Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Warmth can soothe Shichibei's heart.

The next morning, he went to the residence of the Right General to request an audience. Nobunaga's pageboys and Shichibei had a decent relationship, and he also knew the head of the squires, Shichibei. Matsui Tomokazu, Murai Sadakatsu, and Takei Yuan, who handled government affairs, were all old acquaintances of Shichibei.

The request for an audience was barely submitted when a message came back that Shichibei should wait. Someone had already made an appointment for today, and there was no way to cut in line.

It is evident that the venerable one is like this.

Upon hearing it was this person, Shichibei knew he could only wait. Having been "invited" to Kyoto by Nobunaga to pay homage to Emperor Ogimachi's Kennyo Shonin with a status equivalent to "Regent Monkage," and after completing the formalities within the forbidden palace, he still had to pay homage to the regent Oda Nobunaga in a subservient manner.

The teachings are given under the king!

This was one of the conditions for the peaceful surrender of the castle back then. Nobunaga insisted that Kennyo Shonin bow down to him before he would spare Kennyo Shonin's life. If Kennyo Shonin refused to submit and come to pay his respects this time, Nobunaga wouldn't mind fighting for a few more days.

Since it was him who came, Shichibei could only wait at the gatehouse.

No matter how high a rank we hold or how powerful a lord we are outside, once we enter the gates of Oda's Right General's residence, even dragons must coil up and tigers must lie low.

It wasn't long before the procession of the Venerable Kyou appeared at the Right General's residence. It was quite unusual that this great monk arrived in a sedan chair; Shichibei had thought he would come in an oxcart.

Perhaps to avoid drawing attention, he paid his respects to Nobunaga in an unconventional and formal manner. Nobunaga didn't have anything particularly special to say to Kennyo Shonin; he mainly enjoyed the ritual of submission.

The only things that could be considered an exchange of benefits were two. Nobunaga requested that Kennyo Shonin issue a decree to the Hokuriku Ikko-ikki, ordering the Hokuriku Ikko-ikki to submit to Azai Nagamasa or Oda Nobuhiro. Those who came to surrender at this time would have their past transgressions forgiven and could retain their original territories or temples.

Those who don't surrender after this point will be slaughtered. Nobunaga's attitude towards Jodo Shinshu followers has always been consistent: physical elimination.

In contrast, Kennyo Shonin also requested Nobunaga to rebuild Ōtani Hongan-ji Temple. Nobunaga stated that it was impossible to rebuild the head temple of Jodo Shinshu in Yamashiro Province, but he allowed Kennyo Shonin to build a small temple on the site of the former Ōtani Hongan-ji Temple as a branch temple of Jodo Shinshu.

For the main temple, let's go to Sagimori Gobo in Kishu. It's an existing temple with a certain number of followers. Or we could go to Hokuriku. Nobunaga originally wanted Kennyo Shonin to go to Kaga, to be given to the Enuma and Nomi districts.

Clearly, Kennyo was unwilling to go to Kaga, which had been reduced to a wasteland by the slaughter, so he accepted Nobunaga's suggestion. He obtained a small portion of the former territory of Ōtani Hongan-ji Temple, and then led the followers who had left after the surrender of Osaka Castle to Kii Province.

The meeting lasted only about half an hour, and Shichibei didn't have to wait long at all. When Master Kennyo came out, Shichibei got up to go inside, and the two even exchanged glances.

In retrospect, the two truly shared a bond. Shichibei led his troops into Ishiyama Honganji Temple to rescue Miyoshi Nobutaka. Along the way, they also rescued Kennyo Shonin, Shimoma Yorihiro, and Shimoma Nakataka; otherwise, they would have had to continue lingering in the castle.

If this goes on for too long, Nobunaga will get angry and storm the city, which will only result in mutual destruction.

Therefore, when he saw Shichibei, the monk Kennyo greeted him, but Shichibei only returned the greeting politely. It's best to stay away from those Jodo Shinshu people. Even when being kind to others, there should be boundaries. Those from Owari are generally more friendly; these shady characters are best avoided.

Let's make it a little lighter.

After exchanging greetings and entering the hall, Nobunaga had already changed out of his formal attire for receiving guests and was leaning against a low table, being fanned by his attendants on either side.

Oh, it's a peacock fan.

No one knows who presented these rare items to Nobunaga; he had many such odds and ends. Years ago, he had Shichibei handle a batch of them, keeping some for himself to give away later. The vast majority of his duplicates were forcibly given to Shichibei in exchange for cash.

"My lord, this is the letter from Shichibei of the State of Jugo requesting to become subordinate to us." Shichibei is here to do business today, so let's not waste time on small talk.

"Oh!" Nobunaga's eyes lit up, but his body remained still. He simply ordered his servant to bring the document to him.

