Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

The Asai family itself only gradually rose to prominence during the reign of Asai Ryōsei, becoming a prominent feudal lord during the Sengoku period. They had neither noble birth nor a clear lineage. Even within the shogunate, the Asai family was theoretically a retainer, or rather, a deputy governor, of the Kyogoku clan, the governor of northern Omi.

To get closer to Nobunaga, the future Kanrei, Nagamasa had a very strong desire: he wanted to obtain a more noble samurai status from the new shogunate.

For example, Ashikaga Yoshiaki granted him the genuine title of Governor of Northern Omi, and also freed him from the large group of retainers of the Kyogoku clan, placing the Asai clan one level above the other powerful families of Northern Omi.

Previously, when the Kyogoku clan was alive, the Asai clan, like other powerful families, were all Kyogoku retainers, except that the Asai were the strongest. Now, the goal is to drive out the Kyogoku clan, who had been a powerful figure over them, and elevate the Asai, making them the new masters of the powerful families in northern Omi.

With this legitimate claim, Azai Nagamasa was confident that he could gradually subdue his generals and turn them into complete retainers. He could then transform the old system of guardian daimyo families into a new organizational structure for Sengoku daimyo.

Some might think that during the Warring States period, when there was great strife, Azai Nagamasa was unambitious and only thought about stabilizing his household, which was truly unambitious.

But put yourself in their shoes: if you win battles and gain new territories, your strength increases. Those powerful clans and noble families also need to expand their territories, thus increasing their own strength.

Previously, with Rokkaku Yoshikata keeping things under control in southern Omi, everyone could work together against external threats. Now that Rokkaku has been killed, the external pressure has decreased significantly. Given the ambitions of the Japanese Sengoku samurai, will they consider usurping their master's position?

What you eat is the real thing.

What's the point of a big pot if you can't eat all the meat in it?

If Azai Nagamasa could successfully stabilize his 300,000 koku estate and become a powerful regional lord, then his life wouldn't have been in vain. Don't look down on the idea of ​​stabilizing a 300,000 koku estate and passing it down to his descendants just because Hideyoshi's rise from peasant to ruler of the land is inspiring.

Therefore, Azai Nagamasa is now putting in a lot of effort for this trip to Kyoto, hoping to gain the approval of Shogun Yoshiaki and Kanrei Nobunaga, to solidify his position as the governor of northern Omi, and to extricate himself from the predicament of being a retainer of the Kyogoku family.

He had completed the preparations. All of Kyogoku Takayoshi's forces in northern Omi had been wiped out by Nagamasa after the Battle of Ryota. Forget about raising an army to rebuild; he couldn't even find a place to retire.

They're really eager for it.

Upon arriving at Kannonji Castle, Shichibei, following the orders of Military Commissioner Sakuma Nobumori, first set up camp at a certain location, beginning to establish tents, granaries, and vehicles. He then quickly erected temporary signs along the road between Sawayama Castle and Kannonji Castle to guide subsequent vehicles and personnel.

Finally, ammunition and weapons were distributed to the troops that were subsequently transferred in. The three teams that attacked Minosaku Castle were all exhausted and could no longer face the likely Battle of Miyoshi in the Uji River region.

Despite Hideyoshi's supposed slaying of 1,500 men and beheading of 200, a final count revealed that he himself had lost 200 men. His entire reserve force numbered only 2,300, and with 200 dead, the entire force was rendered unable to fight.

Historically, after Hideyoshi entered Kyoto and became the Kyoto Magistrate, he did not participate in any of the subsequent attacks on castles such as Akutagawa Castle, Koshimizu Castle, and Katsuryuji Castle. It's highly likely that it wasn't that he didn't want to participate, but rather that he lacked the resources to do so.

However, it was worth it. Shichibei witnessed Nobunaga's great admiration for him, saying that Hideyoshi was truly dedicated to his cause. The battle shattered the spirit of the Rokkaku army, and the Rokkaku father and son abandoned the castle and fled.

Although the reward wasn't awarded on the spot, Nobunaga gave his kodachi (small sword) to Hideyoshi as proof. After the successful campaign to Kyoto, Hideyoshi could use this kodachi to claim his reward from Nobunaga—the reward for his first rank.

I wonder if the amount will be increased to 5,000 guan this time.

When Nobunaga saw Shichibei busy outside, he actually waved to Shichibei, signaling him to come into the shogunate, saying he had something to say.

"Shichibei, you burned down the gate of my Minozuki Castle, you have to compensate me with another one!" Nobunaga was in high spirits, his joy was evident.

