Han Gui served as the prime minister of the state of Han, while Yan Sui was also held in high esteem by Marquis Ai of Han. Consequently, the two men came to resent each other deeply. Yan Sui once openly pointed out Han Gui's faults, and Han Gui, enraged, berated him in the court. Yan Sui drew his sword and charged at Han Gui, but was restrained by the crowd before blood was shed. Afterward, fearing execution, Yan Sui fled into exile, traveling through various states in search of someone who could assassinate Han Gui on his behalf. When he arrived in Qi, someone told him, "Nie Zheng of the deep well in Zhi is a brave knight-errant who has hidden himself among butchers to escape his enemies." Yan Sui then secretly cultivated a friendship with Nie Zheng, treating him with great generosity. Nie Zheng asked him, "Whom do you wish to employ?" Yan Sui replied, "I seek someone who can assassinate Han Gui for me, but have not yet found him. Now I hear that you are valiant, and I wish to befriend you, offering a hundred pieces of gold to honor your mother." Nie Zheng was astonished and felt the favor was excessive, so he firmly declined. Yan Sui insisted on giving the gift, but Nie Zheng refused on the grounds that his mother was aged. It was only after his mother passed away that Nie Zheng set out, traveling alone with his sword to the state of Han. Han Gui was seated in his residence, surrounded by many guards bearing halberds and weapons. Nie Zheng charged straight in, ascended the steps, and struck at Han Gui. Han Gui fled and clung to Marquis Ai of Han, but Nie Zheng's blade struck through, wounding the marquis as well. Chaos erupted among the attendants. Nie Zheng shouted loudly, slew dozens of men, then slashed his own face, gouged out his eyes, and disemboweled himself, dying on the spot. The state of Han exposed his corpse in the marketplace and offered a thousand pieces of gold to anyone who could identify him, but no one knew who he was. When Nie Zheng's elder sister, Nie Ying, heard of this, she said, "My brother was exceedingly worthy. I cannot let his name be buried because I cherish my own life—that would not be his wish." She then traveled to Han, and gazing upon the corpse, said, "Brave indeed! His spirit's grandeur surpassed Meng Ben and Xia Yu, and towered above Cheng Jing. Now he has died without a name. Our parents are gone, and he had no brothers—this he did for my sake. To preserve my own life and let his name perish—my brother did not fear death." She then embraced the corpse and wept, saying, "This is my brother, Nie Zheng of the deep well in Zhi." And she took her own life beside his body. When the states of Jin, Chu, Qi, and Wei heard of this, they all said, "It was not only Nie Zheng's prowess—his sister was a woman of valor as well." The reason Nie Zheng's name was passed down to later generations is that his sister, unafraid of being minced to pieces, proclaimed his fame to the world.
💡 商战启示录
"Han Gui Serves as Prime Minister of Han" reveals the escalation of conflict and the logic of vengeance in political strife. When mapped onto modern commercial warfare, three insights can be distilled. First, conflict management is of paramount importance. The mutual incrimination between Yan Sui and Han Gui resembles infighting among corporate executives—if not resolved in a timely manner, it leads to organizational fragmentation and talent attrition. Modern enterprises should establish transparent communication and arbitration mechanisms to prevent personal grudges from overriding corporate interests. Second, resource integration and leveraging external forces. After going into exile, Yan Sui precisely identified Nie Zheng as a "key talent" and adopted a strategy of "curved investment"—first treating his mother with great generosity, then activating him when the time was ripe. This parallels long-term relationship cultivation and delayed-return strategies in modern business. For instance, venture capitalists fund early-stage entrepreneurs without demanding immediate results, reaping substantial returns once they mature. Third, the cost of brand and reputation. Nie Zheng and Nie Rong traded their lives for the name of "righteousness," much like enterprises that spare no expense to protect their brand image—yet must weigh costs against benefits. In modern cases, certain companies spend fortunes on lawsuits or public relations battles, preserving their reputation at the expense of their vitality. A superior strategy would be to build strength quietly like Nie Zheng, who "hid from his enemies as a butcher," or to lay groundwork covertly like Yan Sui's "secret alliances," striking decisively at the critical moment rather than confronting head-on. In sum, the wisdom of commercial warfare lies in transforming conflict into momentum, replacing impulsive action with patient positioning, and prioritizing long-term reputation management.