Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

What?

Referring to Oda Nobunaga's historical treatment of the Takeda clan, it's likely that once the Mori clan was defeated, the entire Mori family would be forced to shave their heads (i.e., behead their enemies). The Mori clan's control over western Japan was already limited, making it very convenient for them to embrace a new lord sent by the Oda clan.

"It's better than wasting my time in Luoyang." Ikeda Katsumasa seemed to have almost figured it out.

The key point is that during the Kanesaki retreat, Ikeda Katsumasa and Hashiba Hideyoshi fought side by side, creating a strong bond. Now, as a supporter, Ikeda is going to join Hashiba Hideyoshi, and Hideyoshi will undoubtedly accept him. In those days, when it came to appointing people, people from the same hometown, relatives, and old friends were always the first to be promoted. It was rare for someone like Nobunaga to appoint mercenaries like Takigawa Kazumasu, former shogunate retainer Akechi Mitsuhide, and all sorts of random local lords and ronin.

"It seems you've made up your mind, brother." Shichibei asked.

Can't you tell?

“I still need Shichibei’s help.” Then Ikeda Katsumasa moved forward and grabbed Shichibei’s arm.

"What's going on?!" Shichibei thought to himself that he didn't have any soldiers to lend to the Ikeda family; they had all been taken away by Hideyoshi.

“My useless younger brother has also been exiled, and we have some manpower.” Since Ikeda Katsumasa is determined to go to the Western Regions, he will only complain that there are not enough members of the Ichimonji faction.

Just a few days ago, Shichibei saw Araki Murashige, who, taking advantage of Oda Nobunaga's support, banished the lord he had enthroned, Ikeda Tomomasa. Those few remaining members of the Ikeda clan who refused to submit to Araki all became ronin.

When they were enemies, Katsumasa Ikeda and Tomomasa Ikeda probably wished they could kill each other. Now, however, they've both fallen on hard times, sharing a common nemesis, Murashige Araki. The two brothers have instantly gone from bitter enemies to kindred spirits.

At present, Ikeda Tomomasa also has the so-called "Ikeda Twenty-One Men", about two hundred samurai who have been colluded with through private contacts among his former retainers.

His two hundred samurai alone might not be enough. Once he also absorbs Ikeda Tomomasa's two hundred men, then Ikeda Katsuya...

There were four hundred core warriors. Each person could command five to ten foot soldiers and easily raise an army of three thousand.

Three thousand men fought for a year, were promoted and selected, and were taken in as ronin. It's not to say they could directly rule a large country like Owari. But they could completely suppress a territory like Bitchu with a population of around 100,000 koku.

"You want to borrow money?" Shichibei understood.

"Blind..." After realizing that Shichibei understood, Katsumasa Ikeda actually felt a little embarrassed and finally loosened his grip on Shichibei's hand.

Consider how strong and robust Ikeda Katsumasa is, while our Shichibei is only 1.42 meters tall. If he were to be forced onto him, he wouldn't even be able to resist.

But can Ikeda Tomomasa really be subdued to serve you, kid? It seems like money alone won't be enough to take over this force.

As it turned out, Katsumasa Ikeda was also courageous. He suggested that Shichibei be offered a salary of 2,000 koku and that Ikeda Tomomasa be appointed instead. With another useless little chatterbox to keep him company, Shichibei could finally relax.

I'm embarking on a grand adventure in the Western Lands with the samurai band I've acquired through conquest. Two thousand koku? Do I look like I'm worth two thousand koku?

But Ikeda Katsumasa also said that Shichibei is now considered part of Oda's faction.

The most powerful and influential retainers in the family. Look at Akechi Mitsuhide, Sakuma Nobumori, Niwa Nagahide, and others; they all started supporting their retainers, associating with tea masters and high-ranking monks, and even taking daughters of lower-ranking nobles as concubines to enjoy themselves.

You, Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi, have reached this position; you need to project an image of authority. If you have the ability but don't display it or flaunt it, you'll easily be looked down upon.

What kind of world is this, Shichibei? Don't you know? The stronger your sword, the more people fear you. The more luxurious your life, the more people envy you, and they'll even show you respect and fawn over you.

Since Ashikaga Princess has already been taken in as a concubine, what's wrong with taking in another former guardian as a retainer? They should take her in; she can be used as a doll to fill the space during banquets.

"Ten thousand kan, please. We can discuss other matters after you've secured the new territory, brother." Shichibei extended his hand, signaling Ikeda Katsumasa to stop talking.

