I was the Queen of Persia

Page 106

"The Great King of Kings, the Center of the Universe, the Manifestation of God on Earth, the Ruler of Iranians and Non-Iranians, the Sovereign of Arabs and Ajams, may you live long and prosper forever!"

Shahzani sat high on her throne, surrounded by majestic Persian arched wall decorations, receiving the kowtows and shouts of civil and military officials and listening to reports on various important matters of state.

This is an essential ritual procedure for the daily court assembly, and also a responsibility and obligation of the monarch.

"Padishar, a report from Iraqi province states that the Blackblade sect has been continuously reinforcing its forces along the Ubaid River, posing a significant threat to our borders. Fortunately, the commander of the Sacred Flame Brigade, Shahinian, promptly deployed troops, thus curbing the evil intentions of these thugs," reported Commander-in-Chief Bahraim.

“Yes, very good. Sahini is both intelligent and brave, and has fulfilled her mission as a soldier of the Saman Empire excellently. Moreover, the army we have deployed on the frontier is quite powerful. The Black Blade Cult is ultimately just a small force, and even with the aid of the Fatima Dynasty, they cannot be our enemy,” Shahzani said calmly.

“That’s right. The Blackblade Cult is no match for our country in a direct confrontation. What we need to guard against are their schemes and tricks. After all, as the proverb goes, ‘Even a small fly can be disgusting,’” said Grand Vazil Farzana.

“Yes. So the best way is to gather the ‘flies’ together and wipe them out.” Shahzani nodded slightly.

She glanced at the court officials and, seeing that they were all standing quietly listening, continued:

"Therefore, when Sahini suggested organizing a battle on the Ubaid River to spill the blood of the Blackblade Cult, I also highly approved of this tactic."

"In terms of the vastness of our territory, the number of our soldiers, and the abundance of our resources, the Black Blade Cult cannot match our country. Under these circumstances, if they dare to confront us head-on, they are only digging their own grave."

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials nodded in approval.

"And those blindly fanatical false prophets clearly have no clear understanding of this. Heh heh, they still dream of seizing Iraq! Very well, let the oases of the Ubaid Valley become their bleeding wounds!" Bahram, still representing the interests of the Samanid hawks, advocated a hardline stance against the invasion by foreign tribes.

"I also agree that we should teach the Black Blade Cult a lesson." The slightly dovish Falzana also reached a consensus on this. "However, our country's primary national policy at present is to prioritize commerce and agriculture and develop the economy. Therefore, I believe that a small war is more appropriate than a large war, and that we should slowly bleed the Black Blade Cult dry."

Subsequently, other officials also offered their advice.

As expected, everyone advocated continuing the war against the Blackblade Cult, but after Falzana's reminder, many of the pro-war ministers changed their original stance of advocating a full-scale war and instead agreed to the strategy of "accumulating small victories into a major victory and slowly wearing down the enemy."

After all, if a full-scale war were to break out, the mobilization and deployment of large-scale army groups would consume an astonishing amount of military equipment and supplies. After the intense war of unification of Iran, the Samanid Empire still needed to recuperate and wait for a suitable opportunity to conquer again.

Destroying the Blackblade Cult can be achieved through a "proxy war," requiring far fewer resources than a full-scale war.

"Good!" Shahzani's resolve was strengthened as she looked at the united front of her ministers.

Following the draft edict, more military equipment and provisions were sent to the border war zone of Iraqi province, and reinforcements were sent to Sahini's Holy Fire Brigade.

……

In the middle reaches of the Ubaid River, in the Tabruha Oasis, there is a small assembly point for the Blackblade forces.

Smoke plumes shot straight into the sky, and the corpses strewn across the ground, along with the blood-stained banners, all testified to a fierce battle that had just taken place here.

"Commander Ishtarhli, all fifty grain wagons have been burned." The assassin Hydia nimbly traversed the wreckage and arrived before the armored Persian female officer, reporting the results of the battle.

"Have you detected the movement of enemy reinforcements nearby?" Istaheri, with one foot on the corpse of a Blackblade soldier, gripped a blood-dripping armor-piercing saddle axe and stared at the blurry sand dunes in the distance.

“Moussawi’s camel scouts reported that the Blackblade Army, numbering two to three hundred, had been spotted gathering about 3 Farsah (approximately 18 kilometers away, and they are expected to arrive here soon,” Hydia said.

“Very good. Have Muyiz prepare the camels and horses. Musawi will provide support on the flank. Retreat before the main enemy force arrives!” Istahri gave the order decisively, her force as strong as if Sahini were present.

With lightning speed, the mercenaries mounted their Syrian camels, adept at traversing the desert, and disappeared into the vast sandstorm.

