She immediately summoned the Chief Clerk. “Temporarily suppress the battle report. Report Yangzhou’s attack on our Jingzhou army to higher authorities. Send it by fast horse.”

Chief Clerk Zhou’s eyes widened. “Don’t send the battle report? Then… are we still fighting?”

“Fight!” Wang Siniang said. “First recapture all of Wuchang Commandery, then send troops toward Yuzhang. Tell elder brother he can fight however he wants, as long as he doesn’t lose all of Wuchang Commandery.”

Based on her understanding of Hanzhang, when she said “understood,” it meant this battle could be fought.

With Zhao Hanzhang holding up the sky if it fell, what did she have to fear?

However, she wasn’t told to launch a full offensive, meaning this was still the probing stage. She didn’t want the situation to escalate too much—did she need time to deploy troops, or did she have other plans?

Wang Siniang pondered briefly before saying, “Tell elder brother to at least drag it out until after the New Year.”

Since she didn’t specify, she’d extend the timeline herself.

Chief Clerk Zhou acknowledged and immediately sent out the accusatory document while suppressing the battle report.

As for the reason Yangzhou troops attacked their Jingzhou army—it was because Wang Xuan sent troops to successively capture four cities, so they launched a night raid trying to recapture the four seized cities.

Indeed, in the brief time Wang Siniang waited for the telegraph, she’d just received Wang Xuan’s battle report. He’d captured two more cities, then they were attacked—though the enemy failed. However, he believed this could be reported to Zhao Hanzhang as a grievance.

Hmph! If they hadn’t robbed their tax grain, would they have found an excuse to attack Yangzhou troops?

Moreover, Shaxie and Shayang counties originally belonged to Jingzhou. Jingzhou troops entering commandery-administered counties under Jingzhou—how could that be called attacking? That was called stationing!

Chief Clerk Zhou went off enthusiastically. He’d long found the neighboring Prince of Langya, aristocratic families, and officials from Yangzhou distasteful.

Wang Siniang also found them distasteful, but what she found most distasteful were Wang Dun and the many Wang clan descendants behind him.

Hmph! Wanting to learn from her father to be a清静无为 literatus, yet bullying others with power, killing and robbing for power and profit. Yes, her uncle had countless faults, but even if he deserved punishment, that was the court’s business.

What qualification did Wang Dun, a runaway Inspector, have to look down on her uncle?

To actually use murder!

Wang Cheng was Wang Dun’s cousin!

Murdering relatives—even among aristocratic families this was extremely wicked behavior. If not for the intense warfare in the north at the time, and her having just arrived in Jingzhou without a firm foothold, she would never have let Wang Dun off.

Wang Siniang’s eyes blazed like fire. This realm should be unified.

Wang Xuan quickly received military provisions and new equipment his sister sent, plus a letter. Wang Siniang told Wang Xuan that the troops in her hands would support him at any time.

“But don’t advance too deeply alone to avoid falling into traps. Northern reinforcements still need time to assemble. In momentum we cannot lose, but when engaging we must be cautious.”

Wang Xuan understood—she wanted him to fight a protracted war.

Currently facing Wang Xuan wasn’t Wang Dun but his cousin Wang Yi, also Wang Xuan’s cousin-uncle.

Wang Xuan knew this cousin-uncle. Not only knew him—their relationship was quite good. Wang Xuan personally liked him very much. Of course, his relationship with Wang Dun was even better.

Clearly, compared to his nephew, he preferred his cousin Wang Dun more.

This cousin-uncle excelled at calligraphy and painting. In their clan, his painting skills were top-tier. He was also skilled at music and games, various entertainments—he just couldn’t govern people, much less command troops.

Of course, before formally engaging he hadn’t known this. This cousin-uncle was博闻强记 with abundant learning. If you discussed books or paintings with him, he was your teacher. But if you wanted him to serve as an administrator or general, he became a fool for you to manipulate. When Wang Dun made him garrison Wuchang Commandery as Wuchang Commandery Administrator, it showed he still didn’t fully understand cousin-uncle Yi.

Wang Xuan was半信半疑. He tried her strategy—writing to Wang Yi saying he wanted to visit, and he actually opened the city gates for Wang Xuan.

Thus Wang Xuan led people to successively capture two cities.

While Wang Siniang anxiously reported this matter to Luoyang, Wang Yi had begun resisting, but Wang Xuan captured two more cities.

Four cities in a day and a half—he’d barely fought and hadn’t used many tactics yet, but with such an incompetent opponent, Wang Xuan felt no joy whatsoever.

He was thinking: his cousin-uncle, talented in many arts with an outstanding reputation, had such ability yet was placed in such an important position. How powerful must the Wang clan be in Jiankang?

Could the Prince of Langya truly be united in purpose with the Wang clan?

德不配位 inevitably brings disaster. Likewise for才不配位.

Did Wang Dao know about these matters?

Wang Dao naturally knew, but he couldn’t stop it. In fact, he knew some people shouldn’t be in certain positions, yet to gain their support or ease conflicts, he had no choice but to persuade the Prince of Langya to compromise.

So in Jiangnan and Jiangdong’s official circles, nearly two-thirds were Wang clan descendants and aristocratic families connected to the Wangs. The remaining third was divided among local Jiangnan and Jiangdong aristocratic families and寒门 people.

That two-thirds held the most secure positions. They colluded with each other, watching out for one another. Even knocking down one person meant the replacement was still one of theirs.

Others, no matter how hard they worked, could only thrash about and compete within that one-third pool.

Initially everyone accepted this arrangement, but over time, talented and virtuous people who couldn’t advance past the Wang clan and their faction inevitably grew dissatisfied.

So they began targeting the Wangs, wanting to bite them down.

Did Wang Dao genuinely want to use those people?

Yuan Li, who stayed by his side, knew he didn’t. Wang Dao also worried deeply. He probably wanted a peaceful transition, gradually employing virtuous and talented people, but those standing behind him were unwilling, constantly pulling various maneuvers.

Even so, the situation remained under his control. As long as the Prince of Langya trusted him sufficiently, given time, he could definitely gradually suppress and weaken the Wang clan’s power in the south. For the sake of the Prince of Langya and Jiangnan’s stable situation, weakening the Wang clan’s official power—in this clan-centered era, Wang Dao’s devotion to the Prince of Langya could be called true love.

But the Prince of Langya couldn’t wait. Talented people who felt their abilities went unrecognized also couldn’t wait. Especially stimulated by the north’s vigorous recruitment examinations and Zhao Hanzhang using all kinds of talent, contradictions that might have taken four or five years to erupt intensified in just one year.

A rift developed between the Prince of Langya and Wang Dao. He urgently wanted to replace Wang clan members with his own trusted followers.

Unfortunately, his chosen people had minor talents but no great virtue, only blindly complying with his wishes. They lacked the ability and virtue to consider the big picture. Compared to Wang Dao, they fell far short—not by a little.

Yuan Li constantly reported these matters. Zhao Hanzhang had advised him to collect more evidence of the Wang clan and their faction’s illegal, criminal, and immoral acts.

Now these materials proved useful. The day after receiving the official bulletin, Yuan Li personally selected some items and had his people quietly remind Liu Xie and Diao Xie.

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