Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

However, we haven't heard any news about Sarukake Castle, which is located after Takamatsu Castle, hence this question.

"He might be in Kurashiki." Bessho Tomoyuki said that he hadn't received any news from Bessho Nagaharu for a while.

After the surrender of Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu, Hideyoshi had no interest in the impoverished mountain villages of northern Bitchu. He knew very well that as long as he captured Sarukake Castle, where Hoida Motochika was stationed, the local lords of Bitchu would defect and surrender.

"No military report?"

"Yes, it's been more than ten days since the last report."

That's strange. Does that mean Hideyoshi hasn't made much progress? Could it be that he couldn't even besiege Sarugake Castle? Shichibei was quite puzzled, but Hideyoshi was even more puzzled.

It's understandable that Shimizu Muneharu surrendered the castle in exchange for the lives of its soldiers. However, what Hideyoshi truly desired was a final showdown with the Mori army.

However, no battle took place. As if they had anticipated this, the Mori army retreated one after another into Bingo Province, leaving only Hoida Motochika to defend Sarukake Castle.

Hideyoshi, Kuroda Kanbei, and others all felt that the Mori clan had a backup plan, luring the enemy deep into their territory and causing the Hashiba army to underestimate them and advance rashly. Therefore, Hideyoshi decided to temporarily disengage from the Mori army and observe the situation.

In other words, the Hashiba army of over 30,000 men was in a state of rest and recuperation, with no danger from any side.

[Note]: "The old man of the family is the samurai of the family, the taste of the party is the party of the family, the territory is set in the territory, Tajima?? Wakasa を and え, and he is the desire しいものがThe territory must be pacified in a hundred days, and the territory of Ichiro and Ichiro will be agreed upon."

488. A major uprising broke out in Nagamasa.

The event happened suddenly. As Azai Nagamasa watched Oda Nobutada and a small retinue of a few hundred men rush into Kyoto, and he knew that an opportunity had suddenly appeared. The original 60% chance of victory might become 80%, or even 100%.

A little inquiry revealed that Nobutada was merely going to the imperial court to collect mirror rice cakes and offer them to various shrines. It was simply a routine of worshipping all the gods before the New Year.

That would mean staying for at most five or six days: one day for bathing and ascending the hall, one day for distributing cakes, one day for offering sacrifices, and one day for a banquet afterward. Including possible social gatherings and tea parties, it would be five or six days.

Make sure to seize this opportunity in the next five or six days!

There's absolutely no need to consider the Hokuriku direction; it's already snowing heavily, with snow depths exceeding one or even two meters—it's not uncommon for such snowfalls. War is 100% impossible. As for the Noo-Tokaido direction, capturing Gifu Castle would allow for a more flexible defense.

The only thing to worry about now is Akechi Mitsuhide, who has not yet set off for San'in.

The Oda army besieging Azuchi Castle had no commander; if the Azai army were to launch a sudden attack, defeating them would be easy. They could launch an attack with 15,000 men at Azuchi Castle, followed by a 5,000-man assault on Kyoto, killing Nobunaga and his son Nobutada.

Two thousand men were taken over Jiangbei, and at the same time, local officials and soldiers were encouraged to join the army in Jiangbei.

After gathering five thousand men, they set out to capture Gifu Castle, carrying Oda Nobutada's head. With seven thousand men guarding Gifu, even thirty to fifty thousand men would not be able to take it easily.

With 20,000 men to meet Akechi Mitsuhide, the outcome is uncertain. After all, Akechi Mitsuhide's forces, including his own army, have a mobilization capacity comparable to a feudal lord with a 2 million koku of rice, allowing him to easily muster 50,000 standing troops.

Nobunaga is dead, but Mitsuhide is not. As long as Mitsuhide raises the banner of revenge for Nobunaga, these 50,000 men have no reason not to follow him in rebellion. Even if some waver, they will not constitute the majority.

