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

“Zhou Wu, you tell me, how should this be handled? If you don’t say anything, I’ll have no choice but to punish you.”

The Emperor Emeritus looked at Zhou Wu with a mocking expression. He had lost quite a few games to Zhou Wu at the mahjong table these past few days. This kid had no respect for his elders at all. Today, he would definitely make him look bad.

"My lord, what is this gift you sent to the Emperor Emeritus?"

Zhou Wu did not rush to defend himself; instead, he calmly bowed to the officials who impeached him.

Those who know Zhou Wu know that this kid is up to no good again.

"What I presented to the Emperor Emeritus was a two-foot-tall blood coral from the South China Sea."

"Oh my, a two-foot-tall blood coral from the South China Sea, that's an incredible treasure! It's said that blood coral from the South China Sea is extremely rare, and this two-foot-tall blood coral is the finest of the fine."

Zhou Wu's sudden compliment made the officials who were impeaching him feel somewhat embarrassed.

"Easy to say, easy to say."

He was modest on the surface, but he was secretly overjoyed, and his pride was impossible to hide on his face.

Sending gifts on the Emperor Emeritus's birthday is simply a way to attract the attention and favor of the royal family.

Every gift-giver goes to great lengths, but being praised to one's face is a unique experience.

"This thing is said to be worth at least a hundred gold pieces. How come this gentleman is so wealthy and powerful? I wonder what official position he holds and how much his monthly salary is, so that he can afford such an expensive item."

“I’m not making this up, have you forgotten? I’m the Grand Commander of the South China Sea, and this is the land I’m in charge of developing.”

The man was so angry he almost vomited blood, but the guards next to him quickly covered his mouth. On such a joyous day, if blood were to be drawn, it would probably be the end for him.

As expected, Zhou Wu's smile concealed a dagger, which frightened the minister so much that his legs went weak on the spot. Li Tiancheng was furious at the sight of the cowardly man and quickly ordered the guards to carry him away.

The other ministers were sweating profusely, thankful they hadn't stood up for themselves, or they probably would have met a terrible end.

It should be noted that although Da Long's life is better now, the salaries of officials are not so extravagant that they can easily buy gifts worth hundreds of gold coins.

As for side businesses, those are all unspoken secrets, but Zhou Wu's questioning of them makes it clear to the Emperor that it's corruption and bribery.

"What eloquence! No wonder you're Zhou Wu. But don't get off topic. What kind of nonsense are you sending?"

Compared to corrupt officials, the retired emperor was more concerned with how to embarrass Zhou Wu.

"Does the Emperor Emeritus recognize the object in my hand?"

Even at this point, Zhou Wu still has the mind to keep things mysterious, which means he was well-prepared.

"It's just a bucket of sand."

"Indeed, this is a bucket of sand. Now, Your Majesty, what is on top of this sand?"

The retired emperor looked closely and saw that there were indeed some things stuck in the sand, but he didn't recognize them.

"do not know."

Li Tiancheng and the other members of the royal family said they didn't recognize it, and were wondering to themselves, "Could this be something powerful?"

"Do any of you gentlemen recognize him?"

Some elders and wealthy families also shook their heads.

"Lord Zhou, could this be ginger?"

The young official, who was sitting at the very end, said somewhat insecurely.

"Oh, I recognize him, this is Jiang."

Zhou Wu revealed the correct answer, but unfortunately, these powerful figures still looked completely bewildered.

"What's ginger? A medicinal herb? More potent than a hundred-year-old ginseng? I've never heard of it."

Even knowing the answer, the retired emperor still didn't recognize it. But that's understandable; they weren't nobles who suffered as commoners, and probably had never even stepped into a kitchen in their lives, so it's not surprising that they didn't recognize it.

"Your Majesty, this ginger is a seasoning."

"Very rare?"

"Very common."

Originally thought to be some rare item, it turned out that there was someone knowledgeable at the scene who quickly revealed the origin of the ginger in detail. Zhou Wu, who was standing to the side, was not in a hurry.

"You little rascal, you've been playing tricks on me time and time again. Do you really think I wouldn't dare to punish you?"

Everyone could feel the Emperor Emeritus's intense anger.

"Your Majesty, I wonder if you have ever heard of this saying?"

"What?"

"A gift of a goose feather sent from afar is a small gift but carries great meaning."

Everyone began to ponder the matter repeatedly, and then their eyes widened in disbelief.

That son of a bitch Zhou Wu delivers cheap goods and makes it sound so grand and dignified. He's really something.

"Haha, you little rascal, I have no feelings for you, and I don't need your two pieces of ginger."

The retired emperor simply liked Zhou Wu's brains, which is why the two of them met in just a few days.

"Your Majesty, you are wrong again."

"what?"

"Giving a gift is like giving a blessing; it carries a meaning and expresses the hope that the recipient will be better off, rather than simply whether the gift is expensive or practical."

"Very well, I'd like to see what the meaning is behind this bucket of ginger you gave me."

The retired emperor, in a fit of stubbornness, insisted on having a talk with Zhou Wu.

"Zhou Wu is celebrating the Emperor Emeritus's birthday today; we must not go too far."

The Empress was the organizer of the entire birthday banquet, so she gave Zhou Wu a slight warning, telling him not to go too far.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhou Wu knew this was a signal urging him to hurry up and stop dawdling, as the guests were still waiting.

"Look, everyone, the sand in this bucket and the ginger on top of it, don't they look like a continuous mountain range?"

Zhou Wu personally carried the bucket and walked around the hall so that everyone could see it clearly.

"Now that Zhou Wu says it, it really does sound like it."

"They do look quite similar, so what?"

Everyone agreed with Zhou Wu's description, but what does that really mean? It's still just a bucket of sand and a few pieces of worthless rotten ginger.

"The gift I gave to the Emperor Emeritus is also a gift to His Majesty, and even more so a gift to the Great Dragon Empire: a barrel of ginger (representing the unification of the country)."

"Wow!"

"Hahaha. Good, good, good, as expected of Da Long's number one cunning guy, I like it."

The retired emperor praised Zhou Wu lavishly, and it was clear that His Majesty was also very happy. It seemed that Zhou Wu's gift was the right one.

Li Xixue, who was standing to the side, instantly became a little fangirl again. Zhou Wu had actually talked a big game about the sand and a few pieces of ginger that he had found at the last minute.

"Damn, this works too."

"Brilliant."

"A few pieces of rotten ginger are worth more than our valuable gift?"

The ministers were utterly impressed. The Emperor Emeritus hadn't even glanced at the valuable gifts he had painstakingly collected, yet he was excited over a few pieces of rotten ginger.

“Zhou Wulai, go to those gifts and pick one out; consider it a reward from me.”

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhou Wu didn't stand on ceremony with the other party and went directly to the place where the other party's gift was in front of everyone.

They originally thought Zhou Wu would just take any item to express his gratitude, but unexpectedly, it was the same as their own, and they were even selected.

"What is this? It looks cheap."

"This one looks fake at first glance."

"That won't work either, because I'm the one who blocked it."

Zhou Wu muttered to himself, but everyone could hear him clearly, and the ministers were all sweating profusely.

"This is good, this is valuable."