The Austria Envoy would not harbor such a foolish idea as the Papal States releasing the Venice Republic counting as a successful negotiation.
He clearly knew that the Papal States had planned for this war for a long time and invested heavily; if the outcome did not satisfy them, they would fight any country that obstructed them.
At that time, the reinforcements promised to Austria would naturally be indefinitely delayed.
And if Austria held on for so long without waiting for reinforcements, domestic conflicts would erupt, inevitably leading to great chaos.
In fact, the Austria Envoy's prediction was entirely correct.
Being able to hold on for so long was already heavily dependent on Augustus's dual support, both spiritual and material.
The cumulative military aid expenses even exceeded the cost of annihilating Venice this time.
Within the Papal States, there had always been a significant number of dissenting voices, believing that the Pope was disregarding the Papal States' interests and foolishly spending money for his own reputation.
However, Augustus had already initially taken control of important departments, and Faol had generated considerable income for the Papacy, making it not difficult to suppress these voices.
In real history, without such strong intervention from the Papal States, this war would have ended much earlier.
The outcome still directly led to Rudolf II being forced by his brother Matthias to give up the thrones of Hungary, Austria, and Moravia, and a few years later, he was put under house arrest and stripped of the Bohemian throne, passing away shortly thereafter.
Even though he clearly knew he could only side with the Papal States, the Austria Envoy was unwilling to let the Papal States gain such a huge advantage for free: sending reinforcements was already something the Papal States had promised, so how could it be used again to exchange for Austria's support for the Papal States' annexation of Venice?
If they were so easily coerced by the Papal States, then as long as the war continued, wouldn't the Papal States be able to constantly threaten Austria with reinforcements?
After a brief thought, the Austria Envoy cautiously spoke, "There is one more matter, which I wonder if the Papal States has considered."
"Oh? Speak freely!" Romeo observed the Austria Envoy's attitude, knowing that at least he wouldn't obstruct this matter.
"Istria is not connected to the Papal States' mainland, I wonder if it could..."
"Could it be that your Emperor intends to dedicate Lika, which is situated between Istria and the Papal States, to His Holiness the Pope? How generous!" Romeo pretended not to understand, feigning surprise, "His Holiness the Pope, if that is the case, can our reinforcements depart a few days earlier?"
Augustus nodded solemnly in cooperation, though he was actually biting his teeth hard to suppress a laugh.
The Austria Envoy was stunned; what kind of maneuver was this?
He had intended to seize an opportunity to gain some advantage, but if he didn't gain any and instead gave away Austria's only access to the sea, he would surely be beheaded by the Emperor upon his return!
He quickly explained, "No, no, no, your country has misunderstood, that's not what I meant.
What I meant is that since the mainland is not connected, management is inconvenient, and Austria is willing to manage it on behalf of His Holiness the Pope."
The Austria Envoy spoke very euphemistically; 'managing on behalf' essentially meant actual control, or in plain terms, ceding territory.
At this point, Giovanni spoke, "The Papal States' navy is currently strong, even stronger than that of the former Venice Republic.
If Venice could extend its reach to Corfu and Crete, the Papal States can do the same.
Moreover, Istria is much closer, and even if the land is not connected, it can still be effectively managed, so there's no need for your envoy to worry.
I think we should all focus our main efforts on how to counter the Ottoman Empire."
The last sentence was both a gesture of goodwill and a warning.
For a moment, the Austria Envoy was speechless; such a firm stance meant anything he said would be useless, and Giovanni was clearly going to be sent as the naval commander of the reinforcements to help Austria, so arguing with him here would yield no benefit.
"Since that is the case, then I truly overthought it.
It seems the Papal States' strength is indeed not what it used to be, which is truly exhilarating!" The Austria Envoy felt bitter inside, but his face was beaming with joy.
"Austria is vast in territory but suffers from a lack of good ports, being constrained at sea.
His Holiness the Pope has observed all of this.
