NABC Page 2
Page 2
The situation was very urgent, forcing her to make a decision.
Think of this.
Shahzani solemnly surveyed all the soldiers and issued her first order since transmigrating:
"All generals, listen to my command! Assemble all armed forces, await inspection, and prepare for battle!"
Knowing your enemy and yourself will ensure victory in every battle. Only by fully understanding your own overall strength can you make adequate preparations for your next decision.
"Order!"
Seeing that their commander remained decisive and resolute, the soldiers present immediately dispelled all their doubts and answered in unison in a loud voice.
Morale and morale often depend on the commander's ability to rally the troops. Shahzani was well aware of her current position; she knew that in this critical situation, she had to stand at the forefront and could not show the slightest fear or retreat.
Be prepared to resist, for it may mean death.
But if you don't prepare to resist, you're doomed.
……
Soon, with the help of her maids, Shahzani finished bathing and washing herself, and came to a mirror to put on her military armor.
She looked in the mirror and found herself to be incredibly heroic and beautiful. Black hair and eyes, a high nose and deep-set eyes, jewel-like red lips, a face as beautiful as a rose, and deep, beautiful eyes that sparkled with courage and resilience.
She was not yet dressed, only wearing a pair of triangular underpants commonly worn by women in ancient Iran, similar to modern women's briefs. This fully displayed her voluptuous and robust figure; her bronze skin radiated an alluring sheen, and her steel-like, well-defined muscles clung to her cypress-like, upright body, giving her a powerful and imposing visual impact.
In short, this body can truly be described as a combination of strength, authority, and beauty. Even the heroines of ancient Iranian epics, such as Guld al-Farid and Banu al-Qushap, would likely find it difficult to compare.
This gave her more confidence for the battle to come.
At this time.
"Ding--!"
A prompt came to her mind.
Immediately afterwards, a clear picture appeared.
"This is... an interface?"
This "interface" presents a strong Persian style, with a background of Persian miniature-style heavy cavalry patterns and borders decorated with Persian geometric patterns.
"Welcome to the [Chronicles of the Persian King] system. You have returned to Persia at the time of the Samanid dynasty's demise. The following is your current data."
Name: Hudadad Shahzani Samarkandi
Position: Military Attaché
Religion: Islam
General's Aura: Rustam's Inspiration (Within 100 meters, the morale of allied forces increases by 35%, defense increases by 25%, and attack increases by 15%).
Initial skill: Steel Strike (Attack power of axe and hammer-type armor-piercing weapons increased by 50%, damage range of two meters)
Four talent trees:
National Management (0/25)
Military Warfare (0/25)
Economic development (0/25)
Culture and Technology (0/25)
Experience points: Level 1 (0/100%)
You can gain 1 talent point for each level up.
Current remaining talent points: 1
……
“Isn’t this the game I played before I transmigrated?” Shahzani muttered. “I need to figure out its uses.”
The most important task at present is to deal with enemy attacks, so she prioritized checking the "War and Military" section.
It turns out that the talent lines, including those for war and military affairs, each have 25 tiers. The first tier has 5 talents; unlocking one of them allows you to access the talents in the second tier.
Shahzani chooses one of the talents:
The "Women's Army" buff grants a 50% increase in physical attributes to all female units when more than half of the soldiers in the army are female.
As you explore further, more and more features are discovered.
Even more exciting is that a temporary buff will be provided on the eve of the battle; there are currently two options, choose one:
"【Preparation Skill: Desperate Struggle】, 【Effect: Troop morale +30%, lasts for the entire battle, requires pre-battle speech to trigger】"
"【Preparation Skill: Defend the Fortress】, 【Effect: City defense +30%, lasts for the entire battle, requires pre-battle mobilization to trigger】"
How to choose?
Shahzani fell into thought.
"Now that we are isolated in this city, we naturally need to consider its defensive capabilities..."
"However, the most important determining factor in war is people. If an army loses the courage to fight the enemy to the death, what use is even the tallest and strongest city wall?"
After much deliberation, she finally decided to take a gamble to boost the morale of her troops.
