Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

If the war goes badly, Shichibei will be responsible for ensuring the supply lines remain open. If the army runs out of food, Nobunaga is absolutely capable of lending you his head for a pittance.

Mitsuhide, sitting on the other side, also received orders to infiltrate Yamashiro and Omi and incite the local lords, self-governing communities, and small groups who were originally subordinate to the shogunate.

Within the Kinai region, the shogun still wielded considerable influence, and many people recognized the Muromachi Shogunate. For instance, the Kuchiki clan of Kuchiki-dani in northern Hokkaido only cooperated with Nobunaga because Nobunaga supported the shogun.

The Tanba Hatano clan, located next to Yamashiro, also chose to obey Oda Nobunaga's orders for this reason, and even participated in the construction of the new Nijō Palace. The Isshiki clan of Tangō and the Yamana clan of Tajima also followed suit.

Even in its final days, when a feudal dynasty is crumbling in every aspect, the inertia of its rule persists. Without external destruction, it can even maintain peace and stability internally for a short period.

These people were like the persistent skin irritants in the Kanto region; Hojo Ujiyasu fought them his entire life but never managed to eradicate them all. Nobunaga's side didn't have it easy either. Mitsuhide's battles against Hatano, Hideyoshi's against Miki Bessho, and Nobumori's against the Honganji all required immense effort. In fact, the Honganji could be said to have been worn down by Nobunaga's superior economic strength.

If they were all brought together, the Ashikaga shogun could theoretically command tens of thousands of troops instantly.

"Will the people of Hunan and the mountain city respond to us?" After the meeting, everyone walked out in twos and threes. Nobunaga actually asked Mitsuhide to stay for a moment. Hideyoshi immediately grabbed Shichibei and started cricketing Mitsuhide in the corridor outside.

"It's highly likely." Shichibei was certain of that.

Once Nobunaga's 60,000-strong army is revealed, these local strongmen will immediately jump to Oda's camp. Just like in Kanto, when Uesugi Kenshin first came, all of Kanto submitted to the Uesugi family. After Uesugi Kenshin left, even Hojo Takahiro, the lord of Masahashi Castle and a veteran retainer of Echigo, eventually surrendered to the Hojo.

In Japanese tradition, preserving the family name is of paramount importance. Surrender is not considered shameful; at worst, father and son can choose sides, as long as the family name can be passed down, it is considered a success.

When smaller factions in the Kinai region saw that Nobunaga had 60,000 men marching in and that Ashikaga Yoshiaki had the legitimacy to back him up, they naturally sided with Nobunaga.

"I've given him a great achievement for nothing," Hideyoshi said, sounding somewhat resentful.

But there was no way around it; Mitsuhide was a member of the shogunate's official staff and had even represented the Muromachi shogunate on a diplomatic mission to the Mori clan. This status made it easier for him to gain the trust of the various smaller factions within the Kinai region. When people saw him, they automatically assumed they were seeing Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

If it were anyone else, they wouldn't have achieved as much with half the effort as Mitsuhide. This was also Mitsuhide's advantage; he came from a background as a retainer of the shogunate.

"Just do your own job, and the lord will make his own decision." Shichibei knew that Hideyoshi was just complaining and didn't really mean anything by it.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Our weakness is that we don't know those shady characters in the capital region. There's no need to be indecisive; just do it.

"We'll be busy." The two of them had now reached the outside of the residence, and the pond in early summer was truly delightful.

The temperature was low, a cool breeze was blowing, and the flowers and trees were thriving. Turtles were rolling around happily in the water plants. Every now and then, wild ducks would land on the water and peck at something.

I wonder if we'll ever have the chance to live in such a big house.

Hideyoshi wasn't interested in the pond view. Once his attendant brought the horse, he picked up his leg and left. Shichibei, on the other hand, was happy to look around more, enjoy nature, and avoid getting entangled with people.

After watching for a while, all the important ministers who had come to the meeting left one after another, so Shichibei couldn't stay any longer. He greeted the turtle that was peeking out of the water, then got up.

Mitsuhide, having finished his conversation with Nobunaga, also came out. Upon seeing Shichibei, he naturally greeted him. After all, he was a "newcomer" to the Oda clan, and he knew very well how the Oda retainers viewed him. He would certainly try his best to be polite in such a small matter, so as not to offend anyone.

