Preparations Before Departure

As if he had already anticipated Carlo's words, Vittorio Emanuele II sighed but still nodded helplessly. "Alright, my child," he said, "I can only wish you all the best. May God bless you."

"Father, I'm going to Spain. Won't you give me some funds?" Carlo suddenly asked, sounding like he was collecting a debt.

"Haha, of course, my child," Carlo's interjection successfully eased Vittorio Emanuele II's sadness. The old king smiled and replied, "But I must remind you, the king's funds cannot be mixed with the government's treasury. No matter how much the government is short of money, you can only provide funds to the government through loans. Do you understand?"

This was actually a lesson learned the hard way. If it were an absolute monarchy, the king, holding great power, could freely withdraw funds from the treasury, and only the government would suffer.

But Spain was a constitutional monarchy. If the king's personal treasury and the government's treasury were not kept separate, it would be the king who suffered.

Moreover, it would be easy to be exploited and framed for misappropriating government funds, leading to the animosity of the Spanish people.

This was why Vittorio Emanuele II reminded Carlo: the king's personal treasury and the government's treasury must be clearly distinguished. Even for loans, the specific interest rates and repayment terms needed to be documented.

Carlo nodded. He understood these matters. Many of Carlo's plans required substantial financial backing, and his personal treasury could not be mixed with the government's treasury.

After a brief silence, Vittorio Emanuele II looked at his younger son and said, "Although Italy's finances are not prosperous, the House of Savoy still has some capital.

I'll give you 30 million Lira, along with some servants to take care of your daily needs. My child, if you feel that being the King of Spain is not the life you want, Italy will always welcome you back."

Carlo was quite surprised by the extent of Vittorio Emanuele II's support.

30 million Lira was equivalent to 1.2 million pounds. While the number might not seem large, it was enough to build a dreadnought-class battleship in the era of dreadnoughts.

Even in the United Kingdom, currently the most powerful nation, a skilled worker's weekly wage was only 9 shillings and 6 pence. This was for adult male workers; women and children earned less. (1 pound = 20 shillings, 1 shilling = 12 pence).

1.2 million pounds was equivalent to the income of over 50,000 British workers toiling for a year, demonstrating the immense sum of money.

Even the Italian Royal Family's annual income, after all expenses, was only 300,000 to 400,000 pounds, not exceeding 500,000 pounds at most.

This meant that Vittorio Emanuele II was essentially giving Carlo about three years of the royal family's income, ensuring Carlo would have ample funds in Spain to carry out his plans.

Although he hadn't experienced father-son affection with Vittorio Emanuele II from a young age, Carlo was moved by his father's genuine sincerity.

This also strengthened Carlo's resolve: he absolutely would not let the Italian Royal Family vanish along with Mussolini. Whether it was Vittorio Emanuele II or Crown Prince Umberto, as long as the House of Savoy controlled Italy, Carlo's Spain would never proactively oppose Italy.

A few days later, Carlo saw Primo again.

Although less than ten days had passed since their last meeting, their conversation had become more intimate and friendly.

Primo looked at the candidate for king he had personally selected and expressed his respect and support: "Your 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 Primo," Carlo nodded with a smile. Carlo felt no shame about this legitimately contested throne.

"I look forward to our cooperation, Marquis Primo," Carlo continued. "As I said before, I will unconditionally support your reforms and will not be a hindrance to your reforms."

Hearing Carlo express his support for the reforms so directly, the heavy burden on Primo's shoulders finally lifted, and he became very relaxed and happy.

"It is also my honor to serve you, Your Highness," Primo said earnestly, performing a standard Spanish noble bow to Carlo.

Primo did not mind serving a monarch he approved of. Although Primo's loyalty was to all of Spain, as long as Carlo held the Spanish throne and did not act like a foolish ruler, Primo would be loyal to Carlo.

"Since the throne has been decided, 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 said with a smile.

"There's no need, Marquis Primo," Carlo shook his head, refusing Primo's offer.

Seeing Primo's slight surprise, Carlo smiled and explained, "Give me a few days to prepare, and I will travel to Spain with you."

Although the Spanish throne had come more than a year earlier, just like the Franco-Prussian War, Carlo still worried about any unforeseen accidents.

If Primo were assassinated after returning to Spain, Carlo would still face a situation like Amadeo's, where he would have no one reliable to turn to upon arriving in Madrid.

Although Carlo had selected capable subordinates, including Giotto, Garibaldi's second son, these individuals could not immediately hold high positions.

In Spain, Carlo could only rely on two people: Primo, who held power in both the Spanish government and military, and Serrano.

Primo was particularly crucial. Not only was he a key figure in the reform movement, but his abilities also surpassed Serrano's.

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

Serrano, compared to Primo, was more suited to be the stabilizing force in the military. As a former military officer, Serrano commanded sufficient prestige within the army, making him the best choice to lead the Spanish forces.

For the first few years of Carlo's reign, power would still be held by Primo and Serrano. During this period, Carlo's own prime ministers would gain experience and build their reputations.

Only after ensuring that some of them could take over Primo and Serrano's positions would Carlo consider allowing these two pillars of stability to retire.

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