Royal Council

Carlo experienced the uniquely distinctive Spanish aristocratic banquet of this era.

Luxurious—fucking luxurious.

Carlo could not help but sigh.

Although this castle was far smaller than Carlo's palace, its interior decorations did not lose out to the palace in the slightest, displaying the extravagance and wealth of Spanish nobles since the colonial era.

The banquet's tableware was made of gold and silver, while the wines served were private vintages worth hundreds of Pesetas.

Since Carlo was italian, Jacopo had specifically invited several highly skilled italian chefs when planning this banquet, having them prepare italian cuisine especially for Carlo.

The nobles had initially been rather restrained, but once Carlo showed a fairly approachable attitude, they began to relax as well.

"Everyone, let us raise our glasses to our great king, His Majesty Carlo I of House of Savoy!" Once everyone had a glass in hand, Jacopo stepped forward at the right moment, raised his own glass, and proposed a toast.

"To the King!"

Everyone raised their glasses toward Carlo. Even those harboring other thoughts did not dare refuse to raise a toast on such an occasion.

Whether they opposed him in secret was one thing. But if they failed to raise their glasses here, they would likely become outcasts from the entire aristocratic class the following day.

After all, as the saying went, your leader might not remember you for giving a gift, but if you failed to give one, your leader would remember you to the grave.

The same held true here. Carlo might not remember everyone who raised a glass, but he would certainly remember those who did not.

This was also one of Jacopo's clever points. As the host and one of the oldest, highest-ranking nobles in the History of Spain, he was naturally the most qualified person to say such words.

Guiding the nobles to express their support and loyalty toward Carlo at the appropriate moment was what Jacopo needed to accomplish at this banquet.

So far, Jacopo was quite satisfied with his actions. The nobles had shown Carlo respect as planned, and the smile on Carlo's face had never faded.

Everything is proceeding smoothly, Jacopo thought silently.

Taking a light sip of wine, Carlo remained in high spirits as he sampled the dishes the chefs had painstakingly prepared under Jacopo's introduction.

If most of Europe was a culinary desert, then Spain was undoubtedly a dazzling pearl upon that desert.

Not to mention the later world-famous Iberian ham, seafood paella, braised oxtail, and charcoal-roasted suckling pig alone were enough to place Spanish cuisine among the finest in Europe.

All kinds of dishes, a dazzling riot of variety, even filled two enormous long tables.

Yet clearly, most of those present were not that interested in the food. Though this dinner was lavish and abundant, the nobles' everyday meals were no less impressive.

The banquet's main purpose was still socializing among the nobles, while quite a few nobles shared Jacopo's thought: testing whether they could form a marriage alliance with the royal family and climb onto its branches.

Marriage alliances among European nobles emphasized matching social rank. At the very least, a king's wife had to be a Duke's daughter.

As for Marquises and Counts, they were basically excluded. Their daughters could not possibly become Queen of Spain.

Carlo had still underestimated just how uninhibited European nobles of this era were.

Not long after the banquet began, several noblewomen came to invite Carlo to dance. A simple invitation would have been one thing, but their postures and expressions plainly said that if Carlo wished it, they could make love at any time.

Among these women were not only unmarried young beauties, but also alluring married women.

Fortunately, two beautiful and seductive maidservants were constantly at Carlo's side. Otherwise, he might not have been able to withstand such supreme temptation.

Carlo had originally wondered whether that alluring married woman's husband would mind, but when he turned around, he saw the Count chatting passionately with another Marquis's wife, completely unconcerned with what was happening here.

Seeing such a scene with his own eyes, Carlo finally truly understood just how uninhibited Europeans of this era were, and how depraved the nobles' lives could be.

It was no exaggeration to say that if Carlo wished it, he could sleep with at least half of the noblewomen present.

Having enjoyed luxurious aristocratic lives since childhood, these noblewomen were dressed beautifully and seductively, each possessing her own merits according to her particular charms.

Carlo finally understood why lovers were an open secret among European nobles. Most people simply could not remain unmoved at such a banquet.

"Your Majesty." Seeing Carlo beckon to him, Jacopo immediately abandoned the two beautiful, captivating noblewomen beside him and hurried over.

"Duke Jacopo, are your banquets always like this?" Carlo asked somewhat helplessly.

Jacopo thought Carlo was worried whether these noblewomen's husbands might object, and quickly explained, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. No one will care about what happens at a banquet, and no one will know."

