novelSusiti Chapter 159 Izdin's Letter
Chapter 159 Izdin's Letter
Chapter 159 Izdin's Letter
Saladin's roar, which seemed to tear the tent apart, still seemed to reverberate in the air.
Inside the command tent, the ink-splattered map, the shattered desk, and the kneeling, silent generals were all frozen in the shadow of the Sultan's overwhelming rage.
Just as the Sultan was about to order a southward march in his fury, a voice broke the silence.
"Sudan!"
Everyone looked up and saw it was Tajuddin.
The generals quickly realized that Tajuddin, as the Sultan's beloved nephew, was both wise and brave, and the Sultan would not ignore his advice.
At this moment, Tajuddin raised his head, his face still showing deep pain over the humiliation suffered by the holy city, but his expression was very calm.
"Sultan," Tajudin stepped forward, "please set aside your wrath and allow me to speak!"
Saladin's sharp gaze, still bloodshot, suddenly fixed on Tajudin's face.
The killing intent in his eyes had not yet subsided, but Tajudin met him head-on without flinching.
"Sultan, if you return south in anger now, all the efforts my Ayyubid country has made to launch this northern expedition will be in vain, a complete failure!" Tajudin spoke quickly, fearing that the Sultan's anger had not subsided and he might still decide to march south. "Since our northward march, our army has spent countless resources and fought bravely. With the Sultan's divine power and the assistance of the Emir of Kokberi, we have swept across Mesopotamia like autumn leaves. The century-old foundation of the Zangi Dynasty is now reduced to only three cities in the northeast: Mosul, Sinjar, and Diyarbakir!"
He stood up, disregarding etiquette, and pointed to the ink-stained map on the ground, emphasizing the marks representing the three cities: "Izdin's last stronghold, the core of its resistance, lies here. Our army is already at the gates of Mosul, Sinjar is within reach, and Diyarbakir is now an isolated island. This is the perfect opportunity to uproot the Zangi forces once and for all! Once we take these three cities, the north will be forever at peace, and the threat of Izdin will be completely eliminated. Only then will the back of my Ayyubid dynasty be truly secure."
He turned to Saladin, his gaze piercing: "Sultan, only by completely eliminating Izziddin can we unite the strength of the entire Islamic East without any worries, and wholeheartedly turn our attention to those Franks who dare to desecrate the Holy Land! If we withdraw our troops out of momentary anger, Izziddin will surely rise again, and we will be attacked from both the north and south. When will we ever be able to avenge the loss of the Holy Land? That would truly be a betrayal of God's trust, a betrayal of the blood shed in Mecca and Medina!"
The tent was deathly silent, except for the resounding echo of Tajudin's voice.
Farouk stared blankly at his cousin.
Is this what cultured people are like? No wonder he is Tajudin, he easily accomplished what they could not.
Kochbury's eyes flickered rapidly beneath his lowered eyelids.
The Sultan's nephew is such a young hero; it seems the Sultan's ranks are indeed full of hidden talents.
Saladin did not respond immediately. He stood like a stone statue, the violent heaving of his chest gradually subsiding, the rage in his eyes slowly receding, and reason slowly returning.
Yes—how many dinars have been spent on the Northern Expedition just to win over the enemy and bestow favors? How can the blood and sweat of our soldiers be shed in vain? Izdin has not yet submitted, and the north is not yet settled. Returning south now would be tantamount to spitting out the fat meat we have already swallowed, and exposing our flanks to potential enemies.
Reynald's atrocities must be accounted for, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem must pay the price, but the way and timing of this accounting requires wisdom, not just a fit of rage.
After a long silence, Saladin slowly exhaled.
He sat back in the main seat, and the attendants, seeing that the Sultan seemed to have calmed down, cautiously replaced the table with a new one.
"Tajudin—you are right," Saladin said slowly. "The humiliation of the Holy City is etched in our hearts, and we must avenge it, with blood for blood. But revenge requires strength, and a secure rear."
His gaze swept over the generals: "Issue the order! First, the matter of Mecca is strictly forbidden from being discussed within the army. Anyone who disobeys will be punished severely for disrupting morale! All battalion commanders must control their subordinates. If any rumors circulate, you will be held accountable! Second, the plan to besiege Mosul and Sinjar remains unchanged. All units must intensify the construction of fortifications and stockpile siege equipment. The pressure must be even greater than before! Third, send a letter to Damascus, ordering Dawadar Isfahani to immediately draft a formal diplomatic inquiry and protest document in the name of the Ayyubid Sultan to King Baldwin of the Kingdom of Jerusalem."
