I was the Queen of Persia

Page 110

"Her strong, beautiful eyelashes could pierce armor."

After three lines, the direction of the poem is already set, leaving Ferdowsi with very little room to maneuver. If it were any other poet, they would probably have given up and retreated at this point.

But who was Ferdowsi? He continued, finishing the three lines he had already completed, and blurted out:

"As sharp as the spear of Gewu that bravely fought against Mount Pa."

Parshan and Geu are both figures mentioned in his Shahnameh, with Parshan being a Turanian monarch and Geu an Iranian warrior.

Ferdowsi cleverly linked the poems praising Queen Shahzani's beauty with characters in his own work, the Shahnameh, thus both praising the queen's stunning beauty and placing her alongside great ancient Iranian warriors—a truly ingenious move.

The three court poets listened with admiration and expressed their respect for the old poet before them.

"What a beautiful poem! What a beautiful poem!" A loud and melodious female voice came from behind the flower bushes nearby.

Chapter 256 An Epic Enhancement of National Cohesion

Shahzani slowly walked out of the flower bushes with a smile on her face, followed by a small number of guards.

Her simple and unadorned clothes, without any unnecessary embellishments, and her bare feet as she walked slowly, resembled a devout female alms-begging monk, her words and actions exuding a warm and courteous demeanor.

The other officials bowed and took their leave.

"Hakm Abul ibn Qasim Mansur ibn Hassan ibn Sharafshah Ferdowsi Tusi, a Tusi from Khorasan Province, pays homage to the Great King of Kings, the Center of the Universe, and Her Majesty the Beautiful Queen." The old poet kowtowed and kissed the ground.

“Please rise quickly, Master Ferdowsi.” Shahzani walked barefoot forward and personally helped him up. “You are a great man of the nation, a pillar of the people!”

"Oh, how shameful!"

Ferdowsi shook his head helplessly: "I am powerless to stop the changes of the world, and can only try my best to collect the history of the Iranian people as a legacy for future generations. God bless! I hope to complete this masterpiece in my lifetime."

As he spoke, he bowed in greeting.

"In the name of Allah, the Most High and Most Merciful! Several years ago, due to unfinished business, I secluded myself and was unable to have an audience. Now that the work is complete, I hereby offer this Book of Kings to Allah's projection on earth, to the rulers of both Iranians and non-Iranians, to Her Majesty the Great Queen!"

He presented the book he was carrying.

"Good, good!" Shahzani was overjoyed and invited Ferdowsi to the palace to be entertained.

Soft and luxurious Persian carpets were laid out in layers, and civil and military officials took their seats in an orderly fashion. Ferdowsi opened the large book in his arms and began to read his own work in beautiful Persian.

Praises to God, praises to wisdom, praises to Queen Shahzani, praises to Tajikistan, praises to Abdul Razaq, praises to all the villagers and close friends who helped him in the process of writing the book... all came together in his melodious and rhythmic voice to form a magnificent chapter.

Then, the glorious history of Iran's heroic deeds and the bygone era of the Persian Empire were vividly recounted, as if infused with life.

The old poet recounted one epic story after another, known to everyone, from Kayumalz's ascension to the throne, Jamshid's arrogant death, the blacksmith Kawi's uprising, Faridon's killing of the snake king Zohak, Rustam's campaigns in the south and north, and the tragedy of Prince Shavash.

Ferdowsi's vivid and engaging delivery, so captivating in his voice, brought to life the grand scale of war, the lavish banquets, the intense hunts, the thrilling battles, the poignant love stories—all the plot points and scenes from the book seemed to reappear before my eyes in an instant.

When reciting the major tragic chapters of the story, such as "Rustam and Suhrab," "The Martyrdom of Prince Shavash," "The Death of Rustam," and "The Fall of the Sassanid Dynasty," the poignant scenes brought tears to the eyes of the ministers, who were deeply patriotic.

