Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Hey bro, at least give me a lantern. It's pitch black, spring hasn't even started yet, the wind's strong, and there's not a single light. I'm really afraid I'll fall and die in the moat halfway there.

"I'll find you a lantern." Nobunaga, who had already reached the door, suddenly turned around and said this, perhaps because Shichibei's thoughts had been discovered.

"Yes." Shichibei quickly patted his butt and stood up.

There was a page guarding the entrance, and he immediately responded when the two came out. Nobunaga asked for a lantern, and the page got up and ran outside. He returned shortly after, carrying a bamboo lantern.

Nobunaga took it and took a look. The candle inside was freshly lit and was enough for Shichibei to walk to the city. Then he handed it to Shichibei.

"Let's go." Nobunaga seemed to want to follow Shichibei to the city gate.

There was no other way, so Shichibei quickly took two steps, getting half a body length ahead of Nobunaga, and then had to crouch down a bit to light the way for Nobunaga.

"You made candles for those mountain monkeys in Kai, but we in Owari don't have any local specialties to develop?" Nobunaga suddenly said.

Still holding a grudge?

"Of course I do, but I don't have the resources." When it comes to this, Shichibei can talk about it off the top of his head.

Take, for example, the simplest oil-paper umbrella. Mino produces mulberry bark paper, and the upper reaches of the Kiso River have suitable bamboo and timber; all that's lacking is an opportunity for development.

Umbrellas naturally have a market, and it's not a small one. Of course, oiled paper umbrellas can be made anywhere, but Mino has all three materials—paper, bamboo, and tung oil—which makes them truly special.

Another example is Owari, which is located in Ise Bay. The simplest way is to reuse waste. Every year so many shellfish are harvested; don't throw away the shells. Select those with suitable shapes and sizes and grind them into Go stones.

Perhaps some people think this thing is too troublesome, and only a few people buy it throughout the year?

Hey, please explain that higher labor costs mean higher added value. These days, there's not a single poor person who plays Go. As a handicraft, what's needed is high added value and a high premium.

Like Japanese tea sets, are they really worth hundreds or thousands of kan? Probably not. It's just that the tea ceremony became popular among samurai families, giving tea sets a significant social class premium.

People who can't afford Go sets will never buy them in their lives. People who can afford Go sets are willing to accept a higher price.

If it's a bit more expensive, the profit will come from that. Besides, we're using materials that can be obtained locally in Owari, so we won't be at the mercy of other countries.

"Really, really..." Shichibei said casually, and they had already reached the city gate, while Nobunaga was still there reminiscing.

"Your subject takes his leave." Shichibei noticed that the page who had come with him was carrying a lantern, so he could go home without worry.

"Come again tomorrow night!" Nobunaga clapped his hands and gave the order to Shichibei.

Everyone, including the foot soldiers guarding the castle gate and the pageboys carrying lanterns, clearly heard Nobunaga's instructions. They all looked at Shichibei, bewildered...

They all witnessed Shichibei being summoned to the castle after dark, and they also knew that Shichibei and Nobunaga had been alone together for a long time. The page, in particular, stood guard at the door and listened intently to the creaking sound of the tatami mats.

No way, no way, no way...

81. Investigate local specialties

Neither Nobunaga nor Shichibei felt anything was amiss, since Tokugawa Nobuyasu was present during the day, and Nobunaga had to meet with his beloved son-in-law. Only after dinner in the evening did they have some time to discuss the important matter of "kinship" with Shichibei.

For Nobunaga, having a trusted advisor who could greatly reduce his ruling costs and accelerate his military efficiency was indeed of paramount importance. Since we didn't finish our discussion tonight, we'll definitely continue tomorrow.

Shichibei was even more direct, anticipating that Nobunaga wanted to know about the future development of Kawamura-ya. Since the two had already delved into the matter of monopolizing the annual rice tribute, raising funds was now their top priority.

No money? If you have no money, what are you doing out here?

