Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Tut tut...

No wonder he was destined for greatness; his boundless energy alone is something most people don't possess. The key point is that his all-nighters weren't spent playing games in bed; he was driving hundreds of kilometers of snowy roads day and night, then immediately throwing himself into battle. After the battle, he would continue with official duties, even hosting lavish banquets.

Hey, I heard that in his previous life, Boss Xu used to spend two or three days every month going to a branch office and calling all the high-ranking officials in for a work meeting. He would work continuously for 48 hours straight, without any rest, only eating small amounts of food.

He can handle all the major matters of a branch office in two or three days, return to Evergrande headquarters for a couple of days to rest, and then head to the next branch office. If this is true, then Mr. Xu's ability to succeed is far superior to that of ordinary people, simply in terms of personal energy.

Three days later, Oda's army of over ten thousand arrived in Kyoto, and the situation was completely stabilized. Shibata Katsuie, Mori Yoshinari, and others divided their forces to sweep through the region, while their armed forces toured the five provinces of the Kinai region, allowing Nobunaga to finally relax. He slept soundly for twenty hours at Honkoku-ji Temple, only getting up to welcome Ashikaga Yoshiaki back to Kyoto.

At this point in time, Ashikaga Yoshiaki should still have felt more love than hate for Nobunaga.

Just now, Shichibei saw Ashikaga Yoshiaki calling Nobunaga "father." He called him so affectionately, over and over again, like they were having a friendly chat. Yoshiaki can't pass the shogunate to Nobunaga now, but it wouldn't be impossible for Nobunaga to simultaneously hold the positions of father-in-law, vice-shogun, and Kanrei. In fact, Nobunaga might even secretly be eager for it.

With Nobunaga's hard work and fervent support, the revival of the Muromachi Shogunate is promising.

However, after Nobunaga had finished sleeping and both appeased and intimidated the lords of the Kinai region, there was an important matter that needed to be addressed immediately: the assistance provided by Sakai Town in the landing of the Miyoshi Triumvirate in the Kinai region.

To put it simply, the Miyoshi Triumphs rented boats from the Sakai people, and the Sakai boatmen and sailors pulled the Miyoshi traitors ashore to attack the Shogun.

Previously, when Nobunaga entered Kyoto, he adopted a conciliatory approach towards various forces. He only temporarily seized the daikan (administrative authority) in places like Ōtsu, Kusatsu, and Katada. As for Sakai, he only obtained the nominal position of Sakai daikan and did not actually exert any control over it.

Shichibei only levied extra money and reissued red seals in places like Otsu. Sakai, which prided itself on being a "free city," did not accept the jurisdiction of any political force. Apart from presenting congratulatory gifts to Nobunaga, it did not establish a fixed account or send hostages to serve Nobunaga.

If it weren't for the Miyoshi Triumvirate's attack on Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Nobunaga would probably have further sorted out the various forces in the Kinai region and digested the ones that were easy to deal with before tackling Sakai, this thorn in his side.

Unfortunately, Sakai-cho is assisting the Miyoshi Triumvirate this time. Well, sorry, Nobunaga has come to Kyoto and hasn't killed anyone yet.

Not counting the Miyoshi gang members killed on the battlefield, those were just casualties, not enough to make an example of them. Now we need to pick out two lucky ones to tell the monkeys in the Kinai region that Nobunaga is not a vegetarian or a Buddhist monk, and that offending Nobunaga will surely result in the slaughter of your entire family.

With a certain status and reputation, killing him would even bring benefits; Sakai-cho perfectly fits the bill.

Therefore, Nobunaga ordered that, in addition to reappointing the de facto acting governor of Sakai, Sakai must also promise never to provide any form of assistance to the Miyoshi Triumvirate again. This included lending money, selling weapons, providing ships, recruiting soldiers, etc.—basically anything related to the Miyoshi Triumvirate was forbidden.

In addition, pay 20,000 strings of cash!

Whether you are genuinely surrendering or feigning submission, you still have to make a show of it. The huge sum of 20,000 kan is one such show. After Nobunaga rushed to Kyoto day and night to intimidate the warlords, he also had to use both kindness and force. Offerings to the imperial court, donations to temples and shrines, and even the construction plan for the nascent Great Buddha Hall at Todai-ji Temple all had to be funded by Sakai-cho.

Hundreds of horses belonging to Kawamura-ya were worn out from running and broke their bones, and the compensation for all of them had to be paid to Shichibei. The cost of hiring thousands of horses also had to be settled with Shichibei. Nobunaga and Shichibei were close lord and vassal, but they kept their accounts separate and distinct.

Sakaimachi has to pay for everything; after all, no one else can come up with that much cash all at once. Who else would they extort if not him?

It's all about attitude!

