Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

As a daughter of the Ashikaga family, it's understandable that she would seek a good way out for the descendants of the Ashikaga family. Although infighting within the Ashikaga family had been common since the time of Ashikaga Takauji, things had progressed to this point where there was no longer any power or influence to contend for, so there was no longer any room for them to fight.

The real issue is figuring out how to survive properly.

The doctor was quickly summoned, and as expected, Ashikaga Princess, who had been suffering from a poor appetite, was indeed pregnant. This overjoyed her, as her child, being the son of Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, had been killed in front of her by Nobunaga. So many years had passed; she had grown from a young girl into...

How could he not be overjoyed that his sister-in-law, Ashikaga, had the opportunity to give birth to another child?

Alright, let's try to appease him. In front of her, Shichibei wrote down his proposal to marry Ashikaga Yoshihide's son to the Shibukawa clan of Kyushu, sealed it in a bag, and sent it to Nobunaga by messenger.

So what was Nobunaga's reaction after seeing Shichibei's petition? Of course, he didn't fly into a rage; it was just a perfectly normal proposal. It was precisely because it was normal that Shichibei, easily swayed, submitted it.

When talking about Ashikaga Yoshihide, Nobunaga thought of Oda Nobutada, with whom Yoshihide and Nobutada had died in battle at Nijō Palace. Thinking of this, Nobunaga felt a pang of pity for Ashikaga Yoshihide's children.

However, Nobunaga had already promised Hideyoshi all of Hizen and Chikuzen provinces except for Akizuki's territory. Hideyoshi was the lord of Harima Province with a fief of 420,000 koku, but in reality, he received 270,000 koku, because Bessho Nagaharu, with a fief of 150,000 koku in eastern Harima, was given to him as a reward. If Hideyoshi were to transfer his fief, Bessho Nagaharu would remain in his place.

Therefore, Nobunaga's plan was to allocate approximately 300,000 koku to Hizen and 150,000 koku to Chikuzen, totaling 450,000 koku, to settle Hideyoshi. Later, Hizen and Chikuzen were both transformed into major provinces with 500,000 koku each, but that's another story. For now, both Hizen and Chikuzen are provinces with 300,000 koku each.

With Akizuki territory ceded to Chikuzen, and Hakatatsu to Nobunaga's direct control, only about 100,000 koku remained. If all that was given to Hideyoshi, where would they find 50,000 koku to settle a branch of the Shibukawa clan?

It's difficult to handle, but then again, if we hand over Shibukawa to Hidekatsu as a senior retainer of the Hashiba family, then we can take him away smoothly when he's transferred to a new fief.

After Hashiba Hidekatsu inherited the Chikuzen and Hizen Domains with a stipend of 450,000 koku, he would need a few elite guards to maintain appearances.

Historically, Hosokawa Akimoto had a wonderful daughter who was betrothed to Akita Saneki. As a result, the Hosokawa Kyōjō family, or Hosokawa Kanrei family, which had originally been doomed, miraculously became a prominent family within the Akita clan, and the Hosokawa family served as the chief elder and castle lord for generations.

There was no discontent within the Akita family yet, because Hosokawa Motokatsu, the son of Hosokawa Akimoto, was known as a "rare and noble breed." Damn, some aspects of the Japanese mentality are hard to describe in words.

However, considering that some people bow and scrape before the King of Thailand, almost to the point of "prostrating themselves," such behavior is somewhat understandable.

It's fair to say that in Japan, once someone becomes a daimyo, they often develop this kind of vanity. Didn't the Uesugi family next door arrange a marriage alliance with the Takagi and Kira families? Was it for love? Of course not.

Therefore, Nobunaga wrote back to Shichibei, saying that he still needed to inform Hideyoshi about this matter. He would make a decision after consulting Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi Hashiba is currently the chief retainer and military commissioner of the Oda clan. Appointing his son as a high-ranking retainer would certainly require Hideyoshi's approval. Having a member of the Shibukawa clan, the Kyushu sendai (regent), by his side would be somewhat beneficial for the Hashiba clan's ascension to the fiefdom of Hizen and Chikuzen.

