So Hilde sent a messenger back to Byzantium from Ephesus.
The army that Hilde brought to Ephesus was Hilde's elite troops, namely the First Legion and her Guards. The current troops stationed in Byzantium City are the Second Legion, which comes from Apollonia. Hilde prepared for a rainy day, and although she had not considered this matter before, she had already prepared all the supplies needed for the troops to set out in Byzantium City.
It just so happened that I remembered that there was a city called Astracus in the Persian Empire.
This city is actually nothing special, but it is very valuable to the Byzantine Empire because Astacus is very close to the city of Byzantium. From Chalcedon, it only takes about 30 kilometers to reach Astacus. And Astacus is located in a relatively wide plain area with mountains behind it. You should know that the terrain along the coast of Asia Minor is not good, and Astacus is a good place to develop agriculture.
In terms of economic value and geographical location, Astracus could not only be an outpost of Byzantium, but also an important grain production area of Byzantium. However, the Persians did not care much about this place, so there was a reason for Hilde to try to take the city from Xerxes. Since you don't want it, then give it to me.
Besides this, another very important thing is.
As a former Greek colony still under the rule of the Persian Empire, Astacus has a very important significance regardless of whether its current residents are other people or not. If Hilde can send troops to expel the Persian army in Astacus, it will obviously improve the status of the Byzantine Kingdom in the eyes of the Ionians.
This is the true savior of Ionia.
The speedboat sent by Hilde reached Byzantium at a very fast speed and conveyed Hilde's order to the Second Legion stationed in Byzantium. After receiving the order, the Second Legion took a ship from Byzantium to cross the strait and arrive at Chalcedon that night. The Second Legion is no longer the size of 6000 people at the beginning, but has recovered to a huge number of people, the second of the three fully staffed legions of the Byzantine Kingdom.
If such a force really attacked Astacus, it would be impossible for the hundreds of Persian soldiers stationed in Astacus to resist it, so the Persian Empire also received an order from Her Majesty the Queen, and all the troops in Astacus quickly evacuated and left the place. It took only one day for the Second Legion to successfully liberate Astacus and plant the flag of the Byzantine Kingdom on the wall of Astacus.
In that case there will be no problem.
At the same time, Pyrrhus' letters from Ephesus were successfully delivered to other city-states in Ionia. When other city-states received these letters, they did not react. Although they all knew the existence of the Byzantine Empire, they knew when the Ephesians became subjects of the Byzantine Empire, and why they helped the Byzantine Empire to suddenly call for the Ionian Alliance to reunite and resist the Persians.
Almost all city-states chose to wait and see on this matter. They didn’t know whether this was a Persian conspiracy or what the Byzantine Kingdom was thinking. But these letters could be confirmed to be from Ephesus. However, Ephesus had just been besieged by the Persians some time ago. Almost all Ionians knew about their letters for help. However, not many days had passed before Ephesus began to speak for the Byzantine Kingdom.
This seems so strange when you think about it.
But all this was within Hilde's expectations.
So attacking Artaxus became the beginning of making them believe this.
Since Ionia is a relatively narrow and long area along the coast of Asia Minor, information communication almost entirely depends on merchant ships on land and sea. Ephesus is located in the southern part of Ionia. The liberation of Ephesus and Mileva would naturally spread to other Ionian regions through merchant ships. These news became the best evidence. When more and more merchants discovered the situation in Ephesus and passed the specific news of Ephesus to their city-states, more and more city-states believed this letter.
At the same time, the news of Artacus' liberation was also spread to other city-states through merchant ships. The Byzantine Kingdom, which was originally a slightly mysterious country, has finally unveiled its mysterious veil, and the image of an Ionian liberator has appeared before their eyes.
So under this situation.
All city-states had to consider how they would get along with the Byzantine Empire.
Since the Byzantine Empire tried to integrate the Ionian League.
Then, all city-states must consider the feasibility of this matter.
Having received a letter, one must of course reply.
