If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

Li Tiancheng used to think highly of Lu Jian'an, feeling that the boy had a bit of Lu Da in him. Although he wasn't very bright like his father, he was honest, which was why he betrothed one of his daughters to him. However, Lu Jian'an's actions today made Li Tiancheng think that Lu Jian'an had come to offer gifts and curry favor, so he immediately looked down on him.

"Let him in."

"promise."

The eunuch turned and left, and Lu Jian'an came in shortly after.

"I see your Majesty."

"No need for formalities, Jian'an. I heard you've come to deliver a gift?"

Li Tiancheng's tone was clearly off, seemingly blaming him, but Lu Jian'an, as oblivious as his father, couldn't tell at all and replied with a grin.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this was sent by my father."

"Did your father send it over?"

Upon hearing that Lu Da was also involved, Li Tiancheng's first reaction was that it was impossible.

Lu Da was a loyal and devoted man, and he was willing to risk his life for his brothers. However, he was also notoriously stingy. Even for the emperor himself, this was the first time he had received a gift from Lu Da, which piqued Li Tiancheng's interest.

"Let me see what it is?"

"Yes."

Lu Da gave a wink to the outside of the hall, and two eunuchs carried in a basket of canned food.

Lu Jian'an took out a bottle from inside and handed it to Li Tiancheng.

"Is this glass? No, wait, it doesn't look like glass. Is there something inside?"

"Your Majesty, this is not glass, it's called fruit can. This is a glass bottle, sent to Your Majesty by my father through Zhou Wu, the Grand Commander of the South China Sea."

"I was wondering why your old stingy dad had suddenly become so generous, actually giving me a gift. Oh, it was Zhou Wu, haha."

"Uh~"

Li Tiancheng didn't take into account that Lu Da's son, Lu Jian'an, was present, and immediately started scolding him. However, Lu Jian'an inherited his father's thick skin and pretended not to hear.

"Jian'an, what's this thing used for?"

"Your Majesty, this is fruit. I'll open it so Your Majesty and the Empress can have a taste."

"Humph~"

Li Xixue was right there, but when she saw that her future brother-in-law hadn't mentioned her name, she started to throw a tantrum.

"Hehe, Ninth Princess, you should try some too."

Lu Jian'an realized he had forgotten about the Ninth Princess, the Emperor and Empress's favorite. He quickly tried to make amends, secretly thinking that he mustn't let this young lady get her eye on him, or he would be finished.

They quickly took out three jars of "beastly" food, opened them, and then had the eunuchs take them and hand them to the emperor, empress, and princess.

The three of them looked just like Lu Jian'an had done before. They first tentatively sniffed the food, then scooped up a piece with a spoon and put it in their mouths.

"So sweet!"

"Really delicious."

"good."

All three gave positive reviews. Except for the Empress, who was somewhat mindful of her image and remained composed, the Emperor and the Princess were like they hadn't eaten for three days, stuffing the food into their mouths like crazy.

"It's so delicious, I want one."

"Good."

To make up for his mistake, Lu Jian'an quickly opened a different variety for Li Xixue.

After Li Xixue took it, she devoured it in a whirlwind.

Just as Li Xixue reached out to finish, Emperor Li Tiancheng reached out again. Lu Jian'an, of course, understood and quickly opened another one. Having learned from experience, Lu Jian'an opened one in advance and watched eagerly as the Empress finished eating before handing it over to her.

The commotion of the family of three eating canned food made Lu Jian'an swallow hard below, while the eunuchs and palace maids around them frequently turned their heads, very curious about this thing called canned fruit.

"Awesome~~"

Zhou Wu's can of food was quite large; it must have weighed more than a pound, including the broth. He finished two cans by himself, and apart from Emperor Li Tiancheng, the Empress and Li Xixue were already stuffed.

"This canned fruit is so delicious, and I've never had these kinds of fruits before!"

Li Xixue's words made the emperor and empress realize that the canned fruit they had just eaten was something they had never even seen before.

"Now that Xixue mentions it, it seems to be true. I've never seen these fruits before."

Although the world is vast, Emperor Li Tiancheng possesses everything in it. He found it somewhat unbelievable that he had never eaten a few fruits before.

"Your Majesty, these fruits are a specialty of the South China Sea. They were discovered by Grand Commander Zhou Wu after he arrived in the South China Sea."

"Oh, no wonder then."

That explained it, but the Queen soon discovered another problem.

"That's not right. It's already winter. Logically speaking, apart from well-preserved frozen pears, other fruits shouldn't be able to last until now, right?"

The Empress is a meticulous person. She manages the entire vast harem single-handedly. Although she is the mother of the nation, when the imperial treasury was tight in the past, she personally supervised every meal and every cup of tea in the harem, so she is very clear about these things.

In addition, she often fell ill in winter. Besides burning charcoal in a brazier, the air was dry, and she often wanted to eat some fruit to moisturize herself, but apart from cold frozen pears, there were no other fruits available.

"Your Majesty, according to Grand Commander Zhou, the South Sea Island is warm and spring-like in all four seasons except for the hot summer. There is no winter, so the various crops on the island can be harvested two or even three times a year, and fruits are available all year round."

"what!"

Initially, Li Tiancheng thought the South China Sea islands were just a desolate wasteland, so even though the islands were several times larger than the normal reward, he didn't care at all. Other officials in the court shared the same idea, so they readily granted the islands to Zhou Wu as his fief. Now it seems that everyone misjudged him.

"Fortunately, it was Zhou Wu."

Li Tiancheng muttered to himself, but fortunately it was a reward given to Zhou Wu. Although he felt a little heartache, Li Tiancheng would not go so far as to ask for it back. The South China Sea was a good place, but it was still a remote place. It was probably only under Zhou Wu's control that it could be developed better.

"Father, these fruits can't be kept for long. It would be a waste to let so many spoil. Why don't you give me some?"

"Princess, rest assured, this canned fruit is designed to solve the problem of fruit not keeping for long. Lord Zhou specially made it into canned fruit, and he said it can last for at least half a year."

As soon as Li Xixue finished speaking, Lu Jian'an interrupted her without thinking, which made Li Xixue so angry that she wanted to kick him.

"It can last for six months! Really?"

Li Tiancheng found it incredible that food could be kept for up to six months.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

. . . . .

A small can of food sparked a conversation that kept Lu Jian'an in the palace for a full half hour before he could leave.

After leaving, a box must be sent to the Crown Prince, and of course, a box must also be sent to the Duke of Gu.

However, Lu Jian'an wasn't stupid. How could he forget his fiancée, the princess, about such a good thing? He secretly took some from the family warehouse and sent it to his fourth princess as well.