Umbhede ogoqwayo wokuqala uvele ngasekupheleni kwesikhathi se-Warring States. Isakhiwo sawo ngokuvamile sihlukaniswe izingxenye ezintathu: umbhede, ibha yombhede kanye nekhabethe lombhede. Umbhede onjalo ungagoqwa, futhi ubude nobubanzi befreyimu yombhede buyoba buncane kakhulu ngemva kokugoqa. Impahla ngokuvamile izinkuni eziqinile.
Phakathi kwamakhosi azo zonke izizukulwane zaseShayina, kunababusi ababili abahlukile ababazi, asebefinyelele umvuthwandaba wokubaza futhi bangenwe udeveli. Omunye umbusi uYuanshun, indoda eyisidudla ekwazi ukuklama isikebhe sayo sikadrako omkhulu, owagcina exoshiwe emathafeni Amaphakathi nguZhu Yuanzhang; omunye uyinzalo kaZhu Yuanzhang uqobo, "uMbazi onekhono" we-mingxizong, uZhu Youxiao, ongumsunguli nomkhiqizi wombhede wokuqala ogoqwayo emlandweni.
Ukubonakala kombhede ogoqwayo kuletha ukuphila kwabantu kube lula. Ibonakala ngobuntu obukhulu, ingalala futhi ihlale, futhi ilungele kakhulu ukugcinwa nokuphathwa
