Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Returning to the matter of military rations, Shichibei practically robbed the powerful clans of northern Ise of over 35,000 kan last year. Apart from a very small portion used to expand the horse-riding system in northern Ise, the majority remained on the counter.

To mention something rather risky, Shichibei didn't pay for the military rations he received from Sakai and Anotsu this time. The condition was that after the autumn harvest, Shichibei would sell them an equal amount of annual tribute rice and repay the loaned rice.

It seems that the associations in Sakaimachi and Anotsu haven't made any money, but the reasons behind it are actually quite easy to understand.

Because of this agreement, Shichibei must comply regardless of whether the harvest is good or bad. In other words, although the merchants of Sakai and Anotsu gave up their profits this time, they transferred all the risks of rice production and centralized transportation to Shichibei.

Once you've achieved a collective approach, the money you earn will naturally be a steady stream. The hope is to have a stable supply of goods to ensure the operation of your business.

This wasn't an invention of Shichibei or some big boss in Sakai; the rudiments of this commercial lending model existed at least a century ago. It became even more sophisticated during the Edo period, with daimyo directly issuing rice coupons to wealthy merchants in Osaka. These rice coupons could even function as financial instruments, circulating in the Osaka market with daily exchange rates.

Because the daimyo often used the annual tribute rice income from the following year as collateral for issuing invoices, whether there was rain in the spring or how heavy the snow was last winter would actually affect rice production.

In the event of drought or other disasters, the price of these rice coupons would fluctuate wildly. In years of plenty, wealthy merchants would demand that daimyo pay for the rice coupons with money, while in years of famine, they would demand that daimyo pay with rice.

Those who could make a living selling rice coupons were all powerful merchants backed by the shogunate. Even the Shimazu family had suffered losses in this business. But it didn't matter; Shimazu Hayato, shameless as ever, simply forged three million taels of gold worth of fake silver and put it into the Osaka market to settle his debts.

The shogunate wasn't clean either; it took the opportunity to skim off a sum from the Shimazu, the exact amount of which is unknown, but it was most likely split in half.

Shichibei had just finished discussing the allocation of rice with the members of the Sakaimachi and Anotsu association when this person proposed this method. Inase Yoshinari, who had rushed off to buy rice, quickly waved his hand, saying that he couldn't make such a decision.

When he returned and asked Shichibei, Shichibei was also surprised that these people from the Huihe Sect had already started playing the futures market. But considering that Song Dynasty next door already had the prototype of this thing, it wasn't surprising that it spread to Japan.

Thinking that Nobunaga would definitely entrust this year's annual tribute rice to Kawamura-ya, Shichibei agreed to the proposal of the Sakai and Anotsu alliance after a little consideration, and signed a contract with the headman they sent.

The next day, a tawara-ko ship loaded with rice arrived at Tsushima. As agreed, the two groups were to hand over 40,000 koku of hulled brown rice to Shichibei at the port (Shield) of Tsushima.

Similarly, before a certain date this autumn, Shichibei must deliver 80,000 koku of rice to them at the ports of Anotsu and Sakai. 40,000 koku will be returned to them without interest. The other 40,000 koku must be sold to them at 600 sen per koku, and it must also be hulled brown rice.

It's fair and reasonable, and everyone gets what they need.

In any case, Nobunaga only cared about delivering 40,000 koku of rice to Gifu Castle, and didn't ask about anything else. He also gave Shichibei the 32,000 kan needed for the 40,000 koku of rice.

When Inase Yoshinari received the rice, he was a little nervous, but Shichibei was not afraid. The porters in the town of Myoko transferred the rice to a small boat and sent it upstream on the Kiso River.

Takenaka Hanbei and his retainers were already waiting by the river. As soon as the goods were shipped, they would be transported to the rice storehouse in Gifu Castle. Once the rice storehouse in Gifu Castle was delivered and signed by Murai Sadakatsu, the mission would be accomplished.

Whether there's too much or too little, or it gets moldy or rotten, that's all Murai Sadayakatsu's problem.

