Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

As the lord of Yokoyama with a fief of 10,000 kan, Hideyoshi was considered one of the top 300 feudal lords in all of Japan. Obtaining the status of a descendant of a prestigious family would not have been difficult for him.

Besides, it's easy to fabricate a background now. But once Hideyoshi has conquered the country, it will be much harder to do so. Everyone will know he's just the son of a foot soldier in Owari; how will he gain respect then?

Why not, since we've just started to make a name for ourselves, find a powerful family, such as a retainer of the Shogunate or a son of a court nobleman, and become their adopted son?

This will make things much easier in the future. There will be no need to fabricate that ridiculous story about his mother, A-Naka, being a maid in the Kyoto Imperial Palace who was favored by the Emperor and went to Owari to give birth to Hideyoshi.

And to spout the "son of the sun" nonsense is just making a fool of themselves.

Hideyoshi chuckled upon hearing Shichibei's words. Everyone within the Owari military and political clique knew he came from a peasant family of foot soldiers. Why bother finding himself a new father, creating some kind of dilapidated noble lineage to embellish his background?

Oh, right!

We're thinking about Hideyoshi's future role in establishing his "rule of the realm," but at this moment, Hideyoshi has no idea he'll become the ruler of the realm. He probably thinks he'll be a legion commander under Oda Nobunaga for life, and once Nobunaga has pacified the land, he'll be given a few hundred thousand koku of rice, and that'll be it.

If you're going to be a retainer your whole life, why bother making up a family background? It's completely unnecessary and meaningless.

"Then forget I said anything," Shichibei chuckled. "Our Kawamura does have some story to tell." However, the old Owari samurai group all knew very well that Shichibei was just a simple-minded boy who collected horse manure, nothing more than a nobody from a prestigious family.

The two chatted and laughed for a while, then saw Oda Nobunaga, who had been pursuing the Asakura clan at the front lines, returning from retreat. They weren't particularly happy; after asking around, they learned that he hadn't managed to kill Asakura Yoshikage.

Although the Asakura army collapsed at the first encounter, this time Asakura Yoshikage truly slipped and ran incredibly fast. It should be noted that Shichibei's main force still had over five hundred cavalrymen, yet they couldn't find any trace of Yoshikage, demonstrating the extent of his escape skills.

Nobunaga must have been in a bad mood, having failed to kill the snake.

However, with this defeat, the Asakura army is practically finished, and it's uncertain whether they'll ever be able to organize a large-scale army again. While this doesn't completely solve the problem, it's not far off. If Nobunaga has the time to give Yoshikage another big blow, the Asakura clan will be finished.

You ask why Nobunaga didn't stop to talk to Shichibei and Hideyoshi? Because Nobunaga returned to the front lines at Takatsuki Castle overnight.

The Asakura army on Shizugatake is of average skill and has limited combat strength, but the allied forces on Settsu are quite strong. Moreover, they have arquebuses, high morale, and a constant supply of provisions, making them a formidable enemy.

The task of cleaning up the battlefield was assigned to the generals under Azai Nagamasa, including Shichibei. Shichibei also took the opportunity to collect all the Asakura family's junk and bring it back to Sakaimachi for the weapon craftsmen to repair and mend.

99% new, for personal use by a female college student.

Later, when Nobunaga needed to buy weapons and equipment, all the extra charges came from these kinds of things. If a competent small merchant doesn't even understand this basic principle, then he's just wasting his time.

Anyway, they're not broken; they're all usable, just secondhand items. Trying to pass off junk as new would get you beheaded by Nobunaga. These days, can you find any proof that a secondhand item is secondhand after giving it a fresh coat of paint?

I've already repainted it, so it's new.

Furthermore, Nobunaga's own orders finally arrived: 60,000 koku of rice from Sakata district, of which Hideyoshi received 40,000 koku. The remaining 20,000 koku were granted to Hanawa Naomasa.

