I was the Queen of Persia

Page 27

These towers are common on the outskirts of Iranian towns. In times of war, they serve as military watchtowers, in times of peace they serve as guide towers for caravans and travelers, and in addition, they serve as minarets for chanting prayers.

The Karakhanid garrison was unable to spare any extra troops for defense and had no choice but to hand over these military facilities to Shahzani. Standing atop the hill, taking advantage of the altitude, one could see the surrounding area in its entirety. In the distance, banners fluttered, spears and lances stood like a forest, and a dense mass of soldiers covered the city walls and arrow towers.

“No matter how fortified Bukhara may be, it is still an isolated city. Our invincible Iranian warriors will surely reclaim it,” said Samantha’s female officer, Khorshid, standing beside him.

“Yes, that’s very true. Iran’s righteous army is invincible and can certainly use force to reclaim the beautiful former capital.” Shahzani nodded in affirmation at first, then changed the subject, “However, if we can take it back using wise means, why should we make more sacrifices?”

“Oh? You mean…” Holshid seemed to understand something.

“Of course.” Shahzani glanced at the girls playing in the river. “If the enemy lowers their guard, the city will be within our grasp.”

It turns out that all of the above scenarios were part of Shahzani's strategy to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. By creating illusions, she deceived the scouts of the Karakhanid army and induced the Karakhanid defenders to gradually lower their guard.

Shahzani also planned to personally lead a small group of court female soldiers, disguised as alluring dancers, to approach the key officials of the enemy forces defending the city, and then launch a surprise attack to behead them all, leaving the enemy forces leaderless. At that point, she was confident that she could quickly take control of the entire Bukhara with a small number of elite troops.

“But… isn’t this too risky?” Halshid voiced his doubts.

“Some victories are worth the risk. The peerless hero Rustam once disguised himself as a merchant and ventured deep into Turan territory, ultimately defeating the Turan army. Compared to his heroic feat, our little risk is nothing.” Shahzani’s tone was calm yet resolute.

She certainly believed in the fighting capabilities of the palace guards: when clad in heavy armor and riding armored warhorses, they were powerful and fierce cavalry; when wearing only briefs and bare feet, they were equally alluring and deadly assassins.

After a moment's thought, Halshid said firmly, "I will resolutely obey this decision. If it involves penetrating deep into enemy territory, please allow me to accompany you!"

Testimonials

This book is finally going to be available! I've been waiting for this day.

First of all, I would like to thank my editor, Xu Hua, for his guidance and help. I would also like to thank the readers who have collected, given coins, and commented. I am very grateful. It is your support that has given me the motivation to continue writing.

I've just started writing a book, and it's not a full-time job, so there are bound to be some issues with the plot and pacing. Updates may be delayed due to work and life commitments, but I won't give up because of these problems.

The protagonist is a strong-willed woman with historical nationalism who was anti-American and anti-hegemony before she transmigrated, and also disliked theocracy.

The main characters are based on female guards in the courts of ancient Iranian Islamic states, who protected the concubines, as well as female warriors in the army. Unfortunately, they were merely fleeting figures in Iran's long history, and Persian writers rarely recorded their names and deeds in official historical documents. Only in epic legends such as the Shahnameh can we see a few microcosms of them.

Iran is a peculiar country. First, throughout history, there have been numerous examples of women serving in the military, politics, and pursuing academic and artistic pursuits, demonstrating widespread female participation in politics. Second, the status of women in Iran has historically been limited and subject to discrimination. While it is higher than that of neighboring Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Arab countries, there is still significant room for improvement. Those who follow current affairs are likely aware of the recent events in Iran.

The history of Central Asia and the Middle East is complex, with a multitude of personal names, place names, and tribal names, and duplicate names are commonplace. Due to necessity, the author had to omit some real historical figures and make corresponding adaptations to make the narrative as concise and fluid as possible.

If you have any thoughts on the plot, please feel free to leave a comment below!

Finally, I hope everyone will continue to support us!

