陈牧:自寡人君临以来,七八载矣,威加海外,诸国来庭,仓廪日积,土地日广,然道德未益厚,仁义未益博者,何哉?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,此乃大王待下之情未尽于诚信,虽有善始之勤,未睹克终之美故也,昔大王君临之始,闻善惊叹,从谏如流,自兹厥后,渐恶直言,虽或勉强有所容,非复曩时之豁如也。
陈牧:非先生教我,寡人不闻此药石之言,寡人知过矣。
mu:Ihavebeenkingformorethansevenyears,Ithreatenthepriheworldtopaytribute,Thetryisgettingricherandstronger,Butmymorandbenevoleigewasnotpreached,That‘swhy,Sirtaughtme。
xiaofan:Idon‘tthinkthekinghaspletelyeducatedtheworldwithiy,Thisisbecauseyouhavenotbeeartandfinishcarefully,Inthebeginningyougoverhetryaswelsastream,Butnowthegoverisnotasgoodasbefore。
mu:Ifitweren‘tforyousayingIwouldn‘tevenknowImadeamistake,Iwaswrong。
陈牧:寡人欲化育万民,当取何法,先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,教民亲爱,莫善于孝,教民礼顺,莫善于悌,移风易俗,莫善于乐,夫乐者,感人情,乐正则心正,乐淫则心淫也,安上治民,莫善于礼。上好礼,则臣民安,礼者,敬而已矣,敬,礼之本也。
陈牧:先生之言甚善,寡人谨受教。
mu:Iwanttoeducatetheworldwhatshouldbedone,Sirtaughtme。
xiaofan:Ithink,Edugtheworldshouldbefilialtoparents,respectelders,andlovebrothers,Indoationoftheworldshouldbemadewithmusidetiquette,Becausemusifillpeople‘sheartswithpositiveenergyaiquettemakesocietystableandharmonious。
mu:Sirisright,Irespectfullyacceptyourteags。
陈牧:寡人欲以牛假贫民,使佃苑中,税其什之七,自有牛者税其五,先生以为如何?
萧凡:臣以为,古者什一而税。天下之中正也,降及唐末、五代,仁政衰薄,假官田官牛者不过税其什六,自有牛者税其四,犹不取其七八也。
陈牧:请为寡人试述之。
萧凡:自唐末以来,海内板荡,高皇帝绥之以德,华夷之民,万里福辏,襁负而归之者,若赤子之归父母,是以户口十倍于旧,无用者什有三四,及大王掌晋,南摧强楚,东却齐、燕,北取契丹,拓地三千里,增民十万户,是宜悉罢苑囿以赋新民,无牛者官赐之牛,不当更收重税也。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人知过矣。
萧凡:且以大王之民用大王之牛,牛非大王之有,将何在哉!如此,则戎旗南指之日,民谁不箪食壶浆以迎王师哉!
陈牧:寡人几不思量,险误大事,当为卿改之。
mu:Iwanttorentcattletothepoorforthemtofarm,Butchargethemsevehs,andiftherearecattle,chargethemfivetenths,Sirthoughtso?
xiaofan:Ithoughtthati,ohofthetaxwasfairer,BytheendoftheTangDynasty,thereoliticalchaos,Taxeswerenotasheavyastheyarenow。
mu:Sir,pleasetrytoeborate。
xiaofan:SiheendoftheTangDynasty,theworldhasbeeninchaos,andtheoldemperorhasusedbenevoleoappeasetheworld,Thepeopleoftheworldhavesubmittedasiftheywereseeingtheirparents,Asaresult,therearetentimesmoreatsthanbefore,Sinetopower,youhavedefeatedtheStateofQiaeofYanioftheChuStateihoftheKhitanih,andthendhasincreasedby3,000milesandthehukouhasincreasedby100,000,Atthistime,itistimetowasteeverything,youshouldreducetaxesaopoorcattle。
mu:Sirwasright,Iwaswrong。
xiaofan:Theworldisyours,andthepeopleareyours,Whatdoesitmatterifthepeopleuseyourcattle,Isn‘titalsoyoursthatyoulendcattletothepeople,Whenyoumarchsouth,thepeoplewillweleyourarmywithfoodandwine。
mu:Ididn‘tthinkitthroughandalmostmadeamistake,Icorrecteditimmediately。
陈牧:寡人有气疾,欲修邺宫以自养,先生以为如何?
萧凡:臣以为,大王既有平阳,又修邺宫,将以何用?作猎车千乘,环数千里以养禽兽,夺人妻女万余口以实后宫,岂圣帝明王之所为乎?
