Empire Rise: Spain

Chapter 195: Primo Awakens

After the meeting ended, Carlo immediately came to the Madrid Royal Hospital near the Royal Palace, where the severely wounded Prime Minister Primó was undergoing emergency treatment.

As a hospital directly controlled and invested in by the Royal Family, the Madrid Royal Hospital was the most luxurious and advanced hospital in Spain, hiring renowned medical experts and pharmacologists from Europe.

Carlo placed great importance on his own health and that of his family. The annual funding allocated to the Madrid Royal Hospital reached millions of pesetas, with one major purpose being the exploration of developments in medical devices, aside from researching and developing various advanced drugs.

Although the current Madrid Royal Hospital was not the largest in Spain, it was absolutely the hospital with the strongest medical capabilities in Spain.

Besides receiving Royal Family members, the Royal Hospital mainly treated government high officials and nobles on a regular basis and was not open to commoners.

It was not that Carlo was unwilling to let commoners enjoy advanced medical services; it was just that for most commoners, a year’s income was not enough to lie in the Royal Hospital for even one day.

In a luxurious ward of the Madrid Royal Hospital, Prime Minister Primó lay pale-faced on the hospital bed. Fortunately, the shrapnel from the cannonball explosion had only passed through his abdomen without causing a fatal injury.

Combined with the desperate protection from his guards, Prime Minister Primó would not die from overly severe injuries and had preserved his life in the assassination attempt.

But unfortunately, the medical technology of this era was not so advanced. Although timely rescue prevented Prime Minister Primó from dying of excessive blood loss, wound infection could threaten his life at any time and might even be more serious than the wound itself.

Although Europe symbolized civilization and advancement in this era, before the arrival of the 20th century, Europe’s medical technology could only be described as terrible and backward. For wound infections causing ulceration and redness, how did European doctors treat them?

The most famous was, of course, the ancestral bloodletting therapy. The history of bloodletting therapy dated back to the humorism theory proposed by the Greek physician Galen in the 2nd century AD.

Galen stated that there were four humors in the human body: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. When the humors lost balance, the body would also suffer from various diseases due to the imbalance.

Among the four humors, blood was the most prone to imbalance because it was produced by the liver and continuously generated.

Humorism theory made bloodletting therapy prevalent in Europe for over 2000 years, with a large number of European commoners and high officials and nobles dying from such therapy.

Among the more famous figures were King Charles II of the United Kingdom, Queen Anne, and the first President of the United States, George Washington.

Although in the mid-19th century, about 20 years ago, advancements in technology led more people to question bloodletting therapy, ultimately causing it to be gradually abandoned by European doctors.

But in relatively backward Spain, bloodletting therapy still prevailed in certain regions, and not just a few.

Even not just in Spain, in certain regions of great power nations, bloodletting therapy had not completely disappeared.

It was only because bloodletting therapy had prevailed for too long. In the era when all of Europe superstitiously believed in bloodletting therapy, it was claimed to cure all diseases.

From minor colds to various plagues and diseases, European doctors generally adopted bloodletting therapy, ultimately achieving quite touching results.

Over the 2000 years it prevailed, bloodletting therapy killed at least a million if not tens of millions of Europeans, with countless famous figures among them.

Besides bloodletting therapy, for wound infections, Europe’s current medical methods only had two approaches.

One was to cauterize the infected area with a branding iron, but this would lead to even more severe infection in the burned area. The other was direct amputation—yes, amputation.

For wound infections, Europe currently only had these three therapies. If praying to God counted, that made four.

The treatment for Prime Minister Primó definitely could not adopt the first three, as doing so would only make him die faster.

The first thing Carlo did upon returning to Spain was to have the Madrid Royal Hospital change Prime Minister Primó’s bedsheets and bedding daily and to disinfect his wound.

How to disinfect? Of course, with high-proof liquor.

Regardless of how effective this was, it was already the best method Carlo could think of at present. The medical technology of this era was so terrible; for severe injuries, what one could rely on was not medical technology, but that ethereal God and a sliver of desire to survive in the heart.

Whether he could escape this ordeal depended on Prime Minister Primó’s luck and whether that God, whom Carlo had never seen, would favor Prime Minister Primó.

The assassination attempt on Prime Minister Primó also served as another reminder to Carlo that before the advent of various antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, before medical technology developed to ensure that even if injured, one could recover safely, the most important thing he should do was to protect himself well and avoid accidental injuries.

Before medical technology developed, the world was relatively fair in certain aspects. Whether high officials and nobles or top nobles like Carlo as king, in the face of relatively severe injuries, all they could do was pray to God that the one treating them was not a quack doctor.

This method was not much better than for commoners; basically, everyone was just waiting to die, and only the lucky ones could survive.

Once medical technology fully developed, such fairness would be broken. High officials and nobles would have more ample capital to treat their illnesses, while ordinary people facing serious diseases could still only wait to die.

The good news was that in this era when medical technology was not advanced, Prime Minister Primó was clearly one of the luckier ones.

