Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"Last night, I received a complaint." Shichibei looked at Imai Munehisa with a smile, as if he didn't take it seriously at all.

"A complaint?" Imai Munehisa thought to himself that he hadn't offended anyone recently, and Shichibei's attitude was so friendly that he really hadn't expected it for a moment.

It wasn't until Shichibei stopped and grunted at Imai Munehisa that Imai Munehisa suddenly realized that his brother-in-law had reported him.

Damn it, this Kawamura Shichibei is planning to eat both sides, making a huge profit.

"Haha, it's not a complicated case, just a division of property." Although Shichibei was only 1.42 meters tall, the force with which he patted Imai Munehisa on the shoulder was immense, causing Imai Munehisa to be greatly shaken.

"Division of property? This...this...there's been some misunderstanding. I would be honored if Lord Kawamura could come to my humble abode for a meeting." Imai Munehisa quickly bowed to Shichibei. This was a long story.

"That won't be necessary. I only know one principle: too much of a good thing is bad." Shichibei still smiled, unhurried.

Then, laughing, he mounted his horse and easily left the town hall in Sakai, leaving Imai Munehisa alone, bewildered in the wind. Meanwhile, Shichibei on horseback was extremely pleased. See, with a little power, even one of the wealthiest merchants in all of Japan is treated like a dog.

. 123.

Meanwhile, Takeno Munekata, who was waiting at Shichibei's house, kowtowed repeatedly to Shichibei, bowing loudly. Even Tsuda Muneyuki, who was standing nearby, thought the kowtow was quite loud.

Before the three lay a small square box made of cypress wood, unbound by ribbon, its lid gently opened. Tsuda Munekichi, a master tea master, held an eggplant, or rather a tea caddy, in a silk handkerchief, presenting it to the three.

Its glaze has a honey-colored, simple and unadorned appearance. The ivory tea container lid is so secure that it won't easily fall off even when tilted, and it blends perfectly with the tea container itself.

Shichibei couldn't discern any quiet, profound aura, but the appreciation in Tsuda Muneyuki's eyes was unmistakable.

A famous thing in the world - Shaoou eggplant.

Chapter 334 Arguing for the sake of arguing will result in you paying 50,000.

After receiving a hint from Tsuda Muneyuki, Takeno Muneyuki almost without hesitation offered up the most important treasure left to him by his father—the Matsumoto Nasu (Sho'ou Nasu).

After all, offering up the Sōō eggplant would not only allow him to reclaim his family property but also to befriend Kawamura Chōkichi, a senior retainer of the Oda clan. His father's belongings were important, but his father had been dead for twenty years; it was better for his son to live a better life.

In fact, Takeno Jōō possessed quite a few tea utensils, and even some calligraphy and paintings left behind by Higashiyama Gōtō. However, Shichibei could be considered a gentleman who loved money but acquired it ethically; there was no need for him to steal all of his father's belongings. Having just one treasure was enough; Shichibei wouldn't need any more.

We're not tea connoisseurs, nor do we enjoy collecting tea, so we'll stop here.

After accepting the eggplant from Shoou without hesitation, Shichibei smiled and promised Takeno Munekazu that he would definitely help him get justice and properly judge their family's property division case.

The only difficulty in this case is whether Imai Munehisa can be considered Takeno Jōō's "adopted son-in-law". If he is, then Imai Munehisa can inherit most of the Takeno family's property in a very reasonable and legal way. Even if this matter is taken to the Muromachi Shogun, the same logic would apply.

In Japan, a son-in-law and an adopted son-in-law are not the same concept. A son-in-law is considered a semi-outsider, while an adopted son-in-law, after legal procedures, has the same inheritance rights as a biological son. In fact, if there is a clear will, the adopted son-in-law's inheritance rights are even greater than those of a biological son.

Takeno Shōō died too quickly and did not leave a will. Imai Munehisa could have claimed that he had obtained Takeno Shōō's last words, become his adopted son-in-law, and inherit the leather house.

Who were the witnesses at the scene when Takeno Shōō died of illness? Not to mention that twenty years have passed and most of the witnesses are dead, even if they are still alive, the primary witness is still Imai Munehisa.

