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Shahzani estimated that Parviz and his men had already reached Montahir's camp. After all, the journey of 20 farsahs would only take about a day and a night, especially since they were all riding fast horses.
Meanwhile, the gifts to be given in return (mostly high-quality weapons produced in Zanshahr) were prepared, packed into large and small packages, and loaded onto the backs of camels and donkeys in batches.
For her main entourage, Shahzani chose Bahram and officer Afshin.
Everything is ready.
Shahzani, along with Bahramu, Afshin, and others, embarked on their journey to the Montahir military camp.
They wanted to meet as soon as possible and planned to return before Nowruz.
……
The town of Dasht-Kum, the camp of Montahir's army.
Outside the town, the oasis plains are covered with densely packed felt tents for marching. The battle flag of Montahir flutters in the wind, and groups of soldiers are either riding in formation, practicing martial arts, patrolling on guard duty, or resting in small groups on the carpet.
Shahzani revealed her identity to the guards and was quickly and respectfully led to the large tent in Montahir, the center of the camp.
Inside the tent, square blankets were spread across the floor, and armor and spears were neatly arranged on weapon racks. Many generals and officers dressed in Kaftan uniforms sat cross-legged according to their rank and title.
Shahzani glanced around and determined that they were all core generals of Montahir, with Parviz among them.
"O God bless you, revered and beautiful Chief Shahzani."
Upon seeing Shahzani enter, the tall man sitting on the main seat cushion immediately rose to greet her warmly.
It is obvious that he is Montahir.
"Welcome to our glorious camp. In the near future, we will use this as the starting point for our eastward expedition and launch a great war to reclaim our homeland!"
Montahir had a hearty smile, and his meticulously groomed beard accentuated his rugged features, making him look like a brave warrior.
To be precise, he was a brave and noble Persian warrior. Even though his homeland and family had fallen, his former glory and pride still burned brightly in the depths of his heart.
Shahzani certainly admired this kind of courage and quality.
"May God bless you as well," she replied with a smile. "May your armor and spear bring you endless glory and victory."
After several rounds of Persian-Islamic pleasantries, Montahir invited his guests to take a seat.
Shahzani and the others then sat down on the rugs at the guest seats. The waiters had already served them tea and nuts and pastries.
Soon, the topic shifted to the counterattack against the Karakhanid Dynasty and the recapture of Bukhara.
The generals of Montahir expressed their opinions.
“Chief Shahzani, do you have a good strategy?” Montahir asked.
“Of course.” Shahzani nodded slightly. “I have a somewhat immature idea, which I’d like to share now. If there are any oversights, I would appreciate any corrections from Chief Montahir and the generals.”
She immediately got up, walked to the center of the tent, pointed to the map hanging on the wooden frame, and began to comment on the landscape.
"We can split our forces into two groups and attack the Karakhanid Dynasty."
“I led an army along the Amu Darya River, capturing cities such as Amur, Termez, Shihanna, and Hutaliang along its banks. This was to crush the Karakhanid Dynasty’s peripheral forces and encircle their heartland.”
"You led an army straight to the fertile and beautiful Bukhara oasis, seized its rich food and resources, and reclaimed our beautiful capital and homeland."
Her answer was quite strategic: she kept the remote, peripheral areas where supplies were relatively difficult to obtain for herself, while leaving the central, adjacent, and resource-rich former capital region to her ally.
After all, this prince in distress was, after all, a direct descendant of the Samanid royal family. It was more fitting for him to ride a fine horse through the gates of Bukhara and receive the glory of being revered by the people.
Most of Montahir's generals nodded in agreement, believing it to be a good strategy.
"Chief Shahzani, your strategy is excellent. In this way, our mighty army of justice is like two indestructible steel blades, piercing the heart of those Turanians. O God bless us! We will achieve a glorious victory like Anushirwan (Khosrul I, the Sasanian monarch) and Parviz (Khosrul II, the Sasanian monarch)!"
Montahir raised his glass, drank it down in one gulp, and then, in his high-pitched voice, spontaneously recited a Persian quatrain praising victory and honor.
The nickname "poet-exiled warrior" is indeed well-deserved.
Subsequently.
Shahzani and Montahir then discussed more specific details about the military campaign, such as the date of departure, the deployment of enemy forces along the route, the possible movements of enemy reinforcements, the deadline and signal for the rendezvous, and so on.
The grand banquet following evening prayers further enhanced the atmosphere of the meeting.
……
But just as the generals were clinking glasses, two figures were whispering to each other outside the commander's tent.
