Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

They just hadn't faced the challenge of becoming even braver and stronger when confronted with adversity, or of going all out.

We must make a big move and turn the more than two thousand former shogunate troops into enemy soldiers with tens of thousands of strings of cash as rewards.

Standing atop his horse at the side of Shichibei's main camp, Takenaka Hanbei, commanding the flanking forces, exuded an air of heroic grandeur. This was not only because he was personally involved in such a major battle, but also because he had become the commander of one flank.

His name will be remembered in history.

The soldiers, armed with spears, surged forward in droves. The former shogunate troops, skilled in combat, were initially able to hold their own against Kawamura's army. Gradually, however, these former shogunate troops discovered that Kawamura's soldiers were all bold and spirited, and they found themselves unable to withstand the onslaught.

When Takayama Shigetomo personally brandished his three-and-a-half-meter spear and joined the spear quiver, Kawamura's army was greatly encouraged, shouting their battle cries and smashing the old shogunate troops in front of them to pieces.

"A beheading of a first-class official, worth five strings of cash!"

At this point, would they shout anything else? Certainly not. Righteousness and legitimacy are important, undeniably. But in the chaotic Warring States period, countless cases of sons killing fathers, brothers killing brothers, and rulers and subjects turning against each other occurred. What use is righteousness in a real killing spree? It would be far more inspiring to rouse the army's morale by smashing Yongle Tongbao coins all over the ground.

Ise Sadaoki, who was at the front lines, heard this incredible news.

The price is exorbitant. Normally, the head of a foot soldier would only fetch a few hundred coins, or a bushel of rice or wheat. Now, the starting price is five kan. No wonder Oda Nobunaga sent Kawamura Nagayoshi; he's using a "silver bullet tactic."

When it comes to spending money lavishly, only Oda Nobunaga in Japan can rival Shichibei. Everyone else is in the second tier. And Oda Nobunaga's money came not only from the annual tribute he seized from vast tracts of territory, but also from the various transport gold that Kawamura Nagayoshi had managed to procure for him.

Ultimately, the richest person in the world is still Kawamura Chokichi.

The dazzling golden light of the Tensho Kopan seemed to be shining right before everyone's eyes. Every soldier stared intently at the Ming army in front of them, like tigers and wolves eyeing their prey, only regretting that the Ming army was too small.

Not enough to kill!

With a crash, the spear formation in front of Ise Sadaoki collapsed. It was sudden, yet inevitable. As the spear formation crumbled, the entire army fell into chaos. They had come to launch a surprise attack on Kawamura's main force, yet Kawamura had only sent a small contingent, and yet the former shogunate troops were routed, fleeing in disarray.

"That man is Ise Ise no Kami!" Among the crowd, there were many discerning people who immediately shouted upon seeing Ise Sadaoki on horseback.

That's not Ise Sadaoki, this is a thousand taels of gold! His eyes lit up.

Kawamura's army surged towards Ise Sadaoki's horse. Sadaoki's personal guards immediately rushed out to buy him time to escape, but Kawamura's army was too numerous. Their greed turned into immense courage and brute force, and they quickly defeated Sadaoki's guards and pounced on Ise Sadaoki's horse.

As for the main battlefield in front of Mount Akutagawa, with the generals bravely advancing and their troops being the elite of Kawamura's army, both Akechi Hidemitsu, who was struggling to hold on, and Akechi Mitsuhide, who was descending the mountain to beat the drums, inevitably fell into a disadvantageous position.

Kawamura's army still had a breath left in its dantian, while Akechi's army had already reached its throat.

Amidst the fierce battle between the two armies, Saegusa Morinaka finally spotted Akechi Hidemitsu once more. This time, he absolutely couldn't let Akechi Hidemitsu escape, he absolutely had to.

Having fought for some time, Sanegori Morinaka was no longer as strong as before. After catching his breath, he led a few of his family members forward. Akechi Hidemitsu, who was busy and overwhelmed, was showing signs of defeat at every turn, but in the end, he had been careless.