The fact that Ryūzōji Takanobu was still able to obey the Emperor's decrees shows that the people in this area still had some respect for the old order.

The reply arrived quickly at the gate; Shichibei was having a tea party with his esteemed superiors. A tea party was, in effect, a euphemism for a small group holding an internal, secret meeting.

Of course, Shichibei wasn't holding any secret meeting; he was simply clarifying the number of ships the various leaders needed to deploy. The total force was still roughly 120,000 men, but the Mori, Chosokabe, and other families didn't need Shichibei's involvement. Therefore, the transport needs for this campaign into Kyushu weren't as great as for the Western Provinces campaign, but the time required to mobilize ships would likely be longer.

Another matter is that the All-Japan Industrial Conference, which was previously interrupted by Mori's "rebellion," can now be put back on the agenda. Once Oda Nobunaga conquers Kyushu, western Japan will be unified.

The opportunity to establish a "Federal Reserve of Japan" has arisen once again.

552. The entire guild was convened again.

Shichibei had wanted to hold this meeting for a long time, but for various reasons, it had never taken place. Now that the heroes of Kyushu have been completely wiped out, surely nothing bad will happen to interrupt the opening of the meeting.

When Shichibei gave the call, business tycoons from all over Japan flocked to the conference, hoping to join this nationwide business alliance. At that time, Nobunaga only controlled the Kinai region; now that all of Japan was about to be unified, their enthusiasm would undoubtedly be even greater.

First, unify the national currency system, then establish rice guilds and futures trading markets, and proceed step by step to gradually unify the entire internal market of Japan.

One of the points was that Shichibei and Nobunaga had already discussed, and Nobunaga felt it was appropriate to proceed. Shichibei himself also believed it should be implemented.

Newly minted coins.

Originally, western Japan was accustomed to using Song Dynasty coins, while eastern Japan was accustomed to using Ming Dynasty coins. The lack of a unified central government to mint copper coins led to extreme chaos in Japan's monetary system. Local feudal lords who controlled copper mines also minted large quantities of inferior coins, further disrupting the market. This had a significant impact on the entire Japanese coinage system.

The current business environment is extremely inconvenient.

With the assurance of Nobunaga's power and the established commercial reputation of Kawamura-ya in the Kinai region, Shichibei began issuing Tensho Koban gold coins.

Tensho Daipan gold was primarily used for rewards, offerings, and tributes, and generally did not circulate in the market. Even if a samurai distinguished himself and received such a ten-tael gold coin, he would usually have to take it to a ryotei (a type of shop) to exchange it for gold koban or copper coins for daily use. The autumn bulk purchase price of a shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice was only five hundred mon, and very few everyday items could be purchased with gold koban.

Unless you're buying a cow or a horse, which might require a gold coin, you can still buy it by carrying several strings of copper coins.

The primary use of gold koban (small gold coin) was in large-scale commercial trade within Japan, where it was convenient for pricing, carrying, and payment. After Shichibei acquired gold and silver mines and began minting gold koban, this stable and highly reputable gold coin quickly gained popularity throughout Japan.

Even the big merchants in the Ou region were happy to receive gold koban as payment after transporting the annual tribute rice to Saki, Ishiyama, Obama, and Tsuruga for sale.

A small gold coin can be used to buy Kyoto silk and Tang silk in Kyoto, which is much more convenient than carrying around more than ten kilograms of copper coins.

However, a unified currency system cannot only unify the 100-yuan banknote while not unifying the 1-yuan coin.

In recent years, Shichibei has minted millions of Yongle Tongbao coins on a large scale, accumulating a wealth of experience and completing preliminary market testing.

The market doesn't care whether it's an original Ming Dynasty coin or one minted in Kyushu or Sakai. If the coin is the right size and weight, and has a sufficient copper content, then it's a good coin. Add to that relatively clear inscriptions and good casting, and it can be considered excellent.