Shahzani was so engrossed in the grand narrative that her eyes welled up with tears.

Her thoughts wandered through the long history of Iran, recalling the bloody and tearful past when her country was weak and invaded by foreign enemies. In the end, however, the Iranian people were able to tenaciously defeat, assimilate, and drive out the invaders, rebuild their homeland, and continue to stand tall on the Eurasian continent.

At this time in Iran, numerous versions of the Shahnameh were already available, the most famous being the Mansour Barish version. However, compared to Ferdowsi's monumental work, all of these versions paled in comparison.

When Ferdowsi finished reciting with deep emotion, the court was filled with sobs, and a moment later, thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall.

He could no longer contain his excitement, and two streams of tears slid down his cheeks.

"I have toiled tirelessly for thirty years,"

"He saved Iran with Persian."

Shahzani was also teary-eyed, deeply immersed in the heroic spirit of the martyr in his twilight years and his magnificent and passionate patriotism.

"The people of Iran will forever remember you!" Shahzani wiped away her tears and said emphatically, "You have contributed an invaluable treasure to Iran. This work should be celebrated, and you deserve the highest reward!"

Having said this, he instructed the treasurer to reward Ferdowsi with one gold coin for each couplet of poetry. The Book of Kings was a vast and voluminous work, and in the end, Ferdowsi received tens of thousands of gold coins.

In his previous life, when this masterpiece was completed, the Samanid dynasty had already fallen. Ferdowsi had no choice but to dedicate the book to Mahmud of the Ghaznavid dynasty. However, due to ethnic conflicts, doctrinal differences, slander, and other reasons, Mahmud did not give Ferdowsi the reward and respect he deserved.

In this era, the Samanid dynasty has completed the great task of unifying Iran and continues to stand tall in the center of the Eurasian continent. Its military strength is formidable, and its national power is thriving. Shahzani has decided to immediately give Ferdowsi the historical recognition he deserves, and even more! Even greater!

"This old man of Khorasantus thanks the King of Kings for his justice and generosity! May your glory cover the land of Iran, and may your divine light endure forever!" Ferdowsi touched the ground with his cap, his heart filled with reverence.

"However, I have another request." He raised his head, his eyes resolute.

"please say."

"Now that the country is unified, enemies on all sides are still lurking in the shadows, and the bloodthirsty Blackblade cultists in the west are still eyeing Iraq Province. Therefore! I have decided to donate this wealth bestowed upon me by Her Majesty the Queen to the soldiers on the front lines, to encourage Iranian warriors to fight for their country like Rustam!" Ferdowsi declared with righteous indignation.

Indeed, this is the pride of this Persian writer. Even though his family was no longer wealthy (he had spent all his money writing books), even though his son died young from overwork, and even though he needed money more than ever before, he still did not change his strong character.

Shahzani and the court officials could not help but admire Ferdowsi's noble character once again.

"in addition……"

Ferdowsi then said, “Now that the nation is strong and prosperous, I intend to continue writing the Shahnameh! From the early Samanid kings such as Ismail, Nasr, and Nuh, all the way to your wise rule and illustrious military achievements!”

“Because…” the old poet said magnanimously, “the Iranian nation still stands tall in the world, and the history of the kings will continue!”

"Good!" Shahzani was already in tears. "Go! Master Ferdowsi, go and continue to conquer the world you rule! The Iranian nation and its people will always be your strongest support!"

She issued an order to bring the Ferdowsi family to live in the capital, grant Ferdowsi a title and honorary honors, provide them with stipends to ensure their food, clothing, and shelter, continue to exempt them from taxes, and admit Ferdowsi's daughter into the government... In short, she wanted to provide the old poet with a stable creative environment.

The draft was then prepared as an edict and sent to the Diwan organization.

Shahzani ordered all government-run printing houses to print the already completed Shahzani book at full capacity and distribute it to all provinces and counties of the empire as essential reading for libraries.

