Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Completely bewildered, Shichibei left the Sakuma household and received an official appointment letter the next day, ordering him to return to Tsushima to temporarily handle government affairs.

At the same time, the twenty men Nobunaga had promised to accompany him appeared before Shichibei. They were currently low-ranking samurai receiving only cash stipends and had not yet been granted fiefdoms. They were somewhat surprised to be suddenly assigned to Shichibei as his vassals. However, before coming, Nobunaga's close aide, Umai Sasa Narimasa, had told them that Shichibei was engaged to Nobunaga's granddaughter.

With just that one sentence, the twenty-odd people and Li stopped gossiping. Although their future was still uncertain, they figured it wouldn't be too bad.

Shichibei, however, was somewhat troubled. With forty or fifty people arriving all at once, his house probably wouldn't be able to accommodate them all. Haidong County didn't have a county official's office, or acting official's residence; what kind of high-class building was that?

It has been said that the position of district governor is usually held by the general, who is responsible for serving Nobunaga at Komakiyama Castle or organizing defenses and drills within the castle granted by Nobunaga.

The county seat of Kaito District was originally Katsuhata Castle, but it is now an abandoned castle, so the county magistrate usually works in Tsushima-cho. In other words, he now works at Kawamuraya.

Then Shichibei would have to arrange accommodations for the twenty men and their attendants. Shichibei wouldn't need to worry about meals; they had their own salaries.

Some of the servants and staff had moved out of the house, some to Kiyosu and some to Komakiyama, so there were vacant rooms. However, this wasn't enough to provide a single room for every samurai. With no other option, Shichibei went to the town supervisor of Horita Uma and asked him to temporarily allocate two rooms.

Yuma Horita was extremely agreeable and readily agreed. In no time, he arranged a temporary place to stay and even sent someone to clean it immediately.

Seeing that Shichibei was followed by dozens of people, the new official took office in Kaito County, Owari Province.

60. Once you take office, you start working.

At the beginning of his term, he had two tasks. One was to collect the temporary commercial tax "Yasen" from Tsushima Town, and the other was to assist Sakai Masanao in conscripting 800 men to go to the Sunomata front to fight alongside Oda Nobunaga.

As for conscription, Shichibei was only responsible for notifying the villages, hamlets, temples, and shrines. Temples and shrines were also required to participate in the "military service" during the general mobilization.

Generally, temples produce both prayer monks and medical monks, as evidenced by the agreement made when Oda Nobuhide and his son Nobunaga issued pledges of respect to temples. As for shrines, for example, during the Battle of Azukizaka, the priest of Atsuta Shrine, Chiaki, personally led the troops into battle for Nobuhide. Nobuhide lost, the Chiaki clan suffered heavy losses, and the priest himself was killed in action.

Other high-ranking officials, such as the chief priest of Aso and the shrine priest of Suwa Shrine, were both priests and warriors, and had military obligations when necessary. Sometimes they were sent to fight, and sometimes they did other jobs as well.

For example, the shrine maidens of Izumo no Okami, well, sometimes even have to accompany the lord for drinks and revelry on the battlefield. It is said that during the Kawagoe surprise attack, Uesugi Norimasa even invited the shrine maidens to drink and make merry the night before the battle.

Two men were dispatched on horseback to notify each village and hamlet along the streets. All that was left was to wait for them to gather in Tsushima-cho. Sakai Masanao also rode up to Tsushima-cho and chatted with Shichibei for a while.

Brother, you're a fierce general, but not just a brute; you also have some brains. Knowing that Nobunaga personally built up the Kawamura retainers, you'll naturally want to make some connections with Shichibei.

Let's keep chatting...

Shichibei even entertained this fellow and his dozen or so retainers, letting them enjoy themselves for a day in the veranda of Tsushima. After all, waiting for the troops to assemble would take time, so what was the point of sitting idly by?

Sakai Masahiro initially wanted to refuse, but Shichibei's insistence was too much to bear, and he reluctantly entered the brothel. In those days, even a high-ranking samurai like Sakuma Nobumori ate only two dishes and a soup every day, and Sakai Masahiro's family business wasn't even as large as Nobumori's. He hardly had any happy days throughout the year.

Otherwise, these samurai would have been indiscriminately hunting people after invading enemy territory. It's all because they're poor. They might have a little money to buy a gun, a little money to buy a horse, but after receiving their annual salary, they still suffer from famine.

If there's no war and we're just staying home, we might as well go out and kill or set fires.

Very well, Sakai Masahiro's cooperation has been quite successful. Shichibei immediately asked Hotta Uma to convene a meeting of the Tsushima-kai members. Nobunaga's allocation for this campaign against Saito Tatsuoki was 600 kan. It was another amount that was neither too much nor too little, enough to make the bosses feel the pinch, but also enough to get things done.

