Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

With just a few words, he convinced Azai Nagamasa that as long as Nobunaga and his son Nobutada died, then theoretically, Kita-tomi Nobukatsu should be the successor. The situation in the Oda clan had not yet collapsed, and the position of head of the Oda clan was very valuable; it was even reasonable for him to continue down the path of becoming the Grand Chancellor of the Taira clan.

By using the rebels to kill his own father and brother, and then uniting the people to defeat the rebels, the Oda clan headship would be a sure thing.

Tsk.

"Human hearts are truly unpredictable," Asai Nagamasa chuckled. "So many days have passed, and Nobuo seems to have done nothing; perhaps that's a form of action in itself."

Since that's the case, let's move our troops to Azuchi in Edo and observe the situation of the Akechi army. Azai Nagamasa handed over Gifu Castle, which was still under repair, to Akao Kiyofuyu and asked Ando Morinari to assist in defending the castle before leading the main force away from Noo.

No sooner had the troops moved than a shocking report came to Asai Nagamasa—Mitsuhide had been defeated!

Mitsuhide, who theoretically mobilized over 40,000 men for a rebellion, was surprisingly defeated in the Battle of Takatsuki-Akutagawa by the militaryly ignorant Kawamura Nagayoshi. Not only was he defeated, but he also lost his head.

With the assistance of Yamazaki Naganori, Fujita Shūsei, and Shiōten Masataka (Shiōta), Akechi Mitsuyoshi has gathered 2,000 cavalrymen from Kyoto, 3,000 cavalrymen left behind in Sakamoto, and more than 2,000 cavalrymen who fled back from their defeat at Akutagawa Mountain. They are now besieging Sakamoto Castle.

At Tanba Kameyama Castle, there were Akechi Mitsuchika, Araki Ujitsuna, and others.

The city's defenses were in place, but only two or three thousand soldiers remained, making it impossible for them to come to Sakamoto's aid.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Kawamura's army of thirty to forty thousand cavalry will soon enter Kyoto. Then they will encircle Sakamoto and eliminate the remaining forces of the Akechi clan.

Therefore, we implore Azai Nagamasa to immediately send a large army to defeat Kawamura Nagayoshi. In this way, the Kinai region will not be able to muster such a large army in a short time. Whether the Shikoku forces cross the sea to come, or the Hashiba army returns to the Kinai region, it will take at least a month.

How did it end up like this?

Asai Nagamasa couldn't help but ask.

He asked his questions, Shichibei asked Shichibei's questions, they needed to confirm that the Shikoku army really had 30,000 cavalry. They also needed to confirm how Takayama Shigetomo's efforts to persuade the slave laborers, oarsmen, and captured soldiers to surrender were going.

Takayama Shigetomo hired all the slave rowers who had been sold into slavery in Iyo, treating them all as his own. Over seven hundred people worked as slave rowers for three months, putting in a tremendous amount of effort. When Takayama Shigetomo called upon them, they all responded enthusiastically, preferring to move to Settsu rather than continue working as slave laborers on the ship.

Of the more than 5,000 captured soldiers, fewer than 4,000 were natives of Settsu and were willing to serve Takayama Shigetomo. The remaining thousand or so chose...

Go back to my hometown, Bomo.

It was good enough to have it all, and Takayama Shigetomo accepted it all with a smile. He reorganized the army on the spot, not expecting it to be combat-ready immediately, but first establishing the framework of the Takayama army. In any case, Takayama Shigetomo's defense of Takatsuki Castle had already demonstrated his loyalty. His presence in subsequent battles would be considered his best effort.

With this group joining Takayama Shigetomo's army, he could then muster an army of five or six thousand cavalry to aid him in battle. At least it would be enough to make a show of force and intimidate the enemy.

However, the matter of Kagawa Nobusumi is a little difficult to handle. Because at the military council after the alliance was formed, Miyoshi Nobutaka directly stated that Kagawa Nobusumi, as Mitsuhide's son-in-law, was not suitable to participate in the battle to attack Sakamoto Castle.

Hey kid, if you have something to say, go talk to your dad. What do you mean by saying it in front of everyone?

Nobusumi Kagawa, who was present, stated that upon returning, he would immediately send the daughter of the traitor Mitsuhide to become a nun, severing all ties between them and ensuring there would be no further involvement. He was willing to personally lead the vanguard in a human assault on the walls of Sakamoto Castle.

Oh dear, things got unpleasant right there and then.

