Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 205 Cleansing (Part Two)

When the three royal elders saw Lu Lin walking towards them, their legs trembled.

That was the majesty cultivated from killing countless enemies on the battlefield and commanding thousands of troops, which contrasted sharply with the other party's youthful appearance.

Moreover, unlike the feeling when facing the king, this was an undisguised, sharp, and oppressive sense of power, with a disregard for worldly etiquette.

They could use their age, status, and seniority to advise the king, but they would never dare to use such tactics to test the prince before them.

The elders knew that this young man was the only Arab commander in history to lead an army in a counterattack against Zion, commanding 200,000 elite allied troops and earning the awe of the entire Arab world solely through his illustrious military exploits. His return was precisely to complete an unprecedented canonization ceremony.

The word "old dog" made them subconsciously start to reflect on whether their words and actions had really crossed the line.

"Before you speak, you'd better think carefully about whether you're on the right side or not."

Lu Lin's tone was cold, filled with undisguised disgust, "Have you all forgotten your place?"

Faced with the blunt implication of the conversation, Prince Abdul gritted his teeth and forced a response: "Your Highness, of course we haven't forgotten. It is precisely because we always keep in mind our responsibilities as elders of the royal family that we must say these words. Whether you are present or not, our attitude will not change."

He took a deep breath and said tactfully, "Your Highness's achievements are unparalleled in the last hundred years, and you can stand shoulder to shoulder with legends like Mu'awiyah and Saladin! And the tacit understanding between you and His Majesty is like that of Abu Bakr and Khalid ibn al-Waleed in the past. This is a blessing for the whole of Arabia."

But that is precisely why I implore Your Highness, not to let a moment of impulsiveness ruin all your glory!

Prince Abdul took a trembling step forward and exclaimed with deep sorrow: "Using the army to slaughter nobles has always been a path to disaster! Once the sword is drawn, it is difficult to put it back, eventually leading to a mutiny and causing the entire country to decline from prosperity. Are there few such examples in history?"
Furthermore, the foundation of the Shuangzhi clan rests on the alliance of hundreds of families. The royal family can discipline and exploit them, but it must never slaughter them! The royal family needs them to govern the land, and the people obey the monarchy through their reverence for them. If they were to be completely wiped out, it would be tantamount to the royal family actively cutting off its own limbs! At that time, local policies would be ineffective, laws would collapse, and the entire country would be in danger!

He was speaking to the king, then turned his gaze to Lu Lin, his words neither humble nor arrogant: "Furthermore, Your Highness, there is something I must remind you of. Even if you yourself have no ulterior motives, when the power you hold expands to a certain extent, those around you may not be without their own thoughts."

If Your Highness truly cares for the nation, I dare to suggest that you voluntarily relinquish some military power. This is not a concession, but rather to prevent the two factions from splitting apart and ultimately leading to tragedy!

After saying this, Prince Abdul felt a light sweat break out and a sense of comfort wash over him.

He finally withstood the pressure from the father and son and finished speaking.

Before coming, he had already gone through it in his mind, and this was the best solution he could come up with based on the current situation.

If today's conversation gets out, I can say that I have lived up to the expectations of those prestigious families, and I might even earn the reputation of being "courageous in speaking out".

Lu Lin slammed a thick stack of account books down in front of the three elders. The papers scattered, and the dense numbers on them made the three men's expressions change.

"Take a good look, everyone. This is the pillar of the state you all speak of."

Lu Lin's voice was calm: "They dare to take 70-80% of local taxes and oil every year. And it's not enough to just empty the country; they also take advantage of the tax exemption privileges of nobles to oppress and threaten commoners as their private property, registering them under their own family names. The strong are taken in as private soldiers, and the weak are sent to work. They use every means to evade taxes, leaving the foundation of the country riddled with holes!"

"What's even more ridiculous is that they also transfer assets from the royal bank every year under various pretexts, taking money from the national treasury year after year and then secretly transferring it overseas, putting that money into their own pockets intact!"

Although the royal treasury has always been in the hands of the Sudri faction, according to the tradition established by the founding king, each of his sons or descendants has the right to take money from the treasury for daily expenses. However, as the royal family has grown larger and larger, everyone has started to rack their brains to take money from the treasury.

The reasons given were astonishing. For example, purchasing office supplies for his department, a single pencil cost tens of thousands of US dollars, and reimbursing airfares abroad amounted to hundreds of thousands of US dollars.
Looking at those numbers that even they themselves didn't want to look at, the three elders' eyelids twitched.

