Owari Yumeki Golden Day

That's why Shichibei said that a little mutual trust needed to be established between the two sides. The shogunate would then work to bring Oda closer to the imperial court and elevate Oda's "status" within the old feudal system of the imperial court.

When his "position" is higher, then kicking out the shogunate and going it alone is a matter of the future. Now Nobunaga really needs a broker to pimp him and the court.

"It should be Ichijodani Kōkata who should come forward and recommend the official position for the lord." Shichibei spoke.

Even though Ashikaga Yoshiaki was only a junior fifth rank Sagito, he still held a high position. He represented the feudal lords in submitting official requests to the court. Before the court explicitly appointed Ashikaga Yoshiaki as shogun, it certainly had to give him some face.

The position of Owari no Kami that Nobunaga was in was indeed too low, so he could just move up a level. He couldn't possibly be lower in rank than the two defeated generals, the Daisuke Jibe.

Assuming that Ashikaga Yoshiaki really helped Nobunaga get the official position, then Nobunaga would be considered to owe Yoshiaki a favor, and they could communicate normally and relatively amicably.

In addition, the Oda family could also send retainers to Kyoto to befriend the nobles after the new officials were appointed. Just like when Mori Motonari successfully bought an official position, he gave two kan of money to the nobles in Kyoto.

Don't laugh, the court is only worth this price now.

His status had not yet been raised by the two generations of the world, Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. The two kan per person was just a thank-you gift after the task was accomplished, which was acceptable.

Funding for activities before the event was completed was provided, and local specialties were sent from Yoshida-koriyama Castle to the nobles and the emperor. For example, the emperor was said to love cucumbers from Aki.

In short, the Oda clan now had a reason to socialize with the court nobles. After a while, they became friends.

"Eh! But there's no rush to recommend an official position..." Nobunaga first agreed with Shichibei's expression, but then denied it verbally.

"I am terrified." Nobunaga did not accept it, so the seven soldiers could only be terrified and shut up immediately.

"We should send someone to check on that shogun." But Nobunaga did not say anything final, he seemed to have another idea of ​​his own.

Shichibei had just spoken and helped him bring out this idea. How far it could go would depend on Nobunaga's subsequent arrangements.

"Leave this matter to Sadakatsu!" Nobunaga raised his hand and pointed at Murai Sadakatsu.

"I understand." Murai Sadakatsu was in charge of this job, and he would be serving as the Kyoto magistrate in the future, so he naturally accepted the order.

"Nanabe, you said you would ask Ichijodani Kubo to recommend an official position for me. What position would be good?" Nobunaga turned around again and asked Nanabe.

"Being the guardian of a country is not suitable for a lord. At least he should be assisted by soldiers and guards." Qibingwei said without hesitation.

While this position fell far short of becoming the governor of the Hyoue clan, it at least elevated Nobunaga's status. Key to this is that several generations of young masters of the Sasaki clan had first served as the governor of the Hyoue clan before ascending to the rank of governor of the Hyoue clan. Nobunaga, now a member of the Nobi clan, was following in the footsteps of his predecessors in the Sasaki clan, rising through the ranks, which was in line with the current "trend."

"Tsk, go back and think about it." Nobunaga actually denied Shichibei again.

Although it looks like an official position in the imperial court, and it's funny what the two of them are arguing about, when it comes to buying an official position, the key is to have many choices.

96. Investing in the Kings and Princes will bring you countless

Come on, I don't have time to think about you. Shichibei was pulling wood when he was called back to a meeting. He was so busy that sweat was dripping from his forehead and the abacus beads were about to smoke.

It is not surprising that he guessed Nobunaga's thoughts wrong twice in a row.

Even more despicable was that Hideyoshi was taken away by Nobunaga again, because Murai Sadakatsu had to go to Ichijodani with Wada Koremasa to meet Ashikaga Yoshiaki. So Hideyoshi was temporarily appointed as the magistrate to help transfer supplies from Komakiyama Castle.

