That guy wasn't small, and he was pretty heavy. Xia Hongsheng was especially curious about the familiar smell, squatted down and looked at the square copper basin connected to the back, leaned over and smelled it, it was already very light, but it could still make Xia Hongsheng smell.

"Master Hou, this smell is really choking, but it's not to blame the small one, when the small one was bought, the noble prince said that this was the taste of the divine power remaining on it, saying that it was too powerful, so naturally it wouldn't have a good taste. The small one didn't dare to refute the divine power...... "Al rare Xia Hongsheng smelled it, and hurriedly said: "The main thing is that the small one is sealed in the box all the way, but the smell is already too small, and when it is taken out of the box to blow the wind, it will be gone!" ”

Xia Hongsheng stretched out his hand, went over and picked at the black marks left in the copper basin with his fingernails, and then approached his eyes to look at them carefully.

The black thing seemed to be a little like an oil stain, sticky and slippery in the hand, and when I came to my nose and sniffed it, there was a pungent smell. With a move in his heart, Xia Hongsheng raised his head and said to Arhan: "But there is a fire fold, lend me one!" ”

Arhan nodded, took out the fire fold and handed it to Xia Hongsheng, Xia Hongsheng blew the fire fold hard, and then reached out and put the fire fold on the black stain in the square copper basin. Suddenly, a puff of smoke came out, and then the black stain burst into flames, but then it was extinguished.

"Oil! It's Greek fire! Xia Hongsheng slapped his thigh, suddenly stood up excitedly, stared at Arhan tightly, and asked, "Let me ask you, has anyone else seen this thing?!" ”

See Xia Hongsheng's reaction. Arhan laughed. said: "Master Hou actually knows the name of this thing? Hou Ye is really a profound person. All the knowledge in this world has entered the body of Hou Ye! The little one didn't know what it was, or what Greek fire was, but he knew that it was called a mobile fire by the noble son who stole it. This is something stolen from the Byzantine palace, how dare the small one be seen by others? Master Hou, don't worry! ”

"Arhan, I want this thing, give you a piece of advice." Xia Hongsheng said to Arhan: "Immediately cut off all contact with that noble son, I'm afraid you won't be able to do the business of Byzantium." Later. You'd better not go to Constantinople again, or even enter the territory of the Byzantine Empire, unless you're impatient. Trust me, Flavies. If Heraclius catches you, he will surely apply the harshest punishment to you. ”

"Huh?" Arhan was stunned, Xia Hongsheng's words startled him.

"Arhan, you're a Persian, aren't you?" Xia Hongsheng looked at him and said, "You don't know what that noble boy stole at all, this matter is serious." Far beyond your imagination. Now, Ben Hou can tell you with great certainty. The noble boy who sold you this thing, along with his family, no longer exists. This thing is called Greek fire, and it is the secret weapon of the Byzantine Empire that has existed to this day without being conquered, and only the emperor and a very small number of henchmen know how to use it, which can be described as one of the ultimate secrets of the Byzantine Empire. Now, presumably your business in Constantinople is long gone. You can continue to do business in the future, but don't go to Byzantium again. You can go back to Persia incognito, or simply stay in Datang. It's not Ben Hou who is scaring you, stealing this thing is a worse sin than killing Heraclius! ”

Alhan was even more surprised, and looked at Xia Hongsheng: "Hou, isn't Master Hou joking?" Hehe, Master Hou is an old customer of Arhan, this price is ......"

"Arhan!" Xia Hongsheng solemnly interrupted him and said, "For Benhou and Datang, this thing is just a weapon, and it is not a big deal. However, compared to the Byzantine Empire, this thing was priceless, a secret more important than the emperor's life. You and I have dealt with each other many times, you should know that Ben Hou is a person, how can he deliberately scare you because of this little money? ”

Arhan's face changed, he was a businessman, and he had a very good ability to see people, and it was precisely because of this that he believed what Xia Hongsheng said.

Seeing that Alhan's face changed, Xia Hongsheng patted Arhan and said, "Now, Benhou can show you a clear path, are you willing to hear it?" ”

"Please also ask Master Hou to teach me!" Arhan hurriedly saluted and said.

"It's very useful, but now only Benhou knows how to use it. You can dedicate this thing to Your Majesty, and Benhou will say it for you. With this item, you can get a reward from His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and even become an official of the Tang Dynasty. From now on, you will have no worries about food and clothing, and with your background as a businessman, there will be many places where you can use it. Xia Hongsheng said to Arhan: "Of course, if you don't want to be an official, you can continue to run your business, but don't go to Byzantium." As for what you want, think for yourself, if you are willing to go the previous way, go to Benhou, you know where Benhou lives. I'll buy this thing first. Tomorrow, the account office will come to settle accounts with you, and Benhou will send someone to take the things away with him. ”

After speaking, Xia Hongsheng turned around and left there, and after coming out, after walking a few steps, Xia Hongsheng said to the little guy who followed: "You stay, fix this Hu Shang, don't let him leave Chang'an." ”

The little guy immediately understood, nodded and turned to leave.

