I was the Queen of Persia

Page 142

Inside the mansion.

Only the young and loyal captain of the guard, due to his exceptional martial arts skills, managed to hold out, but he was soon besieged by six Persian war dancers.

"Surrender to the great Shahr of Iran, young man."

The oldest Persian war dancer slowly removed her veil, revealing herself to be Sahimian, a famous general of the Samanid Empire.

Her alluring black eyes, her arched eyebrows, and her seductive blue eyes captivated the young man.

Judging from his appearance, this young guard should come from the western steppe under the control of the Turan Khanate. He is probably a Slav, Georgian, Alan, or some other blond-haired, blue-eyed tribe living in the west.

She was captivated by the young man's handsome appearance. If they weren't in the midst of a battle, she would have loved to open her bottomless vulva, press him down between her legs, and drain him dry, making him her gigolo.

“Mother.” At this moment, the other five war dancers stepped forward. “The daughters suggest that this ‘spoils of war’ be distributed according to merit.”

“Yes, very good,” Sahinian nodded charmingly, “but whether he lives or dies depends on your abilities. Whoever performs the best will have priority to enjoy him.”

Chapter 329 The Northward Shift of the Boundary Line

The outcome is obvious.

The young Otrar guard was no match for five strong Persian war dancers. In no time, he was subdued, bound, and abducted by Sahimian's "succubus" daughter.

The outcome of the battle for control within the city has already been decided.

The Turan garrison in Otrar, having lost the command of its officers, was leaderless and utterly powerless to resist the fierce attack of the Samanid army. After a bitter struggle, they were forced to retreat to the inner city.

The Turan soldiers in the city also included a large number of people from the Yatak and other conquered tribes. They had been feigning respect for Aknuar's Khan's authority, and now that the battle situation had reversed, why didn't they take the opportunity to defect and surrender?

By turning their attention to the enemy and coordinating with them from within and without, they quickly joined forces with Saman's main assault force to capture the city.

The Battle of Otrar lasted only eight days before ending in a Samanid victory. Shahzani proudly declared, "I accomplished in eight days what the Mongol army of my previous life took eight months to achieve."

Of course, the two wars were completely different in nature.

The Mongol invasion of the west brought death and destruction, leaving only desolation behind;

The Iranian military's conquest brought order and authority, as well as a more prosperous trade.

This is also Shahzani's will.

After the city fell.

Sahimian and her succubus daughters led their army on a tour of the city.

Contrary to the impression many Iranian soldiers had of the "crude and barbaric Turan world," Otrar was a city of considerable size and well-equipped facilities, clearly deeply influenced by Iranian Persian culture. The clothing of the citizens was not much different from that of Iranians, and there were quite a few Iranian Muslims in the city.

The coexistence of Iranians and Turks (whether settled or nomadic) was common in many parts of Central Asia at that time, and the resulting cultural fusion shaped the Turkic-Persian cultural tradition.

Cultural exchange has also greatly improved the level of social development of both sides. The world's largest library in Turan is located in Otrar, which once trained Farabi, a polymath from Central Asia.

This is also true.

Empress Shahzani often instructed her courtiers: "The Turans, Turks, or Tatars are not all barbarians who only know how to herd sheep and horses. In fact, they also have cities, farmlands, and public facilities such as libraries and bathhouses. They also absorb our noble Iranian culture and develop their own culture on this basis."

Wasn't there a large number of Turan-Turks serving in the Samanid army? Whether they were Seljuks, Chachis, Kipchaks, Kimaks, Oghuz Turks, Arghuns, Bulgar Tatars... Empress Shahzani treated everyone equally and kindly.

This follows the same pattern as the Samanid Empire's reconquest of the Syr Darya region.

The Sahini and her daughters supported local dignitaries who favored Iranian authority, established a local regime aligned with the Samanid Empire, and implemented a relatively tolerant policy to revive the economy and trade.