"They greet us, so we have to respond." Shichibei quickly agreed, pointing at the fish swimming in the water and making up some random thoughts.

There were still a few steps to the entrance of the Tondani Residence, and walking to the end in such an awkward silence wasn't Shichibei's style. He should either talk about how nice the weather was, or about how turtles cower in fear.

"Among the samurai families, few linger to observe the scenery like Lord Kawamura." Mitsuhide seemed quite pleased to hear Shichibei talking about the stone turtle and the swimming fish, whether he was exaggerating or not.

"What kind of samurai am I? I'm just a merchant's subordinate to my lord." Shichibei never considered himself a samurai.

Samurai have to go into battle and kill people, but Shichibei has no desire to do so. To put it bluntly, he's afraid of dying; you guys should be on the battlefield.

“Serving His Highness the Imperial Household is the same as being from a samurai family; it’s just a matter of different methods.”

"You're right."

It doesn't matter. Why is Shichibei arguing about this? We can just finish the conversation amicably. We're from the core samurai group of Shimo-Owari; we have our own circle. There's no need for us to try and get involved with outsiders.

"Hmm?" Mitsuhide's tone changed, as if he had thought of something.

"Farewell." As he arrived at the door, Jia Lai was already waiting with his horse. Shichibei bid farewell with proper etiquette.

"Farewell." Mitsuhide didn't mount his horse, but stood by the side and bowed to Shichibei.

Akechi Hidemitsu (Akechi Mitsuharu), who led his horse, had only arrived in Gifu in the last two days. Others, such as Akechi Mitsutada and Akechi Mitsuchika, also joined Mitsuhide's ranks around this time.

At this time, Saito Rizo was still under the Inaba family's command and had not yet accepted Mitsuhide's offer of promotion. After all, Mitsuhide was only receiving a stipend of 4,000 kan at the time, and without the title of Chikō, it was difficult to recruit people. This was a problem that Shichibei had also struggled with earlier, and that was the reality.

Watching Shichibei ride away, Akechi Hidemitsu muttered to himself, "That guy is from Owari, a member of the Tsushima-kai, and probably looks down on us Mino people."

Hearing this, Mitsuhide Akechi disagreed. He was over forty years old and had finally secured a substantial salary, but he had no son. He had already arranged for Hidemitsu Akechi to be his adopted son-in-law, just in case. Naturally, he wanted to teach Hidemitsu Akechi.

In his view, Shichibei was definitely a person who could calm down and think things through, and who had his own judgment and values. How could such a person so obviously show his dislike for someone?

If you can use your brain, what's the difference between a smile or a greeting?

Based on Mitsuhide's understanding and observation, it's highly likely that Shichibei felt Mitsuhide wasn't worth befriending, or wasn't suitable for him. Therefore, he adopted a respectful distance, neither offending nor getting close to him.

If the situation changes in the future, the two have no grudges against each other and can stand together immediately if they want to. If they want to sever ties, it will be very easy, because there is no personal relationship between them.

This isn't about looking down on us Meinong people; it's just that they're incredibly clever and won't get involved without fully understanding the situation.

Nobunaga just casually mentioned it, and Shichibei was given tens of thousands of kan in cash to withdraw directly—that's an immense level of trust. Last year, the annual tribute rice cost 500 sen per shi (a unit of dry measure). This year, the rice cost 800 sen per shi. Nobunaga didn't ask about the room for maneuver or the profit; he left it all to Shichibei.

While this is certainly related to Nobunaga's busy schedule, leaving him no time for such trivial matters, it also fully demonstrates that Shichibei was a smart person whom Nobunaga trusted completely and without any doubt.

Nobunaga's ability to achieve such great things was undoubtedly related to the abundance of talented people he gathered around him.

“Then…” Akechi Hidemitsu led the horse and guided Mitsuhide forward.

"No need for that," Mitsuhide said directly.

Even though Hideyoshi had revealed his thoughts directly, Mitsuhide immediately guessed that he wanted to say something like, "Should we befriend Shichibei?"

Why not? Because Shichibei has already risen to prominence, becoming a senior retainer of the Oda clan. Befriending Shichibei would be extremely costly and exhausting. We should focus on cultivating relationships with those still insignificant samurai and recruiting them.

