I was the Queen of Persia

Page 154

“Yes, their customs are quite similar to those of the Franks, and both are warlike and blasphemous groups, with a great deal of mutual influence,” Farzana added.

It was also thanks to Shahzani's management and development that the empire's subjects broadened their horizons and enriched their knowledge. Based on this, the Samanid court's understanding of the outside world, while not 100% accurate, was relatively close to objective reality.

Shahzani encouraged his courtiers to express their opinions freely.

Some courtiers believed that the Germans, with their red hair and green eyes, and strange appearance, like the Slavs and Varangians of northern Rus', were clearly not benevolent, but were skilled and good at fighting.

Some courtiers believed that although the Germanic tribes destroyed the Western Roman Empire, the Western Roman Empire was already on its last legs, and the Germanic peoples were just lucky; they could not be considered skilled warriors.

Some courtiers believed that times had changed, and the fact that the Western Roman Empire could be destroyed back then did not mean that the military might was still strong now. Moreover, the Germanic princes were now weak and disorganized, and they would probably have little power to fight back against Turan's army.

Some courtiers believed that although the Germanic states were currently divided into numerous principalities, their rulers still harbored ambitions. They did not rule out the possibility that they might use certain tactics or even incite other Christians to launch a "religious war."

……

The Samanid ministers offered a variety of opinions, but ultimately reached a consensus on a key point:

Sit back and watch the tigers fight. First, conserve your strength and continue to observe the war situation before deciding how to use your troops.

“That’s right.” Shahzani nodded. “The fact that the war is far from our territory is advantageous to us. Order the spies from the outer regions to continue their investigation and report any new developments immediately.”

……

Meanwhile, the Holy Roman Empire...

The majestic stone castle stood imposingly, its massive gates slowly rising, the moat lined with antlers, and the guards on the city walls vigilantly watching their surroundings.

The German emperor's traveling court and administrative offices temporarily stayed here, and the princes from various regions also received an urgent edict from Emperor Conrad II and rushed over.

"Everyone!"

Emperor Conrad II looked solemnly at the German nobles filling the hall.

"Evil from the East has returned! Civilization and faith are on the brink of calamity! All will suffer torture and torment as if it were the end of the world! At this critical moment of life and death, we can no longer quarrel with each other! We must unite to fight against the Tatar infidels!"

These words were both thought-provoking and not sensationalist.

Just a few days ago, one of the Turan army's vanguard raiding forces had already stormed into Bohemia and Austria, while the other had infiltrated Silesia and Poland, where they were burning, killing, and looting on a large scale, leaving devastation in their wake.

The local nobles and knights responsible for maintaining order had long since hidden themselves in the castle, leaving only the vast number of peasants with nowhere to hide to face their slaughter.

The Turan raiders deliberately bypassed castles and fortresses, specifically targeting undefended rural farms to plunder property and seize slaves, spreading terror throughout the land.

The steppe cavalry, swift as the wind and adept at flanking maneuvers, were truly difficult to resist. Even a centralized empire like the Samanid Empire, with its powerful army, centralized system, and comprehensive border defense and early warning system, could not completely prevent the Turanians from raiding and plundering.

Moreover, what about the Christian regimes in Central Europe where feudalism was prevalent and a complete national identity had not yet been formed?

The Germanic nobles present fell silent:

They all wanted to maintain their power in their territories and try to offset the emperor's influence; however, if they continued to act independently, they would eventually be defeated one by one by the Turans.

"Alright! In the name of God!"

Finally, a nobleman stood up and said, "We are willing to unite under the sacred faith and fight together against the Tatars in the East!"

"I do too!"

"Me too!"

"So do we!"

Other nobles also expressed their opinions.

Despite their deep apprehension about the emperor's influence, a far more formidable enemy now loomed ahead. Driven by practical interests, these feuding Germanic nobles managed to reach a temporary, albeit reluctant, consensus.

Chapter 356 The Roman Emperor's Schemes

The castle hall was dark and gloomy, with beams of light streaming through the narrow windowpanes, mingling with the flickering candlelight, illuminating the cold stone walls and revealing the cobwebs and ashes in the corners.

For the European continent, this was a turbulent time: Vikings, nomadic peoples, heretics, armed mobs, bandits, rival lords... all sorts of armed forces emerged one after another.

Faced with ever-present threats, the dark, oppressive, yet towering and precipitous stone castle became a relatively safe haven.

Conrad II surveyed the nobles, pleased with their earlier pronouncements. But this was only part of his grand ambitions.

As the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of Germany, he was dedicated to restoring the glory of the Roman Empire (although he was Germanic and his country was predominantly Germanic), attempting to expand his territory to northern Italy, Poland, and even the lands west of the Rhine, and to establish a power even stronger than that of the former Carolingian Empire.

To achieve this ambition, internally, it was necessary to weaken the power of local lords; externally, it was necessary to eliminate the influence of the Roman Catholic Church on Germanic affairs.

But we are not yet strong enough to break with the Pope.

Currently, he still needs to leverage the powerful influence of the Roman Catholic Church to consolidate his power and territory, and to solidify his influence among Christians.

