Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

The old man leaned over to Wu Tao's ear and whispered a few words. Wu Tao's face suddenly changed, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she was struggling. Finally, she took a deep breath, nodded with a firm look in her eyes, and said, "I promise you."

The old man smiled with satisfaction, took out a porcelain bottle from his arms, poured out a black pill, and fed it to Hu Bugui. After taking the pill, Hu Bugui's breath gradually stabilized, and his face regained some color.

"He is no longer in danger of death, but it will take some time for him to fully recover." The old man said, and stood up and walked out. "Come with me, I will take you to a place."

Wu Tao supported Hu Bugui and followed the old man out of the ruined temple. The old man led them westward through a dense forest and came to a valley. The valley was filled with birdsong and flowers, and the scenery was pleasant, forming a sharp contrast with the bleakness outside the mountain.

"Where is this?" Wu Tao looked around and asked curiously.

"This is my residence. You can rest and recuperate here." The old man said, pointing to a bamboo house not far away. "There are clean clothes and food there. You can go and pack them first."

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui thanked the old man and walked into the bamboo house. Although the bamboo house was simple, it was very clean, and there were some fresh fruits and snacks on the table. Wu Tao helped Hu Bugui change into clean clothes and fed him some water. Hu Bugui finally opened his eyes slowly.

"Taotao..." Hu Bugui called out weakly in a hoarse voice.

"You're awake!" Wu Tao held his hand in surprise, "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine..." Hu Bugui looked around and asked in confusion, "Where is this place? How did we get here?"

Wu Tao was about to explain when he suddenly heard a hearty laugh coming from outside the house, "Hahaha, old friend, long time no see!"

"It seems that a distinguished guest has come to visit us." The old man said, and stood up to greet him.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked at each other, their hearts full of doubts. They followed the old man out of the bamboo house and saw a burly man standing in the yard. This man was wearing coarse linen clothes, with a long sword on his waist and a generous smile on his face, which made people feel good about him at first sight.

"Who is this?" Hu Bugui asked.

"This is Senior Duan, who is known as the 'Iron Palm Sword' in the martial arts world. He is a well-known hero in the martial arts world." The old man introduced.

"Hello, Senior Duan." Wu Tao and Hu Bugui hurriedly saluted.

Senior Duan waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite. I have heard about your deeds a long time ago. Seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed heroes when you are young!"

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were humble, but they were even more confused. How could this chivalrous hero suddenly appear here? Could it be related to the old man before?

"Senior Duan, you are too kind." Hu Bugui coughed lightly and said with his weak body, "We were harmed by the villains and had no choice but to flee here. We don't deserve the word 'hero'."

"Brother Hu, don't underestimate yourself." Senior Duan smiled heartily and patted Hu Bugui on the shoulder. "I have been in the martial arts world for many years and have met countless people. You two are both very impressive and are definitely not ordinary people. You will become great people in the future."

Wu Tao's heart moved, and he asked tentatively: "Senior Duan, you seem to know both of us quite well?"

Senior Duan smiled slightly and turned to look at the old man beside him. The old man nodded and said, "Miss Taotao, to be honest with you, Brother Duan and I are close friends. He came here this time just to help you."

When Wu Tao and Hu Bugui heard this, a glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in their hearts. Hu Bugui even asked excitedly: "Senior Duan, do you know the current situation in the court?"

"I know a thing or two about this matter." Senior Duan's expression was stern, and he said in a deep voice, "Now in the court, treacherous ministers are in power, loyal and good people are being killed, and the people are living in dire straits. This time, I came here to gather righteous people from all over the world to fight against the treacherous ministers together and restore peace to the world!"

"Senior Duan is so righteous!" Wu Tao and Hu Bugui said in unison, their eyes full of admiration.

"Brother Duan, what are you going to do?" asked the old man.

"I have contacted some friends in the martial arts world, and they are all willing to serve the country." Senior Duan said, "What we lack most now is a force that can compete with the imperial court."

"I understand." Hu Bugui said with a firm look in his eyes, "Senior Duan, I am willing to join you and fight alongside you!"

"Brother Hu, the injuries on your body..." Wu Tao said with some concern.

"Taotao, don't worry, I'm fine." Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand and said firmly, "I can't sit idly by any longer. I want justice for those innocent victims!"

Seeing Hu Bugui so determined, Wu Tao no longer tried to stop him. She knew that this was Hu Bugui's mission and also their common responsibility.

"Good! With Brother Hu's words, I feel relieved!" Senior Duan laughed and said, "Let's go and contact other heroes to discuss the plan together!"

Therefore, under the leadership of Senior Duan, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui embarked on a road full of thorns and challenges. They knew that the road ahead was full of dangers, but for the justice in their hearts and for the people of the world, they had no hesitation!

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui followed Senior Duan all the way south, and contacted many chivalrous men along the way. Most of these chivalrous men had unique skills, but they also had their own concerns and had no confidence in overthrowing the current rule.

"Senior Duan, you are a highly respected knight in the martial arts world, and we all admire you. However, the imperial court is powerful, and all of us combined are just a drop in the ocean. How can we compete with it?" A lean knight holding a long sword couldn't help but question.

