The King of Chu sent Nao Chi to the Zhou court to demand the Nine Tripods, and the Lord of Zhou was deeply troubled by this. Yan Lü said, "Your Majesty need not worry. Allow me to go east to Qi and seek aid." Yan Lü arrived in Qi and said to the King of Qi, "The state of Qin is tyrannical and lawless, wishing to send troops to threaten Zhou and seize the Nine Tripods. The ministers of Zhou have deliberated among themselves, and they would rather present them to your noble state than to Qin. To preserve a state on the brink of ruin is a deed of great renown; to obtain the Nine Tripods is to possess a treasure of inestimable worth. I hope Your Majesty will consider this." The King of Qi was greatly pleased and dispatched fifty thousand troops under the command of Chen Chensi to rescue Zhou, whereupon the Qin forces withdrew. The King of Qi then demanded the Nine Tripods as promised, and the Lord of Zhou was again troubled. Yan Lü said, "Your Majesty need not worry. Allow me to go to Qi and resolve this matter." Yan Lü arrived in Qi and said to the King of Qi, "Thanks to the righteousness of your noble state, the Zhou court has preserved its sovereign and subjects, its fathers and sons. We are willing to present the Nine Tripods, but I am uncertain by which route your state intends to transport them to Qi." The King of Qi said, "I shall borrow the road through Liang." Yan Lü replied, "That will not do. The sovereign and ministers of Liang have long coveted the Nine Tripods, plotting beneath the Terrace of Hui and beside the Sea of Shao. Should the tripods enter Liang, they will never come forth." The King of Qi said, "Then I shall borrow the road through Chu." Yan Lü said, "That will not do. The sovereign and ministers of Chu have long coveted the Nine Tripods, plotting in the court of Ye. Should they enter Chu, they will never come forth." The King of Qi said, "Then I shall borrow the road through Zhao." Yan Lü said, "That will not do. The sovereign and ministers of Zhao have long coveted the Nine Tripods, plotting at the Terrace of Zhanghua. Should they enter Zhao, they will never come forth." The King of Qi said, "Then I shall borrow the road through Han and Wei." Yan Lü said, "That will not do. The sovereign and ministers of Han and Wei have long coveted the Nine Tripods, plotting in the wilds of Changshe. Should they enter Han or Wei, they will never come forth." The King of Qi said, "Then by what route am I to bring them to Qi?" Yan Lü said, "My humble state has also privately worried on Your Majesty's behalf. The Nine Tripods are not like vinegar jars or sauce pots that can be tucked under one's arm or carried by hand to Qi; nor are they like birds in flight, hares in full run, or horses at a gallop that can swiftly arrive. In former times, when Zhou conquered Yin, it obtained the Nine Tripods, and for each tripod ninety thousand men were required to pull it—nine times eighty-one myriad men in all, with soldiers, tools, and provisions in like measure. Even if Your Majesty possesses such numbers, by what road could they proceed? I am privately concerned for Your Majesty." The King of Qi said, "You have come time and again, yet in the end you still refuse to give them." Yan Lü said, "I dare not deceive your noble state. Pray hasten to decide upon the route of transport, and my humble state shall move the tripods forth and await your command." Only then did the King of Qi desist.
💡 商战启示录
Yan Lü's scheme stands as a classic example of "turning nothing into something" in ancient statecraft. Its essence lies in exploiting information asymmetry and the conflicting interests of various parties—trading a "hollow" promise for "tangible" rescue, ultimately safeguarding one's own interests. In modern business, this strategy can be reframed as the negotiating art of "leveraging momentum" and "strategic delay." For instance, a startup facing the threat of imitation or suppression by industry giants might subtly signal a "potential partnership with another titan," sowing apprehension among competitors and thereby securing bargaining leverage or precious breathing room—much as Yan Lü borrowed the might of Qi's army to repel Qin. The key, however, lies in keeping the promise deliberately "ambiguous" and "open to interpretation." Yan Lü never specified a clear path of delivery, ultimately invoking the "logistical impossibility of transport" to gracefully deter the King of Qi. In modern mergers and acquisitions, acquirers often cite "integration difficulties" or "cultural clashes" to justify lowball offers or delayed closings—a contemporary reincarnation of the same stratagem. Yet the risk is formidable: if the opposing party commands overwhelming strength and lacks patience, a bluff may backfire spectacularly. Therefore, modern business ought to prioritize "value creation" over mere "value transfer." Yan Lü's cunning, however ingenious, serves only as an expedient for crisis management; enduring success must rest upon solid products and unwavering integrity.