Therefore, the two parted ways at the city gate with great ease, completely unaware of the subtle changes in the minds of the gatekeepers and the others, and each rested peacefully without mentioning it.

Then, during the day, Shichibei had to gather seventy packhorses for Tokugawa Nobuyasu, who was still being entertained by his good father-in-law and wouldn't be leaving Komakiyama Castle for the next few days. So Shichibei sent Inase Yoshinari on a special trip to Mikawa; this business was indeed quite important.

As this is an order from the ruler of Mikawa Province, it's understandable to be a little attentive.

It's highly likely that the stables will be moved to Okazaki Castle and Yoshida Castle later. Establishing good relations with the Tokugawa family and starting to interact with them can be seen as making preparations for the future.

It's certainly not a problem for Nobunaga to forcefully establish and monopolize the market with his tangible power, but it's also not wrong for us to cultivate the market ourselves and build good relationships between government and business.

I wonder how many horses Takeda Shingen will be able to sell this year. The Takeda clan is plotting an attack on the Imagawa clan, and they will undoubtedly need to mobilize as much money as possible. Many powerful local clans in Suruga, and even the hereditary retainers of the Imagawa clan, have fallen to Kai's silver-spear offensive.

With such a massive spending spree, how could Shingen possibly afford it without amassing his own wealth?

War is indeed about spending money.

With this thought in mind, Shichibei immediately selected a servant and sent him to Okumikawa to find Yonekura Nobutsugu. He needed to make some preparations beforehand; Nobunaga was going to attack Inabayama Castle this year, and the mobilized forces would certainly be far greater than before. He hoped the Takeda clan would sell him more horses after spring. Money wasn't a problem; horses were always in high demand during the Sengoku period.

Pack horses and riding horses were of no concern to Takeda Shingen; those were certainly plentiful in Konobu's ranches and mountains. It would be much better to have more warhorses. Warhorses were not only easy to sell, but also one of the best gifts available today. Especially among the samurai clans; perhaps in a few months, when Shichibei builds a horse-transfer station in Okazaki, he'll have to present Ieyasu with a warhorse.

The servant left as ordered, and the horse price that Oda Nobunaga had paid for his good son-in-law, Nobuyasu, was also delivered.

Currently, the price of pack horses that the Takeda clan pays Shichibei is a fixed 2.5 million kan, while riding horses range from 3 to 6 kan, mainly depending on shoulder height, since longer legs mean faster running. Riding horses are more spirited and easier to ride. Warhorses are priced individually, which is already a mutually agreed-upon price between the two sides.

Last year, Shichibei earned no less than a thousand kan solely from this horse reselling business. Owari doesn't produce horses, so monopolizing the business is indeed very profitable; you can make money while lying down.

After finishing these two tasks during the day, Shichibei checked the time and, seeing that it was about right, gracefully went alone to the city gates again.

I touched dozens of horses today, so they smell a bit. That's why Shichibei took a bath before coming and changed into clean clothes. It's only New Year's, so he should at least have some new clothes.

The two foot soldiers guarding the gate couldn't help but swallow hard when they saw Shichibei dressed so neatly and cleanly as he ascended the city wall.

Silently clenching his buttocks, he opened the small gate and let Shichibei into the city. What he was really thinking is another matter, but on the surface, he was incredibly flattering.

Shichibei has been flattered more than once or twice, and some people even want to bribe us. Naturally, we don't see anything wrong with it; we're going to pay our respects to Nobunaga.

The guards with swords at the Qianqing Gate escorted the Grand Councilors in to be summoned by Emperor Qianlong, showing far more respect than the two foot soldiers. Of course, their demeanor would change completely when it came time to remove the official hats.

into town.

At least Shichibei saw the two foot soldiers bowing deeply, only raising their heads after their backsides had completely disappeared from sight.

"Sit down, sit down." Seeing that it was Shichibei who came in, Nobunaga put down his tattered fan and waved it around, amusing himself.

