The King of Chu was about to send Zhang Zi (Zhang Yi) back to his own state, yet he feared that Zhang Zi might bring harm upon him. He therefore said to the ministers at his side, “Now that Zhang Zi has come, I wish to humiliate him, so as to display the majesty of our state of Chu.” All the ministers voiced their approval. When Zhang Zi learned of this, he said to his attendants, “I have heard that the King of Chu intends to humiliate me. I shall devise a stratagem to avert it.” When he was granted an audience with the King, the King received him with an overbearing and fierce demeanor. Zhang Zi then said, “If Your Majesty wishes to humiliate me, I beg leave to respond with words. In former times, Duke Huan of Qi encountered Guan Zhong, and, loosening his robes and cap, reverently sought his counsel. Guan Zhong thereupon assisted the state of Qi and made it hegemon over the feudal lords. Now, if Your Majesty wishes to humiliate me, I fear that Chu possesses no worthy minister greater than Guan Zhong, and that Your Majesty’s rites may not accord with those of Duke Huan of Qi.” The King of Chu, overcome with shame, thereafter treated Zhang Zi with great generosity and escorted him back to his own state.
💡 商战启示录
Zhang Yi's counter-strategy exemplifies the commercial wisdom of "turning crisis into opportunity." Faced with the hostility of the King of Chu, he did not meet force with force, but instead drew upon historical analogies to elevate the matter of personal dignity into a question of whether Chu would honor worthy talents—thereby compelling the king to change his stance. This offers a lesson for modern business negotiations: when the other party applies pressure or attempts to humiliate, one should not confront directly, but rather deftly shift the focus, raising the issue to a higher plane—such as corporate image, industry standing, or the value of long-term cooperation. For instance, when a startup founder was negotiating with an industry titan that dismissed the startup's scale, the founder invoked the parable of "Tian Ji's horse race," emphasizing the startup's unique advantages in its niche and proposing possibilities for win-win collaboration, ultimately turning the tide and securing investment. Zhang Yi's brilliance lies not only in defusing the crisis but also in seizing the opportunity to reinforce the dignity of himself and the state he represented. Similarly, business professionals facing unfair treatment can transform adversity into brand influence through professional excellence and strategic foresight. Moreover, Zhang Yi anticipated risks and prepared in advance—a reminder that enterprises should cultivate "contingency awareness," conducting scenario simulations of potential challenges so as to seize the initiative in any confrontation.