第二十五章
陈牧：寡人欲成霸王之业，威加四海德化天下，先生何以教我？萧凡：臣以为，大王若欲王天下，则必从其本事也，晋国百姓，即大王之本也。今，民甚忧饥，而税敛重；民甚惧死，而刑政险；民甚伤劳，而上举事不时，非圣主所为也，大王当宽之，轻其税敛，则民不忧饥；缓其刑政，则民不惧死；举事以时，则民不伤劳，如此，则霸王之业可待而成也。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人谨受教。chen mu：i want to build a great cause，rule the world，and civilize the world，sir taught me what to do？xiao fan：i think，if you want to rule the world，then you have to pay attention to the most basic things，the people are your foundation，today， the people are hungry， but taxes are heavy，the people are afraid of death， but the criminal law is harsh，people are hard， but you often start projects，the holy king should not do such a thing，if you lower taxes， then people will not worry about hunger，if you mitigate the punishment， then people will not worry about death，if you start projects regularly， then people will not be overworked，only in this way can you build great careers and merits。chen mu：sir is right，i respectfully accept your teachings。陈牧：今解虎谋反，寡人欲夷其三族，然刘良争之，吾欲罪之，可乎？先生以为如何？萧凡：臣以为，圣王用刑，惟诛元恶而已，不宜多杀，刘良幽囚，祸在不测，犹不忘谏争，忠之至也。大王纵不能用，奈何杀之！若刘良朝诛，臣等亦当夕死，以彰大王之过，天下将皆舍大王而去。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人知过矣。chen mu：today，xie hu rebelled，i want to kill them for three generations，but liu liang prevented me from doing so，so， i want to punish him，sir，what do you think？xiao fan：i think，the holy king uses criminal law to kill only the principal criminals，innocent people should not be implicated，liu liang is in danger in prison，but he still gives you honest advice，that proves that he is loyal to you，even if you don"t take his advice，however， you should not kill him either，if you kill him， then we will do the same，we display your error in this way，then the people of the world will also leave you。chen mu：sir is right，i was wrong。陈牧：寡人欲亲征灵武，讨解虎以昭天下，先生何以教我？萧凡：臣以为，彼非有大志，欲图非望也，直畏大王威刑，欲逃死耳。大王莫若廊然大赦，与之更始；其家老弱没入宫者，皆纵遣之，使之自相招引，听其复业。彼既得生路，何为不降！若其中自知罪重，屯结不散者，愿假臣弱兵五千，必为大王枭之。不然，今反者弥山被谷，虽以天威临之，恐非岁月可除也，愿大王察之。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人谨受教。chen mu：i want to mand the army to attack lingwu，and i want to defeat xie hu to inform the world，sir taught me what to do？xiao fan：i think，in fact， he does not have much ambition，he was afraid that you would kill him， which is why he betrayed，you should pardon him and give him another chance，at the same time， you should release his family，his family will definitely explain the reason to him，they have been given a chance to be born again， so they will surely surrender to you，if there are still those who do not surrender，then i will lead five thousand soldiers to fight with them for you，now， there are too many rebels there，even if you lead the army to attack it，it will also take several months，i hope you think about it。chen mu：sir is right，i respectfully accept your teachings。陈牧：寡人少时，闻曾子杀猪，甚惑焉，先生何以教我？萧凡：臣以为，父母者，婴儿之先师也，婴儿非有知也，听父母之教，待父母而学也，今若欺之，是教子欺也，是以曾子杀猪，以成其信也，楚厉王与百姓戏，有警击鼓而民不赴，失信于天下也。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人受教矣。chen mu：when i was a child， i heard the story of zeng zi killing pigs，i"m confused about that，sir taught me why？xiao fan：i think，parents are a child"s first teacher，the child does not know much，they wait for their parents to teach them，then， they will increase their awareness，if you cheat on your child， then you are teaching him to cheat，therefore， zeng zi killed pigs to teach his children good faith，king chu used to joke with the people，later， the king of chu was really in danger，however， the people did not go to his rescue，because the king of chu lost his good faith。chen mu：sir is right，i accept your teachings。陈牧：今北方无事，寡人欲作乾元观及西宫，起凌霄台于孟津，营皇陵于北邙，先生以为如何？萧凡：臣以为，卫文公承乱亡之后，节用爱民，营建宫室，得其时制，故能兴康叔之业，延九百之祚。前奉诏书营乾元观，百姓咸讥其奢侈，以一观之功，足以平西夏矣！今又欲拟阿房而建西宫，法琼台而起凌霄，其为劳费，数倍乾元，若以资军旅，乃可兼蜀而壹楚矣！又闻营建皇陵，周围四里，深三十五丈，以铜为椁，饰以黄金；功费若此，殆非国内之所能办也。秦始皇下锢三泉，土未干而发毁。自古无不亡之国、不掘之墓，故圣王之俭葬，乃深远之虑也。大王奈何于中兴之日，而踵亡国之事乎！陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人知过矣。chen mu：today， the world is stable， so i want to build some palaces， taoist temples and imperial tombs，sir，what do you think？xiao fan：i think，king wei inherited the chaotic state，he was thrifty and cared for his people，even if he builds palaces， he builds them on a small scale，at the same time， it does not go against the season，thus， he revitalized the country and continued it for hundreds of years，when you build the qianyuan taoist temple， people satirize your extravagance，its cost is enough for us to pacify the western xia kingdom，moreover， the cost of building a palace is several times more than that of the taoist temple，if the money is spent on military expenses，then the state of shu and the state of chu can also be pacified by us，it costs more for you to build the imperial tomb，nor is the state treasury enough to support it，qin shi huang did the same thing，his empire perished，his palace was destroyed，his imperial tomb was stolen，therefore， the holy king advocated simple funerals，you should revitalize the country，and not learn from him。chen mu：sir is right，i was wrong。陈牧：寡人欲法始皇帝，筑九钟以御天下，先生以为如何？萧凡：臣以为，大王前修观，今又筑钟，乃欲无穷也，是重敛于民也，民必哀矣，以民之哀为乐，不祥也，非圣主明王所为也，臣窃以为不妥，愿大王以刘聪为鉴。陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人知过矣。chen mu：i want to build nine bronze bells to deter the world， like qin shi huang，sir， what do you think？xiao fan：i think，you have just built the taoist temple，now， you want to build a bronze bell，your desire is too deep，if you do this， it will burden the people，the people will definitely plain about this，you take pleasure in the suffering of the people，that is not auspicious，the holy king should not have done something like that，i do not approve of you doing this，i want you to reflect from liu cong。chen mu：sir is right，i was wrong。