……

Similar small-scale raids continued to occur in the oases large and small of the Ubaid River basin.

Although the battle of this scale inflicted relatively limited casualties on the Blackblade army, it greatly shook their morale and continued to fuel Muhadeb's anger.

Muhadeb was furious. He ordered his troops to quickly establish outposts in Ubaid and assemble fully in order to invade the border regions of Iraq Province, incite the nomadic Arab tribes there, and instigate them to rebel against the rule of the Samanid Empire.

But the "Arch of Resistance" army under Sahinnian's command clearly wouldn't give him a chance to gain a foothold.

The Queen also allocated two registered Turkmen-Seljuk cavalry divisions to the Fars Military District. Through the hierarchical allocation of troops and supplies from the military district to the province, these troops were eventually assigned to the southwestern border region of Iraq Province for the command of Shahini.

Taking advantage of the Seljuk cavalry's high mobility, skill in riding and archery, and audacity, Sahini frequently crossed the border to attack isolated and helpless small Blackblade units, destroying their nascent camps, in conjunction with special task forces behind enemy lines and intelligence gatherers at the outposts.

Of course, the game isn't limited to the battlefield.

Taking advantage of his power, Shahini mobilized the forces of various counties in Iraq Province to build canals in the Euphrates River basin and expand the area of ​​military settlements. At the same time, he continued to protect the interests of local merchant guilds such as Lubina, laying a solid foundation of food and supplies for a protracted war.

The intermittent small-scale skirmishes continued until the winter weather turned slightly cooler, at which point Muhadeb finally lost his patience.

……

January 1008 AD, the month of Tayi in the Persian calendar.

"Damn it! Another report of defeat! Those Persians deserve to be cursed! May their ancestors go to hell!" Muhadeb slammed his fist on the table in a fit of rage as he watched the barrage of bad news from his officers.

“Powerful ‘agent,’ please forgive my mistake! I beg you to see clearly that the Persians are truly difficult to deal with!” The Blackblade officer who delivered the message was so frightened that his legs trembled. He immediately knelt down, kowtowed, and begged for mercy.

"Bah! You still have the nerve to beg for mercy! Executor! Take him out and behead him, dismember him! Hang him around the camp as a warning!" Muhadab roared furiously.

Accompanied by desperate pleas and cries of agony, the defeated generals were pushed off the barrier by the menacing guards in black robes. After a series of screams, there was a long silence.

"Men!" Muhadeb shouted again towards the outside of the tent, "Order all the forward troops stationed in Ubaid to move to the Nairuf Oasis and immediately attack the border outposts of Iraq Province!"

He decided to take a desperate gamble and plan an invasion of the Samanid homeland, regardless of the disparity in strength. He firmly believed that once the holy army arrived, the local Arab Muslims in Iraq would surely follow Allah's lead, offering food and drink and welcoming him with open arms.

Chapter 248 The Atrocities of Extremist Forces

The military tent of the Saman Empire's Holy Fire Brigade Commander.

“The foolish, blindly devout heretics are furious.” Sahimian glanced at the important intelligence on the table, a signature deadly allure playing on her lips once more.

The military officials, both high and low, gathered in the tent—the Malzban border guard, the county garrison commander, regular army officers of all ranks, officers of all ranks of the Sacred Flame Brigade, and militia leaders—were all overjoyed.

What kind of power does the Blackblade Cult possess, and what kind of power does the Saman Empire possess? With such strength, how dare they provoke us? Aren't they just courting death? The military commanders were in high spirits and decided to use the same spirit they had shown when fighting Mustafa's army to teach these overconfident Blackblade heretics a lesson.

“Then,” Sahinien swept her gaze across the resolute faces of the officers, then looked towards the distant battlefield, “proceed according to plan. May Allah grant us good fortune! May Her Majesty the Queen bless us with victory!”

Armed forces were quickly mobilized, with the Torch Relay Brigade, regular army, and pro-Iranian militias combining to take control of high ground, oases, and key transportation routes in the border region in advance.

Because the Samanid Empire's rule was popular, the local Arab nomadic tribes also sided with the empire, and they enthusiastically supported the army, using their camel herds to supply the front-line oasis outposts with dates, dried meat, fresh water, and other provisions.

……

The other side of the sand dune desert.

The oppressive black flags blotted out the sky, with various Arabic words written on them: "Holy War," "Destroy the Apostates," "Destroy the Heretics," and so on.

Echoing the black flag was a vast army clad in black robes, some on foot, others on camelback. Despite their haphazard armor and diverse weapons, they occasionally erupted in fanatical and extreme shouts, creating a powerful sense of oppression and awe for the onlookers.

