Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

When you become the commander-in-chief, credit should be distributed. Don't try to give it all to one person or take all the credit yourself. Once or twice is fine, but if it happens too often, everyone will lose motivation and become disloyal.

In the movie "The Castle of Puppets," when Ishida Mitsunari announces a water attack, the generals who were initially determined to launch a human assault on the castle all leave the tent cursing and swearing. This is because a water attack yields no credit, and the victory rests solely with the commander-in-chief, naturally leading to their discontent.

Oda Nobuhisa simply nodded, it was unclear whether he had taken it all in.

On the summit of Kasugayama Castle, shouts of "Ichiban no Ki" (first rank of general) and "Ichiban no Hitoshi" (first rank of general) erupted. One after another, renowned retainers and generals of the Uesugi clan were captured and their heads presented to Nobunaga at the main camp.

Uesugi Noritake, who came to negotiate peace last month, is dead. Uesugi Kagenobu, who came to negotiate peace a few days ago, is also dead. Others, such as Kakizaki Harue, Yamamotoji Sadanaga, Kawada Shigechika, Kamiyo Chikatsuna, Momoi Yoshitaka, Hojo Takahiro, Honjo Akinaga, etc., were captured and sent out of the castle one after another.

One battle wiped out the entire prestigious families of Kanto Kanrei, Echigo Shugoro, and Echigo Shugoro Dai. How unpredictable life is!

As for your question about Uesugi Kagetora's head? It was indeed not found. After the fire at the Honmaru Palace naturally extinguished, there were hundreds of corpses inside, a large number of men and women. Clearly, many had committed seppuku alongside Uesugi Kagetora, and were unrecognizable after the fire.

So in the end, they gathered all these people together, dug a pit and buried them. Nobunaga donated 200 kan to build a small shrine specifically to appease the spirits of these people.

With the fall of Kasugayama Castle and the deaths of many local samurai, the Uesugi retainers were essentially disintegrated, and the fate of Echigo became a problem that had to be addressed.

What a pity, my cheap father-in-law, Oda Nobuhiro.

Nobunaga did not make a decision immediately, but instead ordered Mōri Hideyori to serve as his meidai (regent) and guard Kasugayama, where he would conduct land surveys and sword hunting. At the same time, he was assigned to Horie Munechika, who had surrendered, as well as Nobunaga's own retainers, including his close associates Kikkawa Hiroie, Hasegawa Hideichi, Takamori Koreichi, and Yabe Iesada.

"Oh my, Takamori Yuichi, you succeeded! You've become Nobunaga's close retainer!" Shichibei found Takamori Yuichi and congratulated him repeatedly. Takamori Yuichi had met Shichibei before in Higo. He was originally supposed to be Takamori Yuichi's retainer, but after the Takamori father and son died in battle, he took the readily available son-in-law and adopted him.

He also received a promised 10,000 koku of rice from Nobunaga because of his father-in-law's bravery in battle. By this time, he was a legitimate close associate of Nobunaga, working in the central government. He was incredibly lucky.

But there's nothing to envy. At that time, the Takamori army, numbering only a few hundred, fought against the Shimazu army of over 20,000, and eight or nine out of ten of them were killed in battle. This kid also managed to escape by fighting his way out. If Shichibei had arrived half an hour later, he would have been dead too.

Wealth earned with one's life is something to envy, but also something to admire.

This group of people, if put together, probably has around 100,000 koku of rice, enough to form a force of five or six thousand men. The Uesugi samurai group suffered a near-total annihilation, and the remaining peasant soldiers, without organization, won't amount to much. Having these men to carry out land surveys and sword hunts in Echigo is sufficient.

Upon inquiry, Nobunaga did not demand a rigorous land survey, but simply stated that a survey was sufficient. This was clearly intended to quickly pacify Echigo and facilitate the consolidation of the army for an invasion of Kanto the following year.

Understanding led to the siege of Odawara, and the Oshu tribe was pacified by issuing a proclamation.