In short, it's about mutual exploitation.

"Your Majesty the Emperor."

At this moment, a German courtier stood up and said, "Should we contact the countries of the outside world to jointly fight against the Tatars?"

Which country are you referring to?

"Persia. Persia under the rule of 'Succubus Queen' Shahzani."

This courtier had served as an envoy to the Samanid Empire and had also met with the powerful King of Kings of Iran, so he had some insights into Eastern affairs.

“Oh.” Conrad II nodded. “Persia is indeed one of the most powerful countries in the East, but their country is far away, and I’m afraid they can’t solve the immediate crisis.”

That is indeed an objective fact.

The Turan army was already close at hand, while the Samanid Empire was thousands of miles away, separated by various regimes. Even if envoys were sent by fast boat and horse, it would probably be too late.

However, Conrad II had another consideration.

He styled himself as a “sacred,” “noble,” and “Roman” emperor, and naturally harbored a sense of hostility and distrust towards the pagan Persians of the East.

Moreover, through the embellished and exaggerated oral traditions passed down by Christian merchants, travelers, and bards, Shahzani had long since evolved into a "wicked," "depraved," and "depraved" "succubus," making her an enemy of many Christian princes.

The courtier had no choice but to leave.

……

Meanwhile, in Poland.

Unlike Conrad II's ambition, the Polish king at this time, Mieszko II, was full of worries.

The Turan Khanate's army had been virtually invincible since its appearance in Slovakia and Silesia.

Before the iron hooves and powerful bows of these valiant Eastern infidels, the armed forces of the Polish local feudal lords were almost powerless to fight back, suffering repeated defeats and forced to retreat into their castle fortresses.

However, unlike the Huns and Avars of the past, the Turans not only had a more complete military system, but also were adept at building more powerful siege weapons, which were difficult for the stone castles of local lords to withstand.

At present, Turan's army has established a foothold in Slovakia, capturing a large number of local West Slavic tribes as slaves. It has also sent advance teams to plunder, burn, kill, and loot in the countryside of Silesia, erecting gallows and piling up pyramids of human heads everywhere, spreading horrific terror.

If this trend continues, the Kingdom of Poland probably won't last much longer.

Just at this critical moment.

"Your Majesty! The envoy sent by the German Emperor is already outside the palace gates!" a courtier reported.

"Thank God!" Myshko II breathed a sigh of relief. "Let him in!"

Faced with the fierce invasion of Eastern heretics, the ability to "stick together for warmth" with the monarchs of neighboring countries who were also Christians was undoubtedly the most comforting thing.

When Conrad II's messengers arrived, they first explained the shared faith of the Germanic and Polish nations in the name of God, reiterated the "friendship" between the two countries, and vowed to do everything in their power to resist the barbaric Turan Tartar infidels, and so on.

But in the end.

"Faced with the evil invasion from the East, our Lord believes that all Christian kingdoms must unite under the banner of the same Emperor. Therefore, he suggests that your country abandon its self-proclaimed title of King and adopt the title of Duke, submitting to our Lord—the Eternal Holy Roman Emperor!"

Thus it was said by Conrad II's messenger.

This is a blatant threat.

It should be noted that for many years, conflicts between the Germanic and Polish peoples over border disputes have been frequent. The Germanic emperors had long coveted the fertile lands east of the Elbe and Oder rivers and had been gradually encroaching on the local West Slavic tribal vassals.

(However, from a dynamic historical perspective, before the era of the Great Migration, the Elbe-Oder River region was the land of the Germanic peoples, while the Slavic peoples were the later arrivals.)

These recent remarks have completely exposed Conrad II's intentions.

Myshko II was furious, but he was powerless in the face of harsh reality. If he angered Conrad II, he would lose his external support and ultimately his country would be destroyed by the fierce attack of the Turan army.

“Very well, I accept your monarch’s suggestion. Effective immediately, I will relinquish the title of King and become ‘Duke of Poland.’” In the end, Myszko II shook his head helplessly.

……

Through coercion and enticement, Conrad II completed the nominal conquest of Poland. Subsequently, he sent envoys to the Duchy of Bohemia and the Duchy of Moravia, using the same tactics to force these princes to continue to be subservient to his authority.

These events in Central Europe, through the intricate network of trade routes and intelligence across Eurasia, were eventually relayed to Shahzani's court.

“Interesting, the situation is becoming increasingly complicated.”

Looking at the Persian script on the Samarkand paper, Shahzani smiled knowingly.

It seems that due to my intervention in the time travel, I have inadvertently caused subtle changes in the course of history. If I grit my teeth and work harder, the entire Eurasian continent will probably be even more transformed!

The ministers beside her noticed the subtle change in the Queen's expression, but they didn't understand why. Most of them thought that the Queen was beaming because she had realized a good opportunity to reap the benefits.

Farzana stepped forward.

"Shahshah. Now, King Alman is expanding his power on a large scale, and he seems poised to fight a decisive battle with the Turan Khanate. I believe this will greatly benefit our country. If the Almans win, the Turan Khanate will be weakened; if the Turans win, the Christian world will be plunged into calamity... and we, the Shahs of Iran, can seize the benefits without lifting a finger."

