Owari Yumeki Golden Day

The current guardian of Shinano is Takeda Shingen. Shingen was afraid that Ashikaga Yoshiaki would try to win over Ogasawara Nagaki, so he promised to transfer the position of guardian of Shinano back to the Ogasawara family in the future.

Although Chang Shi could not defeat Shinano, the concept of righteousness and justice is quite confusing. What if Chang Shi went to join Uesugi Kenshin and then went to Shinano to cause trouble?

It's disgusting.

So in order to put an end to the matter once and for all, Shingen prepared to give some money to Ashikaga Yoshiaki and asked Yoshiaki to confirm again that Takeda Shingen would serve as the guardian of Shinano.

Black and white!

Giving Yoshiaki two coins and expressing support for his succession would be enough. Then he could take Yoshiaki's handwritten letter back to Shinano, telling the people to behave themselves.

After doing the math, Shichibei understood that Shingen and Ashikaga Yoshiaki were already in cahoots at that time.

54. Yoshiaki goes to Asakura

In fact, at this time, Ashikaga Yoshiaki had already fled from Omi Yajima, because Matsunaga Hisahide and his son Hisamichi switched their support to Ashikaga Yoshiaki. This made the Miyoshi Three believe that Ashikaga Yoshiaki was a major disadvantage to Ashikaga Yoshiaki's succession to the throne, so they sent troops from Settsu Osui to attack Yajima.

Fearing the Shogun's death, Wada Koremasa sent him to Kuchikidani and fled to Wakasa. Earlier, Nobunaga had wondered if Ashikaga Yoshiaki would pass by Asai Nagamasa in Hubei, but he didn't even bother to surrender to Rokkaku Yoshitaka, instead heading straight to the Takeda clan in Wakasa.

Takeda Yoshitsugu's wife was the daughter of the late shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiharu. For decades, the Wakasa Takeda clan had been a key player in the political turmoil in Kyoto. However, the Wakasa Takeda clan was now in decline, no longer as prosperous as it once was.

By the way, Yajima is located in Minamiominosu County, which is indeed close to Kyoto. It's possible that the Miyoshi trio will get desperate and send hundreds of people to launch a surprise attack.

Wakasa was far away, and the Miyoshi Trio were unable to reach it. Wada Koremasa, who had previously assisted Ashikaga Yoshiaki, had a territory in Wada Castle in Koga County, Minami-Omi, where transportation was very inconvenient, so he ordered Yoshiaki to go to Yajima.

"How is the war between your lord and Echigo going?" Shichibei adjusted the abacus and showed the amount to Yonekura Nobutsugu.

"Of course there is a chance of victory. Uesugi Danjo will be captured by our lord sooner or later." Yonekura Nobutsugu looked at the numbers on the abacus and nodded in approval.

"What happens next?" Shichibei smiled and asked as if he knew nothing about military affairs or politics.

After attacking Kawanakajima five times, the Takeda and Uesugi families were almost killed. Now that the Uesugi can't be attacked, Suruga and Sagami are allies, where else can they attack?

"Odate-sama has already set off for Kamishima." Yonekura Nobutsugu was still a little disappointed. He couldn't go to the battlefield to fight, so he couldn't make any achievements.

"Oh, the strategy for conquering Minowa Castle." It seems that Nagano Yoshimori, the son of Joshu Koban, will die in Minowa Castle this year.

Once this last persimmon is taken down, Takeda Shingen will be surrounded by allies except Uesugi Kenshin. It's actually quite easy to decide whether to continue fighting Uesugi Kenshin or turn around and attack Imagawa.

"I don't have that much gold. Do you want some silver?" Shichibei didn't ask any more questions and got back to business.

"Okay, my lord allowed me to bring 300 kan to meet His Majesty Yajima." Nobutsugu Yonekura didn't hear any difference in Shichibei's tone and responded directly.

Three hundred kan was the selling price of one hundred pack horses, and they were to be taken directly to Ashikaga Yoshiaki as a gift, so it was a big expense for Shingen.

"And the remaining money?"

