Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"Look at your pathetic self." I am, after all, one of the key retainers of the Oda clan, so criticizing Yamauchi Kazutoyo above me is nothing.

"Hehehe..." Without arguing at all, Kazutoyo Yamauchi just laughed foolishly.

The Nijō Palace is nearing completion, after which the Oda clan's army will retreat to Gifu. With a fortified castle to rely on, plus a garrison of one or two thousand men, Ashikaga Yoshiaki and the shogunate will be safe.

Back in Gifu, proposing marriage is no small matter. If someone else went, Shichibei wouldn't be able to "bully others with his power". With just the Gujo Hachiman Endo family, we still have some psychological and status advantages.

In Japanese culture, matchmakers, especially in political marriages, are often seen as guarantors. For example, when Hideyoshi became the lord of Nagahama Castle, he took many daughters of powerful officials as concubines. Nene wrote to Nobunaga because Nobunaga had acted as matchmaker for her marriage to Hideyoshi.

What did Nobunaga do? He not only personally replied to Nene, but also summoned Hideyoshi and gave him a severe scolding. Although, given his status as Hideyoshi's lord, he was more concerned that his subordinates might become infatuated with beautiful women and fail to continue fighting diligently, it also indirectly illustrates the special status of matchmakers in Japanese culture.

If Kazutoyo Yamauchi and Chiyo ever quarrel in the future, Shichibei will have to mediate as an "elder," temporarily acting as a peacemaker. He will even have some right to participate in their newly formed family after marriage.

These two were considered a model of marital harmony during Japan's Sengoku period. It's highly unlikely that Shichibei would have been involved in mediating their quarrels.

More than half a month later, the Nijo Palace was officially completed, and even the three-story castle tower was built. The palace where Yoshiaki usually lived was directly built by dismantling the academy and palace of Honkuji Temple, just like the old style.

Yoshiaki happily moved into the palace. The feudal lords of the Kinai region, having received the notice of Nobunaga's powerful defeat of the Miyoshi Triumvirate, rushed to the Nijō Palace in Kyoto to congratulate Yoshiaki.

Akitaka Hatakeyama, one of the two guardians of Kawachi, also came. He was a little unhappy because the other guardian, Yoshitsugu Miyoshi, became the son-in-law of the Ashikaga family of the Muromachi shogunate.

It's easy to understand. When Ashikaga Yoshiaki was still a young monk, he was constantly on the run, and Hatakeyama Akitaka braved danger to serve him. Akitaka stayed by his side, never abandoning him. Yoshiaki was also very close to Akitaka, initially giving him the name Akitaka, and later changing it to Akitaka.

After Yoshiaki returned to Kyoto, he and Nobunaga appointed their family as governors of half of Kawachi Province. Now, Hatakeyama Takamasa has abdicated, handing over the title of head of the family to Hatakeyama Akitaka, while he himself takes on the so-called "go-mi-yaku" (a term referring to a position of authority over the family).

To put it bluntly, the purpose was to get Hatakeyama Akitaka and Ashikaga Yoshiaki close. The Hatakeyama family and the Yamana family were almost the same, both existing like candles in the wind. The power of the family was held by the Shugodai Yusa clan, who was just a facade.

The closer the ties are to the shogunate, the louder the Hatakeyama family head's voice will be, since the shogunate is currently quite powerful. If the ties are not close to the shogunate, the lower-ranking officials might actually resort to assassination, and a more obedient one could be replaced.

So, Hatakeyama Akitaka himself didn't even manage to marry a daughter of the Ashikaga family, so why did he get to marry Miyoshi Yoshitsugu first?

Don't laugh, this kind of thing could actually be taken to court and brought before the general in feudal times.

Have you not seen how some European monarchs and princes, in their struggle to seize a widow with a substantial inheritance, not only engaged in legal battles but also resorted to actual beheadings and murders?

It turns out that Nobunaga is waiting for Ashikaga Yoshiaki here...

Shichibei, as a member of the Imperial Guard, watched the inauguration ceremony for quite a while. Later, he accompanied Nobunaga to pay his respects to Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He witnessed firsthand Hatakeyama Akitaka and Ashikaga Yoshiaki "throwing a tantrum" and having a disagreement.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Hatakeyama Akitaka didn't have a wife, so what's wrong with Ashikaga Yoshiaki asking for one?

Even if she wasn't Ashikaga's biological daughter, having Ashikaga Yoshiaki ask the court nobles Nijo or Konoe for an adopted daughter would be quite good. Or, if all else fails, finding a daughter from the Shiba family or other prominent families would be just as good.

