Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Is it possible to serve one's lord without compensation? Just like contributing labor to build a city for one's lord without compensation, it's a purely unprofitable business.

These days, people are willing to risk their lives for a business, but nobody wants to do a business that loses money.

The grandfather's cousin, who claimed the land rights, expressed a reluctance to inherit, voluntarily relinquishing his inheritance. Therefore, the husband of the original landowner's sister naturally inherited the land and was obligated to serve in the military.

Shichibei asked again, and it was very clear: you must sign a guarantee, promising never to go back on your word. The feudal lords and daimyo are all treacherous, like vipers, foxes, and raccoons, but the lower-ranking samurai are preached the "Way of Service." Breaking a promise means a lifetime in hell, and beheading.

Alright, both parties should swear an oath and present the document to the gods and Buddhas.

The person who immediately acquired the land was ordered to arm themselves within three days and collect the settlement document. After that, they would become a "banju" (a type of servant) for Nobunaga, serving as a free, obligatory gunman for three months.

The man who received the land gritted his teeth; he wouldn't have agreed if it weren't for the fact that there was no other land in his family to inherit as the second son. After all, he needed to serve in Kyoto for three months and buy a horse, which would put him in debt.

"Why did the Jingzhao Palace make this judgment?" Kitafu Nobuo asked, somewhat puzzled as the two parties involved left.

"Nonsense, this isn't a brilliant judgment at all. It's just setting a threshold to discourage one side and then make a decision." Shichibei once served as the magistrate of Haidong County.

To put it bluntly, he was once the brigade secretary. I know you're anxious, but don't rush. Arguing? That's completely useless. These days, it's not about the law, it's about skill.

So, the monk in the gourd judges the gourd case? Well, that's quite right. As long as both sides are satisfied on the surface and sign a written document, the matter is considered settled.

Go back on your word? I'll chop you up!

Law? Fairness? I find that laughable. The key is to settle the dispute. Once this judgment is announced, anyone currently suing will be sent to the Nijo Imperial Palace in Kyoto to receive free guns. Even if only one less person comes to sue later, it will be considered a success.

In rural areas, they made their own internal adjustments, which was the most perfect.

The situation. At least for the current form of governance, the most ideal situation.

“Aww…” Not only Kitabatake Nobuo nodded, but Oda Tadahiro also nodded.

That's absolutely right. The lord doesn't have time to divide up your assets every day. He's too busy fighting wars to manage on his own. Can't you just handle it internally?

“Your Highness, if it’s a one-on-one dispute, you can escalate it to a larger level and fabricate a huge price to pay. In that case, whether both sides back down or give up altogether, it would be a good thing.” Shichibei was indeed a veteran in this kind of matter.

Isn't this just a typical tactic where you think someone's pet dog is urinating in the elevator, but you're not as shrewish as the person in question, so you put up a notice in the elevator mocking the whole building and make a scene?

If you can't cure it, someone else can.

Since we can't analyze such real estate, we'll use huge feudal obligations and expenditures to deter and intimidate them; as long as it works.

Seeing Kitabatake Nobuo's receptive expression, Shichibei was somewhat incredulous. When did this kid become so obedient and sensible? He had never noticed it before.

A man like him, always using people when he needs them and discarding them when he doesn't, was something Shichibei had witnessed before when he was sentenced to imprisonment.

It just goes to show that power can really change a person. This kid is pretending to be a good student in Azuchi in order to compete for the position of crown prince? Judging by his age, Kita-Tomi Nobuo is only in his early twenties, so he is indeed a college student.

It's hard to say, it's really hard to say...

522. Pre-emptive measures for resolving the North China financial crisis.

Land disputes can't be resolved all at once, and Shichibei simply doesn't have the energy to judge every single one. Kishu's land investigation is still ongoing, and the suppression efforts of the Negoro clan and Takano Sei also require close monitoring. As for the later cases, Shichibei will have to see how Kita-Tomi Nobuo arrives at his verdict.