Inside the Jahanshahr Palace, patriotic fervor burned like a raging fire, keeping the gathering in a high-spirited atmosphere throughout the day.

Shahzani rose, barefoot, and stepped onto the patterned Persian carpet in the center of the hall. Leading all the assembled officials, she recited in unison a famous line:

“We are inextricably linked to Iran,”

"I am willing to fight to the death for Iran."

"To defend our motherland and our descendants,"

"To protect loved ones and children,"

“Everyone was willing to give their lives,”

"We will never surrender our territory to others."

"Warrior, if you give your life in glory,"

"It is better to endure humiliation, live a life of shame, and submit to the emperor."

……

Turn on the system.

"【Culture and Technology】—【Iranian Epic Masterpiece】, Effect: Military and civilian cohesion +100%, Military and civilian loyalty +100%. 【Prerequisite: Recruit the great poet Ferdowsi and promote the national epic 'Shahnameh' (completed)】."

Choose this option decisively.

The Iranian Samanid Empire is poised to develop a strong sense of spatial unity, and the country's productivity and technological progress will continue to increase under the influence of this powerful force of solidarity.

Chapter 257 Winning Over the Kalmar Cult

It was early 1008 AD, and battle reports continued to arrive from the border, allowing Shahzani to keep abreast of the rapidly changing battlefield situation.

Overall, in the conflicts and tug-of-war in the border oases, the Blackblade sect, which relied on superstitious fanaticism to incite unrest, found it increasingly difficult to compete with the well-organized, disciplined, and equally religiously fervent Samanid armed forces.

After wiping out the Blackblade Cult forces in the Ubaid River oasis, Sahinnian continued to use Blade Sheath Fortress as an intelligence hub to strike Blackblade Army strongholds in surrounding oases such as Al-Al. Various special task forces behind enemy lines operated in batches, with regular army and militia forces cooperating on the front lines. The scattered Blackblade Army camps were unable to cope with the situation.

Sahimian knew that only by freeing the local Bedouin nomadic tribes from superstition, ignorance, and fanaticism could he dismantle the Blackblade false prophet's incitement. Therefore, he continued to implement a combination of kindness and severity in this regard.

On the one hand, they severely punished Bedouin chieftains and nobles who were willing to serve the Blackblade Cult; on the other hand, they supported tribes that were relatively friendly to the Saman Empire.

At the same time, it also leveraged the knowledge and technology of the Iranian Saman Empire to help the Bedouin people improve their livelihoods.

In particular, the improvement of water resources. In the past, the Bedouin people lived by following the water and grass, and could only drink the bitter, astringent, impurity-filled river and well water in the barren oasis. However, the Saman army brought equipment and technology, which enabled them to obtain clean water sources.

Through a combination of frontal and guerrilla tactics, supplemented by a carrot-and-stick policy, and after a long and frequent series of low-intensity conflicts, by the time of Nowruz in the spring of 1008 AD, the oases in the northern Syrian desert had largely broken free from the Blackblade sect's sphere of influence.

……

The Syrkha River Valley, the stronghold of the Blackblade Cult.

In the hidden camp dug out of the cliff face.

"Those damned Persian Khoramis!"

Muhadab, the Blackblade Cult's "agent," is nearly driven mad by the continuous stream of defeat reports:

"Damn it! Damn it all! To my surprise, the Arabs in Iraq haven't become accomplices; instead, a large number of nomadic Bedouin tribes have been turned against them by the Persians! Oh God! What's going on? Are those Persians really that good at instigating and deceiving?!"

The attempt to seize the Fertile Land of Iraq has vanished with a series of defeats in the Battle of Ubaid River. Countless devout jihadists have turned to dust. If the fighting continues, the entire sect may face a serious crisis.

Just then, one of his personal slave guards—a dark-skinned South Sudanese Sahelsanji slave—rushed into the room, his voice trembling.

