Chapter 1338: Chapter 1338

Chapter 1338: Chapter 1338: A Rather Direct Personality

“Duan General?” Yue Rujing raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment. He was certain he had no ties with the Duan Family. On the contrary, due to past battles between the Duan Family and Lingnan, there was quite a bit of animosity.

He gave a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he looked at the young lady from the Duan Family. “Miss Duan, who might you be looking for at the courier station?”

“Looking for you.” Duan Xiaomei replied bluntly. “His Majesty said you’ll be marrying into our Nanzhao for a political alliance. He thinks that our Duan Family in Nanzhao functions similarly to your Yue Family in Zhuzhao: military lineage, a fitting match.”

The Emperor of Nanzhao had originally instructed Miss Duan to handle the matter more tactfully, perhaps through some orchestrated “chance encounters” to approach Yue Rujing. However, being a straightforward person, she decided to head out at the crack of dawn to the courier station and lay everything bare immediately.

After hearing her words, Yue Rujing was momentarily stunned.

After a while, he burst into laughter, though the laughter was one where the face smiled while the heart did not. The more he laughed, the more his expression looked worse than crying.

“Well… I think whether people are compatible or not has nothing to do with family background, don’t you think?”

Yue Rujing had thought that as long as he stayed out of the Nanzhao Emperor’s way, everything would be fine. Who would’ve guessed the Emperor would go as far as summoning the young lady directly to his house? What could he even say now?

The girl nodded lightly and said, “True, I also think compatibility has nothing to do with family background. Whether someone comes from a military lineage is equally irrelevant. For instance, some may be born as commoners and still achieve great feats, eventually becoming a Great General. But then there are those from renowned martial families who…”

Duan Xiaomei scanned Yue Rujing in disdain, saying, “Young Master Yue, why are you so frail and skinny? Could you possibly hold your own on the battlefield?”

Yue Rujing stumbled, and the folding fan he had been leisurely twirling in his hand fell to the ground.

He wanted to snap back, but considering he was a gentleman and she’d come as a guest, losing his temper at a young lady would be unbecoming. Taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation, he spoke evenly, “Miss Duan, there’s an old saying: you can’t judge a book by its cover. Those who are big and brawny are like wild bears in the mountains. Now, can wild bears ride into battle?”

Duan Xiaomei was noncommittal and merely replied awkwardly, “Having a strong and healthy physique is essential. Honestly, with your build, Young Master Yue, it’s quite worrying. If not for my being from a martial family, you’d be more than satisfactory—a few points prettier than the flowers in the courtyard.” She paused before continuing, “But given my status, my parents hope I’ll marry someone who can ride into battle alongside me. Someone like you… let’s just leave it at that and revisit the matter another time.”

Her expression was one of utter disdain; clearly, Yue Rujing did not capture her interest at all.

Meanwhile, she muttered under her breath, lamenting how the once-legendary Yue Marquess’s legacy had been squandered on a son who seemed so effeminate.

Yue Rujing felt an inner “what the hell” burst from his heart and stood there staring at the girl as she swaggered off. For a long time, he couldn’t say a single word. Official source is novel⦿fire.net

Sure, Nanzhao and Zhuzhao had different aesthetic standards, but surely not this different?

All his life, wherever Yue Rujing went, people admired him. It seemed only two people had ever disdained him. Gu Youyou didn’t count—she wasn’t normal. The second one was now Duan Xiaomei.

It wasn’t until she’d been gone for quite some time that Yue Rujing finally exploded in fury: “Dammit, why don’t you just marry a black bear? Strong and sturdy…”

Wait, no. He should be the one doing the rejecting, not the other way around.

Fuming, he stomped his foot. Suddenly, he stepped on something underfoot.

Looking down, he realized it was the folding fan he’d dropped earlier.

Yue Rujing hastily picked up the fan and brushed off the dust.

Damn these Nanzhao mosquitoes—big and everywhere! This folding fan was his primary weapon against them; he certainly couldn’t afford to lose it now.