Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Because Yirong had a back sore, he had been taking medicine recently. When they were halfway through their run this afternoon, not far from Kyoto, they stopped to rest. Yirong's attendants served him medicine. Wow, the medicine was prepared by the guards of the Three Good Men, and some seasoning was added to it. Before they even reached Kyoto, Yirong's face turned unrecognizable.

Shichibei saw what happened next. Now Yirong was lying on the straw couch, half dead.

Oh, right, hurry up and report to Oda Nobunaga!

Just as he was about to send Takenaka Hanbei to inform Nobunaga, he saw So Kotaro rush in, dragging Akechi Mitsuhide and Kinoshita Hideyoshi along with him. Mitsuhide glanced at Yoshihide and exclaimed, "Yes, yes, yes!" before kneeling by the tatami mat to take Yoshihide's pulse. Before he could even diagnose anything, Yoshihide began to vomit—a very severe vomiting that nearly covered Mitsuhide's face.

Hideyoshi also brought two doctors, and upon seeing the scene, their medicine chests trembled three times. They immediately asked what kind of poison the patient had suffered and what treatment had been given.

The dozen or so servants who followed behind Yi Rong knew nothing about it. All they could do was take out the medicine Yi Rong had taken and say that this was how he was. There were no microscopes back then, and since they only brought pills, they broke them open, crushed them, and tasted them bit by bit on the spot.

Yi Rong vomited even more violently...

Just then, Nobunaga, still wearing his cap, ran over. It turned out that Takenaka Hanbei had gone missing earlier and had gone straight to report to Nobunaga.

If Ashikaga Yoshihide hadn't been in Kyoto, his death wouldn't have mattered. But now that he was in Kyoto, and died at Nobunaga's hands, things were much more complicated. Nobunaga seemed even more anxious than Yoshihide's retainers, and immediately launched into a tirade, demanding to know what had happened to Shichibei.

I know nothing! If I knew, would I not tell you?

Seeing that Shichibei truly didn't know, Nobunaga immediately ordered his page to arrest all the doctors in Kyoto, as many as possible, and bring them all to this stable to save Yoshiei's life.

The small stable was filled with feudal lords and generals. Upon hearing the news, people from all sides came in droves to inquire. Even Ashikaga Yoshiaki sent Soga no Suke to see if it was indeed Ashikaga Yoshihide.

After dark, dozens of doctors who had been brought in consulted on the case and found that Yi Rong's complexion gradually returned to normal after vomiting for more than half an hour, and his breathing was no longer rapid, but he was still unconscious.

There's hope!

Upon learning that Shichibei had fed Ashikaga Yoshihide a whole pot of mung bean soup, the old Chinese medicine doctor leading the group even praised Shichibei, saying, "Well done!"

What should we do now?

Wait!

Since the exact type of poison is unclear, only a mild antidote can be used. Observing Ashikaga Yoshihide's condition, his symptoms have subsided after consuming a large amount of mung bean soup. Now it depends on his physical condition; perhaps he will recover after a night of high fever and sweating.

"Shichibei, hmm, what's wrong with you?" Nobunaga asked again after seeing that Ashikaga Yoshihide's situation had stabilized.

Left with no other option, Shichibei had Noda recount the entire incident to Nobunaga. It wasn't that Shichibei intended to abduct Ashikaga Yoshihide; rather, Yoshihide himself wanted to run away without informing the Sakai clan or Matsunaga Hisahide. And so, in this confused state, he ended up in Shichibei's camp and was poisoned.

Those servants of Yoshie all said that it must have been the Three Good Men who poisoned him, because they were the ones who prepared the medicine, and no one else could have done it.

But their words don't work; we need to bring the Three Good Men here to confirm.

"Go tell Quan Liu that I want to see the traitor Iwashige within three days!" Nobunaga said, slamming his horse staff in frustration.

Upon receiving the order, Shibata Katsuie, Mori Yoshinari, Hanawa Naomasa, and Hachiya Yoritaka immediately broke camp and set off for Katsuryuji Castle. Their plan was to attack the castle, capture Iwanari Tomomichi alive, and bring him before Nobunaga for questioning.

As one of the Miyoshi Triumvirate, Iwanari Tomomichi would certainly have known if Ashikaga Yoshihide had been poisoned. After all, killing the shogun is a grave crime, and it's better for several people to share the blame than for one person to bear it alone.

