The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 16 The Absurd Persians
February 2, Isfahan, Qiguo Commercial Station.

Yan Shaowu, commander of the Third Mixed Battalion and Xuangjie Colonel (Major), held up the telescope and looked at it for a while, then shook his head slightly and said softly: "Looking at this situation, we can't set off."

"Hey, Commander Yan, we have packed everything up, why can't we leave again?" Liu Qihao, the boss of the Persian Trading Company next to him, raised his eyebrows and said nonchalantly: "Those scattered Afghan cavalry in front, add up to There are only a few hundred riders in total. Putting the people together in our trading station, there can be more than 400 people, relying on the car formation to move slowly, are we still afraid of them? I heard that you were on the way here. We once easily defeated a local tribal armed force of more than a thousand sizes. You see, all those Afghans are in tatters, and their combat power is probably limited. If we give them a little pain, they will definitely not dare to harass us again."

"Shopkeeper Liu Da, are you still awake from the wine you drank last night?" Yan Shaowu looked at the other party jokingly, "Those scattered Afghan cavalry, although they were dressed in tatters, they advanced and retreated in a measured manner and behaved well. Fa, is obviously the forward sentry of the army, an elite soldier who has been fighting for a long time. If I guessed correctly, the entire area around Isfahan should be full of Afghan ranger sentries, and their army must be It’s not far from here.”

"Ah!..." Liu Qihao couldn't help being surprised when he heard this, "Did... the Afghans really hit Isfahan?"

"What do you think?" Yan Shaowu said: "Look, a war will inevitably break out in Isfahan in the next few days. If the Persians win, that's fine. Everything will return to the same as before. We will be a few days late at worst. Set off back to Bushehr Port. But if the Afghans win, the whole situation will become extremely serious."

"How serious is it?" Liu Qihao asked carefully.

"Maybe the Afghans will be able to surround Isfahan! ... We will be trapped here too."

"That's not true. I heard that after the two sieges of Kerman and Yazd, the number of Afghan troops was less than 2. How can Isfahan be surrounded by such a small number of people?"

"Don't forget, most of the Afghans are cavalry!" Yan Shaowu raised his head and glanced at the hundreds of Afghan cavalry wandering in the distance, and said solemnly: "They only need to cut off the access to Isfahan and isolate any If materials are imported into the city, the entire city can be trapped. ...Isfahan is a huge city with a population of more than 50!"

"Didn't the Safavid dynasty start mobilizing for war more than ten days ago?" Liu Qihao's eyes widened, and he had a hint of doubt about Yan Shaowu's assertion. "They issued military orders in Isfahan and nearby villages and local tribes. The conscription order promised a six-month tax exemption for all farmers and herdsmen who volunteered to fight. This move allowed the Persians to gather more than 8000 troops in a short period of time. In addition to the Imperial Guards and the Shah's recent Guards, bringing the total number of troops in the city to more than 5. The governor of Arabistan (now Khuzestan Province in Iran), Wali Said, also promised to lead more than [-] Arab cavalry to Isfahan. Attack the Afghans. In this way, the Persians have nearly [-] troops, which is twice as many as the Afghans. How could they allow the other side to blockade and siege Isfahan?"

"Don't you look at the quality of the troops temporarily recruited by the Persians?" Yan Shaowu shook his head and said: "Those farmers and herdsmen had little or no training, and their weapons were only sticks and wooden spears. The original weapons in the city were Although the Imperial Guards and the Shah's Guards are well-equipped, they have always guarded the capital and have never experienced a war. If they really see the real results on the battlefield, they may not be able to defeat those fierce Afghans. Oh, as for the upcoming one The Arab cavalry is loosely disciplined and accustomed to fighting against the wind. If they compete with the Afghans, they may not be able to gain the upper hand."

"If..., if the Persians were defeated and the Afghans surrounded Isfahan, how should we respond?" Hearing what Yan Shaowu said, Liu Qihao couldn't help but panic: "There is a lot of money accumulated in this trading station. There is little gold and silver supplies, and there are also many precious cultural relics collected from all over Persia. If the Afghans were to take over all of them, our losses would be too great. ...Should we take refuge in the city? "

"No!" Yin Shenghui, the person in charge of the black-clothed guards stationed in Isfahan and Xuangjie Colonel (Major), suddenly stopped him: "We finally moved all the materials and personnel to the trading station. If we move around again, Not only will we not be able to transport it back to the city in time, but we are also very likely to be attacked by Afghan horsemen outside the city. The gains will definitely outweigh the losses. In my opinion, it is better to stick to the trading station and wait for the fighting to subside before setting off to return. Bushehr Port.”