The first city-states to reply included the larger city-states such as Mytilene and Abydos. After all, they were the main founders of the Ionian League. So when the Byzantine Kingdom said that it wanted to make Ionia a powerful alliance against the Persians again, they had to respond. Of course, their attitude in the letter was ambiguous. They did not directly support the idea, nor did they oppose it, but they supported Hilde's plan to convene the Ionian League Congress. In any case, it was better to get together and have a good talk about all the issues than to write letters.
This feels like a martial arts alliance.
Experts from all walks of life gathered at Guangmingding.
Here in Hilde.
That is, all kinds of masters gathered in Ephesus.
The Ionian League
No matter who agrees and who refuses in the end, it makes no difference to Hilde. Those who agree will be peacefully incorporated into the Byzantine Empire, while those who disagree will just have to wait for Hilde to lead the army to eliminate them one by one. Of course, it is impossible to say it so directly on the surface, but that is what Hilde meant.
The location of the meeting was naturally chosen as Ephesus.
The Ionians were relatively confident about Ephesus.
Soon, representatives from various Ionian city-states arrived in Ephesus on time. This time, a total of 35 representatives came, which exceeded Hilde's expectations. So the 35 city-states accounted for about 2/3 of Ionia, but the remaining 1/3 were mostly small city-states with a population of only 3000 to 5000. Even if they didn't come, it wouldn't be a big problem. Several major city-states, such as Mytilene, Abydos, and Hanakanassus, which were quite influential in Ionia, had now come to Ephesus.
They originally thought that since Ephesus was ruled by the Byzantine Empire, the place should be different from before. However, when they arrived here, they found that Ephesus seemed to be no different from before. The residents here still liked religion as before, and the city did not look like it had experienced war. In short, life was very peaceful.
The only difference was that in Ephesus, there were armies they didn't recognize. These were the First Legion of the Byzantine Kingdom. They would be responsible for the defense of the Ionian League Conference. These mighty and strong soldiers would naturally scare the Ionians, but on second thought, these people stood with them against the Persians, so there didn't seem to be any problem.
Of course, whether these people would really protect the Ionians from the Persian invasion is another matter. But these Ionian city-states did send representatives to Ephesus. And the location of the Ionian League meeting this time was the largest building in Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis.
The reason for choosing here.
It means being under the watchful eyes of the gods.
Complete this meeting.
Soon, representatives from 35 city-states, totaling more than 170 people, came to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus within one day. After they arrived at the temple, they did not directly see Queen Hilde of the Byzantine Empire, because Hilde felt that she had to be the last to appear, so she asked Pyrrhus to temporarily manage the order in the temple.
When the people saw Pyrrhus, the archon of Ephesus, appear in front of them, the representatives were very surprised and immediately asked Pyrrhus their questions.
"Lord Pyrrhus, what on earth happened?"
"Yes, weren't you besieged by the Persian Empire before? How come you suddenly became the territory of the Byzantine Empire?"
"Pyrrhus, we need an explanation from you!"
Faced with these questions from everyone, Pyrrhus could only smile bitterly.
"I know you are all very curious and confused about why things have become like this, so here I can give you an answer. In fact, I have already written the specific reasons in the letter, but the letter is limited, so I can only write it down briefly. The specific reason is this... Some time ago, we were suddenly attacked by the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire's army surrounded us in the city, and Ephesus fell into an unprecedented crisis. Just when we were about to be forced to open the city and surrender, Queen Hilde of the Byzantine Kingdom led her powerful army to land in Miletus from Samos Island, first liberated Miletus, and then set out from Miletus to drive away the army that besieged Ephesus. With this help, Ephesus avoided the fate of being enslaved by the Persians, and the Byzantine Kingdom was a Greek kingdom. At present, only the Byzantine Kingdom can help us resist the attack of the Persians. Under the rule of the Byzantine Kingdom, we Ephesians not only don't have to worry too much about safety issues, but also can live freely like in the past. This is why we are joining the Byzantine Kingdom now."
