Prim's inspection concluded quickly, and he informed Victor Emmanuel II of his final choice for the king.
Yes, Carlo emerged victorious from the competition with Amadeus and is about to become the new King of Spain.
Carlo won the competition mainly due to his support for reform and the praise he received from Garibaldi.
When drafting the list of candidates for the Spanish throne, Juan Prim y Prats once remarked with a sigh, "Finding a king who supports democracy in Spain is like searching for an atheist in heaven."
Although a constitutional monarchy was nominally established during Isabella's reign, Queen Isabella II still held significant power, and the kingdom's government was quite ignorant and feudal.
Prim was weary of this extreme authoritarianism, and when searching for a new king for Spain, he repeatedly mentioned the necessity of reform and democratization.
The king could hold power, but absolutely should not monopolize it.
On this point, Carlo, who had previously had contact with the Republican-leaning Garibaldi, clearly had an advantage.
Amadeus had no significant flaws and was even younger, which was an advantage. If Spain were in a stable state, Amadeus would undoubtedly be the rightful candidate for the Spanish throne.
However, Spain was now riddled with problems, and Amadeus was powerless against the current situation. To carry out deep reforms in Spain, the monarch and ministers must be united and jointly push for comprehensive reform.
On this point, Carlo would have a greater advantage than Amadeus. Even if Carlo's support for reform was not as firm as expected, Prim could still forcefully push through reforms by consolidating military and political power.
After all, a 19-year-old king is easier to control than a 25-year-old one, which is very important for Spain's reforms.
Then there was Garibaldi's assessment of Carlo.
During his investigation of Carlo and Amadeus, Prim discovered that Carlo's relationship with Garibaldi was closer than anticipated.
Not only had Garibaldi published numerous articles in the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, but his second son, Ricciotti, was also a court official for Carlo.
Allowing his son to be close to Carlo also indicated that, in Garibaldi's eyes, Carlo was at least not an arrogant prince who couldn't see the situation.
Combined with the previous influence of Il Sole 24 Ore in Spain, it could be reasonably concluded that Carlo had long anticipated the Spanish election of a king and had already been preparing in advance.
Prim himself preferred to work with an intelligent king. If possible, achieving a close relationship similar to that between King William I of Prussia and Chancellor Bismarck was not out of the question.
Decades ago, Prussia was also a country that France could casually invade and humiliate. But after several decades of various reforms, Prussia had leaped to become one of the most powerful countries on the European continent, and the war with France was a major focus for Prim.
Prim did not expect a reformed Spain to be as powerful as Prussia. For Prim, his hope was to see Spain achieve a revival and regain its place among Europe's first-class powers and great nations.
On this point, Prim was quite confident. If a monarch who supported his reforms could be welcomed, perhaps Spain's revival was not just a dream, but a reality that could be seen in 20 years.
Carlo's mood was complex.
While Carlo had always dreamed of winning this competition, learning that he was to become the King of Spain filled him with a mix of nervousness and hesitation. Reviving Spain in 1869 was undoubtedly one of the most challenging tasks facing the major European powers.
Spain started in a terrible hole. Internally, there was constant chaos with Republicans, reformers, conservatives, and Carlists causing trouble for each other.
Externally, Britain and France would not allow Spain to become too powerful. If Spain wanted to revive, the first obstacles would be Britain and France.
This was a hell-mode start, no less difficult than Poland counter-attacking Germany at the beginning of World War II.
After slightly adjusting his mindset, Carlo still decided to go to Spain, and he was determined to go.
Since he had transmigrated to this world, he must bravely strive for something to be worthy of this opportunity.
Furthermore, Britain and France were not invincible, and mainland Spain was at least very safe.
Neither Britain nor France would allow the other to occupy Spanish territory; at most, they would only hinder the expansion of the Spanish navy and colonies.
Anyway, Spain was not the only country that needed colonies now, and Spain would certainly not be the one to lead the opposition against Britain and France.
For Carlo's first five or even ten years in charge of Spain, the most important tasks would be resolving Spain's internal conflicts and implementing reforms to improve its overall national strength.
After this competition concluded, Carlo met with his older brother, Amadeus.
Putting aside the competition, Carlo and Amadeus's relationship was decent. Although not as close as Carlo and the late Prince Oddone, they weren't merely superficial brothers.
Amadeus congratulated Carlo with a smile on becoming the King of Spain. While there was a hint of regret, there wasn't much resentment.
Carlo would naturally not intentionally antagonize his brother. During the critical stage of Spanish reform, Italy would be an important ally for Spain.
Whether his old father was in charge or Crown Prince Umberto inherited the throne in the future, Carlo wanted to maintain good relations with Italy.
After all, Italy could serve as a fallback. If Spain truly became hopeless, he could always escape back to Italy and live as a carefree duke, just like Amadeus did in history.
Also present to congratulate Carlo was his elder brother, Crown Prince Umberto.
Crown Prince Umberto was the heir to the Italian throne and therefore did not participate in this competition. Because he was designated as the Crown Prince from birth, Crown Prince Umberto was quite friendly towards his younger brothers.
In his father's office, Carlo met the somewhat reluctant old king.
"Son, I didn't expect you to win the competition against Amadeus. However, regardless of the outcome, I must congratulate you on becoming the King of Spain," Victor Emmanuel II said, looking at Carlo with a complex expression that revealed a hint of surprise and some reluctance.
"Have you met with Prim yet? When do you plan to go to Spain?" After offering his blessings to Carlo, Victor Emmanuel II immediately posed two questions.
"Not yet, Father. If possible, I would like to go to Spain earlier, to understand everything about Spain sooner," Carlo shook his head and replied.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Support my work and gain access to 15 advanced chapters at p@treon.com/Dannycifer.