Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

In conclusion, due to the death of Uesugi Kenshin, the Oda clan's strategy towards the Uesugi clan also needs to be changed.

The very next day, news arrived that Hojo had advanced into Ueno and, together with Hojo Takahiro, had defeated Takigawa Kazumasu. Fortunately, Hojo Ujiteru's heart was not in Ueno, but rather in Echigo, where he was quickly consolidating his position as the younger brother, Uesugi Kagetora.

Very well, the Hojo clan is fearless, daring to provoke the Oda clan. However, this has changed the Oda clan's position in the eastern provinces. They now need to be wary of Uesugi—the Hojo clan's sworn brother.

"My lord summoned me to the capital?" Nobunaga's retainer appeared before Shichibei.

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"It's not just you; all the princes are among those summoned." The attendant also spoke frankly, saying that with such a major event occurring in the eastern country, Nobunaga needed to hear the opinions of his key retainers on how to intervene and mediate.

"Understood." Shichibei responded briefly, gave his attendant a small gold coin, and then quickly packed his things and headed to Kyoto.

Rushing to Kyoto, Mitsuhide and Nobutada were already waiting for him. Soon after, Sakuma Nobumori and Niwa Nagahide also arrived. To Shichibei's surprise, Azai Nagamasa, who had suffered a crushing defeat, was also summoned. He seemed to be in poor condition, but as the de facto commander of the Hokuriku Army, his presence was to be expected.

Everyone didn't completely avoid Azai Nagamasa; they greeted him politely and bowed as appropriate. It's like that saying: if the leader scolds or punishes me, it means he cares about me. Since I didn't actually commit seppuku on the spot, I'm still a key retainer of the Oda clan. A couple of victories later, I'll be favored again.

Hideyoshi didn't come, nor did Nobutaka, Ieyasu, and Nobuhiro. These people were all engaged in battle and unable to attend.

Let's have a meeting. Everyone has obviously been informed of the meeting's agenda beforehand: how should we handle the current complex situation in Dongguo?

"Speak up, everyone." Nobunaga needed advice in the face of the sudden change in the situation.

"We cannot fight a quick battle at this moment." Logically, it should have been the chief retainer Sakuma Nobumori or Nobutada who said this first, but it was actually Niwa Nagahide who said it first.

The crowd secretly wondered if this was Nobunaga setting the tone?

“Supporting Kagekatsu would inevitably lead to war with the Hojo, and we do not currently have the conditions to fight alongside Uesugi and Hojo.” Nobutada finally spoke up at this moment.

Indeed, it's easy for the Hojo to gather 50,000 men; it's not a difficult task. Sending Takeda Nobufusa and Tokugawa Ieyasu to attack the Hojo would be quite challenging and unrealistic.

If war breaks out, we'll need to mobilize troops from the Kinai region or Nobi region to provide support. The main problem is that everyone is currently unavailable. Only Nobunaga's main force of 15,000 men has been freed up because Nobumori took over the Honganji campaign.

Furthermore, such a long logistical route from the Kinai region to the Kanto region could not be accomplished overnight.

When Nobunaga attacked Takeda, Shichibei was already in Gifu Castle.

In addition to stockpiling 40,000 shi of military rations, they also temporarily mobilized more than 20,000 peasant soldiers from Nobi, each carrying 60 jin of military rations, to transport the grain all the way from Gifu to the front line at Takato Castle.

Conquering the Kanto region would involve an even greater distance and a larger army, requiring the mobilization of a massive fleet for logistical support. Furthermore, the streets of the Tokaido and Nakasendo routes would need to be prepared; it would be best to begin preparations a year or two in advance.

“In that case, aiding Uesugi Kiheiji is the only option,” Sakuma Nobumori finally said.

"Not entirely. We can wait until his sons fight for the throne and both are exhausted before attacking Echigo." Shichibei's words had a clear flaw, because Kagetora had the support of the Hojo clan.

But Shichibei's words were simply a way of showing his participation. He was also subtly picking up on Sakuma Nobumori's comment to avoid an awkward silence after he finished speaking.

"Among the Uesugi princes, has any sent an envoy to Kyoto to inherit the title of Kanrei-kun?" Akechi Mitsuhide was thinking a lot.

He probably meant that the eldest sons of the Uesugi family might be considering coming to Kyoto to ask Oda Nobunaga for help. Since Nobunaga already had the authority to appoint officials for the samurai class, whoever succeeded Kenshin as the chief advisor would need Nobunaga to submit a petition on their behalf if they wanted to gain official approval.

