Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Shouts have begun outside the castle, requesting that Vice Admiral Gifu come out and speak. They are also loudly proclaiming that only Hyuga-no-kami is outside the castle, and they are hereby ordered to...

We are here to provide assistance; please rest assured.

Reassured? Reassured about what? Murai Sadakatsu is practically ready to give Oda Nobutada a huge piece of his mind. Just now, Lady Oichi sent over a small beanbag. We thought it was Azai Nagamasa and the Iga-Koga clan plotting a rebellion, but now it seems it might be Akechi Mitsuhide and Azai Nagamasa plotting a rebellion.

"Please allow only Hyuga no Kami to enter the castle to speak." Although Oda Nobutada was both surprised and suspicious, he did not make a decision immediately, but instead gave this order.

If Mitsuhide Akechi dares to enter the Nijō Palace alone, then he is absolutely there to support the emperor. If he doesn't dare, then he is undoubtedly a traitor.

“Good!” Murai Sadakatsu patted Nobutada’s arm. This idea is good.

And what was the result? The result was that no one outside the city answered.

"Light the fuse, quickly!" The loyal generals began to give orders for the formation.

Saito Toshiharu then led dozens of Nobutada's archers up the castle walls, aiming at the Akechi warriors whose helmets were clearly visible. These archers were skilled archers who served Nobutada, and their arrows never missed. Just as Ota Gyuichi had served Oda Nobunaga in the past, lords all hoped to have a retinue of archers around them.

They gathered together a group of highly skilled martial artists.

"This time we're probably going to have a tough fight." Hirate Nagamasa also put on his armor and rushed to the city gate.

"Uncle, guard the main gate." Xinzhong directed the Ma Hui men to climb the wall, and when he saw his uncle Gou Dongzhai coming over, he immediately ordered him to guard the main gate.

"A samurai takes honor in dying in battle," Hirate Nagamasa said with righteous indignation.

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang..." The sound of cannons booming suddenly rang out outside the city, confirming that Akechi Mitsuhide had indeed rebelled.

"Traitors, shameless, committing such a heinous act!" Murai Sadakatsu called to his comrades to take up their spears and form ranks. Once the Akechi army stormed the walls, they would need melee fighters.

"Now that things have come to this, I can only pray that my father can escape danger." Nobutada, having been trained by Nobunaga for many years, had calmed down by now.

If Nobunaga could escape, he might be able to gather an army of 10,000 to 20,000 men from the scattered feudal lords of 10,000 to 20,000 koku within the Kinai region within two or three days. If he could then join forces with Takayama Shigetomo, Nakagawa Kiyohide, and Ikeda Tsuneoki in Settsu, the force could potentially exceed 20,000.

"That's the only way." Murai Sadakatsu had already come to some realization.

The two legion commanders closest to the Kinai region rebelled, and Nobunaga...

Even if we recruit 20,000 men, what good will it do? They might not be able to advance to Kyoto quickly. How long can the thousand or so men in the Nijō Palace hold out?

The truth is, it couldn't hold out for long. Although Nijō Castle had stone walls and a moat, as well as fairly sturdy gates and limestone steps, it was ultimately a castle whose political significance outweighed its military significance. Last time, the Oda clan, considering the political implications, did not launch a full-scale attack or set fire to it, but simply cut off its supplies and besieged it.

Now that Akechi Mitsuhide was already on the tiger's back and couldn't get off, what did he care about anything else? He unleashed a continuous barrage of fire arrows at the Nijo Palace, while simultaneously bombarding the gates and limestone steps with large cannons.

By 5 a.m., a raging fire had broken out inside the Nijo Palace. Hundreds of the guards had been killed in battle, and even the former shogun, Ashikaga Yoshihide, had donned his armor and prepared to join the fight.

Nobutada approached Yasaburo (below Sadakiko) and was stabbed in the left foot and shot in the right abdomen, even his intestines came out, but he still kept fighting. When Nobutada saw him, he shouted, "You are brave enough to speak your mind. In this life, I will reward you with my kindness, and I hope you will be rewarded in the next life."

Upon hearing this, Yasaburo below loudly replied that he would definitely do it in his next life.

Those who came to ask Xinzhong for a reward immediately charged into the enemy ranks, killing two men with their bare hands before dying a heroic death.

Saito Toshiharu was unharmed at this moment, but he loudly asked Nobutada whether he wanted his head to fall into the hands of the traitor Akechi Mitsuhide.

