Her Majesty

Su Qing moved as swiftly as always.

Before long, she had helped Su Qingyu set up the storefront and, as planned, sent her off to manage it. However, Su Qing did not arrange for anyone to help her. She even made Su Qingyu find the shop's employees herself.

The purpose of this shop was to temper the girl's abilities. If Su Qing stepped in to help, that goal would never be achieved. Thus, she naturally dumped every single task onto Su Qingyu’s shoulders.

Of course, regardless of the circumstances, Su Qingyu was still Su Qing’s disciple—a child she had raised since infancy. While she wouldn't help with the shop's affairs, Su Qing couldn't simply ignore her safety. So, Su Qing created a small clone to watch over her. However, the clone would only intervene if Su Qingyu encountered true danger.

Under normal circumstances, the clone would not lift a finger, nor would it even appear before her. Even if danger did arise, as long as Su Qingyu could handle it herself, the clone would remain hidden. After all, Su Qingyu’s own strength was quite formidable. Ordinary people were no match for her; in fact, many figures in the martial world would struggle against her.

Su Qing’s primary concern was the child’s lack of guile. Though she often seemed to have many little clever tricks, they were just that—minor tricks. The girl was still very easy to deceive; Su Qing herself had lost count of how many times she had tricked her, yet the girl fell for it every time. Naturally, Su Qing had to be extra vigilant. If the girl were swindled and had no one to back her up, things could turn quite sour.

Part of this training was meant to sharpen her judgment, but while it was a lesson, Su Qing couldn't let the girl come to actual harm.

Everything progressed quite smoothly. The shop was established, and Su Qingyu began her busy days within its walls. The storefront wasn't far from the medical clinic—barely a hundred meters away. The location might not have been the best, but that didn't matter much. For Su Qing, she never expected the shop to make much money. Her only goal was to give the girl some experience.

As the arrangements settled, days turned into weeks.

At first, Su Qingyu did indeed suffer many losses. However, after being taken advantage of enough times, she gradually mastered the necessary skills and things began to improve bit by bit. This left Su Qing rather satisfied; it proved that while the girl was naive, she certainly wasn't stupid.

Though the girl occasionally did things that left Su Qing amused and exasperated, everything was steadily moving in the right direction.

Time flew by, and six months passed.

Su Qingyu’s shop had finally gotten onto the right track and was turning a stable profit. Furthermore, the variety of people she had to deal with daily increased. Among them, there was no shortage of those with crooked intentions or hidden malice. Fortunately, the much-matured Su Qingyu was no pushover, nor was she slow-witted. Most of the time, she could detect the clues and make her own decisions without Su Qing needing to intervene.

Even when her choices weren't perfectly correct, they were usually enough to avoid the problem, or at least keep her out of danger. This was worthy of praise; at the very least, she could sense when someone harbored ill will. Growth happens one step at a time; no one reaches the top in a single bound.

Su Qing remained patient with her.

One day, while Su Qing was holding down the fort at the medical clinic as usual, Liu Qian sought her out once again.

"We meet again. The last time was half a year ago, wasn't it? Have you come today because something else has happened?" Su Qing asked with a smile.

Although she had promised the Empress she would occasionally visit the palace to chat, Su Qing hadn't actually gone. For the past six months, she had stayed at the medical clinic and rarely ventured out.

"No, it's not that another demon has appeared and needs your help. It's just that the temple is finished, and we hope you can come and take a look," Liu Qian said.

Half a year ago, the temple had been nearly complete. Now that six months had passed, it was naturally finished and ready for Su Qing’s inspection.

Although Her Majesty was frustrated that Su Qing hadn't visited her, she hadn't forgotten the promises she had made.

Hearing this, Su Qing chuckled. "I wondered what it was. So the temple is done! If it's finished, then it's finished. Why bother calling me over to see it?"

Su Qing didn't particularly care what the temple looked like, as long as the incense power was sufficient. However, Liu Qian shook her head.

"That won't do. Even though the temple is built, only you can judge if it's been done well and if it suits the Bodhisattva's intent. Besides, it's not just about the temple; Her Majesty wishes to catch up with you. You haven't visited her once in the past six months, and she misses you quite a bit..."

Liu Qian felt somewhat helpless about the situation; Her Majesty truly did miss Su Qing. Yet despite Su Qing saying she would visit, half a year had gone by without a single appearance. Liu Qian had heard more than enough of the Empress’s grumbling. To be honest, she was even a little envious of their bond.

Hearing this, Su Qing felt a slight pang of guilt. She nodded and said, "In that case, I'll go and take a look! After all, I must give Her Majesty some face. Come, let's go."

Since it had been put that way, it would be quite disrespectful if Su Qing refused again. Besides, she had nothing pressing to do; staying here was just idling away time while watching Su Qingyu from afar. Going for a trip was no big deal.

Liu Qian immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile returned to her face. She nodded and said, "Then I shall lead the way."

Su Qing glanced at Liu Qian and laughed helplessly. "Were you that afraid I'd refuse?"

"Of course I was! I'm under Her Majesty's orders to bring you there no matter what!" Liu Qian said, pouting slightly.

She said it that way, but she knew that even if Su Qing didn't go, the Empress wouldn't actually do anything to her. Her Majesty knew as well as anyone that no one could force Su Qing. At most, she would have just received another earful of complaints.

Su Qing chuckled and shook her head. "I see. It seems Her Majesty really does miss me!"

