The state of Qin attacked Zhao, and Lin Xiangru was sent as an envoy to Qi to request aid for Zhao. The King of Qi said, "I have heard that the King of Zhao delights in music—let him play the se for me." Lin Xiangru replied, "The King of Zhao delights in music, and Your Majesty delights in it as well—let Your Majesty play the se." The King of Qi, displeased, said, "The King of Zhao delights in music—what of it?" Lin Xiangru answered, "The King of Zhao delights in music, and Your Majesty delights in it too—therefore I have been sent here." The King of Qi then had the King of Zhao play the se, whereupon Lin Xiangru seized the moment to request that the King of Qi strike the fou. The King of Qi, enraged, refused. Lin Xiangru said, "Within five paces, I, Lin Xiangru, beg to let the blood of my neck splatter upon Your Majesty!" The King of Qi's guards sought to kill Lin Xiangru, but he glared fiercely and shouted them down, and all the guards fell back. Thus the King of Qi, greatly vexed, struck the fou once for Lin Xiangru's sake. Lin Xiangru turned and summoned the Zhao recorder, instructing him to note: "On such-and-such a year, month, and day, the King of Qin struck the fou for the King of Zhao." The ministers of Qin then said, "Let fifteen cities of Zhao be offered to honor the King of Qin." Lin Xiangru likewise said, "Let Xianyang of Qin be offered to honor the King of Zhao." Until the banquet concluded, the King of Qin could never gain the upper hand over Zhao. Zhao also marshaled its troops in great number to stand guard against Qin, and Qin dared not act rashly. Upon returning to Zhao afterward, because Lin Xiangru's merit was great, he was appointed Senior Minister, his rank placed above that of Lian Po.
💡 商战启示录
Lin Xiangru, faced with the unreasonable demands of the King of Qi, did not yield but responded with a strategy of reciprocity, adopting a resolute stance at critical moments to compel the other side to concede. This embodies the principles of "reciprocity" and "bottom-line thinking" in business negotiation. In modern commercial warfare, when partners propose harsh terms, enterprises should avoid making unilateral concessions and instead put forward reciprocal demands to safeguard their own interests. For instance, in the intellectual property litigation between Apple and Qualcomm, Apple sued over Qualcomm's exorbitant patent fees and rallied regulatory pressure from multiple countries, ultimately forcing Qualcomm to adjust its fee structure. Apple did not accept the other party's aggressive terms but achieved a reciprocal contest through legal and negotiation strategies. Furthermore, Lin Xiangru's resolute stance of "spilling his blood upon the King" serves as a reminder to entrepreneurs to possess the courage of "burning one's boats" at pivotal junctures—holding firm to core interests and avoiding the loss of long-term advantages through short-term compromise. At the same time, his adept use of rules and records (such as having the court historian document events) underscores the importance for enterprises to prioritize contract and evidence management, leaving favorable written records during negotiations to strengthen their bargaining power.