Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

The sudden danger caused panic among everyone except the young major general. Fortunately, Shichibei was prepared and had already properly arranged several "cargo ships" in the harbor below Azuchi Castle.

After waiting for a short while, I saw Ningning holding her little daughter's hand.

Hideyoshi's eldest daughter led her grandmother, A-Naka, followed by twenty or thirty people, and they arrived at the gate of Kawamura's residence after turning a corner. The residences of important retainers surrounding Azuchi Castle were all gathered together, which, in this case, was a good thing.

The two ladies didn't exchange any words, but a glance was enough for them to reach an agreement. The Kawamura family led the way, with the Hashiba family following behind.

The rebels' main attack will undoubtedly target the foot soldiers' residences, which are home to both regular foot soldiers and regular foot soldiers, as well as Azuchi Castle itself. After capturing these two locations, they will naturally attack the residences of senior retainers. Since the senior retainers are all away fighting, they cannot be targeted. Their families are valuable, but not extremely so.

As women and children of the samurai family, we had no choice but to experience the bitterness of fleeing from disaster.

The air was thick with the smell of smoke and fire; flames were rising on all sides, and the rebel army had achieved a great victory. They had clearly burned down most of the foot soldiers' longhouses, gained the upper hand, and were now advancing towards Azuchi Castle itself.

"The end of the world, the end of the world." Ah Zhong looked back and saw that at his age, he still had to flee with his grandchildren. How could this not be the end of the world?

"Even the collapse of heaven and earth cannot compare to this." Hideyoshi's stepfather, holding the hand of Hidenaga's youngest daughter, sighed repeatedly.

The two elderly men's statements could not change the situation, and the city walls were also...

Many savvy people flock to the port and Tianjin, but there aren't many boats docked there because the boatmen also need to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The Kawamura and Hashiba families, who were the first to escape, were somewhat relieved to see two lanterns still lit on a 100-koku boat on the shore. The boatmen on the boat were all hired by Shichibei on double pay and double the usual service allowance. They also saw the sea of ​​fire below Azuchi Castle and were anxiously looking around from the boat.

At Inase Yoshinari's shout, the boatmen at the bow all bowed their heads, and lanterns were lit on the other two boats next door. Even a rabbit knows to have three burrows; Shichibei certainly knows to use three boats to escape.

You never know when one of the ships might get diarrhea, or another might leak. Having three ships is the safest bet, anyway, Shichibei is rich and powerful.

"Big Boss." The bowman leaped directly from the ship to the shore and nodded to Inase Yoshinari again.

"Quickly, arrange for the lady and the others to board the ship." Inase Yoshinari didn't waste any more words. At this point, what was the point of talking nonsense?

A ship carrying 100 shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice can hold a full 100 shi. It's not particularly large, but it's not small either. If it were loaded like a slave ship on the Atlantic, it could indeed cramm a hundred people in. But if people are standing or sitting, squeezing in 60 or 70 people would be about right.

"Is everyone here?" Yoshinari Inase asked, looking at the large group of women and children at the bow of the ship.

"Let's untie the mooring lines." Inase Yoshinari looked at the Kawamura family and the Hashiba family boarding the ship.

Even the servants and attendants came along and boarded the ship, filling the hundred-stone ship to the brim. Fortunately, there were more than twenty children, so the ship remained stable.

"Let's go, let's go." The bow of the boat helped Inase Yoshiki jump onto the boat.

They could simply dismantle the ship's planks, untie the mooring lines, find a small island on Lake Biwa to hide on, and figure out a plan later. If both Kawamura Nagayoshi and Hashiba Hideyoshi were to lose, they wouldn't stand a chance. If Hideyoshi and Shichibei were to return, they'd only suffer for a few days.

Those from martial arts families must be mentally prepared for this.

"Please wait a moment, please wait a moment." Just as Inase Yoshinari had settled down on the boat, he heard a woman's voice calling from the shore.

