Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Really...

There was no other way; Nobunaga had given the order, so the generals had no choice but to follow suit and charge. It seemed that this wasn't the first or second time Nobunaga had acted this recklessly; they had to get used to it.

Just before setting off, Sakuma Nobumori even came and took away thirty horses. He and his close retainers and samurai each had horses, but fearing they wouldn't be able to catch up with Nobunaga, they got spare horses from Shichibei and galloped off to catch up with Nobunaga's main force.

After a flurry of activity, they hauled 300 koku of military rations and various other supplies, and Shichibei finally set off before evening. Normally, it's too dark to go out, but there's a post station within Owari territory, only four kilometers away, a day's journey. The sooner they set off, the sooner they'd arrive; they hurried on.

The streets were filled with Oda clan samurai galloping forward, some on horseback, some on foot, followed by servants and foot soldiers, munching on rice balls as they ran. They were all quite well-behaved, having been "trained" by Nobunaga, and no one thought his actions were reckless.

Even if it's reckless, no one will say that speed is of the essence as long as you don't lose.

Upon arriving at the post station, they heard that Nobunaga had taken away most of the military rations and hay temporarily stored there. Oh right, it was Nobunaga who instructed Shichibei to store hay and rations at the post stations along the way.

Even if Nobunaga left Komakiyama Castle empty-handed, as long as he remained within Owari territory, he would never go hungry. Shichibei had even prepared a large communal sleeping area for 500 people. Now that summer had arrived, the nights weren't too cold, and a fire was all it took to get some sleep.

After temporarily setting up camp around the post station, Shichibei started a fire and cooked a meal to temporarily supply the Oda army soldiers who had rushed from south of Komakiyama with food and rest. He even spotted Sakai Masahiro, who had brought over two hundred soldiers and was running over in a flurry, finally finding an acquaintance. He asked Shichibei for rice balls while still on horseback and also inquired about Nobunaga's whereabouts.

How would I know?

I also had to cut off halfway through before leading the team to catch up.

Sakai Masanao seemed to be in a hurry. After confirming that there was still a post station a day later, he told everyone to walk a little further and catch up with Nobunaga after the soldiers had received their rice balls.

Soldiers of all kinds arrived, and more were still arriving until midnight. They were in small groups, running around in disarray. At dawn, Tokugawa Ieyasu's uncle, Mizuno Tadashige, was seen running towards them, his helmet askew and his armor askable, "Has a battle broken out ahead? Otherwise, why did Nobunaga rush forward so hastily yesterday?"

Don't ask me, brother. I'm just a deliveryman. Instead of asking me, you should run another four kilometers and catch up with those generals and county officials.

Mizuno Tadashige thought about it and realized it made sense. Shichibei was just a horse breeder, and by the time the military order reached Shichibei, Nobunaga might already be somewhere else.

Nobunaga was indeed moving very fast, reaching the border of Nobi by yesterday evening. At this time, the Mino side was completely unaware and had no idea that Nobunaga's two or three thousand men had already arrived at the border.

Using the military rations along the way to cook and feed the horses, and resting for a night at a post station, Nobunaga got up early and headed straight for Inoguchi Town.

What?

Take it randomly.

To put it bluntly, it was all about burning, killing, and looting. While the main purpose was probably to intimidate Saito Tatsuoki within Inabayama Castle and to deter the surrounding lords from entering the castle to help Tatsuoki defend it, Nobunaga would likely have been willing to plunder some valuables.

Taking a chance is indeed an important way to boost morale before battle.

As the fire broke out in Inoguchi Town, Ryūō in Inabayama Castle learned that Nobunaga had already led his troops to invade and had advanced all the way to the walls of Inabayama Castle.

Ryūshō was so shocked that he jumped up on the spot and immediately struck the bell and beat the drum, ordering the Saitō retainers and farmers in the surrounding areas to enter the city for defense. However, the people in the surrounding areas were deeply afraid when they saw the Oda army coming in such a powerful manner. Some of them had already been added to Andō Morishige's list and were waiting for Nobunaga to take over Mino.

Almost no one responded to Longxing's call. After all, Dongnong and Zhongnong had long been under the Oda family name, and Xinong had also changed its name to Oda yesterday. Longxing could be said to be left with only Inabayama as an isolated city.

