Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

This kind of thing is relatively easy to solve. The main problem is that it makes communication with places like Anozu, Sakai, and Sunpu and Odawara, which are the next stops after the shipwreck trade, much more difficult.

First, a fast horse must be sent to Tsushima, and then communications from Tsushima can be relayed by ship. News from other places, transported to Tsushima by water, must also be sent by fast horse or by foot to Gifu.

The increased costs are one thing, but the main concern is the potential delay in the transmission of information.

In business, the most important thing is all kinds of market information, including military and political information. For example, when the Takeda army stormed into Imagawa-no-take in Sunpu and burned and killed people, all the ships heading to Suruga were piled up on Tsushima Island and dared not go east for fear of being robbed by the Takeda army.

In any case, most of the returning ships were not under the control of the Oda or Tokugawa clans, who were allies of the Takeda clan. As for the returning ships of other merchants, they could only accept their bad luck and rob them without consequence. The only difference between them and the Miyoshi Triumvirate was that the Takeda clan would most likely capture them and even send people back to notify their families to ransom them.

That's right, feudal power and military violence are still more powerful these days!

That very night, Shichibei made a decision: to move the Kawamura-ya main store to Gifu Castle, following in Oda Nobunaga's footsteps. Only by following Nobunaga could they possibly seize commercial control over all of Japan.

Meeting, meeting, meeting! An impromptu meeting of all the owners of Kawamura-ya was convened. Including the newly joined Ito Sojuro, there were ten Kawamura owners in total. The head owner, Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi, who also inherited the name of the house, presided over the meeting and gave a speech.

The core idea was simple: after deciding on Kawamuraya, they would move with Nobunaga. Wherever Nobunaga moved, Kawamuraya would move there. Originally, Kawamuraya had expanded from a single horse-breeding business into the upstream and downstream of the rice industry, and even handled military procurement.

The business of the merchant houses is becoming increasingly dependent on the commercial monopoly granted by Oda Nobunaga himself. If they remain in Tsushima and do not keep up with Nobunaga, they will be taken advantage of by others sooner or later.

You, the plant owners, certainly don't want to lose your current wealth and prosperity.

If Shichibei had made this decision a few days earlier, you, who grew up on Tsushima and are familiar with all the people and things there, might have expressed some opposition.

Just a few days earlier, Ito-ya had been ordered to cease operations by Nobunaga, and its former owner, Ito Sojuro, had retired to become a monk, with his entire business being acquired by Kawamura-ya. This event caused a tremendous shock to everyone. Ito-ya, which had existed for over thirty years, was a behemoth to those who were then merely small-time horse grooms on the main road.

Now, however, under Nobunaga's order, it was directly handed over to Kawamura-ya. It's like an unknown small company suddenly appearing within three to five years, not only rapidly growing to hundreds of billions in assets, but also swallowing up a large state-owned enterprise like PetroChina under government orders—a snake swallowing an elephant, and the elephant not being allowed to resist.

Anyone would be incredibly surprised.

The owners' understanding of feudal power naturally increased significantly. No one present expressed any opposition; the resolution to relocate the Kawamura-ya main store was passed unanimously. There was no need for a vote; it was passed by applause.

"Why did you move your store to Gifu?" Nobunaga was changing clothes, not at all trying to hide it from Shichibei, and right in front of Shichibei, he was only wearing a loincloth.

"Just doing my best in my duty." Shichibei lowered his head, showing no interest in looking at the thing.

"I think you've unified the Tsushima people, so you don't need to fight for territory on Tsushima anymore." Nobunaga's analysis was quite incisive, hitting the nail on the head and pointing directly to the essence of interests.

What he said was indeed true. With the collapse of Itō-ya, there was no large merchant house in the entire Tsushima-kai that could compare with Kawamura-ya. Other merchants that dealt in ceramics, ironware, or clothing and timber were too small and weak to gain Nobunaga's favor and thus challenge Kawamura-ya.

It must be said that this is one of the reasons why Shichibei dared to relocate his main store. With all his rivals defeated, the next step is to firmly grasp the policies and the source of their power, ensuring that no new rivals emerge.

"My lord, you are wise." Ah yes, yes, yes, there is no one in the world smarter than you.

"How do I look in this outfit?" Nobunaga didn't reply, but instead made Shichibei look up and observe his gaudy "Western-style" clothes.

"Ah, this..." Shichibei didn't quite understand, but he respected her.

"Hmph, you don't understand, this is the attire of the southern barbarians." Nobunaga was actually a little smug when he saw Shichibei's reaction. He had been fashionable since he was a child and was used to all kinds of reactions.

