Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Since the castle was not large enough to accommodate the 30,000 troops under Azai Nagamasa's command, Nagamasa chose to camp outside the castle.

The 5,000 troops hastily recruited from the north bank of the river were left in Nagahama by Azai Nagamasa as a backup plan. The remaining forces, including the large army brought from Echizen and the hired Koga and Iga troops, went with Azai Nagamasa to reinforce Sakamoto.

There are still several thousand Akechi cavalrymen in Sakamoto Castle, and according to Akechi Mitsuyoshi, Kawamura's army has at most thirty thousand cavalrymen. His father was killed by Kawamura Nagayoshi because his forces were too small. Now, with the two armies combined, they might have more than forty thousand men. Forty thousand against thirty thousand, a fair and square fight, there would be absolutely no problem.

In addition, Akechi Mitsuyoshi invited Tsutsui Junkei to stop threatening Kishiwada on the border of Kawachi and Izumi, and to come to Omi to join the army and fight together.

If Tsutsui's army can arrive, it will add another 10,000 troops. Having already boarded the ship of rebellion, Tsutsui Junkei would not dare to harbor any disloyal intentions.

It should be known that Oda Nobunaga's attitude towards traitors was extremely harsh. Araki Murashige's entire family was killed, and Matsunaga Hisahide's fate was similar. These bloody examples were right before their eyes, and Tsutsui Junkei would surely understand.

Asai Nagamasa was even a little excited. If he could defeat Kawamura's army, he might be the one to take over the reins of the country.

507. Lure Nagamasa to attack.

About two hours after nightfall, Nobunaga arrived at the Oda army's camp outside Kyoto. With Nobunaga's arrival, the commander-in-chief automatically became Nobunaga, and the army was no longer Kawamura's, but Oda's.

Upon hearing of Nobunaga's arrival, all the generals, whether asleep or not, immediately rose and rushed to pay their respects. The generals of Shikoku and Settsu, in particular, were eager to ascertain Nobunaga's condition.

When Nobunaga's familiar face appeared before them, everyone bowed repeatedly. The mere presence of Lord Nobunaga, even just sitting there, greatly boosted the morale of those present.

Chosokabe Nobuchika, who had come from Tosa, paid his respects to Nobunaga, his father-in-law by patriarchal lineage, addressing him as "Father" with great affection. Nobunaga immediately took off his own dagger and bestowed it upon Nobuchika. He added that he would later show his father the bravery of the Tosa samurai.

Nobuchika immediately declared that he would lead the charge and wouldn't stop until the gates of Sakamoto Castle were broken down. Nobusumi Kagawa, somewhat anxious, quickly stepped forward to preemptively strike.

Seeing his nephew Nobusumi step forward, Nobunaga merely waved his hand, indicating that the marriage to Mitsuhide's daughter was arranged by Nobunaga himself and had nothing to do with Nobusumi. There was no need to divorce his wife, after all, Mitsuhide's daughter was already...

She gave birth to his legitimate son.

After calming everyone down a bit, Nobunaga told everyone to go home, leaving Shichibei behind. Kagawa Nobuzumi and Miyoshi Nobutaka were still reluctant to leave, and Nobunaga had brought someone back with him.

Nobumasa Harada.

Although he was Oda Nobutada's older brother, Harada Nobumasa was an illegitimate son, so he had been adopted out and inherited the Harada family. He was assigned to Nobutada as a retainer. Last year, he was sent to the western and Shikoku regions to personally learn about the geography and get to know the local powerful figures, paving the way for Nobutada's later move to Aki.

Upon receiving the news, Harada Nobumasa rushed back. As Nobunaga's eldest son, he certainly had a chance to compete.

But he was also asked to leave. His son was his son, and official business was official business. Nobunaga needed to attack Sakamoto Castle and Azai Nagamasa. Without eliminating these external threats, there was no way to stabilize the entire Kinai region.

After everyone had left, Shichibei recounted everything that had happened during the day, including Hirate Nagamatsu's confession. Upon learning that the Imperial Court had not rebelled, nor had Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Ashikaga Yoshihide, Nobunaga's Adam's apple visibly bobbed. Clearly, he also did not want the rebels to gain a righteous cause.

