Chapter 46: The Hidden Truth

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During a routine meeting of the alliance, Princess Lana and its core members discussed how best to respond to the growing threat posed by the Japanese pirates. Li Chuan stood to one side, listening intently. Yet when Lana described the pirates’ movements and tactics in detail, his brow creased slightly.

“Your Highness,” Li Chuan asked, probing gently, “where did this intelligence come from? As far as I know, our scouts have not reported anything so detailed.”

Lana’s expression did not change. She replied calmly, “I obtained it through channels within the kingdom. The Japanese pirates threaten not only the coastal alliance but also the kingdom’s borders. The royal family must have access to as much information as possible.”

Li Chuan nodded, but a trace of doubt passed through his mind. Lana’s intelligence was precise not only about the movements of particular ships, but even about the pirates’ internal distribution of forces and sources of funding. Information of such depth went far beyond anything ordinary reconnaissance could uncover.

After the meeting, Li Chuan did not question her directly. Instead, he chose to observe Lana from the sidelines.

One evening, he went to her study on the pretext of discussing the alliance’s plans. There, he noticed a map spread across her desk and several letters bearing the insignia of the Japanese pirates.

“Your Highness, are those letters related to intelligence about the pirates?” Li Chuan asked, pretending to be casual.

Lana froze for an instant, then smiled. “Yes. They contain only scattered bits of information. To better assist the alliance, I have done my best to gather whatever materials I could.”

Li Chuan studied her expression. His voice was gentle, yet carried an unmistakable implication. “The information is remarkably detailed. Without making deep contact with the pirates, it would be difficult to learn such things, wouldn’t it?”

Lana avoided his gaze and answered vaguely, “The channels are somewhat complicated, but you must believe me. My purpose is to help the alliance.”

Several days later, Li Chuan received a report brought back by one of the scouts. It mentioned that the Japanese pirates seemed to harbor a certain fear of Princess Lana; in some places, they had even deliberately avoided areas where she was active. This made Li Chuan more vigilant than ever.

“Strange. If they fear Her Highness, why are they launching such a massive assault against the alliance?” he murmured.

A bold theory gradually took shape in his mind: Lana might not have revealed all the intelligence to the alliance. She might even have some hidden connection with the Japanese pirates.

To test his suspicions, Li Chuan decided to investigate in secret. He dispatched several trusted men to gather clues concerning any possible ties between Lana and the pirates.

One night, Li Chuan happened to pass by Lana’s residence and noticed that the light in her study was still burning. He quietly approached and heard low voices within.

“Your Highness, are we truly going to keep hiding this? If Li Chuan discovers…” an unfamiliar voice whispered.

Lana let out a soft sigh. “And what would happen if we did not? The alliance is not yet strong enough. If we reveal the truth now, they will only lose their trust in me.”

“But the pirates have already begun to grow suspicious. Can we still keep the situation under control?”

“For the moment. As long as the alliance can completely destroy one of their main forces, I will have enough leverage to confront them openly.”

Li Chuan’s heart jolted when he heard this. He did not continue listening. Instead, he silently withdrew, his emotions in turmoil.

The following day, Li Chuan arranged to meet Lana alone. His tone was calm, but a hidden edge lay beneath it.

“Your Highness, I happened to overhear something last night. I want to know—what else have you kept from the alliance?”

Lana’s expression shifted slightly, but she soon regained her composure. “Li Chuan, this is not because I distrust you. Some matters, if exposed too early, could affect the larger situation.”

“It concerns the Japanese pirates, doesn’t it?” Li Chuan asked directly. “Your knowledge of them far exceeds what ordinary intelligence channels could provide.”

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Lana fell silent for a moment before finally sighing. “That is true. I did conceal certain information, but I did so for the sake of the alliance as a whole.”

She continued slowly, “The Japanese pirates are not merely a band of sea raiders. They have colluded with certain powerful nobles within my kingdom, using maritime plunder to reap enormous profits. The reason I have been able to obtain this information is that I personally took part in investigating the activities of those nobles.”

