At this time, Lin Ke pointed at the Greek fleet in the distance.
"Pericles, over there."
"If they are willing to receive me, even if it's just for a courtesy talk, that in itself indicates that they are willing to establish some form of diplomatic relations with Holy Egypt."
"On the other hand, if they refuse, then that tells us clearly where they stand."
"That is, their attitude towards us isn't very friendly. While it's not hostile, it's at least worse than that of unfamiliar civilizations and kingdoms."
When Nan Tong heard this, he immediately understood.
"Your Majesty, the Holy Pharaoh, this is a test of yours, a diplomatic challenge!"
Lin Ke simply nodded slightly: "However, to be precise, this is a way of expressing our attitudes to each other."
"If Greece is willing to meet with me, it means that they are at least superficially willing to consider cooperation with Holy Egypt."
"If they are not even allowed to meet, it means their hostility has gone beyond the constraints of etiquette and diplomacy."
Just as the two were deep in conversation, a Holy Egyptian marine came quickly over.
"Report to His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh! A Greek ship is coming from the direction of the Greek fleet."
Lin Ke looked up and saw a small rowboat slowly approaching them.
A few minutes later, the figure on the boat became clear. It was the Greek diplomat, but his expression seemed a little unhappy.
When the diplomat stepped onto the deck, his posture was noticeably stiffer than before, and the smile on his face had completely disappeared.
Only when he saw Lin Ke did a symbolic smile appear on his face again.
Lin Ke maintained his previous appearance, invited him to sit down at a simple table, and ordered his servant to pour hot drinks for the guest.
"It seems that General Pericles has made his decision?"
Lin Ke looked at the other person and already had the answer in his mind.
The diplomat took a sip of his hot drink and tried hard to maintain a smiling face.
"Yes, Your Majesty the Holy Pharaoh, I have conveyed your wishes to General Pericles."
Lin Ke waited patiently for the other party's next words, while the diplomat seemed to be thinking carefully about every word.
"Regretfully, the General believes that the current situation is complicated and a hasty meeting is not appropriate."
"He suggested that we discuss it further at the World Conference, which is the place to discuss Mediterranean affairs."
As expected.
Moreover, the meaning behind this diplomatic rhetoric was clear: Pericles refused the request for a meeting, and his reasons sounded more like excuses.
"I understand the general's considerations."
Lin Ke responded calmly, without showing any dissatisfaction, he was still as indifferent as ever.
"Please tell him I look forward to meeting him on Delos."
“Also, please inform him that Holy Egypt is open to establishing friendly relations with Greece.”
The diplomat nodded slightly awkwardly, then stood up and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he hesitated for a moment, then turned around and added.
"General Pericles also mentioned that the Holy Pharaoh was very busy and should not waste his precious time on such a trivial matter."
"He believes Holy Egypt has more important matters to attend to."
The contempt and rejection implied in these words are self-evident.
There is even a hint of gunpowder smell.
But Lin Ke still just smiled slightly and did not respond. He just ordered the soldiers to escort the diplomat back to his ship.
When the diplomat's boat sailed away, Nan Tong came to Lin Ke.
His expression was now somewhat complicated: "Your Majesty, the Holy Pharaoh, your plan is truly powerful."
"The Greeks' attitude is clear."
Lin Ke smiled and nodded: "Indeed."
"They are unwilling to establish any kind of close contact with us, at least for now."
"Perhaps it's because our rise has been so rapid that it's making them uneasy, or perhaps it's because our ideology is so different from theirs. Of course, in my opinion, it's probably because today we've ruined Greece's plan to inflict a heavy blow on Persia."
"But in any case, this provides us with a clear signal."
Nan Tong thought for a while, then continued, "Your Majesty the Holy Pharaoh, what should we do next?"
"Go directly to Delos to attend the World Conference?"
Lin Ke looked into the distance and shook his head after thinking for a while.
"No, I want to stay here. I must see with my own eyes the departure of the Persian and Greek armies."
"Only when they have truly left this sea area will I feel at ease to go to Delos."
When the succubus heard this, she just looked a little confused.
"Your Majesty, Holy Pharaoh, why are you so cautious?"
"We have already stated our neutral position, and logically both sides should respect our presence."
"If someone breaks the agreement, isn't it?"
In response, Lin Ke simply explained: "Because of this, we need to be more cautious."
"If we leave now, there's no way to be sure they'll keep their promise."
"The Persians might take this opportunity to regroup, or the Greeks might change their minds and launch a surprise attack."
"These two guys are old foxes."
"I need to make sure the situation is truly stable before I leave for the World Conference."
Nan Tong nodded. Although he still didn't quite understand Lin Ke's entire strategy, he was used to obeying every decision made by the Holy Pharaoh.
As night fell, Lin Ke ordered the fleet to drop anchor not far from the coast.
The blackout was well enforced by the warriors of Holy Egypt, with only necessary lookout lights dimming in the darkness.
The next day, Lin Ke got up early and observed the surrounding situation on the deck.
Most of the Greek fleet had left, leaving only three warships cruising in the distance, apparently to monitor Persian movements.
On the Persian side, a large number of warships and troop transports were evacuating in an orderly manner, and the camps on the coast were beginning to be dismantled.
At noon, Ramses came to report to Lin Ke.
"Holy Pharaoh, according to our reconnaissance, 70% of the Persian army has already withdrawn, and the remaining troops are expected to complete their retreat tonight or tomorrow morning."
"The main Greek fleet has completely departed, leaving only a small fleet of ships."
Lin Ke nodded when he heard this, and he was also confirming it on the civilization panel.
The Persian army was indeed withdrawing, but he noticed that the Greek fleet was scattered in different areas of the Mediterranean, as if waiting for some orders.
So, Lin Ke just decided to stay here until he was sure that no fighting would happen.
"Continue to observe until they are completely evacuated."
As evening approached, the Persian withdrawal accelerated.
After a few more hours, there was no trace of the Persian army on the coastline, only abandoned camps and traces of campfires.
The three Greek warships disappeared, and the entire sea area seemed to have returned to its former tranquility.
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