Just as he was tidying up, a message suddenly arrived saying that "Yasha Kuro" had come to pay his respects to Oda Nobunaga. What "Yasha Kuro"? Shichibei was taken aback. Where in Echigo was this person?

Upon arriving at the main tent, they discovered that it was actually the capital of Beipu County in Yuzhou.

A man known as "Yasha Kuro" named Tozawa Moriyasu heard that Nobunaga had personally come to Kasugayama Castle to besiege Uesugi Kagetora. So he disguised himself as a merchant, and with six retainers and three foot soldiers, he took a boat to Naoetsu to pay his respects to Nobunaga.

In the seventh year of Tensho (1552), Tozawa Moriyasu presented Nobunaga with horses, hawks, and silver, indicating a long-standing friendship between the two. Tozawa Moriyasu's visit this time has two main purposes.

First, he publicly expressed his support for the Taira no Sokoku government and his willingness to become a subject of Oda Nobunaga, the ruler of the land. Second, he hoped to obtain from Nobunaga a just cause to punish powerful local lords such as the Onodera, Ando, ​​and Asari clans.

To be fair, this was the first person from the entire Oshu region to personally come to pay homage to Oda Nobunaga and offer his loyalty as a patron of the country. He also put it very well, stating that he had come to "lead troops" to join the battle.

Join the battle!

Although Kasugayama Castle had already fallen, Nobunaga was overjoyed by the loyalty shown to this group. It was a pity Oda Nobukatsu wasn't here; if he were, he would have made them swear brotherhood on the spot.

However, Nobunaga glanced around and noticed Shichibei standing to the side. He immediately asked Tozawa Moriaki if he had a wife. Tozawa Moriaki, overjoyed, loudly replied, "No."

Good! Nobunaga immediately adopted Shichibei's daughter as his adopted daughter and married her to Tosawa Moriyasu as his principal wife.

Tozawa Morian was a very clever man; he knelt down and called out "Father" without hesitation for even a second. He just called her that first; as for his wife's beauty, ugliness, wisdom, or foolishness, that was a matter for later.

Shichibei, standing to one side, hadn't expected to have his involvement in this, but Nobunaga had already given instructions regarding the marriage of his daughters. Nine out of eleven daughters had already been married off, and with Tozawa Moriyasu included, there wasn't much left. The sooner they were married off, the better, so that Oda Nobunaga wouldn't keep thinking about their daughters all the time.

With this marriage arranged, Nobunaga asked Tozawa Moriyasu how large his territory was and how much it cost. Tozawa Moriyasu replied that it was about 10,000 kan. Nobunaga then waved his hand and said, "I'll give you the mandate to attack the Onodera, Asari, and Ando clans. Whatever amount you lose is yours."

"This man is truly insightful and discerning," Shichibei remarked as Tosawa Moriaki left.

"A thousand pieces of gold can buy a horse's bones." Niwa Nagahide understood this very well. Although the Tozawa family was pitifully small, it had the advantage of having a clever head of the household. How could they not be the bones of a thoroughbred horse?

If the Tozawa family had a estate of 100,000 to 200,000 koku, they could potentially become the core of the Oda clan's rule in Uzu Province. But with only 30,000 to 40,000 koku...

Shi's territory is too small; he can probably only mobilize one or two thousand men. What can such a small number of people do? If something happens, they might not even be able to hold the city until reinforcements from the surrounding area arrive.

"They're the first ones to come, so we should give them something nice." Although Nobunaga greatly appreciated Tozawa Moriyasu's actions, the matter was also full of political considerations.

“That’s how it should be.” Shichibei and Niwa Nagahide said in unison.

"Shichibei, make preparations to entertain this Yasha Kuro."

"Goro, go and write a letter to Rakuchō, and recommend him for the position of Yugure." Of course, the dowry Nobunaga prepared was more than 5,000 kan in cash.

