Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Nobukatsu's reputation was really mediocre. Not only did the senior retainers not think he had the potential to be a ruler, but many of his hereditary retainers also felt that Nobukatsu was of average ability and not capable enough to take on a great responsibility.

The key point is that Nobukatsu's martial prowess was unremarkable, while his other sons and nephews each had achieved great feats in conquering one or two countries. If Nobutada hadn't died, it would have been purely for their own benefit in establishing their own empire, and that's another story. After Nobutada's death, Nobunaga didn't choose his son, who possessed martial skill and enjoyed popular support, but instead chose Nobukatsu.

What will the other sons think? Anyway, all the hard work is pointless, so I'm just giving up. Whatever. Maybe this is the best outcome.

If they were to be paired with someone with ambition, resentment would immediately arise, which would be a great misfortune for the Oda family.

"Besides this, is there any other news from Luojing?" Shichibei wondered to himself, but did not show it directly.

"No." Saegusa Morinao was just a messenger; how could he relay something that didn't exist?

"Understood." Shichibei needed to process this news, after all, it was time to choose sides again.

Back then, Oda Nobutada secretly "forced" Shichibei to choose sides, but Shichibei did so willingly. After all, Nobutada had readily agreed to follow the established rules, only caring about money and not asking about anything else. Coupled with the natural advantage of being both the eldest son and the heir apparent, Shichibei simply slid down to his knees.

But it's Kita-Tomi Nobuoka—no, it should be Oda Nobuoka now. How will he seek Shichibei's support?

It should be noted that Oda Nobunaga unhesitatingly granted Nobutada a territory of one million koku and a large number of hereditary retainers. Nobutada even asked for Shichibei, but Nobunaga refused to give him up. He only agreed to give him as part of his inheritance.

Such a large fortune was right in front of them, and even though it belonged to Oda Nobunaga, no one dared to covet it. But as the heir apparent, the eldest son of the Oda clan was qualified to even touch it.

Otherwise, where would Shichibei have gotten that huge bad debt from Nobutada?

Nobuyuki, who is about to take Nobutada's position, can be incredibly stupid at times, with a brain as smooth as a winter melon. But when he's clever, he knows to play the innocent rabbit and find an outside help to fill in at the front.

"Go and invite Todo, Hara, and Takenaka." Saegusa Morinao had already bent over and walked to the door when Shichibei gave him another instruction.

Soon, Todo Takatora, Hara Nagayori, and Takenaka Shigeharu entered the room and came before Shichibei. Unfortunately, Goto Mototsugu and Watanabe Ryo had finished reporting their work and returned to Iga to suppress the rebellion until the first batch of annual tribute rice from their jurisdiction arrived. Otherwise, with more people, they could have come together to discuss the matter.

As for the other guest officers, attendant generals, and foot soldiers, there are too many of them to consult individually. We'll discuss that later if we hold an expanded meeting.

"Have you received news of Lieutenant General Ōkōchi's return to his family?" Shichibei asked bluntly.

"We are aware of this." The three nodded in unison. This matter was officially issued by imperial decree, so how could they not know?

"The succession of Lieutenant General Ōkōchi is almost a done deal."

Why "a few"? Because there's another possibility: that is, two...

All of Tian's other sons were also returned to their original families.

After all, there was a precedent. Nobutaka first became the adopted son-in-law of the Kobe family, then passed the Kobe family name to Kobe Masafusa of the Kobe clan, and later became the adopted son of Miyoshi Yasunaga. Now that Nobutaka has sons and daughters, he can easily let his son inherit the Miyoshi family name and then return to the main family.

Anyway, as long as someone is in charge of the family name, and the family still exists, there's generally no chance of causing too much trouble.

“There’s a feeling that things are being rushed.” Hara Nagayoshi is not as smart as the other two, but he is now the head of the Kawamura family’s writing staff, and he is straightforward, so you can always let him speak first.

"The Right Minister seems to be doing well." Although Nobunaga had resigned as Right Minister, Todo Takatora still referred to him by this title.

Shichibei had discussed Nobunaga's inability to walk across the ditch with several of his trusted retainers. Considering his age, it was quite normal for Nobunaga to be unable to walk. As for his physical condition? They had witnessed the entire process of Nobunaga's sudden collapse in Kishiwada Castle due to the great upheaval and days of fleeing, which ultimately led to Shichibei becoming the commander-in-chief leading the troops into battle.