If he could present a case in the manner of a judgment, then let him make the ruling. Nobunaga leaving him in Azuchi to handle land disputes on his behalf was perhaps a way of testing his abilities.

It's unrealistic to expect absolute fairness in every single case—that's incredibly difficult in today's society. But as long as the judgment is rendered without incident, repeated appeals, or the military service is maintained, then it can be considered satisfactory.

Sitting next to Kita-Tomi Nobuo, Shichibei looked at the documents sent from his territory while listening to Kita-Tomi Nobuo's decision.

Hey, this kid may not be the best at learning, but he's really good at being high-profile. He's a rich young master, and he considers himself the second son of the Oda clan. Being high-profile is in his nature, you could even say it's a talent.

Shichibei taught him to be high-profile because Nobunaga wanted to rebuild the Nijō Palace as his residence in Kyoto. The Right General's residence was ultimately just...

Ordinary houses offer little in terms of defense.

Having just suffered a large-scale betrayal and attack, Nobunaga dared not be careless in the slightest. If he were to die, the Oda clan would immediately be thrown into internal strife.

Therefore, people now need to be transferred to Kyoto to serve as guards for Nobunaga and the Kyoto police force, guarding the gates, keeping watch at night, or even running errands for Nobunaga.

Nobuo would be even more vocal, saying, "You want to fight over the inheritance? You can't pay 'inheritance tax'!" My father built the Nijo Palace in Kyoto. If you inherit the property, you have to be subject to my father's care. So paying a small fee for the building or the repair costs is reasonable, it's a feudal obligation.

You asked how much this money is?

Let's say the land price is one-third of the building cost.

The feudal obligations are real, and the exorbitant prices are also real. It's a matter of willing buyer, willing seller; these days, people say it's not about the law, it's about skill. Take it or leave it; if you don't want it, I'll take it back and give it to someone else willing to pay.

This immediately scared away a fifth of the people vying for land rights at Azuchi Castle. The price was so high, it was faster than if we went out and robbed them. However, Shichibei never had a good attitude towards this kind of opportunistic seizure of property in the chaos. So what's wrong with them being scared away by Nobuo?

I'm happy to see it happen.

If plagiarism is possible, then even though Nobuo is stupid, at least he knows how to plagiarize, so it's not so bad. Shichibei scared away some people who were afraid of military service, while Nobuo scared away some people who didn't want to pay money to "buy out" their real estate.

How can this not be considered a "settlement"? At least a third of those who came to file lawsuits have left and withdrawn their cases.

Even Shichibei secretly praised the result, let alone the others. Using reasonable and legal feudal obligations to prevent disputes over property was simply a wonderful thing.

When the news reached Nobunaga, who was overseeing the reconstruction of Nijō Palace, he nodded in approval. He didn't expect Nobukatsu to possess any great talent or strategy, but if he listened to good advice and made good use of his power, perhaps the realm could truly be preserved.

Seeing that Nobukatsu had mastered the common decision-making methods of using high-profile tactics, increasing intensity, and combining targeted and multifaceted attacks, Shichibei simply dropped the job. He ran off to Kyoto to report to Nobunaga, and incidentally abandoned this assignment.

"Did you teach him all of this?" Nobunaga knew, of course, that his son wasn't that bright, and there was no one else around anyway.

"Your Highness, Lieutenant General, your inquiry is very kind." Shichibei said as he passed by the door.

I saw that young man I had assigned to serve as a guard in Kyoto the other day; he even greeted me.

Oh dear, this young man just started working and already has a mountain of debt. Poor thing. He probably doesn't even know how he wants to curse Shichibei in his heart. Luckily, Shichibei is a shameless old man who doesn't care about a little bit of his temper.

"At least he's presentable." After all, he was his own son, and Nobunaga still had some expectations for him.

The fact that Nobunaga did not appoint his five-year-old eldest son, the Third Master, as heir shows that Nobunaga was already quite clear-headed. In the cannibalistic Sengoku period, appointing a child was simply a way of wishing the Oda clan wouldn't die sooner.