"Just give it to me when I return."

"understood."

In business, trust is essential. Yonekura Nobutsugu and other Takeda warriors carried 300 kan of copper coins to Ashikaga Yoshiaki to buy the written documents, while Shichibei returned to Sumata to continue building the post station.

When Hideyoshi saw Shichibei coming back, he asked if the Takeda clan had any good war horses coming to Owari. Of course, I have no relationship with Takeda Shingen, so he should have sent some war horses to me out of respect.

Hideyoshi hadn't had much money before, so he hadn't considered buying a warhorse. Now that he'd become the Lord of Sunomata Castle, his salary had suddenly increased to 500 kanmon, so he needed a warhorse. Riding a good horse would earn him a higher regard from the generals in Nishi-Mino, who he was trying to win over.

As for the money for the horse, Aji had brought 500 kan in cash with her when she married into the Kinoshita family. With these 500 kan, Hideyoshi and Hidenaga had the funds to start their business. How they used them later was up to them.

How about I pick out a big deer hair one for you?

Forty-five strings of cash, thank you.

Brothers are brothers, and business is business.

War horses were priced at thirty or forty kan, a very reasonable price. Otherwise, why would they be considered war horses? Otherwise, why would only the daimyo of a horse-producing region have the resources to organize the so-called "Yabusa" (镝马)? It's because only in horse-producing regions can we gather enough war horses; other places simply can't.

Ordinary mounted warriors arrived on horseback and then fought on foot. They were dragoons at best, and expecting them to charge like a wall with spears and swords was wishful thinking.

After another ten days of work at Sunomata, the post station was ready, and Fujikichiro moved the soil from the ditches outside Sunomata into Sunomata Castle. He first raised the foundations of major military facilities such as the rice warehouse, the ashigaru residence, the teppo house, and the jinsho by one meter.

Raising it by half a meter would have been enough, but Fujikichiro was just showing off. He had to raise the foundation anyway, so it was better to do it all at once to avoid any problems when Nobunaga moved into Sumata.

The entire city-building project is a meticulous and slow process. The ultimate goal is to raise the entire 3,000-square-meter city foundation of Sunamata by half a meter. This winter, a general recruitment campaign will definitely be launched to tamp the earth in Sunamata.

Goodbye, brother. I'm done with work and going home to lie down.

I had just washed my feet and was lying on the giant bunk bed I designed, which could fit a hundred people, when someone knocked on the door. It was dark, and they were not accepting guests.

But there was no other way, the job of the post station was to receive guests, so Shichibei had to put on his outer robe and go to open the door for people. Fortunately, it was summer, and the car was in neutral, and the evening breeze blew, and he was naked.

Upon closer look, it turned out to be Nobutsugu Yonekura and more than a dozen others.

You guys were pretty quick. It took you twelve days to find Ashikaga Yoshiaki and get the written certificate from him.

Yonekura Nobutsugu also found it absurd. How could Shichibei, the owner of a stable, open a post station again? But since he was an acquaintance, he immediately relaxed and asked if there was anything to eat.

Do you want to eat cold rice? It was a bit of a mouthful to ask. A group of Takeda warriors soaked the cold rice in hot water and had two slices of dried radish each. They ate it happily.

After asking, it was Ashikaga Yoshiaki, no, it should be Ashikaga Yoshiaki now. Asakura Yoshikage rushed to Wakasa and met with Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Yoshiaki was very happy and seemed to want to rely on Asakura Yoshikage.

But that was all later. Right now, Yoshiaki was in a situation where no one could actually support him in going to Kyoto. Just like Kenshin Uesugi, who gave him a lot of money but was unable to send troops to help him.

Takeda Yoshitsugu in Wakasa was incredibly weak, and Yoshiaki realized that his brother-in-law was not capable of fighting the Miyoshi Trio. So, he was currently writing letters from Wakasa to all the daimyo in the world, not mentioning Asakura Yoshikage and Rokkaku Yoshitaka, or even the Tango Isshiki clan, which were closer.