Yan Shaowu glanced at Yin Shenghui but said nothing.The reason why he objected to the evacuation of all materials and personnel from the trading station to Isfahan was simply because he was worried that Prince Abbas, who had finally been smuggled out of the city, would be discovered by the Persians, which would cause a serious diplomatic incident.

However, depending on the defense situation of the trading station, it may not be able to defend it when faced with the siege of thousands of Afghans.By then, after defeating the Persian army, they will be able to slaughter them easily. "According to the information coming from all sides, we can confirm with great certainty that the Afghans do not have heavy artillery, but only a small-caliber artillery, carried on camels and connected with a rotating device. They call it the 'Little Hornet'. It fires The power of artillery shells is limited and cannot break through solid city walls. Well, this kind of artillery can't even break down wooden fortresses, and can only pose a certain threat to cavalry or infantry." Seeing Yan Shaowu's hesitant expression, Yin Shenghui quickly fired the Afghans' Heavy weapons and equipment were briefly introduced in an attempt to persuade the other party to agree to stick to the trading station.

"you sure?"

"I'm very sure." Yin Shenghui said with determination: "Throughout Persia, some heavy siege weapons have not been widely used, especially heavy siege artillery. Because, in Persia, there are almost no waterways and few The roads can withstand long-distance crushing by heavy artillery vehicles, and most of the logistical baggage and weapons and equipment rely on packhorse transportation. Therefore, whether it is the Persian army or the Afghan tribal armed forces, they can only carry out protracted operations when facing strong cities and fortifications. siege of the city."

"In this case, if this trading station is slightly decorated, it is not impossible to defend it." Yan Shaowu nodded.

As long as the enemy does not have heavy siege artillery, then this trading station built with masonry and giant wood can be used as a small fortress. With the continuous output of firepower, it will cause a lot of damage to the attacking enemy and make them retreat.When the armies of King Qin from various parts of Persia arrived, drove away the Afghans, and lifted the siege of Isfahan, they would naturally be able to get out of trouble, and then smoothly set off southward.

"Then, our top priority now is to try to purchase and collect necessary food nearby to prepare for emergencies. Well, a food reserve that can last at least three months."

On March 3, Mahmoud led the main force of more than 1 troops to the vicinity of Gulnabad, about [-] kilometers northeast of Isfahan, and set up camp here.

On March 3, after a fierce debate, the Imperial Shah Sultan Hussein finally adopted the suggestion of the Governor of Arabistan, Wali Said Abdullah Musasha, in the city of Isfahan. Expanded military deployment and faced Mahmoud head-on.The pious Shah of the Empire relied on astrologers to determine the date of the battle and ordered that all his soldiers be fed the traditional Persian chickpea stew of mutton to boost morale.

On March 3, the imperial vizier Mohammad Quli Khan set out from Isfahan with an army of 4 men and more than 2000 cannons.The Persian artillery was commanded by Qiu Xiaochun, a military instructor from Qi State and Lieutenant Colonel Linghui.Two days later, Quli Khan was joined by Wali Sayyid Abdullah Musasha and his more than [-] Arab cavalry, bringing the total number of imperial troops to [-].

On March 3, the Persian army crossed Gulnabad and approached the Afghan camp from the south of the official road connecting Isfahan and Yazd.While crossing a canal, they had a skirmish with the Afghans and successfully fought them off.Just when the artillery instructor Qiu Xiaochun suggested that the army should pursue the victory without giving the enemy a break, and use its own numerical superiority to launch an all-out offensive against the Afghans, the Persian army stopped and stood two kilometers away from the Afghans. Start setting up camp and prepare to fight again one day.

The commander-in-chief of the army and the Grand Vizier of the Empire, Mohammad Quli Khan, explained that before the war, according to the predictions of the Shah's astrologers, today was not the time for a decisive battle with the Afghans. The time was not right.Therefore, the army temporarily rested overnight and launched a general attack on the Afghans tomorrow.

When Qiu Xiaochun heard this reason, his mouth opened wide and he was stunned on the spot.

Damn it, a crucial battle actually relies on the predictions of astrologers for combat deployment!
This is so damn unscientific!

(End of this chapter)