Just as Qibing was about to start cursing, Hanbei Takenaka, accompanied by a dozen samurai, arrived at Komakiyama Castle to support Qibing. This was in front of everyone. If there were no one else around, Qibing would have definitely cursed Nobunaga for treating people like animals.

A proper samurai is better. At least he can read and count, and has received a certain level of education. He can be used after a little teaching. It was a good idea to ask Nobunaga for the Takenaka family's power.

As a newly appointed vassal, Takenaka Shigeharu knew that Shichibei was currently working on the relocation of Inabayama Castle, a task Nobunaga valued most. Therefore, he worked very hard without complaining.

Contributing to a major project your boss is focused on, and doing it well, is the easiest way to win their favor. Just like writing a good article for your boss will earn your favor. The key isn't what you do, but whether you do it in front of your boss. As long as you do it in front of your boss, it doesn't matter.

With the help of Takenaka Hanbei and a dozen serious samurai, Shichibei was able to completely let go of the task of transporting wood from Kiso. He finally had time to sit down and rest, and think about Nobunaga.

Nobunaga definitely wanted to be an official. A few years ago, after he defeated the Imagawa army and seized the Yoshimoto Samamonji, he happily engraved the name "Oda Owari no Kami Nobunaga" on it to declare his sovereignty over the sword.

At that time, he still thought that Owari no Kami was a good and legitimate official position. However, times have changed. Now, he not only has to build the magnificent Gifu Castle to enhance his status, but also has to get himself a more prestigious official position.

Impeach Zhengzhong?

It doesn't seem like it. Isn't it a bit of a stretch to prepare to launch Dan Masatada at this point? Although this mission was funded by his father Nobuhide's donation to the imperial court, it doesn't quite fit the status of the ruler of Nobi Ryogoku.

But I still want to explain why some people are obsessed with the official position of Tanjo. You can simplify it to Jianfeiweishi. Seeing Jianfeiweishi, you can probably understand why some samurai are obsessed with the official position of Tanjo.

After Emperor Saga established the Kanbiwashi, the power of the Tanshōdai was largely diminished, becoming a nominal position. Instead, the Kanbiwashi became a de facto designation for the head of the military officials in Kyoto and, indeed, throughout the nation. At that time, all administrative and judicial powers in Kyoto were controlled by the Kanbiwashi Office.

You all know Genjiro Hougan Yoshitsune, right? His job was to inspect the non-violation lieutenant, in other words, to criticize the junior high school student.

Now that the Imperial Guard Office has been abolished, even if Nobunaga wanted to become a lieutenant of the Imperial Guard, he couldn't do that. He could still do that to Dansho Shonada, but he didn't go to the capital to become a leader of the military families.

You can buy a title of Dan Zheng Zhong in the local area, which is just an empty title and has no great significance. Entering the capital and then becoming Dan Zheng Shao Zhong is one of the prerequisites for becoming a pillar of the martial arts world.

If Nobunaga had already launched the battle for Kyoto, Shichibei would definitely suggest that Nobunaga reconfirm Tan Masatada's official position with the court, but he was not ready yet.

It's almost there.

So what did Nobunaga mean? He wanted to boost his status, but also wanted to establish a good relationship with the imperial court. Hmm...

It seemed that Shichibei didn't come up with an answer right away. Instead, he asked the shop assistant to go to Tsushima and call the shop assistant who had returned from Sakai. He asked if there had been any major events in Sakai or Kyoto recently.

Or, if there was something major happening at the imperial court, the key point was the kind of major event that required money to complete, such as the death of the emperor, the death of a prince, or the death of the empress, the kind that couldn't even afford a coffin.

It's a pity, it has grown so big that it can only be buried with the donations from the princes.

As a wealthy man, it would have been easy for Nobunaga to donate some money to the imperial court. What he lacked was a name and a way to do it. He had Ashikaga Yoshiaki as the name, but he had to find one.

It would be great if someone from the imperial family died. Everyone is looking forward to it.

