xymnovel Chapter 137 Saladin's Ambition
Chapter 137 Saladin's Ambition
Chapter 137 Saladin's Ambition (Part Six)
Seeing the unprecedented surprise and doubt on the Sultan's expression, Almorin grinned: "What, Sultan? You don't think it's that leper king himself who has come, do you?"
"I think I know who it is." Saladin's expression was grave. "Bethsheen, the Bekaa Valley, Beirut, it all connects. It seems the Franks have seen right through our every move."
Saladin looked at Almorin and questioned, "When I left Egypt, I repeatedly asked you to investigate this Frankish crown prince who appeared out of nowhere. All you returned were meaningless platitudes. Now, you yourselves have fallen into his trap. If the Assassins still possessed even a shred of pride and professional dignity, surely they would have uncovered something real?"
Almorin's cheek muscles twitched slightly, revealing his annoyance at being hit where it hurt. He replied dryly, "I have sent more men to Constantinople to investigate in detail, and I believe we will have definite news soon."
"That would be best." Saladin glared at him coldly. "Also, I need to confirm something with you."
"What?"
Saladin stared at Almorin and questioned, "Have you really completely reorganized the Assassin strongholds in Egypt?"
Are all members of the organization truly loyal to you? Are you sure there aren't any traitors?
"Sultan, I swear in the name of Allah, there are absolutely no traitors among the brothers in the Egyptian stronghold!" Almorin suddenly raised his voice, speaking with unwavering certainty. "Those unreliable Christian peripheral members of the old organization, and those stubborn Shia elements, have long been wiped out by me! Now, the stronghold is filled with devout Sunni brothers, Saracens, Kurds, and Turks—they are irreconcilably opposed to the Frankish infidels and sworn enemies of the Shia heretics who have strayed from the right path! They have no reason to betray the organization, to betray you, or to betray Allah!"
Saladin asked suspiciously, "Really? Almorin, before you came to Damascus a few days ago, did you hear about the fire in Beirut?"
"I'd heard something about it," Almolin recalled. "The fire was more ferocious than ever before, and it even seemed to survive water."
Saladin nodded: "Only the Greek fire of the Romans could have caused such a fire."
"Greek fire?" Tagudin, who had been silently listening to Saladin and Almorin's conversation, exclaimed in surprise. "How could the Franks possibly have obtained Greek fire?"
"Before the Battle of Beirut, Raymond did indeed travel to Constantinople with the Crown Prince to attend the wedding of the Roman Emperor and the Frankish princess." Saladin frowned, uttering an almost improbable conjecture in disbelief. "Would the Romans really give Greek fire to the Franks? That's their closely guarded secret; it's utterly inconceivable."
"Even if the Franks did possess Greek fire, how did they manage to bring it to our heavily guarded ships, ignite it without anyone noticing, and let it burn ever brighter until it was completely unstoppable?" Saladin looked at Almorin. "The only vessels capable of entering and leaving our naval fleet in Beirut port are supply ships from Egypt. Almorin, I request that you return to Egypt immediately to investigate this matter in conjunction with Prince Adil."
A fine sheen of sweat appeared on Almorin's forehead.
He didn't care about the truth of the Battle of Beirut. The core mission entrusted to him by Rashid al-Din Sinan was to monitor and exploit Saladin to gain benefits and living space for the Assassins in Syria.
Returning to Egypt, away from the center of power and the strife in Damascus, would do him no good.
Thinking of this, Almorin hurriedly said, "Sultan, perhaps the fire wasn't caused by spies, but rather—by the Frankish Assassins?"
"Frankish Assassins? How could Frankish ships possibly infiltrate our fleet so silently?" Saladin laughed angrily. "You Assassins often boast of being eagles in the sky, isn't that enough? Now you've switched to being fish in the water?"
Almorin was speechless at Saladin's words, remaining silent for a long time. After a moment, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, as if he had grasped a lifeline, and he hurriedly changed the subject: "Your Majesty—have you recently come to a new target?"
