Su Qin, seeking to form a vertical alliance for Chu, went to persuade the King of Han, saying: "Your kingdom of Han possesses to the north the strong cities of Gong and Luoyang and Chenggao, to the west the perilous passes of Yiyang and Changban, to the east the towns of Wan and Rang and the waters of Wei, and to the south the Xingshan mountains—a territory a thousand li square, with several hundred thousand soldiers. All the finest crossbows and powerful bows of the realm come from Han. The famous bows—Xizi, Shaofu, Shili, and Julai—can all shoot beyond six hundred paces. Han soldiers, bracing their feet upon the bows, can loose a hundred bolts without cease; at distance they pierce the enemy's breast, at close range they strike the heart. The swords and halberds of Han's troops come from Mingshan, Tangxi, Moyang, and Hebo. The renowned blades—Dengshi, Yuanfeng, Longyuan, and Tai'e—can sever oxen and horses on land, strike down swans and geese in water, and hew through stout armor when facing foes. Armor, helmets, iron greaves, leather bracers, and shield-straps—nothing is lacking. With the valor of Han's soldiers, clad in sturdy armor, treading mighty crossbows, bearing keen blades, one man can withstand a hundred. Yet with the strength of Han and the wisdom of Your Majesty, you would turn westward to serve Qin, calling yourself a vassal of the east, building palaces for the King of Qin, accepting his caps and girdles, offering tribute in spring and autumn, and bowing in submission—bringing shame upon your state and mockery from all under heaven; nothing could be more grievous than this. Therefore I beg Your Majesty to consider the matter carefully. Should you serve Qin, Qin will surely demand the cession of Yiyang and Chenggao. If you yield them now, next year it will ask for more territory. Give in, and there will be no land left to offer; refuse, and all former efforts are undone, inviting future calamity. Moreover, Your Majesty's land is finite, while Qin's greed knows no bound. To satisfy limitless avarice with finite territory is what is called sowing resentment and purchasing disaster—without a single battle, your land is already diminished. I have heard the common saying: 'Better to be the beak of a chicken than the rump of an ox.' Now if Your Majesty bows westward in servitude to Qin, how is that different from being the ox's rump? With your wisdom and the might of Han's armies, yet earning the name of 'ox's hindquarters,' I privately feel shame on your behalf." The King of Han flushed with rage, rolled up his sleeves, grasped his sword, and looking up to heaven with a long sigh, declared: "Even if I die, I will never serve Qin. Now, Sir, you have instructed me with the counsel of the King of Chu—I am willing to offer my entire kingdom in allegiance to Chu."
💡 商战启示录
Su Qin's core strategy in persuading King Han lay in precisely identifying and dismantling the king's psychological defenses while offering a clear calculus of interests. He first showcased Korea's own strength—its product advantages—then pointed out the humiliation of submitting to Qin, a blow to national brand, and finally invoked the metaphor "Better to be the beak of a chicken than the rump of an ox" to stir the king's pride, guiding him toward a choice aligned with his long-term interests. In modern commercial warfare, this strategy is often deployed in merger negotiations or supply-chain contests. Consider a startup tech company holding core technology yet facing pressure to be acquired by an industry giant. If the founder sees only the short-term capital infusion, they may forfeit independence and long-term innovation space. At this juncture, a strategic advisor might borrow Su Qin's approach: first, emphasize the technology's unique market value—its patent moat; then reveal the risk of becoming a mere appendage of the giant, with the technology marginalized, much like being the "rump of an ox"; finally, paint a vision of "remaining independent and becoming a leader in a niche field"—the "beak of a chicken"—to rekindle the founder's entrepreneurial conviction, thereby rejecting the unjust acquisition in favor of strategic financing or partnership. Su Qin's brilliance lies not in sheer intimidation but in concretizing the cost of serving Qin—territory diminishing piece by piece—as an analogy for the trap of "continuous resource extraction" in business, enabling decision-makers to weigh rationally and choose the path of self-strengthening. This teaches modern enterprises that when facing formidable rivals, one must excavate one's own irreplaceable advantages and clearly quantify the long-term costs of compromise, only then can strategic choices be made that honor one's mission.