I was the Queen of Persia

Page 40

“Respected and powerful lady, I am willing to tell you everything I know.” When Zhu Jiande saw Shahzani, he immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed, but he could not stand steadily and stumbled and fell down.

“Oh, no need for that.” Shahzani helped him up herself and had several soft blankets brought out so he could lie down and rest.

"The Karakhanid army has annexed our territory and encroached on your Western Regions. They are a common enemy of Iran and Qin. Given this situation, we should unite..." Shahzani earnestly advised.

She also analyzed numerous military and political affairs, especially historical anecdotes from ancient China, drawing lessons from the past to understand the present and dissecting the advantages and disadvantages.

Her erudition and extensive knowledge gradually dispelled Zhu Jiande's original prejudices.

As a Confucian student from the Central Plains of China, Zhu Jiande originally held the view that "there is a distinction between Chinese and barbarians," and even considered Iran and Persia, which had a high level of civilization, to be different.

But through conversations with Shahzani and contact with Saman warriors such as Shahini, he discovered that these Persians (or Hui, Abbasids) were powerful and alluring, and different from the Chinese, but they were not the completely incomprehensible "barbarians".

Chapter 89 Qin State Craftsmen's Camp

Zhu Jiande decided to cooperate with the Samanid dynasty and revealed the information he possessed.

For example, the composition of the dam, the situation of the Karakhanid troops, the deployment of the Karakhanid sentries, and so on.

He also stated that if Shahzani gave the order, he was willing to persuade the Qin artisans and soldiers of the "Peach Blossom Stone Camp" to surrender. At the very least, he could prevent them from continuing to serve the Karakhanid Dynasty.

Sahazani was satisfied with this and ordered her scribe to copy the records for reference. After settling the surrendered Qin people, she continued to plan the battle to recapture Pianzhikent.

In fact, the macro-level mobilization and gathering had already been carried out in secret for some time.

With its efficient military command system, the Saman army had already quietly advanced to the south of Panjkent, occupying several villages and counties, posing a threat to the southern flank of the Karakhanid army, and was just waiting for the female governor to give the order to attack.

Shahzani also wanted a quick victory, but he was worried that once the troops engaged in battle, the Karakhanid army would prematurely release the floodwaters, causing damage to Samarkand downstream.

Although the accumulated water is not yet enough to cause devastating damage, it may flood farmland and pastures, destroy crops that are about to be harvested, and cause temporary famine.

Therefore, we need to come up with a quick and reliable method.

"Madam, we have a solution."

At this moment, Zhu Jiande and Mo Yuxuan walked in and bowed respectfully.

“Please speak,” Shahzani gestured.

Mo Yuxuan said, "Madam, we are capable of both building dikes to block the water and digging trenches to release the flood. As long as you give the order, we will immediately dig ditches downstream to dredge the water flow and ensure the safety of this area. However..."

“Speak freely,” Shahzani urged him to continue.

“We need a large enough number of skilled craftsmen, as well as more laborers. Otherwise, we may not be able to cope with just the twenty or so of us.” Mo Yuxuan lowered his head and bowed even more deeply.

"Haha, I see." Shahzani smiled warmly. "Go ahead and do it, I will provide plenty of support."

“In that case, we accept the order!” The two Qin men bowed again and then withdrew.

Fortunately, among those Qin people, several were quite knowledgeable in hydrogeology. Through visits and explorations, and by combining the soil, rocks and terrain conditions, they quickly found a suitable site to break ground.

Shahzani then ordered the deployment of capable engineering units from the army to assist Mo Yuxuan and others in designing engineering plans. At the same time, leveraging the efficient general mobilization system, she quickly conscripted tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians to assist in digging ditches and canals.

That night, under Mo Yuxuan's command, the engineering laborers began to break ground.

Thanks to high morale, meticulous organization, efficient operation, and authoritative command, the dredging project was finally completed ahead of the Karakhanid army after days and nights of hard work.

Meanwhile, Shahzani ordered his combat units to advance and encircle the enemy, preparing for a full-scale counterattack.

……

May 22, 1001 AD, the month of Khordad in the Persian calendar.

Under the cover of night, the lights of the Karakhan military camp in the Panjkent region shone like stars.

"Chief of Special Operations, those Peach Blossom Stone figures are almost finished. When will the floodgates be opened?" an officer asked the Karakhan general.