The wise Grand Vazil analyzed it this way.

"Ah."

Shahzani agreed, saying, “However, I believe that even if King Alman expands his empire, he will still be unable to contend with the Turans. Firstly, his empire has expanded too rapidly and has not established a complete system of laws and regulations; secondly, his army is hastily assembled and lacks a standing army and royal guard capable of fighting well; and thirdly, his vassals harbor different ambitions and each wants to establish independent local authority.”

The ministers of Divan all turned around and agreed.

This is also true.

The degree of centralization in the Holy Roman Empire appears to have increased in a short period. However, overall, this "centralization" is still difficult to compare with the Turan Khanate, let alone the Samanid Empire, the Song Dynasty, and the Liao Dynasty in Asia.

Shahzani nodded and continued:

"I believe that the Western Christian world today is facing the same imminent crisis that Attila faced during his invasion."

"In response, I intend to dispatch even braver and more capable secret agents, disguised as caravan travelers, to secretly follow the advance of the Turan cavalry and travel to the Christian world to further integrate the intelligence network."

"In this way, we can better grasp the military situation of the war in a timely manner, and we can also lay the foundation for future national strategies. In your opinion, who is the most suitable?"

After speaking, he left time for the civil and military officials to discuss and deliberate.

"Your Majesty Shahsha, I believe that Nisa Sahinian, the daughter of Sahinian, is the most suitable."

Chapter 357 The Split Between the Eastern and Western Churches

Nisa Sahini, a serving general in the Samanid army, was indeed a suitable candidate: she was exceptionally courageous, resourceful, fluent in multiple languages, and had a good understanding of Western Christian countries.

More importantly, just like his mother, old Sahinniana, this young general was familiar with all sorts of unspoken war tactics: winning over, bribing, coercing, seducing, sowing discord, undermining, coordinating, and allocating resources...

Shahzani readily approved and appointed Nisa Sahini as the secret representative of the Saman Empire, leading a special task force composed of elite soldiers to complete the task of integrating the western intelligence network.

With the imperial edict issued, plans formulated, resources allocated, and capable assistants quickly selected—

Hedia is agile, skilled in assassination, and has fought alongside old Sahinian through thick and thin. She is currently the assassin advisor for the "Sand Bathers" unit.

Alluring and charming, a master of disguise, she once frequented Knife Sheath Fortress and now runs over a dozen "intelligence station" taverns with Sham and Mischel—Atumai;

Valera, a marksman with exceptional marksmanship and currently an instructor in the border shooting unit of Syria province;

All of these were his comrades-in-arms promoted by his mother.

Meanwhile, Turanian boy Bald Horse, who had been captured by the Samanid army in the Battle of Otrar and eventually enslaved, was also in the ranks. He was strong and skilled in horsemanship and archery. At the same time, the team was supplemented with several Chinese craftsmen who were good at making machinery and firearms...

Once the team was assembled, it set off from Jahanshahr in early January 1027. It first arrived in Khwarazm Province, where it rested briefly and prepared winter supplies. Then, disguised as a caravan, it traveled through the steppes between the Khwarazm Sea (Aral Sea) and the Mazandaran Sea (Caspian Sea), infiltrating covertly and bypassing the surveillance of the Turan Khanate. Finally, before the spring equinox Nowruz in 1027, it arrived in the Bulgar Khanate.

At this time, Bulgar and the Rus' states, as traditional commercial allies of the Samanid Empire, and with the presence of Ishtar Khali troops within their borders as a deterrent, maintained relative peace while the Christian nations to the west faced calamity, and were not yet subjected to a large-scale attack by the Turan Khanate.

For months, the Turan cavalry had been operating mostly in the frontier steppes of Rus-Turan, plundering scattered Slavic slaves and selling them to Constantinople to fill the Varangian guard in exchange for money from the Eastern Roman Empire. There were no plans for a major offensive against Rus-Bulgal for the time being.

……

The wars and power struggles across Eurasia continue.

Through intelligence relayed by caravan spies, Shahzani could determine that the trade of interests between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Turan Khanate was becoming increasingly frequent.

Shortly after the Kingdom of Hungary was destroyed by the Turans, the Eastern Roman Empire and Turan divided their spheres of influence along the Danube River. The Eastern Roman army stationed on the Balkan frontier immediately mobilized its forces, advancing towards the Kingdom of Croatia to the northwest.

The Kingdom of Croatia had converted to the Roman Catholic Church and its relationship with the Eastern Church in Constantinople was not good. In recent years, fearing the expansion of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Croatians had even secretly contacted the Hungarians to jointly resist the infiltration of the Eastern Church.

Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Hungary has now fallen, and Croatia has lost its most reliable and powerful external support. It has become a fish on the chopping block and will sooner or later be annexed by the Eastern Roman Empire and once again come under the religious rule of Constantinople.

Faced with the relentless advance of the Eastern Roman army, the Croatian monarch wrote a letter to the Pope, requesting the Papacy to intervene and protect Croatia's independence and autonomy.