Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 191 Assassination and Trump Card

"What a lively and wonderful show." Carlo looked at the content of the telegram sent from Spain with a faint smile on his face, and his mood did not seem to be affected.

"Your Majesty, do we need to prepare the garrison?" Count Anthony, the governor of the southern Morocco colony, asked cautiously.

Although the current chaos in Madrid is limited to the workers' march stage, no one can guarantee that these workers, blinded by anger, will not do anything out of line.

What's more, such a large-scale workers' march could be formed in a short period of time, which means that there was definitely someone guiding it behind the scenes.

From the perspective of conspiracy theories, perhaps the workers' march in Madrid was planned by someone. Although we don't know what the purpose of these people is, it is definitely not a good thing for the Spanish government and Carlo.

The reason why Count Anthony was so worried was that he was afraid that some unexpected incident would break out during the parade, causing a large-scale conflict between the government and the parade, or even a rebellion.

Let the colonial garrisons be prepared to transport troops to the Spanish mainland to suppress the rebellion as soon as possible. Although there are also a large number of troops stationed in the Spanish mainland, they are not in Carlo's sight and are not within Carlo's control.

"That's not necessary." Carlo shook his head. He was not as worried as Count Anthony. The smile on his face remained unchanged and he looked very relaxed.

"What we need to worry about is not the workers who are marching, but the rebels hiding among the workers. Only when these people take the initiative to jump out, it is time to close the net."

Carlo still trusted Count Anthony. Although he was also a member of the nobility, Count Anthony did not have much real estate and was even a poor noble.

If it weren't for Carlo's reuse, Anthony and his family might have faced the crisis of bankruptcy. When Carlo reused him, Anthony also sold his land to the royal family at a low price as a token of loyalty.

Today, Count Anthony does not own much land, and his family's business has long shifted to finance and industry. He is also a member of the Royal Council.

He had no reason to betray Carlo. After all, he had been given an important position as the governor of the southern Morocco colony, one of Spain's four major colonies.

As long as he fulfills his duties conscientiously and accumulates his merits during his term as the Governor of the South Morocco Colony, it is not impossible for him to obtain the title of Duke in the future.

With such a bright future ahead of him, it really doesn't make sense to say that Count Anthony betrayed Carlo.

Of course, even if Count Anthony betrayed Carlo, it would not affect Carlo's plan to lure the snake out of its hole.

The current rebellious nobles and the Bourbon family have already been on the verge of launching the rebellion. Even if the news came back from the southern Moroccan colony, I am afraid that by the time the rebellious nobles received the news, the rebellion would have officially started.

Moreover, rebellion is not a game that can be canceled at will. In the current situation, the rebellious nobles have no choice. They can either go all the way and seek a chance to survive in the rebellion, or they can only surrender and wait for the judgment of fate.

This was not a small-scale action, and the probability that Carlo would forgive them was extremely low. It was also because of this that even though they knew that the chances of the rebellion being successful were slim, the rebellious nobles would still go their own way and gamble on the future of themselves and their families.

There was still a time delay in the transmission of news in this era. When the southern Moroccan colony received the news via telegram, the situation in Madrid had already developed further.

The rebellious nobles and the Bourbons also knew that workers' marches alone could not shake the Spanish government. It was even recognized that the purpose of the march was not to overthrow the government, but to protest against the capitalist class's exploitation of the government.

Simply put, the workers still have faith in the government. As long as the government makes promises and gives workers hope, the workers' marches will soon be disintegrated.

But it doesn't matter anymore. The reason why the rebellious nobles launched the workers' march was to attract the attention of the Spanish government.

The rebellious nobles first took advantage of the large scale of the workers' march to attack several police stations in Madrid, making it impossible for the Spanish security department to control the situation in Madrid in a short period of time.

Afterwards, the assassination personnel ambushed for a long time on the road where Prime Minister Primo traveled between the government building and the Prime Minister's Office, looking for an opportunity to assassinate Prime Minister Primo.

You know what, it really gave them an opportunity.

Although Prime Minister Primo strengthened his defense after the last assassination attempt, the distance between the government building and the Prime Minister's Office is not far, only a few hundred meters at most, so there will not be too many guards following Prime Minister Primo.

This did give the assassin an opportunity. Because of the lessons learned from the last failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Primo, this time they used a small-caliber cannon, preparing to overturn Prime Minister Primo's carriage first, and then rush forward to shoot Prime Minister Primo to death.

boom!
With the sound of a cannon that shook the entire street, the shell landed one meter in front of Prime Minister Primo's carriage.

"There's an assassin!" The guard driving the carriage in front only had time to shout out one sentence before he was hit by the exploding shells and couldn't make any sound.

Prime Minister Primo, who was sitting in the carriage, only heard a roar, and then the carriage was overturned by the aftermath of the artillery explosion.

