Hang Him!

While the Pope began diplomatic maneuvering among the several states surrounding Savoy, the Venetians tried one last desperate gamble.

A Venetian army led by General Colleoni attempted a surprise attack on the city of Padua.

As expected, the Venetians failed again, with only less than three hundred of the approximately three thousand strong army of citizens and mercenaries escaping.

In fact, as soon as this army landed on the lake shore, scouts immediately rushed news of them back to Padua.

Albrecht, upon receiving the news, feigned ignorance, but secretly made preparations.

At dawn, when the citizens in the city who were trying to coordinate with the Venetians from within revealed themselves, he immediately commanded his troops to control these cunning citizens, and then led his army out of the city.

The Venetians were caught off guard and almost collapsed at the first touch; many were overtaken and killed during their escape.

Those citizens of Padua who had colluded with the Venetians were all hanged, their bodies displayed in a row on the city walls, serving as a threat and warning to others within the city.

Inside the Venetian military tribunal, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like water could be wrung from it.

Under the high dome, a massive chandelier cast a cold light, mercilessly illuminating every corner.

The Senators, dressed in splendid and solemn robes, looked stern as they sat in a semicircle behind a long table, their gazes like sharp, cold glints, all fixed on the isolated figure in the center of the hall—General Colleoni, who had suffered defeat at Padua.

His armor was covered in mottled bloodstains, marks left by the brutal fighting on the battlefield, but now they served as evidence of his defeat.

Colleoni's hair was disheveled and matted to his blood- and dirt-stained face.

His once resolute and courageous eyes were now filled with weariness and unwillingness, yet under the cold gaze of the Senators, a hint of fear subtly emerged.

"Do you admit your guilt?"

The voice of the Chief Senator broke the dead silence, echoing through the hall, every word carrying a stern authority.

Colleoni suddenly lifted his head, his dry lips moving as if to argue, but his throat seemed to seize up, and it was a long moment before a hoarse voice emerged: "My Lords, the enemy was too strong, we—"

"Enough!" another Senator angrily interrupted him, "The army you led was the last strength of the Republic, such a rare opportunity, you should have brought victory back to the Republic! Now you have suffered such a crushing defeat, bringing shame to the Republic!"

Colleoni swayed, as if struck by the rebuke; his fists clenched, veins bulging on the back of his hands, clearly trying to suppress his inner emotions.

He recalled that a few months ago, General Marco Antonio Moro had also been tried here by the Senate.

That General was also accused of treason for a shameful defeat and was soon stripped of his property and beheaded publicly.

He estimated grimly that his own end would likely be no better.

At this moment, a member of the Council of Ten slowly stood up, holding a parchment scroll, and coldly questioned: "According to witness testimony, you mismanaged command on the battlefield and advanced rashly, leading our side into a desperate situation. Do you have anything to say?"

Colleoni opened his mouth to argue, but didn't know where to begin; such an accusation seemed unproblematic.

After a moment of hesitation, he realized that he might not escape death today, so he steeled himself and spoke the words on his mind: "I am not guilty! The order to attack Padua was given by the Doge.

No matter who it was, this battle could only end in defeat. Are you still trying to resist the powerful Empire?

It is because of you stubborn fools who always make the wrong choices that Venice has fallen to this point today!

The guilty one is not me, but you, that damned Doge! Francesca!"

The Doge of Venice, called out by name and bitterly cursed, turned ashen, and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "He bites back even when facing death. I will hang him!"

The Council of Ten and the representatives of the Senate voted by show of hands, and almost everyone unanimously voted in favor of the verdict—Colleoni was to be stripped of all his property and executed by a very undignified hanging.

Colleoni had served Venice for many years and accumulated considerable wealth.

The Venetian nobles present could all take a share of his inheritance. As for the problem of Venice having no excellent land generals after executing Colleoni...

There were none to begin with, so it was not a problem at all.

The Republic of Venice had plenty of mercenary generals, but the most outstanding ones had basically either fled due to defeat, been exiled, or executed.

Concurrently, Venice's land forces had been completely destroyed; even if there were generals, there were no soldiers to command.

The verdict passed, and the hanging was soon held publicly in St. Mark's Square.

The families of the fallen gathered in the square, cursing Colleoni for his incompetence, which had led to their loved ones being lost forever.

Facing these accusations, Colleoni did not defend himself as he had before the Senators seated above; he simply silently endured the people's anger.

He felt it was unfair to himself and sad for these citizens; they were merely victims of the foolish decisions of the upper echelons, and this had never changed.

The wooden plank beneath his feet opened, and the coarse rope immediately tightened around Colleoni's neck; the general who had served Venice for half his life quickly breathed his last.

And not far behind him, in the Doge's Palace, the Senate was engaged in a fierce debate.

Now, most members of the Venetian Senate were in favor of peace negotiations with the Emperor.

They would rather sacrifice some interests than let the current terrible situation continue.

Venetian ships dared not fly the Golden Lion flag when sailing in the Adriatic Sea, otherwise they would most likely be plundered by pirates.

Even so, the probability of merchant ships encountering trouble remained high.

Genoa's ships were no longer content with privateering only around Italy.

They began plundering Venetian ships on routes in the Aegean Sea, the Black Sea, and even the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

With the Emperor's backing, Genoa brazenly struck at the Venetians at sea.

The losses of the Venetian nobles were very significant, and now that the last struggle had failed, they were unwilling to hold on any longer.

From what the Emperor had done in Venice's mainland territories, it was clear that he did not care about the "golden book" that the Venetians cherished.

In Venice, only families listed in the "golden book" were recognized as nobles and enjoyed many privileges.

However, the Emperor specifically targeted and killed nobles from the "golden book"; he simply did not recognize the self-proclaimed Republic nobles of Venice.

While there was still room for maneuver, the Senate hoped to end this nightmare; if they truly waited until they were at their wits' end, they could not imagine what the Emperor would do.

Even though the Doge of Venice was extremely reluctant, he could only carry out the Senate's resolution and send a diplomat to meet the Emperor, preparing for peace negotiations.