Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Hu Bugui stared blankly at the thin but extremely determined woman in front of him, with mixed feelings in his heart. Wu Tao's words were like the warm sunshine of spring, dispelling the haze that had accumulated in his heart for a long time. Yes, he still had her, and they still had hope.

"Tao'er, thank you." Hu Bugui gently embraced Wu Tao in his arms, feeling her warmth, and an unprecedented strength surged in his heart.

For several days, Wu Tao had been with Hu Bugui, observing the situation inside and outside the military camp. Although she was not familiar with the art of war, her modern knowledge and keen observation of the situation gave her a unique insight into the war.

"Bugui, I found that the enemy camp's defense was lax, especially at night, and the number of patrolling soldiers decreased significantly." Wu Tao pointed to the location of the enemy camp on the map, frowning slightly, "We can consider a night attack."

"Night attack?" Hu Bugui hesitated. "The enemy has a large number of troops. It would be too risky for us to act rashly."

"I know, but we can use fire attack." Wu Tao's eyes flashed with confidence. "The enemy camp is surrounded by dense trees and many flammable materials. We can send an elite force to sneak into the enemy camp under the cover of night and set fire to them when they are unprepared. This will disrupt their formation and then launch a general attack."

After listening to Wu Tao's analysis, Hu Bugui's eyes lit up. This seemingly risky plan actually had unexpected results. He studied the map carefully, asked the military advisor for his opinion, and finally decided to adopt Wu Tao's suggestion.

The military advisor formulated a detailed battle plan based on Wu Tao's ideas, dividing the soldiers into three groups, responsible for infiltration, fire attack and frontal attack. When the soldiers learned of this bold plan, their morale was greatly boosted, and they all expressed their willingness to fight the enemy to the death.

As night fell, everything was quiet, with only a few stars dotting the dark night sky. A team dressed in black quietly moved towards the enemy camp, holding their weapons tightly in their hands, with firm and resolute eyes. In the distance, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao stood side by side on the hillside, looking into the distance, waiting for the arrival of dawn...

The stars were low in the sky, and the night was as dark as ink, as if a huge black curtain was covering the earth. In the distance, the flames that shot up into the sky tore through the silence of the night and illuminated half of the sky red. That was the direction of the enemy camp. Shouts, screams, and the sound of weapons colliding intertwined together, forming a chaotic and cruel war symphony.

On the hillside, Hu Bugui stared into the distance, his clenched fists showing his inner tension. Wu Tao stood beside him, her pale face also stained with a trace of solemnity. Although she believed in her plan and Hu Bugui's ability, she still couldn't suppress her worries at this moment.

"Your Highness, you don't have to worry too much. The princess is blessed by heaven and will return safely." The military advisor whispered to comfort her.

Hu Bugui nodded slightly, without saying anything, his eyes never leaving the fire. He knew how much effort Wu Tao had put into this night attack. Not only did she come up with a bold plan, she also personally participated in the battle deployment and even persuaded some veterans to accept her advice.

At this time, far away from the battlefield, Chuntao was busy leading a group of women and children. They sorted and organized food, medicine, arrows and other supplies, and loaded them onto trucks to be transported to the front line. Although she was not on the battlefield in person, Chuntao knew that she had a heavy responsibility and did not dare to slack off for a moment.

"Everyone, move faster! The soldiers on the front line are fighting hard, we must ensure that the supplies are delivered in time!" Chuntao directed everyone while wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Sister Chuntao, do you think the princess is really okay?" a young girl asked timidly, her eyes full of worry.

"Don't worry, the princess is resourceful and will be blessed by heaven." Chun Tao consoled with a smile, but she couldn't help but feel worried in her heart.

On the battlefield, the fire was getting bigger and bigger, and the enemy camp was in complete chaos. Hu Bugui's army took advantage of the situation and launched a fierce attack. The soldiers fought bravely and were unstoppable.

“Kill!—” The deafening shouts of killing resounded through the clouds and echoed in the night sky.

However, just when Hu Bugui's army was about to achieve complete victory, an accident occurred...