141. The spectacle of being torn apart by five oxen is quite something.

Iwanari Tomomichi, with his 10,000-strong army, realized that Nobunaga himself had not come to attack Katsuryuji Castle, and that the forces led by Shibata Katsuie and the other four generals numbered only 15,000. After a moment's thought, he decided to leave the castle and engage Oda's army in open battle.

Great, I love paintball!

Shibata Katsuie, under Nobunaga's strict orders, was to capture Katsuryuji Castle as quickly as possible and bring Iwanari Tomomichi to Kyoto for questioning. Therefore, he exerted considerable effort, launching a fierce attack with his large army. He even led the charge himself, and in less than two hours, he crushed the renowned Miyoshi army of the Kinai region.

After the battle, a count of the heads revealed over fifty esteemed samurai, including several high-ranking officers from the Miyoshi family residing in the Kinai region. The number of heads of lesser-known samurai exceeded two hundred, bringing the total death toll to over a thousand. The entire city of Katsuryuji Castle was gripped by fear.

After resisting for only a day, Iwanari Tomomichi surrendered and fled. Only now did he realize that the Oda army was not some country bumpkin; they were men who had fought their way through countless battles under Nobunaga's command, and they certainly had some experience.

Startled by this, Miyoshi Masayasu of Kizu Castle, Miyoshi Nagayoshi and Hosokawa Yoshimoto of Akutagawa Castle fled on the same day, almost without thinking of where to go. Many of the treasures passed down through generations of the Miyoshi and Hosokawa families were abandoned in the castles.

Unfortunately, these were all seasoned generals of the time, skilled in both warfare and escape. Shibata Katsuie failed to capture Iwanari Tomomichi alive and sent someone back to Kyoto to apologize.

Fortunately, Ashikaga Yoshihide woke up. He had indeed been poisoned with some kind of plant extract, but the poisoning hadn't lasted long. He had taken a large amount of mung bean soup as an antidote, and due to excessive water intake, he vomited up some of the poisoned pills. So, after a consultation with renowned doctors in Kyoto and taking several doses of herbal medicine, he was at least able to sit up and speak.

What else is there to say? The imperial edict has been widely distributed; those damned Sanyoshi Triumvirate are poisoning the general!

He's very sensible; he sent it without even asking Nobunaga. Ashikaga Yoshihide is indeed a competent political figure, possessing a clear understanding and judgment of the situation. As for how clear it is—whether it's 1080p, 720p, or 360p—we'll have to wait and see.

Regarding the shogun's resignation, Nobunaga dispatched Niwa Nagahide, Murai Sadakatsu, and Akechi Mitsuhide to secretly discuss the matter with Ashikaga Yoshihide. What exactly happened during the discussions remains unknown to Shichibei, but ultimately, Ashikaga Yoshihide formally submitted his resignation to the imperial court.

With this memorial, everything was fine. Even Ashikaga Yoshiaki showed a hint of victor's mercy and tolerance towards his cousin, whom he had previously been eager to kill.

Nobunaga had previously promised to honor Ashikaga Yoshihide as the Grand Master, but forbade him from participating in the shogunate's administration, while also providing him with 50,000 koku of retirement allowance to cover his expenses.

Of course, Yoshihide would not be allowed to live near Kyoto, nor even in Yamashiro Province. Where they would be relocated was currently unknown; Nobunaga would make his own decision later.

Having solved the biggest problem of "two days on the same day," Nobunaga was in a very good mood and went to hold a tea party.

Matsui Tomokazu, who had originally been sent to Sakai to persuade Ashikaga Yoshihide, also returned. Since Yoshihide had already run away, what was he still doing there? Because his tea ceremony skills would be useful, Nobunaga didn't say much, simply appointing him as the tea master among the attendants to prepare tea for everyone.

Before the meeting, Matsui Yuzan saw Shichibei and asked, "Where's Shichibei?" He added, "If I'd known you sent someone outside the town, I would have just grabbed Yoshie and run away. Next time you have plans, let me know in advance, brother."

Hey, how could I dare to rob a general?

That was because Yoshie wanted to run away, and they ran into each other halfway. But on the surface, Shichibei was definitely easygoing and said it was my fault for not thinking things through this time. Shichibei even apologized to Matsui Tomokazu.

Although he wanted to see other people's blood splatter on his own feet, Shichibei wouldn't allow his own blood to splatter on his own feet. We should try to make more good connections when we're out there.