After handling military and political affairs, the succubus-like mother and daughter were eager to enjoy their "spoils of war." According to the distribution of war merits, the fifth young lady's achievements were the most outstanding, thus earning her the right to prioritize seeking love from the handsome prisoner of war.

……

Just as Otrar was brought under the influence of the Samanid Empire.

Bahman Yar led another Saman army to quickly advance to Chimugan, a city controlled by the Turan Khanate. There were only light troops defending the city, but the Kipchak-Argun tribe stationed there did not intend to surrender easily.

If persuasion to surrender fails, then attack and start fighting.

The Samanid Empire's gunpowder weapons once again proved their might, with rocket-propelled chariots unleashing a barrage that pinned the Turan defenders down, allowing the assault troops to advance. The Turan soldiers put up a fierce resistance, their barrage of arrows even killing one of Bahmanyar's personal guards and standard-bearers, but they were powerless to change the course of the battle.

The Samanid Empire's heavy weaponry breached the city walls, and troop formations poured in. Seeing that the city was about to fall, the Turan defenders had no choice but to abandon it and hastily break out and retreat before the Samanid army could completely surround them.

Akagi Kane was also adorned with the red battle flag of the Samanid Empire.

……

The Syr Darya basin was entirely under the control of the Samanid Empire. The Turan Eastern Army, fighting alone, was clearly struggling to cope.

Undeniably, Turan's army group launched a fierce offensive. Starting from Baishuihu City, numerous cities in Shash and Fergana provinces fell, and vast areas of villages and oases were ravaged by Turan's raiding cavalry. Even villages as far away as Keshi and Bukhara suffered swift and deadly attacks from Turan's cavalry.

However, due to factors such as blind optimism, strategic misjudgment, and reckless pursuit of quick success, Turan's army's offensive still encountered irreversible setbacks.

Aknuar, in a desperate move, concentrated the superior forces of the Turan army to launch a final offensive against Samarkand, the largest city in Transoxiana. If successful, it might give him a chance to turn the tide of the war.

On the plains of the river valley, the army was arrayed like a forest. The dark brown banners of the nine sacred trees of Turan Khan's personal army fluttered in the wind. The siege camps were set up and the siege tunnels were dug deep. The Samanian defenders were on high alert. Although Shahzani's strategy of dividing his forces to the north had temporarily put the eastern front on the defensive, the tall and sturdy walls of Samarkand were enough to offset the disadvantage in troop strength.

A barrage of stones and fireballs rained down, and arrows rained down like locusts, but Turan's siege failed to break through. He then pinned his hopes on breaching the city through tunnels and intensified his efforts to dig them.

To Turan's surprise, several Zub tribes involved in the tunnel excavation had been turned against them by Nassak of the Samanid Empire. Under the leadership of their chieftain Jurrukh, they completely destroyed the half-excavated tunnel and defected to the Samanid army.

Aknuar's plan completely failed.

Shahzani seized the opportunity to organize a counterattack, forcing dozens of Farsahs of the Turan army to retreat.

With the war having progressed to this point, the Turans had no choice but to consider withdrawing their troops.

The Khan's golden-topped tent.

"Great Khan, we must retreat! The fall of Chimugan means the Persians are tightening their encirclement. If they continue their advance and retake Baishuihu City, our retreat will be completely cut off!"

The ministers offered their advice one after another.

Aknuer wore a mask of pain. She was well aware of her current situation, but she was also heartbroken about the large amount of wealth she had plundered: the Samanid Empire's treasury was too full. The grain, livestock, gold, silver and money plundered in Shash Province alone were equivalent to half a year's worth of tribute collected by the Khanate.

However, money is ultimately just an external thing. Even though Aknuer was cruel and greedy, she could still see this clearly. After a difficult internal struggle, she trembled as she raised her right hand, which was adorned with the Khan's ring, and made the difficult decision: to withdraw the troops.