But in such a hurry, where could Ashikaga Yoshiaki find someone? It was only at this point that he probably realized that he had been reckless in betrothing his sister to Miyoshi Yoshitsugu.

After all, there was only one Ashikaga woman, but there were more than one woman with territory, power, and a lot of followers who would cry and make a scene.

Lawsuits under the shogunate were originally handled by a special administrative office, but now they had to be handled by Oda Nobunaga, the shogunate's regent. So Ashikaga Yoshiaki naturally turned to look at Oda Nobunaga, but Nobunaga ignored him, keeping his eyes down and his mouth shut. Since the complaint hadn't been submitted, he could pretend he didn't know anything.

An awkward silence.

After parting on bad terms, Nobunaga immediately ordered Shichibei to return to Gifu to fetch the princess and bring her to Kyoto. Hmm? Which princess? The one who was supposed to be betrothed to Gamō Ujisato, a son-in-law from the Warring States period?

Because that princess is only eight years old this year, she is definitely not old enough to be betrothed. She was betrothed to Princess Tokuhime, the daughter of Tokugawa Nobuyasu, because both of them were young, so they made do for now.

No, it's another princess.

These words stunned Shichibei. Nobunaga knew how many children he had, that was common knowledge. Where was there any greater princess? While he was wondering, Nobunaga didn't explain. He simply wrote a letter and asked Shichibei to pass it on to Lady Nohime.

They said a suitable princess would come, and that Shichibei should just go and come back quickly, bring the person, and get the job done.

Alright, Shichibei had no choice but to ride back to Gifu to welcome this princess he had no recollection of. Meanwhile, Nobunaga remained in Kyoto to begin his own performance.

He acted as if this was a difficult matter to deal with. Previously, Ashikaga Yoshiaki had betrothed his sister to Miyoshi Yoshitsugu without informing Nobunaga. Now that things had gone wrong, he could approach Nobunaga again, who was "completely unaware" of the whole situation, so it was naturally impossible for him to do so.

Then Ashikaga Yoshiaki asked Nobunaga to resolve the matter, and naturally, Nobunaga set conditions for this request. For example, the officials in charge of the duties were not allowed to report to Yoshiaki without Nobunaga's permission.

For example, samurai lawsuits without Nobunaga's countersignature were not allowed to be submitted to the shogunate and the imperial court for public discussion and debate.

In short, the nine articles consist of provisions that reduce Ashikaga Yoshiaki's authority and strengthen Nobunaga's control over the old shogunate order, and are temporarily referred to as the Nine Articles of the Sojournment.

It depends on whether Yoshiaki is willing to take it on. If he is, Nobunaga will help mediate the matter with Hatakeyama Akitaka.

On the other side, at Hatakeyama Akagashi, Nobunaga also secretly sent someone to grant his request. "Your request to marry the Ashikaga family's daughter was merely to strengthen your ties with the center of power. Now, I, Nobunaga, will not waste any more words and will directly betroth my daughter to you. What do you think?"

Needless to say, Hatakeyama Akitaka practically jumped for joy; it was an unexpected delight. If he became Nobunaga's son-in-law, he'd have it all for life.

Judging by Nobunaga's current prestige, he might very well become the ruler of the land. As his son-in-law, Hatakeyama Akitaka would not only gain a high status and position within the new order, but also bring glory to the family business.

Anyway, it's just going back and forth like this. Nobunaga is a very capable person, it's just a matter of whether he uses it or not.

Upon returning to Gifu, Shichibei visited Lady Nohime at the Totani Residence and finally learned who this so-called "princess" was.

She was the youngest daughter of Dosan, raised under the care of Nagai Michitoshi. After the fall of Sekigahara, she was raised by her elder sister, Lady Nohime. Now she could easily be used as Oda Nobunaga's daughter for a marriage alliance.

He looks familiar.

This must be the first time he's seen this princess. Shichibei feels she looks familiar. Could it be that he's seen her before? That shouldn't be the case. During the attack on Seki Castle, he was part of Nobunaga's main force, not the one personally leading the assault like Kawajiri Hidetaka and Mori Kanari.

It's strange, there really are people in this world who feel like they've known each other for a long time after meeting for the first time?

Lady Nohime simply nodded slightly after reading Nobunaga's letter. As a woman of the samurai class, how could she not know the final fate of samurai women? Princess Tokuhime was only a few years old when she was married off to Okazaki in Mikawa. Now her younger sister was to be married off to Takaya Castle in Kawachi. Who knew if they would ever see each other again after this marriage?

