T/N:
Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)
Heicheng (Black Dragon City)
...
The graphite she had saved from the system's rewards could make at least a hundred pencils.
She had Ruo Shui bring over workers from the paper factory to teach them the pencil-making technique.
She wasn't worried about the technology leaking. Only she could provide the graphite, as the demon race hadn't yet discovered any natural graphite deposits, at least not in areas the system could scan.
While waiting, Yin Jixue memorized the simplified method of making pencils.
If aesthetics weren't a concern, all they needed to do was create the pencil core and wrap it in animal hide. Specific improvements could be left to their creativity.
Since they were at the school, the paper factory craftsmen arrived quickly.
Currently, almost everything in the city except the paper and printing factories has come to a halt. Countless citizens envied the workers at the paper factory for having jobs.
For these demons, busy work gave them a sense of security. Once idle, they felt as though they had returned to the hardships of the past.
Yin Jixue was also helpless. The Imperial Censorate reported daily on the citizens' desire to return to work. Of course, she didn't want productivity to stagnate.
However, the demons were a precious labor force. The demand for workers would only increase after spring.
Outside, the temperature was below -50 degrees Celsius, and the mines underground would be even colder. Not every demon had animal hides to wear. While they could endure half a day outside, working in the mines would undoubtedly lead to severe frostbite.
Black Dragon City's medical conditions were so poor that there were hardly any medicinal supplies. Severe frostbite could easily result in disability.
This was why the blacksmith shop, paper factory, and printing factory were so popular in the city.
All three were palace-owned businesses, and hiring workers required the Queen's approval.
With such a limited amount of graphite, Yin Jixue didn't go through the trouble of recruiting workers to build a pencil factory.
The literacy class had temporarily concluded. After a while, some citizens would withdraw from military training. With so many citizens eager for work, she needed to find something for them to do.
"This is how pencils are made. The materials are limited, so you need to ensure each pencil is of uniform length and width, with no more than half a tael of material used per pencil."
The paper factory craftsmen quickly took notes. "Your Highness, do you have any requirements for the appearance?"
Yin Jixue had been waiting for this question. "When using the pencils, hands might get stained with black marks. Find a way to make them easy to write with without dirtying the hands."
After a few more instructions, the craftsmen were sent away.
Yin Jixue rested her head on her hand, spacing out for a moment, then suddenly stood up. "Why not visit the Imperial Censorate and see how their land planning is coming along?" It wasn't because she couldn't focus on reading.
She'd rather grade exams than read this book.
However, the three teachers at the school were incredibly efficient. They had finished grading the exams the day after they were taken. Although she had written the questions, it was a pity she hadn't seen the answer sheets.
What she didn't know was that the answer sheets were such a mess that the teachers had handed them back immediately, embarrassed by the poor results.
Yin Jixue arrived at the Imperial Censorate just after the Demon King had left.
Meng Qiu and Lin Zhong personally came out to greet her. "Your Highness, what brings you here? Do you have any instructions?"
Yin Jixue paused. "Has the land allocation been finalized?"
Earlier, she had mentioned distributing land to any citizen who wanted to farm.
It was now an open secret that barren land could be cultivated, and most citizens wanted their plots to grow food.
"It's been allocated." Meng Qiu pulled out a sheepskin scroll from the shelf—a map of Black Dragon City.
"This entire area outside the city is barren land. Citizens outside the city can all receive plots. However, we don't recommend farming near the forest edges, as beasts from the mountains might destroy the crops."
Black Dragon City was surrounded by mountains, with a plain in the center where the city was located, like an isolated island in the sea. Low-level demons also roamed the plains. The area several kilometers outside the city had been cleared, leaving mostly barren land with a clear boundary to the forest.
It could be said that the Black Dragon Clan's territory was the only place in the demon realm with so much barren land. Fortunately, the barren land hadn't spread, so it didn't affect the water sources.
Yin Jixue had stockpiled countless seeds, all rewards from the system, perfectly suited for the barren land. They would be planted in spring.
Currently, over twenty thousand citizens had expressed interest in farming. There wasn't enough land or seeds for everyone. The Imperial Censorate suggested allocating land by household, prioritizing those without stable jobs.
Yin Jixue had no objections to this.
At this moment, Lou Zhao witnessed the military training.
The sweet potatoes from the cafeteria outside the city gave him a strange sense of familiarity.
Lou Zhao stopped. "The animal hides they're wearing don't seem to be from our Black Dragon Clan's beasts."
Most of the beasts in the demon realm's territories were different. With enough experience, one could tell at a glance where a beast was from.
The hides worn by these citizens mostly came from the Winged Tiger Clan. Lou Zhao was most familiar with the Winged Tiger Clan, known for being foolishly wealthy.
Zhong Shang explained leisurely, "These hides were obtained through trade with foreign merchants. Her Highness, out of compassion, provided them to the hunting team, who were poorly dressed."
Lou Zhao felt a mix of emotions. The more he learned, the more he realized he couldn't understand his little wife. A mere human, yet she cared more about the demons' survival than he did.
What did she want?
Seeing the Demon King return, the citizens in training beamed with joy. However, they couldn't break their horse stance or disobey orders, so they could only watch as their captain approached the Demon King.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! We are training the hunting team composed of citizens!"
Lou Zhao nodded. "How long have they been training?"
The captain gave an honest account, including details of their first hunt.
Lou Zhao noticed that many members of the hunting team were from outside the city, yet the two groups interacted without any barriers.
"Good. Continue the training."
Lou Zhao realized that since his return, there was nothing for him to do in Black Dragon City—or rather, the city no longer needed him.
On the way back to the palace, they encountered a few citizens who stopped to bow.
Zhong Shang introduced them. "They are craftsmen from the city's paper factory."
Lou Zhao asked, "What are you carrying?"
Perhaps too excited, the craftsmen exchanged glances before one of them answered, "This is graphite provided by Her Highness, used to make pencils."
Zhong Shang asked on behalf of the Demon King, "What are pencils?"
The craftsman explained honestly.
Zhong Shang looked at the Demon King. "Such a thing exists? Writing will become much more convenient in the future."
Lou Zhao, however, wanted to see what the graphite looked like.
The craftsman unwrapped the package and opened the box, revealing blocks of graphite.
"Put it away." Lou Zhao looked away. It was something he had never seen before, and it lacked any demonic energy, so it likely didn't originate from the demon realm.
The only mine the demons were willing to exploit was the magic crystal mine. Other mines held no value for them.
Watching the craftsmen leave, Zhong Shang pointed to a nearby inn. "That's the inn where foreign merchants stay. It's the only operating inn in Black Dragon City."
Lou Zhao thought for a moment. "Is that the female demon named Qiu Ju?"
"Yes, do you know her?"
Lou Zhao replied slowly, "No, but I know her husband died of hunger and cold."
The topic was too heavy, so Zhong Shang didn't press further.
All the citizens knew how Qiu Ju's husband had died. Unable to bear the hunger, he had gone out to hunt and froze to death outside the city. By the time he was found, he had become one with the snow and had to be cremated on the spot. Qiu Ju, pregnant at the time, never got to see his body one last time.
Yin Jixue left the Imperial Censorate and took a small path back to the palace. Just as she exited the intersection, she ran into the Demon King returning to the palace.