Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 149: Dark Night Storm

"Turks?!" Wu Tao exclaimed, his clear eyes full of disbelief, "Didn't they already have peace talks? How come they suddenly..."

Hu Bugui handed her the military report, his eyebrows tightly locked together: "Read it yourself."

Wu Tao took the military report and read it quickly, his expression becoming more and more serious as he read more. The report said that the new Turkic Khan had ascended the throne and, contrary to his predecessor's attitude towards peace talks, had blatantly torn up the treaty, assembled an army of 100,000, divided it into three groups, and headed straight for the Tang border.

"How could this happen..." Wu Tao murmured to herself. She was well aware of the strength of the Turks. Although the Tang border troops were brave and good at fighting, the Turks came with great force this time and were obviously well prepared. The prospects of this battle were not optimistic.

"It seems that the forces behind the Prime Minister can no longer hold back." Hu Bugui said in a deep voice, with a hint of chill in his tone, "They want to attack from both inside and outside and take advantage of the situation!"

Wu Tao also knew the seriousness of the matter. She put down the military newspaper, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down: "So what should we do now?"

Hu Bugui walked to the map and scanned the mountains and rivers on it with sharp eyes: "I will leave immediately and rush to the border to command the battle personally."

"No!" Wu Tao refused without thinking, "You have just been appointed as the crown prince, and your foundation is not yet stable. It is too dangerous to leave Chang'an at this time!"

"But……"

"No buts!" Wu Tao interrupted him, "Border matters will be handled by the generals guarding the border. Your top priority now is to stay in Chang'an and stabilize the government to prevent the prime minister and his party from taking advantage of the situation!"

Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao's determined eyes. He knew that her worries were not unreasonable. His every move now was related to the safety of the entire Tang Dynasty. He could not act recklessly.

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Hu Bugui finally compromised. He held Wu Tao's hand and said gently but firmly, "I will stabilize the situation as soon as possible, and then go to the border to meet you."

Wu Tao nodded, his eyes full of worry and reluctance.

At this moment, a secret guard appeared silently at the door of the study, knelt on one knee, and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness, there is news from Xiaoyao Villa."

"Speak." A gleam of light flashed in Hu Bugui's eyes.

"Master Li discovered that the mysterious people who have been entering and leaving Xiaoyao Villa recently seemed to be looking for something. Moreover, the weapons and hidden weapons they used were very strange and did not seem to be from the Central Plains." The secret guard reported truthfully.

"Strange weapon?" Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked at each other, and a hint of doubt arose in their hearts.

"Do you know what kind of weapon it is?" Hu Bugui asked.

The secret guard shook his head: "I am incompetent and have not been able to investigate it clearly."

"Keep watching them, and report immediately if you get any news."

"Yes!" The secret guard took the order and left.

"It seems that we have to go to Xiaoyao Villa." A look of determination flashed in Hu Bugui's eyes.

Wu Tao also nodded in agreement. She had a hunch that this trip to Xiaoyao Villa might solve many mysteries, including the true identity of the forces behind the prime minister and what they were plotting...

A few days later, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, in disguise, secretly came to Xiaoyao Villa on the border of the Tang Dynasty under the protection of several secret guards. Li Xiaoyao had already received the news and personally greeted them at the gate of the villa.

"Your Highness, Princess, how are you?" Li Xiaoyao said with a hearty smile and welcomed the two into the villa.

"Master Li, long time no see." Hu Bugui clasped his fists in return.

"I came here this time to ask for a favor." Wu Tao said straight to the point.

"Princess, please speak."

"We would like to ask Master Li for help in investigating the origins of the mysterious group of people who have been in and out of Xiaoyao Villa recently, and what exactly they are looking for."

Li Xiaoyao's expression turned serious when he heard this: "I have already investigated this matter secretly, but those people are very cunning, their whereabouts are erratic, and..."

"And what?" Hu Bugui asked.

"Moreover, I suspect that some of them are from... the future." Li Xiaoyao said in a heavy tone.

"The future?" Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were stunned and didn't understand what Li Xiaoyao meant.

