I was the Queen of Persia

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Swah——

A bitter smile crept across Dumiyat's lips. He then raised his sword and slashed fiercely at his neck. Blood splattered like rain, and his once-proud body crashed to the ground, ending both his political and physical life.

De-de-de

Shahzani rode forward, gazed at him calmly for a moment, and said softly, "He was indeed an indomitable warrior. Bury him according to Christian rites."

……

At the same time that Shahzani annihilated the Dumiya Special Forces.

Bahramu, who had already captured Arish, quickly dispatched his vanguard Nasida on a long detour to reinforce Gaza.

Nasida, acting swiftly, led the Khwarazmian cavalry to the location and, in coordination with the local garrison, Palestinian militia, and the Druze religious order, encircled and annihilated the Fatima forces attacking Gaza.

By this time, the Fatima army's large force deployed in the Sinai Peninsula had been completely crushed (except for a very small number of troops who broke through and escaped), and the important town of Arish had changed hands. Most of the Sinai Peninsula was now firmly under the control of Shahzani.

The Fatima monarch Hakim has lost a strategic location protecting his capital and the main force upon which he relied for dominance; his dream of hegemony is about to be shattered.

Chapter 296 The Queen Arrives in Loyal Mecca

Shahzani's resounding victory, as always, showcased her imperial power. Poets accompanying the army recited verses praising her military prowess, while miniature painters captured the grandeur of the victory. Soldiers chanted psalms from the Shahnameh, inspiring the victorious army…

Throughout the Sinai Peninsula, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Arabs, Jews, and Coptics alike were now prostrating themselves at Her Majesty the Queen's feet.

The Persians' great victory at the Battle of Sinai once again shocked the entire Fatimid nation. In an instant, the entire Nile Delta was filled with fear and unease. Commoners discussed the Persian queen's power and military might, while nobles were even more afraid of the persecution by the Persian Khorami faction and were already preparing to pack their valuables and flee.

Monarch Hakim is now utterly despondent: his main forces have been annihilated, his regime is in a deeper crisis, the Berber warlords who were once suppressed have risen again, and the government and the country are increasingly falling apart.

Just as Fatima's court and the public were in a state of constant panic, scouts at the front brought shocking news: the Persian army had turned its forces south and was heading towards the Hejaz.

The Fatima dynasty, which was on the verge of collapse, seemed to have gained a little breathing space.

But Hakim and his court officials were unaware that this was actually a roundabout strategy devised by Shahzani after careful consideration.

……

On the Sinai Peninsula, after the army had assembled and deployed, the Samanid Empire's army camp was set up for the Empress.

The main force is being mobilized, numerous military tents are being packed onto camel backs, soldiers are being trained and roll call in rows, and messengers and signalmen are galloping around to deliver military orders issued by Her Majesty the Queen and the Supreme Command to ensure that orders are carried out in unison.

"I still don't understand. Your Majesty, the situation is very good right now, why don't you just march on Cairo and drink from the Nile as soon as possible, like Darius and Pavíz (Khosla II)?" Bahram looked at the decree on the Samarkand paper with a puzzled expression.

“Sister,” Shahzani patted her shoulder, speaking earnestly, “what religion did we Iranians originally believe in?”

Zoroastrianism.

"So what about now?"

"Horamiism in Islam".

“Yes,” Shahzani nodded, emphasizing, “Why did our faith change?”

"It was because nearly four hundred years ago, that group of Arabs who raised the banner of jihad set out from Mecca and Medina and rose up unexpectedly. Our Sasanian dynasty of Iran also unfortunately perished."

"However! We Iranians are a great nation. Although we were briefly conquered by the Arabs and, for practical reasons, adopted their Islam, we have never forgotten our own culture!"

"Now that we in Iran have achieved revival and become the guides of Islamic truth, it is time to make those descendants of the Prophet of Mecca grovel at our feet!"

"Your Majesty understands! You may focus all your efforts on conquering Mecca. Leave the defense of the Sinai Peninsula entirely to me. With me here, not a single enemy soldier will be allowed to pass!" Bahramu nodded solemnly.

