Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

They all rely on their weapons; everyone has a couple of things to do. Qi Tongwei has a sniper rifle, look how worried that Secretary Sha is. The peasants have iron cannons; let's see if the officials sent to the countryside dare to go all out. That very night, they'd definitely be shot.

Instead of exploiting farmers, it's better to engage in handicrafts. Even up until the Edo period, Japan was still a purely importer country; it lacked this and that.

Even their printing capacity was insufficient and their quality was poor, so they still had to import Chinese books from neighboring Ming China. If Japan didn't have the books, importing them would be fine. But since Japan already had them, they still had to import them, as they couldn't meet market demand.

However, Shichibei can't handle this, because he's a merchant by trade. If he just asks, everyone will know what he's up to. We need to send someone else to ask and gather information. This way, we can avoid attracting too much attention and make it easier to organize manpower and get things done later.

Nobunaga, who was already considering asking Shichibei to do the job, was surprisingly receptive to advice and immediately said he would arrange for someone else to handle it. Now Shichibei started saving money, preparing to take care of the annual tribute rice.

No problem, it's just five thousand kan. We're not what we used to be. If we really try, we can definitely scrape together that amount of money. Once we sell Mira in Sakai, we'll have cash in no time.

82. Half of them came to play a small trick.

Tokugawa Nobuyasu, who lived in Komakiyama Castle, was not blind. He and Gomihira Iwachikichi saw it all clearly. Shichibei had visited Nobunaga many times in the dead of night, and the two had a long conversation.

Did Nobunaga use this method to select talent?

Impossible, absolutely impossible. If that were the way to go, who couldn't find talented people? It's just a shame that I don't know what Shichibei and Nobunaga talked about at night.

In the past few days, Tokugawa Nobuyasu has been socializing with many samurai from the Oda clan, and has also met with important retainers such as Niwa Nagahide and Shibata Katsuie. He has also gone on a hunting expedition with generals of the Makai clan, including Maeda Toshiie and Sasa Narimasa.

They didn't seem to have any particularly outstanding qualities; they were just ordinary samurai, either brave or quick-witted, but they certainly didn't display any extraordinary talent.

This is something Tokugawa Nobuyasu didn't understand. Putting aside small Japan, just look at the neighboring Okinawa region. Historically, there have been many instances where a single talented person from a prefecture or even a village was enough to rule an entire great empire.

It can even be said that this was the case in most dynasties. If we force a connection, even Zhao Kuangyin, who was crowned emperor, relied on the talents of a single street to unify the country.

You tell me, these military officers, along with Zhao Pu and his men, probably live in several neighborhoods in Kaifeng.

As for the Peixian Men's Team and the Huaixi Men's Team, they are examples of how talents from a single county conquered the world.

Could the Jin Yang martial arts group and the Six Garrisons Xianbei military group also be described in such a simple way?

The saying goes that gold will always shine, but that's nonsense. If you just cover it with a dirty rag, that piece of gold will never shine.

Only when you reach a platform where you can shine will your talent have a chance to shine. If a cowherd, a minor county official, a dog butcher, or even a poor beggar lived in 2024, they would be 100% destined for eternal damnation.

Similarly, Nobunaga provided a platform, pressure, and sufficient rewards, so those who could rise to the top did. The higher you climbed, the more Nobunaga was willing to help you. The small province of Owari didn't have a large platform, but Nobunaga was working hard to expand it.

The relationship between the ruler and his ministers was mutually supportive; they pulled each other along, and the more they did business, the more prosperous it became.

When there's hope for the future, not only bosses but even old farmers can be fully motivated. Animals become the most lovable people; how could they not risk their lives for it?

Nobunaga's people saw a tangible and promising future, which is why everyone was eager to participate.

To emulate Tokugawa Ieyasu's stinginess is like Xiang Yu, who kept his official titles and seals of office to himself, unwilling to bestow them upon his subordinates. In the end, he was abandoned by everyone, even his own uncle fled.

If Nobuyasu can't understand Nobunaga's methods, then he will never understand why Owari always produces talented people, a team of people capable of ruling the whole of Japan.