Because this is a topic that everyone is unwilling to mention and deliberately avoids, it has now been laid bare in the sunlight.

Lu Lin's tone grew increasingly cold: "Moreover, these people not only embezzle themselves, but they also drag their families into it. This group of short-sighted fools are trying every means to undermine the foundation of this country. Anyway, if the sky falls, it won't be their heads that get hit first!"

The current official election system in Shuangzhi is essentially still based on nepotism, with blood ties, marriage ties, and tribal loyalty being the decisive factors, while ability and professional competence are secondary.

With the reforms and progress of modernization, there are now more and more positions in Shuangzhi that require 'professional skills', but the nobles don't care about these. They are like gluttons who can never get enough to eat, wanting to stuff themselves into their mouths whenever they see a cake.

In the near future, Shuangzhi will have several times more "positions" than it does now.

If these nobles continue as before, the entire country may never have another chance to rid itself of these malignant tumors.

Lu Lin said decisively, "Shuangzhi is currently at a crossroads before it takes off. If we allow these parasites to continue to control the nation's lifeline and prevent truly capable people from taking the lead, then the country will truly be finished!"

Prince Khalid forced a rebuttal: "Even if you're right, who will fill the vacant positions? Does the entire country have to come to a standstill?"

"Go find a dog by the roadside; it can do just as well as those good-for-nothings."

Lu Lin showed no mercy, "We have established a new recommendation system to select truly outstanding talents from the grassroots. There is already a group of young people in the military who are loyal to the country and full of passion. They understand the meaning of responsibility better than these parasites!"

Prince Abdul's lips trembled: "You are disrupting the balance that has existed since the founding of the nation! You will destroy the very foundation of our nation!"

"Screw balance."

Lu Lin scoffed, "When a country is about to rise, it only needs one voice!"

Vacancies in the military.
Prince Ibrahim, standing to the side, widened his eyes as he suddenly realized a big problem!

The prince looked at Muhammad: "If we really place military personnel in important positions in the country, then who should the country listen to—the king or His Highness Amir?"

Just then, King Muhammad, who had been silent all along, slowly rose to his feet.

Amidst the horrified gazes of the three elders, he gently beckoned to Lu Lin.

When Lu Lin approached, he pressed him down into the spot where he had been sitting.

"Comfortable?"

"It's a bit hard."

"Then I'll have someone add two more cushions later."

Muhammad looked at the three elders and said calmly, "Isn't that enough?"

After the three clan elders left, looking dejected, Muhammad glanced at Lu Lin, who was still sitting in his seat, and said, "They're all gone, get up. How long do you intend to sit here?"

Lu Lin: "Actually, I didn't really want to sit there."

"Then why were you so cooperative just now?"

"It's just to play along with your act."

".hehe."

Now that the entire Shuangzhi situation is in the hands of this father and son, they are no longer so secretive about what they talk about.

Muhammad: "I am prepared to abandon the tradition of 'succession by brother' and switch to 'hereditary succession'."

"Ah."

Muhammad asked curiously, "How can you be so sure I will pass the throne to you?"

Lu Lin shrugged: "So, which of my brothers do you dislike?"

Muhammad was just joking; breaking the tradition of succession by brother is a matter on another level.

After all, the Sudri faction wasn't just Muhammad's family; he also had several brothers.

If the system were changed to hereditary succession and Amir were to succeed him, it would be somewhat justifiable in terms of both strength and status.

But if it were any other third-generation descendant, Muhammad's brothers would probably have been furious. And the unfortunate brother who was chosen to inherit the throne would have been inexplicably dismembered the next day.

Muhammad blinked: "You should call me father."

"Okay, Your Majesty."

Muhammad wasn't bothered by this. He was very tolerant of Lu Lin in many ways, even to the point that the other children didn't understand.

So he changed the subject: "Why don't you get married soon? It should make your mother happier."

".?"

Lu Lin was completely bewildered. Was the turn of events really that drastic?

Where to begin?
"Because I also added the Beni tribe to the list of those to be cleansed, after all, that's your mother's mother's tribe."

"."

Lu Lin looked at his father, who remained calm, as if it were just a trivial matter.

"If you're going to do something, do it cleanly. There probably won't be such a good opportunity again. Once the resistance subsides, many things will be easier to do."