Shahzani nodded in agreement and then allocated 10 troops to be fully commanded by Bahram, while he himself selected 5 elite soldiers to march south to Hejaz.

As mentioned earlier, to the north of Hejaz lies the Syrkha River Valley, where the Blackblade sect was entrenched. Previously, under the fierce offensive of the Saman army, the Hakkawi Blackblade forces that had been entrenched there had long since fled, leaving only a group of old, weak, and disabled people.

Shahzani didn't tolerate these extremist militants either. He identified the most heinous criminals and executed them on the spot. Their corpses filled the date palm groves on both sides of the road, and this land completely submitted to the power of the Samanid Empire.

Continuing south, we entered the sacred land of Hejaz.

And at the same time.

The Iranian Torchbearer Brigade, commanded by Shahini, and the Zayd militia in Yemen have also completed the dismantling of the pro-Fatima regime in Yemen.

After a long campaign of maneuvering, this resistance force achieved remarkable results, gaining control of Zabid, Aden, Hodeidah—all the trading cities along Yemen's coast.

The Battle of Sinai further hastened the downfall of the pro-Fatima regime in Yemen, which also means that this strategic location guarding the Red Sea has changed hands, and the Fatima's sea route to the Red Sea has been cut off.

After taking control of Yemen, Sahini received news that Her Majesty the Queen was heading south to Hejaz. Without further ado, he decided to lead his troops north.

This allowed the Iranian army to launch a pincer attack on Hejaz from both the north and south.

The descendants of the saints and the Sharifs of Hejaz were already short of soldiers and food. In addition, they had become accustomed to peace for a long time, and their military strength and faith had declined significantly. How could they possibly defeat the ferocious Persian army?

As a result, the Hejaz people suffered a series of defeats, losing large swathes of territory with almost no organized resistance.

As the battle lines shifted daily, many of the previously sanctimonious "pharaohs" who held a disdainful attitude towards the rule of women in the Samanid Empire suddenly began to revere the authority of Empress Shahzani.

The Hejaz region has numerous mosques, and the daily preaching and sermons by theologians from the pulpit are one of the important indicators for judging the political climate.

Thus, the caravan spies lurking in Mecca learned the following:

On the first day, by the Most High God! The fiery demones of Hell, who sell their bodies, are besieging Aqaba...

On the fifth day, Almighty God protected them! The naked and lewd Iblis, the banshee, conquered Tabuk...

On the tenth day, with Allah as our witness! The blasphemous queen of Jahan Shah has crushed Haibar...

On the fifteenth day, the merciful God bears witness! The heretical queen of Persia has shattered Yanbu…

On the twentieth day, God of peace blessed them! The valiant Shahzani entered the holy city of Medina...

On the twenty-fifth day, with the humble God as our witness, Her Majesty the Most High Queen will arrive at her faithful Mecca…

Within a month, the Iranian Samanid Empire's army launched a pincer attack from the north and south, encircling and sweeping across the entire territory of Hejaz.

Red banners stretched endlessly as Shahzani, surrounded by Iranian soldiers, strode majestically through the gates of Mecca.

Sheikhs, Sharifs, Emirs... all the secular and religious nobles had already lined up outside the city to kneel and kowtow.

"Believers of the Holy Land, rise! I am your Lord. Under my protection, as long as you behave yourselves, your lives will be safe!"

Based on absolute military suppression, Shahzani displayed the magnanimity of a benevolent ruler, but this was merely a roundabout strategy to facilitate the consolidation of her rule.

The "orthodox" jurists of Mecca, while abhorring women who rule the country, are forced to yield under the powerful threat of force.

For those priests who dared to resist, being shaved, stripped of their robes, and paraded through the streets on donkeys was considered lenient punishment; those who committed serious crimes were long ago reduced to corpses hanging from shackles.

Chapter 297 A decision against God's will!

Just as Shahzani captured Mecca, Shahini also marched north to join forces with the Queen.

The Arabs in the Holy Land were initially apprehensive about the arrival of the Persian army. They originally thought that the Persian army would, like all previous occupying armies, loot and plunder the city after entering, leaving behind a scene of devastation before leaving.