Let the two of them ponder within the castle. Once Shichibei left the castle, he sent someone to inform Takenaka Hanbei. The matter was already settled; Nobunaga had authorized Shichibei to freely select two or three Mino clans for support, so he would definitely choose the Takenaka clan first.

As for the other one or two, we can take our time to investigate; there's no rush. For example, the Ke'er family, a wealthy family with over a thousand bushels of grain, would be quite suitable. However, Ke'er Cai Cang is a real talent, and we don't need such talents; there's no need to bury his abilities.

Besides, how old is Ke'er now? I remember he wasn't very old when he fought in the Komaki-Nagakute battle. He was able to compete with Toyotomi Hidetsugu for a horse, so he obviously wasn't an old man.

If this guy could still chop off a dozen heads at the Battle of Sekigahara, he must have been a very strong middle-aged man. He's probably just a kid now. Forget it, let's not think about it.

After the Saino clan stopped paying homage to Inabayama Ryūshō, the situation was indeed different. Before, when Shichibei went to the Northern Castle, he had to sneak around and hide. In the end, he met Andō Uemon in a manor house in an unknown village.

Now things are really going well. Takenaka Hanbei has brazenly come to Komakiyama Castle, making almost no attempt to hide it. The defection of the Saino clan has been exposed; both sides are just waiting for an opening to erupt.

Hmph, the Saito family's retainer organization is quite a makeshift one.

Returning to Takenaka Hanbei, this time he didn't come alone; he brought a young man who looked very similar to him. He didn't have a son, or if he did, he couldn't be this old, so it was most likely his younger brother, Takenaka Shigenori.

After sitting down and exchanging a few words, it turned out he was indeed his younger brother. But why bring Takenaka Shigenori along? If Nobunaga wanted hostages, he wanted the Ando Morinari family's hostages, not the Takenaka family's.

Shichibei's doubts lasted only a moment before Takenaka Hanbei began to explain himself.

"My younger brother is obviously a pig-like samurai, not very bright. Even if he's assigned to be a 'powerful' officer, he probably won't be able to provide you with much assistance..."

Since the full text was too long, Shichibei helped to summarize it. Mainly, Shichibei didn't listen carefully to the nonsense and clichés; he spent most of the time observing Takenaka Hanbei's slightly embarrassed, somewhat ashamed, and somewhat argumentative demeanor.

Humans are such cunning creatures; they think one thing in their hearts but say another.

He was still just a village chief from the countryside, not yet fully evolved, so it was quite normal for him to show this kind of appearance. After finishing his long rambling, Takenaka Hanbei began to flatter Shichibei again.

"Alright, alright, do you mean the Takenaka family is split in two?" Shichibei gestured for Takenaka Hanbei to stop pretending.

If you still don't understand after listening for so long, then Shichibei has wasted his life. It's just that Takenaka Hanbei brought the literate and arithmetic-savvy group to join Shichibei, while Takenaka Shigenori, a muscle-bound but brainless brute, went to help Ando Morishige with a sword.

During the Warring States period, everyone understood the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket.

It seems Ando Mamoru is quite confident in himself, as he actually made such a demand of Takenaka Hanbei. He had already promised Shichibei that he would bring two hundred people to support Kawamura-ya, but when the time came, only half of them showed up.

"I'm very sorry." Takenaka Hanbei pressed his younger brother's head and bowed to Shichibei.

"I understand, it's just a common occurrence." Shichibei wasn't angry or anything.

Getting angry over something like this will only drive you crazy sooner or later. Take the Okudaira family next door in Mikawa, for example. The grandfather took his grandson and fled to Takeda, while the son married Ieyasu's daughter. The whole family was split in two – that's a complete division!

The investment was ultimately successful, and while the Takeda clan was completely destroyed, the Tokugawa clan prospered. The Okudaira family within the Tokugawa clan was not only a hereditary successor but also a quasi-leader. They eventually rose to become a daimyo with 100,000 koku of rice, placing them among the best hereditary successors.

