Chapter 116: The Runaway Princess

"Bang!" Li Jiahao furiously hurled the teacup in his hand at the several men standing before him, pointing at them and cursing, "Didn't you bastards tell me that this time, the plan was absolutely foolproof? Now tell me, what on earth is going on? Why did those damned magical beasts abandon their attack on the capital? I put so much effort into orchestrating this, even sacrificing the hard-won friendship I had built with Zhou Tian, only to end up with this result? Is this what you call a foolproof plan?"

Watching the seething Li Jiahao, his subordinates dared not make a sound. At this moment, Li Jiahao was like a powder keg ready to explode at any second; anyone who dared to speak to him would surely be in for a harsh reprimand.

However, since no one was willing to be his punching bag, the anger in Li Jiahao's heart had nowhere to vent. Consequently, the suffering shifted from one individual to the entire group.

"Smack!" After slamming his hand hard against the table, Li Jiahao, regardless of whether his men could actually accomplish it, arrogantly issued an order: "I don't care what methods you use, but you must do your best to mend my relationship with Zhou Tian. I don't expect it to return to what it was before, but at the very least, I do not want him to hold a grudge against me for what happened."

Upon hearing this, Li Jiahao's strategists could only exchange bitter smiles.

It was easy for Li Jiahao to issue a command, but it was far from easy for his subordinates to devise a solution. It wasn't that they hadn't studied Zhou Tian's character, but it was precisely because they understood him so well that they knew how difficult this task would be.

If Zhou Tian were a politician, Li Jiahao's task would be easy to handle—a simple matter of offering some compensation in exchange for benefits. As long as the two sides hadn't formally burned their bridges, Zhou Tian likely wouldn't have caused trouble for Li Jiahao.

But Zhou Tian was no politician. In fact, based on his past behavior, he was more like a hot-headed youth. With his temperament, if someone offended him, he would hold a grudge for a lifetime. Given his impulsive nature, the fact that he hadn't come to cause them trouble yet was already a cause for celebration; trying to repair the relationship was truly difficult.

Seeing the expressions on his men's faces, Li Jiahao knew without asking that they couldn't think of a viable solution.

After casting a casual glance at them, he commanded, "I am giving you three days. If you cannot provide me with a viable plan by then, get out of my estate!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" After exchanging helpless glances, the strategists were forced to accept the order.

Three days passed, and when Li Jiahao questioned them again, the strategists looked at each other before replying, "Your Highness, over these three days, we have reviewed all the intelligence related to Zhou Tian. We have discovered that he seems to be quite greedy and lustful. Originally, if we had offered him money, we might have been able to win his favor. However, the last auction earned him a massive fortune, and we fear money will no longer move him. Therefore, we unanimously believe that if we want to win his favor, we must exploit his weakness for women."

Li Jiahao understood what his strategists were thinking, but after hearing them, he still felt compelled to confirm, "You mean?"

"Princess Xuexin has reached the age of marriage. Given her beauty, if she were willing to marry Zhou Tian, the two sides would become in-laws, and the previous unpleasantness would naturally be forgotten."

"You..." Upon hearing this, a flash of murderous intent initially appeared on Li Jiahao's face. However, as if he had reconsidered something, after some hesitation, he did not give a definitive answer. Instead, he waved his hand and ordered, "All of you, withdraw. Let me consider this."

"Princess Xuexin is known as the greatest beauty in our royal family; she will surely be a great attraction to Zhou Tian. If they can truly become in-laws, he will surely assist you, his father-in-law. With his alchemy skills, Your Highness will certainly be able to recruit countless powerhouses. Why worry about our grand ambition not succeeding then?" Seeing that Li Jiahao had not outright accepted their suggestion, a persistent strategist couldn't help but offer one last piece of advice before leaving.

"Get out!" The only response was a roar from Li Jiahao.

Yet, even after being scolded, the strategist felt no resentment; instead, he revealed a faint smile.

Li Xuexin was Li Jiahao's only daughter, and he treated her like the apple of his eye. From the time she was a child, he had pampered her, fearing she would break if held or melt if in his mouth. Whatever she wanted, she received. The level of favor she enjoyed was something her brothers could never compare to.

Based on his doting nature, Li Jiahao had previously told her that he would support her choice regardless of what kind of man she fell in love with.

Now, the suggestion from his strategists was essentially asking him to trade Li Xuexin for Zhou Tian's support. Had anyone dared to suggest such a thing before, Li Jiahao would have killed them without a second thought.

However, although Li Jiahao had roared and driven the strategist out, he didn't actually punish him. This reaction could only mean one thing: Li Jiahao was truly tempted by his subordinates' suggestion.

Just as Li Jiahao was hesitating over whether to sacrifice his beloved daughter for his grand ambition, a guard rushed into his room with news that sent him into a rage.

Princess Xuexin had run away from home.

Li Jiahao didn't know how his daughter had received the news, nor did he have time to be angry at her willfulness. Upon hearing the news, his first concern was for her safety.

Under Li Jiahao's protection, she had never encountered any danger, and naturally, she had no idea how dangerous the outside world was. Given her beauty, Li Jiahao could easily imagine what might happen to her if she were to encounter bad people without her guards by her side.

His heart in chaos, the once-composed Li Jiahao couldn't keep his cool. He even struck the innocent guard with nearby objects before roaring, "How did I command you? To protect her every step of the way! Is this how you protect my precious daughter? If anything happens to her, I will have all of you buried with her!" After the outburst, he calmed down slightly. Looking at the battered guard, he asked coldly, "How did the Princess escape? Have you found the reason?"

"We have found it. It was Miss Yue Lin of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion who helped the Princess escape the estate."

"Lei Yuelin?" After a suspicious exclamation, Li Jiahao roared, "It's one thing that the old fool Lei can't manage his own daughter, but he let his girl abduct my precious daughter! If my daughter suffers even the slightest harm, I will make them regret it!" After a stifled huff, he commanded the guard, "Although that girl Lei Yuelin went too far this time, given her strength, Xuexin shouldn't be in any immediate danger following her. Send out more men to find the Princess, and inform the Wind and Thunder Pavilion of this. Since their pavilion master's daughter is behind this, how can they not contribute?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" The guard bowed and hurried away to relay the orders.

Just as Li Jiahao was fuming, in the north of Xuanwu City, two veiled young girls on horseback were rushing toward the capital.

"That bastard Zhou Tian actually asked my father to marry me off to him! Who does he think he is? This time, I want to see what kind of skills he has, daring to make such an outrageous demand."

"Don't worry, Sister Xuexin. With your sister Yue Lin here, I guarantee I'll catch that guy and bring him to you so you can vent your anger. Then you can deal with him as you please."

"Mm, Sister Yue Lin is the best."

"That's right, you're my little sister. If I don't help you, who will?"

Without a doubt, these two girls were Princess Xuexin and Lei Yuelin, the eldest daughter of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, who had fled from Xuanwu City. Judging by their aggressive demeanor, they were clearly heading to the capital to settle the score with Zhou Tian after hearing the news of the proposed marriage.

Zhou Tian had no idea that Li Jiahao had invited such trouble from thousands of miles away. As Li Jiahao's precious daughter and her best friend were closing in on the capital, Zhou Tian was busy dealing with another headache of his own.