The fire in Inoguchi Town reflected on Ryūō's face, making it look particularly horrifying.

When Shichibei finally arrived in Inoguchi in the afternoon, the once bustling town had been reduced to ashes by fire. Nobunaga was nowhere to be seen; according to Sasa Narimasa, who had stayed behind, Nobunaga had personally gone to attack Zuiryuji Mountain.

In other words, they should seize the high ground near Inabayama Castle and build military camps to avoid night attacks. At the same time, they could use the terrain to observe the situation inside Inabayama Castle. It would be even better if they could clearly see the troop deployment inside the castle.

The camp outside the town was in complete chaos. If Longxing had enough troops right now, not many, maybe two thousand, he could have easily turned the camp upside down.

Unfortunately, Ryūshō was terrified, and Inabayama Castle, having been suddenly attacked, lacked sufficient troops to defend it. Let alone the ability to challenge the enemy or drive them away.

I didn't see Nobunaga, but things still needed to be done. Fortunately, Shichibei had more than thirty samurai and their families under his command. Including their servants and family members, they were enough to count the troops and distribute provisions and fodder.

After Shichibei was incorporated into Nobunaga's main force, the samurai from each unit came to him to register their numbers and request weapons and provisions. Shichibei had to send men back to Komakiyama to continue hauling supplies to Inokuchi.

The departure the other day was far too hasty. Although we were prepared for battle, we were only given two hours to pack before the battle, which was simply not enough.

The next day, more troops arrived in groups at Inoguchi. Tokugawa Ieyasu's 2,000-strong force, led by Ishikawa Ienari, finally arrived as well. Upon meeting, they immediately asked where the battle was at and whether the Mikawa forces needed to attack the castle gates.

It's good that you want to perform well, but Nobunaga hasn't launched his full-scale attack yet; he's waiting for the Central and Western factions to join forces. Don't rush, how many people have arrived, and how much rice do they want?

"Hey, who are you?" Nobunaga suddenly rode back to the main camp and saw Ishikawa Ienari asking Shichibei a question.

"I am Ishikawa Hyuga no Kami Ienari, the leader of the Nishi-Mikawa clan." Ishikawa Ienari had certainly met Oda Nobunaga, but Oda Nobunaga did not remember all the Tokugawa samurai.

"Where is the governor of Mikawa?" Nobunaga simply nodded slightly, and Shichibei quickly opened a stool for Nobunaga to sit down.

"My lord has gone to Yoshida and mobilized the troops from Higashi-Mikawa." Ishikawa Ienari told the truth.

The soldiers he brought were the garrison troops of Okazaki Castle and other areas in western Mikawa, as well as Ieyasu's foot soldiers and other followers. Otherwise, there would have been no way for them to arrive at Inoguchi so quickly to respond to Nobunaga's call to arms.

Not everyone has Nobunaga's wealth to support a large standing army. Ieyasu had only barely consolidated his power in Mikawa, and initially had three main forces: the Western Mikawa Army, the Eastern Mikawa Army, and the Hatamoto Vanguard Army. Among these three forces, the Hatamoto Vanguard Army was essentially a mix of farmers and soldiers, and even with rapid mobilization, it would still take time.

"Understood." Nobunaga nodded, which meant he accepted the answer.

Originally, he would have simply cracked his whip and set off with his horseman and foot soldiers. The rest of the men would have needed some persuasion before they could raise an army.

Even the Mikawa garrison has arrived, so a pre-battle military conference is definitely in order. Ishikawa Ienari had just finished distributing rice to his retainers when he sat down in the shogunate to await Nobunaga's assignments.

However, Nobunaga was in no hurry to attack the castle. Instead, he ordered the generals of the various units that had arrived at Inoguchi to distribute their forces to occupy the hills and high ground surrounding Inabayama Castle, as well as important buildings, thus completely surrounding the entire castle. This was to prevent Saito Tatsuoki and his key retainers from escaping and leaving behind any future troubles.