If he had the chance to entertain Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Nobunaga would have taken a folding fan and performed a dance in women's clothing in front of the new shogun of the Muromachi shogunate.

Hopefully, we won't miss this one and only opportunity. It's just a pity that Shichibei was born a few years too late. If we could participate in the Battle of Okehazama, we would be able to see the cross-dressing Nobunaga.

Right now, there are very few people in the world who are qualified to make Nobunaga dance in women's clothing.

"My lord has a fine taste." Shichibei very obediently sat down in the corner and noticed a servant holding a small hand drum.

They must have just finished a song and are taking a break now.

"You know how to play theatrical music?" Nobunaga probably learned some arts when he was young, and there was too little entertainment these days, so he had to cultivate some artistic interests and hobbies for himself.

Just like Asakura Yoshikage mentioned earlier, he was a versatile and artistic genius who had dabbled in everything and was quite skilled at it. He was even proficient in the Ogasawara school of archery and horsemanship and could perform for others.

Perhaps if Asakura Yoshikage hadn't become a daimyo, but instead been a cultured person, leaving behind tea utensils, calligraphy, paintings, and poems, his fame in later generations of Japan would have been even greater.

Anyway, if you ask Japanese high school students, based solely on their history textbooks, very few of them know anything about Asakura Yoshikage. But if Asakura Yoshikage's family treasures and artifacts were on display at the Tokyo National Museum every day, at least students could get a glimpse of them during spring and autumn field trips.

Few Japanese students don't know Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), right?

"When I was young, I was always herding and washing horses." Shichibei was only fit to collect horse manure when he was a child, so he didn't have the spare money to study any arts.

"You need to learn some arts and literature." Nobunaga, tired from dancing, sat down with a thud, picked up something, and took a sip.

Nobunaga's suggestion was correct, because the samurai tea ceremony culture flourished during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. While it's true that rulers needed to elevate symbols of certain cultural attributes to increase their added value for use in social interactions among samurai, the more important reason was that these country bumpkins had emerged, beginning to resemble nobles, and needed to cultivate a certain image.

No matter the era, those who are most particular about propriety are always the so-called "newly rich." Look at the most typical old nobleman, Puyi's student, sewing his own clothes right there.

Forget it, my Qing Dynasty is already dead.jpg

Things like calligraphy, painting, and poetry had already been explored by a group of people during the Higashiyama cultural period of the Muromachi Shogunate. At that time, tea ceremony was not valuable, but paintings that were highly expressive, depicting grand scenes, or focusing on delicate flowers and birds were sought after.

Following the example set by superiors, receiving a painting by a famous artist was considered more valuable than acquiring an estate.

Doesn't it seem similar to how Takigawa Kazumasu didn't want the vast territory of Ueno as a reward, but instead hoped to receive Nobunaga's treasured pearl-shaped eggplant?

They all involve some skill, but it has to be said that the tea ceremony will indeed become popular among samurai families in the future. If you want to have some social connections in the future, learning the tea ceremony would be a good idea.

The pottery kilns on the Chita Peninsula will soon begin large-scale production of ceramic items such as teapots, vases, and potted plants. This development likely originated from the tea ceremony promoted by powerful samurai families like Nobunaga.

Besides using various tea utensils, the tea ceremony does indeed require a "flower vase," which is simply a small vase with a plum blossom or lily of the valley. Its main purpose is to create a sense of tranquility, subtlety, and fragrance, allowing everyone to enjoy a single flower and a cup of tea in a refined setting.

Of course, it's a different story when Hideyoshi later held the Kitano Grand Tea Ceremony, which developed into a more illustrious and lively style of "tea ceremony." The tea ceremony also has schools and different styles.

"Tea ceremony or something like that?" Now that we've come this far...

"What?" Nobunaga doesn't seem to have any records of interest in the tea ceremony; he's still considered a country bumpkin.