 Chapter 87: Dawn

The drums of war sounded, the shouts of killing shook the sky, and just when Hu Bugui's army was about to break through the enemy's main tent and achieve the final victory, an unexpected incident occurred! The enemy archers who were ambushing in the dark fired thousands of arrows at once, aiming directly at Hu Bugui who was charging at the front line!

"Your Highness, be careful!" Wu Tao was quick-witted and threw Hu Bugui to the ground, barely avoiding the fatal blow. However, she herself was shot in the shoulder by a cold arrow, and the bright red blood instantly stained her clothes.

"Wu Tao!" Hu Bugui's eyes were red with anger, and he hugged Wu Tao tightly, his heart aching. He ignored the severe pain in his shoulder, and hurriedly checked her injuries, and asked anxiously, "How are you? Where are you injured?"

Wu Tao endured the pain and gave him a pale smile: "I'm fine, just a few scrapes, it's nothing serious."

"It's already this late, and you're still trying to be brave!" Hu Bugui scolded her distressedly, and gently helped her up, "Military doctor! Call the military doctor!"

Seeing Wu Tao injured in order to save him, Hu Bugui was filled with gratitude and guilt. He knew that if she hadn't reacted quickly, he would be lying in a pool of blood.

"Your Highness, we cannot stay here for long. Let's retreat back to the camp first." The military advisor reminded anxiously.

Hu Bugui nodded, carefully held Wu Tao, and quickly evacuated the battlefield under the protection of the soldiers.

After returning to the camp, the military doctor immediately treated Wu Tao's wound. Fortunately, the arrow wound was not deep, but he had lost too much blood and needed to be nursed back to health for a while.

The night was dark, the bonfire flickered, and the shadows in the tent became longer and shorter. Hu Bugui sat by the bed, looking at the sleeping Wu Tao tenderly, his heart full of pity.

"Why are you so stupid? Knowing the danger, you still want to save me at all costs?" He gently stroked her pale face and whispered in a low voice.

Perhaps because of the pain, Wu Tao frowned slightly and groaned. Hu Bugui quickly held her hand and comforted her softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm by your side."

Feeling his warmth, Wu Tao slowly opened her eyes and smiled weakly: "I'm fine, sorry to have made you worry."

"Silly boy, you were injured while saving me, how can I not worry?" Hu Bugui said with heartache.

"I promised you that I would face the storm with you, and I will not break my promise." Wu Tao said softly, with a firm and persistent look in his eyes. "Besides, I believe in your ability, and I also believe that we will achieve the final victory."

Hu Bugui was deeply moved by her courage and trust. He leaned over, gently kissed her forehead, and said softly, "Thank you, Wu Tao."

Outside the window, the night was as blue as water, dotted with stars. After a fierce battle, the camp returned to peace, with only a few occasional coughs and groans reminding people of the cruelty of war.

In this battle, Wu Tao's wisdom and bravery won the respect and trust of the soldiers, and also made Hu Bugui admire her even more. They fought side by side and faced the wind and rain together. Their feelings also quietly warmed up in this war. When the time is right, the most gorgeous flowers will bloom.

However, the dark clouds of war have not dissipated, the enemy is still eyeing them, and new challenges are still waiting for them. Wu Tao looked at the night sky outside the tent, and suddenly had a bold idea in his mind...

The next morning, Wu Tao felt much better. She struggled to get up, but the wound on her shoulder was affected, and she couldn't help but let out a cry.

"Taotao, why are you moving around instead of taking a good rest?" Chuntao came in with a bowl of medicine. Seeing this, she quickly put it down and went forward to support her.

"I'm fine, I just lay down for too long and wanted to get up and walk around." Wu Tao smiled and motioned Chun Tao to help her sit down at the table.

Outside the window, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the flowers were fragrant, which formed a sharp contrast with the smoke of yesterday. Wu Tao looked into the distance, but he was not at ease. Although this battle temporarily repelled the enemy, they were obviously well prepared and would never give up easily.

"Chun Tao, tell me, is there any way to make our army stronger?" Wu Tao murmured to himself.

