Chapter 70: Palace Fissures

After the turbulence in Leigang subsided, the relationship between Lana and Li Chuan seemed calm on the surface, yet dangerous undercurrents surged beneath. Ever since discovering Lana's secret that night, although Li Chuan had chosen to stay by her side, the doubts in his heart remained unresolved. Meanwhile, Lana had fallen into a new predicament—a struggle originating from deep within the royal family was quietly closing in.

Following the conclusion of the meeting in Leigang, Lana received an expedited letter. It came from another prominent member of the royal alliance—her cousin, Adrian. The wording in the letter appeared courteous on the surface, but between the lines lay an undeniable threat: "Your Highness Lana, please ensure that you complete the task assigned by the alliance before the end of the month. Otherwise, the reputation of the royal family shall cease to exist."

After finishing the letter, Lana crumpled the paper into a ball and remained silent for a long time. She knew this was not merely pressure from the alliance, but rather Adrian seizing the opportunity to display his authority, attempting to further diminish her voice within the alliance.

Before long, Adrian's messenger boarded the ship in person. He brought even harsher demands: Lana must publicly support Adrian as the next leader of the alliance during the upcoming regional meeting, in exchange for the alliance's continued support of her restoration cause.

Faced with this blatant threat, Lana's emotions were on the verge of collapsing. Her handmaiden, Anna, tried to comfort her, but Lana simply waved her hand, walked alone to the deck, and let the sea breeze scatter her hair.

Watching her from afar, Li Chuan could not help but walk over and ask, "Lana, are you facing some trouble? If possible, I am willing to share the burden with you."

Lana hesitated for a moment before finally choosing to be honest: "Adrian is trying to control me. He is using the name of the alliance to force me into supporting him. This is crucial to my restoration plan, but if I yield to his demands, I will lose all my autonomy."

Li Chuan nodded. "It seems this is not just a matter concerning the royal alliance, but also an internal struggle within your family. What he wants is not merely power, but complete control over you."

Lana gave a bitter smile. "You are right, but I have no choice."

Li Chuan pondered for a moment and asked, "How much influence does Adrian wield? Does he have complete control over the alliance?"

Lana shook her head. "He does not have complete control, but most of his supporters are veterans of the alliance. They are experienced and powerful. My supporters, on the other hand, are mostly from the younger generation; while full of potential, they are currently no match for him."

Hearing this, an idea suddenly struck Li Chuan. "Since Adrian's faction is not monolithic, we can try to divide his supporters."

"Divide them?" Lana looked somewhat surprised. "That is no easy task."

"Of course it's not easy," Li Chuan smiled faintly, "but you are not alone. I will help you persuade the undecided and find our breakthrough."

Lana looked at him, a flicker of hope flashing in her eyes. "Are you really willing to help me?"

"Since we are partners, we should not fight alone," Li Chuan said. "Besides, I also want to prove myself."

That same evening, Li Chuan and Lana convened a secret meeting. The attendees included several of Lana's trusted confidants as well as a few newly recruited advisors brought by Li Chuan. The meeting had only one agenda: how to reverse the situation at the upcoming regional meeting.

"Who are Adrian's core supporters?" Li Chuan asked straight to the point.

Lana produced a list. "Here are the key figures currently backing him. They are Karl, the Minister of Finance for the alliance; Joseph, the Military Commander; and Audrey, who is in charge of the intelligence network."

"Very well," Li Chuan nodded. "We can try to find a breakthrough from among these three."

"Karl has long harbored dissatisfaction toward Adrian," said Anna, Lana's handmaiden. "Because Adrian frequently interferes in financial decisions, Karl's authority has been undermined."

"Then let's start with Karl," Li Chuan said. "We can establish covert contact with him and secure his support."

"As for Joseph," Lana added, "he is a man who places extreme importance on honor. If we can convince him that Adrian's plan threatens the reputation of the alliance, he might reconsider his stance."

"What about Audrey?" an advisor asked.

Lana sighed. "She is a staunch supporter of Adrian; I'm afraid it will be very difficult to sway her."

"Then we will temporarily set Audrey aside," Li Chuan said decisively. "Let's focus our efforts on Karl and Joseph. If we can win the support of these two, cracks will appear in Adrian's faction."

Following meticulous planning, Li Chuan and Lana each dispatched secret envoys to contact Karl and Joseph. Karl showed deep interest in the proposal from Lana's side, suggesting that if Lana were willing to grant him greater financial autonomy after the meeting, he would publicly defect to her camp.

Joseph, however, proved much more cautious. He expressed skepticism regarding Lana's proposed plan, but through his exceptional diplomatic skills, Li Chuan successfully dispelled his doubts. In the end, Joseph indicated that he would remain neutral at the regional meeting.

Once the stances of Karl and Joseph were preliminarily secured, the morale of Lana's faction soared. She felt genuine admiration for Li Chuan's capabilities, while also realizing that he had become her indispensable partner.

With the regional meeting fast approaching, Lana and Li Chuan still had many issues to resolve. Yet at this moment, she finally caught a glimpse of dawn. Looking at Li Chuan beside her, her gaze was filled with gratitude and trust.

"Li Chuan," Lana whispered softly, "thank you. Without you, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it this far."

Li Chuan smiled. "Don't thank me, we are a team. Next, we still have even greater challenges to face."