The senior retainers of the Oda clan who had already arrived in Kyoto could understand Nobunaga's thoughts. Nobunaga directly appointed Akechi Mitsuhide to collect the arrow money, a symbol of submission, in Sakai. Akechi Mitsuhide was still a retainer of the shogunate, bearing the labels of both Ashikaga and Oda, making him a perfect candidate.

To reject Akechi Mitsuhide is to openly reject the Muromachi Shogunate and court death!

Akechi Mitsuhide readily agreed. With Nobunaga's formidable military might behind him, this matter wouldn't be too difficult. Nobunaga was now truly capable of raising an army of 100,000 or even 90,000; the mere town of Sakai was nothing to worry about.

Logically, this matter should have been handled by Shichibei, but Shichibei had another matter to attend to, and it was a very important matter, the kind that Nobunaga personally assigned to his subordinates.

Reconstruct the Nijō Palace.

Seeing Ashikaga Yoshiaki's pathetic state of being chased around, Nobunaga immediately decided that he would have to personally fund the construction of the Nijō Castle for Yoshiaki. This would ensure that Yoshiaki had a sufficiently strong fortress to hold out for three to five days until Nobunaga's Gifu army arrived.

Having received this assignment, Shichibei naturally didn't have time to collect the arrow money. Of course, it wasn't like he had to produce blueprints immediately; Shichibei was temporarily responsible for surveying the terrain, confirming the location, and preparing a project cost estimate.

As the shogun's residence, some areas required magnificent gates, and the pillars of the residence needed to be decorated with gold, etc. The cost of these things could vary greatly. So, an inflated price was initially quoted, and Nobunaga would then adjust it according to his needs.

Just as he was sitting in the hall, preparing to ask Lord Nobunaga about the details of the general's plans, Hideyoshi suddenly stood up and asked if he could be given the task of collecting arrow money in Sakai-cho.

A few nights ago, Hideyoshi got so drunk that two servants had to help him up the castle. Although he had sobered up, his legs were still weak, and he was unable to ride alongside Nobunaga.

Furthermore, his generals were also so drunk they were practically staggering, unable to muster any strength. In the end, they could only rush to Kyoto with the main army, making no attempt to impress Nobunaga.

At this time, Hideyoshi and Nobunaga were a model of harmonious relationship between ruler and subject. Hideyoshi was truly willing to serve Nobunaga wholeheartedly, and Nobunaga was generous in rewarding Hideyoshi, giving him 6,000 kan of credit and having him serve as the steward of Sunomata Castle. The two were mutually devoted to each other.

Therefore, Hideyoshi took the initiative to run errands for Nobunaga and to do his work.

If someone else had gone to collect the arrow money, Hideyoshi might have chosen to do something else. But upon hearing that it was Akechi Mitsuhide, who had come from behind, Hideyoshi immediately jumped in. It wasn't that he thought collecting the arrow money would be easy, but rather that he didn't want Mitsuhide to rush to his side.

Can understand.

Nobunaga was indifferent; he didn't seem to have any particular dissenting opinions to interfere with that. He was extremely confident and believed he could control anyone, regardless of their background, as long as they could work for him.

Nobunaga didn't interfere with how the samurai competed, as long as it was within the bounds of healthy competition. Later, when Akechi Mitsuhide brought Saito Toshimitsu, who had been recruited from the Inaba clan, to Nobunaga's court, the matter was resolved peacefully and without further incident.

After scrutinizing Hideyoshi for several moments, Nobunaga changed his order and commanded him to collect arrow taxes in Sakai. He also dispatched Matsui Yukan, the tea master, along with him; Matsui Yukan was acquainted with the Tsuda tycoon. Perhaps he would be useful in later negotiations.

Hideyoshi was delighted to be given the task and dashed off like a rocket.

162. Raising eagles, feeding eagles, and toiling eagles are all part of the process.

Nobunaga saw the budget report compiled by Shichibei; it contained realistic prices, as he himself was very knowledgeable about the market. After all, Shichibei hadn't thought he could handle the Nijō Palace project; castle construction was usually done by Niwa Nagahide.

He didn't say anything; Nobunaga was probably heartbroken about losing tens of thousands of kan.

It only costs 20,000 yen to extort money from Osakai Town, but it would cost 30,000 to 50,000 yen to build the Nijō Palace for Yoshiaki. This money is hard to earn. But it has to be built, no matter how hard it is. Yoshiaki can't be put in such a dangerous situation again.

Nobunaga's surprise attack on the snowy night once again repelled the army of the Miyoshi Triumvirate, further boosting his prestige. His influence over the old order and framework was even greater, and his position within it was more secure. Therefore, the construction of the castle could not be left to him alone.

"Issue the 'Imperial Palace Attendant's Repair Order' in the name of the Shogunate." Nobunaga put down the report and gave the order directly to Shichibei.

