I was the Queen of Persia

Page 34

"Yes!" The Khwarazmian soldiers roared in unison after the order was given, and then they marched forward in formation, galloping their horses into battle against the Saman army on the opposite side.

Throughout the Khwarazmian army ranks, battle flags and drums signaled the attack.

In an instant, dust filled the sky.

"Usurper of Khwarazm, you are digging your own grave!" Bahram sneered, then ordered the Samanid army, "Prepare for battle!"

"Understood!" As soon as the words were spoken, the Saman soldiers shouted even more uniform war chants.

With a more efficient command system, the various units of the Saman army quickly received the signals transmitted by the battle flags and drums, and then formed a tight offensive and defensive system, moving in an orderly manner toward the enemy.

Millions of cavalrymen rode in unison, raising clouds of yellow sand that blotted out the sun.

On the vast plains and battlefields, the scarlet Saman army and the gray-brown Khwarazmian army, two massive forces, clashed and pulled at each other violently.

The Samanid army's Transoxiana-Khorasan heavy cavalry charged forward with steel might; the Khwarazmian army's armored cavalry sped east and west; the two elite and fierce Iranian-style heavy cavalry forces clashed most fiercely, the dazzling iron light reflected from their armor, maces, saddle axes and other heavy blunt weapons reflecting off each other.

Iron hooves trampled, sand waves rolled, and crimson blood seeped into the sand. The battle lasted for several hours and had long since reached a fever pitch.

Gradually, the Khwarazmian army's courage and energy were worn down. Although they were brave soldiers, they could not withstand the Saman army, which had higher morale and was more well-organized. After continuous fierce fighting, they showed signs of exhaustion and exhaustion.

Bahram pressed her advantage, forcing the Khwarazmian army to retreat several dozen farsahs. However, she did not continue the pursuit but instead ordered the collection of supplies and a steady advance.

After all, a counterattack must be carried out in stages.

……

Naheshab government office.

A loyal messenger arrived on horseback, dismounted at the entrance of the government office, and handed the battle report from the front lines to a Nasakchi on duty.

Nassack jogged into the hall and presented the battle report to the female commander-in-chief at the head of the table.

Shahzani took the document and began to review it, while the officers beside her waited silently for instructions.

"After the Khwarazmian army was defeated and retreated, the Zanshahr and Behesht oases are temporarily out of danger," she said calmly.

"That's great. So the threat on the western border has been temporarily eliminated," senior officers and staff members discussed with relief.

“Khadhuda, should we seize this opportunity and have General Bahramu launch a major counterattack? This might force the Khwarazmians to cease hostilities earlier,” a Samanian female officer asked.

Shahzani nodded slightly and said, "No rush."

“Victory will be ours sooner or later. But if we are too hasty, we will suffer unnecessary losses.” Shahzani explained to the officers, “There are many potential allies hidden in the Khwarazmian army, and we can win them over to our side.”

As a young person who had read works on historical materialism, Shahzani was well aware of the methods to divide the enemy: unite the pro-Wun faction, win over the centrists, and strike at the diehards.

In light of the current situation in Khwarezm—

Nasita: A former noble of the Afrika Kor dynasty, she has disagreements with the current ruler and does not support (but does not oppose) war with the Samanid dynasty.

They are generally considered to be "centrists".

Muzaffar Khan: A usurper monarch, a pro-Karakhan faction member, who suppressed dissidents domestically, engaged in militarism, and insisted on fighting the Samanid dynasty.

Definitely a "stubborn person".

Shahzani shared this idea with her officers and staff, and they all agreed. She wrote a letter outlining a strategy to divide the enemy forces and sent it back to the front lines by a messenger.

……

Tahirian, the Khwarazmian army's main camp.

Tahiriyah was an important city on the southern border of Khwarazm. It was already quite prosperous during the Samanid dynasty, with the rolling Amu Darya River irrigating fertile fields and pastures, nourishing a thriving agricultural and pastoral industry.

Since the Khwarazmian army was defeated by the Samanid army and retreated to this city, many rumors have suddenly emerged in this strategically important city.

In the city square market, in the basement of a shop, a group of people played backgammon by the dim light, discussing the current situation.

"Did you hear that?"

"What did you hear?"

"General Naxida is going to surrender to the Samanid dynasty!"

"Oh God! Is this true?"

"Of course, that's what everyone in town is saying!"

“That’s true. General Nasida still cares about us kind Muslims, while that usurper tyrant (Muzaffar Khan) only knows how to levy exorbitant taxes!”

"But she is, after all, a high-ranking official of the Khwarazmian king. If she were to defect to the Samanid dynasty, wouldn't that be considered... um... treason?"

