Chapter 36: The Proposal to Abolish the Tithe

The news of the assassination attempt on Gao Da instantly became the hottest topic in Madrid, reported frantically by major newspapers and spread by word of mouth among the Spaniards who were at the scene.

Although the cameras present did not record the exact moment of the assassination attempt on Gao Da, the scene of Gao Da raising his arms and shouting at the end was captured.

This blurry black-and-white photograph was published in the *Spanish Sun* that same day, accompanied by a striking headline for the entire article: "Make Spain Great Again!"

In its report, the *Spanish Sun* praised Gao Da's courage in the face of danger and the beautiful vision of making Spain great again.

It concluded with a pointed question: "If a monarch like His Majesty Gao Da cannot shoulder the heavy responsibility of making Spain great again, then who else is qualified to lead Spain forward?"

The Carlist faction accuses the government's reforms of affecting capitalists and factories, leaving a large number of workers at risk of unemployment. But what are they doing? They are plunging Spain into the abyss of civil war, forcing the great Spanish nation into a situation of mutual slaughter, and causing tens of thousands of families to lose their sources of income.

Queen Isabella of the Bourbon family has already made the Spanish people miserable; does Carlos, also of the Bourbon family, want to make Spain fall into the abyss once again?"

Due to the extensive news coverage, coupled with the word-of-mouth of the tens of thousands of Spaniards at the scene, hundreds of thousands of Madrid citizens soon learned of their monarch's glorious deeds, earning Gao Da a reputation for being fearless in the face of danger.

Although Gao Da's actions were indeed suspected of being a deliberate attempt to win over the hearts of the people, for the Spaniards, this was far better than having a cowardly and timid king.

Gao Da's act of raising his arms and shouting before "fainting" also successfully moved the Spaniards at the scene, and through their dissemination, it influenced even more of the public.

After the assassination incident, fighting for the greatness of Spain became the next hottest topic, second only to the assassination itself.

If Gao Da, who is not Spanish, has the courage to fight for the greatness of Spain, could it be that the true Spaniards lack the courage to fight for the greatness of Spain?

As the protagonist of the assassination incident, Gao Da was sent to a nearby hospital before being transferred to the Wang Gong.

The news released by the Wang Gong was that Gao Da had been injured in the assassination attempt but was not in life-threatening condition and was currently recuperating at the Wang Gong.

Primo had originally been worried about Gao Da's safety, but after rushing to the Wang Gong and seeing Gao Da safe and sound, he was stunned for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, what is this?" Primo looked at the unharmed Gao Da, feeling both relieved and puzzled.

"Fortunately, the pistol used by the assassin was not very powerful, and I had padded it with a steel plate in advance, so there is no serious harm." Gao Da did not explain in detail, only mentioning that he had padded it with a steel plate beforehand.

Hearing Gao Da's explanation, Primo nodded, but still felt lingering fear: "Your Majesty, you were still too impulsive. Next time you need to give a speech, please communicate with the government in advance, and I will arrange for the army to maintain order at the scene to ensure Your Majesty's safety."

Primo's concern for Gao Da was genuine, as Gao Da's safety was also tied to the success or failure of Primo's reforms.

Should any accident befall Gao Da, Spain would once again enter a period of chaos.

In such a phase, it would be basically impossible for Primo to conduct another selection of a king; after all, the Carlist faction would not give Primo enough time to choose the next king.

Only with Gao Da remaining safely on the throne could Primo's reforms proceed smoothly without worrying about major turmoil within Spain.

"I know, Prime Minister Primo." Gao Da nodded, indicating he understood.

Come to think of it, Gao Da also attached great importance to his own safety.

Transmigration is one thing, but this world is also quite real. As a transmigrator, Gao Da still only had one life, so he naturally would not disregard his own personal safety.

For this speech, apart from the "assassin" prepared in advance, anyone else who might have been able to get close to Gao Da was under surveillance, and it was confirmed that they were not carrying firearms.

The crowd that looked like a sea of people on the perimeter could not possibly get close to Gao Da, and the shooting range of small firearms was not that far.

Coupled with the fact that Gao Da had padded his chest with a steel plate in advance, he had the confidence to give a public speech in the current situation, facing tens of thousands of Spaniards.

"God bless, am I not perfectly fine, Prime Minister Primo? Moreover, after this assassination incident, I believe most of the public will oppose the war launched by the Carlist faction and become hostile toward those who block reform," Gao Da said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, I plan to abolish the tithe and completely bring all Spanish farmers over to our side." Primo was silent for a moment before stating his plan.

"The tithe? Those guys in the church probably won't be willing, right?" Upon hearing that Primo wanted to abolish the tithe, Gao Da immediately thought of the church that collected this tax.

"Of course they won't be willing, but what can they do?" A warm smile appeared on Primo's face, but that smile also had a hint of coldness: "If they join forces with the Carlist faction, then God truly blesses us.

I am only afraid that those guys in the church will choose to swallow their pride; I have long coveted the church's land."

Religion currently still has a great influence on European countries, and the power of the churches in various countries is countless.

Spanish farmers have to pay about one-tenth of their income as a tithe to the church every year, which is one of the reasons why Spain's per capita income is relatively low.

A large amount of tax is collected by the church, and the impoverished Spaniards have no choice but to sell their land in exchange for enough food to save their lives.

The church has also accumulated a large amount of land in this process, becoming the largest landowner in Spain after the aristocratic class.

Spanish farmers are getting poorer and poorer, while the church is getting richer and richer. Such development is quite distorted, and a tax like the tithe, which is specifically used to squeeze farmers, must be abolished early.

Gao Da nodded, knowing Primo's plan in his heart.

After the abolition of the tithe, the Spanish farmers could be considered completely liberated.

At the very least, they could ensure that most of the income from farming would go into their own pockets, and they would be more passionate when performing agricultural work.

The government that abolishes the tithe will receive strong support from Spanish farmers. Compared to the support of the farmers, who make up the majority of the Spanish population, the opposition of the church is not so important.

After all, it is already 1870, and the influence of religion is no longer what it once was. Even the Pope is trapped in the Vatican Palace; what kind of waves can the church in Spain stir up?

First update, asking for support!

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(End of this chapter)