Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 19 Preparations before leaving
As if he had already understood what Carlo would say, Vittorio Emanuele II sighed, but nodded helplessly and said: "Okay, child, I can only wish you all the best. May God bless you, my child."

"Father, I'm going to Spain. Won't you give me some money?" Carlo suddenly asked, as if he was asking for money.

"Haha, of course, kid." Carlo's interruption successfully made Vittorio Emanuele II less sad. The old king also smiled and said, "But I have to remind you that the king's funds cannot be confused with the government's finances. No matter how much the government needs money, you can only provide funds to the government in the form of loans. Do you understand?"

This is actually a bloody lesson. If it is an absolute monarchy, it is not so bad. The king who holds great power can withdraw funds from the treasury at will, and the only one who suffers is the government.

But Spain is a constitutional monarchy. If the king's slush fund and the government's treasury are not distinguished, the only one who will suffer will be the king.

Moreover, it is easy for others to exploit them and they may be blamed for misappropriating government funds, thus becoming hated by the Spaniards.

This is why Vittorio Emanuele II reminded Carlo that the king's treasury and the government's treasury must be clearly distinguished. Even if it is a loan, the specific interest and repayment period must be written out.

Carlo nodded. He understood all this. Many of Carlo's plans required a lot of money, and his own small treasury could not be mixed with the government's treasury.

After a brief silence, Vittorio Emanuele II looked at his youngest son and said, “Although Italy’s finances are not rich, the House of Savoy still has some capital.

I will give you 3000 million lire, plus some servants to take care of your daily life. My child, if you think that being the King of Spain is not the life you want, you are always welcome in Italy. "

Carlo was quite surprised at the level of support for Vittorio Emanuele II.

3000 million lire is equivalent to 120 million pounds. Although it may not seem like a large number, it was enough to build a main battleship-level dreadnought in the era of dreadnoughts.

Even in the United Kingdom, which has the strongest comprehensive national strength, a skilled worker only earns 9 shillings and 6 pence per week, and this is the income of adult male workers. If it is a woman or a child, it will be even lower. (1 pound = 20 shillings, 1 shilling = 12 pence)

120 million pounds is equivalent to the income of more than 5 British workers who work hard for a year, which is enough to prove the huge amount of money.

Even the Italian royal family only has an annual income of 30 to 40 pounds after all expenses, and no more than 50 pounds at most.

This also meant that Vittorio Emanuele II gave almost all of the royal family's three-year income to Carlo, allowing Carlo to have sufficient funds in Spain to carry out his plans.

Although Carlo did not experience the father-son relationship with Vittorio Emanuele II since childhood, he was still moved by the sincerity of his father Vittorio Emanuele II.

This also made Carlo determined not to let the Italian royal family and Mussolini disappear together. No matter whether it was Vittorio Emanuele II or Crown Prince Umberto, as long as the Savoy dynasty controlled Italy, Carlo's Spain would never take the initiative to become an enemy of Italy.

A few days later, Carlo saw Primo again.

Although there was less than ten days between the two meetings, the conversation between the two became more intimate and friendly.

Primo looked at the king candidate he had personally chosen and expressed his respect and support: "Respected His Highness Carlo, on behalf of the Prime Minister of Spain, I invite you to inherit the throne of Spain and become the king of all Spaniards." "It's my honor, Marquis Primo." Carlo nodded with a smile. He was not at all embarrassed about the throne that he had won legally.

"I look forward to working with you, Marquis Primo." Carlo continued, "As I said before, I will unconditionally support your reforms and will not be a nuisance to your reforms."

Hearing Carlo express his support for the reform directly, Primo felt relieved and felt very relaxed and happy.

"It is my honor to serve you, Your Highness." Primo gave Carlo a standard Spanish aristocratic salute, and then said very seriously.

Primo did not mind serving the monarch he recognized. Although Primo's loyalty was dedicated to the whole of Spain, as long as Carlo was on the throne of Spain and as long as Carlo did not show the side of a tyrant, Primo would also be loyal to Carlo.

"Now that the throne has been confirmed, I will return to Spain in the next few days. Your Highness, I hope you can come to Madrid within a month, and we will prepare a grand coronation ceremony for you." Primo also smiled and said to Carlo.

"No, Marquis Primo." Carlo shook his head and rejected Primo's proposal.

Looking at Primo who was somewhat surprised, Carlo smiled and explained: "Give me a few days to prepare, and I will go to Spain with you."

Although the Spanish throne was advanced by more than a year, just like the Franco-Prussian War, Carlo was still worried about any unexpected events.

If Primo was assassinated after returning to Spain, Carlo would still face the same situation as Amadeo, with no one available, when he went to Madrid.

Although the subordinates selected by Carlo for himself, including Garibaldi's second son, Giotti, all possessed good abilities, it was impossible for these people to hold high positions from the beginning.

There are only two people that Carlo can rely on in Spain, Primo and Serrano, who hold power in the Spanish government and army.

The most important of them is Primo. Primo is not only an important figure in the reform faction, but his ability is also greater than that of Serrano.

In Carlo's plan, Primo would remain as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain until his health failed or Spain's reforms were completed.

Compared to Primo, Serrano is actually more suitable to be the mainstay of the army. As an officer, Serrano has enough prestige in the army, so it is the best choice to let him lead the Spanish army.

In the first few years of Carlo's administration, power was still controlled by Primo and Serrano. This period was also the time when Carlo's several prime ministers slowly gained experience and cultivated their reputations.

Only after he is sure that one of them can take over the positions of Primo and Serrano will Carlo consider retiring the two mainstays, Primo and Serrano.

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(End of this chapter)