Qin campaign against the Xiongnu
In 215 BC, Qin Shi Huang ordered General Meng Tian to set out against the Xiongnu tribes in the Ordos region and establish a frontier region at the loop of the Yellow River. The emperor launched a preemptive strike against the Xiongnu, because he believed that the Xiongnu posed a potential threat and sought to expand his empire.
Source: Wikipedia — Qin campaign against the Xiongnu (CC BY-SA 4.0)