Manbao couldn't frankly tell the emperor that these things weren't so precious in the Western Regions, and that the styrax he sent was found in a bandit's lair. So she said, "Your Majesty, when we went to the Western Regions, we deliberately brought some tea and cloth. After selling them there, the money we earned not only offset some travel expenses but also allowed us to buy gifts for friends and family."
Bai Shan added, "Moreover, we encountered a group of bandits while passing through Liangzhou. Fortunately, the prefect of Liangzhou and Assistant General Nie were brave and led soldiers to eliminate the bandits. We seized some goods from them."
The emperor asked, "Shouldn't the seized goods be handed over to the national treasury?"
"Yes, the prefect of Liangzhou used them as military funds and gave some to us to calm our nerves."
Prince Gong, who had been writing with his head down, snorted, "Isn't someone soliciting bribes?"
