Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Fighting with the bucket open and continuing to fight is like picking your feet; it's a complete and utter defeat.

The reason why the imperial envoy took so long to travel back and forth was because he first went to Kasugayama and then to Toyama, where he conveyed the imperial edict to both Kagetora and Kagekatsu.

Asukai-kyō's mission was now complete. Nobunaga presented him with two ten-ryō Tenshō Daihan coins and sent him back to Kyoto. The rest was to be recounted by Oda clan spies for the convenience of the group.

Aside from Uesugi Kagetora, Murakami Kunikiyo, one of Kenshin's three adopted sons, explicitly rejected the Oda clan's offer of service. This was because he commanded a large number of Ikko-ikki (Musou-ikki) followers, and he needed to maintain an anti-Nobunaga stance to ensure their continued loyalty. If he chose to surrender to Nobunaga, these people would undoubtedly rebel immediately.

Tomiyama Yoshiharu fared slightly better, not explicitly stating whether he sided with Oda or resisted him. It seems he felt that since Noto Province did not border the Oda clan, he still had the option to continue observing the situation.

Only Kagekatsu, after encountering Oda's spies, was extremely excited and expressed his willingness to serve Oda Nobunaga as a dog.

If he can be helped to return to Kasugayama Castle, then all his territories, except for those in Echigo, will be ceded to the Oda clan as a token of gratitude.

Just from those words, Shichibei knew that Uesugi Kagekatsu had...

They were so desperate that they tried anything, or perhaps they lost their minds.

His most important supporter now is Kawada Nagachika of Nakatomiyama Castle in western Echigo Province. However, he promised the Oda clan that he would also give Kawada Nagachika's territory to them.

If you were Kawada Nagachika, what would you do?

I'm not human if I don't jump up and kill Uesugi Kagekatsu's entire family.

Upon hearing this, Oda Nobunaga and Niwa Nagahide frowned. This Kagekatsu was also a useless fool and could not be relied upon. They could not use such a person as a pretext to invade Echigo.

Kenshin really raised a bunch of good sons, how come they are all so useless? It's one thing to be useless, but they should have run away and joined Oda Nobunaga earlier, that would have shown some foresight and decisiveness.

Now, Uesugi Kagekatsu's army has been almost completely wiped out, and he is like a fish on a chopping board, making it difficult for Nobunaga to rescue him.

"However, we have no choice but to save Jing Sheng." Niwa Nagahide said this with a rather helpless tone.

I know this is a useless snack, but it's the only useless snack I have that can be used right now.

"His men, Chuikou and Liu, are right below the city," the scout said, offering a suggestion.

"I won't see him for now." Nobunaga waved his hand. Kagekatsu had come to seek refuge too late; Nobunaga couldn't intervene even if he wanted to.

"Now, if we want to provide aid, we can only try to send troops from Feizhou. But the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, making travel extremely difficult. After spring, I'm afraid there's no chance of success." Niwa Nagahide was pessimistic about the situation.

Shichibei, however, recalled that historically, Sasa Narimasa, in order to form an alliance with Tokugawa Ieyasu to jointly fight against Hideyoshi, crossed the Flying Horse in the dead of winter, and it is said that his toes were frozen off.

This shows that the winter of the Flying Horse is not completely insurmountable, but it is extremely difficult and cannot be crossed by large-scale troops. Only small expeditionary teams can pass through.

The other one, Higuchi Yoroku, sounds like Naoe Kanetsugu. He probably is, but Shichibei is now desensitized to famous figures, even if they are the greatest retainer in history.

We didn't even go to see Major General Okamoto from Shikoku back then, so why would we go to see a grown man?

"If it is for the sake of seizing the title of Echigo, I think it is acceptable not to send aid." Shichibei thought to himself that since Miyoshi Nobutaka had personally entered Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple, the probability of a successful peace negotiation had increased significantly.

If a peace treaty is reached, almost all the troops within the capital region can be mobilized.

At that time, with hundreds of thousands of troops advancing side by side, they could easily crush the Uesugi-Hojo alliance.

"We should at least get one or two rankings." Niwa Nagahide wasn't speaking up for Uesugi Kagekatsu, but rather considering the future.

“If he can climb Mount Toyama, he will surely fall sooner or later; he can also be used as a vanguard.” Shichibei directly pointed out the name of Yoshiharu Toyama.

