The Sun and the Lion

In the military camp, Ibrahim, accompanied by his soldiers, inspected the camps of various troops. After the festival, the military camp quickly returned to its original order, and the holiday did not slow down the preparations for war.

After two months of rest and replenishment, he was able to assemble a total of 24 regiments of red heads, including bow holders. This army will be a decisive force on any battlefield, but Ibrahim has not yet decided who to deal with next.

Although Alwand had been executed by Ibrahim, his property was not received by Ibrahim. The power vacuum caused by Alvand's death triggered chaos in the hinterland of the Iranian plateau. Military leaders rose up to separatist forces, and bandits dared to operate openly and even occupy the countryside.

The returnees supported by Ibrahim did not achieve much. Due to Ibrahim's tough demands, they spent several months in Tehran. This city controlled by military leaders put up a tenacious resistance. The reinforced city defenses cost the attackers a heavy price. The silver bullet offensive incited some officers to rebel, and even reduced the number of soldiers actually participating in the siege.

However, with the support of Ibrahim and Gilanshah, this isolated city was still captured. Talish Khan led the temporarily mobilized horsemen to settle in Tehran on behalf of Ibrahim and take over the treasury. This area was considered to be included in Ibrahim's rule, but that was all. Qom and Semnan still did not surrender, blocking the eastward and southward passages.

Mesopotamia seems to be a better trophy. Whether it is Ahmed or Murad, their current military strength is no longer comparable to that of Ibrahim.

Back at the main tent, the senior officers who had been notified in advance gathered here, waiting for Ibrahim to give them orders.

"Your Majesty." Seeing Ibrahim, the officers saluted. Then the meeting started, and the core question was one: Who will this scimitar kill next?

"I think it's better to pursue the victory, Your Majesty." Ustaji Khan suggested. "With the death of Arvand, the territory he used to own has fallen into a power vacuum. Although we cannot directly take over his legacy, the chaos The situation is conducive to our conquest. The conflicts between the warlords are difficult to reconcile, and they cannot unite to fight against us. Even if they reluctantly form an alliance, they are inconsistent.

Fighting Alvand was like fighting a soldier, while fighting the military leaders was like facing a group of children. A group of weak children and a strong warrior, Your Majesty, it’s up to you to choose. "

"You wouldn't be too hasty to intervene in the east at this time, right? Our loyal vassals haven't unleashed their punches yet."

"Your Majesty, our envoys have not returned yet, and the spies are still collecting intelligence. Now our army does not understand the local situation at all, which is very detrimental to the battle." The spy chief Turgut added.

"We don't need to worry about the east for the time being. My vassals should be able to shoulder this responsibility. We don't need to worry about the power vacuum. Let them make trouble on their own first. In any case, they will not threaten the border." Ibrahim objected Ustaji Khan's plan.

"If you insist on doing this, I can only comply with your will." Ustaji Khan had no choice but to retreat after being rebutted.

"Ahmed should be a good choice, Your Majesty." Turgut suggested: "According to the battle report sent by Romru Khan, Ahmed insisted on besieging Mosul before. For this reason, he mobilized Di All the tribes in the Yabakir region also collected troops and military supplies from the Kurdish emir attached to him.

But he failed to win the victory that his vassals expected. Months of siege did not allow him to strengthen his control over Mesopotamia. Instead, he suffered losses due to several successful counterattacks launched by Ramru Khan. General Heraclius even destroyed Ahmed's rule north of the Taurus Mountains. The vassals could only see losses without rewards, and in order to maintain the war, Ahmed was more harsh on his vassals, exacerbating the dissatisfaction of the vassals. "

Ahmed is indeed no longer welcome, at least not by the Kurdish emir.

Turgut then talked about his achievements to everyone: including Ahmed's current approximate military strength, the intelligence of the Diyarbakır region and the connection between the Kurdish emirs - they promised to Switch sides to help Ibrahim when the time comes.

Then, the spy chief explained Murad's current situation: "The Sultan of Baghdad is caught in a conflict with the Moussa Shah Order and is unable to fight externally. If a third party interferes in this war, Murad may not even be able to protect himself." No strength at all.”

It is clear who to target next. There is no rush to receive Alvand's inheritance. Ibrahim wants to take over Mesopotamia first. After the recovery, Iraq can provide more for Ibrahim. of taxes. Bordering Syria and Asia Minor would also allow the Safavid dynasty to better control their followers living west of the border, and trade routes disrupted by war could be restored.

After finalizing the combat objectives, it is time to plan the combat plan.

Everyone had no objections on the march route, and all agreed to go to Mosul to join Romru Khan, and then attack Diyarbakır from the flat south. Instead of walking through Asia Minor, which has complex terrain, then crossing the Taurus Mountains and rushing out from the narrow mountain pass.

"Emirs, there is another issue. I plan to recruit some followers from various tribes who cannot become cavalry. We will face a siege next, which is something cavalry are not very good at."

Ibrahim suddenly thought of the long-forgotten Gulam. This army had long been an empty shell due to previous financial problems. This also left him with no standing infantry units available.

After the war, he wanted to reorganize Gulam to make up for Qizilbash's lack of infantry, and to balance them by promoting a large number of Dhimmi officers. But that’s a story for another day.

At the same time, news of Ibrahim's large-scale persecution of Sunnis spread to surrounding countries along with caravans and refugees.