Xia Hongsheng couldn't have imagined that the treasure in Arhan's mouth would be the Greek fire, which was very famous in later generations.

In the ancient history of the world, it is said that the Byzantine Empire relied on the Greek fire to repel the Arabs again and again. Had it not been for the Byzantine rebels who later taught Greek fire to the Arabs, the Byzantine Empire would have been able to survive for some longer. Then the Arabs relied on Greek fire to defeat one opponent after another. The Eastern Roman Empire, relying on Greek fire, was, as historians say, "saved Europe from the ravages of Arab armies and the conquest of Islamic culture, whose great historical significance far outweighed the victory itself, and which can be regarded as an important turning point in the development of world history".

Rural teachers are all panacea! Because there is a shortage of teachers in rural schools, it is not uncommon for a single teacher to teach several subjects, or to teach different classes and grades each semester. For example, Xia Hongsheng has taught everything except sports and computers. I don't teach physical education because I don't fit in shape, I don't teach computers, because there are no computer teachers in the village at all, and Xia Hongsheng can't always rely on his own notebook to teach. Even Xia Hongsheng has taught music and art, but music class is to play songs and listen to them, and art class is just for students to draw casually.

So Xia Hongsheng taught history, so he happened to know Greek fire.

Greek fire is a liquid incendiary invented by the Byzantine Empire that can be burned on water, and was mainly used by the Byzantines in naval warfare. Greek fire is the Arabic name for this weapon of terror, and the Byzantines themselves call it "fire of the sea", "mobile fire", and so on. Greek fire contributed to the military victories of the Byzantine Empire on several occasions, and some scholars and historians believe that it was one of the reasons why the Byzantine Empire lasted for thousands of years, when the Crusaders wounded by Greek fire wrote: "Whenever the enemy attacks us with Greek fire, all we do is to kneel down and ask for salvation from heaven." This quote speaks volumes about the power of Greek fire.

People at that time didn't understand, but people in later generations guessed what it was when they heard it. What can be burned on water is nothing more than oil.

The black stains left in the square copper basin behind that thing had a smell similar to that of oil after burning, and the touch of touching it with his hands was also the same, which made Xia Hongsheng think of oil.

As soon as he thought of oil, Xia Hongsheng's mind came alive. Why didn't you think of this thing sooner? Those who come from the afterlife will not be unaware of the importance of oil. As one of the most important strategic resources of later generations, how much of modern civilization has nothing to do with oil?

And we Chinese are powerful, we discovered oil early! As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, someone discovered that there was a liquid in the ground that could be burned. "Gaonu has water combustible", "Gaonu County stone grease water, greasy floating water, such as lacquer, take the lamp, extremely bright", "Gansu Jiuquan Yanshou County Nanshan spring water, water has fertilizer, such as gravy, take the instrument, the beginning of yellow and then black, such as condensation paste, burning extremely bright, and the paste is no different, the paste and the water jar is very good, the other side of the people call the stone paint"...... Even later in the Song Dynasty, Shen Kuo also wrote in "Mengxi Writings": "There is oil in the territory of Dun and Yan...... It is quite like pure lacquer, burning like hemp, but the smoke is very thick, and the curtain is very dark...... This thing will be great in the world, and it will be done from the rest. Cover oil at most, and be born in the earth endlessly, not as pine as sometimes exhausted. ”

At that time, Shen Kuo pointed out that "this thing will be great in the world in the future"! It was also from Shen Kuo that he named this thing oil.

Petroleum!

Xia Hongsheng's heart twitched and beat wildly.

With oil, there's gasoline, there's asphalt, there's so much more. There may be a lot of those things that Xia Hongsheng can't do, but Xia Hongsheng can open up a door to study how to use oil!

Greek fire was only a weapon that the Byzantines used oil and added all sorts of unknown things to it. Even so, it was able to survive for more than a thousand years on the basis of this. So what if I made gasoline in Datang?!

Gasoline is distilled with petroleum, taking advantage of the low boiling point of gasoline, the gasoline vapor is first collected and condensed and liquefied, and it becomes liquid pure gasoline?

Distilled things, ready-made!

Xia Hongsheng's heart was hot. (To be continued.) )