"Is that Loretto?" Augustus recognized the bound man before him at a glance.
Loretto had not been in politics long, but his promotion under Lorenzo had been like a rocket, and he quickly became a hotshot in Rome, making him hard to miss.
"Your Holiness, it was he who incited Lorenzo to rebel. The generals who objected were killed on the spot by them. We were outnumbered and could not resist, so we could only temporarily submit and await our chance," the surrendering officer leading Loretto explained.
"Yes, yes, we trained day and night, dreaming of going to the battlefield to kill enemies, but we never expected to be forced into becoming tools for such a villain's rebellion!" another officer said indignantly.
Augustus waved his hand: "I will look into your situation, but you will need to stay for a period to cooperate with the investigation. The National Defense Force suffered significant losses after the great battle, and the soldiers involved in the rebellion can conveniently be integrated into the National Defense Force and sent to the front lines."
He had said that if they laid down their weapons, he would not pursue responsibility for the rebellion, but he had not said he would not pursue other responsibilities. The blood debt of Urbino would eventually have to be repaid by someone. Soldiers could claim they were following orders, but if the generals completely failed to restrain them or even participated, then they could not be considered innocent.
Leaving the generals behind and sending the soldiers to the National Defense Force and the front lines first was, in fact, Augustus's distrust of these rebellious generals, an intentional separation of them from the army. As for the investigation, that would be left to Liam.
"Of course, we will actively cooperate!" Knowing the Pope's intention, the leading officer could only offer an ingratiating smile. The reason was simple: it was a blessing to be alive, and he had no right to say a single word of dissent.
"Good, you have also worked hard. Go down and rest first, and also inform the soldiers of the upcoming arrangements and bid them farewell."
Upon hearing the word "hard," almost all the surrendering officers shivered in unison.
Watching the surrendering officers depart, Augustus's gaze fell on Loretto: "Loretto, I never imagined our next meeting would be like this. Is what they said true?"
"Your Holiness, you might consider whether Lorenzo's rebellion was something I could decide? I merely went with the flow and was the first to voice his thoughts," Loretto replied calmly, expressionless.
"What a 'going with the flow'! Such a treacherous act as rebellion can be spoken of so matter-of-factly! What 'flow' did you go with, and what did you do?" Augustus laughed, not in anger.
"The 'flow' is divided into minor and major. Minor 'flows' can be changed, but major 'flows' are irreversible. Relying on Lorenzo to reach this position, I naturally had to go with his minor 'flow'. In the Papal States, you are the major 'flow', but outside the Papal States, in all of Europe, your 'flow' is merely a minor one.
The news leaked, and if one strike failed, we should have fled immediately. Unfortunately, Lorenzo did not heed my advice, otherwise, if we had fled to Naples and leveraged Spain's influence, it would still be unknown who would emerge victorious!" Loretto's tone held little remorse, but was filled with helplessness and unwillingness.
Augustus considered for a moment: If they had truly fled to Spain, it would indeed have caused him a lot of trouble, at the very least giving Spain a bargaining chip for free.
"So, you understand Lorenzo's thoughts very well. Can you answer a question for me and tell me why Lorenzo rebelled? Especially why at this time, after already knowing about the great victory at the front?"
"As Lorenzo himself said, he had long resented your repeated deprivation of his power. The fuse that ignited this time was precisely not the great victory at the front, the capture of Venice.
Lorenzo knew he had close ties with Venice and that there was a lot of evidence in the city. Moreover, this operation was completely hidden from him, making him believe it was specifically targeting him, which led him to take such a desperate risk."
Loretto did not bargain but laid everything out frankly, which pleased Augustus.
"So that's how it is! I actually overlooked a point. How was I targeting him? He wasn't the only one I kept it from. To prevent the plan from leaking prematurely, only a few people in the entire Papal States knew about it. I never thought Lorenzo would go so far because of a mere guess!"
"In reality, Lorenzo's rebellion did not rely solely on the conscripted soldiers he commanded. When he launched the rebellion, he also contacted some nobles who had long been equally dissatisfied with you and had privately communicated in advance, agreeing to rendezvous in Rome."
