Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 269 The Prime Minister's Future
"Sixth Brother, please explain in more detail. According to your plan, the amount of profit depends on the size of the capital, but how many households in the prefecture have assets worth hundreds of millions? What if those with such assets refuse to cooperate? Furthermore, how much tax will be paid, how much will be given, and what will be done if it is sufficient or insufficient..."

After listening to Zhang Dai's idea, Gao Lishi became interested again and asked a series of questions after thinking for a while.

Zhang Dai answered some of these questions in detail on the spot, while others required adjustments during actual operation, for which he had no clear answers.

In short, this is a brand-new upgrade based on the old flying money. The original flying money only operated between the two capitals, relying on the strong demand for fund transfer between the two capitals and the power of the favored ministers in power as its backing.

Now, after the upgrade, the imperial court is directly responsible for establishing the flying money system. In theory, each prefecture in the country can have a flying money merchant who provides capital for verification and pays taxes, and then flying money can be issued from the local area to the two capitals.

Of course, some prefectures and counties have a weak commercial foundation and no need for similar capital flow, so they naturally cannot establish a cash-flow system. However, regional centers such as Bianzhou, Weizhou, and Yizhou undoubtedly have a huge market.

"In this way, the flying money will no longer be a private tool for a few to profit from, but a public tool for distributing money and silk throughout the land. In the past, merchants had to carry money and silk with great difficulty on their journeys, but now they can travel freely throughout the land simply by holding a single token. This flying money is not just flying money, but a public granary for merchants to store money for emergencies. Merchants benefit, the court benefits, it is a great and wonderful thing!"

After gaining a systematic understanding, Gao Lishi immediately became beaming and burst into laughter.

The so-called "charitable granary" was a storage facility for disaster prevention and famine relief. From princes to commoners who cultivated land, each mu (unit of land area) of land was allocated two sheng (unit of volume) of millet to be stored in the granary as a safety net for agricultural production. In years of disaster, the grain stored in the granary could be used for relief and loaned to the people as seed to continue production.

Gao Lishi's analogy of the flying money system to a charitable granary for commercial transactions is somewhat inappropriate. But as the saying goes, people always lack imagination when it comes to things they haven't seen before; they can only make connections and understandings based on things that already exist. This has nothing to do with intelligence; it's simply a matter of limited knowledge.

Although their initial intentions differed, their functions were somewhat similar. The imperial court's purpose in verifying the capital was not only to collect taxes but also to confirm the payment ability of the merchants making the flying money.

As for whether the imperial court will violate the initial rules in the future, no longer just satisfied with tax revenue, but directly targeting the capital of the flying money?
That's a pointless statement. It's certain that way. How naive would someone be to believe that an organization whose existence is based on violence would follow the rules?
Not to mention the capital of the flying money, the public granary reserve system, which historically served as a safety line for agricultural production, was also manipulated by Li Linfu and a group of greedy officials. They repeatedly manipulated the purchase of grain and altered the grain, squeezing social wealth from time to time.

Rules are destined to be broken and trampled on from the very first day they are established, just as people are destined to die. The only difference is when that moment will come and in what way.
When it comes to the life-or-death moment for the nation, every possible means to save lives will be used, regardless of rules or regulations.

However, if in times of peace, people wantonly destroy ethical rules and public order and good customs for personal gain, and take pride in this, then if such people are not eliminated quickly, the Tang Dynasty will be doomed!

Gao Lishi didn't have any grand sentiments or concepts about the nation and the world, but after hearing this plan, he couldn't help but praise it: "Actually, the emperor should have returned west last year, but a sudden disaster occurred. The emperor pitied the suffering of the people and couldn't bear to disturb them even more, so he still stayed in Luoyang."

But as Liu Lang said, how can the imperial residence remain vacant for long? If the disaster situation cannot be alleviated this year, the return date will still be uncertain, and it is necessary to prepare a batch of money, silk, and grain in preparation. If this plan is presented at this time, it would indeed be of great benefit.”

As the emperor's trusted chief eunuch, he naturally had a deep understanding of the emperor's intentions.

Unless absolutely necessary, the sage did not particularly enjoy staying in Luoyang, both in terms of personal experience and feelings, and in terms of balancing internal and external affairs.

In the twelfth year of the Kaiyuan era, preparations were made for the Fengshan ceremony. At the end of the year, the emperor arrived in Luoyang. Now, more than two years have passed since he left Chang'an. In fact, the emperor was quite eager to return home, but due to the shortage of national funds and the impact of natural disasters, he could only continue to stay in Luoyang, and naturally, he was anxious and uneasy.

Under such circumstances, anyone who could raise a considerable sum of money for the expenses of returning to the capital would undoubtedly win the emperor's favor.

This was precisely what Gao Lishi desperately needed. Although he was quite favored by the emperor, it wasn't enough; at least not enough to give the emperor sufficient reason and motivation to protect him completely from retaliation by the Northern Army. If he could present this plan, his standing in the emperor's eyes would undoubtedly increase significantly.

So when he looked at Zhang Dai again, the frustration of being forced to take the blame vanished instantly, and he only regretted that this kid wasn't his own grandson.