"Since the place is located in Kazehaya County of Yu Province, it requires the Lord's approval." Nobunaga of Kita-Iyo had promised his great nephew, and now Nobunaga had to step in to ensure the safety of the place.

"Give him a proper welcome!" Nobunaga read the letter quickly and immediately agreed.

Compared to the small territory of Kazehaya County, it's clearly more important to eliminate the Mori clan as soon as possible. There's no need for Shichibei to go to Kagawa Nobusumi's side.

It has been explained that Nobunaga can issue the notification.

There's a theory that Kurushima Michizusa will most likely be assigned to Shichibei as a subordinate, rather than staying in place to serve Kagawa Nobusumi. Nobunaga's current plan is to support the Kawamura Navy in western Japan and the Kuki Navy in eastern Japan, so that both sides have sufficiently powerful navies that check and balance each other, which is the most appropriate approach.

Afterwards, they might attack Yoshida-Koriyama Castle in Aki Province, or land in Kyushu. They could easily order Shichibei to lead the navy to cooperate.

"Will Nobunaga issue the petition, or Shichibei?"

Whoever submits is the lord, or if Nobunaga submits and Shichibei is the vice-commander, then Kurushima Michifusa is the confidant. These kinds of things must be asked clearly and there can be no mistakes whatsoever.

If anything goes wrong, no one can afford the consequences. After all, the troops under the command of the island's general manager are technical personnel; they either have them or they don't.

"How much knowledge does he possess?" Nobunaga finally sat up and instructed his attendants to bring him paper and pen.

Another key issue is that if a person's official salary is 100,000 shi, but the official document only states 50,000 shi, then he only needs to pay 50,000 shi of military service.

If the inner grain yield is only 100,000 shi, but the certificate states 120,000 shi, then it would be a very painful thing for the recipient.

At the moment, Nobunaga will definitely write down the amount to reassure Kijima Michifusa. Historically, up to the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi clearly divided a territory into several parts, specifying how many koku of rice were required for military service. Those exempt from military service, those receiving half-service, and those receiving only a certain amount of rice were all clearly stated in the red-stamped document.

"Approximately 20,000 koku." Shichibei had previously inquired with Ataka Kiyoyasu and had some understanding of the situation.

"Then let's calculate it as 13,000 koku." Nobunaga directly chopped off one-third of the koku height with a single stroke.

It was clearly stated that the entire Kazehaya district of Iyo Province belonged to the brothers Kurushima Michifusa and Tokui Michiyuki, totaling 13,000 koku, with military service as described. Nobunaga signed his seal and affixed the imperial seal for the unification of the realm.

The document was then handed to Shichibei, who also signed and stamped it. To add above, this is the content that Kurushima Michifusa's forces distributed to us for our purposes.

After checking it over and confirming that it was correct, the matter was settled. Nobunaga was not stingy and directly ordered someone to take out two thousand kan from his own private savings as a reward for the Kurushima Michifusa brothers.

He also promised that if Michizoku Kurishima assisted the Oda clan in defeating the other two Murakami clans, then the territories of Inojima and Nojima would belong to him.

Having finished his business, Nobunaga checked the time and dismissed Shichibei. He changed into a new set of clothes, and after Shichibei left, he inquired further and learned that Nobunaga was to host a lunch for the former Regent, Konoe no Masahisa. The matter was practically public knowledge; Nobunaga was to be promoted to Minister of the Right. This was mainly a formality, something the Imperial Court had no way to resist.

At this rate, Nobunaga will inevitably become a Grand Minister of State before he turns fifty. With a little more effort, he could even live to become a Senior Minister of State.

Nobunaga was probably just like Taira no Kiyomori was back then. However, judging from Nobunaga's current state, he might not only want to be Taira no Grand Chancellor, but perhaps has other plans.

This is beyond our control. We should quickly send the letter of reassurance back to Shodoshima to put the mind at ease of the messenger from Kijima. Furthermore, we don't know when Nobunaga's letter reached Kagawa Nobusumi. However, we ourselves must send a letter to Kagawa Nobusumi to explain this matter to him.

It's not about seizing your Kazehaya County, it's simply about keeping Kurushima Michizusa in check.

Based on our Shichibei's reputation as a loyal and honest man in Owari...

Kagawa Nobusumi should be able to understand. After all, Nobunaga is mediating, and now no one in the Oda clan can defy Nobunaga.

After Sakuma Nobumori, the only veteran figure, was exiled, even if you were Oda Nobutada, you would have to consult with your father, Nobunaga.

As he reached the gate and mounted his horse, he saw a messenger rushing from outside to the Right General's residence, shouting an urgent report. Shichibei deliberately paused, stopping at the gate for a moment, and learned that Hideyoshi had flooded Bitchu-Takamatsu Castle and was now in a full-scale standoff with 50,000 Mori reinforcements.