"Does the lord want to see the Southern Barbarians?" Shichibei suddenly realized.

The other day it was said that Matsunaga Hisahide was coming to Gifu to pay his respects to Nobunaga. Matsunaga Hisahide is a Christian, so it's highly likely he's bringing someone with him. Nobunaga is quite curious about these things; although he's a pragmatist, that doesn't stop him from touching and looking around. Who knows, this so-called "Southern Barbarian" might be useful.

"Yes, Kii Wada said he wanted to introduce me to Bantenren." Nobunaga nodded slightly and began to trim his two small mustaches.

Around this time, Nobunaga started growing a beard. However, it wasn't a large beard; it was just two small mustaches on his lips. A beard requires money, time, and someone to serve you, spending time grooming it daily to be a meaningful addition to your appearance. Growing it haphazardly will only make you look sloppy.

Nobunaga had a page to groom him, so he naturally looked quite presentable. Finally, in front of Shichibei, he put on a spectacular display, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers, before turning and walking away.

"Then I shall take my leave." Nobunaga's questioning was over, and with another guest to meet, Shichibei tactfully took his leave.

"You come along too." Unexpectedly, Nobunaga took Shichibei with him.

Three braziers were placed in the front hall of the residence. Late autumn in Gifu was already quite cold. It was a bit better in the valley, but on the plains outside the valley, the mountain wind was chilling to the bone. The charcoal in the braziers was burning brightly. Shichibei sat down to Nobunaga's left, right next to the brazier at Nobunaga's feet, which was quite comfortable.

After slightly adjusting his posture, Wada Koremasa, who had been waiting in the hall for a while, ordered someone to bring up the missionary Floyd, whom he was to introduce.

He was a famous figure who left a significant mark on the history of Christian missionary work in Japan.

The key point is that this guy speaks Japanese, that's impressive. He learned the local language and culture to spread his religion, tried to integrate into the local society, and then proceeded with his missionary work. These people traveled all the way from Europe to Japan; they certainly have some religious fervor.

No, it should be said that they have a rather strong religious fervor. Perhaps in the minds of such people, being able to dedicate their lives to their Lord is their greatest honor.

Their first meeting was just an introduction. Freud wouldn't preach to Nobunaga, and Nobunaga didn't expect to gain anything from him immediately.

However, the two sides discussed one point very directly: where there was missionary work, there was trade with the southern barbarians.

Or to put it bluntly, merchant ships from Manila, Macau, Goa, and other places would dock at ports where missionary work was permitted and churches had been established. Anyone who banned Christianity would be deprived of everything needed for trade with the southern barbarians.

What could one gain from the Nanban trade? Aside from military supplies that Japan produced little to no, there were also vast quantities of civilian goods. The immense wealth generated from this was coveted by any daimyo.

Just considering the import of dyes alone, it's a huge business worth over 100,000 kan every year. That's because Japan has such a large shortage of dyes domestically; they're lacking in this and that.

Nobunaga did not disagree with Freud's views. Firstly, he himself had a utilitarian attitude towards religion and was not particularly superstitious. Secondly, he was very confident in himself and believed that all religions could be controlled and manipulated.

Of course, this idea might change somewhat after he's been disturbed by the Honganji Ikko-ikki uprising.

But at least for now, that's how it is. When he attacked the Hiei Mountain sect with fire, regardless of whether he actually burned down all the dojos and halls on the main mountain, he definitely set the fire. If it were any other conservative daimyo, they would probably consider setting fire to a mountain for at least three days.

Overall, the talks went fairly well, and Nobunaga promised to continue allowing Christian missionary activities in the provinces within the Kinai region. Whether these missions would be successful depended on Freud and his associates' own abilities; in any case, he wouldn't prohibit them.

Floyd and Wada Koremasa were overjoyed to receive this promise and repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Nobunaga. They also said that there would definitely be Nanban ships going to Sakai to deliver various Nanban goods that Nobunaga needed.

Nobunaga waved his hand, indicating that this matter should not be discussed with him. If a Nanban ship really came, he should go directly to Shichibei. As he spoke, Nobunaga pointed to Shichibei, indicating that no matter what was on the ship, this man would take care of everything.

Remember, this task can only be handled by this person; no one else is allowed.

Wada Koremasa did know Shichibei, and then he chatted away with Frois for a long time. So, in his diary that evening, Frois recorded that there was a chairman of the Royal Assets Management Committee under the new Emperor Nobunaga of Japan.