He is now writing a letter to Higo Sagara Yoshiharu, hoping that Sagara Yoshiharu will send a few hundred people to help him.

To be frank, even those who are more familiar with the history of the Japanese Warring States period in later generations would probably be silent for a few seconds when they heard the name Sagara Yoshiharu before they could remember where he was. But Ashikaga Yoshiaki did write a letter and actually sent someone to deliver it to Higo in Kyushu.

As for Aki Mori Motonari, Iyo Kono Michinori, and Noto Hatakeyama Yoshitsuna, he wrote non-stop and urged them to do so.

Seeing Yonekura Nobutsugu coming to visit him, Ashikaga Yoshiaki had a fantastic idea and wrote a letter. Yoshiaki believed that Uesugi Kenshin was very respectful of the shogunate and was friendly to him, the future shogun, so he could write a letter to Uesugi Kenshin to ask Kenshin to cease fire with Takeda Shingen and Hojo Ujiyasu.

Anyway, Takeda and Hojo are still allies now. In this way, the three most powerful forces in the entire eastern country, Uesugi, Takeda and Hojo, can jointly send troops to Kyoto and go to Wakasa to help Ashikaga Yoshiaki and send him to Kyoto to succeed to the throne.

This Shangluo is not the same as that Shangluo. Yoshiaki's idea is that he should come forward to ask the princes along the way to make way, and the three families will send 5,000 or 10,000 people, and under his leadership, they will enter the mountain city.

I don’t know if this wonderful idea inspired Ashikaga Yoshiaki’s little head, but Yoshiaki also wrote letters to Asai Nagamasa and Rokkaku Yoshitaka, Oda Nobunaga and Saito Tatsuoki, Asakura Yoshikage and the disciples of Kaga Ikko sect.

Stop fighting, stop fighting, stop fighting.

Just like the little girl screaming excitedly in the rain.

Can these opponents just stop fighting? They are no different from sworn enemies, each eager to tear the other into pieces.

The only thing worth mentioning is that Ashikaga Yoshiaki did have some sense after all. After this period of brain congestion, he finally figured it out and decided to go with Asakura Yoshikage. At least Asakura Yoshikage had 750,000 koku in Echizen and Wakasa, and with the financial resources of the Hokukai trade, it was appropriate to call him a million koku daimyo.

The news is quite important. Let's go together tomorrow to report this to Nobunaga. Upon hearing that this person was from the Takeda clan and had just returned from Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Nobunaga immediately met with him. After recounting the main content, Nobunaga only confirmed one thing: Ashikaga Yoshiaki had gone to seek help from Asakura Yoshikage, right?

Yes.

After getting a clear answer, Nobunaga thanked Nobutsugu Yonekura, invited Nobutsugu to drink, and gave his folding fan to Yonekura.

Afterwards, Yonekura took the remaining money from the horse and returned to Kai peacefully. Nobunaga then beat the drum to gather the people and immediately summoned all the generals to hold a meeting of important officials.

Oops, I forgot to ask Nobutsugu Yonekura whether they had started making candles in Kai.

Forget it. Miraculously, Shichibei was also present at the meeting, not as a high-ranking official, but as someone with ties to the Mino conquest. He sat in the corridor of the Ōhiroma, ready to be summoned at any moment. Hachisuka Koroku was also sitting nearby, looking respectable and neatly dressed.

Perhaps it was his nature as a small businessman, but Shichibei even took a look at Xiaoliu's clothes. Well, this kid could make one set of clothes, which was enough for Shichibei to make one and a half.

On the other hand, Hideyoshi was different because he was already an important official at the level of "General" and finally sat at the end of all the generals. He not only attended the meeting but also had the right to speak and vote.

Shichibei could hear the discussion in the Great Hall clearly. Nobunaga had brought up the topic of Ashikaga Yoshiaki's joining Asakura Yoshikage. If nothing unexpected happened, Yoshikage would support Ashikaga Yoshiaki and bring him to the capital either this year or next.

Whether he went west or east, the local forces would not refuse the shogun's permission. He only needed to defeat the Miyoshi Three who occupied Kyoto to succeed him.