Mitsuhide's abilities are well-known; he was a hero with exceptional military strategy and martial prowess. Leading 30,000 to 40,000 troops to attack the Azai army, Azai Nagamasa might not necessarily be able to win.

There are still too few people!

The military supervisors Nobunaga assigned to Azai Nagamasa, also known as the three members of the Imperial Guard, were all former members of Nobunaga's own faction and would never have joined Azai Nagamasa in a rebellion. As for Toyama Yoshiharu of Noto, he was even less likely to get involved in such a mess.

We need soldiers, we need more soldiers!

His trusted confidant, Isono Kazumasa, immediately reminded him that Ando Morinari and his son Sadaharu had just been exiled and were currently in Omi. The Asai family didn't have many connections in Mino, but the Ando family did.

They immediately summoned him, but Azai Nagamasa did not participate; instead, Akao Kiyofuyu stepped forward first. He expressed his willingness to sponsor Ando Morishige and his son with a batch of weapons, equipment, and provisions, and also to allocate 500 men to them.

Of course, we don't expect Ando Mori to attack Gifu Castle; we just need to throw the situation in western Mino into chaos. Once western Mino is in disarray, it will be easier for Azai Nagamasa to reclaim his former territory of Kohoku.

Within two or three days, Jiangbei would be recovered, and Azai Nagamasa would dispatch trusted confidants leading troops mobilized from Jiangbei into Mino. Meanwhile, Ando Morinari, who had been spreading the news throughout Mino that Nobunaga and his son Nobutada were plotting their deaths, had essentially completed his work.

If he can conquer any territory in Mino and recruit the old party, that will be considered his ability. In any case, Azai Nagamasa only needs him to lead troops into Gifu to assist in the defense, or to quell the unrest in Nakano.

This would allow the Asai army to enter Gifu more easily and comfortably, most likely without firing a single shot.

After a little persuasion from Akao Kiyofuyu, Ando Morinari and his son agreed. However, being seasoned veterans, their return to their former territory in western Mino required a certificate bearing the personal signature and seal of Asai Nagamasa. Afterwards, a promise of fiefdoms was made.

He was to be given a territory of 50,000 koku in West Mino, and an additional 2,000 kan in cash.

Nagamasa Asai doesn't have the money now, but he can still issue official seals. After all, in this business, if you don't offer any incentives to your subordinates, they won't be motivated at all.

Besides, this is a one-off deal. If we succeed, we'll have everything. If we lose? If we lose, even if we promise a million koku of grain, we won't have to worry about fulfilling that promise.

At this point, Asai Nagamasa stepped forward and presented Ando Morinari and his son with official seals. Ando Morinari and his son then led 500 men and some weapons, leaving Azuchi under the cover of night.

With the New Year approaching, the Japanese were immersed in the joy of the upcoming holiday. No one noticed that five hundred Asai soldiers had left Azuchi overnight. The generals responsible for leaving Azuchi behind were Nobunaga's subordinate Nakagawa Shigemasa and the general of the Moi clan, Fukutomi Hidekatsu.

These two were quite serious and agreed that if one of them spent the New Year eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring outside, the other would have to stay in Azuchi City and keep watch over the place.

So the situation inside the city was alright, and the few remaining guards continued their duties as usual. The soldiers below the city, from the higher-ranking sergeants to the lowest-ranking foot soldiers, were already making rice cakes and cooking red beans.

Wealthy families would buy tangerines from Shikoku and Kishu, while poorer families would try to get chestnuts and black beans, cook them with sugar, and bring a touch of sweetness to the New Year.

Besides Ando Morinari, Azai Nagamasa also sent men into Koga and Iga. He spared no effort in recruiting mercenaries, using his meager funds as advance payments. The rest, he planned to claim once victorious, would be the treasures of Azuchi Castle.

