Zhang Yi sought to borrow the military strength of the State of Qin to rescue the State of Wei. The King of Wei said, "If the Qin troops arrive, what then shall be done?" Zhang Yi replied, "Let Your Majesty not be troubled; I beg to borrow the Qin forces to come to Wei's aid." The King of Wei said, "Though the Qin army is mighty, it is not something upon which Wei can rely." Zhang Yi said, "I have heard that unless profit exceeds tenfold, one does not alter one's enterprise, and unless merit surpasses a hundredfold, one does not change established practice. Now, if Your Majesty uses Wei's own territory to borrow Qin's troops, thereby to relieve Wei's peril, it is like lending weapons to a brigand and giving grain to a thief. In my humble view, Your Majesty's plan is less wise than ceding a small portion of land to Qin, to cement a bond of amity, and thus Wei shall find peace. Qin's desire for Wei's land has endured for more than a single day. Now, should Your Majesty cede territory as a tribute, Qin will surely rejoice, and Wei's calamity may thereby be dispelled. But if one must wait until the Qin host has arrived, and only then devise a remedy, then Wei's ruin would be imminent." The King of Wei said, "Well spoken." Thereupon he ceded land to appease Qin, and Qin was indeed pleased, and Wei thereby attained tranquility.
💡 商战启示录
Zhang Yi's strategy reveals the wisdom of proactively yielding benefits to secure strategic breathing room when resources are insufficient. In modern business, when enterprises face formidable competitors or adverse market conditions, rather than engaging in head-on clashes that deplete resources, it is wiser to voluntarily concede partial gains in exchange for survival space and time. For instance, during the early subsidy wars between Didi and Kuaidi, both sides incurred enormous costs and ultimately merged, achieving a win-win outcome through concession and resource integration. Similarly, when Huawei faced U.S. sanctions, it chose not to confront but instead sold its Honor business, thereby preserving its core operations while securing a lifeline for Honor. Zhang Yi's strategy further teaches us to discern the situation and weigh pros and cons, recognizing that short-term sacrifices can sometimes yield long-term stability and growth. In business negotiations, timely compromise and concession often avert greater losses, and may even transform adversaries into allies, realizing mutual benefit.