Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"No, no, my lord, the world is now established, and it is my blessing to witness the coming of a prosperous era." Shichibei actually felt that it was alright, but not so good.

All I can say is, Nobunaga, just live on. As long as you're alive, everything is fine.

"Please bear with me, you are a hereditary retainer of the Oda clan." Nobunaga patted Shichibei on the shoulder. His words were quite straightforward: from now on, you will have a part in the fate of the world.

It was such a big pancake that Shichibei couldn't eat it all.

Alright, Shichibei takes his leave and returns to the Kawamura residence. Sen no Souichi and Yamakami no Souichi...

Both of them had accommodations in Kyoto, so there was no need for Shichibei to make arrangements. Regarding Shichibei's hasty arrival in Kyoto, Ii-sama only asked how many days he would stay, and then went to prepare bathwater for him.

Snacks, hot tea, a brazier, and even a shoulder and leg massage—everything was prepared and served immediately. It's so much more comfortable at home; my back aches from riding horses all this time.

Just as I was drinking hot tea, there was a small commotion outside. I had barely put down my teacup when someone announced that a "nepotism eunuch" had arrived with a "letter from the women's quarters," requesting that Dr. Kawamura Kyōjō come to receive it in person.

Before Shichibei could even get up, another commotion arose. It was said that a servant of Crown Prince Seihito had delivered the Imperial Instructions to the Crown Prince and requested that Kawamura Kyōjō Daifu come to receive them in person.

Oh dear, so he heard that Shichibei is coming to build the Sento Palace and immediately came to ask about it. The so-called "woman's letter" is a document that conveys the Emperor's will through the mouths of the palace ladies. It's an old tradition of the common people. Anyway, the Emperor doesn't speak human language; the words are spoken by the court nobles and eunuchs.

Whatever the problem was, the Emperor knew nothing about it. The fact that she, disguised as a maid, was delivering an "imperial edict" to Shichibei was quite a local quirk.

Prince Naruhito's imperial edict was quite normal; as the Crown Prince of Japan, issuing such an edict would be a very formal official document. (Seven Soldiers)

Wei was the official appointed by the Prime Minister to oversee the construction of the Sen-dong Palace. Now that Shichibei had arrived, it was only natural for him to inquire about it.

547. Both the public and the forbidden are fond of me.

Because Emperor Ogimachi did not want to leave Kyoto, he preferred to build the Sento Palace in the Kamigyo Ward, near the inner palace of the Forbidden City. Therefore, he dispatched a court attendant to deliver the letter to the women's quarters.

Prince Seihito made it very clear that if the site for the Sento Palace was chosen, he must be informed so he could go and see it in person to confirm it.

Abdication has not occurred in Japan for over a hundred years. Prince Naruhito was also worried that something unexpected might happen, so it was always good to handle some matters personally.

So the scene was quite strange. Although Shichibei wasn't sure if the ruins he was standing on were the site of the Sento Palace in later history, he still felt it was unreal when he saw the Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Right Junior Servant, Manrikoji Mitsufusa, sent by Emperor Ogimachi, and Prince Seihito himself.

By the way, Manrikoji Mitsufusa's older sister is named Kanshuji Haruko, also known as Shin-Uetomon-in. She is the daughter of Prince Naruhito and the future Emperor's mother.

As both an attendant to the Emperor and the younger brother of the Crown Prince's concubine, Manri no Koji was perfectly suited to mediate this matter. Furthermore...

The two generations of the Marikoji family, both aunt and niece, served as ladies-in-waiting to Emperor Ogimachi. The Emperor himself was quite fond of the Marikoji family and was willing to trust them.

With Prince Naruhito present, the center of the crowd naturally became him and Shichibei. You ask, isn't Manrikoji Mitsufusa an attendant of the Emperor? Does he hold a higher rank than the Emperor?

Even if you're older, can you be older than your brother-in-law? You still have to serve Prince Chengren and follow his every step. Who told him to only be sent to gather information, without even receiving a formal proclamation?

Fortunately, Sen no Souichi and Yamagami no Souji were somewhat capable. After repeating the same arguments they had given Nobunaga the day before, Prince Naruhito also offered some of his own opinions and views.