The reason Carlo was so anxious to come to the Madrid Royal Hospital was that news had come from the hospital that Prime Minister Primó had already awakened.

After hurrying to the hospital, Carlo saw the already awakened Prime Minister Primó, whose face was still as pale, but whose eyes were open and who could turn his head.

To care for his injuries, Prime Minister Primó was not allowed to get out of bed or even sit up.

During the entire recovery period, his eating, drinking, and elimination would all be handled by specialized caregivers arranged by the Royal Hospital. These caregivers were professionals who could provide quite attentive care to Prime Minister Primó.

Of course, after Prime Minister Primó was out of danger, his family could also come to care for him.

“Prime Minister Primó, how are you feeling?” Carlo sat on the sofa beside the bed and inquired about Prime Minister Primó’s condition with concern.

“I won’t die yet, Your Majesty.” Prime Minister Primó said with some self-mockery: “I’ve worried you, Your Majesty. This time it was my carelessness; I didn’t expect the enemy to plan another assassination in heavily guarded Madrid.

How is the government? Has the workers’ parade been dealt with? Has this rebellion ended?”

Prime Minister Primó was concerned about the government and Spain’s current situation.

“The workers’ parade has been dissolved, the nobles who incited the rebellion have been arrested, and they will face harsh trials.” Carlo said with a smile: “We have achieved complete victory in this incident, and there will be no factors interfering with Spain’s development next.

“That’s good, that’s good.” Prime Minister Primó nodded repeatedly, then turned his gaze to Carlo and said seriously: “Your Majesty, in these past six-plus years, you have grown so much.

I was originally planning to hand power back to you after this term as Prime Minister ended, but such an accident happened.

Please forgive my previous monopolization of power; I had to do it for Spain. And now, Spain should be steered by a more suitable person—Your Majesty, you are the most suitable helmsman for Spain’s warship.” Tears welled in Primó’s eyes, his face showing relief and contentment. Speaking seemed to pull at his wound, his mouth twitching slightly, but it quickly calmed:

“Ruiz is a radical reformer who poses a certain threat to Your Majesty’s rule. Your Majesty, if it really comes to that desperate moment, I support you taking action in advance to deal with the potential threats facing the kingdom.

Grand Duke Serrano is a reliable man; with him controlling the Defense Department, others won’t dare have any ideas.

The Cánovas you selected is a qualified Prime Minister, sufficient for maintaining stability but lacking in pioneering. For Spain’s future development, I suggest you select a future Prime Minister from the existing Progressive Party and Liberal Party, and control and cultivate him.

If used well, the Liberal Party and Progressive Party will become reliable assets for Your Majesty. The Conservative Party can be used to check these two parties, but if used as the ruling party, it would cause Spain to lose the pioneering spirit it has worked hard to cultivate.

When Spain is powerful enough to rival Austria in the future, perhaps the Conservative Party can be reused. But before that, I still suggest you pay attention to the members of Parliament from the Liberal Party and Progressive Party.

Your Majesty, I believe you can achieve your goal of making Spain great again, though I may not live to see it.

I really want to see what Spain will be like then; perhaps we can stand at the pinnacle of the world again?”

Carlo took Prime Minister Primó’s outstretched hand and patted it firmly, feeling even more admiration for this Prime Minister in his heart.

Prime Minister Primó, having just awakened, was concerned about Spain’s situation, but had no attention to his own position as Prime Minister.

After learning that Spain’s political arena was stable and the rebelling nobles had all been imprisoned, what Prime Minister Primó thought about was how to stabilize Carlo’s throne and resolve potential dangers.

Such selflessness was rare, especially in a position like Prime Minister, one below tens of thousands. Monopolizing power but not being authoritarian—this was perhaps Prime Minister Primó’s personal charm.

Italy’s fortune was to have given birth to Garibaldi, but Carlo did not envy it. Spain also had great figures like Prime Minister Primó; this was equally Spain’s fortune.

“God will bless you, Prime Minister Primó.” Carlo was silent for a long time before hoarsely saying: “After you recover, you will still be Spain’s Prime Minister.

Our cooperation is not over yet; we must see together the future of Spain’s great revival, witness together Spain standing again at the pinnacle of the world.”

Prime Minister Primó shook his head, tears sliding down again from his eyes, but a smile appeared on his face: “Perhaps, Your Majesty. But whether God blesses me or not, it is indeed time for me to rest.

Under your leadership, Spain will surely head toward greatness; I have never worried about that and have never thought of taking the Prime Minister position again.

Your Majesty, I will notify the Progressive Party about resigning; from then on, Progressive Party matters will have nothing to do with me. The Progressive Party is not a party pursuing a republic; aside from a very few radical reformers like Ruiz, the vast majority hope to carry out appropriate reforms under the monarchy.

I suggest you not act against the Progressive Party, so as not to break the balance of parties in Spain. But if the Progressive Party stands against you, please don’t mind my feelings; prioritize Spain’s future development above all.”

