Married to the Demon King, she took the throne via infrastructure.

T/N:

Heikou (Black Dragon Pass)

Heicheng (Black Dragon City)

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After the first class ended, the parents reluctantly left the classroom, muttering the multiplication tables or the pinyin they had learned that day.

Mr. Zhongshang had mentioned that the next class would teach them how to write their names, and everyone eagerly began brainstorming names for themselves. Most of their current names had been casually given by their parents based on what they saw at the time of birth, without much thought.

Now that they were learning to read and write, they naturally wanted better names.

"My mom said I suddenly fell out of her belly, so I'm called Paji."

The sound of a baby falling out of the mother's body was exactly "paji," so that became his name.

Many others had similar stories, with names even less fortunate than Paji's. Everyone wanted to change their names.

Yin Jixue twirled her pen, resting her chin on her hand. "We need to establish a household registration office before the New Year. There should also be rules for name changes later."

She quickly drafted a plan for household registration management, spending about two hours on it before stopping to call her two personal maids.

"Take a look and see if there are any loopholes."

Fengxiu skimmed through it quickly.

"There are no major issues with the content, but there's no one in the city capable of managing this."

At the moment, demons from outside the city were coming in to attend the literacy classes. If everyone changed their names, the temporary IDs would become invalid.

"Right, it's just an idea for now. We can slowly pick the right people. If you have any suitable candidates, recommend them to me."

She still trusted her two maids' abilities. At the very least, their loyalty to the palace meant they wouldn't do anything to harm it.

Ruoshui bowed and said, "I think Mengqiu and Linzhong could handle it. They're not only literate but have also been maintaining public security in the city for a long time."

Yin Jixue frowned. "But then who will handle the exchange of goods? We need capable people to open up trade routes."

Fengxiu replied, "Your Highness, the Demon King will return after the New Year. With His Majesty here, the safety of the trade caravans will be guaranteed."

Ah, right. She had almost forgotten about the Demon King. But would he be willing to cooperate?

Well, at least she had candidates now. They could start working first.

"Then let's assign this task to Mengqiu and Linzhong. Ruoshui, go and bring them here."

Mengqiu and Linzhong soon arrived at the palace, and Yin Jixue received them in her study.

She hadn't taken over the Demon King's study but had instead set up a small study next to her bedroom. After all, smaller rooms were warmer!

Seeing Mengqiu and Linzhong again, she was struck by how much they had changed. They had once been thin, haggard young men, and she had worried about their combat effectiveness. Fortunately, they had completed their mission successfully, bringing back enough food to last several months.

Now that their diet had improved, their faces had filled out, and even their worn armor couldn't hide their handsome features.

It was often said that a demon's abilities were reflected in their appearance. From the two maids to Tengshe and Gouchen, they were all stunningly beautiful, the kind of people who would be handed business cards by agents if they walked down a modern street.

Mr. Zhongshang was also a handsome older man, and Nan Lü and Qinghe were no less attractive. It was just that, in the beginning, conditions were harsh, and everyone was thin and malnourished, making them all look like skin and bones. Now that conditions had improved, their gaunt faces had filled out, and their spirits had lifted, greatly enhancing their looks.

As for Mengqiu and Linzhong, whose abilities were second only to Tengshe and Gouchen, their appearances were naturally exceptional.

In her past life, Yin Jixue had seen countless celebrities online, so she was immune to her subordinates' good looks. Only the Demon King, with his face that seemed straight out of a comic, could make her heart race. After all, missing out on such a once-in-a-lifetime beauty would be a tragedy.

She didn't think she was being shallow. Everyone appreciates beauty, and the Demon King's otherworldly looks were so divine that just standing there silently made him seem like a god. She didn't believe anyone could resist taking the initiative.

But she was getting off track. Although Ruoshui had hinted on the way over that this was good news, Mengqiu and Linzhong hadn't expected to be promoted.

Mengqiu and Linzhong had grown up together, relying on their strength to earn the Demon King's favor and become the city's guard captains, second only to Tengshe.

They had never slacked off, fearing they might lose the hard-earned trust. Even so, their lives were already better than most of the city's residents.

Yet, they had only run one errand for the Queen—a task with no real difficulty—and she had already recognized their abilities.

"Do you have any objections?" Yin Jixue asked after sharing her thoughts, noticing they seemed stunned.

Mengqiu and Linzhong couldn't hide their joy. "No objections! We will follow Your Highness's arrangements!"

Yin Jixue smiled. "You'll need to adjust your attitudes. While you're serving the city's residents, you also need to have an air of authority to serve as a deterrent. Understand?"

"We understand!"

"Good. Since you're just starting, feel your way through it. If you have questions, you can write to me, and I'll do my best to help. But you must have your judgment. Don't report every minor issue to me, understand?"

"Understood!"

That day, Black Dragon City gained its first law enforcement agency—the Censorate. This institution, which sounded like something from the human world, was personally appointed by the Queen.

The Censorate's highest officials were the city's familiar faces, Captain Mengqiu and Captain Linzhong. Mengqiu was the chief officer, with Linzhong as his deputy. Together, they would manage the Censorate.

The city's residents learned about the Censorate through street patrols and announcements. The Censorate was responsible not only for public security but also for managing household registration and identity changes, acting as a notary office, and resolving neighborhood disputes. Moreover, residents could submit suggestions either in writing or verbally, which the Censorate would then forward to the Queen.

In short, anything unclear could be brought to the Censorate, and the Censorate's headquarters was the entire building used for the literacy classes.

It would be a lie to say they weren't envious. This was the first official position established by the Queen, and knowing it was Captain Mengqiu, no one felt resentful.

Captain Mengqiu had risen from humble beginnings. As a child, he had been a wandering demon, making his way from the west side of the city to earn the Demon King's favor. He truly had the ability.

Captain Linzhong was no slouch either. He and Mengqiu had both been orphans, but while Mengqiu was more well-known, Linzhong's good nature made him beloved by both adults and children in the city.

This promotion for the two of them, while enviable, also served as motivation for the residents. If they worked hard, they too might earn the Queen's favor.

Yin Jixue rested her face in her hands, feeling down. "They're still too young. If only I had a few more years of education, I could have come up with a better solution." With the current shortage of personnel, the Censorate would have to take on more responsibilities.

She had initially envisioned a perfect system, with public security separate from the government, but the lack of manpower made it impossible. In the end, she had to combine the two, making the Censorate responsible for everything.

With the Censorate in place, she could sleep in a little longer each day, finally free from having to deal with trivial matters early in the morning.

She had come here to be the Queen, yet her life was harder than that of a modern office worker. While others worked 996, she was on call 24/7, with no days off and no salary.

If it weren't for the system supporting her and constantly giving her tasks to gain experience, she would have collapsed from exhaustion.

Once the Demon King returned, she would hand everything over to him. Thankfully, she was the Queen and not an empress, or she really might have worked herself to death.

Then, she could focus on developing the city's infrastructure. The thought of transforming this small, rundown city into a modern metropolis was exciting!