As if having already understood Carlo would say this, Victor Emmanuel II sighed, but still nodded helplessly, saying, “Alright child, I can only wish you that everything goes smoothly.
May God bless you, my child.” “Father, I am going to Spain, aren’t you going to give me any funds at all?” Carlo suddenly spoke up, looking like he was collecting a debt.
“Haha, of course I will, child.” Carlo’s interruption successfully lessened Victor Emmanuel II’s sentimental mood, and the old King also spoke with a smile, “But I must remind you, the King’s funds cannot be mixed with the government’s finances.
No matter how short on money the government is, you can only provide funds to the government through loans, understand?” This was actually a lesson paid for in blood.
If it were an absolute monarchy, it would be fine; a king wielding total power could withdraw funds from the national treasury at will, and only the government would take the loss.
But Spain was a constitutional monarchy.
If the King’s private coffers weren’t separated from the government’s national treasury, the King would be the only one to suffer losses.
Furthermore, it was easy to be used by others.
One could easily take the blame for misappropriating government funds and incur the hatred of the Spanish people.
This was why Victor Emmanuel II reminded Carlo that the King’s private coffers and the government’s national treasury absolutely had to be kept clearly separate.
Even if it was a loan, the specific interest and repayment terms had to be put in writing.
Carlo nodded.
He understood these things.
Many of Carlo’s plans required massive funding to pave the way; it was impossible to mix his private coffers with the government’s treasury.
After a brief silence, Victor Emmanuel II looked at his youngest son and said, “Although Italy’s finances are not wealthy, the Savoy family still has some capital.
I will give you 30 million lire, plus some servants to take care of your daily needs.
Child, if you feel that being the King of Spain is not the life you want, Italy always welcomes you back.” Carlo was quite surprised by the level of Victor Emmanuel II’s support.
30 million lire was equivalent to 1.2 million pounds.
Although the number didn’t seem large, in the dreadnought era, it would be enough to build a main-fleet-level dreadnought battleship.
Even in Britain, currently the most comprehensively powerful nation, the weekly wage of a skilled worker was only 9 shillings and 6 pence, and that was for adult male workers.
If they were female or children, it would be even lower.
(1 pound = 20 shillings, 1 shilling = 12 pence) 1.2 million pounds was equivalent to the income of over 50,000 British workers toiling hard for a year, which proved just how massive this sum of funds was.
Even for the Italian royal family, their annual income after deducting all expenses was only 300,000 to 400,000 pounds, at most not exceeding 500,000 pounds.
This meant Victor Emmanuel II had given Carlo roughly three years of the royal family’s income, allowing Carlo to have ample funds to carry out his plans in Spain.
Although he hadn’t experienced father-son affection from Victor Emmanuel II since childhood, Carlo was still moved by his father’s true sincerity.
This also made Carlo firmly resolve that he absolutely must not let the Italian royal family vanish along with Mussolini.
Whether it was Victor Emmanuel II or Crown Prince Umberto, as long as the Savoy dynasty controlled Italy for a day, Carlo’s Spain would absolutely not actively become an enemy of Italy.
A few days later, Carlo saw Prim again.
Although only less than ten days had passed between their two meetings, the conversation between them had become much more intimate and friendly.
Looking at the king candidate he had personally selected, Prim expressed his respect and support: “Respected Highness Carlo, on behalf of the Prime Minister of Spain, I invite you to inherit the Spanish throne and become the King of all Spaniards.” “It is my honor, Marquis Prim,” Carlo smiled and nodded.
Regarding this legitimately competed-for throne, Carlo didn’t feel the slightest bit embarrassed.
“I am looking forward to collaborating with you, Marquis Prim,” Carlo continued.
“As I said before, I will unconditionally support your reforms and will not be a hindrance to them.” Hearing Carlo straightforwardly express his support for reform, the heavy boulder in Prim’s heart finally fell, and his whole being became very relaxed and cheerful.
“It is also my honor to be able to serve you, Your Highness.” Prim gave Carlo a standard Spanish noble bow and said very earnestly.
For a monarch he approved of, Prim didn’t mind serving him.
Although Prim’s loyalty was dedicated to all of Spain, as long as Carlo was on the Spanish throne for a day, and as long as Carlo didn’t act like a foolish ruler, Prim would be loyal to him.
“Since the throne has been decided, I will return to Spain in a few days.
Your Highness, I hope you can come to Madrid within a month.
We will prepare a grand coronation ceremony for you,” Prim also smiled, speaking to Carlo.
“No need, Marquis Prim,” Carlo shook his head, rejecting Prim’s proposal.
Looking at the somewhat surprised Prim, Carlo smiled and explained, “Give me a few days to prepare.
I will travel to Spain together with you.” Although the matter of the Spanish throne, like the Franco-Prussian War, had been brought forward by more than a year, Carlo was still worried that some accident might occur.
If Prim was assassinated upon returning to Spain, Carlo would still face the same situation of having no one to rely on when he arrived in Madrid, just like Amedeo did.
Although the subordinates Carlo had selected for himself, including Garibaldi’s second son Ricciotti, possessed decent abilities, it was impossible for them to occupy high positions right from the start.
The only people Carlo could rely on in Spain were two: Prim and Serrano, who held power in the Spanish government and military, respectively.
The most important of them was Prim.
Not only was Prim a crucial figure among the reformists, his abilities also surpassed Serrano’s.
In Carlo’s plan, Prim would continuously serve as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain until his body couldn’t bear the burden or Spain’s reforms were completed.
As for Serrano, compared to Prim, he was actually more suited to be the stabilizing anchor of the army.
With his background as a military officer, Serrano had sufficient prestige in the army, making him the best choice to lead Spain’s military.
In the first few years of Carlo’s administration, power would still be controlled by Prim and Serrano.
This period was also a time for Carlo’s future prime ministers to slowly gain experience and cultivate their reputations.
Only when it was certain that someone among them could take over Prim’s and Serrano’s positions would Carlo consider letting the two stabilizing anchors retire.