The management of Istria does not require your country's concern, but as a devout Catholic believer, a loyal supporter of His Holiness the Pope, and a reliable ally of the Papal States, Austria should rightfully obtain permanent usage rights to all ports in the Venice region, including Istria!"
Romeo, who had already settled with Austria, offered such generous terms, and it was not without reason.
Sharing the ports in the Venice region truly tied Austria and the Papal States together in terms of interests regarding the Venice issue.
In other words, the more the Papal States gained, the more Austria benefited, so how could Austria not willingly uphold the Papal States?
The Austria Envoy was stunned on the spot, then ecstatic.
Austria had not gained so many excellent ports in Venice from the battlefield for hundreds of years, and now, without any effort, they had obtained them at the negotiating table.
With these ports, Austria would be able to build an unprecedentedly powerful navy to contend for interests in the Mediterranean.
Returning this time, he would not only be promoted but might even be recorded in history!
He naturally understood the Papal States' intentions, but since the Papal States could offer such a heavy stake, it was worth it even if it meant fighting a war alongside the Papal States, and besides, that wouldn't be his concern anymore.
"Thank you, His Holiness the Pope.
Austria is willing to be the vanguard for the Pope!"
Finally, the envoys from other countries could no longer sit still, especially the French Envoy.
As a major power, Austria's face had to be given, which was why they hadn't interrupted them.
However, if they didn't speak, the Papal States and Austria would keep talking, even completing the distribution of interests, completely disregarding them, which was too disrespectful to France.
"His Holiness the Pope, did you gather so many of us here just to watch you and Austria carve up Venice?
It's as if Venice is already a part of the Papal States.
Venice is a traditional ally of France, and even if it made mistakes, a punitive war might be acceptable, but how can its sovereignty be directly stripped away?"
"Precisely! The Papal States, under the guise of Catholic righteousness, is engaging in aggression and expansion, which is scorned by all.
Do you think that by merely currying favor with Austria, you can rest easy and silence the world's opinions?" With France taking the lead, the Mantua Envoy instantly gained confidence.
Although Spain and Austria were both part of the Habsburg Dynasty, their conflicting interests were numerous.
Now that Austria had gained a huge advantage for free while Spain had gained nothing, the Spanish Envoy could not agree.
"Austria is fighting against the invasion of the Ottoman Empire, France has finally suppressed domestic heretics after many years of civil war, and my Spain's battle against the Netherlands heretical rebels is still ongoing.
But His Holiness the Pope is targeting the Catholic nation of Venice with such a far-fetched reason; don't you think that's too unreasonable?"
With two major powers speaking out, several smaller nations also expressed their views.
Their rhetoric varied, but their meaning was largely the same, almost all indicating that the Papal States' annexation of Venice was unacceptable.
It is not poverty that is feared, but inequality.
Suddenly, the Papal States became the target of criticism from all other nations, with a strong momentum to form an encirclement to force the Papal States to release the Venice Republic.
Just as all countries had finished their fiery outputs and were preparing to see how the Papal States would respond, the Savoy Envoy suddenly pointed his spear at France, glaring furiously at the French Envoy.
"If, as the French Envoy said, using the name of righteousness to carry out aggression and expansion is still scorned by the world, then the act of wantonly invading neighboring countries and forcibly occupying their land should be even more intolerable to all nations!"
No matter how much the Papal States expanded, there was the Duchy of Milan of Spain in between, currently posing no threat to Savoy, but France had genuinely bitten off a piece of Savoy a few years ago and had always coveted the entire Savoy.
Seeing this, the Mantua Envoy, who was by his side, tugged at his sleeve, indicating that they should now unite against the Papal States to solve the current problem, and that it was not the time to say such things.
Unexpectedly, the Savoy Envoy, despite his age, had quite a temper; he forcefully shook off the Mantua Envoy, almost causing him to stumble, and then pointed a finger at him and cursed, "What are you doing? When France invaded our territory, you turned a blind eye, so what right do you have now to conspire with France to demand the Papal States release Venice?
