Someone said to the King of Qi: "The state of Qi commands a thousand li of territory, hundreds of thousands of troops, and granaries piled high like mountains. Qi's chariots are finely wrought, its five-branch soldiers are stalwart—swift as arrows in attack, fierce as thunder in battle, rapid as wind and rain in retreat. Even in times of conflict, they need not cross Mount Tai, ford the Qing River, or traverse the Bohai Sea. Within the city of Linzi there are seventy thousand households; I privately estimate that each household has at least three able-bodied men—thrice seven makes twenty-one myriad—so without conscripting troops from distant counties, Linzi alone can field two hundred ten thousand soldiers. Linzi is exceedingly wealthy and prosperous; its people all play the yu, strum the se, strike the zhu, pluck the qin, stage cockfights, race dogs, play chess, and kick the ju. On Linzi's thoroughfares, carriage axles collide, shoulders brush against shoulders, hems joined form canopies, sleeves raised make curtains, and sweat shed falls like rain—every household is affluent and content, their spirits lofty and proud. With Your Majesty's sagacity and Qi's might, none under heaven can rival you. Yet now you turn westward to serve Qin—I privately feel shame on Your Majesty's behalf. Moreover, Han and Wei fear Qin because they border it. When their armies meet in battle, within ten days the outcome of victory or defeat, survival or ruin, is decided. If Han and Wei triumph over Qin, their forces will be halved, and their four borders cannot be defended; if they are defeated, then national peril follows close behind. Thus Han and Wei are cautious about waging war with Qin yet readily submit to it as vassals. Now Qin's assault on Qi is not so—it must rely on the lands of Han and Wei, pass through the Yangjin road of Wei, and thread the perilous defiles of Kangfu, where chariots cannot run abreast and horses cannot proceed in tandem; a hundred men holding the pass render a thousand unable to force through. Though Qin may wish to penetrate deeply, it will glance back like a wolf, ever wary of Han and Wei scheming from behind. Thus Qin merely blusters with empty threats and boasts, yet remains arrogant and dares not advance—that Qin cannot harm Qi is already manifest. To fail in deep reflection that Qin can do nothing to us, and instead to seek serving Qin in the west, is the error of your ministers' counsel. Now, without the name of subservience to Qin, yet possessing the substance of a powerful state, I sincerely hope Your Majesty will give this some heed and consideration."
💡 商战启示录
The core of this strategy lies in persuading the King of Qi to recognize his own strengths and avoid blindly submitting to the powerful. In modern business, many enterprises, when facing industry giants, often choose to attach themselves or compete through low prices out of fear, while overlooking their own unique value. For instance, in the former mobile phone market, giants like Nokia and Apple dominated, yet emerging companies such as Xiaomi did not simply imitate or yield; instead, they carved out a differentiated niche through online direct sales and cost-performance strategies, ultimately rising amidst the crevices of the giants. Similarly, in the domestic new energy vehicle industry, BYD in its early days did not engage in head-on confrontation with Tesla, but rather delved deeply into battery technology, leveraged the advantages of the local supply chain, and gradually built its core competitiveness, eventually becoming a global leader. The business lesson is this: enterprises should, like the King of Qi, systematically assess their own resources—such as market share, technological patents, and customer loyalty—identify their competitors' "strategic strongholds" and "weaknesses"—such as industry barriers and policy constraints—and avoid making strategic compromises out of short-term panic. At the same time, they must be wary of the shortsighted advice of internal "courtiers," adhere to a long-term vision, use their own strengths to attack the opponents' weaknesses, and strike decisively at the opportune moment rather than merely defending or submitting. True strategy is not about following, but about proactive positioning based on one's own advantages.