The state of Qin was about to attack Wei. Upon hearing this, the King of Wei summoned Lord Mengchang by night and said to him, "Qin is about to attack Wei. Devise a plan for me—what should be done?" Lord Mengchang replied, "If there is rescue from the feudal lords, then the state can be preserved." The King of Wei said, "I wish you would undertake the journey!" And he solemnly prepared a hundred war chariots for him.
When Lord Mengchang arrived in Zhao, he said to the King of Zhao, "I wish to borrow troops to rescue Wei." The King of Zhao said, "I cannot (lend troops)." Lord Mengchang said, "The reason I dare to come and borrow troops is that I am loyal to Your Majesty." The King of Zhao said, "May I hear your reasoning?" Lord Mengchang said, "The forces of Zhao are not stronger than those of Wei, nor are the forces of Wei weaker than those of Zhao. Yet Zhao's lands suffer no calamity year after year, and its people do not die in warfare year after year, while Wei's lands suffer calamity year after year, and its people die in warfare year after year—why is this? Because Wei serves as a shield for Zhao in the west. Now if Zhao does not rescue Wei, Wei will form an alliance with Qin, and then Zhao will border the mighty Qin. Its lands will also suffer calamity year after year, and its people will also die year after year. This is why I am loyal to Your Majesty." The King of Zhao consented, raising for him a hundred thousand troops and three hundred war chariots.
Lord Mengchang then traveled north to have an audience with the King of Yan, saying, "Formerly, the lords had agreed to maintain amity between our two states. Now Qin is about to attack Wei, and I hope Your Majesty will come to its rescue." The King of Yan said, "Our state has suffered poor harvests for two consecutive years, and now we must march several thousand li to aid Wei—how can this be managed?" Tian Wen said, "Marching several thousand li to save others is to the benefit of the state. Now the King of Wei can see the enemy troops from beyond his city walls; even if he wished to march several thousand li to aid others, could he still do so?" The King of Yan had not yet agreed. Tian Wen said, "I offer a profitable plan to Your Majesty, but if you do not adopt my loyal counsel, I beg to take my leave—for I fear that a great upheaval is about to occur in the world." The King of Yan said, "May I hear of this great upheaval?" Tian Wen said, "If Yan does not rescue Wei, the King of Wei will kneel and cede territory, giving half of his state to Qin, and Qin will surely withdraw its troops. After Qin withdraws, the King of Wei will lead the full forces of Han and Wei, borrow troops from Qin in the west, and rely on Zhao's army as well, attacking Yan with the strength of four states—what benefit will Your Majesty gain then? Is it more advantageous to march several thousand li to aid others, or to see the enemy troops from beyond the southern gate of Yan? In that case, the road is short, and transport is easy—which does Your Majesty deem more favorable?" The King of Yan said, "Go, I shall follow your counsel." Thereupon he raised for Lord Mengchang eighty thousand troops and two hundred war chariots.
The King of Wei was overjoyed and said, "You have obtained the troops of Yan and Zhao—so many, and so swiftly!" The King of Qin, greatly alarmed, ceded territory and begged to make peace with Wei. The King of Wei then returned the troops of Yan and Zhao and bestowed rewards upon Tian Wen.
💡 商战启示录
Lord Mengchang's diplomatic efforts to persuade the states of Zhao and Yan centered on transforming Wei's crisis into a matter of their own vital interest, compelling them to act by revealing the cascading risks of inaction. This offers a lesson for modern enterprises: when seeking cooperation or resources, one must not merely emphasize one's own needs but should delve into the counterpart's pain points, presenting a vision of mutual or even multilateral benefit. For instance, in supply chain management, when a core supplier faces a crisis, downstream enterprises that consider only short-term costs and refuse assistance may invite the risk of supply disruption, thereby jeopardizing their own production. Conversely, proactively offering support not only stabilizes the supply chain but also strengthens one's bargaining position in negotiations. Lord Mengchang's words to the King of Yan—"If you do not rescue Wei, Wei will cede territory to Qin, and Qin will surely march eastward, placing Yan in peril"—employ the logic of "when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold," making the other party see the price of inaction. In business negotiations, one often needs to act like Lord Mengchang, using scenario projection to make the counterpart realize that cooperation is the optimal way to avert their own risks. Moreover, Lord Mengchang's swift assembly of Zhao and Yan forces to create deterrence, forcing Qin to retreat, exemplifies the strategic wisdom of building advantage through alliances in commercial competition—subduing the enemy without battle. Modern enterprises can draw on this approach by forging strategic alliances and integrating complementary resources to achieve scale or ecosystem advantages, thereby seizing the initiative in competition and even inducing rivals to concede.