“General Arslan Yaru, the female leader of Zanshahr is getting closer to Montahir. Does this pose a threat to us?” A general with a hooked nose and a curly mustache asked, a shadow of gloom and apprehension flashing in his eyes.
“General Hassan ibn Taq, as long as this ally can bring us victory and rich spoils, nothing else matters,” said the general named Arslan Yaru calmly.
A greedy look appeared on his broad face, and his sparse mustache trembled.
“Alas, God help us! I’ve heard that this Shahzani is consolidating power in her territory. If she exerts more influence over Montahir, then our authority to give orders to our subordinates will likely be weakened.” Hassan ibn Taq shook his head.
"Don't think that far ahead. The purpose of fighting on the battlefield is to seize slaves and treasures. Once I've amassed enough spoils, I'll lead my people away from Montahir and return to my tribe. Who cares about 'restoring the Samanid dynasty'?" Arslan Yaru said calmly.
at this time.
“General Arslan, General Tak, they’re here.” A pleasant voice came from behind them.
It was Shahzani.
She had just gone outside the tent to urinate, and on her way back, she happened to see the two Montahir generals chatting quietly.
"Ah! Respected Chief Shahzani, we have drunk too much fine wine, so we have come here to rest..." Arslan Yaru quickly smoothed things over, and then he and Tak hurriedly left.
Shahzani watched their retreating figures, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.
Historical records do not indicate that these two individuals have a good reputation:
Arslan Yaru was a greedy man driven by profit. During Montahir's restoration efforts, he repeatedly ordered his troops to plunder spoils of war, thus missing numerous opportunities in battle.
Hassan ibn Tak was an even more two-faced and fence-sitter. During the Battle of Jizzakh-Hawass around 1004 AD, he led four thousand soldiers in a sudden defection, leading to the ultimate defeat of the Montahir Restoration Army.
“These two cannot be kept around for long,” Shahzani thought to herself. “At the very least, we must find a suitable opportunity to eliminate them in the future.”
However, this idea cannot be put into practice at present.
These two men hold military power, and Montahir currently still needs to rely on them to command troops and lead them into battle.
……
The next day.
After settling all matters, Shahzani led her entourage back from the Montahir marching camp, bringing with her the agreed-upon date for the deployment of troops:
The twentieth day after Nowruz (the spring equinox on March 21st each year), which is the twentieth day of the month of Faruwaldin in the Persian calendar.
Chapter 39 Preparations Before the Expedition
Shahzani had just returned to Zanshahr before Nowruz.
On March 21, 1000 AD, which was the Persian Nowruz festival, Shahzani ordered that all military and civilian personnel in the territory be given a five-day leave. This was both an inheritance of Iranian tradition and a measure to conserve strength before the war.
During the days of Nowruz, Shahzani's territory was filled with a lively and festive atmosphere, with people rushing around to offer congratulations, hold banquets, and buy New Year's goods and new clothes. This was a full affirmation of Shahzani's achievements in ruling for more than half a year.
Shahzani set aside a shorter vacation time for herself than most people. On the third day of Nowruz, she began to gather the decision-making officers to carry out the final stage of preparations for the Eastern Expedition.
"Sardar, the red Kaftan uniforms you ordered to be woven are now 5000 sets complete and have been delivered to the government warehouses, ready for immediate use," Farzana reported, holding a Samarkand document.
"Yes, allocate a portion first to equip our active-duty palace guards and standing army. The remainder will be temporarily stored in the treasury and distributed after the army is expanded," Shahzani instructed.
This was one of the plans that Shahzani had been conceiving for a long time—to standardize and formalize the army's equipment.
After all, the projection capabilities of feudal centralized states were inherently limited by their level of productivity.
Even at the height of its centralized power, the Samanid dynasty could not guarantee that its entire armed forces would be 100% uniform in attire, because in addition to regular troops receiving military pay, there were also a large number of landlord militias, conscripted militias, mercenaries, and auxiliary troops provided by subordinate regimes, and so on.
In the final years of the Samanid dynasty, political turmoil ensued. After the dynasty's collapse, local armed forces rose up in various regions, disrupting the existing national order and leading to further chaos in the organization and equipment allocation of troops in different areas.
Farzana then summoned her staff and soldiers and ordered them to carry out the order.
Shahzani then activated the [Chronicles of the Persian King] system.
Four talent trees:
National Management (1/25)
Military Warfare (1/25)
Economic development (2/25)
Culture and Technology (0/25)
Experience points: Level 10 (26%/100%)
Current remaining talent points: 6
Clearly, after this period of fighting and building, we have accumulated a lot more experience points.