Just like their ancestors did four hundred years ago when they invaded the Sasanian Empire.

To their surprise, the Persian army, despite its harshness and cruelty, maintained a high degree of organization and discipline, and did not commit the atrocities of burning, killing, looting, and plundering that they had imagined.

On the contrary, the Persian army led by Shahzani also upheld rare justice for the vast number of slaves, poor farmers, and impoverished herders.

Shortly after the Iranian army entered the city, they imprisoned several high priests and nobles who had been exploiting the people, and distributed their land, livestock, wells, and date palms to landless and land-poor farmers and herders.

In the following days, an even larger-scale crackdown on local tyrants and evil gentry was launched. A large number of mosques and monasteries with notorious records were ordered to close, religious properties were confiscated, and many seemingly respectable Arab religious nobles were overthrown and defeated in this massive campaign.

The discerning Iranian soldiers could see that this was Her Majesty the Queen's strategy of checks and balances: by supporting the poor and oppressed the nobles, she could both continue to weaken the Meccan religious aristocracy who were hostile to Iran and win over the hearts and minds of the people to the greatest extent possible.

Shahzani herself was convinced that this was indeed a brilliant strategy that killed two birds with one stone: it could not only deal a heavy blow to the pride of the Arab religious aristocracy and wash away the national shame of the Sasanian dynasty's demise, but also leave a good reputation among the general public.

After all, the general public doesn't care whether you are Iranian or Arab, whether you are Khorami, Shia, Sunni or "absolutely orthodox"—as long as they can be fed, clothed, and live in a stable order, they will choose to obey the rule.

……

Cairo, Fatima Palace Theological Seminary.

Hakim, dressed in simple monk's robes, lay sprawled in front of the Quran, with various religious books scattered haphazardly on the ground.

The successive defeats eroded his fighting spirit, and the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Sinai became the final straw that broke his courage. He retreated into the world of religious studies to escape the heavy pressure of worldly life.

At that moment, a servant guarding the door came to report that Hakkawi, the leader of the Blackblade Cult, requested an audience.

It turns out that before the Syrkha Valley changed hands, Haqqavi had already led his remaining loyal followers to escape to the territory of the Fatimid Caliphate.

Even earlier, Haqqavi had already sent people to spread his teachings in the Nile Delta. The Nile River basin is rich in resources, but prone to floods and droughts. In recent years, a famine struck Upper Egypt, bankrupting many farmers and artisans. Haqqavi seized this opportunity to recruit followers, successfully converting many Sunni Egyptians from the lower classes to his sect. Thanks to this, he easily established a foothold in rural Egypt.

As for Hakim, although he also detested the Blackblade Cult's extreme doctrines, he tacitly allowed Hakawi to enter his territory and provided him with protection, considering that the two forces currently had a common enemy and were in a relationship of mutual exploitation.

“What’s he doing here?” Hakim frowned. “Summon him in!”

The sinister figure silently followed the palace servants in, its eyes behind the mask as cold and menacing as daggers. It came before the monarch and respectfully and humbly kowtowed and kissed the ground.

"Very well, you have come to see me. What do you wish to say?" Hakim said expressionlessly.

“Great incarnation of God, I have come to see you to help you eliminate the disobedient.”

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Hakkawi didn't speak directly, but first scanned the surroundings with a sinister gaze. Hakim understood the implication and immediately ordered all the servants around to retreat and stand guard outside the door.

“Your Majesty should remember that you once severely suppressed the warlords of the Berber tribe. Now the situation has changed, and they are already stirring and secretly plotting dirty schemes.” Hakawi crawled forward on his knees, his voice sinister and low.

"So, what do you want?" Hakim asked, feigning ignorance.

“Your Majesty knows that I am a man who walks in the shadows. If you give the order, my dagger can silently pierce the throats of these rebels.” Hakawi made a beheading gesture.

“I appreciate your loyalty, but now is not the time. Preserve your strength and use it when the Persians attack! Alright, I still need to study the scriptures, you may leave!” Hakim waved his hand expressionlessly.