"Since you, Liu Lang, are so well aware of the current illness and have devised such a brilliant plan, you must also know that if you personally present this to the Emperor, you will surely be greatly rewarded. Now that you are offering this plan to me, are you willing to do so?"

His mind raced, and he looked at Zhang Dai with a smile. Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai's expression immediately turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Does the Duke of Bohai still resent my abandonment of my companions the other day? I was indeed panicked at the time, but offering advice now is simply my true nature!"

Seeing that the Duke of Bohai was even assassinated himself to protect his juniors, my heart is not made of iron; how could I remain unmoved? I should do my utmost to devise a plan to extricate the Duke of Bohai from this predicament and turn the tide! If I were to implement this plan, I would gain only a few titles and honors; but if the Duke of Bohai were to implement it, it would allow his family to flourish and provide greater protection for his followers!

"Alas, young man, your heart is sincere and genuine, I felt it from our first meeting. Before, I was disturbed by worldly affairs and had many misunderstandings, but now that I have seen your true nature again, I am truly ashamed and moved!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi couldn't help but sigh. He had seen all sorts of people and affairs, and naturally wouldn't be fooled by a few flattering words from this mere lad. But words can be false, and facts are always true. This kid wasn't just good at flattery; he really had substance!

"Although this plan is good, it requires a capable person to take it on. Last year, I wrote to the Tonggui (a government office) to present Zhou Liang's plan to reform the canal transport system. Although the plan was praised by the emperor, it was given to the wrong person. As a result, everything in Bianzhou has been neglected and nothing has been accomplished. It is truly regrettable!"

Zhang Dai then said with a sincere expression, "I am now explaining this matter to the Duke of Bohai in detail, hoping that the Sage can appreciate your loyalty and diligence, entrust the matter directly to you, and not let it be handled by others, so that this matter will not be ruined by mediocre people again."

One of Zhang Dai's intentions was to support Gao Lishi, this powerful figure, to continue taking the lead in resisting the lightning strikes. However, his more important intention lay in the latter.

The "flying money" industry itself does not belong to the country's original financial system, but is a new phenomenon, and the groups it targets are various merchants rather than land equalization households.

Therefore, even if this matter is approved and supervised, it is difficult to manage it within the existing administrative structure of the court. Either a special envoy will be dispatched, or it will simply be supervised by an imperial official, and all proceeds will go into the imperial treasury.

Regardless of the method, the final execution of this matter could not possibly fall to Zhang Dai, and it would be difficult to win over his grandfather's faction as well. After all, even the emperor was traumatized by his grandfather's corruption, and when selecting a prime minister, he would prioritize those with an incorruptible character; how could he possibly allow his grandfather to get involved in financial schemes again!
If the matter is handed over to Yuwen Rong, who is most active in the financial sector, then Zhang Dai will have very little room to intervene. Take Bianzhou for example, Yuan's reinstatement as the governor of Bianzhou was indirectly facilitated by his suggestion last year, but when he arrived in Bianzhou, he was repeatedly harassed.

After much deliberation, it was decided that Gao Lishi was the most suitable person to handle this matter. Gao Lishi was already deeply favored by the emperor, and his favor only increased with age.

Right now, he's taking the blame for himself. If we can help him turn his bad situation around, our understanding will naturally deepen, and it will be much easier for us to do things within his purview.

"Young man, you are indeed thoughtful and have put in a lot of effort. You not only possess the talent and demeanor of a prime minister, but also the breadth of vision and character of a prime minister. If you cannot hold the position of chief clerk in both provinces next year, it would be an injustice in the court's selection of officials!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi praised Zhang Dai even more highly, even going so far as to say that he possessed the talent of a prime minister.

He suddenly smiled and said, "Such a promising and outstanding young man, who wouldn't want to be close to him? No wonder that Wang girl was already engaged, yet she still abandoned her family to follow Liu Lang. Now that Consort Hui has made the match, and I have adopted this girl, why don't we betroth her to Liu Lang, and you and I can become a loving father-in-law and son-in-law?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai instinctively shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.

"That's true. This woman is the daughter of a favored disciple. Although she is quite beautiful, she lacks elegance and is not a suitable match for a noble young master like Liu Lang."

Seeing this, Gao Lishi laughed and said, "How about this, I'll make a deal with you first. In the future, no matter which woman you fancy, whether she's a noblewoman, a princess, or even a princess from the Emperor's lineage, as long as you, Liu Lang, are pleased, I will make it happen for you!"

Zhang Dai broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "I want the Li family's heirloom from this generation, and you dare to bring it to me?" But considering the timeline, if he really wanted it, it seemed he wouldn't need to trouble Gao Lishi.

Gao Lishi was in a great mood and pulled Zhang Dai aside to discuss the specific plans for transforming the flying coins.

He also saw the immense benefits of this matter. If the reform succeeded, it would no longer be just a simple tool for him to amass wealth, but a grand plan that could sustain the nation's resources in the long term. If he could control this, his future position in the inner court would undoubtedly become even more illustrious and unshakeable!
Zhang Dai also enthusiastically participated in the matter. Now he was no longer satisfied with just using his aunt's name to bully others, but wanted to directly get a share of the pie and take control of the flying money operation between Bianzhou and Luoyang!

(End of this chapter)