Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

As long as Kuwana remains intact, the Nagashima Ikko-ikki will be restrained, and the pressure on Iwakura will only decrease, not increase.

While this might sound like a case of "better you than me," as long as it's not explicitly stated, no one will think much of it. Besides, given Sakuma Nobumori and Takikawa Kazumasu's abilities, they might actually be able to defend the castle.

"We can't just rest easy now." Shichibei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained serious.

This is a matter of course, everyone knows it, and that's fine. As long as we hold onto Iwakura Castle and prevent Kiyosu Saito Tatsuoki from becoming too powerful, at least we'll be neither good nor bad. Then we can just continue fighting Tatsuoki for Xiaobing Fortress; it's just a pointless war.

"I just don't know how the battle of Settsu is going..." Ota Gyu picked up his bow, ready to continue shooting.

I hope Nobunaga won't be tied down in the Kinai region for too long. With the situation like this, the people of Noo will start to feel uneasy.

“If our lord doesn’t return anytime soon, then we’re in for a fight.” Takenaka Hanbei nodded.

"Tsk."

Shichibei almost clicked his tongue from being overwhelmed by the two's coordinated attack.

We should still hope Nobunaga is doing well; only when Nobunaga is doing well can we do well. Without Nobunaga? Without Nobunaga, how could Shichibei be where he is today? The legacy of Noo, huh…

At this thought, Shichibei suddenly wondered if he could take the initiative. Since the rebels outside the castle weren't many, and the main force was Saito's army from Ryūō, what if they pulled off a heist, drove Ryūō back to Kiyosu Castle, and then headed to Tsushima to burn down that damn Ganshō-ji Temple?

We don't have enough men to break through Kiyosu Castle. But we should be able to loot and plunder the town in front of Ganshoji Temple, since his main force is in Kuwana.

If we burn down the town in front of Ganshoji Temple, the Ikko-ikki will inevitably retreat from Kuwana to protect their base. At that time, the siege of Kuwana Castle will also be broken, and we will not only be able to make a fortune, but also gain merit.

In this way, Qingxu can absolve himself of responsibility for the failed siege, and even if his merits and demerits cancel each other out, he can still claim that he plundered the spoils.

Chapter 204 Showing leniency, 1500

Shichibei inside the castle was making plans, while Saito Tatsuoki and Oki Kaneyoshi outside were also making plans. It was only then that Tatsuoki realized that the person inside the castle was none other than the small merchant who had captured him alive years before.

In the past, when Ryūō accompanied Nobunaga on campaigns, he had never seen the two-horse-drawn banners inside the castle. It was only when the siege was getting closer that he took a closer look and suddenly remembered that the banners belonged to Kawamura Shichibei, who served as Nobunaga's small pack animal unit.

That's truly a case of enemies meeting and their eyes turning extremely red!

Especially that Kotaro So, one of Shichibei's subordinates, who once stunned two of Saito's generals with a single oar stroke. This time, we must capture Kotaro So alive and drag him out to be torn to pieces.

Unfortunately, Kotaro So is currently serving as a junior official in Kyoto and is not at the Iwakura Jinya residence.

Since that's the case, what else is there to say? They've basically tested the firepower of Iwakura Jinya, and the Ikko-ikki troops they sent are no longer able to fight. If they really want to attack the castle, Saito's army will have to go themselves.

One must not raise an army out of anger; if one loses one's temper, one will be at a disadvantage.

Shichibei returned to the rooftop to continue observing the battle. How could he possibly defeat Ryūō and force him to retreat to Kiyosu? Only by defeating Ryūō and forcing him to retreat to Kiyosu could Shichibei escape to Tsushima and then take a boat to the town of Ganshōji to burn as a smuggling operation.

Why does it have to be a complete rout? If Longxing is unable to capture the city and retreats on his own, then his army is intact and organized, and can immediately turn around and fight, requiring almost no time for organization and reorganization.

However, if they are defeated, their troops will scatter and flee to Qingxu. The generals will not recognize their soldiers, and the soldiers will not recognize their generals. They may even abandon obvious targets such as flags and armor in order to ensure their escape speed.

To rebuild, given the normal level of Japan during the Sengoku period, it would take at least ten days to two weeks. They also need to find ways to boost morale and lift the army's spirits; even ten days would be enough for a capable general.

