Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

The spy knelt on one knee, clasped his hands together, and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the recent changes in the Tang army seem to be related to the woman named Wu Tao."

"Oh?" The man sitting at the top was wearing black armor, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, looking intimidating without even getting angry. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, "Tell me about it."

"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 raised his sword-like eyebrows and sneered, "It seems that this 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."

He paused, murderous intent flashing in his eyes, "Also, find an opportunity to get rid of that woman named Wu Tao!"

"Yes!" The spy took the order and left, but he was secretly sweating in his heart. Who on earth is this Wu Tao, and why does the prince pay so much attention to him?

At the same time, in the luxurious palace in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace in Chang'an, a woman in gorgeous clothes was lazily reclining on a soft couch. Her skin was whiter than snow, her eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, and her every move revealed an overwhelming nobleness. This person was the imperial concubine of the current dynasty, and the most favored concubine of the current emperor - Yang Yuhuan.

"Empress, have you heard? The woman named Wu Tao has been very popular in the army recently." A palace maid whispered while massaging Yang Guifei's legs.

"Wu Tao?" Yang Guifei raised her beautiful eyes slightly, a trace of disdain flashed in her eyes, "She is just a woman of humble origin, is it worth making such a fuss?"

"Your Majesty, you don't know that Wu Tao is not an ordinary person. She..." The palace maid lowered her voice and described what Wu Tao had done in the army with exaggeration.

After hearing this, Yang Guifei's nonchalance gradually disappeared, replaced by a solemn expression. This Wu Tao, is so capable? No, she must not be allowed to stay with Hu Bugui any longer!

A thought quietly arose in Yang Guifei's mind. She sneered and whispered a few words to the palace maid beside her.

The maid took the order and left. Soon, rumors about Wu Tao spread in the palace and quickly spread to the entire Chang'an City. Some said that she was a beauty who would bring disaster to the Tang army; some said that she was the reincarnation of a witch who would confuse the emperor and subvert the government...

For a time, Wu Tao's name became a hot topic of conversation among people, but she herself knew nothing about it.

On this day, Wu Tao was busy in the medical camp. Suddenly, a burst of hurried horse hooves sounded, breaking the original tranquility of the camp.

 Dark Clouds

A sweaty warhorse rushed into the camp, and the knight jumped off the horse and ran towards Wu Tao in a panic, "Miss Wu, it's bad! The enemy attacked, the medical supplies were destroyed, and many doctors and nurses were injured!"

Wu Tao's heart tightened, and without thinking too much, she immediately followed the knight to the place where the attack took place. The scene in front of her made her gasp. The tents that were originally neatly arranged were now tilted and trampled into a mess. Various medicines and bandages were scattered on the ground, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood. The injured doctors and nurses groaned in pain, some covering their wounds, and some holding their broken limbs, their eyes full of fear and despair.

Wu Tao suppressed her grief and anger and directed the uninjured personnel to quickly carry out rescue operations, bandage wounds, and distribute medicines. She had a firm gaze and a calm tone, trying to calm the panicked people with her calmness.

"Don't panic, settle the wounded first, we still have spare medical supplies!"

However, misfortunes never come singly. Just as Wu Tao and others were doing their best to treat the wounded, another piece of bad news came.

A soldier covered in blood stumbled into the camp and shouted hoarsely, "Report... Report! The prince... The prince... was ambushed by the enemy..."

Before the soldier could finish his words, he fell to the ground and fainted.

"What did you say?!" Wu Tao's face suddenly changed, and his heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

That evening, Hu Bugui's troops finally retreated to the camp, all of them were dusty and their morale was low. They had originally planned to raid the enemy's grain and grass warehouse under the cover of night, but they did not expect to fall into the enemy's trap, be ambushed, and suffer heavy losses.

Hu Bugui walked into the tent with a gloomy face, his armor was covered with blood and dirt, and his usually sharp eyes were now covered with a shadow. He looked around and saw frustrated and confused faces, and a sense of powerlessness rose in his heart.

"Your Highness..." Wu Tao stepped forward, wanting to say something, but stopped herself. She had never seen Hu Bugui so depressed, like a sharp sword that suddenly lost its former edge.

"We underestimated the enemy this time." Hu Bugui took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "The enemy obviously came prepared. Moreover, they seemed to know us very well. Not only did they anticipate our actions, they also launched a sneak attack on the medical camp targeting you."

"Targeting me?" Wu Tao was shocked. "How is this possible?"

Hu Bugui did not answer, but walked to the table, picked up a sheepskin map, and slowly unfolded it. On the map, red ink marked the locations of the enemy and Tang troops, as well as the locations of the recent battles.

"Look," Hu Bugui pointed to a location on the map, "This is where we were ambushed today. It's not far from the enemy's grain depot. And here..."

