The next day.
Two carriages, one large and one small, departed from the gates of Prince Fu's Estate. The Princess Consort and the Little Prince rode in the larger carriage, while two serving maids—Yulan among them—traveled in the smaller one. Yu Xian rode on horseback at the very front, followed by four guards from the estate.
Recalling the Princess Consort’s deliberate distance and feigned coldness as they left, Yu Xian could not help but feel a flicker of amusement. Grandpa Li had looked on with such fatherly relief, seemingly convinced that Yu Xian was finally acting as a proper subordinate should. The old eunuch, having lived his life untouched by romance, had no idea that for a woman, "no" often meant "yes." By taking a step back, Yu Xian had secured an unassailable position. In fact, he owed Grandpa Li a debt of gratitude for exposing their affair; otherwise, the Princess Consort might still be clinging to the dream of them flying away together.
Chapter 53