Austro-Prussian Conflict

Garibaldi eventually accepted Carlo's invitation to become a collaborator for the 24 Hours Sun Newspaper of Italy, publishing his stories in the paper.

Although Garibaldi was initially hesitant, all obstacles disappeared once Carlo obtained permission from his father, Vittorio Emanuele II.

The reason Vittorio Emanuele II agreed to let Garibaldi publish his articles was simple: Carlo owned the Sun Newspaper, and Garibaldi's articles would still be subject to review; not all types of articles could be published.

As for whether Carlo would be deceived by Garibaldi and agree to publish articles promoting republicanism, Vittorio Emanuele II wasn't worried at all.

Loren was a talent he had personally selected, and his loyalty to the royal family and support for the monarchy were trustworthy.

Carlo was, of course, very excited. The attitude of Italians towards Garibaldi at this time was akin to how modern-day fanatical fans treat their favorite celebrities; the word "frenzied" was hardly an exaggeration.

Once Garibaldi's articles were published in the Sun Newspaper, the 24 Hours Sun Newspaper would immediately become one of the most famous newspapers in Italy and experience extremely rapid expansion.

Perhaps the task Carlo had assigned to Loren could be completed in less than two years, allowing Carlo more time to plan other matters.

Time flew by, and three and a half months quickly passed.

Thanks to Garibaldi's immense popularity, despite only publishing two articles in three and a half months, the 24 Hours Sun Newspaper of Italy had become one of the most famous newspapers in the entire Kingdom of Italy, easily achieving a daily circulation of 10,000 copies.

The Sun Newspaper was currently profitable and was still rapidly expanding by leveraging Garibaldi's fame.

Furthermore, due to its location in the developed industrial region of northern Italy, the newspaper's expansion faced no obstacles. It was projected that daily sales would exceed 20,000 copies this year, making it a truly major newspaper.

This era was different from later times; newspapers were the most effective means for people to learn about the outside world.

Although only ten thousand copies were sold, the number of people reading the newspapers was definitely more than ten thousand. Considering a household size of three to five people, the number of people influenced by the Sun Newspaper of Italy approached fifty thousand.

Through the word-of-mouth of these fifty thousand people, the news published in the newspaper could reach hundreds of thousands of Italians in a short period.

This was the power of public opinion. In an era where people's leisure activities were not well-developed, the influence that newspapers could wield was immense.

Both times the manuscripts were delivered, it was by Garibaldi's second son, Giotto. Carlo had also built a good relationship with Giotto through their two meetings.

Like father, like son – this saying was very fitting for Garibaldi's two sons.

In Garibaldi's numerous military campaigns, his two sons played important roles, acting like his assistants.

Moreover, compared to the aging Garibaldi, his two sons were in their prime, at the peak of their physical condition.

Honestly, Carlo was quite envious of Garibaldi's two sons.

While they might not be outstanding military talents compared to Garibaldi, their skills were definitely above average, and having been influenced by Garibaldi for a long time, their personalities were not rigid.

Unfortunately, Carlo was still too young; otherwise, he would have considered inviting Giotto to serve as his palace guard.

As time moved into June 1866, Carlo's normally calm heart began to feel a sense of tension.

The good news was that the Austro-Prussian War would likely unfold as it did in history, as border clashes between Prussia and Austria had already occurred by the end of May.

This was indeed an unavoidable war. Influenced by the general trend of German unification, the two major powers in the German region, Prussia and Austria, were destined to fight for supremacy.

Fortunately, Italy was on the side of the historically victorious party, Prussia. Moreover, Italy could achieve a victory by doing nothing, easily reclaiming the region of Venice while the Austrians were preoccupied with Prussia.

But the bad news was that the Italian army showed an extremely pathetic performance in this war, setting a poor precedent for Italy in World War I and II.

If Prussia hadn't been so powerful at the time, the newly formed Kingdom of Italy might have been a fleeting meteor across the Apennine Peninsula.

For Carlo, the most daunting problem was how to influence his father, Vittorio Emanuele II.

This was because the Italian army that was quickly routed was led by his father, Vittorio Emanuele II, who soon lost his life.

In other words, the southern front had no impact on Prussia in the north; otherwise, the world situation might have been different.

Carlo understood that with his abilities and status, he had no way to influence the course of the Austro-Prussian War.

To change Italy's poor performance in the Austro-Prussian War, he had to bring in Italy's true god of war at the moment, Garibaldi, to command the Italian army.

But this was precisely the most troublesome issue. Under the current circumstances, Vittorio Emanuele II would almost certainly not agree to let Garibaldi command the Italian army.

With no other options, Carlo had to take an indirect approach, using another method to facilitate Garibaldi's early participation.

As June arrived, the clashes on the border between Prussia and Austria intensified. The two great powers in the German region were destined not to coexist peacefully for long; whoever won this conflict would unify the entire German region and achieve strategic dominance in Central Europe.

The tense situation not only affected the entire German region but also Italy, Prussia's ally.

Vittorio Emanuele II had already held two cabinet meetings regarding the tense situation in Germany and had ordered the Italian army to be ready at all times.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, Carlo began his attempt.

"Heavens, Carlo, do you understand what you're saying?"

In the small, luxurious dining room of the royal palace, Vittorio Emanuele II, who had been enjoying his breakfast with a relaxed expression, looked at his favorite son opposite him with astonishment and asked disbelievingly.

"I understand perfectly, Father," Carlo nodded, took a deep breath, and then said, "That's why I understand the importance of this matter."

"I want a reasonable explanation, otherwise, I will consider the risks of you associating with Garibaldi," Vittorio Emanuele II said, his gaze deep and serious as he looked at Carlo, speaking word by word, acting more like the King of Italy than an ordinary father.

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