第十章

    陈牧：今齐王兵围彭城，寡人欲发兵救之，可乎？先生以为如何？萧凡：臣以为，贼悉众大举，非图小利，欲质彭城以致大军耳。宜听使攻城，挫其锐气，不当与争锋也。城不可拔，众必罢怠；罢怠然后击之，可大克也。若贼见计，必不攻城，势将自走。若便进兵，适入其计矣。可先遣步兵五千，精骑三千，先军前发，扬声进道，震曜形势。骑到彭城，疏其行队，多其旌鼓，曜兵城下，引出贼后，拟其归路，要其粮道。然后大军酷进，贼闻大军来，骑断其后，必震怖遁走，不战自破矣。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人谨受教。chen mu：today， the state of qi is besieging pengcheng，i want to send the army to the rescue，sir， what do you think？xiao fan：i think，it was a conspiracy in which the state of qi attacked pengcheng，their real purpose is to eliminate our main forces，so， you have to drag them down with pengcheng，that would drain their morale，over time， they will be very tired，then， you send troops to strike quickly，it will definitely be a success，if you e to the rescue now， you will fall into their conspiracy，they would abandon pengcheng and retreat，therefore， you can send a small number of troops to set out first，on the one hand， bluff， on the other， cut off their grain，then， our main forces will attack again，in this case， the enemy army will be in danger，they will have to retreat，in this way， our losses are also minimized。chen mu：sir is right，i respectfully accept your teachings。陈牧：寡人闻，王业、宫室可两存之，先生以为如何？萧凡：臣以为，大王好土功，既作许昌宫，又治洛阳宫，力役不已，农桑失业，非圣主明王所为也，昔禹承唐、虞之盛，犹卑宫室而恶衣服。况今丧乱之后，人民至少，比汉隋、唐时，五不存一，加以边境有事，将士劳苦，若有水旱之患，国家之深忧也。昔楚王自襄阳至江陵，多作传舍，兴费人役，大王知其疲民也。今中国劳力，亦楚、蜀之所愿。此安危之机也，愿大王深虑之！陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人知过矣。chen mu：i heard，careers and palaces can go hand in hand，sir， what do you think？xiao fan：i think，you like to build palaces，you have built xuchang palace and luoyang palace，you overuse labor， and that delays agricultural production，this is not what the holy king should do，in the past， the residence of the holy king was simple，since the beginning of the war， the population has decreased significantly，only one-fifth of the han and tang dynasties，moreover， there are frequent clashes at the border，the soldiers were already tired and hard，at this time， there are some more natural disasters，then the country will be in crisis，before， you laughed at king chu for doing such a thing，nowadays， you make the same mistake，you also know it hurts the people，so， i want you to think about it。chen mu：sir is right，i was wrong。陈牧：寡人愿闻，何为天子者也？先生教我。萧凡：臣以为，有虞氏盛德，见人有善，如己有善，见人有过，如己有过，天无私于物，地无私于物，袭此行者，谓之天子。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人受教矣。chen mu：i want to know，what is the holy king like？sir taught me。xiao fan：i think，the ancient holy kings had very high moral character，if they see someone else doing something good，they will also be happy for him，they see others doing bad things，then they will also be sorry for this，they handle government affairs fairly and justly，like heaven and earth，those who can do this are called holy kings。chen mu：sir is right，i accept your teachings。陈牧：寡人愿闻，圣人之道何以行之？先生教我。萧凡：臣以为，圣人之道，非修礼义，则廉耻不立，人无廉耻，不可治也，不知礼义，不可以行法，法能教不孝，不能使人孝，能刑盗者，不能使人廉耻。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人受教矣。chen mu：i want to know，how to reach the level of the holy king，sir taught me。xiao fan：i think，if you want to reach the level of the holy king， you must first improve your moral level and etiquette，then， promote it to the world，if not， it will be difficult for the country to be well governed，if people do not understand etiquette and morality，then the law is meaningless，the law can punish people， but it cannot teach people to learn well，it punishes criminals，but it can"t make people probity。chen mu：sir is right，i accept your teachings。陈牧：今楚王遣使求珠宝、翡翠，寡人欲却之，可乎？先生以为如何？萧凡：臣以为，彼所求者，皆无用之物，於我瓦石耳，大王志在天下，何惜此物？彼在谅闇之中，而所求若此，宁可与言礼哉！愿大王与之。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人谨受教。chen mu：now， the king of chu asked me for treasures，i wanted to reject him，sir， what do you think？xiao fan：i think，the things he asked for were worthless，treasures are like stones to you，your goal is the world，so， there is no need to tangle it，the fact that he values these things shows that he is mediocre，it is not clear to say，i hope you give it to him。chen mu：sir is right，i respectfully accept your teachings。陈牧：近来寡为政如何？可有疏漏，可有裨益？请先生直言。萧凡：臣以为，今议者多好悦耳：其言政治，则比陛下于尧、舜；其言征伐，则比二虏于狸鼠。臣以为不然。四海之内，分而为三，群士陈力，各为其主，是与六国分治，无以为异也。当今千里无烟，遗民困苦。大王不善留意，将遂凋敝，难可复振。太祖武皇帝之时，后宫食不过一肉，衣不用锦绣，茵蓐不缘饰，器物无丹漆，遂能平定天下，遗福子孙，此皆大王之所览也。当今之务，宜君臣上下，计校府库，量入为出，犹恐不及；而工役不辍，侈靡日崇，非圣主明王所为也，今天下雕敝，民无儋石之储，国无终年之蓄，外有强敌，六军暴边，内兴土功，州郡骚动，若有寇警，则臣惧版筑之士不能投命虏庭矣。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人知过矣。chen mu：recently， how have i done in terms of national governance，sir taught me。xiao fan：i think，now， courtiers only give advice you like to hear，in politics， they treat you like a holy king，militarily， they treat the enemy as an idiot，however， my opinion differs from theirs，now， the world is in constant strife，the people are in difficulty，if， you don"t pay attention to the status quo，or， there is a chance that your business will fail，your father eats and dresses very simply，that"s why he can calm the world，and， leave the inheritance to you，you have seen all these things with your own eyes，as it stands today，even if you are frugal， our assets may not be enough，however， you are so extravagant and build in large quantities，this is not what the holy king should do，if you do it again，then the country will fall into chaos，once the enemy invades， everyone in the world will betray you，i hope you can correct the mistake。chen mu：sir is right，i was wrong。