Li Chuan frowned. “Why did you not tell the alliance this from the beginning?”

A hint of helplessness entered Lana’s voice. “If the truth were made public, it would not only plunge the alliance into chaos; it might also enrage those nobles and cause the alliance to fall apart entirely.”

“So you chose to bear the burden alone?” Li Chuan looked at her, his expression complicated. “But, Your Highness, this information is crucial to the alliance’s success or failure. If you continue to hide it, we may never truly defeat the Japanese pirates.”

Lana lowered her head, exhaustion showing in her voice. “I understand what you mean. Perhaps it is time I told you everything…”

In the end, Lana revealed more details to Li Chuan. The intelligence in her possession included not only the pirates’ strongholds, but also the methods by which the nobles behind them operated. The information made Li Chuan see the truth at last: the pirates’ actions were not entirely random. They were being directed by a certain political power.

The two of them decided to formulate a new plan. While continuing their fight against the Japanese pirates, they would also launch a counterattack against the nobles operating behind the scenes. Yet they both understood how dangerous this plan would be. Their enemies had already marked them as obstacles that had to be removed.

Li Chuan drew a deep breath and looked at Lana with resolve. “Then we will face these dangers together. The alliance needs a clear objective, not truths kept hidden from it.”

Lana lifted her head, gratitude flickering in her eyes. “Thank you, Li Chuan. No matter how dangerous the road ahead may be, I will fight beside you.”

When Princess Lana revealed part of the intelligence concerning the forces behind the Japanese pirates, the alliance did not immediately respond with unity. On the contrary, several core members expressed their displeasure at her concealment. Some even questioned whether she maintained some unspoken connection with the pirates.

At a high-level meeting, an old village chief said sternly, “Princess Lana, we always believed that you devoted yourself entirely to the interests of the alliance. Yet the truth you concealed has left us deeply troubled. Had Li Chuan not insisted on questioning you, would these vital pieces of intelligence still be buried in your heart?”

A young merchant-ship owner quickly added, “Exactly! We are willing to support the alliance and contribute to the fight against the pirates, but only on the condition that everyone is honest with one another. The pirates’ backers are connected to powerful nobles from the Central Plains. How much more of this matter have you kept from us?”

Though Lana’s face had gone slightly pale beneath their accusations, she maintained her composure. “I admit that concealing the truth was a mistake on my part. But please believe me—I have never intended to harm the alliance. It was precisely because I had been secretly investigating the roots of the pirates that I chose to withhold certain information. Now I have shared the most important facts with all of you. I ask only that the alliance continue to trust my judgment.”

Li Chuan stepped forward. His voice was low but firm. “Everyone, the Japanese pirates and the nobles behind them are part of a much larger game. Her Highness acted out of a desire to protect the alliance’s security. She withheld the truth not for personal gain, but to prevent our plans from being exposed too soon. What we need now is not mutual blame, but a way to turn this intelligence into a weapon for our counterattack.”

Through Li Chuan’s mediation, the atmosphere gradually eased, though the hidden unease within the alliance did not entirely disappear.

To learn more about the nobles operating behind the pirates, Li Chuan and Lana decided to send a reconnaissance team to secretly investigate several major locations where the Japanese pirates traded with merchants from the Central Plains. The mission was extraordinarily dangerous. The slightest mistake could expose the alliance’s plans.

“We need someone we can trust to penetrate the enemy’s inner circle,” Li Chuan said thoughtfully before the map.

Lana nodded. “Indeed. These places appear to be ordinary trading posts, but in truth they are transfer stations where the pirates and Central Plains merchants conduct their secret dealings. Investigating them will require not only courage, but considerable intelligence.”

After much discussion, Li Chuan decided to lead a small, elite force there himself. Lana was worried, but she understood that only Li Chuan’s resourcefulness and insight could handle such a complicated situation.

