The state of Qin attacked Zhao, and the King of Zhao sent Zheng Zhu to rescue Zhao. Zheng Zhu said: "Qin's attack on Zhao is not aimed at Zhao itself, but at Han. If Han becomes allied with Qin, then Qin will surely cease its assault on Zhao. I request permission to go and persuade Han to draw close to Qin." The King of Zhao agreed, saying: "Very well." Thereupon Zheng Zhu journeyed to Han and spoke to the King of Han: "Qin's attack on Zhao is not aimed at Zhao, but at Han. Now, if Your Majesty forms an alliance with Qin, then Qin will surely not attack Zhao. If Qin does not attack Zhao, then Han will surely remain secure. But if Qin does attack Zhao, then Han will surely be imperiled. Han and Zhao are like lips and teeth, mutually dependent—when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. Now, if Your Majesty allies with Qin while Zhao is endangered, then once Zhao falls, Han will inevitably face danger as well. It would be better for Your Majesty to unite with Zhao in a vertical alliance to resist Qin." The King of Han agreed, saying: "Very well." Thus Han formed an alliance with Zhao. When Qin learned of this, it withdrew its troops.
💡 商战启示录
Zheng Zhu's lobbying strategy exemplifies the wisdom of "leveraging momentum" and "binding interests." On the surface, he sought aid for the state of Zhao, yet he precisely seized upon the core interests of Han—the true purpose of Qin's attack on Zhao was to weaken Han, thereby awakening Han to the crisis of "when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold." This mirrors the modern business world, where enterprises facing shared threats emphasize the interdependence of "ecosystems" or "supply chains" to forge strategic alliances. For instance, in the semiconductor industry, when the United States sanctioned Huawei, suppliers such as TSMC and Qualcomm, fearing the loss of the Chinese market, jointly lobbied the government—an embodiment of the logic that "when one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer." Zheng Zhu's brilliance lies not in direct supplication but in reframing the problem so that allies willingly take the initiative. Modern enterprises can adopt this strategy: when confronted by the suppression of an industry giant, do not resist in isolation; instead, seek partners with shared interests and, through data, market analysis, or risk warnings, make them realize that "without cooperation, their own survival is at stake." Moreover, Zheng Zhu's "reverse persuasion" reminds us that in business negotiations, one must be adept at discerning the underlying fears of the counterpart, rather than merely stating one's own predicament. True alliances are not forged through moral coercion but through communities of interest—when all parties recognize that "going it alone leads to ruin, while cooperation ensures survival," resistance naturally dissolves. This strategy, applied to mergers and acquisitions, industrial chain synergy, and even cross-sector collaboration, can transform adversaries into allies and crises into opportunities.