"Indeed, those parasites from the Muqaddam family." Saladin glanced at him. "But I have my own arrangements for this matter; I'll leave it to the other Assassins. Your mission is Egypt."
"No, no, no, Your Majesty the Sultan!" Almorin waved his hands repeatedly, his speech quickening. "The investigation in Constantinople will soon yield results, and I must personally verify them here to ensure the information is absolutely accurate! Moreover, the Mukadam family has been entrenched in Damascus for generations, deeply rooted and not to be trifled with! This matter concerns the very stability of Damascus. If it is entrusted to an inexperienced successor, a mishap could alert the enemy, triggering unrest throughout the city, with unimaginable consequences! Such a crucial task must be handled personally to ensure a clean and efficient process, leaving no future troubles!"
He took a breath and continued trying to persuade the Sultan: "As for the matter of Beirut, I can immediately write a letter with a secret order sent back to Egypt, instructing my trusted confidants to begin a secret investigation. After I have dealt with the intelligence in Constantinople and the Muqaddam family, I will personally go to Egypt to meet with Prince Adil and take charge of the overall situation. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
Saladin narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Almorin's anxious reaction, and slowly said, "Bethshean, you've already failed once. How can I trust you to deal with the Mukadam family this time? What are your plans?"
Almorin knew this was a crucial moment. He steadied himself and confidently said, "Sultan, dealing with these local tyrants is difficult with ordinary assassinations, framing, and fabricating common crimes. These methods are more likely to leave ammunition for criticism. To eradicate them completely and eliminate future troubles, we must use heinous crimes that will shake people's hearts and condemn them to eternal damnation. Even those who sympathize with them the most will not dare to or be able to defend them."
Saladin nodded: "Go on."
Almorin held up two fingers: "Only two charges are needed. One is plotting against the Sultan and attempting to assassinate him; the other is despising God and practicing heresy."
"They could secretly convert" or be accused of being "rafids" (a derogatory term used by Sunnis for certain Shia branches accusing them of refusing to recognize the legitimate Caliph), or secretly adhere to the heretical ideas of the "khawaliji" (an extreme separatist sect in early Islam). Furthermore, it could imply collusion between them and the Zengid royal family, or even—our Assassins."
"We might accidentally discover that they possess forbidden heretical texts, use unique heretical prayer symbols, or make statements in secret meetings that contradict orthodox Sunni doctrine. Especially when you confront them for questioning, the Assassins will appear at the opportune moment to assassinate you. In this way, even if all of Muqadam's people jumped into the Jordan River, they would still be unable to clear their names."
"Both crimes will be punished: treason will shake your throne, and apostasy will anger God and all believers. When you send troops to eliminate them, it will no longer be a power struggle, but an act of God's will to purify the faith and maintain the unity and purity of the Muslim community. The people of Damascus and the emirs elsewhere will have nothing to say, and may even applaud. The Muqadam family will be like dry wood thrown into hell, burned to ashes, and no one will even pity them."
The basement was deathly silent, save for the occasional crackling of the candlelight.
Tajudin felt a chill run down his spine. He had never felt so directly that language and conspiracy could weave such a terrible web.
Saladin nodded in satisfaction and, without the slightest hesitation, immediately ordered Almorin, "Almorin, I'm giving you one more chance to prove the value you've lost in Beitshean. Proceed with the plans regarding the Mukadam family as you see fit. But remember, I need solid evidence, not mere rumors. The timing is mine; do not act rashly without my explicit order."
He stood up, casting a shadow over Almorin: "As for the investigation in Egypt—your confidants can begin. But if you make another mistake regarding Muqaddam, or if the news from Constantinople remains worthless—"
"As you command, Your Majesty the Sultan." Almorin bowed his head deeply, concealing the fleeting glint in his eyes that was a mixture of relief and deeper calculation.