The King of Chu said to Master Su: "I have heard of your reputation, as one hears of the sages of antiquity. Now that you have come a thousand li to see me, yet you will not stay long—I wish to hear your counsel." Master Su replied: "I have heard that one who carries precious treasures does not walk by night, and one who undertakes great achievements does not take his enemies lightly. Thus the worthy bear heavy responsibilities yet act with reverence, and the wise accomplish great deeds yet speak with humility. Therefore the people do not resent their eminence, nor does the world envy their accomplishments. Now that Your Majesty asks me to speak, I shall explain the principle. In the state of Chu, grain is dearer than jade, and firewood more precious than cassia. The officers who announce visitors are as hard to meet as ghosts, and Your Majesty is as difficult to gain audience with as the Lord of Heaven. Now if I am to eat grain dearer than jade, burn firewood like cassia, and pass through ghost-like ushers to behold a king like the Lord of Heaven—how could this ever be possible?" The King of Chu said: "Sir, please retire to the guest quarters and rest. I understand your meaning."
💡 商战启示录
Suzi employs exaggerated metaphors to directly indict the bloated bureaucracy of the Chu state and the detachment of its decision-makers, laying bare the fatal problem of excessive "transaction costs" in commerce. In modern enterprises, when processes become convoluted and hierarchies redundant—akin to "cooking jade and burning cinnamon for fuel"—partners are forced to expend enormous time and financial resources, ultimately driving away clients and allies alike. For instance, a major corporation lost a key supplier due to an internal approval process stretching over months, while a competitor seized the advantage through a "rapid-response" mechanism. Suzi's strategy lies in "striking at the pain point" directly, using sharp contrasts to make the King of Chu instantly grasp the gravity of the issue—a lesson that inspires entrepreneurs facing collaboration barriers to boldly present the stark reality of "cost-benefit imbalance" to decision-makers, rather than silently enduring or resorting to circuitous compromise. At the same time, Suzi hints at the value of "lowering the threshold": had the King simplified his audience procedures, he could have attracted more worthy talents. Translated into the arena of business warfare, this means enterprises should streamline processes and enhance transparency to reduce the "collaboration costs" for clients and partners, thereby building competitive advantage. Today, Amazon's "one-click ordering" or Huawei's "Iron Triangle" model—both of which boost efficiency by eliminating intermediate links—stand as modern embodiments of Suzi's wisdom.