Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Harvesting and eating on the spot saved them the trouble of transporting military rations from Sakai and Kyoto. Transportation costs and other expenses were also saved.

Furthermore, by harvesting the rice, Bessho Yoshichika within Miki Castle would be unable to secretly obtain food supplements from the common people. This can be seen as a form of competition between Bessho Nagaharu outside the castle and Bessho Yoshichika within the castle for the eastern Harima territory.

To whom exactly did the farmers pay their annual tribute?

It was definitely handed over to Bessho Choji, who had a stronger military presence.

Why is it that Bessho Yoshichika's foreign aid, Kobayakawa Takakage, is still in Nishi-Harima, while Bessho Nagaharu's foreign aid, Kawamura Nagayoshi, has already reached the gates of Miki Castle?

"Where is Harima-no-kami?" Shichibei looked at the numbers and asked about the head of the other department.

"Meeting with the local officials and village servants." Takenaka Hanbei handed the brush to Shichibei, asking him to sign and confirm.

"Aww..." This is actually the important thing.

Winning over local powerful villagers and chieftains was a crucial part of the siege. If the surrounding populace was hostile, they might fill in or poison wells, dump the rotting remains of dead soldiers into rivers, burn houses and farmland, and dig up roads and dikes.

What kind of scene will it be?

This is a classic scorched-earth policy. After implementing a scorched-earth strategy, the difficulty for Kawamura's army to besiege the city locally will greatly increase. It is even possible that they will not be able to maintain the siege at all and will have no choice but to lift the siege and retreat.

Therefore, it was necessary for Bie Suochangzhi to leverage his bloodline and legitimate status to appeal to his fellow villagers on an emotional level. Even if he didn't expect them to enthusiastically come to his aid, he at least ensured they wouldn't side with either side.

Historically, Oda Ujiharu, the "Phoenix of Kanto," was driven out of Oda Castle and took refuge in Tsuchiura Castle. The people of Oda Castle secretly sent him annual tribute rice to help him accumulate strength and eventually retake Oda.

"Hey, everyone's here?" No sooner had Shichibei's shout faded than Ota Ushi...

Yi also lifted the curtain and came in.

Do you think everyone loves Shichibei? Actually, it's mainly because Shichibei never shortchanges himself when it comes to loving himself. In late autumn and early winter, when the cold wind blows and your hands and feet are freezing in the fields, Shichibei keeps several braziers of charcoal burning inside the camp. Because it's a thatched hut with a skylight in the roof, he's not afraid of carbon monoxide poisoning.

It's warm inside the thatched hut, isn't it? Everyone loves to come in here. Conditions are tough enough already, so what's wrong with sharing some charcoal?

You said Shichibei didn't give them any charcoal? They didn't get any charcoal, but they did get plenty of firewood, enough to keep warm in their tents or huts. It's just that there's so much to do while besieged, so they might as well come to Shichibei's place and chat and joke around.

Ota Niu—he came in, and everyone greeted him. Now everyone knew he was writing in his diary, so they asked him what news he had gathered today? Any interesting anecdotes? Even unofficial history would do, it's so boring.

“It is indeed something important.” Ota Niu sat down and put his legs next to the brazier.

Where?

"Amagasaki!"

The people on either side whispered, "This Amagasaki is the Amagasaki City of modern Japan. It is now a seaside town, originally belonging to Araki Murashige. As a port town like Hanakuma, it guarded the inland Arioka Castle (now Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture)."

Arioka Castle maintained contact with the Mori navy in Hanakuma thanks to Amagasaki. Oda Nobutada, Akechi Mitsuhide, Hoida Motochika, and Araki Murashige spent over two months fighting, discovering that the Mori army, though a ragtag bunch, was actually quite capable. Araki Murashige, in particular, put in an extremely valiant effort to protect his family.

So Mitsuhide advised Nobutada to strike at the heart of the matter. Hanakuma Castle has the Mori navy; without a navy, Hanakuma cannot be taken. Mori Araki's large army is gathered near Arioka Castle, so we should send a special force to launch a surprise attack on Amagasaki Castle, which is behind Arioka.

Araki Motokiyo, the lord of Amagasaki Castle, was not in the castle himself; he was leading troops at the front as the left garrison commander for Araki Murashige. His father-in-law, Tai Nagatsugu, remained behind, a man of mediocre talent and not a capable general.

Let's pull off a heist!

Nobutada wanted to ask his father, Nobunaga, for his opinion, since Nobunaga was in the vicinity of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple. But Mitsuhide countered, "If you ask the regent for today's battle, and then ask the regent again tomorrow, the regent will eventually die."

