Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Oda Nobuo's arrangement was clearly to place Hatakeyama Nobutaka in the western provinces as a member of the western forces, making him a pawn to stabilize the western provinces.

It was used, but it failed to meet Nobutaka Hatakeyama's expectations.

Hatakeyama Nobutaka is currently very excited and happy because he has suddenly been restored to the status of daimyo. He is about to participate in the Oma-no-mae (official horse-riding ceremony) as the daimyo and is sharing this with his mother.

Once Nobukatsu's regime is established, if Hatakeyama Nobutaka finds out he hasn't become a close confidant, do you think he'll be disappointed?

Imparting favors isn't just about throwing money and land around. While giving money can win over the vast majority of people, at the level of feudal lords and powerful figures, it has to be done on a case-by-case basis.

Otani Yoshitsugu felt a deep sense of gratitude for Ishida Mitsunari's willingness to drink the tea in which he had poured pus on him, and was willing to fight Ishida Mitsunari to the death. This is a subtle yet highly effective act of gratitude.

Kobayakawa Takakage's words silenced Mori Terumoto and Yoshikawa Motoharu. Because Kobayakawa Takakage's words made sense, and were very reasonable.

Moreover, Oda Nobukatsu currently only possesses the prestige of subjugating the Mori clan, not the broader prestige of ruling the entire land. He can manage with Nobunaga's support. But if Nobunaga were to pass away one day, things would become unpredictable.

Judging from Kobayakawa Takakage's perspective, the situation is still uncertain, so we can continue to lie low. Let's hold onto the territory promised by Nobunaga and wait for the right time; perhaps the sacred artifacts will be easier to obtain later.

542. Privately demanding Atake's money.

The ceremony marking Oda Nobunaga's ascension to the position of Chancellor was extremely solemn and grand. Two thousand five hundred mounted warriors escorted Nobunaga to the palace. Their gleaming armor and imposing presence demonstrated Oda Nobunaga's power.

The position of Grand Minister of State was not permanent, so there was no trouble with dismissal or resignation. The position of Regent was permanent, and the current Regent, Kujō Kanetaka, had previously presented Nobunaga with a so-called "List of Three Positions" to urge him to take over.

Unexpectedly, Nobunaga wanted to become Grand Chancellor, and didn't even want any of the three positions. But because of Taira no Kiyomori's precedent, the Imperial Court couldn't say anything wrong. Moreover, Oda Nobunaga's genealogy had already been compiled very well, claiming that his family was descended from Taira no Kiyomori, and that he was the eldest son of Taira no Kiyomori, a direct descendant of Taira no Shigemori.

In any case, he is now a direct descendant. Taira no Shigemori's second son, Taira no Sukemori, was granted the Oda Estate in Echizen Province, and his descendants thus adopted Oda as their surname. Due to his appointment as the governor of Echizen Province, the Shiba clan was relocated to Owari Province. There, they established their own branch of the family and prospered.

perfect!

Kujō Kanetaka formally resigned from his position as Kanpaku the day before, thus effectively ending the positions of Grand Minister of State and Kanpaku. The Imperial Court now only had Oda Nobunaga as Grand Chancellor, but the positions of Left and Right Ministers below him could still be divided among various officials.

These positions were given to the high-ranking officials to continue serving in.

After the eldest son of the Fujiwara clan, the position of Kanpaku (regent) was no longer hereditary; instead, it became the Minister of the Left. Moreover, the position of Minister of the Left was not necessarily held for a long time; it was rotated among the five regent families, ensuring that each of them was a former Minister of the Left.

Originally, these weren't positions of real power; they were merely honorary titles. However, the addition of some samurai officers somewhat restored their intelligence.

For example, the simplest provincial governors (谗谗) openly carried out national affairs as samurai. Since Nobunaga did not establish the Kaijo (剛鎮気), there was no publicly recognized position of samurai governor; it was only used occasionally in casual conversation for mutual flattery.

The imperial court and noble families did not offer any resistance. Historically, Hideyoshi explicitly stated that he would serve as Kanpaku (regent), and that the position would be passed down through the Toyotomi family. Therefore, after Hideyoshi, the position of Kanpaku remained vacant, and no court noble assumed the post.

It wasn't until Tokugawa Ieyasu submitted a memorial to the Imperial Court, clearly stating his deal with the court, that the court issued a decree to him as Shogun, in which he supported Kujō Tadayoshi as Kanpaku (regent). Only then was Kanpaku returned to the Imperial Court and resumed as a concurrent post held by the head of the Fujiwara clan.

Just as the elders of the Genji clan concurrently served as Shogun, they typically also held additional positions at the Shōgakuin and Junna-in academies. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Shogun.