Hideyoshi had finally achieved his goal; his total territory amounted to 80,000 koku, making him practically the lord of a castle. Nobunaga also granted his request to rename himself "Hashiba Hideyoshi," and from then on, Hideyoshi's name in the Oda clan's military register would be recorded as Yokoyama Hashiba-dono of Sakata District, Kohoku.

Having received 80,000 koku of rice, Hideyoshi naturally had to work. Shichibei was tasked with cleaning up the trash, while Hideyoshi and Azai Nagamasa went to attack Higashi-Wakasa, driving away all those in Wakasa who supported Asakura, thus pacifying Wakasa for Nobunaga.

Hanawa Naomasa joined the standoff at the Takatsuki Castle front, reinforcing Nobunaga's military forces. However, his troops were not deployed at the Takatsuki Castle front, but rather between Takatsuki and Kyoto.

Hayashi Michimasa had already positioned himself between Kyoto and Yokoyama, and Hanawa Naomasa was further deployed between Takatsuki and Kyoto. So, no matter what happened, at least Nobunaga's escape route was secure.

Due to limited manpower, the Kawamura Corps, which had already assembled, was not disbanded for the time being, but stationed in Ōtsu to cooperate with Sakamoto Mitsuhide. Mitsuhide also needed assistance as he had to keep an eye on the Enryakuji Remnants and Shogunate supporters near Katada.

Obeying the order.

The scene shifts to Ashikaga Yoshiaki in the Shogunate. Yoshiaki has been diligently preparing for his anti-Nobunaga campaign, but hasn't acted yet mainly because he feels his chances of success aren't high enough. The fact that Ashikaga Yoshihide in this world is alive and has even appeared at the Kyoto Daijosai festival greatly disgusts Yoshiaki.

However, after obtaining permission from Takeda Shingen and Asakura Yoshikage to send troops, Ashikaga Yoshiaki finally made up his mind and began preparing for the uprising.

His arrangement was simple: Yamaoka Kagetomo led the Koga and Iga guilds, along with some retainers, and several thousand cavalry to garrison at the Nijō Palace in Kyoto. They would fight if they could, and retreat if they couldn't. The main objective was to maintain influence, and to gamble that Nobunaga wouldn't dare wage a brutal war within Kyoto.

Destroying Kyoto, no matter how well it is restored, will leave a bad impression on the court and nobles. It might even alarm the Emperor or Prince Naruhito.

Yoshiaki himself fled to Makishima Castle, where he raised an army and called upon lords from all directions to come to Kyoto to defend the emperor. Makishima Castle had excellent terrain, and only one or two thousand men were needed to defend against an attack by an army of tens of thousands. If supplies were plentiful, it was highly likely that they could wait until Takeda Shingen broke through Gifu Castle and entered the Kinai region.

Yoshiaki is now trying to figure out how to leave Kyoto discreetly and escape to Makishima Castle.

Then came the news that Oda Nobunaga had defeated the Asakura army at Shizugatake, and that Asakura Yoshikage had once again narrowly escaped with his life. Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who had been eager for battle, suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

How could Yoshikage be so useless? He was defeated so quickly. How did Nobunaga suddenly appear at the Shizugatake front? He should have been at Takatsuki Castle confronting the anti-Nobunaga coalition.

A series of questions and doubts filled Ashikaga Yoshiaki's mind. His previously firm resolve to raise an army suddenly began to waver.

Should we wait a little longer?

Should we let Takeda Shingen raise an army first?

"Has anything unusual happened in the capital?" Shichibei asked the worker returning from Otsu as he was collecting junk in Imahama and transporting the junk he had acquired for almost no money to Otsu.

"Everything is fine." The waiter thought for a moment and indicated that everything was alright.

"Hmm..." That's strange. Could it be that I guessed wrong?