Two thousand koku is fine; it's not too expensive to support a former governor. That's the quoted price. Just like Nobunaga supported Ashikaga Yoshihide with ten thousand kan, there's no need to actually give him territory; paying him one thousand kan in cash every year is enough, saving trouble.

"I am extremely grateful. If there is ever a nation that leads this country, all commercial rights will be granted."

"It's entirely up to you." Ikeda Katsumasa was certainly good at making empty promises; Zhang, come on then.

Just then, Shichibei mixed his newly minted coins with the existing Yongle Tongbao coins in circulation, giving half to Ikeda Katsumasa. He then instructed him to take the coins to the Western Regions to see if they could be widely adopted.

In the West, especially in regions where trade with Song Dynasty China was relatively prosperous, Song coins once circulated widely. However, as the damage to Song coins decreased, Ming coins are now being used instead. Let's use Katsumasa Ikeda to inject some new coins into the market and see how it reacts.

That very evening, I heard that Ikeda Katsumasa had gone to see Oda Nobunaga. Shichibei didn't receive details of their discussion, but he learned the outcome immediately. After all, "Chief Chamberlain" Shibata Nagakatsu was our sister.

Husband, Inase Sukeemon, the head of the "driver" errand boys, is the older brother of our brother-in-law, Inase Yoshinari.

Nobunaga was delighted and immediately ordered that Ikeda Katsumasa be given 5,000 kan and 200 arquebuses, and sent him to Hideyoshi as a retainer. Which country he ultimately promised to Ikeda Katsumasa remains unknown.

The next morning, as Shichibei prepared to attend the morning tea party, Ikeda Katsumasa had already delivered a letter, indicating that he...

Without further ado, we should first go to Settsu to receive his brother's retainers, and then immediately set off for Harima to participate in the war. We can recruit people along the way; by raising recruitment flags, we will have people to feed.

in such a hurry?

Unfortunately, Shichibei was busy and couldn't see him off. He had to go to the Right General's residence in Kamikyo an hour early to attend the tea party hosted by Nobunaga.

Upon arriving at the scene, I even spotted Hosokawa Saneyuki. The once-powerful Awa no Kami, arriving even before Shichibei, had fallen from grace, becoming Nobunaga's pet. After the attendants announced their names, Hosokawa Saneyuki greeted Shichibei. Approaching forty, Hosokawa Saneyuki was well-preserved, with a light beard, but unfortunately, his eyes weren't large, so he wasn't exactly handsome. He probably hadn't fully inherited his mother's beauty, but his fair skin made him a decent older gentleman, certainly better looking than most.

The two waited for a while, and then the Ōgosho Ashikaga Yoshihide arrived on horseback. Even more pitiful, the shogun of the Muromachi shogunate had to arrive early to wait for Nobunaga. Times have truly changed.

As for the tea party, the main topic of discussion was Nobunaga's promotion to Minister of the Interior. This was the surface-level arrangement; the real purpose was for Nijō Haruka to test Nobunaga.

Is he preparing to become the Grand Chancellor or the Grand General?

To undertake the task of "pacifying the realm" and establishing a new order of the world, one would need a respectable title and status. Nobunaga couldn't possibly abolish the Emperor. Therefore, he could only find a position below the Emperor. Even if he truly proclaimed himself "Overlord" and established a powerful government, he would still need to go through the proper procedures and make an official announcement.

Shichibei and Akechi Mitsuhide stood silently to the side, while Ashikaga Yoshihide and Hosokawa Saneyuki acted as if they were invisible, staring intently at the vase in the center. It was an ordinary Song Dynasty slender-necked vase, made of celadon; it was impossible to see anything special about it.

Nobunaga, for reasons unknown, made a pact with Nijō Haruyoshi to settle the matter of the Minister of the Interior by the end of the year. He also agreed to present the Imperial Court with 2,000 kan of repair materials as a token of gratitude. Furthermore, all the court nobles would receive a gift of five kan of silk and five kan of silver each.

"Giving money is great," Nijo Haruyoshi thought, and he was about to accept the money without hesitation. But when Nobunaga said that the Seiryoden Palace had been built at Azuchi Castle and that the Emperor was invited to visit it, Nijo Haruyoshi withdrew his outstretched hand.

However, when the Emperor visited the homes of powerful ministers, it was, in a sense, an important symbol of the transfer of ruling power.

