Empire Rising: Spain

When Andrew, the head of the Lanfang Military Guidance Team, sent his first telegram back to Spain, it was already July 28, 1875, exactly two months after the birth of Prince Juan Fernando.

Since the birth of his first child, Carlo’s mood had become extraordinarily blissful, and he wished to spend every moment by his child’s side.

Unfortunately, Carlo had more and more government affairs to attend to. Since Prince Juan Fernando turned one month old, Carlo’s daily free time had been reduced to no more than five hours.

The main reason for this was that Carlo had started engaging with more government affairs, exerting his influence as the King of Spain over the government.

Some important documents from various government departments require Carlo’s personal review and approval to be sanctioned. Larger constructions and projects require Carlo’s signature.

This was a reflection of the King’s power and also a concession from Prime Minister Prim to Carlo. Although neither side explicitly stated, there was a tacit agreement about the transition of power.

Prime Minister Prim was gradually introducing Carlo to more government affairs, and Carlo was carefully cultivating his own forces, preparing to take over the new government after Prime Minister Prim’s second term ends.

Although Prime Minister Prim limited Carlo’s power initially, Carlo would not be the one to cast aside others once they’ve served their purpose. For Spain, Prime Minister Prim had certainly made significant contributions.

If it weren’t for Prime Minister Prim’s relentless efforts to push Spain’s reforms, Spain’s rapid development wouldn’t have been possible.

Even though some royal power was sacrificed in the early stages, the overall upward development of Spain was something Carlo was willing to see.

Carlo had already drafted plans for Prim’s post-term future. Like Duke Serrano, Prime Minister Prim would be granted the title of Grand Duke and enjoy his retirement in Madrid.

Engaging with more government affairs was a good thing for Carlo, but it also meant that his previously leisurely lifestyle was gone.

Previously, Carlo had plenty of time daily to arrange as he pleased, whether it was sightseeing, hunting, or hosting lavish dinners and banquets, his mood dictated it all.

But after starting to engage with more government affairs, Carlo’s daily free time fell to no more than five hours, and sometimes he had hardly any time for entertainment.

After waking up at eight thirty in the morning, Carlo had an hour and a half for grooming and meals. His daily breakfast was pre-ordered the day before, allowing Carlo to enjoy the cuisines of different parts of Europe, even global delicacies.

Carlo never compromised when it came to food. The chefs of the Madrid Royal Palace numbered over twenty, hailing from various parts of Europe and the world.

It’s no exaggeration to say that any existing global delicacy could be enjoyed at the Madrid Royal Palace, unless it was hard-to-transport ingredients or seasonal delicacies.

From ten in the morning to eleven thirty, Carlo met with government officials and others. If there were no pressing matters, this time could also be used for handling government affairs.

From eleven thirty to one o’clock was Carlo’s lunchtime. Usually, Carlo would choose to have lunch with Queen Sophie, and occasionally with some officials.

From one to two thirty was his rest time, and from two thirty to six thirty, the four hours were used for handling government affairs, attending meetings, and participating in various activities.

After six thirty in the evening, Carlo would have his private time. But if there weren’t many government affairs or meetings and appointments with officials to attend, the end of the workday could be earlier, around three or four in the afternoon.

Despite such busy days, Carlo was quite satisfied. After all, it meant the growth of his power, completely different from his previously idle days.

In the afternoon of July 28, when Carlo received the telegram from Andrew, he was handling only a few government affairs.

Though referred to as government affairs, these were essentially reports from various departments of the Cabinet, discussed and having reached preliminary solutions, waiting only for Carlo’s signature and approval.

Carlo quickly dealt with all the government affairs and then focused on reading the telegram from Lanfang.

The task Carlo entrusted to Andrew was to build an army of over 20,000 in the Lanfang Republic to give it enough strength to resist the Dutch colonial war.

Based on Andrew’s investigation of the Lanfang Republic, it has enough ability to form a 20,000-strong army, and the formation of the army has already commenced.

According to Andrew’s estimation of the current situation, the army formation is expected to be completed in three months, and within half a year, it should possess a certain combat capability.

After discussions between Andrew and Lanfang’s internal bodies, the army composed of 20,000 would have half Lanfang nationals, over 10,000 in total.

The remaining army of less than 10,000 would be filled by local natives. Although these natives aren’t very reliable, with an equal number of Lanfang nationals suppressing, there was no worry about army issues.

Anyhow, the Dutch army is similarly composed. Genuine Dutchmen are few; most of the Dutch colonial troops are mixed with Dutch, mixed-race individuals, and local natives.