The Bigger the Waves, the Pricier the Fish

Why were Spain's affairs always such a mess?

Carlo faced an extremely difficult choice, one that would very likely affect the future fate of both him and the Kingdom of Spain.

If Primo's deepened reforms succeeded across the board and dealt with the potentially opposing Church and capitalists, Spain's overall national strength would rise steadily, and returning to the ranks of the Great Powers would not be impossible.

But if these reforms provoked opposition from the Church and capitalists, allowing the Carlists and Republicans to seize the opportunity to launch a major rebellion, Carlo's predicament would not be much better than Queen Isabella's had been a year and a half ago.

Although Carlo still had the final escape route of returning to Italy, the Church and capitalists he had offended might not be willing to let him return to Spain.

And if he returned to Italy in such a bedraggled state, it would be an immense blow to Carlo, who had only just obtained the Spanish throne.

Should he gamble? How should he gamble? These were Carlo's greatest headaches at the moment.

"We may face the Church, the capitalists, or perhaps the Carlists and Republicans. But, Your Majesty, if our reforms are successfully implemented and gain the people's support, we will have the support of sixteen million Spaniards. That is also the confidence behind my push for reform.

I plan to begin military reforms this year and equip the army with more artillery. Our enemies will certainly never expect us to pursue these reforms with such determination, even at the cost of fighting them.

As long as the people choose to stand with us, victory will be ours for the taking." Primo laid out his entire plan and tried to win Carlo's support.

No matter what Carlo's identity had been before becoming king, from the moment he was crowned King of Spain, he possessed a certain degree of prestige and standing within Spain.

Spain had a vast number of farmers, and most of them supported the monarchy. If Carlo could support his comprehensive reforms, the chances of success would undoubtedly be far greater.

Of course, Primo also knew just how difficult these reforms would be and how powerful the enemies he would face were.

He had already prepared himself to fight alone. Even if it was only for that faint sliver of hope that Spain could rise again, he would never give up.

"How are things with Minister Serrano in Cuba?" Rather than immediately agreeing to Primo's plan, Carlo asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"Minister Serrano arrived in Cuba two and a half months ago and immediately began suppressing the Cuban rebel forces. If nothing unexpected happens, perhaps in a few more months we will hear news that Cuba has been recovered," Primo said with a smile.

Serrano truly deserved to be considered one of the most influential figures in the Spanish Army. His military talent was still beyond question.

More importantly, Serrano himself had served as Governor of Cuba several years ago, so he was relatively familiar with the situation there.

In history, Spain had remained powerless to suppress the rebellion in Cuba during these years, only spending an enormous price to regain control of Cuba under Alfonso XII.

But by then, Cuba's independence forces had already gained momentum. That was why Spain took a full ten years and spent seven hundred million Pesetas to wipe out the Cuban Rebellion.

That was a full twenty-seven million pounds sterling. In the age of the Dreadnought, it would have been enough to build ten capital ships, let alone in an era even earlier than the Dreadnought.

Primo's reforms had not cost nearly that much so far. If all the money spent suppressing the rebellion in Cuba had been used for Spain's reforms instead, Spain's overall national strength could have risen by at least one small step.

"Excellent, Prime Minister Primo." Carlo was in quite a good mood upon hearing that Cuba could be pacified within a few months.

After thinking carefully for a moment, Carlo said to Primo, "Prime Minister Primo, I support your reforms. But I also hope you will prepare for any rebellion that may erupt. We must eliminate every enemy that could stand against Spain's reforms."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Please rest assured, Spain's army will stand ready to fight for Your Majesty and Spain at any time. We will not fear any enemy standing against Spain.

Before pushing forward with comprehensive reforms, I will approve part of the funds to help the army purchase weapons, equipment, and artillery. If those Carlists and Republicans wish to block Spain's reforms, then I will send them to meet God and let God reason with them." Upon hearing Carlo support his reforms, Primo instantly rose to his feet and gave Carlo a firm, solemn assurance.

"Wonderful, Prime Minister Primo. I am fortunate that Spain has ministers like you and Serrano. Once we have wiped out these enemies blocking Spain's advance, I will personally reward and celebrate you!" Having received Primo's assurance, Carlo nodded in satisfaction and painted Primo a grand picture.

In this massive gamble, Carlo still chose to stand with Primo. There was no other reason: the great capitalist class and Republicans opposed to Primo could not possibly stand with Carlo either.

Put plainly, Carlo and Primo were bound together in glory and ruin.

If Primo failed in reform and lost his power and status, that would likewise be no good thing for Carlo.

After all, Carlo had been raised up by Primo's hand, and Carlo's initial standing had all come from Primo's support.

If they did not resolve these enemies blocking Spain's path forward, how could Spain speak of revival?

If he merely wished to be a great nobleman who enjoyed life, Carlo could have done that in Italy. But if he wanted to fulfill the ambitions in his heart, to raise Spain from Europe's second tier to its first tier or even to the level of the Great Powers, then he absolutely could not become fearful because of a few domestic opposition factions.

So what if they were the Carlists? Even Queen Isabella had defeated the Carlists twice in succession. Carlo did not believe that, with Serrano and Primo giving him their full support, he could still lose to the Carlists, a rebel faction that had already suffered repeated defeats.

As the saying went, the bigger the waves, the pricier the fish. Although carrying out comprehensive reforms in Spain now seemed highly risky, the rewards if they succeeded would certainly be immense.

The people's support and the rise of Spain's overall national strength were only part of it. Carlo could also take this opportunity to resolve the Church and Carlist problems that had plagued Spain for years, while making the spanish people detest republicanism.

In that way, the problems within Spain would be mostly resolved, and separatists in various regions who had yet to gain momentum would also disappear without a trace as Spain's national strength rose steadily.

Thinking of this, Carlo felt extraordinarily relaxed. Whether the Carlists or the Church, they were merely clowns capering on the stage after losing the tide of the age.

If he did not even have the courage to defeat these forces, then Carlo might as well abandon his ambitions early.

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