His finger moved to another location, which was the location of the medical camp. "It's only half a day's journey from here to where we were ambushed. The enemy chose this time and location to attack the medical camp. It was obviously carefully planned."

Wu Tao looked at the map with a frown on her face. The enemy's intentions were obvious. They not only wanted to weaken the Tang army's combat effectiveness, but also wanted to destroy her medical camp, undermine the Tang army's morale, and make her a burden and weakness for the Tang army!

Wu Tao looked at the not-so-far distance between the two red dots on the map, and her heart went cold. The enemy's intentions were obvious, they wanted to make her the weak spot of the Tang army and a burden to Hu Bugui.

"They want to crush our morale." Wu Tao clenched his fists and said firmly, "But I will never let them succeed!"

She raised her head, glanced at everyone in the tent, and said in a deep voice: "I know everyone is very tired and sad. But please believe me, everything we do is to protect this land and to protect the people we cherish. The enemy's conspiracy will not succeed, and we will definitely win the final victory!"

Although her voice was gentle, it carried a powerful force that rekindled the flame of hope in the hearts of the originally depressed soldiers. Yes, they still had Miss Wu and the miracles brought by this extraordinary woman. They couldn't give up!

Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao with a flash of admiration in his eyes. He knew that Wu Tao was not only a skilled doctor, but also had a tenacious heart.

"Miss Wu is right. We can't give up easily." Hu Bugui looked around at everyone and said firmly, "Pass the order down. Strengthen the vigilance and prevent the enemy's sneak attack. In addition, I want to know all the information about the enemy's commander. The more detailed the better!"

"Yes!" The soldiers in the tent responded in unison. The originally low morale seemed to be ignited in an instant, and everyone's face was full of fighting spirit.

At night, the camp was brightly lit but surprisingly quiet. Only the footsteps of patrolling soldiers seemed particularly clear in the silent night.

The lights in Hu Bugui's tent were on all night. He sat opposite his military advisor, and the map in front of them was filled with flags of various colors, each representing an army, advancing or retreating, and the situation was changing rapidly.

"Your Highness, the enemy's action this time was clearly premeditated, and their goal was clear: to target Miss Wu." The military advisor pointed to the flag of the medical camp on the map, frowning, "It seems that Miss Wu's presence has caused them to be wary."

Hu Bugui nodded, a cold light flashing in his deep eyes, "Miss Wu's medical skills and her wonderful ideas are indeed a great help to us, but they have also become a thorn in the eyes of the enemy."

"But I don't understand how the enemy knew of Miss Wu's existence and how they understood her importance?" the military advisor asked puzzledly.

"This matter is very strange, we must investigate it thoroughly!" Hu Bugui said in a cold tone, "Pass the order down, secretly investigate whether there are spies in the army, and if found, punish them severely!"

"Yes!"

Hu Bugui stood up, walked to the map, and his eyes fell on a blank area behind the enemy, where intelligence had not yet been uncovered.

"The enemy's intentions are already very clear, but we still don't know what else they have in store." Hu Bugui muttered to himself, "We must find out the enemy's strengths and weaknesses as soon as possible so that we can formulate an effective response plan."

"Your Highness, you are worried..." The military advisor hesitated.

"This war is far more complicated than we imagined." Hu Bugui said in a deep voice, "We can't take it lightly."

 Chapter 88 Dark Clouds

Before the morning light completely broke through the night, Wu Tao had already stood up and looked into the distance from a high place. Days of running around made her look a little tired, but her eyes were still clear and firm. The smoke from the enemy camp was curling up, seemingly peaceful and tranquil, but it could not conceal the murderous intent hidden in it.

"Miss Wu, did you find anything?" A young soldier walked up to her, with a bit of admiration in his tone. In recent days, Wu Tao not only used her superb medical skills to treat countless wounded soldiers, but also inspired everyone's morale with her wisdom and courage.

Wu Tao pointed to a slightly higher hill in the distance and said softly, "If I'm not mistaken, that should be where the enemy's food and fodder are stored."

The soldier followed her gaze and suddenly realized: "No wonder the enemy patrols have become more frequent in the past few days, it turns out they are guarding against us!"

"It's just..." Wu Tao frowned slightly, "They stored the food and grass in such an obvious place, aren't they afraid of our surprise attack?"

"Perhaps this is just a trap, deliberately designed to lure us into attacking?" the soldier guessed.

"No, it won't happen." Wu Tao shook his head. "The enemy commander is very cautious in deploying his troops and will never take such a big risk. He must have his own intentions for doing this..."

Wu Tao pondered for a moment, and suddenly an idea flashed through her mind. She pointed to a dense forest behind the enemy camp on the map and said hurriedly: "Oh no, their real target is here! If we attack now, they will..."

Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by the sound of hurried horse hooves. A soldier rode over, dismounted, knelt on one knee, and said anxiously, "Report! Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine sent someone to deliver an urgent order, ordering you to return to the capital as soon as possible!"

"What?!" Wu Tao's heart sank, and an ominous premonition came to his mind.

Hu Bugui took the letter, unfolded it, and his face suddenly darkened. In the letter, the imperial concubine earnestly told him that the capital had suddenly been hit by a plague and the situation was critical, and begged him to return immediately to take charge of the situation.

"Your Highness, could this be a trick of the enemy?" the military advisor asked worriedly.

"No, the imperial concubine and I have always been at odds, she wouldn't joke about this kind of thing." Hu Bugui shook his head, a complex emotion flashing in his deep eyes, "But, if I leave now, the military affairs..."

His eyes fell on Wu Tao, with some questioning and hesitation.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'm here." Wu Tao spoke in a firm tone, with an unquestionable determination in his eyes.

Hu Bugui looked at her deeply, and finally nodded, then he mounted his horse, led a group of personal guards, and galloped towards the capital.

Wu Tao felt mixed emotions as she watched Hu Bugui go away. She knew that Hu Bugui's journey would be extremely dangerous, and she, who stayed behind in the camp, would face even more severe tests.

As expected, soon after Hu Bugui left, rumors about Wu Tao began to circulate in the military camp. Some said she was a spy sent by the enemy country, deliberately approaching the prince to steal military secrets; others said she had an ambiguous relationship with the enemy generals and secretly informed them, causing the Tang army to suffer repeated setbacks.

These rumors spread quickly in the military camp like a plague, and the soldiers, who were originally full of admiration and gratitude for her, gradually looked at her with suspicion and hostility.

The instigator of all this was none other than the Imperial Concubine who was far away in the capital. She had long regarded Wu Tao as a thorn in her side, and the transfer of Hu Bugui from the capital was a great opportunity for her to eliminate dissidents. She wanted to ruin Wu Tao's reputation, make her lose Hu Bugui's trust, and make her have nowhere to turn to in this chaotic world.

Faced with the sudden predicament, Wu Tao did not panic. She knew very well that at this moment, all she could rely on was her own wisdom and courage. She must find out the truth as soon as possible and wash away her grievances in order to win this war without gunpowder. Wu Tao stood on the hillside, looking at the direction where Hu Bugui was going away. She felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her heart, heavy and breathless. After Hu Bugui left, she took over the daily affairs of the barracks, but rumors quickly spread in the barracks like the wind that penetrated all holes. The soldiers looked at her with suspicion and hostility, and some even pointed fingers at her and whispered.

"Have you heard? That Miss Wu is actually a spy sent by the enemy country!"

"Is this true? No wonder the enemy intensified their offensive as soon as the prince left. It turns out she was the one who tipped off!"

"You can't judge a person by his appearance. We respected her so much before..."

These rumors were like sharp blades, cutting into Wu Tao's heart. She had never thought that her sincerity would be twisted into such an ugly shape. But she knew that at this moment, sadness and anger would be of no use. She had to find out the truth as soon as possible and clear her name.

Wu Tao suppressed her grief and anger and began to investigate the source of the rumors. She visited everyone in the barracks and carefully asked about every detail. Gradually, she found that these rumors were not groundless, but were deliberately spread by someone behind the scenes. And this person was probably the soldier who had delivered the message for her before.

She approached the soldier and asked pointedly, "Who told you to spread those rumors about me?"

The soldier's eyes were evasive and he stammered, unable to speak.

Wu Tao pressed him: "You'd better tell the truth, otherwise don't blame me for being rude to you!"

When the soldier saw that the truth had been revealed, he fell to his knees with a plop and said in a trembling voice, "It was...it was the maidservant beside the imperial concubine. She gave me a lot of money and asked me to..."

Wu Tao immediately understood. It seemed that the imperial concubine was behind this! She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger, and asked, "What evidence did she give you to accuse me of treason?"

The soldier pulled out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Wu Tao tremblingly: "It's... this letter, it says..."

Wu Tao took the letter, unfolded it, and her face turned pale. The letter imitated her handwriting and recorded in detail the Tang army's troop deployment, battle plan, and Hu Bugui's whereabouts. If this letter fell into the hands of the enemy, the consequences would be disastrous!

Wu Tao tightly grasped the letter, her heart filled with anger and worry. She knew that she had been framed! And the person who framed her was none other than the imperial concubine who was far away in the capital!

She must find a way to clear her name as soon as possible, otherwise not only will her life be in danger, but the entire Tang army will also be implicated!

But can Wu Tao find evidence to prove her innocence? Can Hu Bugui, who is in the capital, see through the imperial concubine's conspiracy in time and return to the barracks safely? All of this is still unknown...