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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Yin Jixue smiled faintly. "Why did you think I disliked them?"

After Tengshe explained, she suddenly understood. Her reaction during her time in Heikou had been noticed by Tengshe, leading to his misunderstanding.

"It's not what you think. Go ahead and arrange for their settlement. Don't let them freeze for too long." She shook her head, both amused and exasperated, as she began planning how to accommodate the refugees.

Soon, the messenger from Heikou received a response. He was filled with anxiety.

This wasn't his first time in Hei Long City, but the city now was vastly different from what he remembered. He even wondered if he had taken the wrong path.

A few years ago, Hei Long City had been just like their own, with similar houses, except for the tall walls that protected it from snowstorms.

In Heikou, the walls were low and made of piled dirt, unable to withstand the wind and snow. Many houses had collapsed, worsening the already dire situation in the impoverished town.

As he approached Hei Long City with his group seeking help, he noticed something unusual even from a distance. Strange buildings had appeared outside the city.

These buildings were tall and pointed, and the nearby roads had been cleared, clearly indicating that people lived there. No one came out as they passed, which reassured them.

After arriving at the city gates and identifying himself, he was allowed inside, while the elderly, women, and children he had brought were taken to be settled.

Since their cities were like siblings, he wasn't afraid that Hei Long City would harm the people he had brought.

Once inside the city, he realized how much Hei Long City had changed.

It was like night and day!

The old, dilapidated houses were gone, replaced by buildings similar to those outside the city—three-story structures with windows facing the streets!

Outside the city, the snowstorm had made it hard to see clearly, but inside, rows of such buildings stood tall. He noticed how sturdy the walls were—not made of wood or mud, but something far more solid.

The main road in the center was wide and spacious, with snow piled neatly on the sides. Drainage ditches had been built along the edges, and the ground was smoother and more even than the walls of their city hall.

Turning a corner, he saw more of the same black, smooth ground, with snow swept to the sides.

He recognized the area where he had stayed during his previous visits to Hei Long City—naturally, it had been on the west side of the city. Now, it was filled with rows of single-story houses.

He couldn't help but ask, "Why are these houses different from the ones we saw earlier?"

The soldier kindly explained, "These are dormitories for the construction team. A group of people live together in one house. They used to be wandering demons, but the Queen found them a way to make a living."

Since the wandering demons had been organized, patrolling the city had become much easier. Most of their work now involved resolving minor disputes between neighbors, and they no longer had to worry about wandering demons sneaking in from the west side to steal.

There had been thefts in the city before, but they were mostly petty crimes. Even if the thieves were caught, there wasn't much to punish them with—most households were so poor that their homes were emptier than the thieves' pockets.

The thieves were never caught, and everyone suspected the wandering demons from the west side, as they were the most likely culprits. This made patrolling the city a tense affair, as they feared the situation might escalate to the palace.

But once the wandering demons found work and moved into the dormitories, thefts in the city stopped entirely.

The messenger, walking on the asphalt road, almost forgot how to walk. He felt dazed the entire way.

Did he hear correctly? Even the wandering demons had found a way to make a living. Could they also ask the King for help?

He hadn't even noticed that the soldier had said "Queen" instead of "King."

He felt as if he were hallucinating when he caught the scent of food. Half-supported by the soldier, he arrived at the second most majestic building in the city, second only to the palace.

The large square in front of the building was dotted with snowmen, as children often came out to play at noon.

The area around the Censorate had been cleared of snow, thanks to the parents attending the literacy classes.

Trembling, he asked, "Is this the new palace?"

The soldier proudly replied, "This is the Censorate. The palace is still in its original location."

Bowing, the messenger pleaded, "I would like to see the King or Lord Tengshe. Could you help arrange an introduction?"

The soldier reassured him, "The Censorate handles these matters. Just explain your situation truthfully, and the Censorate officials will report it. The message will reach the palace by the end of the day."

Of course, he didn't go into detail. For example, the Censorate prioritized matters based on urgency. The situation in Heikou was a major issue and would be reported immediately.

Though the messenger was skeptical, he had no choice but to follow the soldier into the building.

The grand hall, seemingly built of stone (marble), was no less impressive than the palace. Their city hall wasn't even as sturdy as the houses along the roads here.

After climbing thirty flights of stairs, his legs were shaking, and he had to lean against the stone pillar at the entrance. The last meal he had eaten in Heikou was seven days ago, and he had pushed himself to the limit to bring his people here for help.

He wasn't worried that Hei Long City would refuse to help. After all, their cities were like siblings, and they had always supported each other. All they needed was a few rooms to stay in.

When he met Mengqiu, he didn't recognize him but knew that Mengqiu was a formidable figure.

Even if it wasn't Lord Tengshe, the King had several other powerful subordinates.

The messenger truthfully reported the situation in Heikou. Seeing Mengqiu busy writing, he didn't dare interrupt.

"Keep talking. I'm recording everything," Mengqiu said without looking up.

The messenger was momentarily stunned but quickly continued.

Mengqiu folded a piece of cloth-like material and handed the letter to a soldier.

"Deliver this to the palace urgently."

Hearing that it was going to the palace, the messenger felt relieved. As long as it reached the palace, things would be fine.

He still didn't believe the Censorate had much authority and trusted the King more.

Casually, he asked, "Has the King returned?"

"No, this is being reported to the Queen," Mengqiu replied calmly.

The Queen?

Since when was there a Queen?

He remembered now. A few months ago, the Queen had passed through Heikou on her way to marry the King. Lord Tengshe hadn't allowed them to pay their respects.

"The Queen? Why the Queen?"

Could a human princess even survive here?

The conditions in the demon realm were so harsh that even demons starved to death. If it weren't forbidden to eat humans, they would have been on the menu long ago.

Mengqiu tapped the table. "Remember this: every change in this city has been brought about by the Queen. You must respect her as much as you respect the King. Understand?"

The messenger understood. This Queen must be capable to have earned the respect of Hei Long City's people.

But why did he say that everything in the city was brought about by the Queen?

Was she really that powerful?

Anxiously waiting for the palace's response, he finally saw the soldier return with good news.

The soldier handed the reply to Mengqiu, who read it and visibly relaxed.

"Her Majesty has ordered that two vacant dormitory buildings outside the city be temporarily allocated to the people of Heikou. They will be provided with heating and two meals a day."

The messenger was initially overjoyed at the news of assistance but then grew puzzled.

Heating? Two meals a day?

What did that mean?

Was he hallucinating?

Mengqiu was genuinely happy. The disaster in Heikou had nearly wiped out the entire city, which was why they had sent all the elderly, women, and children here.

When he and Linzhong had been in desperate straits, they hadn't received the Queen's help. But seeing the children of Heikou being rescued felt like seeing their past selves.