When the state of Qin dispatched its troops and advanced upon the royal domain of Zhou, demanding the Nine Tripods, the Lord of Zhou was deeply troubled and confided his worries to Yan Lü. Yan Lü said: "Your Majesty need not be concerned. Allow me to journey east to the state of Qi and seek aid through borrowed troops."
Upon arriving in Qi, Yan Lü addressed the King of Qi, saying: "Qin, in its tyranny and wanton disregard for righteousness, now threatens the Zhou court with arms to extort the Nine Tripods. The lords and ministers of Zhou have privately deliberated and concluded that rather than surrendering the Tripods to brutal Qin, it would be far better to present them to your noble state. To preserve a state on the brink of ruin is to earn a name of great virtue; to obtain the Nine Tripods is to possess treasures of inestimable worth. I humbly entreat Your Majesty to consider this."
The King of Qi was exceedingly pleased and dispatched fifty thousand soldiers under the command of Chen Chensi to rescue Zhou. The Qin forces thereupon withdrew. Subsequently, Qi pressed its claim for the Nine Tripods, and the Lord of Zhou was again beset by anxiety. Yan Lü said: "Your Majesty need not be concerned. Allow me to go to Qi and resolve this matter."
Arriving once more in Qi, Yan Lü addressed the King of Qi, saying: "The Zhou court, relying upon the righteous intervention of your noble state, has preserved its lords and ministers, its fathers and sons. We now wish to present the Nine Tripods to you, but I am uncertain by which route Your Majesty intends to transport them to Qi."
The King of Qi replied: "I intend to pass through the state of Liang."
Yan Lü said: "That will not do. The lords and ministers of Liang have long coveted the Nine Tripods, plotting beneath the Terrace of Hui and beside the Lake of Shao. Should the Tripods enter Liang, they will surely never emerge."
The King of Qi then said: "I shall pass through the state of Chu."
Yan Lü answered: "That will not do either. The lords and ministers of Chu have schemed for the Tripods for a long time within the courts of Ye. If they enter Chu, they will assuredly not come forth."
The King of Qi asked: "Then by what route, after all, may I transport the Tripods to Qi?"
Yan Lü said: "My humble state has likewise been anxious on Your Majesty's behalf. These Tripods are not like vinegar jars or sauce pots, which one may tuck beneath one's arm or carry in hand and so bring to Qi. Nor are they like birds in flight, hares in their swift bounds, or horses in their gallop, which may arrive in the blink of an eye. In former times, when Zhou conquered Yin, it obtained the Nine Tripods, and each single Tripod required ninety thousand men to haul it; for all nine, eight hundred and ten thousand men were needed, along with soldiers, artisans, implements, and provisions in corresponding measure. Even if Your Majesty commands such a multitude, from what road could they proceed? I am privately anxious on Your Majesty's behalf."
The King of Qi said: "You have come repeatedly, yet in the end it amounts to a refusal."
Yan Lü replied: "I would not dare deceive your noble state. I beg you to decide swiftly upon the route of transport, and my humble state shall move the Tripods forth and await your command."
Only then did the King of Qi abandon the matter.
💡 商战启示录
Yan Lü defused the threat from Qin by "borrowing troops" and later declined Qi's demand for the cauldron through the "logistical puzzle of transporting the tripod," demonstrating consummate skill in crisis management and negotiation. In modern business, this strategy can be applied to navigating the interplay of interests in partnerships. For instance, when a startup faces acquisition pressure from a corporate giant, it may introduce competing investors as "reinforcements" to enhance its bargaining power; when the other party presses for fulfillment of commitments, it can artfully construct a "transportation dilemma"—emphasizing complex obstacles such as technology transfer, regulatory approval, and cultural integration—so that the counterpart withdraws of its own accord. This is not deception but rather the leveraging of information asymmetry and practical constraints to secure the initiative. The essence of Yan Lü's approach lies in "not refusing directly, but inducing the other party to abandon the pursuit themselves." In business negotiations, this translates into guiding the counterpart to reassess the benefits by analyzing costs, risks, and feasibility, thereby reaching an outcome favorable to oneself. At the same time, it serves as a reminder to enterprises that every commitment must account for contingencies, lest short-term gains lead to long-term passivity.