陈牧:先生不出,苍生奈何?
萧凡:布衣愿效犬马之劳。
chenmu:sirdoesnotappear,whatabouttheworld?
xiaofan:subordinateswillingtodotheworkofdogsandhorses。
陈牧:今王室多故,诸侯不臣,四方纷扰,寡人朝不保夕,为之奈何?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,今大厦将倾,非人力所能支也,且诸将暴虐,常切齿于王,京师必将生乱,此非久留之地,愿大王效司马睿,斩关而出急趋孟津,上书陛下诉其缘由,据河内以观时局,待罪并州以卫社稷,大王于外厉兵秣马,遥壮朝廷声势,陛下于内差可少安。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人意决矣。
chenmu:nowtheroyalfamilyisinadifficultsituation,thewarlordsdisobeyedthecentralauthorities,theworldisinchaos,mylifeisatstake,sirtaughtmewhattodo?
xiaofan:ithink,thecentralgovernmentisabouttocollapse,itcan‘tbesupportedanymore,andthegeneralswerebrutal,theyusuallyhateyouverymuch,thecapitalwillsoonbeinturmoil,thisisnotaplacetostayforlong,ihopeyouwillescapetomengjinlikesimarui,thenwritetotheemperortoexplainwhy,occupyhanoiandobservethesituationchange,defendthecountrywithaguiltyidentityonthenorthside,you‘rerecruitinginthenorthasasolidarityofthecentralgovernment,theemperormightbesaferbecauseofthis。
chenmu:sirisright,ialreadyhaveadecisioninmymind。
陈牧:今四海分裂,国家未安,齐国、燕国倔强于山东,关中、西凉不服王化,梁国首鼠两端,楚国、蜀地俨然敌国,寡人欲一天下,先生何以教我?
萧凡:臣以为,惠帝既是常才而不能自断,诸将皆庸人骤起,志在财帛,争用威力。朝夕自快而已,非有忠良明智、深虑远图,尊主安民者也,分崩离析,形势可见,大王建位藩辅,当布盛德于天下,以卫高祖之业,齐军肃政,赏罚明信,延揽英雄,务悦民心,南奉天子以讨不庭,笼络梁国以为屏障,急下关中以威西凉,联蜀和楚以固河南,以此而虑,天下不足定也。
陈牧:先生之言甚善,寡人谨受教。
chenmu:today,theworldisdividedandunstable,thestatesofqiandyanbecameindependentinshandong,guanzhongandxiliangdidnotobeytheordersofthecentralgovernment,liangguohadnopositionandswayedfromsidetoside,thestateofchuandthestateofshubasicallybecamehostilestates,iwanttounifytheworld,sirtaughtmewhattodo?
xiaofan:ithink,theemperorisaverageintalentandcannotmakehisowndecisions,hisgeneralsarerookieswholikemoneyandinfighting,hehadnoloyalandwiseministerstoplanforthefuture,theyarejustcomfortingthemselves,itispredictablethatthecentralgovernmentisabouttocollapse,asakingwhoprotectsthecentralgovernment,youshouldpromotebenevolencetotheworldandinheritit,soyouhavetostraightenoutthearmyandthegovernment,rewardsandpunishmentsmustbedonewithintegrity,recruitheroesandappeasepeople,taketheemperor‘sorderstofightrebellion,envelopliangguoasabarrier,quicklycaptureguanzhongtothreatenxiliang,unitethechuandshustatestostabilizehenan,ifyoufollowthisstrategy,thenitisnotdifficulttocalmtheworld。
chenmu:sirisright,andirespectfullyacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:寡人欲闻,为君之道,先生教我。
萧凡:臣闻兴国之君乐闻其过,荒乱之主乐闻其誉,闻其过者,过日削而福臻,闻其誉者,誉日损而祸至,是以古之人君,揖让以进贤,虚己以求过,譬天位于乘奔,以虎尾为警戒。
陈牧:卿言甚善,寡人受教矣。
chenmu:iwanttounderstandthetruthofbeingaking,pleasesirteachme。
xiaofan:ihaveheardthatwisekingsarewillingtoheartheirmistakes,absurdkingslovetohearpraise,goodluckcomesafterthemistakeiscorrected,themorepraisetheworsethebadluckcomes,sothewisekinghumblyintroducedtalenttoseekhisow*****takes,usethistowarnthemselvestobecautious。
chenmu:sirisright,iacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:夫随俗树化,因世建业,所当何为?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,慎在务三而已,一日,择人,二日,因民,三日,从时,时移而不移,违天之祥也,民望而不因,违人之咎也,好善而不能择人,败官之患也,三者失,则天人之事悖矣。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人谨受教。
chenmu:obeythepeople‘sexpectationsandthetimestomakemeritorious,whatshouldbedone?sirtaughtme。
xiaofan:ithinkthereareaboutthreepoints,thefirstpointistoselecttalent,thesecondpointistoobeythepopularity,thethirdpointistogowiththeflow,failuretocomplywiththetimeswillnotgowell,ifyoudonotobeythepeople‘sexpectations,youwillnotgetthesupportofthepeople,failuretoselecttalentleadstoofficialcorruption,ifyoumakethesethreemistakes,thentheworldwillbeinchaos。
chenmu:sirisright,irespectfullyacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:寡人闻,人君治政,天必有变,先生以为然否?