"Oh? There was such a thing?"
"Yes, but your actions were too quick. When they received the news, they naturally would not act rashly. The list has already been destroyed, but I know who they all are."
Loretto did not mention survival, yet every word was for survival. His life or death was entirely at the Pope's discretion; only by demonstrating sufficient value could he induce the Pope to show him leniency.
"Can you be sure that the nobles Lorenzo contacted were necessarily those who also harbored rebellious intentions?" Augustus asked skeptically.
"Of course. Lorenzo's rebellion this time was to catch you off guard. If the people he contacted were unreliable, wouldn't that be leaking secrets himself?"
Augustus pondered for a moment: The nobles Lorenzo contacted were certainly mostly in the heartland of the Papal States, yet he received news of this from Claudio, who was far away on the Venice front. This was enough to prove the point.
Understanding Loretto's meaning, Augustus went straight to the point: "Good! You are one of the main planners of the rebellion and Lorenzo's in-law. You should have been executed according to the law. However, since you are willing to atone for your mistakes, I will give you this opportunity.
I need you to do two things: First, identify all the nobles who colluded in the rebellion; second, assist in the subsequent investigation to clarify the full scope of this rebellion, especially everything that happened in Urbino. If you handle these two matters well, I can pardon you and your family. You can decide whether to stay or leave. What do you think?"
"Thank you, Your Holiness, for your mercy. I will do my utmost to atone for my mistakes!"
…
"Your Holiness, why did you personally lead the army out of the city? This is too dangerous!" Karl's face showed worry upon meeting him, but then his tone shifted, "However, I heard that you personally executed the rebel leader Lorenzo and quelled this rebellion. How majestic! This event should be recorded in history and painted as a mural!"
"Karl, I have received all the good news from the front. You fought very well, a splendid job, you did not disappoint me! It was my oversight in arrangements that held you back."
Augustus sincerely apologized. If it weren't for the affair with Lorenzo, Venice's entire territory in Italy might have already been taken by now.
"Your Holiness, what are you saying? That villain Lorenzo colluded with external enemies and launched a rebellion; this was something no one could have anticipated. How can you be blamed? Duke, Giovanni, and Riccardo are still at the front, and Venice has little military strength left. Taking it completely is only a matter of time. I believe Duke will not disappoint you either, and the battle will not be significantly affected."
"Good, that's best!" Augustus nodded repeatedly, full of joy, "In this great battle, your losses were not small either. As for these surrendering rebels, I will remove all the generals for investigation, and all the reserve soldiers will be handed over to you."
"Good, I will reorganize them and lead them well," Karl said confidently.
Augustus thought for a moment; it was better to be clear about some things: "These reserve soldiers, after all, have a history of rebellion. To abandon them is to throw out the baby with the bathwater, but they are also not suitable for major tasks. If there are battles later where sacrifices must be made, you should know how to choose."
"Understood," Karl replied crisply.
"There's one more thing I need to trouble you with." Augustus paused, then continued, "Although the rebel army has been disbanded, remnants of the rebel forces still remain: the rebellious garrison occupying Urbino, the scattered remnants who fled during the march, and the nobles who colluded with Lorenzo. These are all potential threats.
I need you to clear out these rebel remnants. I will hand Loretto over to you shortly; he will tell you who the nobles who colluded with Lorenzo in the rebellion are and where they are."
"This is already my duty. However, Loretto, Lorenzo's brother-in-law, is such a person reliable?"
"You judge what he says for yourself. He is not a loyal person, but he is a smart one. At this point, he has no need to deceive us, so he should be trustworthy. After the matter is handled, leave him in Urbino to await Liam's arrival for investigation, and then you can return to the Venice front."
"Good, I'll go reorganize the rebels first, then depart immediately."
"If there weren't still things I needed you to do, I truly wish I could keep you for a while and have you personally recount the entire detailed course of the battle," Augustus said with reluctance.
"Don't worry, Your Holiness, the battle will end very soon. If things go smoothly on Duke's side, they might already be close to finishing. When we return in triumph, we will tell you all about every battle together!"
"Good, it's a deal!"