For example, his father had three favored female attendants. These three couldn't possibly live together, but his father would definitely take them with him when he left the palace. Therefore, the design of your corridor, and the unavoidable inability to achieve symmetry on the east and west sides, need to be carefully reconsidered.

Oh my, it's true that you have to listen to the opinions of the client's family when building or decorating a house. If you hadn't asked Prince Chengren, you wouldn't have known that the Emperor now favors three of his attendants.

Therefore, three relatively independent residences needed to be arranged for the three attendants to live separately. As for the maids, that didn't matter. Referencing the arrangements in the inner palace (Ōoku) during the Edo period, the maids slept on a large communal bed.

Six people were crammed into the room.

Upon hearing Prince Naruhito's request, Yamagami Soji immediately changed the design. The main hall of the Imperial Palace, located in the center, was to be flanked by three adjacent halls on its east, west, and north sides – namely, an east-facing hall, a west-facing hall, and a north-facing hall. [Image at the end]

Furthermore, this approach has an advantage: if Emperor Ōgimachi experiences a second spring in his life and takes two more concubines after retirement, it is entirely possible to construct a northwest shrine and a northeast shrine in the northwest and northeast corners, respectively.

This design ensured that each attendant had their own independent residence, and also provided for potential future changes. Prince Naruhito was quite satisfied with this design and praised Yamagami Soji very frankly.

There's no other way. These days, there are only a handful of people who know how to conduct court proceedings. It's not easy to catch one, so we have to coax them into doing it quickly. Anyway, praising them is just a waste of breath; we don't care about anything else.

After touring around the area, Prince Chengren dismissed the others, leaving only his brother-in-law, Wanli Xiaoji, to fill the room. He then gave Shichibei some detailed instructions.

"I suppose the Grand Chancellor has already given instructions, so I need not say more. However, I still hope that the Jingzhao Palace can be completed before the New Year next year." Prince Chengren had actually met Shichibei quite a few times.

As someone "supported" by Oda Nobunaga, and even having the funds for the ceremony of being appointed Crown Prince funded by Nobunaga's chosen successor, Prince Naruhito was quite friendly towards the Oda family. He did not oppose Nobunaga's actual control of the government and his annexation of both the court nobles and the samurai class.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, we will not delay." Shichibei, of course, would not delay.

Construction work in the Kyoto and Yamashiro area is currently slow due to the completion of the Azuchi-Seiryoden Hall. Reconstruction projects at Todai-ji Temple in Yamato and Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei are also temporarily suspended. Currently, there is a project available for the Sento Imperial Palace, but it's not something they can readily undertake.

Timber and other raw materials are easy to obtain. In Sakai, a commercial center, timber from the western provinces or large trees from Tanba and Kishu can be easily transported to Yodogawaguchi.

The journey to the capital by water would only take a few days. Craftsmen and materials were readily available, and money was practically negligible.

"The Grand Chancellor is always at the beck and call of the Grand Chancellor; he is truly an unparalleled capable official." Prince Chengren felt reassured, seeing that Shichibei's attitude was completely genuine and that he would definitely repair the palace properly.

"It's nothing but a trivial achievement." Shichibei simply bowed his head in thanks. Don't praise me, what's there to praise? It's just "money power."

"You're very good, you're very good." Prince Chengren then presented Shichibei with his folding fan and praised him repeatedly.

Before his departure, Prince Chengren instructed Shichibei to rewrite the drawings and accompanying instructions as soon as possible and send them to the palace. His father was quite concerned about this matter and had already held court discussions with the court nobles. The court nobles all believed that this was a joyous and celebratory occasion, and that there was nothing wrong with the abdication.

Now that the abdication has been decided, the Sento Palace has become the most pressing matter for Emperor Ogimachi.

There was another matter at hand: rumors circulated that the Oda clan planned to offer land to the Imperial Family in the name of Oda Nobukatsu after the Emperor's visit to Seiryoden Palace at Azuchi Castle.

They might offer Emperor Ogimachi a 6,000 koku of land and Prince Naruhito a 6,000 koku of royal rations. In short, it's about bribing the Imperial Family to shut them up.