While she stood there grieving, Shichibei secretly observed the princess. She looked so familiar; when had he seen her before? Shichibei was particularly curious these days and loved observing people.

Perhaps having been noticed, His Highness returned Shichibei's gaze several times. A beautiful teenage girl, besides being well-nourished, had a considerable amount of collagen in her face, making her face as delicate as a baby's.

Although she wasn't very tall, about the same height as Shichibei, in this day and age, a woman who is a little over 1.4 meters tall is considered tall.

Tut tut...

If he was really to be paired with Hatakeyama Akitaka? Shichibei recalled that Hatakeyama Akitaka was not ugly and his family was very noble, so perhaps he was a good match.

Who knows?

"Hideko, come and pay your respects to Lord Kawamura." Lady Nohime put down the letter and beckoned her younger sister over.

"Greetings, Lord Kawamura." Saito Hideko, or rather, Oda Hideko now, bowed respectfully to Shichibei.

When she slowly raised her head, the line between her eyes made Shichibei's heart flutter. She was so beautiful. Although her appearance wasn't the most outstanding, that fleeting moment of youthful beauty immediately captivated Shichibei.

Shichibei quickly bowed his head, returning the greeting to Princess Hideko. Nobunaga's daughter was not someone Shichibei could aspire to. Besides, judging from Nobunaga's intentions, this princess would soon be betrothed to Hatakeyama Akitaka.

Forget about having any inappropriate thoughts, even looking at her twice would be wrong. Quickly suppressing his thoughts, Shichibei apologized to Lady Nohime. He only had half a day to pack up, as he had to leave for the capital tomorrow.

170. After retiring from the battlefield in Gifu, she finally got married.

Nobunaga was in a hurry, so there was no way to slowly carry the princess to Kyoto in a sedan chair for ten or fifteen days. They just hitched up an oxcart and set off, hoping to finish as soon as possible and be at ease.

Princess Hideko, on the other hand, was very curious, probably because it was her first time traveling so far. In addition, since Lady Nohime must have told her that she was going to marry Lord Hatakeyama Akitaka of Takaya Castle, she felt uneasy and often sought out Shichibei to talk to.

He didn't ask anything outrageous, just whether Shichibei had met Hatakeyama Akio, what Hatakeyama Akio's character and talent were like, and where Takaya Castle was. Was it a mountain castle? A flatland castle? Was the area around the castle prosperous?

Anyway, it's about understanding her future life. After learning that Hatakeyama Akihiro was a young and talented man who was neither ugly nor old, Hideko-hime secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

These political marriages often result in teenage girls in their teens or twenties marrying men in their forties or fifties. For example, Matsunaga Hisahide, whom I met recently, married Miyoshi Nagayoshi's daughter, who was just over ten years old, when he was in his forties.

The same was true in Europe, across the ocean, where many Habsburg women married men in their fifties and sixties. Political marriages were based solely on self-interest, not affection. And for these aristocratic women, marrying someone and having a child at least provided some security for their later years.

Not all Habsburg daughters were sought after. Later generations estimated that thirty or forty Habsburg daughters never married. They either ended up in monasteries, dying alone, or died within the walls of the palace, consumed by sorrow.

Therefore, marrying a young, not-too-ugly, and somewhat wealthy nobleman is considered the best option for aristocratic women these days.

"I heard that Lord Kawamura will be marrying my uncle's daughter?" Hideko-hime was just trying to strike up a conversation, so she continued chatting.

"Yes, it's all thanks to your kindness, my lord." Shichibei was actually quite grateful.

The girl remained the same girl, first becoming Oda Nobuhisa's adopted daughter, then Oda Nobuhiro's adopted daughter, her status rising higher and higher. If the concept of the Oda clan's entire lineage were expanded, Shichibei could actually be considered part of the Oda clan. Once she gave birth to a child, she would be eligible to be Oda Nobuhiro's heir.

"How wonderful, to be able to live in Gifu Castle for a long time." Perhaps thinking of her marriage to someone so far away, Princess Hideko still felt a little sentimental.

"Hatakeyama Kingo-dono is also a good match." What could Shichibei say? He could only offer a perfunctory reply.

"..." Hideko-hime did not answer, but leaned against the small window of the oxcart, gazing thoughtfully at the streets of Omi.

It was May, and Omi was in the midst of its most pleasant season. Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, had a cool breeze blowing along its banks. If a great poet were to visit and see the rice paddies lining the shores like wells, he might be inspired to write a poem.