After the announcement, he served as both the head of the Seiwa Genji clan and the head of the two branch offices.

By the way, the Emperor's visit to Seiryoden Hall in Azuchi Castle has also been arranged.

Once the ceremony before the emperor's horse is over, a time in February or March when the weather is warm, flowers are in bloom, and the sun is shining, the Grand Minister of State Nobunaga will invite the emperor to tour the regions.

The imperial court and the samurai families, led by the Oda clan, were rapidly merging, and Nobunaga was indeed accelerating forward. The sooner it was done, the better.

Furthermore, the matter of Crown Prince Naruhito's early accession to the throne has also been put on the agenda. However, Nobunaga is not in a hurry to have Emperor Ōgimachi abdicate; he also has his own agenda. He hopes that Emperor Ōgimachi will first make a tour of Azuchi, and after he abdicates, the succeeding Prince Naruhito will make another tour of Azuchi.

By having two consecutive emperors make imperial tours outside the palace, this practice gradually became a regular occurrence. In feudal society, established customs and traditions carried considerable weight. Once the emperor's tours became a regular practice, it greatly helped strengthen relations between the two sides and promote integration.

"I really didn't expect..." Hideyoshi, as Nobunaga's "sword-bearer," even put on a show for a moment, serving as Nobunaga's bodyguard.

To an outsider, it would actually seem quite comical, because two of Nobunaga's four senior retainers—Hideyoshi Hashiba, Nagahide Niwa, Kazumasu Takigawa, and Nagayoshi Kawamura—were less than 1.5 meters tall, yet they carried ceremonial swords, wore embroidered robes, and stood guard beside Oda Nobunaga.

With his ceremonial hat on, Nobunaga's height exceeded 1.85 meters. It's hard to tell whether he was being guarded by two half-grown boys or by himself guarding two retainers.

"The lieutenant general has achieved great merit in the Western Campaign, and his promotion to councilor is entirely reasonable." Shichibei was actually quite impressed.

Oda Nobutada is still moving up the ranks step by step, in order. Oda Nobukatsu was a junior general at the beginning of the year, and by the end of the year he would be a third-rank councilor. At this rate, he'll be promoted to junior councilor next year.

"I also got the rank of Major General, what about you?" Hideyoshi smiled, concealing his other emotions, and asked Shichibei in return.

Hideyoshi led his troops to conquer Kōyama Castle in Seira County, Bingo Province—a genuine achievement—and was thus promoted to Junior General of the Left Imperial Guard and Governor of Chikuzen. Nobunaga's obsession with Hideyoshi for this position was truly profound; such a pairing is generally not expected. But Hideyoshi was indeed Junior General and Governor of Chikuzen.

"Me? I haven't accomplished anything." Shichibei's main task in this battle was to steer the boat to pull everyone over and back.

What merit could he possibly have? Nagatsuka Masaie even helped Hideyoshi deliver rice and lead bullets from Anotsu to Odawara Castle, yet he wasn't rewarded after the Hojo clan was destroyed.

"You can't say that. You handled the transfer of over 100,000 troops, along with countless grains and weapons, perfectly." Hideyoshi acknowledged Shichibei's contribution.

"Nonsense, it's all thanks to the help of the Huimeng." Shichibei himself only had a navy and a small number of transport ships.

But everyone treated us, their close allies, as human beings, giving us face and being willing to help us. So at a single command, merchant ships from Osaka Bay and Ise Bay would gather in droves, able to quickly transport tens of thousands of people and supplies to any corner of Japan.

The ship was actually the easiest thing to handle. The main thing was that the big bosses and ship captains of Kanmai Shipbuilding recognized Shichibei and obeyed his management.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, have you heard?" Before the two could finish speaking, they heard someone calling from behind.

The two turned around and saw Hachiya Yoritaka. He was a former general of Nobunaga's Moi clan and a daimyo of 100,000 koku in Kawachi and Wakae provinces. He had fought alongside Shichibei and Hideyoshi at the foot of Miki Castle, and they shared a friendship in the same trench.

"Hachiya Hyogo." The two stopped their horses.

"Kato Gonbei (Kato Mitsuyasu), Marumo Saburobei (Marumo Nagateru), Sakai Kuzo (Sakai Nagano), a total of 90,000 stones of Inaba."

"The Sakai family is thriving again!" Shichibei exclaimed with delight.

Sakai Nagahide was the son of Sakai Masahide. After his coming-of-age ceremony, he was bestowed the title "Naga" and served as a retainer under Oda Nobutada. Later, when Gifu Castle fell, he was also among those who escorted Oda Sanboshi and Takeda Matsuhime as they fled.

