Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

The Mokuzo family and the Nagano family had fought many battles in the past, but now they are only superficially friendly. Or to put it more bluntly, the Nagano family has not gained any advantage by following the Kitabatake family, and they are dissatisfied.

After Nagano Gutō took over as heir, Kitada Gutō launched a campaign against the Akahori and Seki families in northern Ise. As expected of Ise, a region known for its chaotic and disastrous wars, Ise suffered a crushing defeat with an army of over 10,000 against the Seki family, which numbered only 1,000 to 2,000, and was routed all the way back to southern Ise.

If you were a former retainer of the Nagano family, would you still be willing to follow the Kitabatake family?

Definitely not.

I accepted your protection in order to survive in the Warring States period, to gain some meager benefits, and to wait for the next opportunity.

As a result, they gained nothing and suffered heavy losses. The former retainers of the Nagano family, especially Hosono Fujisuke, a key retainer of a branch family, were extremely dissatisfied. They believed that they should not have followed the Kitabatake family in the first place and would have been better off maintaining independence.

They didn't get shelter, and many people died.

The reason why many of the old retainers in the family were dissatisfied, yet still remained under the Kitabatake clan, was mainly due to the fact that the previous heads, Nagano Tanefuji and Nagano Fujisada, died suddenly on the same day of the same month in the fifth year of Eiroku (1566). What a coincidence! So, karma is a karmic cycle. When Kitabatake Tomonori murdered his entire family, I wonder if he ever imagined that his own family would be murdered in return.

More importantly, Nagano Fujisada's biological son, Nagano Fujikatsu, died young, so to find a legitimate and credible heir, one would have to look back to the grandparents' generation, who lived over a hundred years ago.

To put it bluntly, there was no legitimate heir to the throne, and the Kitabatake family had considerable influence in Nanse. Before external forces entered Ise, Hosono Fujisuke and others could only lie low for the time being.

If Oda Nobunaga had designs on the Nagano Kudo clan, he could have easily used Oda Nobunaga's powerful military force to drive away Kitabatake's reinforcements and take over the Nagano clan. As descendants of the Fujiwara no Nanke Otomaro school of the Kudo clan, the Nagano clan was a prestigious and long-established family.

Oda Nobuyuki's family fortune, spanning more than half of Ichishi County, was very much in line with his status. With the addition of a branch family, raising an army of a thousand men wouldn't be difficult. With this modest but solid foundation, he could gradually develop and perhaps even distinguish himself within the Oda clan, achieving great things.

Furthermore, by joining the Nagano clan, one can immediately be appointed as a Junior Fifth Rank official. After a few years of experience, a Junior Fourth Rank Attendant or Imperial Assistant is practically guaranteed. These prestigious families like Ise all have a place in the Imperial Court; their origins are not from humble backgrounds.

You have to spend 300 to buy an official position, but they only need to spend 50.

"So the Nagano clan is indeed a good choice?" Shichibei had some understanding of the matter, but not as detailed as Minamoto no Jōshūgen, who was directly involved.

“That’s natural. Besides, only by stabilizing Ichishi County can we stabilize Anotsu.” Gen Minamoto gave an answer that Nobunaga would absolutely love.

Nobuhide and his son Nobunaga rose to power because they controlled the commercial cities of Tsushima and Atsuta. Now, with the important Ise Bay port town of Anotsu right before them, wouldn't Nobunaga be envious?

Annozu, located in Anno District, is situated north of Ichishi District. Only by completely controlling Ichishi District can the complete allegiance of Annozu, this major port town, to the Oda clan be guaranteed.

“There’s actually a reason for that.” Oda Nobukaku nodded as well, of course he knew that his brother was eyeing Anonozu.

"Furthermore, the Ichigo is the vanguard against the Southern forces, a place where military action and merit can be achieved." A glint flashed in Minamoto no Jōshū Gen's eyes as he used the simplest language possible to probe whether Oda Nobukatsu harbored any ambitions.