"Does this mean they're asking the feudal lords to provide 'for the use of the samurai'?" Shichibei needed to confirm; this was a serious matter.

“That’s right!” Nobunaga nodded naturally.

Using Yamashiro Province as the center, a circular order was drawn around the entire province, and imperial edicts were widely issued. This was not a call to action, but a request for these daimyo and feudal lords to send laborers or provide funds to build a castle for Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the shogun of the Muromachi shogunate.

This is considered the most basic feudal obligation, and it has a long history in Japan. When Shichibei and Ando Mamoru were discussing surrender terms, this clause was included. Ando Mamoru did not object at all and considered it a reasonable request.

Historically, when Hideyoshi built castles such as Osaka and Fushimi, and when Ieyasu reorganized Edo and built Sunpu, he also demanded that all the daimyo of the land come to serve him. It is said that at that time, Ieyasu also demanded that the Toyotomi family contribute to the construction of Sunpu Castle. Katagiri Katsumoto, the chief retainer of the Toyotomi side, argued strongly and refused Ieyasu's various unreasonable demands.

On the one hand, this made Ieyasu realize the Toyotomi family's unwillingness to submit; on the other hand, he discovered that the Toyotomi family had talented individuals who could not be easily defeated or eliminated.

Returning to Nobunaga, Nobunaga wanted to reaffirm his new authority as the de facto regent of the shogunate, while also distinguishing the attitudes of the lords of the Kinai region and the surrounding vassal states.

Those willing to pay, even if it's only a hundred taels of gold, can be put on the list of those temporarily exempt from conscription. If neither people nor money come, then kill, kill, kill.

"Heh heh." Shichibei responded immediately.

He then went to find Hosokawa Fujitaka and Settsu Harumon. Both of them were enthusiastic about launching a major construction project to build the Nijō Palace for Ashikaga Yoshiaki. They immediately wrote a letter of instruction and handed it to Yoshiaki with their signature.

Yoshiaki, like a rubber stamp, signed over sixty imperial edicts until his hand ached. He was quite pleased, however; he had retained his shogunate and hadn't been driven out of the capital. He hadn't lost face; in fact, he'd gained considerable prestige. Now, with another large-scale construction project underway, he could see if the feudal lords would still bow to him as shogun.

Not only those feudal lords who had no prior connection with Nobunaga, but even Tokugawa Ieyasu and Mizuno Nobumoto sent letters requesting them to provide service and tribute.

Those closer to home, like Naoki Ukita and Terunobu Otagaki, and those further away, like Yoshishige Otomo, Takahisa Shimazu, Yoshiyoshi Sagara, and Teruzo Date, all need to be given gifts. Whether you come or not is your business; whether I give gifts or not is mine.

Anyway, just cast a wide net. Nobunaga just beat the Miyoshi Triumphs and was riding high for a while.

Upon arriving in Kyoto, Hatano Hideharu immediately accepted Ashikaga Yoshiaki's letter of instruction without saying a word, indicating that he would dispatch ten stonemasons and present him with eighty kan of silver.

Like a sedan chair carried by many, Hatano Hideharu was showing such respect, especially since he had mobilized his troops to rescue the shogun upon hearing of the attack—bringing along loyal retainers! Even if he were struck by lightning, he would still be a loyal retainer. Ashikaga Yoshiaki personally received Hatano Hideharu and even raised a cup with him.

Nobunaga also expressed goodwill to Hideharu Hatano, who responded positively to his request, by gifting him a katana and a horse, and inviting him to watch a Noh play.

The two sides are so close now; it's truly unimaginable that a few years later, Nobunaga would issue an order to exterminate the entire Hatano clan, sparing neither the old nor the weak. It's possible that this current closeness, coupled with Yoshiaki's encirclement of Nobunaga, will cause Nobunaga's love to turn into hatred. The more love there is now, the more hatred there will be in the future.

Anyway, it had nothing to do with Shichibei anymore. Shichibei helped to bag and seal all the imperial edicts, and then sent Nobunaga's retainers and pagemen to the castles of the feudal lords to deliver the messages.

Hideyoshi, on the other hand, was quite busy, preparing his dozens of trusted veteran soldiers. Going to collect debts, he needed a few dozen capable henchmen by his side.

On the other hand, he asked Shichibei to borrow Kuwayama Chongsheng. This guy is quite eloquent, and perhaps he can be useful in arguing and cheating with the Sakai clan members.

Okay, previously when Hideyoshi asked Nobunaga for military strength, he was looking for samurai who could fight and organize an army. These men had no problem commanding troops, but their verbal skills might not be so good. Now that Hideyoshi himself has volunteered to collect 20,000 kan of arrows, he's not willing to cause a conflict during the exchange because of his poor communication skills.

