Proposal to Abolish Tithes

The news of Carlo's assassination instantly became the hottest story in Madrid, frantically reported by major newspapers and passed from mouth to mouth by the Spanish people on the scene.

Although the cameras present did not capture the moment of Carlo's assassination, the scene of Carlo raising his arm and shouting was recorded.

This blurry black-and-white photo was also published in the Spanish Sun on that day's newspaper, with a striking headline: "Make Spain Great Again!"

The Spanish Sun praised Carlo's fearless courage in the face of danger and the beautiful idea of making Spain great again.

Finally, it asked pointedly: "If a monarch like His Majesty Carlo cannot shoulder the heavy responsibility of making Spain great again, who else is qualified to lead Spain forward?"

The Carlists accuse the government's reforms of harming capitalists and factory owners, leaving a large number of workers facing the risk of unemployment. But what are they doing? They are plunging Spain into the abyss of civil war, pitting the great Spanish nation against itself, and causing tens of thousands of families to lose their source of income.

Queen Isabella of the Bourbon dynasty has already made the Spanish people suffer bitterly. Will Carlos, also of the Bourbon dynasty, plunge Spain into the abyss once again?"

Thanks to the extensive news coverage and the word-of-mouth spread by tens of thousands of Spaniards at the scene, hundreds of thousands of Madrid citizens quickly learned of their monarch's glorious deed, earning Carlo a reputation for fearless courage.

Although Carlo's actions were somewhat suspicious of deliberately currying public favor, for the Spanish people, this was far better than a cowardly and timid king.

Carlo's arm-raising shout before his "fainting" successfully moved the Spaniards at the scene. And through their dissemination, it influenced even more people.

After the assassination attempt, fighting for Spain's greatness became another hot topic second only to the assassination itself.

If Carlo, who is not even Spanish, has the courage to fight for Spain's greatness, then don't true Spaniards have the courage to fight for Spain's greatness?

As the protagonist of the assassination, Carlo was taken to a nearby hospital and then transferred to the royal palace.

The palace released a statement to the public that Carlo was injured in the assassination but was not in life-threatening danger and was currently recuperating at the palace.

Primo had been worried about Carlo's safety, but when he hurried to the palace and saw Carlo unharmed, he was first stunned, then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, what is this?" Primo looked at the unharmed Carlo, relieved but also somewhat puzzled.

"Fortunately, the pistol the assassin used wasn't very powerful, and I had a steel plate padded in advance, so it's nothing serious." Carlo didn't explain in detail, only mentioning that he had prepared a steel plate.

Hearing Carlo's explanation, Primo nodded but still felt a lingering fear: "Your Majesty, you were still too impulsive. Next time you need to give a speech, please communicate with the government in advance. I will arrange for the military to maintain order at the scene and ensure Your Majesty's safety."

Primo's concern for Carlo was genuine, because Carlo's safety also determined the success or failure of Primo's reforms.

If anything happened to Carlo, Spain would once again enter a period of chaos.

Under such circumstances, it would be basically impossible for Primo to elect another king, since the Carlists wouldn't give him enough time to choose a successor.

Only with Carlo safely remaining on the throne could Primo's reforms proceed smoothly, without worrying about major internal turmoil in Spain.

"I understand, Prime Minister Primo." Carlo nodded, indicating that he understood.

Speaking of which, Carlo also took his own safety very seriously.

Transmigration aside, this world was also quite real. As a transmigrator, Carlo still only had one life, so he naturally wouldn't disregard his personal safety.

Apart from the pre-arranged "assassin" for this speech, anyone else who could possibly approach Carlo was under surveillance, and it was also confirmed that they were not carrying firearms.

The sea of people on the periphery couldn't get close to Carlo, and the range of small firearms wasn't that far either.

Coupled with the steel plate he had padded on his chest in advance, this gave him the confidence to give a public speech in such a situation, facing thousands upon thousands of Spaniards.

"God bless, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I, Prime Minister Primo? And after this assassination attempt, I believe most of the public will oppose the war instigated by the Carlists and will be hostile to those who obstruct the reforms." Carlo said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, I plan to abolish the tithe, completely pulling all of Spain's peasants over to our side." Primo was silent for a moment, then stated his plan.

"The tithe? Those churchmen won't be willing, will they?" Hearing that Primo wanted to abolish the tithe, Carlo immediately thought of the church that levied this tax.

"Of course they won't be willing, but what can they do?" A warm smile appeared on Primo's face, but it carried a hint of coldness: "If they join forces with the Carlists, then God bless.

I'm just afraid those churchmen will choose to swallow their anger. I've had my eye on the church's lands for a long time."

Religion still had a significant influence on European countries at this time, and the power of national churches was immense.

Spanish peasants had to pay about one-tenth of their income to the church each year as a tithe, which was also one of the reasons for Spain's low per capita income.

A large amount of tax revenue was taken by the church, and the impoverished Spanish people could only helplessly sell their land in exchange for enough food to survive.

Through this process, the church also accumulated a large amount of land, becoming the second-largest landowner in Spain after the nobility.

The Spanish peasants grew poorer and poorer, while the church grew richer and richer. This development was quite distorted, and the tithe, a tax specifically designed to exploit peasants, had to be abolished as soon as possible.

Carlo nodded, understanding Primo's plan.

After abolishing the tithe, Spanish peasants would finally be completely liberated.

At least they could ensure that most of their income from farming went into their own pockets, and they would be more motivated in their agricultural work.

The government that abolished the tithe would receive strong support from Spanish peasants. Compared to the support of the peasants, who made up the majority of Spain's population, the church's opposition would be less important.

After all, it was already 1870; the influence of religion was no longer what it used to be. Even the Pope was trapped in the Vatican Palace. What waves could the Spanish church stir up?

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