Verism

I love how Li Jianhong was like: thank god we didn't have anything to gift, my son almost got scammed into a marriage engagement XD Meanwhile Jochi fishes Batu back from under the table after seeing him gift the dagger. These dads got their work cut out for them lol

The Han heir-apparent x the founder of the golden horde, that's some REAL romeo and juliet possibility you've got there, anon

Poor Batu, their anda vow is entirely one-sided now because ... because Duan Ling didn't think of how rescuing his BFF of 5 years and shipping him out of the city meant goodbye and maybe, just maybe, he should have brought something so Batu can have something to remember him by

(psst he could have given Batu his hair ornament. Or a lock of his hair. Or cut off the end of his belt. This is my fourth read of the book and I must admit that our boy is just really clueless when it comes to ... human emotions)

*pours a drink on the floor for Batu's first love*