The Emperor visited Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Jurakudai residence and also visited...

It's highly likely that Tokugawa Hidetada's Nijo Castle was built after Nobunaga requested the Emperor to visit it.

So much so that before the Meiji Restoration, the Tokugawa Shogunate first staged the Taisei-no-Mae (Great Seal of Government).

Furthermore, Emperor Komei subsequently relinquished power to the shogunate. In an instant, the anti-shogunate faction lost all its legitimacy.

If Emperor Komei had not been poisoned by Iwakura Tomomi, the anti-shogunate faction in Japan would have been pure rebels, rebels in the shogunate and rebels in the imperial court.

That's the gist of the matter; Nobunaga put it rather forcefully. Although he didn't intend to abolish the Emperor, he was determined to idolize him and ensure that all government orders came from his own line of command.

Much like in history, this world also witnessed two major events: the debate over the silk robe and the debate over the separate appointment of the Kofuku-ji Temple. This can be understood as Nobunaga's considerable dissatisfaction with the chaotic management and appointment of the monks in the Imperial Court's remaining territory, namely the temple.

Through this incident, they effectively seized control of the mountain gate.

As we mentioned before, the last Buddhist registrar of the Muromachi Shogunate had been dismissed by Nobunaga. This meant that thereafter, the administration of Buddhist and Taoist affairs in the country was placed under the control of Nobunaga and his appointed temple and shrine administrator, Takei Yuan.

In later Japan, there was a very long-running film and television IP called *Ōoku*. Its first protagonist, Manorikoji Yukō, inherited the position of head of a temple. At the behest of the shogunate, he went to Edo to pay homage to the shogun and complete the appointment process. However, his handsome looks caught the eye of Kasuga no Tsubone, who forced him to leave the monastic life and become the male concubine of Shogun Iemitsu.

Respecting the Yamato court is one thing, but stripping the court of all its power and influence is another.

Until the mid-Muromachi Shogunate, about one-third of the court nobles and imperial households in Japan still operated well. The complete loss of power and wealth for the Japanese Emperor only occurred in the last few decades. Before that, even in dire straits, the Emperor could still enjoy a life of luxury and indulgence, provided he ensured his own safety.

of.

The Emperor and his court nobles completely lost all worldly power and were reduced to mere rice...

The practice of granting purple robes to officials was completely blocked until the time of Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Basically, it wasn't until the early to mid-Tokugawa Shogunate that the old power group of the Emperor and court nobles was ready to be eliminated.

Right now, it's still in the process of gradually peeling away its layers and causing it to fall.

The establishment of the Universal Order and the utilization and suppression of the Yamato court, which were only the remaining flesh and blood on the ruins, were carried out simultaneously.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the three people of the world had sometimes close relationships with the court and sometimes distant relationships.

Chapter 383 Preparatory Meeting: All Attendees

Nijo Haruyoshi's relationship with Nobunaga was so-so that he didn't dare to do anything, and instead ran off to find Konoe Maekawa. Konoe Maekawa and Nobunaga were like two peas in a pod, they got along quite well, so he asked Konoe Maekawa to come and continue to entangle with Nobunaga.

Very good, they're having a direct confrontation between the king and the prince. This avoids situations like Shichibei or Akechi Mitsuhide, ministers who have no real power and are essentially just running errands.

If you handle this matter well for Nobunaga, it's simply a matter of understanding his wishes. But if you fail to do so, Nobunaga will really punish you.

It's clear that Mitsuhide Akechi had the same idea; he was a workaholic, but not an idiot.

He clearly understood what to do hard and what to avoid.

Since Nobunaga hadn't mentioned him by name, what was he still doing in Kyoto? He quickly pulled Araki Murashige along and prepared to drive Araki's army to attack Naito Joan and Utsu Yorishige. The goal was to subdue Tanba next year and Tango the year after.

I wonder if Katsumasa Ikeda's haste in leaving Kyoto was to avoid Araki Murashige's blatant presence in the city. Perhaps that's the reason; if the two were to meet...

They're bound to have a big fight eventually.

When the time comes, both sides will fail and commit seppuku.

Haha, enough with the thought. In the blink of an eye, Shichibei met Ikeda Tomomasa. His brother had stripped all of Ikeda's retainers of their power, leaving only three old men, along with several hundred elderly, women, and children, who had come to Kyoto to pay their respects to Shichibei.

