I was the Queen of Persia

Page 136

Despite its rapid advance, the Turan army attacking Transoxiana province has become isolated and isolated.

Currently, their vanguard is approaching Dargan, a vital military transportation hub connecting Transoxiana and Khorezm provinces. The Turan army aims to capture this strategically important city, severing the link between the two provinces to their advantage.

“It’s obvious that Aknuar is playing a big game, a risky one,” Shahzani thought.

The importance of Dalgan is self-evident.

If the Samanid Empire loses the city, its troop deployment will be thrown into chaos, putting it in an even more passive position.

If the Samanid Empire succeeds in its counterattack, as mentioned above, the Turan army's offensive will be rendered futile.

Think of this.

Shahzani immediately made arrangements.

First, Princess Farukzade and her husband Iraj were dispatched, leading more than 5 light and heavy cavalry, to advance swiftly, outflank and encircle the weak flank of the Turan vanguard group, and cut off the enemy group.

He also issued an order to Khorasan Military District Commander Holshid to comprehensively coordinate manpower and supplies, and to continuously replenish and reinforce the garrison of Dargan through the post road system and the bridges over the Amu Darya River.

Then, they gathered available troops from neighboring provinces and counties, successively converging on cities such as Zanshahr, Sarahash, Murr, and Abiverd as a reserve force for the counterattack.

……

Everything is ready; now it all depends on the will of the Dalgan defenders. May they hold out until reinforcements arrive, and may Rustam's courage protect them!

……

Dargan City.

The Turan army's siege camp has been established, and a vast array of siege equipment is approaching like a dark cloud pressing down on the city.

The city walls were a scene of bloodshed and devastation after the battle. Arrows were stuck in the gaps between the bricks and tiles. Several gaps were smashed into the city walls and arrow emplacements. Several bricks and tiles of the huge Persian archway were smashed open. Thick smoke and dust filled the air. Wounded soldiers, dying and seriously injured, let out mournful cries.

However, despite the enemy's fierce attack, the defending soldiers remained steadfast and unyielding, standing atop the city walls with resolute eyes fixed on the enemy troops below.

"Warriors! God protects us! Rustam's spirit shelters us! Queen Shahzani's hammer of victory will cleave the heads of the Turans!..."

A spirited female officer in heavy armor patrolled back and forth on the city wall, constantly instilling courage in her soldiers with her vigorous fighting spirit.

"General Bahmanyar! The enemy has launched another offensive!" shouted the soldier on the watchtower.

"Alright! Prepare for battle!" Bahmanyar drew his weapon sharply, his voice booming.

Dargan was indeed a major military town. Its defensive facilities were reinforced with high-quality fired bricks, which greatly enhanced its defensive capabilities. The moat surrounding the city slowed down the enemy's advance, while the arrow towers, crossbows, and projectiles on the city walls, which supported each other, continuously launched crossfire to kill enemy soldiers.

Despite being bombarded by siege weapons several times, the city's defenses, though damaged, still stood firm.

Of course, the most crucial factor was Bahmanyar's effective command.

She remained atop the city wall, wielding her mace, constantly boosting morale and maneuvering her troops to thwart the Turan soldiers' repeated attempts to scale the walls, cutting off their ladders and burning their battering rams.

After a long and fierce battle, Turan's army, seeing no hope of victory, withdrew its troops and weapons once again, preparing for the next offensive.

The Turans retreated again, but the Iranian army also suffered heavy casualties.

Bahmanyar had a sudden inspiration and decided to implement his plan ahead of schedule—a water attack tactic.

It turns out that Dargan is located next to the Amu Darya River, surrounded by numerous branch canals and irrigation wells. This geographical advantage of being close to the river not only facilitated receiving external aid but also prevented the Turan army from besieging the city.

At the same time, it also provided many conveniences for water attack tactics.

Long before the Turan army besieged the city, she had already ordered her engineers to dig canals and store water for future battles. To be honest, she and Princess Farukzad were classmates, both having studied under Khorasan commander Khorshid, and thus possessed considerable knowledge of Samanid military theory and tactics.

“According to the Book of Empress’s Military Skills, water attack tactics should emphasize the use of terrain and require decisive action…” Bahmanyar kept recalling the knowledge points in Shahzani’s book and began to promote the implementation of the plan.

So, one night a few days later...

The Samanid army officially opened the floodgates, allowing the water to inundate the camp.