He was a short, dark-skinned young man with a very ordinary appearance, but he was quiet and polite. It was said that the chairman of the committee, who also ran his own business, had astonishing wealth, comparable to any duke on the European continent.

As he left, Shichibei told Floyd that he had protected dozens of Christians many years ago, and that these people were still on the other side of Tsushima. This greatly surprised Floyd, who considered Shichibei a potential Christian goodwill advocate.

158. On a snowy night, an urgent summons was made for the troops to ascend the city wall.

There were many relocations at the main store, and Inase Yoshinari and Ai also moved from the Tsushima store to the Gifu store. The Tsushima store, which became a branch store, was handed over to Ito Sojuro, who is from Tsushima, so it was more reassuring to entrust it to him.

Ayi was seven or eight months pregnant, her feet were swollen, and she had difficulty moving. This move was quite an ordeal. Fortunately, she was very healthy, a woman from a merchant family who used to ride horses every day, so her calves were very strong, and she arrived safely in the end.

As a result, when she announced her pregnancy, Aji, who lived just two streets away, also announced his pregnancy. Earlier, Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Hidenaga had been ordered to lead an army of 20,000 to attack the Tajima clan. Hideyoshi's main force suffered over 200 casualties during the attack on Minosaku Castle. This was a significant loss of strength, so Nobunaga allowed Hideyoshi to replenish his weapons at the Gifu armory.

When a daimyo sends his men to war, he should at least provide them with sufficient weapons and armor. Even Nobunaga wouldn't do something like sending his men to attack a castle with just bamboo spears.

Then Hidenaga stayed at Gifu Castle for several days. There was no other way; with years of war, the men were away, and the women were all gathered at Gifu Castle. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and their passion ignited like dry tinder.

As a result, after Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Hidenaga finished their battle and retreated to Gifu, Aji told Hidenaga that she was pregnant and had been pregnant for more than three months.

Okay, okay, that's great.

What's wrong with Nobunaga? Didn't he say he was going to arrange the marriage between Shichibei and Nobuhiro's adopted daughter? The Battle of Kyoto is already over, could he have forgotten? Probably not, Nobunaga's training of the Owari samurai was practically like feeding them.

Even Hideyoshi's marriage showed signs of his involvement, so it's impossible that he forgot about Shichibei's marriage. He must have been too busy with other matters lately and simply couldn't spare the time.

Just wait, Hideyoshi didn't get married until he was over twenty-five. This age was actually very close to the average marriage age of samurai in the Edo period. Those who truly married young were either poor people or high-ranking samurai or feudal lords.

Samurai in the middle ranks, having room to be selective, naturally seek powerful alliances, looking for wives who can help them advance further, or wives who can provide some value; a good match is one where they are of equal social standing.

Of course, there are also many like Hideyoshi who started as foot soldiers and only became the head of a hundred foot soldiers at the age of twenty-five, which may have been the reason why they were able to find a better wife.

Yamanouchi Kazutoyo, who lived a few streets away, was the same. When he only had 45 kan of infantry, what kind of good wife could he marry? He would have to wait until he had 400 kan before he could find someone decent.

Shichibei is the same. At first, he could only marry the wife of a subordinate, then he could marry the daughter of the core samurai of the Oda clan, and now he can marry the daughter of Oda Nobuhiro, the chief of the Oda clan and a member of the samurai corps.

As the tide rises, so does every boat; this is an inherent principle.

Returning to the matter of Hideyoshi and Hidenaga's return to the battlefield, thanks to Azai Nagamasa's extremely valiant fighting, the Oda army swept through Tajima Province in almost just one month, directly driving away Yamana Suetoyo. Even the provincial capital of Tajima, Konosumi Castle, couldn't hold out for more than a few days, collapsing after only three battles.

The only regret is that Yamana Sukeyoyoshi wasn't captured. If he had, and handed him over to Nobunaga for questioning, Nobunaga would have been very pleased. He might not even have humiliated him, but would have generously forgiven him and then sent Yamana Sukeyoyoshi to Ashikaga Yoshiaki as a retainer.

After all, the Yamana family was a prestigious family among prestigious families during the Muromachi Shogunate, a powerful daimyo family that had once clashed with the Hosokawa clan. Even though they had lost, they were still better than scoundrels like the Kyogoku family.

By the way, both Hideyoshi and Azai Nagamasa made a fortune in this battle. They made a huge fortune from the Ikuno Silver Mine. This wasn't something Hideyoshi or Hidenaga told Shichibei; it was Hidenaga who secretly told his wife that they had made a fortune, and then his wife, Aji, leaked it to Shichibei when she came to visit Ai.

