Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Perhaps Sekimorinobu's fickleness in history was related to this order from Nobunaga. But now, he was under Nobunaga's thumb and had no choice but to submit. With Nobunaga's 60,000 troops by his side, and himself in Nobunaga's presence, how could he refuse?

Suddenly, it seems like Chiang Kai-shek used a similar tactic. He controlled import and export tariffs and, with the support of the foreign customs commissioner, ordered the abolition of all likin bureaus nationwide, prohibiting local warlords from arbitrarily charging fees. This order garnered nationwide support while simultaneously significantly weakening the financial resources of local warlords.

Now that you mention it, it turns out that Tsuneo and Nobunaga actually have something in common. Nobunaga controlled important trade routes and commercial towns to quickly amass wealth and manage firearms.

Indeed, feudal rulers shared many similarities in their governing philosophies.

Having been stripped of the Suzuka Pass, Seki Morinobu could only nod in agreement and obediently comply. Nobunaga, taking advantage of the situation, immediately dispatched a member of the Red Robe Guard to lead men to dismantle the Suzuka Pass.

With the gatehouse demolished, the number of merchants, pedestrians, and peddlers entering and leaving the Ise Road and stopping at Anotsu and Tsushima will likely increase significantly.

Why didn't Nobunaga, who possessed a million koku of rice in Nobi Province, issue any decree on the "Rakushi Rakuza" (a decree for the sale of goods and goods)? Because issuing such a decree would be pointless; it's as if issuing such a decree would cause merchants and goods from all directions to flock to the area.

That's ridiculous. Once the gates of Suzuka are locked, who can come?

No matter how excellent the commercial policies are, if the territory is not large enough, it is just a castle in the air. Nobunaga has already set up a ryakuza in Owari. No matter how much profit he gives to the merchants, Seki Morinobu of Suzuka Pass will take it all away.

Merchants aren't fools; they won't go if there's no profit to be made. It's more realistic to first conquer a large territory, perhaps even all of Japan, before implementing commercial policies.

Seki Morinobu had seen enough to witness grand occasions, so he suppressed his emotions and followed the Akamegi clan, who had been assigned by Nobunaga. He certainly couldn't escape for the time being, having to serve at Nobunaga's chariot. But by assigning his son to help, he could always make it happen.

Nagano Nobukabe nodded repeatedly; his brother was teaching him the principles of governing a country.

After the banquet, Nobunaga invited everyone to watch a Noh play. The Noh troupe that had previously performed in Tsushima had been brought to Ise by Nobunaga. In the play, Hideyoshi's army besieged Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu, and his army also had a group of painted-face artists.

She sings and dances occasionally. At night, she also works part-time in the sex trade. There's even a man with his face covered in white powder pretending to be a woman, who scared a soldier from the Hashiba army so much that he ran away halfway through. What's even more ridiculous is that Hideyoshi in the show doesn't care at all; he just sits there laughing with Hidenaga.

Shichibei was very impatient with watching this, but those who were qualified to sit on either side of Nobunaga to watch Noh plays were all Nobunaga's direct retainers. No matter how unwilling he was, he had to sit up straight and support his master.

Halfway through, someone came to inform Takigawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu moved his buttocks again, went to Nobunaga's side, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Nobunaga smiled, gave no instructions, and continued watching the Noh play. Takigawa Kazumasu seemed to want to say something, but seeing Nobunaga's expression, he obediently stepped aside.

The next day, Shichibei prepared to return to Anotsu, and news of the previous night's events spread. Kitabatake Tomokyo sent someone to visit Nobunaga to inquire about Nobunaga's journey to Ise.

Or to put it more plainly, they saw that Nobunaga had already advanced to Mokuzuki Castle, and they were afraid that Nobunaga would rush up and wipe out the Kitabatake clan as well.

Unlike in history, Nobunaga did not advance to Kizuki Castle this time. It was only during the next campaign against Ise that Kizuki Tomomasa, seeing the tide turning against him, chose to defect to Oda.

Now, Kizuki Guzheng was under Nobunaga's control, and his army was heading south to Ōkouchi Castle. Although Kitabatake Guzhen was afraid of the Oda clan's massive army, he still had to ask the question.

Moreover, now that he has found out, he can try to send someone to Kyoto to request the five regents or even the Emperor to issue an edict to persuade Oda Nobunaga to make peace.

Early preparation and planning lead to a longer life.