"You are truly magnanimous." Takenaka Hanbei breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Shichibei seemed genuinely unconcerned.

“Iga no Kami is quite confident.” Shichibei waved his hands repeatedly. This was nothing. The important thing was that the Saino garrison had defected to Oda.

"Hmph..." There must be a reason, Takenaka Hanbei didn't hide it from Shichibei.

After all, he was about to lead the Saito clan to defect to Oda, and they were all on Ando Morinari's defection list. There was no need for him to pretend to be a loyal retainer of Saito at this point.

The Takagi family, located near Ōgaki, echoed Ando Morinari's defection, preparing to join the Oda clan. The Takagi family was a powerful clan in southwestern Mino, with a combined income of at least four or five thousand koku.

The same was true for the Maru family. After discovering that the three members of the Saito clan were not going to pay homage to Saito Tatsuoki, these second-class noble families all came to Ando Morishige to inquire about the situation.

And then they were all tricked by Mamoru Ando into joining the Ando family.

These powerful families with salaries of three thousand or five thousand shi (a unit of grain measurement) were originally known for their opportunistic nature, and now that someone has taken the lead, they're all jumping on the bandwagon, doing so very quickly.

A large group of minor noble families kept flattering Ando Mori, which made him arrogant. He started to think he was really powerful and that he had a real chance to unify the 100,000 koku of western Mino and become a daimyo, a regional lord.

Since he felt he had a better chance of winning, Takenaka Hanbei's plan to join Shichibei was questioned. Ando Mamoru felt there was no need to join Shichibei; by following him, he could quickly unify western Mino under the banner of the Oda clan and reach a new peak in his life.

They've really gotten too big for their britches...

In this light, Ando Mamoru really wasn't as patient as the two old men from the Inaba and Ujiie families. No wonder he was eventually dealt with by Nobunaga; who else would he turn on if not him, jumping around so enthusiastically?

"Fine, let's have a drink." Shichibei didn't want to listen anymore; it was just this trivial matter.

Considering that Takenaka Hanbei associates with such insignificant people, he certainly won't amount to anything. He'd be better off with Shichibei; at least Nobunaga pays him well when he does errands for him.

Hoping to be promoted and become a castle lord by working for Shichibei is probably out of the question. However, making a small fortune and living a comfortable life shouldn't be a problem.

"It would be impolite to refuse, it would be impolite to refuse." After saying this, Takenaka Hanbei finished the large basket and considered his task complete, feeling much more relaxed now.

Logically, Shichibei should have advised Takenaka Hanbei to go home and have a serious talk with his father-in-law. But popping champagne halfway through the night, right? There have been plenty of "confident" people throughout history. Most wouldn't listen to advice. The key point is that Ando Morinari's idea might not be entirely impossible to realize.

As long as he dedicates himself wholeheartedly to serving Nobunaga, works diligently and tirelessly, and is eventually willing to be transferred to any distant place, with his current foundation, he can easily amass a fortune of two or three hundred thousand koku by annexing the Saino tribe.

Would Ando Mamoru be willing to shed blood and sweat for Nobunaga? Absolutely not.

They all just want to take advantage of what's readily available; very few actually put in the hard work.

Referring to the strategy for conquering the rocky mountain at Honganji Temple, Harada Naomasa worked too hard, not only getting himself killed but also decimating his entire samurai corps, with most of them killed or wounded. As the guardian of half of Yamashiro Province and the whole of Yamato Province, such a high-ranking official was stripped of his title, and his son, Hanawa Yasutomo, could only become a pediatrician.

Sakuma Nobumori didn't work as hard, so his faction of officials thrived. But Nobunaga got angry and dismissed them all, gaining no advantage whatsoever.

If Harada Naomasa dies, but his samurai corps isn't severely damaged, he'll probably come out on top. The degree of bloodshed is a difficult one to gauge.

You can't blame everyone for not wanting to put in the effort and just wanting to reap the benefits.

"So you're planning to take action next month?" Since he was already there, Shichibei decided to ask.

