Owari Yumeki Golden Day

"This black horse is quite good." When Qibingwei came in, Xiaoxing had already announced that it was a gift horse. So the venue was moved directly to the racecourse that was integrated with the shooting range.

"It is said that this is the favorite horse of Saburobei Yamagata, a senior member of the Takeda clan." Shichibei was a horse seller, and he started bragging subconsciously.

Halfway through playing it, I remembered that this thing was dedicated to Nobunaga, and there was no seller. But I had to play it anyway, and the better I played it, the happier Nobunaga would be.

"Then how did it fall into your hands?" Nobunaga mounted his horse and trotted around the shooting range.

"Isn't Daizenden going to buy a teppo?" Why? He has a request for me. He wants me to buy a teppo for Kai.

"Oh..." Yes, Shichibei had reported this specifically before.

Nobunaga, perched on his horse, simply responded, his main focus on familiarizing himself with the steed beneath him. This horse was most likely bred from Iitomi Village in Kyumo County, perhaps even trained by Yamagata Masakage. Nobunaga found the steed's temperament pleasant, and with more practice, he could ride it into battle.

"Tell me, what's the matter?" After trotting for more than ten rounds, Nobunaga's forehead was slightly sweaty, and then he dismounted.

As soon as he sat down, the young men around him offered him water and took the horse away for a couple more laps. Just like a person, he'd just been running, his heartbeat was racing. It wouldn't be a good idea to stop now; a couple more laps would be better.

"I would like to ask my lord to send Hikojiro Kuwayama as my assistant." Shichibei was not at all embarrassed about being exposed or discovered, and he spoke without hesitation.

Nobunaga was such a smart man, so he shouldn't pretend. It would be better to speak directly. Besides, he didn't have time to play tricks with his subordinates. After all, he was a million-stone daimyo, and there were more and more things to do.

"Okay." Nobunaga turned around and waved to Kanamori Nagachika who was standing beside him.

It seems Kanamori Nagachika is on duty for the Moi-shu today, and the one we saw up ahead was Sasa Narimasa. Kanamori Nagachika must have been quite skilled to have been promoted from a foot soldier to the Moi-shu. Such a man would eventually become one of Rikyu's Seven Philosophers, renowned for his excellence in both civil and military arts.

Historically, he was assigned to Shibata Katsuie as a vassal, receiving not only the rank of Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Minister of War, but also the fiefdom of a county. If things went smoothly, a final 200,000 or 300,000 koku would have been a no-brainer. If he played his cards right, a 500,000 koku wouldn't have been out of the question.

What a pity, one wrong step led to another, and coupled with his old age, he ended up becoming the lord of Hida Province.

Well, it's none of our business. The war between Hideyoshi and Katsuie was more than a decade later. Who knows now if it will happen, or what the outcome will be?

Nobunaga didn't seem to be getting carried away yet, acting boldly but cautiously. He wouldn't act until he was fully prepared, so there was no need to remind him that two dragons couldn't meet, or that he and Oda Nobutada had to live apart.

Historically, it wasn't until he attacked the Asakura clan that he truly began to get carried away. According to the later history of the Edo shogunate, Oda Nobunaga had always focused on strategic planning in previous battles, but after conquering Kyoto, he became arrogant and attacked a daimyo like Asakura with his troops, without any preparation.

Tokugawa Ieyasu once made a strong appeal to Nobunaga, hoping that he would take it seriously. However, Nobunaga ignored it and pointed to his army of tens of thousands, saying that anyone who stood in his way would be crushed.

Then came the rebellion of Asai Nagamasa.

After this incident, Nobunaga remained cautious for two more years, but as the Oda clan grew stronger and stronger and his rule over the world was completely consolidated, Nobunaga inevitably became arrogant and lost his current cautiousness.

Remind him then, or...

Kanamori Nagachika hadn't expected Shichibei to still be concerned about his future. He smiled and nodded at Shichibei, then sent someone to inform Kuwayama Shigekatsu. His organizational affiliation and organization would remain in Gifu Castle, serving as a direct vassal of Oda Nobunaga, but he would be transferred to Tsushima Kawamuraya as Kawamura Shichibei's assistant.

