Mingda sighed and said, "I've heard that there's a war going on in the Western Regions, and many Persian merchants cannot return to their homeland. Given their situation, why would outsiders like you risk going there now?"
Manbao widened her eyes, "How do you know I want to go to Gaochang?"
Mingda pointed to the dark stone on her wrist and smiled bitterly, "This kind of crystal and strange stone, apart from the Western Regions, I really can't think of where else you could get them."
Manbao had boasted more than once that Zhou SiLang's business had reached the grasslands.
Mingda touched the crystal, looked up at Manbao, and asked softly, "Are they just after money, or did they make other demands?"
Manbao hadn't expected Mingda to think of going to the Western Regions, and she mumbled, unable to respond.
Mingda watched her for a while, not pressing her for an explanation, but softly asked, "Are you going to Gaochang because of this?"