When Saegusa Morinaka had jogged to within a dozen meters of Akechi Hidemitsu, Hidemitsu's family noticed him and rushed forward to protect him. Two arrows whizzed past, striking the faces of two Hidemitsu's men, killing them instantly without even a scream.

In the blink of an eye, three straight spears arrived. Unlike arrows that aim for vital points at close range, spears are not necessarily aimed at the heart or head. While these are indeed vital points, they are not the first choice because they are not so easy to pierce.

Saegusa Morinao had trained diligently for several years under the tutelage of his senior retainers and Saegusa Moritomo, and knew that on the battlefield, directly targeting the enemy's limbs was the best option. While not necessarily fatal, it could significantly reduce the enemy's fighting ability. Furthermore, the limbs were generally less protected than the torso.

Of course, this applies to armored units; the most skilled and daring can take their throats. Against unarmored units, the collarbone is taken; once the collarbone is injured, the person is half-crippled and unable to fight again.

A spear was aimed straight at Akechi Hidemitsu's right arm. Akechi Hidemitsu, only just realizing what was happening, cried out in pain and lost his fighting ability. At this, the Saegusa family members rushed forward and threw Akechi Hidemitsu to the ground.

"Akechi Samanosuke has been captured by Sanegane Kensuke!"

The tip of a large spear decapitated Akechi Hidemitsu, and the middle section of Akechi's army could no longer hold out, collapsing in disarray. Even the Fujita Administrative Corps, which had just begun to regroup, crumbled once more, rendered incapable of fighting.

"My lord, things are in grave danger!" Hirotada Tsumagi, who had followed Akechi Mitsuhide down the mountain to fight and stabilize the situation, pulled Mitsuhide back to look.

What came next? It was the endless, overwhelming force of tens of thousands of Kawamura's troops. The brief moment that Yoshihide had bought for Mitsuhide with his five hundred men was gone. Ise Sadaoki not only failed to break through the Kawamura army's central camp, but was instead defeated by the combined forces of Takayama Shigetomo and Ito Hisahisa, and perished.

"Heaven has truly forsaken me." Mitsuhide looked back and saw that the mountains and fields behind him were now filled with Kawamura's army.

Not only did Saito Toshimitsu of the Akechi Army's right wing collapse, but even Tsuda Shigehisa and others on the left wing were defeated and killed under the combined attack of Sogawa Masayasu and Tsuchibashi Morishige. Matsuda Masachika was shot by Suzuki Shigehide and died on the spot, his head becoming Suzuki Shigehide's trophy.

"Your subject is willing to cover the rear; Your Majesty, please retreat quickly." His wife, Hirotada, was indeed loyal.

“There are still 5,000 cavalry in Luojing and Sakamoto. If they hold the city and wait for Asai to take over the army, there will still be an opportunity to fight,” Saito Toshimune also rushed up to offer his advice.

"That's exactly right!"

"Do not hesitate under any circumstances." Saito Toshimune immediately helped Akechi Mitsuhide onto his horse and ordered the guards to escort him back to Sakamoto.

"I never imagined that Mount Akutagawa would become my burial ground." Mitsuhide covered his face and wept. His lofty ambitions from the previous hour now seemed utterly ridiculous.

"The matter is not yet settled, my lord, you shall take your leave." Hirotada Tsumabuki patted Mitsuhide's warhorse as a farewell gesture.

At present, both Todo Takatora and Oda Nobunaga believe that Akechi Mitsuhide himself is still on Mount Akutagawa. They are all bravely climbing Mount Akutagawa, trying to kill Mitsuhide and establish the greatest achievement in the land.

This is the only small opening that allows Mitsuhide to escape. Once the main camp of no more than a hundred men on the mountain is breached, and Kawamura's army discovers that Mitsuhide is not on the mountain, they will surely come down to ambush Akechi's army on the battlefield.

Mitsuhide's head is worth about 100,000 koku.

Based on the historical record of Ishida Mitsunari's head, Tanaka Yoshimasa received 320,000 koku of rice from Yanagawa in Chikugo Province. Prior to this, Tanaka Yoshimasa was the lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province, holding 100,000 koku of rice.

How could a bounty of 100,000 koku not drive people crazy? Even the most powerful warriors who already had tens of thousands of koku in their own territory were eagerly anticipating and pursuing it.

