Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Nagashima is now in the midst of starvation. The Takeda clan has reconciled, the Shogun has been exiled, and the Miyoshi Triumvirate has become the Miyoshi Two. Apart from the monk Kennyo of Ishiyama Honganji Temple, who can still muster 20,000 to 30,000 men to fight Nobunaga, everyone else has weakened.

Upon hearing that the mission would take place at the end of summer, Tōdō Takatora was delighted. He reached out and gently moved the two children, who were climbing him like a small mountain, onto the tatami mat, asking Shichibei to make sure he was taken along.

Even if you bring it along, it doesn't necessarily mean you can actually participate in battle. Shichibei is Nobunaga's main source of wealth; other functions are secondary.

Covering the rear is extremely rare; it's not usually Shichibei's turn to do it. If Hideyoshi were here, he would definitely be eager to do it. He really put in a lot of effort; he and Nobunaga had a great relationship.

Then Todo Takatora excitedly took his leave, and nothing anecdote occurred, such as Shichibei noticing a hole in his retainer's sock and sending him money or socks after dark. Todo Takatora simply didn't wear socks, taking off his straw sandals before entering.

So sometimes a bucket of water is placed by the door, specifically for people to wash the dirt off their feet. This saves the homeowner from having to sweep the floor again because your feet are muddy.

"Is there anything going on in the city?" The young general, somewhat disappointed that he hadn't been able to arrange the marriage, turned to ask Shichibei.

"It's nothing, it's just that His Highness Ōkōchi has some miscellaneous matters to attend to." Kamioka Ginzan's story is for later, and there's no need to publicize it now.

The young admiral was a typical woman from Owari Province, and her group had a circle around Gifu Castle. They would gossip about this family and that family, often spreading all sorts of random stories. It was a way of maintaining relationships, and they seemed to enjoy chatting about it endlessly. Sometimes they would even go to the Totani Residence to chat with Lady Nohime.

"Has the lord not calmed down yet?" Sensing the scent of gossip, the young general's expression changed.

"He'll probably be in seclusion for at least two or three years; it's unlikely he'll be given a prominent role in the short term."

"Tsk tsk tsk, this young master is really..." In the end, the young general was sensible. Asking about things was one thing, but giving his opinion was not.

"It's best to say less." Nobunaga's current anger towards Nobuo may not be what it is in the future.

"I understand, I understand." How could the young major general not understand?

After seeing off a large group of children, Shichibei finally calmed down and realized he still needed to reconcile the accounts with Inase Yoshinari. As the head of the business, he needed to keep a close eye on the shop's finances at all times.

Since it was a familiar task, Inase Yoshinari brought over Shichibei's abacus and accounts, and quietly knelt down beside him, watching Shichibei sort them out.

During the Edo period, Kyoto and Osaka were the production hubs, while Edo was the consumption hub. A merchant house could maintain a bi-weekly accounting system by setting up branches in both cities. Osaka's rice futures market was particularly dynamic, evolving rapidly and transmitting information at an extremely fast pace.

Now that Shichibei is deployed in battle and only handles accounts in peacetime, it's already considered slow and lax.

"Master, it's a big deal, a really big deal!" Just as they were halfway through their calculations, a waiter led the Flying Kick gang in.

"What is it?" Shichibei asked, pressing down on the abacus and looking up.

"A major upheaval has occurred in Bo Province. The Awa Guardian Hosokawa-dono and the Deputy Miyoshi-dono have attacked and killed Shinohara Nyudo Shiun, the head of the Miyoshi clan in Bo Province." The Flying Kick Gang, who had come specifically for this purpose, indeed brought explosive news.

Shinohara Nagafusa, the head of the Miyoshi clan of Hashu Province, who had long supported the Miyoshi Triumvirate's campaigns in the Kinai region and was able to mobilize an army of over 20,000, finally overplayed his hand and was killed by a joint attack from Miyoshi Nagaharu and Hosokawa Saneyuki. The killing was of the entire family, including the father, sons, and all the followers.

The Miyoshi Triumvirate and their forces, which could once rival Nobunaga and command 30,000 to 40,000 men at a time, are now completely finished. Not only has Iwanari Tomomichi defected to the Oda side, but now even the pillar Shinohara Nagafusa is gone.

"As expected..." Shichibei thought to himself that the internal strife in Awa Province had completely erupted, and the forces of Awa and Sanuki had now been completely withdrawn from the stage of vying for supremacy.

However, this direction is being handled by Niwa Nagahide, and he must have already received the news. He is probably currently climbing the castle to report this good news to Oda Nobunaga.