Disguised as a merchant fleet of cargo ships, they quietly approached one of the outposts. It stood in a remote bay and appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary harbor, yet its defenses were exceptionally tight.

When night fell, Li Chuan led his men silently into the port. They discovered that the warehouses were packed with goods looted from coastal villages, including grain, fishing equipment, and even rare silk from the Central Plains. The destination and nature of these supplies confirmed the collusion between the Japanese pirates and the nobles.

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“These supplies came not only from fishing villages,” one of the men whispered. “Some of them were clearly produced inland. It seems the merchant behind all this controls not only the pirates, but also uses his own trade network to make enormous profits.”

Li Chuan nodded calmly. “Continue gathering evidence. Do not alert anyone.”

Just as they were preparing to withdraw, one of the men noticed a letter that had not yet been sealed. It was written in the official cipher of the Central Plains. The letter described the next stage of the plan: the Japanese pirates would concentrate their forces to attack an important coastal trading hub, while the noble behind them intended to use the assault to crush the coastal trade routes and install a group of loyal followers in their place.

“This is an excellent opportunity.” Li Chuan quickly tucked the letter away and addressed his men. “With this, we can not only predict the enemy’s next move, but also set a trap for them.”

Yet their operation was not flawless. As they withdrew from the harbor, they seemed to be noticed by a patrolling pirate soldier, who shouted in a low voice, “Who’s there?”

“Fall back!” Li Chuan ordered quietly. Drawing his dagger, he swiftly subdued the pursuing soldier. But the enemy had already been alerted, and the entire harbor soon descended into a tense search.

Relying on their familiarity with the terrain, Li Chuan and his men ultimately escaped. Even so, he knew the enemy would soon launch a counterattack against the alliance.

After returning, Li Chuan revealed the contents of the letter, provoking a heated debate over whether they should strike first.

“The pirates’ next target is clear,” Li Chuan said firmly. “If we do not act, we will lose an extraordinary opportunity.”

Lana offered a different view. “A preemptive strike is certainly important, but we must consider the alliance’s present defensive strength. If we act recklessly, the pirates and the nobles behind them may turn our own move against us.”

After a long discussion, they agreed on a compromise. They would secretly reinforce the defenses of the targeted region while sending part of their forces to prepare an ambush. Once the pirates launched their attack, the alliance would destroy them in a single decisive blow.

As preparations proceeded under mounting tension, Li Chuan and Lana gradually came to understand each other more deeply. Lana often stood alone beneath the lamplight at night, reading through the documents in her possession. Several times, Li Chuan saw the slight furrow in her brow and the weariness in her face, and he could not help approaching her.

“Are you still worried about the alliance?” he asked.

Lana smiled faintly and looked up at him. “The alliance is part of it. But I am more worried about the forces behind the Japanese pirates. They are far stronger than we imagined. If those nobles join forces, the result will be a true catastrophe.”

“We will win,” Li Chuan said with absolute certainty. “You can see it yourself—the alliance is growing stronger by the day. As long as we persevere, the enemy will ultimately fall before us.”

Lana nodded. A deeper trust and determination appeared in her eyes. “Li Chuan, with you at my side, the future does not seem quite so difficult to endure.”

As the plan gradually took shape, the alliance’s defenses quietly solidified, while the pirates’ conspiracy drew nearer like an unseen current beneath the surface. Li Chuan knew that this battle concerned more than the survival of the fishing villages. It would also be a severe test of the alliance’s unity and trust. He and Lana understood that failure would bring them nothing but endless disaster. But if they succeeded, they would completely overturn the balance along the coast and perhaps even break the Central Plains nobles’ control over the Japanese pirates.

Beneath the night sky, Li Chuan gazed at the distant horizon. An unquenchable fighting spirit rose within him.

Lana came to stand beside him and said softly, “We will win.”

“Yes,” Li Chuan replied, clenching his fists as determination shone in his eyes. “Because we have no other choice.”

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