At this time.
The subordinate reported that the entire army had assembled and was awaiting inspection.
Shahzani, fully armored, arrived at the parade ground in the center of the fortress. Bahraim and other key officers were already lined up and waiting there.
Shahzani looked around.
In addition to the 200 female guards of the Samanid court she brought, there were also 10000 armed militiamen who were temporarily conscripted, presumably Samanid refugees who fled here during the war.
But after looking at it more closely, she couldn't help but feel a little confused.
She leaned close to Bahramu's ear and whispered, "What's going on? Why are most of the conscripted militiamen women?"
She had originally thought that the only women in the army were her own guards, but now it seemed that this was not the case.
She wasn't underestimating the combat effectiveness of female soldiers; in fact, the recent activation of the "Women's Army" talent had greatly boosted the combat effectiveness of all female units in the army. The fact that female soldiers now outnumbered female soldiers was, in a sense, excellent news.
However, it is quite strange that such a disproportionate number of women compared to men suddenly appears in a military group where men should be the majority.
“To be honest,” Bahramu sighed, “years of war have drastically reduced the number of men across the country. Now, in many towns and villages, only women remain…”
Shahzani couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
She knows this history all too well.
To many modern Iranians, the fall of the Samanid dynasty was a rather dark period in history: the central government weakened, local separatism rose, warlord conflicts were constant, external powers invaded, and various Turkic nomads infiltrated and encroached on Iranian settlements, resulting in various "Turkification" phenomena.
Years of war and disorder led to the abandonment of many towns and the decline of the population. The Samanid dynasty thus came to an end amidst this series of crises.
As a result, the main force they can rely on right now is still this group of Persian peasant women in their coarse clothes and bare feet.
They may have the determination and passion to fight to the death, but ultimately they lack training and equipment.
If the Samanid dynasty had not fallen, Iran's territory would likely be even larger than it is today. Imagine, from the Aral Sea to the Indian Ocean, from the Wakhan Corridor to the Zagros Mountains, all unified under the banner of a single great power. The comprehensive national strength and international influence of that great power, built upon this foundation, would be immeasurable.
Thinking of this, Shahzani felt an overwhelming surge of indignation: "Heroes drive the times, and now I am one of the participants in history. Even if I only have a remnant of female soldiers under my command, I will turn the tide and let the banner of the legitimate Iranian dynasty fly high on the world stage once again!"
At this moment, she thought of many historical figures who made generous oaths in the face of adversity.
She thought of revolutionary leaders Khomeini and Khamenei; she thought of her mentor Lenin and her loving father Stalin; she thought of that great man from China; she thought of the communist fighters who sang "La Marseillaise" and "The Internationale"...
Countless towering figures and countless inspiring slogans converged in her heart into a battle anthem.
moment.
She raised her head, faced all the officers and soldiers, and spoke with great passion and fervor:
"Warriors! The wicked enemy has captured our capital and ravaged our land!"
"Now, they are coming here with vicious intent, attempting to massacre this place."
"But! We are not unarmed. We will respond to these despicable enemies with weapons!"
"Yes, we will be martyrs, but death is inevitable for all men! We will fight these thugs to the bitter end before we are sacrificed!"
"Fight on, warriors! Allah Huda protects you, and the heroes of Iran watch over you from the clouds."
As soon as Shahzani finished speaking, the entire arena erupted in a thunderous roar.
The soldiers shouted rousing battle and religious slogans, united in their hatred of the enemy and ready to die for their cause. The entire fortress was instantly enveloped in an atmosphere of passion and fighting spirit.
At this time.
Shahzani received another crucial notification in the system.
"Because you boosted morale before the battle, the troops' morale has increased by 30%."
This made her quite happy.
The combined effect of the several buffs from earlier is considerable.
Just then, a scout came to report.
As Shahzani had predicted, the Karakhanid dynasty dispatched troops towards the area. Their forces numbered approximately 2 and had advanced to a point 15 farsahs (about 93 kilometers) from the city, estimating that they would be at the city's gates in three days.
