Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

By the way, because Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei is quite famous, Nobunaga's burning and beating of Enryaku-ji Temple is also quite famous. Mount Koya, another large Buddhist temple in Japan, also suffered brutal suppression from Nobunaga.

Six hundred missionary monks from Mount Koya were slaughtered by Nobunaga in a single day.

Both of Japan's two major Buddhist monasteries were actually suppressed by Nobunaga. The two subsequent rulers could only make minor improvements, including Hideyoshi's exchange of restoring Enryaku-ji Temple for the temple relinquishing many of its estates.

Furthermore, Tokugawa Ieyasu's conversion to Jodo Buddhism and Tokugawa Hidetada's strong crackdown on the imperial court's bestowal of purple robes upon monks of Mount Hiei were all aimed at undermining Mount Hiei.

Historically, Takeda Shingen also had plans for the temple after taking control of the central government. His idea was more direct: to move Enryaku-ji to Mount Minobu, so that Enryaku-ji and Kuon-ji, the head temple of the Nichiren sect, would fight each other on the mountain.

Being both far from Kyoto's political center and suppressed in Kai, it was easy to control and manage.

So despite Shingen's self-proclaimed title of "Master of the Heavenly Terrace," his approach to religion was nothing more than exploitation, vigilance, and, in effect, division and disintegration to eliminate its political influence.

Nobunaga's immediate task is to submit to Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Eizan, and this submission must be public. The best way to demonstrate this is to hand over the hundreds of defeated Asakura soldiers he was protecting, and have Nobunaga behead them in front of Enryaku-ji Temple, displaying their heads on the street in front of the temple. This would demonstrate that Nobunaga's secular power as a samurai family surpasses the religious power of Enryaku-ji Temple.

Mount Hiei believed that his master was Prince Kakusho, who had the support of the imperial court, countless nobles and monks who followed the Tendai sect, and the common people. If Nobunaga were to burn Enryaku-ji Temple and kill Prince Kakusho, it would be an open act of defiance against most of Japan's Buddhist community and the imperial court.

I have confidence, I really do have some.

However, faced with an army of 50,000, and Nobunaga's recent crushing victory over the Asakura clan, having slain 6,000, the Enryaku-ji Temple of Mount Hiei, accustomed to weathering storms, possessed some political savvy. They hoped to exchange 500 taels of gold for Nobunaga's withdrawal, thus temporarily setting aside their dispute.

Would Nobunaga really put it aside? Only with the momentum of a great victory could he so arrogantly order Enryaku-ji to hand over the defeated Asakura troops. Who knows if such a golden opportunity will come again?

The remains of the Asakura clan filled the entire Anegawa River, shocking the people of Edo and terrifying the Kyoto court. Otherwise, why hadn't the imperial court issued a single decree even after five days of Nobunaga's ban?

It's simply because the imperial court is afraid, afraid that Nobunaga will kill a few more people. The six thousand heads of the Asakura family, piled up into a mound of skulls, could keep all the crows in Jiangzhou from foraging for two months.

"Is it because you were entrusted with an important task, or because you were paid a large sum of money?!" Nobunaga directly questioned Shichibei.

"It is indeed an important task entrusted to me." Shichibei knew very well that he could not back down at this moment. If he did, Nobunaga would only think that Shichibei had been paid to persuade him.

"Very well, do you know what your punishment is for disobeying your lord's orders like this?" Nobunaga stared at Shichibei and found that Shichibei's eyes were clear, as if he really hadn't taken the money.

Indeed, no money was received; the person simply committed seppuku at Shichibei's house. Therefore, Shichibei's visit was entirely aboveboard; he was merely delivering a message.

Anyway, having agreed to the merchant representative's request, Shichibei simply relayed their request for Nobunaga to accept the 500 gold coins and return them, and the task was considered complete. As for whether Nobunaga would accept it or not? That was fate, Nobunaga's decision, and had nothing to do with Shichibei.

Moreover, the imperial court has sent people to persuade them, and Oda's senior retainers have also tried to persuade them many times, but all their efforts have been in vain.

"Since I served in Tsushima, I have received the greatest favor and the deepest understanding. If I have disobeyed your orders, I will leave it to you to decide!" Shichibei said frankly. "Everything I have is because of the monopoly power you granted me. If you want to punish me now, I will accept it."

"Get out of the way, get out of the way, get out of the way!" Nobunaga roared at Shichibei through gritted teeth.

"Your subject takes his leave." Before Shichibei could speak, Hideyoshi quickly pulled Shichibei aside and answered on his behalf.

Sakuma Nobumori and Murai Sadakatsu, who were sitting next to Nobunaga, quickly stepped forward to help Nobunaga as he turned around. In fact, they were also supporting Nobunaga to prevent him from turning back and stabbing Shichibei.