"Yes, Senior Duan, we have also heard about what happened to Mr. Hu and Miss Wu, and we hate the corruption in the court. However, a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake. If we act rashly, we may bring about fatal disaster!" Another knight echoed, his tone full of worry.

Facing everyone's doubts, Senior Duan did not get angry. He just stroked his gray beard and said calmly: "My fellow heroes, I understand your concerns. The power of the court is indeed huge, but it is not indestructible. Nowadays, treacherous officials are in power, loyal officials are being killed, and the people are living in dire straits. If we stand by and let the treacherous officials disrupt the government, wouldn't we be unworthy of the word "chivalry"? "

"Senior Duan is absolutely right. But how can we overthrow the imperial court and bring peace and prosperity to the world?" asked the knight holding the long sword.

"We need to unite all the forces that can be united!" Hu Bugui, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up, "My fellow heroes, you are all well-known figures in the martial arts world, with great martial arts skills and chivalrous deeds. If we can unite and fight against the court together, we will be able to overthrow the rule of the treacherous officials!"

"Mr. Hu is right!" Wu Tao also stood up and said, "We can no longer fight alone like before. Only by uniting together can we defeat the powerful enemy!"

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui talked back and forth, making everyone excited, and their original concerns gradually dissipated. Yes, they were all chivalrous men, how could they watch the court become corrupt?

"Okay! Master Hu and Miss Wu are right. We are willing to fight alongside you!"

"Yes! Unite and overthrow the court!"

Seeing the excitement of the crowd, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui smiled at each other, their hearts full of hope. They knew that this was only the first step, but it was a crucial step. They were no longer fighting alone, they had companions, comrades-in-arms, and a common goal!

"Okay! Since everyone has no objection, let's start discussing the specific plan!" Senior Duan looked at everyone with satisfaction and said in a loud voice.

So, everyone sat together and began to discuss how to fight against the court, how to rescue the emperor, and how to restore peace to the world.

After discussing for a whole night, they finally came up with a bold and thorough plan. At the same time, the opposition officials in the palace were not united. Some officials were already suspicious of their actions, and now they saw that they were going even further and even put the emperor under house arrest, which made them even more dissatisfied.

"Mr. Prime Minister, if this continues, I'm afraid it will cause chaos in the world!" said an old minister worriedly.

The Prime Minister snorted coldly and said, "Humph, now that we have power in our hands, who dares to rebel? Besides, the emperor is old and frail, and is unable to handle state affairs. We are doing this for the sake of the country!"

"But, the emperor is the ruler of a country after all. What we are doing is no different from treason?" Another official also stood up to object.

"How dare you question my decision?" The prime minister was furious. He pointed at the officials who opposed the decision and shouted, "Come here, arrest these traitors!"

However, before the prime minister's order was executed, a burst of shouting and killing suddenly came from outside the palace.

"Oh no! Someone is attacking the palace!"

The prime minister was horrified and hurriedly led his confidants to check. It turned out that Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, with the help of senior Duan and other chivalrous men, had secretly sneaked into the palace and launched a surprise attack. They were unstoppable and soon reached the emperor's bedroom where he was under house arrest.

"Your Majesty, we are here to rescue you!" Hu Bugui kicked open the door of the bedroom and shouted inside.

The emperor was trapped in his bedroom at this time and was extremely anxious. When he heard Hu Bugui's voice, he was overjoyed.

"My dear, you are finally here!"

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui hurried forward and untied the ropes on the emperor.

"Your Majesty, please follow us and leave here first!"

The emperor nodded and left the palace under the escort of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui.

The emperor was deeply moved by the righteous deeds of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui. He looked at the young couple in front of him with hope in his heart. The experience of being under house arrest during this period made him see the dangers in the court and made him cherish the loyalty in front of him even more.

"My two beloved ministers, you have made great contributions in rescuing me. I will reward you handsomely!" the emperor said excitedly, tears glistening in his cloudy eyes.

Wu Tao knelt down quickly and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not take credit for it. Saving you is what I should do."

Hu Bugui also knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to devote my life to the Tang Dynasty until my death."

"Good, good!" The emperor said twice and helped the two of them up. "I believe you are all talented pillars of the Tang Dynasty. The court is in chaos now. I need your strength to help me eliminate the treacherous and return peace to the Tang Dynasty!"

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked at each other, their eyes full of determination, and they said in unison: "We obey your order!"

The news that the emperor had regained his freedom spread quickly throughout the palace, and those officials who had been waiting to see the emperor changed sides and came to see the emperor. The prime minister and his party saw that the situation was hopeless and they had no choice but to surrender.

The palace coup ended in a lightning speed. With the help of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, the emperor quickly controlled the situation and reorganized the court. Those officials who participated in the rebellion were severely punished.

However, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui understand that this is just the beginning, and the real challenge is still to come. The officials who have been eradicated are just the tip of the iceberg, and there is no telling how many forces are hidden in the dark. To completely eradicate these cancers and restore peace and prosperity to the Tang Dynasty, they still have a long way to go.

Late one night, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were walking in the imperial garden. They were looking at the starry sky, their hearts filled with worry.

"Bugui, do you think we can really succeed?" Wu Tao asked softly, with a hint of confusion in his tone.

Hu Bugui held her hand and said firmly: "Tao'er, believe me, we can do it!"