陈牧：今西凉献祥瑞，寡人当如何处置？先生教我。
萧凡：臣以为，王者所宝为贤，嘉禾神芝，皆虚美尔，所以《春秋》不书祥瑞，愿大王申令有司，自今凡有嘉瑞、奇兽，勿复以闻，皆勿得献。
陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人谨受教。
Chen Mu: Recently， the Xiliang region has presented some auspicious signs. How should I handle this? Sir taught me。
Xiao Fan: I believe that what a ruler should truly value is talented and virtuous individuals. Things like auspicious grains and divine herbs are merely superficial symbols of good fortune. That is why the *Spring and Autumn Annals* do not record such auspicious events. I hope Your Majesty will issue an order to the relevant departments that from now on， any reports of auspicious signs or rare beasts should no longer be submitted， and such items should not be presented.
Chen Mu: sir is right，I respectfully accept your teachings。
陈牧：今关中旱饥，寡人当如何处置？先生教我。
萧凡：臣以为，夫腹饥不得食，肤寒不得衣，虽慈母不能保其子，君安能以有其民哉？明主知其然也，为天下计，大王当谴宣慰使，开仓济民，通渭水以解旱情，宽赋敛，省徭役，理冤狱，则，民心可得而有也。
陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人谨受教。
Chen Mu: Currently， the Guanzhong region is suffering from drought and famine. How should I handle this?Sir taught me。
Xiao Fan: I believe that when the people are hungry and have no food to eat， or cold with no clothes to wear， even a loving mother cannot protect her children. How then can a ruler expect to retain the loyalty of his people? A wise ruler understands this and acts for the sake of the realm. Your Majesty should dispatch envoys to comfort the people， open the granaries to provide relief， divert the Wei River to alleviate the drought， reduce taxes and corvée labor， and rectify unjust legal cases. By doing so， the hearts of the people will be won， and the state will be secure.
Chen Mu: sir is right，I respectfully accept your teachings。
陈牧：太原公陈泰，英果似寡人，先生以为如何？
萧凡：臣以为，为人君者，动静举措，不可不慎，发于中必形于外，天下无不知之，今王后、世子皆无恙，若奸臣逆探王意，知大王奇爱太原公，必有危王后、世子之心，卒成巫蛊之祸，悔之晚矣！
陈牧：非先生之言，寡人几著大错，当为先生秘之。
Chen Mu: Taiyuan Duke Chen Tai is wise and decisive， much like myself. What do you think of him， sir?
Xiao Fan: I believe that as a ruler， every action and decision must be made with great caution. What is in your heart will inevitably manifest in your actions， and nothing escapes the notice of the world. Currently， the queen and the crown prince are both safe and well. However， if treacherous ministers secretly infer your intentions and realize Your Majesty's particular fondness for Taiyuan Duke， they may harbor ill intentions toward the queen and the crown prince. This could eventually lead to disasters like the witchcraft calamities of old， and by then， it would be too late for regrets!
Chen Mu: Had it not been for your words， sir， I would have nearly made a grave mistake. I will heed your advice and keep this matter confidential.
陈牧：今春以来，怪事连连，寡人甚惑之，先生何以教我？
萧凡：臣以为，天子见怪则修德，诸侯见怪则修政，卿大夫见怪则修职，士庶人见怪则修身，愿大王着御史，巡梁地，抚百姓，访冤情，惩吏治，差可解过。
陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人谨受教。
Chen Mu: Since the beginning of this spring， strange events have been occurring one after another， and I am deeply perplexed by them. Sir taught me what to do？
Xiao Fan: I believe that when the Son of Heaven encounters strange events， he should cultivate his virtue; when feudal lords encounter them， they should rectify their governance; when ministers and high officials encounter them， they should fulfill their duties; and when scholars and common people encounter them， they should cultivate their own conduct. I hope Your Majesty will dispatch imperial censors to inspect the Liang region， comfort the people， investigate grievances， and reform the administration. This may help resolve these anomalies.
Chen Mu: sir is right，I respectfully accept your teachings。
陈牧：今与先生对弈，寡人输矣，先生何以教我？
萧凡：臣以为，棋者，以正合其势，以权制其敌，故计定于内而势成于外，战未合而算胜者，得算多也，算不胜者，得算少也，战已合而不知胜负者，无算也。
陈牧：先生之言是也，暗合兵法之道，寡人受教矣。
Chen Mu: Today， I lost in a game of chess against you， sir. What guidance can you offer?
