I was the Queen of Persia

Page 158

Limbs and corpses were piled up, and blood stained the ground crimson.

Despite their honor and fierce fighting spirit, they were ultimately outnumbered and the elite forces of the Holy Roman army were thus annihilated.

Meanwhile, due to the cavalry's overly aggressive charge and their separation from other units, noticeable gaps appeared between the various Germanic army units.

The Turan horse archers, skilled in flanking maneuvers, immediately launched a fierce encirclement and division, simultaneously firing as they charged, unleashing a "rain of death" upon the Holy Roman Empire forces.

The Germanic light cavalry attempting to reinforce suffered heavy casualties from the arrow barrage. Their armor was less and their horses weaker, making them utterly unable to withstand the penetrating arrows of the steppe. After a difficult struggle, they were routed by the arrows.

And just then.

The shouts of battle from behind the German army were even louder, and at the same time, clouds of dust rose up. If you zoomed out from the battlefield, you could see that it was the Turan cavalry group that had previously circled around to the rear.

“The outcome of the battle is decided.” Nisa Sahini shrugged regretfully. “The Alman army may be able to put up a fight for a while longer, but they have lost the ability to turn the tide of the battle. What a pity! What a pity.”

The crowd largely agreed with this assessment.

On the battlefield, the situation indeed unfolded in this way.

The Shinra army was attacked from both sides.

On the front, a massive force of cannon fodder mixed with some heavy infantry, carrying the prestige of victory, advanced step by step; on the rear, cavalrymen conscripted from tribes such as the Pecheneg and Kuman-Kipcha, clad in steppe lamellar armor and with their faces hidden under steppe mask helmets, rapidly tightened the encirclement.

The situation on the left wing made the defenders even more desperate.

The thunderous clang of iron hooves and the neighing of warhorses filled the air.

The heavily armed Turanian cavalry, arrayed in formation, drew near, their iron armor like a fortress, their spears like a forest, their armored horses as ferocious and terrifying as steel beasts. Their dark brown battle banners fluttered in the wind, prominently displaying the nine sacred trees of the Turan Khan family.

A fierce charge followed, raising dust that almost obscured the sun. Iron cavalry charged forward, first routing the Polish-West Slavic auxiliary forces on the flank of the Holy Roman Empire—this disunited force, distrusted by the German Emperor, fled the lines and ran like the wind towards the interior.

Of course, not all Poles collapsed at the first sign of trouble.

The Polish heavy infantrymen—the Obcz Warhammer Soldiers—wearing hoods, studded leather armor, and wielding long-handled sickles, were bravely resisting the charge of the Turan armored cavalry.

The other Polish troops also joined in.

There were Polish noble cavalrymen throwing armor-piercing javelins, and swift and fierce Hussar cavalry. Despite the disparity in numbers, these fearless warriors continued to fight tenaciously.

Chapter 364 The Overthrow of the Shinra Empire

The left flank of the Shinra army is already in grave danger.

A small number of tenacious soldiers are still fighting, but they are no longer able to turn the tide of the battle.

"Keng——"

An Obch warhammer soldier swung his scythe and hammer, knocking a Turan Burke armored cavalryman off his horse as he charged towards him, but immediately he was pierced through the body by a lance thrust from the side.

The Turan cavalry, fully armed, advanced like an iron fortress, leaving the outnumbered Polish forces powerless to resist.

Armor clashed, and shouts of battle filled the air.

Polish soldiers fell one after another, dying in battle. Finally, when the last Polish hammer-wielding soldier who resisted was killed by a mace, the flank of the Holy Roman Empire collapsed completely.

The fleeing soldiers were swept up in a wave of collapse.

The Turanian light cavalry and mounted archers, swift as the wind, were deliberately maneuvering to disrupt the junctions between the various Holy Roman Empire forces. Coordination among the Holy Roman Empire's various divisions was completely disrupted, and chaos spread everywhere.

Faced with relentless and fierce attacks, the Holy Roman Empire's army was thrown into chaos, unable to deploy its formations effectively. Faced with the Turan army's encirclement from multiple sides, it could only passively and barely defend itself.

The Turan army continued its encirclement from multiple sides, cutting off the Holy Roman Empire's retreat.

A fierce battle raged, with soldiers locked in combat and battle flags clashing.

The encirclement of the Turan army tightened, armored cavalry tore through the lines, lightly armed archers unleashed arrows, steppe lancers made flanking maneuvers, and the cannon fodder army advanced step by step.

From afar, the brown Turan army gradually devoured the colorful Holy Roman Empire army.