Logically, Nobunaga should have met with Kuwayama Shigekatsu, had a conversation with him as a leader, and sought his opinion. However, firstly, Kuwayama Shigekatsu clearly lacked the talent Nobunaga valued; otherwise, he wouldn't still be serving as an ashigaru at the age of 44. Secondly, samurai adhered to the "way of the samurai," meaning they simply followed orders.

"Why do you want such a person?" Kuwayama Shigekatsu had served Nobunaga for many years, so Nobunaga naturally knew such a person.

"The handwriting is good." Shichibei blurted out.

It's not like they were just good at chatting. If that were the reason, even the knowledgeable Nobunaga would be stunned for three seconds. Can being good at chatting really make a living these days?

"Hahahahahaha, that's right, you have a lot of social connections, so it can be useful." Nobunaga clapped his hands and laughed, obviously agreeing with this reason.

That's right. The merchants in Shichibei Kenten, Annozu, Sakaimachi, and Atsuta issued invoices, posted letters, and sent them around. The ugly handwriting not only affected the reading experience, but also the reading time.

Many of the letters from the Japanese Warring States period that have survived to later generations contain such ugly handwriting by some samurai that it is truly astonishing. It would probably take you ten or twenty minutes just to decipher what he wrote.

"There's no shortage of people who know how to use a knife in this store." Shichibei very obediently handed Nobunaga the door.

"It is much more important for you to be able to use an abacus than to use a sword or a gun." Nobunaga stopped laughing, handed the ladle to Shichibei, and asked him if he wanted some water.

This was a blessing, and even if Shichibei wasn't thirsty, he had to accept it and drink it. Since they weren't going in the same direction, they avoided mouth-to-mouth contact, so he just drank it.

He handed the ladle back to Nobunaga, who nodded and threw it into the bucket. The water seemed to be from the Jinhua Spring on Mount Gifu, which was once the Jinhua Spring on Mount Jinhua. It seemed a little sweet.

"By the way, are there any talented people in your shop?" Before Kanamori Nagachika came back, Nobunaga started chatting with Shichibei.

As his family business grew, Nobunaga was both short of samurai and not short of them. The fact that he was not short of samurai is easy to understand. If the regular foot soldiers and the families and servants of the samurai retainers were also counted as samurai, Nobunaga's main force would have numbered more than 8,000.

However, Nobunaga still lacks samurai who are more inclined to civil affairs, such as managing civil affairs, accounting and collecting money, collecting food and grass, and planning logistics. Or it can be said that the shortage will become increasingly severe in the future, so Nobunaga is actively recruiting such samurai.

Take Takei Yuan, for example. Just hearing his name tells you he's a monk, originally named Takei Sukenao. He's not just turning sixty this year, he's actually sixty. Even at this age, Nobunaga pulled him out and appointed him as a magistrate of temples and shrines, handling all sorts of mundane affairs.

Because of his exceptional efficiency, Nobunaga favored him greatly. After 1545, Niwa Nagahide was sent abroad. Although Murai Sadakatsu was ranked as the first magistrate, he was largely responsible for general affairs in Kyoto and Yamashiro Province, and did not serve in Gifu or Azuchi for long periods. This made Takei Yuan the de facto chief official of the Oda clan.

It is said that at one time only three people could directly enter Nobunaga's residence on the top floor of Azuchi Castle: Oda Nobutada, Takei Yuan, and Mori Ranmaru.

If a foreign minister had something to report, they could only reach Nobunaga directly through these three people. Alternatively, they could simply register at the gates of the city and wait for Nobunaga's summons. If they tried to prevent you from meeting them, there was nothing you could do.

The sixty-year-old Nobunaga wanted them all and liked them all, which is evident.

"Oh! There is exactly one!" Shichibei slapped his forehead suddenly, wondering how he could have forgotten about this.

A few days ago, we arranged for the Takeda clan's samurai to take a scheduled ship to Sakai. Then, a letter arrived from Sakai. It was from Tsuda Soki, the owner of Tennojiya. He said he had a close friend named Matsui Tomokan, the kind of person you'd have tea with.