That shouldn't be the case. Nobunaga and Ashikaga Yoshiaki have already broken off relations, so what is Yoshiaki still enduring? If he continues to endure, Nobunaga might launch an attack on the enemy forces in Settsu and wipe out the entire enemy force.

"There is one. Prince Wuhuan, a high-ranking official, has fled." The waiter thought for a moment and then told him this.

Lord Karasuma was Karasuma Mitsunori, and his principal wife was Ashikaga Yoshiaki's older sister. He was also very close to Hosokawa Fujitaka, who was extremely skilled in waka poetry; both were renowned waka poets.

Historically, Karasuma Mitsunori's son, Mitsuhiro, was also Tokugawa Iemitsu's guide to poetry. His family's achievements in the arts were considerable, and they were well-known cultural figures.

Hosokawa Fujitaka had just fled to Oda and betrayed Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Then, Karasuma Mitsunori's wife, Ashikaga Princess, suddenly died, enraging Ashikaga Yoshiaki upon hearing the news.

Damn it, Oda Nobunaga is the regent of the shogunate, so it's one thing for him to bully me. But you, Karasuma Mitsunori, are just a nobody courtier, and you dare to bully me?

Ashikaga Yoshiaki then dispatched Isshiki Fujinaga with troops to attack Karasuma Mitsunori's residence, forcing Karasuma Mitsunori to flee to avoid losing his life.

Although there were reasons for it, Ashikaga Yoshiaki's actions still caused a huge uproar in Kyoto.

"Hey, send someone to find out where the former regent, Konoe-dono, who was previously exiled by the government, is." Shichibei suddenly remembered Konoe Sakihisa.

Because Ashikaga Yoshiaki accused him of being one of the main culprits in the murder of Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Konoe Sakihisa was exiled by the shogunate and the imperial court. He first sought refuge with his brother-in-law Akai Naomasa, and later sought refuge with the monk Kenryo at Ishiyama Honganji Temple.

It was precisely because of his strong persuasion that Kyou no Shonin participated in the attack on the Yoshiaki-Nobunaga alliance at a very opportune time.

When Ashikaga Yoshiaki learned that Konoe Sekiya was in the camp of Honganji Temple, he was furious and led a large army to assist Nobunaga in conquering Honganji Temple, which greatly surprised Shichibei.

Now that Yoshiaki and Nobunaga have openly broken ties, Yoshiaki's newly appointed regent, Nijō Haruyoshi, won't have many good days ahead. The position of regent should be filled by someone else.

who?

It's better to replace someone you don't know well with someone you need something from and someone you know relatively well. At the very least, you should replace them with someone who opposes Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Among the Five Regents, the one who opposes Ashikaga Yoshiaki the most is none other than Konoe Sakihisa.

Oh, and while we're at it, let's invite Karasuma Mitsunori over. Shichibei still hasn't gotten a "transmission of ancient and modern knowledge." Since Karasuma Mitsunori is down on his luck, let's go welcome him and get him a "transmission of ancient and modern knowledge" in return—it won't be a bad deal.

The matter in Imahama is mostly settled. After packing up, Shichibei rushed to Ōtsu overnight. He ordered Kuwayama Shigekatsu and Tsuchida Chikakiyo, who were left in Ōtsu, to take ten pieces of gold and search for Karasuma Mitsunori, who had fled the capital.

It's highly likely that Karasuma Mitsunori has defected to Hosokawa Fujitaka, but Hosokawa Fujitaka is currently at the Takatsuki front, so he definitely won't be able to find him. It shouldn't be difficult for us to intercept him halfway.

As expected, on their way to Katsuryuji Castle, Kuwayama Shigekatsu and Tsuchida Chikakiyo encountered Karasuma Mitsunori, who was panting heavily. Gone was the composure of a Third Councilor and Left Grand Councilor; he was being carried along the roadside like a dead dog by two servants.

A horse? The horse broke its hoof while running at night and is now dead.