Judging from Nobunaga's expression, he was actually quite willing to assign his lower-ranking samurai to his subordinates as helpers, assisting the generals he had chosen in quickly forming combat-ready samurai groups.

Since that's the case, there's no need to focus on Shichibei. Unless, unless Mitsuhide has a fief of 100,000 koku or even 200,000 koku in two years and needs a steward and capable officer. In that case, we could ask Nobunaga if there's any chance of sending Shichibei directly.

The key is that you need to be strong yourself to succeed. If you work hard enough and achieve results, Nobunaga will be generous with whatever he gives you.

Although he hadn't been there long, Mitsuhide had gained a considerable understanding of Nobunaga. After all, the two had met frequently recently, and even held several secret meetings. The more they interacted, the more he learned about Nobunaga.

"I see." Akechi Hidemitsu wasn't completely hopeless; he was at least teachable.

"Let's go, hurry up, we'll go to Hunan tomorrow." Mitsuhide smiled at Hideman.

Mitsuhide had another thought: Oda Nobunaga didn't seem to have any particular sectarian bias; even Takigawa Kazumasu had become a high-ranking samurai general in northern Ise. So, frankly, there was no need for him to specifically befriend the Owari samurai.

Historically, Mitsuhide's main military force consisted primarily of the Mino and Tanba shogunates, followed by a large influx of former retainers of the shogunate and those assigned to the Kinai region. Surprisingly, his military force contained very few samurai from Owari.

What does this mean? It means that when Mitsuhide formed the samurai group, he did not ask Nobunaga for any resources or manpower in Owari.

Then, after the Honnoji Incident, he had no way to win over the large number of Owari samurai who had become mid-level members of the Oda group. He simply didn't have the same appeal to the Owari samurai as Hideyoshi or Shibata Katsuie; they completely ignored him.

At that time, there were more than a hundred Owari samurai with 10,000 to 20,000 koku or 30,000 to 50,000 koku of rice. These people actually formed an important and powerful part of the other legion commanders. Without the support of these seemingly scattered Owari samurai, even if Mitsuhide had captured Azuchi Castle and controlled Yamashiro, Konan and other areas, he would not have been able to organize a corresponding army.

Meanwhile, Shichibei, back in the shop, immediately mustered his men and prepared to return to Tsushima. The grain needed to be gathered in Tsushima or Anotsu before it could be transported south of Gifu along the Kiso River.

The matter was urgent and needed to be handled quickly to avoid future trouble with Nobunaga. Riding back to Tsushima, Shichibei wondered halfway there why Mitsuhide had just praised him.

It wasn't an attempt to win them over; it was more like a test.

Reflecting on his performance, Shichibei confirmed that he hadn't revealed any flaws. As for Mitsuhide, Shichibei decided to observe his actions within the Oda clan from a distance. He hoped Mitsuhide would wholeheartedly flatter Nobunaga, serving him like a slave without complaint.

129. Seize this opportunity to develop the rice industry.

"This needs washing too?"

Shichibei was a little unsure; although it wasn't the first time he'd seen it, it still felt strange. This was because Namikaze was burning his hands, trying to make them even warmer.

Then, then there's that thing for washing stallions.

We have a stallion at our Komaki stable that miraculously stands over 1.55 meters tall at the shoulder, which is considered one of the finest horses in Japan. We almost sold it to Mitsuhide Akechi last time, but he refused, so it's still at Komaki for breeding the mares.

Normally, in the wild, this thing is covered by a sheath, and it spends most of its time inside, not using it every day. Even if it gets a little dirty inside, it's just dust, pebbles, and grass, which the horse itself wouldn't find bothersome.

But lately, this horse seems to be using its mate too frequently. Nanbu Jitsugyo felt there might be a problem, so he soaked his hands in warm water until they were hot, about the same temperature as the horse's genitals, and then washed the horse with clean water.

And you know what? The old man was pretty good at it; he actually got the horse to stick its thing out without any resistance. He even turned the sheath inside out and rubbed it, washing it quite thoroughly.

"It's fine if you don't wash it, just in case." After washing the horse, the old man untied it from the wooden frame that had been fixed on both sides.