"It's Mrs. Maeda," came Nene's voice from inside the cabin.

The young general and Ningning simultaneously emerged from the cabin and, as expected, saw Maeda Toshiie's wife, Matsu, leading a dozen or so people towards the port. Toshiie was currently the lord of Kanazawa Castle, with a fief of 66,600 koku, so his family naturally had to remain in Azuchi.

"I desperately want to live," Ah Song pleaded, panting heavily.

"Lower the planks," the young major general hurriedly instructed a nearby ship that was already unmooring its moorings.

The ship's bow naturally obeyed the mistress's orders. Asong led Maeda Toshiie's five or six children, along with several concubines and servants, running towards the ship with profuse thanks. Maeda Toshinaga, who was already seventeen years old and was preparing to come of age and take his name soon, stood at the bow and answered the young admiral.

"I will never forget this great kindness." After saying this, he helped his mother and pulled his younger siblings to sit in the cabin.

"Nonsense," the young major general and Ningning merely nodded slightly. "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda"—even the Japanese believed that. Since they were about to cast off the mooring lines and there were spare seats, taking them along was considered a good deed.

In just that short time, a steady stream of people arrived. Upon seeing the boats on the shore, some cried out, others begged, but because the three boats had already been rowed more than ten meters ahead, they did not rush onto the boats.

Since they were all women and children, no one dared to jump into the water to save themselves; they only cried and screamed on the shore. The boatmen looked at Inase Yoshinari, who in turn looked at the young admiral. Although there were still many empty seats on the boat, and the shore was mostly filled with women and children, they could easily accommodate another hundred. Their only fear was that if they took in a hundred people now, another hundred would run to the shore.

The location of Azuchi Castle at this time is vastly different from the location of the Azuchi Castle ruins in 2025. At this time, the Azuchi Castle keep was built against Mount Azuchi, and a large-scale castle town was built at the foot of the mountain.

Azuchi Castle faced a circular, sheltered harbor, which was completely filled in during the land reclamation efforts from the Meiji to Taisho periods. As a result, later visitors to the Azuchi Castle ruins found it to be about seven or eight kilometers away from the shore of Lake Biwa.

Within the harbor, about 300 meters from Mount Azuchi, lies a small hill called Maruyama. It is undoubtedly a remnant of the massive earthquake that formed Lake Biwa; it is neither steep nor difficult to traverse.

[Note: Comparison images are available at the end of this chapter]

"Takeichiro, take us to Maruyama first, and try to bring everyone away." The young general made this decision.

"Understood." Inase Yoshinari immediately agreed, beckoned an empty boat next door to come over, and he jumped on it, directing the Hundred Stone Boat to dock.

Women and children on the shore wept bitterly as they helped the elderly and children onto the boat. Soon, the boat was packed with seventy or eighty people, and it set sail with great difficulty. Meanwhile, the boat carrying only the Maeda family, a dozen or so people, returned to shore.

We must ensure that only one boat docks at a time, with one boat on the water to keep watch. If both boats dock, we won't be able to control them.

Maeda Toshinaga brandished his katana, the gleaming tip of which was quite frightening under the lamplight, and maintained order while another forty or fifty people joined the fray.

After a short while, the first boat, carrying Kawamura and the Hashiba family, returned from Maruyama. Several boatmen brandished oars, and servants brandished swords, only taking women and children onto the boat.

As for the samurai attendants, regardless of age, they all remained on the shore. Even if you shouted your name, it would be useless. What hatamoto? What bajimaru? What foreigners?

I don't know you at all. Our lord Nobunaga's Azuchi Castle is under attack by rebel forces. You samurai, instead of defending it, you turn around and run away? If Hideyoshi, the samurai magistrate, were here, he would have executed you on the spot.

"Huh? Tsutsui?" Asai Nagamasa, who was directing his troops to capture Azuchi Castle, received a report that puzzled him.

