Augustus breathed a sigh of relief, knowing there was something to discuss.
"Our goal is to help Austria resist the Ottoman, but we don't necessarily have to commit all our troops to the Hungary front, and doing so wouldn't be very effective.
I prefer another approach, which is to besiege the Ottoman coastal provinces. If the Ottoman diverts troops to support them, it will relieve pressure on Austria; if the Ottoman ignores them, we will simply take the Ottoman coastal cities, both weakening the Ottoman's war potential and strengthening our own forces."
"Your Holiness, this is the Papal States' upcoming military deployment, which is a state secret, so why are you telling us?" Donato asked, feigning ignorance.
Augustus nodded and said, "Of course, I need to tell you, because this plan requires Venice's help. If you are unwilling to deploy your navy, we will be unable to counter the Ottoman navy to gain naval supremacy, and besieging the Ottoman coastal cities will be out of the question."
By immediately stating their need for assistance, would this put the negotiations at a disadvantage? Everyone on both sides of the negotiation had this doubt in their minds.
"But why do you believe we would send Venice's proud navy to participate in this war of unpredictable fortune?" Donato continued to probe.
"I know that there is indeed some friction between the Papal States and Venice at present, but we must understand that the Ottoman Empire is our common grave concern. In the past few decades, how much Venetian territory has fallen into enemy hands, how many Venetian people have been displaced, or even sold into slavery? Have you forgotten these things?" Augustus spoke passionately.
However, such emotionally charged words have limited effect at the negotiating table; everyone wants tangible benefits. Nevertheless, Augustus still had to say these words to uphold justice.
Although Donato had only recently become Governor of Venice, he was an old hand who had been in Venetian politics for many years and would not be easily provoked into a furious battle with the Ottoman.
"Of course, I haven't forgotten these things. Recovering lost territories has always been the desire of successive Governors of Venice. However, what can we gain from this? You know, Venice is different from the Papal States; without sufficient profit to drive us, I cannot convince the people of Venice, and thus cannot mobilize the Venetian navy." He spoke plainly, yet cleverly distanced himself.
"That is exactly what I am going to say. If Venice can lend a hand, then we will be able to launch attacks from the sea on the coastal cities and islands of the Ottoman Empire.
We will prioritize leading the allied forces to help Venice recover its previously lost territories, and not only that, the Papal States will not claim a single piece of land from this war; all territories captured by the allied forces will belong to Venice."
"Is that true?" Donato, who had been dismissive, was somewhat moved, not expecting the Pope to offer such generous terms, but still harbored some lingering concerns.
The other Venetian negotiators present were also universally tempted. Precisely because of this, they needed to ask more clearly: "But in that case, how will you appease the Papal States' soldiers and the other countries participating?"
"You don't need to worry about that. The Papal States aids Austria not for profit, and I believe the other participating nations are the same; we are all gathered for the same goal. Moreover, the participating Catholic nations will not have any territorial demands on the Ottoman. As for the rest, the Papal States has sufficient reserves to appease everyone."
"There's one more question." Another Venetian negotiator said gravely, "Your Holiness, the promises you've made to us all depend on capturing cities from the Ottoman Empire and then holding them. Will the Ottoman Empire allow us to capture multiple of their cities one after another?
If the Ottoman diverts troops from the Hungary battlefield to support, your goal of relieving pressure on Austria will be achieved. Can the allied forces defeat the divided Ottoman forces? Can the allied forces hold the cities they capture? And can our combined navies firmly maintain naval supremacy?
If any of these are not achieved, Venice will have worked in vain and could suffer heavy losses, or even lose more territory."
After listening, Donato suddenly understood. No wonder he felt something was off; that was where the problem lay. Fortunately, he hadn't impulsively agreed, so he quickly echoed, "Yes, Your Holiness, the outcome of the war is still unknown. Relying solely on these verbal promises to dispatch Venice's navy, which is crucial to the nation's survival, seems difficult to justify to the people!"
Augustus's expression darkened. It was not easy to deceive them; it seemed he would have to make sacrifices.
Seeing the Venetian side being aggressive, Facio retorted, "Your country considers the generous terms we sincerely offered to be empty promises. What then would be considered tangible? Do you expect the Papal States to cede territory to you?
Or perhaps you want Austrian territory? Then you can ask Austria if they agree. If what you want are the lost territories that fell to the Ottoman, then do you have the ability to reclaim them yourselves?
If not, why would you refuse this heaven-sent opportunity? Is it because you are cowardly and afraid of battle? Or have you already secretly colluded with the Ottoman?"
"Don't slander us! If your Papal States is so courageous, why seek our help? Just charge straight for the Ottoman capital, every single one of you, and liberate Constantinople!" a Venetian representative angrily declared.
Donato had long been tempted by the generous terms Augustus offered. His current refusal was merely a bargaining tactic, hoping to gain more benefits. It would be unfavorable if a dispute between the representatives caused the cooperation to fall apart.
So he quickly intervened, using the same tactic again: "Your Excellency misunderstands. It's not that we demand some tangible benefits, but without any actual gains, it's difficult for us to convince our people, effectively deploy Venice's naval forces to participate in the war, or effectively motivate the naval soldiers. We fear it might be counterproductive to the allied forces."
This Donato, his ability to deflect blame is first-rate. Augustus gave a disdainful smile. But his personal intervention at this moment also revealed Donato's true attitude. He was willing to talk, and if he was willing to talk, it would be easy to handle; it was merely a matter of how much to sacrifice.
"Then, in your opinion, what else should the Papal States do for Venice?"
Donato pondered for a moment before replying, "Then shall I speak frankly?"
"Speak freely."
"Firstly, I hope Your Holiness can allocate funds to us in the form of rent for the assembly and departure of Venice's navy, as well as ship maintenance fees and sailors' wages.
Secondly, to ensure foolproof success, I want to suspend various related Venetian maritime industries to requisition as many ships and experienced sailors as possible, and the losses incurred during this period are immeasurable.
Furthermore, once engaged with the Ottoman navy, damage to Venetian ships is inevitable. These are the very foundations of Venice's survival. If they are damaged in the war, I hope you can compensate us at their construction cost.
This is a matter of funds. For our common sacred cause, I believe Your Holiness would not be stingy with this expense, would you?" Donato demanded a high price, following the basic negotiation tactic of asking for the moon and settling for less.
"This is blatant extortion!" Discovering Donato's greed and willingness to negotiate, Facio became even more confident.