After hearing what Pyrrhus said, people from other city-states could no longer sit still.
"It seems like you guys really miss the days when we were ruled by the Lydian Kingdom!"
"Yeah, so you joined the Byzantine Empire because it saved you? Then why didn't you join Athens when the Athenians saved you before?"
These people tried their best to be sarcastic. After all, all the city-states in Ionia were independent. Suddenly Ephesus joined a kingdom, which made other city-states feel a sense of crisis. Although what Pyrrhus said was right, the benefits of joining the Byzantine Kingdom would definitely be far greater than being ruled by the Persians, even so, many people could not accept it.
And Pyrrhus was neither in a hurry nor in a hurry.
"Please don't jump to conclusions. If you don't see the truth with your own eyes, you won't know the specific situation. Later, you will see Her Majesty Hilde, the Queen of the Byzantine Kingdom. At that time, you can ask her all your questions. But I hope you can understand that if we, the Greeks of Ionia, want to get rid of the shadow of the Persians forever, we must have a strong Greek country standing behind us. Athens is no longer good, and the influence of the Delian League in the East is almost a joke. So don't underestimate the Byzantine Kingdom. This is a very rare opportunity."
"Pyrrhus, could it be that you sold Ephesus to the Byzantine Empire for the sake of wealth and glory?"
Suddenly someone said this.
The others couldn't help but join in the fun.
But Pyrrhus just smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"How could I possibly have this ability? It was all the citizens of Ephesus who chose to join the Byzantine Kingdom. I once refused and opposed this, but since everyone has decided this, I have no choice. The reason I can stand here and talk to you is only because Her Majesty the Queen believes that I still have some ability and can do something for Ephesus."
"how can that be possible?"
"Are all you people in Ephesus wimps?"
"This is a sacred temple. Please be careful with your words."
Pyrrhus was somewhat unhappy.
He could say that, but to insult Ephesus here in front of him, that was not okay.
The one who just said this was the messenger from Abydos.
Chapter 6 of the ninth chapter: Hilde protecting her child
It is obvious that Abydos, as a large city-state in northern Ionia, is indeed ruthless in speaking, and what he said is actually the thoughts of other people in the city-state. Hearing what the envoy said, some envoys next to him couldn't help but nodded, so this situation was rather embarrassing.
"It is precisely because you Ephesians are weak that the Persian Empire is attacking you!"
"If you do this again, I'll ask you to leave."
"You are just a dog of the Byzantine Empire. Do you still have the qualifications now? I tell you, Ephesus has always been an inferior city-state in Ionia. No matter which direction the Ionian Alliance develops, it is not your turn to make decisions here, not to mention that you have been ruled by another kingdom!"
"You are the ones who should get out of Ionia!"
An assistant of the envoy from Abydos couldn't help but speak up.
Pyrrhus was so angry that his face almost turned blue.
Even though Pyrrhus had a good temper, he could not tolerate such an insult.
Moreover, the envoy from Abydos did speak of Pyrrhus's pain. No matter what the current situation of Ephesus was, it had indeed lost its independent status and became a part of the Byzantine Empire. Abydos naturally had reason to mock Ephesus.
"Who is speaking so arrogantly here?"
Just as the atmosphere was turning unfavorable for Ephesus.
Everyone suddenly heard a melodious female voice coming from behind them. None of the envoys who came to participate this time were female, so when this voice appeared, everyone couldn't help but shift their gaze to behind them. When they turned around, their attention was already attracted. All the words they wanted to say came to their lips but they couldn't say a word, because what they saw in front of them was so shocking that they were completely speechless.
Hilde was now wearing a purple robe, and all the jewelry she had worn in Athens were put on her again, making her look very noble and beautiful. But Hilde was not too aristocratic, and she still tightly grasped the spear in her hand, the spear that had always accompanied her on the battlefield.