Shichibei, who was already a member of the Tsushima-kai, immediately offered to contribute 30 kan as a starting point.

Nobunaga had already inspected Tsushima beforehand, and figures such as Horita Uma and Ito had been informed in advance. Now that Shichibei has taken the lead in acknowledging the debt, the cost of the arrows will naturally be divided proportionally according to the size of the family business.

The big boss of Ito even made a special trip to catch up with Shichibei. Businessmen are now considered a relatively active, even positive, social group. Naturally, the big boss of Ito, with his keen sense of smell, felt that Shichibei might be promoted to Nobunaga's person in charge in Tsushima.

After working for so long, Yuma Horita will probably return to Komakiyama as a magistrate. A lucrative job is unlikely to be held by one person for long anyway.

The two chatted for a while. First, Nobunaga informed them, and then Shichibei and Ito took the lead. The speed at which they agreed to raise the money was quite fast, and the six hundred kan were quickly raised.

"I'm being presumptuous to call you 'brother'," said Boss Ito, who was indeed very polite.

"No, no, please give your orders." Boss Ito and Shichibei's father were of the same generation, and they were already quite old.

Logically, a proper governor of Kaito County would certainly have adopted an official demeanor when dealing with Ito, the lord of the region. However, Shichibei's background wasn't that of a samurai; he was a merchant from the Tsushima branch of the Oda clan. And what was Ito, the lord of the region? He was the head of the Tsushima merchants, or rather, the head of the merchants' council, since the time of Oda Nobuhide.

Okay, let's use an easier-to-understand analogy.

Shichibei was just an ordinary Eight Banner soldier, while Ito was the banner's captain. Even if Shichibei eventually rose to the position of Grand Secretary and Prime Minister, if someone in Ito's family died, Shichibei would still have to go to Ito's house to beat the drum and carry the mourning stick.

Got it?

Japan was steeped in feudalism. After Hosokawa Morihiro became Prime Minister and formed a cabinet, the people of Kumamoto praised him, saying that their Lord Hosokawa had finally conquered the country.

If Shichibei really does prosper in the future, the Kawamura and Ito families will have a connection, so they should remember to help the Ito family's descendants.

Of course, that's all hindsight. Right now, Ito is more interested in why Shichibei caught Nobunaga's eye. If we're talking about cargo transport, the Ito family's dozens of haiwan (marabou) ships offer greater carrying capacity. And if we're talking about capital, the Ito family has far more than ten thousand kan (a unit of currency), certainly tens of thousands.

The Kawamura clan even needed Nobunaga's intervention and resources to be able to carry out larger-scale operations. In contrast, the Ito clan only needed Nobunaga's order to have dozens, even two or three hundred, of its members instantly gather.

What did Nobunaga see in Shichibei?

Shichibei was somewhat puzzled by Ito's probing. He hadn't demonstrated any particularly outstanding abilities, nor did he have a powerful group of retainers worth Nobunaga's court. So why had Nobunaga sent Yoshiki to have Shichibei build a group of retainers?

It's true that this happens when you've been a subject for a long time. You're always trying to figure out what your superiors are thinking, but you never consider how you treat your subordinates.

Nobunaga had no shortage of brave and ruthless generals; he even sidelined Shibata Katsuie for several years. Maeda Toshiie, known as "the left-hand man of the spear," was extremely skilled in martial arts, and Nobunaga told him to leave without hesitation, showing him no mercy whatsoever.

Others like Mori Yoshinari, Sasa Narimasa, and Sakai Masahiro were all brave and strong samurai, willing to fight for Nobunaga. Warriors could always be won over in the Sengoku period if one was willing to befriend them, grant them knowledge and favor, and cultivate their loyalty.

Therefore, the selection criteria will be further refined from simply being brave and capable of killing to whether the person is loyal to me, that is, to Oda Nobunaga's will (in action).

Kinoshita Hideyoshi was like that; his martial arts skills were mediocre, hardly deserving of the title "pig samurai." However, he took Nobunaga's cause as his own responsibility and revolved entirely around Nobunaga.

Therefore, Nobunaga's requirements were further refined, evolving to include not only being able to revolve around me and steadfastly execute my policies, but also genuinely believing in the success of my cause. They needed to serve and work tirelessly for me, Oda Nobunaga, with a vibrant and energetic attitude. (Those whose thinking was aligned with mine.)

Coincidentally, Shichibei not only firmly believed that Nobunaga could succeed, but also (for the time being, without a good patron) was willing to devote himself wholeheartedly to Nobunaga's boundless cause, leaving no energy behind and going all out.