Nobunaga held a tea party today, entertaining not only the court noble Yamashina Nobutsugu and the samurai leader Hirohashi Kunimitsu, but also the main attraction: the Matsunaga father and son, who had come from Yamato Tamonyama Castle. Hirohashi Kunimitsu's sister, Hirohashi Yasuko, was the second wife of Matsunaga Hisahide, acting as a sort of guarantor for her brother-in-law.

Hirohashi Kunimitsu himself held the rank of Junior Second Rank, Gon-Dainagon (a high-ranking official), while his father, Hirohashi Kanehide, held the rank of Junior First Rank, Gon-Dainagon, and was later promoted to Minister of the Interior. Coming from the Hino school of the Fujiwara Kita family, they were prominent figures. Both father and son served as high-ranking officials presiding over the Kasuga Festival multiple times, and thus held considerable influence with Emperor Ogimachi.

For Nobunaga, who was trying to win over the imperial court and elevate the prestige of the Oda clan, getting to know a couple more influential court nobles was indeed a necessary maneuver and activity.

Sitting at the rank of servants, Shichibei, who neither drank tea nor observed, watched the Matsunaga father and son who had already taken the stage very attentively. Matsunaga Hisahide himself was an old man over sixty years old, and it was a mystery how Hirohashi Kanehide had been willing to marry his daughter to Hisahide, who was over fifty and already had age spots on his face. What was he after?

I like him because he's old, I like him because he's ugly, I like him because he doesn't shower?

Political marriages in feudal times were truly a business that could never be fully understood, no matter how much you tried to figure it out. Personal feelings and love were all nonsense; it all depended on the calculations and maneuvering at the time of the marriage.

To be honest, Matsunaga Hisahide is not a handsome man at all, and neither is his son, Matsunaga Michiru; they both have very ordinary looks. Hisahide even looks like a kind old man, with a gentle smile.

He certainly didn't seem like one of the three great villains of the Warring States period. If it weren't for the preconceived notion of his name, Shichibei would have just thought Matsunaga Hisahide was some old retainer from the Kinai region who came to flatter Nobunaga.

These past few days, those retainers who previously insisted that Nobunaga must issue a decree of benevolent governance before they would support Yoshiaki and Nobunaga are now fawning over them like dogs, hoping to be reinstated in the new shogunate and obtain some official position.

Although the shogunate was in decline and becoming increasingly worthless, the incompetent and ignorant retainers in Kyoto failed to grasp the inevitable decay of the Muromachi shogunate. They still believed they had the power to mediate on all sides and appoint officials to various regions, allowing them to confidently assume the position of head of all the samurai families in the country.

Just as he was thinking about it, Shichibei witnessed the most important scene of the day—the offering of the world's number one delicacy, "Ninety-Nine Eggplants".

The square box made of cypress wood was wrapped in an indigo-dyed cloth. When the lid was opened, Hisahide took out the Ninety-Nine Eggplant and displayed it to everyone, Yamashina Tokitsugu, Hirohashi Kunimitsu and others exclaimed in surprise.

"I wish to offer this item to Lord Gifu!"

Hisahide pushed the thing forward, and Shichibei very consciously stepped forward, put the eggplant back into the cypress box, and presented it to Nobunaga for inspection.

When Nobunaga starts to show off and wants to maintain a certain level of sophistication, he doesn't play with the ninety-nine eggplants with his hands. Instead, he takes the eggplants out, places them on Aizen's furoshiki, and holds them in his hands to examine them carefully.

Based on Shichibei's many years of experience serving Nobunaga, Nobunaga absolutely couldn't see what was so special about this eggplant. He only knew that it was the so-called number one treasure in the land, the best of the three eggplants in the land, and therefore priceless.

"Do you think that by offering this item you can be absolved of all your sins?" Nobunaga said this with a smile, and the smile made his words somewhat unsettling.

"No, no, I'll leave it all to Lord Gifu to decide." Hisahide maintained his harmless smile, only his posture was more humble.

"But you and your son murdered the young lord, then the general, and burned down the Great Buddha Hall. These are the three most heinous crimes under the heavens. A treasure can only atone for one crime."

Nobunaga put down the ninety-nine eggplants, stared directly at Matsunaga Hisahide, and seemed to be signaling to smash the cup and immediately send two hundred swordsmen to cut Matsunaga Hisahide into eight pieces.

“It just so happens that my father and I also have two lives.” Hisahide actually raised his head and answered Nobunaga very calmly.

Yes, he committed three extreme evils, and ninety-nine eggplants were used to offset one, Jiuxiu's life was used to offset one, and Jiutong's life was used to offset one. Perfect.

