She’d prefer to co-opt the elements that are willing to remain in their post and accept her leadership. A wholesale removal of the elite who wants to cooperate out of a distrust of their motives can only be done after around 4-8 years of rule. She’ll wipe out and harrow the one’s who won’t bow to the reforms she wants.
What Cao Cao meant by this is, the World is the Han Dynasty. Essentially he was stating that if he had to betray the Han he would do so because if he had to overthrow the Han to establish the regime he wanted he would do so.
Cao Mengde even when he unified China would have been very cautious to usurp authority. Many of his most loyal officers and advisors remained loyal to the Han and thus to him since he was a figure of stability to the Han. He tested the waters multiple times for usurpation and each time he decided not to carry it out due to a lack of support across all his ranks.
Essentially Cao Cao was stating that: he will not usurp the Han as long as they don’t betray him.
This is what my MC believes in too, basically the Hegemony is an established regime and name, it’s easier to use its reputation and power to push reforms through.
If she overthrew it and instead established a Koine or League in its place- she will need to rebuild the legitimacy and also its institutions from scratch if she does a clean break. Ideally- if she decides to go this route she’d get Phaedrx to abdicate to her and then do a formal establishment of her regime. But, she doesn’t think that’s wise unless she wins out. Which is what Cao Cao ultimately did- he set the table for his son Pi to create Wei.