Venice colluded with the Ottoman Empire and deserved its fate. France wanting to release Venice shows that they are birds of a feather! France even directly allied with the Ottoman Empire to plunder our Nice. In my opinion, the illicit dealings between France and the infidels are far more numerous than those of Venice!"
Augustus remained silent, his thoughts swirling: Savoy had been preserved until now mainly due to Austria's protection. Now that Austria had clarified its stance, Savoy naturally could not stand on the opposite side, not to mention that the territory lost in the war with France a few years ago was indeed a deep pain for Savoy. But such fierce words, and intentionally equating France with Venice, did it mean that Savoy also hoped to use the power of the Papal States?
The Mantua Envoy, having been directly exposed by the Savoy Envoy, was naturally also furious: "Your grievances with France are your private matters, what do they have to do with this conference? You're just making trouble here! Besides, you lost territory in a war because you were not as strong as others, what does that have to do with us? Why should we stick our necks out for you?"
"Everyone, calm down. Arguing cannot solve the problem. In my opinion, the Papal States' annexation of Venice is wrong, and France's aggression against Savoy is equally unreasonable. What we need now is a solution." Genoa, whose geographical location was threatened by both France and the Papal States, began to waver.
"The Genoa Envoy makes a good point." The Spanish Envoy deeply agreed and seriously suggested, "How about both sides take a step back? The Papal States release some cities of Venice to restore the Venice Republic, and France also returns some of the territory it occupied from Savoy. What do you all think?"
Everyone looked at each other, and the Savoy Envoy hesitated to speak. It wasn't that he thought the plan was bad, but rather that it treated the Papal States and France as fools.
The French Envoy's face was ashen; he had originally been a bystander upholding justice, but after the Savoy Envoy's outburst, he had also become a target of criticism.
"A fine 'step back'! Those lands are already an inseparable part of France, not an inch can be lost. Why don't you, Spain, take a step back and release Milan and Naples?"
It was easy to be generous with others' possessions, but to cut off his own flesh for no reason, how could the Spanish Envoy agree: "Nonsense! These regions have always been Spain's inherent territory, explicitly stipulated in the Treaty of Cambrai signed by all countries, including our two nations, in 1559. What does that have to do with the Papal States' annexation of Venice this time?"
"Then isn't that it? You still know it's irrelevant! Savoy's cession of Bresse, Bugey, Valromey, and Gex was also set in stone by the Treaty of Lyon signed in 1601! What we need to solve now is the Venice problem, don't drag other things into it!"
The topic was pulled back again, and everyone looked at Romeo again. Those who needed to express themselves had already done so, but the Papal States had not yet responded.
Romeo cleared his throat and said solemnly, "It seems your country wants Venice to be independent. The Papal States, in principle, does not object to Venice existing as an independent state again.
However, as everyone knows, Venice was not ultimately annexed by the Papal States, but joined the Ottoman Empire itself—not by my Papal States, not by your France, nor by Spain or Austria.
If you want Venice to be independent, then you should talk to the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately, the Ottoman Empire did not send an envoy, otherwise, you could talk, since you are already familiar with each other."
The French Envoy's old face reddened, and he argued, "The main parts of Venice have already been annexed by the Papal States, and the remaining two isolated overseas cities, bordering the Ottoman Empire, were powerless to defend themselves and were forced to surrender to the Ottoman Empire…"
"What, are you trying to excuse a traitor to the Catholic faith?" The Austria Envoy finally spoke, "You say they were forced to surrender, but I don't think so. Venice had already been in collusion with the Ottoman Empire for a long time, and joining the Ottoman Empire was even proposed voluntarily when the Ottoman Empire was fighting on two fronts and stretched thin!
If it was merely due to coercion, our country is currently at war with the Ottoman Empire. Venice could have sought our protection, or Spain's, and even if they had defected to your France, we would have nothing to say. But its choice was to join the Ottoman Empire. Does such a country, which betrayed its faith, still have a reason to exist?"