Li Xiaoyao sighed, took them to a secret room, pointed to a portrait hanging on the wall and said, "This is a portrait of one of them that I drew based on the descriptions of those people. Take a look, do you recognize this person?"

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui walked forward and looked at the portrait carefully. The person in the painting was wearing a strange black robe and a silver mask on his face, revealing only a pair of deep eyes. In his hand was a strangely shaped weapon, which was pitch black and emitted a cold light. It was exactly the "strange weapon" mentioned by the secret guard.

"Who is this person?" Wu Tao asked.

"He calls himself..." Li Xiaoyao paused and slowly uttered two words, "Destiny."

"Destiny?" Wu Tao and Hu Bugui became even more confused.

"He said he came from the future and came to change history..."

Li Xiaoyao's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the ears of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, leaving them unable to recover for a long time.

"Come from the future, change history?" Wu Tao muttered to himself, his mind in a mess. What kind of place is the future? Why did he come here, and what is he going to change?

Hu Bugui's brows knitted tightly together. Although he was well-read, he had never heard of such an incredible thing. Could it be that someone could travel through time and space and come from the future?

"Master Li, are you sure what he said is true?" Hu Bugui asked with a hint of doubt in his tone.

Li Xiaoyao smiled bitterly and said, "I also hope that I am old and my eyes are blurry and I heard it wrong, but..." He paused and continued, "The weapons those people used are too strange and powerful, which is beyond my imagination. Moreover, they come and go without a trace, and their actions are secretive. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would find it hard to believe it."

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were silent. Although Li Xiaoyao's words were incredible, they were not without basis. If those people really came from the future, then their purpose this time was probably not as simple as it seemed.

"It seems that the opponent we met this time is far more difficult than we imagined." Hu Bugui said in a deep voice, with a solemn look in his eyes.

"Yes." Wu Tao felt the same way. She suddenly remembered the men in black whom she met in the palace before. Their martial arts were also very strange. Could it be that they were also related to this "destiny"?

At this moment, a carrier pigeon flew in from the window and landed on Hu Bugui's shoulder. Hu Bugui took off the bamboo tube on the pigeon's foot, poured out a small piece of paper, unfolded it and looked at it, his face suddenly turned livid.

"What's wrong?" Wu Tao noticed that something was wrong with him and asked quickly.

Hu Bugui handed her the note and said in a deep voice, "Read it for yourself."

Wu Tao took the note and saw only a few words written on it: Emergency at the border, return quickly!

"It seems that this 'destiny' has already begun to act." Hu Bugui said coldly, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Just as Hu Bugui had expected, this mysterious organization calling itself "Heaven's Mandate" began to frequently attack the borders and important cities of the Tang Dynasty. They came and went like the wind, acted quickly, and used powerful weapons that the Tang army could not resist at all. In just a few days, several border cities were lost, causing heavy casualties. The war even spread to the heartland of the Central Plains. For a time, the entire Tang Dynasty was shrouded in panic.

In the court, ministers were talking about the matter. Some ministers questioned Hu Bugui's ability, believing that his indecision led to the unfavorable situation of the war. They asked him to take immediate action to quell the war.

"Your Highness, the border is in crisis and the people are displaced. Please put state affairs first and come up with a charter as soon as possible!" An old minister stood up and said in a stern tone.

"Yes, Your Highness, we can't hesitate any longer, otherwise the Tang Dynasty will be destroyed!" Another minister echoed.

Hu Bugui sat on the dragon throne, listening to the accusations of the ministers, his face was terribly gloomy. He wanted to quell the war as soon as possible, but the enemy was of unknown origin and powerful, so he had to act cautiously, otherwise, more lives would be sacrificed in vain.

"My dear ministers, rest assured that I will find out the truth as soon as possible, put down the rebellion, and bring peace and prosperity to the people!" Hu Bugui stood up and said in a firm tone, but his heart was full of helplessness and bitterness.

How should he choose? Should he focus on resolving the threat posed by the mysterious organization, or should he first stabilize the domestic situation and avoid civil unrest?