Chapter 58 Deception and the Beauty Trap

In the following days, Shahzani continued to use tactics to lull the enemy into a false sense of security, feigning a state of relaxed preparedness and waiting for the Karakhanid army defending the city to make a mistake.

As expected, after the Karakhanid scouts reconnoitered the Saman army's various camps, they concluded that the Saman army was lazy and negligent, and thus gradually relaxed their vigilance.

Seeing this, Shahzani ordered the entire army to assemble and form ranks one night, raise battle flags, sound bugles, and make a show of force to further confuse the Karakhan garrison.

Unable to discern the true situation, the Karakhanid garrison naturally went on high alert, preparing for battle. However, their scouts soon discovered that the Samanid army had dispersed for rest and was not attacking, so they also ordered the city's defenses to be lifted.

At night, the Samanid army took turns making noise with instruments such as the suona, bugle, and nai flute, disturbing the sleep and meals of the Karakhanid garrison. In particular, the Persian suona, known as the "musical rogue," was the most painful torture and torment for the Karakhanid soldiers who tossed and turned in the night when they were all played together.

This cycle repeated many times.

Under the continuous barrage of bluster, the Karakhanid soldiers were unable to eat or sleep properly, and were constantly disturbed and agitated.

Anxiety, despondency, confusion, homesickness, and fear gripped the Karakhanid garrison, causing their morale to plummet. More and more soldiers deserted, and even the sentries guarding the city gates frequently neglected their duties.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Shahzani selected twenty elite palace guards, all of whom disguised themselves as dancers in light, flowing robes. They told the Karakhanid guards they were dancers from Zandanakh, seeking to earn money by performing in Bukhara. The city gates were poorly guarded, and with a few bribes, they easily slipped through.

After entering the city, they operated in the Nou Bahar neighborhood near the Karakhan command post, and quickly hooked up with "targets" thanks to their beautiful faces and sexy figures.

……

June 18, 1000 AD, was dry and hot as usual.

Shahzani was leading her "dancers" in a performance, drawing a large, thronging crowd. Suddenly, a loud, piercing command rang out from afar, followed by the clatter of hooves and the neighing of warhorses. Hearing this, the people bowed their heads in fear and hid from the view.

A large contingent of fully armed men galloped in, riders carrying brown-black Karakhanan battle flags, surrounding several officers dressed in magnificent silk robes.

Shahzani deduced that among them were Muhammad Qadir Tutun, the Karakhan garrison commander; Elias, the Saman traitor; and several other high-ranking Karakhan garrison officers.

Several officers gazed at the "beauties" before them with dazed eyes, completely captivated by their voluptuous and robust bodies.

"I think that honey-skinned beauty is quite nice, keep her for me!" a burly, bearded guard commanded in a teasing tone.

"I want that beauty with full thighs, and her buttocks are perky enough!" another general with a face full of scars said with a smile.

“This is truly a gem!” Qadir Tutun looked at Shahzani, a greedy glint in his eyes. “I swear by the Prophet’s beard! A face like a rose, eyes like almonds, a waist like a pine tree, a buttocks like a peach—absolutely flawless!”

The Karakhanid soldiers laughed heartily, then lifted Shahzani and the others onto their horses and galloped towards the garrison commander's residence.

Shahzani and the others deliberately did not resist, with barely perceptible smiles on their lips.

The plan is going smoothly.

……

That evening, at the residence of the Karakhan garrison commander.

As usual, Qadir Tutun held a grand banquet, with high-ranking officers of the Karakhanid Khanate sitting around the table, which was laden with delicacies, fine wines, fruits, and desserts.

Shahzani and other "dancers" danced barefoot on a red and gold Persian-patterned carpet in the center of the hall, accompanied by melodious music. Their sheer clothing revealed alluring curves in their panties, which, combined with their seductive and alluring movements, brought the atmosphere to a climax.