"Speaking of which, I've met my uncle's sister before," Hideko-hime said after a moment of silence.

"I have actually seen him before..." Shichibei had only seen him once, so his memory of him was not deep.

She seemed vaguely, perhaps, maybe, probably, like a very thin girl. Just the literal meaning of thin; she was also petite. She probably wasn't starved as a child; her family certainly had no problem having enough to eat.

Like Shichibei, Hideyoshi, and Koroku, he grew up eating rice, dried fish, and seaweed. Koroku was a burly man over 1.7 meters tall, tall and big, and he could wreak havoc on the battlefield. Shichibei and Hideyoshi could only hold up shields to protect Koroku from cannon fire and arrows.

That's really unreasonable. I'm not lacking in protein.

"Oh!" Upon hearing Shichibei say that she had seen it before, Hideko immediately became interested.

"How is it? How is it? Have you said anything?"

"They exchanged a few words, but it was all about business." Despite the vague impression, Shichibei was able to give Hideko a brief account.

"That's how she was. I always stayed at the Titoniya Residence, and she could move around outside the castle for a while. Before, when the flowers bloomed in the residence, she even came to admire them with me," Princess Hideko said with reminiscence.

Their statuses are different. Besides, Hideko-hime is Lady Nohime's adopted daughter, a precious tool Nobunaga used for a marriage alliance. Shichibei's fiancée, on the other hand, is merely the daughter of an Oda clan elder. While she also faces restrictions on movement, her activities within Gifu Castle shouldn't be so restricted. She could go to the castle to look at the flowers, or socialize with other noblewomen.

"I see..." Shichibei didn't intend to explain anything, he was just responding casually.

"Hey, do you know her name?" Hideko-hime raised her chin slightly, looking at Shichibei, who was riding a horse to guard the oxcart by the roadside, with a very innocent yet smug expression.

Shichibei subconsciously turned his head to look over; it was really beautiful.

"I don't know." He lowered his head, wondering why he kept seeing this.

"Then I'll tell you quietly, come closer." Hideko-hime was even more excited than she thought Shichibei was shy.

"No, no, no, you'll find out naturally after we're married." Shichibei almost felt a stirring of romantic feelings, but he didn't dare to get closer and simply declined.

"No fun, you're an idiot too." Shichibei's rejection displeased Hideko-hime, who hurled a curse in a sullen manner.

Unfortunately, Shichibei ignored her, instead brandishing his riding staff and catching up to the front of the group to inquire how far it was from the next post station, the stables. They had to reach Ōtsu today; only then could they possibly deliver Hideko-hime to Kyoto before noon tomorrow. Several days had already passed, and Nobunaga's plans in Kyoto were likely already complete.

And hurry up.

Shichibei's prediction was spot on. Nobunaga was simultaneously exerting pressure on Ashikaga Yoshiaki and using underhanded tactics on Hatakeyama Akitaka, managing to keep both sides completely under his thumb. Ashikaga Yoshiaki, being under Nobunaga's thumb and unable to resolve Hatakeyama Akitaka's marriage proposal in the short term, ultimately had to reluctantly accept the so-called "Lord of the Palace, Kujō."

Of course, the main reason was also the further demonstration of Nobunaga's military strength—his swift journey from Gifu to Kyoto in a single day and night on a snowy night—which intimidated Ashikaga Yoshiaki. At the same time, it solidified his image as a man of exceptional military prowess and unparalleled strategic brilliance in the minds of the imperial court and the townspeople of Kyoto.

Originally, it was only natural that the officials in charge of the shogun's campaign to Kyoto should share power. Nobunaga's semi-public offer to share power didn't really bother most people.

To be frank, Ashikaga Yoshiaki reluctantly accepted it because Hosokawa Harumoto had previously also requested a countersignature on the shogun's documents. This was a precedent; without Hosokawa Harumoto's countersignature, Ashikaga Yoshiaki's documents were not valid, or not fully valid.

If his own father did it, why shouldn't Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who wasn't exactly a pioneer or innovator, do the same?

With a nod from him, it was a piece of cake for Hatakeyama Akitaka. Oda Nobunaga was no ordinary man; he'd seen countless grand occasions. Fooling Hatakeyama Akitaka was child's play. He put on an act as if he were the future regent of the shogunate, and Hatakeyama, as his good son-in-law, would certainly be able to participate in the shogunate's politics, completely bewildering Nobunaga.