Because Katsunaga Ikeda was going to fight in Harima, he couldn't bring his family along, so he left them all with Tomomasa Ikeda. Tomomasa Ikeda felt guilty towards his brother, so he had no choice but to accept and couldn't refuse.

Anyway, Shichibei is paying him a stipend of 2,000 koku, which is enough to feed a few hundred people. I just don't know if this guy is good with words. He comes from the Settsu governor's family, so he shouldn't be unable to hold a conversation.

Tomomasa Ikeda, in his thirties, resembled his brother by six or seven points, though he might be less brave. He was first used as a puppet by Araki Mura, only to be deposed and exiled a few years later, making him somewhat of a clown. He didn't look like a strong or decisive person; his face was full of disappointment and helplessness.

The change from being the governor of Settsu to a diner with a salary of 2,000 koku is indeed quite significant.

But Shichibei had no time to comfort him; a few days in Kyoto would be fine. Didn't you see that even the Shogun had to arrive at the tea party early to wait for Nobunaga? And Hosokawa Saneyuki, the Guardian of Awa, arrived an hour early, just like Shichibei. You think you're experiencing a big drop in mood? Their drop in mood is much bigger than yours.

We chatted for a bit, and it was alright. At least he was able to adjust after experiencing such a major upheaval, and could still say things like he was entirely thanks to Shichibei's help. The psychological shock was significant, but it didn't seem to have affected this guy's judgment; he knew how to say the right thing to the right person.

Historically, his great-grandson served as a page to Tokugawa Iemitsu and eventually became a high-ranking official (2,008 koku). The lineage continued until the seventh year of the Meiji era, when the main family line ended. He was quite skilled at serving others.

However, their family seemed to have very little control over their retainers. Not to mention that Ikeda Katsumasa was actually exiled after Araki Murashige rebelled, Ikeda Tomomasa's adopted son Mitsushige originally served Toyotomi Hideyori, but was also exiled because a retainer offended Hideyori.

The reason is not complicated. At Osaka Castle, an incident occurred where Hideyori was cursed by a shrine maiden, and he ordered her arrest. There was, of course, more than one shrine maiden; one of them had lent money to Sekiya Hachiro, a retainer of Ikeda Mitsushige, and therefore asked him to go into hiding.

She, or

Send him away.

Sekiya Hachiro had slept with this shrine maiden and had a past affair with her. After much deliberation, he decided to take advantage of her. His plan was simple: he would have the shrine maiden impersonate the maid of Ikeda Mitsushige's wife, and then they could easily escape the city.

Why did Mitsushige's wife help him? Because Sekiya Hachiro slept with Mitsushige's wife too, and the two were having an affair.

After the affair was exposed, Toyotomi Hideyori only executed Sekiya Hachiro, the priestess, and Lady Mitsushige, but spared Ikeda Mitsushige by exiling him. This was probably because Ikeda Mitsushige was both betrayed by his retainers and cuckolded by his wife, which made him very pitiful.

Alright, Shichibei won't prepare any more accommodations for Ikeda Tomomasa and his retainers at Azuchi Castle. They can simply stay at Ikeda Katsunaga's residence in Kyoto. Whenever Shichibei comes to Kyoto for meetings or business, Ikeda Tomomasa can act as his retainer, providing support and patronage.

One day, when Ikeda Masaru conquers half a country in the west, his family members will most likely have to migrate to the new territory to reunite with their loved ones.

First, allocate 500 koku of rice and 200 kan of cash to Ikeda Tomomasa, and let him...

He settled down, and the other Shichibei were no longer his concern. He was just a decorative figurehead; no tasks were assigned to him, and he could simply live a beautiful life.

Shichibei himself went to Sakai to gather the business representatives of the towns and cities within the Oda system who were under his considerable influence, or even directly controlled, and to reach a consensus.

When the wealthy merchants from all over Japan arrive next year after receiving Shichibei's invitation, Shichibei will at least have a head start in terms of prestige.

Don't blame Shichibei for speaking up first; that's just how people are. To put it more elegantly, it's about equality above "I" and a clear hierarchy below "I." To put it bluntly, it's about demanding one person, one vote, and democracy because I'm not in power. But if I were in power, then to hell with it! I'd govern in accordance with the national conditions and with high efficiency.

To establish a "Japanese Federal Reserve," infighting, exchanges of interests, and checks and balances are inevitable. Shichibei, as the most powerful and influential businessman with the strongest backing, is determined to seize control.