The royal hunting ground is located in the southern suburbs of the capital, covering a vast area. It contains mountains, rivers, meadows, and a dense primitive forest. Inside, there is an abundance of animals: wild sheep, deer, pheasants, wild boars, wild chickens, wild rabbits, and even larger prey, such as cheetahs, brown bears, tigers, etc. Every autumn, the emperor leads concubines, princes, and officials to hunt here for three days. The one who captures the most game will even receive a reward from the emperor.
On the hunting day, Cai Wei was woken up by An Xiang during the fourth watch of the night, busily preparing her clothes and makeup. Hong Rui, in contrast to her usually lackadaisical attitude, was all rushed, preparing the spiced meat, warm water, and towels for Cai Wei, and even got ready some green salt for her to brush her teeth.
While grooming, Cai Wei noticed that the two girls who were so eager to help were dressed quite distinctively today.
An Xiang was wearing a dress of Xiang color Beizi, a Moonlight Skirt, with her hair put up in a carp bun. Tucked into her hair were silk flowers of the same color as her outfit and a gold-plated point Cui Zhu Hairpin. Her face also bore a light layer of makeup.
Hong Rui, on the other hand, is more conspicuous with her makeup. She wore a Silver-Red Peach Blossom Embroidered Silk Dress with a flowing soft yarn gauze long skirt. She tied a light blue handkerchief around her slim waist and secured the edge of the skirt with a Cui colored warm jade pendant engraved with the symbol for multiple sons and abundant happiness. As she walked, she moved like a willow in the wind, truly captivating.
"Princess, I’ve already combed your bun. Do you think it looks good?"
An Xiang cleverly held a hand mirror, waving it back and forth so Cai Wei could clearly see her hair bun.
After observing herself in the mirror, Cai Wei nodded and said, "It’s very good".
An Xiang then asked, "Which jewelry will the princess wear today?" As she spoke, she opened the first layer of the jewelry box, revealing countless pieces of glittering jewelry to Cai Wei’s eyes.
All these pieces of jewelry were sent by Du Meiren last night. They were part of her dowry when she entered the palace from Duke An’s Mansion. Every single piece was ingeniously crafted, demonstrating the great effort Duke An’s Mansion had invested in having her rise to power all those years ago!
Cai Wei looked over the exquisite jewelry and finally chose a delicate pearl cluster hairpin, saying, "This one!"
As An Xiang greedily looked at the jewelry in the box, she found it hard to believe.
"This one is enough!"
These items all belonged to Du Meiren and embodied her hopes and dreams from when she was a maiden. They must have had extraordinary meaning for her, and so Cai Wei did not want to rob her of that.
After examining herself in the mirror for a while and feeling satisfied, Cai Wei stood up and headed to the eastern room for breakfast.
Seeing Cai Wei’s simple dressing, both An Xiang and Hong Rui exchanged startled glances, which quickly turned into expressions of secret delight.
Seeing Cai Wei only wearing a plain, unadorned, light blue Beizi with a pearl-colored moonlight skirt, and with her hair in a Zhui Yun bun and a tiny, unremarkable pearl cluster hairpin, Du Meiren immediately felt displeased. She looked even less flashy than her two maids.
"Why didn’t you wear some of the beautiful jewelry your aunt gave you? I’ve never seen a princess who was as frugal as you!"
Cai Wei laughed and said, " I want to amaze everyone with my simplicity. The only way to do that is by dressing this way!"
"You expect to outshine everyone else with that getup? Even your maids are more elegant than you."
Du Meiren expressed her disapproval in irritation.
Unfazed by her aunt’s nagging, Cai Wei cheerfully sat across from Du Meiren and said, "Aunt, think about it. The ones going there are either princesses or noble ladies, concubines, or madams. They will undoubtedly be extravagantly dressed, competing for beauty. Wearing beautiful clothes and beautiful jewelry is nothing special. My simple appearance may stick out in comparison, like a touch of green among blooming flowers. Wouldn’t that be surprising?"