In fact, because of the marriage’s nature, the first-rank palace maids didn’t have much to do. Eight of them packaged the little valuables she had to make things quicker while the rest prepared all the things for bathing.

When Yang Yu Lian was being led to the bathing side-room, Hua Si, who seemed to have something to say to her master since the young Royal Eunuch had left, was about to open her mouth her mouth when a palace maid approached her and extended her both hands, displaying two of the commonly seen light brown maid robes, “Eunuch Tao Tao said that Her Highness’ maids must change to this attires.”

“Heh…” Hua Si smirked but before she could lash out at the palace maid, she heard:

“Si’er, pass the words to Su’er when she is back.

“This is turning interesting, don’t you think?” Yang Yu Lian turned and told her with a charming smile and glittering eyes before entering to the bathing side-room.

Interesting? Not only Hua Si was surprised and confused by her words and smile but also the other palace maids. However, both parts had different thoughts. To Hua Si the Qing Emperor wasn't worthy of her master and there was also the plus of the situation being of bad taste while the palace maids wondered if she really understood her situation, Princess Wei Yue had been scared witless that she had committed suicide, was the Fifth Princess not only useless but also a fool? She had to be one; only a fool would smile like that, after all.

Hua Si grabbed both robes and followed her master to the bathing side-room. Though her master was strong, she was not going to let them be alone with her; she will change and wait for Hua Su there.

Twenty minutes passed and Hua Su was steadily approaching to her master who was relaxing in a one-metre cubic bathtub attached to the floor; she had her back facing the door entrance. The other palace maids had been dismissed from helping her and were lined horizontally by the door's side so only Hua Si was by her side, carefully washing her silky black hair.

Hua Su whispered her findings with a voice that only her master and Hua Si could hear.

After listening to her silent whisper with absent-minded cold eyes, Yang Yu Lian's crimson lips moved, "Hoh, is that so?

“She felt that desperate, it seems.

"So, it is because we both are of the same age and our looks are similar that I was chosen to be her replacement, then…

“Anyway, that old eunuch Xiao Xiao is quite resolute and… smart? If he had decided not to let you both come with me, he would have had a handful to deal with.”

“That’s right, big sister Su, on that wooden table there is a new maid robe. You have to change clothes,” Hua Si suddenly remembered and told to Hua Su.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Hua Su followed Hua Si’s sight, So that’s how it is, she thought after seeing the light brown maid robe. She looked back over her shoulder and saw the sent palace maids clad in a set of white and light pink robes; her glance only lasted a split second and then, she stood up to change.

An hour later, Yang Yu Lian was sitting in front of a huge silver mirror. She was already dressed up but contrary to the gaudy red wedding robe someone else might have been expecting, she was clad like a young lad.

A loose green robe was what she wore, her chest had been tied and her hair was being styled like that of a man, nevertheless, it didn't hide her exquisite features. Even so, not many would doubt the gender she was trying to portray as this world had plenty of beautiful frail-looking boys.

All the preparations were carried out smoothly. Night descended and Yang Yu Lian along with her two maids were led by an old Royal Eunuch to the north gate of the Royal Palace which was used by capable but not-so-well-known merchants and servants to trade with the Royal Family.

At three hundred paces from the gate, in the darkest of paths that led to it, there was medium-sized carriage parked with two horses.

Yang Yu Lian and the others were still in their way there and before anything were in sight, she felt the presences of eleven people reunited ahead in the empty and barely lit pathway they had taken.

Soon after, the parked carriage came in sight along with the eleven people she had felt; all of them were men. From their bearing she deduced ten of them were some elite palace guards, thought their clothes said otherwise; their robes and scare armours were those of a mercenary, even dust was randomly scattered on them and their faces.

“Seeing Her Highness, Princess Wei Yue,” said in reverence with a low tone the only one of the elven that was clad in grey servant clothes. Right after he ended his salute, the other ten men followed him with a reverence too.

The annoying joke of a eunuch?! Is he coming with us? Hua Si frowned at the sight of the man with the grey servant robe; it was the young Royal Eunuch who had been blabbering nonsense earlier, Eunuch Tao Tao.

“Her Highness, it is a bit cramped inside the carriage, we beg for forgiveness.”

Is the master riding that thing? Moreover, it is also cramped! This eunuch is really… Hua Si frowned even more; though she knew they were under disguise, she was still very displeased.

Hua Su maintained her cold semblance and only stole a glance to her master.

The old Royal Eunuch, Xiao Xiao, was also looking at her through the corner of his wrinkled old eyes. As the oldest of the personal royal eunuchs of the King, he oversaw from time to time the princes and princesses when they were children; hence, he knew, the Fifth Princess was extremely capricious, cynic and cold. If she didn’t like something, she would create havoc and twist words in a special manner to put faults to the point where lives could be lost. Though she wasn’t favoured by the King, there was no way the royal blood could be offended.

Those things were kept secret as she was just a child and with the passing of the years her outbursts become less frequent and noisy that now, there were only some incomplete rumours about it wandering here and there between some high-rank servants. However, he didn't believe she had changed, to him her eyes were still the same so he was worried about her not accepting a new servant in her journey.

His worry was uncalled for as Yang Yu Lian just passed the young Eunuch Tao Tao by, heading all the way inside the carriage. Hua Su and Hua Si followed her but they sat in the back of the carriage.

Seeing that, Eunuch Xiao Xiao quickly dismissed Eunuch Tao Tao and the ten royal palace guards.

The carriage went through the north gate unhindered, giving start to Yang Yu Lian’s journey to the cold lands of the North.