Zhang Yi, seeking to dismantle the Vertical Alliance and promote the Horizontal Alliance for the state of Qin, spoke to the King of Yan, saying: "No feudal lord is closer to Your Majesty than the state of Zhao. In former times, the King of Zhao gave his elder sister in marriage to the King of Dai as his wife, yet he harbored the desire to annex Dai, and arranged a meeting with the King of Dai at the Juzhu Pass. He had his craftsmen fashion a golden vessel with an unusually long handle, so long that it could be wielded as a weapon to strike a man. When the King of Zhao drank with the King of Dai, he secretly instructed the cook, saying: 'When the wine has reached its height of merriment, serve the hot broth, and seize the moment to turn the golden vessel and strike the King of Dai.' Thus, when the drinking was at its most jovial, the cook presented the steaming soup, and as the King of Dai bent to drink it, he turned the vessel and struck him, dashing his brains upon the ground. When the King of Zhao's sister heard of this, she sharpened her hairpin and stabbed herself to death. Hence, to this day, there stands Mount Moji, known to all under heaven. The King of Zhao is cruel and violent, disowning even his own kin—this Your Majesty has seen with your own eyes and knows full well. Moreover, the reason Zhao has not yet perished is that it has Yan as its shield. Now Zhao, in its ambition to swallow Dai, deems Yan too weak to dare launch an attack upon it. Should Zhao grow strong, then Yan will surely be devoured by Zhao. Now Your Majesty treats Zhao with closeness, like limbs of one body, yet the King of Zhao harbors no true affection for Yan—his intent is but to annex it. If Your Majesty does not serve Qin, and Qin dispatches its armies from Yunzhong and Jiuyuan, driving Zhao to attack Yan, then the Yi River and the Great Wall will no longer belong to Your Majesty. Moreover, Zhao now stands before Qin like a mere commandery or county, not daring to stir lightly or raise arms in campaign. Now if Your Majesty serves Qin, the King of Qin will surely rejoice, and Zhao will not dare to act rashly. Thus Yan shall have the strong support of Qin to the west, and no calamity from Qi or Zhao to the south. Therefore, I entreat Your Majesty to ponder this matter carefully." The King of Yan replied: "I dwell in a land of barbarians, and though I am a man of stature, my wit is as that of an infant—my words are insufficient to attain the true path, and my counsel is insufficient to decide great affairs. Now that this honored guest has deigned to instruct me, I am willing to offer my state and serve Qin to the west, presenting the five cities at the foot of Mount Heng."
💡 商战启示录
Zhang Yi's strategy stands as a classic case of wielding both "threat and allure" in commercial warfare. He first exposed Zhao's past transgressions to sow discord between Yan and Zhao, then brandished Qin's military might as a menace, and finally enticed the King of Yan with the promise that "submission to Qin ensures safety," compelling him to yield. In modern business negotiations, this tactic is frequently deployed in mergers or partnership talks. For instance, a tech giant seeking to acquire a startup might first cite market reports to highlight looming competitors and the target's limited resources, manufacturing a sense of urgency; it then showcases its own platform advantages and financial strength, implying that cooperation would bring traffic and capital support, while refusal could mean being crushed by rivals. This mirrors Zhang Yi's approach—first dismantling Yan's trust by calling Zhao's king "cruel and treacherous," then applying pressure with "Qin troops descending on Yunzhong," and finally offering the sweetener of "powerful Qin backing in the west." Corporate decision-makers must remain vigilant against such "divide-and-conquer" rhetoric, preserving independent judgment in partnerships to avoid forfeiting long-term strategic autonomy out of fear or short-term gain. Simultaneously, one may learn from Zhang Yi's acumen in reading an opponent's psyche and his step-by-step negotiation finesse, seizing the initiative in commercial contests.