The Asakura Army during this period was one of the strongest armies in the world.

Whether it is the Tsuruga clan responsible for Wakasa and Omi, or the Ono clan responsible for Kaga, they are both prestigious and long-established armies.

The most legendary one is the Battle of Jiulongtouchuan where 9,000 defeated 300,000. Even though the vast majority of those 300,000 Ikko Ikki were civilians, the number of 300,000 is still shocking.

The Tsuruga and Ōno armies, who achieved the feat of defeating 300,000 with only 9,000 men, were not only famous in Hokuriku, but were also well-known powerful armies in Kinai.

With the strongest army in the world, he could establish a shogun, take control of Kyoto, and then become a kanrei, aiming to conquer the world. Nobunaga had imagined such a huge temptation before, and judging by his own experience, Asakura Yoshikage must have thought about it too.

Everyone listening here can understand it, so what do you mean by this?

What does this mean? This year, we must do our utmost to kill Saito Tatsuoki. If we fail to do so, the Oda clan won't even get a small share when the Kinai pie is divided.

This is something everyone doesn't understand. If you don't kill Long Xing, you are still the lord of Owari Province and have the qualifications to surrender and play chess. Why must you kill Long Xing?

Since Oda was now attacking and Saito was defending, Saito would definitely try to seek external assistance. By then, with the Shogun's support, the Asakura family might accept Ryūshō's request for assistance and get involved in Mino's affairs.

Think about Ouchi Yoshioki. Was there anyone in the entire Kinai region he hadn't beaten? In Shikoku, the western provinces, and the Kaido, countless people were slaughtered by Ouchi Yoshioki. He forced countless kanrei, kanrei deputies, shugo, and shugo deputies to death.

If it were Asakura Yoshikage, there would be such a possibility...

But in the final analysis, the fundamental reason was that Nobunaga no longer needed to consider Ashikaga Yoshiaki's opinion, because Yoshiaki relied solely on Asakura Yoshikage, and the armistice treaty between Oda and Saito that he mediated was invalid.

Without the big deal of supporting the shogun, Nobunaga could only focus on the small business of conquering Mino.

Hey, brother, why didn't you say so earlier? Why did you have to talk about it in such a high-end and classy way? The generals in the Great Hall were silent. Instead, Shichibei, sitting in the corridor, was thinking, this is what you don't understand. Oda Nobunaga's family background is very humble. It's even possible that a priest from Owari Atsuta was impersonating Oda.

Therefore, Nobunaga was quite righteous when fighting. When he attacked Mino, he pretended to be Saito Dosan's son-in-law, fabricated the story that Dosan had passed Mino to him, and openly attacked.

For example, they attacked Asakura because he had not obeyed the Shogun's orders to go to Kyoto. They attacked Miyoshi because he was a traitor who had killed the king. They attacked Matsunaga because he was a treacherous villain who plotted rebellion.

Inevitably, in his daily actions, Nobunaga would put on a veneer of superiority. From being a playboy and extravagant as a child, to being serious and dignified as an adult, Nobunaga's character was truly changing.

"Alright, get ready! After the summer harvest, we'll march out to the cave!"

At the command, the generals roared in agreement. It was just a battle, something they were all familiar with. But Shichibei grumbled, "Why did you call me here if you didn't ask me anything?" He struggled to his feet, but had to wait until the important officials had left before he could leave.

"Seventh Guard is outside? Come in."

55. Preparations for the Northern Ise Conquest

Isn’t the meeting over?

Shichibei was a little confused when his name was called suddenly, but since Oda Nobunaga called him, he had to go in and meet Nobunaga immediately.

Similarly, Hosuka Koroku was also called by name. Nobunaga casually praised Shichibei, saying that the Sunomata Post Station was well built and he was very satisfied. After the praise, he got down to business.

What I just said at the meeting was that we must capture Mino as soon as possible. There is another matter, namely the eight counties of Northern Ise. Northern Ise is a complex and intertwined power structure, with many small factions gathered together, which can be called a small Warring States.

