T/N:
Heikou (Black Dragon Pass)
Heicheng (Black Dragon City)
Censorate (Supervisory Court)
...
"For stable development, we must unify measurements, standardize writing, align transportation systems, and use a common trade currency..."
Lou Zhao diligently took notes as Yin Jixue explained the key points to him.
These were basic historical facts, and thankfully, she hadn't forgotten them entirely.
Instead of simply dumping knowledge on him, she guided the Demon King to think for himself: "Given the future development prospects of Black Dragon City, what do you think would be the best currency to use besides magic crystals?"
Lou Zhao recalled what he had seen in the other three clans: "The Black Tortoise Clan mostly uses pearls and shells, but they often argue over unequal values."
"The Qingluan Clan uses gemstones as currency. They're unique to their region, and the purer the color, the higher the value. They also love pearls and shells."
"The Winged Tiger Clan uses grain and animal pelts as currency. They use uniformly sized leaves as a tool—one handful of grain equals half a bundle. It's quite popular."
The Demon King's eyes sparkled: "If you ask me, we should create Black Dragon Coins. The material needs to be discussed, but it should be lightweight, durable, and able to be stored long-term. It should also be instantly recognizable as our currency."
Yin Jixue was pleased. Not bad, not bad. The student was teachable.
"Your idea is worth noting. Once we find the right material, we can mint Black Dragon Coins."
Lou Zhao was surprised: "Are you serious?"
Yin Jixue propped her chin on her hand and looked at him: "I think your idea makes a lot of sense. This is what critical thinking is. See? You're quite talented."
The great Demon King, praised by his little wife for the first time, blushed at the tips of his ears without even realizing it.
Yin Jixue noticed it immediately. Was he really this shy from just one compliment?
A few days ago, she had mistakenly thought the Demon King saw lives as expendable and that they weren't on the same page. That was completely wrong!
Some Demon Kings might seem cold and aloof at first, but secretly, they're pure-hearted little wolves. Who could resist that?
Yin Jixue shook her head. Focus on the task at hand. How could she even think about romance when they hadn't even eradicated poverty yet?
Who would have thought that she was the real master of pretense? She maintained a cool demeanor: "Today's homework is the multiplication table and this page of characters. Next class, I'll give you a dictation, so you'll need to memorize all of it."
Lou Zhao was puzzled: "Isn't that a bit too little? I've already memorized this page."
Huh???
Did he memorize a hundred characters at a glance?
She tested him on a few, and sure enough, the Demon King had a talent for learning.
"Alright then, take this book and read it. Be careful with it—it's the only copy in all of Black Dragon City."
This was her demonic dictionary. Afraid that she might not recognize some obscure characters of the Black Dragon Clan, she had asked two scholars to help compile it. This was a sample printed by the printing factory, and future editions would be based on this one.
Lou Zhao held the dictionary carefully as if it might shatter at the slightest mishap.
Yin Jixue couldn't stand it. Why was he so clueless?
"Don't you have a storage space? Just put it in there."
Lou Zhao smiled: "You said it's the only copy in Black Dragon City. I'm afraid it might get damaged if I store it."
Yin Jixue sighed: "I was just teasing you. The second edition is already being printed. Treat it like you would your clothes."
What a naughty kid.
Lou Zhao thought to himself.
After sending the Demon King off, Yin Jixue received a letter from the Supervisory Court.
There were two matters. Yin Jixue suggested they consider adding a few departments to streamline internal management.
For example, a civil affairs department and a city management department. This would reduce Meng Qiu and Lin Zhong's workload, as they wouldn't have to handle everything personally. Their role was to assist the palace in administrative tasks and improve efficiency.
The Supervisory Court currently functions as a combination of a modern civil affairs bureau, a social security bureau, and city management. They handled almost everything, dealing with all sorts of trivial matters daily. Even for demons, it was overwhelming.