Then Shichibei suddenly realized what was going on. He had fought alongside Nobunaga for so many years, and although he hadn't eaten pork, he had at least seen pigs run.

It was obvious that Ryūshō was putting in a great deal of effort in the siege, not only sending more soldiers dressed as foot soldiers, but also launching a more intense barrage of firepower. On the other hand, Ōki Kaneyoshi, who was attacking the siege from the other side, was behaving more conservatively, not putting in an extremely strong effort, but still seriously carrying out the siege.

The younger men would carry wooden shields and bamboo bundles in front, while the archers and arquebusiers would fire from behind. Then, they would stand there and shout out rewards for whoever made it to the top first, such as how much rice and money they would receive. Naturally, a few people who were used to risking their lives or making money by selling their lives would jump out, either two or three, or four or five, and they would jump forward and attack in coordination.

The men in front carried wooden shields, and the men behind carried bamboo ladders. This was not enough to inspire the dozens of soldiers to carry logs or roof beams to ram the gate.

On the Longxing side, not only did some people climb the wall, but others also rammed the door. Do you think they were putting in a lot of effort?

Shichibei's first reaction was whether there was any way to make a fuss about it. The main objective of the Nagashima army was definitely to establish a Buddhist kingdom on land near northern Ise and Nagashima. That's why everyone just speculated that the main force of the Nagashima Ikko-ikki was attacking Kuwana Castle, so only Oki Kaneyoshi and a small number of Ikko-ikki members came to support Ryushin.

To put it simply, although both sides shared a common interest—namely, defeating Oda Nobunaga—their strategic directions were vastly different. Ryūkō's ultimate goal was undoubtedly to reclaim Mino and revive the Mino Isshiki clan. Ōki Kaneyoshi, on the other hand, aimed to reclaim Kita Ise and revive his own Ōki clan.

Therefore, it was impossible for Ōki Kaneyoshi to exert all his strength to attack Ryūshō. The fact that he was able to join forces to defeat Ikeda Tsuneoki in the previous field battle and also crush Hayashi Michūsei, the rearguard, was already a great honor for Ryūshō.

"Sanbei, Sanbei!" Shichibei called out to Noda Sanbei under the eaves.

"Master." Sanbei leaned out and looked up at Shichibei.

How much money does the team have left?

Noda Sanbei didn't answer, firstly because he genuinely didn't know how many there were, and secondly because there were many people outside. Seeing his silence, Shichibei thought to himself that he indeed lacked the composure of a general, and that such a matter should not be asked in public.

He climbed down the ladder and ran back into the house to count the coins. Most of the copper coins had already been distributed to the soldiers, and there weren't many left, only a few hundred strings of cash.

However, there was still some gold. Upon opening the rattan chest, fifty large gold coins were found, each weighing five taels. There were three such chests, totaling seven hundred and fifty taels of gold.

That's a huge sum of money, enough to make a person's mind wander.

He summoned Noda Sanbei to his side, and Shichibei proceeded to give him a long, rambling explanation. This young man was quite clever; it was he who had investigated the flow of salt in Omi last time, allowing Nobunaga to receive advance warning and escape.

Work hard, and one day you'll become the owner of Narukawa Village House!

Noda Sanbei took a companion with him, and they tied the rattan box tightly to each other with hemp rope. As soon as it got dark, they sneaked out of the city to visit Oki Kaneyoshi.

While Ōki Kaneyuki was sipping hot tea and eating cold rice in his camp, he suddenly heard a report from one of his retainers that two deserters from the castle had been captured. Normally, such people would be beheaded on the spot, their heads used as a reward. However, Noda Sanbei claimed to be a relative of a certain Nanbu clan in northern Ise and had come to surrender.

The Nanbu family? Nanbu Tadamichi is currently serving as a servant to Nobunaga. However, the patrolling samurai weren't quite sure, since among the dozens of powerful families in northern Ise, there was indeed a Nanbu family. That's why they didn't behead him and brought him to see Ōki Kaneyoshi.

You asked if the rattan trunk tied to his body wasn't searched? Actually, it was quite normal. After all, even Nobunaga could be assassinated by someone firing a cannon from 20 or 30 meters away. In those days, the Japanese samurai's awareness of searching was quite low.

