I was the Queen of Persia

Page 77

She understood that the Battle of Yazd had caused the Baikal dynasty to lose a heavily fortified strategic location and had also dealt a heavy blow to its main forces; while the Samanid dynasty had used this to open up a strategic passage, enabling the Bahraim Army Group and the Khoslu-Tahmina Army Group to support each other.

Chapter 176 Semnan Surrenders

The victory at the Battle of Yazd allowed the Samanid dynasty to recapture the important central city, and Shahzani was still basking in the afterglow of this resounding triumph.

Just then, another messenger arrived from the rear, bringing news of a major victory in the direction of Semnan.

It turns out that, also in the month of Mordad and Shahrival, the Khoslu-Tahmina Army Group amassed about 15 troops and launched a fierce attack on Semnan, ultimately succeeding in capturing the city.

Shahzani, filled with joy, opened the battle report of the Semnan campaign:

……

After the battles of Bistam, Damghan (Damghan), and Kumis, Hoslu-Tahmina pinned down the White Army near the city of Semnan, forcing them to go on the defensive.

Semnan is also a historic city in Iran, with an important branch of the famous Khorasan Road (the section of the Silk Road within Greater Iran) passing through its territory. The city is also renowned for its carpet manufacturing industry, with tens of thousands of carpet weavers working within its borders, and the carpets produced each year are exported to foreign countries.

Bai Yi's army also mustered 7 to 8 troops, attempting to use Semnan as a base to stop the Saman army from continuing its westward advance. This passive and reactive approach quickly led to the siege of Semnan.

"What should we do next? Should we attack the city directly?" On the high ground outside the city, Tahmina looked at the distant offensive and defensive situation and asked Hoslu.

"No rush. We don't need to launch a full-scale attack to force them to surrender." After observing for a moment, Hoslu showed a confident expression.

"Oh, what do you mean?" Tahmina clearly didn't understand.

“Look. Semnan is situated on the plains at the foot of the Elburz Mountains, and its irrigation water supply depends on the meltwater from the mountains. If our army can capture the towns and villages on the northern slopes of the city and control the water supply system, we can make them surrender without a fight.” Hoslu pointed to the majestic snow-capped mountains on the distant horizon.

"Great idea!" Tahmina exclaimed in sudden realization. "Then let's proceed with this plan. May God grant us good fortune!"

Therefore, after completing the initial siege deployment, the Saman army, considering that the Bai Yi army was still in high spirits, did not rush to attack the city. Instead, they seized the initiative and controlled the surrounding water reservoirs, qanats, lead water pipes, and other facilities, plunging Semnam into a water shortage crisis.

A person with a will as strong as steel may endure the torment of not eating for ten days, but cannot withstand the agony of not drinking water for three days.

The Bai Yi garrison in Semnan was dying of thirst and losing their fighting ability. They collapsed on the city walls, watchtowers, and various posts, murmuring "God have mercy" and "God give us rain," desperately hoping for reinforcements.

In fact, the Bai Yi army stationed in Rai did indeed symbolically send three waves of aid upon hearing the news of the siege of Semnan. The first wave consisted of 5000 Dalaman infantrymen; the second wave consisted of 7000 infantry and cavalrymen composed of Kurds and Dalamans; and the third wave consisted of 3000 infantry and cavalrymen composed of Turkic Ghulams and Dalamans.

This amount of aid was a drop in the ocean, and the "piecemeal" tactic used was incredibly foolish, so the outcome was predictable. These reinforcements were all ambushed and wiped out by Tahmina's forces en route, ending in a one-way trip.

There was no hope of reinforcements, but perhaps God would have mercy and send rain to the city of Semnam? With this belief, the defenders of Baik continued to hold the city, while constantly praying that God would send down heavy rain.

Huo Silu will not give Bai Yiren this chance; she wants to completely break down their psychological defenses.

As night fell, Hoslu ordered the Delvich dervishes in the army to chant loudly, reciting hymns of the Horami school, which disturbed the minds of the Bajau defenders, keeping them awake all night.

The Saman army set up camp outside the city, lit fires to roast meat, and took turns harassing the Bai Yi people; while the Bai Yi army stood frozen in the city, cut off from supplies and suffering from unbearable thirst.

This "relay warfare" completely shattered the fighting spirit of Bai Yi's soldiers.

After another day and night of torment, the White Army of Semnan could no longer hold out and surrendered to Hoslu.

Semnam was thus recaptured by the Samanid dynasty.

After Hosslu led her troops into Semnan, she immediately set about restoring water supplies, protecting carpet weaving production, and reassuring the local population.

……

In a military tent outside the city of Maragay, Azerbaijan Province.