"Yes, it is Tsutsui retainer Fuse Ukyo who requests an audience." The attendant was very puzzled that someone would actually come to the gate of the Asai military camp at this time, shouting that he was a retainer of the Tsutsui family and came to pay his respects.

"Bring him in." Asai Nagamasa's ears twitched.

The orders Fuse Ukyo Susumu received from Tsutsui Junkei were to closely monitor Azai Nagamasa's movements 24 hours a day. If Azai Nagamasa remained inactive, then they should ignore everything and wait patiently at Azuchi Castle.

If Azai Nagamasa rebels and launches a fierce attack on the Oda army at Azuchi Castle, and captures Azuchi Castle, then immediately reveal your identity and rush to the Azai army camp to present Tsutsui Junkei's secret letter.

If one has heard that Akechi Mitsuhide is plotting a rebellion and that Azai Nagamasa is merely retreating, then self-preservation is paramount. Burn the secret letter and flee to Yamato-Koriyama Castle with Tsutsui Junkei's mother.

It's obvious now that Asai Nagamasa is plotting a rebellion, so what else is there to say?

"Greetings, Lord Repairman." Fuse Ukyo Susumu was extremely excited, as he had actually participated in such an important matter.

"What are your orders, my lord?" Asai Nagamasa was still hesitant and not quite sure what to do.

"My lord's letter is here." Fuse Ukyo Susumu took out the secret letter and presented it to Azai Nagamasa.

"I am overjoyed to hear that Lord Shuri and Lord Mukozuchi have raised the banner of righteousness together and defeated the Buddhist enemy Nobunaga." This was said by Fuse Ukyo Susumu, a close confidant of Tsutsui Junkei.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent to do such a secretive thing.

Naturally, he was aware of the outcome of the discussions among the senior retainers of the Tsutsui clan. The Tsutsui people believed that Mitsuhide had won over Azai Nagamasa, which was why he had made the rash decision to launch a rebellion.

"What!" Asai Nagamasa saw the secret letter and heard Fuse Ukyo Susumu's words.

"What?" Fuse Ukyo Susumu didn't understand what Azai Nagamasa didn't understand.

Wasn't it you, Azai Nagamasa and Akechi Mitsuhide, who conspired—one to kill Nobunaga, the other to attack Azuchi—and then divide the Oda clan into eastern and western parts?

"My lord, we should immediately send someone to retrieve Isono Heihachi," Akao Kiyofuyu, a close attendant standing beside Asai Nagamasa, immediately reminded him.

Isono Kazumasa has already led 5,000 men to Kyoto overnight to attack and kill Oda Nobunaga and his son, Nobutada. If they run into Akechi Mitsuhide, and both sides think the other is there to defend the emperor, then Nobunaga and Nobutada will escape alive.

If Nobunaga and Nobutada don't die, then Azai Nagamasa will have nowhere to be buried.

"Quickly, quickly, send men to chase after them!" Changzheng knew this matter couldn't be delayed, so he stood up and hurriedly gave the order.

Fuse Ukyo, sitting to the left, also noticed it. Damn it.

Akechi Mitsuhide and Azai Nagamasa did indeed plot a rebellion together, but there was no prior agreement between them; they simply stumbled upon each other.

Oh no, this is really bad! How could such a thing happen in the world?

"Ukyo Susumu, return to Yamato-Koriyama immediately and ask your lord, Yoshunbo, to act as your intermediary. Inform Akechi Hyuga-no-kami that I am willing to be transferred with you!"

(11th-year edition of Civil Affairs)

(Meiji 8th edition)

游园

491. Beans in a bag, turtle in a jar

The eighth year of Tianzheng, the first month, the first day of the new year.

Having just finished a New Year's banquet with Oda Nobutada, Nobunaga then invited Nobutada and several other court nobles to a linked-song gathering. For figures like Nobunaga and Nobutada, personal life was no longer an option; they were truly dedicated to their country, considering it their home.

