The King of Chu asked Tang Le, saying: "I have heard that among the hundred kinds of flying birds, only the phoenix is most noble; among the thousand herds of running beasts, only the qilin is most revered; among the ten thousand rivers that flow, only the vast sea is deepest; among the countless grasses and trees that grow, only the pine and cypress are most exquisite. Why is this so?"
Tang Le replied: "Because their essential natures differ. The phoenix will not perch except on the parasol tree, will not eat except the fruit of the bamboo, will not drink except from sweet springs. The qilin will not set foot except upon benevolent ground, will not act except in righteous deeds. The vast sea, without receiving a hundred rivers, would not be full; without gathering the great ravines, would not be overflowing. The pine and cypress do not wither amid the year's cold, and without enduring frost and snow, their firmness would not be made manifest. These four things all inherit the purest essence of heaven and earth, and thus they surpass their kind and stand alone in eminence. So too with a sovereign: if he does not employ worthy men, does not practice the true Way, does not establish great righteousness, then none under heaven can contend with him."
The King of Chu said: "Well spoken! I wish to hear your exposition in greater detail."
Tang Le said: "The nobility of the phoenix lies in choosing the tree upon which to perch; the reverence of the qilin lies in choosing the ground upon which to roam; the depth of the vast sea lies in receiving all waters without discrimination; the excellence of the pine and cypress lies in enduring bitter cold without change. Therefore, in governing a state, one must first rectify the root; when the root is rectified, the branches naturally flourish. In employing worthy men, one must first examine their virtue; when virtue is profound, their abilities naturally manifest. In implementing policies, one must first clarify righteousness; when righteousness is clear, the people naturally submit. If one abandons the root for the branches, casts aside the worthy and employs the treacherous, then even if one seeks good governance, it is like walking backward while wishing to go forward."
The King of Chu said: "I humbly receive your instruction."
💡 商战启示录
Tang Le, through the metaphors of the phoenix, the qilin, the vast ocean, and the pine and cypress, underscores the wisdom of "choosing" and "holding fast"—a lesson profoundly relevant to modern commercial warfare. The phoenix perches only on the worthy tree, mirroring strategic positioning in enterprise: Apple, for instance, steadfastly adheres to high-end innovation, never chasing the low-price market, and through its unique ecosystem and brand ethos attracts loyal users, thus sustaining premium pricing amid the red ocean. The qilin roams only in lands befitting its kind, suggesting that an enterprise should select arenas aligned with its own values—Tesla, devoted to sustainable energy, refuses to enter highly polluting industries for short-term profit, and in doing so wins both policy support and consumer favor. The vast ocean accepts all streams without discrimination, reminding enterprises of the need for open collaboration: Tencent, by opening its platform to third-party developers, builds an ecosystem rather than sealing itself off. The pine and cypress stand unyielding through the cold, emblematic of resilience in crisis: Huawei, under sanctions, persisted in R&D, never abandoning its core strategy, and ultimately broke through with the HarmonyOS. By contrast, enterprises that chase every trend without resolve often collapse under the weight of excessive diversification. The essence of commercial warfare is a contest of取舍 and perseverance; a leader must first rectify the "root"—clarifying mission and core competencies—before contemplating expansion. To invert root and branch is to fall into the very predicament the King of Chu feared: seeking to advance, yet moving as one who walks backward. In today's competition, only those who choose with the fastidiousness of the phoenix and endure with the tenacity of the pine can rise above the multitude and stand resolute at the pinnacle of the market.