"Deputy Commander, we have successfully captured four Tuscan soldiers and dozens of galley slaves. Interrogation revealed that the Papal States' army intends to bypass us and directly invade Venice. They have left behind several small detachments, each consisting of two or three warships, along the way to monitor, harass, and report."
The captain who captured the enemy ship and immediately extracted crucial information personally came to Lavallette's ship with a boatload of captives and important intelligence to report.
"Indeed! I knew the Papal States wouldn't just let this go! The situation is urgent, I must hurry back and discuss countermeasures with the Commander." Before leaving, Lavallette didn't forget to add, "You have made an indispensable contribution to this battle by successfully capturing the enemy ship and obtaining this crucial information. I will truthfully report your merits."
"Thank you, Deputy Commander, for your promotion!"
Back on Veronese's flagship, Lavallette reiterated the situation to Veronese and Pisani.
Veronese immediately panicked. If he led the entire Venetian navy to battle and the enemy bypassed him to raid his home, he would go down in history as a laughingstock.
"What? The Papal States are attacking Venice! Then what are we still discussing here? Hurry and organize the army to pursue them! If only we had known, we would have pursued with the entire army from the start. Why were we held up by two ships, wasting half a day!"
"Commander, please wait!" Lavallette had been thinking the whole way and had some ideas.
"What are you waiting for? Are you going to sit by and watch Venice fall?" Veronese questioned loudly.
"Of course not!" Lavallette vehemently denied. "The Papal States' army has already left some time ago. If we pursue now, it's uncertain if we can catch up before they reach Venice. The small detachments they left along the way will also continuously harass us, delaying our progress, exhausting our army, and allowing them to know our every move. This would be very disadvantageous to us!"
Veronese deliberated, and it seemed to make some sense, so he sought advice: "Then what do you propose?"
Lavallette answered loudly: "Given the current situation, we don't know where the Papal States' army is now, nor where we can intercept them. The only thing we know is that their target is Venice.
In my opinion, we should lead the entire army back to defend Venice. Not only can we rely on the coast and the lagoon for defense, allowing shore batteries and artillery to be utilized, but we can also completely neutralize the small detachments the Papal States left along the way, preventing them from even entering the main battlefield."
"Absolutely not!" Before Veronese could speak, Pisani was the first to reject Lavallette's proposal. This was not only for Venice but also for himself.
"We promised the Senate and the Cabinet that we would repel the enemy at sea. But if we lead the army in a circle and return to Venice, what will the Doge think? What will the Cabinet think?
Perhaps they won't say anything with a major battle imminent, but if the decisive battle takes place in Venice, causing damage to the city and casualties among its citizens and nobles, even if we miraculously win and preserve Venice, how will the Doge deal with the public's anger? If someone takes the opportunity to incite them, you and I will both die without a burial place!"
Pisani still had the most important thought unsaid: If they miraculously won, Veronese, as the Commander, would be a hero, and even if a scapegoat was needed, it wouldn't be him; Lavallette, though without deep roots in Venice, also had few enemies, and few would want to eliminate him; but he himself was different, already burdened by past mistakes, and with numerous old enemies in the Venetian court. Once Venice was preserved, even without any leverage, he would find it extremely difficult to establish himself, let alone how this would hand a weapon to his opponents.
Unfortunately, Lavallette did not put himself in Pisani's shoes and could not understand Pisani's predicament, refuting him without hesitation: "In this situation, Venice faces the danger of national subjugation! You and your family have received national grace for generations. At this moment, are you only thinking about your personal safety?"
This hit Pisani's sore spot. Pisani remained outwardly calm, but his heart underwent a drastic change: Lavallette was not his kind of person and certainly not someone he could win over.
Lavallette, at this moment, had only the nation on his mind and paid no attention to this point. He continued to exert himself, advising Veronese: "Commander! If we return to defend now, His Excellency the Doge will surely understand our difficulties and intentions.
As the Commander of this battle, as long as you successfully repel the Papal States' navy and thwart their plan, you will be the savior of Venice, an idol worshipped by all Venetian citizens! Even if losses are incurred and someone needs to take the blame, it will never endanger you! It would merely be using me and Deputy Commander Pisani to quell the public's anger! To die for the Venice Republic, I would die well!"
At these words, Pisani felt as if his heart had been violently stabbed, almost spitting out a mouthful of old blood: You're so self-sacrificing, don't drag me into it!
"How can this be! The decisions were made together, and the battle was fought together. How can I let you take the blame while I enjoy the victory alone." Veronese, perhaps touched by Lavallette's greatness, as if having a change of heart, inexplicably refused.
Seeing this, Pisani quickly seized a glimmer of hope: "What Lavallette said is not without reason; if we pursue now, we would indeed be very passive.
How about we adopt a compromise? We first bring the main army and all the ambushed land artillery back, leaving the land artillery to defend Venice, and then we lead the navy out to meet the enemy. Besides not being able to use shore batteries for defense, we can achieve all other objectives."
"But how will we know the direction from which the Papal States' navy is coming?" Veronese asked, puzzled.
"Once we return to Venice, we can send out small detachments to scout and find out."
Veronese pondered for a moment, then looked at Lavallette with an inquiring gaze: "Lavallette, what do you think of this plan?"
Lavallette showed a troubled expression, struggling for a while before answering with difficulty: "It's acceptable, but the chances of winning will be much lower."
Seeing Lavallette's reluctance, Veronese consoled him: "Victory is not just about winning on the battlefield; it's also about being irreproachable in the court. Otherwise, hard-won victories will be meaningless.
If we only seek victory in this battle, we could directly lure the Papal States' navy into the lagoon and use the geographical advantage to deplete the enemy's forces. That would give us the highest chance of winning. However, doing so would turn the most prosperous parts of Venice into ruins, and even if we win this battle completely, our political and military careers would be over. Therefore, we must find a balance between military and politics."
Before Lavallette could respond, Pisani eagerly praised: "Commander Veronese's insights are profound and to the point. We must learn more from you in the future!"
"I understand." Lavallette reluctantly conceded.
"Good! Then it's settled! Get the army on the ships, bring them back to defend Venice, and then we will go to battle!"