Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 107 A Bigger Storm

Hu Bugui walked out of the imperial study in a daze, and everything in front of him seemed to be covered with a layer of gray mist. The prime minister's heart-piercing words were still echoing in his ears, like a poisonous thorn piercing his heart. Yes, his identity, his existence, is a time bomb that shakes the foundation of the country.

"Bugui..." Wu Tao saw him coming out and hurried forward, but his heart trembled when he met his cold gaze.

Hu Bugui didn't say anything, but just silently held her hand, but the temperature of his palm was frighteningly low. Wu Tao's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand. She knew that he must have suffered a huge blow in the imperial study.

Back at the mansion, Hu Bugui locked himself in the study and refused to come out no matter how Wu Tao knocked on the door. Wu Tao knew that what he needed now was not comfort, but to be alone.

As night fell, the candlelight in the study was still on, illuminating Hu Bugui's lonely figure. Wu Tao brought the ginseng soup, gently opened the door, placed the bowl on the desk, and said softly, "Bugui, eat something."

Hu Bugui raised his head, bloodshot eyes were clearly visible. He looked at Wu Tao and said in a hoarse voice: "Taotao, am I wrong? I shouldn't have come back and dragged you into this storm."

Wu Tao walked forward, held his hand, and said firmly: "Bugui, you are right! We cannot choose our life experience, but we can choose how to live. You are a man of integrity, and I believe you can overcome all difficulties!"

Hu Bugui looked at the weak yet strong woman in front of him, and a warm feeling surged in his heart. Yes, he still had Taotao, his friends, and so many people who supported him. He couldn't be defeated like this!

A few days later, just as Hu Bugui was gradually emerging from the haze and preparing to collect evidence to fight back against the prime minister, a secret decree came from the palace.

Late at night, a guard in black quietly appeared in Hu's mansion and took Hu Bugui into the depths of the palace.

Inside the emperor's bedroom, the lights were dim and the atmosphere was solemn.

"Bugui, you're here." The emperor's voice sounded a little tired.

Hu Bugui knelt down and saluted: "Father..."

"Get up," the emperor waved his hand. "I know you have resentment and hatred in your heart. But I believe that you are not what the prime minister said. You are an upright and kind child."

"Father..." Hu Bugui's eyes were a little moist. He didn't expect that after experiencing the cold words in the imperial study that day, the emperor would secretly summon him and say such words.

"I am old, and I am no longer able to do many things," the emperor sighed, "but I will do my best to protect you, and I will also secretly help you find out the truth. You must remember that you will always be my son."

Hu Bugui took a deep breath and forced back the tears in his eyes. He knelt down and kowtowed heavily: "Thank you, father!"

The emperor helped Hu Bugui up, patted his shoulder, his eyes full of kindness and expectation.

In the deep night, Hu Bugui walked out of the palace, with a raging fire in his heart. He didn't know ??? ?? ?? ?? ???? ???, but he knew that he was no longer fighting alone, and there was a strong backing behind him!

Hu Bugui left the palace, galloping all the way, but his heart was in turmoil. The emperor's trust and support were undoubtedly a shot in the arm, allowing him to see the dawn of hope in the storm. However, the prime minister's power was deeply rooted, and it was not easy to overthrow him.

After returning to the mansion, Hu Bugui informed Wu Tao of the emperor's secret decree and instructions. Wu Tao was moved and worried. She knew that this struggle would be extremely cruel and that she would be doomed if she was not careful.

"Bugui, you must be careful in everything and don't be impulsive." Wu Tao held his hand, her eyes full of worry.

Hu Bugui held her hand and said firmly, "Don't worry, Taotao, I will protect myself and you."

A few days later, news suddenly came from the palace that the Queen wanted to summon Wu Tao.

Wu Tao was very nervous, not knowing what the Queen's intention was. She changed into a plain dress and came to the Queen's bedroom with some trepidation.

"I am Wu Tao, a commoner, paying my respects to Her Majesty the Queen." Wu Tao bowed respectfully.

"No need to formalize, please take a seat." The queen spoke in a gentle tone with a kind smile on her face, without any royal majesty.

Wu Tao thanked him and sat down, but he felt even more uneasy.

The queen dismissed her attendants, leaving only a personal maid behind, and then she spoke, "I know that you and Bugui have a close relationship, and you have suffered a lot of grievances this time."

Wu Tao quickly stood up and said in fear, "Your Highness, you are too kind. This is my fate."