The raging torrent quickly swept through the Turan army's siege weapon camp, turning the Turan siege weapons into a pile of fragments and disrupting the order of the Turan camp. For a time, the Turan army camp was in chaos and the morale of the soldiers was low.

Keng——!

Bahmanyar drew his weapon: "God bless us! For the Holy Queen's victory! Charge!"

They seized the opportunity to launch an offensive, inflicted a major defeat on Turan's army, and forced them to retreat.

……

And at the same time.

The reinforcements led by Farukzad and Iraj had already maneuvered and deployed along the Turan army's inevitable retreat route, ready for battle. When the demoralized Turan army arrived, they suddenly surged forward, accompanied by a sandstorm.

In an instant, arrows rained down, steel clashed, warhorses galloped, and sand and stones flew everywhere.

The Turan army, having just suffered a devastating blow, was now severely weakened and their fighting spirit was almost completely broken. They were no match for the Saman army. After a brief battle, they threw down their weapons, whipped their horses, and fled in panic.

Farukzad led his troops in pursuit, killing many enemy soldiers and achieving a great victory.

In the Battle of Dargan, the Samanid army annihilated a vanguard force that was disintegrating the Turan Khanate's army, thwarting the Turan Khanate's attempt to penetrate deeper into enemy territory.

When the news reached the capital, Shahzani naturally praised it highly.

She was planning the next battle to turn the tide.

Chapter 319 The Turan Army's Offensive

After the Battle of Dargan, the central offensive of the Turan Khanate was halted.

Under these circumstances, Turan's army, which was attacking Khwarazm province from the west, undoubtedly lost strong support.

Shahzani decided to launch a counterattack on the western front to thwart the Turan army's attack on Urgench.

Based on this, the Turan army's three-pronged offensive was further disrupted.

……

Taras, the military headquarters of Turan Khan.

The defeat of Dargan infuriated Aknuar.

She immediately executed several low-ranking officers for their incompetence. After berating her subordinates for "dereliction of duty" and the Persians for "scheming," she devised a plan to regain the upper hand.

"Order the Western Army to immediately intensify its offensive against Urgench and take Khwarazm Province within half a month!" Aknuar's eyes still burned with raging anger.

"Half a month? But..."

Arslan Tegin, a high-ranking commander of the Turan Khanate and a former general of the Karakhanid Dynasty, questioned this strategic plan.

“But what?” Aknuer glanced at him with displeasure.

"Forgive my bluntness, Great Khan! To annex Khwarazm province in half a month is extremely difficult."

"Oh? How to say it."

"Your Majesty, the central army's offensive on Transoxiana has now failed. Under these circumstances, the western army has lost support and is fighting alone, making it very vulnerable to being devoured by the Persians."

So, what's your opinion?

"In my opinion, we should suspend the attack first, and wait for the central army to rest, replenish its strength, and then advance together."

"We can't wait any longer!" Aknuar shouted sternly. "Our army is currently at its strongest. Suspending trade and advancing will only erode the courage of our soldiers and give the Persians a chance to regroup!"

"But, Your Majesty the Khan, please..."

"There are no 'buts'! My mind is made up, and no further persuasion is permitted!"

Aknuar remained confident. For the Khanate, Dargan was merely an occasional defeat, and overall, the Turan army continued to advance steadily.

In particular, the Eastern Route Army, which she personally commanded.

Of the three armies of the Turan Khanate, the Eastern Army Corps indeed achieved the most brilliant results.

Breaking through from Baishuihu City, they swept through Shash Province, crossed the Syr Darya River, and threatened Jizzakh and Sudushana.

One of the vanguard forces advanced deep into the Fergana Valley, capturing cities and territories, and even occupying Uzgen—one of the former western power centers of the Karakhanid dynasty.

Such a tremendous victory convinced Aknuar that the Turan Khanate would continue to firmly control the initiative on the battlefield.

……

Fergana Basin.

The Turan Khanate army advanced rapidly, quickly defeating the small number of Samanid troops left behind, and then occupying hundreds of cities and villages of varying sizes within the basin.

"The Great Khan, the War Eagle of the Steppe, the Warrior of Allah, the Prophet of Afrasiab, commands! All those who possess skills and techniques shall be conscripted into the army; all young, strong, and healthy men and women shall be moved to Turan; the rest, the old, weak, sick, and disabled, shall be executed on the spot!"

The proclamators of the Turan Khanate read aloud the orders set forth by Aknuar.