Furthermore, with everyone at the Hideya store now working for Imai Munehisa, there's probably no one left loyal to the Takeno family. Who would be willing to step forward, offend Imai Munehisa, and side with Takeno Munekata, who hasn't shown any business acumen?

However, this is something that needs to be considered when determining who the retainers belong to.

If, just hypothetically, the leather shop, the storehouse, and all the shop assistants, servants, business network, and distribution channels were all awarded to Imai Munehisa, and Imai Munehisa paid Takeno Munekazu in cash a lump sum of 30,000 or 50,000 kan, then there would be no need to verify the authenticity of this "adopted son-in-law."

According to normal samurai law, if the previous head of the family dies and there are multiple heirs, and the eldest son has not been designated during his lifetime, or the eldest son has died, then the family property can be divided.

During the Edo period, there were numerous rulings ordering the division of property among feudal lords. For example, the Kuki family was split in two, with one lord moving from Shima Province to the inland area of ​​Tanba Province. This resulted in the complete disappearance of the Shima navy from Japanese history.

Shichibei's meaning wasn't directly stated, but rather conveyed to Takeno Munekazu through Tsuda Muneyuki: "Since you have neither people to manage your business nor reliable guards to protect your routes, you might as well take some money and become a wealthy man."

Outside, possessing 30,000 to 50,000 kan (a unit of currency) is like a child carrying gold in a bustling marketplace. But in Sakai, the situation is relatively peaceful, with some order and law. Shichibei, as the magistrate of Sakai, is responsible for cracking down on crimes such as theft, robbery, and fraud.

As for maintaining stability, regardless of how this stable order came about, at least on the surface, Shichibei will strongly maintain stability.

Furthermore, Takeno Munekazu has essentially become Shichibei's ally, establishing a relationship with him. As long as Shichibei remains in power, no one will dare to do anything to him.

The meeting continued the following day at the town hall in Sakai.

In just one night, almost all the members of the association knew about this property division case, and it had even been brought to the court of Oda clan elder, Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi.

Despite some of the members being in their sixties or seventies, they were all eager to arrive early. Accompanying them were their heirs, the head clerks of the shop, and others, filling the open space around the main building of the guild hall to capacity. Shichibei sat upright in the main seat, flanked by more than ten members who served as witnesses and jurors.

Imai Munehisa and Takeno Munekazu knelt in front of the house. The case file was kept in the town hall. After all, this wasn't the first time the case had been submitted to the town hall for adjudication. However, a verdict had never been reached before, as Imai Munehisa was the most powerful and influential patriarch in Sakai.

As we've discussed, "naya" in Japanese means warehouse. Many of the nayas in and around Sakai harbor belonged to Imai Munehisa. In a port city, you can't do business without warehouses. Sakai's land area is very limited; each plot is occupied by one person, making it virtually impossible to acquire a large plot of land to run a naya business independently.

Only a powerful dragon like Shichibei, backed by the might of Oda Nobunaga's 120,000-strong army, could possibly obtain new land in Sakai to build Kawamura-ya.

Therefore, the members of the previous association were simply unable to judge this case. They knew that Imai Munehisa was in the wrong, but no one wanted to offend him.

Only if Lord Qingtian and Shichibei arrive will it be alright.

The case presentation was very natural, and everything was in the case file. The point of contention was the adopted son-in-law. However, Shichibei didn't argue about the adopted son-in-law at all. He just asked one question: Did Imai Munehisa build his business from scratch, or did he take over his father-in-law Takeno Jou's business and gradually expand it?

Just focus on this one!

Regarding this point, everyone present was a witness, hundreds of witnesses. Everyone knew that Imai Munehisa was a tea ceremony disciple of Takeno Joo, which is why he married Takeno Joo's daughter.

In reality, Imai Munehisa was the third son of the Imai family. Given the clear tradition of a legitimate son inheriting the family business, he essentially had no right to inheritance. If there was a legitimate son, he would inherit everything. Only if there was no legitimate son would the property be divided among his sons and adopted sons-in-law.

The same applies to the Oda clan. The eldest son was Oda Nobutada, and even his half-brother Kitabatake Nobukatsu could only serve as Nobutada's retainer.

In front of hundreds of people, Imai Munehisa certainly couldn't say that his business was something he conjured up out of thin air; he could only admit that it was inherited from Hideya Takeno Shōō.