With a 6,000-koku territory to live on in retirement, how could one not be most concerned about the Sento Palace? It's essentially a retirement villa, a place one will live in until death; it's impossible not to care.

"That makes sense," Shichibei quickly said, adding that he would send a copy to the Crown Prince's Palace.

Hearing Shichibei's words, Prince Naruhito nodded slightly. He didn't say anything more; after all, there was no point in saying anything more explicit. He just needed to know that Shichibei would do his job sincerely, and who knew he might have to deal with Shichibei often in the future.

After all, anyone who isn't blind can see that Oda Nobunaga is already 49 years old (by Chinese reckoning), and the other senior retainers are also quite old. Even Tokugawa Ieyasu is 39 years old (by Chinese reckoning). In terms of the youngest core of the ruling class, aside from Oda Nobukatsu, it's Kawamura Nagayoshi.

If you think about it, isn't the time you've spent dealing with Shichibei the longest?

Back at the Kawamura residence, Shichibei ordered Sen no Sōichi and Yamagami no Sōji to immediately draft four plans, preferably to be completed by tomorrow. Judging by their eagerness to curry favor with those in power, Shichibei was confident they would do a good job. Even if they were to become too ambitious, if told they could meet Nobunaga tomorrow, they would be fully motivated.

Why four copies? It's simple, we should keep one for ourselves at least. Then we need to immediately send a copy to Oda Nobunaga; as a subject, we must maintain a proper attitude.

Shichibei understood this perfectly well: without Oda Nobunaga, we would have none of this. It's all because Nobunaga was a good hands-off manager that we have what we have today.

Therefore, no matter what, the first thing to think of is Nobunaga. Emperor Ogimachi and Prince Naruhito are secondary matters; they have no impact on Shichibei whatsoever.

However, the Imperial Palace and the Crown Prince were delighted to receive the drawings from Shichibei "immediately" afterward, believing that Shichibei was efficient and truly worthy of being Oda Nobunaga's personal purse.

As a result, Emperor Ogimachi sent someone to bestow a piece of Sugihara paper upon him, just as Prince Naruhito gifted a folding fan to Shichibei.

When Shichibei applied to Nobunaga for permission to begin demarcating land for construction, he also informed Nobunaga of these matters. Nobunaga replied that such normal interactions were perfectly fine. He told the samurai to boldly engage with the court nobles, to dispel any illusions they might have, and that they would all simply be subjects under the protection of Taira no Taira, the Grand Chancellor. He urged them not to be afraid.

Of course, this refers to public interactions. If you maintain close private contact and secretly form a small group, that won't work. If Nobunaga finds out, you'll definitely be punished.

In short, regarding this one matter, Shichibei visited Prince Naruhito at the Togu Palace several times. Emperor Ogimachi also sent a verbal order, hoping that during the construction, the corridor between the sleeping palace and the opposite palace would be changed to two two-way corridors.

Shichibei didn't ask for the specific reason. He guessed there was some explanation.

Just like the regulations in the Edo period, only important people could walk in the middle of the tatami passageway under the main hall, while servants and samurai could only walk on the sides.

The friendship did indeed falter; it wasn't about gratitude, just normal friendliness and familiarity. If this were in *Taiko Risshiden V*, it would be a valuable connection—a government official's network. No, it should be called a network within the imperial court.

Within the court, Karasuma Mitsunori and Konoe Sakihisa were quite familiar with Shichibei. They were already part of Shichibei's network of connections within the court, having helped him a great deal, and of course, Shichibei had reciprocated with generous gifts in return.

Let's keep doing it; it's a respectable job. The Grand Chancellor's decree was distributed all over Japan, and eventually, a few people did come. Since construction had already begun in Kyoto, Shichibei, after inspecting the site, instructed them to build a pavilion.

The pavilion mentioned here actually shares a similar meaning with the pavilions of the Tang Dynasty. It is not simply a place in a courtyard for people to rest temporarily. In this context, it refers to a group of buildings. Literati, scholars, or nobles would call their small group of buildings for reading and entertainment a "pavilion."

In later Japan, the term "ryotei" evolved from this. This "tei" came to refer to a cluster of elegant, private establishments.

The name of the building complex.

