Empire Rising: Spain

But in fact, being 61 years old is not very old. Although the average lifespan in Europe is only thirty to forty years, this is ultimately statistical data for ordinary people.

High officials and nobles like Prime Minister Prim, aside from those who died young, have an average lifespan of over 60 years, with many living to their seventies or eighties before dying of various illnesses.

The most obvious examples are Garibaldi and Serrano.

Garibaldi was born in 1807 and eventually died in 1882 due to complications from his early years of traveling across countries and battlefields. He was nearly 75 years old at his death, which is considered a long life even today.

Duke Serrano was no different. Born in 1810, he peacefully passed away in 1885, also living to about 75 years, practically spanning the entire 19th century.

These examples show that even if commoners have an average lifespan of less than 40 years due to various forms of exploitation and safety issues, the high-ranking officials and nobles remain unaffected.

Forget these famous dukes and nobles; even ordinary barons and earls can easily live to sixty or seventy as long as they don’t bring about their own demise.

Moreover, many people of this era eventually died from poisoning by various chemical elements, not from natural causes of old age.

Especially among noble ladies, many used substances from the chemical periodic table for makeup. These were explicitly banned in the Royal Palace; any strange substances or elements entering the Royal Palace had to go through scrutiny.

Carlo wasn’t willing for strange things to be mixed into the food he normally ate, as it would not only affect his lifespan but also his family’s health and children’s growth.

“His Majesty the King.” Although it was Carlo who took the initiative to visit Prime Minister Prim, Prime Minister Prim was still proactive in greeting Carlo with a bow.

“Prime Minister Prim.” Carlo also stepped forward, stopping Prime Minister Prim from bowing and led him to sit on the sofa next to him, with a very gentle and respectful attitude.

To Carlo, Prime Minister Prim was absolutely his benefactor. Without Prime Minister Prim’s support, he would never have become the King of Spain.

After choosing a young foreign nobleman to be the King of Spain, Prime Minister Prim not only didn’t seize the opportunity to grab power but also ensured that Carlo had a certain degree of influence.

Although this bit of influence doesn’t affect government decisions, it is certainly better than fully marginalizing Carlo in a blatant manner.

Moreover, as time progressed, Prime Minister Prim gradually handed over more power to Carlo. The fact that he wasn’t greedy for power alone was enough for Carlo to genuinely admire Prime Minister Prim from the heart.

Not to mention Prime Minister Prim’s contributions to Spain. Agricultural reform, reclaiming land, literacy education, and industrial development are achievements that make Prime Minister Prim one of the greatest prime ministers in Spain over the past century, possibly removing the word “one of”.

Especially since the turbulent rule of King Ferdinand VII and Queen Isabella II, Spain had been rapidly deteriorating and declining.

The ability to halt this downward trend and reverse it cannot be attributed to anyone other than Prime Minister Prim.

In Carlo’s mind, Prime Minister Prim is certainly a major contributor to Spain’s revival, perhaps even the top contributor.

As long as Prime Minister Prim doesn’t make any foolish mistakes going forward, he will be the official that Carlo focuses on promoting and praising throughout his reign. His decade-long partnership with Carlo will be celebrated as a close collaboration similar to that of Germany’s William I and Prime Minister Bismarck, composing a saga and epic to be read and admired by future generations.

This is truly a legacy that will be passed down through the ages. Even if the Kingdom of Spain falls in the future, this part of history will not change. For politicians, such a reputation may be more tempting than some tangible benefits.

After all, the benefits in hand, while tempting, are only temporary. Such a timeless tale requires the right timing, opportunity, and trust from the king.

“Prime Minister Prim, this is the shipbuilding industry development plan I formulated based on Spain’s current backwardness in the shipbuilding industry. It requires close cooperation with the government, and I need your stance on the related matters.” Carlo smiled as he took out the shipbuilding industry development plan he had prepared, handing it to Prime Minister Prim, before smilingly explaining.

Prime Minister Prim nodded, took the shipbuilding industry development plan, and began to read it carefully.

“Integrate some irretrievable private and state-owned civilian shipyards, transforming them into medium and large military shipyards?

Help other salvageable private and state-owned civilian shipyards develop better, and improve Spain’s shipbuilding industry system?” Prime Minister Prim read as he looked, occasionally nodding to himself, clearly treating the development plan with great seriousness.

Although Carlo’s development plan was only a few sheets of paper, Prime Minister Prim still spent nearly half an hour reading it.

Almost every word in the plan was personally read out loud by Prime Minister Prim, sometimes pondering deeply, clearly showing great respect for Carlo’s development plan.