Heilong-kou (Black Dragon-Mouth/Pass)
Heilong-cheng (Black Dragon-City)
Censorate (Supervisory Court)
Yuling City (Jade City)
Jingui Town (Golden Turtle Town)
Xuanwu City (Black tortoise City)
…
Yin Jixue had no idea that a single letter she sent home from the Demon Clan had mended the long-standing rift between her rebellious younger brother and their mother.
The Empress, who had taken excellent care of herself, was just over thirty but looked like a young woman in her early twenties.
At that moment, she gently covered her slightly parted lips in astonishment.
"This… Snow'er even included the method of making it. How could the Demon Clan have allowed this?"
As she imagined the implications, her heart was moved. Her formerly rebellious son, Yin Ao, leaned over with interest.
"Sister wrote instructions for making paper?"
The Empress nodded, worry flickering in her phoenix eyes.
"She sent these things back to us… would the Demon Clan allow that?"
Yin Ao, having matured in that fleeting moment, calmly analyzed the situation.
"Since it was Sister who sent it, and it's clearly in her handwriting, then the Demon Clan must have allowed it."
Not only did she write out the process for making a paper, she even explained its uses.
Yin Ao became visibly excited. "If our Yin Dynasty can produce paper, then scholars all over the realm could learn to read and afford books!"
The Empress couldn't bear to break his innocent idealism. Access to education wasn't so easily solved. Even if they could make paper, it would mostly benefit the noble families. Those who couldn't afford to study still wouldn't be able to.
Moreover, the letter also included recipes for toiletries and other daily-use items—all of which could be localized and produced domestically.
The Empress, however, had no intention of releasing these formulas to the public.
"My son, the dowry businesses under my name were divided between you and your sister. Her shops are in the most prosperous areas of the capital. The rest is yours. Sell these products through your shops—but under no circumstances should they be leaked."
Yin Ao nodded solemnly. "I won't let anyone else have what Sister gave us."
The Empress shook her head. "Paper is different. That must be shown to your father. With this in hand, your sister becomes your greatest support. Your coronation is just around the corner."
Yin Ao had never yearned so deeply for the power in his father's hands. "I understand. Then we'll present the paper and the pen to Father."
Only by ascending the throne himself could he ensure that the things his sister sent back remained firmly in his grasp.
If handed over to the Emperor, it would only take a few whispers from concubines, and the credit might go to some other prince.
For the first time, mother and son stood united—thanks to the daughter/sister who had married into the Demon Clan.
Soon after, the Emperor of the Yin Dynasty abdicated, and the Crown Prince, Yin Ao, succeeded the throne.
On the very first day of his reign, Emperor Yin Ao publicly introduced paper to the world, claiming it would allow every aspiring scholar to learn to read. The support he received from the people surged, firmly securing his rule.
From then on, the Yin Dynasty possessed the complete "Four Treasures of the Study": brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
…
Yin Jixue woke up in a warm and broad embrace, momentarily unsure of the time or place.
It was her first time sharing a bed with Lou Zhao. There was no alcohol involved this time, and she'd thought she wouldn't be able to sleep, but all those imagined scenarios in her head never materialized—she fell asleep just like that.
She sighed internally, a little disappointed. All her effort for nothing—she'd soaked in the bath for twenty extra minutes, making sure she smelled sweet and fresh.
While her maid helped her dress, she casually asked, "Ruoshui, anything interesting going on in the city today?"
Ruoshui replied with a cheerful smile, "Two more atavistic demons showed up today. Their beast forms didn't fully manifest, just some ears and claws."
In the Demon Clan's common perception, lower-class demons were ugly and brutish, beastlike creatures who ate spirit beasts raw and were not permitted to live within the city.
But who would've guessed? These so-called "lower demons" were true mixed-bloods—carrying a significant percentage of ancient genes.
Thanks to the recent surge in atavistic demons, the city's labor force had skyrocketed—nearly four or five times the previous capacity.
Fortunately, the miners were working hard, so the material supply could keep up with demand. Even when machines in the factories started overheating from running nonstop, all they had to do was pull in a mechanic from the workshop next door, and the repairs would be done in a flash.
Now, all factory workers were required to attend weekly training courses—and these weren't basic lessons either, but advanced, specialized ones.
Old Demon had thought teaching at the adult learning school would be a cushy gig—only for his ruthless niece-in-law to dump on him a mountain of textbooks taller than himself.
The curriculum was broad and intense. Even he, a Seer of the Black Dragon Clan, had to study first before daring to teach.
"Sigh… I just want a vacation. I want to lie down and do nothing. Is my brain the only one in all of Black Dragon City that works?!"
Old Demon slumped over the lectern, eyes rolling with mischief and plotting.
No—he had to take in some students. Lots of them.
Humans had a saying: To have students spread far and wide like blooming peaches and plums.
Once he trained a batch of students to teach in his stead, he could finally kick back and relax.
With this evil scheme in mind, Old Demon toured the school grounds—refusing to spare even the Demon Clan's tender young seedlings.
In the end, he chose a boy—Gousheng.
The boy's age was just right, and though his test scores were nothing to brag about, he was quick-witted and learned fast. That was good enough.
But as he was leaving, Old Demon spotted another promising student.
"Where have I seen that girl before?"
After some serious thought, he remembered seeing her near his nephew.
It was Lian Rui.
"This girl has grit, a good temperament, and excellent comprehension. Take her too."
At first, Lian Rui refused. She only wanted to study hard and repay His Highness by helping shoulder his burdens.
Left with no choice, Old Demon had to reveal his identity. Who'd have thought he'd need to name-drop just to recruit a student?
He gave a cold snort. "Do you know who I am?"
Lian Rui shook her head.
She'd never seen this old man before.
How could this girl be so fearless? Not scared of him at all!
He had no choice but to pull rank. "Your Queen is my niece-in-law. The Demon King is my nephew. I am the Seer of the Black Dragon Clan. Didn't anyone in your family tell you?"
Lian Rui shook her head again. "I have no family. It's just me and my little brother. Her Highness gave us a home."
Old Demon scratched his nose awkwardly. "Then that makes us family too, doesn't it? I'll talk to my niece-in-law—she'll agree to let you be my student."
Lian Rui nodded this time. "If you're close to Her Highness, I'm willing to be your student."
He hadn't expected his niece-in-law's name to carry so much weight—even children became obedient the moment they heard it.
Old Demon glanced around. "Where's your little brother? Why haven't I seen him?"
Lian Rui answered honestly, "My brother's in preschool. He's very young. He's learning to recognize characters and recite texts right now."
Old Demon instantly lost interest.
Just a barely-weaned toddler, clearly not ready for real study. He wanted students, not to run a daycare.
Meanwhile, the very same "toddler," Lian Ze, was smacking Yan Ye's hand with force.
"Don't pinch my cheeks! I already explained this to you once. Why'd you get it wrong again?"
Despite being half Yan Ye's age, he wore the stern expression of a little adult—currently acting as Yan Ye's teacher.
Yan Ye, refusing to admit defeat, huffed in protest.
"But those two characters look almost the same! How was I supposed to know their meanings were completely different?"
Lian Ze huffed right back. "Then you weren't paying attention in class! If you can't even study properly, how are you going to protect Her Highness?!"