The king at first gave them a warm reception, but after some time, he began to be cold and rude towards them. Ban Chao investigated and found that a large Xiongnu delegation had also arrived, so that the king's attitude towards the Han dynasty had begun to waver .Ban Chao assembled his men and told them that the situation was grave. Arguing that "without entering the tiger's den, one cannot capture the tiger's cub", Ban Chao decided that the only solution was to risk everything in a sneak attack on the Xiongnu delegation that night.
At night, Ban Chao and his 36 men snuck up to the Xiongnu camp. Ten of them hid behind the camp with drums, while the others lay in ambush with weapons at either side in front of the camp. Then they set a fire right outside the camp and began shouting and beating drums at the same time. The Xiongnu woke up in confusion and panicked, thinking a large Han army was attacking them. Over 30 of them were killed in the ambush, including the leader of the delegation. More than a hundred others were killed by the fire. The next day, Ban Chao met the king of Kroran and showed him the severed head of the Xiongnu leader. The king then decided to ally with the Eastern Han.
班超是東漢注明的外交家軍事家。永平十六年(73年),班超帶著一隊人馬,來到了新疆。東道主把班超奉為上賓。 過了幾天,鄯善王拒不接見班超,態(tài)度十分冷淡。班超得知匈奴也派使者來和鄯善王聯(lián)絡感情,鄯鄯王熱情款待他們。匈奴人在主人面前,說了東漢許多壞話,所以 鄯善王的態(tài)度才急轉直下。班超立刻召集大家商量對策。班超說:“只有除掉匈奴使者才能消除主人的疑慮,兩國和好。” 班超說:“不入虎穴,焉得虎子!”這天深夜,班超帶了36個士兵潛到匈奴營地。他們兵分兩路,一路拿著戰(zhàn)鼓躲在營地后面,一路手執(zhí)弓箭刀槍埋伏在營地兩 旁。他們一面放火燒帳篷,一面擊鼓吶喊。匈奴人驚醒并大亂,以為一支強大的漢軍隊伍在襲擊他們,結果全被大火燒死。 第二天,班超手提匈奴首領的首級覲見鄯善王,鄯善王明白了真相,便和班超言歸于好,成功結盟。