“He could still command a large army…” Takenaka Hanbei chimed in.

Speaking of this, it's something Shichibei started arranging last year, basically...

Everything has been investigated and understood. For example, how many bowls of rice did Nobunaga eat in one meal? How many pieces of rice cake could he eat? Were his three meals a day regular? Even what was his bowel movement like—was it normal and formed, or bloody and watery?

Don't be disgusted, this game is very important.

In the Korean drama "Dae Jang Geum," King Jungjong died from intestinal obstruction because he ate pickled vegetables every day with little oil and meat, which caused constipation.

In Japan, people eat less vegetables and fruit; they usually just drink fruit and vegetable juices and eat the accompanying shredded cabbage. Eating plenty of fried food and consuming a significant amount of oil helps prevent constipation.

So what's the situation with Nobunaga? From what we've gathered, Nobunaga is no longer the boy who used to eat three big bowls of rice a day; he's lucky if he can eat one bowl at a time. He also completely abstains from alcohol; in daily life, he's practically teetotal, only taking a small sip on necessary occasions.

He didn't get enough sleep, often waking up at night and early in the morning. Forget about taking advantage of him, Nobunaga rarely even favored his young concubines, maybe two or three times a month at most.

Stool? Since there was no blood, it means there shouldn't be anything seriously wrong with your intestines. How often do you have a bowel movement? I can manage it almost daily.

solution.

In conclusion, Nobunaga was likely experiencing normal physical aging, at most accelerated aging. He wasn't exactly nearing the end of his life or in his twilight years. He was probably able to continue his journey with his new eldest son.

So why was Nobunaga in such a hurry? If he had another ten or eight years, or at least five years, he could have easily established a new successor.

It took Tokugawa Ieyasu five years to go from being a mere retainer to winning the Battle of Sekigahara, to becoming shogun, and finally passing the throne to Hidetada. He also had to overcome the difficulties of building a royal court from scratch, while Nobunaga's royal court was already widely recognized throughout the land, and all the samurai families in the country had to go through Nobunaga to be promoted.

What's the rush? Because Nobunaga discovered that all of his sons who were of age, each relying on their own territory and retainers, had shown a desire to become the crown prince.

Having an ambitious and hardworking son would actually be a good thing in a true Warring States period. Having more sons would allow one to seize control of more households.

For example, Shingen's son inherited the families of many powerful regional clans, such as the Unno, Suwa, Nishina, and Katsuyama clans. This wasn't just about expanding their military power.

The Takeda clan's power was further amplified by the relatively stable father-son relationship, which strengthened the Takeda clan's control over various regions.

But that was the demand in the early and middle Warring States period. Now that we've reached the middle and late stages, it's no longer a good thing if the sons are ambitious and willing to work hard.

Nobutada's death in battle provided a window of opportunity. In the decision of whether to choose Oda Nobunaga as successor to the Three Hoshi no Odas or another adult son or nephew, Nobunaga publicly reclaimed the million-koku reward for Noo's succession, effectively stripping the Three Hoshi no Odas of his right to inherit the throne. Then all his sons stepped forward; they were adults, had offspring, had merit, and already had a well-established group of retainers and popular support.

Naturally, everyone wanted to try, and they all boldly expressed their loyalty, determination, and attitude in front of Nobunaga, practically grabbing Nobunaga's sleeve and saying, "Let me do it."

Unlike the more cautious and hesitant attitude of the senior retainers, the sons who came to pay their respects to Nobunaga were practically ready to stage a military coup.

While those outside couldn't see their anxiety, Nobunaga saw it all clearly.

If a crown prince is not appointed quickly, chaos will surely break out within the Oda clan.

Therefore, Nobunaga acted decisively and without hesitation, directly choosing Oda Nobukatsu as his successor, based on the fundamental principle of primogeniture. At least Nobukatsu was beyond reproach in meeting the two requirements of being the eldest son and heir.

