Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Having a piece of land was already a blessing; even the Edo Shogunate had powerful families like the Mukō clan and feudal lords. They'd give you a title, provide a small annual stipend, and keep you afloat like cats or dogs, just to keep you alive and present you as part of the new dynasty. This was the best possible fate for the impoverished remnants of the old era.

It's better than having your whole family killed!

The entire Uesugi Kagetora family next door was swept away in the explosion of Kasugayama Castle. Keep in mind, the Uesugi were the maternal lineage of the Ashikaga clan, a prestigious family with centuries of history; they died just as deserved. Now, there isn't a single Uesugi descendant left in all of Japan.

The Uesugi family of Ogigaya and the Uesugi family of Yamanouchi both died out. The Uesugi family of Fukaya was changed to Fukaya because they followed the Hojo clan. There were also two collateral branches, the Uesugi of Kaga and the Uesugi of Takuma, who were completely wiped out in the war.

As for the Kira and Isshiki families in Kanto, they too have fallen into ruin. So why can't the Ashikaga family decline? The powerful and tyrannical will ultimately perish, like dust in the wind.

With Shichibei's promise, Ashikaga Princess repeatedly expressed her gratitude. Being able to revive the family and earn 5,000 koku would be wonderful. Ashikaga Nobuyoshi was different from Hatakeyama Nobutaka. Back then, Oda Nobunaga needed the Hatakeyama family's prestige to attack Kawachi and Kii, so he was willing to support Hatakeyama Nobutaka.

Now that the country is unified, the Ashikaga family is a complete liability, and Ashikaga Yorimitsu of Kanto will eventually have to change his name to Furukawa Yorimitsu.

Didn't you see that even Hosokawa Fujitaka changed his name to Nagaoka Fujitaka? Shiba Yoshigami also changed his surname. Clinging to a worthless surname like it's his life's treasure will only lead to disaster.

After bidding farewell to Princess Ashikaga and her daughter, Shichibei returned to the Kawamura residence. He ordered someone to go to the Ninomaru Palace to inquire about the date of this year's Nijin Festival.

Prepare your wording in advance, and try to squeeze as much money as possible out of Ashikaga Nobuyoshi. That would at least fulfill our obligation to Ashikaga Yoshihide. If that doesn't work, then there's nothing more to say; Ashikaga Nobuyoshi can only pray for good fortune.

It's scheduled for the 29th of next month!

Okay, okay, knowing the exact date is fine, but isn't it a bit late? It's already October, the autumn rice has long been harvested, dried and stored, and many places have already transported their annual tribute rice to Osaka for storage and sale. Why is it taking so long?

When asked, the responses from both sides were vague and unclear.

Is something the matter? Shichibei then sent someone to inquire again. It's a pity, though; this is Oda Nobukatsu, not Oda Nobunaga. Although we have our good friend Ataka Kiyoyasu by Nobukatsu's side, he can't avoid matters of state. We don't know much about Nobukatsu's daily life.

After all, the Sanada brothers, Nobuyuki and Nobushige, were no longer mere retainers or pageboys; they had stepped down to serve as regular bodyguards for Nobuo. Regular bodyguards would stand in the corridors or guard the gates; back then, Yamauchi Kazutoyo was even guarding the gate for Nobunaga at the Tondani Residence in Gifu Castle.

That evening, Shichibei went to visit Ataka Kiyoyasu at his residence. Although Ataka Kiyoyasu had difficulty walking, the power he wielded made him radiant. As a young official who was effectively involved in national affairs, Ataka Kiyoyasu was admiring with great interest a gold glass clock imported from Hirado with his retainers.

I wonder which feudal lord wanted to ask him for a favor and sent him this thing. Luckily, the Japanese don't have the pun on "sending a clock," so they didn't care about it.

Upon seeing Shichibei arrive, Ataka Kiyoyasu ordered his men to put away the clock and served tea and snacks, preparing to chat with Shichibei.

