Owari Yumeki Golden Day

"Therefore, we should follow the example of Governor Uesugi of Yuezhou, seek explicit praise from the government, and spread the message to other countries." Shichibei glanced at Nobunaga.

"Hmm?" Nobunaga was slightly interested, but not yet excited.

Uesugi Kenshin's so-called commendation, which meant he received the Emperor's Heavenly Cup Sword and the so-called authority to suppress the rebellious forces in Kanto, was simply to strengthen his position as Kanto Kanrei, and was only incidental and played a supporting role.

But Qibingwei's idea here is different. He wants to imitate the idea of ​​the Hero on the road next door.

It is said that being the commander-in-chief of all military forces at home and abroad and being the minister of the Chancellery is the foundation, wearing sword and shoes during the palace ceremony, praising without naming one's name, and entering the court without bowing are the process, bestowing the nine gifts and conferring titles to establish a country are the youthful experimental versions, and receiving the abdication is the final result.

In fact, there is occasionally a small step in this, such as being awarded the title of "Meritorious Official Who Has Returned the Tide and Upheld the Truth". Once you are qualified to return the tide and revive the country, you will almost have power over the government and the country.

Of course, Nobunaga didn't need a title like "Returning the Heavens"; a title like "Unparalleled in Ancient and Modern Times" or "Achievement in Both Flower and Fruit" would be fine. From now on, when Nobunaga goes out, he can also hold up a flag with the title bestowed by Emperor Go-jinmachi written on it.

It's useless, just for show.

But what Nobunaga wants now is something for show. The court is reluctant to give it to high-ranking officials, and Nobunaga doesn't like low-ranking officials. So I can only start from the side, first playing the emperor card, I have been canonized by the emperor.

In the future, when we go out to fight, you are a prefect, and I am a prefect too, but I am a prefect who is both flowery and practical.

"Hmm...interesting." Nobunaga listened to Shichibei's long list and began to nod.

"Besides, after sponsoring the prince's coming-of-age ceremony, all you need is a title, which may not cost a penny." Shichibei continued.

The prince's coming-of-age ceremony cost two or three hundred kan, and another two or three hundred kan was paid to thank and befriend the nobles who attended the ceremony. They spent five hundred kan on the court and asked Emperor Go-jinmachi to grant them a title. How could they still have the nerve to ask for more money?

No way.

"It's feasible!" Nobunaga finally nodded.

As soon as he nodded, someone immediately sent a message to Kyoto, finding Kinoshita Hideyoshi, who was visiting the nobles at the introduction of Yoshida Kaneyou. Shichibei spoke a lot in front of Nobunaga, but when the message reached Hideyoshi, it was simply a sentence.

The Emperor must bestow upon Nobunaga the title of "unparalleled general of all times."

That's right, Nobunaga thought. I've already spent money, and I only bought an account. If I'm still stingy with something like this, and only want something that's both good and practical, then that's really unrefined. Since I've asked for it, I want the best, something unparalleled. Just brag about it, and when I do, I'll have to brag about it.

Hideyoshi couldn't refuse Nobunaga's sudden request. He asked Yoshida Kaneji if it was feasible. Initially thinking Nobunaga was asking for something excessive, Yoshida Kaneji, feeling apprehensive, readily agreed.

It is guaranteed to be the calligraphy of Emperor Masahiro, and it is also a treasure.

If you don’t come down within three days, I won’t pay you, Oda family.

Yoshida Kaneji, recommended by Ashikaga Yoshiaki, was quite efficient and enthusiastic in his work. After Hideyoshi, on behalf of Nobunaga, donated 300 kan of gold to the imperial court to sponsor the first prince's coming-of-age ceremony, the emperor, delighted, bestowed the title on him that same day.

However, he was reluctant to show it directly to Hideyoshi, saying that it was a great honor and praise. He wanted to send a special envoy to Gifu Castle or Komakiyama to publicly display it in front of the Oda clan's senior officials.

So when Shichibei finally sat down at Sakuma's residence again, he saw two "white-faced demons" dressed as nobles sitting there, their makeup really thick.

