Jacopo's Private Banquet

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. The construction of the Royal United Bank has been a great success. Perhaps this year Spain will see the birth of a mega-bank with over a million depositors." Duke Jacob of Alba smiled as he offered his flattery to Carlo.

"You are also a shareholder of the United Bank. When the United Bank achieves results, every shareholder shares in it." Carlo nodded with a smile, quite satisfied with the accomplishments of the Royal United Bank.

Just moments ago, the steward Loren had reported that the Royal United Bank had as many as 684 depositors that day, with total deposits exceeding 18 million Pesetas and an average deposit per person of 26,870 Pesetas.

Of course, such figures were actually highly inflated.

Among the 684 depositors, the vast majority were nobles who had gotten wind of the news. Those with deposits exceeding one million numbered three in total: Duke Jacob of Alba, Duke Fernando of Albuquerque, and Carlo himself.

The true commoner depositors numbered only about one or two hundred, which was precisely why the average deposit was pulled so high.

From this, one could also see just how vast the assets of the Spanish nobility were. The deposits they offered as a token of sincerity were but a drop in the bucket compared to their wealth, yet for Carlo, they represented a crucial starting capital.

18 million Pesetas already accounted for the bulk of the assets Carlo had brought to Spain, and this was merely the total savings garnered on the first day of the Royal United Bank's opening.

If the Royal United Bank could win the trust of the people and attract a large number of Spanish commoners to deposit their money, the funds at Carlo's disposal would flow in endlessly.

With sufficient capital, Carlo could continuously expand into industry and finance, earning even more money.

In this era, making money was still quite easy, especially in the capacity of a king. With the vast capital brought by the Royal United Bank, Carlo could effortlessly monopolize an industry, maximize its profits, and quickly fill his own coffers.

"Your Majesty, please do not miss tomorrow evening's banquet. A large number of nobles will be in attendance, and it is time for Your Majesty to meet these fellows." Jacob said with a smile.

Ever since Primo had quelled the Carlist rebellion, Jacob no longer held the slightest contempt for Carlo. He knew that from then on, Carlo's throne would become very stable, and Carlo's fate was now bound together with that of the Spanish nobility.

To look down on Carlo as king at such a time was, in fact, to look down on themselves as the king's subordinates.

The nobles' transcendent status existed entirely because the people submitted to and supported the monarchy. If the people no longer supported the king, the moment they overthrew the monarchy would also be the moment the nobles' superiority vanished.

Although Carlo was an outsider, wasn't the Bourbon dynasty also an outsider? The House of Savoy still controlled the throne of Italy, while the Bourbon dynasty currently held no country.

"Of course." Carlo nodded with a smile.

"When you personally extend an invitation, Jacob, what reason could I have not to attend?" Carlo said with a grin.

Jacob nodded, took his leave from Carlo's palace, and returned to prepare the banquet he had long been planning.

This banquet was hosted under Jacob's private name, with the primary purpose of demonstrating his loyalty to Carlo while also helping Carlo fully win over the Spanish nobility during the event.

Carlo was, after all, an outsider. To gain the recognition of the entire noble class, the support of established Spanish nobles like Duke Jacob was of paramount importance.

Jacob naturally understood that offering help in times of need was far more valuable than adding flowers to brocade. If he waited until Carlo had already won over some nobles before stepping forward, becoming Carlo's trusted confidant would not be so easy.

One must understand that although nobles held a transcendent status, their families were not perpetually enduring.

To ensure a family's long-lasting prosperity, the first step was to gain the king's support and trust, followed by political marriages and cooperation with other nobles.

In this banquet, Jacob also had some private motives of his own.

His daughter Anna was born in 1855 and would soon turn sixteen. Carlo was born in June 1851 and had yet to reach nineteen. The age gap between them was not too large.

If Anna and Carlo happened to take a liking to each other at the banquet, perhaps the de Toledo family's standing in Spain would rise to an even higher level.

Even if she could not become Spain's queen, if Carlo took a fancy to her and made her one of his mistresses, the Toledo family would still not lose out.

After all, it was perfectly normal for European monarchs to keep mistresses, and the chaotic private lives of the nobility were beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Time quickly arrived on the day of the banquet.

The banquet was held at Duke Jacob's castle. The castle was located on the outskirts of Madrid, and heading further south, it was not far from Toledo.

