I was the Queen of Persia

Page 20

……

The day before departure.

Shahzani's troops have completed their general mobilization.

On the oasis plains outside Zanshahr, formations of palace guards, regular troops, and mobilized militia were everywhere, ready to set off for war. The weapons and provisions needed for the war had long been prepared.

Shahzani originally planned to gather 4 troops, but the enthusiasm of the military and civilians for the war was unprecedented, causing the number to quickly exceed 6. In the end, she adopted a compromise and set the number of troops to be deployed at 5.

Everything was ready, and all that was left was for the bugle call and suona horn to sound as we embarked on our journey.

Chapter 40 Embarking on the Journey to Restore the Nation

April 10, 1000 AD, which is the twentieth day of the month of Faruwaldin in the Persian calendar.

The war in which the Saman Persians reclaimed their homeland had officially begun.

According to the pre-agreed strategy, Montahir led his 5 troops in a full-scale offensive from the Zeravshan River-Nuratau Mountains line to capture the cities of the Bukhara Oasis; while Shahzani led 5 troops southeast along the Amu Darya River to seize the cities in the Amu Darya basin.

At this time, the main force of the Karakhanid Dynasty was still engaged in a "holy war" with the Kingdom of Khotan on the eastern side of the Pamir Plateau. The number of troops left to guard the provinces in Transoxiana was relatively small, and the defensive forces deployed on the border were also relatively weak.

The results were as expected.

Shahzani's vanguard easily destroyed several outposts of the Karakhanid army on the border of the middle reaches of the Amu Darya River. The Karakhanid border officials stationed there fled with little resistance, and the remaining 5000-plus Karakhanid soldiers surrendered without resistance.

Many of these soldiers were former Samanid surrendered troops. When the Karakhanid army marched into Transoxiana, they were determined to resist, but the warlords at the top were treacherous and unwilling to fight, so they were forced to surrender and betray their country. Now that their own troops have returned, they immediately joined Shahzani's army.

These soldiers already possess combat skills and experience, and with just a little training and modification, they can be transformed into loyal subordinates.

This saved Shahzani a lot of trouble.

She ordered her officers to screen and select soldiers who supported the authority of the Samanid Persians to be incorporated into the army. If they were previously paid standing troops of the Samanid dynasty, they were incorporated into the standing army; if they were previously the Dehgan landlord militia of the Samanid dynasty, they were incorporated into the landlord militia, and so on.

Shahzani led his troops to continue their advance into the heart of the Karakhanid Dynasty.

Many oasis towns and villages along the way surrendered. Many officials, imams, merchants, landowners and civilians who supported the Samanid dynasty also voluntarily joined Shahzani's ranks.

……

On the left bank of the Amu Darya River, the Amur (Persian: Amol) fortress.

This fortress guarded a crucial crossing point on the Amu Darya River, maintaining an important trade route. However, due to its location on the edge of a region where power converged, it was contested by various forces, including the Karakhanid Dynasty, the Ghaznavid Dynasty, and local warlord courts, for a period after the fall of the Samanid Dynasty, and its ownership was not entirely clear.

Outside Fortress 1 Farsah, Shahzani has already deployed siege camps and begun constructing siege equipment.

“This commander is indeed a brave man, refusing to surrender even in the face of an unstoppable army. But since he dares to obstruct our righteous army, he cannot escape the fate of defeat and destruction,” Shahzani said to his generals in the command tent at the center of the camp.

Bahraim and the other officers listened intently to the battle plan. They all knew that this fortified stronghold would be the first tough nut to crack on the army's eastward expedition.

"The artisans accompanying the army have already set up catapults and siege ladders, and the assault troops are ready to attack the city at any time." The capable general Bahramu marked the current situation on the map.

"Launch a few attacks first to test the castle's defenses, but don't go all out yet. The walls are high; we don't need to blindly attack." Shahzani methodically carried out the battle plan.

She understood perfectly well that Fort Amr was not one of those simple cities belonging to the Jihadi sect. This fortress had a long history and its defenses were complete and strong; a pointless, reckless attack would likely result in heavy casualties.

Therefore, it is necessary to use tactics and strategies flexibly.

The Samanid Persian troops participating in the siege quickly formed ranks below the city walls, and the towers and ladders moved forward slowly and steadily. In an instant, a rain of arrows poured down from the towers and crenellations of the city walls, blotting out the sun. Soldiers from both the attacking and defending armies fell dead, struck by arrows.

Protected by the city walls, the defenders of Amr Fortress held the advantage. Using the crenellations for cover, they continuously rained down arrows and hurled logs and stones, gradually suppressing the attacking Samanid Persian army.

A huge boulder struck a Saman soldier who was climbing the ladder. Before she could even scream, she tumbled rapidly down the slope, taking several other Saman soldiers with her. But the attack did not stop; more Saman soldiers quickly followed, but they still could not breach the city's defenses.

Below the city walls, the Samanid archers, using shields as cover, continuously fired arrows at the city walls to support the attacking forces. Further afield, catapults relentlessly hurled stones and fuel towards the walls.