They're old buddies, Shichibei won't miss a bite of his food. After everyone else left, he asked him directly, "Why is the Nii-ma-sai going to be held on the 29th of next month?"

Holding the New Rice Festival on November 29th is too late. Is something wrong? If so, tell your brother.

Upon hearing Shichibei's question, Ataka Kiyoyasu's expression changed slightly. He seemed hesitant, his lips trembling as if he wanted to speak but hesitated, then stopped himself from speaking.

"Could it be something unspeakable?" Shichibei seemed even more curious. Could it be that Nobuo had done something outrageous again?

"Yes, there is a VIP who is due to give birth at the beginning of next month."

Chapter 631 Cataclysmic Destruction

Seeing Shichibei's expression shift from confusion to horror, Ataka Kiyoyasu guessed that Shichibei had learned of some hidden scandals. But such matters were not for them, as subjects.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear..."

Shichibei could only slap his thigh and sigh deeply. What had Oda Nobuo done? How could he have gotten himself into a child with Narita Kaihime? To have a child with one's stepmother was an utter disgrace. If this got out, it would be a scandal for the entire ruling class.

While the Oda clan's regime may not necessarily collapse as a result, Oda Nobukatsu's reputation will be utterly ruined.

Why can't he control himself and insist on having sex with his mother?

"Do not speak of it again." Kiyoyasu Ataka had no choice; he had only discovered the affair between Oda Nobuo and Kaihime by accident.

Nobuo himself and his family and harem moved into the Ninomaru of Osaka Castle. The person in charge of the relocation was not Kiyoyasu Ataka, but Kiyoyasu's eldest son, Nobuyasu Ataka.

Ataka's father was a young man from the Sanchūrō family, and his son, as a pirate daimyo, served as the Osaka Town Magistrate, making him a very useful figure in the new dynasty. When coordinating the relocation of a large number of people to Osaka Castle, Ataka Oyasu noticed that there were acquaintances among Nobuo's harem members.

He and his father only met briefly at the gate of Ninomaru Castle before they were shocked to discover that Kaihime was heavily pregnant and had moved into Osaka Castle.

Oda Nobunaga has been dead for almost three years, how could his concubine Kaihime possibly be pregnant!

That's reasonable, that's reasonable, that's reasonable!

If a son were to be born, how would he be placed in a family? Would he be forced into the household of a feudal lord? Look at Oda Saburo, the son of Mori Komatsu, he was dealt with without any intervention.

Tokugawa Iemitsu and Tokugawa Tadanaga, though born of the same mother, ultimately turned against each other. Could this child possibly reconcile with Oda Saburo? More importantly, Oda Nobukatsu's current attitude has surprised Shichibei.

Previously, Oda Nobuo and Mori Komatsu's marital relationship was very simple and natural. They slept together whenever they had free time, and stopped when she became pregnant, with Nobuo sleeping with someone else. After Komatsu gave birth, about six months later, when she had recovered sufficiently, Nobuo settled down and continued to sleep with her.

The goal is to have as many children as possible with Princess Komatsu. Daughters of the Great State will never have trouble finding husbands, and sons are always welcome. Given the probability of the Japanese aristocracy going extinct, there are plenty of places to send their offspring out.

Furthermore, the three chief ministers are still missing Oda Nobukatsu's legitimate second son, so having a son with Komitsu-hime would have significant political implications.

But before this, Shichibei had never heard of Nobuo delaying ordinary government affairs because of Komatsu-hime's childbirth or anything like that.

Today is truly different. Nobuo has actually postponed the Nirimaki Festival because of Kaihime's childbirth. The attitude he displays is even more frightening.

Komatsuhime's adoptive father was Mori Terumoto, one of the most powerful daimyo in the western provinces who supported Nobukatsu, and a key figure in consolidating Oda's rule. He controlled most of Aki and Bingo provinces, possessing a staggering 485,000 koku. Angering such a father-in-law would be detrimental to the entire realm.

