I'm trying to remember if I have ever written electricity in Dixing - I don't think so (I've got a WIP where I go onto a tangent of hallows-dependant infrastructure though, which is electricity-adjacent in my head). It's a good point though, streetlamps and that loudspeaker system. I wonder how they generate it. Something thermal? Volcanic activity?
Also, if he's trying to find the wick in storage, why is Shen Wei going to the Dijun's office?
I read this whole part as Shen Wei having zero belief that he would find the wick in the first place (I mean, does it make any sense for it to be stored separately from the lantern, when presumably the lantern was on before it was stolen?) and that this is more or less all part of his (questionable plan) to draw Ye Zun's attention, do his best to scout out the situation in the palace in case he has opportunity to pass that information along to Zhao Yunlan at some point, and in the end enact his suicide bomb plan. I do believe that Shen Wei would've preferred to survive (though given the energy imbalance thing, that wasn't much of an option anymore anyway), but already made his peace with dying; he didn't seem to me as if he honestly thought he could convince Ye Zun away from this path - at which point the main question for him becomes how to be the most useful to everyone else while still alive. And one of his priorities will always be to protect Zhao Yunlan as much as possible, which absolutely means trying to limit Ye Zun's attention on him, so your theory that he's trying to buy time seems quite solid to me.
Another question: when Shen Wei confronts the Regent, does he really not understand that government work needs to continue until the Regent says so? Or is he just irritated at the Regent (whose motive obviously isn't going to be duty)? Is he trying to determine whether the Regent himself has been subverted by Ye Zun?
I can't imagine Shen Wei wouldn't understand that - he clearly has very mixed feelings about the whole 'throne draining life' business, but grudgingly accepts it because that's the way Dixing bureaucracy/government functions. As for the Regent, I'm pretty sure that a) Shen Wei is always irritated by him and b) Shen Wei understands the Regent's mind well enough to be fairly certain that the Regent is going where the wind blows, which currently means Ye Zun, but wants to verify that. Or just figure out how firmly the Regent is in Ye Zun's camp and whether he can be swayed to help them without the certain promise of a win.
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Also, if he's trying to find the wick in storage, why is Shen Wei going to the Dijun's office?
I read this whole part as Shen Wei having zero belief that he would find the wick in the first place (I mean, does it make any sense for it to be stored separately from the lantern, when presumably the lantern was on before it was stolen?) and that this is more or less all part of his (questionable plan) to draw Ye Zun's attention, do his best to scout out the situation in the palace in case he has opportunity to pass that information along to Zhao Yunlan at some point, and in the end enact his suicide bomb plan. I do believe that Shen Wei would've preferred to survive (though given the energy imbalance thing, that wasn't much of an option anymore anyway), but already made his peace with dying; he didn't seem to me as if he honestly thought he could convince Ye Zun away from this path - at which point the main question for him becomes how to be the most useful to everyone else while still alive. And one of his priorities will always be to protect Zhao Yunlan as much as possible, which absolutely means trying to limit Ye Zun's attention on him, so your theory that he's trying to buy time seems quite solid to me.
Another question: when Shen Wei confronts the Regent, does he really not understand that government work needs to continue until the Regent says so? Or is he just irritated at the Regent (whose motive obviously isn't going to be duty)? Is he trying to determine whether the Regent himself has been subverted by Ye Zun?
I can't imagine Shen Wei wouldn't understand that - he clearly has very mixed feelings about the whole 'throne draining life' business, but grudgingly accepts it because that's the way Dixing bureaucracy/government functions. As for the Regent, I'm pretty sure that a) Shen Wei is always irritated by him and b) Shen Wei understands the Regent's mind well enough to be fairly certain that the Regent is going where the wind blows, which currently means Ye Zun, but wants to verify that. Or just figure out how firmly the Regent is in Ye Zun's camp and whether he can be swayed to help them without the certain promise of a win.