"His Majesty!"
Pyrrhus saw Hilde approaching from behind.
He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
“Who was mocking Ephesus just now?”
"..."
After seeing Hilde, the messenger from Abydos shut up. He didn't know why he was afraid of a woman, but when he saw Hilde, he suddenly felt uneasy from the bottom of his heart. He always felt that if he angered Hilde, it might be a very terrible thing.
Although the person who spoke did not dare to admit it, it did not mean that Hilde did not know. When those people were mocking her just now, Hilde heard it all. She had been here a long time ago, but she had not said anything. She then hid in a place where no one could see and watched the development of the situation.
Although the clothes lock carries the territory I just acquired, Hilde has always been a protective person, so no matter whether it is his core territory or not, no matter how long Hilde has acquired this place, if you say in front of me that the people in my territory are cowards and have problems, then Hilde will definitely not agree.
"Weren't you just mocking Ephesus for being cowards? Why are you silent now? Who is the coward? If you could use your eloquence in the war against the Persians, the Persians would have been scared away by you long ago."
Hilde walked to the side of the Abydos messenger and suddenly stopped. When the sound of the footsteps stopped reached the ears of the Abydos messenger, his body trembled violently, and it was obvious that he began to get scared.
"You sounded happy just now, didn't you?"
"Your Majesty, I..."
"It was a tragedy that Ephesus was besieged by the Persian Empire. When it was besieged, Ephesus desperately asked you for help, but who of you gave Ephesus any response? You only think that the Persians are attacking Ephesus now, not you, so you can sit back and relax, and don't need to worry about these things at all. But have you ever thought about what you would do if Ephesus was really destroyed by Persia one day?"
"..."
When Pyrrhus heard this, he smiled helplessly.
If there had been a city-state willing to support us at the beginning.
In fact, Pyrrhus would not decide to open the city and surrender.
Hilde's words made those city-states that had been showing off their might just now shut up, because what Hilde said was not wrong.
"You think the people of Ephesus are cowards because they did not choose to fight and fight to the death with the Persians in the end. But if this happened to you, what would you do? You are already scared because Miletus fought to the death. You have seen the end of Miletus. So no matter whether you are from Abydos or Mytilene, you are all cowards when you meet the Persians."
Hilde's move can be said to be a preemptive move.
Hilde herself has a very strong aura.
Ordinary people would be angry when they see Hilde.
There will be a feeling of fear.
Now Hilde seized on their mockery of Ephesus. In this case, it was obvious that the mockers were the wrong party. Hilde seized the moral advantage and could criticize them. After hearing what Hilde said, the messenger from Abydos could not help it. He raised his head and said to Hilde, "If we Abydos are attacked by the Persians, we will definitely fight to the death with the Persians in the first place. Even if we are defeated, even if there may be a very bad ending, we will grit our teeth and persevere!"
"is it?"
Hilde couldn't help laughing.
"So what about your secret dealings with the Spartans?"
"This is slander!"
"Don't think I don't know. I received many letters from Cestus showing your secret contacts with the Spartans. All the evidence can prove that you betrayed the Delian League, but at least you didn't act with the Spartans and participate in things that harmed the Delian League. I will not pursue this matter for now and give you one chance."
How could the messenger know?
There was actually such evidence hidden in Cestus.
Hilde found them all.
The envoys from some surrounding city-states also looked sideways. After all, they were all members of the Delian League, and there was a person who betrayed the Delian League in front of them, so naturally they attracted more attention.
Chapter 9: The Threat from the Persian Empire
Hilde glanced at him.
"His Majesty……"
"We are all Ionian city-states. When Ephesus was in danger, you stood by and watched without helping. With the support of the Byzantine Empire, Ephesus finally avoided being enslaved by the Persians, but you still tried your best to ridicule Ephesus. Do you think that doing this will increase your courage?"
Hilde's criticism.
The messenger from Abydos was speechless.
Hilde shook her head helplessly.
