Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 189: Early Rebellion

Wu Tao suppressed her grief and nodded. She knew that now was not the time to be sad, and she had to cheer up to help Hu Bugui overcome the difficulties. However, they did not know that a bigger crisis was quietly approaching. Li Chongyi, the leader of the traitorous organization, had actually launched a premature rebellion and was now leading the rebels to surge towards the defenseless capital like a tide.

When the news came, Wu Tao was boiling medicine for Hu Bugui. The spoon in her hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound, and she turned pale with shock. "How could this happen? How could it happen so quickly?"

Hu Bugui struggled to get up, frowning, "Li Chongyi? It seems that we underestimated his ambition and ruthlessness!" He coughed a few times, his tone revealing a bit of self-blame, "It's all my fault. I didn't know him well enough to keep such a treacherous person around me!"

"Now is not the time to blame ourselves," Wu Tao tried to calm himself down and analyzed, "We must find a solution as soon as possible, otherwise the capital will be in danger!"

"The capital city is under-defended and I am still seriously injured. How can I resist Li Chongyi's rebels?" Hu Bugui clenched his fists, his eyes full of anxiety.

"No, we still have a chance." Wu Tao suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with determination. "Although Li Chongyi controls part of the army, he does not have the support of the people! We must buy time and win the hearts of the people!"

Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao as if he was meeting her for the first time. This seemingly weak woman showed amazing courage and wisdom at this moment. He nodded and motioned Wu Tao to continue.

"We must go deep into the people, understand their needs, solve their sufferings, let them see our determination, and understand that we are the ones who truly care about them!" Wu Tao said in a firm tone, with hope in his eyes.

Hu Bugui pondered for a moment and said decisively: "Okay! Let's do as you say! Let's go meet Li Chongyi and see how capable he is. He dares to shake the Tang Dynasty!"

The two men quickly disguised themselves, avoided the rebels' eyes and ears, and quietly left the palace. They mixed in with the fleeing people and headed towards the city gate. Along the way, they saw the fear and anxiety on the faces of the people, and heard their accusations against the rebels and their worries about the future. All of this deeply touched their hearts.

Wu Tao held Hu Bugui's hand tightly and whispered, "Don't worry, we will win. We will protect this city and its people."

Hu Bugui held her hand in return, feeling the warmth of her palm, and a warm current surged in his heart. He believed that as long as they worked together, they would be able to turn danger into safety and return peace and prosperity to the people of the capital.

The two men walked forward firmly in the night, towards their unknown destiny. How they will turn the tide, win the hearts of the people, and repel the rebels, everything is still unknown...

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui mixed in with the fleeing crowd and headed towards the city gate. The people were hurrying along with their families, their faces full of panic and fear.

"When will there be peace in this world?" An old man sighed tremblingly, leaning on a cane.

"How dare Li Chongyi, that bastard, plot a rebellion! This is absolutely unforgivable!" A strong man gritted his teeth, filled with resentment.

Listening to the people's discussions, Wu Tao felt mixed emotions. She knew that if she wanted to win the hearts of the people, she had to solve their practical difficulties and let them feel hope.

"Bugui, we can't just sit there and wait for death, we must do something!" Wu Tao stopped and looked at Hu Bugui with a firm gaze.

Hu Bugui nodded in agreement. Although he was a skilled martial artist, he had no experience in winning the hearts of the people. He knew that Wu Tao came from a different era and might be able to come up with some novel ideas.

"I remember you once said that in your time there was an activity called 'free clinics', which provided free medical treatment and medicine to the people." Wu Tao said, "We can also follow this practice and set up a temporary clinic at the city gate to provide free medical assistance to the people who are fleeing."

"Good idea!" Hu Bugui's eyes lit up, "I will contact several respected doctors in the city and ask them to participate."

Hu Bugui quickly gathered a group of doctors with superb medical skills by virtue of his influence in the court, while Wu Tao used his knowledge of modern medicine to teach them how to perform simple wound treatment, disease diagnosis and drug preparation.

The temporary clinic was quickly built, and the news spread, attracting a large number of people in need of help. The doctors worked tirelessly to carefully diagnose and treat each patient and distribute medicines for free. Wu Tao shuttled among the crowd, using the first aid knowledge she learned from modern society to help those seriously injured patients stabilize their conditions.

In addition to medical assistance, Wu Tao also suggested that Hu Bugui organize people to reclaim the wasteland outside the city and distribute it to the fleeing people for cultivation, and teach them some advanced agricultural techniques to help them become self-reliant and overcome difficulties.

These measures may seem insignificant, but they are like a warm current that warms the hearts of the people. They have witnessed the sincerity and efforts of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, and felt the long-lost care and hope.

"I only knew that Prince Hu was a hero with great military achievements, but I didn't expect that he cared so much about the suffering of the people."

"This girl is also very kind-hearted. She took the trouble to treat our illnesses and injuries. She is such a good person!"

The people expressed their gratitude and admiration to Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, and their reputation grew day by day.

At the same time, Hu Bugui was not idle. He knew that if he wanted to completely crush Li Chongyi's conspiracy, it was far from enough to rely on these good deeds. He also needed to attack head-on, expose Li Chongyi's true face, and awaken the sense of justice and patriotism in the hearts of the people.

