Chapter 31: The Cardinal's Gambit

As Leon prepared to present the draft agreements from his negotiations with Foscari to the Imperial Diet, he received an urgent warning that Venice was planning a major provocation—a naval blockade of imperial shipping lanes designed to create economic chaos and force concessions.

The intelligence came from Marco Bellini, who had infiltrated Venetian communication channels and uncovered evidence of coordinated preparations across multiple port cities. Bellini explained that Foscari had been authorized to escalate tensions if negotiations stalled or if Venice perceived the empire was gaining an advantage.

Leon recognized this as a clear attempt to sabotage the diplomatic process through intimidation—but also realized it presented an opportunity to expose Venice's true intentions and rally broader support for his position. He decided to publicly reveal the planned blockade while simultaneously preparing defensive measures in case it occurred.

The announcement sent shockwaves through Europe—with several nations condemning Venice's provocative actions and expressing concern about maritime security. England and France offered naval assistance to defend imperial shipping, signaling a growing coalition against Venetian expansionism.

Meanwhile, Isabella uncovered evidence that Foscari had been secretly communicating with disaffected nobles within the empire who were promised positions of power in exchange for supporting Venice's agenda—revealing a concerted effort to cultivate internal allies while preparing for external confrontation.

As tensions reached their peak, Emperor Friedrich convened an emergency session of the Imperial Diet—where Leon presented his case for imposing targeted sanctions on Venetian trade and authorizing naval patrols to protect imperial shipping lanes.

Several powerful delegates initially opposed these measures—arguing they would provoke a costly war with a major trading partner while providing limited benefits in return. But Leon countered that allowing Venice to operate with impunity would ultimately cost the empire far more in lost revenue, strategic vulnerability, and erosion of sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Venetian agents launched a disinformation campaign accusing Leon of fabricating intelligence to justify an unnecessary conflict—claiming the planned blockade was merely a routine naval exercise unrelated to ongoing negotiations.

Leon responded by releasing intercepted communications from Foscari confirming the true purpose of the operation—demonstrating that Venice had been preparing for confrontation all along while publicly claiming to seek peaceful resolution.