As they advanced, they raised high the Quran and the Hadith of the Blackblade sect, launching a "holy war of words." Many Bedouin tribes were also incited to join them, and the sect grew larger and larger like a snowball.

On a high slope beside the army, amidst the surrounding banners, a black-clad general watched the marching troops. He wore light chainmail in the Bedouin style, and a heavy turban completely covered his face, revealing only his sinister yet fiercely gleaming eyes.

"General Muhammad Alabiwi. The tribes roaming the Maadan Valley ahead have not responded to the great call of jihad and have fled in droves of their camels!" The Blackblade officer leading the vanguard rushed over to report this bad news.

"You cursed apostates, to flee is to betray!" Alabwi's eyes flashed with an even more terrifying glint of ferocity. "Send troops in pursuit! Bring their sheikh chief to me!"

A few days later, the fleeing tribe was caught up and captured after a brief battle. Men, women, and children, including the chief, were all whipped and taken to the camp where the central army was located.

"How dare you!" Alabi pointed his sword at the chief and cursed, "How dare you defy the will of the Great Allah and attempt to escape the holy war against the apostates?!"

“Your Excellency, please calm your anger.” The chief, with a knife pressed against his knees, remained neither humble nor arrogant. “We are a peace-loving tribe. Allah guides people toward peace in the Quran. Therefore, we can only avoid war.”

"Hmph! You ignorant shepherds, how dare you presume to discuss sacred doctrines?!" Alabi sneered.

The chief remained kneeling, his expression unchanged.

Alabi stood up and stepped forward, brandishing his sword as a threat, staring at him with a cold gaze, but the other remained expressionless.

"I'll give you one last chance: let the strongest men of your tribe join the holy war army to fight the Persians," Alabi threatened in a low voice.

"I cannot comply," the chief said firmly and resolutely.

He had long loathed the tyranny of the Blackblade Cult and wanted to flee with his entire tribe, but they had been unable to find a suitable pasture, so they had to temporarily settle in the Maadan Valley. It wasn't until a few days ago that the shepherds of his tribe discovered a "paradise-like fertile pasture" in the distance, and they decided to sneak away before the Blackblade "holy war" army arrived.

Unexpectedly, he still became a prisoner, but he was prepared to die. He had seen many atrocities committed by the Black Blade Army, such as disemboweling, severing limbs, cutting off heads, dismembering, and burning. He thought he would just grit his teeth and endure it.

However, he still underestimated the moral depth of the insects.

“Oh?” Alabi sneered sinisterly, “Then you and your people will have to endure the same torment as the heretics.”

After speaking, Alabiwi brandished his sword, and the black-bladed soldiers who had surrounded him immediately stepped forward, their faces contorted with rage, baring their teeth and brandishing their claws, and forcibly took away the women of the tribe, young and old.

Their rough clothes were torn to shreds in an instant. The Bedouin tribes, nomadic in the desert, often lived in poverty and lacked cloth; their women wore very little clothing, and underwear and modesty cloths were extremely rare. So, before long, struggling naked bodies were exposed to the hungry, hyena-like gaze of the Black Blade soldiers.

"Ah...ah..." Screams rose and fell.

“They are all your ‘holy war brides,’ enjoy them to your heart’s content! This is a gift from Allah!” Alabi laughed wildly.

"Your Excellency, Emir!" The chief's eyes immediately reddened, and his facial muscles twitched.

Because not only his clansmen, but also his wives, concubines, and daughters, regardless of age or status, were now reduced to "spoils of war," helplessly wailing and weeping under the tyranny of the Black Blade army.

“Allah has said, ‘Muslims must not enslave other Muslims!’ Your actions are an insult to the noble character of a Muslim!” His hands were bound behind his back, clenched into fists, his nails digging into his flesh, drawing blood.

"Bah! Stop your lecturing!" Alabi spat viciously. "You dare to disobey the will of holy war; you are already despicable heretics! This is the fate of you bastards!"

With a sudden slash, the blade struck his shoulder, drawing blood. However, the arm was not completely severed; the shattered muscles clung together precariously, nearly causing him to faint.

“That’s nothing.” Alabi continued his cruel venting, turning his gaze to a trembling young woman who was urinating and defecating—the chief’s youngest daughter.

The chief's eyes were bloodshot, the humiliation so intense that he forgot the pain. In his despairing gaze, Alabi grinned and picked up his daughter, walking towards the tent beside him.

Endless humiliation also enveloped all the men in the tribe. They watched helplessly as their wives, daughters, and sisters were humiliated. Some wept bitterly, some cursed angrily, some wailed, and some shed tears, but they were powerless to save them.

