During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ban Chao assisted his elder brother Ban Gu in compiling the "Book of Han." However, he believed that a true man's ambition should not be confined to writing and scholarship. Thus, he abandoned his literary pursuits and took up arms, joining the military campaigns against the Xiongnu. His resolute and courageous nature earned him repeated distinction on the battlefield.
Later, in order to ally with the various states of the Western Regions against the Xiongnu's invasions, the Eastern Han court dispatched Ban Chao as an envoy to the Western Regions.
Holding the imperial staff of the Han Dynasty, Ban Chao led a delegation of 36 men on their journey. Their first stop was the Kingdom of Shanshan. Ban Chao paid his respects to the King of Shanshan and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor of Han has sent me here hoping to form an alliance with your noble kingdom to jointly resist the Xiongnu. We have suffered greatly from their invasions. We should join hands and stand united against this common enemy, so that the Xiongnu will no longer dare to act recklessly and cause havoc!" The king of Shanshan had long known that the Han Dynasty was a vast and powerful empire, strong in might, populous, and not to be underestimated. Now, seeing the Han envoys dignified and imposing, truly embodying the bearing of a great nation, he was deeply impressed. He nodded repeatedly and agreed, saying, "You speak most wisely. Please stay in our humble kingdom for a few days. We can discuss the details of our alliance against the Xiongnu in a couple of days."
Thus, Ban Chao and his men settled in. For the first few days, the king treated them warmly. However, before long, Ban Chao noticed the king growing increasingly cold towards them. The king frequently made excuses to avoid meeting them, and even when they did manage to meet, he completely avoided mentioning the alliance against the Xiongnu. Ban Chao sensed an ominous change. He gathered his delegation and analyzed the situation: "The King of Shanshan's attitude towards us is becoming unfriendly. I suspect the Xiongnu have also sent someone to persuade him. We must investigate and uncover the truth." That night, Ban Chao sent a man to sneak into the royal palace. He discovered that the king was indeed entertaining the Xiongnu envoy, drinking and laughing together, seemingly very congenial. The man immediately returned and reported this to Ban Chao. In the following days, Ban Chao further learned from their hosts that the Xiongnu had not only sent an envoy but also brought over 100 fully armed attendants and guards. Ban Chao instantly realized the situation had become extremely serious and immediately convened his delegation to discuss their strategy.
Ban Chao addressed his men: "The Xiongnu have indeed sent an envoy who has swayed the King of Shanshan. We are now in extreme danger. If we do not take effective action, once the king is fully convinced, we will become sacrifices in his alliance with the Xiongnu. At that point, our own survival will be the least of our worries; the mission entrusted to us by our nation will be utterly ruined. What should we do?" Everyone responded in unison: "We will obey your orders!" Ban Chao slammed the table and declared decisively, "How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den? Now, we must resolve to eliminate the Xiongnu forces to accomplish our mission!" That very night, Ban Chao led his men in a surprise attack on the Xiongnu camp. Catching them off guard, they achieved victory against overwhelming odds, successfully eliminating all over 100 Xiongnu soldiers.
The next day, Ban Chao brought the head of the Xiongnu envoy to see the King of Shanshan. He confronted the king about his duplicity: "You are utterly unreasonable! You promised an alliance with us, yet secretly consorted with the Xiongnu. Now, the Xiongnu envoy and his entire party have been killed by us. The choice is yours to make." The king of Shanshan was both shocked and terrified. He quickly signed an alliance treaty with the Han Dynasty. Ban Chao's actions sent shockwaves throughout the Western Regions. Other states followed suit, forming alliances with Han, and many smaller kingdoms pledged everlasting friendship. Ban Chao thus successfully completed his mission.
In times of crisis, one must be decisive like Ban Chao, daring to take necessary risks to achieve success. If one hesitates and shrinks back at such a moment, the consequences would be unthinkable.