Before the denunciation proclamation, everyone had already fought this battle numerous times.

In their minds, in their heads, drawn on paper, arranged on sand tables, and demonstrated over and over again on the vast grasslands.

Besides studying tactics, they also studied people—the clans and great families of the cities and towns along the route.

“Since we want a swift and decisive battle, we must borrow the strength of people.”

Deng Yi pointed at the map hanging in the schoolroom. Unlike the military campaign map hanging in Chu Zhao’s room, this map had surnames written at each location.

“Previously, when I sought official positions everywhere, in order to curry favor, I carefully studied many great families. Later, when I became Grand Tutor, many sons of great families sought to curry favor with me, entrusting me with their family’s full strength and candidly recommending themselves. I learned even more about them.”

“These great families have deep roots and flourishing branches in their localities. If they’re willing, they can even shield matters from the authorities.”

When he said this, Deng Yi even snorted coldly.

“Your Majesty has personally experienced their assistance.”

Chu Zhao couldn’t help but laugh at the time, knowing he was referring to when the Handan Commandery families suddenly switched sides during the rebellion suppression, causing Xiao Xun’s forces to collapse like a landslide. But after laughing, she became self-deprecating.

That assistance had been brought by Xie Yanfang.

The Xie clan had deep foundations, and Xie Yanfang had been cultivating relationships for so many years. The interests between great families were deeply intertwined—Xie Yanfang could persuade them to provide assistance.

Moreover, what Deng Yi was now proposing was also what Xie Yanfang had done in that previous lifetime. Back then, when Xie Yanfang was locked in a stalemate with the court, a great family at a strategic fortress switched sides, dealing a heavy blow to the court and allowing Xie Yanfang to firmly occupy half the realm.

Could she, Chu Zhao, do the same?

She still remembered the Wei clan of Handan Commandery’s mocking and disdainful attitude toward her.

“Why has Your Majesty become so timid?” Deng Yi also mocked from the side. “From our first meeting, you praised how capable I was, yet you never feared to move against me.”

His mockery made Chu Zhao laugh again. Alright, alright, she understood. She would go and do it. She just had self-awareness, but she had plenty of courage too.

However, executing it really wasn’t going so smoothly.

Before coming to Pingyang Prefecture, they had already visited two other locations where great families resided, but they hadn’t been able to get close to the family heads. Just from the attitudes of the outer stewards, they could tell the reception would be cold, and they had nearly exposed their identities and whereabouts.

The Tan clan was their last hope.

The thirty thousand troops had been dispersed, wandering and infiltrating in stealth. Reaching this point had been extremely difficult. If they delayed further, they would be discovered and would have to directly wage war and seize cities and territories. In that case, even if they could hold their ground, they would inevitably become mired in困境, and it would take one, two, or even three years before they could approach the capital.

In that scenario, this confrontation would truly be like that previous lifetime, unable to end even after ten years. Who would win or lose in the end would be uncertain—perhaps in the end, it would still be Xie Yanfang sitting before her coffin, sighing over the past.

Thinking of this, Chu Zhao took a deep breath and once again reached up to touch her face.

“You’d better buy me some of Pingyang Prefecture’s best cosmetics,” she said to Chu Tang.

…

…

Empress Chu’s denunciation of the Xie clan was causing quite a stir, but the actual warfare was still limited to the vicinity of Yunzhong Commandery. So although the atmosphere had become tense, daily life wasn’t greatly affected.

Wine shops, teahouses, and crowds hurrying through the streets remained lively as ever.

Today, East Main Street was especially bustling. Carriages, horses, and people surged from all directions, stopping before Ximo Pavilion. There were men and women, both youthful youngsters and white-haired elderly.

This commotion attracted the attention of idlers, especially when they saw the soldiers who had recently been searching even mouse holes pass by. Not only did they not disperse or inspect the crowd, they actually helped maintain order to ensure the carriages and horses outside could enter.

The idlers grew even more curious. What was going on? East Main Street wasn’t the liveliest spot in the city—there were only a few bookshops selling the Four Treasures of the Study and one or two teahouses with little foot traffic. Why were there suddenly so many people?

The crowd surging from all around grew larger and larger, asking things like “How is it going?” “Who’s winning?”

Before long, a shop assistant from the bookshop came out holding a blue brocade flag and planted it outside the door. The watching crowd immediately erupted in noise.

“The scholars have won.”

At the same time, they surged forward. The shop assistant hung scrolls on the rack outside the bookshop, densely covered with writing.

“Quick, look at what it says!”

“Whose splendid essay is this?”

The idlers were jostled about until they had no choice but to stand with their backs against the wall. Once again they asked in confusion, “What exactly is going on here?”