It wasn't a ceremony, nor was it a sacrifice, so what was the point? But that wasn't the point right now. The point was the so-called imperial edict read out by the two ministers, and the scroll with the title bestowed on it.

As the scroll slowly unfolded, the title "Unparalleled General of Ancient and Modern Times" was written in a very plain manner. Because it was written in large letters, Nobunaga's two nicknames were used, and it was unfolded in front of the ministers.

Hey!

Everyone was amazed, it turns out this could be bought.

98. If you have the ability, you must take on more responsibilities.

Even the Oda clan was surprised, not to mention the other daimyo and samurai who learned of the news. Nobunaga saw that the effect was quite good and was quite pleased with himself.

On the one hand, he warmly entertained the two angels who came to announce the decree, and on the other hand, he invited the important officials of the Oda family to a banquet. Although he did not buy the official position, his reputation was indeed spread.

The two angels were the happiest. No matter whether they were cursing Nobunaga as an Owari bumpkin or the Oda retainers as country monkeys, it didn't stop them from accepting Nobunaga's ten large gold pieces with dignity, even laughing "oh oh oh" behind their folding fans.

Of course, it was because Nobunaga was sensible that their trip was not in vain. If they waited in Kyoto, each person would only receive two kan of cash as a thank-you gift. But if they came to Owari to announce the decree, they would receive five taiko (golden coins). How cool!

Hideyoshi had also returned from Kyoto. After a few days of living the life of a "monkey in human form," this "bald rat" had also picked up some culture. He'd even learned how to cover half his face with his sleeves and then laugh.

Thanks to Oda Nobunaga's donation of 300 kanmon, the first prince's coming-of-age ceremony was successfully held. The prince was granted the title of Prince Makoto and made a respectable appearance in Kyoto.

Prince Makoto developed a favorable impression of Nobunaga and expressed his deep appreciation for him, even writing him a private letter. The contents of this letter are unknown, but it likely contained words of gratitude for the friendship. After all, their relationship had just begun, and they hadn't yet reached the point of confiding.

Historically, until the Honnoji Incident, Prince Makoto and renga master Satomura Shoba, along with Oda Nobutada and Murai Sadakatsu, were surrounded by Akechi Mitsuhide in the Nijo Palace.

Nobutada was defeated and prepared to commit seppuku. Prince Makoto, who already had a son at the time, was ready to commit seppuku along with Nobutada. According to his own statement, he was the prince supported by Nobunaga, and now that Nobunaga was attacked and killed, he must be buried with him.

Mitsuhide had already been charged with patriarchal slaying, so killing another prince wouldn't be a big deal. Satomura Shoba intervened, arguing that Prince Masahito was the great ruler of the country, and if Mitsuhide forced him to death, even the imperial court would declare him an enemy.

So, Guang Xiucai ordered Satomura Shoba to flee with Prince Makoto. Prince Makoto ultimately fled barefoot, in his pajamas, and without a crown, in a state of extreme embarrassment. Once he escaped, Nobutada was left with no shelter and soon committed seppuku.

By the way, because of the gap left by Prince Chengren, someone successfully escaped through a dog hole.

How Nobunaga replied to Prince Makoto was Nobunaga's business; everyone was mainly asking Hideyoshi about the situation in Kyoto. Although the Oda clan had sent people to Kyoto to inquire about the situation after Ashikaga Yoshiteru was assassinated, their main focus at that time was not on enjoying Kyoto's scenery, but on asking everywhere about Ashikaga Yoshiteru's death.

Hideyoshi went to Kyoto mainly for fun, visiting nobles and attending parties. He must have greatly enjoyed Kyoto's scenery, so let us, Owari no Tsuchiya, tell us about it.

Then Hideyoshi was seen covering his mouth with his sleeve and imitating the laughter of the nobles in Kyoto. His performance had everyone clapping their hands in delight. They had thought the nobles were all so elegant, but it turned out they were just like that.