"In a few days, the messenger will bring military intelligence saying that Aknu'er Qatun is preparing to lead his troops south to reinforce us. When the two armies join forces, they will be able to crush the remaining Saman army," said the Karakhan general.

“Yes! Aknu’er Khatun is incredibly brave and will surely defeat the Saman army easily,” the officer next to him echoed.

As the saying goes, good things shouldn't be said too early.

Just as the Karakhanid commanders were gloating over their upcoming tactics, a sudden burst of light appeared in the silent night sky, and a hail of arrows rained down on the Karakhanid army's camp.

"God above! Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Be on high alert and defend against the enemy!"

Caught off guard, the Karakhanid army hastily grabbed their weapons and shields and rushed out of their tents in a chaotic frenzy.

In that brief moment, the Samanid army, which had gathered all around, had already launched a fierce attack.

"Special Operations Commander! Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened! We are under attack by the Saman army and are struggling to defend ourselves!" A frontline officer rushed over to report this unfortunate news to the Karakhan general.

"O God! The only God!" The Karakhanid general, illuminated by the light of countless torches, saw the Samanid soldiers surging towards him like a tidal wave and was terrified.

"Quickly! Have those peach blossom stone figures open the floodgates to prevent water from entering!" the general hurriedly ordered.

After a chaotic series of commands, the sluice gate was finally slowly opened, and the surging water, which had been accumulating for a long time, rushed down.

However, at the same time, the Saman army's offensive was also difficult to stop. Shahzani commanded his soldiers to fight and charge forward, forcing the Karakhan army to retreat repeatedly.

The rushing river became an obstacle to the retreat of the Karakhan army. In the fierce battle, many Karakhan soldiers retreated hastily, fell into the rapids, and drowned.

And at the same time.

The dredging system that Moyuxuan excavated downstream is now in operation.

The upstream floodwaters, carrying silt and sand, surged in, but upon reaching the critical point, they were diverted by a complex network of dredged ditches. These ditches, crisscrossing the area, mitigated the force of the floodwaters according to local conditions, ultimately guiding them into various rivers and underground irrigation canals.

The tactic of flooding Samarkand completely failed.

Shahzani continued to command the army in the attack.

The Samanid elite army's offensive was far more ferocious than the floodwaters:

Nashida led the Khwarazmian ironclad troops in a fierce charge; Ikhshid led the Sogdian heavy infantry in a relentless advance; and the troops led by Hoslu and Rustam Zaman joined forces in a pincer movement, launching a raging offensive.

Under the fierce attack, the Karakhan garrison of Panjkent could not withstand the onslaught. In order to avoid being completely annihilated, they had no choice but to abandon the city and retreat to the controlled area to the north. Many of them drowned in the Zeravshan River on the way.

After the battle.

Shahzani not only recaptured Pianzhikent, but also gained more Qin artisans. Thanks to Zhu Jiande's persuasion, the Qin people of the "Peach Blossom Stone Camp" surrendered immediately when the Saman army arrived, and of course, they were treated better than other Karakhan prisoners of war.

After calculation, there were more than 600 Qin soldiers who surrendered, and their organizational structure was still intact, which was just enough to form a special battlefield support unit.

“The Karakhanid army has established the ‘Peach Blossom Stone Camp,’ so I will follow suit and establish the ‘Qin Camp,’ making full use of the Qin people’s expertise in all things, and assigning them the responsibility of serving as artisans accompanying the army.” Shahzani made her plans for the future.

Therefore, drawing inspiration from the ancient Chinese system of official craftsmen and adding her own innovations, she established the distinctive "Qin Camp" unit, appointing Zhu Jiande as its leader and Mo Yuxuan as its deputy, to command the entire camp and assist in the campaign.

Chapter 90 A turn of attack

The Qin camp had already been formed, and Shahzani placed it behind the main army to prevent it from being unable to be replenished in time due to casualties in the war.

Given the Qin craftsmen's skilled craftsmanship but inability to mass-produce, Shahzani positioned them as high-value support units, distinguishing them from other accompanying engineering units.

To win over people, Shahzani spoke at length about the friendly relations between Iran and Qin. Of course, she deliberately downplayed the history of conflict between the two civilizations, as well as other unpleasant past events.

For example, in 751 AD, Abu Muslim Khorasani (known as "Bingbosilin" by the Qin people) led the Khorasan Iranian-Persian army to defeat the Tang army at Talas, ending the Tang Dynasty's rule in Central Asia west of the Pamir Mountains.

