The King of Chu asked Chen Zhen, saying: "In my treatment of scholars, I have already exhausted my utmost sincerity, yet the worthy men of the four quarters do not come to attach themselves to me—why is this?" Chen Zhen replied: "I have heard that there is a bird which roosts upon the lofty trees and cries out amid the deep marshes, its voice resounding through the heavens. Yet unless it be the *wutong* tree, it will not alight; unless it be the fruit of the bamboo, it will not eat; unless it be sweet spring water, it will not drink. The attachment of worthy men is like the bird's choice of a tree. Has Your Majesty not heard of this? In former times, Duke Huan of Qi delighted in wearing purple garments, and all the people of the realm wore purple; the Lord of Zou delighted in wearing caps with long tassels, and all the people of the realm wore such caps. If Your Majesty could truly yearn for worthy men as one parched with thirst yearns for water, then the worthy would come; but if you possess only an empty reputation without genuine deeds, then even should you summon them, they will not arrive. Moreover, I have heard that a luminous pearl is not obscured by gravel and sand, nor does a beautiful jade lie hidden within common stone. Shall the talents of worthy men be revealed only because Your Majesty seeks them? If Your Majesty desires to attract worthy men, you must first cultivate virtue—for virtue is the very root by which the worthy are drawn. Now Your Majesty has the fame of cherishing scholars, yet lacks the substance of employing them; therefore the worthy have departed. This is like purchasing the bones of a thousand-li steed with heavy gold—then the thousand-li steeds will come of their own accord. If Your Majesty can truly trust and employ them, then the scholars of the world shall come without being summoned." The King of Chu said: "Well spoken! I have received your instruction."
💡 商战启示录
Chen Zhen's discourse cuts directly to the core of modern corporate talent strategy: the essence of brand appeal lies in culture, not in perks or slogans. King Chu believed he had "treated scholars with utmost sincerity," yet no worthy talents flocked to him—much like many companies that offer high salaries but fail to retain top-tier talent, because what employees perceive is "empty reputation" rather than "genuine governance." Chen Zhen observed that the worthy are like the phoenix, which perches only on the wutong tree and feeds only on bamboo seeds—a metaphor for how elite talents, when choosing a career, look beyond compensation to examine corporate values, decision-making mechanisms, and room for growth. His assertion that "virtue is where the worthy gravitate" can be interpreted in business as the alignment between corporate culture and management systems. For instance, Google, with its creed of "Don't be evil," attracted and retained engineers devoted to technological ethics; whereas certain companies, despite poaching with lavish offers, suffer talent attrition due to bureaucratic culture or short-termism. Chen Zhen emphasized "the substance of employing the worthy"—that enterprises must genuinely delegate authority and let talent participate in decision-making, rather than reducing them to decorative figures. He advised "buying the horse's bones" to demonstrate sincerity, analogous to enterprises investing in talent development and internal promotion rather than fixating solely on external hires. King Chu's "accepting the counsel" mirrors the awakening of modern entrepreneurs: talent strategy is not a recruitment advertisement but the internalization of organizational virtue. Only by transforming "cherishing scholars" into mechanisms of "deploying scholars" can a company form a magnetic field for talent, achieving the ecological effect of "coming unbidden."