Now that there is market demand and sufficient preparation, minting Japan's own copper coins should be put on the agenda.

Previously, Shichibei asked Nobunaga whether to directly mint "Oda Tsuho," "Heian Rakudo" (Peaceful Paradise) coins, or adopt the common design and mint "Tensho Tsuho." This was similar to the later Edo period when "Kan'ei Tsuho" was minted. Because it was minted during the Kan'ei era, it was given that name.

For the next two hundred years, the Tokugawa Shogunate minted Kan'ei Tsuho coins, making it a standard practice. The Japanese weren't particularly picky; when a new era name was introduced, they would mint coins with the new era name.

Oda Nobunaga thought for a moment and decided that he was currently in a "honeymoon period" with the Imperial Court. Instead of dealing with Oda Tsuho coins, he should be more serious and use Tensho Tsuho coins for divination. He could also use Tensho Tsuho coins to improve relations with the Imperial Court.

However, there is a small matter that, while not a major problem, still needs to be prepared for in advance. According to Nobunaga's plan, Emperor Ogimachi will abdicate before New Year's Day next year, and after that, Prince Naruhito will ascend the throne, at which point the imperial court will inevitably change the era name.

The molds for recasting Japanese Tsuho coins will have to be postponed until Prince Naruhito ascends the throne and establishes the era name before they can be cast.

But Shichibei didn't think so. He believed the Tensho Tsuho could be minted now. He could first carve a master coin from red copper, mint two or three hundred thousand kan, and release them into the market to let the market know that Japanese currency was now in circulation. After that, he could release the new Yuanhao Tsuho, and the market wouldn't be so surprised.

On this point alone, Nobunaga agreed.

How could he disagree? He knew absolutely nothing about economics or currency. Since Shichibei said it was okay, then it was okay; he was just going to be a hands-off manager. Shichibei would send him money regularly, and he would support Shichibei forever.

At present, Shichibei is meeting with the big bosses of the Kaiju group in Sakai-cho.

The purpose of this tea party is to inform them that the Tianzheng Tongbao coins have begun to be minted, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, the first batch will be released into the market this month. Pawnshops, warehouses, and other businesses in Bei and Jing should not be alarmed and should continue normal circulation.

Furthermore, Shichibei will also use the Kaisen business network to spread this message to major business owners throughout the country. He will tell them that Japan will subsequently mint its own Tensho Tsuho coins, and once the market is basically stable, he will promote the reform and unification of the currency system throughout Japan.

You say you're not afraid of counterfeiters? Leaving aside the fact that Nobunaga has wiped out all the daimyo, and the copper mines have become Oda's property, you don't have the means to counterfeit money. To say you won't issue currency because you're afraid of counterfeiters is just ridiculous.

At least for now, the people who minted counterfeit coins in Ryo and Kyoto have all been recruited by Shichibei. After conquering Kyushu, he will recruit the counterfeiters from Kyushu as well. It can be said that most of Japan's coin-minting talent will be in Shichibei's pocket.

It's not that I look down on Kanto; Kanto really is a region with a rather backward handicraft industry. Otherwise, Oshu and Ushu wouldn't have needed to sell their annual tribute rice to the Kinai region in exchange for soy sauce, vinegar, sake, and other goods.

So much so that during the Edo period, the Date family, because they knew how to make miso and it suited the tastes of the people of eastern Japan, miraculously became a local specialty.

They could sell on a large scale in Edo and make a profit.

The backwardness of rural handicrafts in the eastern provinces remained unchanged until the end of the Edo period. A more famous example is Uesugi Takayama of the Yonezawa Domain, who developed rural handicrafts on a large scale within his domain, thereby changing the impoverished state of the entire Yonezawa Domain.

Through industries such as manufacturing candles and paper and collecting raw lacquer, the Yonezawa Domain paid off its enormous debt of 200,000 taels of gold in just ten years.

