I was the Queen of Persia

Page 134

Two burning hearts clung to each other, and soon they fell deeply in love.

……

July 26, 1022 AD, the month of Mordade in the Persian calendar.

The princess's wedding day is approaching.

Shahzani felt quite gratified as she watched her daughter, on whom she had placed so much hope, get married and start a family.

A grand wedding was planned, the bridal chamber was decorated with beautiful flowers, the fragrance of rose dew was refreshing, and the dowry was quite generous, with all kinds of fine silks and satins.

Farukzad changed into a beautiful wedding dress, barefoot, with henna patterns painted on her feet. The sheer fabric of the dress accentuated the once fierce and battle-hardened princess, making her appear less valiant and more gentle.

"My child, from this day forward, you are a true adult. Remember your mother's words, and may God grant you good fortune!"

Shahzani stroked her daughter's hand, her eyes slightly moist.

She had never experienced motherhood in her past life, and now, watching her daughter gradually soar high on her own, her heart was filled with countless emotions. This is a feeling that every mother would express, regardless of nationality, religion, or ethnicity.

"Mother! I have remembered your admonitions. Please rest assured that I will do my best to fulfill my duties as a wife and a pillar of the empire!"

Farukzad's eyes also turned red.

She kept in mind all of her mother's earnest teachings.

Compared to other princes and princesses of her time, she was undoubtedly lucky.

Born into a powerful empire with a well-functioning, stable, and cohesive political system, she encountered the best mother, the best mentor, and the best partners. And now, she has met the best lover.

For this reason, she will not be like those unfortunate foreign princes and princesses, who are involuntarily drawn into the chaotic and confusing court intrigues and the bloody political struggles.

They will not be like the children of weak countries and tribes, who witness their parents being killed or kidnapped from a young age, become displaced, suffer from war and the destruction of their country, and endure the torment of famine and torture.

Because her mother, Shahzani, was supporting the empire's political situation.

Indeed, through her wisdom and courage, Shahzani established a well-functioning political system that greatly reduced the frequency of rebellions, assassinations, palace intrigues, and factional struggles (though it could not be completely eliminated), thus paving the way for Farukzad's growth.

"Go, brave little lion, go and embrace your loved ones!" Shahzani gently wiped her daughter's eyes, a relieved smile on her face.

Farukzad nodded solemnly, then turned and walked towards Sina.

After the Khorami imam finished reciting the marriage proposal, the newlyweds, hand in hand, stepped over a fire pit symbolizing the removal of misfortune (fire jumping is a Persian custom), and sweets, candied fruit, and rose petals were sprinkled on them.

I won't go into too much detail about the complicated wedding ceremony here.

In short, the happy newlyweds walked hand in hand, bowing together to Shahzani, the Supreme King of Kings and the earthly manifestation of God. Iraj, in particular, displayed a deep and sincere reverence in his eyes.

Amidst the blessings of the guests, they walked hand in hand into their newly decorated home, following a carpet strewn with flowers.

……

Inside the new house.

The copper lamps flickered, the curtains were draped in a hazy, alluring fragrance, and the exotic scents of India and Damascus filled the air with an ambiguous aroma.

Her hair was as black as silk, her skin as white as honey, and her beautiful, rose-colored eyes sent lingering glances. Her well-built body had shed the steely tension of battle, gaining a gentler, more refined appearance.

The crimson garden in Gubu was already overflowing with water, deeply blending with the towering Long Spear Mountain that faced it head-on, accompanied by charming moans.

The scattered cherry blossom petals eventually landed on the pristine white silk handkerchief, which was now soaked through, resembling clusters of blooming roses and wild roses.

……

Farukzad officially entered into marriage.

Shahzani has a husband.

The mighty Samanid Empire finally had an outstanding prince consort.

This also means that the history of the Samanid Empire has entered a new era.

Chapter 315: War breaks out again

January 1023 AD, the month of Tayi in the Persian calendar.

An urgent report arrived from Nassakh in the northern frontier region.

Upon seeing this letter, Shahzani's first thought was:

"Sure enough, they did not stop preparing for war."

The letter describes the Turan Khanate's invasion of the Bulgar Khanate, a trading ally of the Samanid Empire:

Under the pretext of "eliminating external threats," the Turan Khanate sent envoys to the Bulgar Khanate, demanding that Bulgar cease direct trade with Iran and restrict the number and number of caravans transiting its territory.

The Turan Khanate envoy argued vehemently: Bulgar is to the north of Turan, and Iran is to the south of Turan. The two countries are attacking from the north and south, seriously threatening the interests of the great Aknu Khan.