The steppe cavalry's offensive surged wave after wave. The various units of the Holy Roman Empire's army—knights, light cavalry, infantry archers, swordsmen and shieldmen, spearmen—collapsed and were annihilated one after another.

Near the battlefield.

Nisa Sahini was not surprised by the result. After all, the Turan army was a fierce and powerful force. Moreover, by setting a trap and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, even the powerful Saman army would suffer heavy casualties when fighting against them.

What about these even more disorganized Christian feudal militias?

Pick up the Biroone observation glasses and look inside.

"The Alman army has lost its chance of winning. But their king, Conrad II, is still leading his troops in a stubborn resistance, which is quite courageous."

Nisa Sahinnian looked toward the Holy Roman Empire's central army and saw the noble knight clad in chainmail and wearing a multicolored crown, who was commanding his elite troops in a final stand.

On the battlefield.

The longsword flashed, and the battle robe was stained with blood.

"Guards! Follow me! For sacred honor, kill!"

Conrad II's veins bulged with rage, his armor was stained crimson with blood, and the Holy Roman Eagle emblem on his robe was already blurred and indistinct.

His loyal guards also fought to the death.

The Imperial Guard knights fought valiantly, their will unwavering. Their armor and weapons were superior to those of ordinary knights, and some of their warhorses were also clad in iron armor. Wielding longswords, maces, and two-handed greatswords, they fiercely resisted the relentless surge of Turan soldiers.

However, such elite combat power is ultimately only a minority.

"Boom--!"

The sound of iron hooves trampling echoed in unison.

Turan's armored cavalry assembled in formation, with Kilich Zagreb personally leading the charge. The armored cavalry, like a steel wall, pinned down the advancing forces, completely encircling the remaining Holy Roman army.

The Shinra army has no chance of winning.

"Soldiers! Charge for honor!"

Conrad II decided to strike first, raising his longsword and roaring as he led the remaining elite Holy Roman knights in a charge against the Turan army.

The German knights erupted in a flash, charging into the enemy lines with a spirit and power that was enough to breach the walls of Constantinople.

however.

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!"

The Turan armored cavalry did not rush to charge, but instead unleashed a volley of arrows from a distance of a hundred paces. The deadly rain of armor-piercing arrows swept in like locusts, instantly turning the remaining Holy Roman Empire army into a rout.

Once the enemy's formation was disrupted, the Turan armored cavalry suddenly spurred their horses forward, spears raised, and charged forward. The armored warhorses unleashed an unstoppable force, instantly creating a cacophony of clanging armor, mixed with battle cries and the neighing of warhorses.

The dust has settled.

Nisa Sahinnian slowly lowered her observation scope, while the others watched the one-sided massacre on the battlefield with solemn expressions.

“Bald horse,” Nisa Sahinnian commanded. “Outer perimeter guard, watch out for Turan’s patrols. The rest of you, get ready! We have to leave immediately.”

"Whoosh—!" "Whoosh—!"

Valera and Hydia nimbly leaped down from two tall pine trees and quickly moved to a more outer perimeter for reconnaissance and surveillance.

"The Aramaic (Germanic) Kingdom is doomed!"

The Chinese Confucian scholar who was recording the battle situation slowly put away his letter, looked back at the desolate battlefield in the distance, and sighed.

"Hey, looks like my new disguise will come in handy."

Yatumai turned around gracefully and touched the Turan armor she was wearing.

Nisa Sahinnian directed the group to move, then took one last look at the battlefield.

The vast Bohemian plains were littered with corpses, filled with the smoke of battle, and littered with devastation. Clearly, the charge of the Turan cavalry had annihilated the remaining Holy Roman Empire forces.

The victorious Turan army is celebrating their triumph.

Turan soldiers were scattered across the battlefield; some were collecting tattered flags and supplies, some were beheading fallen enemies, some were escorting enemy prisoners of war, and some were patrolling on horseback...

Conrad II gripped the broken sword tightly, his eyes wide with rage, a sharp iron spear piercing his body. He was an ambitious and vain man, but also a valiant warrior.

Nisa Sahinián stopped observing and commanded her troops to set off swiftly, transferring before the Turan army could spread out and plunder and control the region.

……

Leaving the Bohemian plains, Nisa Sahinien led her people to the Czech Forest Mountains, where they settled in a secluded little monastery.

Although the local Catholic monks initially resisted, they could not withstand the combined pressure of Nissa Sahinnian's force and beauty. After several sanctimonious priests were drained of their resources, the monks reached a deal with Nissa Sahinnian, agreeing to let them rest temporarily.