The messengers were Toriya Mitsuyoshi and Tsuge Yasushige. Tsuge Yasushige's father was Fukuchi Munetaka, who had a connection with Takigawa Kazumasu's father. Since Tsuge Yasushige was now serving the Kitabatake clan, it was better for him to put on a show and come to see Takigawa Kazumasu than for the other Kitabatake retainers to be completely ignorant about the Oda clan.

Tsuge Yasushige and Takikawa Kazumasu were not the main focus; they were merely the connecting thread. The real meeting was between Toriya Mitsuyoshi and Nobunaga himself.

As a senior member of the Kitabatake clan and also the acting governor of Ise Ōminato, Toriya Mitsuyoshi was known for his wisdom and courage. He was probably currently engaged in a struggle with Nobunaga within the camp, as the Kitabatake clan he represented still possessed the strength to muster an army of 15,000.

With an army of 15,000, they now have the right to bargain and negotiate on equal terms with Oda Nobunaga. In another ten years, a powerful daimyo like Ukita Naoie from Bizen will command 12,000 troops. Nobunaga simply waved his hand, assigning Naoie to Hideyoshi as a subordinate, dealing with him rather casually.

However, Shichibei couldn't wait for the results of their talks; he had to go to Anotsu to recruit people.

Upon returning to Anotsu, the group of bigwigs assumed Shichibei had come to "urge" them on their behalf. They assured him there was no need to rush, as they all understood and would deliver the money and other funds to Nobunaga promptly and properly.

Well, this is your job to curry favor with Nobunaga. Shichibei has only one request: transfer all the Yojimbo that these people have hired to work for you to Shichibei.

Furthermore, Shichibei was permitted to erect notice boards on the main streets and bridges of the town. Kawamuraya was recruiting retainers, and those with talent and ability could be granted the title of Governor of Ise Province, while those with average talent could still receive a stipend. Regardless of whether one was highly skilled in martial arts or proficient in literature, Kawamuraya was happy to appoint them to his service.

what?

"Lord Kawamura, this...this..." The big boss who had previously pulled Shichibei's sleeve and acted out a crying scene was about to start his performance again.

“I understand. Recruiting loyal people is the only way to protect your money. Besides, you all have many connections, relatives and friends. If someone is desperate and comes to you for help, it's not good to turn them away.” Shichibei realized there was no need to put on an act with these people.

If Shichibei only represented himself, then he would need to weigh the pros and cons, compete with them, and go back and forth with them. But now Shichibei represented Nobunaga, and Nobunaga's "60,000 troops" were not far from Annozu.

A large army could crush the entire Anonatsu into dust in the blink of an eye. Talking to them with affection is useless; their instinctive reaction is still to curry favor with Nobunaga and his military might.

This is not about blindly believing in force, but rather that we live in an era where force reigns supreme.

Instead of trying to reason with them, it's better to just ask them directly. If they understand that it's Nobunaga who wants it, they'll immediately kneel down. That's why it's said that in war, the comprador class is always the first to kneel. The national bourgeoisie can be united and won over, as can enlightened landlords. Only those who have been kneeling and serving as compradors for the powerful will unhesitatingly side with the new power.

"hiss……"

As expected, once Shichibei took a firm stance and made Nobunaga's intentions clear, the big bosses who were originally ready to start the performance hesitated.

"Furthermore, our lord has ordered the removal of the Suzuka Pass, which is an immense favor." The tactic of slapping someone and then offering them a sweet treat might be worth using.

"Kawamura-ya will also set up a branch in Anotsu." Shichibei is definitely going to expand his business in Kita-se and Naka-se.

This statement also implies that, in the Ise branch, apart from a portion of the staff dispatched by the main store to manage accounts, register properties, and handle pledges, the other general staff would definitely be locals from Ise.

In other words, these Ise ronin recruited or hidden by the Anotsu lords still received their official positions or stipends in Ise and served in Ise.

Of course, Shichibei didn't say it explicitly, which meant he didn't make any promises. He'd let them work in Ise for a year or two, and then they could expect to be transferred around by Shichibei.

"Please allow us half a day to discuss this." After much deliberation, the group of big bosses decided to stall for half a day.

"Of course," Shichibei readily agreed.

When Nobunaga entered Kyoto, he had an army of 60,000 to maintain order throughout the city, so naturally he kept his word. Shichibei, on the other hand, only had a dozen or so men and his family. To handle everything in Anotsu, he needed the cooperation of the Anotsu contingent.

They were uncooperative, and Shichibei Regiment couldn't even figure out the layout of the main streets, alleys, and bridges in Anotsu, let alone set up notices at intersections to summon retainers.

