Augustus and his entourage were accommodated in St. Mark's Basilica. St. Mark's Basilica is both the pride of Venice and one of the most prestigious cathedrals in the Christian world, which naturally suited Augustus's status.
However, it is worth noting that this was also the departure point for the Fourth Crusade, the one where the Crusaders, led by Venice, turned to attack and sack Constantinople. The bronze horses at the entrance, which Donato boasted about, were plundered during that time.
All of this occurred while Pope Innocent III, who was then the Pope, had completely lost control of the situation, and even excommunication could not stop it, which is quite thought-provoking.
The Fourth Crusade could be considered the glory of Venice, but it could not be called the glory of the Crusaders, much less the glory of the Papacy, and Augustus himself, deep down, evaluated it as "infamous."
In addition, St. Mark's Basilica is very close to the Doge's Palace, with only about 200 meters separating their main entrances, and they are connected internally.
It is conceivable that the surrounding area was heavily guarded, with more than half of Venice's forces within a one-kilometer radius. While ostensibly for security, it was actually for better surveillance and control, with a bit of deterrent effect thrown in.
However, for Augustus, it didn't scare him, but it truly disgusted him. Every time he opened the window, he saw Venice's miscellaneous soldiers wandering in front of him, and the more he looked, the more pathetic they seemed, even worse than the Venetian soldiers in 1486 in "Assassin's Creed 2". Thankfully, Augustus's OCD wasn't severe enough to make him want to correct them.
Venice seemed to be in no hurry to discuss official business, or perhaps they were deliberately trying to wear him down to drive up the price, or perhaps they were looking for weaknesses. They never arranged formal negotiations, instead leading Augustus and his entourage on daily sightseeing tours, never mentioning official matters.
Augustus knew that this matter could not be rushed, and someone else was in more of a hurry than him. As long as he remained in Venice, the process of aiding Austria against the Ottomans could not advance, and Austria suffered huge losses every day.
If Venice truly delayed him and messed up Austria's affairs, it would have to bear the wrath of two powerful neighbors, the Papal States to the south and Austria to the north. Austria had a belly full of anger from fighting the Ottomans with nowhere to vent, and the Papal States' tens of thousands of troops were sharpening their swords; this was not a laughing matter.
So Augustus simply took a group of people and followed Donato every day, eating, drinking, and having fun in Venice. It must be said that the water city of Venice had many interesting places, and under Donato's enthusiastic hospitality, Augustus and his entourage indeed had a very enjoyable time.
At the same time, to avoid giving Venice an opportunity, Augustus forbade all accompanying personnel from going out unless it was a collective activity; special circumstances required individual explanation and approval.
The accompanying nobles were carefully selected and understood that they had come with a purpose. Although not everyone knew the specific details, a trip like this could enhance their resumes, which for most was an unearned merit, so naturally, there were no complaints.
This day, as Donato was leading Augustus and his entourage across the Bridge of Sighs, several soldiers came towards them, escorting a person who looked like a clergyman.
"This is a clergyman who committed theft in Venice. I never thought that servants of God would also commit crimes!" Sensing the unusual gazes from the crowd, an accompanying official next to Donato explained.
At these words, not only Augustus and his entourage but even Donato looked surprised. Clearly, this was something his subordinates had arranged beforehand but had not told him.
Augustus was momentarily at a loss for how to respond. This was not merely a matter of a clergyman committing a crime; it also concerned the judicial power over crimes committed by clergy.
According to custom and the current situation in other Catholic countries, crimes committed by clergy should be handled by the Papacy. However, since Venice arrested two clergymen for minor offenses in 1605, Venice has effectively enjoyed independent judicial power.
And it was precisely because Augustus had the historical precedent of excommunication being ineffective that he had been patient and refrained from acting, merely refusing to acknowledge it without taking any actual measures.
If it were brought up directly now, and he showed no reaction, it would truly become tacit approval. If this precedent were set, who knows how many Catholic countries would rush to follow suit, and the authority of the Papacy would plummet.
Just as Augustus was at his wits' end, Facio confidently spoke up: "Servants of God are not gods after all; it is not strange for them to make mistakes. However, what puzzles me is, servants of God are found in all countries, so why do they not commit crimes in other countries, but only in Venice?
Is it that the glamorous world of Venice captivates the eyes and minds, making people more prone to crime? Or is it that clergymen have been subjected to unjust trials that should not have been imposed on them, and were coerced into confessions?"
Brilliant! Augustus cheered inwardly. Keeping Facio by his side was truly the right decision.
This Venetian official also wanted to jump into this matter and certainly wasn't willing to give up easily: "Perhaps you should look at the problem from a different angle. Maybe it's not that clergymen don't commit crimes in other countries, but that so far, only clergymen who commit crimes in Venice, under our just judgment, receive their deserved punishment and do not get away with it."
"So you're saying all Catholic countries in the world are wrong, and we should all hand over all clergymen to you for management?" Facio very cleverly used "you" instead of "you all" to avoid broadening the scope of the attack.
"Venice has no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. We only want to manage our own country and citizens well. Within Venetian territory, no citizen is exempt from normal legal procedures."
"The Papacy has the responsibility and obligation to manage all clergymen, no matter where they are!"
Watching the two of them engage in a war of words, with Facio holding his own, Augustus felt greatly relieved. Looking at the trembling Donato, he roughly guessed the situation and had a countermeasure.
"Your Excellency, are you planning to discuss the issue of judicial jurisdiction over clergymen today? It doesn't seem necessary, let's do this." Augustus emphasized his tone, as if hinting at something.
"No, Your Holiness, there is no such intention." Donato responded nervously, then turned to the official, "You are truly going too far! His Holiness the Pope is our honored guest in Venice; how can you be so rude? If there's a next time, you'll go home. And you all, why are you parading prisoners early in the morning? Don't you know to wait when there are distinguished guests on the bridge? Are you in such a hurry to be reborn? Why are you still standing there like idiots? Get out!"
Although Donato was angry that his subordinates had acted behind his back, he had no choice but to defend them at this moment. It was one thing for them to cause trouble without telling him, but their preparations weren't even as good as someone's impromptu performance; they were truly a bunch of good-for-nothings. So he simply used his anger to scold them and get it over with.
"Wait a moment," Facio interjected.
"Is there anything else?" Donato suddenly had an ominous premonition.
"If this person is truly a clergyman, we need to take him back for disposition," Facio said calmly.
Augustus was stunned: Was he trying to force Donato to negotiate here? This would surely lead to a direct confrontation, and this wasn't the main purpose of the trip. A little reaction was enough; this was too extreme.
Donato was equally at a loss.
"But I cannot confirm his identity based solely on his attire. Please allow me to test him," Facio added.
"Please." Donato at this point would rather the prisoner couldn't answer and was a fake, even if it was embarrassing, at least it would avoid a diplomatic incident.
"Luke, Chapter Six, Verse 41."
As expected, the question sank like a stone in the ocean, with no response.
"Then there's no problem," Facio said easily.
Donato's expression, however, was quite something.