Liu Qian gave a helpless smile. 'Whether she misses you or not, don't you already know? Besides, what happened to visiting often?' She didn't say it aloud, though, simply leading the way in silence.

Seeing that she had stopped talking, Su Qing didn't push further and followed behind with a smile. The two boarded a carriage and headed toward the temple.

The site chosen for the temple was excellent—very close to the palace, yet relatively quiet. It was indeed a fine choice for such a building.

When they arrived, the area outside was already crowded with people. Most were officials, along with a significant number of guards. It was quite a grand display. Clearly, Her Majesty was already inside.

When Su Qing and Liu Qian entered, no one dared to stop them. Many might not have recognized Su Qing, but everyone knew Liu Qian. The person Liu Qian brought was the person Her Majesty wanted to see. The officials were not the type to say the wrong thing at such a time, let alone do something as brainless as obstructing them. People who reached such positions were never fools.

The two entered the temple. The Empress was waiting there. Seeing Su Qing and Liu Qian arrive, she broke into a bright smile. "You've come!"

Su Qing nodded to her. "There are certainly a lot of people here."

Su Qing had thought it would just be the three of them; she hadn't expected such a crowd today. While she didn't feel uncomfortable, it was certainly a surprise.

Hearing this, Ye Qingyu gave a helpless smile. "I didn't want so many people to come either, but they insisted on witnessing the temple's completion. They said it was the only way to show proper respect to One-Leaf Bodhisattva... You know how it is. Though I am the ruler, I cannot simply ignore them when they speak with such reason and conviction."

An emperor might hold the highest power in a nation, but that didn't mean they could do whatever they pleased—especially an emperor who cared about their reputation and had to practice self-discipline. If one were purely autocratic and tyrannical, they would only be branded a despot. Having just ended the reign of a tyrant, becoming one herself would only lead her to the same fate.

Su Qing smiled, having no intention of blaming her. She simply nodded. "I understand; it's not your fault. Let there be many people, then. It's not as if we have anything to hide! We're just here to see the temple."

Su Qing was not an unreasonable person; she was merely surprised, not displeased. This was Ye Qingyu’s domain, and Su Qing had no say in how she arranged things.

Seeing this, Ye Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried Su Qing might be unhappy about it. Fortunately, Su Qing was still the same person she remembered, her attitude unchanged.

"Let's go inside and look!"

Ye Qingyu smiled and led the way, showing none of the haughtiness of a monarch. Su Qing followed closely behind.

The three of them entered the temple's interior. The temple was vast, but the interior decor was relatively simple. There wasn't much ornate carving or gilded beams; instead, there were many exquisitely carved statues.

"I wanted to build it even better... but the current situation doesn't allow for it," Ye Qingyu said with a helpless smile. "So we could only finish the main structure for now and make do... the rest will be added slowly over time."

Su Qing shook her head indifferently. "It's fine. The Bodhisattva is not someone who craves luxury. As long as there is a temple, it is enough. You don't need to blame yourself."

Ye Qingyu nodded. "Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. However, once the national treasury is full, this temple will definitely be renovated!"

Su Qing waved her hand dismissively. "You can make those decisions yourself later. I won't interfere too much."

Seeing her lack of concern, Ye Qingyu could only smile helplessly before pulling her along to see other areas.

As the three walked through the temple, they chatted about the past, briefly returning to the way things used to be. Su Qing didn't mind the nostalgia and chatted with her quite naturally. Time slipped away, and soon it was time for Su Qing to leave.

However, before departing, Su Qing spoke up.

"By the way, in a few years—perhaps even within the next two—I will likely be leaving this city."

Though she hadn't told Su Qingyu about her departure yet, she could at least mention it to Ye Qingyu.

"You... you're leaving so soon?" Ye Qingyu’s expression dimmed slightly.

Su Qing nodded. "Yes. It's about time; I really should be going. You know I can't stay in this city forever. I still need to travel the world to spread faith for the Bodhisattva."

Su Qing had already prepared this explanation, and now she put it to use. Hearing this, Ye Qingyu nodded reluctantly.

"I understand, of course. I just didn't expect it to be so soon. To be honest, I don't really want you to leave this city."

Ye Qingyu didn't want her to stay because of her power, but simply because of their long friendship; she was loath to see her go. Yet even if she was reluctant, she couldn't stop Su Qing. All she could do was offer a few words of persuasion. If she could convince her to stay, that would be ideal, but if not, there was nothing she could do. After all, Su Qing was never her subordinate; their relationship was purely one of friends. Or even more accurately, Su Qing was her benefactor. How could she possibly control her?

Su Qing looked at Ye Qingyu’s expression and shook her head. "It's not that soon; there's still some time before I go. I'm telling you this not so you'll try to keep me here, but because there are a few things I'd like to ask of you."

Since Su Qing had made a request, Ye Qingyu naturally wouldn't refuse. She asked, "Then... what is it you'd like to entrust to me, Sister Xiao Qing? Does it have to do with the people at your medical clinic?"

Ye Qingyu knew Su Qing well enough to know how much she cared for her friends—or rather, her family—at the clinic. Thus, she made that guess.

Su Qing nodded. "Yes, it is indeed about them. They won't all be coming with me this time, so I need you to look after them once I've left."

Although Su Qing was already training Su Qingyu, she still felt a lingering worry. She decided to do as much as she could for them while she was still here.