The Old Emperor's family feast was indeed meticulously planned—he had even invited Yan Zhenqing and Old Man, and these two old fellows were indulging in the beef cold dishes with great gusto, their faces clearly saying "you go ahead with your discussion, don't mind us eating meat," fully exposing the true nature of today's feast to Durin.
It does make sense when you think about it.
He surely had something to discuss with Durin, probably fearing that if the discussions didn't go well, Mr. Durin might just braise him today, hence inviting Old Man and Mr. Yan. But from Durin's perspective, if the talks truly didn't turn out well, who these two Old Candle Dragons would actually support was indeed a question.
And the issue is that even if they're willing to help you, the four of you together couldn't defeat Durin's family.
So ultimately, it's all just empty talk.
