Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

The whereabouts of Rokkaku Yoshikata and his son Rokkaku Yoshiharu are unknown. Nobunaga can only feel at ease after capturing these two men. Therefore, the checkpoint will not be closed for the time being. The toll collected at the checkpoint will be used to support the checkpoint soldiers, who will then be used to capture the remaining Rokkaku members.

Even if we don't capture Rokkaku and his son, we should at least arrest the people they sent out to seek help. They've been tied up in the mountains of Koga County for so long that they're struggling to even get enough to eat, let alone obtain ammunition for arquebuses, weapons, or horses.

Without equipment, what do you use to fight a war?

Ow...

So that's where it all started. No wonder Nobunaga hadn't ordered the gates to be removed before. Luckily, Shichibei was cautious and didn't agree to those Otsu merchants' demands, so he could give them a very natural reply.

"We'll discuss this again after all the branch cities in Jiangnan have been abandoned." Nobunaga's page poured soy sauce soup around his rice, and Nobunaga began to eat.

"Understood, understood." Since Shichibei hadn't given any promises, he could just agree.

All castles, large and small, including Kannonji Castle, were demolished, and all moats and trenches were filled in. Even if Rokkaku and his son returned to southern Omi and raised an army again, there would be no castle left to defend against them and wait for a change in the situation.

At that time, the threat posed by the remnants of the Six Corners was greatly reduced, and the detention center was withdrawn.

"Go and appraise the stones and timber that have been dismantled, and let me know when you get back," Nobunaga continued to instruct.

"Should we transfer them to the capital ahead of schedule?" Shichibei thought to himself, trying to be a little clever.

Ashikaga Yoshiteru's palace had been burned down during the Miyoshi Triumvirate's rebellion, and Ashikaga Yoshiaki was now living in Honkoku-ji Temple. Since a temple was not a permanent residence, a new palace needed to be built.

Building the Imperial Palace naturally requires stone and timber, so the materials dismantled in southern Omi can be moved directly to Kyoto, saving Nobunaga a couple of coins. Unless he's already planning to build a new castle in Omi, there's no need for all this trouble; he can just move everything to Azuchi.

"Hmm..." Nobunaga hesitated for a moment after being asked by Shichibei.

Whether or not Nobunaga will fund the construction of the palace is likely still a matter of negotiation with Yoshiaki. Yoshiaki has seven gates in Kyoto, and with two or three years' worth of payments, he should be able to raise the necessary funds for the construction.

When Engaku-ji Temple in Kamakura needed to be rebuilt, the Muromachi Shogunate allowed the temple to set up a checkpoint at Hakone Station and collect taxes for three years. As a result, the reconstruction costs were raised in just two years, and the temple made a profit afterward.

Because everyone discovered that setting up checkpoints in Hakone was very profitable, after the Later Hojo clan invaded Izu and Sagami, they did not hesitate to build a mountain castle on the west side of Hakone, setting up camp in the middle of the road to block the way and completely avoid the possibility of evading tolls, thus making a fortune.

During the Battle of Odawara, Yamanaka Castle became an important branch castle of Odawara Castle, blocking the generals of Toyotomi Hidetsugu who were advancing on Odawara from Tōkaidō. However, being just a customs house, it lacked much defense and was easily conquered by the Toyotomi army in just a short time.

"Let's dismantle it first." Nobunaga thought for a moment. There were indeed many things to do recently, and every matter required a decision. Even his brain couldn't keep up with the demands of the situation.

"Yes!" Then we will dismantle it on the spot and wait for the next order.

By the way, Usayama Castle hasn't been built yet, so there's no need to worry about it being demolished, lest Mori Yoshinari be unable to stop the Asakura-Azai alliance in a couple of years.

Wait, it's possible that this wave of stone and timber from Minami-Omi was ultimately used to build Nijo Gosho and Usayama Castle. This is highly likely. After all, Nobunaga's money wasn't blown by the wind, so he would have used readily available materials.