He ordered the messenger, Hikatsu-kun, to immediately return to Sakaimachi and request their assistance in ascertaining the details of Awa's situation. All they knew was that Shinohara Nagafusa had been killed, an anti-Nobunaga figure, but it was uncertain whether his killer was a supporter of Nobunaga.

Perhaps Nobunaga will ask about this once he finds out.

Chapter 292 The Old Strategy of Using a Borrowed Knife to Kill

Just as Shichibei had predicted, after killing Shinohara Nagafusa, Miyoshi Nagaharu's first step was to strengthen the authority of the Miyoshi clan in Awa and Sanuki provinces, and to revive the indomitable spirit of his father, Miyoshi Yoshikata, who killed anyone who stood in his way, even Hosokawa Mochitaka, who was protecting Awa.

Unfortunately, he had his father's ambition, but not his father's ability.

Moreover, the method he devised was truly incomprehensible: he ordered the entire nation to convert to the Lotus Sutra sect. His attempt to strengthen his authority in this way is simply indescribable.

His younger brother, Togawa Moriyasu, the governor of Sanuki, together with Kagawa Norikage, Kōsei Kazaki, and other prominent figures in Sanuki, wrote a joint petition to him, advising him against his actions.

The outcome was obvious: Miyoshi Nagaharu ignored them completely and even publicly issued an order to recruit 3,000 Kii mercenaries (including 1,000 arquebusiers) to prepare for an attack on the Sanuki Kagawa and Kōsai clans.

Well, things have escalated so quickly that there's practically no chance of a peaceful resolution.

Just as Shichibei's client was doing his best to search for intelligence in Sakai, Niwa Nagahide extended an olive branch to Sogawa Tsutomu through Izumigishi Wada Castle lord, Matsuura Magohachiro, son of former Sogawa Kazumi, and the chief retainer Matsuura Nobuteru.

They were trying to win over Sogawa Masayasu to Oda's side, so that Sanuki and Awa could attack each other. In the short term, let alone raising another 20,000 troops to land and attack Nobunaga, they couldn't even manage their own internal affairs.

"Speak up, everyone..." Faced with this sudden and significant good news, Nobunaga summoned all his legion commanders back to Gifu.

There are two things going on: one is the advance into Echizen at the end of summer, and the other is the internal strife within the Miyoshi clan of Hōshū Province that is happening right now.

"Togo Sonrokuro (Muraku) doesn't seem particularly interested in being courted by the main family." Niwa Nagahide, who was in charge of this area, was the first to speak.

After all, Sogo Masayasu and Miyoshi Nagaharu are brothers, and there was no real animosity between them before. He was merely advising his older brother, and trying to get him to change his mind was bound to be difficult.

But these things happen during Japan's Sengoku period, you know; anything can happen.

Shichibei, whose rank was just below several army commanders, also felt that with the death of Shinohara Nagafusa, the leading figure against Nobunaga, perhaps he could win over Miyoshi Nagaharu.

One's stance is often constantly and flexibly adjusted in response to changes in the situation and the varying demands made by different parties.

In a few years, when Miyoshi Nagaharu is fiercely attacked by Chosokabe Motochika, he might regret not surrendering to the Oda clan now. Not only would his Awa province be preserved, but he might also gain further merit and acquire even more territory.

After all, those who act as collaborators with Nobunaga will at least get a few scraps from him; he won't be stingy. Ukita's family defected and joined Oda in fighting the Mori, thus increasing their own value. Even Mimasaka was partially blocked by Nobunaga.

"What? He wants the entire Awa province?" Since Shikoku is remote, Nobunaga wouldn't care even if he gave the entire Awa province to Sogawa.

In the current Kyoto court, going to Tosa would be no different from exile. Tosa in Shikoku is synonymous with a poor, remote mountain village, without a doubt.

"It seems that he still harbors loyalty to Miyoshi Awa no Mamoru."

"Hmph." Nobunaga simply smiled. It wasn't impossible, but the probability was extremely low.

In Japan, it's perfectly normal for high-ranking feudal lords and powerful clans to switch sides three to five times throughout their lives, changing their stance in various ways. Even the regent Konoe Sakihisa went from being anti-Oda to pro-Oda.

The renowned Sanada Masayuki, who even had a Taiga drama made specifically for him, was known as a man of both outward appearance and inner thoughts. How many years? It seems like two years. He moved back and forth five or six times, each time assessing the situation and managing to preserve the Sanada family in the cracks.

As for the so-called Bushido and loyalty, well, they were mainly requirements and constraints imposed on lower-ranking samurai.

Even if they were brothers, Nobunaga's younger brother Nobukatsu didn't rebel? His older brother Nobuhiro didn't rebel? It's just a matter of fact, don't take it too seriously, everyone just knows what's going on.