萧凡:臣以为,人君行敬,则雨以时而顺之,人君政治,则旸以时而顺之,人君照晳,则燠以时而顺之,人君谋当,则寒以时而顺之,此言非虚也。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人受教矣。
chenmu:iheardthattheking‘sreignwillshowsigns,sirthoughtso?
xiaofan:ithink,thekinggovernsaccordingtotherightpathandlaw,theweatherisalsochanging,notatall。
chenmu:sirisright,irespectfullyacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:寡人愿闻,何为君子之行?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,夫君子之行,静以修身,俭以养德。非澹薄无以明志,非宁静无以致远。夫学须静也,才须学也,非学无以广才,非志无以成学。慆慢则不能研精,险躁则不能治性。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人谨受教。
chenmu:iwanttoknowwhatisthepracticeofagentleman?sirtaughtme。
xiaofan:ithink,gentlemenusetranquilityandthriftinesstocultivatethemselves,peaceofmindandambitioncanonlysucceedinlearning,lazinessandfrivolitydonotbearfruit。
chenmu:sirisright,irespectfullyacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:寡人愿闻,为政之要,先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,政有宜于古而不利于今,有长于彼而不行于此者。风移俗易,每世则变。故结绳之治,五帝不行,三代损益,政法不同,随时改制,所以救弊也。《易》日:随时之义大矣哉!
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人谨受教。
chenmu:iwouldliketoknowthemainpointsofgovernment,sirtaughtme。
xiaofan:idon‘tthinkthepreviouspoliciesarenecessarilyappropriatefornow,policieshavechangedwiththetimes,therefore,forthesakeofsocialdevelopment,policiesmustkeeppacewiththetimes。
chenmu:sirisright,irespectfullyacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:寡人欲大赦天下,以安反侧之心,先生以为然否?
萧凡:臣以为,天下粗定,当显明逆顺,故汉高祖赦季布,斩丁公,大王自起兵以来,见忠于其君者辄褒之,背叛不臣者辄诛之,此天下所以归盛德也,今田猛犹存,臣窃惑之。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人愿斩之以安社稷。
chenmu:iwanttograntamnestytotheheavenstoappeasethebetrayers,sirthoughtso?
xiaofan:ithinktheworldhasjustsettled,thereshouldbeadiscernmentbetweenrightandwrong,loyalpeoplearetobepraised,thebetrayerispunished,thebetrayerisstillthere,i‘mconfused。
chenmu:sirisright,iamwillingtopunishthemtostabilizetheworld。
陈牧:寡人愿闻,尧舜汤武之道,先生何以教我?
萧凡:臣以为,尧舜之帝、汤武之王,皆赖明哲之佐、博物之臣。故皋陶陈谟,而唐虞以兴,伊、箕作训,而殷周用隆,及继体之君,欲立中兴之功者,未尝不赖贤哲之谋也。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人谨受教。
chenmu:iwanttoknowthewaywisekingsgovern,sirtaughtmewhattodo。
xiaofan:ithinkthatwisekingsneedwiseanderuditepeopletobeassisted,throughouttheages,kingsneedthehelpoftalentsiftheywanttoprosper。
chenmu:sirisright,iamwillingtopunishthemtostabilizetheworld。
陈牧:寡人闻国有诤臣,社稷之福也,先生以为然否?
萧凡:臣以为是也,天子有诤臣七人,虽无道,不失其天下,诸侯有诤臣五人,虽无道,不失其国,大夫有诤臣三人,虽无道,不失其家,士有诤友,则身不离于令名,父有诤子,则身不陷于不义。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人谨受教。
chenmu:ihaveheardthathavingcourtiersisablessingforthenation,sirthoughtso?
xiaofan:ithinkso,akinghasacourtierwhowillnotlosetheworld,thedukehadavassalwhowouldnotlosehisfiefdom,ministershaveadvicethatministerswillnotlosetheirfamilies。
chenmu:sirisright,irespectfullyacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:今陛下大会诸侯于陈国,齐、楚二王皆不至,寡人当如何处之?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,二君者必不免也,会朝,礼之经也,礼,政之舆也,政,身之守也,怠礼失政,失政不立,是以危也,大王乃高皇帝之子,今圣上之弟,吾王当舆疾而行,以安天下,勿忧也。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人意决矣。
chenmu:theemperorreceivedtheprincesinthestateofchen,butthekingsofchuandqididnotarrive,whatamigoingtodo,sirtaughtme。
xiaofan:ithink,itwasastateritualfortheemperortomeetwiththeprinces,disregardingnationaletiquetteisamistakeinpoliticalposition,itwillbringtroubletothechuandqistates,youarethesonoftheoldemperorandtheyoungerbrotherofthenewemperor,soyoumustgotothepilgrimage,don‘tworryaboutanything。
chenmu:sirisright,i‘vemadeupmymind。