The King of Wei allied with Qin to attack Han, throwing Han into great fear. They sent Yangcheng Jun to Qin to offer apologies and request that the Shangdang region be ceded in exchange for peace. Han then dispatched Han Yang to inform the Grand Administrator of Shangdang, Jin Huangli, saying: “Qin has deployed two armies against Han, and Han can no longer withstand them. The King has now sent Yangcheng Jun to Qin to offer apologies and request that Shangdang be ceded for peace. The envoy has already departed—please make preparations to surrender the territory.” Jin Huangli replied: “As the saying goes, ‘Even the smallest wisdom should not abandon the city one is entrusted to guard.’ Though the King has issued his command, I, as Grand Administrator, find even a royal decree suspect under these circumstances. I request permission to rally all our defenders and resist the Qin forces; if we cannot hold, we shall die in battle.” Han Yang hurried back to report this to the King of Han, who said: “I have already given my word to the Marquis of Ying. To withhold now would be an act of deception.” He therefore sent Feng Ting to replace Jin Huangli. Feng Ting held the city for thirty days, then secretly dispatched a messenger to the King of Zhao, saying: “Han can no longer hold Shangdang and is about to surrender it to Qin, but the people do not wish to submit to Qin—they would rather belong to Zhao. There are now seventeen walled towns willing to be offered to Your Majesty; I beg you to decide.” The King of Zhao was delighted and summoned the Lord of Pingyuan, telling him: “Han can no longer hold Shangdang and is about to give it to Qin, yet its officials and people do not wish to serve Qin but prefer Zhao. Now Feng Ting has sent an envoy offering us these seventeen towns—this is a great boon.” The Lord of Pingyuan said: “Advantage gained without just cause is the root of calamity. I hope Your Majesty will not accept.” The King of Zhao replied: “We have already sent a million troops into the field, and within our borders there is no garrison to defend us. If we accept, we gain territory and strengthen our defenses—this is indeed a great benefit.” So he dispatched Zhao Sheng to receive the land. When Zhao Sheng arrived, he said: “The King of our humble state has sent me, Sheng, to inform the Grand Administrator: by royal decree, the Administrator is to receive the officials and people, and the people may rest assured in their farming and weaving. The towns are hereby bestowed upon the officials and people to comfort their hearts.” Feng Ting wept and declined, then entered court to thank the King of Zhao, saying: “I was defending Shangdang for Han, and now the people have turned to Zhao. I beg to return to Han and die in atonement.” The King of Zhao said: “Your virtue shall never be forgotten.” Thereupon he enfeoffed Feng Ting as Lord of Huayang.
💡 商战启示录
This strategy's wisdom of "interest gaming" and "risk transfer" holds profound lessons for modern commercial warfare. By "air-dropping" the seventeen cities of Shangdang onto Zhao, Feng Ting effectively shifted Korea's crisis onto Zhao, creating a dynamic of "the snipe and the clam locked in combat"—much like today's enterprises packaging "hot potato" assets (such as loss-making divisions or high-cost projects) as "strategic opportunities" to offload onto competitors. Zhao's greed for "unclaimed gains" drew Lord Pingyuan's warning that "benefits acquired without cause are where calamities are born"—a timely reminder to the business world that when faced with seemingly free "windfalls" (such as bargain acquisitions, policy dividends, or strategic partnerships), one must prudently assess the hidden costs and associated risks beneath the surface. Feng Ting's "performance of loyalty" further resembles the "emotional coercion" seen in commercial negotiations—retreating in order to advance, inducing the King of Zhao to bestow rewards of his own accord, thereby positioning himself on moral high ground. In modern cases, a tech company may lure partners with an "open platform" while actually transferring R&D risks; or a corporate giant acquires "distressed assets" only to sink into a quagmire of debt. The crux of commercial warfare thus lies in: discerning the traps hidden behind "interests," weighing the cost between "gaining territory" and "true preparedness," and avoiding the fate of becoming another's "strategic scapegoat" through greed.