The two discussed for a while without reaching a conclusion, so Ito, the big boss, could only pat Shichibei on the shoulder, indicating that the two families should maintain more contact and not become estranged. Regarding the matter of the money in Tsushima-cho, Nobunaga had informed them beforehand this time, so it might not be a big deal yet. But if Shichibei were to handle it again in the future, it would ultimately offend him.

From now on, we'll discuss this matter with Boss Ito beforehand. Boss Ito controls the shipping industry in Tsushima, and all the merchants in Tsushima need his help. As long as the monopoly granted by Nobunaga remains, he doesn't care about anything else.

Regarding the money, Ito, the big boss, stepped in to collect it. Shichibei, who runs errands for Nobunaga, would be extremely grateful if he could pass on a message and put in a good word for them.

Oh?

Needless to say, Shichibei's tone carried a certain air of transition. The Ito boss didn't pretend; he was already a merchant, with no room for further advancement. Unless he brought the Ito family's entire household and his men, armed with arquebuses and spears, to clash with Saito Tatsuoki in Sunomata.

With military merit, he could be transferred to the Oda clan as a samurai general. However, war is something not everyone dares to do. Rather than forcing it, it's better to preserve his current wealth and status.

People like Shichibei wouldn't dare to actually go to the battlefield and engage in reckless battles with other factions in the wilderness. Last time, when they attacked Sunomata Castle, it was only because Saito Tatsuoki was blind and insisted on attacking the castle even though it was almost dark that they were forced to participate.

After a moment's thought, Shichibei decided that this was a good idea.

Of course, a leader would want his secretary to keep quiet, but Shichibei wasn't a secretary; he was just someone who could say a few words to Nobunaga. So, it wasn't a matter of what the leader was taboo about. What Ito, the big boss, wanted was simply to maintain a monopoly on the water transport industry.

If we let him monopolize the market now, then the commercial order of Tsushima will not change much.

The future, the important future, what if Shichibei, with Nobunaga's support, were to annex the entire Tsushima clan? What if he were to bring all the merchants, servants, employees, and apprentices of the Tsushima clan under the umbrella of the Kawamura family?

To expand, you need manpower. Instead of targeting samurai and ronin, you should target the Tsushima clan. If the situation develops quickly enough, that day may come.

Five hundred and seventy kan were delivered to Shichibei without even needing his assigned servants to collect them. This time, the money was collected faster than ever before.

He instructed several servants who were with him to add thirty kan to Shichibei's allowance and send six hundred kan of copper coins to Komakiyama. Shichibei's official duties for this season were now complete; the collection of the annual tribute would take place after the autumn harvest.

In Owari, the annual tribute was collected in the form of money and rice, and summer wheat was not required. Summer wheat was only used by Matsudaira Ieyasu as a stepping stone for his lifelong frugality. I wonder if Matsudaira Ieyasu has now started eating wheat rice, which is seven parts rice and three parts wheat.

Therefore, official business ends here, and we are on holiday.

Well, there wasn't even a day off. The few men who went to Komakiyama with the money sent someone back to inform Shichibei. Nobunaga was going to fight a major battle, the kind with 30,000 to 50,000 men, so he hired Shichibei 300 packhorses to accompany the army north to fight.

Those who were serving their military service this year had already completed it last year when Shibata Katsuie built the castle, so this year they are all hired. They will be paid double the price for their horses if they go to the battlefield, so they need to assemble quickly.

Oh well, there's nothing I can do about Nobunaga's orders; Shichibei is destined to be a busybody. But this time, unlike previous military expeditions, Shichibei doesn't need to bring all his shop assistants. He only needs to gather twenty men sent by Nobunaga, along with their servants, and organize a packhorse team of about thirty men.

Nobunaga was serious this time, gathering over 16,000 men, ready to crush Ryūshō. Horses pulled carts, oxen carried provisions; the small caravans alone stretched for a kilometer.

Previously, the small pontoon carts were in charge of Murai Sadakatsu and Sugaya Nagayori, but this time Murai Sadakatsu accompanied the campaign as Nobunaga's right-hand scribe, while Sugaya Nagayori went to the Kiso River to build three pontoon bridges. Therefore, Nobunaga handed over the small pontoon cart team to Shichibei without hesitation, along with two hundred oxen and seven or eight hundred laborers who had been mobilized.

Alright, alright, that's just how Nobunaga is. Since he's decided to use you, he'll use you to the fullest. Although the accompanying reward measures are usually quite good, the KPIs are also very strict.

Since freight transport was Shichibei's forte, he remained calm and composed. Moreover, the roads leading to Nakano were lined with post stations, wells, and warehouses that he had built himself, so he had no shortage of supplies.

Although temporarily taking on the role of a minor official was a bit of a forced assignment, I was able to make proper arrangements and avoid any mistakes.