For example, during the Samanid dynasty, a diplomatic contest involving a power struggle took place between Iran and a certain regime in the Qin region. The then-ruler Nasr (may he rest in peace!) deployed tens of thousands of troops on the plains outside Bukhara to demonstrate his imperial authority.

Historical records describe how, from Debussy to Kerminer, Samanian battle flags fluttered in the wind, and the land in the river shone with the gleam of steel armor. This extremely luxurious and intimidating scene greatly shocked the Qin people, ultimately causing these Qin envoys to submit.

Of course, overall, the exchanges between the two countries are still mostly peaceful and friendly.

……

The Qin camp, once organized, quickly became involved in the military affairs of the Samanid Persian army.

Just as Shahzani judged, the Qin people were skilled craftsmen, and their techniques in iron smelting, casting, carpentry, construction, trench digging, and fortification were highly advanced, which greatly benefited the Saman soldiers.

Take smelting and casting as an example.

Iran is also a major steel-producing country with a long history of iron smelting technology, large iron production volume, and a wide variety of high-quality iron products. The heavily armored cavalry groups of the Persian and Iranian empires throughout history were established and scaled up based on the advanced iron smelting and steelmaking industry.

However, the Qin people also had unique advantages in tool manufacturing. For centuries, various artifacts and goods from Qin have been very popular throughout Iran.

The most popular item among the Samanid Persian soldiers was the Qin-made stirrup, also known as "Chinese shoes".

The Samanian poet Rudaki once wrote:

"I started my career with old shoes and a donkey."

“I have risen to the ranks of those who, in the past, had to possess ‘Chinese shoes’ (stirrups) and Arabian horses.”

Therefore, the stirrups produced in Qin are of superior quality compared to those from Iran.

Among the artisans and soldiers in the Qin camp happened to be craftsmen who made stirrups. Shahzani then ordered them to make stirrups for the Samanid cavalry, ensuring that the Persian cavalrymen all had well-made "Chinese shoes".

At the same time, Iranian artisans who accompanied the army also came to witness firsthand the Qin people's superb casting techniques, hoping to learn more sophisticated forging processes.

By this time, Shahzani's forces already included many learned and wise men such as Biruni and Ibn Sina, which allowed them to more quickly absorb the advanced technologies of other civilizations and, through the combined effect of these powerful alliances, enhance their overall strength.

This is often how material and technological exchanges occur between civilizations.

……

In order to provide enough raw materials for the manufacture of iron weapons, the mining industry developed rapidly.

The Samarkand region is rich in mineral resources. Historical records such as the *History of Bukhara* and *The World's Borders* mention that it was rich in iron, coal, gold, silver, alum, tar, asbestos, petroleum, and brine. During the Samanid dynasty, the mining industry was already quite prosperous. Later Iranian archaeological research has also proven that the ore processing at that time was not only large-scale but also technologically advanced (from the perspective of the time).

Under Shahzani's orderly governance, the mining industry naturally flourished even more. At the same time, geographers such as Biruni, who accompanied the army, were actively exploring for new mineral veins in order to provide more abundant raw materials for military campaigns.

At each mine, mining facilities include inclined shafts, vertical shafts, horizontal tunnels, specialized buildings, and open-pit mines, with the deepest mines reaching over 150 meters. Wooden derricks support and ensure relative safety in mining production, sometimes forming a more comprehensive protective system with rock pillars. Each mine has ventilation and drainage systems, as well as simple devices for transporting ore to the surface.

Miners, armed with chirogon lamps and carrying tools such as pickaxes, hoes, shovels, and hammers, entered the mine to work.

They commonly use the "fire method" to mine ore: under safe conditions, they light a fire in the mine, and the high temperature often makes the rocks on both sides glow red. Then, they pour water on top and repeat the process, which creates many cracks in the ore, making it much easier to mine.

Of course, no matter how much protection is taken, mining is ultimately an extremely dangerous industry. Therefore, the miners who went down the mines included not only hired free people, but also serfs, prisoners of war, and slaves under government control. The most dangerous areas were often worked by prisoners of war and slaves.

Shahzani made extensive use of prisoners of war, especially large numbers of Karakhanid prisoners. Every morning, each prison camp would select Karakhanid prisoners to work in various mines under the escort of guards, which could be considered an ancient version of "labor reform".