"I remember Lady Odaisho is pregnant too, isn't she?" Shichibei really wanted to slap his thigh in exasperation.

"Of course I'll tell you." Ataka Kiyoyasu was initially quite happy, admiring the Nanban Gold Clock, but now that this matter has been brought up, his mood has changed.

"I hope it's been kept secret." That was all Shichibei could think.

I beg Oda Nobukatsu not to act recklessly and not to give this child special treatment in his territory. Even if it is a boy, he should be placed in a large temple to live a carefree life as a monk, indulging in food, drink, gambling, and prostitution, rather than being adopted by a feudal lord.

"..." Kiyoyasu Ataka did not answer, nor did he have the right to do so.

It's fine if others speak ill of Oda Nobukatsu; there are various reasons. He can't say anything, because Nobukatsu treats him like a national hero, a strategist. While they aren't exactly inseparable, they are still very kind and benevolent. The Ataka family possesses over 80,000 koku of land in Sakainan-sho, Aki River mouth, and Nishi-Sanuki, all thanks to Nobukatsu's help or as a reward.

Nobuo could be said to have been a benefactor to the Ataka father and son. Even after learning of such a scandalous affair, he could only speak to his close friend Shichibei in private.

Expecting him to verbally abuse Nobuo or publicly disclose the matter is unrealistic. This would not conform to Japanese "the way of the servant," nor would it align with Kiyoyasu Ataka's own code of conduct.

"What you said today, you said, and I heard. Nothing more." Shichibei stood up and left. Everyone knew the reason, so what else was there to say? There was nothing more to say.

Back home, I saw the young general and Princess Ichi preparing Shichibei's formal attire for the Nirayaki Festival. It's fine to wash and change everyday clothes, even if they're faded. But for ceremonial attire, even if it's not brand new, it should be starched and tidied to ensure it has a crisp, upright look, rather than drooping or wrinkled.

Some people, in pursuit of glamorous attire, would even have paintings painted on their clothes. Just like some kimonos in rental shops in Kyoto, Japan, the patterns on these garments were painted on, making them extremely difficult to clean once stained, and sometimes even impossible to remove. Wearing clothes was quite a hassle!

Seeing this scene, Shichibei sighed even more deeply in his heart. We, as subjects, are here concerned with the quality and appropriateness of ceremonial attire. Nobukatsu, as the monarch, has postponed the national ceremony because of such a matter.

He doesn't look like a ruler at all!

Annoying, so annoying. A few days later, without even needing any news from Osaka Castle, Shichibei was certain that Kaihime had given birth to a son.

Narita Ujinaga was granted an additional fief of 50,000 koku in Kitasho, Echizen Province!

A samurai with a rank of 5,000 koku was suddenly promoted to lord of Kitasō Castle with a rank of 50,000 koku. What other reason could there be besides his daughter, Kaihime, giving birth to a son? If Oshi Castle weren't located within Musashi Province and were currently part of the territory of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the supreme commander of the Taira clan, it's highly likely that Narita Ujinagashi would have regained his former territory and reclaimed his position as lord of Oshi Castle.

Because of this appointment, the Narita clan retainers who had been scattered, including the samurai of the generals Nishi-Oda, Fukaya, and Ueda, were also taken in and brought to Kitasho Castle.

You ask how he could support 50,000 koku of samurai with so many people gathered there? Because Nobukatsu generously appointed him as the deputy governor in charge of storing 200,000 koku of land in Echizen.

The 200,000 koku of land was managed by Narita Ujō, and half of the annual tribute rice collected was given to Oda Nobukatsu, while Narita Ujō could keep the other half for himself.

By the way, Narita Ujinori, the eldest son of the Narita clan, died a horrible death last year. Now, with Nobukatsu making these arrangements, it's possible that he intends to make this son born to Kaihime the eldest son of the Narita clan and inherit the 250,000 koku of land in Kitasho, Echizen.

