The ruler of the Yiqu state arrived in Wei, and Gongsun Yan said to the Lord of Yiqu, "Our lands are far apart, and I fear we may never meet again. Allow me to impart a matter of great importance." The Lord of Yiqu replied, "I am willing to hear your words." Gongsun Yan said, "If the Central Plains states do not attack Qin, then Qin will burn and plunder your country; if the Central Plains states do attack Qin, then Qin will send envoys bearing precious gifts to curry favor with your country." The Lord of Yiqu said, "I shall heed your counsel." Not long after, the five states of Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, and Yan jointly attacked Qin. Chen Zhen said to the King of Qin, "The Lord of Yiqu is a wise ruler among the barbarians. It would be fitting for Your Majesty to bestow gifts to soothe his heart." The King of Qin said, "Well said." Thereupon, he sent a thousand bolts of brocade and a hundred beauties to the Lord of Yiqu. The Lord of Yiqu summoned his ministers and deliberated, saying, "This is precisely the situation Gongsun Yan spoke of." He then raised troops to strike at Qin, and inflicted a great defeat upon the Qin army beneath the walls of Libo.
💡 商战启示录
Gongsun Yan's prophecy reveals the dual nature of the powerful in geopolitics: when the strong are preoccupied elsewhere, they may exert heavy pressure on the weak; when the strong face external competition, they will woo the weak with offers of benefit. In modern business warfare, this serves as a warning to small and medium enterprises to be vigilant against the strategic vacillation of industry giants. For instance, when an industry giant focuses on competing with another titan, it may extend cooperative signals to smaller firms—such as low-priced acquisitions or technology sharing—but once the rivalry concludes, it often turns hostile, squeezing the living space of these smaller players. The success of the King of Yiqu lies in his foresight in identifying Qin's strategic patterns and his decisive exploitation of the opportunity to counterstrike. Modern enterprises should, like the King of Yiqu, establish a "strategic early-warning mechanism," analyzing competitors' behavioral logic across different scenarios. When a giant extends goodwill due to external competition, they must clearly recognize this as a temporary expedient rather than a genuine alliance. Conversely, when the giant holds a position of strength, they must guard against its potentially aggressive moves. Business decision-makers should learn to leverage the window of competition between giants to fortify their own defenses or secure favorable negotiating positions, avoiding the fate of becoming prey on the chopping block once the giants reconcile.