Having a formal title is never a good thing.

"How many troops are there in Sakamoto Castle?" Nobunaga asked immediately.

"At most seven thousand cavalry," Shichibei replied immediately.

Shichibei currently commands an army of 60,000. Although he released about a thousand prisoners of war from Harima and suffered over a thousand casualties in the Battle of Akutagawa and Takatsuki, the current force of 60,000 is a solid and substantial number.

"Any news from Nagamasa?"

"It is said that they have defeated Gifu and Kiyosu, but they may not have left troops to defend them." The information gathered by Shichibei may not be accurate, as it is all summarized from a jumble of misinformation.

Considering that Azai Nagamasa needed to eliminate any potential threats from the rear by defeating Oda Nobutada's standing army stationed outside the castle and killing his commander, this was a necessary military action. Therefore, the credibility of the information has greatly increased, and it may not be false.

"Yes, Nagamasa is indeed a wolf in sheep's clothing, and he will certainly act in this way." Nobunaga listened to Shichibei's report while pondering Nagamasa's possible next move.

"My lord, you..." Shichibei noticed that Nobunaga's expression was not good and tried to comfort him.

As long as Nobunaga is alive, he is the supreme commander.

All the glory and honor would go to Nobunaga; he wouldn't need to rack his brains over every little thing. Nor would he need to personally lead his retainers and cavalry in battle for the army.

“I know what I'm doing.” Nobunaga simply extended his hand.

"This..." Shichibei was at a loss. Oda Nobunaga was a man of his word, and his authority was already established; no one could persuade him otherwise.

"Send a message to Sanke, ordering him to raise an army immediately and restore Nobuo." Nobunaga is now launching a full-scale counterattack. Although many troops on the eastern front cannot be deployed, they can be mobilized and must be sent to the front now.

"Is it Tokugawa Kyōjō-dono of Enshu?" Shichibei thought to himself, "You, Nobunaga, are really daring, actually appointing Kitabatake Nobukatsu as your general."

Is this the kind of position we should give him? It's not that we look down on him, it's that practically no one in all of Japan respects him. His military skills are truly appalling. At least Shichibei is somewhat receptive to advice and not entirely stubborn, but Shichibei is completely deaf to good suggestions and relies solely on his "clever" little brain.

"Hmm..." Nobunaga did not answer.

"Aww! That's right!" Shichibei suddenly slapped his forehead.

The Tokugawa family itself was embroiled in its own mess; Tokugawa Ieyasu already knew about Matsudaira Nobuyasu's plot to overthrow him. Father and son...

They're already at odds in private, so how could they possibly unite and rally 18,000 people to attack Nobi now?

"Alright, let Sansuke try first." Nobunaga and Lady Ikoma only have Kitabatake Nobukatsu left, and Nobunaga still wants to try to save him.

If Kitabatake Nobuo can still be saved, then it will be pretty clear who will inherit the family business. You said it will be passed on to Nobutada's son, Sanboshi?

That's impossible. It's highly unlikely that Nobunaga will have fifteen years to raise another toddler.

Oda Sanboshi was Nobunaga's grandson, and Kitabatake Nobukatsu was Nobunaga's son. They both had Nobunaga's blood in them, so Nobunaga would definitely choose "Naga-kun" as his successor.

This is completely different from Hideyoshi killing Hidetsugu and insisting on passing the throne to Hideyori. Hidetsugu was merely the son of Hideyoshi's sister, a step below Hideyoshi. Furthermore, Hideyoshi's belief in a hereditary monarchy was extremely strong; he insisted on his own son succeeding him. Therefore, the subsequent events were practically inevitable.

"Understood, Your Majesty will dispatch a ship immediately." Shichibei showed no excitement about participating in the succession, simply responding calmly.

"You will set off for Sakamoto tomorrow, while I will handle some official business in Kyoto."

"Nobunaga clearly already had his own plans, and upon arriving at the scene, he immediately began issuing orders."

"As ordered."