Currently, Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu is still firmly defended due to the presence of Shimizu Muneharu. After their failed five-pronged attack on the Kinai region, the Mori clan has been stockpiling military supplies and weapons at the front lines, attempting to launch a second large-scale offensive.

Kobayakawa Takakage was also a shrewd and resourceful military commander. He mobilized a large amount of military supplies from Aki and Bingo to reinforce the seven castles of Bitchu. As a result, the food supply in Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu is now sufficient for half a year, and the flood that submerged the outer defenses of Takamatsu Castle has effectively eliminated the possibility of the Hashiba army attacking the castle.

Takamatsu Castle became a castle floating on the water. Hideyoshi had neither large ships nor experience in commanding naval battles. The tactic of attacking by water was more about breaking the will to defend the castle.

After all, an attack could not be launched, and rescue could not be carried out.

The soldiers inside the castle might initially hold out reluctantly due to Shimizu Muneharu's encouragement. However, over time, their morale will inevitably crumble. Without morale, the defenders can only await their doom.

When Hideyoshi besieged Inaba Tottori Castle, he endured the siege for almost ten months, and he was quite patient. Now, it's just a matter of another ten months at most.

If Takamatsu Castle were captured in ten months, the entire province of Bitchu would fall into Hideyoshi's hands. By that calculation, such speed is remarkably swift. Of the sixty-six provinces in Japan, almost half belonged to Nobunaga. The rest didn't all require Hideyoshi's intervention; given the current situation with Mori, a few more years of fighting would inevitably lead to their collapse.

Hideyoshi excitedly informed Nobunaga of this news, conveying to Nobunaga that he was truly working hard to conquer the Mori clan and hadn't slacked off at all. He also demonstrated his martial prowess to the people of the Kinai region.

See that? My buddy attacked Sanki with earth and Takamatsu with water, starving Tottori to death without losing a single soldier.

Also spurred by the exile of Sakuma Nobumori, Hideyoshi was in Bichu, far from Nobunaga. There was no guarantee that someone wouldn't speak ill of Nobunaga, which would be extremely detrimental. He needed to send back some good news every day.

Let Nobunaga remember Hideyoshi less.

"Fujikichiro is a really smart man..." Shichibei smiled, which could be considered a compliment to Hideyoshi.

Our request for a certificate of safety from the island's general manager is also a way of showing that we are busy and not slacking off at all.

470. Initially, he paved the way for Xinzhong.

Like Hideyoshi and Shichibei, Niwa Nagahide also had important matters to report. He needed to demonstrate some competence so that Nobunaga would know he was working hard for the great cause of unifying Japan.

Upon returning to the Kawamura residence, Shichibei heard that Niwa Nagahide had reported to Nobunaga that the Azuchi Castle Keep was completed, and only the interior decoration remained. Such matters definitely required Nobunaga's personal guidance; which floor should be Japanese-style, which Western-style, what furnishings to use, and how many servants to assign—all these were crucial points.

Next came the preparations for Nobunaga's relocation to Azuchi Castle, and whether or not to entertain Tokugawa Ieyasu there. If Ieyasu was to be entertained, rooms would need to be prepared for him and his retinue within Azuchi Castle.

Why did the news spread so quickly? Of course, it's because of Shichibei's good relationships and his immense wealth.

It's not like we're revealing Oda Nobunaga's private affairs, like whether he interacted more frequently with Mori Ranmaru or Lady Nohime. It's just normal ministerial reporting. Using it to curry favor with Shichibei and strengthen their relationship is perfectly normal.

Nobunaga then issued orders to all his generals, from legion commanders to castle lords, and even to the samurai who were sent out to serve as assistants to legion commanders with several thousand koku of rice.

A notification.

Construct the house at the foot of Azuchi Castle as soon as possible.

Our Shichibei Castle was completed a long time ago, but some people were too busy with military affairs to finish it immediately. Others were short of funds and had to postpone it. But now that the Azuchi Castle keep is finished, the samurai residences in the castle town must be completed as soon as possible.

Standing atop Azuchi Castle, Nobunaga could see rows upon rows of houses and the bustling crowds, making Azuchi a true city inhabited by all of Japan, the very center of the nation.

Fortunately, Shichibei's residence had already been completed, and even the young general and Princess Ichi were in the town below Azuchi Castle, effectively serving as hostages to Oda Nobunaga. Shichibei's eldest sons, including his ten adopted daughters, also lived below the castle.

Send someone to Azuchi to inform them to repaint the main gate and apply a coat of whitewash to the walls on both sides. Replace any broken or damaged tiles on the walls. This is to prevent Nobunaga from moving to Azuchi too soon and finding our house not new enough.