If Oda Nobunaga harbored ambitions, that would actually be a good thing. If the Mokizuki clan joined Oda, and then the Nagano clan joined Oda, then Nobunaga would certainly have the idea of ​​taking over Ise and annexing Kitabatake.

Only by attacking Kitabatake can the value of the Mokuzo family be fully realized. At the same time, by defeating Kitabatake Tomokyo, Mokuzo Tomomasa can return to his family, and Minamoto no Joshugen can become the Mokuzo family.

"The general of the Northern Front?" Shichibei asked with slight doubt.

Because the five counties of northern Ise were later given to Takigawa Kazumasu, he became the so-called commander of the northern Ise army. Later, he was transferred to the province of Kozuke and put in charge of Nobunaga's Kanto campaign.

Ise effectively became Nobunaga's "backyard" in the end, and after suppressing the Nagashima Ikko-ikki uprising, there were basically no more large-scale battles. Nobukatsu's own provocation in Iga is another matter.

The main reason was that even Minamoto no Kigen couldn't have imagined that the Kitabatake clan, which had been so powerful since the Nanboku-cho period, would be so easily defeated by Nobunaga. Perhaps in his mind, Nobunaga would have to go through a tug-of-war with the Kitabatake clan, the most powerful clan in the south with hundreds of thousands of koku of land.

"How about I write a report after I get back, and you two can critique it carefully?" Genju saw that Oda Nobuyoshi was quite interested, and although Shichibei had some doubts, he did not express any clear objection.

Then the chances of success are about 50-60%. How many people in the Oda clan are knowledgeable about Ise? Besides Takigawa Kazumasu, the second one might be Minamoto no Jōshugen.

He is currently being held hostage by Shichibei. Once Takigawa Kazumasu returns and successfully establishes a connection between the government and the government, Nobunaga will likely take him to Gifu Castle for a thorough interrogation.

He would explain the benefits of taking over the Nagano clan to Nobunaga, and if Takigawa Kazumasu and Shichibei also expressed their approval, then the matter would be settled. As for Nobunaga's own opinion? That was completely unimportant. As Nobunaga's younger brother, he was merely a pawn in Nobunaga's northern strategy, and pawns were not allowed to have their own will.

Besides, Nobunaga personally took action to find him a prestigious family, so what was there for Nobunaga to complain about?

"We are extremely grateful." Shichibei and Oda Nobukabe expressed their gratitude to Minamoto no Jōshūgen at the same time.

When handling official business, it's only right to consult experts. Genjuro Gen's explanation was perfectly logical; Shichibei couldn't find a single fault with it. It's fortunate that Takikawa Kazumasu found such a monk; if it were us, we wouldn't have known such detailed information about the Nagano family.

After seeing Minamoto no Jōshūgen off, Shichibei asked Oda Nobukatsu to write a letter to his brother, explaining his observations on Tsushima and his thoughts on the future of the Northern Front. Nobunaga had requested it; report anything.

After he finished writing, Shichibei read it through, confirmed it was correct, and also countersigned it. It seems that since Nobunaga historically chose the Nagano family for his letters, recommending the Nagano family now should also gain Nobunaga's approval.

Nobunaga's replies came very quickly, two letters in total. The one to the messenger urged him to continue his efforts and learn more about the situation in northern and central Ise. Clearly, Nobunaga hoped his younger brother would play a role in Ise; his other brothers were too young, and at this point, the messenger was the only one he could rely on.

As for Nobunaga's sons, forget it. The youngest is still breastfeeding, and the eldest, Nobutada, is only twelve years old.

Nobunaga himself came of age at twelve and became the lord of Nagoya Castle with the assistance of Hirate Masahide. He knows firsthand the hardships involved, so there's no need to put so much pressure on Nobutada now.

The letter to Shichibei instructed him to bribe the small local lords in Kita Ise, those with a rank of 1,000 or 2,000 koku. The main requirement was to understand the road conditions and power distribution in Kita Ise; to put it bluntly, to recruit local lords.