"Austria Ambassador, I believe you are making a mistake. Venice joined the Ottoman Empire after being controlled by individual usurpers. There might have been collusion with the Ottoman Empire beforehand, but that was a temporary madness of some Venetian nobles, including the Doge.
Individual actions should not be elevated to the national level. How can one conclude that the state of Venice should not exist because of this? The Venice Republic's contributions to resisting the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years are evident to all. Since the traitors have been removed, it is only right that we, all nations, jointly supervise the establishment of a new, devout Venetian regime."
Although they were natural allies, Spain had not yet gained any tangible benefits, and seeing Austria gain a great advantage, it naturally would not easily back down.
"I do agree with this proposal," the French Envoy said, acknowledging it verbally, but knowing in his heart that it was impossible.
"Since you all agree, then it's easy to handle." The situation was not good, but Romeo remained calm and composed. "France, Spain, also join Austria in the war against the Ottoman Empire, forcing the Ottoman Empire to release Corfu and Crete, and rebuild the Venice Republic.
Oh, and from what I know, France still owes the Venice Republic a large amount of debt. If that debt is repaid then, it can greatly support Venice's reconstruction efforts, without needing any further funds from our other nations."
Seeing the Papal States' intention, the Austria Envoy also echoed, "That's right, paying debts is only natural. If the Venice Republic ceased to exist, the debts would naturally have nowhere to be repaid, and there's no real reason for the Papal States to inherit Venice's official claims. But since the Venice Republic is to be released again, the claims should rightfully be inherited."
The weather was beautiful, with clear skies, and a gentle breeze stirred ripples across the Tiber.
Holy churches stood everywhere within Rome, shining with a light that captivated hearts.
Meanwhile, inside the Papal Palace, the holiest sanctuary of Catholic, various nations continued to argue over their own interests using grand excuses, including, of course, the Papal States itself, which was at the core of the matter.
Hearing about the debt owed to Venice and the need to repay it to support Venice's reconstruction, the French Envoy's mouth twitched.
Since Venice was unexpectedly destroyed, France had no intention of repaying that debt, regardless of the final outcome.
As the Austrian Envoy said, it was not a peaceful annexation, so the Papal States had no reason to inherit Venice's claims on France's debt.
However, if Venice were restored, and then demanded the previous debts from France, France would be unable to refuse, both in terms of reason and sentiment.
If a new representative of Venice had already been put forward, it would be easy to propose it as a condition for supporting independence in exchange.
But there was no representative from Venice at the negotiating table, and it was still unknown which country would have greater influence over the rebuilt Venice.
If France exerted a lot of effort, at the cost of worsening relations, to force the Papal States to release Venice, and also had to pay back loans that could have been defaulted on, then it would truly be a case of trying to disgust the Papal States but ending up disgusting itself.
France did not want the Papal States to grow strong, but it was even more unwilling to shed its own blood.
Seeing the French Envoy's reaction, Romeo secretly praised the Austrian Ambassador's keen insight, as he had just finished taking sides and immediately grasped France's pain point.
So, he added a brief supplement, clarifying the Papal States' stance.
"The Papal States will, of course, not demand the debt Venice owed from France; that is a matter between France and Venice, unrelated to the Papal States.
But if the Venice Republic is released, France should naturally repay the loan."
Just as the French Envoy was in a dilemma due to his own interests potentially being harmed, the Spanish Envoy revealed the truth: "Where is this a question of debt or no debt?
This is a question of the Papal States invading Venice, ceding most of Venice, including its capital.
In any case, to release the Venice Republic, at least Venice should be returned to them, right?
As for the individual areas occupied by Ottoman, whether to recover them is a matter for the Venice Republic later.
Why should the Papal States, after forcibly occupying Venice, still demand that our nations collectively exert effort to force the Ottoman Empire to release the Venice Republic?"
The French Envoy also came to his senses: "Exactly!
Is a Venice Republic without Venice still called the Venice Republic?
Releasing the Venice Republic must, of course, first include Venice!"
The French Envoy was certain that the Papal States could not release Venice; if the Papal States refused, and then compromised by giving France some practical benefits, the matter would be over.