As for Azai Nagamasa and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who were sitting on the other side, their expressions differed. Azai Nagamasa silently observed the conflict between Nobunaga and Shichibei, while Tokugawa Ieyasu nodded slightly to Shichibei.

After Shichibei left the shogunate, Hideyoshi advised him not to provoke Nobunaga at this time. In just the last few days, countless people had come to advise Nobunaga. Even an ordinary person, subjected to such a barrage of advice, would have developed a rebellious streak.

The key point is that everyone felt that between Nobunaga and Mount Hiei, Nobunaga was the weaker party, much like how some lower-level police officers in later times, when mediating disputes, always side with the one who makes the most noise, favoring the loudest voice over the most reasonable one. This greatly annoyed Nobunaga. Why did everyone think he was easy to talk to, instead of trying to persuade Mount Hiei to back down?

It's simply because it has more influence than Mount Eizan, and that influence has been around for hundreds of years. Nobunaga also has a lot of influence, but he only rose to power in the last three or five years.

Many people haven't subconsciously changed their minds and still think that Nobunaga is easy to bully and fool.

Oh dear, how did things turn out like this? What about Mitsuhide? Mitsuhide has made something of himself, why didn't he go up the mountain to pay his respects to Prince Kakusho? Why didn't he let Kakusho bow to Nobunaga, so that both sides could be on good terms?

Upon hearing this, the crowd inside the shogunate dispersed, and everyone left with grim expressions. When Mitsuhide was mentioned, he simply shook his head. He explained that Prince Kakushu had already gone to Kyoto to meet with Emperor Ogimachi and the Crown Prince, hoping to obtain an imperial edict ordering Nobunaga to withdraw his troops, and had not yet returned to Mount Eizan.

As for Nobunaga's two close sworn brothers, Azai Nagamasa and Tokugawa Ieyasu, neither offered any advice, nor did they have any right to do so. Besides, they were both intelligent men who knew they would offend Nobunaga, so they chose to remain silent.

The merchants from Enryakuji Monzen-cho and Otsu-cho, who were waiting outside, sighed as they saw Shichibei practically driven out of the shogunate. They had tried to persuade the temple gates, the imperial court, and now even Nobunaga's close ministers, but they still couldn't convince Nobunaga.

The town in front of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei was the largest commercial and trading center south of Lake Biwa, serving as a trade hub and link for the entire southern Omi region. Connecting the waterways of Lake Biwa and the land routes of Kyoto, once reduced to ashes, it would take ten years for it to recover its former glory.

I urge you all to go and persuade the monks at the mountain gate.

Shichibei stood up and walked out, but the merchants remained motionless, seemingly unmoved. The monks at the mountain gate were like gods and Buddhas; offending them would likely condemn one to the deepest hell after death. Surprisingly, not a single person was willing to go to Mount Rui to persuade the monks, not even to urge them to flee.

Damn!

Damn it!

It's obvious they can't see the situation clearly, and they're still indulging in the glory of the old era, thinking that the power of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Eizan is even stronger than that of the newly emerging Oda Nobunaga.

What Shichibei didn't expect was that his reckless behavior would happen after he left the shogunate. Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei issued a proclamation calling on everyone on the mountain, including monks and laypeople, farmers from the surrounding area, and people from the town of Monzen, to "take refuge" in Enryaku-ji Temple.

Enryaku-ji Temple is a grand temple that protects the nation, the foremost Buddhist monastery in all of Japan, and the temple founded by the monks of the Monk Kunlun. Even Oda Nobunaga would never dare to disturb the peace of Enryaku-ji Temple.

Forty to fifty thousand monks, laypeople, townspeople, and merchants retreated into the gates of Enryaku-ji Temple. They made their own decision to defy Nobunaga's order to disperse and instead entered Enryaku-ji, becoming the Asakura traitors who defied the "laws of the king."

You scoundrel!

Upon hearing this news, Shichibei almost fainted. When people become stupid, they really can't be taught or scolded.

How to do?

Only kill!

Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!

Nobunaga exercised his utmost restraint and forbearance, and with the intervention of the imperial envoy Asukai, he issued another notice to Enryaku-ji Temple. Nobunaga agreed to withdraw his troops as long as Enryaku-ji Temple demolished all the walls, towers, and watchtowers of the entire temple gate, dismantled all the buildings that could accommodate tens of thousands of rebels, and did not even have to hand over the defeated Asakura army.

When the samurai messenger, Asukai, heard this, he was overjoyed and immediately climbed the mountain to Enryaku-ji Temple to announce Nobunaga's new proclamation to the monks. In any case, by making a slight gesture of submission, Nobunaga would be able to spare Eizan.