Thus, Shichibei had two large sums of money at his disposal, plus the profits from running Kawamura-ya, bringing his total capital to over 90,000 kan. Even if Nobunaga assigned Shichibei the task of handling the annual tribute of 300,000 koku of rice this year, Shichibei would be able to manage it with ease and manage it properly.

This matter could only be known to the head accountant, Yoshinari Inase, and his wife, Ai, since the main store of Kawamura-ya was in Tsushima, and it couldn't be kept secret.

Aside from the main quest of securing the annual tribute rice for the Oda clan, Shichibei feels it's time to put the side quest of unifying the rice industries of Owari and Mino provinces on the agenda.

If Shichibei still controlled the rice industry, then Nobunaga wouldn't need to sign any futures contracts with the Sakai and Anotsu clansmen if he wanted 40,000 koku of rice. He could simply have the rice delivered to Nobunaga from the granaries at 800 sen per koku.

Previously, Shichibei didn't have enough capital to handle this matter, but now Shichibei not only has it, but also has a good grasp of it.

Given Nobunaga's current favor and trust, if Shichibei could handle things properly, Nobunaga would be more than willing to hand over all the annual tribute rice harvested within his own domain to him. Nobunaga was that kind of person; once he trusted you, he would trust you completely.

The summer harvest has just begun, and there are still more than three months until the autumn harvest. Shichibei has plenty of time to build sufficiently large rice granaries in Gifu Castle and Tsushima. Both places need to be able to hold 100,000 or even 200,000 koku of rice. If they are too small, they might not be able to handle the enormous wealth that Nobunaga is sending.

Moreover, there's no need to hide it. Shichibei's background is just too good; no one in the Oda clan would be jealous that Shichibei is in charge of this. In fact, everyone would think that it's only right for Shichibei to do it.

The empire we, the old Oda clan, conquered should naturally be shared by us, the old Oda clan. They received land, people, and stipends, while Shichibei received a commercial monopoly. Perhaps in their hearts, they even felt that Shichibei was being treated unfairly by engaging in such a lowly occupation.

As for those important officials who were not from the Owari clan?

Not afraid.

"The 40,000 koku has been fully delivered." A headman who came from Sakai asked Shichibei to sign the document.

"Give my regards to Mr. Tsuda." Shichibei glanced at the rice coupons, confirmed they were correct, and signed them on the spot.

"Indeed, and I wish Kawamura-dono a long and successful military career." The headman put away the receipts and bowed to Shichibei.

"You're welcome." Shichibei escorted the person back to the ship.

You see, in the eyes of merchants, Shichibei is a samurai. In the eyes of some samurai, Shichibei is a merchant. The line between the two is not clear-cut; it all depends on what you do, who you work for, or whether you work for yourself.

With 40,000 koku of grain delivered to Gifu, Nobunaga's campaign to march on Kyoto was about to begin.

130. The First Battle of the Uprising in Shangluo

Nobunaga randomly cut open a straw bag, reached inside and grabbed a handful of rice. He licked it, chewed two grains, and after confirming that it was normal brown rice, he put the rice back into the bag.

If this were repeated three or four thousand koku of rice, Nobunaga would have to inspect it several more times. It wasn't that he doubted Shichibei, but mainly because of the saying, "War is a matter of great importance to the state." No matter how much importance one places on military affairs, there's nothing wrong with that.

Only by being well-prepared before going to war can one feel confident.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki also learned of Nobunaga's decision to march on Kyoto and sent messengers to inquire about it every day. Nobunaga was also anxious, but he was waiting for Akechi Mitsuhide to return. Wasn't Mitsuhide out recruiting local lords in Yamashiro, Omi, Iga, and Yamato?

Nobunaga would only send troops out after confirming the presence of a large number of collaborators in the area. The abundance of collaborators not only bolstered the army's strength in Kyoto, but more importantly, they provided the necessary guidance. Entering unfamiliar territory, Nobunaga was now extremely focused on the pre-emptive defection efforts.

When Ōuchi Yoshioki marched to Kyoto, he even notified the feudal lords along the way to make way, something Nobunaga certainly wouldn't forget. To gain a foothold in the Kinai region, the support of local power brokers was indispensable. Winning some over and suppressing others were common tactics.

