The King of Wei wished to attack the state of Zhongshan, yet he feared that such an act would be contrary to righteousness. He therefore summoned his minister and asked, "I desire to attack Zhongshan, but I am troubled lest it be unrighteous. What shall I do?" The minister replied, "If Your Majesty wishes to attack Zhongshan, it would be better first to show them favor and extend benefits, while secretly making preparations. Zhongshan is but a small state; its ruler is greedy and fond of gain, and its ministers are fawning and full of deceit. Let Your Majesty send envoys bearing lavish gifts to win their delight—they will surely grow proud and lax, and then they may be plotted against. Moreover, Your Majesty may take righteousness as the name and profit as the substance; even if Zhongshan is conquered, the world will not condemn it." The King of Wei said, "Well spoken." Thereupon he dispatched envoys to present the ruler of Zhongshan with rich gifts, and the ruler, overjoyed, relaxed his defenses. The King of Wei then secretly mustered his troops and, seizing the moment of unpreparedness, launched a sudden assault—and in the end, he annihilated the state of Zhongshan.
💡 商战启示录
The strategy employed by the King of Wei in his campaign against the Zhongshan state profoundly illuminates the wisdom of "lulling the opponent into complacency while secretly crossing the line" in modern commercial warfare. In business competition, a direct frontal assault often proves prohibitively costly and invites backlash from public opinion. Instead, many enterprises commonly adopt a strategy of feigning cooperation, concession, or goodwill to put rivals off guard, while quietly accumulating strength and striking decisively when the moment ripens. For instance, when a certain tech giant enters an emerging market, it first establishes "friendly" relations with local firms through low-price or free strategies—such as donating equipment or providing technical support—leading them to believe it is a harmless partner, thereby lowering their vigilance and reducing defensive investment. Meanwhile, the giant covertly lays out its channels, patents, and talent pipeline. Once conditions mature, it swiftly launches more competitive products to seize market dominance, or even dismantles its former rivals through acquisitions or legal maneuvers. This mirrors precisely the King of Wei's tactic of "sending lavish gifts to inflate the enemy's pride, while secretly sharpening armor and weapons to strike at their weakness." It must be noted, however, that this strategy carries considerable ethical risks; if exposed, it may damage long-term credibility. It is therefore better suited for countering vicious competition or in defensive scenarios, and any ultimate action should rest on legitimate justification—lest one, like the Zhongshan state, lose the greater defense over petty gains and become a cautionary tale in the annals of commerce.