Chun Tao thought for a moment and replied, "To fight a war, we need strong soldiers and sufficient food and grass. I heard that the enemy has assembled a hundred thousand troops this time, and they are coming with great force!"

Wu Tao shook his head: "Numbers are important, but morale and strategy are more important. If we can find a way to boost morale and reduce casualties, then the balance of victory will naturally tilt towards us."

"Reduce casualties?" Chuntao's eyes lit up. "Taotao, I remember you said before that in your era there was a place called... a hospital, which was dedicated to treating the wounded, right?"

"You mean the hospital? Yes!" Wu Tao stood up suddenly and said excitedly, "We can emulate the modern medical system and set up a medical camp near the battlefield to treat injured soldiers in time!"

Wu Tao became more and more excited as she spoke, and she told Chun Tao her ideas in detail. In modern times, battlefield first aid and rear hospitals have developed very maturely. If these concepts can be applied to ancient battlefields, it will definitely greatly improve the combat effectiveness of the army.

Chuntao nodded repeatedly, her eyes full of admiration: "Taotao, your idea is really great! If it can really be realized, the casualties of our army will definitely be greatly reduced."

"There is no time to lose, let's go and ask for an audience with the prince now!" Wu Tao said, and was about to pull Chuntao out.

"Taotao, your injury..." Chuntao looked at her worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Wu Tao patted her hand, with a determined light in his eyes, "For this war, for all the soldiers who fought bloody battles, my pain is nothing!" Wu Tao, supported by Chun Tao, came all the way to Hu Bugui's study. She ignored the etiquette and eagerly told him her thoughts. Hu Bugui just listened quietly at first, frowning slightly, as if thinking about something. After Wu Tao finished speaking, he slowly said: "Establishing a medical camp to treat the wounded in time... This idea is indeed unheard of."

"Your Majesty, I know this sounds a bit far-fetched, but in my hometown, this is a very common thing." Wu Tao said sincerely, "I believe that as long as we are willing to try, we will be able to overcome difficulties and make it come true!"

Hu Bugui was silent for a moment, and looked at Wu Tao with deep eyes: "All of what you said requires a lot of manpower and material resources, and also requires talents who understand medical skills. How easy is that?"

"Your Highness, I am willing to do my best!" Wu Tao said firmly, "I will write down everything I know, including how to build a camp, how to treat wounds, how to prevent infection... I believe that as long as we work together, we will be able to overcome the difficulties!"

Hu Bugui looked at the thin but determined woman in front of him, and a warm feeling surged in his heart. He nodded: "Okay, I promise you. I will send people to recruit doctors from the public, and at the same time allocate all the supplies you need. Just ask for what you need."

Wu Tao smiled happily when he heard this: "Thank you, Your Majesty! I will do my best to live up to your expectations!"

After getting Hu Bugui's support, Wu Tao immediately threw herself into the intensive preparation work. She compiled her first aid knowledge and medical concepts into a book based on the actual situation of the time, and began to train medical staff.

Thanks to Wu Tao's efforts, simple medical camps were quickly built, and the wounded were promptly sent for treatment and properly cared for. The casualty rate on the battlefield dropped significantly, and the morale of the soldiers was greatly boosted.

However, Wu Tao's series of actions also attracted the attention of the enemy.

"Your Highness, the recent changes in the Tang army seem to be related to the woman named Wu Tao." In the enemy's tent, a spy knelt on one knee and reported to a man in black armor.

"Oh? Tell me about it." The man narrowed his eyes slightly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

"According to the spies' report, the Tang army set up a special camp near the battlefield to treat the wounded, and also adopted a new treatment method, which greatly reduced the mortality rate of the wounded." The spy said solemnly, "It is said that these were all ideas thought up by the woman named Wu Tao."

"Interesting..." The man sneered, "It seems that Wu Tao is a person who cannot be underestimated. Pass the order to strengthen the investigation of the Tang army camp and make sure to find out their strengths and weaknesses. In addition..."

He paused, a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes: "Find an opportunity to get rid of that woman named Wu Tao!"