Ishikawa Ienari, who had come all the way from Mikawa, was quite honest. Seeing that Nobunaga hadn't arranged any advance troops, he thought Nobunaga was just being shy and wanted him to speak up first. But as soon as he spoke, Nobunaga gestured for him to hold back and let the soldiers rest for a day first.

In fact, most of those present had already guessed who Nobunaga wanted to go first—it was definitely the Mino Trio.

Speak of the devil, and he appears. Murai Sadakatsu and Shimada Hidemitsu arrived at the camp with fifteen hostages. The hostages from the three families paid their respects to Nobunaga. Nobunaga didn't say much, only instructing them to stay safely in Komakiyama Castle and that he wouldn't make things difficult for them.

Once Murai and Shimada were seated, Nobunaga naturally asked when the three men of Nishi-Mino would arrive. Five thousand five hundred soldiers were enough to launch several full-scale attacks on Inabayama Castle.

After surrendering and defecting, it would be unreasonable not to offer a token of loyalty.

What's the best pledge of allegiance? Of course, it's the heads of Inabayama Castle and Saito Tatsuoki. Neither is more important than the other; even if a lowly soldier were to behead Tatsuoki, Nobunaga would undoubtedly reward that soldier with 500 or 1000 kan.

Only by eliminating Longxing can we eliminate future troubles. The Saito family of Mino has been in power for three generations. If they continue to rule for another one or two generations, the country will be in grave danger and the people will be loyal. They cannot be easily taken down.

Taking advantage of this moment, Nobunaga also praised Shichibei, saying that Shichibei was very dedicated to his work at the post station. Praise doesn't cost anything, so he might as well keep praising him.

After the meeting ended, Hideyoshi, who had rushed over from Sunomata, said that Shichibei had brought good fortune and had gained the lord's favor.

Hey, my little bit of appreciation can't compare to yours. Since becoming the leader of the various factions in Nishinō, Hideyoshi's forces have rapidly swelled to 1,200 men. They are all from the Hachisuka and Tsubouchi factions, as well as other small local tyrants in Nishinō.

A few years ago, Hideyoshi was just a farmer without even a proper daimyo, but now he is a samurai general commanding 1,200 men. Such recognition is unprecedented in the Oda clan.

Let's just properly distribute our military rations.

The three men of Nishimino were astonished by Nobunaga's speed of advance. They had originally thought it would take several more days before he could "normally" launch an attack, but they never expected Nobunaga to wait even a moment longer. Ichijo Shichibei was also puzzled as to why Nobunaga immediately raised an army as soon as he heard that the three families had sent hostages.

After the three families, totaling 5,500 men, arrived, they paid their respects to Nobunaga with great respect and readily accepted the mission of attacking the castle first. Nobunaga naturally hosted a banquet to entertain them.

Then go and attack the city!

"Shichibei, how many days' worth of rice have you given to the Mikawa troops?" Nobunaga moved his main force to the Zuiryuji Mountain, and Shichibei had to move with them.

"Five days' worth." They left in a hurry, while the military rations behind them were being transferred forward.

"We can't take Inabayama in five days." Nobunaga looked at Inabayama Castle in the distance and watched the three men from Nishimino attack the castle.

"I will continue to distribute them." After all, Inabayama was known as an impregnable fortress.

I don't know if the gatekeeper that I had taken in earlier has arrived yet, but I did give him 250 samurai.

"Come and take a look too." Nobunaga beckoned Shichibei to his side.

"I don't know how to attack a city..." Shichibei took off his straw hat and tucked it under his arm, unable to understand what he was seeing.

"Think of a way to lure them out of the city." Nobunaga knew Shichibei wasn't good at fighting, but asking about luring tactics was still an option.

"Well, how would I know if you suddenly asked me that?"

Having observed the siege of the Saino clan all day, Nobunaga must have sensed something. Although Ryūshō's power had completely collapsed, there were still about a thousand men left inside Inabayama Castle.

Consider Nagashino Castle; 500 men could withstand a Takeda attack of over 10,000 men for almost two weeks. Inabayama Castle has even more soldiers and is more fortified; it might be able to hold off Nobunaga for a month or two.

While relentless attacks were certainly possible, Nobunaga had just subdued the Saino-shu and it was time to flex his muscles. He wanted to quickly capture Inabayama to intimidate and subdue these people.