"Oh, as you wish..." Hakkawi said nothing more and quietly took his leave.

Watching his sinister departing figure, Hakim narrowed his eyes meaningfully.

“That cursed Blackblade heretic! I will not let your conspiracy succeed so easily! If the mighty Hakimier Imperial Guard were still here, they would never… Alas!” That was his thought at that moment.

Following the Battle of Sinai, Egypt's political landscape was essentially divided between two major factions:

One faction is the old Berber tribal warlord group, which was brutally suppressed and is now rising again. Sooner or later, they will destroy Hakim.

The other faction was Haqqavi's Blackblade Order and the vast Sunni poor he had mobilized. In Hakim's view, this faction was an evil heretic that should all be stoned to death and was not worthy of trust.

However, due to the near-total annihilation of his core forces—the Hakimiyeh Imperial Guard—and the deaths of a large number of reformist close advisors led by Dumiyat, Hakim lost the support he relied on to maintain his rule, and the monarch's authority was greatly weakened.

Under these circumstances, he was powerless to change the situation and could only maneuver between the two major factions, maintaining his throne by manipulating their infighting and slowly recovering his strength.

……

Early morning in Mecca.

As befits its status as a holy city in the Islamic world, the Mu'anjin here are especially devout, sorrowful, profound, punctual, and sincere in their daily prayers and worship. Hundreds of minarets stand throughout the city, muezzins chant in unison, and believers file into the mosque, kneeling in rows to pray.

In such a devout religious atmosphere, even those who are indifferent to theology are inevitably deeply influenced and eventually become members of the religious army.

Today is Friday, and according to Muslim tradition, congregational prayers are being held. On Hutubai, the clerics are chanting in unison the illustrious name of Queen Shahzani.

On the same day, an even more shocking religious decree was proclaimed throughout the cities of Hejaz by Iranian messengers with drums and gongs and by posting notices.

"Her Majesty the Great Queen, the Supreme King of Kings, the Shadow of God on Earth, has decreed that the Kaaba in Mecca be transported back to Iran in five days!"

Chapter 298 The Sacred Stone? Take it back to Persia!

Shahzani's supreme decree caused a huge uproar.

Under the guise of a religious gathering, the elders and nobles of Mecca secretly convened a special meeting at the home of the Supreme Sharif—Muhammad.

"By the Most Gracious and Merciful Allah! You have all probably seen Her Majesty the Queen's decree. This is a great upheaval that has never been seen before in the Holy Land! What are your thoughts on this?" Muhammad Sharif asked the clerics.

After all, since the Prophet Muhammad founded Islam in the 7th century AD, the Black Stone, as the most sacred relic of Islam, has been kept in the Kaaba Mosque for a long time, receiving the worship of thousands of pilgrims, and has never been arbitrarily taken away by any Muslim monarch.

One of the few calamities the Holy Stone has endured was the sacking and looting of the holy site by the Kalmatians decades ago. However, in the eyes of the "noble" Mecca Sharifs, the Kalmatians were nothing more than a bunch of lawless bandits and thugs, not worth mentioning.

Empress Shahzani was the supreme ruler of the powerful Iranian Samanid Empire in the Islamic world. Her edicts and words carried immense weight and could not be easily challenged by anyone.

“God above. The Persian Queen is powerful and formidable. We are merely scholars, powerless and ignorant of the ways of war. We are certainly no match for her. It is best to obey her decree.” Many priests advised.

but.

“We object!”

Those priests who had previously concealed their rebellious intentions perhaps thought the time for a counterattack had come, and thus stepped forward one after another.

“Sharif, the sacred stone is a holy object for all Muslims and a symbol of the Prophet Muhammad’s founding of his sect. We cannot let the Persians take it away!”

"Yes! The proverb says that if you encounter a Persian and a snake in the desert, you should kill the Persian first. That's true; we should have driven the Persians away long ago!"

"They are now defiling the Holy Land and hurting the feelings of all devout believers. This is the perfect opportunity to launch a holy war and drive them back to Persia!"