I was the Queen of Persia

Page 139

"Snapped--!"

Without a word, Ambash lashed out with his whip several times, leaving the skin torn and bleeding: "I'm warning you, be careful! Don't listen to the sweet talk of the Persians, or this will be your fate!"

He casually lifted the head from the horse's chest—the head of the "traitor" he had just beheaded.

Chapter 323 Horse Archery Battle

After reprimanding his men, Turan's commander, Ambashi, cracked his whip and led his troops away.

The crowd was furious but dared not speak out, which only strengthened their resolve to "implement the plan."

……

Now, let's talk about Aknu'er Khan's tent.

After the cities of Xigenahe and Zhande changed hands, the subordinates hesitated to report the news, fearing they might anger the tyrannical Khan. The officials pinned their hopes on the Turan army in the central route to launch a counterattack and reclaim the "lost territory."

However, the truth will eventually come out.

Upon hearing the news of the loss of the cities along the Syr Darya River, Aknu's eyes instantly turned bloodshot with rage. Those oasis settlements were vital sources of revenue and artisans for her rule, and how could she not be furious that they had been so easily taken away?

She ordered the execution of more than ten officials implicated in the case, and their corpses were thrown to feed the vultures. At the same time, she drafted an urgent military order and sent it by fast horse to Yangjigan, demanding that the newly appointed commander-in-chief "must defeat the Persians and reclaim the lost territory!"

……

Now let's talk about the battlefield in Yangjigan.

The newly appointed commander was named Kara Arslan Yabghu. Based on information gathered before the battle, Farukzad and Iraj learned that he was a relative of Aknuar and one of the former high-ranking generals of the Karakhanid dynasty.

At this moment, the commander of the Turan army was riding his horse to inspect the camp, determined to win the upcoming battle.

"Tell those conscripted 'Yatak' slaves to speed up! Get more catapults sooner! Otherwise, whip them severely!" Arslan Yabghu shouted as he rode his horse around.

"Wait!" At this moment, an equally loud voice interrupted him.

Another general, also clad in Turan heavy lamellar armor, rode forward and said, "Arslan Yabghu, Yangjigan is already short of trees. What's the use of building so many heavy catapults? We should save the materials and make more armor-piercing arrows to make use of our tribe's archery skills."

"Suyunchi Beg? Heh." Arslan Yabghu looked at the newcomer with disdain. "How did your army suffer a crushing defeat at Dargan? And how did you lose the rich cities of Xignahei and Zhan?"

“You…” Su Yunchi Burke’s face showed some embarrassment.

"Heh heh, and now you're questioning my decision? What right do you have?!" Arslan Yabghu retorted aggressively.

Ignoring all advice, Commander Turan insisted on allocating the main resources to the construction of siege equipment, aiming to increase the proportion of heavy weaponry in order to fight against the Samanid army.

……

Just as the Turan army was hindering each other and engaging in internal strife.

Farukzad has further completed the troop deployment, with the left flank, center, and right flank disintegrating and repositioning to create a more powerful suppressive posture against the Turan army's battalions.

Farukzad rode his horse to high places every day to observe the movements of the various camps of the Turan army.

A great deal of military intelligence can be obtained through observation telescopes with higher magnification.

She was surprised to find that the Turan army lacked the necessary countermeasures against the Iranian army's advance, and instead consumed a large amount of timber every day to build heavy, slow, and large-scale machinery that was not cost-effective in grassland warfare.

This is a good time to seek a major war.

They then assembled their forces and prepared to launch an attack.

Prince Consort Iraji had already coordinated the deployment of all military branches. Upon receiving the commander-in-chief's order, he immediately mobilized all his troops and headed towards the Turan army, leaving only a small force to defend the camp.

……

June 5, 1024 AD, the month of Khordad in the Persian calendar.

After more than half a month of stalemate, the two armies, totaling nearly 30 troops, officially deployed their forces on the plains 6 Farsah (about 36 kilometers) outside Yangjigan City, and launched a major battle.

The vast battlefield was filled with red and brown flags, stretching to the horizon and blocking out the sun.

The Arslan Yebu cavalry, mounted on their warhorses, launched the first attack with a face full of disdain.

In an instant, the mounted archers deployed on both flanks of Turan's army quickly spread out, launched a flanking attack, and began firing their bows.

Farukzad immediately ordered her main force to maintain a high level of defensive readiness. At the same time, she calmly observed the changes in the enemy formation, and when it was fully deployed and unable to defend both sides, she immediately ordered her cavalry archers to engage.

Accompanied by suona horns, bugle calls, and military command flags.