The letter reported on the new departments and personnel list. The new departments matched her suggestions, so they had likely been adopted directly.
First was the Labor Security Department. Currently, Black Dragon City operated on a collective work system. They were responsible for monitoring the work hours of citizens both inside and outside the city, updating records daily. They also handled labor disputes, employment, unemployment, and entrepreneurship issues—though these were future concerns. The department members were selected from the top performers in the literacy classes.
The Civil Affairs Department's main responsibility was to ensure the citizens' living needs, including marriage registration, disaster relief, and more. Citizens seeking help would turn to this department first. The members were chosen from the more gentle demons in the Supervisory Court.
The City Security Department evolved from the patrol team. They were responsible for maintaining public safety both inside and outside the city, handling domestic disputes, urban violence, and the like. After discussion, the patrol team's jurisdiction was expanded to include the dormitory area outside the city. The personnel remained the original patrol team members.
The patrol team and the city defense army were different. The city defense army was stationed at the city walls, working year-round without rest. They were a formidable force.
The city defense army was directly under the palace's management, led by Teng She and Gou Chen. There was no fear of the Supervisory Court rebelling, but it was unwise to put all eggs in one basket. Most patrol team members were veterans who had retired from the city defense army or young soldiers dreaming of joining it.
The second matter was that the military training had concluded, and the hunting team roster had been finalized. There was also a drill they invited her to observe.
Yin Jixue agreed. She wanted to witness the progress these demons had made after training.
The drill was scheduled for three days later. On the day, Yin Jixue dressed formally, donning a warm fur cloak.
Thanks to Feng Xiu's skilled tailoring, the cloak perfectly complemented her winter outfit, so she no longer looked like a nouveau riche wearing a mink coat.
She had someone inform Lou Zhao, but he was too engrossed in his studies to attend. So, she went alone.
The drill involved gathering all the hunting team members, including those who had been eliminated earlier. They were divided into two groups and tasked with capturing the opposing side's high ground using only their bare hands—no weapons allowed. A few iron rods were scattered around the field as the only available weapons, which both sides had to compete for.
Yin Jixue found it interesting. Ancient military strategies were quite advanced. No wonder the *Thirty-Six Stratagems* were still relevant in modern warfare.
She observed that the demons were organized into mixed groups, with members from both inside and outside the city. There was no visible divide between them; they even trusted each other enough to guard each other's backs. It seemed military training was an effective way to bridge gaps.
Men's friendships were forged through fights.
Women's friendships were simpler—shared interests were enough.
She had initially thought it would take a long time for the city's residents to accept those from outside. Who knew breaking down barriers only required a round of military training?
Just then, she sensed someone approaching from behind. This time, Yin Jixue reacted quickly. She crouched, swept her leg, turned, and attacked in one fluid motion.
But she stopped abruptly when she saw who it was.
It was the Demon King who had said he was too busy studying to come.
"Little girl, you're quite quick on your feet," Lou Zhao remarked. This was the second time he had seen Yin Jixue in action. The memory of accidentally injuring her last time still haunted him, and he felt guilty for not having made it up to her yet.
"Weren't you not coming?" Yin Jixue retracted her hand as if nothing had happened. She had overreacted. With her maids standing nearby, who would dare sneak up on her?
Lou Zhao looked up at the sky: "I just came to take a look. I needed a break from studying."
"Oh, then don't stand so close to me." Yin Jixue awkwardly shifted to the side. She wasn't used to being so close to others.
Lou Zhao reached out to steady her by the waist, teasing her: "Why are you avoiding me? You're my lawfully wedded queen."
Naughty kid. Just a few days ago, he had scared her.
Yin Jixue made a token effort to break free but didn't struggle too hard. She had already resisted: "Not bad, you're even using idioms now. But remember, you said two years. I'm still a child!"
Lou Zhao nodded nonchalantly: "Of course, I keep my word. Is it too much to hug my wife?"