Following Nobunaga at a brisk pace, little did he know that Nobunaga was not targeting forces like Ōgaki Castle and the Nishi-Mino Triumvirate, which might be easily shaken, but instead heading towards the small triangular alliance in Naka-Nano.

In other words, the three families—Nagai Michitoshi of Sekijo, Sato Tadayoshi of Kajita Castle, and Kishi Nobuchika of Dodo Castle—were the pillars of the Saito family in Nakano. Nagai Michitoshi, in particular, was Ryukō's great-uncle and utterly loyal. If these three groups weren't defeated, Ryukō would still have the resources to rise again.

"How do we fight?" Shichibei asked Kinoshita Hideyoshi in a low voice. Hideyoshi was evasive and only said, "Just watch."

Turning to look at Sakuma Nobumori, Nobumori beckoned to Shichibei and asked him what he had noticed. Shichibei hadn't noticed anything; these three castles weren't so easily captured.

It wasn't difficult. Sato Tadanobu's retainer, Umemura Yoshizawa, crossed the Kiso River at night to surrender to Nobunaga, offering Kajida Castle, the middle of the three castles, to Nobunaga. Nobunaga was overjoyed and immediately promised to reward Sato Tadanobu with 4,389 kan.

The words struck everyone like a thunderbolt. Four thousand four hundred kan—an astronomical reward indeed! Where did Nobunaga get so much money?

As expected, Nobunaga wasn't stupid; he was just making empty promises to Sato Tadayoshi. He meant that if Sato Tadayoshi won the war, he would be allowed to collect taxes from the three counties of Mino, Mugi, Kamo, and Kogami.

This means that a portion of the total value of the land in the three counties was levied in a lump sum as a temporary tax on each plot of land. This kind of tax was an extremely violent tax levied by the victors on the lands of the defeated, in order to prevent the land from being confiscated by the rightful owners.

This sum of money is truly enormous, so much so that it's almost blinding. But obtaining it is also incredibly difficult. Just by looking at the location, you can tell that these three counties are the core three counties of Nakano, which are under the rule of the Saito clan. Without killing Ryūshō, you won't be able to get this money.

61. The boss laughed at my absurd plan.

When Yoshizawa Umemura heard the price of 4,400 kan, his eyes were filled with surprise and disbelief. However, after understanding that the money was the anti-country currency from the three counties, he showed a hint of hesitation.

I definitely want it, but it's hard to say when the money will be available.

The key point is that even if Nobunaga were to take control of Mino in the future, Sato Tadakatsu would be able to successfully collect the money under the pressure of Nobunaga's sword. This would essentially mean a complete break with the local lords and clans of the three districts, leaving him no choice but to follow Nobunaga to the bitter end, regardless of life or death.

Nobunaga could, of course, guess Umemura Yoshitaku's thoughts, and did not force Umemura to agree immediately, but only told him to go back and report to Sato Tadanobu. His promise was valid indefinitely, as long as Sato Tadanobu defected and surrendered with courtesy.

After taking control of Mino, one will definitely need a few local strongmen to assist in ruling. Who doesn't matter who you choose? You'll definitely choose the one who jumps out to pledge allegiance first.

Now Shichibei understood. Nobunaga had been in cahoots with Sato Tadayoshi all along, which was why he chose to go to Inuyama to attack Nakano.

I'll return the favor and march with you to Sunomata to fight in Sinō. Ōgaki Castle is a fortified castle; historically, Ishida Mitsunari set up his assembly point at Ōgaki Castle during the Battle of Sekigahara. However, the castle wasn't large enough to accommodate his entire army.

As for Tono? There's no need to fight Tono, as Nobunaga's uncle, Toyama Kageto, has already led the way in surrendering to Nobunaga.

"War is something we should avoid if possible. It's always better to spend money to quell conflict than to lose lives." Sakuma Nobumori said this quite sincerely, as if to ask Shichibei if he understood now.

"I've learned a lot." Shichibei nodded naturally.

In this chaotic age, morality, justice, and integrity are all things that can be easily discarded. As Judge Sasaki aptly said, on the battlefield, integrity is a grave taboo.

Everyone has a price that suits them. If Sato Tadakatsu could receive 4,400 kan on the spot, he would probably sell Saito Tatsuoki today.

His hesitation stemmed only from Nobunaga's intention to completely bind him to the Oda army's chariot, forcing him to become the villain in Mino in the future. But Shichibei was certain that Sato Tadanobu's hesitation would last at most a day or two in the face of such a large sum of money. He was already about to betray Ryūgen; what did it matter if he offended all the powerful clans of the three districts again for this sum?

"Four thousand four hundred kan is really a lot..." Sakuma Nobumori finally sighed.

"It's almost an astronomical price." That's right, I've never seen such a large sum of money in my entire life.

"Alright, go ahead and do your work." Sakuma Nobumori waved to Shichibei and left on his own.