Such was the nature of feudal rule. Even on New Year's Eve, certain politically significant ceremonies had to be performed. After Nobutada went to Aki and pacified the entire western province, he was to be promoted to the rank of Junior Third Rank, Gon Chunagon, and Right General of the Imperial Guard. In addition, a ceremony would be held before the imperial horse procession, requiring the participation of close associates of the court.

These are all important matters. Now that Nobutada has come over, let's explain things to Konoe Sakihisa, the former regent, and have him relay it to the Imperial Household. The preparation of the area in front of the Imperial Horse can be entrusted to Murai Sadakatsu, who is present at the scene.

The two were quite certain that their campaign against the Mori would be easy and pleasant. After all, Hayashi Hidesada was now a guest of honor at Yoshida-Koriyama Castle, and the Mori clan had essentially agreed to Nobunaga's demands.

In addition to preserving Aki and Bingo provinces, as well as the Izumo half-country, they also demanded the retention of the Iwami half-country, or to put it more clearly, the Iwami Silver Province.

mountain.

All other terms can be executed according to Nobunaga's requirements. The Kobayakawa and Kikkawa families separated from the Mori family, and the original Mori-Kawa system collapsed.

In this way, Nobunaga himself could rest assured, and Mori Terumoto would no longer be hampered by his two uncles.

The division of territories resulted in Mori Terumoto owning Aki Province plus half of Iwami Province, Kikkawa Motoharu owning half of Izumo Province and the seven northern districts of Bingo Province, and Kobayakawa Takakage owning the seven southern districts of Bingo Province. Additionally, Hoida Motochika also separated his family but became a vassal of Oda Nobunaga, owning the three southwestern districts of Bitchu Province.

That's it, no further requests. Once Oda Nobutada's army arrives at Sarugake Castle, Hoida Motochika will surrender and become Nobutada's ally and a member of the Western Frontier. After that, Kobayakawa Takakage from Bingo will also surrender and lead Oda Nobutada to Yoshida-Koriyama Castle.

After the performance, the city surrendered, and the treaty was clearly and explicitly drafted.

You say you want to back out? Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu has already surrendered; the Mori clan has no leverage to back out. As for Nobunaga backing out? Mori Terumoto has thought it through very well; he wants Nobunaga to sign a written agreement, something clear and unambiguous written down in black and white.

While the father and son were having a heart-to-heart talk, Murai Sadakatsu, who had already packed up to return to the Kyoto Shoji Daikan office, suddenly ran back.

"My lord, Lieutenant General!" The elderly Murai Sadakatsu gasped for breath.

"What is it?" Nobunaga was puzzled as to why his usually composed subordinate, Murai Sadakatsu, was acting so strangely.

"Lady Oichi from Azuchi sent this." Murai Sadakatsu completely ignored the pageboys shoving at him on both sides and knelt down in front of Nobunaga with a thud.

Little beanbag!

A cloth bag filled with red beans appeared before Oda Nobunaga and Oda Nobutada. Even Murai Sadakatsu could understand it; how could Nobunaga and his son, Nobutada, not understand?

Xinzhong took a small knife and plunged it into the bean bag, sending red beans scattering all over the tatami mat. What fell wasn't just red beans; it was the lives of everyone.

"Damn Nagamasa, he actually betrayed me!" Nobunaga slapped the bean bag to the ground.

"The ropes tied at both ends mean 'catching a turtle in a jar'!" Xinzhong understood perfectly well and was also greatly surprised.

At this time, only Nobutada's five hundred attendants remained in the capital, along with Murai Sadakatsu's...

Five hundred loyal followers, plus two hundred of Nobunaga's pageboys and attendants. How could such a small force possibly withstand Azai Nagamasa's twenty-two thousand-strong army?

"Catching a turtle in a jar?"

It is clear that Azai Nagamasa is plotting a rebellion, and in addition to his own 22,000 men, he has other reinforcements. This could very well create a pincer movement against Nobunaga and Nobutada, hence his statement.

"Where are the people sent by Oichi?" Nobunaga demanded directly from the page at the door.