You're Strong But Now You're Mine-Chapter 43: Women’s Clothing Is Also Common Sense?

When asked why he wanted to assassinate Dong Heng, the tone of Yin Yinyin shifted as he started talking about current affairs,

"The city lockdown order could last no more than two days."

Upon hearing Yin Yinyin’s unequivocal prediction, Le Yu couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, "That sure of yourself? Everyone in our Statistical Department thinks it’s the prelude to war. Maybe they’ll keep the city sealed until either Ding Yi or Lv Zhong is defeated."

"How is that possible," Yin Yinyin said dismissively, "Did you really think war was up to those two alone? Chenfeng District hasn’t seen an internal conflict in nearly a century. Do you think it’s so easy to raise your blade against your own people?"

Seeing Le Yu’s clueless expression like a three-year-old child, Yin Yinyin had no choice but to take out a small notebook and started explaining, "Now, whether war breaks out or not has nothing to do with Ding Yi or Lv Zhong, not even with the interest groups behind them. It all depends on the Linhai Army."

"The Linhai Army’s existed for hundreds of years by now. Its internal factions are a tangled mess, and the relationships of benefit are more tangled still. But based on Linhai’s three defensive lines, you can roughly divide them into three camps: Sun Coast, Swallow Dock, and Sirius Lighthouse."

"Back in the day, the forces on these three lines would rotate. But once new weapons like the Light Annihilation Cannon and light crossbows were fully installed, the cost of swapping defenses skyrocketed. The mechanism was abandoned over a decade ago, and each group of garrison troops put down deep roots in their own sector."

"Territory drives stance, stance breeds division, and division leads to confrontation."

"Unequal resource distribution and conflicts during military drills carved the Linhai Army into three separate groups, step by step."

"And with Ding Yi serving as Governor of Star Engraving County, cozying up to the Sun Coast garrison, and prioritizing them in supplies, the friction only got worse. Lv Zhong, who came into power later as Administrator, threw everything behind Swallow Dock and Sirius Lighthouse. In the end, the Linhai Army split into the Lv Zhong and Ding Yi camps."

"Gotta say, as much as Ding Yi and Lv Zhong are both trash, their political instincts are sharp. If they tried to win over the entire Linhai Army, the army would just take the perks without ever picking sides. Only by favoring one group and cracking down on the other could they buy real loyalty from some of the Linhai Army."

"But," Yin Yinyin snapped the notebook shut, "human beings aren’t just a bunch of position-taking animals with no soul."

"Just because they’re divided doesn’t mean they’ll turn on their old comrades without a second thought. They’re all Chenfeng people, all Linhai soldiers. Fights over petty stuff are fine, but if someone actually orders them to attack their fellows, the lower and middle officers will start breaking ranks, and more would bail after the fighting. As for attacking the city? Forget it—plenty of Linhai soldiers’ families live in Star Engraving County. You think they’d attack their own homes?"

"Even if you ignore the Sea Barbarians’ threat, do you think Ding Yi and Lv Zhong aren’t worried about losing so much Linhai military strength that Dawn District or Lantern District will start eyeing them?"

"Negotiation and compromise, or a palace coup, is the only real path to unification in Chenfeng. War’s just not happening. They won’t fight. They can’t fight. They don’t want to fight!"

In short, it was like two mob bosses facing off, neither wanting to waste their own goons, but both itching to claim more turf... Le Yu suddenly got it, nodding, "If they don’t want war, why did Ding Yi lock down the city?"

"A sponge soaked in water—you gotta squeeze it to see what comes out," Yin Yinyin said with barely concealed glee, "You think the lockdown hurts the ordinary people? No, it hits the nobility and rich merchants’ businesses the hardest."

"The common folks are just nervous for a few days, but the nobility is losing real money!"

"Outwardly, the lockdown is to intimidate Lv Zhong, to keep him from making a reckless move; internally, it’s for confiscating military funds, forcing the nobility who have tied themselves to Ding Yi’s chariot to cough up everything; and at the same time, using your Statistical Department to root out Lv Zhong’s agents in Star Engraving County. Two days of lockdown and Ding Yi gets everything he wants. After that, he can lift the order."

Le Yu asked, "So why are we killing Dong Heng?"

Yin Yinyin said, "Star Engraving County’s City Defense Department is a subdivision of the Imprisonment Department right now. With Dong Heng dead, Ding Yi has no other usable people under him. So he’s got two choices: promote city defense operatives to the job, let the Imprisonment Department keep running defense, or hand the job to the Statistical Department."

"No matter what Ding Yi picks, we in White Night will have a grip on at least part of Star Engraving County’s city defenses. Plus, if Dong Heng dies now, Ding Yi will just figure it’s payback from Lv Zhong, and won’t suspect White Night."

Le Yu suddenly understood, "So White Night has a branch now? There are people in Statistical, Imprisonment, and City Defense?" freēwēbnovel.com

Yin Yinyin kept a blank face, "As an agent who could fall into enemy hands at any moment, you’re not supposed to be probing for the identities of other agents. It’s basic common sense and professional ethics. Do this again, and I’ll have to assume you’ve been turned into a double agent and are deliberately trying to leak intel."

"Whatever," Le Yu shrugged, "But what’s the point in controlling city defense? Smuggling?"

"More or less, just that the cargo’s a little special."

"What cargo?"

"Firearms."

Le Yu blinked. Weapons?

Yin Yinyin flipped through the notebook and, after a moment’s thought, said, "No need to keep this from you... When the time comes, we’re going to launch a coup, assassinate Ding Yi, and use Star Engraving County as a base for reform. Firearms unregistered by the Shine Law are exactly for that purpose."