The Samanid army's counterattack had begun. The Turan army could neither take away nor destroy so many spoils of war—gold, silver, money, grain, livestock, and the people they had captured—so they could only reluctantly abandon most of their spoils and retreat to the steppe in despair.

This clash between Iran and Turan clearly ended in an Iranian victory. With this, the sphere of influence of the Iranian Samanid Empire expanded northward, reaching back to the Syr Darya basin.

Chapter 330 Junlin's Poisonous Elixir

The Syr Darya River is also known as "the water that kills with chemicals".

For centuries, it has been a key location repeatedly contested by various powerful forces.

Now, Shahzani's royal power has descended upon this ancient land.

The Khanates of Zan, Xignakh, Yangjigan, Sailan, Otrar, Chimugan, and a series of pro-Iranian Samanid regimes in the Syr Darya region jointly sent envoys to Jahanshahr.

Shahzani generously entertained the envoys, accepted the tax books and documents they presented, and bestowed upon the protectorates flags, crowns, gold belts, robes of honor, and salt.

Its practical effect outweighs its symbolic significance.

The ministers performed the ritual of kissing the ground and kowtowing to show their complete submission. They clarified the quarterly taxes to be paid, as well as the obligations of conscripting men into the army, and each sent their sons and princesses to the Samanid court as hostages.

The Samanid army was stationed in various cities, with five "Sipahi" regiments stationed in each Khan's city. In Otrar and Sighnaghi, there was also a detachment of the Sahar Guard's Sacred Flame Brigade. These forces were sufficient to ensure their safety.

……

With the basic military support in place, the next step is management and development.

Shahzani issued a decree to dig wells, cultivate fields, and build a prosperous nation.

The first step was to widen the roads.

Using the Khorasan Road as the main transportation artery, the trade routes were extended further north, integrating various branches of the Silk Road. To improve the efficiency of caravan trade, the Samanid Empire expanded the number of caravan stations along the route, complemented by minarets.

Of course, once the flames of war draw near and local governments are brought into the military orbit of the war, then these inns become genuine troop transport stations, and these minarets become qualified military watchtowers.

Previously, the Turan army swept through the provinces of Shash and Fergana, causing a large number of people to be displaced. Now that the enemy has retreated, it will take some time to restore agriculture. The "work relief" policy can be adopted to offset this negative impact.

Therefore, Shahzani ordered officials to gather and organize the scattered people, and at the same time, he specially mobilized and mobilized civilians to be incorporated into the "Bassi" militia to participate in the development and construction of the northward advance. In wartime, they were directly armed as the "Sipahi" mobilization army and thrown into the war.

What pained Shahzani was that the Turan army abducted some skilled craftsmen during their retreat.

Warriors and artisans were the two professions most valued by the Turan Khanate.

After each city was captured, skilled artisans of various kinds were screened and assigned to Yabghu, Tegin, Subash, Beg, Inal, and Tarakhan (all of whom were military nobles) at various levels, and incorporated into the army to build fortifications and military equipment.

Even if the war goes badly and evacuation is necessary, they must take these best craftsmen with them, even if it means leaving behind glittering gold and silver.

But then I thought about it.

The Samanid Empire's ability to recover was astonishing. This loss was indeed unfortunate, but it was nothing compared to the enormous strategic victory.

They also mobilized manpower and resources to participate in the reconstruction of the war-torn areas.

However, the current focus is, of course, on managing this newly annexed territory in the Syr Darya basin.

Shahzani knew that Aknuer would not be willing to lose this strategic location, so while managing the farm, she also had to pay attention to preventing the Turan people's counterattacks and raids.

"Should we continue the Tahir dynasty's approach and build extensive fortifications and walls along the frontier?" one of the Diwan ministers asked.

“Or, taking the Gorgon Wall as a model, we could build an even more magnificent wall to show our majesty,” suggested Minister Diwan.

“There are even better measures,” Shahzani said.