"Shichibei, well done." Nobunaga casually took off his straw hat and gave it to Shichibei.

"It is all my duty." Shichibei immediately reached out his hands to hold up the straw hat.

To everyone's surprise, Nobunaga simply placed the straw hat on Shichibei's head, saving him the trouble of catching it. Nobunaga's straw hat wasn't one of the iron-topped hats worn by foot soldiers, but rather a type of jinkata (military cap) frequently seen in Edo-period dramas. It was relatively flat, more suited for sun and rain protection, decorated with paint, and offered little in terms of defense.

"Continue to purchase gunpowder!" Nobunaga leaped onto his horse, issuing orders incessantly.

"Yes." Shichibei replied, bowing his head as he adjusted his jinkasa.

My attendant just reported that Akechi Mitsuhide, who had gone to the Kinai region for pacification work, has returned to his castle and is waiting for Nobunaga's audience at his residence below the castle. Therefore, after a hasty inspection of the 40,000 koku of military rations, Nobunaga did not give any important instructions and rode off.

With the inspection passed, Shichibei breathed a sigh of relief. Now all he had to do was wait for the autumn harvest to take over the annual tribute rice to fulfill the contract he had previously signed with the Sakai and Anotsu associations.

However, the fact that Mitsuhide Akechi has returned means that his strategizing work is complete and should have yielded some results.

The matter was straightforward: Akechi Mitsuhide visited Rokkaku Yoshikata (Rokkaku Tsuyoshi) and his son Rokkaku Yoshiharu, who had taken in and accepted Ashikaga Yoshiaki. The result was not so unexpected, because Azai Nagamasa of northern Omi had made it clear that he supported Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and the Rokkaku father and son chose to stand with the Miyoshi Triumvirate.

After 1864, the shrewd and capable Azai Nagamasa began his counterattack against the Rokkaku clan. Reversing the humble posture of his father, Azai Hisamasa, who was almost subservient to the Rokkaku, he gradually gained the upper hand in the attacks on southern Omi.

Due to the disturbance at Kannonji Temple, key retainers such as Goto Kentoyo were killed by Rokkaku Yoshiharu, and a large number of Rokkaku retainers fled. In fact, the Rokkaku clan was no longer able to defeat the ambitious Asai Nagamasa.

So much so that after the Battle of Kamano, Rokkaku Yoshiken uttered the exclamation "This is a new chapter, Asai's horse is a shame."

The gist of it is that the thought of having to lead Asai Nagamasa's horse soon is truly humiliating.

The Rokkaku clan, weakened to this extent, still adopted such a resolute stance of resistance; naturally, its retainers would not sit idly by and await their doom. Contrary to Shichibei's expectation that the Gamo clan of Hino Castle would be the first to rebel, Kondo Kazumori, also one of the "Two Fujis of Rokkaku," chose to ally with Oda under the persuasion of Akechi Mitsuhide.

After the disturbance at Kannonji Temple, Kondo Kensei had chosen to flee, leaving Kannonji Castle and returning to his territory in Kurita District. He even raised an army, preparing to go to war with Rokkaku Yoshiharu.

If it weren't for Gamo Sadahide acting as an intermediary, southern Omi would definitely have fought a fierce battle to determine the victor.

Now, with just a little provocation from Akechi Mitsuhide, Kondo Kazumori chose to abandon his allegiance and join the cause. Looking at the locations, it's clear that Kondo Kazumori, who controlled half of Kurita County, cut off the Rokkaku father and son's escape routes to Kyoto or Settsu. The Rokkaku father and son had nowhere to run; historically, they could only hide in the mountains of Koga County and begin guerrilla warfare against the Oda army.

By the way, Goto Kentoyo's son, Goto Takaji, did not explicitly agree to Akechi Mitsuhide's request for inside communication; his attitude was rather ambiguous.

Kannonji Castle is protected by eighteen branch castles, and Goto Takaji seems to think that Kannonji Castle will not fall so quickly. If Nobunaga fails to conquer it and his troops are bogged down at the castle, he can then choose to turn against Rokkaku Yoshiharu and catch him off guard, perhaps selling him to the Oda clan for a good price.

