Du Meiren exclaimed in surprise and delight, "What a calculating little girl you are! I never expected that such a tiny person could harbor such intricate schemes. Even your Aunt didn’t see this coming!"
Cai Wei calmly ate from a bowl of purple rice porridge under her Aunt’s admiring gaze.
If she were to use this attire to run away, she would definitely not stand out. At least, no one would notice her because of her dress.
Her words had left Anxiang and Hongrui reeling, starting to seriously question their own appearances. Hongrui even considered going back to change her attire and return in the state of an unrivalled beauty. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time, so she had to regretfully give it up.
At the quarter hour of Shi Chen, it was time to embark. The eunuchs from the internal affairs department came to fetch Cai Wei. She was carried in a sedan chair to the north corner gate of the palace, with Hongrui and Anxiang carrying their bundles behind.
By this time, the day was already bright and clear. As Cai Wei descended from the sedan chair, a palace maid who looked like an officer was waiting there.
The female officer was dressed in lake blue palace attire and looked in high spirits. On seeing Cai Wei, she stepped forward and bowed down.
"The servant pays her respects to Princess An Le. May your Highness be blessed."
Cai Wei laughingly said, "You have never seen me before, how do you know I’m An Le?"
The lady officer said respectfully, "The servant was fortunate enough to have seen you at the Shangsi Festival Banquet once, and your Highness’s enchanting appearance left such an unforgettable impression that she naturally remembered."
An official from the Internal Affairs Department bowed and said, "Aunt Qingqiu, since you recognize Princess Anle, I don’t need to introduce her to you. I have some official business to attend to, so I will leave Princess Anle in your care."
Aunt Qingqiu replied, "Rest assured, I will serve the princess with all my heart!"
Finishing, she respectfully said to Cai Wei, "Princess, it’s a bit chilly in the morning. Please get in the carriage first so you are not stricken by the dampness."
After saying that, she led Cai Wei to a grand carriage drawn by two exceptional horses covered with a yellow canopy patterned with clouds.
"Princess, please get in the carriage!"
As soon as Aunt Qing Qiu finished her words, a young eunuch ran over and knelt down at the carriage door to assist Cai Wei up by allowing her to step on his back.
Looking at the tiny eunuch kneeling humbly at her feet, Cai Wei pressed her lips together decisively, grabbed the carriage door, and vaulted decisively into the carriage. The education she had received made it impossible for her to step on a living human, especially a pitiful one who had already suffered.
Upon entering the carriage, Cai Wei found the compartment much more spacious than she imagined, completely different from any carriage she had ridden before.
The wall of the carriage was embroidered with gold cloud-and-sea patterns. There were soft cushioned seats on both sides of the windows and directly in front. In the middle was a rosewood fragrance table, ingeniously designed with a groove in the center that held a purple clay teapot, some porcelain cups from the official kiln, and a variety of small snacks such as melon seeds and candied fruits to prevent the teacups and teapots from overflowing or falling over and tea from spilling out due to the jolting of the carriage.
Having observed this, Cai Wei silently appreciated it. She decided that when she returned home, she would have a carriage built just one.
"The servant pays respects to Princess Zhao Yang and Princess Helan."
Outside the carriage, Aunt Qingqiu’s voice was heard, followed by the opening of the carriage curtains. Princess Zhao Yang, dressed in peach pink foreign attire, came in. Her hair was done up in a high bun adorned with a circle of uniformly sized, round and full pink pearl hair ornaments. Right behind her was Princess Helana, dressed in green foreign attire.
Such bad luck. She was going to share a carriage with them of all people!
Cai Wei looked at the sky, speechless. It seemed like she wouldn’t need to worry about being bored on this trip!