Xiliu Yuan nodded.

Prince Yu glanced at Xiliu Yuan several times. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the Crown Prince of Xi Yan had his eye on the General’s estate. ’Is he planning to make a move now that the General is gone?’

With that in mind, he grew wary of Xi Yan.

The Xi Yan delegation had come with them. If any trouble occurred, wouldn’t they be the ones to take the blame?

As Dean Chen led the group toward the front hall, he had a nagging feeling that the Xi Yan party’s visit was not as simple as it seemed. Mo Geluo was a malicious man, and he also had a history of conflict with Xiang Minghou.

Xiang Minghou had just left the Capital City today, and now the Crown Prince of Xi Yan and Mo Geluo were at their door...

’I’ll have to find a chance to get Pangtuan away from here later,’ he thought.

The front hall was indeed bustling with activity.

All eight Aunts had prepared several of their signature dishes, and of course, they wanted the young girl to try them all. Each held a bowl and chopsticks, offering up a piece of her own cooking, lining up for their turn to have the little girl taste their food.

So, the scene that greeted Dean Chen and his guests was this: Ye Qianning sat enthroned in her seat like a little lord, a bib tied around her neck, surrounded on all sides by a flock of beautiful women.

The women held out their bowls and chopsticks, bringing food right to her mouth. She would tilt her head to take a bite from one, then turn to take a bite from another. The moment she swallowed, someone would immediately present a spoonful of soup.

"So? Is it good?"

"How’s the soup? I started it yesterday and stayed up all night watching the stove to get it just right."

"And the abalone? I was worried I might have overcooked it."

Sansan, Shaoyao, and Baixiang stared at her, their faces full of anticipation.

Ye Qianning smacked her lips and gave a big thumbs-up. "Second Aunt’s duck is amazing! Fifth Aunt, your abalone isn’t tough at all; it’s perfectly tender and delicious. And Seventh Aunt, your soup is on another level! You couldn’t find a better soup in the entire Capital City!"

"Really? If you like it, Pangtuan, Seventh Aunt will make it for you every day!" Shaoyao said, thrilled.

"All right, all right, we can’t let our Pangtuan just drink soup. Here, try what Third Aunt made for you."

"Fourth Aunt’s is even more delicious."

"Hey, hey, don’t squabble. One at a time."

The sight of the boisterous crowd of women all fussing over one small child left the newcomers utterly dumbfounded.

Even Xiliu Yuan couldn’t help but frown at the sight.

Helian Chen was completely stunned. ’The girl is already six, but she still needs to be carried and spoon-fed. No wonder she’s so fat.’

The first thing that caught Prince Yu’s eye wasn’t Ye Qianning, but the bevy of beauties dressed in a rainbow of colors. Then he looked at the child they surrounded, noting her indolent posture. The scene involuntarily brought to mind the legendary "wine pool and meat forest" of decadent lore... 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

’No, wait,’ he corrected himself. ’This scene should be a "soup pool and meat forest"!’

Mo Geluo’s attention was also first drawn to the group of beauties, his eyes roaming ceaselessly over their figures. ’The General doesn’t seem to be doing so well, but who would have thought he’d have such exquisite women hidden away?’

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Dean Chen’s face. He cleared his throat and said, "Ladies. Pangtuan."

The Aunts turned at the sound of his voice and froze in unison.

Ye Qianning stared at the newcomers by the door, her mouth still working on a mouthful of pork belly.

"Dean, I thought you were..." Peony was the first to react, quickly turning to set down her bowl and chopsticks.

The other Aunts quickly followed suit, setting down their bowls and chopsticks and composing themselves.

"Dean Chen, are all these ladies...?" Prince Yu asked, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"They are the concubines of the estate," Dean Chen said, turning to his guests. "The hall is a bit of a mess. Why don’t we move to the courtyard? I’ll have a fine spread of food and wine prepared for you all."

"As I said, there’s no need to go to any trouble. In my opinion, this spread looks even better than what you’d find at Immortal’s Respite in the Capital City," said Xiliu Yuan.

"HAHAHA! I’d love to try some of the soup made by these beauties!" Mo Geluo boomed with laughter.