Chapter 3 The Approaching War
More intelligence from the front lines was constantly being transmitted back.
Based on the information gathered by the scouts, Shahzani was also analyzing and assessing the strength of this enemy force.
These 2 Karakhanid troops attacked from the southeast, including:
Fifty percent of them were cannon fodder infantry. Most of them only had basic equipment such as cotton fabric armor, crude spears, and swords, with only a few possessing iron armor. They were likely soldiers temporarily conscripted from settled cities such as Balasagun, Uzgan, and Otrar.
Twenty percent of them were lightly armed archers, equipped with leather and felt armor and bows and arrows. They were conscripts recruited by the Karakhanid court from surrounding Turkic tribes.
Ten-tenths were armored fiefdom infantry and cavalry. They were equipped with iron armor and superior swords, and their warhorses were taller and stronger. They were clearly recruited by the landowners of Iqta and Dehgan.
The last 20% consisted of various logistical personnel accompanying the army, such as servants, cooks, and craftsmen, making for a complex composition.
The Karakhanid general who commanded this army was named Hassan Tutun. Shahzani's name is not found in the book, suggesting she was likely a minor, largely unknown figure in the grand scheme of history.
Based on the above information, Shahzani judged that the enemy force attacking the city was only a detachment. Nevertheless, it was still a very serious threat to the relatively weak Zanshahr defenders.
Shahzani then made two preparations: on the one hand, he ordered the soldiers to continue training and preparing for war; on the other hand, he summoned the military commanders with decision-making power to formulate a strategy to deal with the enemy.
The officers organized the basic information about the castle. Soon, city defense maps, archives, and troop rosters were presented to them.
Based on these materials, combined with the reports from the officers, Shahzani quickly learned a great deal of useful information.
Zanshahr Fortress, situated on an oasis plain along the Amu Darya River, was traversed by a branch of the Silk Road. Therefore, this fortress was, in a sense, a military stronghold protecting the trade route.
The fortress's walls and defensive structures were quite sturdy and complete. There was a moat and ditch outside the city, and the outer walls were ten meters high, covered with crenellations and firing ports. The inner walls and towers within the city also presented a mutually supportive arrangement.
The city's supplies came partly from the farming settlements established by the soldiers and partly from the trade of passing merchants. The city's water source was drawn from the Amu Darya River and the mountains further away through karez wells.
However, due to the turbulent situation, the city has not seen any caravans for several months. And the grain reserves obtained through land reclamation are only enough to sustain the entire city for at most three months.
In particular, the large influx of migrants into the city meant thousands more mouths to feed.
Upon seeing this, Shahzani couldn't help but fall into thought:
"This castle does not have the advantage of being easy to defend and difficult to attack like a mountain fortress, so holding out is not the best tactic."
"Moreover, if the Karakhanids adopt a strategy of long-term siege, and if they cut off the water supply from the qanats outside the city, we will soon be in a predicament of running out of food and water."
"Therefore, the best strategy is to win this battle quickly."
With this in mind, she decided to personally ride a horse to patrol outside the city and conduct reconnaissance and analysis of the surrounding terrain.
Because it is located on an oasis plain, the area outside the city is flat and open with no natural defenses. Scattered villages are dotted around the oasis, and only at the far end of the horizon can a few mountain ranges be faintly seen.
However, Shahzani discovered a large orchard a few miles south of the city. By then, the Mehrgan harvest was over, and most of the fruit had been harvested and stored, leaving only the clumps of trees standing there.
She went inside. Sure enough, the tree canopy covered a vast area, making it almost impossible to see the sun from within. As for those standing outside, it was even more difficult to see what was inside.
Perfect, it's a good place to hide troops.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed through Shahzani's mind, and she came up with a surprising and effective tactic. So she quickly returned to the fortress, summoned the military commanders, and devised a detailed plan.
“The enemy is coming on strong, we can’t just passively defend the city…” Shahzani pointed to the military map drawn on Samarkand paper and told the commanders her thoughts.
Simply put, it's the "empty city strategy".