Naturally, the reward of 100,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) for knowledge and conduct made the search...

Watanabe Kanbei and Goto Matahei, who were searching for Akechi Hidemitsu's whereabouts, were also extremely envious.

Upon hearing that Akechi Hidemitsu had been executed, the two were initially disheartened. But looking up again, they saw a group of thirty or forty mounted samurai preparing to flee in the distance.

On such a battlefield, who else could possibly have thirty or forty riders to escort them when they need to escape? Besides Akechi Mitsuhide, who else could it be?

"We only have the authority to ask Hyuga for guidance!" the two shouted almost simultaneously.

503. Mitsuhide's head was separated from his body.

"Shobei, what a bright red sun!"

There was no one behind Akechi Mitsuhide. He had lost his warhorse and was leaning on the ground with his sword, but he looked excellent. His eboshi hat was tied tightly around his neck, his braid was almost perfectly straight, and there was only a slight dampness of sweat on his beard.

“Indeed.” In the chaos, Mizono Shigeaki encountered the fleeing Mitsuhide, and thus retreated together with his master.

Before long, their attendants and guards were either killed in battle or scattered, leaving only the master and his followers sitting face to face.

"Ah... quiet, so very quiet." During the escape, a moment of respite brought a sense of clarity to the heart.

"The pursuers haven't arrived yet, and we're still in danger."

"Haha, to have such leisure on the verge of death, to be able to calmly watch the last sunset, is truly something I never expected." Mitsuhide's tone remained composed, as if he had not been discouraged by Akutagawa's crushing defeat.

"Waaaaah, it is because we did not fight with all our might that you have been brought to this dead end." Mizono Shigetomo and Mitsuhide had been friends for twenty years, and their relationship was extremely close.

In their humble beginnings, they shared a bowl of wine and a bite of meat. From a mere wanderer to a lord with a fief of two million koku, they achieved success together.

"Shobei, I didn't get to where I am today because of anyone's misguidance. I guess it was destined for me, Mitsuhide. It's just a real pity that I couldn't rid the world of a villain like Nobunaga."

"Even if I die here today and cannot kill the traitor, I will kill the national traitor in every life, whether I am a human or a ghost!" Mizono Shigetomo was already in tears and could not control himself.

"Shobei, thank you." Mitsuhide smiled gracefully, but tears welled up in his eyes without him noticing.

“My lord…” Mizono Shigeaki choked up.

"Survive, that's the final order."

"I will leave it to Hyuga no Kami!" Under the setting sun, Goto Mototsugu and Watanabe Kanbei finally caught up and found the master and servant in the jungle.

"My lord, flee quickly!" Mizono Shigeaki had already dropped his spear and drawn his sword, sacrificing himself to buy time for Akechi Mitsuhide to escape.

He exposed every weakness, raised his katana high, seeking only to kill. Even Watanabe Kanbei, seeing this formation, immediately lowered his spear and slightly...

Retreat. Watanabe Kanbei, who had fought his first battle at the age of twelve and kicked people's heads like balls, knew very well that this was a tactic that would kill a hundred enemies but also lose eighty of his own, so he had to be extremely careful.

"I'll hold them off here, you go quickly." Goto Mototsugu was quite magnanimous at this moment, and with a flourish of his gun, he went to meet Mizono Shigeaki.

Watanabe Kanbei and Goto Mototsugu weren't exactly close; they were just assigned to take turns on duty together because they both served Kawamura Nagayoshi with their spear skills. During the pursuit of Mitsuhide, neither was willing to give way, but unexpectedly, Goto Mototsugu suddenly offered to let Mitsuhide pass.

This immediately made Watanabe Kanbei realize that Goto Mototsugu was a trustworthy friend. He didn't hesitate; since someone had created an opportunity for him, he was determined to seize it.

In that short time, two or three family members caught up. Seeing Goto Mototsugu fighting the enemy, they all rushed to help with their spears. It must be said that Mizono Shigeaki's selfless attack was terrifying, repeatedly forcing the crowd back. However, he was worried about Mitsuhide and was distracted.