With a single sentence, Oda Nobutada made his decision, and Nobutada stared at Mitsuhide for a long time. He then immediately ordered his subordinate Kawajiri Hidetaka, along with local strongmen Takayama Shigetomo and Nakagawa Kiyohide, to launch a surprise attack on Amagasaki Castle that very night.

Needless to say, these three were quite capable, and five thousand cavalrymen galloped through the night. On Arioka's side, Mitsuhide and Nobutada also launched a strong attack, preventing Hoida Motochika and Arakimura from having the spare capacity to observe the battlefield.

That very night, Amagasaki, with only three hundred soldiers, was captured by Kawajiri Hidetaka.

The news quickly reached the front lines in Arioka, causing great shock to the Mori-Araki alliance. Already engaged in battle, their rear was cut off by the enemy, naturally destabilizing the morale of the troops at the front.

Having come this far, Oda Nobutada didn't need any instruction. He personally led his army in a fierce attack on the Mori army. Nobutada knew that while the Araki army was very anxious about losing Amagasaki, the fact that Arioka hadn't been lost meant things weren't too bad.

The Mori army was different; they needed to pass through Amagasaki, a port town on the coast, and travel along the coastal plain to reach Hanakuma.

The Mori army was bound to be shaken, and Oda Nobutada seized upon this wave of instability. Mitsuhide also deliberately gave the main credit to Nobutada, while he himself tackled the more difficult Araki Murashige.

After a brief skirmish, the Mori army fled in disarray toward the sea.

Nobutada led his troops in large numbers, constantly disrupting the rearguard of the Mori army. With Amagasaki falling and their retreat cut off, the Mori soldiers panicked and fled in disarray, with Hoida Motochika barely escaping with his life.

Katsura, who was covering the rear, was directly defeated by Oda's army. Many troops retreated to Hanakuma Castle, but there were not enough ships at the castle, so they had to first pull several thousand men back to Bitchu and Bitgo.

The remaining several thousand people crowded inside and outside Hanakuma Castle, crying out to heaven and earth in vain, terrified and completely disoriented. Suga no Tatsunaga, the Awaji naval forces who had defected to the Mori clan, retreated directly back to Awaji Iwaya Castle.

Under Oda Nobutada's command, the Oda army achieved a resounding victory. The Mori army's previous probing attack, though unsuccessful, had suffered minimal losses. This time, however, they not only suffered defeat but also lost over four thousand soldiers.

This was a devastating loss for Kobayakawa Takakage's Sanyodo army, a loss that would leave him heartbroken. Furthermore, Hoida Motochika's Bitchu forces also suffered heavy losses, significantly diminishing the Hoida clan's previous strength in Bitchu, which had been sufficient to suppress the Shimizu clan. They might no longer be able to further subdue the Shimizu clan in Bitchu.

News of the resounding victory spread throughout the capital region and the west in an instant.

The news of the country has now reached the ears of Shichibei and others.

In particular, Oda Nobutada first defeated Matsunaga Hisahide, then Hoida Motochika, beheading tens of thousands, greatly enhancing his military reputation and establishing numerous military achievements. Nobunaga, who was in the Kinai region, directly petitioned the Imperial Court, requesting that Nobutada be promoted.

He was promoted from fourth rank to Major General of the Left Guard.

421. Celebrating the New Year in June while besieged in the city.

In the spring of the sixth year of the Tianzheng era (1578), in the first month.

Everyone gathered inside the shrine to make rice cakes, venting their pent-up energy and passing the utter boredom. The siege of Sanmu had lasted six months, and both those inside and outside the city were beginning to tire.

After the typhoon season, Hashiba Hidenaga successively captured Kamiyoshi Castle and Kakogawa Castle, and then besieged Takasago Castle. Kakogawa River also entered its dry season, so he arranged for people to plant thousands of bamboo spikes; basically, he did everything he could.

Comparing patience is truly exhausting.

Every day was the same: facing the same earthen ramparts, the same fences, and the same unwashed, mud-covered soldiers. War is definitely not a romantic thing; it's a collection of filth, stench, decay, and stench.

"Is the red bean soup ready?" Shichibei called out to Shibata Nagakatsu, who was tending the fire.

"Heave-ho, heave-ho, heave-ho..." On the other side, Takatora Todo was swinging a wooden mallet, pounding rice cakes.

Japanese and Chinese mochi differ; Chinese mochi is mostly made with glutinous rice flour, while Japanese mochi is made by steaming glutinous rice and pounding it with a wooden mallet. But that's fine too.