Unexpectedly, the Eizan faction believed that by rallying tens of thousands of believers to the mountain and using tens of thousands of lives as hostages, they had indeed frightened Oda Nobunaga, their enemy in Buddhism.

We should strike hard against Oda Nobunaga, the enemy of Buddhism. A crude and uncouth samurai like him should bow down to Buddhism!

When the news reached the Oda Shogunate, not only was Shichibei utterly shocked, but other senior retainers and samurai of the Oda clan, as well as feudal lords such as Azai Nagamasa and Tokugawa Ieyasu, were also filled with bewilderment.

Why? Why? Why? Can people be so stupid? So ignorant?

It's no longer a matter of who gives whom a way out; it's that Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei truly treated Oda Nobunaga like an idiot, completely disregarding him.

They began using the most despicable tactics, namely the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people, to intimidate and mock Oda Nobunaga.

If you're so capable, then come and kill me. It's just 50,000 lives. It's despicable. You, Oda Nobunaga, are so powerful, aren't you? Come on, come and massacre 50,000 people.

Fifty thousand lives? Does that mean you, Oda Nobunaga, are a coward? You don't even dare to kill these few people, yet you still want to rule the world? You might as well be a dog of the world.

Sitting inside the tent, Shichibei saw Nobunaga in the shadows, his face cold and serious, meticulous, with only his eyes revealing a foreseeable anger.

Having come this far, it seems Oda Nobunaga and Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei are now locked in a life-or-death struggle. And those forty to fifty thousand refugees who fled into the mountains truly brought this upon themselves and must pay the price for their foolishness.

Within the entire shogunate, you could hear a pin drop; even breathing seemed to have vanished. Everyone looked towards Oda Nobunaga, awaiting his final judgment at Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei.

"Jubei, Fujikichiro, you two will lead the charge!" Nobunaga suddenly stood up and shouted at the generals in the tent.

"Kill all, regardless of gender, whether monk or layperson! Burn down all the temple gates and pagodas!"

Chapter 238 The raging fire burned everything away.

The fire that swept across the entire mountain and temple first rose from the magnificent Liangmen Gate, where the mountain gate was located. After that, the halls, scripture pavilions, pagoda courtyards, and the layered temples, the brocade Buddha statues, the flags and canopies were all reduced to ashes.

Accompanying the raging fire were countless shrill screams of agony, their resentful cries soaring to the heavens, as if they were about to transform into vengeful ghosts and devour Oda Nobunaga, who stood at the foot of the mountain in front of the town gate.

And Nobunaga? Nobunaga's silhouette was lonely and desolate.

He wasn't trying to oppose any particular Buddhist sect or temple; his goal was to reshape the order in Japan. Buddhist sects would remain Buddhist sects, and generals would remain generals. Within temple territories, monks held the highest rank, even having the power to disregard regulations and enter without question.

But once you leave this mountain gate, that should be the general's territory. No matter how great Buddha is, can he command the general to act? That's unreasonable and shouldn't be the case.

The past is the past, the present is the present.

Previously, Buddhism could freely encroach upon the imperial court and the shogunate, but now there can only be one leader in all of Japan, and that is Oda Nobunaga.

Unfortunately, the monks and masters in the temple gates didn't understand, nor did the many important ministers he had personally promoted. How could Nobunaga not feel lonely and desolate?

Shichibei, who was lagging behind, looked at Nobunaga's back and suddenly felt that the distance between him and Nobunaga had widened, even greater than the Chu-Han border.

The only thing he could do now was to advise Nobunaga against burning and looting the town in front of Enryakuji Temple. This town had been established thanks to the protection of the Buddhist temple at Enryakuji. But now that the temple was destroyed, he needed to find a new master. The monks on Mount Eizan were guilty, but the town in front of the temple, which provided Nobunaga with a steady stream of income, was innocent.

Nobunaga simply replied to Shichibei with a curt "I understand," and said nothing more. Indeed, the Oda army did not invade Monzen-cho; they passed through the town without entering.

Those merchant representatives who came to Gifu to beg Shichibei to intervene, and even committed seppuku at Kawamuraya, didn't come for nothing. At least their shops and houses were saved, and their existing business routes were preserved.

However, Mount Rui, who used to protect them, is no longer there. From now on, the one who can provide them with protection is Oda Nobunaga, who comes from a martial family.

There were about 40,000 to 50,000 monks and laypeople who took refuge in Enryaku-ji Temple. More than ten groups of Oda's army rushed in one after another. Apart from the monks, soldiers, defeated soldiers of the Asakura clan, and young believers who gathered at the mountain gate to resist Oda's army and were ruthlessly slaughtered, the generals simply drove the ordinary townspeople, women and children down the mountain to escape.

