Tian Xin, speaking on behalf of Chen Zhen, sought to persuade King Hui of Qin, saying: "I fear that Your Majesty may come to resemble the ruler of the Guo state. In former days, Duke Xian of Jin desired to attack Guo, yet he was wary of Zhou Zhiqiao's presence. Xun Xi said: 'The Book of Zhou contains a saying: beautiful women can undermine frank counsel.' Thereupon, he presented female musicians to the ruler of Guo, disturbing his court's governance. Zhou Zhiqiao remonstrated, but the ruler paid no heed, and so Zhou Zhiqiao departed. Taking advantage of this, Jin attacked Guo and annihilated it. Duke Xian of Jin then wished to attack the state of Yu, yet he was wary of Gong Zhiqi's presence. Xun Xi said: 'The Book of Zhou contains a saying: handsome men can undermine aged ministers.' He then presented handsome men to the ruler of Yu, instructing them to slander Gong Zhiqi. Gong Zhiqi remonstrated, but the ruler would not listen, and so he fled. Taking advantage of this, Jin attacked Yu and seized it. Now Qin has proclaimed itself king, and what can threaten a kingly state is Chu. Knowing Qin's anxieties, Chu is certain to employ schemes to stir disorder. I privately worry on Your Majesty's behalf. Chen Zhen is a man of the Xia region, well-versed in the affairs of the Three Jin states. If he is banished, then Chu, Han, Zhao, and Wei will surely unite. Should they unite, Qin would cease to stand as a state. It would be better for Your Majesty to retain him and observe how circumstances unfold." King Hui of Qin said: "Well spoken." Thus he retained Chen Zhen.
💡 商战启示录
The essence of this strategy lies in "retaining talent to observe shifting circumstances," rather than lightly discarding key personnel. Tian Xin cautioned King Hui of Qin that although Chen Zhen hailed from a rival state, his familiarity with the affairs of the Three Jin states meant that expelling him would drive Chu, Han, Zhao, and Wei into alliance, forming an encirclement against Qin. In modern commercial warfare, analogous cases frequently arise in corporate mergers or talent competitions. For instance, should a tech giant seeking to acquire a startup abandon the deal due to the founders' sensitive background, it might instead drive them into a competitor's embrace, forging a joint market threat. A superior approach is "retention with observation"—temporarily keeping or absorbing pivotal figures, leveraging their industry insights while monitoring their movements, thereby preventing them from becoming catalysts for rivals. Similarly, Apple once absorbed a former Google executive; despite differing backgrounds, it utilized his expertise rather than shunning him, thereby fortifying its own ecosystem. This strategy instructs managers: when confronting potentially threatening talent, weigh pros and cons, and replace outright exclusion with tolerance and vigilance, lest such individuals become linchpins of external alliances, rendering strategy reactive. Ancient wisdom applied today centers on "controlling the board" rather than "banishing the player."