Dewa Province is vast, and the current so-called Dewa Governor is likely the Mogami family. Of course, powerful clans like the Nikaido and Daihoji families also claim this title. Logically, no matter what this Dewa Governor does, he shouldn't be able to touch Tozawa Moriyasu, but he just happened to run into him.

“Oh…” Niwa Nagahide murmured in amazement.

Take Niwa Nagahide, for example. He fought tooth and nail to become the Echizen no Kami. This kid in front of him, just kowtows, and he'll have everything he could ever want.

"Then I must prepare a dowry." Shichibei still has to bring the child from Kyushu and then send him to Kakunodate Castle.

"Prepare more, and also give him three hundred cannons, Yao Yuqi."

"Prepare." Nobunaga was keen to help Tozawa Moriyasu, so naturally he would give him what he deserved.

"Understood." This could be considered Nobunaga's way of helping Tozawa Moriyasu get ahead.

A nobody from a wealthy family with a few thousand koku of land, he started his career at the age of thirteen, successively eliminating powerful clans in the county and bringing powerful families such as the Senhoku Maeda clan, the Hondo clan, and the Naraoka clan under his protection. In the end, he even personally participated in the internal strife of the Ando family and once supported Ando Michiki in seizing power.

Now that Oda Nobunaga has sent him a huge sum of money and military equipment, who knows how much glory he can unleash? Perhaps he can really build a fortune of 100,000 or 200,000 koku.

Thus, the Oshu region gained a small foothold representing the Oda clan. Although it might be somewhat unstable, it was better than having no foothold at all. Historically, Hideyoshi's arrangements in Oshu and Ushu had a kind of "giving away a major lord and then simply washing his hands of it" feel to them, essentially amounting to letting them run wild.

This model was prevalent in the early days of Nobunaga's regime, but it's no longer suitable now that the regime is firmly established.

593. I only wish I could live another three years.

Aside from Mori Hideyori and others who were ordered to remain in Echigo for sword hunting and land surveys, the main army returned to their respective positions. Niwa Nagahide was relieved of his post as commander-in-chief of the Hokuriku army, and all the lords and retainers who had been under his command were released back to their independent daimyo status. Even his eldest son, Niwa Nagashige, who held 100,000 koku of koku in Kaga Kanazawa, was effectively separated from the family.

After all, the war in Hokuriku was over, the Uesugi clan was destroyed, and all that remained were the small, insignificant areas of Shonai and Sado. These could be pacified by the new lord who would later be enfeoffed in Echigo.

By the way, Ashina Moritaka dispatched 2,000 cavalry, including Kanagawa Tōtōmi no Kami, to aid Uesugi Kagetora, which angered Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga specifically sent an envoy to rebuke Ashina Moritaka and called upon the lords surrounding the Ashina clan to attack Ashina at will. Such traitors who defy the imperial army deserve to be killed without consequence.

The Ashina family, already in turmoil, is probably in for a rough time.

On the way back to Kyoto, Shichibei chatted with Nobunaga. They were about to head to Rakucho to prepare over 400,000 koku of military rations for the 200,000 to 250,000-strong army besieging Odawara the following year. Therefore, they needed to understand Nobunaga's plans beforehand, so they could begin preparing for the campaign against the Mori clan, just as they had done years before.

Prepare as usual.

Since Shichibei is going to hold a national business conference in Ōba, it's fine for him to be stationed in Ōba to work, so he won't have to miss either opportunity.

Nobunaga's plan was not complicated: mobilize an army of 200,000 to 250,000 men, led by Takigawa Kazumasu, to attack Musashi from Kozuke in the north. Meanwhile, the various lords of the Nakasendo route, namely the armies of Omi, Mino, Shinano, and Kai provinces, would enter and exit through the Hachioji Pass in Musashi to attack Ōishi Ujiteru. This route was personally commanded by Oda Nobukatsu, and therefore also included 20,000 cavalry from Oda's central army.

The troops from the five provinces of Ise, Owari, Mikawa, Tōtōmi, and Suruga, who were part of the Tōkaidō, entered and exited through the Nirayama Pass in Izu, and were commanded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, to launch a flanking attack on Odawara.