Upon hearing that Kawamura Nagayoshi, a senior retainer of the Oda clan, had invited him to travel to Ōtsu, and knowing that Hosokawa Fujitaka was not at Katsuryuji Castle and that Karasuma Mitsunori was in dire need of protection, he decided after a moment's thought to go to Ōtsu with Kuwayama Shigekatsu.

When he arrived in Ōtsu, Shichibei had already prepared a spacious room and several maids. He also presented ten gold coins and twenty bolts of silk.

Karasuma Mitsunori nodded repeatedly, saying that he had once heard Hosokawa Fujitaka say that Kawamura-dono was a very composed and elegant person. Now that he saw him, it was indeed true.

Shichibei, unusually, put on a show and told Karasuma Mitsunori to rest first, promising that he would be treated to other hospitality later.

Leaving aside this waka master, let's return to the story of Konoe Sakihisa. It was originally estimated that Konoe Sakihisa should be at Ishiyama Honganji Temple, but after the members of the association in Sakaimachi secretly found out, they learned that Konoe Sakihisa had left Honganji Temple and gone back to rely on his brother-in-law, Akai Naomasa.

Perhaps it was because Ishiyama Honganji Temple had received a peace decree last time that Konoe Sakihisa was somewhat displeased, and he wanted to find another force that could rise up against Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

It would be much easier if they weren't at Honganji Temple. There are no anti-Nobunaga people around here, like Akai Naomasa. We can send someone directly to contact these former regents. It might be a while before we can get them to Otsu, but if we can establish some communication, it will be a great achievement in the future.

Chapter 256 A Chance Recollection of Toudou Torato

Konoe Masato hadn't come looking for him for a while, but Asukai Masato came running over on his own. Being a samurai messenger, he had a keen sense of smell and, upon learning that Karasuma Mitsunori had fled to Ōtsu, he cautiously followed him.

Is it time to get started?

You should spend more time getting close to that Kawamura Nagayoshi here. If you can find out some confidential information, His Majesty in the Forbidden City will be very happy. Understand? Anyway, you have food and drink here, and several thousand soldiers to protect you.

Karasuma Mitsunori was completely taken aback. Before he could react, Asukai Masatoshi turned to find Shichibei. He did have a plausible reason: there was a Kuratani Kubo in Echizen, so the imperial court sent someone to inquire whether Kuratani Kubo had been executed.

As for why Shichibei was asked? Everyone knows by now that Shichibei is scavenging for Nobunaga, who has rushed back to the Takatsuki front. Therefore, Shichibei would definitely know the details of the head identification on Shizugatake's side.

Don't worry, they didn't kill the eldest son of the Angu family.

Shichibei thought about it for a moment, and indeed, during the subsequent on-site inspection on the battlefield, he hadn't seen such a person. Important samurai heads were sent to Takatsuki for Nobunaga's inspection. Ordinary heads were returned to their families if they came to claim them. Those not claimed by family were buried on the spot, perhaps with a small tower built along the way.

After replying, Shichibei was wondering whether he should treat this samurai messenger to a feast when Asukai Masato took his leave. It was as if he had truly only come to inquire about Kuratani Kubo's affairs, arriving and returning on the same day without any delay.

I don't understand what this person is trying to do.

However, Shichibei had little time to think things through. The old guard, who had been stirring in Shiga and Takashima districts, finally openly raised the banner of rebellion against Nobunaga. About three or four thousand people gathered near Ishiyama Castle and Katada in Shiga district, spying on the still unfinished Sakamoto Castle.

Kawamura's army, originally ordered to remain in Ōtsu as a precaution, received Nobunaga's orders and moved into Sakamoto Castle first. Meanwhile, Mitsuhide led 1,500 men to Katada to begin preparations for battle.

Hayashi Michimasa, who patrolled between Kyoto and Gifu, also led 500 troops, while Hachiya Yoritaka led 1,000. Look at the Oda clan now, they're really helpless. When war comes, they scrape together a little here, a little there, to temporarily meet military needs in a certain direction.