"Huh?" No, Shichibei really didn't know how to answer Nobunaga.

They burned down the city gate during the war, and now they're actually holding them accountable? That's not how it works.

"Hahaha, look at you!" Nobunaga actually stood up from the small stool and clapped his hands repeatedly.

Got it, you're just messing with Shichibei. I knew it! There's no such thing as burning down an enemy castle gate during a siege and then having to pay for it.

"I'm willing to make amends, I'm willing to make amends." Shichibei had no choice but to bow his head and cooperate with Nobunaga.

"Tsk, you're really going to make me pay for one? Fine, then you'll have to pay me for a grand gate later." Nobunaga was shameless enough to actually agree to this.

Shichibei wasn't a feudal lord or a powerful figure with an obligation to build castles for his lord. He usually just did what he was supposed to do according to his salary, contributing some labor or donating some money.

"It's definitely spacious enough!"

"It's settled, hahaha..." Nobunaga laughed loudly, and the entire shogunate was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Nobody took it seriously; everyone knew Nobunaga was overjoyed. Seeing the gate of Minosaku Castle on fire, he knew the castle had fallen. He was just having fun with Shichibei. Sometimes, Nobunaga and his retainers really had no boundaries, acting like close friends.

Even Shichibei, sitting to the left, had to smile along. How could Nobunaga not smile when he was happy? Even Azai Nagamasa, sitting across from him, was smiling broadly.

Just as he was laughing, a report came from outside that Gamo Kensuke, the lord of Hino Castle, had been persuaded to surrender by Kobe's Tomomori and was currently heading to Kannon-ji Temple with hostages. The envoy asked Nobunaga whether to leave Gamo Kensuke waiting for three days or to arrange an immediate meeting to appease the Gamo family.

136. I did not see Nobunaga's hometown.

Before coming, Nobunaga knew that Hino-cho had a gun-making workshop. For the sake of these hundred or so gun-making craftsmen, Nobunaga had to meet Gamo Kensuke. After all, they had guns, and at that time, guns were still in short supply.

As expected, Gamo Kensuke sent his father, Gamo Sadahide, and his son, Gamo Tsuruchiyo, as hostages to surrender to Nobunaga. The other lords of the Rokkaku clan's branch castles did the same, as did Kondo Kasumori and Goto Takaji.

Oh, and I should mention that even with the Gamo family mobilizing all their resources to defend Hino Castle, they could only muster a thousand men.

Excluding the peasants hastily mobilized to defend the city, having five hundred men would be considered impressive. This reveals the true strength of the Gamo clan. The Takenaka Hanbei clan could still muster over a hundred men, and each of the Mino Triumvirate could raise two thousand.

Therefore, Nobunaga captured Minasaku Castle, which was defended by Yoshida Izumo no Kami, and blocked Wadayama Castle, which was defended by Tanaka Osamu no Daisuke. Nobunaga no longer paid attention to the other branch castles. Because each branch castle only had a few hundred people, half of whom were farmers, it was difficult to defend itself, let alone go out to fight in the field, or even select elite troops to launch a surprise attack on Nobunaga.

Three generations of the family bowed respectfully to Nobunaga in perfect unison, and Nobunaga treated them with a slightly warmer attitude. He ordered the three to dispense with the formalities while praising Gamo Kensuke's loyalty.

The main city has been opened to the outside world, but the outlying cities are still resisting. They truly deserve to be called loyal.

It's reasonable to suspect that the Shiga Prefecture government, believing the Gamo family had moved to Aizu with 920,000 koku of rice and were no longer considered Shiga Prefecture residents, didn't include this subject in their film. Look at Narita Nagachika, historically unknown, who somehow landed a leading role in a major film because of his role in defending Shinobu Castle.

Shichibei was present, watching Gamo Kensuke surrender to Nobunaga. Kobe Tomomori sat to the side explaining the details, while the Gamo grandfather and grandson remained tense, not daring to make a move.

Hurry up, I want to read a Japanese Sengoku period novel.

Even after all the introductions and Nobunaga's praise, isn't this Gamo Tsuruchiyo, with his extraordinary talent and spirited demeanor, the perfect son-in-law for me?

After watching for another five minutes, there was still no scene of him being chosen as a son-in-law on the spot, and Shichibei started yawning. He'd been sleeping in the wilderness these past few days, hadn't even encountered a temple, and couldn't sleep well; he was so tired he wanted to crawl into a hole.

"Shichibei, go back and rest for a while." Just then, Sakuma Nobumori walked towards them. He had to arrange a banquet to entertain Gamo Kenshū when he saw Shichibei yawning at the entrance of the shogunate.