Of course, this is just speculation and cannot be confirmed.

Besides the area south of the Yangtze River, Mitsuhide also made corresponding efforts in the mountainous region. The powerful temples of Higashiyama, such as Kiyomizu-dera and Tofuku-ji, all expressed their welcome to Ashikaga Yoshiaki. This Kiyomizu-dera is the future World Heritage Site; at this time, it was an important temple of the Tendai sect, and its eleven-faced Kannon statue was said to be extremely efficacious.

The temples' demands were simply for the safety of their lords, which was a perfectly normal condition. Before Mitsuhide set off, Nobunaga had tacitly allowed him to hint at the cooperation to the temples that were willing to cooperate.

However, apart from temples and shrines, the attitudes of the various shogunate officials, royal servants, and former government estates scattered throughout Yamashiro Province were relatively ambiguous.

Like Matsui Tomokazu, whom we met earlier, his family was a typical example of two factions serving two masters. Matsui Yasuyuki went to follow Ashikaga Yoshiaki and is now at Risseiji Temple in Mino. Matsui Tomokazu, on the other hand, is in Sakaicho and is close to Ashikaga Yoshihide. Of course, he switched allegiance to Nobunaga two months ago, which means he has severed ties with Ashikaga Yoshihide.

But he changed course with the wind and jumped ship to Ashikaga Yoshiaki's side; the other servants might not be so clever.

There were at least several hundred former retainers of the shogunate, but how many of them are recorded in history? Very few. Besides the fact that a significant portion of them followed Mitsuhide and were subsequently killed by Hideyoshi, it was also largely due to their incompetence, lack of ability, and accustomed to a life of luxury and idleness.

It would be very difficult to expect them to make a quick decision and stand firmly on the side of the Oda clan and Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

After much persuasion from Mitsuhide, these people put forward a condition: that they would consider cooperating with Nobunaga only if the "Decree of Tokusei" (a decree of benevolent rule) was waived, exempting them from the debts they owed to wealthy merchants and temples in Kyoto.

To be honest, this condition was a bit offensive. Nobunaga's first trip to Kyoto was precisely when he needed to win over the hearts and minds of the people in the Kinai region, yet they demanded the issuance of edicts of benevolent governance. In a sense, it was a way for Nobunaga to offend the townspeople and temples of Kyoto in order to appease them.

That's utter bullshit!

While Shichibei was chatting with Inase Yoshinari's older brother, Inase Sukeemon, he learned that Nobunaga had cursed him as an idiot after hearing Mitsuhide's conditions regarding the Kyoto government.

Understandably, if Shichibei were there, he'd probably yell at them too. A bunch of scoundrels, thinking they're so great, trying to negotiate with Nobunaga who has 60,000 soldiers.

They were far less pragmatic than vibrant religious groups. The bureaucratic organizations parasitic on the old regime were utterly useless, lacking any sense of propriety. When Nobunaga disbanded the shogunate forces, it was only because Mitsuhide was desperately short of manpower that he took these scoundrels. If it weren't for Mitsuhide, Nobunaga, who already controlled one-third of the shogunate, would have surely banished them.

However, Nobunaga ultimately didn't vent his anger on Mitsuhide. Mitsuhide merely relayed the information and didn't make any demands of Nobunaga. Moreover, he also revealed some good news to Nobunaga.

Once Nobunaga defeats the Rokkaku clan, the imperial court will issue an imperial edict to Nobunaga, giving him an additional legitimacy to march on Kyoto.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this thing is something whoever wins gets; having it is better than not having it. As for the greater good and legitimacy, Sima Yi deceived Cao Shuang, first entering the city to control the Empress Dowager, and then issuing edicts in her name.

The key point is that with the imperial edict, the officials and commoners within Yamashiro Province had to obey it. They were valued by Nobunaga because they relied on the old power structure of the Muromachi Shogunate and the Imperial Court. If they didn't even obey the Emperor's edict, Nobunaga could simply have them executed.