Sadly, when the clerk from Tianjin Island arrived at Komakiyama and handed the transcribed Kinai news to Shichibei, no one had died in the palace. Not even a respectable noble from the Five Regents had died. They were all so poor that their bellies were bare, yet they were still so energetic that they could run around Japan begging for food.

Today we are going to Yoshida-gunyama Castle, tomorrow we are going to Ichijodani Castle, and the day after tomorrow we are going to Kasugayama Castle. Even if we don’t get the money, we will definitely not starve to death.

Murai Sadakatsu also returned to Komakiyama with news of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who was very happy to act as a liaison between Nobunaga and the imperial court, and had already decided to send Isshiki Fujinaga and Ueno Hidemasa to lead the Oda clan's envoys to pay a visit to Yoshida Kanesuke, the chief priest of Yoshida Shrine.

At this point, Ashikaga Yoshiaki was still unofficial and unsuitable to directly submit a petition, but his old connections in Kyoto still existed. Yoshida Kaneue was the son of Kiyohira Nobuhiro, the Junior Third Rank Shonagon, and was adopted into the Yoshida family. He held the rank of Junior Second Rank Attendant and also served as the Grand Viceroy of the deity (Tang Dynasty name: Taichang Shaoqing).

At the level of the second rank, one is no longer considered a human being in Japan, but an immortal. Yoshida Kaneji is certainly qualified to act as a go-between and help the envoys of the Oda family to come to Kyoto for an introduction.

Nobunaga didn't really care who the intermediary was, as long as he was influential enough to bring him into the Kyoto court. At most, he could offer a 100 or 200 kan (approximately 100 kan) in cash to Yoshida Shrine, which would be a great honor.

Now that we have a way, what do you think?

Everyone gathered at Sakuma Nobumori's residence for a meeting, and Nobunaga asked everyone how to communicate with the court, or trade. This was the best way to boost Oda Nobunaga's status at the moment.

The Hyobei ​​Sako that Shichibei had suggested earlier had already been rejected by Nobunaga, so naturally no one would mention it. Nobunaga also clearly looked down on the Jibu Daisuke of his old enemy Imagawa Yoshimoto.

So what should we do? Even Niwa Nagahide, who had rushed back from Gifu Castle, was scratching his head. After all, they were all from humble backgrounds, and no one really understood the complicated bureaucracy.

"I don't know how to select officials, but I have an immature idea." Shichibei was still sitting there thinking when Hideyoshi, who was transferred back to take charge of Murai Sadakatsu's affairs, spoke first.

"Oh! Go ahead." Nobunaga also liked Hideyoshi's. After all, Hideyoshi was just as comfortable and easy to use.

"I heard that in ancient Ming Dynasty, there was a businessman named Lu Buwei. He said that farming can bring ten profits, doing business can bring a hundred profits, and currying favor with kings and princes can bring countless profits..." Hideyoshi, very rarely, actually started to show off his culture in front of a group of Oda retainers.

As Hideyoshi spoke, Nobunaga, Shichibei, and the important officials of the Oda clan under his seat all understood what Hideyoshi was thinking.

Invest in the Crown Prince!

That's right, the current Emperor Go-Omiya has only one son. Furthermore, he's already 51 years old. At that age during the Japanese Warring States Period, if he died tomorrow, everyone would think he had died of old age.

However, because he was extremely poor, he had to beg Mori Motonari for money for his own enthronement ceremony with great difficulty.

So even though he only had one son and he was already sixteen years old, he did not have the coming-of-age ceremony, let alone the ceremony of enthroning him as the crown prince.

Poor!

If he was poor, this would be an opportunity for Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga took this opportunity to get close to the prince, and even personally supported the prince to ascend the throne as a swordsman or attendant.

Forget about trying to boost your family's status. It would be easy for him to become the Prime Minister of Qingsheng in the future.

"You said it very well!" Nobunaga clapped his hands in approval, agreeing very much with Hideyoshi's idea and obviously intending to implement it immediately.

After all, investing in a prince who will surely become emperor is highly likely to pay off. Perhaps you'll even get a 20% discount on official positions. I was friends with the future emperor. When he was getting his hair done, I was there, handing his uncle a razor.