It can only be said that the eastern part of Japan is really short of production, lacking all kinds of goods, to the point that it relies on the production of the upper reaches of the country.

So naturally, how many craftsmen in the Eastern Kingdom can forge counterfeit coins now? To put it bluntly, there might not be a single one.

After gathering everyone and holding a general meeting, and presenting the Tianzheng Tongbao coins, Shichibei will establish a complete national guild for the money exchange and money-making industries.

In Kyushu, Shikoku, and Saigoku, each region had a chief merchant elected by the local wealthy merchants, who then obtained the right to mint copper coins. The Hokuriku, Oshu, and Kanto regions, which were not yet fully pacified, followed the same procedure after submitting to the Grand Chancellor.

Including the Kinai General Treasury and the Donghai-Kashin Group, there are a total of eight.

The head office and local branches of the "Japanese Federal Reserve". From then on, the heads of these eight major business districts would act as representatives of the local commercial guilds to centrally manage the operation of local money exchange and money-making industries.

The head merchant is not fixed and changes every seven years. Anyone who possesses the qualifications of a town name owner—that is, owns a certain number of towns or more of land in a major commercial town, or owns a certain number of houses or houses, or owns a certain number of koku of land—can participate in the election. They have both the right to vote and the right to be elected, and participate in the competition throughout Japan.

The merchants sat together and elected a chief executive officer to coordinate the operation of the money exchange and money transfer business throughout Japan, and to be responsible for negotiations with the Grand Chancellor.

In the beginning, it was definitely Kawamura Nagayoshi of Kawamura-ya who served as the chief director. After all, Kawamura Nagayoshi was the chief steward of the Oda clan and effectively oversaw all commercial activities in Japan and was responsible for commercial litigation.

However, Shichibei believed that if the position of chief administrator was passed down through his family generation after generation, the organization would not be able to maintain its vitality and exist stably for a long time.

You can have your position passed down through generations, but you must consider the common interests of all parts of Japan. Therefore, the eight head merchants then elect a chief executive officer from among the head merchants.

The chief director is both the head of the local business and the chief director of the money exchange and money laundering industry throughout Japan, holding two positions. If Shichibei himself is obedient and cooperative, then it will be difficult for others to have any reason to object to the newly appointed chief director.

The position of Director-General is held for a seven-year term, which is sufficient to ensure the stability and sustainability of policies. Furthermore, the position allows for re-election, for a total of fourteen years. After fourteen years, Shichibei will retire, making way for a more capable successor. The wheel of fortune turns, and this year it's someone else's turn. This will give others the opportunity to lead the national trade association.

It's not so fixed, and it's not so hereditary.

Just like the so-called Meiji Restoration in Japan, it was nothing more than a movement initiated and promoted by a portion of the 600,000 samurai class, a portion of the million or so townspeople, and a portion of the hundred or so court nobles. Women of their own class were completely excluded. As for the rural population, which made up more than 85% of the population, well, to hell with them, they were not even considered.

By gathering only a small group of people, you can gather a large group. Therefore, gathering a small number is equivalent to gathering a large number; the equation is brilliant.

"The King's Palace truly has courage and vision." Tsuda Muneki put down his teacup. He knew that Shichibei wanted to form a guild and reform the currency system, but he didn't expect Shichibei to take the initiative to bring up the Kawamura family, the chief supervisor.

He can only work for a maximum of fourteen years.

There are thirty-six guilds in Hochi and sixteen in Hakata; these are all business guilds that have existed for a long time. It's just that they used to be organized locally, but now they are organized all over Japan.

As for the leaders of the Kou-shu, it mainly depended on who had the best relationship with those in power. Sen no Sōichi had a good relationship with Matsunaga Hisahide and Miyoshi Nagayoshi, so he was incredibly powerful for a time. Historically, Imai Munehisa took the initiative to raise 20,000 kan of arrows for Nobunaga, thus establishing a good relationship with him and becoming the representative of the Kou-shu.

