Methods for Establishing a Feminist Empire in a Patriarchal Feudal Era

Everyone’s born with two half-brains.

The right half tells us where to go, and when we follow its lead, our hearts stay open and clear.

The left half tells us how to get there, and sticking to its pace keeps us from tripping halfway.

(So, when Zheng Zha decides what to do, Chu Xuan explains how to do it.)

Jill Young’s always been a right-brain kind of creature—when she’s in the mood, she’ll do anything; when she’s not, she won’t budge. She’s got plans and brains, sure, but they’re all built on her killer execution skills and a dash of "adventure." Like that time in Steelbull City, when she deliberately got herself captured—way too risky for most folks.

But she went for it anyway, and with everyone pitching in, she actually pulled it off.

That’s not to say she’s not smart. Her flashes of genius in battle and her big-picture thinking aren’t quite enough to make her a sage, but they’re plenty to make her a leader. People who overthink always get tangled up in gains and losses, letting the outcome dictate their direction. But Jill’s not like that—she goes wherever she wants, does whatever she wants, and figures out the method later.

But today, Jill’s challenging herself. She’s firing up her left brain, ready to seriously think things through. "After twenty-six years as a science nerd, my other self—grant me the power of left-brain neuron growth!" She prayed to the void, then sat cross-legged on a cushion, frowning in deep thought.

This was Wu Zhengfeng’s usual meditation spot—sheer curtains, floor cushions, a low table, kind of an Arabian vibe. Across from her, Wu Zhengfeng sat primly with her legs together, watching Jill’s serious face and swallowing nervously.

"Got it, got it—I’ve figured it out!" After a while, Jill suddenly slapped her palm down, her face lighting up with realization.

"So what did you figure out?" Wu Zhengfeng looked at her expectantly.

"A lot of things," Jill Young said, raising a finger, her eyes shining. "First—and most important—your direction is wrong. Hold on, don’t answer yet. Let me ask you: When Empress Wu Zetian became emperor, why didn’t her daughter, Princess Taiping, inherit the throne?"

"I honestly never thought about that," Wu Zhengfeng mused. "Maybe she just wasn’t capable enough, or the timing wasn’t right."

"Okay, but let’s say everyone waiting to inherit the throne was equally capable—do you think she’d get it then?"

"Well..." Princess Taiping was a tough one. Wu Zhengfeng had lived a long time, but never studied history seriously. Back then, the court and palace were a mess—hard to judge. After thinking it over, Wu Zhengfeng sighed, "Probably still wouldn’t happen."

Jill Young answered without hesitation: "Exactly. Not just no, but a big fat no. Unless she had your fighting power, her mom’s ruthless streak and political savvy, plus a ridiculous amount of luck, she’d never make it. Now, do you know why she couldn’t?"

"Alright, alright, enough with the Socratic teaching—just say it already," Wu Zhengfeng’s eyes were starting to glaze over.

"Ahem, sorry, didn’t mean to slip into teacher mode." Jill collected herself and cut to the chase: "Because even though Wu Zetian was empress, she never established women’s rights. Without that, the world still belonged to men. The patriarchal dynasty could barely tolerate one outlier like Wu Zetian under ruthless suppression, but there’s no way they’d allow another. If outliers keep popping up, they become the norm, so they’d fight tooth and nail to stop it. Even with a woman on the throne, nothing changed for women as a whole. The ones selling smiles in brothels, the ones shipped off to marry at the border—they were all still women."

Wu Zhengfeng fell silent at Jill’s words, blinking and deep in thought. "So you’re saying, even if I became emperor, it wouldn’t matter?"

"For your dream, it’s not about whether you become emperor, it’s about how you get there. Wu Zetian rose through palace intrigue—way too unstable. Just getting in and out alive was the best she could hope for; forget about improving women’s rights. So that’s not the way to go." Jill waved her right hand like a ripple, then clenched her fist, eyes shining: "What we need is to start over, from scratch—build a nation of true equality. Roll right over the opposition, crush every dissenting voice. That’s how you reach the goal."