Mori Yoshinari, who was ordered to build Usayama Castle to block the Asakura army's southward advance, would have had an almost impossible time to acquire a large quantity of building materials. It is highly likely that he simply used materials from the dismantled castles in southern Omi, relocating and reassembling them to obtain relatively strong defensive structures such as gates, watchtowers, and stone walls.

Building a castle from scratch that could withstand an attack by the combined forces of Asakura and Asai, numbering over 30,000, and remaining unconquered for a long time would hardly be convincing without taking two or three years. But if it were simply a matter of leveling the land and then immediately dismantling and rebuilding all the nearby fortifications, the progress would be much faster.

We'll set up all the necessary defensive structures for him in advance, label them with various markings, and store them in categories. When Mori Yoshinari needs them in the future, we can just take them there and assemble them like building blocks. If he can defend the castle and survive, he'll owe Shichibei a huge favor.

Let's do it this way.

"Where's the red seal? Bring it here so I can use my signature." Nobunaga had finished his meal by now. He stood up, took a few steps, found a bright spot, and asked Shichibei for the red seal.

The attendant behind him immediately brought out the official seal, which Shichibei had already countersigned. We are subordinates; we certainly prepare in advance so that the leader can handle it whenever he has time. It's impossible to say we forgot when the leader asks.

After signing the seal with the dragon and phoenix, Nobunaga took out his own seal of Tenkabu and stamped it on the top. It is said that Nobunaga also had a seal of phoenix in history, but it is not known whether it is true or not. At least he used the Tenkabu seal at this time.

Furthermore, it is said that Akechi Mitsuhide, who rose to prominence quickly, possessed a seal with a unicorn design, the authenticity of which is also unknown. However, later generations used this seal as a pretext to create a photograph of Akechi Mitsuhide, the unicorn prince of Mino.

Shichibei also had a seal, but it was the kind used across the seam of the document, mainly for business transactions, such as loans, transactions, and bills with the members of the Anonatsu and Sakaimachi associations. A seal across the seam is convenient for business use and also enhances the security of documents. As for a personal seal, Shichibei did not have one.

"The people of Otsu must be very pleased." Respectfully accepting the red seal, Shichibei asked the page beside him to fold the document and put it in a bag according to the place of issuance.

Nobunaga was probably still taking a stroll to collect his food, so he was writing down the place names on each of the sealed bags with great interest. This saved Shichibei from having to write them down again, which was quite considerate.

"Did you take their money?" Nobunaga suddenly looked up and asked this question while he was signing the place name.

Shichibei trembled in fright; he must have taken it.

"Logically, you should give me half, but I don't want this half. I'll return it to you as a reward." Nobunaga saw Shichibei's anus tighten and his whole body arch forward, and he knew that Shichibei had definitely accepted it.

Nobunaga didn't care; what was a little bit of lubricant to him?

"How much kan did you acquire for horse farms and arsenal in Jiangnan?" Nobunaga continued, giving Shichibei a subtle warning.

"There must be several thousand strings of cash."

"I'll give you 2,500 kan for new knowledge, making it a total of 5,000 kan." Nobunaga casually grabbed a piece of paper and started writing and drawing on it.

"I will never forget Your Majesty's grace!" You should have said so earlier, look how scared Shichibei is.

In fact, many of the horse farms and harvested lands that Shichibei took over were just ordinary villages. Because warhorses need to eat beans, and if they don't eat this relatively protein-rich food, they won't have the energy to run. So, special fields had to be set aside to grow beans. At that time in Japan, the price of beans was not much different from that of rice, basically 1:1, so the people were happy to grow them.

In truth, Shichibei's territory was definitely more than five thousand kan; eight thousand kan or even more was possible. Nobunaga didn't care about any of that, nor did he care whether Shichibei grew beans or grass; he only cared that Shichibei fulfill his military obligations when fighting.