In the letter, Tsuda Muneki repeatedly praised Matsui Tomokan, saying he was a highly accomplished tea master. He was no ordinary slacker, but rather a member of the Ashikaga family. It was only after the Miyoshi Three murdered Ashikaga Yoshiteru that he took refuge in Sakaimachi.

Shichibei has been looking for people to learn some random literary knowledge. Nobunaga will soon go to Kyoto, and if he doesn't have any knowledge of literature and art, he will fall behind in socializing with Kyoto's wealthy merchants and nobles.

The waka was copying and reading, waiting for the explanation from the great monk Sawahiko Soen. However, there were no good tea ceremony masters, or else he would have been muttering about Captain Tsubasa Imagawa Ujizane.

Because of this, Shichibei asked Tsuda Muneki, also a renowned tea master, if he had any close friends whom he could hire to come to Owari to teach the art of tea ceremony. He didn't mind a high price, as long as the skill level was high enough, preferably someone with some background and a reputation.

I just recommended Matsui Tomokan to Shichibei.

Seeing this name, Shichibei basically knew the whole story. The Matsui family was a retainer of the Ashikaga shogunate, and Matsui Masayuki, the elder brother of Matsui Tomokan, was also a senior retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiteru, responsible for part of Kyoto's security.

After Ashikaga Yoshiteru was killed, Matsui Masayuki committed suicide to preserve the Matsui family's reputation as a loyal family. Then Matsui Masayuki's son Matsui Yasuyuki followed Ashikaga Yoshiaki and eventually became a retainer of the Hosokawa family.

Matsui Tomokane took refuge with Tsuda Muneki in Sakaimachi, and was close to Awa Kubo Ashikaga Yoshihide. By now everyone understands that hedging is the norm for military commanders.

Nobunaga's purchase of a "great general unrivaled in history" in Kyoto and his funding for Prince Makoto's coming-of-age ceremony were both public affairs. So why was he building momentum and networking in Kyoto so early? It was to support Ashikaga Yoshiaki's journey to Kyoto.

Tsuda Muneki, who was most sensitive to the wind, suggested that Matsui Tomokan go to Gifu to see what Oda Nobunaga was like. This was a preparation for both himself and Tsuda Muneki.

If Shichibei hadn't been a prophet, he would have agreed immediately. But now that Shichibei had traveled through time, he knew that this person was a scheming person, and had even secretly slandered Nobunaga, framing Akechi Mitsuhide, Araki Murashige, and Tokugawa Ieyasu (this was questionable).

After 1526, as Takei Yuan was very old, Matsui Tomokan actually took over as the Minister of Finance of the Oda family, taking charge of all civil affairs in Nobunaga's territory and serving as the governor of Sakai.

To be honest, when it comes to scheming, Shichibei thinks he can't beat others.

The dish is not to be played, and Shichibei can't lose face for Tsuda Muneki, so it's just right, so he recommends Matsui Tomokan to Nobunaga. Matsui Tomokan is eager to have the opportunity to get close to Nobunaga, and Shichibei helps him, not asking him to be grateful, but just asking him to say less in the future.

As for silencing him? This person has never harmed me in history. I have the respect of Tsuda Muneki in this dimension. Forget it, don't think too much about it.

"The old shogunate retainer is in Sakaimachi?" After listening to the story, Nobunaga showed a playful smile on his face.

A true retainer of the old shogunate should be in Ichijodani or in Kyoto. Why would he be in Sakaimachi? He was simply trying to curry favor with Ashikaga Yoshihide, who had already been summoned by the shogun.

The bottom line of being a minister is a bit flexible.

"It is said that he has become a monk and is just a tea master. But the big boss of Tsuda praised him for his financial management skills." The original letter from Tsuda Muneki is still there, and Shichibei can take it out and show it to Nobunaga.

"Tea master, hehe... interesting, ask him to come to Gifu and have a look." Nobunaga was not afraid of playing tricks on others, and he might even be expecting someone to play some tricks on him.

