Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

For the foreseeable future, Shichibei will continue to work in Sakai. Many things can be investigated and reported later. Let's call it a day.

The big bosses didn't have much to say; they were about to convene another All-Japan Money Exchange and Money Transfer Conference, and they needed to process this news.

He still needed to discuss it with his close confidants and trusted advisors. The head merchant of the Kinai region was undoubtedly Shichibei's, but Shichibei was still just a kid in his early teens at the moment, and even fourteen years later, he would only be in his early twenties.

Furthermore, Shichibei made it very clear that he would only serve as the chief director for a maximum of two terms. Therefore, the positions of chief director and chief director would be filled by different people after Shichibei, so their chances were slim. However, the heir of the main family would be young and strong at that time, so they could give it a try and compete for the position.

If you can't become the chief merchant, you can consider becoming the head merchant. The enormous profits in the money exchange and silver exchange industries are common knowledge. Once you become the head merchant of a region, the potential gains are like a gold mine.

Shichibei retreated to await Nobunaga's reply regarding the arrangements for Ashikaga Yoshihide's son. Just a few days ago, Nobunaga had said he would inquire about Hideyoshi and Hidekatsu's response, which was perfectly reasonable; we could afford to wait.

Although Princess Ashikaga had spoken to Shichibei in her ear, and Shichibei had taken her advice, one thing is one thing. We've already submitted this matter for her; whether it succeeds or not depends on Nobunaga's will, and it has nothing to do with Shichibei.

We're not the kind of people who would abandon someone after we've done our part. We've already done a great job of being honest and keeping our promise.

Princess Ashikaga, who was waiting for Shichibei at the Kawamura residence, had seen him greeted with a smile these past two days. She was doing alright, not revealing the news to Ashikaga Yoshihide's eldest son, so the children's visits to greet Shichibei were all perfectly normal.

Ashikaga Princess was their cousin, a generation removed from theirs. She was simply a member of the Ashikaga clan, raised by Nobunaga's orders; their biological mother was still alive, currently a nun in Kyoto. Therefore, it was impossible for them to have thoughts like Shichibei being a bad person or a stupid idiot who slept with their mother.

I'd like to ask this former general's eldest son what he thinks about his future. Does he follow tradition and become a monk if he doesn't inherit the position of general, or does he want to take a gamble and create another future for the Ashikaga family?

Ashikaga Yoshiaki's son, Ashikaga Yorizumi, the Oyumi Kubo of the Kanto region, also fought tirelessly, actively asserting his claim to the legitimate succession in the Kanto region. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched the Siege of Odawara, he did not hesitate to raise an army in support and recaptured his father's main castle, Oyumi Castle.

It was precisely because he saw that Toyotomi Hideyoshi still possessed the ability and prestige to rally former retainers and gather remnants of the faction that he held him in high regard. He granted him a territory of 400 kan in Kirenagawa, allowing him to settle down temporarily.

One account says that Hideyoshi, seeing that he could also summon men, placed him in a position of power.

He was placed in Shimotsuke specifically to antagonize Tokugawa Ieyasu. He hoped to leverage the prestige of the Oyumi Kubo family to provide a legitimate justification for any potential uprising in the Kanto region.

Regardless of the specifics for now, it's absolutely true that if you prove yourself, others will look at you with more respect.

Our other good son, Hatakeyama Nobutaka, was very active in Yoshida-Koriyama Castle, and he facilitated the marriage between Mori clan's daughter, Komatsu-hime, and Oda Nobuo. Even Nobunaga praised him for that.

You haven't disgraced the Hatakeyama Kingo family!

"Smart Pill, is there any inconvenience while you're here?" Although the child in front of him was only ten years old, he was still the son of a general, and Shichibei's tone was even.

Historically, Ashikaga Yoshihide was poisoned and killed in September of the eleventh year of Eiroku (1568). In this world, due to the vigorous flapping of certain small wings, he escaped from the cave ahead of time and was saved by Shichibei, who forced him to drink a large bowl of mung bean soup. Afterwards, he lived out his days in Mino as a high-ranking retainer of Nobunaga.

It was supposed to be for retirement, but Nobunaga gave him 10,000 kan every year. Such a large sum of money, besides supporting dozens of servants, could be spent on eating, drinking, gambling and whoring, and there was no way he could spend it all.

So he gave Ashikaga Yoshihide all his beautiful wives and concubines, flying eagles and fine horses, and everything else he wanted to play with.

He went on. In the end, he left behind these few children, including Ashikaga Satoshimaru.

It seems that Hosokawa Masamoto was also called "Sokōmaru" when he was young. I don't know if I'm remembering it wrong, but it doesn't matter. If he were adopted into the Shibukawa clan, he would definitely have to change his name to Shibukawa Nobuyoshi.