In this world, because Kitabatake Nobukatsu was sentenced to two and a half years in prison by Nobunaga, he had no opportunity to attack Iga. His troops were currently on their way back from the east, and next year they would still be serving under his uncle, Oda Nobuhiro.

Therefore, the Tensho-Iga Rebellion did not occur, and Iga remained under the rule of the so-called Sokoku Ikki. More than 48-66 castles stood in the Iga Mountains.

As for Koga, after Rokkaku Yoshikata and his son withdrew from the army and went to Kyoto to serve as archery and horsemanship instructors, Koga became the territory of the Oda clan. However, this place had a high degree of autonomy, and in order to quickly pacify the country, Nobunaga continued to treat Koga as a "Sōmura" autonomous region, turning a blind eye to its problems.

All that's needed is for the Koga to pay a very small annual tribute, thus making a show of submission to Oda Nobunaga.

Given any opportunity to resist, these mountainous forces, which have maintained a long-standing autonomous status, will fight tooth and nail to preserve their semi-independent position. They hold an extremely strong aversion to external regimes.

Asai Nagamasa claimed he could help them eliminate the great demon Oda Nobunaga and promised to recognize the autonomy of the two territories afterwards. Not counting the initial payment, after the Oda clan was destroyed, the Koga people would receive 5,000 kan, and the Iga people 10,000 kan.

At this time, Koga was ruled by the Twenty-One Koga Families. Iga was ruled by the so-called Sokoku Ikki Twelve, but both were nominal, just like the Four Heavenly Kings having five members. The titles were announced first, and then adjustments made later.

As expected, Azai Nagamasa's proposal to remove Oda Nobunaga and his son Nobutada and restore their autonomy greatly appealed to them. They were also quite willing to be paid to fight for them.

The only problem is, how do we build mutual trust?

Leaving aside Iga, Koga had already suffered a loss at the hands of Oda Nobunaga. Previously, the Koga troops had aided Rokkaku Yoshikata in his uprising, and in the Battle of Nosugawa, they faced off against Oda's army, ultimately suffering defeat and losing hundreds of lives.

Now, with just a few words from Asai Nagamasa, he wants us to send troops into battle? It sounds incredibly absurd, like he's looking for a scapegoat.

In order to achieve his goal of mobilizing both sides to send troops, Asai Nagamasa did not hesitate to send his second daughter, O-Hatsu, his third daughter, O-E, as well as the eldest sons of his senior retainers, Endo Naotsune and Akao Kiyofuyu, to the two places.

Mrs. Oichi then realized that her husband seemed to be doing something extraordinary.

Having received the hostages, the Koga and Iga troops began to mobilize. The Koga were small, able to mobilize only about three or four thousand cavalry. The Iga province's population at this time was approximately 90,000 to 100,000. In the three Iga Rebellions in history, the one in which Nobunaga sought revenge for his eldest son, Kita-tomi Nobukatsu, resulted in the massacre of at least 30,000 people.

Since no massacre has occurred, it wouldn't be difficult for the Iga garrison to mobilize five or eight thousand men. This is similar to the Saiga garrison before them; everyone is a soldier, and everyone is also a civilian, a combination of soldier and civilian. In peacetime, they cultivate the terraced fields and dry land in the mountains, and in wartime, all the men must be armed and go into battle.

Having confirmed that the Koga and Iga armies could muster at least ten thousand cavalry, Azai Nagamasa's resolve was now completely solidified. With thirty thousand cavalry, he was certain that he and Akechi Mitsuhide could fight to a standstill, and defeating Akechi Mitsuhide would bring great fortune to the realm.

Shichibei knew very well that his fighting skills were utterly terrible.

(A complete mess). A train runs fast because of its locomotive. We are indeed that locomotive, but the driver inside is different.

Sometimes it was Oda Nobuhiro, sometimes Hashiba Hideyoshi, and sometimes Oda Nobutada. There were almost never any instances where it was Kawamura Nagayoshi, and on the rare occasions when he was accompanied by figures like Todo Takatora and Takenaka Shigeharu.