After reading the report of victory from Semnan, Shahzani unfolded the map and carefully compared it, gaining a clearer understanding of the current battlefield situation.

Currently, Azerbaijan, the southern Caspian coast, Yazd province, and Semnan are all under the control of various Saman forces. The Bai Yi army's strength continues to shrink, and it has now retreated to the Rai-Kashan-Isfahan line, and its organization and deployment have become more disorganized.

Her troops have now firmly occupied Azerbaijan, like a sharp steel knife piercing into the heart of the enemy's territory.

Next, there are two marching routes to take:

The first strategy is to advance southward, sweeping along the valleys that spread out between the Zagros Mountains, conquering cities such as Sagaiz, Sanandaj, Hamadan, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, and Nihavand, thus completely severing the gateway between Mesopotamia and the Iranian Plateau.

The second plan is to turn east, advance along the plains south of the Elburz Mountains, capture cities such as Zanjan and Qazvin, and coordinate with Hoslu-Tahmina's legion to encircle the main Bai Yi force stationed in Lay, and then fight a decisive battle to annihilate this main force.

After careful consideration, Shahzani chose the second option.

After all, the main objective of war is to eliminate the enemy's manpower. Moreover, the Zagros Mountains are not the traditional sphere of influence of the Samanid dynasty. The local Kurdish, Lhur, Bakhtiar and other tribes are not particularly loyal to the Persian court in Transoxiana-Khorasan. If they were to forcibly enter the region, it would be easy to make things worse.

Having made up his mind, Shahzani planned to set off eastward after resting and recuperating, aiming to annihilate the main Bai Yi forces entrenched in cities such as Rai, Tehran, and Varam.

……

While the Samanid armies were campaigning westward against Baiyi in late 1004, the Sahini mission, which had been sent to the Song Dynasty in the east, had successfully returned to the old capital, Bukhara.

"May God bless you, Shahini!"

Upon hearing of the delegation's return, Farzanna, who was in charge of state affairs, immediately led a large welcoming party. They exchanged greetings and pleasantries upon meeting, and the sisterly affection they shared after being separated for several years was evident in their words.

"May God also bless you, Great Vizier! I am well in the land of Machin in the East. How are you in Bukhara? How are Her Majesty the Queen, Governor Bahramu, and General Hoslu?"

Sahimian and the Prime Minister embraced tightly, exchanging greetings with their cheeks pressed together.

"Thanks to Hu Da's blessing, everything is fine!"

Farzana invited Sahini to the palace and explained to her the major events that had occurred in the country in recent years, including the conquest of the Karakhanid Dynasty, the westward expedition against the Baiyi Dynasty, Her Majesty the Queen's decision to move the capital, and so on.

Chapter 177 "Holy Flame Brigade"

Inside the palace of Bukhara, the former capital of the Samanid dynasty.

Sahini listened attentively to what the prime minister Farzana had to say and decided to immediately go to Queen Shahzani's camp to report back and continue to expand the territory and fight on the battlefield for the queen.

"You have returned from the land of Machin in the east, a long and arduous journey. Why not rest in Bukhara and await the army's triumphant return?" Farzana suggested, showing great consideration for the female hero.

Sahinien laughed and said, "Well, Her Majesty the Shah is fighting on the front lines. How can I, as her personal guard officer, enjoy comfort in the rear? Rest assured, I swear by the honor of Rustam, Sahinien is still a warrior who strikes fear into the hearts of the enemy!"

“You, young lady, always regard conquest as the noblest cause. Since that’s the case, I won’t force you to stay, but you must bathe, change your clothes, and rest for a few days before you leave. Oh, by the way, I have a letter for His Majesty the Shah here; please take it and deliver it to her…” Farzana instructed.

Sahimian readily accepted the suggestion.

After settling in, she went to the luxurious bathroom in the palace residence, took off her dusty old clothes, and took a comfortable hot bath. To be honest, the experience in the Iranian bathhouse was first-rate. In the land of Ma Qin in the East, whether in Dunhuang or Bianjing, she had never experienced such comfortable bathing facilities.

Sahimian lay in the octagonal hot tub, gazing at the intricately patterned, enormous dome, and breathed deeply several times in comfort. After washing away the dust, her healthy, smooth body emerged from the tub, dried herself with a silk towel, and then thoroughly enjoyed the company of several handsome young men from Armenia, Slavia, and Circassians.

After years of hard work in a foreign land, it's still not as pleasant as returning to one's homeland.

However, compared to comfort and pleasure, Sahinian longed to make a name for herself on the battlefield. So after a few days of rest, she bid farewell to Farzanna and the court officials and led more than ten elite soldiers to the front line.