"Everything is perfectly arranged. Thank you for your hospitality." Ashikaga Satoshimaru not only didn't think Shichibei was an idiot, but was also quite friendly towards him.

Ashikaga Yoshihide was able to escape by sheer luck because Shichibei forced him to drink a bowl of mung bean soup. To Ashikaga Yoshihide, Shichibei owed him a life-saving debt. However, as a former shogun, his status was far too sensitive, and even Shichibei dared not associate with him too closely.

He had previously chatted with Ashikaga Princess, asking her to retrieve two family heirlooms from the Rokuon-in Garden that matched Shichibei's status. Princess only told Shichibei to go to Ashikaga Yoshihide and take whatever he wanted. Unfortunately, he got caught up in a lot of things later and forgot about it. Now it'll be difficult for him to get them.

"You're ten years old now, and I'll be holding a ceremony for you to put on hakama soon. Do you have any thoughts?" Putting on hakama means acknowledging that you're a little adult, and that you'll no longer wear children's clothes but adult clothes, as described before.

"I'd rather serve the emperor with imperial favor than live a quiet, carefree life in the Gao family." I never expected...

The idea of ​​getting Ashikaga Satoshimaru was so ambitious.

"Wow!"

Not to mention Shichibei, even Ashikaga Princess, who was sitting on the other side, was somewhat surprised. If Shichibei wanted to support Ashikaga Satoshimaru to go to Kyoto and become the Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, then Ashikaga Satoshimaru's excitement would be perfectly reasonable.

The Ashikaga family, in their quest for the title of shogun, saw countless fathers and sons turn against each other, and brothers become enemies—a true case of one power rising as another falls. Their boundless energy, high spirits, and fierce fighting prowess in their pursuit of the throne were unprecedented.

For example, during the Battle of Kokufudai, the valiant fighting of Ogyu no Kubo was so impressive that even Hojo Ujitsuna was filled with admiration. Ogyu's army initially achieved a series of victories, practically leading the charge. However, in the end, he was betrayed by Satomi Yoshitaka, and his younger brother and eldest son were all killed.

Even without a general's position to contend for, are they still so arrogant?

"Smart Pill." Ashikaga Princess, who was practically an aunt, immediately whispered a reminder.

Although after the hakama ceremony, one is practically an adult. But...

They could attend public events and ceremonies, or serve as attendants to the young lord or the eldest son. But to openly request imperial favor, to demand the return of his father's pension, to go out on errands, or even to take up arms and fight was quite audacious.

"Well, since Ashikaga Satoshimaru is so willing, there's nothing wrong with that." The two of them had originally planned to send Ashikaga Satoshimaru to northern Kyushu with Hashiba Hidekatsu, since there would definitely be peacekeeping operations to fight and various powerful figures to appease.

If he really puts his mind to something, who wouldn't respect him?

"I hope the King's Palace will lend me a hand." Ashikaga Satoshimaru bowed deeply to Shichibei, his entire body prostrate on the floor.

"Even if it means being adopted into his family and being granted a fiefdom in Kyushu, you would still be willing?" Shichibei stared at Ashikaga Satoshimaru, waiting for his expression after he stood up.

"what!"

Clearly, the prospect of being adopted into another family stunned Ashikaga Satoshimaru, who had been preparing for this for a long time and had imagined countless scenarios in his mind. As the eldest son of the late Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihide, he must have been proud of the Ashikaga name. To give up the Ashikaga family was more painful than taking his life.

"You might as well think it over carefully." Shichibei gestured for Ashikaga Princess to take her good nephew away and give him a good talking-to.

I'll also send a letter to Oda Nobunaga. Ashikaga Yoshihiro seems to have some semblance of humanity after all, not the useless, good-for-nothing Gao family. Most of Ashikaga Yoshihiro's retainers and close associates died in the battle at Nijō Palace, but a few dozen female guards escaped, and some were unfortunately captured but not beheaded.

He still has about a hundred core retainers, and with gradual recruitment and replenishment, he can manage his 50,000-stone territory without any major problems.

Just like Watanabe Ryo and Goto Mototsugu previously shared 100,000 koku of Iga, they each took 200 foot soldiers under Shichibei. Shichibei had a past relationship with Ashikaga Yoshihide and even shared a bed with the group of children's aunt, so giving him 100 regular foot soldiers would be acceptable.

With Ashikaga Satoshimaru's own stance and the troops under his command, perhaps he can succeed.

