Perhaps because of preconceived notions, Le Yu felt that everything around him seemed strange on the way back.
It was as if a fully armed squad was hiding behind that wall.
That young man running a stall seemed to have a gun hidden in his arms.
The sewer manhole cover beneath his feet seemed to conceal the footsteps of dozens of people.
He hadn't actually seen anything, but just imagining things was enough to make Le Yu's palms sweat.
Le Yu didn't know the specifics of White Night's plan to seize the city. After all, Yin Yinyin had common sense—he wouldn't reveal his secrets to an undercover agent situated right in the heart of the enemy camp. But Le Yu knew that, to occupy Star Engraving Prefecture, several points were unavoidable.
The City Guard Department spread throughout the entire city.
The Prefecture Guard Army protecting strategic locations.
And the noble private armies of Mirror Lake District.
The Statistics Department and Judicial Department, on the other hand, could be directly ignored as fighting forces. They weren't loyal to Ding Yi as a person, but to the prefect. Whoever sat in that position could obtain the allegiance of most people in the Statistics Department and Judicial Department. Even if they didn't offer their loyalty, they certainly wouldn't resist.
The City Guard Department, Prefecture Guard Army, and the nobles' private armies were different. The first two were Ding Yi's private forces, and their entire leadership consisted of Ding Yi's trusted aides. Once Ding Yi died, they would never submit and had to be suppressed from the very beginning.
White Night's targets also included the wealthy merchants and nobles of Mirror Lake District. Ordering them to hand over their property and means of production after occupying Star Engraving Prefecture would be neither presentable nor