It saves the grinding process, but it doesn't keep for long.

"Don't be stingy with the sugar." Lifting the lid, the red beans in the pot have been cooked until soft and tender, and can be served with rice cakes.

After saying that, Shichibei added a large bag of imported sugar. It was the New Year, and everyone was pretty thin. Eating a high-sugar diet now wouldn't cause diabetes.

Since it was his brother-in-law's food anyway, Shibata Nagakatsu quickly took the wooden spoon and stirred the sugar into the red bean paste. The sweet aroma filled his nostrils, and people around him sniffed it like flies rubbing their hands together.

"Toroh." Hara Nagayoshi came in carrying a large basket of winter bamboo shoots and greeted Todo Takatora.

In another pot, taro, mushrooms, and fish cakes are simmering. Fish cakes are a delicacy, made by mashing fish meat and mixing it with flour. Once you've chopped up some winter bamboo shoots and thrown them in, along with some soy sauce, you'll have a delicious pot of "Oden."

"The sake is here, the sake is here..." Mori Jiro carried a load on his left shoulder, with two wooden buckets in front and behind, which were clearly filled with cloudy sake.

"Alright, alright, make room for Jiro." Shichibei raised his foot and gave Sanada Masaki a little kick, of course, not a real kick, but with two big buckets coming, he had to move his butt.

Sanada Masaki didn't mind and immediately pulled out a winnowing basket from behind him.

The sake in the original barrel had to be strained before being bottled for everyone to drink. Sanada Masaki was the one who strained the sake. He took the barrel, and the bottles and jars were laid out, with bamboo sieves and wooden spoons all prepared.

It's a pity there's no fresh meat. Forget stewing meat, even stir-fried shredded meat would be good. But it has to be stir-fried with lard. Stir-fried water spinach, leafy greens, or even bean sprouts would be delicious.

After a lot of work, from afternoon to evening, everyone was finally able to enjoy this delicious meal.

Simple and easy, just a few dishes, a big pot of hot soup, and some people to chat with – that's enough to pass the time.

You ask why it's so easy? Wasn't it a tug-of-war with Bessho Yoshichika? Yes, only Bessho Yoshichika is left to put up the fight. Earlier, in the Battle of Amagasaki-Hanakuma, Oda Nobutada decisively defeated the Mori-Araki alliance, killing four thousand men and barely escaping with the life of the Mori general, Hoida Motochika.

The Mori navy, controlling Osaka Bay, dragged along the remnants of the Mori army, using oars so fine they could barely move, managing to haul about ten thousand men away from Hanakuma. However, they couldn't take them all; Araki Murashige had been driven into Arioka Castle by Akechi Mitsuhide, and Hanakuma Castle was the supply route to Arioka Castle, so it needed to be guarded.

The Mori soldiers who remained in Hanakuma Castle were in a state of limbo, their minds filled with thoughts of escape, yet unable to do so.

The morale of the entire Mori army in the Sanyo region was weakened by this battle, which in turn made it impossible for Kobayakawa Takakage to sustain his offensive in Harima.

Unable to advance further and with morale plummeting, Kobayakawa Takakage could only build fortifications at Ako Castle in Ako District, occupying this forward base. He reluctantly declared that he had captured Harima, at least securing a new territory in a district, which could be considered a "victory."

Yoshikawa Tsuneyoshi also retreated to Kozuki Castle, his territory, which he needed to defend. However, Yoshikawa Tsuneyoshi's presence in Harima caused a shift in the Mori army's main offensive direction, but that's another story.

With Kobayakawa Takakage's retreat, Hideyoshi weathered the greatest crisis of his life. He had originally intended to invite Shichibei to spend the New Year at Himeji Castle, but Shichibei declined, considering that almost all his retainers and allies were at Miki Castle. Hideyoshi then sent plenty of wine and food; he certainly understood why Shichibei hadn't accepted the invitation.

However, Hideyoshi has only barely weathered the crisis. Kodera Masatoshi is besieging Michiaki Castle in the north, and Miki Michiaki is besieging Eiga Miyabo Castle in the south. Harima is far from being completely pacified. Not to mention that Yoshikawa Tsuneyoshi's tens of thousands of men are still stationed at Kozuki Castle, and a major battle is inevitable.

To be fair, if Oda Nobuhiro had come to Harima back then, the whole situation would most likely have collapsed.

In the end, Nobunaga still chose Hideyoshi, sending his close sworn brother Oda Nobuhiro to Shinano, a region that had been shaved twice by both Takeda Shingen and Oda Nobunaga. Looking back at this arrangement now, it has to be said that Nobunaga's judgment of character was accurate.

