Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

The Golden Palace was completely silent. Everyone held their breath and focused their eyes on that tall figure. Hu Bugui, this name has become a legend in the Tang Dynasty in the past year. With his extraordinary courage and strategy, he has repeatedly resolved crises and made great military achievements. However, this time, facing the pressure of a 100,000-strong Turkic army, everyone felt an unprecedented pressure.

"My dear Minister Hu, have you really made up your mind?" There was a hint of worry in the emperor's voice. He knew that Hu Bugui's physical condition had not yet fully recovered, and going to Liangzhou would undoubtedly be a life-threatening journey.

"Your Majesty, I have made up my mind! It is my duty to defend the Tang Dynasty!" Hu Bugui's voice was sonorous and powerful, without the slightest hesitation.

"Okay! I believe in you!" The emperor took a deep breath, his eyes full of trust and expectation, "I appoint you as the General of the Western Expedition, and you will be fully responsible for the war in Liangzhou! I hope you return triumphantly!"

"I obey your command and thank you for your grace!" Hu Bugui kowtowed again, his eyes firm and resolute.

After leaving the Jinluan Palace, Hu Bugui immediately began to prepare for the expedition. Wu Tao silently accompanied him and helped him pack his luggage, with a look of worry and reluctance in his eyes.

"Taotao, don't worry, I will come back safely." Hu Bugui gently held Wu Tao's hand, his eyes gentle and firm.

"I believe you." Wu Tao suppressed the uneasiness in his heart and tried hard to force a smile.

A few days later, Hu Bugui led a large army out of Chang'an City and headed towards the distant Liangzhou.

However, shortly after the army left Chang'an, a sudden crisis quietly arrived.

As night fell, the coalition troops camped on an open plain. To celebrate their victory, the soldiers lit a bonfire, sang and danced, and their laughter filled the night sky.

Suddenly, a piercing whistle pierced the night sky, breaking the originally joyful and peaceful atmosphere. Then, countless fireballs fell from the sky, like a meteor shower, smashing into the coalition camp.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Panic shouts echoed throughout the camp, and the originally joyful scene instantly turned into a living hell. Flames shot up into the sky, explosions occurred one after another, and the soldiers panicked and fled in all directions.

"What's going on?!" Hu Bugui rushed out of the tent and looked at the chaotic scene in front of him with a frown.

"General, we were attacked! The enemy's attack method is very strange, we have never seen it before!" A soldier ran over in panic to report.

Hu Bugui's eyes lit up, and he immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. He quickly organized his soldiers to defend and ordered the messenger to pass the news back to Chang'an City.

Wu Tao was also awakened from her sleep, and she rushed out of the tent without bothering to get dressed. Looking at the chaotic scene in front of her, her heart was filled with fear and anxiety.

"Taotao, don't be afraid, I'm here!" Hu Bugui pulled Wu Tao behind him and protected her with his body.

"Who is this? Why is he attacking us?" Wu Tao asked in horror.

"I don't know either." Hu Bugui shook his head, his eyes solemn, "But what is certain is that their purpose is not simple."

The battle lasted all night, and the enemy gradually retreated until dawn. Although the coalition forces finally repelled the enemy's attack, they suffered heavy losses.

"General, look!" a soldier exclaimed, pointing at a corpse on the ground.

Hu Bugui walked over and saw that the body was covered with strange wounds, as if it had been burned by some high temperature, and it emitted a disgusting burnt smell.

"This..." Hu Bugui frowned, his heart full of confusion and uneasiness. What kind of force is this that possesses such a strange weapon?

This sudden attack made the already complicated situation even more confusing and also cast a shadow on Hu Bugui's trip to Liangzhou.

 Chapter 76 Dangers lurking around

The first rays of dawn broke through the night, illuminating the devastated battlefield with exceptional clarity. The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and burning, reminding everyone of the nightmarish attack they had experienced last night.

Chun Tao suppressed her fear, shuttled between the wailing wounded, and bandaged their wounds skillfully. In the chaos of last night, she witnessed with her own eyes how those terrible fireballs devoured living people in an instant, and the fear was like a thorn in the bone, lingering. But she knew that now was not the time to be afraid, she had to be strong and do her best to help those in need.

"Sister Chuntao, have you heard? Those attackers don't seem to be Turks. We have never seen their weapons and tactics before!" A young maid came up to Chuntao and whispered, her tone full of fear.

"Don't talk nonsense, be careful not to be heard by the general!" Chun Tao lowered her voice and looked around vigilantly. After confirming that no one else was paying attention to this side, she continued, "We should just listen to these things and not make irresponsible comments."