The stallion was quite happy; in Xiaomu, this horse was considered to have "riding rights," possessing two and a half hectares of free space. It galloped off in a flash, very cheerful.

"When it comes to raising horses, you're no less skilled than the horse herders of the eight Shinano districts." Fortunately, handshakes weren't common these days, so Shichibei only needed to nod to Nambu Saneyoshi.

"Hmph, is His Highness the Imperial Palace going to war again?" The old man, of course, did not expect to shake hands. He simply wiped the water off the haystack and asked Shichibei in return.

Shichibei made a special trip to the ranch to gather horses. The fact that all the packhorses needed to be deployed at once meant Nobunaga was about to go to war again.

"Go to Luoyang!"

To be honest, this word has a certain magic in Japan these days; just saying it gives off a pretentious vibe. While it may not be as grand as the neighboring saying, "The emperor is whoever has the strongest army and the most powerful horses!", it conveys the same idea.

We'll storm Kyoto, seize that throne, Nobunaga will be the shogun, and we'll all be the guardians.

"Oh dear..." The old man seemed to have thought of something and sighed.

However, sighing is one thing, leading the horses is another. This time, Shichibei will gather two thousand horses, and the Nobi and Noo provinces will also conscript several thousand soldiers, along with at least a thousand oxcarts, to accompany Nobunaga to Kyoto to fight.

The task of conscripting laborers and oxcarts from various counties was the responsibility of the county magistrates and castle magistrates. Shichibei only needed to ensure that he could eventually produce two thousand horses to pull carts for Nobunaga to carry grain.

Tsushima and Anotsu are already mobilizing provisions, and the task should be completed within ten days. That's why Shichibei came to Komaki to check on the condition of the hundreds of horses being grazed on the pasture.

One must act upon a command; Nobunaga's orders are not to be disobeyed.

The old man, having lived this long, was naturally sensible. After Shichibei finished speaking about going to Kyoto, he turned back to the manor house to retrieve the registers. He meticulously recorded how many horses were on the ranch, how many were male and how many were female, and whether any were pregnant. Although it was just a detailed account, having it was better than nothing, since Shichibei could simply ask for the total number.

When asked about the total number, Nanbu Sanenaga waved to a young man brushing a horse behind him. He didn't recognize him; he was probably a retainer recruited from Mino or Kita-Ise.

"There are 612 heads now." Upon hearing that this was the question, the young man reached out and turned to the page in the register that recorded the total number.

The register also included statistics on stallions and mares, which Shichibei knew, so he returned the register to Nambu Saneatsu. He then casually asked the young man his name.

The young man's name was Noda Sanbei, a native of Mino Province. He had originally been a low-ranking foot soldier. When the Ryūō family's fortunes collapsed, he was laid off. At that time, the Oda clan's generals, including Nobunaga, recruited large numbers of these unemployed ronin, and Shichibei recruited a hundred of them. He had gone with Nanbu Sanenaga to repair the stables at Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province.

Now that they've come to manage the ranch, it seems they're at least literate and have a good memory.

"When the military order from Gifu arrives, my father is getting old. You take the horse and go to Gifu, understand?" Shichibei mounted his horse and immediately gave the instructions.

It's not that we're going to promote this guy, but since the old man put him in front of Shichibei, Shichibei will definitely give the old man face. Whether he's useful or not, we'll see on the battlefield.

As Shichibei and his two family members arrived to fawn over him, Noda Sanbei immediately bowed to Nanbu Sanenaga. He addressed him as "father," not his biological father, but the father of his father-in-law.

"Well, of course Nanbu Sanenaga has a son, who lives at the Tsushima main store. But as Kawamuraya expands, the various managers are taking on more and more responsibilities, and as the head of Kawamuraya, the old man needs to find two more decent helpers for his business. He has been observing his subordinates for quite some time and has found that Noda Sanbei is quite capable."

If she's useful, we should quickly throw our daughter into the mix and tie her to our family's boat. Since we have this rare opportunity, Nanbu Shichang naturally wants to give his son-in-law a push.

Noda Sanbei didn't mind Nanbu Sanenaga's hands at all; he grabbed them and led the old man inside to rest, then diligently served him tea and water.

That's great.