For a period of time thereafter, Nisa Sahini used this place as a temporary base to collect and compile reports on the westward advance of the Turan army.

It is clear.

The Holy Roman Empire lost almost everything in its disastrous defeat in Bohemia—its emperor, lords, soldiers, land, dignity, honor, and autonomy. The once illustrious Germanic aristocracy and knighthood withered completely in this battle. Wandering poets roamed the streets, lamenting the heroic deeds and tragic fate of the Christian warriors…

The victorious Turan army advanced rapidly, sweeping through Franconia, Swabia, Bavaria, Austria... all the principalities of the Holy Roman Empire fell; the city of Prague, which had fought a hard-fought battle, was also captured by Turan's army; and the Polish principalities surrendered.

The Turan raiders, who were leading the attack, even crossed the Rhine River and plundered cities such as Aachen, Cologne, Mainz, and Metz.

Chapter 365 A Multitude of Armies Gather at Verdun

On the banks of the Rhine, a once-powerful noble territory has fallen.

The gloomy clouds, gray and oppressive, hung over the sky.

Columns of smoke shot straight into the sky, and raging flames engulfed the village, making the already gloomy landscape even more terrifying. Further away, on the hilltops, even the lord's castle had been reduced to burning ruins.

"Go! Hurry up!"

The villagers, bound together by cangues and ropes, were all dressed in rags and looked terrified. They staggered along amidst the whipping and cursing of their guards.

They couldn't understand the strange and harsh language of the guards, but they could sense a ferocious glint in their eyes peeking out from beneath their masks and helmets.

"Stop! Slave!"

Accompanied by harsh Turkic commands.

Turanmingbash (the chieftain), riding a tall horse, stood blocking the way in front of the throng of people.

He removed the Kipchak-style mask with its tassels, revealing dozens of braids flying in the wind. His jet-black hair, high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and cuts on his cheeks... This bizarre appearance terrified the villagers even more.

"All centurions, listen to my command! Select 1000 strong and healthy slaves to be incorporated into the 'Hashar' team; then select 200 beautiful young girls to be sent to the Tuman (ten thousand households)! The remaining slaves shall be distributed among the centurions according to their merits in battle!"

Angbash gave the order to the Yuzbash beside him.

In an instant, the fully armed Turan soldiers rushed forward, their laughter, curses, wails, and cries mingling together.

"Please, let us go! We beg you!"

A young girl being dragged along screamed desperately, her bare feet struggling on the uneven muddy ground. Her coarse linen peasant skirt was already covered in mud, but the inability to communicate did nothing to soften the cruelty of the Turan soldiers. The iron fists coming at her silenced her instantly.

Some able-bodied men also tried to resist, but how could a group of unarmed and bound peasants possibly stand against soldiers armed to the teeth? In just a few moments, the resisters were either killed on the spot or beaten unconscious.

No one dared to resist anymore.

This Turan commander, escorting the plundered slaves and livestock, swaggered back to his camp. Such instances were occurring continuously throughout the fallen Holy Roman Empire.

……

A small castle in the Alps, a temporary stop for Samanid envoys.

"Croatia has been annexed by the Eastern Roman Empire."

"The Zaghlitts have occupied all of Alemannia (Germany) and now plan to cross the Rhine to invade Christian countries further west and seek to completely defeat the Christian coalition."

Hydia and Atumai, who had gone to gather intelligence, reported the situation to Nisa Sahinnian.

“Where is the main force of the Christian coalition now?” Nisa Sahimian asked.

Although the Holy Roman Empire had fallen, she knew that the Papacy had assembled another allied force. If this allied force could turn the tide and achieve victory, then Turan's westward advance might be temporarily halted on the banks of the Rhine.

“In Verdun,” Yatumai said.

“Oh, that city that signed the Treaty that divided the Frankish Empire,” Nisa Sahimian immediately thought.

Although Iranians had many misconceptions about the outside world at that time, these misconceptions were gradually corrected through the teachings of Empress Shahzani and the more profound exchanges between civilizations over the years.

Families like the Sahini's, who have traveled extensively, are fluent in multiple languages, and are adept at interacting with locals, possess a greater understanding of the outside world than other Iranians.

“However, the Christians will likely find it difficult to prevail,” Nisa Sahinien concluded directly.

Not understanding what was going on, they asked for the reason.

"I know."

The Chinese Confucian scholar answered.

"Firstly, before the troops had even assembled, one part of them launched an attack on its own, resulting in a disastrous defeat, which shows that they each had their own agenda."