After listening to Shaowang's description, Wu Zetian really showed a lot of interest, and asked several key questions while groaning, such as how to win the trust of people, how to issue flying money bills, specific cashing processes, etc., which can be said to involve all aspects.

For these problems, Li Tong did not dare to be sloppy, and they all told the truth, even including the relevant people involved such as the Shu merchant Yang.

As for Guo Yuanzhen, he didn't mention it, not that he insisted on obstructing the future of this subordinate, but that this guy was lacking in discipline, and once he got the opportunity to face the saint, he might have to expose some of his little secrets.

At present, Li Tong is in a critical period for his career to rise, especially the relationship with his grandmother, which must also be handled carefully. He is no longer satisfied with just being an inconsequential little licking dog, but hopes to gain more power and initiative.

How to make his grandmother not resist, or even take the initiative to give him some power, also needs to be carefully weighed. There are some uncontrollable variables, and naturally the fewer the better.

He has relatively mature relevant experience in later generations, and he can properly answer Wu Zetian's various inquiries.

After a long while, Wu Zecai stopped asking questions, pointed at Li Tong and said, "I'm worried that you are young and floating, or because you are smart and smart, and you are clumsy in making plans." Now it seems that they are interlocking and thorough, and their talents do not stop at conspiracy. ”

After Li Tong heard this, he also said modestly: "So far, the ministers have never been trapped in financial schemes, and they are indeed intrigued and inadequate. Fortunately, there are many people under the door, and there is no shortage of talents, and the bricks and tiles are piled up within the framework to let things be laid. ”

"That Shu merchant woman, but a strange person, if it is really as you say, a young age can stand alone in the family. Such a wild girl deserves to be commended. ”

Wu Zetian's words changed sharply, and he talked about the Shu merchant Yang Li: "This woman is returning to Shu now?" I remember summoning her into the capital and introducing her into the forbidden middle school to meet her. ”

Hearing that Wu Zetian showed a lot of interest in Yang Li, Li Tong couldn't help but smile, and said: "Everyone who can break through the rules of the world has great wisdom and courage. Although the woman's work is only ordinary business, her talent and feelings are really not weak. The minister felt this because of this, so he eliminated the vulgar feelings and summoned her into the palace and paid for all the things. If she can be appreciated by His Majesty, it can be described as a great blessing. ”

"Just see it, don't worry, you won't take away the talent you have chosen."

Wu Zetian laughed again, and then continued to ask: "How many people and goods are involved in this matter now?" ”

"At present, everything is just a new shop, and people have not yet been able to get used to this convenience, so the contact of all kinds of people and goods is still only hastily built."

Li Tong replied cautiously, and at the same time hurriedly said: "Shu Dao is difficult, the world has endured this hardship for thousands of years, if everyone at the time can feel this convenience, then this small plan to make money and profit may be able to become a major event in Xingtong." At that time, it will be far from being able to be managed by a few members of the government, and it is also an inevitable plan to reach the heavens and complete the career. ”

When Wu Zetian heard this, he frowned, and muttered in his mouth: "The weight of the national plan, where is the grass and field plan can be easily interfered with!" If your family is planning to do something, it is just a matter of profiting while it is convenient, and there is no need to talk about any great plans to promote the local government. If the distribution of orders is convenient, so that everyone tends to this, there is no coercion under the ribs, and the profits are huge, where is the cultivation and weaving industry? ”

Speaking of this, she raised her eyes and looked at Li Tong seriously, and continued: "If you fly money and get tickets, you will not leave the country, and if you accumulate copper and hoard silk in various places, it will inevitably be strong......

After Li Tong heard this, his heart couldn't help but burst, and then he felt that his grandmother's vigilance was too high.

The contradiction between the central and local areas can be said to have a long history and a long history. Since the unification of the Qin Emperor and the end of the feudal Zhou Dynasty, this problem has always existed. If the central center is strong, power will be centralized, and if the local government is strong, it will be divided.

Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, it has still pursued the Guanzhong standard, and is unwilling to give too much authority to the local government. During the Gaozong period, in order to get rid of the clamp of Guanlongquanmen, Heluo was run, but until today's Wuzhou, Liangjing is still the absolute core of the empire. Whether it is in the implementation of government decrees or in the election of talents, they also emphasize the two capitals and ignore the localities.

Since Wu Zetian's arrival in the dynasty, the two large-scale rebellions were also initiated by the local government, so of course we must be more vigilant about the decentralization of affairs.

During the Tang Dynasty, an important political reason for the emergence of flying money was that the central and local governments did not give in to each other in terms of financial power.

The central government is reluctant to let money flow into the localities, and the localities are certainly not willing to lose money to the central government, so Feiqian assumes the role of a bridge, which does not damage basic exchanges, and each can still hold on to the money and not let go.

As for promoting the development of commerce and stimulating the circulation of goods, it is more of a consequence than a cause. In the ancient society based on agriculture, the ruler wished that the people would take root in the countryside like the crops of the people, and they spent their lives cutting one stubble and the next.

As for what kind of decree to benefit the people is formulated simply for the convenience of businessmen, it is too skillful to think about it, even if Wu Zetian's father is a businessman himself. Not to mention this kind of cross-regional, large-scale commercial activities, even between the two Beijing markets, there are many rules and regulations, and the control is very strict.