What else is there to say? Shichibei gave Nobunaga his villa and slept in his camp. The next morning, Nobunaga, with five hundred cavalrymen and having "seized" Shichibei's six hundred or so cavalry, amassed over a thousand elite riders and entered Kyoto in a blatant manner. Moreover, without giving prior notice, he directly requested an audience with the Emperor.

I am still the same majestic Right Minister Oda Nobunaga, and the world remains unchanged.

The Ryuga horsemen were elite cavalry, not really needed for sieges, so borrowing them was fine. Shichibei relayed Nobunaga's orders to break camp and set off to attack Sakamoto.

In later times, traveling by tram from Kyoto to Sakamoto Castle would take less than an hour, about fifty minutes. The entire journey was seventeen kilometers, exactly the distance an army could travel in a day on a steady march.

In reality, it was only a half-day march; the other half-day was spent building camps and establishing defenses. Furthermore, Nobunaga had thoroughly renovated the streets surrounding Kyoto. During the period before Azuchi Castle was completed and Gifu was ceded to Nobutada, Nobunaga resided in Kyoto and conducted his official duties.

Furthermore, since there were simply too many of Nobunaga's own sons and sons-in-law participating in the war, choosing any one of them would cause dissatisfaction among the others. Therefore, the final choice for the first general was Ikeda Tsuneoki and Ikeda Motosuke, Nobunaga's wet nurses, whose seniority was considerable. Although their abilities were limited, their loyalty and reliability were their greatest asset.

Ikeda Tsuneoki, who was ordered to lead the vanguard, was overjoyed. He led two thousand soldiers to clear the way for the main army and they arrived at Sakamoto Castle before noon.

The townspeople had all fled and were nowhere to be seen. The families and servants of the samurai and foot soldiers, along with the elderly and weak, were dispersed or sent to the mountains further north. Only the able-bodied samurai and the families of high-ranking officials were brought into the castle.

The castle itself needs little introduction; it was a flatland castle built on the site of the former Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei. It's worth mentioning that Mount Hiei is simply a "mountain name" given to temples in Japan. While there are indeed mountains in the area, Sakamoto Castle was a port town, and the main keep was merely an earthen platform built on the shore of Lake Biwa.

However, Mitsuhide was still quite skilled; in addition to the main castle, there were the second and third castles, with a waterway directly connecting to Lake Biwa, spanning twenty-six meters in width. At that distance, the Japanese bow was already showing signs of exhaustion. Iron cannons, on the other hand, were perfectly suited to be used; firing from within the castle walls amplified their power.

Due to the special status of the castle lord, Akechi Mitsuyoshi, there was no question of surrendering the castle and sparing the castle soldiers. Nobunaga not only intended to kill Akechi Mitsuhide's entire family, but also to wipe out the entire family of the Five Elders of Akechi as well.

How to persuade them to surrender?

It's impossible to persuade them to surrender.

Let's figure out how to breach the city. Although we have 60,000 men, attacking Sakamoto Castle, which is defended by 7,000, requires not only being prepared to lose 5,000 men, but also having at least three months' worth of rations.

Its winding firing face and numerous watchtowers demonstrate Mitsuhide's commitment to Sakamoto Castle. As a crucial stronghold protecting Kyoto, Sakamoto Castle was truly remarkable.

"Do any of you have any advice for me?" You are all very brave, so please tell me how to fight.

"Surround but do not attack." Oda Nobunaga had just looked around the city and knew that the city could be filled with lives, but at least five thousand lives would be needed.

"How could this be!" No sooner had Oda Nobuharu finished speaking than Ikeda Tsuneoki objected.

Nobunaga is standing at the back watching, he could arrive at any moment. Those present...

The generals simply besieged the city without engaging in battle. Nobunaga saw this and wondered what he thought.

"No, no, it's just a relief effort." Oda Nobunaga was a veteran general; he wouldn't be so simplistic.

"You mean, the siege led to Akechi requesting reinforcements and summoning Asai?" Now everyone understood; it was indeed a solution.

To reiterate, when faced with the grotesque Japanese castles, everyone prefers open field battles. Nobunaga loved open field battles, Shingen loved open field battles, and Ieyasu loved open field battles as well. As long as open field battles can destroy the enemy's manpower, then even if a siege battle ensues, it will be much easier.

