During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Jing of Qin decisively defeated Duke Dao of Jin, a descendant of Duke Wen of Jin, the second hegemon.

To seek revenge, the state of Jin allied with 12 other states, including Qi, Lu, Wei, Zheng, and Cao, forming a coalition army to attack Qin.

The allied forces swiftly advanced to the north of Xianyang, the capital of Qin, where they encountered fierce resistance from the Qin army. Luan Yan, the commander of the Jin forces, instructed the allied troops to act according to the direction his horse's head pointed.

However, due to the individual selfish motives of the various allied states, the coalition ultimately suffered defeat.