Upon hearing this, Nobutada was alarmed and immediately asked Saito Toshiharu to hold off the enemy. Nobutada himself, along with his attendant Tadamasa, retreated into the inner palace of the palace to prepare for seppuku.

Having disregarded his own life, Saito Toshiharu, accompanied by several close attendants, chanted "I cherish life for whoever I am now," and bravely charged into the enemy ranks to meet the Akechi army at the gate of the manor.

"Please, my lord, proceed first." Dan Zhongzheng drew his sword, preparing to act as seppuku for Xinzhong.

"My head must not fall into the hands of traitors." Oda Nobutada had only this one request, and he disregarded everything else.

"As ordered!"

As the dagger plunged into Xinzhong's abdomen, Danzhong swiftly severed Xinzhong's head. Two streams of bloody tears streamed down his face. Without a moment's hesitation, Danzhong grabbed a garment from beside him, wrapped Xinzhong's head in it, and tied it to his chest.

Inoko Hyosuke, who was standing to one side, saw this clearly and felt a pang of sorrow. He tied Oda Nobutada's helmet to his own head and haphazardly draped it over himself. He then smashed open the barrier gate and shouted that Lieutenant General Gifu Kurō was here, urging anyone who was not afraid to fight to the death to come and battle.

Dozens of Akechi soldiers, almost insane, charged forward, brandishing their swords and spears. Even Fujita, who was directing the operation from one side, was drawn to the scene and instructed his men to kill the man.

A massive fire engulfed the Nijō Palace and its surrounding buildings, and amidst the raging flames, "Oda Nobutada" was finally killed by the Akechi army. When Mitsuhide rushed over to see what was happening, he discovered that it was not Nobutada at all.

When he asked again about Ashikaga Yoshihide, who was living in seclusion at Nijō Palace, his attendants replied that he had committed seppuku and his head was awaiting examination in the corridor.

The head we were supposed to find wasn't found, but the other heads were right there in front of us. This is truly terrible; we couldn't even finish plotting a rebellion.

After all, a person usually only rebels once in their lifetime, and it's rare for someone to rebel twice. Now that Guangxiu is rebelling for the first time, he has no experience, so it's normal for him to make some mistakes.

Unbeknownst to them, there was a small, narrow passage between the narrow passage and the water's surface. Tian Zhongzheng was completely unfazed by the six or seven meters between the passage and the water's surface.

He leaped from that height. Luckily, fires raged all around, and the sounds of gunfire and battle drowned out his barely audible voice.

Blood and tears mingled with mud streamed down his face. At that moment, Tadashi was single-minded, with only one thought in mind: escape. He had to send Oda Nobutada's head back to Gifu Castle.

Just as he surfaced to breathe, a figure tumbled down from the latrine of the Nijo Palace and fell into the water with a splash.

Despite his disheveled state, the man was a good swimmer. He completely ignored the fact that only Tadamasa's head was above water, and swam to the other side of the river in a few strokes. As he climbed up the moat, he glanced back at the Nijō Palace, where flames were shooting into the sky.

A draw is always beneficial!

Enraged, Tadamasa realized that even Oda Nobutada had abandoned any chance of escape, choosing instead to commit dignified seppuku. Hirate Nagamasa, Nobutada's uncle, had actually escaped through a latrine, hiding and begging for his life. The Oda clan's renowned reputation for bravery in Japan was tarnished by his shamelessness.

This shattered the heart of Tadashi Tadamasa. He wanted to open his mouth and curse Hirate Nagamasa, but he found that he couldn't even utter a single syllable.

It could only use its hands and feet to crawl to the shore, get a little sense of direction, and escape towards the outskirts of Beijing.

As dawn broke, the Nijō Palace and its surrounding buildings collapsed in the fire, while Mitsuhide remained frozen in place. Oda Nobunaga hadn't been captured, and Oda Nobutada's fate was unknown; this was truly a major (censored) problem.

However, Akechi Mitsuyoshi, who was at Sakamoto Castle, sent a messenger to inform Mitsuhide that Azuchi Castle on the opposite bank had been badly defeated the previous night and had been captured by Azai Nagamasa. Furthermore, several thousand Azai cavalry were charging towards Kyoto, but had stopped halfway there, their situation unknown.

As expected, Nagamasa Asai also rebelled.

If Nobunaga and Nobutada had both been killed, it wouldn't have been a particularly good thing; it would have been a mixed blessing. But now things are different. Azai Nagamasa's capture of Azuchi Castle is a clear act of rebellion, and in the current situation, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Let's form an alliance; we'll still need the Asai army for now. We can easily agree that each side takes the east and west sides respectively, avoiding direct conflict and allowing a third party to reap the benefits.

