Strategic Maneuver

Outside the besieged city of Pordenone, Laszlo received several secret reports that had traversed enemy territory. He frowned as he looked at the map and asked in a deep voice, "You're saying that a portion of the French forces in the Naples region has returned to Genoa, and they are now attacking Pavia in Milan?"

Joachim replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. The intelligence sent by General Piccinino's secret envoy, who defends Pavia, and Marshal Adolf's messenger confirms this."

Laszlo then pointed to Treviso on the map and asked, "Have the reinforcements from Florence, Mantua, and Savoy already arrived in Treviso?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. According to our intelligence, this reinforcement force totals approximately four thousand men. The commanding general is John IV, Marquis of Montferrat, and his brother William is also one of the generals."

Laszlo paused for a moment, then immediately recalled his memories related to Montferrat.

"You mean that vassal state of Savoy, the Northern Italy principality ruled by a branch of the Palaiologos family?"

Joachim nodded and explained, "That's right, Marquis John is leading this reinforcement force to aid Venice, under the orders of his cousin and liege, the Duke of Savoy."

Laszlo pondered, chin in hand, as the name stirred a memory.

It was several months ago in Vienna, after Austria's efforts to dismantle the Mantua Alliance had all failed. He had a secret conversation with Aeching in the Hofburg Palace study.

"Is there really no way for us to weaken the enemy's strength? Even just a little…" Laszlo had asked Aeching, unwilling to give up.

Aeching pondered for a moment before replying, "To be honest, the most likely one to be swayed to our side is Marquis John of Montferrat."

"How so?"

"Decades ago, the old Marquis of Montferrat expanded his territory through eastern and western campaigns, but he was caught in a pincer attack by the Milan-Savoy alliance, losing most of his land, incurring high war reparations, and submitting to Savoy. The old Marquis died of grief as a result."

John IV, who inherited the title, largely maintained loyalty to Savoy, but he was imprisoned for a long time in Chambéry during his childhood, only to be released and returned to his country after his father signed the humiliating Treaty of Turin.

His brother William is an even more staunch anti-Savoy individual. If you could entice the Marquis or his brother to switch sides at a critical moment by promising to support Montferrat's independence and forcing Savoy to return its original territories, it might have unexpected effects."

Laszlo snapped back to reality, a slight smile playing on his lips. The plan from back then seemed to have a chance of being successfully implemented now, but this matter required careful planning and strict execution.

Those who do not plan secretly cannot accomplish great things.

He turned to Ester, the commander of the Imperial Guard, and ordered, "Dispatch several skilled cavalry scouts. Have them ride swiftly through enemy territory to Naples to deliver my orders to Adolf. Leave Skanderbeg to assist Ferdinando in continuing the siege of Naples. Have Adolf lead the Hungarian Border Guard and the Independent Army north to launch a surprise attack on Florence. There's no time for him to waste in the south; tell him to act quickly."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Laszlo dismissed everyone and quickly wrote a secret letter in his tent.

He selected a clever Sienese man from the army, had him change into plain clothes, and sent him overnight to Treviso, carrying money to "buy" passage.

His mission was to deliver this secret letter to the defending general, William, and bring back his reply.

Before he departed, the Emperor personally promised him that if he completed the mission and returned safely, he would receive an inherited Imperial Knight title and a fiefdom in Italy.

The soldier immediately felt his blood boil, swore to complete the mission entrusted by the Emperor, and then departed.

Laszlo was still full of anticipation for his plan, but he did not entirely rely on it. Breaking the enemy head-on with superior strength was his most trusted method of combat.

Below the city of Pordenone, the Imperial Army's artillery was concentrated. Laszlo, riding his warhorse, stood beside the artillery position and swung his longsword.

Instantly, cannons roared in unison. Numerous cast-iron cannonballs were fired, heavily impacting the city's outer walls. Some defenders who were too slow to dodge were instantly severely wounded by flying shrapnel or fragments from the bombardment.