In short, Narita Uchinaga had risen to prominence, instantly becoming a daimyo no less powerful than a lord with 150,000 koku of rice. Such is the nature of fate; in this life, one must have everything.

Upon hearing this news, Shichibei could only mutter a few words to himself. Those outside, unaware of the reason, were still marveling that Narita Ujō had gotten incredibly lucky, managing to revive his family and become a daimyo. Little did they know the price this daimyo paid…

After this incident, the monk Oda Saburo, who had been staying at Azuchi Castle, set off from his residence to Osaka to visit Nobukatsu and participate in the Nijinae Festival. On his way, he also visited his mother, Mori Komatsu-hime, in Kyoto. Because she was heavily ill, she did not immediately move to Osaka.

Whether there were any other reasons behind this remains unknown. In any case, Princess Komatsu remained at the Nijo Palace in Kyoto, awaiting the birth of her child.

The monk Oda Saburo was unaware that he already had a younger brother; he simply entered the city happily. What could a five-year-old expect? Being able to attend the ceremony and shout "Tai-gi!" was enough to qualify him as a suitable successor.

Historically, after Matsudaira Nobuyasu was ordered to commit seppuku, Tokugawa Ieyasu, accompanied by the young Nagamaru (later Tokugawa Hidetada), attended a New Year's banquet for his retainers. Nagamaru, only a few years old at the time, calmly called out "Dai-gi" (Great Oath), and those around him praised him for having the bearing of a ruler.

Around that time, Yuki Hideyasu fell behind Tokugawa Hidetada in Ieyasu's eyes, even though both of them were of the "Hide" generation, their fates were very different.

Due to the Aizu Campaign, the participating lords were exempted from the New Year's audience and naturally wouldn't attend the Nijinsa Festival. Other lords, residing in distant lands, were collecting their annual tribute rice within their territories and arranging for its shipment to Osaka. They estimated they wouldn't return to Osaka until mid-December.

Those who remained in Osaka at this time were mainly feudal lords involved in national politics, as well as feudal lords whose territories were close to Osaka. After receiving confirmation that they would attend the Nirayaki Festival on November 29th, everyone made preparations and went to pay their respects to Nobukatsu with freshly harvested rice.

Nobuo, who had finally had a second son, was able to recover from his anger at being slapped in the face by the Aizu people and was in a much better mood.

Speaking of Nobuo, who is twenty-eight years old, he has two sons and six daughters. One son and one daughter were born to Princess Mori Komatsu, one son was born to Princess Narita Kai, one daughter was born to the daughter of Kizuki Tomomasa, and the other four daughters were born to his concubines or unnamed maids during his marriage to Princess Kitabatake Yuki.

Due to his ill-fated relationship with Kitabatake Yukihime, Shichibei once suspected that Kitabatake Yukihime was still a virgin when the two parted ways. Of course, this is just our speculation; in any case, the two did not have any children.

Now that Kitabatake Yukihime has married a new husband, Kitabatake Tomofusa has used her to find an adopted son-in-law, thus preserving the Kitabatake clan's lineage. However, of the former three chieftains of the Sengoku period, only Hida no Yoritsuna remains alive.

The Anagoji clan had been defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Kanamori Nagachika by this time in history, but now, as Oda Nobunaga's brother-in-law, they were managing to keep Hida province under control and held a very high position in the imperial court and the Oda regime.

There was no time for idle thoughts; the Nirayaki Festival had already begun. According to the ritual, the first thing to do was to present bundles of new rice, or rather, new paddy rice, that had gathered from all over the country to Amaterasu Omikami.

On the one hand, we pray for a bountiful harvest and favorable weather in the coming year; on the other hand, it's similar to asking you to taste this year's new rice first, and only after you've tasted it can the rest of us eat.