Nobunaga simply shook his head, clearly indicating that Kagekatsu had not sent anyone to Kyoto.

"At that time, it might not be able to affect Uesugi Kiheiji." Mitsuhide said bluntly, "If Kagekatsu doesn't come to us for help, it would be despicable for us to rush to him."

"However, Odawara's army has already entered Koshu."

448. Candidate for Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Front

It's understandable that Oda Nobunaga didn't want to invite another formidable enemy, the Hojo-Uesugi brothers, on top of the already formidable Mori clan. He wasn't a warmonger either; he wouldn't actually declare war on all of Japan simultaneously.

The problem is that the Hojo army has now advanced into Higashi-Kōjō, joined forces with Hojo Takahiro, and defeated Takigawa Kazumasu. Takigawa Kazumasu's defeat was not unjust; more than 10,000 men were defeated by more than 40,000. If he had won, it would have been an epic victory; if he had lost, it would have been entirely reasonable.

Yi Yi had already gathered his defeated troops and retreated to Jilun City.

Although the situation in western Ueno was not critical, it suddenly turned from safe to dangerous. In fact, war had already broken out on the eastern border of the Oda clan, but the Hojo clan had no intention of conquering it.

Once Kasugayama and Odawara form an unbreakable brotherhood, the Oda clan's position on the eastern front will immediately be in crisis.

Nagamasa Azai of the Hokuriku region has just suffered a major blow and will need two or three years to heal his wounds. Konobu of the Nakasendo region is of average strength; his core members have been depleted of resources and can only serve as a secondary force. Ieyasu and Nobufusa of the Tokaido region are indeed well-equipped, but the combined forces of the three kingdoms of Surugahara are insufficient to defeat the Hojo clan.

Now it's not just a matter of whether or not to support Uesugi Kagekatsu, but also...

The issue requires significant adjustments to the Oda clan's eastern front.

"The governor of Chikuzen is stationed in Harima to deal with the Mori clan, and his authority is unified. My lord should also unify the authority on the eastern front, or at least prevent them from acting independently." Shichibei had no specific advice on the battles, but he could still offer his opinion on this matter.

If Sakuma Nobumori, the most prestigious figure, could be thrown into the Hojo clan and kicked far away, even if he eventually received a million koku of rice in Musashi and Edo, Nobunaga and Nobutada would be able to keep their eyes off him without worry.

"Hmm?" Nobunaga and Nobutada turned their heads at the same time.

Given Shichibei's status and his relatively low profile, this statement is quite appropriate. It's impossible to choose Shichibei from among many others; it would require deploying over 70,000 troops and making strategic decisions on a map exceeding 100,000 square kilometers. It's not just a matter of exceeding Shichibei's capabilities; it's something completely unrelated to him.

"My humble opinion is limited and may contain many flaws," Shichibei quickly added. "If what I said makes some sense, then listen to it; if it doesn't, then just ignore it."

“That makes some sense…” Nobunaga didn’t deny it, but simply nodded slightly.

The main issue is that the situation in the Eastern Kingdom is currently very complicated, and a capable...

A person who is skilled enough to understand Nobunaga's intentions, can organize large-scale battles, and can fulfill Oda Nobunaga's wishes must take charge.

On the Mori side, they were determined to storm Kyoto; once they entered Kyoto, everything they could want was within their grasp. As for the Uesugi and Hojo factions, they had only formed an alliance; when they would actually engage in joint combat depended on how the situation developed.

"Send someone to Kasugayama first to posthumously grant him the rank of Junior Second Rank Councilor." Nobunaga glanced at Akechi Mitsuhide; this order originated from Mitsuhide.

Look at Uesugi Kenshin's other three sons besides Kagetora, which one of them is willing to cling to Nobunaga, who has the rightful authority to serve in the central government?

"Send another message to Sister Koji of Hiji Province, ordering her to go out and investigate the situation in Echigo Province." Nobunaga's orders continued.

"The first priority for Jilun City is to hold its position."

"Shinano's elder brother ordered him to retreat to Iiyama and observe the situation for the time being."

"In addition, Tokugawa Kyoto, the governor of Hamamatsu, was summoned to Kyoto."

When they heard the name Tokugawa Ieyasu, everyone suddenly had a guess, but no one said anything, and just listened quietly to Nobunaga's orders.

The meeting is over!