Disenchantment requires a process. Now everyone is just sitting together and laughing, waiting for the future when they enter Kyoto. The daughters of ordinary nobles can only be concubines to these people in front of them.

Besides dressing up as an ugly fool, Hideyoshi also gave gifts to his important ministers. Although Kyoto had fallen into decline, as a major center of handicraft production, it still possessed a wealth of "Kyoto goods" not often found in rural areas. When Princess Tokuhime married in Mikawa, Shichibei was responsible for preparing the "Kyoto goods" and "Kara goods" for her dowry.

However, it was not Hideyoshi who brought the gift, but Nene. Nene had recovered from the pain of childbirth and was visiting people everywhere under the pretext of bringing her child.

As the daughter of a legitimate Oda family, Ningning has many sisters, all of whom are now wives of generals, mahjong, and castle lords. Marrying her is the most important step in Hideyoshi's life.

Without Nene, Hideyoshi wouldn't even be able to fully integrate into the core of the old Owari samurai group. Moreover, Nene was a very intelligent and clever woman, very popular.

Looking at Hideyoshi's firstborn, he seemed quite healthy. He had grown from a wrinkled newborn to a plump and adorable child. Perhaps it was because he was naturally good-natured and not afraid of strangers, but when he saw Shichibei, he just stared at him.

If the child grew up well, and by the age of fifteen or sixteen, it was unknown to which family he would be married off. In this way, Hideyoshi would have an adult son-in-law who could be brought along, and this son-in-law would certainly have the support of Nene, that is, the support of Kato, Fukushima, Asano and others.

It probably won't be assigned to Toyotomi Hidetsugu...

If she had been paired with Toyotomi Hidetsugu, the outcome would have been unimaginable.

As she was holding the baby, someone ran in. It turned out to be Nobunaga's younger brother, Mori Denbei (Mori Nagayoshi and Mori Ranmaru's older brother). When asked what the matter was, Nobunaga asked Shichibei if he had a detailed map of the road from Kiyosu to Tsushima that had been measured.

Or to put it more bluntly, Shichibei hired a bunch of kids to measure the land along the street. It was just a casual survey, as Shichibei wasn't a land surveyor anyway. He then submitted all of it to Nobunaga, so why is he asking for it now?

Because Murai Sadakatsu packed up all the materials and documents and sent them to the library in Gifu Castle, and there was no backup in Komakiyama Castle, he came to ask Shichibei if he had any, as Nobunaga needed them immediately.

how?

Of course, there was, as Kawamuraya was a kendo master. The street data along the route was measured with great difficulty, so it's naturally well-preserved.

But we had to make it clear that I had lent it to Nobunaga for his reference and that I had to return it to Kawamuraya. This was also considered business data, and there was no backup. If it was lost, it would be very troublesome in terms of accounting.

When Mori Denbei heard this, he asked Shichibei to go to Nobunaga himself with the records. Maybe there were some business secrets there?

Since she had something to do, Ningning took her child and left, as she had somewhere else to go. Shichibei, holding the documents, turned down a street and headed to Sakuma's residence.

Seeing Shichibei approaching with the documents, Nobunaga reached out and took them, rummaging through them. What was it about? Nothing much. Nobunaga simply wanted to make friends with Prince Makoto. Making friends isn't just about words; you need to be genuine.

Specifically, the imperial court's "Guo Ya Territory" in Owari was randomly selected from a former farm and restored to Prince Makoto in the name of the Imperial Ryousho for his daily expenses.

Let me reiterate that what was restored was only the "guardianship" money, not that the entire manor village would be handed over to Prince Chengren.

Based on this, Nobunaga always wrote a letter to Prince Makoto, telling him which village it was, its boundaries, and its approximate size. He briefly introduced it and then expressed his willingness to present it to the court.

The main point is to be full of sincerity. You can still go back to the court to settle old accounts. I, Nobunaga, really support you and have definitely not invaded.

Oh, Shichibei thought it was a big deal, but suddenly he wanted to check the length and size of the village's fields. After asking which village it was, Shichibei went straight forward and turned to the page that recorded the villages.

