The King of Yan wished to attack Zhao. When the King of Zhao learned of this, he said to Su Dai, "The King of Yan is about to come against us—how shall I respond?" Su Dai replied, "I have heard that those who pursue fame contend in the court, while those who pursue profit contend in the marketplace. Now Your Majesty wishes to attack Zhao, but the King of Zhao has already heard of it and will surely strengthen his defenses. It would be better for Your Majesty to send a letter to the King of Zhao, saying: 'In former days, Yan and Zhao lived in harmony like brothers. Now I hear that Your Majesty wishes to attack me, and I privately think that for Your Majesty's own sake, it would be better to cease the use of arms. Moreover, men of talent under heaven are not found in Yan alone—Zhao has them too; nor in Zhao alone—Yan has them as well. Now if Your Majesty wishes to attack Zhao, and Zhao has already made ready its defenses, this is to seek empty renown while suffering real calamity. It would be better for Your Majesty to make peace and draw close to Zhao, so as to settle the world.' If this is done, Zhao will surely rejoice, and Yan will be free of disaster. But if Your Majesty insists on attacking Zhao, then I fear the world will laugh at Your Majesty." The King of Yan said, "Well spoken." Thereupon he abandoned his plan to attack Zhao.
💡 商战启示录
This strategy mirrors the interplay of intelligence reconnaissance and strategic deterrence in modern commercial warfare. When King Yan planned to attack Zhao, the King of Zhao learned of it in advance. Su Dai advised using a "letter" to signal goodwill—yet in reality, it was a means to dismantle the enemy's offensive through open information, much like today's enterprises issuing media statements or open letters to release cooperative signals ahead of time, causing competitors to abandon their attacks due to adjusted expectations. For instance, in 2014, Microsoft announced a cloud service partnership with Salesforce—ostensibly collaboration, but in essence, it defused potential competitive acquisition intentions and avoided direct confrontation. Su Dai emphasized "striving for fame at court, striving for profit in the marketplace," warning enterprises not to neglect tangible gains (profit) in their pursuit of market position (fame), lest they fall into price wars or overexpansion that erode profitability. Modern companies often burn cash to seize market share—as seen in the bike-sharing wars, where both sides suffered mutual losses—whereas the wise, like Huawei, adopted cross-licensing with Qualcomm in the 5G domain, employing a "marriage alliance" strategy to share patents, avoiding litigation costs while stabilizing the industry ecosystem. The core of this strategy lies in this: when facing a formidable opponent, first assess their level of preparedness; if they have already fortified their defenses, pivot toward cooperation or differentiation rather than a head-on assault. Meanwhile, leveraging third-party information transmission (such as Su Dai's mediation) can lower the temperature of confrontation and leave room for negotiation. In commercial negotiations, proactively signaling goodwill often compels the other party to recalibrate their expectations, thereby achieving strategic objectives at minimal cost—this is the modern embodiment of "subduing the enemy without fighting."