At Papal Army headquarters, the power struggle erupting within the Papal States had now spread to the troops at the front.
"Commander, His Holiness the Pope has sent orders, commanding us to halt our advance and return to Rome at once to suppress the rebel faction!" a middle-aged officer said with a troubled expression.
There was no way around it. Before they received the Pope's orders, the cabinet government had also issued them military orders, commanding them to cooperate with the Kingdom of Sardinia's army and capture Venice as quickly as possible.
Borkin had a headache. Should he obey the Pope or the cabinet? It was a deadly choice; one wrong step in a political struggle, and one would be doomed beyond redemption.
Just because the democrats appeared to hold the upper hand and Pope Pius IX had fled to Naples did not mean the victor had been decided. In truth, this power struggle had only just begun.
As Europe's religious leader, the Pope was also a master of the great summoning art. He might not be able to defeat the bourgeoisie at home, but he could call for help. Historically, France and Austria had sent troops to help him reclaim power.
"Commander, what should we do now? Whom are we supposed to obey?" an officer asked hesitantly.
Borkin shook his head helplessly. He truly did not know what to do. Deep down, he leaned toward the Pope, but the problem was that he could not guarantee the Pope would emerge victorious from this political struggle.
The question did not linger for long. A young officer burst in, shattering the tense atmosphere. "Commander, the enemy's main force has ambushed our troops ahead! They request reinforcements!"
Borkin immediately ordered, "Order the Second Regiment to reinforce them at once. Send word for