Of course, he also wanted to say that this portion of the family fortune had expanded many times over under his management. Unfortunately, Shichibei didn't want to hear any of this nonsense; he just wanted him to admit that the capital came from Takeno Jou's inheritance.

Inherited 10 billion from his father-in-law and turned it into 100 billion. If you dare to say you started from scratch, then you are truly a beast.

"Then let me ask you, what was the total value of Piwu back then?" That is, the total share capital, was it 100,000 or 80,000?

"This...this..." Imai Munehisa glanced at the crowd. Several of the older big bosses had connections with Takeno Sho'ou.

Twenty years is a long time, but not so long that not a single one of the old folks from back then remains at the scene. The key point is that Shichibei is also a big merchant; the operation of his trading houses, the hiring of his staff, and the pricing of weapons and equipment are almost all in his mind. It's easy to fool a samurai, but difficult to fool an equally shrewd big boss.

"At least 80,000 kan," Shichibei estimated.

Because Takeno Jōō was in the leather business, and due to the continuous wars of conquest during Japan's Sengoku period, the demand for leather was enormous. By monopolizing the leather shop business, Takeno Jōō quickly became incredibly wealthy.

He even managed to attach himself to the Wakasa Takeda clan's genealogy and offered 170 kan of silver to the imperial court to purchase a genealogy certificate and the official position of Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Inaba Governor.

It is said that their family may actually have been born into the Eta-hime family and worked as leatherworkers. However, Takeno Shōō was skilled in social maneuvering and business acumen, and it was only in his generation that they adopted the family name Takeno and transformed themselves into Minamoto no Asomi.

Tsk, as long as the price is right, even the poorest court at the time could have its officials recognized as officials of the Minamoto clan.

"No, no, no... sigh, almost..." Imai Munehisa was actually very clear that the total assets left behind by Takeno Shōō were definitely more than this.

But being a businessman by nature, he immediately wanted to refuse. However, everyone around him turned to look at him, eager to see how he would fabricate a story, portraying his father-in-law as a complete pauper.

"Very well, since that's the case, then I hereby order you to divide 30,000 strings of cash among yourself and give it to Takeno Shingoro!"

"Thirty thousand!" Upon hearing that so much working capital was to be withdrawn, Imai Munehisa was about to object immediately.

"How about it!" Shichibei raised an eyebrow, took out a folding fan, and pointed it directly at Imai Munehisa.

Since you acknowledge that the initial capital for starting the business belonged to Takeno Shōō, and that Takeno Shōō's initial capital was 80,000 yen, and now you're getting 50,000 yen and your brother-in-law is getting 30,000 yen, what more could you possibly want?

If you're still not satisfied, then I'll have to launch a double attack on you, both verbally and physically.

"Shingoro, do you agree?" Imai Munehisa remained silent, so Shichibei turned to ask Takeno Munekazu.

Takeno Munekazu originally received nothing; it was all taken by Imai Munehisa, leaving him only with a few of his father's belongings. Now, receiving 30,000 kan in cash is more than he could ever hope for. He certainly wanted it all, but Tsuda Muneyuki had advised him to know when to stop.

Today, Kawamura Nagayoshi has arrived, and he can even help you make decisions. But what if the Sakai daikan changes hands someday? Who will you turn to for help then?

If you're truly capable, even 30,000 strings of cash can grow into a fortune of 100,000 or 200,000 strings. If you're not capable, you'll just sit around and eat your way to ruin; you could never finish it all in a lifetime.

"Agreed, agreed, completely agreed." Takeno Munekazu quickly kowtowed to Shichibei to show his approval.

"And you, Naya?" Shichibei asked Imai Munehisa again.

"Thirty thousand is really..." Imai Munehisa still wanted to play the victim, but taking away thirty thousand kan in cash at once hurt him.

"Then forty thousand!" Shichibei looked around the room, and no one objected or said anything was inappropriate.

In fact, this is a matter of upholding justice, but in the past, people were unable to make a public ruling due to Naya's exclusive storage rights.

"What! Lord Kawamura, you can't do this!"

"The judgment now orders Naya to divide 50,000 kan among himself and Takeno Shingoro!" You little brat, you were just arguing with me, weren't you? Today I'll show you that I have over 4,000 troops at home, backed by Nobunaga's 120,000 men.

