The Sun and the Lion

Under the gaze of residents on both sides of the street, a huge cavalry team slowly drove into the city. At the front was Ibrahim. He was wearing a simple black robe, and the leather belt around his waist was decorated with gold, silver and precious stones. He was carrying the Sheshier scimitar that Ibrahim most often used. There was no decoration on the scabbard or handle. Under his crotch was the white war horse that he most often rode.

Two guards holding flags advanced slowly behind Ibrahim, but there was no wind today and the flags were not fully unfolded. Further back is a large group of cavalry. These cavalry move forward side by side, some distance away from the flag bearers. At the front of the team are the bow holders first, then the Qizilbash, and finally the Georgian cavalry and the Gulams. Still assisting the baggage camp in packing Alvand's belongings.

Suddenly, Ibrahim heard some discordant sounds, which seemed to be human voices. Some people were making a noise. The bow holder who was opening the way at the front hurriedly ran to report to Ibrahim: "Your Majesty, there is a riot!"

The Sunni clerics in the crowd watched with satisfaction as more and more people were incited by them. Then, under the guidance of some clergy, many of the rioters shouted, "Kill all the apostates! "Going in the direction of the palace.

The thugs who blocked the cavalry on the road were approaching with stones and various weapons. The bow-bearers who opened the way at the front were at a disadvantage in numbers, and they did not receive the Sultan's order, nor did they expect such an incident, so they had to retreat to Ibrahim's side. During the retreat, some rioters threw rocks at the bow holders. The bow holders blocked them with shields and did not dare to stay too long, so they accelerated their retreat.

"Everyone, prepare! Kill all these thugs!" Ibrahim gave the order unceremoniously. The cavalrymen took out their weapons, and some red heads with bows and arrows began to shoot at the crowd.

"There is nothing to be afraid of! God will only stand on the side of true believers!" A priest stood up before the mob charged and tried to boost morale, but the target was too obvious, and several arrows penetrated his unprotected body. fell to the ground in front of hundreds of eyes, blood pooling in the depressions in the ground.

But the thugs behind did not know what was happening, and with the encouragement of other priests, the team still moved forward slowly along the avenue. The arrows fired by the red heads were not many, but they were very accurate. They could almost knock down a thug with one arrow. In just a few dozen meters, they knocked down nearly a hundred thugs.

"They are hesitating, hesitating! They know they are afraid! Brothers and sisters! Now is the best time, kill them all!" Ibrahim pulled out the Sheshier scimitar and held it high. The moonlight reflected on the blade, making The blade looked as flawless as moonlight. The scimitar he held high slashed forward, taking the lead. Ibrahim rushed into the crowd first and got first blood, while the cavalry followed closely behind. Although the urban terrain limited the performance of the cavalry, the red heads' combat power was enough to deal with it. The ragtag group was more than enough. Many people dismounted and fought with their teammates, easily defeating a large number with a small number.

In just a few minutes, the thugs on the avenue were basically dispersed. They fled into the alley next to them. Many people gave up, but the priests and the few who were still persisting resisted in the narrow alley. They used their familiarity with the streets and the red heads to hide and seek, causing a suppression. The operation lasted all night.

Hashayar and the surrenders who were in charge of welcoming the people at the palace were safe and sound. They blocked the castle between them. The thugs had no way to hold on to the strong castle, and they could not besiege them for a long time. After Ibrahim's army arrived, they dispersed. . Ibrahim did not bother to arrest these loose men. After roughly understanding the cause and effect, he determined that the main targets of the suppression were the priests, not the entire city's residents.

After quelling the riot, Ibrahim ordered the arrest of all Sunni clerics in the city and their execution. And dispatched some soldiers and horses to surrounding areas to receive religious property.

"Mr. Muhammad Zakaria, when you were discussing the matter of surrender, you didn't ask for the opinions of these priests." Ibrahim pointed to the pile of heads in front of the castle gate. These are the heads of priests.

"Your Majesty, if these stubborn priests find out, then the viziers and I will be blocked in the castle by the priests and the soldiers and civilians incited by them, and your troops will also be trapped in a protracted siege. For this reason, I have no choice but to make this move." Muhammad Zakaria respectfully expressed his apology to Ibrahim, and then began to change the subject: "Your Majesty, the viziers are all waiting for your arrival in the chamber. In order to be loyal to the new king, they stayed in the meeting hall all night."

Ibrahim did not want to dwell too much on this topic, so he entered the castle under the guidance of Muhammad Zakaria and accompanied by bow-holders.

When we arrived at the meeting hall, the venue was arranged like a banquet. There was a large empty space in the middle of the hall, and long tables were placed around it, with fruits, various desserts and grape juice placed on them. The officials arrived neatly, and they all knelt and sat on the carpet in a relatively close position. The heads of various ministries naturally sat at the front, just behind the table, while other officials sat behind the viziers, looking for the library. www.zhaoshuyuan.com Many people are chatting among each other. On the inner side of the hall, there was a large empty seat, and the supplies on the table were much more luxurious than those on other tables. It was obviously reserved for Ibrahim.

Ibrahim was not polite and took his seat. The person closest to him was Hashayal, followed by Muhammad Zakaria.

After the audience was in place, the waiters came in one after another to serve the gentlemen sitting there, while a dozen dancing girls in cool clothes passed through the reserved passage and entered the center of the hall, entertaining the guests with dance and music.

Ibrahim held half a glass of grape juice in his hand. He was a little absent-minded about the dance in front of him. After watching it for a while, he secretly yawned and then asked in a low voice to Hashayar next to him: "Yesterday you After spending one night in the Castle District, how are the warehouses here?”

Hashayal replied: "Your Majesty, whether you look through the accounts or go to the warehouse to check on the spot, the inventory is very considerable. According to my estimation, it is enough to meet today's expenses and there is still a surplus. You can use this surplus together with the autumn taxes." Money to expand the army or do something else..."

"The first is the pension. Since the beginning of the army, the religious order has not paid pensions to the soldiers. Although the soldiers have no complaints yet, it cannot continue like this... Remember, this money must be given by the military judges. When you go to his house, do not pass through the hands of tribal leaders and nobles..." Ibrahim spent a lot of time telling Hashayal his ideas about pensions in detail, and Hashayal said There is no objection and I will resolutely execute the order.

When Ibrahim wanted to discuss the next topic with Hashayal, Muhammad Zakaria suddenly came over and greeted Ibrahim. Although the conversation was interrupted, Ibrahim did not have a fit, but pretended to be interested in hearing what Muhammad Zakaria wanted to do.