Su Qing saw that she likely wouldn't be able to wait for the person she was expecting today.
Thus, she prepared to head back home.
'Although it's normal not to see her today, it's still a bit of a pity,' Su Qing thought, shaking her head slightly. She stood up, stretched, and then went to close the door.
Even though there hadn't been a single patient all afternoon, sitting there for hours was still somewhat tiring... and quite boring. If she weren't just a clone—and if her main body weren't occupied with things that kept her from feeling too bored—she might have truly died of boredom.
A moment later, Su Qing finished closing the shop's doors and windows.
She was just about to head home when an expected guest, gasping for breath, called out to her.
"Di... Divine Doctor. My Lady... Her Majesty ordered me to tell the Divine Doctor that everything is going smoothly. Please... please rest assured. In a few days, once Her Majesty has finished the matters at hand, she will come in person to... to see the Divine Doctor."
The person speaking was dressed in rattan armor, with bloodstains on their body that hadn't been cleaned yet. They were panting heavily and stammering as they spoke to Su Qing.
This person was none other than the Commandery Princess's most trusted subordinate—that guard.
Or rather, she should be called the Empress now.
Su Qing’s tone was flat and gentle as she said, "Speak slowly, there's no need to be in such a rush."
The guard took several deep breaths before repeating the words. This time, there was no stammering.
After hearing the clear version, Su Qing spoke calmly, "I am already aware of your master's situation... Go back and tell her not to be anxious. Just follow the plan step by step. If she encounters any trouble that is difficult to resolve... or any existence she cannot handle, send word to me. I will find a way to help. Provided, of course, that it is something I can help with..."
Su Qing actually felt a sense of relief upon learning that the transition on the Empress's side was going smoothly.
However, to maintain her enigmatic persona, she kept her tone indifferent.
Hearing Su Qing's calm voice, the guard could only marvel inwardly. As expected of the Divine Doctor, everything seemed to be within her grasp... It was no wonder the master trusted her so unconditionally.
The guard took a deep breath and said, "Rest assured, Divine Doctor. I will deliver your words exactly as spoken."
Su Qing nodded and said, "Very well. In that case, I shall head back first. If your master has anything else to convey after you return, you may come to the clinic to see me tomorrow... As long as I am still in Xingyang City, the clinic will be open every day, barring any accidents. It will open regardless of whether there are patients or not."
The guard understood that Su Qing was telling him not to disturb her further today.
He bowed obediently and said, "Safe travels, Divine Doctor!"
Seeing how intelligent the man was, Su Qing nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.
The guard watched Su Qing walk away... only after she had vanished from his sight did he dare to turn and depart.
Su Qing’s pace was no slower than the guard's.
In a short while, she returned home silently.
Upon entering, she found that everyone except Ao Yiyi was still in a daze, looking as if the effects of the drug had not fully worn off.
Consequently, Su Qing turned her gaze toward Jin Xin.
This time, Jin Xin put on an innocent expression.
She sent a Sound Transmission: "This has nothing to do with me. You're the one who forced them awake early. It's perfectly normal for them to be groggy... after all, the drug hasn't completely cleared their systems."
Su Qing rolled her eyes. So, when Jin Xin said she could wake them up, she literally meant just waking them up, not neutralizing the drug!
"You really are unreliable..." Su Qing transmitted back.
Jin Xin shrugged and replied, "Didn't you fail to ask for clarification, Sister?"
"..." Su Qing couldn't be bothered to bicker with her.
She simply turned and went into the kitchen to cook.
Su Qing didn't actually need to worry too much about Su Qingyu and the others. Although Jin Xin was unreliable, she had a sense of propriety; they wouldn't suffer any serious issues. At most, they would just be sleepy for a while longer. They would recover naturally in time.
Rather than worrying about that, it was better to get dinner started. While Su Qing wouldn't feel hungry even if she skipped a dozen meals, the same couldn't be said for the others. There were mortals among them, after all. A mortal would be famished if they missed a single meal, especially the little ones like Su Qingyu who were still growing. They got hungry even faster.
While Su Qing was busy with household chores, the Empress was also busy with her own 'family' matters in the Imperial City.
In the inner palace, Ye Qingyu looked at her father's corpse in silence.
He had not been killed by her, of course. In this era, patricide would invite scandal and criticism, which would be extremely detrimental to her status. No matter what, she could not kill her own father with her own hands. Thus, the former Emperor had indeed not died by her hand.
In fact, Ye Qingyu had spent most of the day searching for him. After all, to claim the throne, there was one final hurdle to clear. However... she hadn't expected that by the time she found him, he would already be dead in a pool of wine. His body was already bloated from the soak.
Ye Qingyu let out a soft sigh and said to the people beside her, "None of you are permitted to speak of my father's matter... Tell the outside world that he was murdered by demons."
"As you command!" the people around her responded in terror.
The Empress had already made arrangements; what else could they say? Besides, her decision was sound. She was the former Emperor's daughter, after all; there was nothing wrong with her wanting to prevent the unsightly details of his death from spreading. In fact, it was a display of filial piety. So, what would they dare to say? They dared say nothing. Even if they had thoughts, they had to suppress them now. No one wanted to interfere with her succession.
This was the new ruler personally designated by a Bodhisattva. Who would dare to gossip?
Regardless of what others thought, Ye Qingyu just looked at the figure in the pool of wine and couldn't help but sigh again.
"I leave the rest to you... Though my father spent half his life doing wrong, he was my father after all... You know what needs to be done, right?" Ye Qingyu turned to look at several people and said.