Tsuda Muneyuki quickly winked at Imai Munehisa, "Don't talk anymore, or the 80,000 will already be awarded to Takeno Munekazu." Although the 80,000 originally belonged entirely to Takeno Jou, it was only right that it be awarded to Takeno Munekazu.

"Yes...yes..." Imai Munehisa was almost in tears. He felt that he had encountered a great injustice. Shichibei was a beast.

My money!

My money!

My money!

"Very well, all those present, rise and submit this judgment. If anyone objects, object now. If anyone objects later, may they be destroyed by both gods and men, and executed at the gates of Sakai Prison."

Shichibei immediately instructed the assembled members, Satsuma-yayama no Souji, to draft a petition, which every single member present was required to personally sign. The petition was then sent to Nanso-ji Temple in Sakaimachi for safekeeping, where they would collectively swear an oath to all the gods and Buddhas.

Yamagami Sōji quickly bowed his head in agreement, took out paper and pen, and wrote down the matter of dividing the property of the leather house. Naya Munehisa received 30,000 kan, and Takeno Shingorō received 50,000 kan, as a vow to be forever.

Everyone present, including Imai Munehisa, whose eyes were already red-rimmed, signed their names one by one.

Chapter 335 Ikuno Ginzan Encounters Danger

Shichibei, having served as a righteous official for a time, returned home to Sakai and took out a shou eggplant to examine it. "This is what we earned by being a righteous official," he thought, "I feel perfectly justified, right?"

At this moment, Ashikaga Princess brought out tea and saw Shichibei examining the shogu eggplant. She asked him what kind of famous item it was.

Yes, she's the eldest daughter of the Ashikaga family. What kind of treasures hasn't she seen? The Ashikaga family has countless treasures in their collection, so naturally she can recognize this thing at a glance as the same as the one we have at home. In the future, if we have any treasures that need appraisal, just let her take a look and get a feel for them. She's probably more reliable than outside experts.

“Sho-ou eggplant, a favorite toy of the master craftsman Takeno Sho-ou.” Shichibei nodded casually.

Although he had no sexual feelings for Ashikaga Princess, Shichibei, as her husband in a practical sense, enjoyed her service and was quite at ease with it.

I've been supporting her, so what's wrong with her massaging my legs and shoulders?

“No wonder, it is quite similar to what I saw when I was in the Imperial Palace.” Ashikaga Princess nodded slightly, clearly having heard of Takeno Jōō’s reputation.

"By the way, do you know where all those famous items in your house are?" Talking about this made Shichibei no longer sleepy.

Of Oda Nobunaga's personal belongings, some were sent to heaven at Honno-ji Temple, while others were looted and burned at Azuchi Castle. As for Toyotomi Hideyoshi's personal belongings, after his death, some were bestowed upon his retainers and feudal lords, while the remainder were given to Yodo-hime and Toyotomi Hideyori, and then sent to heaven along with Osaka Castle.

But what about the Ashikaga family's treasures? Ashikaga Yoshiteru did die, but he died in battle, and the Nijō Palace didn't catch fire. Even the women of his household were allowed to escape the palace first. So what about the Ashikaga family's heirlooms, like Dojigiri Yasutsuna or the Okiun Daikai (a type of tea bowl)?

"Dojigiri Yasutsuna is with my brother, and Uchihaku Taikai is also with my brother." Ashikaga Princess's answer was unexpected.

"what?"

It was really unexpected. Wasn't it said that Ashikaga Yoshiteru, wielding Dojigiri Yasutsuna, killed dozens of Miyoshi Triumvirate bandits who came to suppress him? In the end, the Miyoshi Triumvirate bandits used a door to block his sword, and finally stabbed the swordsman general to death.

That sword was either in the hands of the Miyoshi Triumvirate or Matsunaga Hisamitsu, so how could it be in the hands of Ashikaga Yoshiaki? Also, how could Toukoku Daikai be in Ashikaga Yoshiaki's hands?

When Ashikaga Yoshiaki retreated from Makishima Castle to Wakae Castle, hundreds of boxes of his belongings were looted by the local lords in the Kinai region. That shouldn't have happened.