The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 22 Siege of Isfahan ([-])

June 6, Isfahan.

In fact, the number of Afghans is simply not enough to completely surround a city as big as Isfahan. What's more, they still lack heavy siege artillery.Their attacks on the city wall failed repeatedly despite causing many casualties on both sides.The Afghans, who gradually calmed down, immediately chose to block the access to and from the city and cut off the supply of food and other supplies to force the people in the city to surrender.

However, at the beginning, the Afghans could not even effectively prevent the city from receiving supplies from the outside world.The Persians organized several breakouts, all of which were successful.However, several attacks against the Afghans ended in failure without exception.

However, as the Afghans successively established stable strongholds outside the city and continued to send large numbers of cavalry to patrol, the blockade became increasingly tight, blocking the possibility of any supplies entering Isfahan.

Nearly three months have passed, and prices in Isfahan have begun to skyrocket, and food supplies have also experienced widespread shortages.Large-scale civilian demonstrations continued to occur in the Imam Square in front of the Ali Qapu Palace. The people accused the imperial government of being incompetent and boldly shouted slogans that the Shah would abdicate and be succeeded by his younger brother, Prince Abbas.

Some refugees from nearby villages and towns in Isfahan angrily broke into the residences of the Shah's medical doctor and chief mullah, publicly accused them of causing disaster to the empire, and beat them roughly.

Although these spontaneous radical behaviors of the people were promptly suppressed by the Imperial Guards, they greatly weakened the authority of the Shah and made all forces in the city ready to take action.

"You mean, the Governor of Arabistan, Wari Said, is probably secretly colluding with Mahmoud outside the city?" Zhang Guangping, the Qi State Minister in Isfahan, heard that the black-clothed guard officer and the imperial martial arts captain After (Captain) Tan Jinsheng's report, a look of surprise appeared on his face, "Is your news reliable?"

"The news is of course reliable." Tan Jinsheng said solemnly: "We have a bribed spy among the imperial guards guarding the east gate. He told us that in the past two months, several Arabs holding Warisai They left Isfahan under the guise of contacting the Arab tribes in the western region to seek reinforcements, but we have reason to suspect that the matter is not that simple. Until last night, we secretly captured a A personal guard named Wali Said, who was tortured, confirmed his collusion with the Afghans."

"..." Zhang Guangping pondered for a while and then asked in a deep voice: "In response to this situation, do you have any good suggestions?"

"Naturally, all the evidence will be forwarded to the grand vizier of the empire, who will come forward to deal with Wali Said, so as to eliminate hidden dangers in the city." Tan Jinsheng said: "However, the chaotic political situation of the Safavid dynasty and the The grand vizier has been questioned by all parties due to his defeat, and I suspect that he may not be able to subdue Wari Saeed, which may trigger a fierce internal conflict and thereby benefit the Afghans outside the city.”

"So, you are ready to help the Persians." Zhang Guangping asked softly: "By then, can we deal with the beginning and the end?"

"Minister, don't worry." Tan Jinsheng said confidently: "We can handle everything without leakage, and no one will doubt us."

"Then do it." Zhang Guangping said in a deep voice: "For decades, our Qi State has invested countless resources in the Safavid Dynasty to achieve today's situation. We don't want it to be destroyed by a sudden rise of Afghanistan. The local tribal armed forces were wiped out."

"That's what the minister said." Tan Jinsheng nodded and said: "The news coming from all sides is that Mahmoud was greedy and cruel by nature. Whether in Kandahar or in the hinterland of Persia, he burned, killed and looted wantonly. This place was harmful to the entire society. It has caused serious damage to the production and living order, which has greatly affected our trade in Persia."

"The Safavid dynasty is also in trouble and is so weak that it can't even defeat a backward local tribal armed force." Zhang Guangping said with a sarcastic expression on his face, "Now, let the Afghans surround Isfahan. The authority of the central government was severely challenged. Three months had passed since the imperial edict was issued by the Shah of the Empire. Except for Gazwin and Lorestan who sent two weak reinforcements, the governors of other provinces had been There hasn't been any movement. Who knows what they have in mind?"