She cited historical examples:

In the past, the Tahir dynasty and other dynasties ordered the construction of long and complex city walls on the frontier to prevent the invasion of Turkic nomads. This cost a lot of manpower and resources, but the results were not significant. As a result, the people could not bear the hard labor and all industries declined one after another.

The first ruler of this dynasty (Samanid dynasty), Ismail (may Hu Da bless his soul!), after observing the people's conditions and weighing the pros and cons, decided to stop the project, relieve the people of heavy labor, and instead build trade routes and trestle roads to subdue the Turks with his authority, ultimately reaping great benefits.

"A civilization that builds walls can only be stable for a short time; a civilization that builds roads can last forever!" Shahzani concluded.

Therefore, it was decided to continue strengthening the construction of the extended section of the Khorasan Avenue.

The wide and flat imperial road was built from cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand in Transoxiana Province (traditionally the easternmost point of the Khorasan Road) to the key oasis in the Kyzylkum Desert, and eventually extended to the banks of the Syr Darya River.

Well-built and well-organized merchant (military) caravans (horse) inns (fortresses) sprang up like mushrooms after rain across the various oases.

……

Although the Turan army retreated, it did not give up its frequent raids and plundering.

Long-distance incursions, penetrating deep into the heartland, and carrying out large-scale plundering are the strengths of nomadic tribal armed forces.

A man named Darmach, Turan Yinal, was both obeying the orders of Khan Aknuar and coveting considerable wealth. In a very short period of time, he organized more than ten raids on cities in the Syr Darya basin.

However, the fierce steppe cavalry were surprised to find that they could no longer ride as they used to—rushing across the farmland of the settled people, calmly plundering the wealth of the villages, and even storming into the cities to dominate the order.

Now, as soon as a large group of raiding riders crosses the border, a series of alert mechanisms will be triggered quickly.

The first to be hit were the earthen forts, trenches, and walls that dotted the countryside. The Saman sentries on the watchtowers would quickly spot the intruders and sound the alarm horns.

The Samanian army immediately mobilized upon receiving the order, preparing for battle with remarkable efficiency, leaving the invading Turkic cavalry with little opportunity. Furthermore, the well-maintained postal and road system significantly enhanced the efficiency of troop movements.

For the Turan riders, even if they were lucky enough to venture deep into a relatively undefended village and plunder some wealth, they would soon be surrounded and forced to abandon their spoils and flee in haste.

In conclusion, under the Samanid Empire's highly efficient military mobilization system, the Turan cavalry's raids often ended in failure.

……

Shahzani calculated that it was time to unlock another important ability boost.

Open the [Chronicles of the Persian King] system.

[Economic Development] - [Strengthening the Post Road System].

[Effect: Within a 2.5 Farsach radius of any caravan inn, caravan movement speed increases by 15%, and army movement speed increases by 15%].

[Prerequisites: Strengthen the Khorasan road system (achieved), control the Kyzylkum Desert and Syr Darya region (achieved)]

This bonus, affecting both military and trade aspects, was quite significant. Naturally, it also motivated Shahzani to build more post stations, including renovating the infrastructure of older ones.

Chapter 331 Forming Alliances and Strategizing, the "Succubus" Strikes

As the saying goes, war is based on deception.

Seeing that the initial battle was unsuccessful, Aknuer resorted to negotiation tactics to prepare for the next war.

He then sent an envoy, Jahanshahr, to request the restoration of the Iran-Turan Non-Aggression Treaty and the restoration of the border between the two countries.

Shahzani calmly stated that he was willing to negotiate, but the old borders could not be restored. Moreover, he demanded that Shahzani cede the three cities of Talas, Bars Khan, and Balasagun in the Seven Rivers region, pay an indemnity of 1000 million dirhams, plus 5 sheep, 3 horses, and 2 camels.

Aknu'er, of course, would not accept it.

Let the war continue!