What is the value of being on the scene?

Someone who wasn't at the scene still modified the oil painting and tried to paint himself into the scene.

"Hahahaha, Fujikichiro's proposal really resonates with me!" Nobunaga praised again.

Since he was going to spend money on the court anyway, why not spend it where it counts? He had to buy an official position, but Nobunaga hadn't decided which one. But the bridge had been built, so he'd better send an envoy to Kyoto immediately.

In that case, let's first establish good relations with the imperial court. Spending two or three hundred kan wouldn't be a dime a dozen for Nobunaga, but for the impoverished imperial court, it could accomplish great things.

It was enough to paint a palace and buy the Crown Prince a proper set of clothes. If these two things were complete, the facade would be perfect and everything else could be kept simple.

"My lord, you are too kind." Hideyoshi didn't know where he learned it from, but he still praised it too much.

Shichibei grumbled inwardly, but he also felt that Hideyoshi's approach was correct. Instead of investing in a 51-year-old man, it would be better to invest in a 16-year-old.

If Emperor Go-Okinomachi had only one son, there would be no need to worry about any investment errors. Unless the emperor died immediately and chose another son from the imperial family's side branch to succeed him.

"You are the one who will handle this matter. Don't be afraid of spending money, and make sure you win the favor of the court." Once you have an idea, it will be easy.

Hideyoshi, the source of the idea, was immediately named by Nobunaga to do this. Perhaps this is why Nobunaga later appointed Hideyoshi as one of the Kyoto magistrates after he led his army to Kyoto.

Well, that's all for later. Hideyoshi was very excited now. He didn't feel any pain at all to suddenly be responsible for such an important diplomatic direction.

Not only did he immediately and loudly agree, promising to do his best, but he also repeatedly expressed his gratitude for Nobunaga's wise leadership. What a harmonious relationship between the ruler and his subjects!

97. The Unrivaled General of Ancient and Modern Times

It seems outrageous, but in fact it is not outrageous at all. Hideyoshi, such a country bumpkin, openly went to Kyoto as Nobunaga's representative. He was ready to confront the nobles and try to meet the current first prince.

Okay, okay, Shichibei is also a country bumpkin. If he goes to Kyoto, there is no guarantee that someone will laugh at us Owari monkeys. It is better to let Hideyoshi go.

When Nobunaga leads 50,000 men to Kyoto that day, Maluo will also be able to become the Monkey King.

The Jade Emperor could still call for the Buddha, but the nobles in Kyoto could not call for Amaterasu.

Let's move Nobunaga properly. If we do the job well, Nobunaga will remember us. However, while moving, Shichibei was still thinking about the post of Heikesaku that Nobunaga had rejected before.

How does this happen in China? If someone can't get promoted to a higher position for various reasons, or if their promotion doesn't seem to be very meaningful, how is it handled?

It seems that the man's wife is given a title of "imperial concubine" and his son is given an official position or a hereditary position. Then the wife is given a title of "imperial concubine" (貴明夫人). In operas, there are stories about sons who pass the imperial examination and win imperial concubines for their mothers.

But here in the ordinary days, ordinary noble women did not have official titles. There was no such thing as a title of Ruren or Shuren. Or did there ever exist one? We don't know?

Unless this noble woman becomes a nun, as long as she becomes a nun, she can enter the clergy system. Even "second-level nuns" have appeared many times in history.

Nobunaga's wife cannot be given a title, and his son is still young and has not yet come of age, so the only option is to posthumously confer the title on Nobunaga's father.

But considering the current situation, even Nobunaga himself could only be awarded the 4th rank at best. If Nobuhide was awarded posthumously, he would also be awarded the 4th rank, which was a great achievement.

It really doesn't help much to boost the family's status. Nobunaga might as well think of a way to shave his head and see if he can seal the three lords.

(Nobunaga's Shoichi title was bestowed upon him by the Taisho era. Considering how kind he was to the imperial court, promoting Toyotomi Hideyoshi and supporting Tokugawa Ieyasu, it's surprising that these two showed no gratitude towards their former masters.)