The Karakhanid generals clinked glasses and drank merrily, occasionally splashing drinks on the "dancers" with playful banter. The discipline of military commanders had long been forgotten, and the sumptuous dishes on the table seemed to be a major taboo in wartime: while the front lines are in dire need, the rear is feasting.

While the Karakhanid officers were clinking glasses and indulging in revelry, outside the city, the Samanid elite troops had already quietly changed their deployment according to pre-arranged plans, arriving at their designated positions and completely surrounding the city of Bukhara. Due to the prior bluff, the Karakhanid army's sentries were complacent and failed to detect the Samanid army's massive military offensive.

Inside the city's mansions, the banquet continued. The Karakhan guards gulped down rose-colored nectar, and many were already dead drunk and unconscious.

Shahzani judged that it was time to act. So she feigned an even more alluring posture, swaying her hips seductively, and walked slowly barefoot to the guard, Qadir Tutun. Her firm, full breasts and shapely, round buttocks pressed tightly against him, and with her enchanting movements, she appeared even more charming, and the petals covered by the fabric of her panties oozed a few drops of honey.

"Brave general, are we beautiful?" she asked coquettishly, her strong hands roaming over his neck and the back of his head.

"Beautiful! Beautiful! God above! So beautiful! So beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous!" Kadir Tutun was already completely infatuated and incoherent.

“You’ve enjoyed our dance, but you’ll have to pay ‘compensation,’” Shahzani continued, feigning a coquettish voice.

"Okay! Okay! Whatever compensation you want, I'll give it to you!" Kadir Tutun looked dazed, his hands unconsciously reaching for the beautiful woman's back.

“Hehe, the compensation I want is…” Shahzani was looking at him charmingly, but the next second, her almond-shaped eyes suddenly ignited with anger.

"This glorious and great city!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a sickening cracking sound rang out. Kadir Tutun's head slumped limply against his back, and he collapsed to the ground.

The signal for attack has been given!

In an instant, the sound of bones shattering echoed everywhere.

The once alluring "dancing girls" suddenly turned murderous, pinning down the Karakhan generals who were standing close by and snapping their necks with their powerful arms.

The Karakhan Ghulam guards surrounding them were stunned by the sudden turn of events. After a brief moment of hesitation, they drew their swords and charged. However, their hasty response proved no match for the "dancing girls," and they were all annihilated after a short battle.

Shahzani commanded her "dancers" to wipe out the remaining resistance, like lions pouncing on a flock of sheep. They were originally heavy armored units of strength, each a master of Persian wrestling, and even with little clothing on them, they could still suppress the enemy's counterattack with sheer force.

Soon, all the high-ranking officers and staff of the Karakhanid garrison lay dead in the magnificent banquet hall, and the guards and servants who dared to resist were also killed.

At this point, the enemy's top command system had been essentially destroyed.

"You may order the siege now," Shahzani instructed the female soldiers.

Chapter 59 War Dancer

June 19, 1000 AD, early morning.

Using the campfire as a signal, the Saman army outside the city immediately beat their war drums and launched an attack. The Karakhan soldiers defending the city never dreamed that the enemy would attack from all sides. Caught off guard, their lines collapsed, and the soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Smoke and flames rose everywhere in the city, and chaos reigned.

Taking advantage of the chaos and their familiarity with the city's roads, Shahzani and his men quickly retreated. Meanwhile, the siege had begun, with Ikhshid leading the Sogdian heavy infantry at the forefront, followed by the rest of the attacking force. Most of the Karakhanid defenders were in retreat, with only a small contingent still putting up a stubborn resistance.

But just as they were preparing to evacuate the city...

“Sadar, look. Our soldiers are locked in fierce combat with the enemy,” a dancer said, pointing to an alleyway not far away.

Shahzani looked closely and, by the light of the torch, saw the Sogdian heavy infantry of Ikhshid facing off against the spearmen of the Karakhanid city of Suyab. Perhaps due to the limited space in the streets, the Sogdian heavy infantry were held back by the spear formation and unable to advance. Despite the protection of their heavy armor, they were still unable to break through the stalemate.