Following the systematic postal routes within the empire, Sahinnian and his party passed through Gorgan Province, Tabaristan Province, and other places before finally arriving at Shahzani's military tent.

……

When Shahzani heard the news of the heroine's return from her campaign in a foreign land, she was washing her feet in her tent. Upon hearing the report from outside, she was so excited that she didn't even have time to put on her shoes. Barefoot and heavily pregnant, she went to greet Shahzani.

I won't go into the details of the excitement and warmth of the reunion between the ruler and his subjects, or the sisters, after a long separation. In short, after some etiquette and pleasantries, Shahzani warmly invited Shahinian into the military tent.

Fruit syrup, desserts, and various snacks were served one after another. The two sat facing each other and had a long talk.

Sahimian said, "Praise be to the almighty Hu Da! Your Majesty, I have been traveling east for several years and have seen and heard many profound things. If I were to recount them all, it would probably take three days and three nights!"

Shahzani said, "That's wonderful! Speak freely, even if it's not three days and three nights, but five days and five nights, or even ten days and ten nights, I can chat with you endlessly, haha!"

So Sahini began to recount her experiences on her journey eastward. This included the course of the war that destroyed the Karakhanid Dynasty, the various countries and peoples east of the Pamir Plateau, the customs and traditions of different parts of China, the wars and alliances between the Song and Liao dynasties, and so on.

Sahimian praised the important destination of her eastward journey—the Song Dynasty of China—with an affirmative tone.

She mentioned that the Song Dynasty was a prosperous and wealthy country with numerous cities and towns, well-equipped soldiers and ample food supplies, and highly developed commerce, trade, science and technology.

More importantly, the Song Dynasty was not a theocratic state like Iran (although Iran has secular elements, it is fundamentally a theocracy). Their secular urban culture was more developed, and they were more willing to tolerate different religions.

In various cities during the Song Dynasty, there were Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, and Muslims, including a significant number of Persian-speaking Muslims. The Song government was quite tolerant of these religions and did not show favoritism towards any one side.

This shows that the Song Dynasty was a wealthy and generous country. They were willing to open the door to friendship with friendly countries. Moreover, the Song Dynasty produced a large quantity of precious goods such as gold, silver, porcelain, silk, tea, and brocade, which were of high quality. If friendly trade relations were maintained with them, they would surely reap great profits.

Sahimian also mentioned that a small number of Sogdian descendants still live in Dunhuang, Hexi, Guanzhong and other places in China. However, these Sogdians have obviously become very Sinicized, to the point that they have forgotten a lot of their own language and customs. The Sogdian members of Sahimian's mission tried to communicate with them in East Iranian, but they were unsuccessful.

……

The two men chatted amiably, reluctant to end their conversation. It wasn't until night had fallen, the moon was high in the sky, and the sound of the night patrol changing shifts came from outside the tent that they finally parted ways.

The night was deep and all was quiet.

As Shahzani lay on the couch, a completely new plan was taking shape in her mind:

Sahimian was both intelligent and brave. She conquered the Karakhanid Khanate, facilitated diplomatic relations with the Song Dynasty, and repeatedly made great achievements in foreign lands. Why not build a special force with her as the core, so that it can fight and make meritorious contributions outside the country's borders?

She was reminded of Iran in her past life, where there was a special forces unit—the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—that carried out missions abroad. It was this unit that established the "Arc of Resistance," uniting Syria, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels, keeping hostile forces at bay outside the country's borders.

Her initial attempt to construct an "ancient version of the Arc of Resistance" was also a success.

She then recalled that several years ago, during the battle to recapture Hezhong, she had also had a sudden inspiration to have her heavily armored female guards dress up as dancers and geishas, ​​thus unexpectedly defeating the enemy.

In short, there are many ways to fight, and striking the enemy at the most appropriate time and in the most appropriate way is an eternal truth in the field of military warfare.

"I've got it! Someone come here!" With that thought, Shahzani was wide awake and immediately ordered her attendants to bring her paper and pen. She began to sketch and draw on the table.

And so, a few days later, a completely new type of military unit was born—

The Sahar Guard's "Holy Flame Brigade".

Judging from the name alone, it is inevitably suspected of plagiarism and taking shortcuts, but the raging flames are, after all, one of the symbols of the Iranian nation, so naming the unit with this is quite appropriate.

The Torch Relay Brigade reports directly to Shahzani herself, and its commander is Shahini. It has 1500-2000 officers and soldiers under its command (the number may be increased or decreased as needed). The selected officers and soldiers are required to be intelligent and brave, have strong learning and adaptability abilities, and be familiar with the languages, cultures, customs and folkways of foreign countries.