"Why not try a different approach?" Shichibei suddenly thought of something as he listened to them talking about it.

Sogo Masayasu's reluctance to defect to Oda might genuinely stem from his concern about being brothers with Miyoshi Nagaharu. While many brothers quarrel, others are united in purpose and their strength can be unbreakable. Examples include the younger brothers who supported Takeda Shingen, Tadahide who supported Ukita Naoie, and Chikashige who supported Mimura Iechika.

Now that Sogo Tsuneyasu is unwilling to turn against his own brother, he might as well turn against his cousin, since his cousin doesn't really have any feelings for him anymore.

"Go ahead," Nobunaga said, pointing at Shichibei to indicate that he should speak freely.

“If we agree to his promise and capture Wakae Castle, we can obtain half of Hanoi.” Shichibei turned to face Nobunaga.

Now, to the north of Hanoi is Yusa Nobuyoshi of Iimori Castle, who has returned from the war; to the south is Hatakeyama Akio of Takaya Castle, a trusted confidant; and in the middle is Miyoshi Yoshitsugu of Wakae Castle, who has taken in Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

"Good!" Nobunaga immediately applied what he had learned to other situations.

If Sogawa Moriyasu were to capture Wakae Castle and, incidentally, kill the former shogun, Lord Yoshiaki, it would indeed be a great achievement for Nobunaga, worthy of a reward of half the province.

Nobunaga himself certainly wouldn't want to get involved in the dirty work of killing a shogun or a former shogun. But he could let someone else do it. If Nobunaga didn't punish someone else this month, it would be quite normal for him to reward them with 100,000 koku next month because they stepped through the gate with their left foot first.

How did Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming emperor next door, treat the Little Ming King? Liao Yongzhong is the best person to answer this. He went to welcome the Little Ming King, but the Little Ming King "unfortunately" drowned in the Yangtze River halfway there. Not only was Liao Yongzhong not punished, but he was also granted the title of Marquis of Deqing.

The subsequent killing for overstepping the bounds is another matter entirely; in any case, Liao Yongzhong was not punished for drowning Xiao Mingwang.

"Goro, do as Shichibei says. Promise him half of Kawachi Province. If he refuses, add Izumi District." Nobunaga immediately began to make promises. He was very skilled at making promises. Anyway, the land was not in his hands, so he just started making promises first.

"Yes, sir." Niwa Nagahide first bowed his head in response, then turned to Shichibei to indicate.

Shichibei was merely talking; the actual work of winning over Togawa Moriyasu was done and promoted by Niwa Nagahide. Therefore, there was no question of competing for credit; whatever Niwa Nagahide did to win him over was his achievement.

"The other three, Miyoshi Yasunaga, can also be dealt with at the same time." Nobunaga thought for a moment, then mentioned Miyoshi Yasunaga again.

Previously, Miyoshi Yasunaga had already considered switching sides from the Miyoshi Triumvirate, but now that the Miyoshi family in Hashu has encountered trouble, since Miyoshi Nagaharu is not siding with Nobunaga, then a Miyoshi of the Miyoshi clan needs to lead the way in the attack on Hashu.

Miyoshi Yoshitsugu also rebelled. Miyoshi Nagahisa and Miyoshi Masayasu were still enemies of Nobunaga. So, who was qualified to be a collaborator? It was Miyoshi Yasunaga.

“I’ll grant you…” Niwa Nagahide had to find out Nobunaga’s price.

"Half of the province of Hōshū, no, 50,000 koku of the Kinai region." Nobunaga seemed to have other considerations.

Within the Miyoshi Nagayoshi regime, Miyoshi Yasunaga was not actually an independent legion commander; he was merely a member of the Miyoshi clan who fought alongside other generals. His stance consistently aligned with the Miyoshi main family, partly due to his own lack of strength, which forced him to act alongside the main force.

Now, suddenly offering him what he calls half of Bo Province makes it seem like Nobunaga can't do without him. This might cause him to raise his price, becoming hesitant and unwilling to come, hoping to sell himself for a higher price.

After all, the Miyoshi clan was once considered the "Vice-King of Japan," and could be said to be the ruler of the previous generation. At its peak, they controlled a territory of no less than two million koku and commanded the shogunate and other warlords.

The surname "Miyoshi" still carries some weight in the Kinai region today. So many people with the surname Miyoshi are against Nobunaga; if Nobunaga could win over even one Miyoshi, it would be a huge blow to the enemy's morale.

Amidst the internal strife within the Miyoshi clan of Hōshū, Oda Nobunaga and his senior retainers further analyzed the situation in Settsu, Izumi, and Shikoku.