After long-term experimental comparisons at the Innsbruck Arsenal, combined with the experience of the Graz artillery craftsmen, the arsenal began to completely replace stone cannonballs with cast-iron ones.

Furthermore, they began to gradually lengthen gun barrels, reduce calibers, adjust barrel wall thickness, precisely machine gun bores, and incorporate reinforced components into light cannons, drawing inspiration from heavy artillery craftsmanship.

These measures meant that the newly equipped light artillery of the Imperial Army did not change much in weight, but their range and lethality were greatly improved.

Some demolition enthusiasts at the arsenal attempted to further increase the potassium nitrate ratio based on German black powder, but the results were unsatisfactory, and this research direction was thus terminated.

Ultimately, they unanimously agreed that the 75:10:15 nitre-sulfur-carbon ratio common in the Rhineland region was the optimal choice.

Now, the arsenal's research achievements were put into practice on the battlefield. The colossal roar was deafening and continuous.

Cannonballs rained down on the walls of Pordenone. The defenders on the walls scurried like ants on a hot pan, dodging left and right, but someone was always caught by the cannonballs and died on the spot.

The little over one thousand defenders inside Pordenone faced immense pressure from the Imperial Army's overwhelming siege, outnumbering them by more than ten to one. Who would have thought that these insane Imperial Army soldiers would concentrate over thirty cannons to fiercely bombard one section of the city wall?

The few defending cannons on the city wall were quickly destroyed by the bombardment from outside the city.

Seeing the sturdy city wall begin to crack under the baptism of artillery fire, with debris flying everywhere, the Venetian commander defending the city could no longer sit still.

If the Imperial Army were allowed to continue such indiscriminate bombardment, the fall of the city would only be a matter of time, and then, the fate of this city would naturally be self-evident.

After an hour of continuous bombardment, the Imperial Army's artillery finally ceased, and several large breaches appeared in the city wall.

Just as Laszlo raised his hand, preparing to order the assault team behind him to carry scaling ladders and shields to attack the city wall, the Golden Lion of Saint Mark flag on the city wall suddenly lowered, replaced by a white flag.

The Emperor changed his gesture, clenching his fist to signal his troops not to attack, then dispatched a Household Cavalryman to the city gate to inquire.

A white flag signifies a truce, which is a centuries-old tradition.

Later, the side raising the white flag often chose to surrender. By this era, the white flag had evolved into a symbol of surrender.

"They only know how to beg for mercy when death is at their doorstep," Laszlo grumbled to Ester beside him.

Ester smiled knowingly at this and respectfully said, "There will always be those who overestimate themselves and try to obstruct your progress. They will realize their insignificance at some point and submit to you."

Laszlo smiled and shook his head, saying, "I've heard too many compliments, but their choice to surrender will indeed reduce our casualties… It's just a pity about my gunpowder. That was enough for eight rounds of bombardment! These Venetians will have to pay for it!"

Since the defenders of Pordenone did not surrender immediately, the Emperor demanded a ransom of one hundred thousand ducats from the city and required all defending soldiers to surrender their weapons and armor before being allowed to leave the city.

The residents within the city were required to raise large quantities of provisions and other supplies for the Imperial Army, otherwise, the Imperial Army would storm the city and slaughter every person within it.

Facing such a severe threat, the citizens and defenders of Pordenone ultimately chose to compromise. Laszlo once again profited handsomely through coercion.

After the defenders disarmed, Laszlo ordered a six-hundred-man unit to take over the city's defense. The main army temporarily encamped outside Pordenone for two days of rest and recuperation.

The long period of rapid marching had kept the troops in a constantly tense state. Even with the incentive of rewards, this state was very dangerous. Laszlo decided to ease up a bit, otherwise, accidents could easily occur.

The gains from this siege were also used to reward the entire army. Having captured two cities, plus the gains from passing through villages and towns along the way, Laszlo's coffers swelled once again.

Next to his personal tent were his spoils of war: over sixty thousand florins and many treasures, including valuable books and some precious works of art.

This money was enough for him to add a new regiment to the Imperial Guard, but perhaps there were other places where this money would be needed.