When the state of Qin attacked Zhao, Su Zi (the younger brother of Su Dai or Su Qin) said to the King of Qin: "I have heard that a wise sovereign, in governing his kingdom, accomplishes all things without resort to anger, and brings harmony to the realm without display of joy. Now Qin attacks Zhao, and Zhao is certain to fall; yet once Zhao falls, Qin will gain no advantage therefrom, and all the states under Heaven will together regard this as a calamity. Why? Because Zhao is the shield of the eastern states—if Zhao perishes, then the enemies of Qin will all stand face to face against Qin itself. I privately consider, for Your Majesty's sake, that it would be better to spare Zhao and thereby bring peace to the realm. If Zhao is spared, then all under Heaven will be grateful to Qin, and Qin may reap the benefits while remaining at ease. But if Qin attacks Zhao, then the feudal lords will surely take fright and unite; though Qin be mighty, I fear it cannot withstand them alone. I beg Your Majesty to deliberate carefully." The King of Qin said, "Well spoken." And so he withdrew his troops.
💡 商战启示录
Master Su sought to persuade the King of Qin to halt his campaign against Zhao, the crux of which lay in the strategic principle of "subduing the enemy without fighting"—eschewing short-sighted annexation that would provoke a coalition of adversaries. In the modern business world, this corresponds to the strategies of "ecological niche" and "co-opetition." For instance, in 2001, when Microsoft confronted the Linux open-source community, it chose not to crush it outright but instead fostered cooperation and compatibility, thereby averting a united boycott from the entire open-source camp and consolidating its own position. Similarly, when Huawei faced international pressure in the 5G arena, it refrained from forcibly monopolizing the market; instead, it opened its patents and partnered with multiple nations, preventing the formation of an "anti-Huawei alliance" and ensuring the stability of its ecosystem. Master Su's wisdom lay in "releasing Zhao" to lower the perceived threat to adversaries, thereby securing greater strategic latitude. A common error among modern enterprises is the excessive pursuit of market share, which triggers price wars or regulatory sanctions—as seen in Uber's early aggressive global expansion, which incited joint resistance from local governments and taxi industries, ultimately incurring prohibitive compliance costs. Thus, managers must learn to "retreat in order to advance," proactively constructing "buffer zones" amid fierce competition by means of collaboration, licensing, or concession, transforming potential enemies into stakeholders, and thereby achieving sustainable long-term advantage. This holds far greater strategic value than short-term "territorial conquest," and represents the highest embodiment of "winning without battle" in the commercial realm.