While Oda Nobuhiro possessed considerable ability and could command thousands in battle, and his prestige as Nobunaga's elder brother was unquestionable, his performance in the high-pressure, high-intensity continuous battles of Harima would certainly not have been as good as Hideyoshi's.

He did go to Shinano, because the alliance between Oda Nobunaga and Uesugi Kenshin gave him a year and a half to develop. This is completely unlike Hideyoshi, who had to fight his way into Harima, and even after entering, he still had to fight. Now Harima has barely stabilized, and Shinano has even organized an army of over ten thousand men. Everyone has a bright future ahead of them, right?

Of course, Oda Nobuhiro is also busy now, because Azai Nagamasa finally broke through Kanazawa Gobo last September, formally destroying the Kaga Ikko-ikki regime. He supported his good son-in-law, Tokiwa Ietoshi, back to Kaga, which was perfectly justified.

Meanwhile, Uesugi Kenshin, who was observing from the sidelines at Noto Suemori Castle and Nanao Castle, took in a large number of Kaga Ikko-ikki members who had fled after their defeat.

Consistent with Nobunaga's own beliefs, his brother-in-law considered the deceased Jodo Shinshu followers to be true believers. Therefore, after conquering Kaga, he adhered to the principle of physical destruction: those willing to convert to other religions were spared; those unwilling to convert and insisting on living and dying with Amitabha Buddha were killed.

As a result, the Jodo Shinshu followers who learned that Uesugi Kenshin had taken in defeated soldiers flocked to Etchu and Noto to seek refuge with the Uesugi family.

The Ikko-Ikki uprising in Hokuriku has been going on for nearly a century, and it has become deeply intertwined with the land. A large number of local officials and clerks have become followers of Jodo Shinshu, and their fighting power is no less than that of ordinary feudal armies.

Moreover, these people also possessed the technology to produce saltpeter and the ability to manufacture iron cannons, which further enhanced their combat effectiveness.

Kenshin gathered no fewer than 12,000 strong and capable members of the Ikko-ikki. Moreover, he maintained considerable restraint, waiting until Azai Nagamasa had defeated Kanazawa Gobo, become an "enemy of Buddhism," and destroyed the Hokuriku Jodo Shinshu regime before choosing to wage war against the Oda clan.

Of course, they haven't officially turned against each other yet, but everyone knows that Uesugi Kenshin can use the Ikko-ikki as a preemptive strike to advance on Kaga.

Once the snow melts in the spring after the New Year, Uesugi Kenshin will surely launch a fierce attack on Kaga, and may even advance into Echizen. At that point, it will depend on whether Azai Nagamasa can hold out.

At the same time, it depends on whether Oda Nobuhiro of Shinano and Takigawa Kazumasu of Ueno can launch an attack on Uesugi's main territory of Echigo.

Oda Nobuhiro probably won't have to face Mitsui Kenshin directly, but he will have to deal with the Mitsukoshi elite troops. Good luck to him.

Overall, Oda Nobunaga's situation, which had worsened due to the challenge from the Mori clan, eased again. While figures like Takeda and Uesugi were undoubtedly skilled warriors with battle-hardened armies, they were far from Kyoto.

Kyoto was the seat of the so-called shogunate and the emperor. Whoever controlled Kyoto had the right to rule the world.

The reason why the Mori clan was able to cause such a huge upheaval and shock is because they were able to land in Settsu, enter the Kinai region, and pose a potential threat to Kyoto.

Look at Uesugi Kenshin, with his strong and well-equipped army, yet Nobunaga only instructed Azai Nagamasa to face it alone, and didn't concern himself with the rest. The attention he received was even less than that of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple.

Was it because he didn't have enough troops? Or was he incompetent? Neither.

It's because he couldn't break into Kyoto.

"This Miki Castle is really well-fortified." Shichibei drank a bit too much last night, and felt cold when he woke up this morning, probably because he was still hungover.

No, no, I still need to quit drinking. I'm getting older, I need to start taking care of myself. I need to eat and drink normally, supplement my protein intake, and exercise more. I should raise a few chickens and feed them at least two eggs a day.

"Hmm..." Biesuo Changzhi pursed his lips. This city was built by his ancestors and has been expanded and repaired by more than ten generations. No wonder it is difficult to attack.

But he couldn't say anything. The city belonged to his uncle, and many of the people were his former retainers. Now they had all rebelled, and the city was so difficult to conquer. Changzhi himself was in a difficult position.