Augustus was not in a hurry to meet the envoys from various countries who came to Rome; he simply entertained them with good food and drink, and did not send anyone to contact them privately.
Instead, the envoys from various countries moved around unusually frequently to sound each other out.
Soon, envoys from nine countries—Spain, France, Austria, Savoy, Genoa, Lucca, Mantua, Parma, and Monade—gathered in Rome.
All those who were supposed to come had arrived; those who hadn't were unlikely to come later.
After discussion, Augustus decided to primarily entrust the negotiations to Romeo.
At that time, he and a group of Papal States high-ranking officials would appear, including the four generals who had just returned.
Augustus's personal appearance could fully utilize the Pope's authority to slightly suppress the envoys from various countries, preventing them from being too presumptuous, which would help lower their asking prices.
And facilitating this negotiation, in turn, would further strengthen the Pope's authority.
Having the frontline generals attend was because they possessed firsthand information about Venice and had the most say in relevant details; if necessary, they could exploit information asymmetry against the other party.
Although Riccardo was a general from Tuscany, he fought valiantly for the Papal States in this war and suffered considerable losses.
His presence did not represent Tuscany, but it could indicate Tuscany's attitude, which, of course, had been approved by Grand Duke Ferdinand.
The secret agreement between Augustus and Grand Duke Ferdinand determined Ferdinand's firm stance.
Placing all countries at one negotiation table was to resolve the issue once and for all, eliminating future troubles.
Although the major powers were strong, they each had their own difficulties and demands, and might turn a blind eye to the Papal States' annexation of Venice; while the surrounding small countries were weak, feeling threatened by the Papal States, they were very likely to unite and demand that the Papal States release part of Venice's territory or even Venice itself.
However, by putting all these countries together, the main task was actually just to appease the three major powers: Austria, France, and Spain.
With their approval and participation, the surrounding small countries would not be able to be forceful on this matter.
The Mantua Envoy, who had been most active in recent days, deeply felt the threat of imminent danger and sought support from various countries for his proposal: that all countries should unite to force the Papal States to release Venice.
The Papal States' intelligence network had many eyes and ears abroad, so how could these messages be hidden from Enzo in their own capital?
Naturally, he informed Romeo to prepare early.
...
With all preparations complete, the negotiation site was finally set in the conference room of the Papal Palace.
The Papal States' attendees were on the left, and the envoys from the nine countries were on the right.
Augustus, wearing a triple tiara and a large, ornate papal vestment, sat in the middle, like a harmless divine statue.
What he was thinking was: if he had been wearing this outfit during the rebellion, he probably wouldn't have been able to draw his sword before Lorenzo cut him down.
"Recently, there have been some minor conflicts between the Papal States and Venice, which fortunately ended quickly with the demise of the Venice Republic, causing no excessive casualties.
I deeply apologize for disturbing everyone.
At the same time, on behalf of the Papal States, I extend a warm welcome to all of you.
To collectively address some of your concerns and to reach an agreement as soon as possible on restoring peace and stability in the Italian region, I cordially invite you to participate in this meeting.
Here, I sincerely hope that this meeting will yield a satisfactory outcome for everyone."
A simple opening statement, describing the intensely fierce battles and the collapse of a naval power with eight centuries of heritage in an understated manner, Augustus displayed an extremely arrogant attitude with a very humble tone.
People on both sides looked at each other, feeling somewhat as if they were in a different world; such a strong Pope had last appeared a long time ago.
But did the current Papal States truly have the capital to support this young Pope's assertiveness?
Everyone couldn't help but have such a question in their minds.
"Your Holiness, may I take the liberty to ask, the Papal States was originally supposed to join us in our struggle against the Ottoman Empire with Venice.
Why did it suddenly turn its guns and attack the Venice Republic, which should have been our ally?"
The Austria Envoy spoke first, seemingly aggressive and directly targeting the Pope, but the question he posed was not tricky, and it helped the Papal States guide the negotiations onto the right track.
This was a signal of goodwill, and also a test to see if the Pope's previously promised reinforcements still counted.
Augustus, as the mascot of this negotiation, naturally ignored the Austria Envoy's question and simply closed his eyes to rest.
Romeo calmly replied, "Could it be that, after this war, you still haven't discovered that the Venice Republic had actually colluded with the Ottoman Empire long ago?
Before the war, Venice extensively sold weapons, equipment, and intelligence from the Hungary front to the Ottoman Empire; at the beginning of the war, Venice immediately dispatched a large delegation to seek aid from the Ottoman Empire; and at the end of the war, Venice's last two remaining islands in the Greece region actually directly changed flags and defected to the Ottoman Empire!
Regarding the Venice Republic's collusion with the Ottoman Empire, these are conclusive evidences, including a large number of letters between Venice and the Ottoman Empire, official secret documents of trade between Venice and the Ottoman Empire, requests for aid sent by Venice to the Ottoman Empire, and the signed confession of Donato.
Please take a look, Your Excellency."
Before he finished speaking, several thick stacks of materials were placed before the Austria Envoy.
The Austria Envoy quickly flipped through them and knew that what the Papal States said was true; some things could not be fabricated by the Papal States.
But even so, the Papal States' intentions were obvious.
If it was only to punish a traitor, the Papal States should have withdrawn its hand after the fight, but now, not only had it not, it had also sent administrative personnel, which clearly showed an intention to swallow Venice whole.
Noticing the curiosity on the faces of the other envoys, the Austria Envoy pushed the materials and gestured, "Everyone can also take a look, and see if there are any other questions."
Seeing that the Austria Envoy had no objections, Romeo continued, "If we were to join the struggle against the Ottoman Empire with such an 'ally' harboring ulterior motives, how could we defeat the already powerful Ottoman Empire!
And leaving such a large threat behind us would be detrimental to the frontline war efforts.
Therefore, His Holiness the Pope made a wise decision to eliminate the internal threat of the Venice Republic before aiding your side in resisting the Ottoman Empire and recovering lost territories!"
When saying "aiding your side," Romeo intentionally emphasized his tone, and the Austria Ambassador immediately understood and nodded with satisfaction.
"So, the reinforcements His Holiness the Pope promised to send to our country still stand?"
Before Romeo could answer, Karl interjected, "Of course, His Holiness the Pope's word is law; there's no reason for a promise not to count!
Our army has been ready for a long time and has long wanted to compete with the Ottoman barbarians!"
Everyone was aware of Karl's identity and background, and his assurance gave the Austria Envoy even more peace of mind.
"It's just that I don't know when the Papal States' reinforcements will arrive?
The frontline war is stalemated, and the daily consumption is enormous; His Majesty the Emperor has been eagerly awaiting them!"
The Austria Envoy's face showed worry and anticipation; if he could get a definite time assurance from the Pope, his trip would not be in vain!
Knowing that Austria's main concern was this matter, Romeo produced the deadline set by the Pope: "Don't worry, as soon as the Venice issue is resolved in negotiations, within a week, tens of thousands of our mighty Papal States troops will appear on the Hungary front!"
The Austria Envoy, upon receiving the assurance, was delighted, yet secretly sighed at the Papal States' cunning.
By linking the arrival time of reinforcements to the resolution of the Venice issue, he was directly turned into the Papal States' natural ally on this negotiation table to pressure other countries into agreement.