Immediately afterward, land surveys were conducted in southern Omi, where landowners would self-report the value of their land. After reporting, they could register the number of soldiers to be conscripted, or pay a fee if they didn't wish to serve. Once Nobunaga had more money, he stopped conscripting Omi farmers into the army. Instead, they would pay a fee in lieu of service, and Nobunaga would use that money to recruit regular foot soldiers.

Besides large-scale expeditions that required long-distance logistical transport and the conscription of laborers, during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, military obligations gradually began to be separated from those of wealthy farmers and landowners.

Far-sighted lords understood that the disadvantages of mobilizing peasants for war far outweighed any benefits. Rather than continuing to mobilize peasants, it was better to scrape together more money to recruit standing troops, so that war could be waged whenever needed.

The Korean War lasted for several years; how could the peasants maintain the morale for such a long expedition?

"Alright, let's prepare to go to Jiangnan to inspect the land." Nobunaga handed the new document to Shichibei and smiled at him.

According to the plan, five temporarily appointed magistrates were to be in charge of this task. Shichibei was one, Sugaya Nagayori, whom they had met earlier, Shimada Hidemitsu, whom they knew before, and Sakai Toshisada, who recently defected to Nobunaga. Who would be the last magistrate?

144. Nobunaga and Nagamasa's conflict

Upon asking around, Nobunaga indicated that he intended to send a samurai from southern Omi to assist him. Indeed, Shichibei, Shimada Hidemitsu, and Sugaya Nagayori were all former retainers of Nobunaga in Owari, so they were trustworthy and loyal, but it was certainly true that they were unfamiliar with southern Omi.

Sakai Toshisada, who recently joined Nobunaga, was from Mino. The name Sakai sounds familiar, doesn't it? Nobunaga had a retainer with the name Sakai. Back then, we were half the governor of Kaito District, and the other half was held by Sakai Masahiro. I wonder if they were considered a family for two hundred years.

That definitely requires a local from southern Omi to help oversee things. While Nobunaga doesn't care how much land he ultimately uncovers, he has a definite limit on the number of soldiers required for the land conscription. He probably won't stop until at least 15,000 men are identified. Even with the Rokkaku father and son having lost all morale, they could still muster 11,000 men to resist, right?

people come.

Shuikoushengli.

Hmm… Shichibei sized up the man before him. Just an ordinary samurai, one of those who would immediately surrender with courtesy upon hearing Nobunaga's banner. Therefore, to ensure the survival of his former territory, he began betraying his fellow Omi natives to guarantee his family's name would endure.

"Ask him, brother, where do you live? What's your background?" Mizuguchi Morisato said he joined Nobunaga's forces along with Kondo Kazumori, the head of the Kurita district. "Of course, now it's called a defection; all those Rokkaku are traitors." Their territory wasn't large, just a few hundred koku in Nagazuka village near Mizuguchi in Kurita district.

Nagatsuka Village? Hmm? Shichibei's eyes lit up; the village's name sounded like someone. However, judging by his age, Nagatsuka Masaie should still be a child of a few years old, because historically, he participated in the Western Army during the Battle of Sekigahara and was only in his thirties or forties when he committed seppuku.

Changshu Village was the fiefdom of this Shuikoushengli area, so it's highly likely that the Changshu Zheng family were either his relatives or his sons. It's impossible for the father to be the father; how could a five-year-old have a thirty-year-old son?

After all, since this was our first meeting and we were going to be working together, there was nothing wrong with Shichibei asking me questions. Besides, I'm from Owari, so you, a native of Omi, shouldn't be forced to accept my actions.

According to Mizuguchi Morito, it's fine to call him Nagasuka Morito, since his family's skills have all been transferred to Nagasuka Village. As for their family name, it is indeed "Masa." He is called Mizuguchi Morito because he received the character "Mori" from Kondo Kensei; otherwise, he would be called Mizuguchi Masato.

I understand. From now on, we'll be colleagues and work together for Nobunaga.