"Minister..." Tan Jinsheng hesitated for a moment, with a worried expression on his face, "If the governors of various regions in Persia allow the Afghans to besiege Isfahan without taking any active and effective support, will they eventually... …”

"...Probably not." Zhang Guangping was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said: "The reason why the local governor did not actively come to Isfahan to help Isfahan is probably to take the opportunity to blackmail the Shah and ask for more from him. Power and benefits. It is unlikely that a huge empire would allow a backward and barbaric Afghan local tribe to capture the capital, capture the Shah, and replace it."

"What if?" At this thought, Tan Jinsheng couldn't help but feel a little uneasy in his heart.
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Sohrab Nijad looked at the bottle of wine on the table, his heart tightened, he looked at the man opposite him with a pale face, and he didn't dare to reach out to take it.

"What?" Daudi Kamrani looked at Sohrab Nijad coldly, with a dissatisfied look on his face, "Are you scared?" "I...I'm not." Sohrab B. Nijad shook his head hurriedly and said: "I'm just worried... worried that I won't be able to deliver this bottle of wine to the governor."

"As a cook in the Governor's Palace, how could you not deliver this bottle of wine to him?" Daudi Kamrani leaned forward and said with a look on his face: "Wali Said is colluding. The Afghans intend to sell the entire Isfahan to them. Do you know that once the Afghans are allowed into the city, all men will become their victims, and all children and women will also become Their slave. Would you like to see this happen?”

"No, no..." Sohrab Nijad thought of his gentle wife and four lovely children at home, and his blood suddenly surged. "We can't let the Afghans come into the city! They are all a group of demons. , a group of executioners with no mercy!"

"Wali Said is also a devil, and a traitor to our Persians. A few months ago, if he had not only looted the Afghans' rear camps, he would not have caused the defeat of the army, and caused the Grand Vizier to suffer various attacks. The other side blamed him." Daudi Kamrani said angrily: "Now, he is ready to collude with the Afghans and betray all of us Persians. Therefore, we must kill him, not only to wash away our shame, but also to And it could prevent an imminent tragedy.”

"Brother Kamrani, I will try my best to deliver this bottle of wine to Wali Said's table." Sohrab Nijad said with a serious expression: "If anything happens to me, , can you help me take care of Elahi and my children?”

"I will, my dear brother Nijad." Daudi Kamrani stepped forward, hugged Sohrab Nijad, patted his back gently, and said solemnly Said: "I swear in the name of true God, I will take good care of Elahi and your children. ... Oh, true God bless me, I still hope you can return home safely and reunite with them."

"God bless you!" Sohrab Nijad put the bottle of wine on the table in his arms, nodded to Dawoodi Kamrani, and said with determination: "Tell Elahi for me. And there are a few kids, and I love them.”

After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the room, quickly disappearing into the night.

"Is he reliable?" Muhammad Hassan walked out of the cubicle, looked at the dark night outside, and asked softly.

"Disregarding the will of the true God and the order of the Grand Vizier, he must do it even for the sake of his wife and children." Daudi Kamrani sighed.

"If he fails, will he turn you in?"

"...failure?" Daudi Kamrani looked at Muhammad Hassan in shock, "Maybe..., probably."

"So, for the sake of Grand Vizier's reputation, we must make some choices, and someone must sacrifice for it."

"...Huh?!" Daudi Kamrani was startled. Just when he was about to make a move, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, and then he was horrified to see half of the knife tip passing through his chest, and a trace of blood. Infested in it.

"Are you going to kill me... in order to silence me?" Muhammad Hassan suddenly asked as he looked at the Qi people who were squatting on the ground and wiping their long knives.

"No." Huo Jilin replied without raising his head.

"why?"

"Because you are one of our own." Huo Jilin stood up and smiled meaningfully at him.

(End of this chapter)