Empire Rise: Spain-Chapter 47: The Royal Parliament

Carlo experienced the distinctive Spanish noble banquet of this era.
Luxurious, truly fucking luxurious.
Carlo couldn’t help but exclaim.
Although the scale of this castle was far smaller than Carlo’s royal palace, the interior decoration was no less impressive than the royal palace, showcasing the luxury and wealth of Spanish nobles since the colonial era.
The tableware for the banquet was all made of gold and silver, and the alcoholic beverages used were private reserve wines priced at hundreds of pesetas.
Because Carlo was Italian, Jacopo specially invited several skilled Italian cooks when planning this banquet, to prepare Italian cuisine specifically for Carlo.
The nobles were initially quite reserved, but after Carlo showed a very approachable attitude, the nobles began to relax.
“Everyone, let us raise our glasses to our great king, His Majesty Carlo I of the House of Savoy!” When everyone was holding a glass of wine, Jacopo promptly stood up, raised his glass, and proposed to all.
“To the king!”
Everyone raised their glasses to Carlo in salute; even those with other thoughts dared not refrain from raising their glasses in such a setting.
Whether they opposed in secret was a private matter. But failing to raise one’s glass in such a setting would likely make one an outcast from the entire aristocracy the next day.
After all, there’s a saying that if you give a gift, the leader might not remember you, but if you don’t, the leader will definitely remember you vividly.
The same principle applied here. Carlo might not remember who raised their glasses, but he would certainly remember who did not.
This was also one of Jacopo’s clever points. As the host and one of the oldest and highest-status nobles in Spanish history, he was naturally the most qualified to say such words.
Guiding the nobles to express their support and loyalty to Carlo at the appropriate moment was what Jacopo aimed to achieve in this banquet.
So far, Jacopo was quite satisfied with his actions. The nobles had expressed respect for Carlo as planned, and the smile on Carlo’s face had not stopped.
“Everything is proceeding smoothly.” Jacopo thought to himself silently.
Taking a sip of wine, Carlo maintained his good mood and, under Jacopo’s introduction, tasted the cuisine carefully prepared by the cooks.
If most regions of Europe were culinary deserts, then Spain was undoubtedly a brilliant pearl in that desert.
Not to mention the famous Iberian ham of posterity, just seafood rice, stewed bull’s tail, and charcoal-roasted suckling pig were enough to place Spanish cuisine at the forefront of European cuisine.
The various cuisines were diverse, even filling two long giant dining tables.
However, it was clear that most of those present were not that interested in the food. Although this dinner was quite luxurious and abundant, the nobles’ usual fare was no less.
The main purpose of this banquet was still socializing among the nobles, and many nobles shared the same idea as Jacopo: to see if they could form a marriage alliance with the royal family and build connections.
Marriage alliances among European nobles emphasized matching social status; the king’s wife had to be at least the daughter of a duke.
As for marquises and counts, they were basically excluded; their daughters could not become Spain’s queen.
Carlo had still underestimated the openness of European nobles in this era.
Shortly after the banquet began, several noble ladies came to invite Carlo for a dance. If it were just a simple invitation, it would be fine, but their postures and expressions clearly said that if Carlo wanted, they were available for intimacy anytime.
Among these ladies were not only unmarried young girls of marriageable age, but also sensual married noblewomen.
It was only because Carlo was always accompanied by two beautiful and sexy maids that he could withstand such top-tier temptations.
Carlo had been wondering if this sensual noblewoman’s husband would mind, but turning his head, he saw that count chatting enthusiastically with another marquis’s wife, completely unconcerned about this side.
Seeing this scene with his own eyes, Carlo truly understood just how open the Europeans of this era were and how debauched the lives of the nobles were.
Without exaggeration, if Carlo wished, at least half of the noble ladies present could be bedded.
Having enjoyed luxurious noble lives since childhood, these noble ladies were dressed very beautifully and sexily, each with their own unique charms.
Carlo finally understood why lovers were an unspoken secret among European nobles—most people could not remain unmoved at such banquets.
“Your Majesty.” Seeing Carlo beckoning him, Jacopo hurriedly abandoned the two beautiful and alluring noblewomen beside him and hastened toward Carlo.