Day after day, large quantities of ore were mined from various mines, packaged, and transported on donkeys to the workshops of the county military camps. There, smelting craftsmen processed the ore into ingots, and forging craftsmen then crafted them into various tools and weapons.

Samarkand was already a center of iron manufacturing, and under Shahzani's effective governance, weapons production flourished even more. Throughout the city, workshops echoed with the clanging of hammers, accompanied by plumes of smoke, creating a bustling scene of production. Besides supplying the front lines, a large surplus of weapons and armor was stored in warehouses.

The Samanid army had more ample armor and weaponry, and thanks to Shahzani's system bonuses, the quality of their weapons and equipment was also better.

……

With the upstream crisis resolved, Samarkand's irrigation system has returned to normal operation. At key nodes of the irrigation system, orderly distributed control gates divide the waterways, directing water to towns and villages.

Shahzani appointed many capable officers as Milabs, officials in charge of water management. Due to the war, most of the original Milabs had already died in battle. Especially when the Karakhanid army occupied Ponjikent, they directly beheaded the local Milabs and their subordinates, displaying their heads publicly, because these loyal officials were no longer willing to fight for the Karakhanid army. Shahzani recognized their spirit of courage and sacrifice, and made them an example for all officials.

The city's and caravan inns' communal water tanks were once again full, much to the delight of the city's residents who had suffered from water shortages for weeks. Every morning before prayers even began, housewives would line up at the communal water tanks, carrying earthenware pots on their heads, to fetch water. Of course, families who could afford it didn't need to go to such lengths; they could simply install systems to bring fresh water directly into their homes.

The fields were once again nourished by clear water, and the crops and fruits grew well; the first wheat harvest would soon follow. For the farmers of Samarkand, the period under Shahzani's rule was one of the few years of favorable weather and abundant harvests.

With order in place, the Saman army accumulated more and more provisions, enough to support larger-scale battles.

……

With everything in place, Shahzani's army was even more formidable.

After the recapture of Pianjikent, the villages and counties in eastern Samarkand were now connected. The Samanid army was tightly deployed in key areas, providing mutual cover and exerting strong pressure on the Karakhanid army in the Jizzakh region.

Seeing that the situation was favorable, Shahzani decided to continue advancing north to squeeze the Karakhanid army's operational space.

She assembled several armies, with Bahramu and Nasita as the vanguard and Rustam Zaman and Khoslu as the central army, to launch a pincer movement against the Karakhanid army in the Jizzakh region.

……

In contrast, Ilik Nasser Khan's situation is much worse.

The counterattack at Pianjikent once again disrupted the Karakhanid Dynasty's war plans. Ilik Naser Khan had to withdraw his troops and hold Jizzakh. Aknuar, who had intended to go to support Pianjikent, also had to withdraw his troops.

Faced with the Samanid army's pincer attack, Ilik Naser Khan's people found themselves in a predicament of being attacked from both sides. The Khan himself was worried and depressed in the Khan's camp all day long. In the end, he listened to the advice of the advisors in the palace tent, Yuga, and abandoned Jizzakh, moving his troops to the Shash (Tashkent) region.

Shash (Tashkent), one of the ancient famous cities in Central Asia, is also known as "Shiguo", "Chachi", and "Zhezhi". The Shash region, centered on Tashkent, is bordered by the Fergana Basin and the Tian Shan mountain range to the east, the Syr Darya River to the west and south, and guards the gateway to the Turkic steppe to the north. It is a region that can be attacked or defended, and thus has important military value.

After Ilikh Nasser Khan withdrew his troops from Tashkent, he deployed his forces and defenses along the Syr Darya River, appointing his generals and nobles to lead troops to defend the area, attempting to use the wide river as a barrier to contain Shahzani's northward advance.

But this did not deter Shahzani's unwavering determination.

……

The Samanid army's marching camp, northeast of Jizzakh.

Shahzani sat cross-legged at the table, carefully examining the military topographic map of Transoxiana-Shash-Fergana, her eyebrows furrowing slightly from time to time as she pondered.

“The Karakhanid army is holding the river, which is an excellent example of relying on natural barriers to garrison troops and hold their ground,” Shahzani said thoughtfully.

Although the Syr Darya River is not a steep mountain or a vast desert, its channel is wide and its water volume is abundant. If the crossing operation is not well organized and coordinated, it is easy for the Karakhanid army, which is lying in wait, to defeat it piecemeal.