Therefore, Hu Bugui decided to hold a public speech at the city gate to expose Li Chongyi's crimes to the people and call on them to unite and jointly defend their homeland. The news immediately caused a huge sensation...

 Peach blossoms shine brightly in Chang'an

The news spread like wildfire throughout Chang'an. The refugees gathered in front of the city gate. They were ragged and haggard, but they could not hide the expectation in their eyes. Hu Bugui stood tall on the high platform in military uniform. Wu Tao stood beside him. His plain clothes could not hide his elegance.

"Fellow villagers!" Hu Bugui's voice was loud and powerful, echoing above the city gate. "Li Chongyi has evil ambitions and intends to rebel. Now Chang'an is in danger! But I, Hu Bugui, promise everyone that as long as I am still alive, I will never let the villain succeed!"

His words aroused the anger and fear in the hearts of the people, and the crowd began to riot. Seeing this, Wu Tao gently pulled Hu Bugui's sleeve and whispered in his ear: "What the people need now is hope, not panic."

Hu Bugui nodded slightly, took a deep breath, and continued: "I know everyone is scared, but please believe me, good will prevail over evil! As long as we unite as one, we will be able to overcome the difficulties before us!"

He paused, his eyes swept across the anxious faces, and said loudly: "The princess and I have contacted the famous doctors in the city and set up a temporary clinic at the city gate to provide free treatment to all people in need! We will also organize people to reclaim wasteland and distribute it to everyone for farming to help everyone overcome the difficulties!"

His words were like a ray of light in the dark night, illuminating the desperate hearts of the people. The crowd burst into warm cheers, and they shouted "Prince Hu is unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness", "The princess has a kind heart"...

Thanks to the efforts of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, the cohesion of the people in the capital was unprecedentedly improved. They were no longer just panicked refugees, but united to protect their homes. Many young and middle-aged people spontaneously organized themselves to assist the officers and soldiers in maintaining order and transporting supplies, and many even volunteered to join the team against the rebels.

All of this was seen by the leader of the traitorous organization hiding in the dark. He originally thought that this rebellion was a sure thing, but he did not expect that a Cheng Yaojin would appear halfway and the crisis was easily resolved by Hu Bugui and Wu Tao. He was unwilling to accept this and decided to take a risk and sent his masters to try to assassinate Hu Bugui and Wu Tao.

However, who is Hu Bugui? He has been through many battles and has a keen intuition about danger. He subdued the assassins one by one before they could get close. Wu Tao is not a weak woman who can't even tie a chicken. She uses her knowledge of modern technology to cleverly set traps, making it difficult for the assassins to defend themselves.

The successive failures made the leader of the treasonous organization realize that a head-on confrontation would not work. He began to change his strategy and spread rumors in an attempt to alienate Hu Bugui from the people, but all of these were resolved by Wu Tao's wit.

Just as Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were preparing to launch a final attack on the leader of the traitorous organization, an unexpected figure appeared in front of them and brought important intelligence...

With the support of the people, Hu Bugui was even more powerful. He used the information provided by the people to secretly dismantle several bases of the traitorous organization. The number of rebels in the city was decreasing, and Hu Bugui's army gradually took the initiative.

Wu Tao was also busy. She used the knowledge she had learned in modern times to help people improve their lives and stabilize their hearts. She taught people to use simple methods to purify water and prevent diseases. She also organized women to sew winter clothes to prepare for the coming cold winter. People affectionately called her "Peach Blossom Fairy" and respected her very much.

One day, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were discussing how to completely eradicate the traitorous organization, when an unexpected person appeared in front of them. The person was wearing a black cloak and a mask, so his face could not be seen clearly, but the jade pendant on his waist made Hu Bugui's pupils shrink.

"You are..." Hu Bugui's voice trembled a little, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

The man took off his mask, revealing a weather-beaten face. It was none other than Zhang Zhongjian, the Minister of War who had been framed by a traitorous organization many years ago and had disappeared since then!

"My Lord, Princess, how are you?" Zhang Zhongjian's voice was a little hoarse, but his tone was very firm. "I was harmed by a traitor and was seriously injured. Fortunately, I was saved by a master. Over the years, I have been hiding my identity and secretly investigating the evidence of the treasonous organization. Now I can finally serve the country!"

Zhang Zhongjian pulled out a sheepskin map from his bosom, which detailed the hiding place of the leader of the traitorous organization and the surrounding defense deployment. "I know that the prince and the princess are looking for the whereabouts of the traitor. This information may be helpful to you."

Hu Bugui took the map, examined it carefully, and showed a look of joy on his face. "Master Zhang, the information you provided is so timely! With it, we can catch all the rebels in one fell swoop!"

Wu Tao was also very excited. She looked at Zhang Zhongjian and said gratefully, "Master Zhang, we will always remember your righteousness!"

Zhang Zhongjian shook his head. "I just did what I should do. The country is in danger now, and every citizen has a duty. I am willing to serve you and your majesty at your service!"

Hu Bugui looked at this loyal old minister in front of him, and his heart was filled with emotion. He held Zhang Zhongjian's hand and said solemnly: "Master Zhang, your loyalty is witnessed by heaven and earth! This time, we will fight side by side to completely eradicate the traitors and restore peace to the Tang Dynasty!"