During Nobuhide's time, he had attempted to encroach upon the territory of northern Ise. At the time, Nobuhide was engaged in war on all sides, fighting every power nearby. Naturally, this constant hostility led to numerous enemies. Finally, his engagement with Saito Dosan barely secured stability in the north, allowing him to focus on the wars in Mikawa and northern Ise.

And then? Then Nobuhide spread his hands and kicked his legs.

The mess was left to Nobunaga. The Oda clan that Nobunaga took over was actually quite precarious at the time and was not a strong force with deep roots and a solid foundation.

But this is all old news. Now Nobunaga has suppressed Quanwei and is fighting to seize Mino. But the northern forces cannot be given up. Nobunaga's idea is very simple.

Did Shichibei trade with merchants from Annozu, Kitase? Did Hachisuka Koroku, as a member of the Kawanamishu, have dealings with local forces in Kitase?

The Seki clan of northern Ise, the clan of Seki Morinobu and Seki Ikmasa, had a maximum of just over 20,000 koku. The branch clan, Mitsuyoshi, had over 10,000 koku, while the Kobe clan fared slightly better, at over 40,000 koku. They were basically minor figures, nothing particularly impressive.

Without a strong local power, there would be no strong control over the local area. Naturally, sending some "traveling merchants" and "Kawabemishi" to northern Ise would be discovered and even suspected?

Definitely not.

They are all people with public identities and decent jobs, so what is there to doubt?

After sending the people there, they only have to do one thing: lie in wait or search for the source of information to prevent the lord of Mino, Saito Tatsuoki, from escaping to northern Ise.

It's better to be safe than sorry. Nobunaga still had the intention to kill his good nephew. After all, there was only one Mino, and it would either belong to Nobunaga or to Ryusuke.

Ow...

I see. They're going to ambush a few people in advance and go to Kitaiise to kill Long Xing who might escape to Kitaiise, right? I understand. Shichibei can completely understand. This kind of thing is too normal in the Japanese Warring States period. It's just a daily routine.

Hosuka Xiaoliu also understood and just nodded, indicating that you can rest assured about this matter and I will definitely take care of it.

Both men bowed their heads, but Nobunaga cleared his throat, indicating he wasn't finished. Besides preparing for an ambush against Saito Tatsuoki, he also needed to gather extensive information on the movements of various forces in northern Ise. If there was any news, he would report it to Nobunaga immediately.

Now that Nobunaga has temporarily lost the great reputation of supporting Ashikaga Yoshiaki's expedition to Kyoto, he can only look for smaller ones. Expansion is a must, and it would be best if a small force in northern Ise could take in Saito Tatsuoki, so that he can openly attack northern Ise.

In addition, Nobunaga also introduced Takigawa Ieyasu to the two of them, saying that Takigawa Ieyasu had already begun to make arrangements in northern Ise, and they should cooperate more, send more people, and the more information the better.

Only with sufficient sources of information can we make adequate preparations for future wars.

Understand, understand. This time Nobunaga has finished talking. Shichibei and Hosuka Koroku then greeted Takigawa Kazumasu. They all worked for Nobunaga and met him every day.

At this time, Ikki was not considered an important official of the Oda family, and was not even qualified to participate in the meeting of the important officials of the Oda family. To use a less appropriate description, Takigawa Ikki was more like a personal mercenary leader of the daimyo Oda Nobunaga.

Yiyi has his own team of mercenaries, who are responsible for doing all kinds of dirty work, and of course they can also participate in actual military operations. In more Western terms, Yiyi is the mercenary leader or mercenary manager.

If Nobunaga paid 200 people, he could get 200 people to do certain work for Nobunaga. If Nobunaga paid 500 people, he could get 500 people from Koga and Ise.

In a sense, Nobunaga and Kazumasu did not have a clear master-servant relationship at this time, but rather a business employment relationship.

After all, Nobunaga had not yet formed a power in northern Ise at this time, nor did he have any clear interests, so he could not use the territorial knowledge that determined the master-servant relationship to bind Takigawa Ieyasu.