Shichibei secretly decided that this line had to be secured. If all else failed, he would ask Nobunaga to take Mizuguchi Morisato as a subordinate. Nagatsuka Masaie was a figure of importance, and he would be useful in the future when opening a branch in the Kinai region.

After Nobunaga distributed his official seal in Otsu, he gathered five colleagues, and Shichibei and others led over a hundred men to the temporary government office at Kannonji Castle in southern Omi. Inside the castle, men sent by Niwa Nagahide were carrying out demolition work. As ordered by Nobunaga, many materials were being transported to the castle town for storage, and Shichibei would later have to appraise the value of these timbers and stones.

Putting this aside, Aochi Shigetsuna, as Shichibei's Minami-Omi vassal, was also ordered to bring a dozen men to assist Shichibei. Upon hearing that the matter was about the inspection, Aochi Shigetsuna readily agreed. Had it been Nawabari, he might have expressed some hesitation. The mere inspection, in other words, was merely a matter of revising the "Gifu Danshoden Kinshu Retainer Limit Account."

He dispatched envoys to erect notice boards in the county halls and at street intersections of each prefecture, and ordered the samurai who had surrendered to Nobunaga in southern Omi to convey Nobunaga's orders to all prefectures and villages throughout the country. They were given fifteen days to go to the land survey office at Kannonji Castle to report and register their information.

No exceptions!

The prize money is confiscated!

Just like collecting taxes on new territories, this is the same process that new conquerors use when dealing with new lands. Shichibei suddenly felt that Sassa Narimasa was transferred from Echigo to Higo by Hideyoshi probably thought he could squeeze out a new sum of taxes, then inspect the land, and that would be the end of it, which is why he was transferred to Higo so calmly.

Hideyoshi's order was to conduct a thorough investigation of the land output of Higo Province and the corresponding military personnel.

This immediately provoked the people of Higo Province to revolt; it was tantamount to taking their lives. They had painstakingly concealed their small rice paddies, and now not only were their landholdings exposed, but they were also subjected to increased military service. Even if Hideyoshi himself became the lord of Higo Province, let alone Sassa Narimasa, they would still rebel.

Furthermore, Hideyoshi seemed somewhat indiscriminate in his inhumanity. Killing Sassa Narimasa was entirely understandable, given that he had fought against him; killing him eliminated the threat and prevented future troubles—a move that could even be seen as a significant virtue in many situations.

However, his assessment of Ukita Hideie's land holdings was rather outrageous, increasing it from 380,000 koku in Okayama to 570,000 koku. At the time, Hideie was a very small family and had no real authority over the Ukita family. The only ones who could make decisions were the three elders of the Ukita family and the land surveyor sent by Hideyoshi; it's impossible that Hideyoshi was unaware of everything.

Hideyoshi in his old age was quite wicked.

Fortunately, this guy isn't that bad right now. He's even quite a decent person, willing to help his brothers when things get tough. It seems the Party and the country are less important than Lord Nobunaga. If something goes wrong, calling my senior from Huangpu won't work. Sending a horse to Hideyoshi for help might actually be enough.

Without mentioning it, let's set up the desk and proceed with the registration. Shichibei also sent people to inquire with Goto Takaharu and Kondo Kasumori, who had already defected, whether they had copies of the register of retainers of Rokkaku Yoshikata. As the two Rokkaku lords, they were senior retainers who were qualified to countersign documents for the head of the Rokkaku clan, so they must have some records, right?

Although Rokkaku Yoshikata did not set fire to Kannonji Castle when he fled, it is true that the castle was looted. The Rokkaku father and son's escape caused chaos throughout the castle, and by the time Hideyoshi arrived to block the gates, half a day had passed.

Historically, after Mitsuhide's defeat, the Sengoku peasants outside Azuchi Castle immediately raided the city; this was typical of the Sengoku period and not unusual.

As a result, many of the city's documents were stolen by the common people, who took them home to use as kindling for fires or even to wipe their bottoms. Even though everyone actually used grass leaves for sanitation.

