What if Chinese envoy Gan Ying, instead of allowing himself to be discouraged by his Parthian associates, ventured further west and visited Roman territory 97 C.E.? Or perhaps after capturing Parthian territory beyond Ctesiphon, scouts from Trajan's forces rode the distance to eastern Persia and made contact with the Chinese garrisons established their by the Han Protector-General Ban Chao? How much would increased relations between Imperial Rome and Han China have shaped the future?