Later generations preserved the painting of the burning of Mount Eizan, which depicts both women and children taking refuge and monks and their followers fleeing with scriptures and Buddha statues. It is said that Kinoshita Hideyoshi ordered only the able-bodied men to be killed, and that women and children should be ignored.

Only Akechi Mitsuhide charged ahead, heading straight for the main hall of Enryaku-ji Temple. Inside, the statue of Yakushi Buddha appeared ethereal in the dim light and amidst the mournful screams.

"Ah ah ah ah ah……"

Screaming, Akechi Mitsuhide, seemingly insane, drew his sword and slashed at the statue of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha. The soldiers of Akechi's army on either side knocked over candles and threw torches in all directions. The majestic Bhaisajyaguru Buddha was quickly engulfed by the engulfing flames, and the crackling paint and incense emitted a rich fragrance.

The monks and lay followers who rushed to the rescue, whose image was personally created by the missionary master Saichō, were horrified to see the main hall engulfed in flames. Before they could react, they were mercilessly slaughtered by the Akechi army. The Buddha statue, engulfed in flames, watched as its followers lost their heads and limbs, their blood flowing freely.

With a "crack," the Buddha statue's head was burned off in the fire, crashing heavily to the ground and creating a huge fireball.

The countless sparks that flew up further provoked Mitsuhide, who slaughtered hundreds of people before him. Mitsuhide then immediately turned and went to the Shakyamuni Hall. This hall, also known as the Hall of Turning the Wheel of Dharma, enshrines the principal deity Shakyamuni Buddha, as well as statues of Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and the Four Heavenly Kings.

Kill them.

Burn it.

Let everything be destroyed!

More than ten monks stood guard before the Buddha image, but before they could utter a word, they were hacked to death by the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty army. Blood and entrails flowed across the Buddha image, staining the Buddha's face with blood, which was horrifying against the brilliant golden body.

Driven mad, Mitsuhide raised his bow and arrow, striking the Buddha's left eye with a single shot. The arrow's fletching swayed before the Buddha's eyes. Takei Yuuan, who had also arrived at the scene, was terrified upon witnessing this and immediately knelt down, chanting Amitabha Buddha incessantly.

Seeing his colleague's "useless cowardice," Mitsuhide actually laughed, laughed out loud, and left the Shakyamuni Hall laughing. The sixteen cypress wood doors were smashed to pieces and piled up, while two large flames, like fire dragons, quickly climbed up the giant pillars that had opened the doors.

Flames erupted around him, and Takei Yuan had no choice but to retreat from the main hall. Looking at Mitsuhide, he simply smiled as he watched the fire rise, watching it consume the statues of the Heavenly Kings on either side.

They're insane, insane, they're all fucking insane.

Shichibei wasn't insane; he simply watched the unprecedented spectacle of fireworks from outside the temple gates. Takenaka Hanbei and Ota Gyuichi, who had followed Shichibei from Gifu, looked quite grim. Even though they weren't followers of the Tendai sect, seeing Enryaku-ji Temple reduced to ashes in the fire was deeply unsettling.

Many people shared their thoughts, but it didn't matter how many there were, since things had already come to this point. Only Ota Gyuichi, who was secretly recording, and the court noble Asukai, who was clapping and stamping his feet, seemed to have any reaction.

The fire in front of us cannot be extinguished in a day or two. The mountain gate, built over hundreds of years, will not be put out until ten days or half a month.

As long as Prince Kakushu wasn't burned to death, that was fine. This prince was still active in Kyoto, hoping his good brother could issue an imperial edict ordering Nobunaga to withdraw his troops. In the end, Nobunaga burned his entire house to the ground, leaving him nothing.

Perhaps it was precisely because he himself was not in the temple that Nobunaga resolutely ordered the burning of the mountain. After all, killing a monk prince would have significant political repercussions. Burning down Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei would at most make him a demon king.

Whether it was to forget about the matter as soon as possible or because he really didn't take it to heart, after daybreak, the generals descended the mountain in batches. Nobunaga did not order the continued search and killing of the monks and lay people who had fled all over the mountains, but instead began the next military deployment.

Niwa Nagahide, who was in charge of Settsu and Izumi, immediately led 5,000 men to support Wada Korena, ensuring that the Wada clan in Takatsuki Castle would not collapse and that pro-Oda forces would maintain their influence and hold the bridgehead in Settsu.

Although it's clear that Wada Korechika is useless, even useless people have to be put to use now, lest the situation collapse suddenly and become unmanageable.