"What do you know? We Khwarazmians are actually the same as those from Transoxiana, Khorasan, Fars, Ilik-Ajam, and Tabaristan. We are all Iranians, descendants of Keyumarz and Jamshid! The Persians are the elder brothers of the Khwarazmians, and the Khwarazmians are the younger brothers of the Persians!"

"Yes, isn't our submission to the Samanid dynasty equivalent to returning to our original family?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down, or you'll be watching the eyes and ears of that usurping tyrant!"

"Stop talking and focus on the game. If the government troops find out we've gathered in private, all of us will be in serious trouble!"

……

Chapter 75 Cleverly Subduing Naxida (2)

The rumor that "Nashida is about to surrender to the Samanid dynasty" not only circulated in the border war zone, but also spread like a plague to major Khwarazmian cities such as Khiva, Hazarasp, Dargan, Koti, and Gurganj.

In fact, all of this was a counter-espionage plot by Shahzani.

She discovered the rift between Nasita and Muzaffar Khan, and deliberately sent people (mainly disguised merchants, pilgrims, and mendicant monks) to various parts of Khwarazm to spread rumors that Nasita had become disloyal and defected.

The rumors spread like wildfire, eventually reaching almost the entire Khwarazmian Empire, where it was said that Nasida was about to rebel.

Muzaffar Khan was already wary of Nasida, and after hearing this rumor, he became even more suspicious.

Meanwhile, pro-Khara-Khan generals within Khwarazm, driven by factional interests and a desire to suppress political rivals, also stirred up trouble, adding fuel to the fire and urging the monarch to eliminate this "potential threat" as soon as possible.

Due to a combination of factors, Muzaffar Khan became increasingly suspicious and immediately ordered the removal of Nasida from her post as general and the revocation of her military command.

In the following period, Muzaffar Khan's trusted officers went to the camps of Nasida's various troops in batches, attempting to forcibly take over her subordinates, but were refused.

Due to misunderstandings and ineffective communication, friction broke out between the two groups on several occasions.

Muzaffar Khan was furious at Nasida's resistance.

"This remnant of the Afrika Khwarazmian dynasty is indeed challenging my authority! If I cannot even suppress her, how can I rule Khwarazm? Issue my order to send troops to Koti and arrest all her family members!"

Muzaffar Khan's men quickly captured Nasida's parents and relatives, beheading her father and gouging out the eyes of her mother and siblings. Her branch of the Afriq noble family suffered utter annihilation.

This action directly led to a complete falling out between the two.

Upon learning of the tragic news about her family, Nasita was enraged and immediately led her troops to occupy the city of Ardha-khiva on the east bank of the Amu Darya River. She declared herself Shah and announced the restoration of the Afrika Khed dynasty.

The internal contradictions within the Khwarazmian ruling class had by this time reached a boiling point.

The battle between the two sides has now turned into a three-way conflict.

……

The news reached Nakhshab.

"According to informants, Nasida and Muzaffar Khan have recently clashed multiple times. Nasida has lost all its outlying strongholds and now only has the isolated city of Ardahiwa remaining."

General Rustam Zaman gestured on the sand table simulating the battlefield.

“Nashida commands the most elite troops of Khwarazm, how could she be so easily defeated?” Saman’s female general, Khorshid, was puzzled.

“Her troops and supplies are too few,” Shahzani pointed out. “She only has a few isolated cities with small populations. Her troops are not receiving sufficient replenishment and supplies. Even if she fights hard, she cannot hold out for long.”

“Khadhuda, should we have General Bahramu launch a full-scale counter-offensive to support Nasita?” Rustam Zaman asked.

"not the right time yet."

Shahzani said calmly.

“We must let the Khwarazmians continue their civil war until they are both exhausted and unable to pose a threat to the Samanid dynasty. But we cannot remain indifferent. We must provide Nasita with limited support.” She then offered a compromise.

"You mean, have General Bahramu launch small- to medium-sized attacks to tie down some of Muzaffar Khan's forces, giving Nasida a limited respite?" Holshid asked.

“That’s right.” Shahzani nodded.

“In that case, I will have my staff and scribes draft a document, which I will present to you for your review later.” Halshid turned and prepared to leave.

“By the way,” Shahzani called out to her, “how is the situation in the east?”

"We are still in a stalemate. The Karakhanid army has stationed troops near Jizzakh, but has not been able to break through our front-line defenses. General Farzana is still reinforcing the fortifications in various cities, recruiting troops, and continuing to fight against the Karakhanids."

"Okay, I understand. Go ahead." Shahzani waved her hand.