Otherwise, to change his tune and no longer demand Venice's independence as soon as repayment was mentioned would be too demeaning.
"The situation on the Hungary battlefield is grim.
The Veneto region controls the passage between the Papal States and Austria, and its position is extremely important.
Once it turns to the Ottoman Empire again, as it did before, it can directly threaten the Papal States and Austria's heartland, with unimaginable consequences.
Therefore, the entire Veneto region, including Venice, must be completely under the direct control of the Papal States, with absolutely no room for negotiation.
If any country, for any reason, obstructs the Papal States' sacred cause of resisting the Ottoman Empire, our tens of thousands of troops will not mind first eliminating internal threats!"
Realizing that France's desire to release Venice was far less strong than at the beginning, and inferring that Spain did not intend to go to war based on the lack of troop movements in the Italian region, Karl made a strong statement.
"Is this your Papal States' attitude?" the Spanish Envoy asked Romeo, his voice low.
Romeo did not answer the Spanish Envoy's question, but instead first dealt with France, who had already softened: "Although Venice brought it upon itself, it cannot be denied that Venice's demise also caused France to suffer no small losses for no reason.
His Holiness the Pope is benevolent; the Papal States agrees to waive all of France's debts in Venice, and private debts will also be repaid by the Papal States on its behalf.
Furthermore, all mutually beneficial treaties with France will be retained in the Venice region.
This is solely to strengthen Catholic internal unity in the face of a great enemy, and to jointly resist the invasion of the Ottoman Empire and the Protestant rebellion."
Seeing the Papal States offer such generous terms, the French Envoy no longer hid his intentions and seized the opportunity to make a demand: "Alright!
We can stop demanding the independence of the Venice Republic, but in order to better spread the Catholic Gospel, we want to build fifty churches in France, and we hope His Holiness the Pope will support us!"
Romeo looked at the Pope, who nodded, and then readily agreed: "Good, no problem.
The Papal States will bear the construction costs of these churches, but on the condition that this money must be supervised by the Papal States!"
Finally, the French Envoy nodded contentedly and said no more.
"French Envoy, are your demands for Venice's independence truly for fairness and justice, or are you seizing the opportunity to gain profit!
By confirming the Papal States' annexation of a neighboring country for such a small gain, France will lose the support of the international community and ultimately regret it immensely!" the Parma Envoy sputtered, accusing him angrily.
The French Envoy indifferently shifted his gaze to the window, ignoring him.
Seeing this, the Spanish Envoy became even more displeased: "His Holiness the Pope!
Venice was destroyed by your country; France is not the only one who suffered losses, is it?
How does your country intend to compensate our country and the various Italian states?"
The Spanish Envoy's meaning was also very clear: We are no longer demanding Venice's independence; Austria and France have both gained something.
It's fine if your Papal States doesn't care about those small Italian states, but as the most powerful country in the Italian region, Spain cannot gain nothing, right?
When Karl revealed his trump card, the rhythm of the negotiations was already in his hands.
No major power was willing to go all out against the Papal States for the already defunct Venice Republic, and Romeo nodded.
"Of course!
As we said before, all Catholic countries should unite to respond to the invasion of the Ottoman Empire and the Protestant rebellion.
The Ottoman Empire's invasion currently mainly targets Austria, and Spain is also suffering greatly from the Protestant rebellion."
"It seems your country has already made plans; I am all ears." The Spanish Envoy crossed his arms, signaling Romeo to continue.
"The heretical rebellion in Netherlands is a common enemy of all our countries present.
However, with a great enemy before us, our country must first concentrate its forces to help Austria resist the invasion of the Ottoman Empire.
And after helping Austria remove the threat of the Ottoman Empire, our Papal States' army will naturally assist Spain in quelling the Netherlands rebellion."
The Spanish Envoy's eyes lit up; although this was just an empty promise, it was highly likely to be fulfilled.
So far, the Pope's word had been trustworthy.
"Oh? Can this statement be regarded as your country's guarantee?"