Hearing that Wu Zetian was a little unimpressed with this plan, and even faintly vigilant, Li Tong was also worried that this matter would rise to his opinion of him as a person, and suspected that he was taking advantage of the closed geographical environment of the central mountains in Shu to gather money and stock up on goods.

So he hurriedly explained: "Flying money exchanges, it seems that both places do not leave the country, but in fact there is still a difference. Shuzhong personnel needs are far less than the amount of the two capitals, businessmen are greedy for this profit, do not hesitate to work hard and risk far away to lose goods outside, in previous years there was no convenience of flying money, the loss of goods is a bitter, into the money is a bitter. Nowadays, money and goods no longer need to be transported far away, only goods are delivered, and the commercial bank will naturally double its ......"

The reason is very simple, although Shuzhong is known for its wealth, but when it comes to market demand and the speed of goods circulation, it is far less than the center of the world like Liangjing. Even if there is no flying money, the output of goods in Shu is far greater than the inflow.

Now with flying money, Shu merchants no longer need to transport the money obtained from foreign transactions back to Shuzhong, and directly take the flying money bill to withdraw money locally, and then buy goods, the efficiency of the merchants has improved, and the output of goods will naturally increase.

Wu Zetian looked at his intentions lightly, worried that this would keep the money and profits in the place, which was actually too much, which not only reduced the influx of currency in Shuzhong, but also stimulated the enthusiasm of Shu merchants and increased the output of goods and goods in Shuzhong.

"But in this way, the profits of the merchants will increase, and the local income will decrease, so can it be maintained for a long time?"

Although the Wu family used to be a merchant in the court, by the time Wu Zetian was born, his father had already become the founding prince of the Tang Dynasty, so naturally he would no longer be a cheap business. And she herself entered the palace when she was a teenager, although the first half of her life was also ups and downs, but she was basically insulated from the affairs of the market.

Later, although he was in charge of state affairs, in addition to the palace and power struggles, he also faced grand conceptual problems, and he actually did not have an in-depth understanding of specific commercial or even financial issues.

After all, people's energy is also limited, and now there is no such developed and convenient access to information as in later generations. It's normal to have biased cognition.

"What is the details of the situation of Shu merchants, the minister has not seen it in person, and he does not dare to make a judgment, but he only knows everything and introduces it."

Li Tong paused when he said this, and decided to sell another Wu Youyi, so he continued: "The wealth of the Jian'an Wang'an Mansion is entrusted to me, and the minister has never seen such a huge amount of money in his life. The number of twisted silk in the cold household is buried, and the copper storage in the mansion is buried. There is no shortage of hungry ghosts on the streets, and the idle garden mansion is broken! With such an astonishing financial benefit, people can't enjoy it, but only accumulate dust and waste it. ”

When Wu Zetian heard this, he couldn't help frowning and whispered: "So greedy, can you hurt yourself without taking trouble?" ”

"King Jian'an stayed in Xijing, but for a short time. Shu merchants have been in charge of the selling business for generations, and the money accumulated must be abundant. Those who make money, in order to make profits, to get the accuracy of their quantities, to get their ability to change the market, and it is really useless to hoard for a long time. ”

Li Tong continued: "One place and one corner, in a short period of time, people have permanent members, things have fixed production, draw their floating money, and the deposited wealth can be swept up. The financial resources accumulated in Shu for many years, if they can be fully circulated in the market, how can they be easily broken with material resources. ”

Money itself is only a medium of exchange, and does not represent the level of productivity, Shu has accumulated over the years with monetary attributes of goods, far from a short period of time can fall below the market demand.

Moreover, when the money is extracted through the flying money business, when it accumulates to a certain scale, it can start a new business, that is, lending, so that it has the prototype of a bank.

But in doing so, it is undoubtedly stripping the government of its fiscal powers. Wu Zetian was already so sensitive to the decentralization of affairs, so Li Tong simply didn't mention it. If you want to develop to that stage, it is not possible to achieve it in a short time, and when the time comes, his grandmother will not be in power.

Wu Zetian fell silent after listening to the young king's story, obviously digesting this. After a long while, she nodded and said: "This matter is indeed promising, if you only use one place in Shuzhong, it is still a little small." Now that you've thought of this section, is there a way to zoom in on it? ”

"The minister has a little strategy, but after all, he is not deeply immersed, and he does not dare to boast of good strategy."

Li Tong saw that his grandmother was already a little moved, so he continued to work harder and said: "The capital of the imperial court is originally intended to seek benefits for the Baisi in Beijing. However, the situation has accumulated and has now spread widely in various places. Only those who are in charge have high and low, and their skills are good and bad, although they set up their capital, they may not be able to make profits for a long time. Instead of letting the states take care of their own affairs, why not let the imperial court set up a special supervision office to directly manage the costs of all parties? ”

Of course, Wu Zetian was full of vigilance about the decentralization of power, but when he heard that the capital of the state was centrally managed, he suddenly came to his senses: "How to manage the monopoly, what ideas do you have, just come to me." Don't worry about the shallowness, it's just a small talk in the temple. ”