Fortunately, Nobunaga's military order finally arrived by fast horse. Nobunaga's demand was to immediately retake Kyoto. After Kyoto was retaken, he would personally return to Kyoto to oversee all subsequent affairs. All 30,000 cavalrymen from the four provinces were to participate in the battle to retake Kyoto; no one was allowed to be absent.

Nobunaga gave the order, and no one disobeyed.

506. Restore Kyoto and search for Nobutada

The troops in Kyoto were all swept away by Akechi Mitsuyoshi and Yamazaki Nagatoku, and when Kawamura's army arrived in Kyoto, they encountered absolutely no resistance. Even Ise Sadaoki, the former steward of the shogunate's government office, was captured at Mount Akutagawa. There wasn't a single soldier left in Kyoto.

Since that was the case, Shichibei did not enter Kyoto, but simply left his troops outside the capital. He only dispatched his most elite retainers, including Umawari-shu, under the command of Saegusa Morinaka, to enter Kyoto with command flags.

The order has been issued!

In addition, someone was sent to contact two old acquaintances, Karasuma Mitsunori and Konoe Sakihisa, to inform them that Kawamura's army had returned, and that the emperor and the nobles were alarmed. Each of them was given two shi of rice and two liang of gold as a gesture of appeasement.

After Saegusa Morinaga, the temporary Kyoto magistrate, had restored order in the capital and beheaded all the bandits and vagrants who deserved to be beheaded, the first thing Shichibei did was to have Akechi Mitsuhide's body placed on Nijo Street, with a wooden plaque clearly stating that it belonged to the traitor Akechi Mitsuhide.

In addition, the heads of the bandit leaders who had followed the rebels, such as Akechi Hidemitsu, Saito Toshizo, and Ise Sadaoki, were also hung next to Akechi Mitsuhide, so that everyone could see them clearly.

Only in this way can the people of Kyoto know that this world still belongs to Oda Nobunaga, and there has been no change of dynasty. Those who dare to disrupt the order of the world, like Akechi Mitsuhide, will suffer the same fate.

From inside the city, Konoe Sakihisa and Karasuma Mitsunori, who were escorted out of the city by Kawamura's army, saw Akechi Mitsuhide being paraded through the streets tied to a cross with a sign hanging on his head, and immediately knew that Mitsuhide was truly doomed.

The two breathed a sigh of relief, because Mitsuhide had presented the court with a huge sum of five thousand taels of gold, hoping that the court would issue the general's decree as soon as possible.

When the Imperial Court first heard that Nobunaga and his son Nobutada had been killed, and that Mitsuhide had promised to return all the estates owned by the Emperor, the Imperial Family, and the court nobles in Yamashiro, Omi, Tanba, Settsu, and other provinces, as well as the entire Imperial Palace and the court nobles, they were actually tempted.

In particular, Mitsuhide was a rather old-fashioned figure, lacking the mindset of Nobunaga to test the court's limits step by step, or at least he hadn't shown it before. Even the Emperor was satisfied with Mitsuhide's demeanor.

Prince Seihito vehemently opposed this, stating that Mitsuhide was a traitorous villain and utterly unworthy of receiving the shogun's decree. Furthermore, why was Mitsuhide in such a hurry to receive the decree?

It's all because Ashikaga Yoshiaki has a very keen sense of smell; that's why he got into trouble.

They ran off into the mountains north of the city. By the time Guangxiu went to fetch them, they had already vanished.

Look, even Ashikaga Yoshiaki thinks Mitsuhide can't succeed, and you're all rushing to flatter him?

While Ashikaga Yoshiaki may have moments of blinded judgment and betrayals of his allies, he certainly possessed a degree of shrewdness. Even if we find him despicable, we cannot ignore his choices because of that.

Because of Prince Naruhito's interference, the imperial court first embezzled 5,000 taels of gold from Mitsuhide, and then played a game of cat and mouse with him. After three days of this, Mitsuhide led his troops to besiege Takatsuki, and news that Nobunaga was still alive reached Kyoto.

The crowd exclaimed that His Highness the Crown Prince was wise and began to gather around to watch.

Today, with Mitsuhide dead and Kawamura's army recapturing Kyoto, everything is turning in Nobunaga's favor. Not coming to pay respects to Shichibei now would be tantamount to courting death.

The meeting was to take place at a villa outside Kyoto. Shichibei had restored order to Kyoto and was about to besiege Sakamoto Castle after leaving behind 2,000 troops.

However, Nobunaga's military orders arrived again. Nobunaga stated that he would immediately come to Kyoto and retake control of the Nijō Palace. He ordered Shichibei to lead a large army to wait for him for one day, while simultaneously dispatching men to investigate Sakamoto...