They nodded hurriedly, expressing that they knew exactly what to do.
Seeing this, Ye Qingyu felt a bit more at ease. She nodded and said, "In that case, make the arrangements. There is no need for excessive simplicity, but do not be too extravagant either. Our current priority is recovery and growth... this is not the time for grand displays."
The officials seemed to understand her intent and nodded one after another, indicating they understood her thoughts and her concerns.
Ye Qingyu didn't know if they truly understood, but since they acted like they did, she didn't say more. She gave her father one last deep look before turning to leave the 'pools of wine and forests of meat.'
As she was leaving, Ye Qingyu suddenly remembered something, and her head began to ache again.
'Father, oh Father, why did you leave me such a mountain of trouble even in death?' Ye Qingyu felt helpless, but she still had to clean up the mess. As for what that mess was... it was naturally the crowd of women in the harem and their descendants. In short, she had a headache.
However, she still had to deal with it. She didn't want to keep supporting these idle people indefinitely. Furthermore, those women who had been forcibly seized by her father needed to be released... In short, she wanted as few people as possible staying in the palace to eat for free.
Ye Qingyu sighed and dragged her exhausted body back to her bedchamber. However, before she could even sit down, someone came to report that the guard she had sent out had returned.
Learning that he was back, she ignored her fatigue and immediately ordered him to be brought in.
"Is the Divine Doctor still in Xingyang City? Did she say anything?" Ye Qingyu asked urgently.
Her concern for Su Qing was multifaceted. Su Qing was important—more important than anything else at the moment. As long as Su Qing was there, she could feel at peace. If Su Qing left, she would be troubled.
Fortunately, she received a positive answer. The guard said, "The Divine Doctor is still in the city, and the clinic is open as usual. It seems that no matter what major events happen in the city, her clinic remains open... As for what she said... she said..."
The guard relayed Su Qing's words to the Empress exactly as they were spoken. Although hearing Su Qing's words repeated through the guard felt a bit strange, Ye Qingyu understood clearly what Su Qing meant.
After listening, Ye Qingyu let out a long breath.
"It is good that the Divine Doctor is still here." Ye Qingyu nodded and said, "By the way, for the next few days, do not stay in the palace. Go handle a few things for me..."
The guard cupped his fists and asked, "What does Your Majesty wish for me to do?"
"Build a temple for One-Leaf Bodhisattva," Ye Qingyu said, looking at him.
The guard was stunned for a moment, but then he nodded without asking further. "As you command!"
"You're not going to ask me why?"
"Your Majesty must have your reasons for doing these things. I won't ask... it would make me look too stupid," the guard said, scratching his head.
Ye Qingyu gave a helpless smile and waved her hand. "You're not stupid; you're quite clever! Alright, you may go... there will be many more things I need you to do later. In the future, there will be no shortage of places where you'll have to work hard!"
Ye Qingyu trusted this guard immensely, so she entrusted him with many tasks, and it would be the same in the future.
"It is my honor to serve Your Majesty," the guard said, shaking his head. "How could I call it hard work?"
Hearing this, Ye Qingyu just smiled and said, "Alright, stop flattering me. You may leave!"
The guard nodded and withdrew. As he left, he scratched his head and thought, 'But I wasn't flattering her?'
After the guard left, Ye Qingyu looked up at the gray sky, and fatigue once again crept into her heart. After working so hard for so many days, she truly did need a good rest.
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, another half-month had gone by.
During these two weeks, many things had indeed happened in Xingyang City. However, most of them involved cleaning up the messes left behind from the past. Fortunately, although there were many messes, the lack of resistance meant they could be cleaned up relatively well. Even if they couldn't be completely fixed, their negative impact could be mitigated. In short, everything was developing in a positive direction.
At the same time, over the past half-month, Su Qing could feel that her Incense Power in Xingyang City was becoming more and more robust. Recently, the number of prayers she could hear had increased significantly. This was a good thing. At least the efforts she had made previously were not in vain, and the Empress had kept her promise.
On this day, Su Qing was sitting in the clinic as usual, staring blankly while holding Coal Ball in her arms. Coal Ball was warm and toasty, making him perfect for warming her hands. Moreover, his fur was smooth and very comfortable to pet, so Su Qing enjoyed holding him.
There were many patients in the clinic today. Since Xingyang City had stabilized a bit, the number of people coming to the clinic had increased again. It seemed that no matter the time, a clinic's business would never be too bad—provided there were still people around. If everyone were dead, the clinic certainly wouldn't have any business.
Returning to the point, although the clinic was busy today, everything was orderly and systematic. Everyone in Xingyang City knew the clinic's rules, so no one was willing to cause trouble there. Naturally, everything proceeded smoothly.
However, just when Su Qing thought today would be like any other—quiet, uneventful, and smooth—two guests who were truly beyond her expectations appeared in the clinic.
The patients in the clinic might not necessarily recognize the people before them. However, Su Qing saw through their identities at a single glance. Such clumsy transformation arts held no meaning for her.
"It's been quite a long time, hasn't it? I truly didn't expect you to come see me in person," Su Qing said with a smile via Sound Transmission. "Come, let's go to the backyard to chat. You come along too! The thing I promised you, I will give it to you as well!"
Ye Qingyu, whose identity had been seen through instantly, was not annoyed. Given Su Qing's strength, being able to see through it was normal; it would be a problem if she couldn't! Beside her, Liu Qian let out a soft chuckle and nodded slightly. Then, she followed Su Qing toward the backyard.
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