“Warriors,” Shahzani said solemnly, looking at the stalemate, “you go out of the city along this road first. I need to go and direct them to break through the defenses.”

The situation has changed slightly, and she must make a quick and flexible decision.

“God above all, how can this be?!” the dancers exclaimed in surprise. “You are not wearing armor or military uniform; it is extremely dangerous. Besides, noble Iranian warriors would not abandon their leader in times of danger. If you are going, please take us with you!”

Shahzani glanced at them briefly and saw that each beautiful and valiant face was filled with determination and fortitude. He was very satisfied with the loyalty and courage of his elite personal guard.

So she nodded in agreement.

More than twenty war dancers, mostly wielding captured scimitars, to facilitate movement and kill the enemy, tore off their shawls and headscarves that hindered their actions, revealing their muscular physiques and the only thing left below their waists—their briefs. Though far less agile and nimble than assassins, they were equally nimble and quick, swiftly scaling the mud-brick houses along the streets, moving across the rooftops, and flanking the enemy from behind.

Inside that alley, the Sogdian heavy infantry and the Suyab spearmen were still locked in a stalemate. Despite their heavy armor, the Sogdian warriors were still at a significant disadvantage against the Suyab spearmen's barrage of thrusts.

Suyab, an ancient city in the Seven Rivers region, is not far from Balasagun, the political center of the Karakhanid Dynasty. It was once an important town in Anxi during the Tang Dynasty of China. Over the centuries, the warriors of various ethnic groups who settled here gradually learned the long spear and long sword formation tactics of the Tang Dynasty's Anxi army.

The group of Suyab spearmen before us, who were affiliated with the Karakhanid Dynasty, were clearly such warriors. They wore steppe-style lamellar vests and sheepskin felt hats with rolled brims, common among Turkic tribes. Their spears, over four meters long, gleamed coldly in the lamplight, effectively countering the Sogdian heavy infantry's miscellaneous weapons, including short spears, long-handled maces, heavy sabers, and two-handed battle axes.

Seeing that he could not break through and that the warriors around him were falling one after another, Ihshd had no choice but to order a temporary retreat in an attempt to find a slightly more open battlefield to launch a counterattack.

at this time.

Shahzani led her war dancers, leaping from the rooftops and plunging directly into the ranks of spearmen in Suyab, Karakhan. The powerful impact of their fall toppled large numbers of enemy soldiers, and dozens of curved blades instantly sliced ​​through their armor and limbs. Their rapid rotation, synchronized with the curve of the blades, quickly resulted in blood spurting and severed limbs flying everywhere. Their coordination was impeccable; their spinning battle formation reaped enemy lives like a winch.

"However, the scimitar is indeed not very easy to handle," Shahzani thought to herself.

Compared to the curved scimitar that relies on cutting attacks, she prefers armor-piercing weapons like axes and hammers commonly used by Persian warriors. Of course, this could also be a matter of personal preference.

The war dancers, though not yet clad in heavy armor, inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy with their alluring and ruthless killing efficiency. Their graceful and fit bodies moved rapidly, the red triangles between their legs like burning desire, and the scimitars in their hands wove dazzling webs of blood as they rampaged and roamed through the enemy ranks.

Caught off guard by the deadly surprise attack, the Sogdian heavy infantry seized the opportunity to launch an attack, their heavy two-handed weapons tearing through the enemy's defenses with ease, ultimately defeating the Karakhanid enemy forces.

"Our leader is incredibly brave, truly a goddess of war descended to earth! We are all ashamed!" Ikhshd led his men in saluting their nearly naked female leader.

"Now is not the time for praise. Reorganize your ranks immediately and advance into the inner city," Shahzani commanded sternly.

There was no time to put on armor or military uniform, so she simply bared her muscular body and led the charge.

……

The inner city fortress district of Bukhara, the Arg Forbidden City.