“Duke Jacopo, are your banquets always like this?” Carlo asked somewhat helplessly.
Jacopo thought Carlo was worried about whether these noblewomen’s husbands would object and quickly explained: “Please rest assured, Your Majesty. No one will care or know what happens at the banquet.”
After speaking, Jacopo thoughtfully signaled another group of ladies to come forward and invite Carlo to dance.
To please Carlo, Jacopo had gone all out.
These ladies had all sorts of characteristics, sure to suit anyone’s taste. From newly adult girls to noble matrons, there was everything imaginable, in great variety.
The first batch were slightly older women, while the second batch turned into young girls of marriageable age.
Carlo shook his head helplessly, knowing he couldn’t keep refusing, so he could only select a few girls who looked pleasing and dance with them.
These girls were also quite bold when dancing with Carlo.
But then again, no girl could resist a young, handsome king who possessed an entire country.
The temptation of becoming queen was enough to spur many girls into action, even without results.
To be honest, though these girls all had their charms, none truly caught Carlo’s eye.
Moreover, considering the interests of Carlo and Spain, it was unlikely he would marry into Spain’s native nobility.
Since he couldn’t give these girls a future, Carlo naturally wouldn’t proactively provoke them.
But if someone truly offered herself, Carlo wouldn’t do nothing—after all, having a lover among nobles wasn’t illegal.
Although this was a large banquet organized by Jacopo, the nobles socialized in small groups of three or five, not fully gathered together.
It was evident that the status gaps among nobles were quite clear.
Dukes often gathered with dukes to chat; some prestigious marquises might join, but counts rarely did.
Marquises either chatted with dukes or had to stick with counts, best illustrating the differences in status and influence among nobles.
As the lowest tier at the banquet, most counts could only gather and chat with other counts.
It was hard for counts to chat with dukes; they had to wait until the dukes finished talking and seize the chance to approach the duke they wanted to speak with.
Carlo was undoubtedly the most prominent among the nobles. Grand dukes and dukes crowded around him; those below duke couldn’t even squeeze in.
While holding a wine glass, Carlo listened to the dukes’ flattery and overtures, feeling quite pleased.
Of course, Carlo wouldn’t get carried away by mere flattery. What made him feel good was that these nobles were sensible, choosing to align with royal power and truly support him as king.
The nobility was undoubtedly Spain’s most powerful force, and Carlo was determined to fully master it.
Seeing the conversation had reached the right moment, Carlo promptly made his proposal: to establish the Royal Council, forming a noble union under royal leadership.
The so-called Royal Council would consist entirely of nobles, with all marquises and above eligible to join.
This Royal Council, composed entirely of dukes and marquises, would represent Spain’s aristocracy. Carlo could control the entire aristocracy by exerting influence over the Royal Council and extend his influence to the government.
This way, even if Primó left the political arena in the future, Carlo wouldn’t worry whether the new prime minister would support him.
With strong backing from the aristocracy and the Royal Council, Carlo could ensure his influence over the government and avoid being completely sidelined.
Besides the Royal Council, Carlo also wanted to establish the Royal Knights, cultivating excellent core military forces from the nobility.
It was well known that elite noble education in Europe emphasized the military aspect. With Spain’s vast aristocracy, noble scions were countless.
By forming the Royal Knights, capable individuals could be selected from these noble children to serve him, ensuring sufficient loyalty from the next generation of nobles.
Truly capable noble scions could quickly enter the army and gain promotion through service in the Royal Knights.
Even those without ability could earn the honor of Royal Knight as a reward to win over the nobles.
After all, not all noble children were capable. For those without much ability, the best approach was to grant them honorary titles like Royal Knight—winning noble goodwill without burdening the government or royal family too much.
After a few glasses of wine, the nobles’ thinking was no longer so rational. Urged by Jacopo, they quickly agreed to establish the Royal Council and expressed willingness to have their sons join the Royal Knights.
After all, joining the Royal Knights was no bad thing—not only earning such an honorary title, but also making it easier to be appointed by Carlo, gaining his trust, and stabilizing the family’s status in Spain.
Third thousand words, second update, seeking support!