Wu Tao gently held Hu Bugui's hand, and he could feel the coldness of his palm. The pressure from the court, the war at the border, the conspiracy of the mysterious organization, all of this weighed on his broad shoulders, making him breathless.

"Bugui, what should we do?" Wu Tao's voice was soft, but it was like a warm current that flowed into Hu Bugui's heart.

"I don't know either." Hu Bugui sighed, his brows darkening. "On one hand, the border is in crisis and the people are displaced. On the other hand, there are enemies lurking in the dark. We know nothing about them. I'm worried..."

“What are you worried about?”

"I'm worried that this is their trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain." Hu Bugui clenched his fists. "If we put all our efforts into pacifying the border, the country will be empty, giving them an opportunity to take advantage of it. The consequences will be disastrous!"

Wu Tao was silent. Hu Bugui's worries were not without reason. What they were facing now was not only an enemy in the open, but also a ghost hiding in the dark who could give them a fatal blow at any time.

At this moment, Li Xiaoyao walked in from the door. He stroked his gray beard, with a serious look on his face: "My Lord, Princess, I have a suggestion, but I don't know if I should say it or not."

"Master Li, please speak." Hu Bugui said hurriedly.

"In my opinion, we should do two things at once." Li Xiaoyao pondered for a moment and said, "On the one hand, we should strengthen domestic defense and carry out some necessary reforms to appease the people and stabilize the situation; on the other hand, we should secretly investigate the details of that mysterious organization and find their weaknesses so that we can defeat the enemy in one fell swoop."

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other and both felt that Li Xiaoyao's suggestion was feasible.

"Master Li is absolutely right. Let's do as you say!" Hu Bugui made a prompt decision. "I will arrange personnel to strengthen the city defenses. At the same time, I will send people to various places to appease the people and stabilize their hearts."

"As for investigating the mysterious organization, leave it to me." A gleam of determination flashed in Wu Tao's eyes. She came from the future and possessed knowledge and insights beyond this era. Perhaps she could find the key to solving this problem.

However, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui did not expect that they were about to face a more dangerous challenge. This mysterious organization was much more powerful and cunning than they had imagined, and they were also involved in a bigger conspiracy...

 Chapter 149: Stormy Night

Wu Tao locked herself in the study, fiddling with the strange parts on the table in the dim candlelight. These days, she tried to make a device that could track members of the mysterious organization based on the books and movies she had read in the past and the materials of this era.

"Finally done!" Wu Tao breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the exquisite and small metal disc in her hand, with a gratified smile on her face. This disc was made by her based on the principle of magnetic field induction. As long as it is placed on the target person, the weak signal it emits can be used to track the whereabouts of the other person.

She couldn't wait to find a carrier pigeon, tied the disc to its feet, and then released the pigeon. According to Wu Tao's instructions, the carrier pigeon flew to a suspicious house outside the city, which was one of the bases of the mysterious organization they suspected.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were anxiously waiting for news. Time passed by minute by minute. Just when they thought the plan was successful, the disc signal suddenly disappeared, as if it had evaporated into thin air.

"What's going on?" Wu Tao's face changed. Is there something wrong with the device?

Hu Bugui also felt that something was wrong. He held Wu Tao's hand tightly and said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, we will think of a solution."

However, before they could come up with a countermeasure, a dark figure appeared silently in the study. The man was wearing a black cloak and a silver mask on his face. His face could not be seen clearly, but from the powerful aura emanating from him, it could be felt that he was no ordinary person.

"Who are you?" Hu Bugui protected Wu Tao behind him and asked vigilantly.

The man in black sneered: "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I know what you are doing."

Wu Tao was shocked. Could it be that all their actions were under the other party's surveillance?

"How dare you, these ignorant ants, dream of becoming enemies with us!" The man in black said in an icy voice, "I advise you to give up resistance and surrender. Otherwise..."

He paused, his tone filled with a chilling murderous intent, "Otherwise, I will make the entire Tang Dynasty pay for your stupidity!"

After saying this, the man in black disappeared into the night like a ghost, leaving Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looking at each other in shock and anxiety.

Facing this mysterious and powerful enemy, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui felt unprecedented pressure. They knew that a bigger storm was about to come...