The Arab seaport, Basra, was in the innermost part of the Persian Gulf, and could be accessed directly through artificially dug channels to unload goods.

For all this, Zhang Yanzhao and Zhuo Cheng can naturally handle these affairs. And Li Shan's focus is never on these trivial matters.

All he was looking for now was poppies, raw materials for making opium. Although Li Shan actually hates drugs, he has to admit that this kind of thing can bring huge profits. A thousand years later, the British used these things to bring heavy disasters to China, and what Li Shan has to do now is to retaliate with a tooth for a tooth.

Li Shan called Ah San and asked, "Ah San, where can I see those flowers you said before?" ”

Ah San said: "I have only seen these things in the palace, and other nobles should also plant this kind of flowers for ornamentation." But not in Basra, if you want to find that kind of flower, you should go to Baghdad. ”

Baghdad, the capital of present-day Iraq. Many people don't realize that thousands of years ago this was the center of world civilization, and many of the stories told in the Thousand and One Nights were in Baghdad.

Because there were too many goods to deal with this time, Yang Miaoling naturally had to help Zhang Yanzhao and Zhuo Cheng them, so he didn't accompany Li Shan to Baghdad, this time Li Shan only brought more than 20 entourages and Ah San.

Baghdad gives a much better impression than India, after all, it is the center of world trade. The borders of the vast Arab empire connected the three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, and any exchange of goods could be circulated into the Arab borders, and Baghdad was the center of trade.

is not inferior to the scale and construction of Chang'an City, which still makes Li Shan's view of ancient civilization change. Although Chang'an was the largest city in the world at the time, there was no doubt that Baghdad was the center of civilizational exchange. Baghdad is full of foreigners trading with all kinds of goods, African ivory, Indian spices, Nordic furs, Chinese porcelain, and so on.

Li Shan also found the poppies he needed, the poppies had not yet been passed down to the Tang Dynasty, and only a very few of them were transmitted to the palace as tribute, so Li Shan naturally couldn't see them, and they couldn't be used. The current poppy has not yet been found to be smoked. Poppies can be smoked after people found tobacco.

Banned because of the addiction to tobacco use, poppies were used in attempts to find alternatives, and opium smoking produced dozens of times more addictive than tobacco and could not be abstained from at all.

During the Opium War, the Europeans used opium to reverse the trade deficit between China and foreign countries at that time, resulting in the loss of a large number of assets in China, while the Europeans used opium to make a fortune, and the improvement of the economy naturally promoted the progress of science and technology, as well as social changes.

Li Shan finally found poppies in a flower shop: "Boss, do you have poppy seeds here?" ”

The boss shook his head, they only sold finished flowers, no flower seeds.

Li Shan continued to ask, "Then can you tell me where this flower was shipped from?" ”

Before the boss could speak, a group of soldiers came from outside the shop, and dispersed all the people outside the shop, and one of them shouted, "The princess has arrived." ”

Li Shan didn't care, slowly hid to the side, and quietly observed the style of poppies in the attitude of not caring about himself. I have to say that there are still many types of poppies, and Li Shan has seen the report before, and it seems that some poppies are not poisonous, but Li Shan doesn't know that those flowers are poisonous and those flowers are not poisonous.

At this moment, a woman's voice sounded from behind her: "This kind of flower can only be operated by the royal family, and it is illegal to sell poppies without permission." ”

Li Shan looked back and saw that although this woman was veiled, which was a tradition for Arabs, it was a coincidence that he recognized this person, this woman was the one who robbed him of a BMW in the Yumen Pass that day. Because she spoke Chinese to Li Shan, and the horse she was riding now was the same horse she bought in Yumen Pass that day.

Li Shan also understood the origin of this woman, and said with a smile: "It's really a coincidence!" It turned out that Miss Gadot turned out to be the princess of the Great Food Country, which was rude. ”

Gaduo smiled and said: "I also looked away, and I couldn't think of a person who grabbed horses with me that day, who was the commander of the famous Battle of Liangzhou, the flame general Li Shan." ”

General Flame is the nickname given to Li Shan by the Great Cannibal, because gunpowder was invented by Li Shan, and gunpowder was used on the battlefield, so the Great Cannibal gave Li Shan this title, Li Shan really hadn't heard of it before.

Li Shandao: "Flame General? That's a good title, and I like it a lot. It's just that I'm not a general now, just a cloth coat and an ocean-going merchant. ”

Gadot smiled: "The loss of the general in the Tang Dynasty is definitely their loss, we appreciate the general very much, if the general is free, can you enjoy the face and sit on my mansion?" ”

Li Shan waved his hand and said, "I'm just a businessman, and I have to buy some flowers to bring back, so I won't have to work for the princess." ”

Gadot didn't expect Li Shan to not give her face, and said a little angrily: "Do you know that as long as I say a word, you don't want to buy a flower here?" ”

Li Shandao: "Why should the princess have trouble with me? Didn't you already get the recipe for gunpowder? So I don't really have much use value to you, do I? ”

Gadot was stunned, he didn't expect Li Shan to be so direct, and he actually knew about it, and asked, "How do you know that we have made gunpowder?" ”

Li Shandao: "It's very simple, because on the way I came, I found that the sale of saltpeter and sulfur was strictly prohibited in your shop, and at that time, when you Da Shi Guo went to Chang'an to congratulate me, I was the secretary of the Arms Department, and I knew about the secret of your Big Food Country's theft of the Arms Department." ”

Gadot smiled: "Since the generals are no longer officials in the Tang Dynasty, what is the point of these?" If the general wants these flowers, I can ask him to send two carts to the general, what does the general think? ”

It seems that Princess Gadot is determined to go to her mansion by herself, alas, people have to bow their heads under the eaves, this is Baghdad, not Chang'an. If you offend this princess, you may not be able to go home. Li Shan thought for a while and smiled: "The princess's invitation is always so unrefusable that I can't refuse, so I might as well be respectful." ”

Princess Gadot smiled: "Don't worry, General, I won't disappoint General, I promise this is a kind invitation." (To be continued.) )