The King of Chu was about to release Zhang Zi (Zhang Yi) back to his own state, yet he feared that Zhang Zi might harm Chu's interests. Jin Shang said to the King, "Allow me to follow Zhang Zi; if he harbors any disloyal intent, I shall strive against him even at the cost of my life." The King consented, and Jin Shang accompanied Zhang Zi on his journey. When Zhang Zi arrived in Chu, the King bestowed upon him a hundred pieces of gold. Zhang Zi declined, saying, "I have heard that there are skilled singers in the land of Chu; permit me to sing a song for Your Majesty." The King agreed. Zhang Zi sang: "The leaves of Dongting fall adrift, the waves of Zhugong surge and shift." The King, moved to sorrow, said, "Sing no more; I shall reward you richly." Zhang Zi then said to Jin Shang, "Allow me to persuade the King on your behalf, so that Chu may not accept Qin." Jin Shang agreed. Zhang Zi thereupon went to see the King and said, "If Your Majesty could truly heed my counsel, I would see Qin and Chu become brothers for generations to come; I beg Your Majesty to ponder this deeply." The King, greatly pleased, gave his consent. Zhang Zi then returned to his own state, and in the end, Chu did not accept Qin.
💡 商战启示录
Zhang Yi's strategy exemplifies the dual wisdom of "moving others through emotion" and "exchanging interests" in commercial negotiations. He first evoked the King of Chu's emotional resonance through mournful verses, lowering his guard, then presented the vision of "Qin and Chu as brothers," redirecting the other party's focus from immediate wariness to long-term interests, ultimately achieving his own objectives. In modern business, this parallels how Apple CEO Tim Cook, when negotiating with Chinese suppliers, first emphasizes cultural affinity and shared vision before proposing technological collaboration plans, thereby dissolving the other side's defensiveness and fostering deep cooperation. Similarly, when Tesla entered the Chinese market, Elon Musk built emotional connections by publicly praising China's market and government policies, then proposed factory construction and localization strategies, securing Chinese support in policy and resources. Zhang Yi's success also lay in his use of Jin Shang as an intermediary to relay information and probe the other side's bottom line—a role corresponding to the "public relations consultant" in modern enterprises, who ascertains the counterpart's true needs and psychological state before negotiations. However, Zhang Yi ultimately failed to honor his promise of "not annexing Chu," serving as a reminder to business professionals to remain vigilant against the strategic intent behind "emotional offensives" in partnerships, and to establish clear contractual and supervisory mechanisms to avoid being seduced by the other party's "vision" while overlooking substantive terms.