We still have to think about Nobunaga. It is said that the shogunate once invented a Mutsu Shugoro position specifically for the Date family. If this is true, it would be a semi-precedent. We can also ask the court to invent a Nobi no Kami for Nobunaga and add the rank of Junior Fourth Rank, which would also be a possibility.

Well, it's too difficult and hard to do, and Nobunaga doesn't have anyone he can trust in Kyoto to do it for him.

Forget it, since Hideyoshi has already provoked this matter, why should Shichibei still get involved? Just let Hideyoshi handle it. We are not cut out for diplomacy anyway, and interacting with the court is a pure waste of time and energy.

Wait, if it’s not possible to confer the title of duke or earl on Nobunaga, is it possible to confer the title of meritorious official on him?

I scratched my head. Japan doesn't even have the concept of a title for a hero. If this kind of thing weren't practiced, only neighboring feudal societies like Japan and Rome, with their well-developed bureaucratic systems, would have done so. Other countries simply didn't need it. They didn't need all these fancy things and the titles of honor bestowed upon feudal bureaucrats.

Even the Ottoman Empire, which inherited Constantinople, didn't quite grasp this strategy and ultimately fell into ruin. I've heard that some of the descendants of the Eastern Roman Empire later sold various titles, and there were quite a few buyers, including the King of Spain, the King of France, and the Dukes of Italy.

If there's no hero, can I just make one? Shichibei thought so, and while he said he'd forget about it, he walked happily to the door of Sakuma's house that night.

After all, Nobunaga's reward is still delicious.

When Hisamatsu Toshikatsu, the gatekeeper, saw Shichibei, he asked him if he wanted to see Nobunaga. He said, "Just go in. Nobunaga is just dancing and entertaining himself."

Well, it was already dark by this time, so Nobunaga could either go to bed or have some fun. While that was certainly an option, Nobunaga was already in his thirties. Even for someone with a lot of energy, coming here every day wouldn't be fun.

Upon entering, Nobunaga was delighted. He was bored, and having someone to chat with and brag about was a welcome change. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and the future Ieyasu all employed large numbers of yutos. This was done to house the wealthy and powerful, and also to provide a source of conversation.

To be honest, the proportion of people with high cultural level in wealthy families is indeed higher. Firstly, they have a family heritage, and secondly, they have received a good education.

Chatting and bragging with such people at least gives you something to talk about, and they know how to follow your lead. The third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, loved chatting and bragging with Tachibana Muneshige the most, because all the heroes of the Warring States period had died, leaving only Tachibana Muneshige, who was of sufficient rank, had experience, and was educated enough to organize speeches, so he just loved chatting with him.

Nobunaga waited for Shichibei to sit down, but he didn't open his mouth, waiting for Shichibei to chat with him. There were few entertainment activities, so chatting could pass the long night.

Bullshit, Shichibei was giving Nobunaga direct advice.

"My lord, making friends with the Forbidden City is certainly a long-term plan, but it will not help your current reputation." He raised his head and said this to pretend and set a high tone.

"Yes." Unfortunately, Nobunaga was a man who was smart enough to refuse advice. He didn't fall into Shichibei's trap at all. His "Yes" was very soft, just like watching a play, waiting for Shichibei to speak.

"Such an ordinary official position is not suitable for the lord. The court will not grant the position of a minister in the palace." The seven soldiers could only speak to themselves.

Given Nobunaga's current status, it wouldn't be difficult for him to obtain a position as a junior fourth rank official. Of course, he would still have to spend money, and he would need the goodwill of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Yoshida Kaneji. After all, the Oda clan was once a wealthy local tycoon in the Owari countryside. While the fifth and sixth rank positions could be easily purchased, the fourth rank depended on military strength, political influence, and family background.

As for the three nobles, don't even think about it. Unless Nobunaga shaves his head and becomes a monk, the imperial court won't agree. The imperial court in Kyoto is broke and only has a few valuables to sell. If they despise themselves, they will starve to death in three or five days.