It is highly likely that this conflict between Miyoshi Nagaharu, Hosokawa Saneyuki and Shinohara Nagafusa will directly affect the forces of Miyoshi Masayasu and Miyoshi Nagayuki, who have finally gained a small base in Settsu.

How many kan did the territory in the Settsunoda-Fukushima area even amount to? If it weren't for the persistent assistance from Kennyo Shonin of Ishiyama Honganji Temple and Shinohara Nagafusa of Awa, they would have starved to death long ago.

Miyoshi Nagaharu killed Shinohara Nagafusa, which is tantamount to killing the very source of livelihood for Miyoshi Masayasu and his ilk. If you were Miyoshi Masayasu, you might have already raised an army, sailed back to Awa, and given Miyoshi Nagaharu a good slaughter.

The power of the Miyoshi family cannot be said to have shattered; it should be said to have been completely shattered into pieces.

The death of Miyoshi Nagayoshi had previously sparked a large-scale internal power struggle within the Miyoshi clan, effectively eliminating Oda Nobunaga's greatest enemy on his march to Kyoto. This freed Nobunaga from facing the entire Miyoshi clan, as well as the 100,000 elite troops that had come from the Kyukoku territories.

The shattered Miyoshi clan continued its struggle against Nobunaga, twice threatening Kyoto. However, internal strife within the Awa clan, already riddled with cracks, ultimately led to the clan's collapse.

Time and life.

Alright, let's return to the matter of Asakura Yoshikage. The order to march into Echizen has already been issued to all the corps commanders. Apart from Mori Yoshinari, who needs to support Hatakeyama Akitaka, even Hanawa Naomasa, who was just assigned to Yamashiro, will have 2,000 men mobilized to go with him.

Nobunaga was now determined to completely destroy Asakura. Ichijodani Castle was a renowned fortified castle, and a siege would likely result in many deaths. Even without a direct assault, simply establishing siege fortifications would require a large army to encircle it.

If nothing unexpected happens, even Azai Nagamasa from Jiangbei and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who has just recovered Mikawa, will have to gather a few people to participate in the siege of Ichijōdani Castle.

No less than 50,000 men were under Nobunaga's command. If 50,000 men surrounded Ichijodani, Asakura Yoshikage would have no chance of survival unless he grew wings on his ribs.

It's truly unexpected that the most proactive Hideyoshi Hashiba would be chosen as the vanguard commander. Hideyoshi, who is about the same height as Shichibei, has actually been given such a high-ranking position. Hideyoshi even humbly declined, saying he would definitely claim all the credit for the victory with his spear and chariot.

"Then I wish you success!" The legion commanders and senior retainers laughed heartily. Hideyoshi was a typical Owari resident, just of humble origin; even the man sitting next to him, Kawamura Shichibei, was a former stable boy.

Further down the line, there's Takikawa Kazumasu, a mercenary leader who just returned from wiping out a small, active local gang. According to the prisoners, they were after the wealth of Kitabatake Gukyō of Misegaya and were short of money for the winter, so they attacked and killed him.

Justified and convincing.

Never underestimate these dynamic local groups in Japan. Historically, Ashikaga Yoshiaki was exiled from Makishima Castle by Nobunaga, who allowed him to leave with his personal belongings.

Guess what? Halfway there, the local farmers saw Ashikaga Yoshiaki with only about a hundred guards and a large amount of luggage. They immediately formed a "kyuu" (a mutiny) and rushed forward to rob Ashikaga Yoshiaki of all his belongings.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki, like a fallen phoenix, was no better than a chicken. He used the pretext of demanding money for military rations from Mori Terumoto to try and get some living expenses from him. Mori Terumoto completely ignored him, giving him no face whatsoever.

Later on, Japan kept talking about certain localities with aging populations and low birth rates, even those that might disappear on their own. Then, some young people who wanted to move there were secretly forced, intimidated, and driven away by local groups.

The reason is simple: municipalities that are about to disappear or have insufficient income can receive a transfer payment from Tokyo's central treasury. There are many pretexts for this, whether it's for revitalization or for maintaining stability, the money is there.

Local cliques were terrified of losing the money, so they ostracized young people and outsiders who moved in. Even the Japanese police didn't dare intervene, since they were likely to actually stab you in the back in the middle of the night.

Given the installation situation of security cameras in rural Japan, you can get caught in the act all you want, but no one will actually catch you.

By the way, our adoptive father-in-law, Oda Nobuhiro, can now sit and attend military council meetings. However, he doesn't seem to be able to mount a horse for the bumpy ride of battle, so it's highly likely that his troops will have to be temporarily placed under the care of Shichibei.