In 594 BCE, when the forces of the Qin and Jin states clashed at Fushi (輔氏; present-day Dali County, Weinan, Shaanxi), the Jin general Wei Ke (魏顆) was fighting with a Qin general Du Hui (杜回) when an old man appeared and used a rope made from straw to trip Du Hui, allowing Wei Ke to capture his enemy. The Jin forces won the battle as a result. Later that night, Wei Ke dreamt about the old man, who told him that he was actually the father of a concubine of Wei Ke's father, Wei Wuzi (魏武子), and he wanted to repay Wei Ke's kindness. Many years ago, Wei Wuzi had a concubine whom he loved dearly but she did not bear him any children. When Wei Wuzi became seriously ill, he told Wei Ke to allow his concubine to remarry after his death. However, when Wei Wuzi's condition worsened, he changed his mind and instructed Wei Ke to have her sacrificed to join him in death. After Wei Wuzi died, Wei Ke did not follow his father's dying wish because he felt that his father was not in a clear state of mind before his death. This story gave rise to the Chinese idiom jie cao xian huan (结草衔环).