The current problem is how to get the senior retainers and hereditary retainers to accept Oda Nobukatsu as the successor to the headship of the Oda clan. There isn't really a good solution, and Nobukatsu would have to marry a daughter of one of the five regent families, or even a daughter of the Imperial Family, or, as Shichibei suggested, marry Ieyasu's daughter, Tokuhime.

The wedding must be held, and a good reputation must be established.

That meant it had to be done simultaneously, so Nobunaga immediately sent someone to contact Hayashi Hidesada, who had been exiled to Yoshida-Koriyama Castle in Aki Province. As a former chief retainer of the Oda clan, Hayashi Hidesada was, in a sense, an important hostage for establishing political trust between the Mori and Oda clans.

It was precisely because Hayashi Hidesada was at Yoshida-Koriyama Castle that Mori Terumoto largely accepted Nobunaga Nobutada's demands and prepared to surrender.

When Hayashi Hidesada heard the news of the attack on Nobunaga and his son Nobutada, he was initially terrified. Fortunately, news of Nobunaga's retreat to Kishiwada arrived almost simultaneously; who would dare to panic if Nobunaga was safe?

Having calmed down somewhat, Lin Xiuzhen earnestly advised Mori Terumoto and the other two that the Mori family should abide by the secret agreement and await the new Oda commander-in-chief.

Come and take over. Mori Terumoto was actually thinking of observing the situation, but the great rebellion was basically quelled in just one month, which made Terumoto even more determined to surrender.

And then what happened? Whether it was from exhaustion or from not being used to the local environment, Lin Xiuzhen fell ill in Yoshida-Koriyama Castle and never recovered, nearing her death.

526. Thirty Noble Ladies of Oda

Shichibei and his retainers discussed the matter, but while they didn't reach any other conclusions, one thing was certain: Oda Nobunaga's urgency must have a reason; if it wasn't a health problem, then it was a problem with the political balance.

The saying that power is powerless against time refers to the fact that the life of a ruler is finite. The saying, "The color of the flowers of the two sal trees, the principle that what flourishes must decline," speaks to the fact that the political balance between rise and fall is constantly fluctuating subtly.

Nine Princes Struggle for the Throne!

This wasn't the first time the idea had crossed Shichibei's mind. Of course, Japan doesn't really have nine dragons, and Nobunaga didn't have nine people to choose from right now.

That's the gist of it, and Takatora Todo also pointed out a problem in this direction. Even if Nobunaga now holds absolute power and has placed Nobukatsu in the position of legitimate heir, will his other sons be satisfied?

While Nobunaga was alive, it might have been possible to suppress the situation, but what about after Nobunaga died?

The key point is this suppression, which was absolutely limited, because the Oda regime had just established itself and needed to expand its influence through numerous genealogical records.

Together with his disciples, he brought peace and stability to all directions.

One of the biggest differences between the reigns of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi was that Ieyasu's clan was so numerous that it was outrageous, while Hideyoshi cut off his own path to survival by purging his own clan.

It should be noted that even with so many sons and sons-in-law, Ieyasu still promoted his own brothers and sisters from the same mother, and even adopted his eldest daughter Tokugawa Kamehime and the second, third, and fourth sons of Okudaira Nobumasa.

Is it because of love?

of course not!

This was because the world had just been pacified, and in an era filled with betrayal, intrigue, and bloodshed, a powerful clan or hereditary retainers were the best options available. Nothing else was as desirable.

Now that Nobunaga is dead, his current eagerness to establish a legitimate son as heir will inevitably cause some ripples.

In order to disrupt this political balance, and also to secure his own ascension to the throne of Grand Chancellor, the royal edict, which caused much discussion within the Oda clan, was issued to Kishiwada Castle, ordering the performance of the Imperial Horse Ceremony.

After the autumn harvest, Oda Nobuo was appointed commander-in-chief and led an expedition to the Mori region in the west.

In the end, Mori became the stepping stone for the next legitimate son of the Oda clan.

Even though Shichibei already knew that the Mori clan had surrendered and that things were bound to happen, he never expected that it would be Oda Nobuo who would ultimately be the one to reap the rewards.

Excellent, excellent! The order is for Shichibei to continue organizing 30,000 cavalry from Shikoku to cross the sea and land in Aki and Bingo after the autumn harvest, serving as the flank of Oda Nobuo's main force.