After writing the letter, Shichibei dispatched his Flying Kicks to deliver it to the Nijō Palace in Kyoto overnight. At this moment, Ashikaga Princess had finished talking with Sasomi-maru and sat down next to Shichibei, letting out a deep sigh.

Why?

Because the young man refused to accept his fate and did not want to be adopted into his family.

His willingness to fight stemmed from his desire to prevent the Ashikaga family from succeeding.

His family name had fallen, becoming a "low-class" samurai family. If he had already given up on the Ashikaga lineage, what was the point of his continued efforts? He might as well just give up. Anyway, securing a position in the Taka family wouldn't be a problem, and if all else failed, he could become a monk at Rokuon-in.

"He's blind, still a child, can't think straight." Shichibei understood this kind of thought process and also understood Ashikaga Sasomi-maru's insistence.

"He's still young and doesn't understand." Having witnessed countless tragic scenes of national ruin and family destruction, Ashikaga Princess naturally understood the importance of avoiding disaster.

But Clever Maru might not understand, and besides, he's only ten years old. He's grown up as the eldest son of the Ashikaga Shogun and has a huge obsession with that identity.

"If all else fails, he still has a younger brother." At Shichibei's level, one can actually disregard certain aspects of human nature.

To put it bluntly, it means that subordinates are no longer considered human beings. This has nothing to do with feudalism; it's purely a matter of hierarchy. Even in so-called modern companies and enterprises of later generations, or even on university campuses, walking dogs, taking out the trash, and picking up children for leaders or professors are commonplace.

They drive people to act like slaves, completely disregarding their thoughts and feelings, and using their power to oppress them.

This is extremely unfair to those in lower positions. But for those in higher positions, as long as their power remains unshaken, they can ignore all the thoughts of those in lower positions.

Those who cannot listen to public opinion and understand the needs of the masses are not necessarily able to become honest and upright officials and be remembered in history. This should be a very common thing, but because most people in power are too lazy to pretend and too lazy to do it, it seems to be very noble.

Not to mention those high-ranking officials and nobles who enjoy the support of the entire nation's hard-earned money. A tapestry in their villa is worth the annual wages of 300 Kyrgyz weavers, a Maybach is worth 90 years' wages for a skilled worker, and a box of cigars is worth 1,200 times the annual work points surplus of a peasant commune member. They die penniless, and this has even become a virtue.

There's just so much blackness, filth, and rottenness that it makes even the most normal things seem incredibly noble.

It's already quite good that Shichibei understands Ashikaga Satoshimaru's feelings. If he really doesn't want to, then there's nothing that can be done but let his four- or five-year-old younger brother be adopted out.

He could remain in the Kinai region and wait for an opportunity to see if anyone would be willing to lend him a hand and help him along the way.

"Sigh..." Ashikaga Princess couldn't say anything. She could only influence Shichibei's attitude, not make the decision for him.

Such an important matter requires Shichibei to obey Oda Nobunaga's orders. How can a ten-year-old child be allowed to cause trouble? If they want to preserve their bloodline, they must be pragmatic.

"Alright, alright, this matter is not settled yet, there's no need to rush." ​​Since Shichibei has already offered his help, how far Ashikaga Satoshimaru can go depends on himself.

Meanwhile, at Himeji Castle, Hideyoshi and Hashiba Hidekatsu received a private letter from Nobunaga. Nobunaga asked the father and son if they needed a guest general from the former Kyushu scouting family, the Shibukawa clan, to accompany them to Chikuzen to take up their post.

After reading the letter about placing Ashikaga Yoshihide's son in the Shibukawa family to revive the family's fortunes, the father and son didn't feel much. Since entering Chikuzen or Hizen would inevitably lead to massacres, and most wealthy landowners would have to shave their heads, having someone like Shibukawa was pointless.

The main issue is that we still have to allocate 50,000 shi of grain from Zhixing to settle down there, which doesn't seem worthwhile.

554. The whispers in someone's ear are all different.

Hideyoshi has been quite busy lately, not with the landing in Kyushu. The first wave to land in Chikuzen was the three Mori families, and the second wave was naturally the feudal lords who had settled in the western provinces, with Amago Katsuhisa and Ikeda Katsumasa as the core.

The third wave only arrived with Hideyoshi Hashiba, Nagaharu Bessho, Nagaie Ukita, and others. It's highly likely they won't even fight a battle; they'll just go ashore to take over their territories.

Given the reality that the Mori clan needed to pledge allegiance and the Amago clan was extremely grateful to the Oda clan for helping them revive, the first and second waves of people would definitely fight desperately. These two waves of people together exceeded 50,000 men. The Ryuzoji clan, after capturing the Akizuki clan, could only gather about that many men, making it a 50/50 situation.

