▁force ▁of ▁ 7 0 , 0 0 0 ▁under ▁commander ▁X ie , ▁and ▁bes ie ged ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Sh ule ▁for ▁about ▁ten ▁days . ▁Ban ▁Ch ao ▁continued ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁city , ▁until ▁the ▁attack ers ▁exha usted ▁their ▁food ▁supplies ▁and ▁retre ated . ▁In ▁ 9 1 , ▁the ▁Han ▁government ▁appointed ▁Ban ▁Ch ao ▁the ▁Prote ctor ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Reg ions , ▁with ▁his ▁office ▁in ▁Tan q ian , ▁state ▁of ▁Q iu ci . ▁In ▁ 9 4 , ▁Ban ▁Ch ao ▁organ ised ▁an ▁army ▁of ▁ 7 0 , 0 0 0 ▁mer cen aries , ▁approach ▁and ▁arrested ▁the ▁k ings ▁of ▁Yan qi ▁and ▁Y uli , ▁they ▁were ▁executed ▁where ▁Chen ▁Mu ▁was ▁killed . ▁In ▁ 9 7 , ▁Ban ▁Ch ao ▁commission ed ▁an ▁en voy ▁named ▁Gan ▁Y ing ▁to ▁visit ▁Rome . ▁He ▁was ▁un success ful , ▁but ▁returned ▁after ▁travel ing ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf . ▁▁ ▁For ▁more ▁than ▁thirty ▁years ▁Ban ▁Ch ao ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁Reg ions ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁sevent y , ▁when ▁he ▁retired ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁Lu oy ang . ▁Ren ▁Shang ▁succeeded ▁Ban ▁Ch ao ▁as ▁the ▁Prote ctor ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Reg ions ▁in ▁ 1 0 2 , ▁but ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁un kind ▁and ▁har sh ▁toward ▁the ▁local ▁people , ▁they ▁rose ▁against ▁him , ▁pl ung ing ▁the ▁region ▁into ▁dis order