Skilled artisans were conscripted into the army; the young and strong were abducted to the grasslands to be enslaved; and the old, weak, sick, and disabled were killed on the spot.

This is a common policy of some nomadic empires. Two hundred years after the previous timeline, another rising nomadic power will sweep across Eurasia along this path.

As for the Samanid soldiers and civilians who continued to resist stubbornly, the Turan Khanate's strategy was very simple and brutal: kill.

The small city of Sokh, originally with a population of 2000 and a garrison of 500, resisted fiercely and refused to surrender. After the city fell, the Turan army went on a killing spree, piling up more than 20 pyramids of human heads, turning the city into a complete no-man's land.

Namangan originally had a population of 10000 and a garrison of 1000. After the Turan army breached the city, they executed and purged all those who resisted, and also abducted all the artisans, such as blacksmiths, coppersmiths, and potters, leaving only 40 people in the city.

……

The Gissar Mountains pass.

A group of panicked refugees were leading livestock and driving horse-drawn carts, struggling to make their way along the road in front of the mountain.

As the Turan Khanate's eastern army advanced rapidly, many local governments, knowing they could not defend themselves, took the lead in relocating their people to safe cities.

However, this is not a perfect solution.

Soon, a savage howl echoed from behind the mountains and dunes, like a pack of wolves chasing their prey on the grasslands.

Upon hearing this sound, everyone felt a chill run down their spines—oh no, the Turan cavalry are catching up!

As expected, the wolf-head banners of the Turan tribe fluttered in the sandstorm as they approached, billowing dust. Their advance was so rapid that they were upon each other in the blink of an eye.

After all, compared to the swift and swift Turan cavalry, the refugees were moving much slower.

Panic instantly spread through the fleeing crowds. Cries of terror, screams, despair, and prayers rose and fell in an instant.

But then.

Suddenly, countless arrows pierced the air, directly shooting many Turan cavalrymen off their horses.

Immediately afterwards, a loud battle horn sounded from behind the hills on the side, and as the war horns grew more and more intense, Sahinnian led a large cavalry force out from behind.

That's right.

Shahzani organized many special task forces, commanded by Shahini, specifically to receive fleeing civilians.

Sahimian readily accepted the order. War and adventure were her greatest passions, and she not only led the expedition herself but also commanded her children and offspring to join her.

This famous "succubus general" was not like the "succubus queen" Shahzani, who "had few children but eugenics." She had sexual relations with different men over many years, giving birth to numerous offspring in twenty years, which objectively contributed to the growth of the Samanid Empire's military strength.

Taking advantage of the lull, the fleeing civilians quickly hid behind the Saman army's defensive lines and escaped death.

The crimson-red battle formation stood tall on the battlefield, like the Gorgon Great Wall, blocking the enemy's advance.

Whoosh-!

A sharp arrow pierced through armor and killed a Turan soldier instantly.

"It seems these Turanians have a bit too much energy and need to be entertained in a 'special way'."

The young female general, clad in heavy armor, with alluring eyes, raised her hand and fired an arrow, piercing through the Turan cavalryman and his horse.

Then came the third arrow, the fourth arrow... inflicting heavy losses on the enemy.

“Well done, daughter. On the battlefield, one must be brave, decisive, and focused.” Sahinien rode up and nodded approvingly.

“Mother. You often taught us that we must conserve our energy for both battlefield matters and matters at bedside, and we have remembered all of this.” Little Sahinian turned around and smiled charmingly.

"Excellent! You truly are my most outstanding daughter," Sahimian praised. "Once the war is won, I will reward you with several pairs of young and strong prisoners of war."

Little Sahinian thanked him happily, then led her troops in an attack, splitting up to encircle and annihilating the Turan pursuers. After a fierce battle, they forced the Turan pursuers back.

Sahimian and her daughter led the army to maneuver and transport the fleeing people to safety in Sudsana.

Chapter 320 Breakthrough

Despite the fierce offensive launched by the Turan army in the Shash-Fergana region (which was not the main area of ​​the Saman Empire's defense), the military and political officials of the Saman Empire did their best to relocate the people in the war zone to relatively safe areas.

This can also be considered a form of "scorched earth".

Currently, the Turan army's central offensive (mainly targeting Transoxiana) has suffered a temporary setback, while the eastern offensive (mainly targeting Shash-Fergana) is unable to gather sufficient supplies due to the Samanid Empire's "scorched earth" strategy, and the western offensive (mainly targeting Khwarazm-Daistan) is progressing slowly and has made no progress after a long siege.