"What is that supposed to mean? These are all constructive suggestions put forward by our Doge of Venice to reach an agreement in the negotiations. If there's anything unsatisfactory, we can discuss it further! Why be so arbitrary!" a representative from Venice interceded.
Augustus also found the conditions proposed by Venice somewhat outrageous. Not only would Venice hardly spend a penny, but the entire nation would also make a huge profit, and even the insurance would be covered by him.
If it were just a matter of money, the Papal States could afford it. The main reason for not agreeing immediately was that it was too suspicious, which would make Venice think there was a trick.
However, it was not just a matter of money. If he agreed to such excessive conditions without any negotiation, the Venetians would likely become more demanding in subsequent discussions, and he would then be in a dilemma. It was better to leave some room for negotiation.
"Doge of Venice, the issue of funding, your casual mention of it is too abstract. How much money exactly, where it will be used, and whether it exceeds the Papal States' capacity to bear it—these are all things we need to know. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I need you to present a more concrete plan before we can decide whether to accept it."
Since Venice had not yet discovered Augustus's true purpose, the conditions they proposed after Augustus suggested borrowing the Venice Navy were improvised and lacked preparation. Thus, they had to be temporarily set aside.
"You have a point. It seems the funding issue will indeed need to be discussed in more detail once we have our data organized. However, please rest assured, every penny of this money is necessary."
Donato spoke lightly, but he was a little panicked inside. In his opinion, Augustus was deliberately stalling for time, hoping for other countries to intervene. Little did he know that Augustus, for his own true purpose, similarly did not want more countries to genuinely get involved in the talks between the Papal States and Venice.
"So, Venice is willing to dispatch the Venice Navy?" Augustus probed.
"Of course, as long as His Holiness the Pope is generous, how could Venice fall behind?" Donato answered very cunningly, implying: if anything goes wrong, it's not our problem.
The stone hanging in Augustus's heart finally dropped. If it was just a matter of money, he would only need to symbolically cut the price later, and the task would be accomplished.
"However, besides funding, there is another issue that may require attention," Donato added with a solemn expression.
"Please speak."
"The Papal States and Venice have had deep estrangement in recent years. I fear that the soldiers on both sides might be influenced by emotions and unable to fight well side-by-side."
"That's right," Augustus agreed. "Isn't another purpose of my trip to ease the relationship between both sides?"
"In that case, let us have an open and frank discussion."
With cooperation imminent, Donato sincerely hoped that the talks could have a positive impact on their relationship. If they could truly reclaim lost territory from the Ottoman, Venice itself would benefit the most.
"Last year, Venice arrested two clergymen for minor offenses and enacted a law restricting the church's ownership of land. Should we thoroughly discuss these two matters?"
Under Augustus's restraint, the conflict between the church and Venice mainly occurred at the civilian level and did not escalate to national antagonism as it did in the original timeline.
Therefore, Venice did not really react with resentment towards the Papal States due to pressure from the Holy See. Instead, it was within the Papal States that animosity towards Venice accumulated under suppression.
"Venice certainly has the right to punish criminals within its borders. Is there a problem with that?" a Venetian representative replied as a matter of course.
"But the affairs of clergymen fall under the jurisdiction of the Holy See. Was Venice overstepping by directly doing this?" Augustus asked calmly.
Donato was well-prepared for this topic: "These two individuals held low positions, and we originally intended to handle it without alarming the Holy See, but it backfired. However, the public outrage they caused was immense. If they were not dealt with promptly and severely, the consequences could have been disastrous. The Holy See is, after all, far away in Rome, and some matters require urgent handling. Going back and forth would waste a lot of time, and it is indeed inconvenient."
Donato's explanation was completely untenable, but since the other party was willing to offer such a reason, Augustus followed their lead: "I understand. It was not Venice's intention to overstep. Firstly, because the criminals were not high-ranking, and secondly, due to the urgency of the situation, Venice had no choice but to handle it themselves, is that correct?"
The Venetian representative, who had just been assertive, continued to refute: "No, this is a right Venice already possesses, and there is nothing improper about it. The era when the Holy See could arbitrarily interfere in the internal affairs of other countries should have ended long ago!"
This was not due to a lack of communication within Venice leading to inconsistent attitudes; rather, it was a deliberate good cop, bad cop routine to gauge the Pope's attitude and reach a balance point that was most beneficial to Venice and acceptable to the Pope.
The Holy See absolutely could not tolerate such an attitude from Venice. Even if it could temporarily cease Venice's existence, if it were to acquiesce, leading to other countries following suit, the authority of the Holy See could be completely shattered in a very short time.
"Clergymen inherently fall under the jurisdiction of the Holy See; this has always been the case in all Catholic countries. Is it the Holy See interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, or is Venice interfering in ecclesiastical power under the guise of internal affairs?" Facio argued logically.
"We can understand acting under urgent circumstances, but if anyone in Venice believes that the Holy See has no right to govern clergymen within Venice, then we must correct you."
Although he was unclear about Venice's plan, Augustus knew that completely stripping the Holy See of its ecclesiastical power in Venice could never be Venice's bottom line; it was something they could not accept even with a knife to their throat.
"Your Holiness, what has happened has happened. Continuing to argue is meaningless. Let us propose a solution that both sides can accept."
"Alright, let bygones be bygones. Let's discuss future solutions. I'll propose a plan first; see if it's feasible: Given Venice's special status and system, for crimes committed by clergymen below the rank of bishop, if the impact is severe and requires urgent handling, Venice and the bishop of the relevant diocese will jointly manage it, and the outcome will be reported to the Holy See. How does that sound?"
The reason Augustus first highlighted Venice's uniqueness was to prevent other countries from imitating it. If monarchical countries were to imitate Venice, this special commercial republic, in this matter, it would be tantamount to digging their own graves.
The Doge of Venice was momentarily stunned, then immediately beamed with joy once he understood. How likely was it that the bishops within Venice, with the Pope far away, would go against the Venetian government?
The plan proposed by the Pope was equivalent to acknowledging Venice's de facto right to handle crimes committed by lower-ranking clergymen, with the Holy See still nominally in charge. Venice wanted the actual right to handle matters, and the Holy See could not lose face. From this perspective, it was indeed a win-win solution.
"Excellent, this is truly an outstanding plan!" Donato exclaimed sincerely.