The originally planned army of Akechi Mitsuhide on the San'in (shielded) route was abolished. This route was instead led by Oda Nobuharu with 15,000 Mino cavalry, along with the pirate Natsunosuke, the Wakasa Kohama cavalry, and the Tajima cavalry, totaling 20,000 cavalry. It was a brief attempt, and they considered it a success once they reached Inaba.

Speaking of which, Oda Nobunaga was getting old. He had struggled his whole life and finally achieved a stipend of 230,000 koku in Nakano, but unfortunately his son, Oda Nobunao, died in the Battle of Mikatagahara. His three grandchildren were still quite young at the time, so he could only carry his nearly sixty-year-old bones and continue to serve Nobunaga in San'in.

As the head of the Oda Tozaemon family, Oda Nobuharu's life was quite legendary. Historically, Hideyoshi offered him a high stipend of 36,000 kan to serve as the eighth governor of Higo Province after Sassa Narimasa committed seppuku, but he declined. However, his family did not decline; three of his great-grandsons became important retainers in the Owari, Okayama, and Tottori domains, respectively.

Another great-grandson changed his surname to Tsuda and went to serve Ishida Mitsunari.

Of course, in the end, Sawayama Castle fell, and nobody died. But for a family like theirs to give up a generous salary of over 100,000 koku, divide the family into four, five, six, or seven parts, and have the vast majority of their investments succeed, is quite impressive.

Nobukatsu led his own 8,000 cavalry, along with 10,000 cavalry under Nobunaga's command, and 30,000 cavalry under Hideyoshi, forming the main force of the Sanyo Road. They marched straight towards Yoshida-Koriyama Castle along the main road from Bitchu to Bingo to Aki.

The strategy remains the same: a three-pronged approach, with over 100,000 troops deployed simultaneously. The aim is to wage a war of annihilation, to establish Oda Nobukatsu's reputation, and to build his prestige.

Why not ask the opinions of the senior officials?

Nobunaga was really anxious.

What could be done? Since Nobunaga had given the order, and unifying the country was a crucial matter, then an expedition against the Mori clan was an inevitable option. Not only that, Nobunaga also demanded that Niwa Nagahide, Oda Nobuhiro, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and others expedite the attack on the Uesugi-Hojo brothers' alliance.

After the spring harvest this year, the Oda clan seized all of Kozuke, cutting off the communication channels between the Uesugi and Hojo alliances. After the autumn harvest, the Uesugi and Hojo allied forces will inevitably regroup and fight for control. There will be plenty of battles to fight; we absolutely cannot afford to relax.

"My lord, a letter has arrived from Luoyang." What could it be? It can't be something like...

Shichibei, go to Sheathaura now.

"The Right Minister has sent a letter inquiring about how many daughters you have." Saegusa Morinao took out the official document, which he hadn't even put in a bag, but had simply folded in half, and sent it to Kishiwada.

It wasn't exactly a secret, but everyone knew that Shichibei had a large group of widows outside, which could be considered a "refined hobby." After all, there was a throne to inherit, so having many children and offspring was of paramount importance.

"Huh?" No, Shichibei didn't expect Nobunaga to ask this.

Our daughters, only one of whom wasn't publicly acknowledged, was secretly given to Shichibei by Ii's sister-in-law. The remaining six were Kitabatake Tomonori's daughters, three were the daughters of the Hirate brothers, and one was Saito Tatsuoki's daughter—all of whom were in the public eye.

Kitabatake Tomonori's two daughters were married off, one to Chosokabe Nobuchika and the other to Goto Mototsugu. One of the Hirate brothers' daughters was married to Hirate Nagamasa, making him an adopted son-in-law of the Hirate family. Ryūō's daughter remained unmarried and was still with the Shichibei family.

Eleven, that's really all.

By the way, Lady Takaya recently became pregnant after intensively persuading Shichibei. I don't know if it's a boy or a girl; she's about three months along.

As the youngest daughter of the third son of the Isshiki family, if she gave birth to a daughter, theoretically she could still find a husband to revitalize the Isshiki family.

After all, Yoshitatsu had gained the approval of Ashikaga Yoshiteru and was permitted to use the Isshiki family name. As Yoshitatsu's sister, how could Lady Takaya not inherit the Isshiki family?