However, due to the limitations of the battlefield terrain, these rounds of fierce attacks have not yet made any significant progress.

"Sadar, the city is heavily fortified, our warriors can't break through! Let me lead the charge, I will definitely plant Saman's battle flag on the city wall!" Bahram looked anxious as he surveyed the battlefield.

“No.” Shahzani waved his hand. “We can’t blindly waste our strength. Order the soldiers to retreat. We need to change our strategy to disintegrate the enemy.”

Followed by.

Shahzani confidently devised a "lure the enemy out" tactic.

“One and a half Farsahs to the west of the city lies a treacherous valley. Bahram, you lead the archers there to set up an ambush. I will lead the rest of the troops to lure the enemy there and annihilate them.”

As soon as the plan was announced, the generals and officers under his command immediately began to implement it.

Bahraim quickly led his troops to the ambush site and hid to await orders.

Shahzani then led the main force in a hasty retreat, fleeing towards the ambush site to the west. To make the charade more convincing, they deliberately abandoned some weapons, flags, and supplies, while also scattering their ranks into disarray.

As expected, this trick fooled the troops defending the city.

"Haha! They really are a bunch of women. They ran away in fear before we even really fought!"

"Exactly! Women will never earn the title of hero!"

"Warriors! Let's break out of the city, slaughter them until they're pissing their pants, and capture Shahzani alive!"

"Capture Shahzani alive!"

"Capture Shahzani alive!"

Under the command of the defending general, the defending troops almost all came out to pursue the "rout" Saman troops closely.

Soon, they fell into the trap set by Shahzani.

In an instant, a large number of Saman troops suddenly appeared on both mountain ridges, followed by a hail of arrows that rained down on the besieged Amr troops. Caught off guard, the Amr army was thrown into chaos.

The general defending Amr was still stubbornly rallying his troops and directing the counterattack. However, Bahramu had already drawn his bow and aimed an arrow at him. With a sharp whistling sound, the general fell heavily from his horse and never got up again.

The death of their commander completely shattered the morale of Amr's army, which immediately descended into chaos, trampling on one another and suffering countless casualties.

Meanwhile, Shahzani led his main force around a narrow and steep mountain ridge, then suddenly turned and charged towards the demoralized Amr army, fiercely attacking from left and right.

Under this fierce offensive, Amr's army completely collapsed, with soldiers scrambling to escape and utterly unable to organize a defense. Shahzani then led his troops in a counterattack, utterly defeating them.

The massive, protruding arched city gate slowly opened.

Shahzani led the Samanid army into the Amur fortress.

Chapter 41 Unstoppable

Amr Fortress.

This fortress, which served as a transportation hub, had fallen entirely into the hands of Shahzani, and its scarlet battle flags, painted with Dalbis script, fluttered in the wind atop the city's towers and battlements.

"Almighty God Hudah bestows upon you endless glory, and we await the arrival of the great leader Shahzani!" The city's officials, priests, bazaar merchants, and Dehgan landowners prostrated themselves before Shahzani's warhorse, kissing the ground.

"Great God blesses the upright people, please rise, everyone." Shahzani smiled and told them to stand up.

Since the vast majority of officials and the people chose to support the Samanid dynasty, the transfer of power did not encounter any difficulties.

Shahzani allowed officials and priests to continue their duties as usual, declared the protection of the lands and property of the Dehgans, and the religious freedom of the Zoroastrians and Christians in the city, and carried out the power transition process peacefully and gently.

Of course, the very few who resisted were punished. Shahzani ordered them stripped of their official positions and lands, imprisoned, and some were even publicly executed.

During the brief period of rest and replenishment within the castle's jurisdiction.

Large numbers of young men and women eagerly joined the army, vying to serve their new master. The surging tide of people further expanded the size of Shahzani's forces.

Finally, Shahzani appointed the highest military and political commander stationed in the city, allocated some troops to guard the city, and repaired the city's military defenses and public facilities.

After a few days of rest, Shahzani led his troops to set off again, continuing their advance southeast.

Along the way, cities such as Firabr, Zamm, Akhsisak, Karif, and Navidah fought independently, with little support for each other, and their defenses were relatively weak.

Shahzani's army, on the other hand, systematically attacked and captured cities. Upon reaching each city, they established siege camps, constructed siege ladders and siege equipment, and organized assault troops to occupy the city.

……

Arrows, flying stones, and fuel oil shrouded the fortress, while deafening battle cries and bugle calls echoed through the sky.

The Samanid army's regular siege force, under the cover of arrows and trenches, quickly approached the city walls, and under the cover and suppression of archers, rapidly scaled the walls, gradually taking control of the gate towers, arrow towers, and watchtowers.

The Karakhanid army defending the city could not withstand this fierce offensive, and they fled in disarray, abandoning their armor and weapons. They retreated into the city, but the Samanid army had already stormed in through the city gates, forming an encirclement. After fierce fighting, the Karakhanid defenders were either killed or surrendered on their knees; only a very few lucky ones managed to fight their way out and escape.

