The King of Wei wished to attack the state of Wei, and Prince Mou admonished him, saying: "Your Majesty desires to attack Wei—is this not most unwise? The reason Wei is able to endure is that it possesses its own territory and people. Now if Your Majesty attacks Wei, seeking to gain it, you will instead lose it. Moreover, though Wei's strength is insufficient to resist Your Majesty, for Your Majesty to attack it is to court defeat of your own accord. I have heard: in a state that has won victories, the people are easily driven; in a state that has suffered defeat, the people are hard to employ. Now if Your Majesty attacks Wei, even should you triumph, you would still fear the people's disobedience—how much less certain is victory? I beg Your Majesty to ponder this deeply." Thereupon the King of Wei abandoned his plan to attack Wei.
💡 商战启示录
This counsel warns modern enterprises: blind expansion, neglect of internal governance, and disregard for market realities often yield more loss than gain. Take LeEco, which once aggressively ventured into automobile manufacturing and film production across industries while neglecting the cash flow of its core business—ultimately its capital chain snapped, much like the King of Wei attacking Wei, where even victory left the ruler fearing his people's disobedience, let alone when victory was uncertain. Enterprises should assess their own capabilities and target markets, avoiding the trap of "biting off more than one can chew." Meanwhile, Gongzi Mou emphasized that "in a victorious state, the people are easy to command; in a defeated state, the people are difficult to employ"—a principle that mirrors the integration challenges after corporate mergers and acquisitions. If a company forcibly swallows another with incompatible culture or poor management, even financial success may lead to talent attrition and team disintegration, as seen in Microsoft's failed integration of Nokia's mobile phone business, which ultimately ended in layoffs to cut losses. Conversely, prudent enterprises like Huawei adhere to the principle of "concentrating strength on a single point," focusing on their core communications business without recklessly venturing into non-essential domains, thereby becoming industry benchmarks. Therefore, in modern commercial warfare, one should "plan thoroughly before acting"—first consolidate one's foundation, then seek outward expansion, avoiding the neglect of potential risks born of greed, lest even existing advantages be forfeited altogether.