"Just like the chess pieces I mentioned yesterday, Zhiduo's pottery kiln should also create tea ware." Shichibei was just talking anyway.

The Chita Peninsula was the territory of Nobunaga's brother-in-law, Saji Nobukata. Relying on his navy, Saji Nobukata blocked the waterways between Ise Bay and Suruga Bay. With ships stopped, which passing vessel dared not pay the toll?

Nobunaga has not yet gained the support of the Kuki Navy, and the only naval force under his command is the Saji Navy, so he definitely needs to win them over.

Saji Nobukata was a very loyal follower of the Oda clan. His son was currently registered in the Oda clan's register as Oda Kumagoro. Although this was one of Nobunaga's methods of expanding his own faction, it is undeniable that the Oda clan's efforts to win over the Saji family were all practical.

Therefore, it's not something Shichibei can just talk his way into interfering with the pottery production and operation on the Chita Peninsula.

At the very least, Nobunaga must agree, and he must explain things clearly and reach an agreement with Saji Nobukata before it is possible for Tokoname ware to gain a reputation in advance and become an important production area for tea ceremony utensils.

"Don't they make sake bottles and water jars?" Nobunaga pondered for a moment, recalling the products from those pottery kilns.

At that time, Tokoname ware had everything. While ceramics needed to be transported by water to other places, it didn't matter in Owari and the nearby Mikawa River. They could be carried by hand and delivered to various places in Owari in a day.

Therefore, ceramics were extremely inexpensive in both countries. Even poor farmers had plenty of water jars, bowls, plates, and rice containers. They didn't care much if they broke them, as they could buy them for a pittance.

Even the ceramics that were warped from firing were simply smashed and discarded. If someone was willing to take them away, it saved the kiln owners the trouble of dealing with them.

"If you can burn sake bottles, surely you can burn teapots and teacups?" Shichibei thought to himself that Nobunaga's brain wasn't working properly today; he'd even gotten confused from singing.

"Oh, right, right, right..." Nobunaga snapped out of his daze and clapped his hands repeatedly while holding the folding fan.

“If we can start brewing in advance and ask famous tea experts to comment on it, we may become famous soon.” Shichibei continued.

Ideally, we should wait until Nobunaga has unified Japan in two years and conquered Kyoto. Once he becomes the top ruler of Kyoto, whatever he likes will be what everyone else should like. Understanding and studying the preferences of one's leader is a timeless principle that transcends time and cultures.

At that point, there would be no need for comments from Tsuda Muneki or Sen no Michi. Nobunaga could just say, "I think Tokoname is the best," and see if Sen no Michi would flatter him or if Imai Munehisa would take advantage of the situation.

At that time, each of these people will spend hundreds or thousands of kan to buy Tokoname ware tea bowls, tea caddies, and vases.

However, since Nobunaga hasn't risen to power yet and is still a country bumpkin, these tea connoisseurs still need to give him a proper evaluation.

"Hmm..." Nobunaga understood Shichibei's meaning after a moment's thought.

The only problem is that all the pottery kilns in Chita are owned. If Nobunaga can only receive a small amount of money from the kiln owners, then all this effort is completely not worthwhile. The biggest benefits will ultimately end up in Saji Nobukata's pocket.

At present, Nobunaga does not yet have the status or military strength to overpower the Saji family, and in terms of the navy, he even has to rely on Saji Nobukata.

"If the lord feels this is inappropriate, he should properly arrange manpower to conduct investigations village by village, understand the local products and crafts, and seek out products that can be promoted. Reward skilled farmers and townspeople and grant them official status."

“You’re right,” Nobunaga immediately agreed.

While it may be premature to say that the power of the masses is limitless, there is no problem in making good use of the people's power and tapping into their wealth.

How much money can you squeeze out of ordinary people if you go all out? Besides, the people these days are full of martial spirit. If you go too far, all kinds of generals, commanders, gods, and shrines will rise up and start fighting.