Perhaps due to the overwhelming amount of information, everyone went back to consult with their trusted advisors, and this time no one stayed behind to chat idly with Shichibei. Oda Nobutada's good ally, Gamo Fukahide, and his retainer, Kawajiri Hidetaka, had both returned from the retreat at Kitasho in Echizen, giving Nobutada a trusted advisor of sufficient caliber.

Since that's the case, Shichibei had no choice but to return to the Kawamura residence. Fortunately, Ii Naotora had some contact with Tokugawa Ieyasu back then, so he could ask her for her views on Tokugawa Ieyasu and the situation in the Tokaido region.

Historically and in this world, Tokugawa Ieyasu did not employ the declining Ii clan. Instead, he formed the Ii Valley Triumvirate, represented by Suzuki Shigetoki, to lead the so-called Ii Army in battle.

In this world, the fall of Hamamatsu Castle led to the takeover of the Ii family by Saegusa Moritomo, who married Ii Naotora and had a son, Ii Toramatsu. Ii Naotora, though the head of the Ii family, never actually ruled or governed; he was more of a transitional figure.

"You mean Prince Hamamatsu?" Ii Naotora clearly remembered Tokugawa Ieyasu.

"Hmm, just now the senior ministers discussed the matter, and the lord urgently summoned Lord Hamamatsu to the capital." Shichibei explained his suggestion to choose a commander-in-chief on the eastern front, and the fact that Nobunaga had summoned Ieyasu.

Originally, Asai Nagamasa should have been the most competitive candidate. But...

He had just suffered a defeat, and his prestige was greatly damaged. It was impossible for him to be promoted to the position of commander of the entire Eastern Army Corps in a short period of time.

Oda Nobuhiro, as Nobunaga's elder brother, certainly had sufficient status and prestige, but as for his abilities... well, Nobunaga should be quite aware of his elder brother's situation; he was a competent but mediocre general. He was generally fine at executing orders, and leading a few thousand or even ten thousand men was no problem, but at a higher level, he probably fell short.

Kazumasu Takigawa might have had a chance, but he had just suffered a defeat and was not suitable at the moment. As for Nobufusa Takeda or Masamitsu Yamagata, they were both junior figures and had no chance.

After all the calculations, it's just Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Ieyasu and Nobunaga were not only in-laws through their children's marriage, but also relatively familiar and close early "old friends." Using Ieyasu was indeed acceptable, but whether people would truly respect him was another matter.

"Why do you think that summoning Hamamatsu-dono means entrusting him with an important task?" Ii Naotora asked Shichibei.

"Huh? No. Since there's a summons, then..." Shichibei suddenly realized that he had been prejudiced, and that Ii Naotora was right.

"It's also possible that they had a prior talk with him, urging him to assist the general."

"It can't be the Prime Minister of Gifu who is the supreme commander," Shichibei thought to himself. He believed that the only one who could overpower all the Oda clan retainers was Nobutada.

“Why not? The Prime Minister of Gifu first conquered Yamato Nobukiyama and then beheaded thousands of Mori. Now he is just missing a great reputation for crushing powerful lords.” Ii Naotora was right, even though he knew that he was discussing important matters with Shichibei at the moment.

As soon as the child pouted slightly, she unbuttoned her clothes and began breastfeeding Asheng. Shichibei wasn't exactly a gentleman; how could he possibly think with such a large, white thing on his face?

“That’s true.” Shichibei could only turn his head away, trying not to let his gaze be drawn to it.

Historically, Nobunaga bestowed the credit for the annihilation of the Takeda clan, a top-tier daimyo with a million-koku rank, upon Nobutada, greatly enhancing Nobutada's prestige. Now that the Takeda clan has been dealt with, Nobunaga needs to kill daimyo of the Mori, Uesugi, and Hojo ranks to elevate Nobutada's military reputation and command the respect of other warlords.

In Japan's Sengoku period, power was primarily determined by force. Nobutada lacked the infamous reputation for killing and destroying states, making it difficult for him to command respect, especially from his group of proud and fierce warriors who had survived decades of battle.

“You see, you obviously think so too.” Naotora Ii, for his part, didn’t shy away from the situation and openly breastfed the baby.

"That's true..."