Therefore, it was only by negotiating with them and gaining their support that a considerable number of the ronin, who were hidden by them, could be "brought to light."

Given the current situation, unless Nobunaga personally leads his troops to attack, it would be a piece of cake for them to hide two or three hundred, or even three or five hundred people.

It can be concluded with certainty that some of the samurai who fought openly against the Oda clan were hidden away or even sent away by ship by them. The Kinai region is currently embroiled in fierce fighting, and everywhere is desperately seeking soldiers; obtaining a salary is not difficult.

By the way, Matsunaga Hisahide has already been beaten to a pulp by the Miyoshi Triumphs and forced to retire from the Yamato race. To be honest, this guy's fighting skills are rather mediocre.

Because of his disadvantaged position, Matsunaga Hisahide opened his doors wide to recruit brave warriors to form an army to fight against the Miyoshi Triumvirate.

After much discussion, these people finally knelt down readily. They expressed their willingness to assist Shichibei in recruiting retainers in Anotsu, and as for those loyal soldiers already under their command, they hoped to recruit them on a "voluntary" basis.

No problem. Those who are willing to follow me now are trainable and willing to bow their heads. Those who are unwilling to follow me will definitely be traitors in the future and wait to be chopped off by Nobunaga's sword.

Upon hearing Shichibei's agreement, the big bosses were quite pleased. They felt that they had now secured the protection of the ronin samurai they had promised to take in, and they wouldn't have to hand them all over to Nobunaga.

After all, some people did have special identities and wielded considerable influence in the villages of Beishi and Zhongshi. For example, the Nan clan, you've heard of them, right? They're the Nanmu clan. Their leader, Nanmu Masatada, initially resisted, then surrendered, and after surrendering, he joined the army to attack Takaoka Castle. Taking advantage of the chaos in the army, he fled with his men.

He had both fame and influence, and his influence was so great that anyone in Nobunaga's position would have offered a bounty for his capture, and if caught, would have been beheaded.

Of course, Kusunoki Masatada wasn't in Anotsu, but his wife, children, and elderly parents were. The people of Anotsu could distinguish between the big and small kings; they could find an excuse to take in the old and weak, but surely they wouldn't kill a poor bird that had entered their embrace. To take in the fickle traitor Kusunoki Masatada was blatant defiance of Nobunaga.

Raise the recruitment flag, and people will naturally come to eat.

First, the lowly soldiers, like the foot soldiers, of those powerful lords came to surrender. After all, it didn't matter who they served; foot soldiers earned five or ten kan a year, and firing three arrows in battle was enough to honor their lord. Now that their lords had all left, it wasn't shameful to find another job as a foot soldier.

Then came the samurai with names and surnames. There were so many powerful local clans in Ise, with rumors even circulating about the "Forty-Eight Families of Northern Ise." Starting from the Nanboku-chō period, each generation had two or three more sons, which meant creating two or three more lineage names.

You can name it whatever village you're given. Like when we were cutting wood with Hachisuka Koroku, they were working in Mino Ushiko Village, right? Ushiko Village is separated by the Ushiko River, and Shichibei was curious about the name back then.

Later, after careful inquiry, it was discovered that there was indeed a samurai named Ushiko. If Shichibei could open his third eye, he would also find that the Hojo family also had a samurai named Ushiko, who was born in Ushiko Village, Kawagoe Castle, Iruma District, Musashi.

That's great! Otherwise, where would those oddly shaped Japanese surnames come from?

After these two groups recruited about two hundred people, the number of people coming to join them gradually decreased. For the time being, no one from the prominent families in the northern and central regions came out.

It's understandable, considering they were just driven away by Nobunaga. They couldn't get past their own conscience to run off to Kawamura-ya, who were under Nobunaga's protection, just a few days later.

"If they don't want to come, they don't want to come," Shichibei thought. With two hundred men, he had enough manpower to open a branch in Ise, build a post station, and a stable. They'd agreed that once this opportunity was gone, it wouldn't come again.

A group of Anotsu residents saw Shichibei leave with two hundred men and cautiously asked him when he would send someone to set up a branch of Kawamura-ya in the town.

They guaranteed that the branch manager would immediately become a member of the Anotsu clan and be eligible to participate in council meetings at the Anotsu headquarters. Furthermore, once the Kawamura-ya branch started operating in Anotsu, they would have voting rights.

"Gifu-dono has achieved victory this time. Upon returning to Mino, Lord Kawamura will surely reward him."

"That's natural."

"Could it be that I'm to become the head of the Ise merchants?"

