Chapter 1045: Seeking Peace, Sending Gifts! [3]

In front of Dong Zhuo's residence.

"Lord Yuan."

Dong Zhuo, who walked out of the residence with long strides wearing a brand-new black robe, immediately smiled, bowed, and cupped his hands upon seeing Yuan Kui at the door, greeting him with a smile.

"How dare I let Lord Yuan come to visit on his own initiative? It should be me who goes to pay homage to Lord Yuan."

Dong Zhuo laughed, feeling incredibly refreshed inside at this moment.

Back when he came to Luoyang to send gifts to Yuan Kui, he couldn't even get through the gate of Yuan Kui's residence the first few times.

Now it is Yuan Kui's turn to come and visit him on his own initiative.

Yuan Kui, standing beside the carriage, had a kind smile on his face, just like an ordinary old man.

"Zhongying is now the Colonel of the Capital, while I am but a commoner. How can I let Zhongying come to pay homage? It should be me who comes to pay homage."

"Haha."

The lower Yuan Kui's posture was, the more refreshed Dong Zhuo felt inside.

But he couldn't show it too much on his face.

"Lord Yuan, please, let us have a chat inside the residence," Dong Zhuo said politely: "If it weren't for Lord Yuan's recommendation back then, I would still be just a martial man. How could I have established myself in Luoyang? It was all thanks to Lord Yuan's promotion."

Yuan Kui laughed and nodded: "There are not many people like Zhongying who are so affectionate and righteous nowadays, not many."

"Bring the gifts."

After Yuan Kui gave instructions, he walked into the residence with Dong Zhuo.

A moment later, Dong Zhuo and Yuan Kui were seated in the main hall of the residence.

Dong Zhuo sat in the main seat, Yuan Kui sat below, and each had maids in brand-new robes boiling tea beside them.

On the brand-new lacquerware on the low table in front of them were neatly arranged sesame cakes, marrow cakes, osmanthus cakes, jujube cakes, and honey sweet cakes to accompany the tea.

Sesame cakes and marrow cakes are common pastries at this time.

Besides plain sesame cakes, there are meat sesame cakes, which are made by layering sliced mutton on the sesame cake, with various spices and fermented soybeans sandwiched in the middle, then moistened with ghee, and baked in an oven until the meat is half-cooked.

Marrow cakes are pastries made with animal fat as an additive mixed with flour; they taste delicious and have a rich fragrance.

They are usually common for accompanying tea and satisfying hunger.

But osmanthus cakes, jujube cakes, and honey sweet cakes are specialties of Liangzhou.

To be precise, they should be specialties invented by Duan Yu after he arrived in Liangzhou.

Although he holds a high position and his wealth is piled up like a mountain.

But for the Eastern Han Dynasty, where cooking methods and techniques are monotonous, Duan Yu could not tolerate that everything eaten was either steamed, boiled, or roasted.

Basically, apart from these three cooking methods, there are no other cooking methods in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

What "bells ringing and tripods eating" sounds very high-end, but in reality, it is very difficult to eat for Duan Yu.

Therefore, after settling his family business, Duan Yu began to improve the food.

He requested the cooks in the residence to replicate some things from his previous life that could be realized bit by bit.

"Lord Yuan, try this; this is an osmanthus cake."

Dong Zhuo picked up a white osmanthus cake decorated with dried osmanthus flowers and said: "This is a pastry made by a cook sent by Ziyi from Liangzhou. It is made by steaming rice flour with honey and milk. The taste is sweet and delicate."

"And this, this red one is a jujube cake, made by steaming jujubes and honey. The taste is mellow and the texture is delicate."

"This is a honey crystal cake, the method is very complicated."

Although he was talking about pastries, Dong Zhuo still subconsciously highlighted the two words "Liangzhou" and "Duan Yu."

Yuan Kui looked at the pastries placed in front of him.

For things like food, Yuan Kui had long since lost much desire.

But after hearing that it was a specialty of Liangzhou, Yuan Kui chose to taste it.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm."

"It is indeed ingenious, the taste is very fresh. I have lived for so many years and have never eaten such delicious pastries; they are even more exquisite than the pastries in the Imperial Palace."

Yuan Kui said with a smile: "Ziyi is indeed proficient in everything. Not only can he govern Liangzhou so well, but he can also be so ingenious."

"With such a capable official as Ziyi in the Great Han, why worry about not being prosperous."

Yuan Kui stroked his chin's beard lightly.

Dong Zhuo heard Yuan Kui praising Duan Yu, and the smile on his face gradually bloomed.

Yuan Kui's purpose for coming today has not been stated yet.

But Dong Zhuo felt that Yuan Kui came today to ease the relationship.

After all, in Luoyang, and even in the whole world, who doesn't know that his son-in-law Duan Yu is the Emperor's pillar of support and is deeply favored by the Emperor.

Opposing his son-in-law Duan Yu at this time, I am afraid there will be no good end.

Look at the fate of the ten clans and eight families in Liangzhou.

And now the Emperor is arranging the future matter of abolishing the inspectorate and establishing the governorship.

Once the abolition of the inspectorate and the establishment of the governorship is really promoted, the biggest blow will be to the gentry.

The first to bear the brunt will be the top gentry like the Yuan clan.

Yang Ci is dead, and now there is no gentry in the Great Han that can be on par with the Yuan clan, so the Yuan clan will be the first to suffer.

"Zhongying, I came here today, actually mainly because there are some things about Ziyi."

"Lord Yuan, please speak," Dong Zhuo said boldly: "If Lord Yuan has any instructions, or if there is anything you want to entrust, I will definitely bring the words."

"After all, Ziyi was also taken care of by Lord Yuan back then."

Yuan Kui nodded slightly and said: "With Zhongying's words, I can rest assured."

"It's like this, Zhongying, the political situation is not something that I or any one person can control."

"Some things are not necessarily out of my original intention, but I have to do them."

"On this point, Zhongying has been in the Luoyang court for a long time and can also see the clues."

"Therefore, my previous actions regarding Ziyi were not out of my original intention."

"Now I am a commoner, and many things are no longer related."

"So, I came here today to resolve some previous misunderstandings."

"After all, Benchu's relationship with Ziyi is not shallow, and I don't want to cause disputes again and let others reap the benefits. What do you think, Zhongying?"

After speaking, Yuan Kui looked at Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo's face was calm on the surface, but in reality, his heart was shocked beyond measure.

Who is Yuan Kui?

He has been in the imperial court for decades and has always been as stable as Mount Tai in the court.

If there is anyone else in the Great Han court who can compete with Yuan Kui, it is only Yang Ci.

But Yang Ci is already dead.

Although Yuan Kui is no longer in the imperial court, the influence of Yuan Kui and the influence of the Yuan clan have never diminished in the slightest.

The next generation of the Yuan clan, one is one of the Nine Ministers, and will definitely take over the position of the Three Excellencies in the future.

One is the General of the Household of the Tiger's Might, holding the only imperial army in Luoyang City besides the Imperial Palace guards, and there is also the Inspector of Jizhou, the number one largest state in the world, and there is a possibility of becoming the Governor of Jizhou in the future.

The Yuan clan with such influence now comes to him to seek peace, how to explain it, it can even be said to be bowing his head.

If this behavior spreads, it will be a blow to the reputation of the Yuan clan, but for Duan Yu and for his Dong Zhuo's reputation, it is a lift.

However, it is a good thing that the Yuan clan can take the initiative to seek peace and not add trouble to him and Duan Yu in the future. ===== CHAPTER 1047 =====