King Huai of Chu was about to release Zhang Yi back to the State of Qin, yet he harbored misgivings that Zhang Yi might undermine Chu's interests. Jin Shang said to the king, "Allow me to accompany Zhang Yi. Should he attempt any treachery, I vow to stain him with the blood of my own neck." The king replied, "Very well." He thus dispatched Jin Shang to travel alongside Zhang Yi. Upon Zhang Yi's arrival in the State of Chu, the king did not receive him with due courtesy. Zhang Yi said to Jin Shang, "As you counsel the King of Chu, why not suggest that he appoint me as chancellor of the State of Wei?" Jin Shang replied, "Agreed." He then addressed the king, saying, "I have heard that Zhang Yi wishes to proceed to Wei. Would it not be opportune for Your Majesty to turn this to advantage by installing him as Wei's chancellor? In doing so, Chu would secure an alliance with Wei, and Zhang Yi would likewise be beholden to Your Majesty." The king said, "Very well," and gave his consent. Thus Zhang Yi became chancellor of the State of Wei.
💡 商战启示录
In this strategy, Zhang Yi, through Jin Shang, conveyed to the King of Chu a signal of "usable value," transforming himself from an "envoy of a hostile state" into the "Chancellor of Wei." Seemingly a concession, it was in truth a means to expand his own sphere of influence through the King of Chu's power, while simultaneously laying groundwork for Qin. In modern commercial warfare, this strategy resembles "borrowing force to strike" and "value reconstruction." For instance, when a tech company CEO negotiates with a competitor, he might proactively offer to "serve as an advisor to the rival's subsidiary"—ostensibly lowering hostility, yet in reality using the advisory role to gain access to the competitor's core data and decision-making intelligence, thereby strengthening his own competitiveness in reverse. Similarly, multinational corporations entering emerging markets often establish "joint ventures" in cooperation with local governments—appearing to yield profits, yet in truth leveraging government resources to open channels and exploiting policy barriers to edge out other rivals. The key insight: in business gamesmanship, one should not readily reject an opponent's "show of weakness" or "proposal for cooperation," but rather analyze whether it conceals an intent to "deploy a formation through borrowed circumstances." At the same time, corporate leaders should learn, like Zhang Yi, to convert their own disadvantages into bargaining chips, and by redefining their role—such as shifting from adversary to partner—alter the dynamics of the game, ultimately achieving the effect of "subduing the enemy without fighting."