"My lord." Shichibei couldn't suppress his curiosity after all.

Could it be that they really intend to appoint Nobukatsu as their successor? Shichibei couldn't quite figure out whether Nobukatsu was a fool who appeared wise or a wise man who appeared foolish. After all, this guy had miraculously managed to keep the Oda clan alive until the Edo period, and even as a daimyo.

So many storms and waves have passed, Oda Hidenori has fallen, Tsuda Nobuzumi has fallen, Kobe Nobutaka has fallen, Toyama Nobufusa has fallen, and all these Oda bloodlines who competed with him have tended to decline. Nobukatsu, nicknamed "the Fool," not only became a daimyo himself, but also created the Kozuke Obata Domain for his son.

"The Kitafu family is a renowned family in the land, a national treasured family by the court. If their line were to be severed, it would be extremely unfortunate." Nobunaga did not answer Shichibei's question, but instead brought up the Kitafu family.

Due to fluctuations in this dimension, Kita-Tomi Nobuo was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, and some of the Kita-Tomi family's attempts to revive were forcefully interrupted. Kita-Tomi Tomonori also died in a "bandit attack," leaving behind six adopted daughters for Shichibei.

So Nobuo never had the chance to carry out a purge of the Kitafu family; almost all the men in the Kitafu family were dead. Only Nobuo's adoptive father, Kitafu Kofusa, was still alive because he was under house arrest and not given the opportunity to have children.

"Does the lord intend to reinstate General Kitafu?" Shichibei was somewhat taken aback.

Historically, Kitafugu died mysteriously in confinement. In this world, it's highly likely that no one remembers him, and since he had no real political power, he survived.

"You should negotiate with the court and have him reinstated to the ranks of nobles." Nobunaga didn't say whether he would be reinstated or not, he simply gave this order.

In reality, the Beifu family still retained the status of a public household, being known as the "Chief of the Three Kingdoms during the Warring States Period." However, their long-term service as chief ministers or even rulers outside the capital made them somewhat of an anomaly within the public household.

Nobunaga's current thought is to put everything else aside and first get Kita-Tomofusa back into the ranks of court nobles. Once he's back, there are plenty of sons from other court noble families who have no future, and they can be adopted into each other's families.

“This is not difficult.” Shichibei, who had some understanding of “histories of official duties,” did not delay.

"Further funds were allocated to promote him to the rank of lieutenant general."

"It's a small matter."

Soon, news spread that Kita-Tomifusa had returned from his "seclusion" and had been invited to Kyoto. Shichibei, who was in charge of the matter, was quite unfamiliar with Kita-Tomifusa, who was still a major general at the time; the two had only met once many years ago.

She's so fat.

Perhaps due to ample nutrition from a young age and a lack of dietary control, Kitafugu was quite tall and strong, probably weighing around 200 pounds—a typical big eater.

He's not 1.9 meters tall, he's almost 1.7 meters. At 1.68 meters tall and 200 pounds, that's a huge appetite!

Perhaps in history he didn't die suddenly and mysteriously, but rather it was due to high blood pressure or heart problems that he couldn't hold on and died suddenly.

Upon learning that he was allowed to make a comeback, he even brought himself to Kyoto for his comeback.

That depends on Oda Nobunaga's arrangements.

Ow...

The old fox is indeed an old fox; he's thought quite a lot. What he said does make some sense; he was ahead of Nobunaga in terms of thinking. As for Kita-Tomofusa's own opinion, that's unimportant. All eight thousand of his retainers and followers are gone, and the attendants around him were all sent by Nobunaga; they're just there for show.

He quickly relayed Konoe Sakihisa's message back to Nobunaga, who smiled and agreed to the arrangement almost without hesitation. Since officers were often "concurrently holding positions," there was no clear limit on the number of officers in the court. In the early days, it was even common for junior generals to hold the position of junior officer, lieutenant generals to hold the position of junior officer, and generals to hold the position of senior officer.

