Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 173: Every Move is Fatal

The night was as cool as water, but a blazing fire was burning in the palace. Under the light of the fire, Li Xiaoyao's figure shuttled between the swords and shadows like a ghost. He fought against hundreds of people alone, with sharp sword skills and deadly moves, just like a god of death descended to the world.

However, even though he had extraordinary martial arts skills, he could not resist the layers of encirclement by the imperial guards.

"Brother Xiaoyao, hurry up!" The guard lying in a pool of blood used up his last breath, "Protect the princess..."

Li Xiaoyao's eyes were red. How could he want to leave? But he knew that if he didn't break out, he would really die here. He gritted his teeth and swung his sword, cutting a bloody path, but in the end he could only watch the fire engulf that slender figure...

***

Hu Bugui was extremely worried and did not sleep all night. The troops sent by the general to contact the garrison outside the city had not returned yet, but news came from the palace that Li Xiaoyao had set fire to the cold palace and his life or death was unknown.

"No, it's impossible..." Hu Bugui's face turned pale. "Xiaoyao is a martial arts master, how could he easily..."

The general said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, the palace is now under the control of the Prime Minister. It is difficult to tell whether the news is true or false. We must not act rashly."

Before he finished speaking, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the door. A soldier covered in blood stumbled in, "Your Highness, something bad has happened! The Prime Minister... The Prime Minister..."

"What's wrong, Prime Minister?" Hu Bugui's heart tightened. "Tell me slowly!"

"The Prime Minister... he surrounded your mansion in the name of treason, and all the servants in the mansion... all the servants were thrown into jail!" After the soldier finished speaking, he could no longer hold on and fainted.

Hu Bugui was struck by lightning, and his mind went blank. He never thought that the prime minister would be so cruel and cruel as to attack his family.

“Your Highness…” The general supported the staggering Hu Bugui, “The most urgent thing is that we must find Brother Xiaoyao as soon as possible. Only he can…”

"Li Xiaoyao is dead." A cold voice came from outside the door. Hu Bugui looked up suddenly and saw the prime minister holding a long sword and walking slowly into the room with a group of people.

"You...what did you do to Brother Xiaoyao?" Hu Bugui's eyes were bloodshot, and he wished he could tear the man in front of him into pieces.

The prime minister sneered, "No matter how good his martial arts skills are, he can't defeat thousands of troops. Now that he has died, you can't save yourself either. Why don't you surrender?"

Hu Bugui took a deep breath. He knew that there was no way back from what happened today. He drew the long sword from his waist and pointed the tip of the sword at the prime minister. "If you want my life, it depends on whether you have the ability to do it!"

Outside the window, the wind was howling and the rain was pouring. A bloody storm was about to begin...

"...If you want my life, it depends on whether you have the ability to do it!" Hu Bugui's voice echoed in the empty hall, with a determination to face death.

The prime minister held a long sword in his hand, with a trace of contempt in his eyes, "You are so stubborn!" He waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him rushed towards Hu Bugui like a tide.

Although Hu Bugui was a skilled martial artist, two fists could not defeat four hands, not to mention the large number of the enemy. He fought and retreated, and soon he had several wounds on his body.

"Your Highness, as long as we have the green mountains, we will have firewood to burn!" The general shouted anxiously as he tried his best to block the soldiers' attacks.

Hu Bugui seemed to have not heard anything, and continued to fight hard. He had only one thought in his mind, that is, to stay alive, so that he could rescue Wu Tao and avenge Li Xiaoyao!

At the same time, Wu Tao was imprisoned in the Tianlao. It was dark and damp here, and the air was filled with a rotten smell that made people sick.

Wu Tao curled up in a corner, her body covered with scars. Since she was arrested and imprisoned, she had been subjected to inhuman torture. The jailers beat and kicked her, burned her skin with red-hot irons, and even forced her to drink filthy water.

However, no matter how they tortured her, Wu Tao never revealed any information about Hu Bugui. She knew that once she told him, Hu Bugui would be doomed.

"Cough cough..." Wu Tao coughed violently, with a trace of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth. She hadn't eaten for several days and was extremely weak.

"You still refuse to speak?" A cold voice came from outside the cell.

Wu Tao looked up and saw a middle-aged man in official uniform with a sinister face standing there. He was the prime minister of the dynasty and the initiator of this conspiracy.

"I... I don't have anything to say..." Wu Tao said weakly.

The prime minister sneered, "If you don't accept my toast, you will be punished!" He waved his hand, and two jailers came forward and dragged Wu Tao out...

In the dead of night, in a remote palace in the imperial palace, an old man in a bright yellow dragon robe was sitting on the bed. He was the current emperor, and also Hu Bugui's father.

The emperor had been imprisoned here since he was placed under house arrest by the prime minister. Although he was the emperor, he was like a bird in a cage, without any freedom at all.

"Your Majesty, it's time for you to take your medicine." An old eunuch walked in cautiously, holding a bowl of medicine.

The emperor took the medicine bowl, but did not drink it. Instead, he sighed, "I am old and useless. Now the government is controlled by treacherous officials, and the people are living in dire straits, but I can do nothing..."

The old eunuch's eyes also welled up with tears, "Your Majesty, don't be discouraged, the prince will definitely..."

"Bugui..." The emperor muttered to himself, with a trace of worry in his eyes, "He is too young. I don't know if he can defeat that old fox..."

At this moment, a carrier pigeon suddenly flew in from the window and landed on the emperor's bed. The emperor opened the bamboo tube on the pigeon's foot, took out the note inside, and read it carefully.

After reading the contents of the note, the emperor showed a gratified smile on his face, "Good, good, Bugui did not disappoint me!"