You can only say one word. Although the written form hasn't changed, its meaning has been constantly evolving with the times.

Soji Yamagami and his team had already designed the main hall and the adjacent hall, and also planned the pond, corridors, and swimming areas. Therefore, several pavilions could be built in a corner of the Sento Palace.

This kind of space is needed for receiving guests, reading, appreciating antiques and treasures, and even for men to have some quiet time when they are under a lot of pressure.

"Go ahead," Emperor Ogimachi said, "He has already begun packing his bags, organizing his procession, and preparing to depart for his inspection tour of Seiryoden Palace at Azuchi Castle."

Since Matsui Tomokan, the deputy head of the Kyoto Bureau, was temporarily in charge of the main inspection tour, and Shichibei happened to be in Kyoto, Nobunaga ordered Shichibei to perform his duties in Kyoto. Shichibei was also the Left Governor-General, a position that originally governed Kyoto—quite a coincidence, wasn't it?

There was another matter that Nobunaga also instructed him about. The other day, the representative of Emperor Ōgimachi, who came to Kanji to inspect the land, was without a principal wife. Nobunaga thought about it and decided to find him one.

However, he was merely a minor courtier with little reputation, and the highest rank in the Manrikoji clan was generally only Junior Second Rank, not worthy of being Oda Nobunaga's own son.

They would try to win over the daughters, or the daughters of the four elders of the family.

It just so happens that the daughter of Mōri Hideyori, the lord of Iida Castle in Ina District of Shinano Province, is suitable. Nobunaga is prepared to act as matchmaker and have Mōri Hideyori marry his daughter to Marikoji as a concubine.

It should be noted that Mōri Hideyori was a descendant of the Shiba Mueji family and was now a lord with a fief of 50,000 koku. He was also a former general of Nobunaga's mother's household and was considered one of the core forces of the Oda regime. His daughter being married to Marikoji was certainly qualified.

Nobunaga's current idea is to pair up the court nobles and samurai families according to their social status as much as possible. From now on, there will be no distinction between court nobles and samurai families; they will all be one family, all the ruling class riding on the backs of the Japanese people.

This is no big deal; Shichibei can handle it. These days, I've been frequently visiting Manri no Koji; I'm just asking Nobunaga for his thoughts—it's just a private exchange.

As an attendant, he was originally supposed to accompany Emperor Ōgimachi to Azuchi. However, since the Sento Palace had only just been founded, Emperor Ōgimachi was worried about him and left him in Kyoto to oversee the affairs. He was tasked with immediately sending messengers to Azuchi to report any problems, which was quite an important responsibility. It was quite possible that he would become the head of the Sento Palace in the future.

Taking advantage of the fact that this kid was hanging around the construction site again, Shichibei took Mao...

She told him about Toshihideyori having a daughter. At first, he thought it was from the Mori family of Aki, which he found quite strange. He then asked Shichibei, "Mori Terumoto only had adopted daughters who married Oda no Daimyo. Where did this Mori Hideyori come from, having a biological daughter?"

Haha, after I explained the relationship between Shiba Yoshitomo and Mori Hideyori, Manrikoji Miyako finally understood. Upon learning that this was a castle lord with a fief of 50,000 koku, and that Nobunaga was willing to personally act as matchmaker, the kid agreed incredibly quickly.

He is now the head of the Wanli Xiaolu family because his adoptive father, Wanli Xiaolu Fufang, died early, and there are only three generations of single sons in his family. There is not a single male in his family who can speak for him.

Theoretically, if he agrees today, they can get married tomorrow.

Unexpectedly, the matter was accomplished so easily, and Shichibei immediately sent someone to inform Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga, dressed in his finest attire, was already at Azuchi Castle to welcome Emperor Ogimachi. More than 20,000 Omi soldiers surrounded and guarded the castle, and the castle walls and grounds had been freshly painted. The castle town, which had been destroyed by fire, had long been restored, and apart from the Christian church, everything about it impressed Emperor Ogimachi with its grandeur and magnificence.

[As shown in the picture]

寝殿造り

northwest

Dudian

Dudian

西対

Bedchamber

east

Waiting room

West Four-Legged Gate

Xizhongmen

West Central Porch

Transcendent Hall