However, his family's foundation, along with his father Sakai Masanao and his brother Sakai Naohisa, all perished. He was unable to raise an army to launch a counterattack, so Sakuma Nobue, Kawajiri Hidenaga, and Inaba Sadamichi, who raised an army to launch a counterattack, all received a reward of 66,000 koku, while he had only received 30,000 koku so far.

"He's already been ordered to marry the daughter of the Prime Minister of Ōkōchi." Hachiya Yoritaka was quite envious, after all, he debuted early and succeeded early, so he already had a wife.

"Oh my." Even Shichibei and Hideyoshi smacked their lips in agreement.

Kato Mitsuyasu and Marumo Nagateru were the kind of core members of the Oda clan, in their thirties or forties, examples of minor daimyo. They only had territories of twenty to thirty thousand koku, but their influence was widespread. Sakai Nagahide, on the other hand, benefited greatly; being a newcomer, he married Niwa Nagahide's daughter and became an Oda daimyo.

Xinxiong's son-in-law.

"It seems that my lord will have to place (or shield) at least ten more daimyo this time." Hachiya Yoritaka had risen to power in this way and was very familiar with this path.

“Even a small amount of 10,000 or 20,000 koku is still a foundation.” Hideyoshi had actually followed a similar path, and he was quite impressed.

"A person's fate depends on both their personal struggles and the course of history." Shichibei put on a slight air; these minor daimyo from Noo had simply run into trouble.

If it weren't for the Nobunaga faction's eventual annexation of the Mino faction and the Nijō-Azuchi Incident creating a huge power and territory vacuum in the upper echelons of the Oda clan, they might still be fighting for their lives.

Generally, one had to fight until conquering Kyushu and seizing Kanto before having a chance to become a daimyo, and then be stationed far away at various strategic passes. They would build fortifications as outposts, serving as loyal dogs for the Oda regime.

"The Palace of the Capital! The Palace of the Capital! The Palace of the Capital!" No sooner had Shichibei finished showing off than someone called out to him from behind.

What's going on today? Bumping into familiar faces all over the street, huh? Shichibei turned back to look and saw someone he didn't quite recognize. Vaguely, seemingly, perhaps, probably Oda Nobuo's close aide.

"My lord sent me with a letter." The young man didn't introduce himself, clearly someone who knew the proper etiquette. If Shichibei wanted to know who he was, a retainer from the Kawamura family would come and ask.

"I received it. Please give my regards to your lord." Shichibei stuffed the letter into his pocket; he certainly wouldn't open it on the spot.

Everyone went home to their own families, and the New Year was just around the corner. But the New Year was not a peaceful one. The Imperial Horse Ceremony was held on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and no one in the family, including the elders, senior retainers, or members of the clan, could rest. They all had to work for the Oda regime.

Upon entering, Ii's sister-in-law was arranging for Sanegori Morinaka and Hirazuka to make rice cakes for Hiroshi. Seeing Shichibei return, she quickly got up to help him change his clothes.

"Let's eat it. There's not much decent food to eat these days, and seasonings are scarce. A bite of red bean rice cake is pretty good." Shichibei entered the room and opened his arms to make it easier for Ii's sister-in-law to change her clothes.

That's good. Maybe we should find a widow. Sister-in-law Ii's hands are always warm from practice; she didn't even flinch when she touched Shichibei's earlobe. She clearly warmed them in the lukewarm water by the door before helping Shichibei change. A little girl, lively and adorable, is lovely, but she lacks experience and can't do some things well.

"This letter?" He took off his coat, and Oda Nobuo's letter fell to the ground.

"Oh my god, the prime minister might have something he can't say." Shichibei picked up the letter, ready to unfold it and read it.

"I'll go pour you some tea." Sister-in-law Jingyi draped her coat over her forearm and retreated naturally.

Upon unfolding the letter, Shichibei found its contents rather strange. The letter stated that Oda Nobukatsu, having learned that Ataka Kiyoyasu's son, Ataka Gamigoro, was about to come of age, intended to adopt Shichibei's daughter and marry her to Ataka Gamigoro.

Isn't that strange? It's really strange.

Ataka Kiyoyasu has effectively become a retainer of the Kawamura family, settling in on Shichibei's territory, possessing approximately 20,000 koku of land in places like Awaji and Peinan-sho. These lands are all Shichibei's fiefdoms, and he has gone from being a mere retainer to a member of Shichibei's retinue.

The marriage? If anyone were to interfere in the marriage, it could only be Shichibei, not Oda Nobuo, who has absolutely no connection to the matter.

"Please come in." Just then, Shichibei finished reading the letter and closed it. Ii's sister-in-law came in with tea.