In the Kanto region, forces such as Satake, Yuki, Utsunomiya, and Satomi have all sent envoys to Nobunaga to express their willingness to surrender. Once the Odawara campaign begins, they will all advance into the Hojo territory, harassing Hojo's territories in Hitachi, Kazusa, Shimosa, and Shimotsuke, thus acting as their flanks.

Finally, there was the naval force, centered around the Shima Kuki navy, along with the Saji navy from the Chita Peninsula, the Takeda navy from Suruga, and the Okamoto navy from the Satomi family, to block the port of Odawara and prevent foreign aid supplies from being delivered by sea.

They launched a five-pronged attack, intending to conquer Odawara in one fell swoop.

Oh dear, so Shichibei not only has to prepare military rations for the Tokaido region, but also for the Nakasendo region? Nobunaga immediately replied, "Yes."

Tsk, you old weavers really managed to squeeze a sheep out of you.

I used it as much as I could, even though I was used to it, it still felt tiring. Fortunately, the countries of the Tokaido and Shinano, one with a coastal plain and the other with mountain valleys, both have stable agricultural areas.

There was no need to transport large quantities of grain into the two regions from outside. It just so happened that the annual tribute rice was about to be shipped out and sold in Sakai. Shichibei immediately ordered the heads of the branch stores in Owari, Mino, and Kai to set up warehouses on the spot and purchase the annual tribute rice produced in the two regions.

The Tokaido region, converging on Suruga and Ejiri Port, along with its post stations and major towns, including Hamamatsu, held between 5,000 and 10,000 koku of rice. Ejiri Port itself needed to hold 200,000 koku of rice to facilitate water transport to the Odawara camp.

The Nakasendo supplies will not be stockpiled at Matsushiro Castle, as Matsushiro is a key town in the Echigo campaign and is not actually on the main street of the Nakasendo route. Instead, they will be stockpiled nearby at Kofu Castle, making full use of the castle's own granaries. Yamagata Masamitsu is Shichibei's brother-in-law; there's nothing he can't agree to—it's just a matter of writing a letter.

100,000 koku of rice was needed to be stockpiled at Kofu Castle, and another 100,000 koku were to be prepared at Sakai. As the war dragged on, shipments continued to be sent to the front lines.

Grain reserves in China.

There's no need to worry too much about this. After Nobunaga successfully moved to Gifu Castle and marched on Kyoto, Shichibei, as Nobunaga's main patron, personally funded the stockpiling of 40,000 koku of emergency rations for him. This was essentially a service included in Nobunaga's monopoly; after all, what use was Shichibei to Nobunaga if he couldn't even handle this basic preparatory work?

By now, 100,000 koku of grain has been prepared in advance. And it's not just grain; various military equipment, gunpowder pellets, and other supplies are also stockpiled. Just for Nobunaga's storage, Shichibei has already invested over 100,000 kan in additional storage.

You don't want to hold onto the debt?

So many people want to pledge money to Nobunaga, but they can't find a way to do so.

Having confirmed the above, Shichibei and Nobunaga arrived in Mino-Kana. Although Gifu Castle had been demolished, the town beneath it had not been lost. This was because the town had become a vital waterway hub on the Nagara River, a gathering place for goods such as timber, washi paper, silk, lanterns, and fans. The Kano Domain, which controlled the area, established a daikan (official residence) to manage the area and collect taxes.

Oda Nobuharu, the lord of the Mino-Kano Domain with a staggering 230,000 koku of rice, had already retired to Nobunaga, unable to continue in his duties. He relinquished his position as lord to his grandson, Tsuda Nobuuji. Indeed, this could be seen as a response to Nobunaga's decision to allow Oda to retire.

The desire of people of the same clan to change their surname.

