Garibaldi finally accepted Carlo's invitation and became a partner of the Italian 24-hour Sun, publishing his own stories in the newspaper.
Although Garibaldi was still a little hesitant at first, all obstacles disappeared after Carlo obtained the permission of his father, Vittorio Emanuele II.
The reason why Vittorio Emanuele II agreed to let Garibaldi publish his articles was also very simple. After all, the owner of the Sun was Carlo, and Garibaldi's articles would still be reviewed. It was impossible for any article to be published without oversight.
As for whether Carlo would be deceived by Garibaldi into agreeing to an article advocating for the republic, Vittorio Emanuele II was not worried at all. Roren, whom he had personally selected, was loyal to the royal family and trustworthy in his support for the monarchy.
Carlo, of course, was excited. At this time, the attitude of Italians toward Garibaldi was equivalent to that of fanatic fans toward their favorite stars in later generations. The word "fanatic" barely described it. Once Garibaldi's articles were published in the Sun, the 24-Hour Sun would immediately become one of the most famous newspapers in Italy and achieve rapid expansion.
Perhaps the task assigned by Carlo to Loren could be completed in less than two years, giving Carlo more time to plan other ventures.
Time passed quickly, and three and a half months went by. Thanks to Garibaldi's huge reputation, although only two articles were published in that time, the 24-Hour Sun became one of the most famous newspapers in the Kingdom of Italy, achieving a daily sales figure of 10,000 copies. The Sun had now achieved profitability and was expanding rapidly, driven by Garibaldi's fame.
Since it was located in the developed industrial area of northern Italy, the expansion of the newspaper faced no obstacles. It was expected that daily sales would exceed 20,000 copies by year's end, making it a truly large newspaper.
This era was different from later generations. Newspapers had become the most effective means for people to understand the world. Although only 10,000 newspapers were sold, many more people read them. With an average of three to five people in each family reading the paper, the number of people influenced by the 24-Hour Sun was close to 50,000. The word-of-mouth effect from these 50,000 readers would allow the news to reach hundreds of thousands of Italians in a short time.
This was the power of public opinion. In an era when people's leisure activities were limited, the influence of newspapers was immense.
The person responsible for delivering Garibaldi's manuscripts was his second son, Giotti. Carlo also developed a good relationship with Giotti through two meetings.
"A tiger father has no dog son" — this phrase perfectly described Garibaldi's sons. In Garibaldi's many military operations, his sons played important roles, acting as his assistants. Compared to the elder Garibaldi, his sons were in their prime. Carlo was envious of them; although they weren't military geniuses like their father, their abilities were well above average, and they had been deeply influenced by Garibaldi. They were flexible and dynamic in their personalities.
It was a pity that Carlo was still too young; otherwise, he would have tried to invite Giotti to serve as his palace guard.
As June 1866 approached, Carlo, who had previously been calm, began to feel anxious. The Prussian-Austrian War, likely to unfold as history had recorded, seemed inevitable. A border conflict between Prussia and Austria had already occurred in late May. The war could not be avoided, driven by the larger trend of German unification. The two major powers in the German region, Prussia and Austria, were destined for a decisive showdown.
Fortunately for Italy, it had sided with Prussia, which had emerged victorious in history. Italy would likely win without much effort, reclaiming the Venetian region while Austria was distracted by Prussia. However, the bad news was that the Italian army had performed poorly in this war, setting a precedent for Italy's weak military showings in World War I and World War II.
If not for Prussia's strength, the newly-formed Kingdom of Italy might have quickly disappeared from the Apennine Peninsula.
For Carlo, the most challenging issue was influencing his father, Vittorio Emanuele II. In this war, the Italian army, led by his father, had suffered a quick defeat. That defeat on the southern front, though insignificant compared to Prussia's dominance in the north, could have altered world events had it impacted the Prussian campaign.
Carlo knew that with his current ability and status, he couldn't change the course of the Prussian-Austrian War. However, he did believe that Garibaldi should be invited to lead the Italian army to prevent its disastrous performance. But Vittorio Emanuele II would never agree to this, given the political tension between him and Garibaldi. Therefore, Carlo had to find another way to influence his father.
As June approached, the Prussian-Austrian border conflict intensified. The two powers of the German region, Prussia and Austria, were destined for a winner-take-all contest. The victor would unify Germany and dominate Central Europe.
The tense situation not only affected the German region but also Prussia's ally, Italy. Vittorio Emanuele II held two cabinet meetings on the rising tensions in Germany and instructed the Italian army to be ready.
In light of these tense circumstances, Carlo made his move.
"My God, Carlo, do you understand what you are saying?" In the opulent palace dining room, Vittorio Emanuele II, who had been enjoying a comfortable breakfast, was taken aback. He looked at his favorite son with disbelief.
"Of course, I understand, Father." Carlo nodded, taking a deep breath. "That's why I know how important this is."
"I hope you can give me a reasonable explanation," Vittorio Emanuele II said, his eyes serious as he fixed his gaze on Carlo. "Otherwise, I will seriously reconsider allowing you to have any further involvement with Garibaldi."