The state of Qin attacked Zhao, and the King of Zhao sent Zhao Bao to seek aid from Qi. The King of Qi said, "Only if Chang'an Jun is sent as a hostage will I dispatch my troops." Upon his return, Zhao Bao reported this to the King of Zhao, who refused to consent. As Qin intensified its assault, Zhao was compelled to send Chang'an Jun to Qi as a hostage, whereupon Qi finally sent its forces to rescue Zhao.
💡 商战启示录
This strategy reveals the commercial wisdom of resource exchange and risk decision-making. In the early days of Zhao, refusing to send the Prince of Chang'an as a hostage was akin to an enterprise's unwillingness to part with critical resources—such as equity or core technology—in exchange for external support, thereby escalating the crisis. In modern business, similar cases can be seen in startup financing: founders often reject venture capital out of reluctance to dilute control, only to see market windows close and rivals surge ahead. For instance, a certain tech company once declined to exchange a 20% equity stake for strategic partnership, and later, due to a broken capital chain, was acquired at a rock-bottom price. Conversely, proactively trading a manageable cost for survival and growth is a wise move. Business warfare demands that leaders weigh short-term sacrifice against long-term gain, recognize the value of core assets—such as talent and distribution channels—and dare to make a "hostage-style" concession at critical moments. At the same time, negotiations require anticipating the counterpart's terms and designing contingency plans to avoid passivity. Zhao Bao's transmission of the message and the King of Zhao's hesitation also serve as a caution: information must be conveyed accurately, decisions made decisively, lest delay incur a higher price. In sum, this strategy teaches us that in commercial warfare, resource exchange is the norm; key resources may be viewed as the "Prince of Chang'an," and only by offering them at the right time can one secure strategic initiative.