Bulgar Khan knew that his country was no match for the expanding Turan Khanate, but trade goods from Iran—gold and silver coins, iron ingots, silks and brocades, spices and seasonings, etc.—were very important. Losing these would severely damage Bulgar's economy and people's livelihood.

In light of this, Bulgar Khan did not explicitly refuse the Turan envoy, but merely expressed his difficulties and reassured the Turan people.

However, Turan Khan Aknuar was still very angry.

She said angrily, "The Bulgar Tatars, who are of Turanian origin, have colluded with Iran. This is an insult to Afrasiab! Order the troops to be assembled and to punish these cowards!"

The Turan Khanate mobilized 100,000 troops from various tribes to launch a fierce attack on the Bulgar Khanate. Within a few weeks, they had captured several cities in the southern part of the Bulgar Khanate and were still planning to advance northward.

Shahzani decided to strike promptly, first organizing several limited punitive wars on the border to contain the Turan Khanate.

It was not only to protect allies, but also to maintain the Samanid Empire's enormous interests in the northern trade routes.

If the other side were to tear off the mask of peace and escalate the punitive war into a full-scale war, that would be even better, as it would be the perfect opportunity to deliver a devastating blow.

Anyway, this war was bound to happen sooner or later.

The Empress's supreme decree was issued.

News of the troop buildup and preparations for war spread throughout the northern border provinces, counties, and the Malzban border region. The scarlet Saman flag fluttered in the wind, and the mighty Iranian divisions were sharpening their weapons.

……

Governor-General's Office of Bukhara, Transoxiana Province.

Princess Farukzad of Qadhuda had long received orders from the central court and the Khorasan military region to prepare for war. The young princess was full of confidence for the upcoming battle.

Transoxiana, or along with the neighboring Khorasan province, was the birthplace of the Samanid dynasty, the origin of the new Persian language, and the place where the Persian "Shubi" thought flourished. Both its civil administration and military prowess were quite prosperous, and it continuously provided the empire with money, grain, and soldiers.

After marrying Iraj, the perfectly matched newlyweds continued to develop Transoxiana into the empire's "model province".

Farukzad personally trained and intensified the training of his troops, with particular emphasis on the development of heavy cavalry (a skill he learned from Shahzani). Relying on the developed horse administration, metallurgy, and forging industries, the heavy cavalry forces in Transoxiana Province were more well-trained and fully equipped than ever before.

The empire's strong financial resources were sufficient to support such a large heavy cavalry force.

Iraj, with his strategic planning, effectively managed the supply system of troops, weapons, and provisions. Drawing on his experience in managing the library, he kept the military and political affairs of Transoxiana in perfect order.

In conclusion, Ha Trung province has a strong military and ample funds and supplies.

In fact, apart from Transoxiana, the neighboring Khwarezm, Khorasan, Shash, Fergana and Taystan provinces were also thriving, but Transoxiana, ruled by the princess, was too dazzling.

This is indeed true; among the Qadhuda of the same rank, Farukzad's governing ability was the most outstanding.

This ability also gave her more confidence.

……

Upon receiving the Queen Mother's order, Farukzad smiled smugly, his fighting spirit instantly igniting throughout his body.

That's right, she'd wanted to teach the Turans a lesson for a long time.

During the ceasefire and peace period between the two countries, the Turans' covetousness for the rich lands of the river did not diminish in the slightest. Iranian patrol cavalry patrolling the outer buffer zone would often intercept Turan scouts who crossed the border to gather intelligence.

The Nassak anti-traitor agency on the border has also thwarted several plots to subvert nomadic tribes within Iran, and the enemy spies captured were mostly from the Turan Khanate.

Several months ago, a gang of bandits robbed a village and escaped the pursuing government troops, fleeing along the border desert into the territory of the Turan Khanate.

Falukzad sent several waves of envoys to negotiate, demanding that the other side abide by the concluded non-aggression pact and detain and extradite the criminals, but all were turned away. She was furious about this.

Just right.

Reports indicate that the Bayundur tribe, located within the territory of the Turan Khanate, recently planned to seek refuge with the Iranian Samanid Empire. However, while migrating to the border, they were intercepted by Turan Khanate forces, and more than twenty members of the tribe, including the Bek, Ilik, and Aksakar, were killed and imprisoned.

Farukzad planned to cause some trouble for the Turans in order to rescue the tribe.

Of course, speed and efficiency are crucial; otherwise, it will be too late once the Bayundur people are escorted back to the Khan's capital.

The battle plan was quickly formulated, and the tactics used were ingenious.

Overall, tens of thousands of people and livestock of the Bayundur tribe were imprisoned in a Turan military area at the southern end of the Syr Darya River. Several military camps and fortresses were under their cross-surveillance, and there were also a large number of Turan nomadic monitors who came to patrol.