Le Yu was startled, "If Ding Yi’s dead, what about Lv Zhong?"

"He’ll die too, but the difference is, we’ve already lined up a replacement for Ding Yi. According to Shine’s laws, when the Governor dies, the highest-ranking official left in the admin department can temporarily take over, but the Administrator is appointed by the Imperial Court and can’t be replaced."

"That’s enough, though." Yin Yinyin took out a map of Chenfeng District, "Once Ding Yi and Lv Zhong are both dead, the other eight counties in Chenfeng are bound to break off and act on their own, while we in White Night can consolidate Star Engraving County without interference, and then, depending on the situation, move to take the other eight and the Linhai Army."

Le Yu swallowed hard, "That’s insane... Are you saying most of White Night’s forces are coming to Chenfeng? But why pick Star Engraving County as the base?"

"In terms of fighting power, the Linhai Army’s one of the country’s top three. Economically, Chenfeng thrives on maritime trade. In terms of wealth, it’s the fattest region in the realm. If White Night can unify Chenfeng District, it’s like making the first solid step toward liberating the whole of Shine."

Yin Yinyin gave Le Yu a sideways glance, as if too tired to say ’this is basic common sense’ again.

Le Yu was used to looks like that from Yin Yinyin, but given how effeminate Yin Yinyin appeared, Le Yu already thought of him as a lost cause, "So when do you plan to make the move?"

"Within ten days."

Le Yu blinked, "That’s soon... Hold on, you’re sure you can control Star Engraving County in ten days?"

Yin Yinyin didn’t respond, only shutting the notebook.

Le Yu blinked and nodded thoughtfully, "Looks like there are way more White Night Walkers in Star Engraving County than I thought... I always figured White Night was just some wacky club."

"Why do you say that?"

"Just think about it, always accounting for mistakes, always chasing fairness and justice, always putting the bigger picture first... Most people just want to climb above the rest, exploit their power, and grab everything for themselves. But joining White Night means losing that kind of power; mess up and your old dirt comes out, too. For a crazy group like this, I thought only young, idealistic students would join—like Qian Yuliu... basically, me."

Yin Yinyin looked at Le Yu, thought for a moment, and said,

"Suppose, at the edge of the world, there’s a fantastic kingdom: its people law-abiding and courteous, its government efficient and serving the public, no laborer looked down upon, all students receiving the best education, everyone with a bright future, the old cared for, the young nurtured, the world unified, and everyone proud to be a part of it—would you want to see that country?"

"Of course."

"But the road to that country is incredibly long. You’d have to survive roaring storms, even attacks from sea beasts. No one has ever made it before. It’s basically a suicide mission. Do you still want to go?"

"No. And if you say no one’s actually reached the place, how do you even know it exists?"

Yin Yinyin smiled faintly, then abruptly changed the topic, "So do you think justice is something humans invented, or an objectively existing law?"

Le Yu blinked, lost in thought, "Well..."

The hopelessly tsundere Yin Yinyin sighed, "Don’t you ever feel something’s not fair, not just, not right?"

Le Yu snorted, "What do you take me for? I make injustice, unfairness, and irrationality for a living in the Statistical Department."

"So, deep down, you must think there’s a better, fairer, more just way to handle things," Yin Yinyin asked, "Otherwise, if your idea of ’injustice’ means nothing, then your idea of ’justice’ is either made up or objectively real. Which is it?"

Before Le Yu could answer, Yin Yinyin did it for him, "Justice is a concept created by every member of society together, which makes it an objectively existing law."

"That kingdom’s just like justice. We see this country called Shine, where the nobility are above everyone else, the government treats human lives like dirt, and power exploits the masses."

"Then the opposite must exist: a country where all people are equal, government loves its citizens, and public authority serves the people."

"We can’t see it; we can’t touch it. But it has to exist in the future."

"So," Yin Yinyin said, "now do you get why there are so many White Night Walkers?"

"Longing for that country is in our nature. When the first person stands up, there’ll be a second and a third: craftsmen to build ships, warriors for protection, helmsmen to steer, judges to keep order, entertainers to raise spirits... One ship after another will set sail, all heading toward that country."

"During the journey, the pioneers will inevitably face endless dangers: natural disasters from outside, human disasters from within, suspicion from others... But eventually, we’re bound to find a viable route, and bring everyone along, stepping into a new world."

Le Yu’s brain randomly glitched, asking, "But... what if the privileged and powerful don’t want to go to your so-called new country?"

"Those people will go down with the old ship of Shine—with all its emperor and lord distinctions—as fuel for the new era," Yin Yinyin slammed a fist down on the map of Star Engraving County,

"Star Engraving County will be White Night’s first ship."

Le Yu stared at the map for a long while, then finally asked, "When do we move?"

Yin Yinyin pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time, "Thirteen minutes left."

"What?"

"It’s down to twelve minutes now. Get changed and get ready to move."

Le Yu looked stunned, "Today? Already!?"

"Did you think an assassination was like throwing a dinner party and you needed to set an auspicious date?" Yin Yinyin opened a box, "Kill early—cut the knot fast. I’ve already picked out your outfit."

He tossed two outfits onto the basement bed: one a deep black silk men’s tux, crisp and high-class to the touch; and the other...

Le Yu picked up the other set and looked at Yin Yinyin, confused.

Yin Yinyin gave Le Yu a look usually reserved for idiots, "Dong Heng lives in the rich district. No way could we sneak in with our faces covered. You have to disguise yourself during espionage work—that’s basic common sense."

"I get the logic," Le Yu said, holding up the shirt and skirt, "But why did you bring out a white off-shoulder blouse and a pale pink pleated skirt?"