投笔从戎 — “To give up intellectual pursuits for a military career”

Ban Chao was a famous general in the Eastern Han Dynasty. He was diligent from a young age and full of aspirations for the future. One day, while copying documents, he suddenly felt bored. He couldn't help but stand up, throwing down his brush and exclaiming, "A true man should achieve great deeds on the battlefield, like Fu Jiezi and Zhang Qian, instead of wasting life on trivial copying tasks!"

Fu Jiezi and Zhang Qian, who lived in the Western Han Dynasty, had made countless contributions to the Western Han by serving as envoys to the Western Regions. Inspired by them, Ban Chao decided to dedicate himself to his aspirations.

Later, he became a military officer and achieved victory in a war against the Xiongnu. He then suggested fostering relations with various Western Region states to collectively counter the Xiongnu. The imperial court adopted his advice and sent him with dozens of men as an envoy to the Western Regions.

Over more than thirty years in the Western Regions, he navigated various crises with his wisdom and courage. Ban Chao visited over fifty countries in his lifetime, maintaining peace with them and simultaneously promoting the prestige of the Han Dynasty.