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They call me many things: Murderer. Cutthroat. Thief. But you may call me Trade delegate. This article is about a subject that lacks an official name and is known only by its nickname, title, or alias. |
The trade delegate was a Chinese representative for a group of merchants in Baghdad who enlisted the services of the Alamut Hidden Ones in the 860s when they came under repeated attacks by bandits.
Biography[]
In the 860s, the trade delegate contacted the Hidden Ones to help investigate the attacks against local merchants from bandits. Thus, he set a plan to catch the traitor with marked coins. In response, the trade delegate received the coins from the Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq.[1] From his findings, the delegate sent Basim to investigate a local perfume trader and inspect his quarters in the Oil Maker's District. After Basim found evidence,[2] the trade delegate marked the perfume salesman for assassination.[3]
After the perfume trader's death, the trade delegate was abducted by bandits, as instructed by the perfume's trader's brothers Alnilam and Alnitak in retribution, and caged at the Spymaster's Camp. The Hidden One and inventor Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Musa noticed the delegate's disappearance and sent a notice to Basim to investigate. After Basim located the delegate and rescued him, the grateful man mentioned that the plot's true masterminds were still at large.[4] Personally contracting Basim, the trade delegate proposed sending a fake letter to be intercepted by the scheme's leaders to reveal their identities.[5]
After Basim completed the task,[5] the delegate told Basim the meeting place and assigned him to assassinate the mastermind behind the merchants' attacks. Although it was the perfume trader's brothers, Basim completed the task and ultimately impressed the delegate's thoughts about him and the Hidden Ones.[6]