Thousands of strings of silver!

Wow, that's a huge sum of money. A thousand strings of silver, that's four thousand catties of silver. Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder these people are so keen on war, fighting for wealth is so enjoyable.

It is said that Azai Nagamasa also stormed into Ariko Castle and other castles, plundering them extensively. His spoils were certainly no less than those of the Hideyoshi and Hidenaga brothers. In any case, Azai Nagamasa was quite pleased with himself and led his troops back to Otani. He even wrote a fervent letter to Nobunaga to boast of his achievements.

By the way, when will Nobunaga be appointed as the acting governor of Jiangbei? Now that the battle is over, surely Nobunaga should take down the carrot he's dangling in front of this donkey and give it a bite.

Humph, good things come to those who wait.

"You've really made it big for yourself these days." Hideyoshi was returning to Gifu to pay his respects to Nobunaga for the New Year before heading back to Sunomata Castle.

Sunomata Castle is now deep within the heartland of the territory. If it weren't for its role in monitoring the direction of Ogaki Castle, it could be completely abandoned. Historically, Hideyoshi quickly moved to Yokoyama Castle in Omi Province, leaving Sunomata essentially without a lord and vacant for a long time.

"Alas, you are not as good as me." Hideyoshi, having accumulated merits from both before and after, was granted an additional six thousand kan.

They're already so powerful, yet they still put on airs in front of us. They're really shameless. However, Shichibei is very curious. Hideyoshi went from commanding two thousand samurai to becoming a general commanding more than twenty thousand men. That leap is unbelievable. How did he manage to do it?

"More than 20,000 people, how did you organize them?" Hidenaga poured a glass of wine for Shichibei. The younger brother still gave face to his elder brother-in-law.

"How should I put it..." Hideyoshi put down the wine dish and glanced at Hachisuka Koroku, who was lying on the ground chewing vinegared kelp.

"What's so difficult about it? Asai Bizen walks one way, Isshiki Tango walks one way, and Hatano Tamba walks one way. The three of them will lead the way, and our main camp's general will follow behind." Xiaoliu said it in a very relaxed manner.

Hideyoshi's main force and a portion of the troops supported by Nobunaga, after joining forces with Azai Nagamasa, took a month's worth of military rations and, disregarding logistics, charged towards Tajima's Konosumi Castle.

Along the way, they picked up the Tanba and Tango troops. These people gave face to Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the shogun, and Nobunaga, the new Kanrei. At the same time, Nobunaga sent several loads of gold to these local lords as a thank you gift for their military service.

The nobles saw this as a battle to uphold the old order of the Muromachi Shogunate, and since they were offered a reward, they brought their own provisions and went to serve the Shogunate.

Before entering Tajima, the group met to determine their directions and the branch castles they needed to attack. They agreed to meet at this corner castle, and then split up to fight their own battles.

Ultimately, Hideyoshi was leading his own troops and the few foot soldiers Nobunaga had provided. The rest were merely allies, sent to assist in the battle at the behest of the new Kanrei.

The so-called commander-in-chief was just a figurehead position, unless Nobunaga himself held the title. They might then fawn over him and kowtow a few times. With Hideyoshi as commander-in-chief, it was just a formality. And yet, they fought quite well, overwhelming the Yamana army in numbers and winning every battle with ease.

Ow...

I can do it too.

Shichibei immediately had this thought: "I could definitely be the commander-in-chief too." He could agree on the battle plan beforehand, and then just focus on commanding his own men.

It can only be said that the Yamana army is indeed not as elite as it was during the Onin Civilization Rebellion, and Yamana Yufeng is not as powerful as his ancestor Yamana Sozen.

An army with such obvious weaknesses couldn't be defeated, and they couldn't even hold the city properly. It just goes to show that Yamana Yuutoyo needs more training; he's really terrible.

"Sixth Brother!" Hideyoshi observed Shichibei's expression and knew what Shichibei was up to.

"Yes, yes, yes, Lord Kinoshita is incredibly brave, ahahahahaha..." Xiao Liu first made a face, gave Shichibei and Kinoshita Hidenaga a lot of looks, and then burst into laughter.

The room instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere. Fortunately, Hideyoshi wasn't beaten up. Although everyone was laughing happily, it was just for fun. They were all brothers. Back in Sunomata Castle, Shichibei and Hideyoshi had even carried shields for Shichibei, protecting him as he ran amok.

"You, you..." Hideyoshi threw down the wine dish, pointed at the laughing crowd, and even pretended to hit them.