With practice, you can easily find the talent you want to upgrade.
"War Military - [Red Army]: Effect: All units equipped with red standard military uniforms have increased morale by 15%, increased teamwork ability by 15%, and increased loyalty by 30%."
"Prerequisite: Must be equipped with red standard military uniform to demonstrate the fearlessness and bravery of Persian warriors."
This is why Shahzani made the aforementioned decision.
For the Iranian people, scarlet has extraordinary symbolic meaning.
Red is the color of fire, representing the ancient Zoroastrianism, or the worship and belief in fire and light.
Red was the color of the Babak uprising in the 9th century. Babak launched an uprising against the Caliph of Baghdad in 816 AD. The soldiers of the uprising wore red scarves and red clothes, symbolizing that the Iranians had taken another step forward on the road to breaking away from Arab rule.
Red represents the "blood of Siavash," symbolizing the national and personal grievances of the Iranian people. In the epic, Prince Siavash, framed by Queen Sudabe, was forced by King Qaus to ride across a blazing fire. Prince Siavash crossed unharmed, but was later forced to flee to the Turan kingdom due to a misunderstanding, where he was ultimately murdered by the Turan.
Red was also one of the colors favored by dynasties such as the Sasanian, Samanid, and Safavid dynasties.
In short, this can be said to be one of the representative colors of the Persian Empire and the Greater Iran region. At different stages of history, it has inspired countless Iranian warriors to fight bravely, defeat their enemies and wash away their shame through courage and sacrifice.
Of course, more importantly, red dye is readily available.
In the Persian region, common plants such as madder, pomegranate, and safflower can be used to extract and produce red dye. This meant that red military uniforms could be woven on a large scale at a lower cost, and Shahzani, adhering to a pragmatic principle, would naturally prioritize it.
Soon, the brand-new military uniforms were distributed to the palace guards and regular soldiers. The soldiers stroked the beautiful and imposing uniforms, and were very fond of them.
Although the Basij militia members of the General Mobilization Army did not receive uniforms, Shahzani distributed uniform felt hats and headscarves to distinguish friend from foe on the battlefield.
Except these.
Shahzani also allocated a quarter's worth of military pay and subsidies from the treasury and distributed them in advance to the regular army and militia fighters to further boost their morale and fighting spirit.
……
Ten days after Nowruz.
The festive atmosphere has disappeared. Now, the soldiers are diligently training and marching, while civilians who are not serving in the military are busy moving and raising funds for various military equipment and supplies.
On the boundless desert grassland, the early spring wind whips up sand and dust that flies everywhere, and as far as the eye can see, everything is a hazy yellow.
The thunderous sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached.
Fully armed, crimson-clad cavalrymen, kicking up clouds of dust, shattered the silence of the wilderness.
Their formation was well-organized, with the vanguard assault team, the flank guards, the central core, and the rearguard all deployed in an orderly manner, forming a tight strike system that coordinated and supported each other.
"The warriors of Iran!"
Shahzani, the leader of the army, removed the chainmail covering her face from her pointed helmet, revealing beads of sweat on her pretty face.
She looked at the soldiers behind her and asked, "We've been marching for a day and a night. Are you tired?!"
"Not tired! Hu Dabao gives us perseverance and courage!" the soldiers shouted in unison, their spirits astounding.
Shahzani simply smiled, and then said loudly:
“You are all excellent soldiers. But I know you are exhausted. As your commander, I can understand the fatigue of my soldiers.”
"However, I cannot let you rest, for the battle that is about to begin will be far more arduous. Would you rather keep your heads and feast on meat and wine in the palace, or lose your heads and eat dirt and drink sand in the desert?"
"Hahahaha!" The palace guards burst into hearty laughter, then answered in unison, "Of course we'll keep our heads so we can eat delicious roasted meat pilaf and drink fine wine!"
Shahzani nodded in satisfaction: "In that case, let us continue our journey on horseback. I now issue the order: all soldiers, continue marching for another day and night. If you are hungry, eat the naan bread and dried meat in your pouches; if you are thirsty, drink the yogurt and salt water in your sheepskin bags. Hold tight to your spears and reins, for the spirits of the ancient Iranian heroes will continue to give us strength!"
In an instant, the entire army erupted in a roar that echoed across the wilderness once again.
The orderly formation, carrying with it a cloud of dust, sped off into the distance.
In preparation for the upcoming long-distance raid, Shahzani decided to use this kind of marching training to enhance the combat capabilities of the palace guards.
After all, the enhancements provided by the system are only one aspect; the rigorous training and tempering are the more important factors in ensuring combat effectiveness.