"Hmm? You mean, after your retreat, Venice only sent a small symbolic force to pursue you, and they returned very easily, while the main army remained in place?" Riccardo confirmed after hearing Milo's report.
Milo pondered for a moment, choosing his words carefully as he replied, "That was the case when we left, but the current situation is unknown. Perhaps the enemy's main army might have already pursued us, or they might have returned directly to defend Venice, waiting for us at their leisure."
Riccardo mused for a moment, then nodded slightly: "You've worked hard, you can go now. I still need to inform the Papal States about these developments.
As for Wyatt, whom you mentioned, he is much more useful in the hands of the Papal States than in ours, because we will not participate in the post-war occupation and garrisoning of Venice. We cannot take him back to Tuscany; sooner or later, he will have to be handed over to them. It might be better to hand him over to the Papal States now, while the war has just begun and he still holds significant value. What do you think?"
"I thought so too. Wyatt's usefulness to the Papal States is mainly in demoralizing the enemy and in post-war governance. Handing him over early will also benefit us more in terms of post-war profit distribution."
After a brief discussion, the plan of the Papal States and Tuscany allied forces remained unchanged, because no matter what, there was only one path: to conquer Venice.
Upon Wyatt's arrival, the people of the Papal States warmly welcomed him before returning to their respective posts. Accepting his fate, and having received courteous treatment, Wyatt also began to actively familiarize himself with everything in the Papal States.
However, what the people of the Papal States and Wyatt did not know at this moment was that Wyatt in Venice had been portrayed as a heroic figure who had voluntarily offered to fight the elite Papal States fleet, held his own against overwhelming odds, brilliantly commanded his forces to severely damage the enemy, and ultimately fought to the death while surrounded.
Wyatt's "death," coupled with the indeed captured ship of prisoners as proof, boosted the morale of Venice's military and populace. However, the senators and citizens of Venice still resolutely demanded that the Venice Navy sail out to meet the enemy, preventing the war from reaching Venice. This was part of the plan, yet it still brought a touch of sadness to Lavallette's heart.
The dispatched reconnaissance ships immediately reported back after discovering the Papal States warships rapidly approaching. Lavallette suggested waiting until the Papal States were closer and then engaging from an advantageous position. However, Veronese could not withstand the constant urging from above, and so, reluctantly, he left the heavy artillery behind and set out with his reorganized forces.
...
Finally, in the sea 2 kilometers east of Lido Island, southeast of Venice, the two armies met again.
Upon their second encounter, Venice had lost the advantage of a pre-arranged ambush and dozens of large-caliber cannons, while the Papal States had lost a total of twenty-one small warships, some left behind along the way and Nino's sunken vessel.
The formations of the two armies were unchanged from before: for the Papal States, Giovanni commanded the center, Riccardo the left flank, and Karl the right flank, with warship numbers now 98, 97, and 35 respectively; for Venice, Veronese commanded the center, Pisani the left flank, and Lavallette the right flank, with numbers now 105, 46, and 45 respectively.
Riccardo's left flank, which already had fewer warships, was now even thinner after losing twenty-one ships along the way, appearing very vulnerable. This immediately ignited Lavallette's desire to attack, sweeping away his previous displeasure.
A great battle was on the verge of breaking out.
"You went through all that trouble circling around, for what? You still ended up running into us," Pisani mocked. "You didn't really naively think you could bypass our Venice Navy, did you? I can't believe you actually fear our Venice Navy like tigers. If that's the case, then why do you dare to invade Venice?
Oh, I know, it's because your Pope wants to fight. What can you do even if you don't dare to fight? You're just executors of tyranny, using these delaying tactics to prolong your lives for a few more minutes.
If you are willing to lay down your weapons and leave now, our Venice Republic is not as hypocritical and cruel as your Papal States; we can indeed offer you a path to survival.
If you come to your senses and are willing to surrender to us in Venice, we can together invade Rome, kill the unrighteous Pope, and enthrone a new Pope. Perhaps a thousand years from now, it will even be considered a beautiful tale!"
Karl was not to be outdone, "I wondered who was barking so wildly; turns out it's you, a defeated general. Talking about delaying for survival, or surrendering to save your life, you are truly projecting. But you might indeed consider it now; even a shameless scoundrel like you can be leniently dealt with by our Papal States."
Riccardo pondered for a moment, then smiled knowingly and took over, saying, "Such a scoundrel never sheds tears until he sees the coffin. Why say so much to him? If he doesn't surrender, we'll just fight until he does.
But there's one thing I truly don't understand: since you could make it here to intercept us, why didn't you just return to defend Venice and wait for us at your leisure? That way, your chances of winning would be much greater. Or have you already returned to Venice, only to be driven out like stray dogs?"
At these words, nearly two hundred ships of Venice, without exception, stirred with a slight commotion. Having been conscripted and running back and forth all day doing nothing, the soldiers were already somewhat discontent, and the galley slaves even more so. With this agitation, the discontent began to spread.
Seeing this, Veronese's face flushed with anxiety, and he quickly retorted, "Nonsense! Our Venice Navy is already guaranteed victory against your rabble; it makes no difference where we fight.
Given that, why would we risk damage to buildings and harm to civilians by letting you fight in Venice? Let you be buried here and feed the fish! The fish caught by Venice fishermen next year will surely be big and fat!"
"Oh? That's truly magnificent! Your soldiers, knowing your greatness has included them, must be moved to tears!" Riccardo mocked mercilessly.
The commotion on the Venice ships grew more intense. Ordinary soldiers and slaves would not consider their commander's political considerations and pressures. In their eyes, one less chance of victory meant one more risk, and for the commander to do this was to risk the lives of all soldiers to put on a show. Some soldiers' discontent gradually turned into anger.
But as a maritime power that had dominated the Mediterranean for many years, how could Venice's navy be so easily shaken?
Scattered gunshots came from across the sea. Some leading instigators among the soldiers and slaves, just as they showed signs of trouble, were mercilessly shot and executed, and the Venice fleet returned to calm.
Seeing the situation below stabilize, Veronese let out a long breath, but quickly became tense again. If the other side kept provoking like this, morale would eventually become a problem. He couldn't delay any longer!
"I will account for my soldiers myself! After a complete victory in this battle, rewards will be distributed based on merit! You'd better start thinking about your own afterlife! Attack!"
With the sounding of the attack horn, the great battle officially began.