Wu Zhengfeng was stunned by the fierce look in Jill Young’s eyes. It was like seeing a beast that usually naps suddenly wake up full of energy—nothing in the world could stop her now. Wu Zhengfeng shook her head to clear it, then said, "So you’re saying my idea of keeping Spirit Eagle Palace out of it is wrong? No wonder you called me naïve." She rubbed her forehead—those two brains were really aching.

Even without being a military expert, Wu Zhengfeng knew one thing: if you want to found a country, you can’t lack money, food, troops, or talent. Money and food are doable, but troops and talent? That’s the real problem. What guy would risk his life for a women’s empire? Maybe the common folk wouldn’t care, but talent? There’s hardly anyone left to use, and if Spirit Eagle Palace stays out of it, the whole thing’s a bust.

"Of course it’s wrong, and it’s great you see that. On the road to freedom, equality, and justice, a few people can only find freedom for themselves. Only if everyone walks together can everyone find true freedom. If you keep trying to protect and pity women, or if women keep thinking in terms of waiting for rescue, your dream will never, ever come true!" Jill’s voice was firm, echoing through the quiet room.

Wu Zhengfeng lowered her eyes in silence for a while, then looked up and nodded seriously. "Alright, I get it."

"Whew, glad you get it. Convincing you of this was the hardest part. If you don’t get it, then there’s no hope for this plan." Jill relaxed, finally smiling, and clapped Wu Zhengfeng on the shoulder, grinning: "Alright, now for the practical steps. About the women’s kingdom—I just figured out something crucial."

"What is it?" Wu Zhengfeng perked up. She’d been totally lost before, but Jill’s explanation cleared things up: "Is it about alliances and diplomacy?"

"Nope," Jill shook her head. "That’s just governance. What I’ve got in mind is a step up."

A step up? Wu Zhengfeng grinned: "So, is it about battle formations, government structure, farming and industry?"

"Nope," Jill shook her head again. "Those are just ways to run a country—I know a bit about that, but what I just thought of is even higher level, even more critical!" She pointed her right index finger upward. "Think big!"

Higher? More critical? Wu Zhengfeng’s eyes were shining. "So what is it?"

"It’s the ‘Dao’!" Jill Young declared, like a sage preaching to disciples, her gaze deep and mysterious. "It’s the root of male-dominated society, and it’s the key to building a nation of equality. Beneath all the illusions, the real cause is—power."

"Power?" Wu Zhengfeng tilted her head, thinking for a long while. "You mean the reason for male dominance is that women lack power?"

"Exactly." Jill went full teacher mode, just like when she lectured Huo Yuanjia, radiating authority and presence: "All social systems, all class divisions... ahem, let’s skip the complicated stuff. The point is, society ended up like this because men are simply stronger than women."

"There are two kinds of power. One is external, like this." Jill picked up a stone, squeezed it, and with a crack, it turned to powder in her palm. "This kind of power is obvious and indisputable. Civilization, prosperity, order, tradition, ideas—none of that stops brute force. Just look at the martial world: the whole male-over-female thing isn’t as strong there, because women have power."

That point was really indisputable. The Athenians were civilized, prosperous, advanced, but if they couldn’t stop the Persian cavalry, all that was just empty talk—they’d just get slaughtered.

"The second kind is internal power. Knowledge counts, but it’s more about mindset." Jill held up a second finger. "Fair or unfair, it’s all subjective. People love to follow the crowd—most folks just think what their environment and education tell them. Go down to the village or town and ask any young woman if she should obey the old rules, and she’ll say: of course. What does that mean? It means if you go waving your flag openly, not only will men oppose you, but most women who are doing okay won’t support you either."

"Ugh!" Wu Zhengfeng clutched her head, groaning. "Ah, you’ve given me a headache! Now I finally get what you meant about how hard this is—it’s like fighting the whole world!"

"Haha, scared now? Still sticking to it?"

"Of course!"

"Good, that’s the spirit. I’ve spent ages thinking about this and I do have a solution. It’s actually pretty simple—just tackle both causes at once. Don’t worry about the mindset for now; the urgent thing is external power, meaning force. We need a way to boost women’s combat ability."

"How do we boost it?"

"That’s what I need to ask you." Jill considered her words, tried to be diplomatic, then gave up and sighed. "Tell me—why are the women in Spirit Eagle Palace so weak?"