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人知过矣。
mu:IhavelungdiseasesoIwanttobuildapacetorecuperate,Sirthoughtso?
xiaofan:Ithinkyoualreadyhaveapadthenbuildtheotheroneswhichiswhattodo,Keepinganimalsinenclosuresforhunting,robbingotherpeople‘swivesanddaughterstoenrichtheharemisnotwhatawisekingshoulddo。
mu:Sirisright,Iwaswrong。
陈牧:今大修驰道于郡县,会久雨失期,寡人欲罪尚书,先生以为如何?
萧凡:臣以为,天降淫雨,道路涂潦,虽有鬼兵百万,无如之何,而况人乎!今大王以道路不修,欲杀尚书,岂能仪刑四海以法将来耶?
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人知过矣,当为卿赦之。
mu:Iwanttooverhaulroadstocitiesandtyseats,Justhappeoenterheavyrainahestruperiod,Iwanttobmethepersonincharge,Sirthoughtso?
xiaofan:Ithinkitrainedheavilyandtheroadsweremuddy,Evenamillionghostsoldiers‘tdoit,andordinarypeople‘tdoit,Youpunishthepersoninchargeforthedeyinthestruperiod,Howthepeopleoftheworldbevinced?
mu:Sirisright,Iwaswrong,Ipardonhimforsir。
陈牧:李晟将军克中山,而郡守不降,伏剑而死,寡人当如何处之,先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,此乃义士也,为人臣,功既不成,唯有死节耳,大王以信义治天下,当礼而葬之,以劝来者。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人谨受教。
mu:GeneralLiShengqueredZhongshanCity,Butthekeeperdidnotsurrenderandittedsuicidewithasword,WhatshouldIdoaboutit,Sirtaughtme。
xiaofan:Ithinkhe‘saloyalman,Failuretosuccessfullydefeylybedeterminedbydeath,Youruletheworldwithfaith,soyouhavetoburyhimwithhighstandards,Throughthis,letthepeopleoftheworldreturntotheirhearts。
mu:Sirisright,Irespectfullyacceptyourteags。
陈牧:寡人欲伐西凉,将佐皆以为不可,奈何?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,夫经略大事,固非常情所及,智者了于胸中,不必待众言皆合也。
陈牧:先生试述之。
萧凡:今为晋肘腋之患者,西凉而已,彼虽险固,比燕为弱,将欲除之,宜先其易者,西凉无道,臣民不附,且恃其险远,不修战备,宜以精兵万人轻赍疾趋,比其觉之,我已出其险要,可一战擒也。
陈牧:若大军西征,齐、楚,扣关当如何?
萧凡:论者恐大军既西,齐、楚必窥觎,此似是而非也,齐、楚闻我万里远征,以为内有重备,必不敢动,纵有侵轶,李晟将军足以拒守,必无忧也。
陈牧:先生解我心忧,寡人意决矣。
mu:IwaoattacktheWesternLiangKingdombutthegeneralsdidn‘tapproveofit,WhatshouldIdhtme。
xiaofan:Ithinkthatstrategitsarenotsomethingthatordinarypeoplederstand,Wisepeoplehaveadecisionintheirheartsanddon‘tneedeveryone‘ssent。
mu:Sir,pleaseeborate。
xiaofan:NreattroubleistheWesternLiangKingdom,AlthoughtheterrainoftheWesternLiangKingdomisdangerous,itisalittleweakerthantheYanState,ThepoliticsoftheWesternLiangStatewerechaotidthepeoplewerenotsubservient,Itreliesonitsprecariousterrainwithoutreinfitsarmaments,Ifyouwanttofight,youmustfirstfighttheweak,Youshouldsendageneralwith10,000elitesoldierstoblitztheWesternLiangKingdom,Bythetimetheyrealized,wehadeheirprecariousterraiernLiangKingdomwilldefinitelybequeredbyus。
mu:Whatifthearmymarcheswest,aeofQiandChuattacktheborder?
xiaofan:Thecellorbelievedthatafterthewesterionofthergearmy,theStateofQiaeofChuwouldattacktheborder,Suchathingisunlikely,WheeofQiaeofChuheardaboutourexpedition,theywouldthinkthatwewereonguard,sotheywouldnotunattack,Eveniftheyattacked,GeneralLiShengcouldresistthem,Youdon‘thavetoworry。
mu:Sirtooktheknoti,Ialreadyhadadeymind。