OBS Chapter 954 A City Full of Cowards
Chapter 954 A City Full of Cowards
Chapter 954 A City Full of Cowards
In Hades City, Jeanne, returning from cleaning up the battlefield, listened with some doubt to Lothar recounting his experience: "Did this really work?"
"I think it works."
"You just uttered a few harsh words. Do you really think he, the King of Kings and the leader of the Zoroastrian world, would just hand over Ctesiphon and Baghdad to you and obediently stay where he is, waiting to surrender to you?"
Jeanne thought this was outrageous.
"Whether he flees into exile or puts up a last stand, the outcome is the same. The Sassanids have almost run out of cards, and they no longer deserve to stay at the table."
Seizing Baghdad and Ctesiphon, the two central strongholds of the Sasanian Empire, meant that the entire Mesopotamian plain would soon fall into his hands. The last piece of the puzzle of the Fertile Crescent had been completed, and the glorious territory of the ancient Assyrian Empire was about to reappear in his hands.
"We'll rest tonight and march on Baghdad first thing tomorrow morning!"
The Persian Plateau, Hamadan.
If the Zagros Mountains are a natural barrier straddling the Persian Plateau and the Mesopotamian Plain, then Hamadan is the gateway guarding this barrier, holding an even more important position than Lakhba, which was conquered by overseas empires.
Alexander the Great, Cyrus the Great, and many other Persian conquerors entered the Persian Plateau through this city.
Hamedan is located on the northwestern slopes of the Zagros Mountains. The Diyala River, which originates here, flows down and merges with the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers before emptying into the Persian Gulf via Basra.
Passing through Howezan at the southern end of the Diyala River, and going upstream along the Tigris River, the road to Baghdad will be flat and unobstructed, with no obstacles to slow down the Tatar cavalry.
At this time, the Tatar army had already formed ranks outside Hamadan.
Tens of thousands of dark, imposing cavalry, and the orderly array of their siege camps, terrified the Hamadan people, leaving them breathless.
Hamadan is also a magnificent city.
Although it cannot be compared with famous cities such as Isfahan, Ctesiphon, Cairo, and Constantinople, it still has a permanent population of 80,000, and its handicrafts and commerce are quite prosperous due to its unique geographical location.
If it were located in Western Europe, it would immediately become the most magnificent city, even more so than Paris, Rendenwick, and Aachen.
At this moment, in the city's council hall.
Many of Hamadan's nobles and clergy gathered together.
The governor of Hamadan, Shams al-Din, had two thousand armored cavalrymen, two thousand Kurdish mercenaries hired from the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, and five thousand armored town militiamen conscripted from the citizens.
If the private retainers of the nobles in the city, as well as adult men among the citizens, were to be conscripted to fight on the city walls, the total force could reach as many as 20,000.
However, although the number seemed large, it was mostly a rabble. Even with the city walls as a support, Shams al-Din had little confidence in being able to compete with these Tatars who had achieved outstanding victories.
Hamadan was very wealthy.
However, as the war began, the prices of weapons and armor skyrocketed, and even the value of experienced mercenaries increased dramatically. To hire them, one had to compete with Isfahan, Neshapur, Ray, and even the Sasanian Central Army.
Governor Shamsding was clearly not qualified.
The faces of the many prominent figures present were quite grim. They had never expected that the Tatars would continue their westward advance to attack Mesopotamia before they had even fully conquered Persia.
"Your Excellency, the Tatars are now at the city gates. How should we repel them?"
"Yes, Your Excellency, has your letter requesting assistance been sent out? What was His Majesty Bahram's reply?"
Shamsding sighed deeply: "Now, the Frankish army is pressing in on the western border of the Empire and has already reached the gates of Haditha. His Majesty Bahram has already sent all his mobile forces to Ariataberg. How can he possibly have the spare strength to support us now?"
He was still unaware that Haditha had fallen; the Sassanid leadership had deliberately covered it up, saying only that the Franks were at the gates of Haditha.
"At this time of year, how can I possibly know a strategy to repel the enemy?"
A nobleman dressed in fine clothes, with a large belly, who was obviously from a merchant family, coughed lightly: "Your Excellency, the situation is difficult, it is not your fault."