Intelligence from castles such as Kameyama and Azuchi led to a request for Hosokawa Fujitaka to lead troops to attack Tanba.

Nobunaga, being the kind of man he was, immediately deduced upon hearing the report that Hosokawa Fujitaka had been delaying in every way possible, refusing to lead his troops into battle, which had resulted in Mitsuhide having less than 20,000 cavalry at Mount Akutagawa that Hosokawa Fujitaka was wavering between two sides, unlike Tsutsui Junkei who openly betrayed the cause and joined the rebellion.

They were in good spirits and attacked Tanba to show their loyalty.

Such military achievements required no reward, and neither Hosokawa Fujitaka nor his son dared to ask for one. Their backgrounds were easily investigated; if they were, why didn't they immediately inform Nobunaga when Mitsuhide sent people to persuade them to raise an army? Why didn't they immediately launch a counterattack against Tanba?

Although Tango is small, it is still a territory with a population of 100,000 koku. Six thousand men are not enough to secure victory, but as long as they appear in Tanba, Mitsuhide will have to divide his forces.

Therefore, some things don't need to be said too explicitly. Right now, the real strategy is to minimize the damage to the enemy and maximize the healing of your teammates.

Shichibei, having understood the situation, immediately obeyed the order. Since it was Nobunaga's command, he was practically ready to cut off his hair and chop off his little finger to show his resolve. Kagawa Nobusumi, who was willing to be the first to attack Sakamoto, had no choice but to stop.

Taking advantage of this lull, Shichibei met with Konoe Sakihisa and Karasuma Mitsunori. Shichibei was relieved that the Imperial Court hadn't "joined the rebels." Even more gratifying was that Ashikaga Yoshiaki had also fled. Mitsuhide was merely using Yoshiaki's name to distribute documents everywhere.

Another matter is that the previous shogun, Ashikaga Yoshihide, died in battle at Nijō Palace. However, his child was not killed by Mitsuhide, who probably had some ulterior motives. The child is currently being cared for at the Rokuon-in Temple in Kyoto; should he be sent to Shichibei?

Certainly, and while we're at it, we should also send Ashikaga Yoshiaki's two sons who have become monks. These are all readily available legitimate reasons, and we cannot take them lightly; we must keep a close eye on them.

Then, someone was sent into the mountains to inform Ashikaga Yoshiaki that he could come down. Mitsuhide had been beheaded, and Kyoto had regained its composure.

By the way, we have information on the whereabouts of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Ashikaga Yoshihide, but what about Oda Nobutada? Mitsuhide has been claiming that he killed Oda Nobunaga and his son Nobutada. He even displayed their heads in Kyoto, which fooled many people, including some court nobles, for the first few days.

But Shichibei now knows very well that while Nobunaga may not be alive and kicking, he is at least whole and intact in Kishiwada. So the next step is to find Nobutada, either alive or dead.

Regarding this matter, Konoe Sakihisa could only say that he was unaware of it. (Nijo)

After the fall of the Imperial Palace, the heads of Ashikaga Yoshihide, Murai Sadakatsu, and others were confirmed, their deaths clearly documented. Only Nobutada's remains and head were nowhere to be found, vanishing without a trace as if they had disappeared into thin air.

fart!

Everyone in Japan knows how important Nobutada's head is. Those who protect it, those who capture it, will receive a reward of at least 50,000 koku. For 50,000 koku, people would fight tooth and nail. And you're telling me it's gone? That's ridiculous.

If you tell me, then there's something to say. If Nobunaga comes tomorrow and there's no word at all, well, that's all I have to say.

One sentence sent shivers down the spines of Konoe Sakihisa and Karasuma Mitsunori, who rushed back as fast as they could. These old nobles, though no longer capable of fighting, had been local strongmen in the capital for so many years; they couldn't possibly be completely without any information channels.

After dismissing the two men, Shichibei began dispatching troops to sweep away the scattered Akechi army soldiers remaining within the mountain castle. This time, there was no more of the usual five kanmon for a single head; back then, it was to inspire the army to fight bravely against the enemy. Now, those captured were all demoralized deserters, and the head of a foot soldier was worth fifty sen—that was all.

Unless it's a high-ranking general like Saito Toshiyasu or Tsumagi Norihiro, they're worthless. This is also to prevent people from killing innocent people and claiming credit for their crimes.

Let's borrow a fellow villager's brain for a bit.

Spies were also being sent out in waves to scout the enemy's situation. Furthermore, all abandoned post stations, stables, and horse-transfer offices, as long as they hadn't been burned or damaged, were immediately rebuilt. For those that had been destroyed, temporary sheds were erected to restore operations.