Sen no Sōichi, due to his close relationship with Hideyoshi and his extensive involvement in Hideyoshi's political activities, wielded considerable influence among the followers. However, Konishi Ryūsō also held significant sway, likely due to his earlier investment.

Shichibei now believes that relying on this method of whoever chooses sides first to get things done is far too risky. It would be better for everyone to discuss it internally first, and then form a group to negotiate with their superiors.

This was actively promoted by the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo period. The feudal court was unwilling to deal with hundreds or thousands of merchants, so they directly established trading houses near Edo Castle, bringing together large-scale wholesale merchants. The Shogunate then dealt with these ten or eight individuals.

The shogunate granted them the power to oversee commerce. The major merchants cooperated.

The shogunate strengthened its finances by adjusting its commercial policies and providing ample transport funds.

Nobunaga was clearly doing the same thing; he delegated business to Shichibei and then became a hands-off manager, as long as the money was there. His successors, Oda Nobutada and Oda Nobukatsu, adopted the same strategy. Clearly, Oda Nobunaga shared the same attitude as the Tokugawa shogun and his senior officials.

Our current efforts to establish a national industry association are in line with the needs of feudal rule and also with the trend of social development.

"It's merely adding to the foundation of the Grand Chancellor's good governance." We ourselves have this need, and Nobunaga approves, so why not do it?

"The masses will definitely give their full support." Imai Munehisa believed that he could not compete with Tsuda Muneki and Takeno Munewa, who had long since sided with Shichibei, in the two-way business, so he settled for the rice business and just supported it for now.

"Let's reach a consensus internally first." Shichibei disliked forcing others to do things against their will; it was best to achieve the greatest possible consensus.

Shichibei can make the decisions regarding Tsushima, Atsuta, Anotsu, Ise-Ominato, Mino-Kana, Nagahama, and Otsu. However, we will need your assistance with Tsuruga, Kohama, Kyoto, Osaka, and Sakai.

"No problem, unanimously agreed." Takeno Munekazu was Shichibei's good lackey, taking on all the responsibility.

Although the group was called the Thirty-Six, it was actually just a figure of speech. Many merchants rose and fell; the Noto-ya, which had prospered thanks to the Miyoshi family, had already declined. The Tennoji-ya, which relied on the Oda family, continued to prosper, while Konishi Ryūsō and Hihiya Ryōke, who had allied with Hideyoshi, also fared well.

Right now, we only need to persuade about ten families. People like Senzo Ichi of the Uoya family, who are eager to get as close to the Oda family as possible, will not object.

"Unanimously agreed?" Shichibei finally confirmed.

Neither Tsuda Munekichi nor Imai Munehisa raised any objections. They simply picked up the teacups that Shichibei handed them and took a small sip of tea. Just like Oda Nobunaga or Oda Nobukatsu giving Shichibei a sake dish, one sip of tea signified their approval and agreement.

553. But to my surprise, I was unwilling.

There's no need to go into detail about the deployment of ships. Apart from the Kawamura Navy, Ataka Navy, and Kurushima-Murakami Navy, which would inevitably be conscripted, Kawamura-ya would provide some of the other required ships, while Sakai-cho would coordinate the deployment of the rest.

In addition, flags must be awarded to the Mori navy and the Ikeryo and navy of the Chosokabe clan. Only ships flying the Oda clan's flag can enter Hakata Bay in northern Kyushu and Beppu Bay in Bungo during wartime.

The two major port towns of Bungo were Funai-no-kan itself and Usuki Castle Town, where Ōtomo Sōrin was currently living in seclusion. The Oda clan's flag had to be planted in both places before the main army landed.

The first wave of troops advancing from Hakata consisted of only 22,000 cavalry from the three Mori clans, so there's not much to worry about. On the Bungo side, two landing points need to be established: Oda Nobukatsu's main force, Kawamura's force, and the Shikoku forces all need to land in this direction, totaling well over 60,000 to 70,000 men. This is the only way to quickly complete the landing and mobilization.