Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

The soldier's words exploded in their ears like thunder, and Wu Tao and Hu Bugui's hearts sank suddenly.

"What happened? His Majesty..." Hu Bugui grabbed the soldier's collar and asked anxiously.

The soldier panted and said intermittently: "The Imperial Guards...rebelled...surrounded the palace...Your Majesty...is trapped..."

"What?!" Hu Bugui and Wu Tao exclaimed almost at the same time.

Without time to think, Hu Bugui immediately jumped on his horse, led the soldiers and left, "Lead the way, back to the palace!"

However, the soldier was embarrassed and said in a trembling voice: "Your Highness, it's too late. The palace gate has been blocked and we can't get out..."

Hu Bugui was extremely anxious, but he also knew that forcing his way into the palace was like hitting a rock with an egg. He forced himself to calm down, got off his horse, and paced anxiously.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?" Wu Tao clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deeply into his palms, but he was completely unaware.

In the dim room, only a shabby window let in a faint light, shining on Hu Bugui's face, outlining his deep brows, but unable to conceal the loneliness and self-blame in his eyes.

"It's all my fault. I was too naive. I thought I could avoid all the disputes by leaving Chang'an. I didn't expect..." Hu Bugui closed his eyes in pain, his voice low and hoarse.

Wu Tao walked up to him, gently held his hand, and tried to give him some strength. "Don't blame you. No one wants this to happen. Now is not the time to blame yourself. We have to find a way. There must be a way..."

"What can we do? Is there any other way?" Hu Bugui smiled bitterly, loosened his hands helplessly, held his head with both hands, and said painfully, "We can't even protect ourselves now, what else can we do? I'm really useless..."

"No, you've done very well," Wu Tao held his hand tightly, as if to pass on his strength to him, "If it weren't for you, His Majesty the Emperor would have already..."

She didn't say anything more, but Hu Bugui understood what she meant. If it weren't for him, the emperor might have been assassinated by those opposition officials long ago. Thinking of this, Hu Bugui blamed himself even more and felt even more powerless.

"But I still failed," he murmured to himself, "I can't protect your majesty, nor can I protect you..."

"No, we haven't failed yet!" Wu Tao raised his voice and said firmly, "We have just encountered some difficulties temporarily, but we can definitely overcome them! Do you still remember how we escaped from Chang'an? Do you still remember how we avoided those pursuers? We have been through so much and survived it all. This time, we can definitely do it too!"

Her voice was like a beam of light, shining into Hu Bugui's heart, rekindling a glimmer of hope in his dark world. He raised his head and looked at the strong woman in front of him, his heart filled with emotion and warmth.

Yes, they have gone through so many hardships along the way. From the initial escape, to the later hiding of identities, to the current displacement, they have never given up hope, and have never given up on each other.

They had experienced life and death together, and shared happy times together. They had strolled under the moonlight, and made wishes under the stars. The feelings between them had long surpassed love, and had become a bond of mutual support and life and death. Wu Tao looked at Hu Bugui's dejected back, and her heart ached. She knew that Hu Bugui had carried too much, and these burdens made him breathless. He used to be a favored child of heaven, the most dazzling young general in Chang'an City, but now he had fallen to such a state, and anyone would find it hard to bear.

"We still have hope, don't we?" Wu Tao walked up to him and whispered. Hu Bugui looked up at her, his eyes full of confusion and helplessness, as if asking, what hope is there? Wu Tao took a deep breath, and an idea flashed through his mind, "Jianghu Xiake! We can ask Jianghu Xiake for help!"

Hu Bugui was stunned at first, then smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Chivalrous knights? Those are legendary figures, erratic and hard to find. Where can we find them?"

"How do we know if we don't try?" Wu Tao's eyes were firm. "I've heard that there is a group of chivalrous men in the martial arts world. They are good at martial arts and are chivalrous. If we can get their help, we may still have a chance of survival."