After saying that, Jacopo thoughtfully signaled for another group of noblewomen to step forward and invite Carlo to dance.

To please Carlo, Jacopo had truly racked his brains.

These women possessed every imaginable trait and could absolutely suit anyone's tastes. From girls who had just come of age to noble ladies, there was everything one could want, a dazzling array of all kinds.

The first group had been somewhat older women; the second group became young maidens.

Carlo shook his head helplessly. Knowing he could not keep refusing forever, he could only select a few girls who looked fairly pleasing and dance with them.

These girls were also remarkably bold while dancing with Carlo.

Then again, it seemed no girl could refuse a young, handsome king who possessed an entire country.

The temptation of becoming queen was enough to draw countless young women into action, even if there might be no result.

But honestly, while these girls each had their own distinctive appeal, none of them made Carlo's eyes light up.

Moreover, considering Carlo's and Spain's interests, Carlo would most likely not form a marriage alliance with Spain's native nobility.

Since he could not give these girls an outcome, Carlo naturally would not take the initiative to provoke them.

But if someone truly delivered herself to his door, Carlo could not possibly do nothing. After all, having a lover among nobles was not illegal.

Although this was a grand banquet organized by Jacopo, the nobles socialized in groups of three or five rather than gathering entirely together.

It was clear that the differences in rank among the nobles remained quite obvious.

Dukes often gathered with other Dukes to chat. Some high-status Marquises might be able to join them, but Counts rarely could.

Some Marquises gathered with Dukes, while others could only chat with Counts, most clearly revealing the gap in status and influence among the nobility.

As the lowest tier at the banquet, most Counts could only gather and converse with other Counts.

It was difficult for Counts to chat with Dukes. They had to wait until the Dukes finished their conversations, then seize an opportunity to approach the Duke they wished to speak with.

Carlo was undoubtedly the most conspicuous figure among the nobles. A large number of Grand Dukes and Dukes clustered around him, while those below Duke could not even squeeze their way in.

Holding a glass of wine, Carlo listened to the Dukes' flattering words and declarations of alignment, and his mood was quite pleasant.

Of course, Carlo would not become smug over a few trifling compliments. What pleased him was that these nobles knew how to read the wind, choosing one after another to draw closer to royal authority and genuinely support Carlo as their king.

The nobility was absolutely Spain's most powerful force, and Carlo was bound to fully seize control of it.

Seeing that the conversation had reached the right point, Carlo followed up with his own proposal: establishing the Royal Council, creating an aristocratic union led by royal authority.

The so-called Royal Council would consist entirely of nobles, with all Marquises and those above them qualified to join.

This Royal Council, composed entirely of Dukes and Marquises, would represent Spain's aristocratic class. By exerting influence over the Royal Council, Carlo could control the entire nobility and extend his influence over the government.

That way, even if Primo withdrew from politics in the future, Carlo would not need to worry whether the new prime minister would support him.

With only the powerful support of the aristocratic class and the Royal Council, Carlo could preserve his influence over the government and ensure that he would not be completely sidelined.

Beyond the Royal Council, Carlo also wanted to establish the Royal Knights, cultivating outstanding core military strength among the nobility.

As everyone knew, elite European noble education still placed considerable importance on military affairs. Spain possessed such an enormous aristocratic class, and nobles had children in endless numbers as well.

By establishing the Royal Knights, he could select capable children from among these nobles to serve him, ensuring that the next generation of nobles possessed sufficient loyalty toward him as well.

Truly capable noble offspring could rapidly enter the military and receive promotion by gaining gilded credentials in the Royal Knights.

Those without ability could also receive the honor of Royal Knight as a reward, which could be used to win over the nobility.

After all, not every noble child was capable. For those noble offspring without much ability, the best approach was to grant them honorary titles such as Royal Knight. That would both win the nobles' goodwill and avoid placing too great a burden upon the government and royal family.

After drinking several glasses of wine, the nobles' thoughts were no longer so rational. Under Jacopo's encouragement, everyone quickly agreed to establish the Royal Council and expressed their willingness to let their sons join the Royal Knights.

After all, joining the Royal Knights was hardly a bad thing. Not only could one obtain an honorary title like Royal Knight, but one could also be more easily appointed by Carlo, earn Carlo's trust, and make the family's position in Spain more stable.

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