Anyway, Ashikaga Yoshiaki had over two hundred intelligent men around him who had already sided with Nobunaga before Nobunaga marched on Kyoto. With these two hundred-plus retainers, they could easily establish the framework of the shogunate government once they entered Kyoto. A few corrupt officials languishing in Yamashiro Province wouldn't make a difference.

Finally, there was Matsunaga Hisahide of Yamato, who expressed a clear desire to establish friendly relations with the Oda clan.

Mitsuhide and Ashikaga Yoshiaki had already reported this matter, even though Matsunaga Hisamitsu was one of the murderers of Ashikaga Yoshiteru. However, in order to get to Kyoto as soon as possible and to win over all the forces that could be won over, Ashikaga Yoshiaki made it clear that he would accept Matsunaga Hisamitsu's father, Matsunaga Hisamitsu, as a retainer of the shogunate.

Since Matsunaga Hisahide was allowed to remain a retainer of the shogunate's retinue, Nobunaga naturally wouldn't say anything more. As for Matsunaga Hisamichi, their fate would have to wait until after they marched to Kyoto.

"This Jubei Akechi is very efficient," Shichibei said honestly. In less than a month, Mitsuhide had been running around and working very hard.

"My lord greatly appreciates it." Inase Sukeemon handed over a wine dish, letting his younger brother, Inase Yoshinari, pour the wine.

Inase Yoshinari had come with Nobunaga to deliver military rations to Murai Sadakatsu; with his younger brother here, the older brother naturally had to go out of the castle to meet him. As Nobunaga's head servant, Inase Sukeemon had clearly overheard Nobunaga's open conversation with Akechi Mitsuhide inside.

Logically, a leader shouldn't pass on information. But how many people can truly keep their mouths shut, completely tight-lipped? Probably none.

Besides, Nobunaga didn't try to hide it at all; not only was Akechi Mitsuhide present, but Yoshiaki's representative, Hosokawa Fujitaka, was also there. There were also two pageboys present; there were quite a few people.

"I understand, I understand..." Shichibei patted Inase Sukeemon on the shoulder, letting him talk to his younger brother, and then withdrew.

Without much time for hesitation or deliberation, Nobunaga turned and ordered the assembly to begin the march to Kyoto. Envoys heading to Mikawa and Hokawa sped off, while the officials and lords of all the counties in his domain were already fully prepared.

When Matsudaira Shinichi's vanguard of 3,000 men from Okazaki in Mikawa arrived in Gifu, Nobunaga ordered the troops to advance. The formidable army of over 50,000 men marched out for three or four li (12-16 kilometers), with the Inaba unit leading the way.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki also went into battle, but he did not advance with Oda's army. Instead, after receiving an audience with Azai Nagamasa, he entered Sawayama Castle in northern Hokkaido and established what is known as the Ashikaga army's main camp within the castle.

After all, in name, Nobunaga was leading the troops as a quasi-kanrei (military commander) who supported him, so the commander-in-chief was naturally Ashikaga Yoshiaki. However, Yoshiaki only had 250 shogunate retainers under his command, and Nobunaga only sent one member of the Moi-shu (a type of samurai) to protect Yoshiaki.

While paying his respects to Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Azai Nagamasa also met with Nobunaga. This was their first meeting, and Nobunaga was greatly surprised to see Nagamasa. Although he had long heard that Azai Nagamasa was the so-called "Eagle of Hubei," a fierce man who charged into battle alone, he was still impressed upon seeing him in person.

Because Azai Nagamasa was an extremely rare tall man of 1.82 meters in Japan's Sengoku period, a tall, dark-skinned, and stout man. When he stood up, he looked like a bear, and even Nobunaga, who was 1.7 meters tall, seemed imposing in his presence.

Nobunaga quite liked strong, masculine men, and remarked that Oichi had married a good husband. He pulled Azai Nagamasa to sit down and drink with him, even offering him a toast.

Of course, it wasn't just Nagamasa who was accompanied by the 5,000 Otani soldiers. With these 5,000 local Omi warriors clearing the way, Nobunaga's chances of victory increased by one or two points.