The Karakhanid army was stronger than the Khwarazmian army. As the overall strategic commander, Shahzani was always concerned about the situation on Farzana's side and often sent support to the eastern battlefield.

But she firmly believed that her strategist sister had the ability to delay the advance of the Karakhanid army.

……

April 20, 1001 AD, the 4st day of the month of Farvardin in the Persian calendar.

Khwarazm, Ardahiva.

The brick walls of the city were riddled with craters from stone projectiles, and arrows that had not yet been pulled out were scattered in the cracks between the bricks. Patches of blackened, congealed blood made the walls appear utterly gloomy.

Exhausted soldiers leaned listlessly against the battlements, all covered in blood, many with their armor tattered. Every now and then, a soldier could no longer hold on and collapsed, never to rise again, before being carried by his numb and lifeless comrades to the burial pits below the city wall.

The patrolling officers moved back and forth, some whipping and scolding soldiers who were slacking off, while others encouraged the soldiers to regain their morale. But their faltering steps and bloodstains revealed that they too were on the verge of collapse.

The short-lived Later Avrig dynasty was doomed.

A graceful figure wrapped in a chadol robe swiftly passed through the streets filled with wounded soldiers. No one could see her face; only the gold-threaded open-toed sandals peeking out from under the robe and the gold-inlaid anklets revealed her to be a female slave serving the government or the palace.

The woman strode quickly to the entrance of Naxi Da's palace.

"Please inform the Shah that Sofia Shaban Qardnyan, the special envoy of Governor-General Shahzani of the Samanid dynasty, requests an audience." The woman presented Shahzani's token directly to the guards who came to stop her.

The guards dared not delay and hurriedly informed Nasita. After receiving her permission, they brought Sophia into the palace.

Nasita sat on the "throne" and watched as the newcomer took off her Chador robe, revealing her flaxen hair, fair and pretty face, and the silk dress worn by female slaves of the government.

“You’re an Armenian Christian? Yet you’re serving Persian Muslims. That’s quite a strange thing,” Nasita sneered.

“Your Majesty, I am merely a slave of Qadhuda Shahzani, just like the Circassian, Georgian, and Kipchak slaves in your court. Qadhuda rescued me from the clutches of the Jihadi demons and graciously allowed me to retain my faith in God. I have no way to repay her but to serve my master with all my might.”

Sofia said with a humble expression.

"I have come here today to express my gratitude to my host."

"What goodwill?" Nasita asked indifferently.

"Please take a look at this letter." Sofina took the letter from her bosom and presented it respectfully. The maid beside the throne quickly took it and presented it to the Shah.

Naxida opened the letter and read it for a moment with a serious expression.

After a long silence, she raised her head and sighed, "It seems there's no other way. Perhaps this is all God's arrangement..."

Chapter 76 Battle of Hazarasppe (1)

This letter, a masterpiece by Shahzani, is essentially an attempt to persuade Shahzani to surrender.

In the letter, Shahzani first carefully analyzed the history of Persia and Khwarazm, pointing out that both Persians and Khwarazmians were descendants of ancient emperors such as Keyumarz, Jamshid, Faridon, and Manuchehir, and belonged to the same kind of people, like brothers and sisters. The union of Persians and Khwarazmians was naturally a reunion of a long-separated family.

Shahzani also admonished Nasita not to speak lightly of sacrifice and martyrdom, for living has a more important and profound meaning than death. Only if she accepts the call of her mission and faith and continues to live can Khwarazm have hope for prosperity and revival.

These words dispelled Naxida's thoughts of suicide after her defeat.

Shahzani also promised that as long as Khwarazm submitted to the Samanid dynasty, it would continue to preserve the traditional customs of its indigenous people, based on compliance with the court's official system and laws, and Nasita would continue to retain his official position and honors.

After reading the letter, Nasida felt conflicted: on the one hand, she was desperate and would face certain death if she did not seek refuge with Shahzani; on the other hand, the pride and dignity in the blood of the ancient noblewoman warriors did not allow her to submit so easily.

After a long while, she looked up at Sophia and said softly, "I understand, but there are still many important matters that I need to consider carefully. I will give you a clear answer after I have thought these issues through."

Sophia then bowed her head and said, "I will stand with you to defend the city and await your news."

“You…” Nasita asked in surprise, “This city is on the verge of collapse, aren’t you afraid of death and misfortune?”

“The city will not be breached,” Sophia said calmly.

……

By this time, Bahram had already captured several small towns on the border of Khwarazm, pushing the front line further forward.

While sending a letter of surrender to Nasida, Shahzani also ordered Bahramu to concentrate its superior forces and advance deep into the heart of Khwarazm.

The crimson-clad Samanid Persian army marched into cities such as Tahirian and Dargan.