To gain an inch and then push for a foot, you must first secure that inch before you can move further; and when you're scheming for that inch, your opponents aren't idiots, they'll naturally bargain with you.
Ritual is even harder to change than law, because ritual is the foundation of governing the state; all statutes and regulations must accord with ritual. Put plainly, in a feudal society ritual is tantamount to a constitution.
So Zhao Hanzhang merely extended a feeler; even among her own subordinates, many voiced objections, and even more chose silence.
Given their status, to depend on Zhao Hanzhang yet choose silence was already a statement in itself.
The reason Zhao Hanzhang could persuade Ji Yuan and Ming Yu to speak up was that they knew she was "Xiang Zhuang brandishing his sword with Lord Pei in mind," so they were willing to lend her a hand.
If she truly intended to amend ritual, Ji Yuan and Ming Yu might not be willing to agree.
