The Villainesses Are All On My Side, How Can You Compete With Me? - Chapter 17:

Chapter 17: The Northern Xiongnu Invade, Let’s Go to the Battlefield Together

Liu residence. In the main hall, Liu Jianglong was pacing back and forth when an elder stepped up and said, “Patriarch, the young master and young madam have arrived.”

Cough cough, “If they’re here, then they’re here. What’s there to make a fuss about?”

“Patriarch, weren’t you waiting all morning for the young madam to serve tea?” The elder looked at Liu Jianglong with a teasing smile.

Liu Jianglong glared at him, “You just have to know everything, don’t you?”

The elder smiled faintly and took his leave. Liu Jianglong tidied his robe and then sat down.

Luo Li and Liu Bai slowly walked in.

“Unc—” Luo Li initially wanted to call him Uncle, but when she noticed Liu Jianglong’s slightly furrowed brow, she corrected herself, “Father.”

Liu Jianglong’s brows relaxed, and a broad smile spread across his face, “Good, good, you’re both up. I’ll have someone prepare breakfast for you now.”

Then he noticed Luo Li walking a bit awkwardly, and instantly understood something, shooting Liu Bai a fierce glare. “Hmph, you brat, couldn’t you be a bit more restrained?”

Liu Bai scratched his head with an awkward smile.

“Father, I’ve come to offer you tea,” Luo Li said with a smile. She knelt down and presented a cup of tea to Liu Jianglong, who quickly took it and sipped before helping her up.

His face was full of joy. “Good. From now on, you and Xiao Bai must support each other. The future of the Liu family depends on you two.”

“Don’t worry, Father.”

After offering tea, they began to eat breakfast.

Outside, an urgent military report suddenly arrived in the capital: the Northern Xiongnu had mobilized 200,000 troops and were advancing toward the borders of the Great Zhou!

The momentum was overwhelming, as if they intended to break through the border entirely!

When the female emperor of the Great Zhou received the news, her face changed drastically. She immediately began mobilizing troops and preparing to send someone to intercept the Northern Xiongnu.

At court, there was only one man capable of shouldering this responsibility—Grand General Luo Feng!

Upon hearing that her father would once again don armor and head to war, Luo Li couldn’t just sit idly by. She wanted to follow him into battle, but Luo Feng stopped her.

“You just got married to Xiao Bai. Stay home and enjoy your life. What battlefield? Leave this to me. It’s just the Northern Xiongnu. It’s not like I haven’t fought them before,” Luo Feng said.

“Father, father and son should fight side by side. I can’t let you go alone!”

“How am I alone? My Luo family has 100,000 elite cavalry, plus another 100,000 border troops. Do you think they’re just for show?” Luo Feng said impatiently.

“But it’s not the same!”

“What’s not the same? You stay put in the capital!” Luo Feng glared at her, clearly determined.

That night, Luo Li sat at the table, a faint sadness between her brows. Liu Bai watched her from the side, feeling pained, and came forward to wrap her in his arms.

Holding her soft body and breathing in her fragrance, Liu Bai said, “Still thinking about the Northern Xiongnu? Do you really want to go to the battlefield?”

“I’m just worried about Father.”

Liu Bai held Luo Li close as he flipped through the Life Script in his mind related to her, finally finding a passage about the upcoming battle.

The Life Script recorded the following—

[At sixteen, I returned to the capital and attended Brother Liu Bai’s birthday banquet. But he was enchanted by a girl named Luo Qingqing. So, Brother Liu Bai prefers girls who look delicate and fragile? What a pity. I had been through war, soaked in blood. I suppose that’s why he doesn’t like me.

I tried to change, but it was a joke. I looked ridiculous and was mocked by Brother Liu Bai for being fake. It hurt.

That girl Luo Qingqing made me envious.

Then the Northern Xiongnu invaded with 200,000 troops. My father and I went to the battlefield again and fought them for three days and nights!

A Battle King appeared!

No one expected there would be a Battle King among the Northern Xiongnu forces! We were no match for him!

In the end, Father used a secret technique and perished alongside the Battle King.

He died.

Only I was left in the Luo family.

But I couldn’t fall here. The 100,000 Luo soldiers, the 100,000 border troops—they needed me to rise and carry the military banner of the Luo family!

I would inherit Father’s will and protect the Great Zhou!

I led the troops and fought back the Northern Xiongnu. With no more Battle King on their side, we managed to defend the border!

Her Majesty sent generous rewards and wanted me to return to the capital to marry the crown prince, saying it was to preserve the Luo bloodline.

But I knew, she feared my military influence.

Suddenly, I felt tired.

The Empress feared me. Brother Liu Bai disliked me. Father was gone. There was nothing in the capital worth clinging to anymore.

So I chose to remain at the border, where the soldiers who lived and died with me gave me warmth.

I refused Her Majesty and became the border commander.

From then on, I never returned to the capital…]

After reading Luo Li’s Life Script, Liu Bai felt even more love and pity for her. He held her tighter.

According to her script, Luo Feng would perish with a Battle King during this campaign, and Luo Li would guard the border alone, refusing to return to the capital—until she heard Liu Bai was in trouble and returned to help, but ultimately failed and was given poisoned wine by the Empress.

Thinking of all this, Liu Bai would never allow it to happen. After some thought, he said, “A’Li, if you want to go with Father to the battlefield, I agree.”

Luo Li was stunned. She hadn’t expected Liu Bai to agree.

“But I have one condition.”

“What condition?” she asked curiously.

“I’ll go to the battlefield with you too!”

“What? No! That’s too dangerous. Even though you’re a 9th stage Battle Spirit, the battlefield changes every second. Even Battle Spirits might not come back alive. I can’t let you go!”

Liu Bai held her shoulders and turned her to face him, looking into her eyes, “I’m a 9th stage Battle Spirit, much stronger than you. Yet you can’t bear to let me go, so how can I bear to let you go?

You mentioned father and son going to battle together.

Then as husband and wife, we should share both joy and hardship, advance and retreat together!

So no matter what you say, if you’re going, I’m going too! I’ll never let you go to the battlefield alone again.”

Hearing Liu Bai’s words, Luo Li was deeply moved, her heart trembling.

She said nothing more, only nodded with teary eyes, then hugged Liu Bai and gave him a kiss.

“Brother Liu Bai, I want you…”

“But haven’t you not fully recovered yet?”

“I can handle it. Brother Liu Bai, I love you. Take me…”

Luo Li murmured against Liu Bai’s cheek as she kissed him.

She realized she loved him more than she thought. Especially those words he just said—those words had pierced her most vulnerable heartstrings.

At that moment, she wanted nothing else…

Only to become one with Liu Bai.