King Huai of Chu intended to send Zhang Zi away from the state of Chu, yet he feared that doing so would thwart his own schemes and cost him the support of Qin. Thus he hesitated, unable to decide. A minister at his side said, “If Your Majesty would follow my counsel, it would be best to forge a secret alliance with Qin while outwardly breaking with Zhang Zi.” The King said, “Well spoken.” Thereupon he dispatched warriors to revile the King of Qi, who flew into a rage and consequently treated Zhang Zi with great discourtesy. Zhang Zi, angered, departed from Chu and made his way to Qin. Qin then sent Zhang Zi back to Chu, but the King of Chu refused to receive him. Zhang Zi said, “Does Your Majesty seek nothing from Qin?” The King of Chu replied, “Indeed, I do not.” Zhang Zi said, “If Your Majesty seeks something from Qin and fails to obtain it, then the state of Chu will surely be imperiled. Now I am willing to employ the might of Qin on Your Majesty’s behalf to obtain what you desire—how would that be?” The King said, “Excellent.” Zhang Zi then returned to Qin and said to the King of Qin, “The King of Chu has desires toward Qin but cannot obtain them; I fear Chu will grow wrathful. Permit me to go back and observe how the situation unfolds.” The King of Qin said, “Very well.” After Zhang Zi returned to his own state, the King of Chu sent envoys to Qin to request territory, but Qin refused. The King of Chu, enraged, thereupon severed relations with Qin. Zhang Zi then said to the King of Qin, “Now that the King of Chu has broken with Qin, he will surely place great importance on Qi. If Qi and Chu unite, then Qin will be in danger. It would be better to grant Chu territory, so as to drive a wedge between Qi and Chu.” The King of Qin said, “Well spoken.” So he gave land to Chu, and the King of Chu, overjoyed, promptly cut off ties with Qi. Zhang Zi further said to the King of Qin, “Chu has now severed its bond with Qi, and will surely hold Qin in contempt. Pray send troops to press upon its borders; Chu will be stricken with fear, and fear will drive it to serve Qin.” The King of Qin said, “Good.” He then dispatched an army to menace the frontier, and the King of Chu, seized with terror, sent envoys to pledge his service to Qin. Thus did Zhang Zi’s machinations ultimately bring Chu to ally with Qin and break with Qi—and the King of Chu, deceived by Zhang Zi to the very end, never once awakened to the truth.
💡 商战启示录
Zhang Zi's (Zhang Yi's) chain strategy is a quintessential example of "making a feint to the east while attacking in the west" and "sowing discord among alliances." In modern business, it manifests as gaining negotiating leverage by creating illusions and dividing competitors' alliances. For instance, in the tech industry, a company might deliberately leak rumors of a partnership with Giant A, when in reality it aims to pressure Giant B into offering more favorable terms—much like how King Chu, who "openly severed ties with Zhang Zi," was instead exploited by Zhang Yi. Zhang Yi first induced King Chu to break with Qi, then tempted him with promises of land, and finally coerced him with military might—step by step, much like modern enterprises using "feigned acquisitions" to extract core intelligence from rivals, or employing the "give first, take later" strategy: first conceding profits to partners to foster dependence, then raising the threshold. King Chu's failure lay in his lack of strategic resolve, swayed by short-term gains, while Zhang Yi understood deeply the power of "information asymmetry," continually manufacturing false expectations until he controlled the situation. The lessons for business warfare: first, be wary of an opponent's "benevolent" concessions, which may conceal traps; second, maintain the stability of one's own alliances, avoiding the destruction of long-term trust for petty gains; third, like Zhang Yi, actively set the tempo in the game rather than merely reacting. The true victor is one who can see three moves ahead.