Noto had been embroiled in constant domestic and foreign wars for years, resulting in countless deaths. The powerful retainer Nagauji, the guardian deity, was reduced to a single general, Nagaretsu. His army was utterly depleted, as if it were a louse on a bald man's head. If the Oda army were to attack, what could Toyama Yoshiharu's eight thousand men possibly accomplish?

In the end, they either lost the city and died, or surrendered to Oda.

His current fence-sitting stance stems from both insufficient strength and a lack of confidence. After spring arrives, the Oda clan will launch an offensive against the Hokuriku region. Sending a skilled orator to explain the advantages and disadvantages would likely persuade him to surrender.

"That's acceptable." With a substitute available, Niwa Nagahide didn't say anything more.

"Then should we just give up Noto Province?" Nobunaga wasn't reluctant to give up Noto Province, but he felt it wasn't worth it.

To sacrifice a territory for a noble cause is hardly worthwhile. Tomiyama Yoshiharu wasn't some renowned general; he was merely an experienced warlord who followed Kenshin in battle.

"We can't save Kagekatsu now..." Shichibei thought to himself, "We can't save Kagekatsu now either."

"Very well, I order my elder brother to quickly send someone to pacify Nengdeng."

At this time, the military and political affairs of the Oda clan on the eastern front were entrusted to Oda Nobuhiro, so the task of persuading Toyama Yoshiharu to surrender had to be given to Oda Nobuhiro.

Nobuhiro received the urgent report but didn't find anything amiss; he already knew that Uesugi Kagetora had achieved an initial victory in the Otate Rebellion. He just hadn't expected Oda Nobunaga to ultimately abandon Uesugi Kagekatsu and choose Toyama Yoshiharu instead.

However, even if they wanted to choose Uesugi Kagekatsu now, it was a bit too late. After Kagekatsu's defeat and retreat to Toyama Castle, the Ueda family lost everything, and even their wives and children were taken away.

Fortunately, while Kagekatsu wasn't particularly clever, he wasn't completely stupid either. He didn't entertain any thoughts of turning against Kawata Nagachika or seizing Toyama Castle as a base.

But it was precisely because he didn't fight Kawada Nagachika that he...

The Emperor resided within the castle. The fact that Lord Asukai came to deliver the imperial edict, and that Oda clan spies were making contact with Uesugi Kagekatsu, could no longer be concealed from Kawada Nagachika.

Kawada Nagachika was quite pleased with the posthumous conferment of the rank of Junior Second Rank on Kenshin. After all, he and Uesugi Kenshin were practically inseparable. It was safe to say that he knew Uesugi Kenshin's strengths and weaknesses, and that Uesugi Kenshin knew the depth of their relationship.

But he had no feelings for Uesugi Kagekatsu. His Kawada clan had split in two; his uncle, Kawada Shigechika, had already pledged allegiance to Kagetora and become one of Kagetora's key retainers. In truth, he had a few options, but not many.

If that were all, Kawata Nagachika wouldn't have done anything. But he learned from Naoe Nobutsuna, a key figure on Uesugi Kagekatsu's side whose entire family had been killed and who was now a bachelor, that Kagekatsu had promised him that he would definitely return to his homeland in Echigo and that there would be more to come than just a peaceful stay.

Others asked him, "Since you've already been granted an honorary title, shouldn't important supporters like Kawada Nagachika also be granted one?" Naoe Nobutsuna, who was drowning his sorrows in alcohol during the New Year, simply waved his hand and smiled without saying a word.

This immediately startled Kawada Nagachika, causing a cold sweat to break out on his back. What does it mean to smile without saying a word?

They never even considered giving Kawada Nagachika a title; they didn't even bother with empty promises.

No one was prepared to marry Kawata Nagachika. There was no place for Uesugi Kagekatsu in his future.

Terrified, Kawada Nagachika believed that Kagekatsu intended to kill him and seize Toyama Castle as his base. So he arrested Naoe Nobutsuna that very night, subjected him to severe torture, and learned that Kagekatsu did indeed intend to kill him, but that he was betraying him to Oda.

The same future, but without me!

Unable to contain himself any longer, Kawada Nagachika, without hesitation, mobilized several hundred men overnight and launched a fierce attack on Kagekatsu's residence. The slaughter was devastating, wiping out the entire Ueda clan of Echigo.

Including Jing Sheng himself.