Lana nodded, silently vowing in her heart that no matter how difficult the future might be, she would never let the trust and tacit understanding between them be easily shattered.

The location of the regional meeting was set on a remote island, a customary practice of the royal alliance to ensure the confidentiality of discussions while preventing outside interference. When Lana, Li Chuan, and their team arrived, the conference hall was already thick with a subtle tension. Dressed in magnificent royal robes, Adrian was whispering quietly with several core supporters. Seeing Lana arrive, he raised his head, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold smirk.

"Your Highness, welcome," Adrian stepped forward, his tone hypocritical. "I hope we can reach a consensus in today's meeting and work together for the future of the alliance."

With a cold expression, Lana nodded slightly. "The premise of a consensus is equality and respect, not threats and coercion."

Hearing this, Adrian's expression shifted slightly before he quickly regained his composure. He knew Lana would not yield easily, yet he had already arranged everything, confident she was powerless to turn the tide.

Once the meeting officially began, Adrian took the floor first. He emphasized the unity of the alliance and the importance of leadership, subtly hinting that he was the ideal candidate. His supporters responded in kind, and for a time, the atmosphere of the meeting leaned toward his side.

However, when it was Lana's turn to speak, her words stirred a new wave of ripples: "I agree that the alliance requires strong leadership, but that leadership must be founded upon fairness and responsibility, rather than arbitrary rule."

Her words drew a murmur of discussion, while Karl, sitting nearby, wore a thoughtful expression. Noticing this, Li Chuan quietly gave Lana a subtle cue.

During the intermission, Li Chuan sought out Karl and went straight to the point: "Lord Karl, Her Highness Lana has always respected every member of the alliance and has pledged to grant you greater financial autonomy. But Adrian—would he ever give you such an opportunity?"

Karl hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "Adrian is indeed somewhat overly assertive, but Lana is still young; I still harbor doubts as to whether she can truly shoulder such heavy responsibilities."

"Youth signifies the future, the possibility of transformation," Li Chuan said firmly. "And you, Lord Karl, are a vital creator of that future. Lana needs your support, and she will certainly repay your trust."

Karl fell into deep contemplation.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Lana engaged in a dialogue with Military Commander Joseph. Unlike Karl, Joseph placed greater emphasis on the collective honor of the alliance. He had always opposed internal strife of any kind, believing it would weaken the alliance's image to the outside world.

"Lord Joseph," Lana said with a sincere tone, "I know you have always upheld the core values of the alliance, and Adrian's actions are deviating from those values. His arbitrary rule will not only fracture the alliance but also leave us vulnerable to our enemies."

Joseph gave a cold smile. "Adrian is indeed somewhat impatient for success, but what reason do I have to believe you will not walk down that very same path?"

"Because I have an elder like you by my side to guide me," Lana replied candidly. "I do not wish to control the alliance, but rather to become a listener and a coordinator. That is the leadership style we ought to have."

Joseph's expression softened slightly, though he still gave no explicit commitment.

The second half of the meeting entered a critical phase. When Adrian once again proposed that he assume leadership of the alliance, Lana's supporters began to make their voices heard.

"Your Highness Adrian, you indeed possess extraordinary abilities, but shouldn't we listen to the thoughts of other candidates?" a young representative spoke up.

Adrian's face darkened. He discovered that his proposal was not receiving the one-sided support he had anticipated. He immediately realized that new forces must be operating behind the scenes in support of Lana.

Immediately following that, Karl suddenly spoke up: "Regarding the alliance's financial decisions, I have some new proposals that I hope will be given priority once the next leader takes office."

Sitting in the back row, Li Chuan silently watched the proceedings in the hall. He knew Karl's statement had made his stance clear, and Adrian had lost a crucial supporter.

Seizing the opportunity, Lana put forward a compromise: "Perhaps we could establish a leadership committee, allowing every member the opportunity to participate in decision-making rather than concentrating power in the hands of a single individual."

Her words won the approval of many supporters, including several neutral representatives like Joseph, who voiced their agreement. This left Adrian's faction in an awkward predicament.

Just as Adrian was preparing to make one final push, Li Chuan abruptly stood up: "As the advisor to Her Highness Lana, I wish to call everyone's attention to the fact that the future of the alliance depends not only on the capabilities of its leaders, but even more upon whether we remain united. If we weaken our own strength through internal strife, we will only create opportunities for outside enemies."

His speech was resonant and powerful, not only highlighting the crux of the current situation but also prompting many previously hesitant representatives to re-evaluate Adrian's proposal.

In the end, following a vote, the meeting decided to establish a leadership committee, with both Lana and Adrian included. While this outcome did not allow Lana to achieve a total victory over Adrian, it significantly curtailed the latter's power and secured broader support and trust for Lana.

After the meeting concluded, Lana walked alone to the deck, gazing up at the vast starlit sky. Li Chuan stepped forward and asked softly, "Are you satisfied with this outcome?"

Lana turned her head, a relaxed smile blooming on her face. "Though it's not a complete victory, at least I am no longer isolated. And I have you to thank for all of this."

Li Chuan smiled. "We are a team, aren't we?"

Lana nodded, a newfound resolve shining in her gaze. "Yes, we are a team. And this is only the beginning of our partnership."