The Queen motioned for her to sit down and continued, "I summoned you here today to tell you that Bugui is kind-hearted and loyal, but sometimes he is too straightforward and easily taken advantage of. You need to be more careful around him and learn to protect yourself."

Wu Tao was moved. The queen's words were clearly teaching her how to survive in the court struggle.

"Thank you for your teachings, Your Majesty. I will keep it in mind." Wu Tao burst into tears of gratitude.

The queen took out a brocade bag from her sleeve, handed it to Wu Tao, and said, "It contains some experience in court struggles. Take it back and read it carefully. Maybe it will be helpful to you."

Wu Tao took the brocade bag with both hands and expressed his gratitude again.

Leaving the Queen's bedroom, Wu Tao felt mixed emotions. She knew that a bigger storm was coming, but she was ready. For the future of her and Hu Bugui, she would be fearless!

Just when Wu Tao was worried about the future, an unexpected visitor came to the Hu Mansion.

"Your Highness, I am willing to lead my soldiers and follow you till death to eradicate the treacherous and corrupt officials and restore order to the court!" The man who came was a general in armor. He knelt on one knee, his tone firm and resounding.

Hu Bugui quickly helped him up, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. He knew that the time to fight back had come!

The general's visit was undoubtedly a timely help, injecting powerful strength into Hu Bugui. He was no longer fighting alone, and this support from the military indicated that the situation was beginning to change subtly.

Late at night, the flickering candlelight in the study made the two figures look particularly slender. Hu Bugui carefully flipped through the files in his hand, frowning. These were all records of the prime minister's achievements in recent years. However, behind the seemingly brilliant achievements, there were many difficult to explain doubts.

"Taotao, look here." Hu Bugui pointed to one of the spots and said to Wu Tao who was grinding, "In recent years, the court has allocated a huge amount of money to the disaster area, but in fact, the relief received by the victims is pitifully small. Where did all this money go?"

Wu Tao put down the work in her hands, stepped forward to take a closer look, and frowned slightly, "These accounts are done perfectly. It may not be easy to find flaws in them."

"Yes, the prime minister is cunning and treacherous, and he does everything flawlessly. It is extremely difficult to catch him." Hu Bugui sighed, feeling a little annoyed.

"Bugui, don't worry, we can change our thinking." Wu Tao comforted, "Instead of passively checking the accounts, we should take the initiative to find evidence of his crime."

Hu Bugui's eyes lit up, "Taotao, do you have any good ideas?"

Wu Tao pondered for a moment and said, "The Prime Minister is in a high position of power. He must have accumulated a lot of ill-gotten wealth over the years. We can start with his confidants and family members and investigate the source of their wealth. We may find something."

Hu Bugui nodded in appreciation, "Taotao, you are really my good wife! I will send someone to investigate secretly and find out who he is!"

With the help of Wu Tao, Hu Bugui made a series of careful plans. He knew that the struggle with the prime minister would be a protracted war and he had to take every step carefully to win in the end. He secretly contacted loyal officials in the court and collected evidence of the prime minister's corruption and abuse of power. At the same time, he also stepped up the training of his own soldiers in case of emergency.

Wu Tao used the knowledge she had learned in modern times to give advice to Hu Bugui. She knew the importance of public opinion, so she began to collect evidence of the prime minister's oppression of the people and exploited the villagers, and secretly spread it, trying to undermine the prime minister's image in the hearts of the people.

The couple fought side by side, creating waves in the turbulent court. They knew that the final victory of this struggle would belong to the side of justice, and they were ready to meet all challenges.

However, they did not know that the gears of fate had begun to turn, and a bigger secret was about to surface, pushing the struggle into a more thrilling situation...

A few days later, when Hu Bugui was looking through old things in the mansion, he accidentally found a letter dated ten years ago. There was no signature on the envelope, only a simple line of small words: "Respectfully presented to the prince".

Driven by curiosity, Hu Bugui opened the envelope. The contents of the letter shocked him. It was written by the prime minister, which recorded in detail the trade of military equipment with the Turks and the framing of loyal officials. At the end of the letter, the prime minister even wrote arrogantly: "After the prince passes away a hundred years later, this world will be mine!"

Hu Bugui was struck by lightning. He never expected that the prime minister he had always respected would be such a sinister and cunning person. For ten years, this secret had been hidden in the dark, and he knew nothing about it.

"Taotao! Come and see this!" Hu Bugui shouted excitedly.