Shichibei was about to pave the way for Nobutada and attack Rōnoura, so he would definitely consult Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi was both the commander of the San'yō army and an early leader in the Mōri campaign.

After bidding farewell to Bessho Tomoyuki at Akashi Castle, Shichibei asked him to send someone to contact Hashiba Hideyoshi and Bessho Nagaharu, since Shichibei was stopping at ports along the Sanyo Road. If their whereabouts were confirmed, he was to immediately report back along the port.

In addition, Shichibei himself sent men along the Sanyo Road to find Hideyoshi. Not long ago, Hideyoshi had forced the surrender of Bitchu-Takamatsu Castle, so he would definitely need to arrange for the remaining personnel to enter the castle.

Although everyone knows that a water attack could breach Takamatsu Castle, and that the castle will inevitably be abandoned, it doesn't change the fact that it remains an important fortress between Bichu and Bizen, and a crucial town controlling the route to Edo.

And you know what? Shichibei was right about at least this point.

Because Hideyoshi ordered that 31,000 koku of land surrounding Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu be granted to Hanafusa Masashige, Hanafusa Masashige instantly became a senior retainer of the Ukita family.

This tactic was common in the history of Japan's Sengoku period. For example, when the Uesugi clan was transferred to Oshu, theoretically they were entitled to 1.2 million koku, but in reality, Naoe Kanetsugu only received 300,000 koku.

For example, Ijuin Tadatsune's stipend of 80,000 koku was included in the Shimazu's stipend of 560,000 koku. At that time, the Shimazu clan was divided into three: Shimazu Yoshihisa, Shimazu Yoshihiro, and Ijuin Tadatsune.

It wasn't just Hideyoshi who did this; the Tokugawa clan did the same later. They divided and weakened powerful outlying lords, stripping them of their senior retainers and reducing their fighting strength.

Hanafusa Masanari knew exactly where the Hashiba army was, just as he had predicted: in Kurashiki. Takamatsu Castle was located in Takamatsu, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture in later times, Sarukake Castle was in Yokodani, Yakake-cho, Oda-gun, and Kurashiki was located between the two places.

However, there was a Takasago River in between, and Hideyoshi was very worried that after he crossed the Takasago River, he would be ambushed by the Mori clan.

Having fought many battles, Hideyoshi knew very well that if the army were attacked after crossing the river and began to waver and retreat, it would be a terrifying scene of utter devastation.

Therefore, Hideyoshi preferred to remain inactive for the time being, dispatching a large number of spies and hiring local mountain thieves to cross the Takagaya River to scout out the situation near Sarugake Castle.

Knowing where Hideyoshi's main force was was enough for Shichibei; he wasn't in a hurry to meet Hideyoshi immediately. Instead, he inspected the Harima coastline, one port after another, including Takasago, Higa, and Murozu.

Having just entered Bizen Province, Shichibei landed on Shodoshima Island for a look around. This place had now been granted to Takenaka Hanbei, and was considered one of Shichibei's assets. He took a quick look around, stayed overnight, and then headed towards Okayama Castle in Kojima Bay.

Upon arriving on the island, the Takenaka retainers who remained there delivered a message that surprised Shichibei.

Ukita Naoie, the daimyo of Bizen and Mimasaka and lord of Okayama Castle, is seriously ill. If that were all, there would be nothing to say; birth, aging, sickness, and death are all part of human nature. The Ukita family's army could easily be commanded by his younger brother, Ukita Tadai, who could continue to fight alongside Hideyoshi.

However, a huge problem arises here: Ukita Naoie had a biological son named Ukita Hachiro (later Ukita Hideie). But when the Ukita family and the Oda family were on friendly terms, Ukita...

Tahachiro was only a few years old and was not suitable to be a hostage. Therefore, Ukita Tadaie's son, who is now Ukita Nagaie, became a hostage and served as Nobunaga's page.