In modern parlance, they would be called collaborators. These people weren't required to have great power or a illustrious reputation; they just needed to be familiar with the area.

Whether it's 500 kan, the preservation of his old territory, or even an increase in his rank, he can grant it. Increasing the rank of a lord with a 1,000 koku to 2,000 koku would be more than enough; he can offer any official position he desires. Nobunaga granted this full authority to Shichibei, and the 1,000 kan he previously used to bribe Mukoku Musashi would be delivered by Murai Sadakatsu.

Got it. We need to bribe the big shots, but we can't forget the small fry either.

Moreover, judging from Nobunaga's intentions, if Shichibei can recruit any decent individuals, he can, like the Mino clan, first hand them over to Shichibei to choose two or three families to serve as his allies.

The powerful forces should be entrusted to Takigawa Kazumasu to build the Kita-Ise Army, while the smaller clans should be assigned to Shichibei to work for, making the best use of resources and talents.

After all, large powers have readily available armies that can be mobilized immediately. Smaller powers, with only three or five retainers and a village of five hundred bushels of grain, can at most bring twenty or thirty old, weak, and mixed peasant soldiers. Their fighting strength is weak, and their will to fight is very weak.

They're only there to help Shichibei repair roads and deliver military supplies; there's not much else to expect.

Oh, and I need to explain something. Kitabatake Tomonori defeated the Nagano clan in 1862, and before 1863, he was locked in a stalemate with the generals of northern Ise. After Kitabatake Harutomo's death in 1863, he became a monk. Now, in 1864, why is he so useless? Why isn't he continuing to launch attacks on northern Ise? And unifying the whole country?

Why did they simply hand over the shattered Northern Ise to Nobunaga to retrieve?

Actually, no. After Kitabatake Tomokyo's failed attack on the Seki and Akahori families, he realized that Kita-Ise was not so easy to conquer, so he turned his attention to attacking the Iga and Yamato families.

The Akiyama family of Yamato was originally under the protection of the Miyoshi family, but was later defeated by Kitabatake Tomokyo, and the Akiyama family was wiped out. Akiyama Naokuni handed over his own father as a hostage and became a force under the Kitabatake family.

After subduing the Akiyama family, the Akiyama family, with the Kitabatake clan as their backers, together with the Togawa clan, with the Miyoshi clan as their backers, competed for the temple territory of Kofuku-ji in Yamato.

Xingfu Temple has gradually fallen out of favor lately.

Therefore, Kitabatake Tomonori was not someone who sat at home waiting to die. If he hadn't encountered Nobunaga, he and his father Kitabatake Harutoku would have been wise rulers of the Kitabatake family. One defeated the Nagano family, which had been fighting for a century, and the other expanded the Kitabatake family's influence to Kita-Ise, Iga, Kii, and Yamato.

As a swordsman and military commander, Kitabatake Tomonori was actually a very qualified Sengoku daimyo. It's just that he ran into Nobunaga, who had already developed his power and dominated the provinces of Nobi and Obi, and also had Ashikaga Yoshiaki as his figurehead.

They acted like weaklings, easily crushed, but in the end, the whole family died suddenly, leaving not a single proper descendant.

104. Nobunaga intends to raise an army of 50,000.

Then, just when you're feeling sleepy, a perfect opportunity arises. Nobunaga had just said that Shichibei could find a few powerful families from small provinces with salaries of 1,000 to 2,000 koku, offer them official positions and promises, and even increase their knowledge and conduct, to create a new generation of elites.

So, Nanbu Sanenaga, who came from his hometown, returned from Ise. What about Takigawa Kazumasu?

Of course, they're still negotiating terms with the wooden furniture government.

He was truly a shrewd old man. After Nanbu Sanenaga definitively handed the money over to Mokuzoku Musashi, he scurried back on his own. His task was simply to deliver the money; the negotiations had absolutely nothing to do with him. Besides, as a subordinate, he had not been authorized to negotiate.

