The state of Zhao seized the sacrificial lands of Zhou, and the ruler of Zhou was deeply troubled by this, confiding his worries to Zheng Chao. Zheng Chao said, "Your Majesty need not fret; I request thirty pieces of gold to recover the sacrificial lands." The ruler of Zhou granted him the gold. Zheng Chao presented it to the chief diviner of Zhao, and took the opportunity to speak of the matter of the sacrificial lands. Later, when the King of Zhao fell ill and summoned the diviner to ascertain the cause, the diviner reproachfully declared, "It is the sacrificial lands of Zhou that bring this curse." The King of Zhao thereupon returned the lands to Zhou.
💡 商战启示录
This strategy illustrates the pivotal role of information and public opinion in strategic contests. Zheng Chao bribed the chief diviner of Zhao—a key node in the information chain—and, by fabricating the rumor of a "divine curse," swayed the King of Zhao's decision, ultimately recovering lost territory without expending a single soldier. In modern commercial warfare, this parallels how enterprises shape a favorable public-opinion environment by influencing industry experts, media, or regulatory bodies. For instance, when a tech company faces a patent lawsuit from a competitor, it may engage authoritative technical experts to issue public analyses that dismantle the opponent's claims on technical grounds, or guide public perception through media channels, thereby seizing the initiative in negotiations. Similarly, in business negotiations, one party may preemptively release information about "shifting market trends" or "internal cost pressures" to alter the counterpart's expectations. The crux lies in identifying the "chief diviner" within the opponent's decision-making chain—the key individual or information conduit capable of swaying the final outcome—and applying precisely calibrated measures. However, such maneuvers must operate within legal and ethical boundaries; otherwise, they risk triggering a crisis of credibility. The true wisdom of commercial strategy resides in leveraging information asymmetry and steering public opinion, yet its foundation remains product excellence and integrity-driven operations.