King Huai of Chu intended to dismiss Zhang Yi from his state, yet he feared that Zhang Yi might undermine his interests. Jin Shang said to the king, "Allow me to follow Zhang Yi; if he shows disrespect to Your Majesty, I shall slay him." The king consented. Jin Shang then journeyed with Zhang Yi, lodging in the same place. Jin Shang said to Zhang Yi, "I have spoken to the king on your behalf; the king wishes to employ you, so you must not depart." Zhang Yi replied, "Very well." Jin Shang returned to see the king and said, "Zhang Yi told me, 'The king wishes to employ me; I shall certainly not leave.' I said, 'The king wishes to employ you; you must not depart.' Zhang Yi said, 'Very well.'" The king angrily asked, "Does Zhang Yi deem me untrustworthy?" Jin Shang said, "Pray let me test him." The king summoned Zhang Yi, who indeed showed no intention of leaving. Thus the king abandoned his thought of dismissing him.
💡 商战启示录
This strategy exemplifies Jin Shang's wisdom in resolving crises through information manipulation and psychological maneuvering. In modern business, similar tactics are frequently employed in crisis public relations and internal power dynamics. For instance, when a tech company CEO faces pressure from the board to step down, a trusted confidant might deliberately leak false information to opponents that "the CEO will voluntarily resign," while simultaneously having the CEO project a firm stance of staying on during meetings—thereby shaking opponents' confidence and turning the tide. Likewise, in corporate merger negotiations, one party may release a smokescreen that "talks with a third party are already underway" to compel concessions from the other side. Jin Shang's brilliance lies in exploiting King Chu's suspicion of Zhang Yi to fabricate an illusion of "Zhang Yi's loyalty," thereby protecting Zhang Yi while stabilizing the king. This teaches managers that, in environments of information asymmetry, proactively steering information flow and crafting key narratives can achieve outsized results with minimal effort. However, such tactics must be grounded in long-term interests, avoiding excessive manipulation that erodes trust. True business wisdom lies in transforming strategic maneuvering into an art of win-win communication, rather than mere deception.