History
The Han dynasty called silk and grain paid to nomadic raiders “gracious gifts”
HERE’S THE INTERESTING PART
Buying off the local heavily armed nomadic raiders is vastly cheaper than actually fighting them in the freezing desert. The imperial court maintained a highly delicate diplomatic balance by casually referring to huge bribes of silk and grain as 'gracious gifts,' allowing the heavily armed horse archers to stay fed while the emperors saved face.
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