Wooing the Nobles (Seeking Follow-ups)

Carlo didn't have time to appreciate the bustle of Paris.

For Carlo, the most important industry in his future plans had yet to be established, and this had to be prioritized.

What industry?

Naturally, it was banks related to finance.

Since the Industrial Revolution, industry and finance had replaced agriculture as the two most profitable sectors.

Carlo already had over a dozen factories, and now it was time to set up his own financial institution to expand his income channels.

To establish his bank, Carlo had prepared for a long time.

The most crucial thing for a bank was to ensure public trust. With public trust, people would voluntarily deposit money in the bank. Only with money could the bank make money, achieving a virtuous cycle of money generating more money and creating a steady stream of income.

Carlo had already built some goodwill among the people of Madrid through several tax reduction policies, but that alone wasn't enough.

To reassure the public about the newly established bank, Carlo planned to recruit the Spanish nobles to join his bank.

As one of Spain's three most powerful classes—the nobility, the landowners, and the church—the Spanish nobles lived quite extravagantly.

Because Carlo was an outsider, he hadn't received strong support from the entire noble class. Some nobles had even chosen to support the Carlists, remaining loyal to the House of Bourbon, which had dominated Spain for centuries.

After defeating the Carlists, Carlo faced no further obstacles in exerting influence over the nobility.

He wanted to bring the nobles into the bank for two reasons. First, the nobles held more capital, which could help Carlo's bank gain a greater advantage in its early stages and expand more quickly.

Second, by letting the nobles share in the profits, they would clearly understand who their king was.

Most nobles were likely sensible enough, since Carlo was already the king recognized by Spain's constitution and its people—a fact they couldn't change.

Only by gaining sufficient influence and a voice among Spain's nobility could Carlo ensure his position and power as king remained unshaken.

Spain's monarchy had a long history, and the royalist faction's strength couldn't be ignored. With their full support, the republicans, who posed a major threat to royal authority, would become far less dangerous.

For the nobles, they naturally needed a capable monarch to lead them forward. The nobles' status came from the king, which was why Carlo was confident in gaining their support.

After all, if the king—the head noble—were gone, what would become of the remaining dukes and marquises?

Carlo set his first target for recruitment in Toledo, south of Madrid. There lived a noble with great influence among Spain's aristocracy: the Duke of Alba.

The House of Alba was one of the oldest noble families in Spain, possessing some of the most titles and land, and naturally, their wealth was among the highest among the nobility.

To be honest, Carlo was a bit envious of the Alba family's riches.

As a foreign king, Carlo's current assets were pitifully small. Aside from a few castles left by the House of Bourbon, he had none of the vast lands that symbolized a great noble.

They say a king is the largest landowner in a country, but in Spain, Carlo's land holdings were even smaller than those of some dukes.

The current Duke of Alba, Jacobo Luis Fitz-James Stuart y Ventimiglia, was born in 1835. Notably, his wife was the sister of Napoleon III's wife, making him and Napoleon III brothers-in-law.

To Carlo's relief, Duke Jacob of Alba treated him with great respect and hinted at a desire to curry favor.

When Carlo proposed jointly founding a bank with the nobles, Duke Jacob immediately vowed to invest in Carlo's bank and become its first depositor.

Although their conversation lasted only about an hour, Carlo and Duke Jacob quickly reached a consensus on the bank's establishment and grew closer.

Duke Jacob also invited Carlo to his private banquet, making his intention to align himself clear.

Carlo nodded eagerly. Through Duke Jacob's introductions, Carlo could easily win over the nobles close to the Duke and exert his influence over the aristocracy.

Only by having most nobles pledge loyalty to him could the Spanish royal family truly turn over a new leaf, ushering Spain into the era of the House of Savoy.

Interestingly, both Queen Isabella and Carlos VII of the Carlist faction had fled north to France after their defeats.

But France had now entered its republican era, and these nobles seeking refuge there might also face repercussions.

At the very least, life in French exile wouldn't be so comfortable. Previously, French Emperor Napoleon III had shielded them, but now that France's own nobles were struggling to survive, the exiled Bourbon nobles would find their position in France even more awkward.

As it turned out, most of Spain's nobles weren't fools.

After Primo suppressed the Carlist rebellion, these nobles had already been inclined to contact Carlo and pledge allegiance.

The nobles Carlo met with all agreed to his proposal for a joint bank and expressed their willingness to become depositors, saving a portion of their funds.

Even Primo, after repeated invitations from Carlo, finally agreed to join the joint bank, which filled Carlo with confidence in its development.

Of course, the Duke of Serrano, far away suppressing a rebellion in Cuba, was also on Carlo's invitation list. But the Duke's joining would have to wait until he returned to Madrid—there was no rush.

With the nobles' support, the bank's preparations went smoothly.

On April 9, 1870, Madrid's first Royal United Bank officially opened, drawing widespread attention.

On its very first day, a large number of nobles came to deposit money at the Royal United Bank. This spectacle sparked heated discussion among the public, and the bank quickly became the hottest topic in Madrid.

On its opening day, the bank welcomed hundreds of depositors, most of whom were nobles eager to show support for Carlo.

Especially the dukes—their deposits were calculated in units of 100,000 Pesetas, and some even deposited over 1 Million Pesetas.

Although 1 Million Pesetas was worth less than 4,000 pounds, it was still a substantial sum for any bank in Spain.

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