“But we might not be able to wait that long.” It was now Takayama Shigetomo who spoke up.

Seeing Nobunaga personally arrive from Kishiwada, he understood that Nobunaga was determined to quell the rebellion quickly. Sakamoto Castle, with its formidable walls and ample provisions, could easily hold out for six months. The same was true for Azai Nagamasa, who occupied Azuchi Castle; he had at least enough rations to feed his army for six months.

If neither side makes a move for the next six months (which is unlikely), who knows how things will develop?

"Hmph..." They are all telling the truth, but the truth is not always a perfect response to reality.

"Attack Sakamoto fiercely, inflict heavy casualties on the castle soldiers, and force them to quickly request reinforcements," Ikeda Tsuneoki said again.

"It's feasible!"

That makes sense. Launch a fierce attack on Sakamoto, break through the third tier of the castle, and I don't believe Akechi Mitsuhide inside won't plead for help. Previously, Akechi Mitsuhide broke through the outer tier of Takatsuki Castle and stormed the second tier, forcing Takayama Shigetomo to desperately plead for reinforcements.

Once the city gates are breached, it will put enormous pressure on the defending troops inside the city.

“Then I will make the first move.” Ikeda Tsuneoki did not achieve any remarkable merit in the Battle of Akutagawa-Takatsuki. Even if he were to receive a bonus after the battle, it would probably only mean that Ikeda Gensuke would be given 10,000 koku of rice on his own.

If we can break through Sakamoto's Sannomaru now and achieve the victory of Ichibango, then the reward for our merits afterward will definitely not be enough to satisfy us with 10,000 koku.

You're saying hundreds of lower-ranking samurai and cannon fodder foot soldiers will die in battle? No war is without casualties. Raise a recruitment flag, and people will come to take your food. In Japan, as long as you offer rewards, people will definitely come to join you.

The only problem is that the recruitment process is quite lengthy, requiring recruitment little by little. Otherwise, why would Takayama Shigeyu have been willing to take over Yushu in a package deal?

What about the seven hundred people? It's all because it's readily available; you can gain weight just by eating it.

"Immediately forge bamboo bundles and wooden shields," Shichibei ordered, seeing that everyone's opinion had been formed.

Ikeda Tsuneoki will lead the vanguard in a full-scale attack on Sakamoto, luring Azai Nagamasa to come to their aid. Once the Azai army reaches the outskirts of Sakamoto, the well-rested Oda army can deliver a crushing blow to them.

Everyone immediately mobilized to cut down bamboo and timber. Bamboo and straw were used to bundle the bamboo, and thick wooden poles were used to erect fences. Fortifications could be built in the field; it wasn't that no fortifications were allowed.

The neighboring barber also "built strongholds and fought a war of attrition." As long as it was open field warfare, the Taiping Army's attack on the Xiang Army's strongholds could be considered a variation of open field warfare.

How wonderful it would be to turn field battles into siege warfare!

After working for three or four hours straight, as dusk approached, Monomi, whom they had sent to Azuchi, returned with news that Azai Nagamasa had returned to Azuchi Castle.

Wow, Nagamasa Asai arrived so quickly.

The faster he arrived, the happier everyone was, saving them from having to wait in Sakamoto.

The castle is waiting. Now it depends on whether Azai Nagamasa will immediately send troops to rescue Sakamoto, or wait and see in Azuchi.

"How about we send the news that Ufu-sama has arrived at Sakamoto's camp to Azuchi?" Todo Takatora whispered to Shichibei when no one was around.

"What?" Shichibei was a little unsure.

"If Nagamasa knew that Ufu-sama was in the camp, he might come to fight immediately," Todo Takatora had a premonition.

Asai Nagamasa would definitely want to kill Oda Nobunaga, or at least defeat the army personally led by Oda Nobunaga, severely damaging Nobunaga's prestige.

By spreading the news that Nobunaga was in the camp, there was a high probability that Nagamasa would launch a preemptive attack without even needing to launch a fierce attack on Sakamoto.