The King of Wei wished to attack the state of Han, yet feared that he might not succeed. He therefore summoned Zhang Yi and inquired, saying: "I desire to launch an assault upon Han—what think you of this?" Zhang Yi replied: "Your Majesty should refrain from this undertaking for the time being. I have heard that powerful states devote themselves to offense, while weak states devote themselves to defense. Now Han is a small state, whereas Qin is a great one. If Your Majesty attacks Han, this will not be a display of strength before the world. Moreover, your lands would not gain sufficient increase to yield profit, nor would your forces prove strong enough to claim dominance. Should you attack Han, I fear the feudal lords of all directions, upon hearing of it, would unite in alliance—and then your kingdom would indeed be imperiled. Far better to cultivate amity with Qin. Qin would surely be grateful to Your Majesty, and Han would surely be struck with fear. In this way, your territories may be expanded, and your military might enhanced." The King of Wei said: "Excellent." Thereupon he abandoned his plan to attack Han.
💡 商战启示录
King Wei of Wei planned to attack the state of Han, but Zhang Yi counseled him to abandon short-term expansion and instead forge alliances with the powerful, overcoming strength through suppleness, so as ultimately to augment both territory and military might. This mirrors modern business practice: when resources are limited, enterprises should not blindly wage price wars or battles for market share, but rather assess their own capabilities against those of rivals, lest they lose the greater for the lesser. For instance, in the early days of the ride-hailing market, Didi and Kuaidi engaged in frenzied subsidies, incurring colossal losses on both sides, until their merger achieved mutual benefit rather than continued attrition. Conversely, Huawei, when facing international giants in its early years, chose a strategy of "encircling the cities from the countryside," allying with telecom operators and steadily accumulating technology, rather than launching a frontal assault. Zhang Yi's wisdom lay in discerning the balance of strength and weakness, substituting cooperation for confrontation, and leveraging external forces to elevate his own standing. Modern enterprises should learn to seek strategic partners amid competition, enhancing competitiveness through alliances or collaboration, and avoiding wars of attrition. At the same time, they must remain vigilant against the threat of "the vertical alliance of the feudal lords"—that is, the possibility that other competitors in the industry might unite in resistance against one's aggressive tactics. Therefore, one must size up the times, adopt an indirect approach, first fortify internal strength, and only then pursue expansion—this is the enduring strategy.