Moreover, Takigawa Kazumasu told him to run away first and see if he could escape successfully. Nanbu Sanenaga couldn't be happier, so he got up and ran away without any hesitation.

However, he didn't return empty-handed; he brought someone with him. According to Nanbu Saneyoshi, the young man he brought was his cousin.

Nanbu Jinhachiro Tadaaki.

Nanbu Shichang is 52, while Nanbu Chung-myung isn't even 25. What kind of younger brother is he? You can't acknowledge someone you picked up on the street.

Once he sat down and began to explain, Shichibei understood. Nanbu Tadamichi was the Nanbu clan we had mentioned before, the one that had moved from Nanbu-sho in Kai Province to the Owari-Ise area, a clan with little reputation.

However, Nambu Tadaki's ancestors had some merit and received six estates in Tomita. Nambu Saneatsu's ancestors had not made much of a contribution and only received one estate near Tsushima, where he became a rancher.

The two branches of the family had been separated for hundreds of years and had no contact whatsoever. In the past year or so, Shichibei sent merchants to northern Ise and discovered that the Nambu Tadamichi family was still alive and had not disappeared in the centuries of war. However, of the original six villages of Tomita, only three remain: Tomita Isshiki Village, Matsubara Village, and Amasuga Village, with a total value of just over 1,000 koku.

On his way to safety, Nanbu Sanenaga stopped to visit the so-called Nanbu clan of Tomita (Ise-Asaaki District). The two sat down for a chat, and the old man's seniority was quite low. The head of the Tomita Nanbu clan, Nanbu Kanetsuna, asked Nanbu Sanenaga what he was doing in Ise—was he selling or buying goods?

It is for the survival of my family in the south!

This old man is truly cunning; he just blurted out that Oda Nobunaga was about to send troops to attack northern Ise. He said the Nanbu clan, formerly a retainer of the Muromachi Shogunate and now under the jurisdiction of the Kitabatake clan, were separated from Owari only by Kuwana District. He claimed that when Nobunaga arrived, the first family he would attack would be the Nanbu clan.

Oda Nobuhide has fought against northern Ise before, so the Oda clan has a history of such actions. Nanbu Kanetsuna also knows that Nobunaga has suppressed Mino, so it is indeed possible that they will attack northern Ise next year.

What to do? Of course, the old way.

Your eldest son, Nambu Kai no Moritsugu, will remain in Tomita Castle, nominally obeying the orders of the Kitabatake clan, the provincial governor. Your younger son, Nambu Tadakiro, will come back to Owari with me. Hedging your bets—do I really need to teach you such a simple method?

Yes, that makes sense. So Nanbu Kanetsuna sent his son, Nanbu Tadamichi, to Nanbu Sanenaga, asking him to take good care of him. He was to guide Nobunaga when he attacked Ise. That way, regardless of who won or lost, the Nanbu family would survive.

"Is it really that simple?" Shichibei scratched his head, feeling that Nanbu Sanenaga's explanation was too simplistic.

He went to their door, made a few promises, and then they sent their son over. There were no guarantees or promises. This short, strong young man, who could do anything, was tricked into becoming a child laborer by an old man like him.

"I've had to say all that," Nanbu Sanenaga said, rubbing his aching back as if he were exhausted.

"Yes, yes, yes." Shichibei held out his hand and made a stop gesture.

While I was running around naked in the street, you were cheating and swindling in the store. We were all in the same store, so why are you acting like some big shot?

Then look at Nanbu Tadaki, standing obediently in the courtyard. He was sent away by his father to a distant land when he was just a teenager; he was a pitiful child. But he wasn't at a disadvantage. Historically, the Nanbu clan of Ise-Tomita was definitely wiped out. Now that he's come to Tsushima, he's bound to have plenty of skills. If he can kill, Nobunaga might take notice and might even give him a chance.

No, it should be the Red-Clothed Clan or the Black-Clothed Clan. News of Nobunaga's reorganization of the Makai Clan had already leaked out in Gifu. Kotaro So is considered one of Nobunaga's Makai, and he received news that the Makai Clan was being reorganized. Given his fighting prowess, he certainly wouldn't be chosen for the Mokui Clan, and sure enough, he went to Gifu and fled back overnight.

