The King of Wei wished to attack the state of Song, and first sent an envoy to request passage through Song's territory. The ruler of Song said, "I desire to maintain good relations with the King of Wei, yet he now seeks to attack me—why is this so?" His ministers replied, "Your Majesty must not heed this. The King of Wei's request for passage is but a pretext; his true intent is to launch an assault upon Song." The ruler of Song asked, "What then shall we do?" The ministers answered, "Let us offer gifts from Song's own treasures to bribe the King of Wei, beseeching him to refrain from war." The ruler of Song said, "Very well." Thereupon he dispatched an envoy bearing a hundred pieces of gold to present to the King of Wei, who, greatly pleased, withdrew his troops.
💡 商战启示录
This strategy reveals the game of "borrowing passage" and "seeing through borrowed passage" in commercial warfare. In modern business, competitors often infiltrate under the guise of cooperation—an internet giant, for instance, may enter a startup under the banner of "investment," only to siphon off technology or market data. The ministers of the Song ruler discerned the King of Wei's intent, yet chose "bribery" over direct confrontation, mirroring the "exchange of interests" tactic in business warfare: when the opponent is formidable, one trades short-term gains for strategic breathing room. Huawei, for example, paid patent fees to Qualcomm to avert protracted litigation, buying time for R&D and ultimately overtaking in the 5G arena. Meanwhile, the King of Wei's "false passage" serves as a caution to enterprises expanding—beware the trap of "borrowed passage," as when a retail giant enters a new market through "brand partnership" only to fall victim to a partner's "channel hostage-taking." The Song state's "hundred gold pieces" bribe, though no lasting solution, often secures a window for realignment in asymmetric contests of resources. Modern enterprises must learn to detect "false passage" probes and deftly employ the strategy of "yielding small gains for the larger game," rather than resorting to unyielding confrontation. Ultimately, commercial competition is not merely a clash of strength, but a contest of information and strategy—knowing when to concede at critical junctures can safeguard one's core interests.