"No rush, no rush." ​​The show isn't over yet, Shichibei has to hold on.

"There's always more work to be done, just take your time." Nobumori Sakuma smiled, said nothing more, and then lifted the curtain to step out.

"You're right..."

Wait, did Sakuma Nobumori realize at this point that there's no end to the work? No way, Nobunaga hadn't even successfully entered Kyoto and become the de facto regent yet.

If he had started his scheme now, it's no wonder that conflicts arose with Nobunaga later when they attacked Asakura. Nobunaga's cause is currently on the rise, and he absolutely cannot allow anyone to shirk their responsibilities. Everyone must be dedicated to Nobunaga at this point; those who don't work hard will only face exile.

This includes Kato Yasaburo, who escorted Nobunaga out of Kiyosu Castle during the Battle of Okehazama. He failed to contribute during the Battle of Ōkawachi, enraging Nobunaga, who then banished him. Fortunately, Tokugawa Ieyasu took him in, providing him with a place to stay.

Tokugawa Ieyasu provided Kato Yasaburo with a stipend of 3,000 kan, indicating Kato Yasaburo's salary level before his exile. As a subordinate official of Nobunaga, he was a highly respected figure.

If you don't put in the effort, you're out.

This was Nobunaga's principle for employing people.

Tsk tsk tsk, if Sakuma Nobumori really thinks he doesn't need to work so hard anymore, then his death knell has been tolled. A promising senior retainer of the Oda clan, a figure who might even challenge Hideyoshi for the throne, will have to leave the stage prematurely and be completely finished.

Before he could finish his exclamation, Sakuma Nobumori returned, presumably having already given the instructions. He even smiled at Shichibei upon his return. To be honest, this man was quite decent; he had always taken good care of Shichibei. Moreover, he was cultured, well-educated, and of proper samurai origin, possessing a certain level of morality and a sense of principle in his actions.

Personally, Shichibei didn't want Sakuma Nobumori to fall from power.

But if he really becomes useless, there's nothing we can do to stop him. With a sigh, Shichibei looked at Sakuma Nobumori, who had returned to sit beside Nobunaga. As the Oda army's military commissioner at the time, Nobumori was actually in charge of direct deployment and command; Nobunaga was merely the overseer. The two seemed quite amicable, with no apparent conflict.

"Come, come, try some sake from my Owari." Nobunaga said, handing over the sake dish he had just used to the Gamo family.

The Gamo family, led by Gamo Kenshū, accepted Nobunaga's sake dish, with a page pouring sake for them. After drinking, Kenshū kowtowed to Nobunaga, boasting as he did so.

"This is truly excellent wine; it lives up to its reputation."

"Hahaha, remember to bring back a few sips for the Left Guard Doctor." Nobunaga also wanted to win over the Gamo family.

Halfway through the banquet, the topic of gun forging in Hino-cho finally came up. Nobunaga didn't say anything, but Gamo Kensuke presented Nobunaga with a Hino cannon as a gift. Nobunaga then superficially praised it, saying, "Very good, very good, it's comparable to the Kuniyoshi cannon."

Then, Gamo Kensuke naturally mentioned that Hino-cho was short of a deputy official. Upon seeing this, Shichibei thought that the biggest show was finally about to begin, and even squeezed forward a little.

What was the result? Nobunaga was naturally delighted and indicated that he would send a deputy to specifically oversee all commercial activities in southern Omi, which was beyond doubt.

Immediately afterwards, Nobunaga announced that the Gamo family would become Shibata Katsuie's allies, and that they would follow Shibata Katsuie in battles from now on.

As for Gamo Sadahide and Gamo Tsuruchiyo, they stayed in Gifu Castle as guests. Tsuruchiyo was already thirteen years old and could serve as Nobunaga's page, running errands for him.

ha?

what?

That's not right!

"Is history starting to play out in my hands?" Shichibei was stunned by the result. Shouldn't it have been that Gamo Kensuke surrendered Hino-cho, and then Nobunaga was overjoyed and took Gamo Tsuruchiyo as his son-in-law, a mutually beneficial deal?

How did it come to the point where Gamo Kensuke handed over his arquebus, joined Shibata Katsuie's samurai group, successfully changed allegiance, and that was the end of it?

It was truly over. Shibata Katsuie and Gamo Kensuke exchanged greetings. The next step was for Gamo Kensuke to lead five hundred men and accompany Shibata Katsuie into Kyoto. After the agreement was finalized, Gamo Kensuke was released back to Hino Castle, while his father and son remained with Nobunaga's main force, acting alongside the other hostages handed over by the southern Omi clans.