It wasn't just Lu Lin's army that was taking action; the royal family also mobilized troops from all over the country for this operation, only they were all under the same banner.

The scale of this purge far exceeded everyone's expectations. Not only were all the tribes, large and small, in Shuangzhi purged, but even the Sheikh family, which managed religion, and the royal family were ruthlessly targeted.

Countless tribes have vanished from history, and countless families have never recovered.

But when the dome of those corrupt and dark interests was shattered, everyone looked up and saw a vast and boundless new sky.

Muhammad looked at his son: "Will you blame me for making you bear the name of an executioner?"

Lu Lin straightened his collar: "I couldn't be happier."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As they left the palace and walked through the long corridor, the servants all bowed respectfully to Lu Lin.

Everyone knows that His Highness's current status in the country is second only to the emperor, and above all others.

Lu Lin was recalling his conversation with his father.

After this purge, among all the old families in Shuangzhi, it is estimated that only the royal family and the Sheikh family will still be standing.

Then he recalled what the Mufti had said at his engagement ceremony: "...My name also contains 'Rashid,' so in terms of lineage, Yekhna is my granddaughter."

So it wasn't just because I liked it.

Indeed, marrying only Yehena would be enough.

Lu Lin paused slightly.

"Could it be that Old Deng had already planned all of this from that time onwards?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Lugano, South Scandinavia.

This is a lakeside town located at the southern foot of the Alps, a secluded retreat favored by European elites.

Tahir al-Rashid was carrying a bag of freshly bought fruits and vegetables as he walked along the cobblestone path toward his villa overlooking the lake.

To the town's residents, the new neighbor was a retired Middle Eastern businessman with a taste for luxury goods and fluent Saxon.

This Tahir was none other than the former Prince Talal.

After witnessing Muhammad's ascension to the throne, the son of the founding king immediately understood the fate of Princes Walid and Mursad.

Decades of dark and bloody power struggles within the royal family made him decisive. That very night, he fled abroad under the pretext of seeking medical treatment, completely abandoning the struggle within the country.

His judgment proved accurate. In the ensuing "Great Purge," his carefully cultivated network of influence was uprooted, and Talal ignored the pleas for help from his subordinates' families. He resolved to live out his remaining years in peace, relying on the vast assets he had transferred overseas over the years.

To fit into his new environment, he shaved off his signature beard, changed into a casual jacket and trousers, and took his adopted golden retriever for a walk by the lake every day.

His years of hard work in learning Saxon finally came in handy, allowing him to fluently discuss the weather and gardening with his neighbors. He almost believed he had become a "Tahir," just like many others in the town—an ordinary, wealthy immigrant from the East.

Talal walked into the living room carrying a bag, then placed the paper bag containing a beef burger and beer on the table and slowly finished his simple dinner.

Then, he spoke in Arabic to the empty room:

"Everyone come out."

As soon as he finished speaking, several figures appeared from various parts of the corridor and study, with the man in the lead revealing his identity.

"Shuangzhi Royal Special Operations Force, Suleiman."

“I know you, the most sensitive-nosed hound under Muhammad’s command.”

Talal said calmly, "How long have you been following me?"

"It started back in the country, Your Highness."

Suleiman explained, “Due to royal tradition, the direct descendants of the founding monarch cannot be tried within the territory of Shuangzhi. We can only follow you here to conduct the sentencing. Please forgive us.”

Then, he unfolded a roll of parchment stamped with royal wax and began to read: "Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is guilty of treason, collusion with Mossad, selling military assets, and inciting internal strife. The evidence is conclusive, and in accordance with the laws of the Kingdom, he is sentenced to death, to be carried out immediately."

Suleiman put away the parchment scroll: "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Talal remained silent for a long time, the lake light outside the window reflecting on his ashen face.

"Can't you just leave me alone?"

His response was the crisp, cold sound of guns being cocked.

Talal sighed.

As the first rays of morning sunlight began to paint the mountain peaks white, a blurry figure was pushed off Mont Blanc.

A few days later, the Shuangzhi royal family released a brief obituary:

"Prince Talal ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud tragically fell to his death while climbing a snow-capped mountain during a holiday abroad. May God grant him forgiveness and mercy."

The news sent shockwaves across the country.

The newly enthroned King Muhammad, along with the royal family, expressed their condolences for the accident that befell his brother.

(End of this chapter)