When Zhang Yi served as Prime Minister of the State of Qin, he said to Zhao Ju: "As for the State of Chu having lost the territories of Yan, Ying, and Hanzhong, can they ever be regained?" Zhao Ju replied: "They cannot be regained." Zhang Yi then asked: "As for having lost worthy ministers such as Zhao Guo and Chen Zhen, can they ever be regained?" Zhao Ju answered: "They cannot be regained." Zhang Yi said: "Pray convey this to the King of Chu on my behalf—if he banishes Zhao Guo and Chen Zhen, I shall request that Qin return Yan, Ying, and Hanzhong to Chu." Upon returning to Chu, Zhao Ju reported this to the King, who was overjoyed. Someone then said to Zhao Guo: "The King has failed too little to examine reputations. Han Qing once said to Gong Zhong: 'When Han is strong and Qin is weak, if Han cedes territory to Qin first, Qin will grow strong, and Han will instead fall under Qin's control. Now Gong Zhong seeks to curry favor with Qin by ceding land—this is like carrying firewood to quench a blaze. Qin desires land from Han, and Han wishes to serve Qin with its land—this is no different from cutting one's own flesh to feed a tiger, and in the end there can be no good outcome.' Now the King wishes to banish Zhao Guo and Chen Zhen, heeding Zhang Yi's scheme—this too is carrying firewood to quench a blaze. Moreover, what Zhang Yi truly covets is Chu's Yan, Ying, and Hanzhong, yet he seeks to deceive the King with empty words. The King will surely not perceive this, and I privately harbor concern for him." Upon hearing these words, Zhao Guo went to see the King of Chu, but the King would not listen, and ultimately banished Zhao Guo and Chen Zhen. Zhang Yi indeed returned Yan, Ying, and Hanzhong to Chu, yet the King of Chu never came to his senses, and in the end was weakened by Qin.
💡 商战启示录
King Huai of Chu, coveting the lands that Zhang Yi promised to return, heedlessly trusted his divisive schemes and banished his able ministers Zhao Guo and Chen Zhen. In the end, he gained no real benefit but weakened himself instead, falling under Qin's control. This serves as a warning to modern enterprises: in commercial competition, one must never dismantle one's own defenses for the allure of an opponent's tempting terms. For instance, when a certain technology company was negotiating with a competitor, the latter proposed to transfer a key technology if the company would dismiss its core R&D team. Should the company accept such an offer out of greed for short-term technological gains, it would lose its very foundation of innovation and ultimately be thoroughly suppressed by its rival. The true wisdom of business warfare lies in discerning the opponent's strategic intent: Zhang Yi aimed to weaken Chu's talent pool, just as the rival seeks to dismantle our competitive edge. Enterprises should remain as clear-headed as Zhao Ju, unswayed by superficial promises, and instead consolidate their core teams and enhance their own strength. At the same time, they must be vigilant against the opponent's "divisive tactics," preserving internal unity and avoiding the loss of the greater picture for petty gains. In history, Huawei, when facing external sanctions, persisted in self-developed chips and refused to sacrifice long-term competitiveness for short-term compromise—this is precisely a modern embodiment of "not driving away worthy ministers."