"I'm afraid even beheading wouldn't be enough to atone for it." Nobunaga was indeed in a good mood right now, and besides, he and Yoshiteru didn't have much of a relationship to begin with.

Nobunaga could even be said to have had a past grudge against Ashikaga Yoshiteru. Back then, Nobunaga offered to pay the Owari governorship fee again in exchange for being granted the position by Ashikaga Yoshiteru, but Yoshiteru ignored him completely, leaving Nobunaga to wait in Kyoto for two months without getting anything in return.

Yoshiteru certainly didn't expect that in just ten years, Nobunaga would grow to the point where he could support his younger brother Yoshiaki to go to Kyoto and enjoy the treatment of a kanrei (regent).

"Then let's tear it apart with five oxen." Jiu Xiu laughed, a very unrestrained laugh that revealed a full set of teeth.

"Alright, that's enough to make up for it!" Nobunaga clapped his hands and laughed. He didn't even drink a sip of tea before starting the scene of being torn apart by five oxen.

"Shichibei, immediately go and fetch ten oxen, and prepare the ropes." Nobunaga turned and instructed Shichibei, not joking at all, but seriously.

"Yes, sir!" Shichibei had no choice but to immediately go out and fetch the cow.

The temperature inside the waterside pavilion suddenly dropped, but Nobunaga didn't seem to notice at all. He simply ordered Matsui Yukan to make tea and continued to admire the 99-shot eggplant.

Hirohashi Kunimitsu, sitting next to Nobunaga, opened his mouth as if to say something, but Yamashina Tokutsugu quickly pulled him back. Was he trying to hasten his death by opening his mouth at a time like this? Yamashina Tokutsugu, an old and shrewd man who had seen many storms, was quite shrewd.

When the tea was served, Matsunaga Hisahide still had the leisure and elegance to drink it. Matsunaga Hisamichi, on the other hand, was far inferior to his father; perhaps because the tea was too hot, his hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

"My lord, everything is ready!"

Shichibei knelt on one knee on the open ground beside the waterside pavilion. Behind him, Oda soldiers led ten oxen, all of them tall and strong, so the distribution of men should be very quick.

"Very good!" Nobunaga drank the tea and met the man.

"I wonder if I should divide it first, or my son? This would be quite a fun thing to do; it wouldn't be as satisfying to divide it all together." Hisahide took two steps back, lay face down on the floor, and asked Nobunaga.

“That makes sense. If we divide them together, we won’t be able to see your father and son clearly.” Nobunaga clapped his hands, fully agreeing with Hisahide’s suggestion.

Five or six people jumped up from both sides, flanking Matsunaga and his son, and stood on the open ground in the courtyard. Nobunaga and the others also stood under the eaves, ready to watch this rare spectacle of five oxen tearing apart a body.

"Please, go ahead." Shichibei politely handed the noose to Matsunaga Hisahide's head.

"Thank you for your trouble." Hisahide even bowed to Shichibei, showing more politeness than Shichibei himself.

"Let me tighten it for you, so that when I pull hard it will sever your trachea and you'll die instantly without pain." So Shichibei had to be polite to the extreme.

"Oh? You're quite the killer." Jiuxiu willingly stuck his head into the noose, without trembling.

"what?"

Good heavens, Shichibei was stunned by Matsunaga Hisahide's words. "I can't kill anything, at most I can kill a fish." Don't be fooled by Shichibei's appearance as a high-ranking samurai, even though he carries a sword at his waist. He actually carries a "sword of kindness," the kind that hasn't even seen a drop of blood in years.

"Any last words?" The noose was already tied; according to custom, one should leave a farewell statement.

"I wish to become a ghost after death and assist Lord Gifu in pacifying Kawachi and Yamato." Matsunaga Hisahide said before closing his eyes.

How can ghosts pacify two countries?

"That Buddha statue may not offer any protection."

"Hahahaha..." Nobunaga clapped his hands and laughed upon hearing this.

Yes, if the demons couldn't help Nobunaga subdue the two provinces, then the burned-down Great Buddha Temple couldn't punish Matsunaga or protect the people. It's all just superstitious nonsense; what's the point?

"Now I order you and your son to conquer Yamato, are you willing!" After laughing, Nobunaga asked Matsunaga Hisahide with great seriousness.

"I'm willing!" Matsunaga Hisahide answered Nobunaga very loudly, his tone completely different from his previous humble and submissive manner.

"Good!" Nobunaga snapped his folding fan and dismembered the five oxen without further ado.