Lin Ke's words just now made Nadir Shah begin to rethink the "expansion" policy he had pursued for decades.
Behind the glory brought by those conquests were countless warriors who admired Nadir Shah.
Moreover, how many resources were invested in this seemingly endless struggle during the Greek and Persian wars?
"I have to say, these words of yours remind me of an old friend."
Nadir Shah just said this, of course, he did not tell Lin Ke that the old friend he was talking about was his father.
"I have ruled for decades and built an empire that spans continents."
"I once suspected that there might be problems with the path I was pursuing, but I am the emperor of Persia, and I shoulder the responsibility and glory of civilization."
"The Greeks once brought shame upon us, so this responsibility and honor has brought me to where I am today."
"If only we didn't have to continue on this path of conquest..."
When Nadir Shah said this, his voice lost its arrogance, doubt, and the condescending imperial tone.
On the contrary, he was more sincere, which was born out of his admiration for the Holy Pharaoh.
"I need to think about it."
Obviously, this huge cognitive shock made Nadir Shah confused.
Lin Ke just nodded.
"Of course, Holy Egypt has great respect for your empire, and I respect you just as much, even though you have looked down on me and my kingdom before."
"But I think it is very unwise and rude to get angry with you. What's more, you and the people of your country don't understand me, Holy Egypt."
"But you might think about this for a while."
"Does the Persian Empire really need to continue expanding?"
“Is force really the only reliable means of ruling?”
"Can the power of the Persian Empire only be demonstrated through conquest?"
Nadir Shah looked at Lin Ke. He now felt that the light emanating from this holy pharaoh seemed even brighter than that of the golden god not far away.
When he raised his head and looked at Lin Ke again, his gaze was like that of a good friend.
"Holy Pharaoh, you said before that it would be to our advantage to spare the King of Sparta."
"I understand now."
"What you just said makes sense, but how exactly are you going to achieve it?"
"You haven't participated in a world conference, so I'm afraid you don't understand what kind of people you're going to face."
"I'm afraid it will be very difficult to implement your proposal."
When Lin Ke heard this, he just shrugged indifferently.
"It's okay, I have a plan."
"I plan to start with a few key commodities and then gradually relax restrictions. As long as more people can taste the benefits, more and more people will naturally participate."
"You've probably heard of cocoa beans, right? Especially the drinks made from them, which are so refreshing."
Nadir Shah nodded and listened carefully to Lin Ke's words.
"And Holy Egypt has been able to significantly increase the production of [cocoa beans]. We can now produce about half a ton of [cocoa beans] per month."
When Lin Ke said this, Nadir Shah widened his eyes again.
You know, just one kilogram of [cocoa beans] can be sold at a very high price on the market.
Half a ton is almost an astronomical figure.
He looked at Lin Ke. He had no idea how many secrets this Holy Pharaoh had yet to tell him.
"I plan to bring cocoa drink to Delos. Most people who know about cocoa drink love it very much."
"What happens if they know this thing exists and need it but can't buy it?"
"Of course we will trade with Holy Egypt and buy our [cocoa beans]."
“History tells us that when people see something that benefits them, they will push for it to happen.”
Of course, what Lin Ke said in this passage is to replace abstract concepts with concrete examples, which is to replace complex theories with daily life experience.
This would make it easier for the Persian emperor to understand and accept the "concept" of this new type of international cooperation.
"So, as long as Holy Egypt first establishes such a trade system and then spreads this concept, each country can focus on the industry it excels in."
“If we can break down barriers and share what we have, the entire Mediterranean world will prosper to unprecedented heights.”
"Persia prospers, Greece prospers, and of course, my holy Egypt prospers as well."
"Isn't that wonderful?"
When Nadir Shah heard this, his eyebrows raised high, his lips slightly parted, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.
He thought for a moment before continuing.
"Holy Pharaoh, I'm afraid that the practice you're talking about of sharing what's available between countries will be difficult to implement."
"This kind of interdependent relationship itself is a hidden danger."
“If a drought hits Egypt one year and the food production decreases, wouldn’t the countries that rely on these products be thrown into chaos?”
"A strong empire should be self-sufficient so that it can remain stable in the face of external crises."
"As for the trust and cooperation you mentioned, throughout history, trust between kingdoms and civilizations has been as fragile as paper."
"Yesterday's ally may be tomorrow's enemy."
"Holy Egypt and the Greeks were once enemies, but you still came here today and saved Leonidas, who is also a Greek."
Lin Ke listened to the other party and nodded.
Of course, in Lin Ke's opinion, Nadir Shah was not wrong.
However, Nadir Shah's words reflected his typical mindset as a ruler.
That is to focus on practical interests, be wary of over-dependence on other countries, and be skeptical of long-term cooperation agreements.
It’s not that Nadir Shah didn’t understand the principle of mutual benefit, but in his opinion, the risks outweighed the benefits.
"Of course I have my considerations. Persia needs a stable food supply to maintain the combat effectiveness of the army, and it needs high-quality metal products to equip its soldiers."
"If we rely on imports for these key supplies, they will become our fatal weakness in the event of war."
Nadir Shah's concerns were not groundless.
They live in a world where food shortages threaten mass starvation and metal scarcity cripples military might—matters of national survival.
Compared to what Lin Ke said, Nadir Shah believes that immediate practical interests and national security always come first.
"I have to take into account Persia's actual needs and the risks it may face."
"The ruler of an empire cannot govern the country based solely on your ideas."
"Otherwise, one day, it will definitely backfire on you."
Clearly, Nadir Shah was not unwilling to accept Linke's proposal, but he had to weigh the impact of this possibility on the Persian Empire.
But this was enough to bring Lin Ke much closer to his goal.
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