After the state of Chu severed its alliance with Qi, Qi dispatched troops to attack Chu. Upon learning of this, the King of Chu was greatly alarmed and summoned his ministers to deliberate on a response. Chen Zhen said: "Your Majesty need not worry. Send an envoy to offer Zhang Yi as a hostage to Qin, and request Qin's military assistance. The King of Qin will surely agree with delight. If Qi and Qin were to unite, Chu would be in peril. I beg to journey westward and persuade the King of Qin, so that Qin sends troops to rescue Chu, and the Qi forces will certainly withdraw." The King of Chu said: "Excellent." He then dispatched Chen Zhen westward to Qin. Upon meeting the King of Qin, Chen Zhen said: "The King of Chu has sent me to offer Zhang Yi as a hostage and to seek aid from Qin. I have heard that Qi is attacking Chu, and Chu's situation is dire. If Chu were to fall, Qin would share the spoils with Qi. Now it would be better for Your Majesty to rescue Chu; Chu will surely be grateful to Qin, while Qi will be enraged. When Qi and Qin clash, Chu will be preserved, and Qin will reap the benefits without effort. This is a strategy that serves both interests." The King of Qin said: "Well spoken." He then dispatched troops to rescue Chu. When Qi learned that Qin's forces had arrived, it withdrew its troops and returned home. Thus Chu was saved from ruin, while Qin gained no tangible advantage.
💡 商战启示录
The essence of this strategy lies in leveraging external forces to defuse a crisis. By introducing the state of Qin as a third party, Chen Zhen altered the stalemate between Qi and Chu, turning peril into safety for the Chu state. In modern business, when enterprises face pressure from formidable competitors, they can bring in strategic investors or partners to forge a new competitive landscape. For instance, during the subsidy war between Didi and Kuaidi, both sides suffered immense losses; ultimately, they introduced capital from Tencent and Alibaba, achieving a win-win outcome through merger and averting destructive rivalry. Similarly, when Huawei confronted U.S. sanctions, it built a new ecosystem by strengthening independent R&D and collaborating with domestic supply chains, thereby alleviating external pressure. Chen Zhen's strategy teaches us that in commercial contests, one must not only consider direct confrontation but also adeptly harness the "power of a third party" to balance the situation—even transforming adversaries into allies. At the same time, one must discern the interests of all parties and propose mutually beneficial solutions to foster cooperation. Though Chu was saved, Qin gained no tangible benefit, reminding us that reliance on external forces demands caution, and that strengthening one's own capabilities remains the fundamental path.