"Success! Go ahead and blow him to death!" The assassin who was controlling the artillery not far away was delighted and quickly continued to load the shells and bombard.

Cannons and shells could not be transported to Spain from France. This cannon and several shells were obtained by the Spanish nobles from the army's logistical supplies with great effort.

In order to avoid attracting attention, the gun was of small caliber and only three shells were fired.

But it seems to be very effective at the moment. Even though Prime Minister Primo's carriage has been specially modified, it cannot withstand the bombardment of a few artillery shells.

boom!
Although the assassins intended to bombard continuously, this cannon was not the latest product of the Spanish Royal Arsenal, and its firing rate was relatively slow.

About ten seconds later, the second shell was loaded and fired.

boom!
The second shot was obviously not as accurate as the first, but the aftermath of the explosion and the fragments of the shrapnel still blew the wooden carriage to pieces, revealing the steel plates embedded inside.

Even with the protection of steel plates, the shape of the entire carriage had been deformed, and it would not be an exaggeration to describe it as shaky.

"Fire one more shot. It would be best if Primo can be killed." The leader of the assassins ordered.

Killing them directly with a blast would be the best way, and it would also allow them to evacuate safely. If they went forward to shoot them, no one could guarantee whether there were still people who had died in the carriage.

If the enemy counterattacks before dying, perhaps all of them will die here.

The assassin operating the cannon immediately continued to load the shells, but he soon discovered something was wrong.

Farther down the street, Prime Minister Primo's guards were already running towards them.

boom!Boom!

After vaguely seeing the figures of these assassins, the guards showed no mercy and fired their rifles continuously, forcing the assassins to seek cover and unable to reload.

"Suppress the enemy and protect the Prime Minister!" The leading guard immediately gave the order and called out to Prime Minister Primo, "Prime Minister, are you okay?"

"Damn it, what is this idiot Jim doing? Can't he stop these guards for five minutes?" The leading assassin was obviously caught off guard. They were forced under the cover by the enemy's supporting firepower and did not dare to move at all.

The power of a rifle is no joke. If you get hit, even if you can escape, you will most likely die.

Not to mention that the technology of this era cannot heal a bowl-sized gunshot wound. Even if there is such medical technology, these assassins dare not go to the hospital to see a doctor. The gunshot wound is too obvious, and going to the hospital is like walking into a trap. This also means that they must ensure that they will not be injured, otherwise they can only wait to die in Spain.

Seeing the assassins hiding under the cover, the leading guard issued a new order: "Torn, take a team to go around and get behind them. I don't believe these assassins can fly and escape. Remember to leave some alive. I want to see which damn guys dare to assassinate the Prime Minister."

A guard nearby nodded and quietly left with a few people.

"Damn it, we have to find a way to evacuate. If we don't leave now, there will be no chance to escape." The leading assassin also knew the dire situation he was facing. The gunshots would definitely attract more support, making it even more difficult to escape.

"Thomas, Eric, you two cover the rear. The rest of you follow me and retreat back to the manor in the suburbs first. After two artillery shells, Primo will be dead unless God blesses him." The leading assassin also gave his own orders.

It was true that their mission was to assassinate Prime Minister Primo, but that didn't mean they were willing to sacrifice their lives for it. Moreover, the carriage that Prime Minister Primo was in had been bombarded by two shells, and the carriage was about to fall apart, not to mention the people in the carriage.

Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they would definitely be seriously injured. Judging from the medical technology of this era, if they were seriously injured, they would just have to wait for death, which also meant that there was a high probability that their assassination would be a complete success.

All that’s left to consider next is how to evacuate, and this assassination mission can be completed perfectly.

The two assassins whose names were called had complicated expressions. Although they were soldiers carefully trained by Queen Isabel, she didn't say that they would have to pay the price of their lives for this!
Who could have imagined that an originally easy assassination would turn into such a situation? Knowing that they would face death if they stayed, the two assassins whose names were called looked dejected and pale.

"I will report to Her Majesty the Queen and pay due compensation to your family." The leading assassin looked at the two subordinates whose names were called, without any mercy in his eyes, and made his promise without emotion.

In order to protect the evacuation of others, someone must make sacrifices. These two people are just unlucky, but if they don't sacrifice, does he, the captain, have to sacrifice himself?
Assassinating Prime Minister Primo is definitely a great achievement. If you can return alive, you will definitely receive a very generous reward, or even a title.

The leading assassin is not so stupid. He must prioritize his own survival. After all, only by staying alive can he receive the reward. If he dies, he will have nothing.

Hearing their captain say this, the two assassins who were forced to leave behind nodded palely but did not refute.

If they voluntarily leave the rear, their families may be able to receive compensation. But if they refuse to leave the rear and thus affect the evacuation of others, their families will not only not receive compensation, but will also face accountability from Her Majesty the Queen.

Queen Isabel herself was an autocratic queen, and her ruling methods were extremely brutal. If they were disliked by the queen, I'm afraid their families would have a hard time in the future.