At this time, the nearby Karakhan Fortress stronghold dispatched a small group of reinforcements to provide assistance.

However, behind the hills and slopes halfway through the journey, the heavily armored female guards of the Samanid court suddenly charged out, using the terrain as cover. Like a raging fire, they fiercely devoured the Karakhanid troops, and after several coordinated charges, they routed and annihilated the Karakhanid reinforcements.

Finally, Shahzani's crimson banner was planted atop the towers of the occupied city.

……

Such scenes played out repeatedly on the battlefields along the Amu Darya River.

The Karakhanid army was scattered across various cities, villages, and strongholds. These troops were essentially the Karakhanid's garrison forces, and the commanders of these units were often suspicious of each other, with none willing to submit to the others. This situation made it impossible to form an effective resistance force.

Therefore, in less than half a month, Shahzani advanced triumphantly, and the cities and counties along the way fell into the hands of the Samanid regime.

While directing the battle, Shahzani ordered the repair and improvement of the caravansarai (relay stations) along the way, transplanted Zanshahr's military and political system to the newly conquered land, and dispatched troops to guard them, thus establishing a tight system for material supply and military intelligence transmission.

Her forces continued to grow like a snowball, and she promptly replenished the casualties and losses from the battle.

Several days later, Shahzani's army had already approached Termez.

……

Samarkand, a historic city, was the capital of the Karakhanid Dynasty in the Transoxiana region.

"Snapped--!"

A stack of documents was slammed to the ground, scattering and flying about.

"God above! This is a shameful defeat! It has disgraced the honor of the Turkic warriors!" Jafar Tegin, the governor of the Karakhanid River region, cursed the generals who came to report.

News of Shahzani's unstoppable advance on the southern front had already reached here. And that's not all; news of Montahir's continued victories on the northern front was also frequently arriving.

The governor of Karakhanid Khan was furious at the repeated defeats of his subordinates and cursed them as useless trash who were unworthy to be the descendants of Afrashyab.

(Note: The Karakhanid dynasty regarded Avrashiab, the Turan king in Iranian epic, as their ancestor.)

The staff officers beside him, seeing the enraged governor, all lowered their heads and remained silent.

After a long while, one of the staff members finally stepped forward.

He was about twenty years old, wearing a turban, with a face like jade, and dressed in a duck-egg blue robe of a Confucian scholar from the Central Plains, forming a stark contrast with the other Karakhanid officials.

He was clearly a scholar from the Central Plains of the East, but he spoke Persian, Uyghur, and Haqqani Turkic quite fluently.

“Governor, I have two plans to defeat these remnants of the Samanid dynasty,” the Confucian scholar said cautiously.

Jafar gestured impatiently, signaling him to continue.

"First, concentrate superior forces to annihilate either Shahzani or Montahir to relieve the pressure on the front, and then pursue the victory to defeat the other side."

"Secondly, send envoys to Khwarazm to persuade them to become our allies. In this way, we can attack from both sides and annihilate this invading enemy."

The Confucian scholar explained clearly and logically.

"Yes, your name is Zhu Jiande, right? The Peach Blossom Stone Man (a name the Karakhanids use for China) is indeed very resourceful. Alright, let's do as you say." Jafar Tegin's expression softened slightly upon hearing this.

The Confucian scholar from the Central Plains named Zhu Jiande also thanked the emperor and withdrew.

……

at the same time.

Shahzani's army has advanced to a region less than two Farsah from Termez.

Tirmidh is one of the largest cities along the Amu Darya River and a strategically important military stronghold guarding the southern border of Transoxiana. Administratively, it belongs to the Shikhana region (also known as Chaghaniyan, Persian: Chaghaniyan, Saghaniyan). Chinese historical records refer to it as "Tami" or "Iron Gate Pass." In short, it is a historically significant city with important strategic value.

The camp of Shahzani's army.

The marching tents were densely packed, neatly arranged, and scattered across the oasis on the plain.

Soldiers and warriors loyal to the Samanid dynasty flocked from all over to join her army in the restoration of her kingdom.

“Our momentum is growing stronger, just like Rustam’s righteous army in the past, conquering Afrasiyab’s evil forces.” Shahzani looked at the officers and soldiers joining the ranks, her confidence growing.

Chapter 42 Conquering Termez

Shahzani's marching camp.

The soldiers were lined up in orderly formations and began their drills. Termez was, after all, a large city, and the various Karakhanid armed forces stationed there were estimated to number over 3. Shahzani's soldiers were preparing for the siege.

At the entrance of the camp, camels and caravans carrying clothing and provisions came and went, leaving countless ruts and hoofprints on the brown sand. Quartermasters counted the amount of supplies being transported and arranged for soldiers to move the supplies to designated storage points.

The supply of tens of thousands of troops was also quite large. In addition to being transported from the rear base, Shahzani also purchased and requisitioned supplies from nearby merchants and villages.