"Keep searching, make sure you find the head of Lieutenant General Gifu!" Mitsuhide simply gave the order.

Then he sent people to visit the noble families in Kyoto and to search for Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

To secure a legitimate and justifiable cause for himself. Whether it was the government or the military, Mitsuhide's rebellion was undeniable. He could only offer some justification, such as an imperial edict, a court announcement, or even a written instruction from the emperor, to give himself a legitimate reason for his actions.

At the same time, Mitsuhide sent men to spread the news that Oda Nobunaga and his son Nobutada had been killed. This undermined the will to resist throughout the Kinai region, causing the smaller lords within the region to flee to their ancestral home in Owari. It also spurred the rise of forces within the Kinai who were unwilling to accept Oda's rule, leading them to expel the regency officials dispatched by the Oda clan.

At this time, Tsutsui Junkei, who was in Koriyama Castle, also received a report from Fuse Ukyo Susumu and Kyochu. Although the two sides were not accomplices, he was extremely surprised.

However, the fact that Asai Nagamasa asked him to act as a mediator and witness to the alliance between the Asai and Akechi families stirred something within him.

Perhaps this is a good opportunity for the Yamato Tsutsui family to rise to the next level!

On one hand, he immediately sent men to attack the Mori family of Tamonyama and the Hachiya family of Shigetakayama, and on the other hand, he sent someone with his own letter to Mitsuhide to express his attitude as a middleman.

493. The ape hanging in the city gate is truly bizarre.

"Antu has fallen."

The people stranded on Maruyama looked at the burning town of Azuchi Castle and the gradually subsiding sounds of fighting, feeling as if they were witnessing the end of the world.

"We must retreat to the lake immediately, at least to Okinoshima." Inase Yoshinari's anxiety was palpable. Komaru-yama was only two or three hundred meters from the shore, which was definitely not enough distance.

When it was broad daylight, the Asai army that had occupied Azuchi Castle saw the old, weak, women and children on Maruyama. Even if they brought up thirty or fifty samurai in dugout canoes, they could easily slaughter them all.

We must retreat immediately, preferably by crossing the lake directly to Tsuruga. Tsuruga is Shichibei's territory. Although Nagayori was transferred away, Ishigami Tsuguyoshi is still there. We can use his name to get two boats and head to other places.

"The best course of action would be to travel along the Setagawa River to Osaka, and then turn onto the shore at Wada," Ningning suggested, putting the child down as the young major general was still pondering.

"But what about ships?"

"The people of Nagahama are also under the command of Kawamura Kyōjō-dono. We should retreat to Okinoshima first, then take a small boat to Nagahama. The merchants of Nagahama, hearing of the chaos, will also flee by boat, and we can then use that boat to escape." Ningning had stayed there for a few days back then.

I know something about Changbin City.

After Hideyoshi destroyed Odani Castle, he mobilized laborers on a large scale, moved the administrative center north of the river to Nagahama, and established Nagahama Castle, which had a port and a large castle town.

Many merchants from north of the river gathered at the foot of the castle, and the original townspeople of Odani Castle and Imahama also migrated here. Naturally, ships also flocked to the foot of Nagahama Castle.

Given Shichibei's reputation among businessmen in the Biwako area, the Nagahama group would surely be willing to give Kawamuraya face and run off to Kishiwada with everyone else.

“That makes sense.” Even though it was reasonable, everyone still looked at the young major general when Ningning said that.

After all, the ship belonged to the Kawamura family, and the people belonged to the Kawamura clan; they were all retainers and servants of Kawamura Nagayoshi. Since the head of the family was not present, they would listen to the mistress and the young master. The young master, Shichibei, was not even ten years old yet; who else but the young general? After a moment's thought, the young general immediately indicated that this suggestion was reasonable and could be adopted.

Having said that, the young admiral ordered the three captains to immediately transport the elderly and infirm to the more distant Okinoshima Island. Using a small wooden boat tied to the stern, they sped towards Nagahama to deliver the transfer order from Kawamuraya. Inase Yoshinobu had long served as the head of Kawamuraya's main store under Shichibei, and he was quite shrewd.

With so many people and three boats, the young general pulled Ningning to stay put. Let others go first, so that the people on Maruyama wouldn't panic or rush.

Ningning is generally smarter than the young major general, but in terms of demeanor, there is no clear difference between the two. Both possess the bearing of a ruler's principal wife, and are quite imposing.