Seizing the opportunity, Goto Mototsugu finally found a chance and smashed Mizono Shigeaki's broadsword with a single shot. His family members rushed forward and tackled Mizono Shigeaki to the ground.

"Capture him alive." Goto Mototsugu breathed a sigh of relief and composed himself.

The family members didn't care; all the heads they obtained were registered under the samurai family head's name. Since Goto Mototsugu wanted them alive, they only cared about binding them.

……

"So, it was you two who beheaded the traitor Akechi?" Kneeling before Shichibei were Watanabe and Goto, along with Mitsuhide's blood-stained head, wrapped in a flag.

"No, no, no, the head was obtained by Kanbei alone," Goto Mototsugu explained, raising his head.

"It was thanks to Kanbei that the entire group broke through the obstacles that I was able to achieve my goal," Watanabe Kanbei quickly explained.

"Hahahaha..." Shichibei clapped his hands and laughed.

Excellent, excellent! They fought bravely for the heads. After gaining credit, they were humble and courteous to each other, truly "warriors."

"Even if you attain peace and tranquility through knowledge and action, you must also consider both sides."

"We'd love to!" they both answered in unison, without any sign of reluctance.

The generals surrounding Shichibei laughed heartily, saying that it was a great fortune for the Kawamura family to have two truly worthy samurai under Shichibei's command.

"How could it not be one of the 'Two Guards of Advance and Retreat' under the lord's command?" Takashi Todo

Tiger is also showing his support.

"They are indeed the Lord's left and right guards." Takenaka Shigeharu was also good at praising, as cultivating the new generation of retainers in the household was one of the responsibilities of these "old retainers".

In contrast to the jubilation following the great victory at Kawamura's main camp, the Akutagawa battlefield was like a living hell. Because Shichibei and his men offered extremely high bounties, almost all of Akechi's troops remaining on the battlefield were captured. Those fleeing towards Sakamoto and Kameyama were also relentlessly pursued.

The renowned and repeatedly meritorious Akechi army suffered a crushing defeat under the onslaught of gold and copper coins from Kawamura Nagayoshi.

The setting sun shines with golden light; how could Shichibei not be the son of gold?

Amidst the jubilant atmosphere, Shichibei and his generals watched as the attendants cleansed Akechi Mitsuhide's head. They also sent men to retrieve Mitsuhide's body, armor, weapons, and other items for comparison, striving for absolute certainty.

Knowing that everything Mitsuhide possessed was an important spoil of war, Watanabe Kanbei carried the head himself, while his family carried the body, retreating all the way back. Now, this proved useful. A careful comparison of the head and the cut confirmed that it was indeed a clean, decisive cut.

Armor and such were things we'd all seen Mitsuhide wear before, since we were all colleagues. Finally, we arrested Mizono Shigeaki and handed him over for verification.

Mizono Shigeaki grabbed Mitsuhide's head and wailed, crying his heart out; his emotions were absolutely genuine. Even Shichibei was slightly moved by what he saw.

Oda Nobunaga, Takayama Shigetomo, Nakagawa Kiyohide, and others personally came to verify the head. After confirming it was Mitsuhide's head, it was cleaned and sent to Kishiwada Castle that very night. Oda Nobunaga, inside the castle, was waiting for Mitsuhide's head to heal his heartache; perhaps seeing Mitsuhide's dead head would make him feel much better from the joy.

Everyone had no objections and each sent their trusted men to escort the severed head to Kishiwada. As for Mitsuhide's body, it couldn't be burned or buried arbitrarily. Once they entered Kyoto, following Nobunaga's style, he would surely leave Mitsuhide's body exposed to the elements in the streets for ten days to half a month, forbidding anyone from collecting it.

In this matter, Shichibei actually supports severe punishments, since this is an era where people are prey to each other, and slightly harsher punishments are in line with an era of constant fighting.

Watching the servants bind Mitsuhide's body to a cross, strip him naked, and hang a wooden plaque around his neck identifying him...

After that, it was thrown onto an oxcart, ready to be driven onto the streets of Kyoto later.

This time, this is truly a chaotic mess, but I have no idea what's going on.