Battle of Yiwulu The Battle of Yiwulu , was a battle under a major expedition against the Xiongnu launched by the Han Dynasty in the February , 73 , ever since the fall of Xin Dynasty . The battle was a success for the Han , who were led by Dou Gu . In 73 , annoyed at the Xiongnu ' s constant incursions against the northern border , the Han Dynasty dispatched four columns , commissioned generals Dou Gu and Geng Chong to lead an army against the Xiongnu from Jiuquan . The majority of this expedition only had minor successes , but had captured the Yiwulu area in this battle . Aftermath . In Yiwulu , Dou Gu set up an agricultural garrison , and appointed a commander to make sure that the army stationed in the Western Regions had a lasting supply of provisions . In the same year , Dou Gu sent Ban Chao and Guo Xun along with 36 men to go south . Ban Chao successfully organised the three states of Shanshan , Yutian and Shule against the Xiongnu , restoring peace and order in the Western Regions . Subsequently , in 74 , the Han government reestablished the Protectorate of the Western Regions , in the city of Jinman at the state of North Jushi . In 75 , on the death of the short - reigned Emperor Ming of Han , the Xiongnu with its allies seized their opportunity and captured Jushi and Liuzhong , and killed the Protector General Chen Mu . In 76 , the Han government abrogated the Protectorate of the Western Regions . As the Western Region ' s situation was getting precarious , Ban Chao , who was left to defend Shule and Yutian , won the support of the local officials and people and drove the Xiongnu troops from the capital of Gumo in Shicheng . In 80 , he wrote to the imperial court , proposing that they send more troops to the Western Regions . The new emperor agreed to his proposal and ordered Xu Gan to lead an army to help Ban Chao . During the war against the Xiongnu ' s allies which lasted several decades , Ban Chao distinguished himself as a statesman and strategist . Relying on the various nationalities in the Western Regions , he united all the people and maintained the unity of the empire . In 90 , Ban Chao detained an envoy from Kushan who requested a marriage for his king . In retaliation , the Kushan marched on Ban Chao with a force of 70 , 000 under commander Xie , and besieged the city of Shule for about ten days . Ban Chao continued to defend the city , until the attackers exhausted their food supplies and retreated . In 91 , the Han government appointed Ban Chao the Protector General of the Western Regions , with his office in Tanqian , state of Qiuci . In 94 , Ban Chao organised an army of 70 , 000 mercenaries , approach and arrested the kings of Yanqi and Yuli , they were executed where Chen Mu was killed . In 97 , Ban Chao commissioned an envoy named Gan Ying to visit Rome . He was unsuccessful , but returned after traveling as far as the Persian Gulf . For more than thirty years Ban Chao worked in the Western Regions until he was seventy , when he retired and returned to Luoyang . Ren Shang succeeded Ban Chao as the Protector General of the Western Regions in 102 , but as he was unkind and harsh toward the local people , they rose against him , plunging the region into disorder . The Han court soon recalled him in 106 , and replaced him with Duan Xi . On July 29 , 107 , the Han government abrogated the protector generalship , and recalled Duan Xi back under the escort of General Wang Hong .