Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 183 The rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty is the responsibility of every citizen

In the Yangxin Palace, a joyful atmosphere permeated. The emperor's hands trembled with excitement. He held Wu Tao's hand tightly, with tears in his eyes: "Miss Wu, I... I really don't know how to thank you and General Hu! The Tang Dynasty can be what it is today, all thanks to you two!"

Wu Tao smiled slightly, her eyes clear as water, and said modestly: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is what General Hu and I should do. Every man has a share of responsibility for the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty."

The queen beside her also held Wu Tao's hand, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out, revealing a gratified smile: "Yes, Miss Wu, you and General Hu have made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty. The people of the Tang Dynasty will always remember your kindness."

However, in this festive and peaceful atmosphere, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui could not really let go of their worries. The two exchanged glances, and they both understood that this victory was only temporary, and true peace was far from coming.

Hu Bugui frowned slightly, and a trace of worry flashed in his deep eyes. He knew that although the prime minister was captured, his followers were numerous and deeply rooted, and it would be difficult to completely eliminate them. Those forces lurking in the dark were like poisonous snakes waiting for an opportunity to move, and they could come back at any time and drag the Tang Dynasty into war again.

Wu Tao also stopped smiling, his mind full of thoughts. This rebellion exposed many contradictions within the Tang Dynasty. There were many factions in the court, and local forces were ready to make a move. If they were not resolved, there would be endless troubles in the future.

In the dead of night, Hu Bugui stood alone in front of the window, looking at the dark night sky in the distance, his heart filled with anxiety and uneasiness. He knew that a bigger storm was brewing, and he had to be prepared to meet the coming challenges...

 Chapter 183 Undercurrents Beneath the Tranquility

The night is as cool as water and the moonlight is as white as frost.

Wu Tao walked into the study room with a cup of hot tea. Seeing Hu Bugui frowning and looking at the dark night sky outside the window, she knew that he was worried. She gently placed the tea on the desk, walked to his side, and asked softly, "What's wrong? Are you still worried about those remnants?"

Hu Bugui came back to his senses, gently embraced Wu Tao in his arms, took a deep breath, and tried to dispel the lingering haze in his heart. "Yes, this victory came too easily. I always feel that things are not that simple."

"Are you worried that the Prime Minister's followers will make a comeback?" Wu Tao understood his concerns.

"Not only that," Hu Bugui shook his head, "I always feel that there is an undercurrent surging, but we haven't noticed its existence yet." He looked down at Wu Tao, his eyes full of worry, "Tao'er, I'm afraid the next few days will not be peaceful, you have to be more careful."

Wu Tao held his hand and gave him a firm look: "Don't worry, I will take good care of myself. Besides, we still have a lot of things to do, don't we?"

Hu Bugui understood what she meant. Although the rebellion had been quelled, the Tang Dynasty still had a lot of work to do in order to truly ensure that the people could live and work in peace and contentment.

"You're right," Hu Bugui took a deep breath, his eyes gradually becoming firm, "We need to let the people see hope, the hope of the Tang Dynasty's resurgence."

"I have an idea," Wu Tao's eyes lit up and suggested, "Why don't we hold a grand celebration to celebrate this hard-won victory, and at the same time show the world the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty and deter those villains!"

Hu Bugui pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay! This is a good idea, let's do as you say!"

Thus, preparations for a grand celebration began in full swing.

From the palace to the market, from the royal family to the common people, everyone was immersed in this joyful atmosphere. However, beneath the lively appearance, an undercurrent was quietly surging.

On this day, Hu Bugui was inspecting the city defense as usual. When he passed by an inconspicuous teahouse, he inadvertently overheard a few whispered conversations coming from inside.

"This opportunity is rare, we must seize it..."

"Don't worry, everything is arranged, just waiting..."

Hu Bugui's heart trembled, and he walked into the teahouse calmly, scanning the crowd inside with sharp eyes. However, the people who were talking had disappeared, as if they had never appeared.

Hu Bugui's heart was filled with alarm. He knew that this was not his illusion. Someone must be planning something in secret!

Who is this mysterious force? What is their purpose? And will this upcoming celebration become their stage?

 Chapter 183 Undercurrents Beneath the Calm (Continued)

The aroma of tea in the teahouse could not dispel the haze in Hu Bugui's heart. He returned to the mansion and told Wu Tao what he had heard. Both of them looked solemn.

"It seems that our enemies are more cunning than we thought." Wu Tao frowned slightly, thinking quickly about countermeasures in her mind, "The celebration is coming soon, we must strengthen our defenses and must not let them take advantage of us."

"I have already sent more people to patrol, but there is no guarantee that everything will go wrong." Hu Bugui was worried. "This celebration is grand in scale, with many participants. It is not easy to ensure that there are no leaks."

