陈牧:楚霸王项羽,世之英雄也,然兵败于垓下,自刎于乌江,折于刘邦之手,何也?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为汉高祖,山东之匹夫也,无有咫尺之土,十室之聚,然能任天下之智力,举大体而不苛,故王天下,莫之能御也。项羽,楚之世将,有重于民,横行天下,然而卒死东城者,何也?有一范增不能用,意忌多疑,不信大臣故也。宽则得众用,贤则多功,信则人归之,愿大王鉴之。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人谨受教。
mu:TheoverlordXiangYuwasagreathero,buthewasdefeatedandittedsuicide,IntheetoLiuBang,andIwasveryfusedaboutthis,Sirtaughtmewhy?
xiaofan:Ithink,LiuBangisagrassdwellerinShandongwhohasnothing,Buthewasgoodatappointingthewisdomofothers,Andheonlyfocusesonthegehingsandisnotharsh,Therefore,hewintheworld,andnooneparewithhim。XiangYu‘sfamilywasallhonorablegeneralsoftheChuState,Hewasvaluedbythepeopleandwonnumerousvictories,Butwhatwasthereasonheendedupfailing?HehadaselorFanZeng,butcouldnotappointhim,Hewassuspiciousanddidnottrustothers,That‘stherootcause,Bybeingtolerantofothers,yougettheirsupport,Appointtheirwisdomandyouwillbeabletobuildmerit,Givethemtrustandtheywillsurreoyou,Ihopeyoulearnfromthat。
mu:Sirisright,Irespectfullyacceptyourteags。
陈牧:寡人以信义治天下,而臣民不信,何也?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,欲人之信己,则微言而笃行之,笃行之,则用日久,用日久,则事著明,事著明,则有目者莫不见也,有耳者莫不闻也,其可诬乎?故根深而枝叶茂,行久而名誉远。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人谨受教。
mu:Igovernthetrywithsiyandrighteousness,butthepeopledonotbelieve,Sirtaughtmewhy?
xiaofan:Ithink,Ifyouwantotherstobelieveyou,youhavetobesistentwithyourwordsanddeeds,Aryingtodoit,Overtime,theresultswillslowlyemerge,Peoplehaveearsandeyesandtheywilldistinguishbetweentrueandfalse,Soyoudoawaywithit,Therootsofthetreegrowdeeper,andtheleaveswillflourish,Onlyifyoupersistindoingthisforalongtimeyougetthehonor。
mu:Sirisright,Irespectfullyacceptyourteags。
陈牧:寡人欲以信义布天下,可乎?先生以为如何?
萧凡:臣以为大王圣明,夫信由上而结者也。故君以信训其臣,则臣以信忠其君;父以信诲其子,则子以信孝其父;夫以信先其妇,则妇以信顺其夫。上秉常以化下,下服常而应上。其不化者,百未有一也。夫为人上,竭至诚,开信以待下,则怀信者欢然而乐进,不信者赧然而回意矣。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人受教矣。
mu:Iwanttospreadiyandrighteousotheworld,Sirwhatdoyouthink?
xiaofan:Ithinkit‘swiseforyoutodothat,Thepromotionofthismatteristostartwithyou,Thekishisministerswithiy,Thentheministerswouldshowloyaltytotheking,Thefathereducateshissonwithiy,thenthesonwillbefilialtotheparents,Ifthehusbashiswifewithiy,thenthewifewillbesubmissivetohim,Ifthekingwantstoeducatetheworld,hemustsetanexampleforthepeoplehimself,Thekisotherswithiyandsiy,Peopleallovertheworldwillfollowyourexample,Eveninsincerepeoplewillslowlyge。
mu:Sirisright,Iacceptyourteags。
陈牧:今党项、契丹交媾,寡人欲杀其使者,可乎?先生以为如何?