I'm a horse-drawn messenger, so how could I not know the stops one by one? Just ask the bus drivers, they can announce the stops better than a crosstalk performer on stage.

Nobunaga copied the papers carefully as they were passed to him from side to side, then folded the documents and placed them at his feet.

"My lord, well, the book..." This won't do. This is the only record I have. I've given you the original copy, so you have to take it away no matter how much of a backup copy I make.

"Ah? Aaaah, here I give it to you, it's just the account." Nobunaga didn't react at first, and Shichibei kept pointing at his feet.

"This is the foundation of Kawamura's survival." Damn it, isn't this road data the foundation?

"You remember it very carefully." Nobunaga simply unfolded the document and looked through it carefully.

"Kawamura-ya relies on this for his livelihood."

To be honest, even if we have a monopoly business and no competition, we still need to figure out the price so we can control the price variables. Besides, the money we earn is...

If you earn two more, you have to recruit more soldiers.

"After you finish the work in Komaki, go and prepare the streets from Kiyosu to Tsushima. Remember to set up the post stations and stables." Nobunaga closed the document and gave the order directly.

Although this matter had been put on the agenda a long time ago, there was no money to carry out it at the time. However, after the autumn harvest, Shichibei still had to take charge of the annual tribute rice.

"This..." No matter how much Shichibei tried to argue, he only had two arms and two legs, and he might not be able to handle it.

"Okay, okay, add more burdens to yourself. This is also a test for yourself." Nobunaga said it very lightly.

It's like asking you to pour me a cup of tea or give me a leg massage. Just raise your hand and things will be done in a few seconds.

“…” How do you want Shichibei to answer?

"Don't look so sad, come and have a drink with me." Nobunaga took out a folding fan and tapped Qibing's forehead, as if nothing had happened, and invited Qibing to stay for dinner.

Well, if I had known earlier, I would have asked Mori Denbei, or any other guy to deliver the paperwork. But when the paperwork was delivered, I didn't get any benefits, and I even got a project.

If it were in the future, Shichibei would have to go to the club and call all the girls to select ten or eight who were good enough to sing all night. But now, he couldn't find anyone to subcontract, so he had to do it all himself. He could barely find the manpower, but Shichibei had to coordinate it all himself.

Takenaka Hanbei was pulling wood for Linden Valley on the Kiso River, Inase Yoshinari and Minami Sanenaga were at home, and So Kotaro was right next to us helping to allocate horses.

No, I have to ask Nobunaga for another person.

As for this person, Shichibei had already spotted him when Nobunaga was recruiting people from Mino Province to expand the samurai group for his retainers. He was not from a prominent family, nor was he a brave warrior. He was called Tsuchida Yoshikiyo.

His father was Tsuchida Yoshishige, and Tsuchida Yoshishige had a brother named Ikoma Iemochi, whose daughter was Nobunaga's former concubine, Ikoma Yoshino.

As for why the two brothers had different surnames, and why one served Nobunaga and the other Ryūshō, there was no need to explain. These days, it was common for brothers to serve different masters, and having different surnames simply meant they were adopted as sons-in-law or adopted into a branch of the family.

At first, Shichibei didn't actually notice this person. Later, when Hideyoshi came to help transport wood, he discovered that there was another person named Ikoma Shinmasa beside him.

That’s right, it was Nobunaga who sent him his retainers. Except for Horio Yoshiharu, the other two of the three elders of Toyotomi were Nobunaga’s direct retainers.

Seeing Ikoma Yoshimasa, Shichibei asked him if he had any brothers who were not in government service. Ikoma Yoshimasa then introduced Tsuchida Yoshikiyo to Shichibei. At that time, Tsuchida Yoshikiyo was working as a clerk for Nobunaga with an annual salary of 20 kan.

To put it more bluntly, he was responsible for cutting paper for Nobunaga. Paper was scooped from pulp using a scooping net, and it was a large sheet. Before writing, it needed to be cut into different sizes according to the purpose or needs. Tsuchida Chikakita did this job, with a low salary, no chance of meeting Nobunaga, and no future prospects.