Officers at all levels of the Torch Relay Brigade were required to possess strong skills in missionary work, incitement, lobbying, organization, subversion, coercion, and seduction. Commander-in-Chief Sahimian was undoubtedly a master of using these abilities.

Of course, the officers and soldiers of the Torch Relay Brigade were also given more autonomy, forming a self-sufficient command and organization system, and were 100% committed to the Khorami sect of Islam reformed by Shahzani.

The biggest difference between the Sacred Flame Brigade and other female guards is that the warriors of the Sacred Flame Brigade can participate in large-scale group wars in the form of heavily armored cavalry, or they can disguise themselves as dancers, merchants, pilgrims, etc., to participate in various small-scale conflicts.

Influenced by Shahzani, they were most skilled at dressing up as "war dancers" in light gauze skirts and with alluring figures.

Chapter 178 Armed Bandits in the Zagros Mountains

In the autumn of 1004 AD, in the month of Mehr in the Persian calendar.

With the emergence of the Sacred Flame Brigade, the War Dancer unit will soon become a regular combat unit in the Saman army. Shahzani plans to deploy them in the actual battle to attack Zanjan City to test their combat effectiveness.

at this time.

"Your Majesty, a sudden military emergency!" A Nassak messenger carrying a message passed through layers of tents, dismounted before Shahzani's tent, knelt down, and reported: "The grain convoy coming from Urmia has been ambushed halfway!"

Upon hearing this, Shahzani's expression changed drastically. She immediately put down her book, stood up from the mat, walked to Nasakchi, and asked, "Which force did this?"

“The specific cause is under investigation, but the grain convoy was attacked near Piranshahr, which is estimated to be the work of a few unruly Kurdish tribes!” Nassak replied.

After a moment's thought, Shahzani said to Nasak, "Continue to gather information and report back immediately if there are any new developments!" and gestured for her to leave.

After the messenger left, Shahzani sat back down, a growing sense of unease in her heart: "Piranshahr is located on the border, built against the mountains, and surrounded by numerous tribes with complex power dynamics. Who on earth would dare to attack a government-organized transport convoy?"

Sahimian then approached and volunteered, saying, "Please allow me to investigate the cause. I will provide a satisfactory answer within ten days!"

After careful consideration, Shahzani realized that this was a good opportunity to test the fighting strength of the Holy Flame Brigade, and nodded in agreement: "You will lead 300 soldiers there and find out the cause as soon as possible!"

“Ari! (Yes!)” Sahinien readily accepted the order.

……

In the Zagros Mountains.

A weary troop was setting up camp in a secluded spot in the mountains. Most of the soldiers wore tattered cotton armor, with only a few possessing incomplete chainmail. A few flags embroidered with Arabic script leaned forlornly against the jagged rocks.

At this moment, dust billowed outside the camp, and soon they arrived at the tent. The group consisted of over a hundred riders, with large quantities of plundered grain and wealth piled on their backs. The advance riders used Arabic flags to signal the order, and only after receiving permission were they allowed to enter.

"God help us, Lord Musayab! This raid has plundered a large amount of food and treasure, enough for us to last for several months!" The rider commander dismounted and reported to the camp leader.

"Ha! Very good!"

Musayab laughed loudly, "We have captured Princess Hamdan and plundered a considerable amount of supplies. In a while, I will sneak back to Mosul, overthrow the rule of Zirvash, and establish myself as the monarch of the Ugal dynasty!"

"Congratulations, sir!" the guards flattered. "That Princess Hamdan is an excellent female slave; she'd be perfect as a concubine for your own pleasure!"

Musayab nodded smugly, dismissed his guards, and went alone to a nearby secluded cave.

The cave's winding paths, with their towering cliffs nearby, offer unparalleled seclusion and a sense of security. Inside, the cave is filled with jagged rocks, and two sections are blocked by heavy boulders.

Musayab pushed aside one of the stones and entered the cave, where he saw it filled with gold, silver, brocade, silk, and precious jewels and jade, in great quantities, glittering in the dark cave.

"I've been operating here for years, and the gold and silver I've plundered are piled up like mountains. It's enough to go back to Mosul, recruit soldiers, and start a great business!" Musayab held up a necklace inlaid with gemstones, his face full of smugness.

Pushing aside another stone, a pair of white, fleshy bodies came into view. The women in the bodies huddled together in fright, trembling like lambs before a wolf.

Musayab kicked aside the trembling female slaves, enduring the faint stench of urine, and went straight to the body bound by torture instruments. A face as beautiful as the Mediterranean moon was now filled with fear and anger as it stared at the approaching bandit leader.

“Oh, my esteemed Princess El Selim Hamdan.”