萧凡:臣以为,党项与我素无怨雠,为契丹所使耳。今杀一人,结怨一国,非计也。放之必悦,不复为契丹用矣,愿大王察之。
陈牧:先生之言甚善,寡人谨受教。
mu:NowtherearesignsofunitybetweentheDangxiangaans,SoIwaokillthemessehedangxiang,Sirwhatdoyouthink?
xiaofan:Ithink,Thereisnotmuchhatredbetweenthedangxiangandus,TheywereonlyusedbytheKhitans,Ifyoukillthemessenger,youwillhaveaveaagainstatry,Thereisnobeodoingso,Ifyoureleasethemessenger,andthedangxiangwillbegratefultous,ThentheircooperationwiththeKhitabankrupt,Ihopeyouwillsiderthisapproach。
mu:Sirisright,Irespectfullyacceptyourteags。
陈牧:寡人愿闻,礼之为物何用?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为礼之为物大矣!用之于身,则动静有法而百行备焉;用之于家,则内外有别而九族睦焉;用之于乡,则长幼有伦而俗化美焉;用之于国,则君臣有叙而政治成焉;用之于天下,则诸侯顺服而纪纲正焉。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人受教矣。
mu:Iwonderwhattheroleofetiquetteis,Sirtaughtme。
xiaofan:Ithinktheroleofetiquetteistoogreat,Useitonyourself,Thenthebehaviorwillbecorredtherewillbeabasisfordoinganything,Useitathome,Thenitwilldistinguishbetweenthenearandfarretivesandbringthefamilyintoharmony,Usetotowns,Thentheelderlywillberespected,childrenwillbeloved,andthesociatmospherewillbeebetter,Usetothetry,Thenthekingsandministersareinorderandthetryiswellgoverned,Useitallovertheworld,Thenothertrieswillsosurrenderandwillnotbefused。
mu:Sirisright,Iacceptyourteags。
陈牧:寡人今来多有过失,我欲掩之,可乎?先生以为如何?
萧凡:臣以为过者,人之所必不免也,惟圣贤为能知而改之。古之圣王,患其有过而不自知也,故设诽谤之木,置敢谏之鼓,岂畏百姓之闻其过哉!是以仲虺美成汤曰:“改过不吝。”由是观之,则为人君者,固不以无过为贤,而以改过为美也。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人知过矣。
mu:I‘vemadealotofmistakestely,soIwanttocoveritup,Sirwhatdoyouthink?
xiaofan:Ithinkeveryonemakesmistakes,Itisdifficulttoavoidit,Onlyasaintwildmithismistakeandcorrectit,Thewisekingsofthepastwereafraidthattheywouldnhemiftheyhadmadeamistake,Sohesetuppnksanddrumstietotherstoremindhim,Sotheyarenotafraidthatotherswillknowthattheyhavemademistakes,Aslongasitbecorrectedintime,Don‘tthinkthatkingsarenotallowedtomakemistakes,itisgoodtocorrectitintime,Soyoudoocoveritup。
mu:Sirisright,Iwaswrong。
陈牧:寡人闻,仓廪实而知礼节,衣食足而知荣辱,何也?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,民不足而可治者,自古及今,未之闻也。古之人曰:‘一夫不耕,或受之饥;一女不织,或受之寒。’生之有时而用之无度,则物力必屈。古之治天下,至纤至悉,故其畜积足恃。今背本而趋末者甚众,是天下之大残也!淫侈之俗,日日以长,是天下之大贼也!残、贼公行,莫之或止;大命将泛,莫之振救。生之者甚少而靡之者甚多,天下财产何得不蹶。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人谨受教。
mu:Iheard,Onlywhenyouhavesavingswillyoukiquette,Onlywhenyouhaveeatenenoughwillyouknowthehonoranddisgrace,Sirtaughtmewhy?
xiaofan:Ithink,Sinttimes,thepeoplehavenotobeyedthemaiftheyhavenotenoughtoeat,Theproverbsaysthatifyoudon‘tfarm,youwillbehungryandyouwon‘tweaveclothandyouwillbecold,Timeislimitedbutdesireisendless,soitisdifficulttosatisfygreed,I,gtheworldwassimpleandsimple,Savingsalsomeetpeople‘sneeds,Nowmostpeoplegointobusinessandpeoplebeeextravagantandpromiscuous,Thisdisruptssocialstabilityandharmony,It‘shardtostop,roducedotsatisfyman‘sdesires,Thesituationisworsenowthanyouask。
mu:Sirisright,Irespectfullyacceptyourteags。