By the way, because of Nobunaga's promotion to Minister of the Right and the matter of the Imperial Horse, the Emperor's visit to Azuchi Castle and stay at the Seiryoden Hall has been postponed. The central hall, which was dismantled from Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple, hasn't been fully relocated yet. It's highly likely that the Emperor won't be invited to Azuchi this year.

I heard that, in order to reward his generals, Nobunaga plans to raise their ranks after he is promoted to Minister of the Right. For example, Nobutada will be promoted to Third Rank Councilor, and Nobuhiro will be promoted to Fourth Rank.

It's a way of appeasing people, I suppose. Nobunaga may have become arrogant, but he still knows how to use these basic tactics. Otherwise, why would he be loyal to the emperor? It's all about gaining some righteousness from the court. Now that he's established a good relationship with the court, he wants to ensure that his generals, besides himself, also receive some of that favor.

Not only that, Tokugawa Ieyasu, a crucial ally since the founding of Owari, will also receive a promotion in rank as a vassal daimyo. Meanwhile, Azai Nagamasa, who also became an important ally of Nobunaga during the Owari era and even won Nobunaga's hand in marriage to his sister, has not received any news of a promotion.

Otherwise, the retainers of the Asai clan would be in Kyoto by now. He was appointed to a position at the same time as Tokugawa Ieyasu; Ieyasu received the title of Left Governor-General, while Nagamasa received the title of Shuri-daibu. Now that Ieyasu is about to be promoted, he's stuck in the same place... tsk...

Look at Nobumori Sakuma, he emptied his pockets completely, leaving nothing behind, but it's not so bad, really.

Alright, before Tokugawa Ieyasu arrives in Kyoto, Shichibei needs to return to Kishiwada Castle. Besides, the matter of Kijima Michifusa must be settled.

Besides clarifying the situation, it's also necessary to understand the progress of Miyoshi Nobutaka and Kagawa Nobusumi's attack on Kita Iyo.

The surrender of the Oda clan by Kurushima Michifusa, the siege of Bichu Takamatsu Castle by Hideyoshi, and the surrender of Kaneko Mototsuka's residence in Higashi-Iyo by the Miyoshi-Kagawa army—these three events, if occurring individually, would be one thing. But now, they have all come together in a complete chain of events, and Nobunaga is about to begin preparing for a general offensive against the Mori clan.

Once the Oda clan launches a pincer attack on Aki and Bingo, the strongholds of the Mori clan, from both Iyo and Bitchu, Oda Nobutada will surely be sent to reap the rewards.

As we mentioned before, Oda Nobutada's path to the throne is already quite clear. All that's missing now is to kill the entire family of a powerful lord with a million koku of rice to establish his authority.

Historically, Oda Nobutada killed Takeda Katsuyori. In this world, there are only three choices: Uesugi Kagetora, Hojo Ujimasa, and Mori Terumoto. The others are slightly less capable and not worth killing.

Therefore, Nobunaga ordered Shichibei to begin preparations for Oda Nobutada's main force of over 30,000 men to be deployed to Aki and Bingo.

Whether it's transporting troops to the front lines by ship, or sending soldiers and horses by land and supplies by water, preparations should begin. After all, the progress of Hideyoshi Hashiba and Nobutaka Nobusumi is very fast; perhaps the Oda army will be able to form an encirclement before even reaching Tensho 8 (1589).

Thirty thousand men marched from Mino and Gifu to Sakai, Ishiyama, and Kishiwada, heading towards the Aki-Bigo front. This was a long-distance, large-scale expedition, and it would severely test Shichibei's logistical coordination and supply capabilities.

We had already begun preparations for Oda's army's campaign along the Hokuriku Road to attack the Uesugi clan. Now we need to prepare for Nobutada's expedition to kill Mori Terumoto. Both are arduous tasks, and starting preparations even a year in advance is not considered early, let alone six months.

I've run into some trouble, but being busy is good; being busy can lead to results.

Furthermore, although this task was challenging, it wouldn't be a major problem for Shichibei. After all, Shichibei now commanded the Kawamura navy, which had been reassigned to him by Kurushima. The shipping route was safe, and the eastern side of the Seto Inland Sea was already Oda's domain.

As for transportation, it's not too difficult. Sakai just dispatched ships of various sizes to transport 20,000 troops from the Miyoshi-Kagawa alliance to attack Iyo. We should be grateful to Miyoshi Nobutaka; he gave us a heads-up by bringing the Sakai troops along for a preliminary exercise.

Now we can muster 20,000 troops to attack Iyo, and then we can muster 30,000 troops under Oda Nobutada to attack Aki and Bingo.