"As ordered."

After the two finished chatting, Nobunaga accepted the horse and praised Shichibei a few more words. When Shichibei returned to Kawamuraya, Kuwayama Shigekatsu had already appeared in the store, waiting for Shichibei.

Very good, buddy, don't just sit there. Go to Sakaimachi for me. Find Tsuda Muneki and bring that Matsui Tomokan to Gifu. This is the first errand I've sent you.

First, get to know the big boss, Soji Tsuda. In the future, you may have to use your eloquence to persuade the Sakai clan, led by Soji Tsuda, to pay the huge sum of 20,000 kan.

Shigekatsu Kuwayama didn't expect that he would get work as soon as he arrived, but he didn't refuse. He also said that he was suitable for running errands and had been doing it for more than ten years and was very skilled.

Hey, the attitude is pretty good.

Because of this incident, Shichibei could only wait at the Gifu branch. Ten days passed before Kuwayama Shigekatsu finally brought Matsui Tomokan to Gifu. He even reportedly heard that the Miyoshi Trio were engaged in a fierce battle with the Matsunaga father and son, with the fighting so intense that the road was completely blocked.

121. Three tea parties will improve your concentration

Matsui Tomokan came to Gifu, ostensibly to teach Shichibei some tea ceremony etiquette. As for Nobunaga's desire to see this man, only Nobunaga and Shichibei knew about it, and no one else knew.

The only person in charge of receiving Matsui Tomokan was Shichibei, who would arrange for him to stay at his home, provide him with food and drink, and then send Kuwayama Shigekatsu to chat with him, but there was no need to meet him immediately.

Shichibei, even if he's not busy with his wife, is still a high-ranking samurai with 2,500 kan. Even if he's not busy with his wife, he's definitely busy as hell. If you were Otani Yoshitsugu, I'd be ready to show my love to you barefoot. But you're Matsui Tomokan, so you're no more important than me.

Being too enthusiastic would make Shichibei look cheap, as if he just needed a sip of hot tea.

After the man had been waiting at Kawamura-ya for three days, Shichibei finally went to meet him, expressing his apologies repeatedly. Matsui Tomokan remained unfazed, stating that as an old monk, he felt it was an honor to have Shichibei invite him.

The Matsui family had fallen into decline after Ashikaga Yoshiteru was assassinated, and now there was no hope of revival. Moreover, he was not a member of the main branch. The main branch could still use the shogunate as a pretext to serve the public, while the branch family depended on whether others looked down on them.

I don't have a Shichibei tea set, but I could buy two regular ones. After all, it's a learning experience, so who would want to learn the tea ceremony with a celadon leech? This thing, whether in Japan or China, would be a national treasure. After all, it's an expensive and exquisite piece of porcelain, dating from the Song Dynasty, and reportedly repaired by Ming Dynasty court artisans.

This long-standing and legendary identity alone is enough to sell him for thirty to fifty million.

I bought a set of miscellaneous items like a teapot, a tea kettle, a matcha tea box, and a tea spoon, all for a total of 17 kan. The threshold for practicing the tea ceremony was probably 17 kan. No wonder even samurai with 200 koku of land could practice the tea ceremony in the middle and late Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Yes, I'm talking about you, Furuta Oribe.

At present, Furuta Oribe was still serving as a messenger under Nobunaga, a messenger known as the Centauri Shu in the Takeda clan. Nobunaga hadn't given the Oda messengers any special names, but they were all samurai with a few hundred koku of wealth and the ability to provide their own horses.

On the first day, we didn't discuss anything too in-depth, just focusing on explaining the uses of the tools. The other thing we talked about was that Kawamura-ya didn't have a suitable tea room.

Nowadays, teahouses are designed to be small and quiet. Kawamura-ya has a store in the front, a stable in the middle, and the residences of the waiters and Shichibei in the back. It is rare for it to be small and quiet.

Matsui Tomokan, however, was unpretentious, suggesting that they learn first and then build a proper teahouse when they can actually hold a tea ceremony. He didn't act like a master of the tea ceremony in front of Shichibei, acting like just an ordinary tea connoisseur.