If Akizuki Tanemitsu's defection had led to the defection of the people of Chikuzen and Buzen provinces, the Ryuzoji family might not have had an army of more than 50,000 men.

So Hideyoshi is now strolling leisurely, not in a hurry to prepare for war, but instead starting to look to the future.

The 450,000 koku of Chikuzen and Hizen provinces should be the focus of the Hashiba clan. With the western provinces completely pacified, Hideyoshi is unlikely to achieve any more earth-shattering feats and receive any further great rewards.

Hideyoshi's relocation from Harima has resulted in the retention of 150,000 koku of land in Bessho-Nagahari-Higashi, plus an additional 30,000 koku, bringing the total to 180,000 koku. What should be done with these 180,000 koku?

Even a blind person can have influence from their pillow.

Ukita Hachiro's mother, Lady Ōkata, is currently very much favored by Hideyoshi. It is said that whenever Hideyoshi takes a bath, Lady Ōkata scrubs his back, sometimes all night long. They are truly a perfect couple, living in perfect harmony.

To avoid unrest within the Ukita family and to demonstrate filial piety to Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi insisted that Ukita Nagaie inherit the Ukita family name and territory. Furthermore, by marrying Ukita Naoie's widow, Ōkata-dono, as a concubine, he effectively adopted Ukita Hachirō.

At that time, there was probably a small promise that Ukita Hachiro would be given a territory of 100,000 koku.

At present, Hideyoshi has received an extra 180,000 koku from Chikuzen and Hizen. Of this, 100,000 koku will be allocated as Hideyoshi's retirement allowance, and in fact, it will be more than enough to give to Ukita Hachiro later.

But Hideyoshi didn't immediately tell Hashiba Hidekatsu this; he was incredibly shrewd, the kind of person who was extremely calculating. Hashiba Hidekatsu's arrival meant he would inherit the entire Hashiba family fortune. Whether it was the current 420,000 koku of Harima or the future 450,000 koku of Chikuzen and Hizen, it would all belong to Hashiba Hidekatsu.

Unfortunately, Hideyoshi still had the matter of Ukita Hachiro to deal with. Just then, Nobunaga and Shichibei came to ask about the Ashikaga Sasomi-maru. Hideyoshi then used the matter of needing 50,000 koku to settle the Shibukawa family to probe Hashiba Hidekatsu's opinion.

The result was obvious: Hashiba Hidekatsu himself was not particularly pleased. In Hashiba Hidekatsu's mind, what was the Shibukawa clan anyway? Five thousand or ten thousand koku of rice would be more than enough. Supporting them as his own retainers was a high enough salary.

The reason is actually quite clear, as we've already explained. At this point, the Hashiba clan was built up by Hideyoshi himself, and all the retainers were recruited into his retainer group one by one.

What will happen after Hideyoshi retires into seclusion?

Perhaps Nobunaga's grant of 180,000 koku to the Hashiba clan was paving the way for Hashiba Hidekatsu, allowing him ample territory to promote and recruit his own retainers.

Afterwards, Hideyoshi's retainers weren't completely kicked out; they continued to receive their stipends and pay, but they were simply removed from the core power circle of the Hashiba family.

Based on this, Hashiba Hidekatsu felt that Ashikaga Satoshimaru was acceptable, at most 5,000 koku, leaving room for negotiation. He could offer a very high title, even a position as a member of the sect. Hashiba Hidekatsu was perfectly capable of...

He will marry Ashikaga Satoshimaru's sister as a concubine. If she gives birth to a boy, he will be placed into Satoshimaru's household, thus completing his family.

Stop thinking about it and give up.

Hideyoshi paused for a moment after hearing this. This boy was, after all, Oda Nobunaga's son, raised by his side. Although he was only fourteen years old, he already had his own ideas. If he were to study under him for another three to five years, he would be able to graduate and take charge of the entire Hashiba clan.

After bathing with Daifuku-dono, Hideyoshi told him about his current predicament. It's quite strange sometimes; a man who is decisive and ruthless in the outside world, killing people and plotting schemes without the slightest hesitation, can sometimes reveal a very vulnerable side when he's alone.

In the past, Hideyoshi probably revealed his vulnerable side to Nene. Whether in this world or in history, Hideyoshi and Nene's marital relationship was quite harmonious. Even after Yodo-hime gave birth to a son, Hideyoshi never once had the slightest thought of deposing Nene, his wife who had shared so much hardship with him.

Even if Hideyoshi had dementia, he wouldn't have made such a foolish move, which shows how close the two were.

But right now, Nene is a hostage at Azuchi Castle, so there's nothing she can do about it. And the historical Yodo-hime is actually Asai Chacha.