During the reign of King Min of Qi, King Zhao of Yan retained Su Qin (Master Su) and consulted with him on plans to attack Qi. Su Qin said: "Qi holds the legacy of hegemony over the feudal lords and possesses the capital of repeated great victories. Its military is highly disciplined and accustomed to offensive warfare. If Your Majesty wishes to attack Qi, you must unite the feudal lords of the realm to confront it together. To unite the realm, the best course is to sever relations with Qi while treating Zhao with great generosity." King Zhao of Yan asked: "I have heard that Qi possesses the Qingji and Zhuo Rivers as natural barriers, and the Great Wall and Jufang as formidable fortifications—is this indeed so?" Su Qin replied: "If the timing of Heaven is unfavorable, even the Qingji and Zhuo Rivers are insufficient as barriers; if the people are weary, even the Great Wall and Jufang are insufficient as fortifications. Moreover, the King of Qi is busily expanding his territory while slighting the welfare of his people. Expanding territory inevitably leads to frequent warfare, and slighting the people inevitably loses their hearts. To wage war and lose the people's hearts is to dismantle one's own city walls." King Zhao of Yan deemed this sound, and accordingly sent Su Qin to forge ties with Zhao and to unite the various states. In time, internal turmoil indeed erupted in Qi, and Yan seized the opportunity to strike, inflicting a great defeat upon Qi's forces.
💡 商战启示录
Su Qin's strategy reveals the essence of "competitive moats" in modern business warfare: the true defensive barrier is not resources or technology, but the user base and the hearts of the people. Qi's Qingji River, Turbid River, Great Wall, and Jufang Fortifications—like a company's patents, distribution channels, or brand equity—may appear formidable, yet if the experience and needs of users (the common people) are neglected, these barriers will ultimately prove hollow. Nokia once possessed vast patent portfolios and manufacturing capabilities, yet having failed to respond promptly to smartphone users' demands for touch-screen experiences and ecosystems, it was ultimately overturned by Apple and the Android camp. Conversely, Tencent, in the social networking arena, has consistently placed user needs at its core, iterating WeChat's features without cease; even when giants like Alibaba and ByteDance attempted to challenge it, the moat of "user connectivity" remained ever steadfast. Su Qin's counsel to "strengthen Zhao and sever ties with Qi" corresponds to the business strategy of "vertical and horizontal alliances"—rather than fighting alone, one should seek strategic partners. For instance, when Huawei faced sanctions, it actively collaborated with domestic supply chains and European operators to forge an ecosystem alliance, withstanding external pressures. Meanwhile, King Min of Qi's "zeal for territorial expansion while neglecting the people" serves as a cautionary tale against blind corporate expansion—such as the excessive deployment of bikes in the shared-bicycle wars—which, ignoring profitability and user loyalty, ultimately leads to broken cash flows and reputational collapse. True victory in business warfare lies not in the momentary conquest of territory, but in the sustained winning of "the people's hearts"—namely, the trust of users and employees alike.