When Uesugi Kagekatsu saw the gleaming sword about to strike his face, he realized he had gone too far with his boastful words. More importantly, he hadn't been able to control his tongue and had told several of his key confidants about the situation.

Whether he says it or not, it doesn't really matter. The fact that Kanetsuguchi is not in Toyama Castle will be discovered sooner or later. Once it is discovered, Kawata Nagachika will either question him or become suspicious.

Once suspicion arises, the outcome is self-evident.

After beheading Uesugi Kagekatsu, Kawata Nagachika directly sent a letter to Kasugayama, essentially a pledge of allegiance to Uesugi Kagetora. His request was only...

There was one, who controlled Toyama Castle in the western part of the country. He also requested that Uesugi Kagetora and the Hojo clan send a large army to help Toyama Castle should it be attacked in the future.

Upon seeing the severed head, Kagetora was overjoyed and immediately presented Kawada Nagachika with three thousand taels of gold, promising to provide assistance.

459. The city gates remain closed due to the chaos within the stone mountains.

The news of Uesugi Kagekatsu's death spread far and wide by Uesugi Kagetora, reaching Oda Nobuhiro's ears almost instantly. It then reached the ears of Oda's senior retainers through Oda Nobuhiro's mouth.

Life is unpredictable, truly unpredictable.

Even more unpredictable was that after Miyoshi Nobutaka entered Ishiyama Osaka Castle, although a letter was sent out, he never came out. This was far more unpredictable than the death of Uesugi Kagekatsu.

While Nobunaga was concerned about the war in Hokuriku, he was even more focused on the situation in the Kinai region. After all, Kinai was a threat to his core, while Hokuriku was merely a thorn in his side. The Hongan-ji temple in Kinai had repeatedly caused Nobunaga enormous trouble, and he was determined to eliminate it.

In order to further pressure Honganji Temple and facilitate a peace agreement between Kennyo Shonin and Oda Nobunaga, Nobunaga ordered all the commanders of the garrisons and castle lords in the Kinai region who were temporarily at peace to mobilize their troops, and demanded that the Negoro garrison send at least 10,000 cavalry. Each general was also required to mobilize to the best of their ability and send troops within their means.

Even Niwa Nagahide, whose military equipment had been severely damaged during the attack on Miki Castle, had to send more than 6,000 men to join Oda Nobunaga's forces.

Shichibei was even required to bring along Jiroshiro Toyama's troops (60,000 koku), even though the Toyama samurai group had never been established. Nobunaga didn't care; the land was given to him anyway, so he had to bring two or three thousand men.

From samurai to junior officers, bows, arquebuses, long spears, and small flags were all essential. Except for Toyama Jiroshiro himself, who was too young to attend, all other samurai of the Toyama family were required to participate in the battle.

Shichibei was naturally not exempt from military service. Along with Nobunaga's main force, he alone brought 12,000 men to Tennoji Fortress. Shichibei sent even more troops, as many as 15,000, which was not the kind of troops one would expect from a territory of 150,000 koku. But this was the number Nobunaga expected of Shichibei, and Shichibei himself certainly had the ability to do so.

It simply involved bringing in all the ronin from Izumi Province to fight as ronin followers or common soldiers. Historically, Miyamoto Musashi participated in the Battle of Sekigahara as a common soldier.

With the addition of Sakuma Nobumori's more than 20,000 men, Nobunaga had quickly amassed over 65,000 men beneath the walls of Ishiyama Honganji Castle. He made it very clear that Honganji wanted to talk immediately, or else they should be prepared to die.

If he were truly sincere, Nobunaga even sent his own eldest son, Miyoshi Nobutaka, to Ishiyama Osaka Castle. It should be noted that Miyoshi Nobutaka was a genuine Awa clan member.

As the lord of the state, Nobunaga was the de facto commander of the army in Shikoku. Few in the Oda clan could match his importance.

If Ishiyama Honganji Temple still refuses to believe that such an important hostage has entered the city, they are truly courting death.

With external support cut off and its strength within the castle far inferior to what it once was, Honganji Temple was truly heartbroken as it looked down upon the endless Oda army.

Why did Nobutaka enter the city but never leave, and why did Honganji never announce that it had accepted the peace terms or was preparing to open the city?