After a flurry of activity, as night fell, a piece of news that Shichibei found unbelievable was relayed to the main camp outside the capital.

A draw has been made!

Hirate Nagamasa, as Nobunaga's younger brother, was previously assigned to Oda Nobutada as a subordinate. Theoretically, they should have been together when Oda Nobutada's incident occurred. So why has Hirate Nagamasa reappeared now that Oda Nobutada's whereabouts are unknown?

Immediately, an inquiry came in. Upon seeing Shichibei, Hirate Nagamasa burst into tears, saying that he had been hiding for the past few days and had almost starved to death in the wild.

"You can save those words for the lord. I only want to know two things. First, do you know the whereabouts of the Gifu Lieutenant General? Second, how did you escape from the Nijō Palace?" Shichibei stopped Hirate Nagamasa, who was about to launch into a long speech, and went straight to the point.

"Oh, this."

"Please remember, I am speaking on behalf of my lord." Shichibei and Hirate Nagamasa had worked together once.

During the Battle of Mikibesho, Hirate Nagamasa, as a comrade assigned by Nobunaga, served on the flank of Kawamura's army. However, he was decisively defeated, nearly impacting the entire battle.

Afterwards, Nobunaga gave the boy a thorough dressing-down, but that was about it. He was, after all, a member of Nobunaga's faction, and an adult at that. Nobunaga needed a strong retinue to serve as footholds in various provinces for his future ambition of unifying Japan.

Look at Nobutaka's own son, he was also abandoned in Shikoku. Nobufusa's own son, he was also thrown into Suruga. You can't say that the place is bad, but after all, they are far from the political center of Kyoto, and also far from Nobunaga's main castle, Azuchi Castle.

"I also wanted to set myself on fire that day, but the enemy's attack was too fast and our army was too small, so we didn't have time to start the fire..." Hirate Nagamasa rambled on and on.

With a loud "bang!", Shichibei slammed his hand on the table, exuding an undeniable air of authority.

"If you don't answer honestly, it will be considered a betrayal of your master!" Shichibei's words made sense.

Oda Nobutada is the current legitimate head of the Oda clan, along with Hirate Nagamasu.

It wasn't just a group of followers, but also a loyal and devoted force. In other words, if Xinzhong died in front of Changyi and Changyi didn't risk his life to save him, then he would be betraying his lord. This is because Xinzhong was both his head of the household and his master.

In neighboring China, this would be known as "the execution of the surviving guards," where the commander-in-chief would be killed in battle, and all the surviving guards would be beheaded.

Now, if Nagamasa is in a standoff, it's all up to Shichibei's judgment. If he answers honestly, perhaps things can turn out differently. If he doesn't answer honestly? Then he can expect to be beheaded.

"The lieutenant general committed seppuku at the Imperial Palace. I originally intended to die with him, but I was too cowardly..." At this point, Hirate Nagamasa began to mutter some nonsense about having no other choice.

"Where is the lieutenant general's head?!" Shichibei shouted sternly.

As a result, Hirate Nagamasa was still babbling on and on, spouting nonsense. This immediately annoyed Shichibei, who signaled to his attendant to go up and slap Hirate Nagamasa twice across the face.

"It seems someone escaped with it. When they escaped from the palace, they saw other swimming figures in the ditch." Hirate Nagamasa held his face in his hands, having been slapped awake.

Historically, there was actually more than one soldier who escaped from the Nijō Palace.

Two examples, to give a famous one: Yamauchi Kazutoyo's younger brother, Yamauchi Yasutoyo, jumped off the Yumizama Gate and survived without dying.

He was incredibly lucky; his son, Yamauchi Tadayoshi, even gained the entire province of Tosa for no reason.

"Indeed!"

“Really! Really, really, really…” Seeing the servant raise his hand, about to slap him again, Hirate Nagamasa quickly replied.

"Understood, you may leave." Shichibei sighed. It seemed that Oda Nobutada was truly dead. Nagamasa, after all, had firsthand information, so aside from the embellished escape details, the rest should be credible.

He gestured to his men to detain Hirate Nagamasa. "We won't kill him; Nobunaga doesn't know whether he'll actually kill him or not." "How should we deal with his crime of desertion? Nobunaga, you decide."

At this time, Azai Nagamasa had already ridden from Gifu to Nagahama, which was naturally a fortified castle. It was a large castle built by Hideyoshi to control the 120,000 koku territory north of the river, and could accommodate tens of thousands of cavalry. The original castle lord, Castle Governor Hori Hidemasa, had fled, and his whereabouts were now unknown.