Wu Tao rushed over when he heard the noise, and when he saw the yellowed letter in Hu Bugui's hand, his heart was filled with shock.

"This...is this true?" Wu Tao asked in disbelief.

"It's absolutely true! This is the Prime Minister's personal letter, it can't be fake!" Hu Bugui gritted his teeth and said, "I must bring this old thief to justice!"

This letter became the key evidence to overthrow the prime minister. After discussing with Wu Tao, Hu Bugui decided to present it to the emperor to expose the prime minister's true face.

"What the emperor hates most is his ministers forming cliques and colluding with foreign enemies. Now that we have this letter, we can overthrow the prime minister in one fell swoop!" There was a glimmer of hope in Hu Bugui's eyes.

Wu Tao was a little worried. "Although the emperor is wise, the prime minister has been in the court for many years and has a deep foundation. We must find a way to make the emperor trust us, otherwise..."

Hu Bugui pondered for a moment and said, "You are right. This matter still needs to be considered carefully."

After much deliberation, the couple decided to take advantage of the situation. The emperor's birthday was approaching, and all officials would gather at that time, which was the best time to expose the prime minister's crimes.

"Taotao, let's reveal the prime minister's true identity to everyone at the birthday banquet!" A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Hu Bugui's eyes.

Wu Tao nodded, held Hu Bugui's hand, and said firmly: "Bugui, I believe in you, we will succeed!"

In order to ensure that the plan was foolproof, the couple began to make preparations. They contacted loyal officials in the court, collected more evidence about the prime minister's crimes, and secretly trained their own soldiers to prevent any accidents.

Everything is ready, just waiting for the birthday party to unveil this shocking conspiracy...

However, just before they were about to take action, the Prime Minister seemed to have sensed something, and a bigger conspiracy was brewing...

However, just before they were about to take action, the Prime Minister's residence was a peaceful scene. The Prime Minister seemed to know nothing about the coming storm, and he just leisurely admired flowers and drank tea in his residence every day, chatting and laughing with his staff.

"Sir, what do you think of this orchid? It is a treasure just found from Jiangnan." An aide pointed to an orchid in full bloom in the yard and said to the prime minister.

The Prime Minister studied the orchid for a moment and smiled, "Yes, the flower is elegant in color and has a pleasant fragrance. It is indeed top-grade."

"This orchid does not compete with other flowers for beauty, but has an air of elegance and purity. It is just like you, sir, who is indifferent to fame and gain and is dedicated to serving the country." The aide flattered.

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister only smiled faintly and did not respond. He picked up the teacup and took a sip, but his eyes were fixed on the distance, and it was unknown what he was thinking about.

"Sir, are you worried about Hu Bugui?" A confidant noticed the prime minister's absent-mindedness and asked in a low voice.

The prime minister put down his teacup, a cold light flashed in his eyes, "Hu Bugui is now a lost dog, there is no need to be afraid of him. But..."

"Just what?" the confidant asked.

The prime minister was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I always feel that things are going too smoothly. Hu Bugui is not someone who will give up easily. His calmness now makes me feel a little uneasy."

“What your Excellency means is…” The confidant was startled and seemed to understand something.

"Pass the order and have the secret guards keep a close eye on Hu Bugui's every move. Don't let your guard down." The prime minister said in a deep voice, "Also, the birthday banquet is coming up soon. Make sure to strengthen the palace's defense and don't let anyone ruin the birthday banquet."

"Yes!" The confidant took the order and left.

The prime minister looked at his confidant's departing back, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. He had been planning for many years, and seeing that his great cause was about to be accomplished, he would never allow anyone to stop him!

At the same time, in Hu Bugui's mansion, Wu Tao also noticed something strange.

"Bugui, I always feel a little uneasy." Wu Tao frowned and said to Hu Bugui who was studying the map, "The Prime Minister is cunning and treacherous. Will he really let down his guard against us?"

Hu Bugui raised his head and looked at Wu Tao's worried expression. He put down the map in his hand, took her into his arms, and comforted her softly: "Taotao, I know you are worried, but we have made all the preparations. Don't worry, everything is under my control."

"But..." Wu Tao wanted to say something but was interrupted by Hu Bugui.

"No buts, we have no way out." Hu Bugui said firmly, "For those loyal people who died in vain, and for ourselves, we must win!"

Feeling Hu Bugui's determination, Wu Tao said no more, but just snuggled tightly in his arms, praying silently in her heart, hoping that everything would go as they wished...

A storm is quietly approaching...