually a secret letter, on which were written words such as "internal and external collaboration" and "subvert the Tang Dynasty", which shocked her.

However, just as Wu Tao was about to take a closer look, the door of the study was suddenly pushed open, and a cold voice sounded behind him: "How dare you, you bold lunatic, trespass into my mansion!"

Wu Tao was startled and turned around, only to see the minister standing at the door with a sneer on his face and a gleaming dagger in his hand.

It turns out that this was just a trap set for them!

Wu Tao knew something was wrong, but she didn't panic. Instead, she calmly put the secret letter into her arms. The minister was furious when he saw how bold she was. He waved his dagger and stabbed at her. Wu Tao dodged, but the minister's moves were ruthless and he pressed on. How could a weak woman like her resist?

At this critical moment, a black shadow broke through the window and pounced on the minister like a hawk. The minister was caught off guard and was knocked back by the man's palm. He staggered a few steps before he could stabilize his body.

"Who dares to meddle in my business?" the assistant minister shouted angrily.

"Your opponent is me." The person who came was Hu Bugui who arrived in time. He protected Wu Tao behind him and stared at the minister with cold eyes.

When the minister recognized Hu Bugui, his face suddenly turned ugly. He knew that Hu Bugui was a martial arts expert and he was no match for him, but at this moment, the arrow was on the string and he had to shoot.

"Someone come, capture these two assassins for me!" the minister shouted, and the guards in the mansion rushed over and surrounded Hu Bugui and Wu Tao.

Hu Bugui remained calm, protecting Wu Tao behind him and said in a deep voice, "You go first, I'll cover you."

"But..." Wu Tao looked at him worriedly, unwilling to leave alone.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Hu Bugui gave her a reassuring look, then drew his sword and fought against the guards who swarmed over.

Hu Bugui's swordsmanship was extremely sharp, and each move was aimed at the vital points. The guards were no match for him and were knocked to the ground one after another. However, there were so many guards, and they kept coming one after another. Although Hu Bugui was a strong martial artist, he gradually felt exhausted.

Wu Tao hid in the dark, watching Hu Bugui being besieged by the guards, and she was extremely anxious. She knew that if they didn't find a way to break out, both of them would be in danger.

At this moment, Wu Tao had an idea. She quietly walked behind the guards, picked up a stone on the ground, and threw it far away. The sound of the stone falling startled the guards, and they all turned around to check. At this moment, Wu Tao seized the opportunity, broke through the siege, and ran out of the mansion.

Hu Bugui felt relieved when he saw Wu Tao escape from danger. He seized an opportunity, used his lightness skills to jump over the high wall, and disappeared into the night.

The minister watched Hu Bugui and Wu Tao escape, gritting his teeth in anger, but he could do nothing. He knew that tonight's operation had failed, and he had completely exposed his identity.

After escaping from the Minister's Mansion, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui met at the agreed location. Both of them were slightly injured, but fortunately they were not seriously injured.

"Are you okay?" Hu Bugui asked with concern.

"I'm fine." Wu Tao shook his head. "But you, in order to protect me, suffered a lot of injuries."

"I have thick skin and this injury is nothing." Hu Bugui smiled, "But what happened tonight made us realize that these people are more powerful than we thought. We have to be more careful in the future."

Wu Tao nodded, his heart full of worry. They originally thought that this action was just the first step to find out the truth, but they didn't expect that they had already stepped into a dangerous vortex, and if they were not careful, they would be crushed to pieces.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui returned to their residence and sat opposite each other, both looking worried. Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the door. It was the court official who had helped them before. The official brought the emperor's oral instructions, commending the two of them for their risky investigation, but also admonishing them to be careful and not act rashly. The emperor knew that this matter was of great importance, so he specially granted a token, which was like seeing the emperor, and also sent a team of elite soldiers to secretly protect them so that they could be deployed at any time.

With the emperor's support, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui felt relieved. They knew that they could not fight against those conspirators with just passion and courage. They needed a more careful plan and stronger support.

"It seems we have to change our strategy." Wu Tao pondered for a moment and said slowly, "We won't get any benefit from a head-on confrontation. We have to find another way."

Hu Bugui nodded in agreement. "You are right. The court is full of complicated connections. We cannot alert the enemy. What do you want to do?"

Wu Tao's eyes flickered, and he had a plan in mind. "We all know that we should capture the leader first, but the opponent is too powerful for us to get close. Therefore, we can only start with the people around him and find a breakthrough." Wu Tao and Hu Bugui carefully analyzed the daily life and interpersonal relationships of the opposition official and found that he had a very trusted aide named Zhang Shiye. Zhang Shiye came from a poor family and was promoted entirely by his own talents. He was loyal to the opposition official. But Wu Tao and Hu Bugui noticed that although Zhang Shiye was of a low position, he had the world in his heart and was not a person who coveted wealth and fame.

In order to persuade Master Zhang to rebel, Wu Tao decided to take the risk and approach him. She disguised herself as the daughter of a down-and-out scholar, and wandered along the road that Master Zhang had to pass every day under the pretext of studying. Master Zhang was an upright and kind person, and seeing Wu Tao's pity, he felt sympathy for her and promised to take time out every day to guide her studies.

Wu Tao took this opportunity to frequently discuss world affairs with Master Zhang, and indirectly expressed his dissatisfaction with the actions of opposition officials. At first, Master Zhang defended his master, but as Wu Tao threw out more real information about the suffering of the people and the wars at the border, Master Zhang's heart began to waver. He gradually realized that the person he was loyal to was not as dedicated to the country and the people as he imagined.

At the same time, Hu Bugui also secretly investigated Zhang's background and found that he had received favors from the court in his early years, but later his family fell into poverty and he joined the opposition officials. Hu Bugui told Wu Tao about this, and the two decided to use this to completely awaken Zhang's conscience.

On a stormy night, Wu Tao asked Master Zhang to meet her in a dilapidated temple outside the city. She revealed her and Hu Bugui's true identities, and placed the collected evidence of opposition officials in front of Master Zhang. Master Zhang looked at the shocking evidence, his face pale, his lips trembling, and his heart filled with shock and struggle. He knew that he had to make a choice, and this choice would determine his fate and might also affect the future of the entire Tang Dynasty...