111. After gaining power, each person becomes wealthy and noble.

Shichibei and the Annozu clan were playing a trick. "If you say I want to be the head of the Ise merchants, I'll have to say I'm not very knowledgeable and hope you'll find someone better. But if you say I want to be the Okinatra of the Oda clan, then I'll have to do it reluctantly."

After all, I, Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi, am merely a lowly servant under Lord Nobunaga, performing only meager labors. All I do is contribute to the people of my domain; why should I concern myself with the difference in rank?

I don't know how big this territory is yet, but I believe it will grow larger and larger.

Taking advantage of the presence of Oda Nobunaga's powerful influence and the intimidation of tens of thousands of troops, Shichibei took out all the more than 3,000 kan of cash he had previously obtained and used it to purchase land in Anotsu to build a branch store and a guesthouse.

The land needed to build a shop isn't large, and even in a prime location, the people of Anotsu can find ways to utilize it. However, the coastal mudflats of Anotsu are limited in size, and all the houses along the harbor are already owned.

But since Shichibei wanted it, he had no choice but to sell it to Shichibei at a "flat price," even though it pained him to do so.

It's foreseeable that a large portion of the annual rice distribution and sales contract between the Northern and Central factions will be handled by Shichibei. Shichibei needs a large rice granary and storage facilities, which is manageable in Tsushima. However, things need to be done in Anotsu while Nobunaga's sword is still bleeding and intimidating.

Of course, if history doesn't change, it wouldn't be a problem for Nobunaga to requisition the land of Anotsu after massacring 20,000 to 30,000 men, women, and children on Nagashima.

However, at that time, Shichibei wanted to acquire the management rights of the port of Ise-Ōminato, as well as the storehouses and rice warehouses within the port. Therefore, he decided to do what needed to be done at the moment, as there would be future benefits.

While in Nobunaga's camp, chatting and laughing with Nobunaga, Toriya Mitsuyoshi had no idea that someone had already set their sights on Ise Ōminato, whom he was in charge of.

Right now, only the Anongjin group members are silently crying out in their hearts, it's like arsenic mixed with chili peppers, it's both poisonous and spicy.

Temporarily entrusting the Annozu clan with the management of the noya and the construction of the Kawamuraya branch, Shichibei sent 200 of the Ise retainers back to Tsushima. They would need at least a month or two of pre-job training, otherwise they wouldn't be able to start working.

Furthermore, taking them to Nobunaga's camp might make them feel like they're being led to beheading, causing them panic. It's better to go to Kawamura-ya Main Store first, to a town in the Hui-yu region that still has a semblance of "freedom," to dispel their tension.

"How many people did you embrace?"

"Two hundred and five men." Before Shichibei could even bow to Nobunaga, Nobunaga waved his hand dismissively, not caring about the details at all, only concerned with how well Shichibei had handled his mission.

"Hmph..." Nobunaga just sneered.

If you think about it, the samurai of the Sekike and the Kikuzō clans surrendered completely. Six hundred samurai from the Kobe clan and other branches were temporarily assigned to Takigawa Ieyasu, while five hundred samurai from the Nagano Kudo clan and other branches were assigned to Nagano Nobuharu. Adding these to the total, and including those killed and exterminated by Nobunaga, there were at least a thousand samurai from the northern and central clans still operating as ronin.

Even if the Kitabatake and Rokkaku families took in some, Shichibei shouldn't have only recruited two hundred people.

“There will always be some who slip through the net.” Shichibei knew this, of course, but with the current investigative methods, there was no way to catch them all.

Let alone now, even in the Edo period, nominal unification of the country wasn't enough. Look at Ukita Hideie; how many years did he hide? In the end, he was handed over by the Shimazu clan. If the Shimazu clan hadn't intervened diplomatically, Ukita Hideie would never have become the lord of Hachijojima Island.

At the end of the shogunate, the murderer who assassinated the leader Ii Naosuke in the Sakuradamon Incident unexpectedly changed his identity after the fall of the shogunate and became a civil servant in the Metropolitan Police Department of the Meiji government.

It's too easy to hide someone or two.

Unless you offer a bounty as high as Ishida Mitsunari's, capturing Ishida Mitsunari and bringing him to battle would earn you a reward of 320,000 koku!

Tanaka Yoshimasa was a close friend of Ishida Mitsunari. The two grew up in Hubei and both served Hashiba Hideyoshi. In terms of friendship, he was no less than Otani Yoshitsugu. Although they eventually went their separate ways, Ishida Mitsunari, as a friend at the end of his life, bestowed upon Tanaka Yoshimasa immense wealth and honor.