Untying the rattan box, the three boxes were opened, and the golden light shone so brightly that even the ochazuke in Oki Kaneyuki's hands began to ripple.

My hands are shaking.

Fortunately, there weren't many people in the camp; they were all close confidants of Ōki Kaneyoshi. Having some suspicions, Ōki Kaneyoshi asked Noda Sanbei what his request was.

A request? Haha. Noda Sanbei didn't mention a request first, but clearly stated that this was only the initial payment, and that the other half could be withdrawn by Oki Kaneyuki in Sakaimachi, Anotsu, or Tsushima after the matter was completed.

A total of 1,500 taels of gold!

Such a sum was astronomical for Ōki Kaneyo, who was in fact just a local. It was more than enough to buy his life.

Based on this, making further requests became much easier. Kawamura Shichibei, a powerful merchant within the castle, was the leading figure in the empires of Noo no Chikakata, Tsushima, and Yasunotsu. This was common knowledge and widely known. As a wealthy merchant, he certainly valued his life.

There are no unreasonable demands. In a couple of days, Kawamura's army will break out of the city. I hope Lord Ōki will hold back and not pursue them, and spare Kawamura Shichibei's life.

If you can escape from Yancang, the other 750 taels will definitely be given to you.

hiss……

Oki Kaneyoshi secretly gasped; doing this was definitely wrong. After all, the mission Ganshoji Shoichi had assigned him before he came was to assist Ryūshō in breaking the siege of Kiyosu Castle and eliminating the Oda army in Owari.

These are the two reasons: breaking the encirclement was to rescue Tatsuoki; eliminating the Oda army would make it easier for Tatsuoki to destroy Shimo-Owari, thus shaking the foundations of Oda Nobunaga's rule.

Without the financial and food supplies from Owari, Nobunaga was nothing.

The siege of Kiyosu Castle has now been broken, and the armies of Ikeda Tsuneoki and Hayashi Michimasa have been decimated. In fact, the mission of Ganshoji Shoichi had already been accomplished, but the sudden appearance of Kawamura Shichibei caused a slight change in the plan.

Logically, given the changed situation, they should continue to eliminate Kawamura's army to ensure that Ryūkō can destroy Shimo-Owari.

but……

The gold in those three rattan chests was dazzling. To be honest, Ōki Kenji had never seen so much money in his life. After all, he came from a wealthy family, and at its peak, his territory only yielded two or three thousand koku of grain. How much annual tribute could that small territory possibly provide? He'd have to sell it all to support his army.

Moreover, this is just an advance payment; the other half is still due. With this sum of money, Ōki Kaneyuki can return to Ōki Castle in Kita-Ise. Not only will he have the funds for reconstruction, but he will also have the start-up capital to raise an army and annex the nearby local tyrants.

Hesitation, indecision, and yet, a stirring of the heart.

Noda Sanbei, kneeling below, smiled and clearly stated that it would be two days later. The reason for emphasizing this was to give Oki Kaneyoshi a psychological suggestion.

Including today, Ryūshō has been besieging the city for three days, and he hasn't put in any effort to take Iwakura. That means Ryūshō isn't trying. What does that have to do with you, Ōki Kaneyoshi? You, Ōki Kaneyoshi, have already done your best, okay?

Helping him with Longxing is a favor; not helping him is simply our right.

You can't exactly chew up all the food and feed it to Longxing, can you? What would be the point of having Longxing then? Don't you think that makes sense?

With a simple, understated sentence, Ōki Kenjiro revealed everything. Yes, he was there to help Ryūshō. In battles and sieges, he was anything but careless; he carried out everything methodically and strictly.

In any case, we owe Longxing nothing; everything we've done is genuine.

Now...

He glanced at the few retainers and close associates who had followed him through the escape, and it was clear they shared the same view. Ōki Kaneyoshi had already done his best to help Tatsuoki, and besides, Noda Sanbei had promised to give Tatsuoki two more days to try.

If Shichibei was killed by Ryuuji in the following two days, then his death is the end of it, and it has nothing to do with Ōki Kaneyuki. If he wasn't killed, then it's Ryuujiki's own fault for not trying hard enough; who's to blame?

As for your claim that Ōki Kaneyuki let Shichibei escape? Sorry, after a long day of siege, we finally had a break, and our troops were eating their lunchboxes.

You can't fight on an empty stomach.