This was still due to Kyoryu, the eldest son of Kennyo Shonin and the de facto successor to the head of Honganji Temple, who felt that although the Mori clan had been defeated, they still tied down a large number of Oda clan's troops. Furthermore, the Uesugi and Hojo clans had formed an alliance, becoming a significant threat to the Oda clan on the eastern front. In reality, the Oda clan's situation had not truly improved; only Honganji Temple had suffered a severe blow.

If he were to launch a direct assault, given the formidable strength of the Ishiyama Palace, which had been continuously built and constructed over the past century, Nobunaga would need to mobilize at least 150,000 men, and be prepared to suffer half of them as casualties, in order to have any chance of breaking through the Ishiyama Palace.

Since that's the case, perhaps we should wait a little longer. Maybe once the Uesugi clan has sorted out its internal affairs, they will join forces with the Hojo clan to launch an attack on the Oda clan's eastern front.

Large-scale invasion.

The Hojo clan also coveted Suruga Province. Didn't Uesugi Kagetora want to take over Kozuke Province and then bring Shinano Province under his control?

However, these are all superficial. To put it bluntly, Kyoju has already grown up and has his own group. He doesn't want his father to give away the Honganji family business, leaving him with only a tiny fraction of the inheritance.

Furthermore, as the old saying goes, even a cornered beast will fight. There are still a few tough guys within Honganji Temple who refuse to give up until the very last step and are determined to fight to the end.

Even Shimoma Yorihime, who replaced Kennyo Shonin in leading the battle, had given up hope of victory and began to advocate for peace talks. But the pro-war faction still clamored for a fight to the death, to fight to the very last moment.

In a later South Korean film, "The Fortress of Namhansanseong," Hwang Tae-gil had already reached the walls of Namhansanseong, and Yong Gol-dae annihilated the vast majority of the Joseon army. However, the Joseon ministers inside the fortress were divided into two factions: those advocating war and those advocating peace, and they argued endlessly.

Historically, this was indeed the case. Even as the British were preparing to bombard the city, they still saw the Korean king and his officials inside bowing towards Beijing. The Qing army's swords and spears could not quell the debate within the city.

It can only be said that unless one is truly about to die immediately, it is actually very difficult for a person's stance to change quickly.

The three regents of Honganji Temple, or rather, the three elders of the temple. Besides Shimoma Yoriyuki who expressed support for the peace talks, Shimoma Nakataka also supported the peace talks and served as Miyoshi Nobutaka's envoy. Only Shimoma Yoritaka openly opposed it, siding with Kyojo and advocating for continued resistance and holding the Ishiyama Palace.

Even though the peace faction was in the majority, opinions within the city could not be unified, so Miyoshi Shinko was naturally indispensable, and he could not get a complete answer from the Venerable Kōjin.

When Nobunaga led his army to the castle of Ishiyama Honganji, Shimoma Nakataka hurriedly went out of the castle and explained to Nobunaga the attitude of the current Dharma Master, Kennyo Shonin.

The situation changed, and those who supported Kennyo now controlled the main hall and most of the buildings. There were also many who supported Kyoryō, and they controlled Hōan-ji Temple, as well as part of the armory and watchtowers.

"What? "

Upon hearing this news, Oda's generals, including Nobunaga, were all surprised and doubtful. It seemed that infighting was about to erupt within the Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple.

The arrival of the Oda clan, ironically, caused both sides—those advocating war and those advocating peace—to temporarily hold back. They avoided immediate conflict to prevent themselves from being attacked from both sides.

Haha, it was indeed a bit unexpected. In order to expedite the opening of Honganji Castle, Oda Nobunaga's good intentions backfired, leaving Honganji in a delicate state of "peace".

"My lord, since that's the case, why not ask Master Kennyo to withdraw from the city immediately? All those who leave the city will be spared." Mitsuhide, who had entrusted the siege of Arioka to Akechi Hidemitsu, was the first to speak.

“Then our army will take advantage of the situation to take control of all the strategic locations, and even if Jiao Ru and his followers resist, we can easily defeat them.” Niwa Nagahide clearly shared this idea.

"I'm just afraid that if war breaks out, Ishiyama Town will be destroyed..." Shichibei knew that Nobunaga was worried that this golden goose would be destroyed.

"Our army is vast, but there are also many ronin and miscellaneous soldiers, which is indeed a cause for concern." Even Murai Sadakatsu was pulled over by Nobunaga, and this time Nobunaga truly swarmed forward.