The documents within the city were scarce, so he could only turn to his two former retainers for help. The retainers of both families immediately rushed to reply to Shichibei. They did not have the complete documents, only those from their respective prefectures where they served as prefects, but they had already prepared them and brought them for Shichibei to review.

Okay, then we'll settle the old scores from the two counties.

Since they both have it, then Gamō Kenhide of Hino Castle should have it too. I wonder where Gamō Kenhide is with Shibata Katsuie, perhaps already storming Ikeda Castle. There's no need to go find him personally; instead, send a letter to Gamō Sadahide, who's being held hostage by Nobunaga, and have him send a copy of the county land survey ledger.

Of the seven prefectures in Hunan, at least three now have a record of past issues, which is better than nothing. For those who concealed or hid too much, at least there's a reference point, and the registration process is proceeding rapidly.

Perhaps because Shichibei had been granted 5,000 kan, the other four seemed to subtly prioritize him. Although they were supposed to be equals, they no longer bothered him with many minor matters. Even when submitting petitions to Nobunaga, Shichibei was always the one to lead the effort.

"The lord has ordered the construction of a street from Ogaki Castle to Seta Bridge." So Kotaro, who stayed in Kyoto under Nobunaga's command and was ready to take orders at any time, ran to Guanyin Temple on horseback.

"Does the lord have any further orders?" Shichibei opened the envelope and showed Nobunaga's imperial edict to the other four magistrates.

"After the taxes are collected, one-third will be sent to Shibata Reijunmae, one-third will be returned to Gifu, and one-third will be used to repair the streets." Actually, it was written in the imperial edict, but since Kotaro was already here, he didn't want to leave.

"Understood." Both sides nodded.

After relaying the orders, Shichibei and Kotaro headed out the door, mainly to find out where Oda's army had advanced. Because of the many chaotic developments, Shichibei couldn't be certain of Nobunaga's movements.

Katsumasa Ikeda of Ikeda Castle could not withstand the fierce attack of Katsuie Shibata and Naomasa Hanawa, and surrendered. Nobunaga pardoned Katsumasa Ikeda and even promised to let him continue to serve as the governor of Settsu, which truly demonstrated his value in the conquest effort.

Miyoshi Yoshitsugu and Hatakeyama Takamasa also went to Kyoto to pay their respects to Nobunaga. It was quite a surprise that these two old rivals, Miyoshi and Hatakeyama, were now sitting together in the same bed.

Nobunaga acknowledged their loyalty in the fight against the Miyoshi Triumvirate and, through the name of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, granted each of them half of Kawachi Province. Miyoshi Yoshitsugu was stationed at Wakae Castle, and Hatakeyama Takamasa at Takaya Castle; for the time being, they were both considered half-province governors.

With the support of Hatakeyama Takamasa and the Honganji Temple, many forces in Kii Province also expressed their submission to Nobunaga. Everyone felt that Nobunaga was now the ruler, and given his current strength, they should bow down when necessary.

However, a very famous resignation event in history still happened at this time.

At a banquet for the envoys of the feudal lords, Ashikaga Yoshiaki directly asked Nobunaga when he would be appointed as Kanrei (a high-ranking official in charge of military affairs). Nobunaga replied that he did not wish to be Kanrei. Yoshiaki, thinking that Nobunaga thought the offer was too low, then asked Nobunaga how about being appointed as the Vice-Shogun of the Realm. Nobunaga did not answer, using silence to decline.

Originally, Nobunaga was fooled by Akechi Mitsuhide into thinking that Nobunaga was a country bumpkin who was too embarrassed to ask for such a high-ranking figure as Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Now, he finally realized that Nobunaga only wanted to borrow the skin of the shogunate, but did not want to get involved with it.

The shogunate and Ashikaga Yoshiaki were like rags that Nobunaga used temporarily.

"Besides that, there's one more thing." Seeing that no one was around, Kotaro leaned close to Shichibei's ear.

"how?"