The ceremony was not long or difficult; at most, the priest's tone of voice when reciting the prayers was not normal and made people a little sleepy.

Shichibei, as the chief retainer in charge of the government, was standing in the front row, thankfully not as the head of the ceremonial staff. The head retainer, Hideyoshi, had to hold a square box, preparing to collect the rice after the festival, take it out to steam and cook it into rice, thus completing the entire process of "humans and gods sharing food".

There's nothing wrong with eating sacrificial offerings; Confucius next door didn't get his share of the sacrificial meat and lamented about it for a while. Even in modern times, many elderly people still give children food that has supposedly been offered before the Buddha, saying it will help them live a long and healthy life.

After the prayer is finished, the new rice presented to Amaterasu can be taken away to be steamed. At that time, everyone present will receive a rice ball, so that everyone feels a sense of participation.

In later generations, Japanese people simplified the ritual. They would simply buy a kagami mochi (mirror rice cake) from a specialty shop, offer it to their ancestors, and then cook it into a rice cake soup for the whole family to share. It was quite convenient and didn't involve any waste.

Looking at the monk Oda Saburo, who stood obediently with the support of his maternal grandfather, Mori Terumoto, Shichibei thought to himself that the child had a certain air about him; he didn't need Mori Terumoto to shout, "It's almost over! It's almost over!" It was remarkable that a five-year-old could stand so quietly for almost an hour.

Finally, after the prayer was finished, the priest closed the prayer page by page and presented it to the gods for burning. Everyone could then leave and wait in the rest room for the rice to be cooked.

Hideyoshi, holding the square box, received the offered new rice from Oda Nobukatsu. He wondered if it was due to his age, but his eyesight seemed to be failing him. Indeed, he was almost forty, and Shichibei still blinked. He only felt the new rice Nobukatsu poured into the box swaying.

wrong!

It's not the rice that's shaking, it's the ground!

Living in Japan, earthquakes are actually quite common. Earthquakes below magnitude 4 are barely noticeable. Although there may be occasional tremors, they are just tremors, and once they're over, everything goes back to normal.

The shaking before his eyes was unlike anything he had experienced before. Shichibei was no longer just seeing things; he felt his entire body shaking as if the earth were collapsing.

The newly built palaces and pavilions gradually emitted a groaning sound, a terrifying wail produced by the immense strain on the mortise and tenon structure caused by external forces.

Soon, some people lost their balance and fell to the ground. Although Nobuo and Hideyoshi were still holding the box, they swayed from side to side and their expressions changed drastically.

A devastating 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck the entire Kinai region, stretching from Awa in Shikoku to Echizen in Hokuriku, all situated along this massive rift. Kii-gumo Castle in Hida was completely destroyed by a devastating landslide, and Nagahama Castle in Kobe collapsed amidst the violent shaking of the earthquake.

Mino Ōgaki Castle was engulfed in flames during the massive earthquake, and six hundred statues of gods and Buddhas inside the Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto were reduced to ashes in an instant. Neither humans nor gods could escape this horrific disaster.

The rammed earth platform in Osaka, which had been built day and night, was torn apart by the massive earthquake, creating a crack large enough to fit cattle and horses. The stone walls collapsed, and the entire Ninomaru residence seemed to be suspended in mid-air.

Chapter 632 Kings and Prime Ministers All Died

With the collapse of the rammed earth platform, which was over 20 meters high, the core of the Oda regime, located within the Ninomaru of Osaka Castle, almost instantly slid into the abyss of destruction.

There was no rescue, as the entire Kinai region was in complete collapse. Flames quickly engulfed the area around Osaka Castle, with screams and wails becoming the backdrop. Along the fault line of Lake Biwa, almost all the castles were destroyed, including Nagoya, Nagashima, Kameyama, and Kobe, all of which collapsed completely.

After an earthquake, the land undergoes a dramatic transformation, almost like it has liquefied. It is impossible to rebuild on such land in a short period of time.