Hu Bugui was silent. He had been immersed in power struggles for many years and knew that people were treacherous. He had always disdained the legends of Jianghu knights. But now, he had to admit that they had no choice but to pursue this illusory hope.

"The Jianghu is dangerous and people's hearts are hard to predict," Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao worriedly, "We know nothing about the Jianghu. If we go there rashly, it will probably be even more dangerous."

"I know," Wu Tao nodded, with a determined look in his eyes, "but we can't just sit there and wait for death, right? Instead of struggling here, we might as well give it a try! I believe there are still many good people in this world, and we will definitely find people who are willing to help us."

Seeing Wu Tao's hopeful eyes, Hu Bugui finally nodded. He knew that Wu Tao was right. They had no way out and could only fight to the death. Even if there was little hope, they had to grasp this last straw. They embarked on a journey to find the chivalrous knights, from prosperous towns to remote villages, and their footprints were all over the mountains and rivers of the Tang Dynasty. They walked the streets and alleys, asking around, and asked everyone they met: "May I ask where to find the chivalrous knight?" But they often got confused eyes and perfunctory answers.

Some people say that the heroes in the martial arts world are elusive, with an unknown whereabouts and as elusive as smoke; some people say that they live in seclusion in the deep mountains and old forests, ignore worldly affairs, and devote themselves to cultivation; others say that they have long disappeared in the long river of history, leaving only some legends for future generations to comment on.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were like people searching for an isolated island in the vast ocean, with little hope, but unwilling to give up. They slept in the open air and experienced many hardships, but still could not find any clues about the chivalrous knight. Disappointment and fatigue were like two huge mountains, weighing them down and making them breathless.

"Are we really going to give up?" Wu Tao muttered to herself as she looked at the starry sky. Hu Bugui held her in his arms and comforted her softly, "Don't be discouraged. We have tried our best. Even if we can't find the chivalrous hero, we must persist, for ourselves and for those who support us."

However, fate always seemed to play tricks on them. Just when they were about to despair, a sudden rainstorm trapped them in a dilapidated temple. To make matters worse, Hu Bugui's old injury relapsed due to the rain, and his high fever would not subside.

Looking at the unconscious Hu Bugui, Wu Tao was extremely anxious, but she had no idea what to do. Were they really going to die here? Despair surged into her heart like a tide, surrounding her tightly.

Outside the ruined temple, the sound of rain was pattering, as if even the heavens were feeling sad for their fate. Wu Tao tightly held Hu Bugui's burning hand, her heart filled with bitterness. Were they really going to be trapped to death in this place?

"No, I can't give up!" Wu Tao stood up suddenly, her eyes determined, "There must be another way, there must be another way!" She began to search around in the dilapidated temple, hoping to find something useful. The dilapidated temple had been in disrepair for a long time, with dust and cobwebs everywhere. The only thing that could prove that this place was once prosperous was the broken statue.

Wu Tao knelt in front of the statue, clasped his hands together, and prayed devoutly: "God, please bless Hu Bugui to be safe and sound. I am willing to pay any price!"

"Are you really willing to pay any price?" An old voice suddenly sounded in my ears.

Wu Tao turned around suddenly and saw an old man in a gray robe appearing at the temple gate. The old man had white hair and beard, a gaunt face, and a pair of eyes as deep as the sea, as if he could see through everything.

"Who are you?" Wu Tao asked vigilantly.

The old man smiled slightly and did not answer. He just walked slowly to Hu Bugui and touched his forehead with his hand. "Such a serious injury. It seems that I came at the right time."

A glimmer of hope ignited in Wu Tao's heart, "Old man, are you a doctor? Please save him!"

The old man withdrew his hand and turned to look at Wu Tao, "I can save him, but are you sure you are willing to pay any price?"

Wu Tao nodded without hesitation, "As long as I can save him, I'm willing to do anything!"

A hint of appreciation flashed in the old man's eyes. "Good, very good. Come closer and listen..."