"Sit down." Shichibei nodded to Ii's sister-in-law, meaning, "Don't be busy, sit down and rest, and don't disturb my thinking."

If Nobuo is after the navy, then Kuki Yoshitaka's navy is completely...

It can be assigned to him. Originally, Kuki Yoshitaka's navy was assigned to Oda Nobutada as a support force. Now that Nobutada is dead, Kuki's navy has become independent and is only used to support military operations in the Tokaido region.

That can't be said to be about seeking a peaceful and comfortable life, can it?

In principle, Ataka Kiyoyasu should have been able to serve as an attendant before the emperor's horse-riding procession. However, unfortunately, he was disabled and unable to ride a horse. Therefore, he remained at Kishiwada Castle as its garrison commander.

Tsk, send someone on horseback to Kishiwada Castle; they can get a reply in two days and one night. Ask him what happened that led Nobukatsu to personally interfere in his son's marriage.

To Shichibei's surprise, Oda Nobuo sent another letter the next day, the contents of which were simply outrageous.

Nobukatsu said that when Mori Terumoto's adopted daughter, who was also the daughter of Shishido Motohide, married into the Kyoto family, she would bring 10,000 koku of cosmetics. He would arrange another 10,000 koku of cosmetics for his principal wife in the Kinai region, and the 10,000 koku in Aki would be given to Ataka Shingoro, who was coming of age on horseback.

The implication was that he hoped Shichibei would place the Ataka navy in Aki. Ideally, the Ataka family would also return to their status as independent lords, serving Oda Nobunaga and later Oda Nobukatsu, instead of Shichibei being a "powerful daimyo" or "senior retainer."

Regarding the losses caused by Shichibei, Nobuo suggested that they could be compensated with the 63,000 koku of land left behind by Hatakeyama Nobutaka after he was transferred to Choshu.

Kiyoyasu Ataka's 20,000 koku will be separated, and Shichibei won't lose out either way; he might even get more from his territory.

He truly couldn't understand it until Ataka Kiyoyasu's letter arrived from Kishiwada Castle, at which point Shichibei barely grasped a clue. Ataka Kiyoyasu truthfully described how, at Shin-Takayama Castle in Bingo, he had advised Oda Nobuo to take the throne, and how...

Really? Could it be that Oda Nobuo is considering poaching Kiyoyasu from Ataka because of something so trivial?

Hey, you know what, because of his foolish behavior in his early years and the Oda clan's purge of Kitabatake Chika, Oda Nobukatsu really didn't have any talented people around him. The Sawai Yoshinaga that Nobunaga assigned to him was just an ordinary "mediocre general," and the retainers left over from the Kitabatake clan, led by Mokuzuki Tomomasa and Fujikata Tomose, were of mediocre ability.

Now that Oda Nobuo is about to inherit the throne, he doesn't even have a decent person by his side. He's really itching to get close to Atake Kiyoyasu after their recent meeting.

543. Such insistence is truly difficult to justify.

The ninth year of Tianzheng, the first month, the first day of the new year.

The retainers gathered at the Nijō Palace in Kyoto to offer their New Year's greetings to Oda Nobunaga. Unlike, or rather, quite similar to, the previous occasion, Oda Nobukatsu sat to the left and below Oda Nobunaga.

As expected, in front of his many senior retainers who came to offer New Year's greetings, Oda Nobunaga formally announced his decision to make Oda Nobukatsu, who had distinguished himself in the Western Front, his heir.

Although it was expected, it still shocked everyone present.

Nobunaga ultimately chose a relatively conservative method of succession, respecting seniority and distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate heirs. After Oda Nobutada's death in battle, Oda Nobukatsu, as the de facto second son of the legitimate heir, obtained the position of heir apparent.

Therefore, in addition to paying respects to Oda Nobunaga during the New Year, it is also necessary to pay respects to Oda Nobukatsu, to clarify that Oda Nobukatsu's position is above all the ministers and second only to Oda Nobunaga.

Shichibei, being a senior retainer in charge of directing the feudal lords' obeisances, was aware of the situation a day in advance and thus remained relatively calm. However, the lieutenant generals and attendants in the first row, to varying degrees, bowed in a less unified manner.

The first to kowtow was Mihara Samurai, who was eleven years old and had been raised by Nobuhira Hayakawa since childhood.

A two-year-old boy, already adopted into the Kobayakawa family, what more can be said?

Next to pay homage were Himeji's attendant, Hashiba Hidekatsu, and Sunpu Lieutenant General Takeda Nobufusa, followed by Yuzuki Lieutenant General Kagawa Nobusumi, and finally Katsuzui Lieutenant General Miyoshi Nobutaka.