King Huai of Chu was about to release Zhang Yi back to the state of Qin, yet he feared that once Zhang Yi returned, he might act against Chu's interests. Jin Shang said to the king, "Allow me to follow Zhang Yi. Whatever Zhang Yi says, Your Majesty is sure to believe, and I can observe him on Your Majesty's behalf. If Zhang Yi harbors treacherous intentions, I shall kill him." The king consented, and Jin Shang journeyed alongside Zhang Yi.
When Zhang Yi arrived in Chu, the king indeed trusted him and wished to adopt his counsel. Jin Shang said, "Let me first observe him." Zhang Yi had an audience with the king and said, "If Your Majesty will heed my words—close the border passes and sever the alliance with Qi—I shall offer six hundred li of the Shangyu lands, and let daughters of Qin serve as Your Majesty's concubines, so that Qin and Chu may be joined in marriage and remain brothers forever." The king was overjoyed and agreed. Jin Shang said, "I have heard that Zhang Yi's words serve not Chu but Qin. Qin values Chu, and so tempts it with territory. If Chu breaks with Qi, Qin will surely renege on its promise; the land will not be obtained, and Qi's resentment will follow. I beg Your Majesty not to believe him." The king would not listen and ultimately severed ties with Qi. Qin indeed broke its word, the land was never gained, and Qi and Qin joined forces to attack, plunging Chu into dire straits.
💡 商战启示录
This strategy reveals the information asymmetry and the risk of strategic miscalculation in business negotiations. King Huai of Chu, trusting Zhang Yi's "empty promise" without verifying the other party's true position, rashly severed the strategic alliance with Qi, only to fall into the predicament of "losing both ends." In modern business, similar cases abound: a startup, lured by a giant corporation's "intent to cooperate," abruptly terminated its exclusive agreement with an existing distribution channel, only to see the giant withdraw its acquisition due to internal upheaval—leaving the company bereft of its core channel and its cash flow severed. Jin Shang's role mirrors that of a corporate "risk control officer": grounded in his insight into Zhang Yi's motives ("acting for Qin, not for Chu"), he raised objections, yet the king, blinded by greed and short-sightedness, ignored the warning. This serves as a cautionary tale for entrepreneurs: in major collaborations, one must establish multi-dimensional verification mechanisms and avoid staking critical decisions on unilateral promises. Zhang Yi's strategy corresponds to the modern "bait negotiation"—exaggerating benefits (six hundred li of land) to lure the other party into irreversible concessions (breaking with Qi), and once the hook is taken, revealing the true intent. Thus, the "strategic alliance" in commercial warfare, like the Chu-Qi relationship, must be founded on contracts and mutual trust, and must not be lightly abandoned for external bait. The truly wise, like Jin Shang, see through the fog of rhetoric, assess the long-term landscape of interests, and are not blinded by transient temptations.