Xie Qianbing's chopsticks paused, yet her reply was honest. "The truth is, I did a bit, at first." That year, Xie Qianbing hadn't been able to relax at He Leyong living alone, deep in the mountains, and had furtively brought the necessities of life to her a number of times to make sure she was doing alright. Even He Leyong herself thought that, were it not for Xie Qianbing, she might not have been able to steadily pass those first couple of years. But, three years ago, Xie Qianbing had gone up Mount Tongshan like she usually had, yet He Leyong had locked the door and refused to see her. After a harsh half year with no results, Xie Qianbing had resentfully left, and the two hadn't seen each other since then. At the time, Xie Qianbing had been resentful; but now, in the end, she'd understood He Leyong's goals then. "From childhood, I thought that you were a good successor for studies; even if you couldn't become an official, following after the Empe...

After morning court ended, Xie Qianbing and He Leyong were left behind, and only approaching midday did they leave the Palace. He Leyong had only just entered the capital, and hadn't had the opportunity to purchase a residence, and so she was temporarily living in Xie Qianbing's home. Yet the two didn't return together; Xie Qianbing, seeing He Leyong had gotten into a carriage, herself actually happily rode a horse to Honghailou. Honghailou was located in the most flourishing part of the capital; those who came and went were all high-ranking officials and nobles. As soon as Xie Qianbing dismounted her horse, she saw a number of familiar faced. But today, she hadn't actually come to acquaint herself with these people, and so didn't pay much attention to them, heading directly into Honghailou. The waiter had a sharp eye, and with a single glance, was able to tell that Xie Qianbing was wearing a third rank official's dress, and so hurried to approach her. "Dar...