King Wei of Wei intended to ally with Zhao to attack Han. Han sought aid from Qin, but Qin did not consent. Marquis Zhaoli of Han, troubled by this, confided in Chen Shi. Chen Shi said: "Qin has long desired to attack us, and now that it has gained one of Han's cities, yet it does not come to our rescue—why is this?" Marquis Zhaoli replied: "Qin's rescue of Han is not out of affection for Han, but because if Wei attacks Han, Qin would gain no advantage. Now that Your Majesty seeks Qin's aid and Qin refuses, this is to Qin's benefit. Your Majesty would do better to cede a small portion of land to bribe Qin and form an alliance with it. Once Qin receives the land, it will surely rescue Han; when Qin rescues Han, Wei is bound to be defeated." Marquis Zhaoli said: "Well said." Thereupon he bribed Qin with a small portion of land. Qin indeed dispatched troops to rescue Han, and Wei's army suffered a great defeat.
💡 商战启示录
The essence of this strategy lies in "luring with profit and leveraging external force," which in modern commercial warfare manifests as the wisdom of strategic alliances and interest exchange. When Korea faced crisis, it did not blindly seek aid but precisely analyzed Qin's interests, exchanging minimal cost for critical support—akin to a company facing formidable rivals that cedes partial interests to attract strategic investors or partners, thereby creating a counterbalancing force. For instance, during the fierce competition between Didi and Kuaidi, each brought in Tencent and Alibaba capital respectively, securing giants' resources through interest alignment, avoiding mutual destruction, and ultimately merging to dominate the market. Similarly, small enterprises confronting industry giants can proactively ally with complementary firms, sharing channels or technologies, trading "small gains" for "survival space." The key lies in decision-makers discerning rivals' core needs, identifying a "Qin-style" third party, and leveraging minimal cost to mobilize maximum resources, transforming passivity into initiative. Meanwhile, one must remain vigilant against the expansionist ambitions of a "Wei," adjusting strategies timely to prevent being picked off one by one. This case teaches us that in commercial contests, flexibly applying the philosophy of "vertical and horizontal alliances" to build dynamic advantages through interest exchange often proves more effective than head-on confrontation.