It turned out that this letter was secretly sent to the palace by Hu Bugui. In the letter, Hu Bugui reported his current situation and plan in detail, and said that he would definitely rescue Wu Tao and crush the prime minister's conspiracy.

The emperor picked up the brush, wrote a few words on the piece of paper, then stuffed the paper back into the bamboo tube and tied it to the pigeon's foot.

"Go, tell Bugui that I trust him, let him do it, don't worry about my safety!" The emperor released the pigeon and said with a firm look, "I am waiting for his triumphant return!" Hu Bugui's plan was very bold. He decided to attack the Tianlao at night. The Tianlao was heavily guarded and easy to defend but difficult to attack, but for Wu Tao, he could not care so much. He gathered the remaining confidants and sneaked into the Tianlao at night.

"Your Highness, you are finally here!" Wu Tao was tortured to death. The moment she saw Hu Bugui, tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

"Tao'er, I'm late and I'm sorry for making you suffer." Hu Bugui hugged Wu Tao in his arms with heartache and gently wiped away the tears from her face.

However, just as they were about to leave, the prime minister led a large number of troops to surround the prison. It turned out that the prime minister had already expected Hu Bugui to come to rob the prison, and deliberately set up an ambush, waiting to catch Hu Bugui in one fell swoop.

"Hu Bugui, you can't escape even if you have wings! Just surrender!" The prime minister pointed the sword at Hu Bugui.

A fierce battle unfolded in the narrow prison. Although Hu Bugui's henchmen were brave, they were outnumbered and soon suffered heavy casualties. In order to protect Wu Tao, Hu Bugui was seriously injured, but his eyes were firm and he showed no fear.

"Tao'er, go quickly, I'll cover you!" Hu Bugui pushed Wu Tao to the general's side, and he alone fought against the pursuers.

"No, I won't leave. I want to stay with you!" Wu Tao cried, unwilling to leave.

"Be obedient and go quickly! I can only feel at ease when you are safe!" Hu Bugui roared.

Under the cover of Hu Bugui, the general and Wu Tao fought their way out of the prison, but Hu Bugui was trapped inside, his life or death uncertain.

When the prime minister saw Wu Tao escape, he was furious and ordered the prison to be set on fire, vowing to burn Hu Bugui alive. The raging fire shot up into the sky, illuminating the night sky and the prime minister's sinister face.

"Hu Bugui, you forced me to do all this! You destroyed everything I had!" the prime minister said gritting his teeth.

The news of Hu Bugui's escape spread, shocking the court and the public. The prime minister took this opportunity to spread rumors that Hu Bugui was plotting a rebellion, inciting the people who did not know the truth to denounce him. The emperor was under house arrest and was powerless to stop it. He could only watch helplessly as the prime minister covered up the truth.

The prime minister issued a nationwide wanted order, offering a reward for the capture of Hu Bugui and severely punishing anyone who protected him. For a time, the whole country was shrouded in a shadow of terror, and the people dared not speak out but could only silently endure the prime minister's tyranny.

What will be the fate of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, and the future of this country?

 Chapter 173: Stormy

In the capital, the once bustling streets are now deserted, shops are empty, and people are in a hurry, with fear written all over their faces. After the prime minister took power, he eliminated dissidents. Everyone in the court was in danger, and the slightest mistake would bring about a fatal disaster. In the private sector, heavy taxes and levies emerged one after another. The people dared not speak out, and could only watch their savings being plundered. The well-off families that were once well-off have now fallen into the situation of selling their children.

Outside the city, in a dilapidated land temple, Wu Tao paced back and forth anxiously, while the general stood guard at the door, vigilantly observing the movements around him. Since they parted in the prison, they had been on the run for several days, sleeping in the open air and exhausted.

"General, do you think the prince is...is he still alive?" Wu Tao's voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with tears.

The general sighed and consoled her: "Don't worry, Princess. The prince is a lucky man and will be fine."

"But...but the Prime Minister is so cruel, will he really let the prince go?" Wu Tao covered her face, tears falling through her fingers.

The general was silent. He knew that the prime minister had a large army and controlled the court. It would be difficult to bring him down.

At this moment, a weak voice came from outside the temple: "Help...Help..."

The general immediately drew his sword and asked vigilantly, "Who's there?"

"General, please be kind and save us..." An old man in ragged clothes, leaning on a cane, walked in tremblingly, followed by several civilians who were equally pale and thin.

"Who are you?" asked the general.

"We are villagers from a nearby village," the old man sighed and said sadly, "The soldiers under the Prime Minister come to the village every few days to plunder food. We can't survive anymore, so we have no choice but to flee here."

"Yes, our family used to have more than ten acres of fertile land, and we lived a relatively wealthy life. But since the Prime Minister came to power, taxes have become heavier year by year. We were forced to sell our land, and now we can't even afford to eat." A middle-aged man couldn't help crying.

"My poor grandson, he was only five years old, he starved to death because he had no food..." An old woman held a skinny child and burst into tears.

Listening to the people's experiences, Wu Tao was filled with grief and indignation. She finally understood that the prime minister's tyranny had pushed the country into the abyss. And Hu Bugui, whom she loved deeply, was carrying everyone's hopes and walking alone in the darkness.

"General, we can't run away anymore," Wu Tao said with a firm look in his eyes, "We must find the prince and overthrow the prime minister's rule with him, and give the people a peaceful and just world!"

The general looked at Wu Tao's determined eyes and a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart. Perhaps what the princess said was right. Only by overthrowing the prime minister could this nightmare end.

"Princess, tell me, what should we do?" asked the general.

Wu Tao pondered for a moment, and suddenly an idea flashed through her mind. She pulled the general and whispered, "Let's go..."