King Huai of Chu was about to release Zhang Yi, yet he feared that Zhang Yi might harm Chu's interests. Jin Shang said to King Huai, "Allow me to follow Zhang Yi; perhaps I can accomplish something for Chu." King Huai replied, "Very well." Jin Shang then went to Zhang Yi's residence and, feigning sincerity, said to him, "I have heard that Your Excellency considers the King of Chu unjust and therefore wishes to leave Chu. Now that you are departing, I beg to go ahead of you to Wei to survey the road." Zhang Yi asked, "Where do you intend to go?" Jin Shang said, "I shall go to Wei." Zhang Yi said, "If you go to Wei, you will surely be detained by the King of Wei." Jin Shang inquired, "How do you know this?" Zhang Yi replied, "The King of Wei desires fine jade, and you possess it; he desires beauties of Qin, and you possess them; but he desires territory, and you have none. Since you lack territory, the King of Wei will certainly not keep you." Jin Shang asked, "If that is so, what counsel do you offer?" Zhang Yi said, "Return, and in the name of the King of Chu, speak to the King of Wei thus: 'The King of Chu holds Zhang Yi in great esteem and does not wish him to leave Chu; therefore he has sent me, hoping to exchange Qin's fine jade and beauties for Zhang Yi.' The King of Wei will surely rejoice and detain you." Jin Shang returned and reported these words to King Huai, who then abandoned his intention to release Zhang Yi.
💡 商战启示录
This strategic passage reveals Zhang Yi's masterful game-playing: he saw through Jin Shang's intentions but did not directly obstruct him—instead, he redirected the other's actions through "informational reframing." In modern business, this resembles the wisdom of "expectation management" and "resource substitution." For instance, in commercial negotiations, when a competitor attempts to poach your core talent, rather than confronting them head-on, it may be wiser to proactively signal that "this individual is of paramount strategic importance to us, and we are willing to exchange other resources," thereby raising the cost for the other party to retain that talent, or prompting them to seek alternative collaborations instead. Zhang Yi's approach also embodies "leveraging momentum to guide": by capitalizing on Jin Shang's assessment of the King of Wei's needs, he transformed a threat into an opportunity, causing Jin Shang to voluntarily abandon his original plan. This teaches business leaders that when facing external disruptions, one should not merely play defense but must discern the other party's core motivations (such as Jin Shang's desire to earn merit) and design a path that is mutually beneficial—or at least not detrimental to oneself. Another example: when a tech company faces talent poaching by industry giants, it can publicly emphasize its core team's technological moats and future vision, making the poaching party conclude that the cost is too high and abandon the attempt. In sum, superior strategy is not about clashing head-on, but about steering opponents—through informational manipulation and interest restructuring—so that in choices they believe to be advantageous, they unknowingly move in the direction you have set.