The group was already uncomfortable around Zhu Yuan, and now with Yuan Huizhou added to the mix, the atmosphere became even more somber.

Unlike the adults, who had their own thoughts, the children's table was in complete chaos.

The table was laden with a sumptuous spread of dishes today, including both meat and vegetables, filling the entire table.

Today, the children were seated at a table by themselves, without any adults to supervise them, and Gou Dan had become the king of the kids.

If it weren't for Zhen Xiaohu keeping an eye on things, the scene would probably have been even more chaotic.

Gou Dan looked at Yuan Huizhou, who was well-behaved and polite, and whose every move was very disciplined, and his eyes darted around.

They were very curious about this child who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey! Little friend, what's your name?"

Yuan Huizhou stared blankly at Gou Dan, who had come close to him. He was of noble status, and even children his age were afraid of him.

Therefore, he rarely plays with children his own age.

Even though he lacked friends, he didn't like being friends with a mud monkey like Gou Dan.

Especially since the other person had just wiped their nose, their hand was still grabbing his clothes!

He shouted angrily, "You beggar! Let me go!"

Dog Egg wasn't paying attention and was thrown to the ground, yelling in pain.

Everyone was drawn to this scene and turned to look.

Grandma Li rushed over immediately, helped Gou Dan up, and slapped him twice on the buttocks.

"You can't even sit still while eating! You might as well not eat at all..."

Upon seeing Gou Dan's miserable state, Yuan Huizhou snorted coldly, showing no intention of apologizing.

Gou Dan originally wanted to be friends with Yuan Huizhou, but unexpectedly, the other party pushed him and made him fall down, and then his grandmother blamed him without even knowing what had happened.

She immediately burst into tears, feeling wronged: "Waaah... He pushed me! Grandma, why did you hit me! I want my mom! I want my mom!"

Upon hearing Gou Dan's words, Zhen's family members all turned pale, especially Old Lady Li, who was closest to them, looking at the child wailing loudly in front of her.

She then thought of that vicious woman, Li Zhenzhen, who almost killed her!

His heart had turned cold towards this grandson he used to love.

Zhenfu was furious and wanted to teach Gou Dan a lesson, but since they were on someone else's turf, she could only suppress her anger and apologize to Zhuyuan.

"My lord! Gou Dan grew up in the countryside and doesn't have much manners, so please don't take offense!"

Zhu Yuan remained calm, showing no sign of anger: "It's alright!"

He looked at Yuan Huizhou and sighed inwardly. This child had lost his parents at such a young age, which made him even more withdrawn and sensitive.

He was still young at the time, and the original idea was to let him keep company with the Zhen family's children so that he could gradually forget the tragic state of his parents.

It's clear now that Zhou'er doesn't like those kids.

Never mind, there's plenty of time in the future, no need to rush this time.

Seeing the tense expressions on everyone's faces, Zhu Yuan waved his hand, signaling the servants to carry Yuan Huizhou away.

"Carry Zhou'er down!"

"yes!"

After the servants carried Yuan Huizhou away, the atmosphere remained somber, with only the sound of drawers rattling.

Da Ni tore a chicken leg off the table and handed it to Gou Dan to appease him.

Grandpa Zhen sat there in a sullen mood. Grandma Li had already told him about Guabao and Tianbao's background.

He had absolutely no opinion of Zhu Yuan. Originally, he had planned to find an honest and reliable son-in-law for his youngest daughter.

After he and his wife pass away, he can take good care of his daughter and two beloved grandchildren.

Before we even started looking for them, the two little ones' biological father showed up at our door.

Moreover, the other party has a biological son, who looks to be about four or five years old.

Does he expect his daughter to become someone's stepmother?

Thinking of this, Grandpa Zhen lost his appetite even more and couldn't eat any of the delicious dishes on the table.

Zhen Wanwan's thoughts were much simpler. For now, they were only staying at Zhu Yuan's house temporarily, and they would be going to visit her aunt's family in a few days.

It's always best to avoid getting into trouble.

To liven things up again, she went out and fetched some white wine and wine to serve everyone.

"We've been traveling day and night for the past six months, and we've finally arrived in Anqing Prefecture. We must have a proper celebration! This is wine I brewed myself. If you don't mind, please have some to add to the festivities."

Seeing this, Zhou Dashan chuckled and said, "That's great! I've been eyeing Wan-meizi's wine for a while now! We'll have to drink to our hearts' content today!"

Zhou Dashan got up and took the liquor that Zhen Wanwan handed him, then poured it into the large bowl without saying a word.

Seeing his pathetic state, Sister-in-law Zhou gritted her teeth in anger: "You might as well drink yourself to death!"

Upon seeing this, everyone at the table broke into smiles, and the atmosphere became much more lively.

Zhen Wanwan had given Zhu Yuan some baijiu before, and when he smelled the aroma of the liquor again, he couldn't help but swallow.

He drank on his own, and Feng He, with great perceptiveness, refilled his glass.

"My lord! This wine from Lady Zhen is the best wine I have ever tasted!"

"Especially the texture..."

Feng He, standing beside her, praised the baijiu endlessly and occasionally complimented Zhen Wanwan.

On the other side, Zhen Wanwan felt her face flush and her ears dry. It was true that she brewed the wine herself, but she took the baijiu directly from her space for convenience.

Now that he's praising me so mindlessly, no one would feel embarrassed!

After being toasted by several people, Zhu Yuan finally had time to reply to Feng He: "Indeed! This wine is even better than the tribute wine!"

As Zhen Wanwan's family members, they were all beaming with pride upon hearing Zhu Yuan's praise.

This is a divine brew taught to my younger sister by her immortal master!

How can mortal wines compare to celestial brews?

Emboldened by the alcohol, Zhen Fugui boldly asked Zhu Yuan, "Strategist! Do you know when this turmoil will be quelled?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Zhu Yuan, their hearts filled with anxiety.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Zhu Yuan remained calm and said, "The current situation is extremely tense. Besides the frequent attacks on our city by the Prince of Yang and the Northern Hu people..."

After a two-second pause, a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "With the passing of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, the various princes are gathering their forces for the throne, and the Hua Dynasty is being subtly divided into several parts."

"Now, apart from the territory under General Xiao's and my jurisdiction, the rest has been seized by the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince's men..."

What Zhu Yuan didn't say was that the two princes had already set their sights on Anqing Prefecture. If they could seize this land, they wouldn't have to worry about logistical shortages after the war started.

If we win all the battles, we can use Anqing Prefecture as a large granary; if we lose, we can use it as a place to retreat.

Anqing Prefecture is both safe and dangerous now. It is safe because both princes want this land, so if they want to get it, they can only use strategy, not brute force.

The threat lies in the fact that this place is prey for the two of them, and if they are not careful, they will be eaten until there are no bones left.

Moreover, if they discover that Zhou'er is here, the two of them will probably send troops at the same time, even if it means destroying this large granary.