Wu Tao pondered for a moment, and various security measures seen in modern society emerged in her mind. "I do have an idea," she said, her eyes lit up, and she took a pen and paper from the bookshelf and began to sketch, "We can use some special devices to strengthen the control of the crowd and the identification of suspicious persons."

Hu Bugui looked at the strange patterns Wu Tao drew on the paper, his heart filled with curiosity and anticipation. "Tao'er, what are these things you are talking about? Are they really useful?"

Wu Tao explained with a smile: "I saw these in an ancient book. It is said to be an ancient mechanical device that can be used to prevent theft, provide early warning, and even..." She paused and did not say the words "identification". After all, in this era, such a statement was too unbelievable.

"In short, we can design a set of strict security measures based on these principles to ensure the smooth progress of the celebration." Wu Tao said confidently.

In the next few days, Wu Tao devoted herself to the preparation of security work. She designed a security plan that combined modern security concepts with the actual situation of the Tang Dynasty.

At important entrances such as the city gate and palace gate, she ordered people to set up multiple levels of checkpoints and arranged soldiers to conduct strict inspections to prevent suspicious people from sneaking into the city. At the same time, she also had people build high platforms around the celebration site and arranged soldiers to patrol with bows and arrows to detect and deal with emergencies in a timely manner.

In order to strengthen crowd control, Wu Tao also borrowed the security model of modern concerts and set up a "security channel" at the entrance, separated by curtains, requiring all people participating in the celebration to undergo inspection before entering.

Of course, these measures were only on the surface. In order not to cause panic, Wu Tao did not reveal too many details to the outside world. The real killer was an elite force that she and Hu Bugui secretly trained. They hid in the dark and kept alert to the surrounding movements at all times. Once they found something abnormal, they would take immediate action.

On the day of the celebration, Chang'an City was decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, and people came from all directions to see this grand event.

Hu Bugui, wearing a golden dragon robe and a crown, slowly walked into the celebration site surrounded by people. Wu Tao, dressed in gorgeous clothes, stood beside him with a faint smile on her face, but her eyes were always vigilantly observing the surrounding situation.

Everything seems calm, but Hu Bugui and Wu Tao know that the real danger has just begun... Chapter 183 Undercurrents beneath the tranquility (continued)

The melodious music echoed over the palace, and the dancers danced gracefully, their sleeves fluttering like fairies. The emperor and the empress sat side by side, their faces filled with gratified smiles. Below the stage, the ministers raised their glasses to celebrate, creating a peaceful and joyful atmosphere.

Hu Bugui stood beside the emperor, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes, not daring to relax at all. Wu Tao hid in the crowd, seemingly tasting the wine and food casually, but actually secretly observing the actions of the people around him.

Just as the celebration was coming to an end and everyone was immersed in joy, something strange happened!

A man dressed as a guard suddenly jumped out from the crowd, with a flash of cold light in his hand, and a sharp dagger stabbed straight at the emperor!

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Hu Bugui reacted very quickly. With a roar, he shot out like an arrow and stood in front of the emperor.

"clang!"

With a sound of metal clashing, the dagger was blocked by the sword at Hu Bugui's waist, and the assassin was also pushed back several steps by this powerful force.

"Escort! Escort!"

The sudden change made everyone panic, and the originally orderly celebration scene suddenly became chaotic. The guards drew their swords and rushed forward, surrounding the assassin.

Hu Bugui did not give the assassin a chance to breathe. He flashed and rushed forward in an instant, and the long sword in his hand stabbed at the assassin's vitals like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue.

The assassin was obviously also a skilled fighter. Facing Hu Bugui's fierce attack, he remained calm and dodged flexibly while looking for opportunities to counterattack.

The two fought back and forth, swords flashing, and fought fiercely. Seeing this, Wu Tao quietly approached the battle circle, ready to help at any time.

After several rounds, the assassin gradually lost the upper hand. He was extremely anxious, knowing that his plan to assassinate the emperor today had failed, so he thought about how to escape.

However, how could Hu Bugui let him do what he wanted? He seized the assassin's weakness and swept the dagger out of his hand with a powerful force, and then kicked him to the ground.

The guards rushed forward, tied up the assassin, and brought him before the emperor.

"You bold lunatic, how dare you assassinate me! Tell me, who sent you here?" The emperor asked sternly, his eyes wide open.

The assassin tried to remain stubborn at first, but under Hu Bugui's cold gaze, his psychological defenses finally collapsed and he confessed that he was the mastermind behind the incident.

"Yes...it was the Prime Minister...the Prime Minister instructed me to do this..."

The assassin's words were like a bombshell, exploding in the crowd.

"What? It's the Prime Minister?"

"Hasn't the Prime Minister been executed? How come…"

"Could it be that the Prime Minister still has accomplices who have not been eliminated?"

……

Everyone was talking about it, their faces full of shock and fear.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other, and they both knew that a new storm was about to come...