The news of Carlo's assassination instantly became the hottest story in Madrid, frantically reported by every major newspaper and passed from mouth to mouth by the Spanish population at the scene.
Although the cameras at the scene had not captured the instant Carlo was assassinated, they had recorded the moment when he raised his arm and shouted.
This unclear black-and-white photograph was also published by the Spanish Sun in that day's paper, accompanied by a striking headline: "Make Spain Great Again!"
In its report, the Spanish Sun praised Carlo's courage in the face of danger and the beautiful vision of Make Spain Great Again.
In the end, it struck straight at the heart of the matter with a question: "If even a monarch like His Majesty Carlo cannot shoulder the heavy burden of making Spain great again, then who is qualified to lead Spain forward?
The Carlists accused the government's reforms of harming capitalists and factories, placing large numbers of workers at risk of unemployment. But what were they doing? They were plunging Spain into the abyss of civil war, forcing the great Spanish nation into a situation of fratricidal slaughter, and leaving tens of thousands of families on the verge of losing their source of income.
Queen Isabella of the House of Bourbon has already made the Spaniards suffer beyond endurance. Must Carlos, also of the House of Bourbon, drag Spain into the abyss once more?"
With extensive news coverage, coupled with the word-of-mouth accounts of tens of thousands of Spaniards at the scene, hundreds of thousands of Madrid citizens quickly learned of their monarch's glorious deeds. Carlo also gained a reputation for remaining fearless in the face of danger.
Although Carlo's actions did carry some suspicion of deliberately courting public support, for the Spaniards, this was still far better than having a weak and timid king.
Carlo's raised-arm shout before he "fainted" also successfully moved the Spaniards at the scene. Through their accounts, it went on to influence even more people.
After the assassination attempt, fighting for Spain's greatness became another blazing topic, second only to the assassination itself.
If Carlo, who was not even Spanish, had the courage to fight for Spain's greatness, could true Spaniards lack that same courage?
As the central figure of the assassination attempt, Carlo was sent to a nearby hospital before being transferred once again to the Royal Palace.
The Royal Palace announced that Carlo had been injured in the assassination attempt but that his life was not in danger, and that he was currently recuperating in the palace.
Primo had originally been worried about Carlo's safety, but when he hurried to the Royal Palace and saw Carlo completely unharmed, he froze for a moment before finally breathing a sigh of relief.
"Your Majesty, what is this?" Primo looked at the uninjured Carlo, relieved yet puzzled.
"Fortunately, the assassin's pistol was not very powerful, and I had placed a steel plate beneath my clothes beforehand, so it was nothing serious." Carlo did not explain in detail, merely saying that he had prepared a steel plate in advance.
Hearing Carlo's explanation, Primo nodded, though he still felt lingering fear. "Your Majesty, you were far too impulsive. If you need to give a speech next time, please communicate with the government beforehand. I will arrange for the military to maintain order at the scene and ensure Your Majesty's safety."
Primo's concern for Carlo was entirely sincere, because Carlo's safety was also tied to whether Primo's reforms could succeed.
If anything happened to Carlo, Spain would once again enter a period of chaos.
Under such circumstances, it would be virtually impossible for Primo to hold another Election of the King, since the Carlists would never give him enough time to choose the next king.
Only if Carlo remained safely on the throne could Primo's reforms proceed smoothly, without fear of some great upheaval breaking out within Spain.
"I understand, Prime Minister Primo." Carlo nodded to show that he understood.
Come to think of it, Carlo attached considerable importance to his own safety as well.
Transmigration was transmigration, but this world was also very real. As a transmigrator, Carlo still had only one life, so naturally he would not disregard his personal safety.
Apart from the prearranged "assassin," anyone else who might possibly approach Carlo during this speech had been placed under surveillance, and it had to be confirmed that they were not carrying firearms.
The sea of people surrounding the outer perimeter could not possibly get close to Carlo, and the firing range of small firearms was not that great either.
Together with the steel plate Carlo had placed over his chest in advance, this gave him the confidence to deliver a public speech in the current situation, facing thousands upon thousands of Spaniards.
"God has blessed me. Aren't I perfectly fine, Prime Minister Primo? And after this assassination attempt, I believe most of the public will oppose the war launched by the Carlists and become hostile toward those obstructing reform." Carlo said with a smile.
"Your Majesty, I plan to abolish the tithe and draw all of Spain's farmers completely to our side." After a moment of silence, Primo revealed his plan.
"The tithe? Those church people probably will not agree to that, will they?" Upon hearing that Primo intended to abolish the tithe, Carlo immediately thought of the Church that collected it.
"Of course they will not agree, but what can they do?" Primo wore a gentle smile, yet there was a trace of chill in it. "If they join forces with the Carlists, then God truly has blessed us.
What I fear is that those church people will choose to swallow their anger. I have coveted the Church's land for a long time."
Religion still wielded considerable influence over European countries at the time, and the powers held by churches in various nations were too numerous to count.
Every year, Spanish farmers had to pay the Church a tithe of roughly one-tenth, and this was one of the reasons Spain's per capita income was relatively low.
The Church took away vast amounts of tax revenue, leaving impoverished Spaniards with no choice but to sell their land in exchange for enough grain to save their lives.
Through this process, the Church accumulated huge amounts of land and became Spain's largest landowner after the noble class.
Spain's farmers grew poorer and poorer, while the Church grew richer and richer. Such development was thoroughly distorted, and the tithe, a tax specifically used to squeeze the farmers dry, had to be abolished as early as possible.
Carlo nodded, and he understood Primo's plan as well.
Once the tithe was abolished, Spain's farmers could be considered completely liberated.
At the very least, they could ensure that most of the income from farming went into their own pockets, and they would be more motivated in agricultural work.
A government that abolished the tithe would receive strong support from Spain's farmers. Compared to the support of farmers, who made up the overwhelming majority of the Spanish population, the Church's opposition was no longer so important.
After all, it was already 1870. Religion's influence had long since faded from what it once was. Even the Pope was trapped within the Vatican Palace—what storms could Spain's Church possibly stir up?
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