Nobunaga didn't pay much attention to Gamo Sadahide and Gamo Tsuruchiyo, but he did exchange a few more words with Shibata Katsuie. Now that the Takigawa, Niwa, and Kinoshita squads were all defeated, Shibata Katsuie or Mori Yoshinari would have to lead the charge against the Uji River, so it didn't hurt for Nobunaga to give them a few more instructions.

A faint whisper drifted on the wind, carrying words like "let more of Pu Sheng's soldiers die."

This wasn't unusual; using the local populace of various states to exhaust them first was a common practice among the major lords of the Warring States period. Shibata Katsuie was also very perceptive and understood Nobunaga's meaning, nodding repeatedly beside Nobunaga.

Today's scene left Shichibei completely bewildered; none of the content he wanted to see appeared. Even after lying down in his room, it still felt unreal.

Well, at least I can sleep in the big house tonight. After Rokkaku and his son fled, the castle town of Kannonji Castle was basically empty. The senior retainers of the Oda army each occupied a corner of the castle and had a place to rest. Even many foot soldiers and miscellaneous soldiers could rest in the longhouses on and around the castle.

Who would want to camp when they can live in a big house? Shichibei even occupied the warehouses below the castle, using Kannon-ji Temple as a relay point for marching to Kyoto to store supplies.

However, according to Nobunaga's words, Kannonji Castle, along with all his major branch castles, was to be demolished soon. Branch castles that had not received Nobunaga's permission were also to be demolished to prevent further attacks from the remnants of the Rokkaku rebellion.

If the castle is completely destroyed, even if Rokkaku and his son want to return, they will have no castle to rely on. By the time Nobunaga realizes what's happening, and his army arrives, Rokkaku and his son will have no choice but to flee.

Nobunaga now prefers open field battles because he has a large army. Theoretically, he should be the daimyo with the strongest mobilization capacity in the entire Sengoku period of Japan, if you include southern Omi.

No matter which list you pick, none of them have the mobilization power of Nobunaga.

Unless Uesugi Kenshin were to unify the entire Kanto region once again, he would have an army of 110,000, but Kenshin has lost that ability to rally his troops and no longer has the capacity to unite them.

After thinking about it for a while, Shichibei finally managed to get a good night's sleep.

Nobunaga was not in a hurry to send out troops today. On the one hand, he waited for the Oda army surrounding Sawayama Castle to gather at Kannonji Temple, and on the other hand, he urged Ashikaga Yoshiaki to move forward. The lords and deputy lords of the various castles in southern Omi had either fled or surrendered, and several of Nobunaga's generals were incorporating their foot soldiers and miscellaneous troops.

Although more than 1,200 people died before and after the attack on Minozuki Castle, more than 6,000 Rokkaku soldiers were recruited in the past few days. It always felt like Nobunaga's battles were so easy; the more he fought, the richer he became, and the more people he had.

The 6,000 hexagonal soldiers still need three to five days to reorganize, and it's estimated that Nobunaga won't march on Kyoto during this time. Hosokawa Fujitaka and Isshiki Fujinaga have been sent by him to negotiate with the Imperial Court. After entering Kyoto, the Imperial Court must take the opportunity to transfer the title of Shogun to Yoshiaki, and this point needs to be agreed upon.

Nobunaga himself, accompanied by several hundred followers, wandered around southern Omi, seemingly searching for new land to build a castle.

The demolition of Guanyin Temple and its branch city symbolized the demise of the old rulers, while the construction of new cities symbolized the establishment and strengthening of the new rulers' local control.

Just as Naotaka Ii demolished Sawayama Castle to build Hikone Castle, gazing at the castle of one's former master always evokes memories of the time when that master was still alive. Whether those memories were good or bad, clinging to one's former master is never a good thing.

It was quite rare for Shichibei to have such leisure time halfway through the battle.

While staying in the camp, Sakuma Nobumori and Oda Nobuhiro, who served as Nobunaga's lieutenants, were not idle. Before Nobunaga went out for a stroll, he told them two things that he would not do now, but they had to start preparing for.

The inspection site was identified, and a fee was levied.

First, inspect the land, then collect the money. It's pointed out that inspecting the land is less about confirming the territory's output and more about clarifying future military service requirements. Shichibei had done this before in Kami-Owari, and it wasn't particularly tedious. But this time, the southern Omi territory is larger and a new one, so Shichibei can't handle it alone.