Marquis Ying, Fan Ju, lost the fief of Runan that Han had ceded to him. King Zhao of Qin asked him, "You have lost your fief—are you troubled?" Marquis Ying replied, "I am not troubled." The King asked, "Why?" Marquis Ying said, "There was a man in Wei named Dongmen Wu, whose son died, yet he did not grieve. His wife asked, 'Your love for your son is unmatched in the world; now that he is dead, you show no sorrow—why is this?' Dongmen Wu said, 'Once I had no son; when I had no son, I did not grieve. Now that my son is dead, it is the same as when I had no son—what is there for me to grieve about?' I too, in my early years, was unrecognized, later served in Qin under Zhang Yi, and then received a fief in Han. Now, as a general of Qin, I have lost Runan of Han—this is the decree of fate, just as Dongmen Wu had no son. Why should I be troubled?"
Upon hearing this, King Zhao of Qin said, "Well spoken." He then bestowed upon Marquis Ying a thousand bolts of silk and increased his fief by a thousand households.
💡 商战启示录
When the Marquis of Ying, Fan Ju, faced the loss of his fief, he responded with the equanimity of "accepting gain and loss as fate," which in turn won him the trust of King Zhao of Qin and additional rewards. This teaches modern business leaders that when encountering market losses or project failures, they should avoid emotional decision-making and instead maintain rationality and resilience. For example, Apple experienced a significant decline in market share before Steve Jobs's return, yet management did not panic over short-term losses; instead, they focused on core product innovation, ultimately reshaping the industry with the iPod and iPhone. Similarly, when Huawei faced international sanctions, it did not succumb to excessive anxiety over losing certain overseas markets; rather, it increased investment in independent research and development, launching the HarmonyOS system to achieve technological self-reliance and business transformation. Fan Ju's wisdom lies in treating loss as a "constant of fate," refusing to waver in strategic resolve over momentary gains or losses, thereby earning trust and resources on a higher plane. In business, leaders who demonstrate such a magnanimous "loss without worry" mindset often stabilize morale and attract long-term support from capital and partners. Conversely, those who obsess over small losses and waver in their resolve may miss opportunities for turnaround. Therefore, in the arena of commerce, mastering the psychological cost of "losing" and converting it into an opportunity for strategic adjustment is the key to turning crises into advantages.