Nobunaga himself had a great fondness for robust and simple-minded young boys and was particularly fond of Ukita Nagaie. Only after Ukita Nagaie left did he transfer his affection to Mori Ranmaru.

Furthermore, Nobunaga's own attitude was that Ukita Nagaie, who grew up on Nobunaga's custodian bed and was very close to the Oda family, should inherit the Ukita family's business.

Ukita Nagaie is now seventeen years old, has already come of age, and has even fought alongside Hideyoshi for two years. The unification of Japan has reached a critical moment, and the Ukita family's 10,000-strong army cannot be left idle, nor can it be allowed to turn against each other.

Unfortunately, if Naoie Ukita were to pass away, a dispute might arise over the position of head of the Ukita family.

Ukita Naoie certainly wanted to leave the 400,000 koku he had fought his whole life to earn to his own son, but his son was only seven years old and could not possibly rule the country.

"Why did he fall ill at a time like this?" Shichibei calculated with his fingers, and it seemed that Ukita Naoie died around this time in history. What a coincidence.

489. Hachiro kneels and begs for mercy.

Shichibei didn't have any particular feelings for the Ukita family. Historically, Ukita Hideie was Hideyoshi's favored eldest son, not Shichibei's. As for Ukita Nagaie, he was a familiar face. After all, he had served as Nobunaga's page for several years, and they often saw each other.

Now that Ukita Naoie is about to leave, Shichibei hasn't made any clear indication of who he is. Even if he's influenced by Ukita Hideie's valiant fight in the Battle of Sekigahara, it would only add another tragic figure to his list.

In matters of great importance, Shichibei, aside from his own personal attitude and stance, mainly considered Oda Nobunaga's attitude, and secondarily Hashiba Hideyoshi's attitude.

Alright, let's go check out the Ukita Naoya family at Okayama Castle first.

Okayama Castle is located at the mouth of the Asahikawa River in Bizen Province, allowing boats to sail directly upstream to its shores. Naoie's original castle was not in Okayama; he seized control by assassinating Kanemitsu Munetaka. Finding Ishiyama Castle strategically advantageous, he abandoned his original castle, Numa Castle, and began building Okayama.

They had good foresight. Why do I say that? Because in later generations, Shanghai had direct flights to Okayama, but no direct flights to Kumamoto. Later, direct flights to Kumamoto were added.

That flight was also discontinued. On the other hand, the direct flight to Okayama, although it only runs twice a week, has been operating for a long time.

It's worth mentioning that Naoie had a bit of a regional ambition; he relocated merchants from Bizen-Fukuoka and Bizen-Saidaiji to Okayama Castle Town. The castle ran east-west, controlling the Asahikawa River, with the castle town to the south, directly facing the mouth of the Asahikawa River and Kojima Bay.

Shichibei was a small merchant, so he had a natural, everyday assessment of things like castle towns.

Upon learning that Kawamura Kyōjō had arrived in Okayama, Naoie's son-in-law, Ebara Chikaji, who was left behind, hurriedly went down to the castle to greet him. In recent days, there had been a great many ships coming and going in and out of Kojima Bay, and there had been little fighting in Bizen. Therefore, before the autumn harvest, Shichibei had dispatched Kawamura-ya's employees to Okayama to purchase rice on a large scale.

It's much more convenient than transporting grain from rural markets along the shores of Lake Biwa to the western provinces. At this moment, tens of thousands of koku of rice have already been stockpiled at Okayama Castle. However, the rice has not been husked and still needs to be pounded into brown rice before it can be distributed to the various Oda army forces going into battle.

Putting the rice aside for now, it's more important to see what's going on with Ukita Naoie. As they climbed the castle, Shichibei discovered that Okayama Castle had no outer moat, its ramparts were few and small, and even the stone walls weren't fully laid.