My dear Bavarian friend, I think you are mistaken with your eagerness to ask Milan for an alliance. Milan and Venice are both alike, with qualities akin to each other. For if we take Florence, as we should, we will have two borders with Milan, and as they seem have more cities in northern italy than Venice, it would seem Venice is the weaker city state in Northern Italy.
In realisation of Milan's power to extend through the weak and divided France, I put foward another Edict to the Diet.

Edict 1.16 Recruit and send a spy to watch over Milan's progression.

This will allow us to judge when they are aggrivating their neighbours and give us time to strike.
(OOC: I really hate Milan)