With this thought in mind, Ōki Kaneyasu made up his mind and agreed with Noda Sanbei that Shichibei could run away, but not from his side. He would have to run in one of the other two directions, and he wouldn't pursue him.

It's a deal!

Having agreed, Noda Sanbei took his leave and secretly returned to Iwakura Jinya that very night to report the matter to Shichibei. This was Shichibei's own decision; he hadn't consulted anyone else beforehand, as the outcome was still uncertain.

When Noda Sanbei returned, Shichibei announced the matter to everyone. He hoped that in two days, everyone could join forces to leave the city and launch a strong attack on the Ryūshō army. As long as they could defeat the Ryūshō army and send them back to Kiyosu, their situation would be turned around.

Lin Tongzheng was the first to agree. Being trapped in Iwakura was not a solution. They had to break the current stalemate to change their passive, defensive situation. He was a fool and didn't have any good ideas. Now that Shichibei had a plan, they should implement it; success or failure was another matter.

With his lead, Lin Xiuzhen and Ikeda Tsuneoki, who had initially hesitated, largely agreed. As for Shichibei's subordinates, they were closely allies with him and certainly didn't want him to perish in Iwakura. It was better to fight their way out; at least they could escape.

Trapped in the city, there's not even a chance to escape. But in the wilderness, at least there are opportunities to run away from all sides.

Takenaka Hanbei also asked if there was any trickery involved with Ōki Kaneyoshi. Good question. But Shichibei believed that a small local magistrate, greedy for the other half of the gold, would most likely not deceive him.

After all, 750 taels of gold was enough to buy Oki Kaneyo's life.

Since that's the case, let's focus on dealing with the siege. Longxing's three thousand men are all legitimate soldiers, and the samurai corps is a veteran force accumulated over the years. If they really go all out to attack Iwakura, their fighting strength will be formidable.

Just as Shichibei had predicted, Ryūhō was furious when he failed to capture the city on his first day of attack. He, a dignified prefect, was no match for a mere merchant.

Is there any king law?Are there any laws?

No, the next day Ryūō asked Nagai Michiryū to lead his troops in a fierce attack on the Iwakura Castle gate. He personally supervised the battle and promised that whoever was the first to enter the castle would be rewarded with 100 kan.

I must kill Kawamura Shichibei and So Kotaro in this castle to vent my anger. I must also destroy the Oda clan's army in Owari, so that he can seize Owari.

With their lord personally urging them to advance, Saito's soldiers had no choice but to muster their courage and fight valiantly to capture the castle. In fact, Saito's army had been locked in a stalemate with Ikeda Tsuneoki for over two months since their uprising began, the two sides constantly fighting over the small fortress surrounding Kiyosu Castle. The back-and-forth fighting had taken a toll on Saito's troops, leaving them quite exhausted.

If it weren't for the immediate opportunity to defeat the Oda army, and the immense temptation of raiding Owari Province, many Saito soldiers would have already lost their will to fight.

Fighting for three months straight, almost every day was a battle; even the toughest person would get tired.

However, Ryūshō urged them to launch a full-scale attack on the city, which was quite difficult for them. Thus, Ryūshō attacked for two days. Although some men managed to scale the walls of the Iwakura fortress and leap into the castle to fight the Oda army, they were ultimately repelled by the Oda forces. It was truly a case of a spent force, unable to penetrate even the thinnest silk.

The exhausted Saito family finally retreated, the setting sun casting little warmth on their faces. Meanwhile, the Oda army within the castle, though also somewhat weary, was ready for battle, emboldened by Shichibei's waved Yongle Tongbao coins.

The objective is to disrupt and defeat Saito Tatsuoki's army. In this way, Iwakura Jinya will be out of danger, and Kawamura's army will be able to escape unscathed.

Chapter 205 The shovel-shaped bag belongs to Longxing.

The army split into two groups: one was naturally Shichibei's main force, and the other was Nobunaga's main force. Although Ryūō wasn't particularly afraid of Nobunaga, having fought him his entire life, Nobunaga's arrival would greatly intimidate the Saitō army. After all, Nobunaga himself had defeated the Saitō army multiple times, possessing a formidable military reputation and imposing presence.

You ask where Nobunaga came from? Of course, it was Ikeda Tsuneoki, who grew up drinking the same milk as him.