The Samanid army's mounted archers immediately spurred their horses and charged out in formation. They mostly came from the Seljuk, Bayandur, and other "civilized Turan tribes who had entered a truce," or nomadic Iranian tribes like the Afshar, but all of them had been registered and trained as regular troops.

The Samanian horse archers, employing a wider flanking maneuver, successfully encircled the Turanian horse archers. As the troops drew near, the horses neighed, and neither side dared to be careless, immediately charging forward to draw their bows and nock their arrows.

In an instant, a rain of arrows blotted out the sun.

Both the Iranian and Turan peoples were cavalry and archery civilizations, and both armies mobilized large numbers of cavalry forces for the war. Therefore, the ensuing battles were extremely epic and magnificent.

The galloping of ten thousand warhorses raised billowing dust, and the battle cries echoed across the plains, mingled with countless powerful arrows slicing through the air. The battle cries in Persian and Turkic languages ​​almost drowned out the entire battlefield.

After a fierce battle, neither side could gain the upper hand.

Both armies employed highly sophisticated mounted archery tactics: advancing in a flanking, circular mounted archery formation, the riders skillfully maneuvering their warhorses with exceptional horsemanship, managing to draw their bows and shoot arrows while maintaining the order of their formation at breakneck speed.

Both armies had well-equipped mounted archers: they were equipped with lightly armored archer cavalry on fast horses, as well as heavily armored mounted archers. Many of their warhorses were also protected by cotton, felt, leather, or even half-body iron armor.

This is destined to be a tough battle.

A turning point depends on which side makes a mistake first, or which side experiences a change in circumstances first.

Farukzad calmly assessed the course of the battle, constantly encouraging herself: the soldiers of the Saman Empire, backed by a glorious nation and a powerful homeland, will surely turn the tide in the end!

Looking back at her husband, Iraj, the young prince consort gave her a knowing and encouraging look, inspiring her to run towards victory.

Then he thought of his mother, Queen Shahzani, his own mother who was a capable and shrewd warrior, a woman of great talent and decisiveness, yet gentle and virtuous.

Thinking about all this, Farukzad became even more determined in his belief.

And the battlefield situation unfolded exactly as predicted.

As time went on, the Turan cavalry archers gradually became exhausted and fell into a disadvantageous position. Those in the know understood that the Arslan Yabghu had devoted too many resources to manufacturing large-scale weaponry, neglecting the supply of arrows.

This resulted in the Turan army's arrow vector being slightly insufficient (relatively speaking).

Currently, the two armies are evenly matched in strength, and their projectiles are equally dense, making the battle a contest of arrow attrition. As a result, it is this slight advantage that has allowed the Samanid army to gradually gain the upper hand.

Chapter 324 Cavalry Battle

After several more rounds of shooting exchanges.

The Turan horse archers were completely outmatched and suppressed by the Iranian horse archers, with their casualties steadily increasing.

The battle situation was turning against them.

Arslan Yabghu's face was very grim. He quickly ordered his mounted archers to fight and retreat, shrinking their lines to avoid further losses.

"Damn it!" Arslan Yabghu cursed. "I didn't expect these Persians to be so capable! But it doesn't matter, our powerful cavalry is on our side. Let Afrasiab's divine power manifest and crush these enemies!"

He then ordered his shock cavalry to form ranks and charge.

In an instant, the central army, left flank, and right flank of Turan's three-sided battle line surged forth in a massive wave of troops.

The Turan Khanate cavalry also employed a tactic of frontal attack plus flanking maneuvers, a common tactic used by the Iranians and Turanians, as well as by many nomadic empires in Eurasia: armored cavalry charged in formation at the front, while elite cavalry on both flanks also charged forward.

The Turan cavalry rapidly approached, raising clouds of dust that blotted out the sun.

Clad in heavy lamellar armor, riding armored steppe warhorses, their dark brown helmet plumes fluttered in the wind, and quivers of bows and arrows hung from their armor belts, their sharp and sturdy cavalry lances gleaming coldly.

Meanwhile, the Turan horse archers, who had retreated slightly, regrouped and launched a counterattack.

"Go! Stop them!"

Farukzad pointed his warhammer and commanded the Iranian Samanid cavalry to launch an attack.

The crimson-clad naval forces moved at the command, and the Iranian armored cavalry, fully armored, launched a moderate counter-attack.

In an instant, a fierce battle between armored cavalry and ironclad soldiers began.

On the dusty plains, Iranian and Turanian cavalry clashed, and amidst the clanging of steel and the neighing of warhorses, warriors went to meet Allah...

The Turan soldiers were fierce by nature and well-equipped with weapons and armor. Thanks to the brute strength of steppe warriors and their thirst for victory, they gained a slight advantage in the early stages of the battle, inflicting some losses on the Iranian army.