The piercing cries were mixed with lewd laughter, and the unbearable scene continued to unfold.

The men lowered their heads, no longer cursing or in pain, their hearts filled with despair, only wishing that the black-bladed soldiers would kill them soon so they could be freed.

However, this has become a pipe dream.

“They are heretics! We can’t let them die so easily. Use blunt knives to slit their throats!” Alabiwi issued the cruel order again.

Chapter 249 The Revolutionary Guard's Battle Against ISIS

Shahiniyan directed the deployment and mobilization of armed forces.

Meanwhile, intelligence regarding the Blackblade army's movements was also obtained by Nassak's intelligence officers and gathered in the Iranian general's tent.

"The Black Blade Army is divided into vanguard, central force, rearguard, flanks..."

"The vanguard and central army are mostly Blackblade troops, while the flanking forces are the Bedouin tribal militias that they incited..."

"The Black Blade army advanced in a dispersed manner, setting up camps and progressing step by step. Wherever they went, they incited and instigated the local Bedouin tribes to respond to the 'holy war' and slaughter those who resisted..."

Sahinnian read the contents of the Samarkand paper, a charming smile playing on her lips.

This kind of disorganized, mob-like marching formation is far too easy to be defeated one by one.

Just then, a military scout riding a camel entered the tent to report the tragedy that had occurred in the Maadan River Valley.

"By God! That was a sight more miserable than Hellfire..."

The scout was still shaken when he reported the horrific scene he had witnessed.

In a trembling voice, he described the Bedouins who resisted the Blackblade army as being "bound in rows on the ground and tortured like lambs," "their throats torn apart by blunt, unsharpened knives," and "blood flowing in the ditches"...

The vivid narration brought the tragedy to life, igniting the fury of the Iranian Samanid general.

Snapped--!

Sahimian slammed her hand on the table, rose abruptly in anger, and a flame of vengeance ignited in her alluring eyes.

"By Allah, they are a bloodthirsty bunch of infidels! Assemble the troops and send these devils from Hell back to their homeland!"

Undeniably, she was incredibly alluring and lustful, but far from being devoid of humanity. In fact, as a soldier of the Saman Empire, she cared deeply for the people under her rule. It was difficult for her not to feel anger towards those Black Blade cultists who, despite claiming to be devout Muslims, engaged in devilish acts and disgraced the noble character of Muslims.

News of the Black Blade Cult's heinous acts quickly spread among the Iranian army and Iraqi militias in Saman. The soldiers were filled with righteous indignation and demanded to go into battle as soon as possible to send these villains into the abyss of eternal damnation.

Looking at the soldiers with high morale and unwavering determination, Sahinian knew that her chances of victory had increased. With her more intensive deployment and mobilization, the forward military offensive and defensive system, consisting of fortresses, outposts, and strongholds, was rapidly taking shape.

Relying on the powerful mobility of camels, the Iranian army and Iraqi militias in Saman rapidly changed their deployments across oases, valleys, hills, sand dunes, water sources, and transportation routes, with each stronghold supporting the others.

At the same time, the Saman army continued to vigorously appease the nomadic tribes in various places, ensuring that they stood on the side of the Saman Empire government and did not resist the incitement and sedition of the Blackblade sect.

The current situation is...

Before their official arrival, the Blackblade army dispatched a large number of missionaries disguised as merchants and Bedouin nomads to the area where the two armies were facing off to incite and preach, and to bewitch the local people, in order to clear obstacles for the arrival of the subsequent troops.

These clerics were low-ranking Blackblade missionaries; most had never read the Quran in its entirety, and many were barely literate. However, driven by fervent passion and enthusiasm, they still possessed considerable persuasive power, at least to the equally illiterate Bedouin tribes, where their incitement was highly seductive.

Sahimian turned the tables on her.

She did not forcibly impose the Persianized Horami doctrines, but instead, while respecting the original beliefs of each tribe, she used a combination of soft and hard tactics to win them over. The soft approach involved providing them with money, food, and weapons, while the hard approach involved explaining the Blackblade sect's bloodthirstiness and cruelty, allowing them to make their own choices.

Of course, this also includes some coercive "special measures," which have also achieved good results.

Through this struggle and rivalry, many Bedouin tribes that were originally outside the control of the regime decided to side with the Samanid Empire of the Persians after weighing the pros and cons, and provided livestock and provisions for the Sahinnian army.

Several weeks later, the areas controlled by the two armies were quite close. The scouts sent out by Sahinian could often ride a short distance and find a sand dune or bush to hide in, and they could see the watchtowers and banners of the Black Blade army in the distance.