Empire Rising: Spain

Chapter 108: Chapter 98: Higher Education, Higher Income (Part 2)

For the government, the expense of five million pesetas is not unacceptable. By offering a free dinner to attract more participants in literacy education, the ultimate beneficiary is the Spanish government.

Even if the number of participants doubles, it would not be a significant burden on the government. The current global environment is tending towards peace, making it possible to purchase grain from major grain-producing countries and transform it into relatively inexpensive food to offer to the people.

Nowadays, food safety is not scrutinized as strictly; as long as the food’s appearance is passable and it can satiate the people, they will naturally be satisfied.

While it’s just a rather simple dinner, certainly many Spaniards seeking to save money would accept literacy education in order to save on dinner expenses.

After all, literacy education doesn’t cost money, and exchanging two hours of learning for a free dinner, most people will likely accept.

Providing free dinner also builds a good reputation, improving both the government’s and Carlo’s influence among the populace.

As for the additional cost of at least five million pesetas, at this time, it seems less significant. Last year, Spain’s fiscal deficit was as high as sixty million pesetas; compared to that, what is an extra five million pesetas?

After carefully considering it in his mind, Prime Minister Prim ultimately agreed to Carlo’s proposal, which was to provide a free dinner to all participants of literacy education.

However, Carlo also made his own requirement that the government should not forget the contributions of the royal family when providing this free dinner.

Carlo does not intend to let the government monopolize the credit. To Carlo, anything that can improve the Spaniards’ goodwill towards him is not to be missed.

This concerns not only the stability of his throne but also his future influence over the government. To ensure that, after Prime Minister Prim retires, he can successfully extend his influence into the government, Carlo must ensure most Spaniards support him.

If even the Spaniards don’t support him, then after Prime Minister Prim retires, Carlo should consider whether he can stabilize his throne instead of meddling with government affairs.

Upon hearing Carlo’s requirements, Prime Minister Prim certainly understood Carlo’s intentions. But as Carlo’s request didn’t affect him, Prime Minister Prim naturally wouldn’t oppose Carlo, and he could still gain favor.

“Naturally, Your Majesty. The proposal to provide free meals was brought up by you, and the Spaniards certainly won’t forget your care for them,” Prime Minister Prim nodded and said with a smile.

Whether it was Carlo’s previous proposal to exchange the Governor of the Colony for the Minister of Agriculture, or now wanting to share the goodwill of the people, all relate to public support.

Prime Minister Prim knew well what Carlo wanted to do, but he did not intend to stop Carlo.

As a politician and reformer, Prime Minister Prim deeply understood what his goal was. Rather than seeking power and indulging in the authoritarian experience brought by monopolized power, he wanted to use such power to quickly advance Spain’s reform.

Prime Minister Prim never intended to stay long in the position of Spanish Prime Minister. As long as he could complete Spain’s reform, he would be satisfied, not longing for the fame and influence that might come after the reforms were completed.

Carlo also understood this, so he was very assured of Prime Minister Prim in political interest exchanges.

This is the most distinctive difference between Western monarchy compared to the East.

Europeans emphasize lineage, and it’s too difficult for ordinary people to become a king through a coup, with only a few in Europe’s long history.

Wasn’t Napoleon strong enough? Yet after Napoleon declared himself emperor, he had to rely on military conquests to force European countries to recognize his family’s noble bloodline.

This included multiple marriage alliances between the Napoleon family and other European royal families, which helped the family join the ranks of the legitimate royal families of Europe.

But after the fall of the Napoleon Empire, the influence of the Napoleon family quickly waned. If not for the rise of Napoleon III later and the truly powerful France during Napoleon’s era, the Napoleon family might have disappeared from history.

This led to the fact that the majority of prime ministers in Europe who held absolute power could not ascend to the throne through coups. Despite their ambitions, most contemplated marginalizing the king and enjoying the dictatorship as prime minister.

For politicians like Prim, who have little ambition for power, absolute power is not their pursuit; achieving political ideals is.

The reason he didn’t oppose Carlo’s ideas much and even cooperated with Carlo in political interests was that Prime Minister Prim deeply understood that reformers had historically met poor fates.

His favor with Carlo was not only laying the groundwork for his departure from politics but also letting Carlo understand that he had little ambition for power and hoped Carlo would not interfere too much while he was reforming.

Although they didn’t state it explicitly, they had reached a mutual understanding in some respects. Both understood that after Prime Minister Prim completed his reforms, he was destined to relieve himself of the prime minister’s responsibilities.

Reforming the government offended a large number of vested interests. If Prim remained in the prime minister’s seat after completing the reforms, it would inevitably affect the nation’s stability.

Carlo also didn’t want such a successful reformer and someone with immense influence in political and military circles to continue sitting in the prime minister’s position, as power accumulated to a dangerous level could destabilize the monarch.

The reason William II dismissed Prime Minister Bismarck was not only due to differences in political views but also the undeniable reason of Bismarck’s overwhelming power overshadowing the monarch.

As the instigator who drove the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars fulfilling Prussia’s aim to unify Germany, Prime Minister Bismarck held unprecedented prestige in the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire.

It’s no exaggeration to say Bismarck’s influence on Germany even surpassed William I, who founded the German Empire.

Though Bismarck and William I shared a good friendship and mutual trust, the issue was that Bismarck and William II shared no such friendship. As a newly appointed emperor, William II naturally couldn’t accept another threatening his authority.

The situation in Spain’s future is similar. Carlo naturally wouldn’t accept a prime minister threatening his royal power. Regardless of whether Prime Minister Prim’s reforms succeed, he must bid farewell to the prime minister’s throne and peacefully embrace his noble status.

Since both understood this point, Carlo was not stingy with his rewards to Prime Minister Prim.

Prime Minister Prim had already been elevated to a Duke of Spain, reaching the highest rank attainable there. The highest noble title, Grand Duke, was prepared for Prime Minister Prim after completing his reforms.

When he fully realized the reforms in Spain, revitalizing Spain’s industry and economy, it would be the moment he became Spain’s highest-ranking noble, a Grand Duke.

As long as Prime Minister Prim retires smoothly, Carlo wouldn’t consider settling scores with him. By then, Prim and Serrano, the two Grand Dukes, could become a legendary tale in Spanish history, celebrated alongside Spain’s rise and Carlo’s name by the Spaniards.

After Prime Minister Prim agreed to his proposal, Carlo accomplished his goal of summoning Prime Minister Prim.

After enjoying a sumptuous lunch with Prime Minister Prim, Carlo began another year’s leisurely life, while Prime Minister Prim started his busy days in pursuit of Carlo’s recent opinions.