Upon the passing of Ardashir due to illness, the crown and throne of the Kianians were not left vacant, for Queen Homay Chehrzad ascended the royal seat, inaugurating a new era of righteousness and bounty. Opening the imperial treasuries, she bestowed wealth upon the army and the destitute, revitalizing the realm through unyielding justice. Yet, as the time of her childbirth drew near, the allure of sovereignty held fast upon her heart, and she sought to keep the birth of her son a secret from both the nobles and the populace. She entrusted the infant to a virtuous wet-nurse in secrecy, while announcing to the realm that the child had perished.
When eight months had passed, the child began to bear a striking resemblance to the departed king. Fearful of losing her realm, Homay commanded skilled carpenters to fashion a small chest of dry wood, coated on the outside with pitch, musk, and wax. The interior was lined with fine Roman silk and prepared as a soft bed, filled with sparkling pearls, red gold, rubies, and emeralds, with royal gems bound to the infant's arm. As the child lay deep in slumber, the nurse gently placed him inside, and the lid was sealed fast with amber, pitch, and musk.
Under the cover of midnight, two trusted messengers cast the chest into the rushing waters of the Euphrates, following along the riverbank in secret to watch over its fate. As dawn broke over the mountains, the chest floated down the stream until it lodged near a riverbank workshop where a washerman was at work. Seeing the strange vessel, the washerman pulled it from the waters. Upon opening the silks inside, he was astonished to behold a radiant infant surrounded by unimaginable treasures. Filled with joy, he wrapped the child and rushed home, while the queen’s hidden observer sped back to report the discovery to Homay, who commanded absolute secrecy.