Li You's Tang Dynasty

Chapter 326 Mysterious Things
"What you said I want is oil!"

Standing in a cave, the sun shines in from a place above the cave, illuminating the cave very brightly, and in the center of the cave is a deep pit the size of a swimming pool.

In this deep pit, a large amount of oil gushed out.

Li You was dumbfounded for a while. Oil is one of the most important natural resources in modern society and the blood of industrial development. Therefore, it has the magic power to influence the destiny of a country. Some are because of its prosperity and prosperity, and some are because of its endless revolution.

But it was not developed by people in modern times. It has been used in ancient records. Our country has various names for it, such as stone varnish, petrolatum, naphtha, fierce fire oil, realgar butter, sulfur oil, etc.

Although my country is rich in oil resources, the important oil-producing areas in ancient times were concentrated in northern Shaanxi and Yumen.The earliest record is in "Hanshu Geographical Records": "Dingyang, Gaonu, has Weishui, which is flammable."

Gaonu, located in the Northeast of Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province today, Yan Shigu commented: "Gu Ran Huo character.", which means to ignite.As the first area where oil was discovered, Gaonu left a deep impression on future generations.

However, the records of oil extraction did not appear until the Song Dynasty. At this time, oil appeared in the Tang Dynasty, which was really beyond Li You's imagination.

Oil was used to some extent despite the absence of modern refining techniques.

And there is still a lot of room for utilization, the most important of which is military, and it is the best weapon for defending the city, efficient and terrifying.

The defender is protected by the city wall from being swallowed by the flames, but the attacker suffers heavy losses due to the dense personnel. Not only will the people who are stained with oil and fire die, but the surrounding soldiers will also suffer. It can even kill the entire army in a short time. The sea of ​​fire turned the world around in one fell swoop.

In our country, the earliest record of petroleum being used in military affairs is precisely in Jiuquan.

In the first year of Emperor Wudi Xuanzheng of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Turkic army besieged Jiuquan. The soldiers and civilians who defended the city made simple incendiary bombs made of oil and burned the siege equipment, and the city was finally saved.

Later, in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, where wars were more frequent, the name "Menghuoyou" was well known all over the world, reflecting that people had a deep understanding of its great power.

Qian Yu and his son from Wuyue obtained kerosene from the "Hainan Dashi Kingdom" long before the founding of the country. It needs to be fired with an iron cylinder. It is a weapon in the true sense. Before being unified by the Song Dynasty, kerosene had been the separatist regime in the south. rely on.

In the third year of Zhenming in the Later Liang Dynasty, the State of Wu also presented it to the State of Liao, saying that it could also be used to attack the city and burn the arrow towers on the city wall. Yelu Abaoji was even tempted to organize [-] cavalry to attack Youzhou to test it. Its fineness was only given up after the empress persuaded it.

Five years after Zhou Xiande, the king of Champa also came to pay tribute to 84 bottles of fierce fire oil, which shows that although the Chinese know how to use oil in military affairs, it was imported from overseas as a processed weapon.

Oil was first used for lighting before military use.

When people first discovered it, they knew that it was "extremely bright", so they collected it and put it in a container, and it was of high quality and low price.

He Yudu, a man of the Ming Dynasty, specifically described in "Yibu Tanzi" that oil as a lighting tool is very common in Sichuan. When officials travel at night, they use bamboo tubes to store fuel. A tube of oil is enough to support a journey of several miles, but the price is only half of other oils.

The age of the literature can also tell us that the ancients have used oil lighting for more than 1000 years.

In fact, as early as the Qin Dynasty, Gaonu Menghuo oil began to be used in court lanterns. For example, this wild goose lantern has an exquisite design. The belly of the goose stores oil and the neck of the goose stores cotton thread, which can provide a long-term light source.

In addition, oil can also lubricate the axles of carriages. At the same time, people also learned to process oil into paint and apply it to leather products to prevent corrosion and water leakage.Then you can make ink.

Finally, there is another use that we don't easily think of, and that is medicine.

The earliest related records are from "Wei Shu Biography of the Western Regions". People in Kucha discovered that taking oil can make people grow back hair and teeth that had fallen out, and all patients were cured after taking the medicine.Other records also recognize that its smell can treat mange in livestock. Considering the toxicity of the oil itself, people should take it externally.

It can be said that the discovery of this oil is really more precious than copper ore and iron ore combined.

"Your Highness, this dark black water is originally called oil, isn't it called fierce fire oil?" Aunt Xia asked slightly while looking at the ecstatic Li You.

"Yes, it's called fire oil, but I call it oil!"

"Ah!" Aunt Xia hurriedly said, "Your Highness calls it oil, so it will be called oil!"

With a slight smile, Li You looked at Aunt Xia and said, "You don't need to call me Your Highness, you can call me Young Master. From now on, you will be my dedicated Kanyu Wangshanren. Don't worry, your husband will be just like you. But he still has to be tested by me.!"

"Yes!" Xia Gu quickly knelt down and said joyfully, "Xia Gu pays homage to the young master.!"

"Get up!" Li You quickly helped Aunt Xia up and said, "You still have a child in your belly, don't kneel in the future!" After speaking, Li You looked at the deep pit of oil and smiled: "Aunt Xia , you know, this oil is really a good thing, not only can be used for military, but also can be used for household, lighting, lubrication, paint, ink, oil is all possible.

You can count as finding a treasure for us in Dunhuafang. "

"Really. It can actually make so many things." Xia Gu was slightly amazed, because Xia Gu only knew that this fierce fire oil burns things very powerfully, but she didn't know at all that this thing actually has so many functions.

"Of course. Among them, lighting can bring light to many ordinary people. Aunt Xia, you don't know that the people in Tang Dynasty, especially the poor people, live a very hard life. At night, I dare not even use the lights.

There are also those poor students who can only study by moonlight and stove fire. This is wrong!

With oil, they can all use oil lamps, and then there will be light at night, which can at least make the people's life more comfortable and more stable.! "

"My lord is really kind...!" Xia Gu was also deeply moved when she heard Li You say this.

Li You looked back at Aunt Xia again: "My great kindness requires you to discover this oil, and I need you to discover more oil in the future, so my great kindness also contains your great kindness.

Xiagu, the king, is on behalf of the people of the Tang Dynasty and the poor students, thank you!" After speaking, Li You bowed slightly to Xiagu.

After this bow ended, Xia Gu's tears fell, looking at Li You, Xia Gu kept sighing: "Xia Gu, what virtue and ability, thank you for your love, sir, please rest assured, Xia Gu will definitely help you Discover more oil, and copper, iron, gold and silver!"

(End of this chapter)