Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 198 Changes in the situation

Wu Tao dodged the last sword flash, and under the cover of night, she jumped onto the wall and barely escaped the pursuit of the man in black. She looked back and saw that the man in black was left behind, but she knew that this was only a temporary respite. She had to return to the capital as soon as possible and hand over the evidence to the emperor.

Regardless of her physical fatigue, Wu Tao ran all the way and finally returned to the capital at dawn. Without taking a rest, she immediately took the scroll with the evidence of the prime minister's crime and rushed to the palace without stopping.

"I want to see the emperor! I have something extremely urgent to report!" Wu Tao shouted loudly outside the palace without caring about etiquette.

The guard was frightened by her anxious expression and did not dare to neglect it. He hurried in to report. Not long after, the guard came out and led Wu Tao into the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, I have something important to report!" Wu Tao knelt in front of the imperial desk and presented the scroll with both hands.

The emperor took the scroll, slowly unfolded it, and examined it carefully. As the contents of the scroll came into view, the emperor's expression gradually became solemn.

"Your Majesty, this is all true! The Prime Minister has evil intentions, you must believe me!" Wu Tao explained anxiously, "Hu Bugui was also wronged. He fell into the Prime Minister's trap in order to collect these evidences!"

However, the emperor did not fly into a rage as Wu Tao had expected. Instead, he remained silent for a moment and slowly said, "This matter is of great importance. I still need time to verify it. You can go back first."

Wu Tao's heart suddenly sank to the bottom. She didn't understand why the emperor would trust the prime minister so easily. Was he really senile?

Just when Wu Tao was feeling discouraged, a eunuch's shrill voice came from outside the imperial study: "The Prime Minister is here!"

Wu Tao was shocked. Did the Prime Minister get the news so quickly? What was he doing here?

The prime minister walked steadily into the imperial study. When he saw Wu Tao kneeling on the ground, a hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a hint of worry.

"Your humble servant greets His Majesty!" The Prime Minister knelt down and said, "I wonder why His Majesty has summoned me so urgently? What is the matter?"

"The Prime Minister has arrived at the right time," the emperor handed the scroll in his hand to the eunuch beside him, "Take a look at this."

The prime minister took the scroll and read it carefully, but his expression did not change, as if he had expected it. He put the scroll down and looked up at the emperor, his eyes full of grief and disappointment.

"Your Majesty," the Prime Minister said in great sorrow, "You have been deceived by Hu Bugui and Wu Tao! The two of them are in collusion with each other and are plotting a rebellion. These so-called evidences are nothing but fabrications they made to frame me!"

The emperor frowned, his face full of struggle. He looked at Wu Tao kneeling on the ground, then looked at the prime minister who was heartbroken, and for a moment he didn't know who to believe.

Wu Tao's heart was filled with despair. She didn't understand why the emperor would believe the prime minister's lies so easily. Could it be that he really couldn't see the prime minister's treacherous face?

And all this is just the beginning...

"Your Majesty! Please think twice!" Wu Tao kowtowed, her forehead hitting the cold golden brick floor heavily. "The evidence is absolutely true, I can guarantee it with my life! Hu Bugui is even less likely to commit treason, he is devoted to the country, he has no second thoughts!"

The emperor closed his eyes, as if he couldn't bear to look at Wu Tao's anxious expression any longer. After a long while, he waved his hand tiredly, "Come here, arrest Wu Tao and Hu Bugui together, throw them into the prison, and keep them under strict guard!"

"Your Majesty!" Wu Tao raised his head in disbelief, but met the emperor's cold eyes. There was not a trace of trust in those eyes, only deep suspicion and disappointment.

The guards on both sides rushed forward and arrested Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, who was then escorted into the palace. Although Hu Bugui was tied up, he looked calm and just looked at Wu Tao worriedly, signaling her with his eyes not to act rashly.

The prime minister stood aside, watching the two being taken away, with a cold smile on his face. This was exactly what he wanted. As long as Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were eliminated, no one in the world would be able to stop him.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were imprisoned in the lowest level of the prison, which was dark and damp, with no sunlight all year round, and a rotten smell in the air. Wu Tao held Hu Bugui's hand tightly, his heart full of worry and fear.

"Don't be afraid, I won't let them hurt you." Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand and gave her a reassuring look.

"But, the emperor..." Wu Tao hesitated to speak. She didn't understand why the emperor believed the prime minister's lies so easily.

"The emperor is old and tired. He just wants to find someone he can rely on." Hu Bugui sighed. He knew that the emperor was no longer the wise and decisive monarch he used to be. He was old and could not stand any more hardship.

"Then what should we do now? Are we just going to sit there and wait for death?" Wu Tao was unwilling to do so. She had finally come to where she is today, and she couldn't just give up like this.

"Don't worry, I have my own way." Hu Bugui patted Wu Tao's hand, signaling her to rest assured.

However, what Wu Tao didn't know was that the prime minister's conspiracy was far more vicious than they imagined. Not only did he want to kill them, he also wanted to completely destroy all their hopes...

 Chapter 199: The Jedi Strikes Back

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were imprisoned at the bottom of the Tianlao. The damp and cold air seemed to swallow up all hope. Wu Tao held Hu Bugui's hand tightly, his heart full of despair. Was he really going to sit and wait for death, allowing treacherous officials to take power and the Tang Dynasty to fall into crisis?

Just then, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside the cell, and a familiar figure appeared in the dim light.

"Empress?" Wu Tao looked at the person who came in surprise, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

The queen walked to the prison door and looked at the two haggard men, her eyes full of heartache and worry. "I know you are wronged."

Wu Tao's nose felt sore and tears welled up in her eyes. "But, the emperor..."

"The emperor has just been blinded. Deep down in his heart, he still trusts you." The queen lowered her voice and told Wu Tao the emperor's true thoughts.

It turned out that the emperor did not completely believe the prime minister's slander, but because the prime minister held great power and many ministers in the court had been won over by him, the emperor had to endure it temporarily and wait for the opportunity.

"I know that you hold the evidence of the prime minister's crime." The queen looked at Wu Tao with burning eyes, "Now only you can save the Tang Dynasty and save the emperor!"

The queen's words were like a flash of lightning in the dark night, lighting up the hope in Wu Tao's heart. She wiped away her tears, and her eyes gradually became firm.

"Don't worry, Queen, I will do my best to expose the Prime Minister's true face!"

Time was running out, so Wu Tao and the Queen dared not delay even a little. They secretly contacted some ministers loyal to the Emperor to discuss countermeasures. After some planning, they decided to use the upcoming palace banquet to expose the Prime Minister's crimes in front of civil and military officials and envoys from various countries.

Although the plan was good, it was extremely risky. The prime minister was cunning and had deep roots in the court. If they were not careful, they would alert the enemy and all their efforts would be wasted.

The palace banquet arrived as scheduled. In the magnificent palace, there was singing and dancing, and the scene was lively. However, behind this prosperity, there was a thrilling political storm. Wu Tao and the Queen had made all the preparations according to the plan. Can they completely defeat the Prime Minister and save the Tang Dynasty in this life-and-death contest?