However, Farukzad and Iraj had already prepared a response.

Faced with the formidable Turan cavalry, Iraj advised against lingering in battle. He suggested that after inflicting some casualties on the enemy, the troops should retreat while fighting, regroup, and gradually wear down the enemy's morale.

This suggestion was adopted by Farukzad. Seeing the Turan army advancing aggressively, she ordered a retreat after a brief battle, to return to their own lines in an orderly manner and then search for weaknesses in the enemy's defenses.

With the support of an efficient command system, the Saman Empire's cavalry group, as well as the previously dispatched mounted archer group, immediately implemented the commander's will.

Their plan was a "moderate counterattack," and since they were not far from their main force, they quickly returned after achieving their initial objective, while also ensuring that they were still full of energy.

Faced with a "turnaround" in the battle.

"Haha! The Persians are indeed cowardly lambs! Warriors of Turan, keep charging! Beat them until they run for their lives!" Arslan Yabghu was very excited and excitedly ordered his troops to continue the attack.

The Turan cavalry continued their triumphant advance, unaware that obstacles were quietly looming ahead.

As the Samanian cavalry swiftly returned to their main camp, the Samanian war engineers, who had been waiting in ambush, rapidly deployed a series of defensive lines to counter the cavalry, standing ready for battle.

With this change in circumstances, the situation of Turan's army was very different.

After their long march and this fierce battle, the soldiers and their horses were somewhat exhausted. Their renewed charge quickly ran into a combined attack by the Samanid army, who had laid out chevaux-de-frise, caltrops, and tripwires. Caught off guard, the vanguard fell in droves.

"Damn it! May these Persians be condemned to hell!" Arslan Yabghu's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he hurriedly ordered his troops to quell the unrest.

Fortunately, the Turan army was also highly disciplined and obeyed orders. Under the command of officers at all levels, they quickly regrouped and retreated while fighting, thus avoiding greater losses.

Although Farukzad did not inflict heavy losses on the Turan army in this battle, it still significantly depleted the morale and energy of the Turan soldiers.

……

The following two days.

Both armies returned to their respective positions, fortified their camps, and temporarily ceased large-scale battles, instead engaging in frequent small-scale skirmishes.

Farukzad would not miss the opportunity to wear down the enemy's strength. He would proceed gradually, sending out cavalry in waves to harass Turan's camp.

Combined troop movements, advancing in separate columns and launching a coordinated attack.

In the stalemate, where the forces were evenly matched, the slight advantage in training and discipline gradually widened the gap on the battlefield. The Saman soldiers' relatively greater endurance (their explosive power was slightly inferior to that of the Turan soldiers, but their endurance was superior) further solidified the slight gap.

……

A few more days.

Arslan Yabghu, unable to bear the harassment any longer, once again decided to form a battle formation.

This was exactly what Farukzad wanted.

In recent days, through the rotation tactics, the Turan army's energy has been further depleted, while the Iranian army, although also somewhat exhausted, has been able to conserve its strength and remain energetic overall thanks to the orderly phased tactics of its reserves.

Under Falukzad's orders.

The Iranian armored cavalry, like a raging wildfire or a rolling red tide, charged headlong towards the Turan cavalry formation.

It was another large-scale cavalry melee.

A single cavalryman against another single cavalryman, iron horses charging against iron horses.

The clang of steel, the neighing of warhorses, the sounds of battle echoing across the fields, and the dust clouding the sun.

Two empires with powerful heavy cavalry are locked in fierce battle on the grasslands of the Khwarazmian Sea (Aral Sea).

"Charge! Rustam's courage guides us! God is great!"

"Charge! Afrasiyab's courage aids us! Allah is great!"

The shouts of military horns, in both Persian and Turkic languages, rose and fell in turn.

After a fierce battle, the fighting reached its climax.

Just then, Farukzad keenly noticed a subtle flaw in the Turan army's formation.

"Organize two cavalry regiments!" The warhammer clanged, pointing directly at the enemy's weak point. "Form ranks and assemble, strike hard there!"

The Samanid cavalry moved swiftly upon receiving the order and launched a fierce attack. Sure enough, they tore open a gap in the enemy's formation with just five charges, splitting it in two.

Allied forces on all sides seized the opportunity to launch a combined attack and expand their gains.

"Her Majesty the Queen is guiding us! Keep charging!"

Farukzad took the lead, personally leading his most elite reserve force into battle.

The Iranian cavalry launched several fierce attacks and counter-attacks, using mounted archery to suppress the Turan cavalry. Capitalizing on this momentum, the Samanid army gained the initiative, quickly shifting formations and coordinating their advances, ultimately achieving a decisive victory over the Turan forces.