Asai Nagamasa is currently in Kyoto. If Tokugawa Ieyasu summons him, both major figures on the eastern front will be in place. Oda Nobuhiro, on the other hand, is different. After his rebellion was suppressed by Nobunaga, he wholeheartedly served Nobunaga, completely acknowledging Nobunaga as the head of the family. He also acknowledges that Nobutada will inherit the title of head of the Oda family, and Nobutada will only obey orders if he goes there.

"With the prestige of defeating Uesugi, the Gifu Prime Minister can then continue the Regent's rule." Ii Naotora chuckled softly, ignoring Shichibei's tilted head.

“In that case, I will wait in Kyoto for a few days.” Shichibei wanted to see how things would develop.

In addition, Kawamura-ya's main store had moved from Tsushima to Gifu, and then from Gifu to Azuchi. With the granting of the territories of Norio and Ryūgo to Nobutada, Nobunaga's direct territory was transferred to the Kinai region, especially the areas of Omi and Yamashiro.

This year's annual tribute rice purchase and sales business in Norio will be handled by Ito Sojuro of the Tsushima branch, while Shichibei, who is in Kyoto, can handle the annual tribute rice business in Nobunaga's territory.

Although Inase Yoshinari was at the Azuchi main store, Mune Kotaro at the Kyoto branch, and Takeno Munekata at the Sakaicho junior office, this business was the one where Shichibei and Nobunaga were most closely connected and had the most frequent collaboration. If he had the time, it would definitely be safest to keep a close eye on it.

In addition, merchants on the northward trade route will also begin traveling between Tsuruga and Obamasa, bringing rice from Oshu and Ushu to Kamigata in exchange for various handicrafts. If Nobunaga intends to launch an expedition to Echigo along the Hokuriku Road, then Shichibei will have to ask these merchants to set up warehouses in the ports along the Sea of ​​Japan coast where they stop.

Each station was equipped with a supply depot to facilitate the feeding of a future expeditionary force that could number over 50,000 or even 100,000.

In the past, Shichibei would have gone to Tsuruga to meet these merchants returning from the north. But now, Shichibei was determined to dominate the Japanese business world, so he simply sent someone to inform Ishigami Tsuguyoshi in Tsuruga to invite the ship owners and bosses who had arrived in Tsuruga to Kyoto. Shichibei then treated them to red bean cakes in Kyoto.

Tokugawa Ieyasu of Hamamatsu arrived swiftly, almost immediately upon receiving Nobunaga's orders, and rushed to Kyoto. Upon learning of his arrival, Shichibei, who was in the process of arranging the annual tribute rice, immediately put down all his work and prepared to find out what was happening at the Right General's residence.

After a brief exchange between Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, Nobunaga quickly summoned the various feudal lords to hold a second meeting to decide the direction of the Oda clan's eastern front.

Upon entering the palace, Shichibei secretly observed Tokugawa Ieyasu's expression.

For example, could we try to predict whether Ieyasu or Nobutada would become the commander-in-chief?

"Sankei is here too, please have a seat." Before Shichibei could figure out what was going on, Nobunaga greeted Kita-tomi Nobuo, who was not supposed to be eligible to attend the meeting of senior retainers.

Although Nobukatsu was Nobunaga's son, he had been adopted by the Kita-tomi clan, and in terms of status, he had become the head of a vassal daimyo family. Of course, the Kita-tomi family was already under the control of Oda in fact, but in terms of official status, he had no connection with the Oda clan's chief retainers.

Suddenly, everyone was filled with horror, because a terrifying thought simultaneously appeared in the minds of the high-ranking officials present.

Kita Tomio was appointed as the commander-in-chief in the campaign to subdue Uesugi and Hojo!

If such a plan were to be implemented, Oda Nobunaga would have been completely out of his mind, and all the senior retainers present would have to remonstrate with him and persuade him to retract his decision.

Shichibei swallowed hard, already organizing his thoughts, but unexpectedly, Kita-Tomi Nobuo cleverly sat down at the very back. The room instantly fell silent. If he were the commander-in-chief, he would be sitting in front of Nobunaga's tatami mat, introduced to everyone by Nobunaga.

Now, sitting directly at the very end is similar to holding an enlarged meeting of the provincial party committee. Originally, only the standing committee members attended, but now ordinary members and alternate members also come to attend as observers.

"I have something to announce today, Hamamatsu Kyoto is also here." Nobunaga waited for Nobukatsu to sit down and then gestured for everyone in the hall to gather around him.

"With 8,000 cavalrymen from Kitabatake as reinforcements, Nobuhiro is further promoted to Junior General of Shinano and Kaizu!"