"But...but I heard with my own ears several injured soldiers say that they saw the attackers use a strange spell, and then the fireballs appeared out of thin air!" The young maid was obviously frightened by what happened last night, and there was a hint of crying in her tone.

Chun Tao's heart sank. Although she said she didn't want to believe these rumors, she felt uneasy in her heart. She remembered that in the chaos last night, she seemed to have seen a black shadow flash by, with an astonishing speed, and it didn't look like an ordinary person at all. Could it be... really like those soldiers said, some kind of evil magic?

"Sister Chuntao, look, that is..." another maid exclaimed, pointing in the distance.

Chun Tao followed her gaze and saw several soldiers carrying a corpse. The corpse had been burned beyond recognition and emitted a disgusting burnt smell. However, the most horrifying thing was that there was a strange symbol engraved on the chest of the corpse, which looked like some ancient text or some mysterious totem.

Chun Tao's heart trembled, she realized that this matter was definitely not simple. She calmly ordered a few maids to continue to take care of the wounded, and she quietly left the camp and walked towards the corpse with strange symbols carved on it...

At the same time, in Chang'an, the emperor was anxiously waiting for the battle report from the front. When he learned that the coalition forces had been attacked and suffered heavy losses, and the identity and purpose of the attackers were unknown, his face suddenly turned livid.

"What a bunch of trash! So many people, but they can't even deal with a group of assassins of unknown origin!" The emperor angrily threw the memorial in his hand on the table, his anger almost setting the entire imperial study on fire.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. General Hu is a lucky man and will be fine." The old eunuch at the side whispered to comfort him.

"What I am worried about is not Hu Bugui's safety, but the emergence of this mysterious force!" The emperor took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in his heart. "If I am not mistaken, this force is likely related to the remnants of the previous opposition forces. They want to take advantage of the situation and disrupt the government!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" the old eunuch quickly echoed.

"Pass the order down, I will go to the front line in person to find out the truth!" The emperor's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, and his tone was firm and resolute. He knew that this matter was no longer a simple war, but concerned the safety of the Tang Dynasty. He had to go in person to completely solve this hidden danger!

Chuntao slowed down her pace unconsciously. The strange aura of the symbol made her feel uneasy. She squatted down and observed the symbol carefully, trying to find a similar pattern from her memory, but found nothing. The strokes of the symbol were complicated, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura, as if it came from another world.

"Have you found anything?" Hu Bugui's low voice came from behind, pulling Chuntao back from her thoughts.

"General, look at this symbol..." Chuntao pointed at the chest of the corpse and told Hu Bugui about her uneasiness.

Hu Bugui frowned, he had never seen such a symbol before. He looked around and found that many corpses had the same symbol engraved on them, but the size and position were slightly different.

"It seems that we have encountered a group of difficult enemies." Hu Bugui said in a deep voice, with a hint of solemnity in his tone, "Their identities, purposes, and weapons are all full of unknowns. We need to find out the truth as soon as possible."

"General, the emperor is here!" A soldier arrived on a fast horse and interrupted their conversation.

The emperor's arrival made the already tense atmosphere even more solemn. His face was gloomy, and there was a sharp light in his eyes.

"General Hu, I order you to lead the army to immediately wipe out these traitors and villains. Make sure to capture them all in one fell swoop!" The emperor's voice echoed in the empty battlefield, revealing unquestionable majesty.

"I obey your command!" Hu Bugui knelt on one knee, clasped his hands together, and spoke in a firm tone.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui followed the emperor on his journey. Along the way, they encountered many attacks. Those mysterious men in black seemed to be everywhere, always appearing when they least expected it.

"Be careful!" Wu Tao was quick-witted and quick-handed, and pushed Hu Bugui away. A sharp arrow flew past his ear and hit the tree trunk behind him.

"These guys are really haunting us!" Hu Bugui drew the sword from his waist, his face gloomy.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui fought side by side, relying on their extraordinary wisdom and courage to escape danger again and again. However, the enemy seemed to be endless and always followed them like a ghost.

During a fierce battle, Wu Tao accidentally discovered that every time the men in black used fireballs to attack, a faint light would flash on their chests, and the strange symbol would become abnormally bright.

"Could it be... this is their weakness?" Wu Tao's heart moved, and a bold idea came to his mind.

Wu Tao told Hu Bugui about his discovery and proposed a bold plan: use fire attack to force the men in black to reveal their flaws, and then concentrate firepower on their chests, perhaps they can completely eliminate them.