Jacob placed great importance on this banquet and invited a large number of nobles from within Spain to attend. However, due to space constraints, the lowest rank of noble eligible to participate was count; viscounts and barons, unless they possessed considerable prestige or status, were essentially unqualified to attend.

This was unavoidable. After all, the number of dukes, marquesses, and counts in Spain alone already numbered in the hundreds. Although due to distance, fewer than a hundred could actually attend.

But if one counted the female companions and family members the nobles brought along, having several hundred participants at this banquet was still no problem.

This was also about the limit for a private banquet. If there were any more people, the banquet venue would become quite chaotic, and the safety of the attending nobles could not be guaranteed.

Especially since Carlo would also be present, security work had to be tightened. If some accident caused the banquet to end in discord, all of Jacob's preparations would be for naught.

Carlo was also quite looking forward to this banquet.

Although Carlo had already met many Spanish nobles during his coronation ceremony, their attitude toward him at that time had not been nearly as sincere.

Now, with Jacob's support and Carlo's throne already quite stable, the nobles had no choice but to submit to Carlo's rule.

Tonight's banquet marked the beginning of Carlo's complete acquisition of the noble class's allegiance, his becoming a true King of Spain in name and deed, and his ability to exert influence over the government through the nobility.

From tonight onward, Carlo would gain a large number of trustworthy subordinates. At the very least, in matters of preserving the monarchy, these nobles would stand firmly with Carlo.

When facing the Republicans, Carlo would no longer be alone and weak. These nobles were Carlo's best allies, and aside from Carlo himself, they were the group most opposed to republicanism throughout Spain.

To earn Carlo's full trust and to ensure the banquet proceeded smoothly without any mishaps, Duke Jacob, when organizing this event, specially requested Carlo to dispatch a portion of the Royal Guard to help maintain order at the venue.

This also included a simple search of the attendees to ensure no one carried any weapons.

This point had been agreed upon in advance with the nobles attending the banquet. After all, Carlo had no desire for anyone to sneak a weapon into the banquet and strike a fatal blow when he was least on guard.

His own life had to remain in his own hands; when necessary, no one could be trusted.

This was not because Carlo was unwilling to trust others, but mainly because assassinations of kings across Europe had become far too numerous. Carlo was no fool.

Even if he could trust Jacob, could he trust every noble attending the banquet? Even if all the nobles were fine, could they guarantee that the female companions they brought did not include any rebels mixed in?

Screening each person one by one would be both time-consuming and inefficient. The best method was to ensure that no one carried weapons, turning the castle where the banquet was held into a weapon-free safe zone.

Around six in the evening, Carlo boarded his carriage and, escorted by the Royal Guard, slowly made his way toward Jacob's castle.

This carriage was also specially modified, with a steel plate that could be pulled down over the windows to prevent bullets from penetrating.

Because the carriage was reinforced with steel plates and very heavy, it was pulled by four horses to ensure its speed.

To guarantee Carlo's safety, the palace dispatched two identical carriages at the same time, ensuring that even if there were assassins, they wouldn't be able to quickly tell which carriage Carlo was riding in.

Around seven in the evening, Carlo's carriage finally arrived at Jacopo's castle.

Outside the castle, a large group of nobles had already been waiting for some time.

The nobles' positions reflected their status. Those standing at the very front were dukes like Jacopo, followed by marquises, and at the back stood counts and a few viscounts and barons.

Beside the nobles were their companions and family members. Several hundred people stood outside the castle to welcome Carlo's arrival, making for quite a lively scene.

"The King is here!"

Seeing the carriage slowly approaching, Duke Jacopo quickly called out, signaling the nobles to tidy their attire and not lose decorum before the monarch.

As Carlo stepped down from the carriage with the help of a lady-in-waiting, all the nobles performed a standard noble's salute, welcoming the king with the highest form of etiquette.

"Good evening, my nobles." Carlo smiled and waved, showing his approachable attitude toward these nobles.

Jacopo hurried forward and said with great respect, "Everything is ready, Your Majesty. The banquet can begin at your command."

"Well done, Jacopo. Alright, folks, let's go inside and enjoy this feast." Carlo said with a smile, without the slightest air of a king.

Surrounded by a large crowd of nobles, Carlo slowly walked into the castle, beginning to experience a private noble banquet with a uniquely Spanish flavor.