Question 1

Q: What did this one leave behind?

Accepted Answer

A Warring States strategist with a biography in the Records of the Grand Historian, which says he studied under Master Guigu, argued for an alliance of the six states against Qin, and for a time wore the seals of office of all six. His worst year, by the Records, was ten failed letters to the King of Qin, then home in a worn coat with the money gone to a family that would not speak to him. This page takes two things: what to fix after a refusal, and whether to change the buyer. The Mawangdui silk manuscripts give a different Su Qin from the Records in dates and deeds, and this page follows the Records.

Question 2

Q: What actually happened?

Accepted Answer

According to the Records, years later Su Qin passed through his home town of Luoyang with so many carriages and so much baggage that it looked like a king's progress, and envoys from several states came to see him off. The brothers and wife and sister-in-law who had refused him food stood with lowered eyes and served him at table on their knees. He asked his sister-in-law, smiling, why she had been so proud before and was so humble now. Because your rank is high and you have much gold, she said. He sighed: had he owned two good fields outside Luoyang, would he ever have worn six seals? Then he gave a thousand in gold to his clan and friends.

Question 3

The parts · After a refusal, fix one thing

Accepted Answer

After ten failed letters to the King of Qin he went home, opened the old books and gave himself a year. What he practised was seeing what one person wanted and how to speak to it. He fixed one specific thing, not more books. e.g. Ten applications and no replies: do not blame the market yet. Look at your portfolio for the page least like what they asked for.

Question 4

The parts · The strongest may need you least

Accepted Answer

He spoke to the King of Qin about swallowing the other states, and the king did not want it. In Yan he spoke about not being swallowed and settled it in one audience. He did not change his skill, only who was across the table. e.g. The same tool: big companies say they already have one, and a team of a dozen has the owner asking the price on the spot.

Question 5

The parts · A soft fallback can hold you back

Accepted Answer

He said it himself later: with two good fields he would never have worn the seals. That is no case for being poor. It is a prompt to notice when comfort began making your decisions. e.g. A side project stays a side project because the day job pays the bills, and being able to afford it may be the reason you stop pushing.

Question 6

Q: How do I use it today?

Accepted Answer

This week dig out one refusal on record (a quote, an application, a proposal). Write down which part they did not want, then name one person who has the problem you can solve and go to them next week.

Question 7

Lines to keep

Accepted Answer

After a refusal, fix one thing, then go out again. The biggest player is often the one that needs you least. When the fallback is comfortable, ask if you still want to leave.

Question 8

Q: What should I read alongside?

Accepted Answer

Guiguzi — One school of thought, two lives. The master put it into a book and stayed in the mountains; his pupil took the book out into the market and was refused ten times. One guarded the method, the other tested it in the field.

Question 9

Further

Accepted Answer

Guiguzi Strategies of the Warring States Sun Tzu

Su Qin

What actually happened?

After a refusal, fix one thing

The strongest may need you least

A soft fallback can hold you back

How do I use it today?

Deep read

Read alongside

Further

Lines to keep