Sakai was able to maintain its independence amidst the chaos of war, becoming a so-called "free city." This was due to its considerable strength, including the extensive moats and canals dug around the town and its own military force for self-defense.

Sakai itself was a central town where people moved and converged, a manufacturing base for weapons, and a distribution center for imported goods such as saltpeter and lead ingots.

At a single command, thousands of dedicated sailors and merchant crewmen armed themselves. These days, there were no innocent and naive merchants; they were all both traders and pirates. If they spotted another merchant ship at sea, even one weaker than their own, most would be tempted to make a quick buck.

If you equip them with armor and firearms, they might not be much worse than Nobunaga's regular foot soldiers in battle.

Unless absolutely necessary, Nobunaga did not want the Sakai people to arm themselves and fight against him. Who would want to gain thousands of well-equipped, bloodthirsty opponents for nothing?

Actually, Shichibei was free at this moment and could have gone to Sakai with Hideyoshi to have a chat with Tsuda, the big boss. But considering that this was a task assigned by Hideyoshi, he decided it was better not to steal his thunder.

The fact that Shichibei was provided with a large number of horses along the way, enabling Nobunaga to quickly move to Kyoto with his thousand men, was enough to maintain Nobunaga's favor and trust in him.

Furthermore, having already demonstrated this once, he'll continue to perform exceptionally well. Following Nobunaga's consistent approach to personnel management, if you're capable, then give you even more responsibilities.

So, when it's time to back down, you still have to back down.

If you perform exceptionally well under Nobunaga, he won't hesitate to give you more money and more credits, and then make you serve him day and night until you're exhausted.

Oh, right, Shichibei had some free time this time and took a look at Honnoji Temple.

That's wonderful; it's quite a nice temple. No wonder Nobunaga chose to stay at Honno-ji. Not only are the buildings tall and spacious, but there's also plenty of open space. This is quite important; having a large open area makes it less likely for outsiders to intrude into the halls where Nobunaga was staying.

Of course, the reverse is also true. Nobunaga was inside the palace, surrounded by empty space, and the onlookers outside could see everything clearly. Those inside who tried to escape were met with fire from cannons or arrows in the open.

Tut tut...

How about we plant two trees?

Shichibei thought to himself, but he didn't know which sect Honnoji Temple belonged to, or whether there were any taboos about planting trees around the temple buildings.

Forget it, that's a long way off. Look at Nobunaga's courteous manner outside, chatting and laughing with the sake cup guy and the guy whose whole family was killed.

Speaking of the "Sake Cup Guy," Azai Nagamasa has been very proactive and swift this time, earning both praise from Ashikaga Yoshiaki and approval from Nobunaga. It's said that the process of appointing the acting governor of Kohoku has already begun, since there's currently no actual governorship of Kohoku, and Kyogoku Takakichi is still serving Yoshiaki without holding any real power.

Therefore, it's highly likely that Nobunaga, as the regent of the shogunate, will bestow the position upon Azai Nagamasa. Nagamasa is truly overjoyed this time, not only voluntarily contributing 500 kan to Yoshiaki for the construction of his palace, but also promising to assist in the transport of timber from Oshu and Ushu to Kyoto on Lake Biwa, free of charge.

After working so hard to carry Nobunaga's gun, we've finally seen a glimmer of hope. If I were Azai Nagamasa, I'd probably be happy for half a month too.

Seeing that Shichibei had nothing to do, Nobunaga asked Shichibei to deliver the appointment document to Nagamasa. Shichibei watched as Nobunaga wrote on the document that he had appointed Azai Nagamasa as the deputy governor.

Oh my.

Shichibei, who had initially thought it was just a messenger, began to have some doubts, even though Nobunaga was sending the document to Azai Nagamasa in his capacity as regent of the shogunate. However, besides being the regent, Nobunaga was also a daimyo (feudal lord).

From the perspective of the regent of the shogunate, it was merely official business. From the perspective of a feudal lord, Nobunaga, at this moment, to some extent established the proper relationship between lord and subject, that he was the lord and Azai Nagamasa was the subject.

"Hmm?" Nobunaga snorted when he saw Shichibei peeking in.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing." Shichibei realized that he had just been sitting like a college student cheating on an exam.

With its neck stretched out like a giraffe's, it's no wonder Nobunaga noticed it. This was practically like seeing it face to face.

"What did you see?" Nobunaga took out his seal for unifying the country and the people, and someone had already dipped it in ink for him, so he could stamp it on steadily.

"Hmm..." You're lying to me again? After what happened last time, Shichibei is now as cunning as a monkey.

I won't say anything, I just won't. Unless it's normal official business, then it's fine to say it. As for these kinds of speculations and assumptions, it's best to keep quiet. After all, we don't have Chu Long's ability to persuade the Queen Dowager of Zhao, nor Zhou Ji's eloquence to persuade King Qi to accept advice.