"Isfahan is a city with strong walls and a population of over 200,000, with 20,000 armored soldiers and several masters in command, yet it still could not withstand the Tatar army. When the city fell, all the people, nobles, and clergy were killed, and the entire city was almost razed to the ground. How can my small city of Hamadan resist the iron hooves of the Tatars?"
Shamsdin frowned slightly, somewhat tempted: "You mean, you want us to surrender to the Tatars without fighting?"
He was not ignorant of military affairs, but it was precisely because he was knowledgeable about them that he felt Hamadan could not possibly resist those ferocious Tatar soldiers with the strength of a single city. These men were far superior to ordinary nomadic cavalry.
"No!"
An exiled nobleman angrily said, "The Tatars are greedy and insatiable. If we lay down our weapons, wouldn't that be putting ourselves on the chopping block of these barbarians, letting them take whatever they want?"
Someone immediately argued, "But we can't win at all."
The exiled nobles shouted, "Even if we can't win, we'll fight to the last moment! For the Sassanids, for all the victims, for the eternal burning of the sacred flame! Are the Hamadan people so cowardly and afraid of death?"
Recalling the horrific massacre that occurred when his homeland fell, his eyes burned with fury: "All of you here are men of high status and outstanding moral character. Are you willing to kneel down and become slaves of the Tatars just to survive for a while?"
The exiled nobleman stared intently at these cowards, and for a moment, none of these nobles, whose status was above his, dared to look him in the eye.
Hamadan had a strong commercial atmosphere, and most of the nobles came from the urban class. They lacked the martial spirit of military aristocrats. The Tatars' iron-fisted methods in conquering the territories had deeply shocked them.
"Ha, I never expected that all the nobles in Hamadan were a bunch of cowards. If I had known this, I should have taken my men to Howezan."
The exiled nobleman sneered: "Governor Shamsdin, open the city gates. My soldiers and I will fight to the last moment."
Shamsdin said with some shame, "It is not that we are cowardly, but that the Tatars are cruel and powerful. For the sake of the lives of the people of this city, I have no choice but to seek a way to protect them."
Chi-
The sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out.
The wealthy-looking nobleman who had just advised Shamsdin to surrender coldly pulled out the blade he had taken from the body of the exiled nobleman.
"Nazar, what are you doing?"
Shamsding was both shocked and furious.
“The Tatars never let those who resist go. If we let him leave and start a war with the Tatars, wouldn’t we be dragged into it as well? His hometown was massacred by the Tatars, but none of you here have been.”
Nazar was somewhat displeased with Shamsdin's feigned concern.
“Your Excellency, I have made contact with the Tatar leader, Jochi Khan. If you are willing to surrender the city and provide the western expeditionary army with sufficient supplies to pass through the Zagros Pass, I promise to preserve your original status and treatment!”
"This"
Shamsding hesitated for a moment, and seeing everyone looking at him expectantly, he had no choice but to say helplessly, "Fine, then let's do as you say."
Nazar squatted down and beheaded the exiled nobleman.
Shamsding couldn't help but ask, "You've already killed him, why do you still want to desecrate his body?"
According to Zoroastrian doctrine, the deceased must have a intact body in order to be cremated and have their soul return to heaven.
"Since he is already dead and can't feel anything anyway, why not use his head as a token to gain the trust of the Tatars?"
Nazar said matter-of-factly, "Furthermore, I need the governor to send men to wipe out this man's cronies and guards, and to transport their heads out of the city with me."
He said this and turned to leave without waiting for Shamsdin's reply.
He had seen through the hypocritical governor, but he had no intention of giving Shamsding a way out. "You've made me do all the dirty work. What are you all good for?"
Shamsdin, somewhat embarrassed by the gazes cast upon him by his confidants, could only wave his hand, signaling them to do as Nazar said.
However, he still felt somewhat embarrassed.
He forced out two tears: "It's all those despicable Franks' fault for joining forces with the Tatars, leaving us unable to defend ourselves. Otherwise, with Your Majesty's full support, I would have fought these Tatars to the last moment, even if my entire clan perished, I would have no regrets."
The nobles all looked sorrowful: "Governor, please accept our condolences. Our temporary allegiance to the Tatars is a last resort. I believe that even if His Majesty Bahram knew, he would forgive us."