The faster we take control, the easier it will be to get these people to submit.

"Think carefully, and I'll reward you with a great service." Nobunaga first offered a price: if he could trick Ryūshō out of five hundred men and kill them, Inabayama Castle wouldn't even have enough guards.

Isn’t it the first merit? The 500 strings of cash reward is reasonable and appropriate.

"Hmm..." He glanced at the Xinong crowd, whose shouts were even louder than the sounds of battle.

Looking again at the Oda army scattered across the hills around Inabayama, as well as Nobunaga himself, Shichibei seemed to have grasped a clue.

Nobunaga glanced at the siege site, then at his own feet, and found nothing amiss. The siege of the Saino garrison was quite forceful, not just a performance. It was indeed well-constructed by Inabayama, the result of two generations of management by Dosan and Yoshitatsu—no exaggeration.

What was Shichibei looking for? Nobunaga had no idea.

84. Nobunaga used himself as bait

What were your thoughts before the surprise attack at Okehazama?

Shichibei knew that when discussing serious matters, Nobunaga wouldn't particularly care about bringing up old grievances, or situations involving hierarchical relationships or probing into a leader's past. As long as the discussion was to the point, it was fine.

However, this only lasted until this period. After Nobunaga entered Kyoto and his power swept across the country, he was less willing to have such "equal" conversations.

For example, during the Oda army's attack on Echizen, a military council was held, and Nobunaga criticized Sakuma Nobumori for not putting in enough effort and fighting worse than the others. Sakuma Nobumori burst into tears right there at the council meeting, crying and cursing that Nobunaga, with such a first-rate group of samurai retainers, was still not satisfied.

They complain about us today, but even if you search all over Japan tomorrow, you won't find any samurai retainers as hardworking and loyal as us.

After listening to Sakuma Nobumori's tearful account, Nobunaga was about to erupt in anger. His retainers, perhaps feeling sympathy for him, stepped forward to persuade him to calm down.

If Shichibei had been there, he probably would have offered some advice. After all, Nobunaga set extremely strict work KPIs; if you met them this time, the requirements might be even higher next time. The pressure was immense, the rewards were generous, but the punishments were also very severe.

In a sense, Sakuma Nobumori's lament, or rather, his "criticism" of Nobunaga, was not entirely wrong.

Of course, Nobunaga hasn't reached that point yet, so he'll speak his mind. After all, he's just a daimyo, not yet powerful enough to decide the fate of the nation. To form an alliance with the Takeda clan, he sent daughters and money. Later, to form an alliance with Uesugi Kenshin, he wrote letters, spoke sweet words, and sent horses, hawks, and gold.

Nobunaga naturally said that at that time he only wanted to win, and then Hiromasa Kyoda discovered that Imagawa Yoshimoto's main force numbered only three or four thousand. So he took a gamble, and everyone saw what happened.

To put it bluntly, it's a gamble, all in.

So, would Saito Ryūoki take a gamble now? Would he go all-in? Shichibei sat down next to Nobunaga, questioning him.

"But his forces are weak." Nobunaga was certain that his good cousin would want to launch a surprise attack, but he was just short of troops.

If I had known, I wouldn't have come to burn down Inokuchi Town. If I had let Tatsuoki bring a few more men and had more courage, they might have already launched a surprise attack on Nobunaga and then been surrounded and devoured by Nobunaga.

"Your Highness can simply be weaker," Shichibei said quite frankly.

"How is it weak?" Nobunaga didn't ask about the implied danger in the answer, but only asked how it could be done.

Nobunaga at this moment is indeed very reckless.

“The Saino troops have been besieging the city for several days without success, so it is only reasonable for Your Highness to send the Umawari and Ashigaru troops to attack the city.” Shichibei pointed at the Saino troops who were attacking the city.

There are two prerequisites: first, the Saino forces have failed to capture Inabayama Castle; second, Nobunaga wants to quickly take the castle and flex his muscles in front of the Mino lords.

So, quite directly, after the Saino forces' failed siege of the castle, Nobunaga dispatched his elite standing army to attack it. While this would inevitably result in losses for Nobunaga's direct forces, it would be worthwhile if they could quickly capture Inabayama.