Chapter 1003 - 226: The Sassan Crisis

Chapter 1003: Chapter 226: The Sassan Crisis

Tarsus, in the palace of the King of Kings.

Still adorned with the treasure crown, the resplendent Bahram VI was now deeply steeped in fear.

The six cities of Khorasan were lost, Isfahan was besieged, and the entire Persian region had descended into chaotic division. Countless cities had laid down their weapons and pledged allegiance to the Tatars, and countless more had been breached and massacred by them.

The might and brutality of the Tatar army profoundly intimidated this King of Kings.

For a moment, he couldn’t help but feel a measure of regret. Initially, he had allied with Zahir, thinking the Qidan, their century-old adversary, would stand in the way and deplete the Tatars without needing to send reinforcements.

But who would have thought the once-mighty Qidan would be so vulnerable, collapsing before the Tatars in merely half a year.

By the time Khwarezmia also faced devastating defeat, a panicked Bahram VI finally began deploying troops in support, only for the combined forces to be utterly exterminated in battle, their heads stacked into towering piles, rivers of blood flowing.

Soon after, the Tatar army pressed forward, cutting through the narrow paths into the Persian Plateau. The hastily assembled armies stood no chance, consumed entirely in a short span.

Bahram had never encountered such a terrifying enemy. Although their weapons were comparable, Bahram felt as though they were primitives, easily vanquished without the ability to retaliate.

This was a gap in tactical philosophy and in the organization of soldiers.

Bahram could not pinpoint the issue, but even if he did, it wouldn’t change the fact that the Sassanid Dynasty, older than the Eastern Empire and nearly a millennium old, was now a decrepit nation.

Some ministers whispered in consolation, "Your Majesty need not worry. These Tatars are merely like the White Huns of old, perhaps fierce for a time, but they cannot endure for long."

The White Huns, or Hephthalites, once dominated Central Asia and subdued the Sassanid Dynasty, but were ultimately defeated by the Sassanid Dynasty and the Turkic Khanate together.

"The White Huns, nonetheless, were prominent for nearly a hundred years."

Bahram VI’s face turned ashen: "Are you comparing the Tatars to the White Huns, suggesting I must bow to their ruler for a century to wash away humiliation?"

His furious roar echoed through the great hall.

The ministers lowered their heads, having suffered repeated defeats at the hands of the Tatars, even the most foolish would not consider this new Nomadic Empire inferior to the White Huns of the past.

Having vented his anger, Bahram again sought his ministers’ counsel: "Now that Isfahan is under Tatar siege, Governor Langar Zadeh has sent repeated calls for support. What course should we take?"

Isfahan was one of the most crucial cities in the Persian Region within the Sassanid Dynasty. Should it fall, it would effectively mean the entire Persian Region is in enemy hands.

The Grand Vizier, Mustafa, spoke: "Your Majesty, as the Tatars are currently powerful, the urgent task is to station heavy troops to secure the Zagros Mountain Pass, preventing the Tatar cavalry from further incursions, and to muster the governors of western territories to assemble forces at Tarsus.

Furthermore, you, as the Common Lord of the Zoroastrian World, ought to call for a Jihad against the Tatars across the entire Zoroastrian World!

Especially reaching out to the Eastern strong neighbor, the Gur Turkic Kingdom! Now that the Qidan Kingdom has fallen, the two nations share a mutual dependency."

"The ruler of the Gur Turks, Giasuddin, is no mediocre sovereign. He is likely aware of the Tatar threat. If we can secure his aid, pincering the Tatars entrenched in the Persian Region from both sides, the tides of war will surely turn in our favor."

His statement was coherent and confident, finally calming Bahram’s anxiety.

He regained his composure and responded, "Proceed as you suggest. But is assembling only the governors’ armies sufficient? Can we summon the border troops stationed on the western frontier back to the court?"

Mustafa, after brief contemplation, shook his head: "No, Your Majesty. Though the Franks have not clashed with us in recent years, it does not mean those zealous barbarians have ceased their Eastern Expeditions; however, the remnants of the Ayyubid occupying Jezira and the Armenia Region have faced setbacks in their northern campaign against the Kingdom of Georgia. You might consider offering them a portion of territory from the conquered Persian lands in exchange for their service."

"Remnants of the Ayyubid?"

Bahram VI has always despised Saladin, and naturally harbors no goodwill towards these Ayyubid Dynasty remnants, immediately opposing: "Grand Vizier, your words are incorrect. The Jezira region has always been ruled by the old factions of the Zengi Dynasty, who have long been subservient to me. Now being extinguished by the Ayyubid remnants, if I don’t act as their leader, that’s one thing; how can I instead acknowledge their rule over Jezira?"