The elderly, women, and children on either side were obviously scrambling to get on the boat, but Maeda Toshinaga brandished his long stick and started hitting them, shouting, "Madam Kawamura hasn't left yet, what's your hurry?" He danced and cursed at the same time. Although he was a bit impatient and had a short temper, he was armed and had a loud voice, which actually calmed the situation down.

The young general and Ningning nodded at the same time. Maeda Toshiie's son was not bad. No wonder Oda Nobunaga wanted to marry his daughter to him.

With someone organizing things, things will go smoothly; let the elderly and children who can't run get on the boat first. Okinoshima is different from Maruyama. Maruyama is just a small hill that jutted out of the water after a major earthquake. Okinoshima is a proper island, with two small villages on it.

Surrounded by Lake Biwa, the island is even suitable for cultivating paddy fields and growing rice. Once ashore, at least the problem of food can be solved. After a day or two of rest, if the merchants from Nagahama flee, we can all escape this dangerous situation together.

They could haul two hundred elderly and infirm people in one trip, and at most four trips would be enough to get them all away. As for those still trapped under Azuchi Castle, they can only pray for their own safety; there's simply no way to rescue them.

Just like Lady Nohime, who lived in Azuchi Castle, and Nobunaga's youngest children, they would most likely be captured by Azai Nagamasa and become hostages in his hands.

What can we do?

The incident happened suddenly, and even with a pair of hands reaching out, one could only save two people—it was simply not enough. Moreover, Lady Nohime was such an important hostage that Asai Nagamasa would certainly treat her with the utmost courtesy.

By daybreak, the seven or eight hundred elderly, weak, women, and children on Maruyama had been successfully transferred to Oki Island. The locals on Oki Island were unaware of the major event that had occurred in Azuchi Castle; they only saw the crowds, as if fleeing, surging ashore. They could only immediately instruct the villagers to steam rice and boil water in every household.

After a whole night on the run, one must be exhausted and hungry. A bite of rice ball would be more comforting than any elixir.

It was Maeda Toshinaga who jumped in again. For a village steward who actually manages the village, you can't offer him 100 or 200 koku to be a samurai. So Maeda Toshinaga turned around and called for his mother, Matsu, to take out all the valuables that everyone was carrying. Right now, it wasn't just about buying food; they also had to win over this village steward.

Hearing his cry, the mistresses quickly chipped in their money, for their escape had been so hasty that many hadn't brought their wallets. Normally, thirty or fifty taels of silver meant nothing to them, but now even a penny could be a lifesaver.

Finally, they even brought in the children's New Year's money, and only then did they manage to scrape together one hundred taels of gold. The person who received the money happily invited everyone inside to avoid the wind, and each household set up a few people. Finding bedding and clothes was unlikely, but inside could at least offer shelter from the wind, and besides, there was a hearth in the middle of the house.

After settling in for a while, everyone took a short rest.

While processing 60,000 koku of rice, Shichibei sent a letter to Hideyoshi, requesting his return to discuss the attack on Kuranoura. He stressed that Sarukake Castle and Kuranoura must be captured before Nobutada marched on Aki and Bingo, thus paving the way for Nobutada.

The streets from Kurashiki to Okayama had been repaired by Hideyoshi in preparation for Nobutada's arrival. The messengers traveled swiftly between the two locations, and Shichibei's official document arrived at Hideyoshi's camp in Kurashiki that same day.

"Shichibei wants me to go to Okayama to discuss military matters." Hideyoshi had just been instilled with the idea that one should not have a heart to harm others, but rather a heart to guard against them.

There's no reason why it's unnecessary.

Hideyoshi felt a little hesitant to go to Okayama alone, after all, Shichibei was surrounded by thousands of elite standing troops. Okayama Castle was also the residence of the Ukita Naoie family, a fact that could be described as "two sides of the same coin." If things went wrong, what if something happened and Hideyoshi himself ended up there?

Leading a large army to retreat from the front lines of Bichu to Okayama to meet with Shichibei would not only affect the overall war situation, but also seem like making a mountain out of a molehill. If Shichibei and Ukita Naoie are "unharmed," then his actions would appear reckless and could easily arouse suspicion and distrust.

After much deliberation, Hideyoshi still sent Hashiba Hidenaga back to Okazaki. Hidenaga was Shichibei's brother-in-law, and they had been friends for over a decade, sharing a very close relationship. Furthermore, Hidenaga was Hideyoshi's lieutenant, and Hideyoshi could easily use the excuse that there were unusual movements from the Mori clan at the front lines and that he was unable to leave, sending his lieutenant Hidenaga to discuss the matter.