He paused, carefully choosing his words, and pondered, "The document must solemnly point out the heinous crimes of treachery, plunder, and desecration of the Holy Land committed by its lord, Reynald of Shatiyon, which are abhorrent to both gods and men. It must question the Kingdom of Jerusalem's stance on such atrocities that violate all rules of war and basic human decency. Is it the mastermind behind these acts? It must demand that King Baldwin provide a clear explanation for this matter and immediately hand over the mastermind, Reynald, to me, on behalf of all believers, for just judgment, in order to appease the hearts of millions of believers and uphold the minimum standards of diplomatic relations."
If Jerusalem harbors criminals or shirks responsibility, our Ayyubid dynasty will consider it a blatant provocation against all Muslims, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem will bear all the serious consequences arising therefrom.
The generals in the tent, especially Tajudin, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The Sultan remained the same Sultan; anger had not eroded his wisdom.
However, the truth eventually came out. The months-long battles between the Ayyubids and the Zengi had plunged Mesopotamia into chaos. Spies, spies, and agents were everywhere. Despite Saladin's strict orders to keep the truth under wraps in his army, the horrifying rumor that "the Frankish demons attacked the Red Sea and destroyed the Holy Land" spread like wildfire in the desert.
Saladin sent people to investigate, but the source of the information was untraceable. It might have been merchants from the south, local forces with ulterior motives, or even rumors deliberately spread within Mosul.
A month later, a letter from within the city, bearing the personal seal of Izdin Masurd Zangi, was shot into Ayyubid's camp with an arrow.
The letter was presented to Saladin, and the generals looked at it expectantly, wondering if it was Izz ad-Din's letter of surrender.
Saladin frowned; he had a premonition that this letter was not simple.
He opened the letter, its contents written in the finest Arabic script, elegant and formal in wording, yet it made him gasp: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and Merciful, to His Excellency Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyubid, who calls himself Sultan":
May God guide the lost and help them distinguish between the loyal and the wicked.
Recently, devastating news came from the south, like a bolt from the blue, leaving all the devout believers heartbroken and in tears.
Multiple sources have confirmed that the Frankish infidels entrenched in Palestine have dared to defy the world by extending their filthy hands toward the Red Sea, which is protected by God, and even the sacred and inviolable Two Holy Lands.
The atrocities of burning, killing, and looting, and the evil deeds that defiled the holy land, were no ordinary acts of war. They were a mad trampling on the very foundation of the Umma faith. Their sins were heinous and beyond description!
Where were you at the time of this unprecedented and humiliating disgrace? And what were you doing?
Your Excellency is leading an army of tens of thousands, stationed beneath the brotherly Muslim cities of Mosul and Sinjar!
Your blade and your fury are not directed at heretical enemies who have blasphemed the Holy Land, but at the Zengi family, who once fought alongside your ancestors against the Crusaders and share the same blood!
Your esteemed ambitions are not for the great cause of Jihad, nor for the recapture of the holy land occupied by infidels, but rather for infighting and fratricide, all for the sake of expanding your own selfish desires and satisfying the empty title of "Sultan"!
God clearly instructed in the Quran: "Hold fast to the cords of God as a whole, and do not divide yourselves."
Now, as the smoke signals lit by infidels may rise around the sacred Kaaba, and although we pray for God's protection and the news is not entirely accurate, are your actions not contrary to God's teachings?
How devoted have you been to your responsibilities to the jihad? How much have you done to fulfill your duty to protect the holy land?
If you still have even a shred of reverence for God, a willingness to follow the Prophet's path, and a concern for the interests of the Ummah, then you should immediately cease this unjust and untimely campaign, turn your attention to consolidating your strength, and fulfill the most primary and sacred duty of a Muslim ruler: to defend the holy land of the faith and punish the blasphemous enemies.
Otherwise, every brick and stone that you have forcibly placed on the walls of Mosul today will become irrefutable evidence in the future to prove that you have neglected the jihad, failed as Sultan, and betrayed the believers!
May God open His all-seeing eyes and witness the thoughts and deeds of every person.
—May God bless the reign of Izdin Masurd Zangi, the protector of Mosul and Sinjar and the rightful successor of the Zangi lineage.