Xiao Fan: I believe that the key to chess lies in using standard strategies to build one's advantage and flexible tactics to constrain the opponent. Thus， plans are formulated in the mind， while advantages are formed in the external situation. If victory is determined through calculation before the battle even begins， it is because the calculations are thorough; if defeat is anticipated after calculation， it is because the calculations are insufficient; and if the outcome remains uncertain after the battle， it means there was no calculation at all.
Chen Mu: Your words are wise， sir， and they align with the principles of military strategy. I have learned much from your teaching.
陈牧：今楚王凌吾太甚，寡人欲伐之，可乎？先生何以教我？
萧凡：臣以为，楚王僭逆之心久矣，国家所以略其衅情者，求犄角之援也，今若加显绝，雠我必深，便当移兵东与齐、燕并力，则中原必乱、大势去矣，且彼贤才尚多，将相辑穆，未可一朝而定也，顿兵相持，坐而须老，使燕、齐得计，非策之上者，愿大王含垢忍耻，连楚以制燕、齐，暂待须臾，北方大定之日，便是吾王旌旗南指之时。
陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人愿忍之。
Chen Mu: The King of Chu has been treating us with great disrespect， and I am considering launching a campaign against him. Is this advisable? What guidance can you offer， sir?
Xiao Fan: I believe that the King of Chu has long harbored ambitions of overstepping his authority and rebelling. The reason our state has tolerated his provocations so far is to secure his support as a strategic ally. If we now openly break with him， he will surely harbor deep resentment toward us. We would then need to divert our forces eastward to join forces with Qi and Yan to confront him， which would inevitably throw the Central Plains into chaos and cause us to lose our strategic advantage. Moreover， Chu has many talented individuals， and its generals and ministers are in harmony. It is not a situation that can be resolved overnight. If we station our troops in a standoff and wait passively， it will only allow Yan and Qi to gain the upper hand. This is not the best strategy. I hope Your Majesty can endure this humiliation and ally with Chu to restrain Yan and Qi， biding your time for the right moment. When the situation in the north stabilizes， that will be the time for Your Majesty to march south.
Chen Mu: sir is right. I am willing to endure this for now.
陈牧：今车骑将军郭况，大败契丹于敦煌，寡人当如何处置？先生教我。
萧凡：臣以为，非我族类，其心必异，强必寇盗，弱则卑伏，不顾恩义，晋末乱华即是明证，迁之河套以为屏障可也，切勿处之内地以生肘腋之患。
陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人谨受教。
Chen Mu: Today， General Guo Kuang has achieved a great victory over the Khitan at Dunhuang. How should I handle this matter? Sir taught me。
Xiao Fan: I believe that those who are not of our own kind will inevitably have different intentions. When they are strong， they become bandits; when they are weak， they feign submission. They do not care for gratitude or righteousness， as evidenced by the chaos at the end of the Jin Dynasty. We should relocate them to the He Tao region to serve as our buffer. However， we must never allow them to remain in the heartland， lest they become a hidden danger.
Chen Mu: sir is right，I respectfully accept your teachings。
陈牧：世人皆乐生惧死，寡人亦然，先生以为如何？
萧凡：臣以为，生，吾所愿也，死，吾所惧也，然天有定数，人有运数，吾，欣然往之，不亦可乎，当生则生，当死则死。
陈牧：先生之言壮哉，寡人受教矣。
Chen Mu: Everyone desires to live and fears death， and so do I. What is your view on this， sir?
Xiao Fan: I believe that life is what I desire， and death is what I fear. However， destiny is predetermined， and each person has their own fate. I accept it willingly， is that not acceptable? Live when it's time to live， and die when it's time to die.
Chen Mu: sir is right，I accept your teachings。
陈牧：古者圣王之制，何也？寡人愿闻先生之见。
萧凡：夫圣王之制，史在前书过失，工诵箴谏，庶人谤于道，商旅议于市，然后君得闻过失也，闻其过失而改之，见义而从之，所以永有天下也，此乃圣王之制也。
陈牧：先生之言是也，寡人谨受教。
Chen Mu: What were the systems of the ancient sage kings? I would like to hear your perspective， sir.
Xiao Fan: The systems of the ancient sage kings were as follows: historians recorded the faults of the rulers， craft**en recited admonitions to offer advice， common people discussed on the streets， and merchants debated in the markets. In this way， the ruler could hear about his own faults， correct them upon hearing， and follow righteousness when he saw it. Only then could he maintain possession of the realm for a long time. This was the system of the sage kings.
Chen Mu：sir is right，I respectfully accept your teachings。
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