Empire Rising: Spain

Time can never be paused; when people become busy, time seems to speed up.

The latter half of 1874 was quite busy for the Spanish Government, making time fly quickly into 1875.

It is worth mentioning that at the end of October 1874, Queen Sophie finally became pregnant.

The Spanish Royal Family is about to welcome its first prince or princess, and Carlo is in a very good mood.

Carlo and Queen Sophie married in 1872, so why was their first child not conceived until the end of 1874?

The main reason was Carlo’s protective nature towards Queen Sophie. The conditions for childbirth during this era were not very advanced, and having a child posed significant risks.

By the end of 1874, when Queen Sophie’s pregnancy was confirmed, she was almost 20 years old, which was considered an appropriate age for pregnancy.

Queen Sophie’s pregnancy was not a trivial matter; it not only startled the Spanish Royal Family but also the Italian Royal Family and the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Family.

Carlo’s father, King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy, personally sent a telegram filled with joy and excitement, expressing his intention to visit Spain after the child is born.

Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary was also quite thrilled. After all, Queen Sophie was his eldest daughter, and the child in her womb would be his first grandchild.

The relationships among the Spanish Royal Family, the Italian Royal Family, and the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Family indicate that this unborn little one is destined to be cherished by many.

Regardless of being a prince or a princess, the child will be favored by the royal families of three countries, achieving a head start over most upon birth.

Carlo’s feelings about his soon-to-be-born child are equally excited.

Despite living in this world for several years, Carlo did not have a strong sense of belonging to it.

The prospect of having his own child significantly increased Carlo’s sense of belonging to this world. If previously his goal was merely to develop Spain into a powerful nation, like achieving a purpose in a game, now his goal is to create better conditions for his descendants, allowing them to inherit a mighty Spanish Empire.

Both Carlo and Queen Sophie are still young and will certainly have more children in the future. Whether princes or princesses, Carlo promises none would have second-rate arrangements.

Even if one lacks ability, they can still live stably as wealthy nobles, happily enjoying a life of abundance.

Aside from the good news of Queen Sophie’s pregnancy, there were many other positive developments across various fields.

As time entered 1875, Spain was about to step into a new era.

The colonial rule of the East Indies Colony had initially stabilized, and the garrison division dispatched to the East Indies would continue to stay on Borneo, aiding in better colonial expansion in the East Indies.

The future colonial expansion direction in the East Indies has two paths: one is to head south to occupy the Brunei Sultanate, bordering the Dutch-controlled Kutai Sultanate.

The other is to focus on the Mikura Islands and the more eastern New Guinea island, where Dutch colonial rule is unstable, with many indigenous sultanates outside of Dutch influence available for conquest.

Further east, New Guinea still has large areas of empty land, though occupying it involves colonial competition with the Dutch, United Kingdom, and even Germany.

This scenario is unavoidable as Southeast Asia offers limited land, most of which has been taken by England, France, and the Netherlands, leaving Spain to find gaps for colonization.

However, New Guinea ultimately remains a backup option, while the primary task of the Spanish East Indies Colony is to occupy more territory on Borneo.

To care for the pregnant Queen Sophie, Carlo did not attend the year-end government summary report meeting in 1874.

Yet Prime Minister Prim still reported the complete government work details to Carlo after the meeting, seeking his opinion on the 1875 government’s new development plans.

As time progressed, Carlo’s royal authority was increasingly consolidated.

The clearest indication was that Prime Minister Prim paid more and more attention to Carlo’s stance. If Carlo clearly opposed something, Prime Minister Prim might not be able to continue its implementation.

Currently, the royal authority and the prime minister’s power must cooperate amicably, as competition between them might only result in mutual harm.

Since Prime Minister Prim supports the monarchy, his efforts have been vital in maintaining the Kingdom of Spain.

Carlo’s attitude towards Prime Minister Prim is respectful. Although the competition between royal power and prime ministerial power is inevitable, Prime Minister Prim has indeed done much for Spain.

In fact, Carlo’s expanded royal authority is closely linked to Prime Minister Prim’s concessions.

If Prime Minister Prim had slightly greater ambitions, Carlo might not have attained such high authority.

Based on the current situation of the Spanish Government, Prime Minister Prim could have sidelined Carlo at any time, turning him into a mere figurehead with no real power.

But Prime Minister Prim did not do so, which is why Carlo is willing to wait for Prime Minister Prim to retire after achieving success rather than directly confronting him.