With the two of them sacrificing themselves to cover their retreat, the other assassins were able to escape.

But the two men also met with tragic endings. They were shot to death by angry guards. Each of them had more than ten-digit bullet holes on his body, and blood flowed like a river.

After ensuring it was safe, the guards anxiously looked for Prime Minister Primo.

The good news is that Prime Minister Primo is not dead. Under the dual protection of the carriage and the guards in the carriage, Prime Minister Primo is only seriously injured and in a coma, and is not in danger of life for the time being.

The bad news is that Prime Minister Primo's injury is not light, and there is no sign of him waking up. This also means that the Spanish government will be leaderless in the short term. Without Prime Minister Primo to suppress and mediate, the workers' rebellion will become more fierce.

The assassins escaped and brought with them the news of their successful assassination of Prime Minister Primo.

This news immediately caused ecstasy among the rebellious nobles and the Queen's guards. In their joy, they immediately decided to proceed with the next plan, which was to rebel in an all-out manner and take control of the Spanish government while it was leaderless. Then, they would suppress the workers' demonstration in the name of the Spanish government and restore stability to Spain.

It is worth mentioning that the assassination of Prime Minister Primo was carried out at the same time as the assassination of Defense Minister Archduke Serrano.

But before coming to the southern Moroccan colony, Carlo had personally instructed Archduke Serrano to temporarily move the Ministry of Defense's offices into the military camp and not to leave the camp, waiting for Carlo's next order at any time.

Although Archduke Serrano was surprised by Carlo's order, he immediately nodded to show that he understood after Carlo explained the seriousness of the matter.

It's not that Carlo is cautious, it's just that history has taught him enough lessons. He must be fully prepared, at least he can only feel at ease if he has the army in his own hands.

If the rebellious nobles were allowed to gain some military power, it would no longer be a small rebellion, but another civil war in Spain.

Spain had finally ended the domestic chaos through reforms and ushered in a golden period of development.

It would be a loss if these rebellious nobles and Bourbon remnants plunged Spain back into the quagmire of civil war.

Even if the civil war can be won in the future, it will cause a serious blow to Spain's infrastructure and industrial economic development. At the very least, it will cause Spain's development to regress for several years, and at worst, it will even make Spain completely lose the hope of becoming one of the hegemons.

Although the last assassination attempt on Prime Minister Primo failed, the ending of Prime Minister Primo in history was assassination.

Just in case, we must ensure that one of the two pillars of support, Prime Minister Primo and Archduke Serrano, is safe.

The safety of Archduke Serrano is the best guarantee. He only needs to stay in the military camp and no one can threaten his safety.

Prime Minister Primo was different. Under the influence of the rebellious nobles and the Bourbon family, the situation in Spain was destined to fall into a brief period of chaos.

As the Prime Minister of the Spanish government, Prime Minister Primo will be extremely busy during this period and will have to make public appearances on some occasions.

This would also make it easier for the enemy to assassinate Prime Minister Primo, which was why Carlo chose to let Archduke Serrano ensure his own safety and become the ultimate stabilizer.

So far, the effect is still very good. Especially when Archduke Serrano learned that Prime Minister Primo had been assassinated and seriously injured and was in a coma, he was even more fortunate that he had obeyed Carlo's orders and never left the barracks.

In the suburban manor, the rebellious nobles and the queen's herald also learned the news of the failed assassination of Archduke Serrano.

It wasn't even that the assassination failed, but that the assassination had never been launched. Archduke Serrano had always lived in the military camp, and it was impossible for the assassin to infiltrate the military camp.

It was impossible for them to rush into the military camp to assassinate, after all, the soldiers in the camp were equipped with real guns and a large number of artillery.

Unless they had an advantage in numbers, charging into the military camp would be a death wish. Not to mention assassinating him, they would probably be suppressed before they even saw Archduke Serrano.

"Everyone, will the fact that Archduke Serrano is still alive affect our plans?" Duke Osuna's face turned pale. He did not expect that an accident would occur during the assassination of Serrano.

"I don't think it has much of an impact." The Queen's Herald still stood up and expressed his opinion:

Primo is dead, and the Spanish government is leaderless. We only need to control the situation in the Spanish government to control the whole of Spain.

When we issue an order in the name of the Spanish government, will Serrano dare to refuse? Haha, when we take control of the Spanish government, we will have more troops.

By then, whether it is Serrano or Carlo, their fate will be in our hands. Ladies and Gentlemen, the most important thing now is to quickly control the situation in the government and avoid interference from the parliament.

If we allow Parliament to elect an acting prime minister, it will be difficult for us to control the Spanish government.

"Guys, it's your turn. As long as you can take control of the Spanish government, Her Majesty the Queen and His Majesty the King can return to Spain." The Queen's Herald said with a smile.

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(End of this chapter)