Undercurrents Surge

With Carlos's full backing, Primo was brimming with confidence, and that very night he stayed up late revising his reform plans.

Since the capitalists and the church were destined to be enemies of the Spanish government, there was no need to consider their opinions during the reforms at all.

On January 3, 1870, the Spanish government applied to the parliament for an additional military expenditure, which was subsequently approved by both the parliament and Carlos.

At this time, Primo still held the majority of seats in the parliament, so this process was merely a formality.

After securing this extra military funding, Primo immediately dispatched a diplomatic team abroad to purchase weapons, equipment, and artillery.

In Primo's plan, the Krupp cannons, which had been tested in both the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War, were the first choice for the Spanish Army.

However, considering that Prussia was currently at war with France, Primo also had a backup plan: the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Italy.

Although the Italian Army's combat effectiveness was lackluster, Italy still had some research and development capabilities in weaponry.

If the most advanced cannons could not be purchased from Krupp, acquiring a batch of substitutes from Italy would suffice for the time being.

On January 11, 1870, the Spanish Sun published a report about a factory that had been overworking its laborers and withholding their wages for an extended period.

Such reports were very common in Spanish society at the time and initially did not attract much attention from the Spanish people.

But soon after, a large number of newspapers in Madrid published similar stories, most of which originated from that same factory.

Before long, the continuous stream of reports caught the attention of Madrid's citizens.

The workers, who had suffered greatly, began to speak out, demanding that the government ensure the timely payment of wages for all workers in Spain.

After successfully drawing the attention of the Spanish people, on January 15, a Liberal Party member of the House of Representatives submitted a document titled "Draft Labor Law of Spain" to the parliament, calling for the creation of legal legislation to guarantee that workers receive their due wages and treatment.

This document caused a stir, immediately sparking intense debate in the parliament.

Of course, because Primo controlled the majority of seats in the parliament, the "Draft Labor Law of Spain" ultimately received a majority of votes in favor.

On January 16, 1870, the Spanish government issued a document titled "Spanish Enterprise Management Regulations," announcing preliminary controls over all enterprises and factories in Spain in accordance with the labor law.

This decree was met with cheers from all workers and laborers around Madrid, signaling that the government valued their opinions.

But for factory owners and capitalists in Madrid and across Spain, it was far from pleasant. According to the government's decree, they were required to pay workers and laborers weekly, and those who delayed wages would face penalties from the Spanish government.

This was unprecedented in Spain. While paying full wages on time wouldn't cause these enterprises and factories to incur losses, for capitalists, earning a little more was always better than earning a little less.

Wasn't this decree essentially taking money out of their pockets? And giving it to those useless workers?

The capitalists, whose profits were being blocked, refused to accept this. They tried to incite workers to stage protests, demanding that the government revoke the newly issued decree.

But the workers weren't foolish. The government's decree was clearly for their benefit, so why would they oppose a government that supported them?

Seeing that they couldn't stir up worker protests, the capitalists finally panicked. One by one, they gathered together, trying to find other ways to turn the situation around.

On January 18, inside a factory in Madrid.

"Daniel, what are we going to do? If I really have to pay wages every week as the government says, won't my factory go bankrupt?" The factory owner, Giron, sat in his office with a pained expression. Beside him was his friend, also a factory owner, Daniel.

"Don't worry, buddy. You and I aren't the only ones who have to pay wages." Daniel smiled, showing no sign of panic.

"Damn it, do you have any good ideas, Daniel? I don't want to pay those damned workers every week. That's my money, my money!" Giron looked at his friend, who usually had plenty of clever tricks.

"I told you not to worry, buddy." Daniel's smile didn't fade at all, his expression confident. "Think about it. Are we the only ones who have to pay wages? No, it's every factory owner in all of Spain. How many people is that?

You don't want to pay wages, I don't want to pay wages—do you think they're willing to pay wages for those workers?

Just watch. If our King Carlos forgets who put him on the throne, we wouldn't mind changing Spain's ruler either."

"Oh, damn it, your plan is to rebel?" Giron froze, looking at Daniel in disbelief.

"Why not, my friend? We made Isabella step down from the throne, so we can do the same to Carlos. Spain should be ruled by capital. We are the masters of this country, aren't we?" Daniel nodded with a smile, completely unfazed by his friend's shocked expression.

"Damn it, you're right." At the thought of having to pay those workers every week, the last shred of rationality in Giron's mind gave way to madness. He nodded in agreement with Daniel, then said angrily, "Whoever tries to take money out of my wallet is my enemy, even if it's God himself."

"Good man, buddy." Daniel's laughter grew louder. "Just watch. Primo and Carlos will regret this, because they've offended the true masters of this country."

The turmoil wasn't limited to Madrid; it also stirred in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

The Carlists, who had plagued Spain for decades, were hiding in the Catalonia region, ready at any moment to march into Madrid and claim the Spanish throne.

The current leader of the Carlists, who styled himself "Carlos VII," King of Spain, wore a smile on his face, his expression tinged with impatience: "Thank God, my chance has finally come. That damned Primo abandoned the Bourbons. He and that false king Carlos should both be sent to the guillotine!"

"Your Majesty, the Catalonia army is ready to march on Madrid for you at any time. Spain has only one king, and that is the great Bourbon, King Carlos VII!" His subordinate seized the moment to flatter him, speaking with a sycophantic tone.

Second chapter, please support!