A small number of remaining Karakhanid soldiers, still possessing the will to resist, retreated into the castle, attempting to hold out against the onslaught of the massive, ten-meter-high walls. The enormous, thick brick walls and the towering, sturdy watchtowers provided them with an unparalleled sense of security.

The Samanid army, which had gathered there, quickly arrayed itself and launched an offensive. However, the offensive was repeatedly thwarted by the tenacious counterattacks of the remaining defenders, and it was difficult to break through the stalemate.

The siege ladders were constantly being overturned, and the Saman soldiers who were climbing the walls were falling one after another after being hit by arrows. The offensive near the city gate came to a standstill, and the battle entered a fierce stage.

“Just a cornered beast struggling in its death throes.” Shahzani sneered contemptuously, but her mind didn’t stop. She immediately ordered the war dancers around her: “Prepare for battle! We must support our comrades at the front!”

As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly ran towards the city wall, and more than twenty war dancers followed closely behind.

The Al-Kha Forbidden City has several sections of crenellations that slope like a ramp. The Karakhanid army defending the city had limited manpower and could not cover every inch of the city, so the defenses of this inner city still had many weaknesses.

Shahzani, leading her war dancers, stealthily advanced to a protruding section of the sloping battlements. The nearby Saman archers quickly understood their intentions and immediately unleashed a volley of arrows onto the walls, suppressing any enemy counterattack and drawing their attention. Simultaneously, the other Saman soldiers hastened their ascent to the walls to support their female leader's surprise attack.

The war dancers, barefoot, skillfully evaded the enemy's sight as they climbed to the top of the battlements, stepping on the sintered bricks. Their nakedness, ironically, freed them from the constraints of heavy armor, allowing them to traverse the sloping walls as if on flat ground.

Soon, Shahzani leaped onto the city wall, drew her short scimitar from her mouth, and fiercely slashed at the unsuspecting enemy soldiers. Wherever her blade passed, enemy soldiers fell dead. More than twenty war dancers followed closely behind, wielding scimitars and charging into the chaotic enemy ranks, spinning and cutting. Perfect bodies were displayed in the night air, the triangular red triangles below their waists blooming with an alluring yet deadly allure.

The Samanid army launched a multi-pronged attack, tearing apart the Karakhanid defenses. More and more Samanid soldiers scaled the city walls, their offensive growing increasingly fierce. Under such overwhelming pressure, the last remaining Karakhanid army lost its will to resist and surrendered.

The red Samanian banner was finally planted atop the towering fortress of the Al-Kadhani city. The magnificent city of Bukhara was thus officially liberated by the Samanian army.

Chapter 60: Rebuilding the Samanid Dynasty and being promoted to governor.

The recapture of Bukhara also meant that all the counties and districts of Transoxiana province were back under the control of the Samanid army.

After recapturing Bukhara, Shahzani Saman's army immediately began sweeping away the remaining Karakhanid forces in the surrounding scattered strongholds. Allied forces commanded by Arslan Yaru, Hassan ibn Tak, and Parviz also coordinated with her offensive.

The heads of the traitor Elias and some of the rebel officers were displayed to the entire army by Shahzani's order, and later stuck on stakes in front of the gates of Bukhara as a warning to everyone: this is the fate of rebels.

Shahzani continued to purge and deal with hostile forces.

She ordered the confiscation of all the Iqta and Dehgan lands left behind by enemy officials, soldiers, and deserters; she also ordered the confiscation of all the Wakf lands belonging to the clerics of the mosques who colluded with the enemy. She distributed these lands to displaced landless peasants and to the Samanid soldiers who had distinguished themselves in the war.

Order was quickly restored in Bukhara, and the streets and bazaars returned to their former bustling state, with caravans of pilgrims arriving in droves and the sounds of camel bells and carriages echoing day and night.

……

On June 26, 1000 AD, the fifth day of Tyre in the Persian calendar, Montahir moved to the city of Bukhara.