Hu Bugui agreed with Wu Tao's proposal. He knew that it was a gamble, but it was also their only chance of winning.

"Pass the order down, tell the soldiers to prepare kerosene and rockets and wait for my order!" Hu Bugui said to the messenger, his tone revealing unquestionable majesty.

At the same time, Chuntao was also busy in the rear. She led the maids to place the wounded in a safe place and prepare for the upcoming decisive battle.

"Girls, I know you are all scared, but now is not the time to be afraid. We need to unite to overcome the difficulties!" Chuntao's voice was weak but full of power, and her words inspired everyone present.

The maids nodded one after another. They knew that this battle was related to the fate of everyone. They could not retreat or give up.

Under the guidance of Wu Tao, the coalition forces formulated a detailed battle plan and chose an open plain as the battlefield for easy fire attack.

Everything is ready, just waiting for the clarion call for the decisive battle.

As night falls, the earth falls into darkness, with only a few stars dotting it.

Suddenly, a burst of shouting and killing broke the silence of the night. Men in black came like a tide, holding sharp blades in their hands, with bloodthirsty light flashing in their eyes.

"Shoot!" Hu Bugui gave an order, and countless rockets streaked across the night sky, carrying blazing flames and shot towards the enemy formation.

Flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the entire battlefield, as well as the strange symbols flashing on the chests of the men in black.

"Now, attack their chests!" Wu Tao shouted loudly.

The coalition soldiers aimed at the chest of the man in black and shot sharp arrows.

The men in black were caught off guard by this sudden attack. They panicked and their formation was in chaos.

The battle was extremely fierce, both sides were blood-thirsty, and the situation was in a stalemate.

At this moment, an unexpected person appeared in front of Wu Tao. He was wearing a black cloak and a mask on his face, so his face could not be seen clearly.

"Who are you?" Wu Tao asked vigilantly.

The man slowly took off his mask, revealing a familiar face. Wu Tao was stunned. She could never have imagined that this person was actually...

He looked at Wu Tao, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said slowly: "Do you really think that all this is a coincidence?"

His words were like thunder, exploding in Wu Tao's ears and leaving her in deep confusion.

The flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the night sky like day. The shouts of killing and the sounds of weapons clashing intertwined like a symphony of death. Wu Tao tightly grasped the sword in her hand and stared firmly ahead. She knew that this was a battle of life and death, and if she was not careful, she would be doomed.

Just as the coalition forces were fighting the men in black, a figure in a black cloak appeared silently behind Wu Tao. The man was tall and exuded a chilling sense of oppression.

"Who are you?" Wu Tao noticed something strange behind him and turned around abruptly, pointing the tip of his sword at the person who came.

The man slowly took off his hood, revealing a face that Wu Tao could not believe. "How could it be you?!" Wu Tao exclaimed, and the sword in his hand fell down weakly.

The person who came was none other than Eunuch Li, who had always taken good care of her. At this moment, Eunuch Li's face was no longer humble and respectful as before, but was replaced by a frightening sinister look. "Why, are you surprised to see this old servant?" Eunuch Li's tone was icy and piercing, without any trace of his usual kindness.

"You...why are you doing this?" Wu Tao looked at the once familiar person in front of him in disbelief, his heart full of questions and confusion.

"Why?" Eunuch Li suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter full of bitterness and helplessness, "I have served the royal family for decades, loyally, but in the end, my family is broken up! All this is thanks to you royal relatives!"

Eunuch Li's words were full of hatred and resentment, leaving Wu Tao speechless for a moment. She knew that what Eunuch Li said was true. The palace had always been full of twists and turns, with power struggles. Countless people had lost their humanity in order to fight for power and profit, and had done many outrageous things.

"So, you joined those men in black and wanted to overthrow the Tang Dynasty?" Hu Bugui came to Wu Tao at some point and stared at Eunuch Li with sharp eyes.

"Subvert the Tang Dynasty?" Eunuch Li sneered, "No, what I want is far more than that!" After saying that, he suddenly took out a black token from his arms and held it high.

As soon as the token was issued, the men in black who were fighting fiercely with the coalition forces retreated like a tide and quickly disappeared into the night.

"What is that?" Wu Tao looked at the black token in Eunuch Li's hand, and suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart.

Eunuch Li did not answer Wu Tao's question, but just looked at her coldly, then turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving only one sentence echoing in the night sky: "This game has just begun..."