The Jezira region refers to the slender ridge formed by "Abd al-Aziz Mountain" and "Mount Sinjar" extending to the plain at the foot of the "Taurus Mountain."

After the Zengi Dynasty, which once ruled these territories, was destroyed, various local lords obtained independent status, oscillating between the Ayyubid Dynasty and the Sassanid Dynasty, paying homage to both while also being hypocritical to both.

Bahram’s rejection of the Grand Vizier’s proposal is fundamentally still due to his resentment towards Saladin’s previous challenge to his status.

Mustafa shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, you cannot let personal preferences guide decision-making. The Ayyubid remnants have considerable strength; if they can be used by us, it would not only relieve pressure on the western border defenses but also garner a formidable army, a dual benefit."

Bahram suppressed his displeasure and asked: "Now, who leads them?"

"Nominally, it’s Saladin’s youngest son Zahir, but in reality, it’s Saladin’s nephew Taqidin. Your Majesty can sow discord between the two, making them disagree, and then act as the arbiter, driving them to fight for you."

"Very well, let’s proceed according to what you say, Mustafa!"

The Grand Vizier added: "You should immediately draft a letter and dispatch an envoy with a lavish amount of gold, silver, and jewels to the Frankish Emperor Losa, fostering goodwill to prevent them from invading our borders."

Bahram queried skeptically: "Can merely some gold and jewels secure the Franks from advancing eastward?"

In recent years, after the demise of the Ayyubid Dynasty, many nobles have taken refuge in the Sassanid Empire, fervently narrating the terrors of the Franks, leaving no one daring to underestimate the Frankish Empire that replaced the vast Ayyubid Dynasty in just a year.

"It should suffice; the two nations have coexisted peacefully for years. The Frankish Emperor Losa, in merely a year, devoured the Ayyubid Dynasty’s various territories. Currently, his priority is probably to consolidate the existing land."

"Besides gold and treasures, Your Majesty could also promise to open several trade routes to the Franks, allowing the merchants from Genoa and Venice to help persuade them."

The Grand Vizier’s face was full of confidence, although internally he felt uncertain about being able to truly steady the Franks, especially after recent devastating defeats revealing Sassan’s vulnerabilities, including losing a third of the Undead Army.

If he were the leader of the Franks, he surely wouldn’t let such an opportune moment slip by.

"Do everything according to what you said."

Bahram breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Minister Mustafa, you are truly the pillar of the nation. In these turbulent times, everything depends on you."

"Your Majesty, there is one more matter."

Mustafa said solemnly: "Recently, the refugees returning from Persia keep increasing daily, always condemning the Tatars’ atrocities in the Persian Region. The capital of Khwarezmia was razed completely due to fierce resistance, with only a few craftsmen surviving; Nishapur was eradicated of its entire populace of 170,000 because of intense resistance; Tatars not only slaughter, but also destroy water facilities, ruin fertile lands, burn vegetation, and block springs—cities destroyed by them may not be rebuilt for a hundred years."

Mustafa paused slightly before continuing: "Such atrocities have stirred public outrage, the people, and the clerics are petitioning for you to send forces to save the populace of the Persian Region from peril."

Bahram VI clenched his fists, his eyes glowed red. Though he was a monarch who indulged in pleasure and became slightly muddled with age, upon hearing of these tragedies, he couldn’t help but curse:

"Those damned robbers, vile evil wolves, only knowing destruction and slaughter as butchers, even the barbaric and ignorant Franks are ten times better than them! Mustafa, transmit my decree—governors everywhere must immediately mobilize, recruit all backup members of the Undead Army. I wish to organize a grand army as quickly as possible to utterly annihilate those bandits ravaging Persia!"

Mustafa shook his head and said: "Your Majesty shouldn’t mobilize troops out of anger; the nation’s main forces have just suffered losses, hastily organizing a force—what are the odds of success?"

He raised the issue not to anger Bahram but to warn him: "The Tatars are not inherently cruel beasts; their massacres aim to intimidate, to instill fear. Currently, it’s public indignation, but once we suffer defeat again..."

He did not continue, but everyone understood that if the populace finds they cannot withstand the brutal Tatars, in fear of a city-wide massacre, they might massively seek refuge under them.

There’s often just a fine line between public outrage and public fear.

After all, the treatment of those who voluntarily yield by the Tatars has always been relatively fair, at least compared to the Franks, who casually conducted widespread family bloodlines eradication, it is far more lenient.