Once one side was dealt with, troops were immediately dispatched to deal with the other. Running back and forth, there was absolutely no time to rest. No wonder so many people in history still rebelled against Nobunaga, and even Ashikaga Yoshiaki openly defected.

Oda Nobunaga was indeed facing a predicament, constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul, and his military strength was somewhat stretched thin. Of course, this was also related to the fact that Nobunaga did not mobilize peasant soldiers on a large scale. If he had truly mobilized peasant soldiers, given Nobunaga's current capabilities, an army of 120,000 would have been a piece of cake. However, having learned his lesson from the Battle of Okawachi, Nobunaga probably had no intention of drawing peasants into battle unless in a truly critical situation.

Let's go.

It was only an hour or so's journey when Shichibei spotted Watanabe Kanbei and his father walking behind him on horseback, each carrying a gun. A boy in his early teens, going to the battlefield to do odd jobs and learn military knowledge along the way—it seemed to be a common practice in many countries at that time. After all, military education wasn't widespread, and without the guidance of one's father, it was quite difficult to acquire.

I wonder if this kid learned his marksmanship from his adoptive father, Watanabe no Tomo. To raise a son praised as a fierce man by both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Watanabe no Tomo must have been quite capable. However, he's getting on in years; you can see several wrinkles around his eyes now.

Unfortunately, the old are too old and the young are too young, so it's really hard to find a fierce general to lead the charge and break through the enemy lines.

Watanabe Ren noticed that Shichibei was looking at him and his son, and even nodded to Shichibei. After twenty years in the business, he had only just obtained the hereditary title of Chikō (a high-ranking official title) of 200 kan last year. Time had left its mark on Watanabe Ren. However, he was still quite satisfied. At least he had the Chikō title and an heir, so the family name could be passed down. He felt that his life had not been in vain.

Since he had already greeted them, Shichibei was inclined to ask if they knew a samurai named Todo Takatora, or Todo Yoemon. He loved Todo Takatora, who wouldn't serve two masters—that kind of "style" he admired most.

Historical records state that in his later years, Tōdō Takatora would suffer from excruciating pain whenever it rained, crying out in agony. After his death, his family, while cleaning his body, discovered it was covered in scars and numerous holes. It's estimated that he had even more scars than Ma Guocheng in the TV series "Yongzheng Dynasty," given the gruesome descriptions at the time.

When he was young, this guy was really fierce, the kind of tough guy who would charge ahead and fight for a gun.

In my memory, Takatora Todo participated in the Battle of Anegawa in history, which means that at this point, Takatora Todo should have been an adult and had come of age to take up arms and fight.

If he is a retainer of the Asai family, that's a pity, we'll have to wait and see. But if he's a local tyrant who rose up with Hori Hidemura to rebel against Asai Nagamasa's unification of Kohoku, then now is the perfect opportunity.

After all, Hori Hidemura had just been turned into a box and sent to Nobunaga for verification, so the local people in Kobe who were dissatisfied with Azai Nagamasa must have scattered.

As a wealthy landowner in Jiangbei, Watanabe Ren naturally knew many people in Jiangbei. When the Todo clan was mentioned, he pondered for a moment. Then he said that there was definitely no such person in Asai County or Ika County; if there were, he would definitely remember him.

If it is confirmed that the person was from Jiangbei, then he was most likely a local lord from Sakata and Inukami districts, who were responsible for the Azai Nagamasa rebellion. Many local lords from these two districts went to serve Hori Hidemura. Perhaps they have already died in the castle due to the great plague.

Ah!

No way!

It would be a real shame if Takatora Todo died in Sickle Castle. After all, his skill was undeniable; he was an excellent henchman. And it wasn't so much a matter of disloyalty, but rather a matter of having the magnanimity to treat him with the respect due to his abilities.