His son, Oda Nobunao, was killed in the Battle of Mikatagahara at the young age of twenty-nine. If Oda Nobunao hadn't died, Oda Nobuharu would have abdicated long ago. Now he's just waiting for his grandson to come of age, stubbornly holding on until his grandson takes over as lord of the domain.

Nobunaga was naturally pleased with such an understanding kinsman and went straight to Kano Castle for the night. As evening fell, he gazed at Mount Kinka in the distance and sighed. How glorious he had been when he stormed Inabayama Castle! Now, returning, he was old and frail.

Neither of them dared to respond. Nobunaga himself sighed, "That's fine. If you just say Nobunaga is really old, you're just asking for trouble."

Tsuda Nobuji simply served sake, fruit, and sweets, then quietly knelt to one side. His mother was Oda Nobuhide's sixth daughter, Odai-dono (Tsugawara-in), making Nobunaga his maternal uncle. If he didn't say a word, why would Shichibei utter a sound?

As he was lamenting, Nobunaga suddenly cried out in pain, clutching his clothes at his chest and collapsing to his sides. Everyone was shocked and rushed forward to check on him, only to see that Nobunaga's face was covered in large beads of sweat from the pain.

First, suppress the news, then send Tsuda Nobushi to find a doctor. (Ghana)

And Gifu Town, that is the essence of Nakano, where travelers and merchants gather.

There were doctors, and also monks who were well-versed in traditional Chinese medicine.

Before the doctor arrived was Oda Nobunaga, who was so old that he could walk slowly. If Nobunaga had died in Kano Castle, rumors would surely spread, and someone might have framed him for plotting to kill Nobunaga.

They quickly laid Nobunaga down and carried him inside. Nobunaga tried his best to endure the pain without making a sound. Moreover, judging from his appearance, it seemed that the pain was not only in his chest but also radiating to his back.

It sounds exactly like severe heart palpitations, the kind that have already affected one's life.

Over fifty years old, Nobunaga had traveled a long and arduous journey, crossing most of Japan, to the Kasugayama front to command the battle. He was not only physically exhausted, but also mentally drained. His health was already quite poor, far from what it had been at eighteen, and this sudden change had taken its toll.

As the doctor performed acupuncture, Nobunaga's body gradually calmed down, and the trembling in his fingers and chest stopped. He was completely exhausted and slumped on the tatami mat, not even wanting to speak.

After the doctor left, Nobunaga waved for everyone to leave, leaving only Oda Nobuharu and Shichibei. There were no special instructions; he didn't want anyone to say anything unnecessary. Tsuda Nobuuji would surely handle it.

It's not like Nobunaga is about to die anytime soon, so don't panic or go looking for doctors. Prepare a palanquin for him tomorrow, and he can continue his journey to Azuchi and Kyoto as usual.

Taira no Shokoku's regime was just one step away from completely destroying the Hojo clan before it could be firmly established. Even if something happened to Nobunaga, it was not allowed to be publicized.

Do you understand? Of course I understand.

Could it be that Shichibei would go around spouting nonsense? Impossible. It's just that Nobunaga's health seems to be deteriorating at an accelerated pace. It's as if he's racing against time; if he wins, he can establish a stable Oda regime; if he loses, things will be terrible.

Not daring to utter a word, Shichibei summoned Nobunaga's page Sanada Nobushige and Mori Tadamasa, instructing them to arrange for men to take turns keeping watch over Nobunaga at night. They were to report immediately if anything happened. Shichibei wouldn't be able to rest easy until Nobunaga was safely delivered to Kyoto.

The next day, not daring to slacken, they settled Nobunaga in a palanquin and headed towards Ōgaki Castle. The new generation of the three members of the Western Mino Triumvirate, Sakuma Nobue, Inaba Sadamichi, and Kawajiri Hidenaga, hurriedly came to pay their respects.

By this time, Nobunaga had regained his composure. Only his expression...

Generally speaking, it's normal for a person to travel across most of Japan and command a large army in battle; they would naturally be exhausted. The three men didn't raise any questions, but simply greeted Nobunaga.