When Shichibei asked Nobunaga for it, Nobunaga was still looking around, completely unaware that he had such a retainer.

It's not surprising, firstly because of his low status, and secondly because he had just been recruited from Mino, Nobunaga was not familiar with him yet. Since Shichibei had spoken, Nobunaga had no hesitation in letting Mori Denbei lead the people and convey his feelings to Shichibei.

The quota for this year has been used up and no more requests are allowed.

He had to treat everyone equally, giving some here and some there. If he only gave Shichibei one person to strengthen the samurai corps, it would be unfair and the other retainers would definitely be unhappy.

Didn't Hideyoshi choose three, Makimura, Maruge, and Ikoma? This year, there are also three Shichibei: Takenaka, Tsuchida, and So Kotaro, who was promoted to Nobunaga's direct vassal and then sent back.

Just tell me if there are three.

"Okay, just give it to me." Mori Denbei turned around and brought Tsuchida Chikakiyo from the ashigaru's house. Perhaps Ikoma Chikamasa had told him about it, so he didn't think anything of it and just saluted Shichibei.

Then, with his small luggage, he followed Shichibei back to Kawamura-ya and stayed there, with bedding and other supplies ready. If we ate together, Nobunaga would give me 20 kan, and if I stayed with him, I'd give you an extra 10 kan of "hand money."

It could be considered an attendance allowance, or perhaps overtime pay. After all, he was previously quite free, just cutting paper, but now he's on his way to hauling wood for Takenaka Hanbei.

I'll give you ten days to familiarize yourself with the job of transporting wood, and I'll also give you fifteen like-minded people. After ten days, you'll be fully responsible for transporting wood to Linden Valley.

Takenaka Hanbei and Shichibei, who were selected, rode back on horseback to calculate the cost of building the Owari South Road. Once they had calculated the cost, they reported it to Nobunaga. Takenaka went to build the road, while Shichibei stayed at Komakiyama, continuing to allocate horses and starting the annual tribute rice sale.

We all have to work around the clock. We have to work as soon as we get here. It is impossible to sit idle. Don't worry, Nobunaga pays us generously, and so do our Shichibei. As long as we do a good job, we will get a lot of "hand money".

99. Put all your money in your bank account first

A steady stream of tribute rice was delivered to the main store of Tsushima Kawamuraya, a full 20,000 stones, and all of it was shelled. It was all the good rice that Nobunaga promised to entrust to Shichibei.

Of course, half of the ten thousand kan of rice had to be paid in cash to Nobunaga first. The remaining half was kept in Kawamuraya's account, and whenever Nobunaga needed to deploy horses or prepare supplies, he would use this account to pay for them.

Shichibei now has 5,000 kan. Furthermore, he has a clear account with Nobunaga: whenever Nobunaga asks for it, Shichibei will give it to him.

However, Shichibei also had a little selfish motive. Before paying the price for the rice, he first gave Nobunaga the quotation for building streets, post stations, buildings and stables from Kiyosu to Tsushima.

Nobunaga couldn't help but notice Shichibei's subtle intentions. He simply looked at the price carefully. From the lord of Nagono Castle with only 700 soldiers, to the daimyo with a million koku of Nobi, Nobunaga was well aware of the cost of goods.

He was not a weak lord raised by the women in the deep palace, but a heroic lord who had braved the sword and fire, gone through wind and rain, and killed his way through with swords and guns.

It’s okay to spend money, but it’s not okay to spend money recklessly.

After confirming that the price was within a reasonable range, Nobunaga signed and sealed it, indicating that he approved the price. Shichibei could go to Murai Sadakatsu to get the money and start working.

"Has the annual tribute rice been shipped to Tsushima?" Nobunaga did not hand the signed list back to Shichibei, but asked about the annual tribute rice instead.

Tsushima is the largest port in Owari now. The annual tribute rice has to be transported to Sakai and Kyoto for sale, so it naturally will not be concentrated at the foot of Komakiyama Castle.

"Yes, the counting is complete."