"You're quite unfamiliar, I've never seen you before." said the maid beside the woman.

"Ma'am, would you like me to invite that young lady over so you can meet her?" the maid asked.

The woman shook her head. “No need, she must be Master Mu’s friend, she came here for a reason of their own, we shouldn't bother them.”

The maidservant nodded and said, “What madam says is absolutely right.”

The woman then asked the maidservant, "Is everything ready for the Poetry and Literature Convention?"

The maidservant said, "Don't worry, madam. Everything is ready. The young ladies who received the invitations have all arrived at the private rooms on the fifth floor."

"Let's start with some drinks and appetizers to welcome everyone. Once we've all had our fill and are in high spirits, then Madam, you can go over and give them the questions."

Hearing the maid's report, the woman nodded lightly.

"Have the people we placed there beforehand keep a close eye on this batch of girls. See which ones are truly genuine in their words and actions, and which ones are all talk."

>

“Character, talent, virtue, knowledge, speech and manner, all must be carefully noted down, do you understand?” she instructed the maidservant again.

The maidservant nodded again.

A poetry gathering held once every few years is nothing more than a formality, or perhaps a bridge.

All this talk about talent and competition, it's all just a way to hide the real goal.

The true purpose is to select the most outstanding women, record them in a list, and provide it for reference by royalty and princes seeking brides.

"My lady, you don't need to worry about these things for now. It's still early. Allow me to massage your forehead first." said the maid.

"Well," said the madam, nodding. "It's just as well. These past few days I haven't been myself. My headache has come back again."

"Give me a little massage oil and rub it in. Relax a bit first, then I'll go to the poetry gathering later. If I went now, they'd be too restrained. Let them play by themselves for now."

The woman lay down on the noble concubine's couch.

Outside, Yang Ruqing followed Mu Zichuan as they passed by.

She found that the environment got better as she went higher up the floors.

Well, look there, the bamboo curtains are layered upon each other, and figures can be seen moving inside. It's truly picturesque. Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!

"Zichuan, where are we eating? I feel like we're not here for a meal, but just to enjoy the scenery," Yang Ruqing caught up with Mu Zichuan and teased him.

Mu Zichuan said: "On the fifth floor, almost there."

As they climbed to the fifth floor, they passed by a study door and heard sweet singing coming from inside.

Neither of them paid any attention. It's perfectly normal for young ladies from the capital to gather for a social event.

"We're here." Mu Zichuan said to Yang Ruqing.

Yang Ruqing stopped in her tracks, staring at the open door before her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

With her feet carrying her in, she swept her gaze over everything inside. Even someone as well-traveled as she was now felt like her eyes weren't enough to take it all in.

>

"My goodness, is this really a restaurant? I can't believe it." Yang Ruqing said.

Such decoration and renovation reminded her of the bamboo forest behind Zuojiazhuang last time.

At this moment, she and Mu Zichuan were sitting on the ground. The ground was covered with a soft carpet with a special pattern.

But the pattern, the feel of it, is just like sitting on the ground under a thick layer of bamboo leaves in a bamboo forest.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

The table before me was shaped like the base of a large tree, its legs resembling tangled roots that extended towards the small pond on that side.

There were colorful fish in the small pond, and pebbles lay at the bottom.

Then there's the top of this thing, which was clearly carefully crafted. Even though there wasn't a birdcage hanging there, occasionally you could hear a few chirps from birds.

"How is it, dining here, isn't it a different kind of taste?" Mu Zichuan's voice reached her ears, Yang Ruqing came back to her senses.

>

His gaze finally settled on the man across from him.

"Dining here is truly a nostalgic experience, it's amazing! I love it!" she exclaimed.

Finally, she added: "When Tang Yazi finishes his work at the hunting ground and comes back, I'm going to bring him here for a meal. Let him experience this feeling of a picnic too!"

Mu Zichuan was filled with joy upon hearing those previous words.

But when he heard the next sentence, he felt a little uncomfortable.

This girl, no matter where she goes, what she does, what she eats, or what she sees, she always keeps thinking about Luo Fengtang.

Don't they all want to take him along and experience it too?

This...is what it's like to 'share' with someone you like?

He understands.

For he treated her in the same way, and she, in turn, had given her heart to Luofengtang.

Mu Zi Chuan smiled faintly, picked up the teacup with bamboo leaves tea in front of him and took a light sip.

The bitter taste slid from lips to teeth, all the way down to the stomach, spreading a bitterness in my heart.

He is a person who is not even qualified to experience bitterness or resentment.

Soon, the dishes he ordered were served.

Yang Ruqing took one look and saw that it was all her favorite food, making her mouth water. She praised this restaurant and Mu Zichuan once again.

Then, pick up your chopsticks and start to enjoy yourself.

...while on the other side.

"Ping'er, did you really see it clearly?" At the corner of the study door, Han Ruyi grabbed the maid Ping'er and asked in a low voice.

Pin'er nodded vigorously, like a chicken pecking at rice: "It's true, it was indeed Mu Zichuan and Yang Ruqing. The two of them went into that private room called 'Little Bridge Flowing Water'."

“The flowing stream under the small bridge”?

Han Ruyi glanced at the elegant room beside her, anger burning in her eyes.

If I'm not mistaken, this place, including the room called 'Small Bridge Flowing Water', was all recommended to Mu Zichuan by her.

During the Lantern Festival, she made a reservation here, wanting to invite Mu Zichuan here for a meal alone and get to know him better.

Knowing that he was a scholar of high moral character, she deliberately sought him out here, searching room by room in this place.

In the end, they chose "Little Bridge Flowing Water".

Here is the English translation of your provided text: Please let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

She felt he should really like the atmosphere in that elegant room, and she had done so much to please him.

This is a simple prompt asking to translate the content within "<>" into English. Let me know if you'd like me to do that! Just provide the text you want translated and I'll be happy to help. ?

How did he wriggle out of it at the time?

100 excuses, 1,000 reasons for being busy.

And now?

To actually bring another woman there to eat, after dinner, wouldn't he still want to have some fun inside?

Jealousy burned Han Ruyi's reason to the point of collapse. She raised her foot and was about to go over there when she was pulled back by her maidservant, Pin’er.

>

"Miss, what are you trying to do?" Pin'er asked nervously.

Han Ruyi's face was flushed red, gritting her teeth and saying: "A man and a woman alone, one is still a married woman, I want to see how they defend themselves in this situation!"

Is this what you want to do?

>

Pin'er became even more nervous and quickly gripped Han Ruyi's arm.

"Miss, you absolutely mustn't," she said,

Han Ruyi glared at her, "What's wrong with that? They're a man and woman hiding here to eat. With General Luo gone, they must be the ones feeling guilty!" Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

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