“Yes! But I don’t know the exact time.” Takenaka Hanbei told him about his defection next month without any hesitation.

Winter wheat is like this; it is basically harvested by late March or early April in the lunar calendar. If you convert that to modern times, you can see winter wheat drying in the sun on Labor Day (May 1st).

It's already February, which means it'll be wheat harvest next month. Once the wheat is in storage, the farmers in Xinong will definitely get to work. The exact date depends on when the wheat harvest is complete.

"Have you...?"

"It's not working well."

Shichibei was obviously asking if there were any people inside Inabayama Castle who were in league with the Shinnoshu. Since ancient times, the best strategy in attacking a castle is to win hearts and minds, not just the physical structure. Even if someone inside the castle opens the gates, or even if they don't, simply setting fires or spreading rumors would be extremely beneficial for the siege.

Judging from Takenaka Hanbei's reply, Saito Tatsuoki has been quite busy these past two months, undoubtedly dealing with the people within Inabayama Castle. Apart from those loyal retainers who are completely subservient to Tatsuoki, samurai from local powerful families will likely face suspicion and distrust.

In an era where even fathers and sons, brothers, cannot fully trust each other, only groups with completely stable shared interests will not betray each other. At other times, there are far too many instances of brothers fighting and fathers and sons turning against each other. Even the hereditary retainers of the five or ten generations, like the Katsurayama clan's betrayal of the Imagawa clan, didn't they?

"Keep trying, even if you have to bribe them with money." Shichibei will definitely go with Nobunaga to attack Inabayama, even if he goes as a magistrate, it's still a battle.

If Shichibei could perform some merit, Nobunaga would reward him accordingly. It's incredibly inconsiderate of Shichibei to rely solely on Nobunaga creating opportunities and finding reasons to bestow rewards.

"Money?" Takenaka Hanbei glanced at Shichibei, meaning he naturally had no money.

"Don't worry, I've got you covered." Shichibei still has three to five hundred kan.

Find someone who can open the gate, bribe him with 500 kan, pay half now. Pay the other half after he successfully opens the gate. For the merit of opening the gate, Nobunaga should reward Shichibei with at least 300 kan. Last time, for half a merit, he still got 120 kan.

Having three hundred strings of cash is enough to make one feel good.

"Understood. I'll prepare immediately when I get back." Money certainly makes things easier; Takenaka Hanbei's self-perception changed quite quickly.

We just made an agreement with Shichibei, and now I'm accepting his orders, or rather, his requests, and starting to work.

Although there is no formal document in place authorizing the Takenaka family to act as their leader, in practice, the two are now essentially bound together.

The more secure Shichibei's position within the Oda clan, the more comprehensive the protection the Takenaka family would receive from the Oda clan. It would be a win-win situation for both sides.

83. Recklessly charging straight towards Inaba Mountain

To be honest, Nobunaga's thoughts were truly unfathomable. Takenaka Hanbei and Ando Uemon rushed to tell Nobunaga that they needed him to send men to receive five hostages from each family. As a result, Nobunaga immediately ordered Murai Sadakatsu and Shimada Hidemitsu to go to Seino to receive the hostages and demanded that the Seino Triumvirate send 5,500 soldiers.

Then the great bell in Komakiyama Castle began to ring loudly, and Nobunaga's cavalry, shinobu, and foot soldiers, dressed only in armor and armed with weapons, immediately mobilized for battle.

The entire process took at most an hour, and they didn't even have time for lunch.

Shichibei, however, received orders to take two hundred horses and immediately transport food, weapons, supplies, ammunition, tents, and other supplies to catch up with Nobunaga's main force.

Similar to Shichibei, the senior retainers and district officials of Owari all received orders to deploy troops at the same time. The meeting point was Inoguchi-cho, below Inabayama Castle; they were to arrive as quickly as possible.

ha?

Oda Nobunaga, Oda Nobunaga, what are you playing at? Shichibei was stunned. I do have two hundred horses, but this is so sudden. If I were taking a dump, would I have to break my belt and catch up immediately?