“Minister Ruiz?” Carlo’s expression was inscrutable as he replied: “When you were injured, Minister Ruiz forcibly convened a parliamentary session and was elected Acting Prime Minister of the government.

But under his control, the workers’ parade became more intense, even erupting into armed conflict. The rebel forces besieged the government building and the Parliament building, nearly causing the downfall of the Spanish Government.

Because of such poor performance, and the parliamentary election of an Acting Prime Minister violating the Spanish Constitution, I have dissolved Parliament; currently, Grand Duke Serrano is the Prime Minister of the Spanish Provisional Government.”

Hearing about all the things Ruiz had done after he fell unconscious, Prime Minister Primó nodded unsurprisingly, sighed, and said: “This guy has indeed taken this step.

If he were willing to submit to your rule, he would absolutely be the most suitable Prime Minister for you. But unfortunately, he is a radical reformer whose dream is to promote a republic in Spain.

That’s fine too; with Ruiz’s trouble resolved, the Progressive Party will pose no threat to Your Majesty going forward. Balance among the Progressive Party, Liberal Party, and Conservative Party might be the best situation for Spain.”

Carlo nodded. The United Kingdom’s two-party system was quite representative: the party holding the parliamentary majority became the ruling party, while the minority became the opposition party.

The ruling party organized the British Government, and the opposition party had the power to supervise the British Government; it seemed relatively balanced.

But the struggle between two ideologies and parties would inevitably be fierce, leading to events of opposing for the sake of opposition or agreeing for the sake of opposition.

When two parties struggled, members of Parliament thought not about the issue’s impact on national development, but its impact on their elections and parties.

Of course, the two-party system also had certain advantages. Because power only alternated between two parties, regime changes would be more stable.

The King of the United Kingdom could also gain certain power through the struggle between the two parties, ensuring he was not completely excluded from the British Government.

The struggle between Spain’s Liberal Party and Conservative Party was like the United Kingdom’s two-party system. The Liberal Party championed democracy and workers’ rights, while the Conservative Party more championed free trade and maintaining the status quo.

The Progressive Party, holding the parliamentary majority, was more like a balance between the Liberal Party and Conservative Party. Like the Liberal Party, it championed reforms to change the social status quo, demanded protection of workers’ rights, and granted certain democratic rights to the public.

But also like the Conservative Party, it sought to control reforms within certain bounds and did not want to completely change the country, causing social turmoil.

Prime Minister Primó was a highly representative Progressive Party member. He promoted various reforms, promulgating laws and a constitution completely different from Spain’s absolutist era.

But at the same time, Prime Minister Primó supported Spain’s monarchy and, in certain aspects, supported maintaining the status quo.

Indeed, as Prime Minister Primó said, current Spain was not suitable for any one party to dominate, but more suited for benign competition among the three parties.

As a relatively special existence among the three parties, the Progressive Party could join with the Conservative Party to form a government or with the Liberal Party, making it quite flexible.

This could avoid the emergence of a far-left or far-right government, allowing Spain to maintain relatively stable development.

With the three parties in a certain balance, Carlo, as King of Spain, naturally had much room to maneuver in the party balance.

The Progressive Party’s political tendency could also be classified as royalist. They supported Spain’s monarchy, which meant the Progressive Party was loyal to Carlo to a certain extent.

Plus the solidly royalist Conservative Party, this meant Carlo could control two of Spain’s three major parties, which effectively allowed him to manipulate the Spanish Parliament?

Controlling the Spanish Parliament meant deciding the future Prime Minister of Spain. Compared to the United Kingdom’s two-party system, Spain’s three-party system might be even more suitable.

Carlo could at any time adjust the composition of the Spanish Government through the balance among the three parties, ensuring the government’s development direction did not escape his control.

Seeing that Carlo had listened seriously to everything he said, Prime Minister Primó nodded satisfiedly and relaxed completely.

“Your Majesty the King, that’s all I have to say. You are absolutely the king with the most hope of leading Spain to great revival that I have ever seen; this is why I chose you back then.

Now it seems my initial idea was completely correct. Spain is already on the right track; perhaps Spain’s great revival is not just a goal, but a milestone that will soon be achieved.

Whether I live to see that moment or not, I have no regrets. Your Majesty, it has been an honor to cooperate with you for so long; this period has been Spain’s golden era of development in my lifetime.

For Spain to have a king like you is absolutely the honor of all Spaniards.” Prime Minister Primó gazed sincerely at Carlo, recounting the reasons he had chosen Carlo as King of Spain back then.

“For Spain to have you is the honor of Spain and all Spaniards.” Carlo also turned his gaze to Prime Minister Primó, his eyes full of admiration and respect:

“Prime Minister Primó, you are one of the greatest Prime Ministers Spain has had since its founding.

To cooperate with you for so long has also been my honor. I’m still waiting for you to fully recover so we can discuss Spain’s national affairs together again.

Get well soon, Prime Minister Primó. Spain’s development still cannot do without you in the short term; you are the greatest meritorious official promoting Spain’s development, aren’t you?”

5200-word two-in-one chapter, seeking support!