It only requires going through a formality to immediately promote Bei Fuju to the rank of Fourth Rank Left Middle Officer. Any further promotions are a matter for later; for now, just finalize his benefits.

There is a significant change this time. Previously, samurai families needed Nobunaga's recommendation to obtain official positions. Now, Kita-Totofusa has set a precedent by having Nobunaga recommend him for his official appointment as a court noble.

Although the private dealings still followed the original procedures, on a public level, Nobunaga was already subtly showing signs of having both the court and military paths under his control.

In the past, the imperial court would have tried every means to stop him, but firstly, Nobunaga's power was unmatched, and secondly, Akechi Mitsuhide's headless corpse was still being displayed in the open on Nijō-dō.

The whole street stank, the kind of stench that was unbearable, but that stench constantly reminded the world that Nobunaga's imposing presence was a sign that he truly ate and killed people.

Rebellion? If you can't kill Nobunaga, then you have to be prepared to have hundreds of heads hung at the crossroads, just like the Akechi and Asai clans did.

It seems that the decision to decline the three positions has already reached a consensus in private. Although Nobunaga did not personally participate in the Battle of Kuragano-Tonegawa, the fact that the Oda army won the great battle against the Uesugi-Hojo alliance cannot be changed.

The fact that the Oda clan not only swiftly quelled such a large-scale rebellion but also launched a massive offensive on the outer fronts and achieved victory demonstrates that their power had surpassed all others in Japan.

Furthermore, the imperial court's involvement in the Mitsuhide rebellion was somewhat ambiguous. Mitsuhide repeatedly urged the court to issue a decree appointing him general as soon as possible to gain legitimacy. Many court officials were secretly colluding with Mitsuhide in order to restore his estate. Had it not been for Prince Seihito's repeated opposition, the court would have been in a very difficult position.

At this moment, who would dare to openly oppose Nobunaga's intervention?

It's about the matter of being appointed to a high-ranking official position. Aren't you afraid that Nobunaga will bring up old grievances, cause trouble, and launch a series of attacks?

In short, things are progressing rapidly, and follow-up arrangements are underway simultaneously.

Nobukatsu and his wife, Kita-fuyuki, had no children, and it seemed their marriage was ending. Whose daughter he would marry would depend on Nobunaga's arrangements. However, he was not childless; he had two sons and a daughter with his concubines.

One of the women was even historically considered the adopted daughter of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and almost married Tokugawa Hidetada. However, she died young, and the marriage never took place.

Therefore, he is not too worried about the issue of having a male heir, and since Nobuo is of age and has no problem with fertility, he can have children as many as he wants.

"Shichibei, I vaguely remember that Fujikichiro had a daughter?" Nobunaga asked this question when he returned to report on Kita-Tomi-fusa's promotion to Left Middle Rank Servant.

"Yes." Shichibei also remembered it.

His eldest daughter married Hashiba Hidekatsu, which would allow Hidekatsu to become the adopted son-in-law of the Hashiba family. As for his second daughter, Hidenaga had mentioned her briefly; it seemed she was to be betrothed to Hidenaga and Shichibei's sister.

The second son.

Of course, the marriage was not yet arranged, and the girl remained unmarried. Hideyoshi had a son in Jiangbei, who died young. He also had one child with another concubine, who also died young. Nene did not have any more children. The historical Chacha, also known as Lady Yodo, married Tomioka Yasutoshi.

The couple were originally on the kill list, but when Kitasho Castle fell, they surrendered to Niwa Nagahide outside the castle. Now serving Niwa Nagahide, who was transferred to Echizen, as a retainer, Chacha can no longer bear children for Hideyoshi.

"How about allocating them to the third rank?" Then Nobunaga's words took a turn for the worse.

"I believe there is no need for that. The Hashiba family is already an extension of the Imperial Family." Hashiba Hidekatsu is Nobunaga's own son, so there is no need for such efforts to win him over at this time.

If Hidekatsu Hashiba were to rebel after Nobunaga's death, no one could stop him. At least, he wouldn't be stopped simply because he had a sister with no blood relation who got married.