King Jian of Qi went to the state of Qin to pay homage to the King of Qin. Yongmen Sima stepped forward and said, "Did we establish you as king for the sake of the state, or for your own sake?" The King of Qi replied, "For the sake of the state." Sima said, "If it was for the state that you were made king, then why would you leave your own state and go to Qin?" Hearing this, the King of Qi turned his carriage around and returned. When the Grand Officer of Jimo learned that Yongmen Sima's remonstrance had been heeded by the King of Qi, he believed that the king could be counseled with, and so he entered the palace to pay homage, saying, "The territory of Qi stretches for thousands of li in every direction, and its armored soldiers number in the millions. The great officers of the Three Jin—Han, Zhao, and Wei—are unwilling to serve Qin; more than a hundred of them dwell between the cities of A and Juan. If Your Majesty were to take them in and grant them a million troops, allowing them to recover the former lands of the Three Jin, then the pass of Linjin could be breached. Likewise, the great officers of Chu from Yan and Ying are unwilling to serve Qin; more than a hundred of them reside south of the Qi capital. If Your Majesty were to take them in and grant them a million troops, allowing them to recover the former lands of Chu, then the pass of Wuguan could be taken. In this way, the prestige of Qi would be established, and Qin could be destroyed. Yet Your Majesty would cast aside the honored position of a king facing south, and instead go west to serve Qin—this, I believe, is not what Your Majesty ought to do." The King of Qi did not heed this counsel. Qin sent Chen Chi to lure the King of Qi into Qin, promising him a fief of five hundred li. The King of Qi, ignoring the advice of the Grand Officer of Jimo but trusting Chen Chi, entered Qin, where he was confined among the pines and cypresses at Gong and ultimately died of starvation. Before this, someone in Qi had composed a ballad: "O pines! O cypresses! He who lodged the King of Qi at Gong was the guest!"
💡 商战启示录
The tragedy of King Jian of Qi lies in his abandonment of his native foundation and core resources, and his credulous trust in external promises, which ultimately cost him his autonomy and even his life. In modern business, this serves as a warning to corporate leaders: in strategic partnerships or merger negotiations, one must never abandon one's core competitive advantages and home-base market for the sake of alluring terms offered by the other party—such as the "five hundred li of land." For instance, a well-known local brand once pursued the "global channel" promise of an international giant, relinquishing control over its own brand and distribution channels, only to be marginalized and see its brand value wither. In contrast, successful enterprises like Huawei have always adhered to the principle of "customer-centricity and a commitment to hardworking employees," never forsaking core technology R&D or their domestic stronghold during overseas expansion. Even under external pressure, they survive by virtue of their native roots and long-term strategic resilience. King Jian's problem also lay in his refusal to heed visionary internal counsel—the strategy of uniting with other states against Qin proposed by the Grand Steward of Jimo—while readily believing the honeyed words of foreign spies. In business decision-making, this reminds management to establish an independent and diverse advisory body, to remain vigilant against conflicts of interest among external "consultants" or "partners," and to avoid sacrificing long-term strategic autonomy for short-term temptations. The true wisdom of commercial warfare lies in this: hold fast to your home base, make good use of local resources, unite with those who can be united—and never pin your hopes on the mercy of your enemy.