Someone who had been pushed over next to them heard and explained: “Ximo Pavilion is holding a garden gathering.”

The idlers’ eyes widened. “Ximo Pavilion doesn’t have a damn garden.” That tiny place only had two floors.

The person beside them laughed heartily, with a hint of pride: “This shows you don’t understand. A garden gathering doesn’t refer to touring a garden—this is a type of literary gathering that spread from the capital, where men and women compete together.”

But someone nearby snorted: “What do you mean ‘spread from the capital’? It was clearly created by Empress Chu. Now that people don’t dare mention Empress Chu, they call it ‘spread from the capital.’ If you’re so capable, keep saying those two words ‘Empress Chu’—”

Empress Chu.

It actually involved Empress Chu! The idlers’ eyes widened.

But someone didn’t like this sarcastic tone and said coldly: “So what if we say it was created by Empress Chu? Empress Chu is guilty, but does that mean literary gatherings are also guilty? Empress Chu only existed for a few years—how long have literary gatherings existed? Are you trying to promote that because Empress Chu is guilty, literary gatherings should be banned throughout the realm?”

That person immediately flushed red. He couldn’t bear such an accusation and shouted: “You’re talking nonsense, twisting my words—”

An argument had erupted. The idlers were once again dumbfounded, while others around them laughed: “This is nothing—garden gatherings are supposed to involve arguments. In the early days of the capital’s garden gatherings, men and women would even curse at each other.”

Such things happened? Men were one thing, but women dared to exchange insults too? The idlers were shocked, while the people here had already begun clamoring: “Have a debate!” “You should also compete to see who wins.”

The street outside Ximo Pavilion became noisy.

Inside Ximo Pavilion was also a cacophony.

The men downstairs were laughing, while the women upstairs were indignant.

“What’s there to be so proud of! That Zhang Xuan is already thirty years old—it’s not surprising he beat us.”

“That’s right, A’Ru could still compete with him on equal terms. Our A’Ru is also very impressive.”

“Exactly, A’Ru, you’re amazing! Didn’t that white-bearded old man just say? You’re only slightly inferior in writing style—with more practice, you’ll be fine.”

“Hehe, A’Qi, you dare call Master Wen a white-bearded old man—watch out, your father will punish you when he gets home. That’s your father’s teacher.”

Though the women were indignant, they encouraged, praised, and teased each other, filled with the bright vitality of youth.

Standing to the side dressed as a maid, Chu Zhao couldn’t help but smile.

“This reminds me of when we were young,” she said softly.

Chu Tang, also dressed as a maid on the other side, glanced at her: “We’re not seventy or eighty yet! That was only five or six years ago!”

Chu Zhao quickly lowered her head to avoid laughing out loud and losing her composure.

The female proprietor of Ximo Pavilion began calling out: “The new challenge has arrived—this time it’s calligraphy.”

Chu Tang nudged Chu Zhao with her elbow: “Stop reminiscing about the past and get to work.”

Chu Zhao raised her head and acknowledged, composing her expression as she lifted a tray, her gaze turning toward the innermost table.

Chu Tang gave her a meaningful look, then walked off in another direction herself, inquiring of each woman at the tables one by one: “Miss, would you like to try the calligraphy challenge?”

Generally, four women sat at each table. Those with close relationships even had five or six squeezed together. Hearing the inquiry, some nodded together, while at others only two or three responded. Chu Tang then arranged the papers from her tray according to the number of participants.

Chu Zhao also reached the inner area and stood before this table. This table had only one woman sitting alone. Unlike the others whose maids waited in the adjacent room for instructions, her two maids stood behind her in attendance.

“Miss,” Chu Zhao asked with a smile, “would you like to try the calligraphy challenge?”

This woman was fifteen or sixteen years old, fair-skinned and pretty, but her expression was as coldly aloof as the jade earring beside her ear. With one hand supporting her cheek and the other toying with a teacup on the table—the cup empty, containing no tea—she didn’t even lift her eyelids when asked: “No.”

This wasn’t the first time. Since this young lady had entered, no matter what she was asked, the answer was always “no.”

Chu Zhao said no more, acknowledged again, and stood to leave. But this time, a girl at the neighboring table snorted.

“Miss Tan, you’ve been here for half the day and haven’t participated in anything. You won’t even drink tea,” she said. “Did you come to watch us make fools of ourselves?”

Miss Tan still kept her eyelids lowered, her fingers spinning the teacup round and round: “That’s right. I came to see how ridiculous you all look competing with men.”

This remark not only made the girl who had asked immediately bristle, but drew looks from other girls as well, their expressions complex.