“Master…Master, Chief Ha…Hakawi has returned!” said Sanji’s slave guard.

"What?!" Muhaddaeb's mind went completely blank.

Hakkawi and his trusted assassins were elusive, and no one could pinpoint their exact location or destination.

Muhaddaeb originally thought that it would take them at least three to five years to return after their secret missionary work, but to his surprise, less than a year later, Haqqavi returned to the Sirkha Valley without any warning.

Presumably, the repeated defeats at the Ubaid River Oasis have enraged this well-informed assassin leader.

at this time.

"Muhadab." A cold voice came from outside the door.

Muhadeb broke out in a cold sweat and collapsed to his knees with a thud.

A ghostly black figure slowly approached. Years of honing his assassin skills and the light, swift boots on his feet made almost no sound as he moved, yet he seemed like a cold, invisible dagger, aimed straight at Muhadeb's heart.

"Do you know your crime?" the cold voice asked again.

“I have failed the trust of the great faithful commander, and my sin is grave! But I swear by Almighty God! Those Persians are too difficult to deal with, and I am truly powerless!” Muhadeb looked at the shadowy figure shrouded in black robes and hurriedly kowtowed.

"Fool!" Hakawi gritted his teeth. "I think you're blinded by money! You only think about returning to Iraq to seize wealth, without considering the balance of power between the two sides at all!"

For a long time, there was a deathly silence.

"Listen," Hakawi said slowly after a long silence, "I hereby order you to lead your people south to the Nej region and expand our influence there. If you fail to perform your duties..."

As he spoke, he raised his right hand, and a sharp hidden weapon shot out from his sleeve, instantly killing the black slave guard next to him.

"This is the end!" The chilling voice descended once more.

“Ah…Yes! Yes! By God’s grace, I will never fail your expectations!” Muhadeb quickly and obediently replied.

But no one noticed the glint of desire for independence that flashed in his eyes.

Indeed, he was already dissatisfied with Hakawi's frequent suppression, but he did not dare to openly confront him for the time being, so he could only pretend to be compliant.

Forced by the power of the authorities, Muhadab had no choice but to lead his loyal followers and entourage into the more barren heartland of Najd.

Scouts and sentries kept watch all around as the southward-bound camel caravan struggled forward, its black flags embroidered with Arabic script fluttering in the wind.

"Hmph, that cursed madman!"

Muhadeb looked back at the receding Sirhan Valley, scratching his teeth: "Just wait! True Arab warriors will not forever grovel under your devil's black flag!"

After thinking it over, he led his troops toward the Hail Oasis, intending to incorporate the Bedouin tribes that were roaming there.

……

The latest developments of the Blackblade Cult, gathered by spies disguised as merchants and pilgrims, were quickly relayed back to the Saman Empire.

Through the Empire's well-established postal relay system, the message was quickly relayed to Jahanshahr, where Shahzani learned of it.

Looking at a map of the Arabian Peninsula, Shahzani stroked her chin, analyzing the situation between herself and the enemy.

"It seems that we should put the matter of winning over the Kalmar faction on the agenda now."

Shahzani glanced at a corner of the map, a charming smile curving her red lips.

The Karmaites, a branch of Shia Islam that occupied the Kazakh Oasis on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, gradually gathered in the Kazakh Oasis due to persecution by the mainstream Islam, and established a religious regime with a republican system there.

Because of some of the more progressive ideas in their doctrines, the Kalmatians were praised and commended by people such as Biruni and Ibn Sina.

Most importantly, as the Blackblade Cult advanced south into Nejd and approached the Hassa Oasis, the Kalmatians and the Saman Empire gradually found a common enemy.

The enemy of my enemy may not be my friend, but at least we can use each other and each get what we need.

At this time, trade between the Samanid Empire and Bahrain and the Kazakh oases on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf was also very frequent. Through the caravans that traveled back and forth, the imperial court also learned a lot of intelligence and made initial contact with the Kalmatians.