Farukzad and Iraj decided to split their forces into two groups and launch a coordinated attack.

First, Farukzad led his troops, disguised as a caravan, to infiltrate the Turanian military stronghold and launch a massive attack, creating chaos.

Next, Iraj led his reserve troops to assemble in a concealed location. Once Farukzad gave the signal, they immediately launched an attack, working together from within and without to break through Turan's defenses.

This is a risky move, which not only tests the commander's courage but also the mutual trust and understanding between the couple (who are also like-minded comrades-in-arms).

When Farukzad went to the enemy camp without hesitation, Iraj became deeply determined to win.

……

The battle went more smoothly than expected.

Like Rustam disguised as a merchant, venturing deep into enemy territory and valiantly defeating the enemy army in the epic Shahnameh, Falukzad was like Rustam's daughter descended to earth, leading her troops in an unstoppable charge through enemy-held territory.

Meanwhile, Iraj had already received the signal from the campfire and immediately led his troops to attack. The unwavering desire to support their comrades lingered in the hearts of the Iranian soldiers, and every officer and soldier charged forward with courage and high morale.

Clearly, under such a combined attack from within and without, Turan's army, lacking the necessary preparations, had little chance of winning. After a fierce battle, they were forced to abandon their fortresses and pastures and retreat.

The Bayundur tribe was successfully rescued and took the opportunity to declare their allegiance to the Samanid Empire.

This was the princess and her consort's first real-world victory together.

Chapter 316 The Empress's Grand Military Review

Just as Farukzad and Iraq joined forces to launch their attack, various limited punitive battles also unfolded along the long border between Iran and Turan.

Shahzani's purpose was clear: the core idea was a "warning" to the Turan Khanate to withdraw its troops from the Bulgar Khanate as soon as possible and behave itself, otherwise it would face even deeper attacks.

……

From the perspective of the Turan Khanate.

Aknuar was furious with Shahzani's actions and decided to abolish the non-aggression pact, transferring his main forces to the southern front to attack the Samanid Empire, intending to "teach these Persians a lesson as severely as Afrasiab had taught Kaus."

War and disputes were quickly put on the agenda, and the warlike Khan continued to expand his ambitions.

A council of military nobles of the Khanate was convened to discuss matters related to the war against Iran.

Special agents, Sakun, Yabghu, Beg, She, Inal, Ilik, Silifa... Khanate nobles and high-ranking officials with various titles gathered in Aknuar's golden tent to discuss the war against Iran.

After all, it was a rising military-style nomadic empire, and external expansion was almost an inevitable need. Most of the Khanate's military nobles, under various names, hoped to plunder more wealth through war and accelerate the completion of "primitive accumulation".

Most of them originally held an extremely indifferent and averse attitude towards the Non-Aggression Pact, and in their eyes, the binding force of the treaty was simply meaningless.

The calls for war far outweighed those for peace.

"Reporting to the Khan!"

A tribal chief from the eastern shores of Lake Balkhash stepped forward from the ranks of his ministers and addressed Aknuar:

"In the eastern Maqin-Khitan Kingdom (Liao Kingdom), far to the east of the Altai Mountains, there are a large number of fierce and warlike nomadic tribes on the grasslands. After hearing that our country intends to conquer Iran, they have all eagerly joined the war, and many warriors have already joined our army."

“I know it was I who sent people to contact them.”

Aknuar nodded: "These are indeed our powerful reinforcements. May the spirit of Afrasiab protect us! All those living in the tents will ride forth under the banner of Turan!"

The shouts were thunderous, and the courtiers cheered.

Under the leadership of a warlike Khan and military nobles, a nomadic empire that blended tribal military society with a rudimentary bureaucratic system embarked on a path of war.

Outside the tent, on the grassland, banners blotted out the sun, and soldiers and horses were as numerous as clouds.

The shouts of encouragement were deafening.

Standing at the very front were the Khan's personal guards.

These fully-fledged professional warriors were all recruited from the core, direct, and affiliated tribes. Equipped with the finest weapons and armor of the Turan Khanate, they guarded the Khan's and Ordu's tents and constituted the Khanate's most powerful fighting force.

Standing in the middle is the army of nomadic tribes.

These steppe warriors came from various nomadic tribes conquered by Turan, including minor tribal chiefs, free herders, and slaves. They served as herders in peacetime and as soldiers in wartime. Although they did not deviate from the traditional definition of a nomadic army, their horses and weapons were upgraded thanks to increased productivity. They constituted the main body of Turan's armed forces and were the most numerous.

Standing in the rear was the army of the vassal regime.