They said that Maeda Toshiie and Sassa Narimasa beat people so fiercely that it looked painful. So without hesitation, they decided to rewrite the text and assign it to Shichibei as a junior official.

"Shichibei, you must already understand the responsibilities you bear. I am now sending you to Gifu Castle to pay your respects to the lord. Answer him properly." Shichibei beckoned to Nambu Tadami, who obediently ran over.

“I understand, I understand. My father and brother explained it to me before I came.” Nanbu Zhongming nodded repeatedly.

That's fine then. We'll head to Gifu tomorrow. All Nobunaga needs is a guide familiar with the roads and conditions of northern Ise. Other talents are irrelevant; whether it's superb swordsmanship or eloquence, Nobunaga doesn't care.

........................

The residence in Titani, below Gifu Castle, was completed, with only some finishing touches remaining. Nobunaga, along with his wives, children, and other family members, happily moved into their new home before the New Year.

According to his plan, pavilions, covered walkways, and towers overlooking the pond would also need to be built. The subsequent construction would take another year or two, but those were all auxiliary buildings; the main residence was already completed.

At this time, Nobunaga was summoning Azai Masatsugu at his residence. Masatsugu's father was Azai Masanobu, one of the elders of the Azai clan in Hubei. During the reign of Azai Ryōsei, he followed Azai Ryōsei in destroying the Kyogoku clan's foundation in Hubei, making him a kind of original shareholder, a partner in starting a business.

Nobunaga's summons of Azai Masatsume has only one purpose: to bolster his forces after Nobunaga's attack on northern Ise. He aims to use overwhelming force to swiftly conquer northern Ise, while simultaneously intimidating the Kitabatake clan of southern Ise into refusing to support the various powerful local lords there.

As a regional daimyo with tens of thousands of troops, if Nobunaga only brought ten or twenty thousand men to northern Ise, Kitabatake Tomonori would certainly send troops to rescue the lord of northern Ise. But what if Nobunaga had forty or fifty thousand men? Kitabatake Tomonori would have to consider whether it would be a case of throwing an egg against a rock.

Accompanying Asai Masatsumi was Ishikawa Ienari, who had already visited Gifu once before. However, last time he came to attack a castle, this time he was there to obey orders. Nobunaga also requested the Tokugawa clan to send troops, not many, but mainly to show his stance.

Just like last time, I gave the order, and your two thousand men marched day and night and arrived. Nobunaga was very satisfied with this attitude. Now, when attacking Ise, he informed Tokugawa Ieyasu in advance, hoping that Ieyasu would also send two or three thousand men.

Try to boost the morale of the Oda army as much as possible, making them appear invincible.

How could the two refuse? On one hand, Nobunaga promised to provide a military allowance and food upon arrival. On the other hand, winter was the perfect season for killing and arson, and since they were idle at home anyway, they might as well go out and plunder.

Just then, a page informed him that Prince Shichibei of Tsushima had sent a young man. Asai Masazumi and Ishikawa Ienari prepared to take their leave; since the matter was settled, they were just waiting for Nobunaga's orders. Nobunaga, however, indicated that they didn't need to be discreet, as the man was no important figure.

After Nanbu Tadaki introduced himself, the two were indeed completely baffled. So there was a Tomita Nanbu family in Ise? This was the first time they had ever heard of it; it was truly strange.

Nobunaga unfolded the map presented by Takigawa Kazumasu and Shichibei, and asked Nambu Tadamichi to give him an introduction. He also asked which roads were easy to travel, which roads were accessible by water, and about the local powerful clans, and so on.

If Nobunaga had raised an army of 40,000 to 50,000, it would have been impossible for them to travel along a single road. Leaving aside the poor state of Japan's roads at the time, the logistical, sanitation, lodging, and even communication systems alone would have made it impossible for 40,000 to 50,000 people to travel together.