Well, even if I don’t have foresight, are there really innocent little white rabbits these days?

They're all just scoundrels, but pretending to be harmless only draws attention. They might as well emulate Tokugawa Nobuyasu and pee in front of Shichibei, at least to appear reckless on the surface.

After leaving the house, Shichibei reported the meeting process and some of his own judgments to Nobunaga one by one. Nobunaga just nodded slightly. He had never seen a "little white rabbit" in his life.

If I think about it carefully, it's true. I was disliked by my own mother when I was a few years old. When I was a teenager, my younger brother rebelled against my older brother, and then my older brother rebelled against my uncle. My eldest brother-in-law rebelled against my father-in-law and even instigated the other uncles to rebel as well. But my dear Mr. Pingshou still doesn't recognize me. The first half of my life was rough, and I didn't meet any innocent people.

Following Matsui Tomokan's lead, Nobunaga borrowed Oda Nobuhiro's identity to attend the tea ceremony with Shichibei. Shichibei was now Nobuhiro's prospective son-in-law, and since it was public knowledge, it was reasonable for the two to interact normally and appear together.

Matsui Tomokan simply smiled at the sudden appearance of "Oda Nobuhiro." He then diligently boiled water, brewed tea, and used a tea whisk to create the perfect foam before handing it over to Shichibei and Nobunaga.

The two rough guys didn't understand anything and could only turn the tea bowls around and pretend to watch.

"You two should calm down." Matsui Tomokan seemed to have slowed down his movements and his voice became lower.

"The tea ceremony is a beautiful experience of wabi-sabi, and should be experienced with a clear mind."

Shichibei glanced at Nobunaga from the corner of his eye, and Nobunaga, holding his tea bowl, also glanced at Shichibei from the corner of his eye. Well, the two of them were thinking the same thing.

This thing is not something we two can handle.

But now that I'm here, can't I just jump up and leave?

The two didn't respond, so Matsui Tomokan gently moved the flower box with a crabapple blossom in front of them. Each flower, each scene, each scene, each object. Experience it.

All right, let's have some tea, and afterward, they expressed their opinions. Matsui Tomokan escorted them out of the room, saying he hoped they would bring a new flower for his viewing next time.

"Nanabe, what have you learned?" Nobunaga touched his ear with his little finger, not knowing whether it was because his ears were blocked or what.

"Ah? It's about the tea ceremony process." Shichibei thought, could there really be some deep meaning behind drinking a cup of tea?

"Very good, I think so too." Nobunaga blew on his little finger to express his approval of the same answer.

"That……"

What do you say? Should we keep this man teaching tea ceremony, or send him away? Or what? Oda Nobunaga, please give us your honest opinion.

"Let's come back in two days." Nobunaga made the decision immediately, not knowing whether he was really interested in the tea ceremony or something else.

Then, the two of them stared at each other and drank a cup of matcha brewed by Matsui Yukan. This time, it was quite good. Matsui Yukan had prepared two Japanese sweets in advance. He said he made them himself and borrowed the kitchen of Kawamura-ya.

Just cooking the red bean paste took five hours, and it had to be strained three times through gauze to ensure it melted in the mouth. He made a peach blossom-shaped wagashi because there were still a few peach trees in bloom on the mountains of Gifu, and he picked a petal from them. This creates a beautiful contrast and draws people in.

After eating something sweet, drinking something bitter doesn’t taste so bitter anymore.

What a shame! After two days of preparation, Shichibei still didn't inspire me. Nobunaga wasn't much different, and even said that this guy was great, and it would be nice to have him stay and make wagashi for himself.

Nobunaga loved sweets, and he ate pure sugar granules like konpeito as a snack. He not only ate them himself but also gave them away as rewards or gifts. While sugar was certainly good, he loved it too much.

Recruiting someone to become a samurai just because they know how to make sweets is ridiculous. Why not just go to Kyoto and find a wagashi chef? It won't cost you more than 20 kan a year.

Please wait for two more days before coming back. Matsui Tomokan has been entrusted by Tsuda Soji to teach Shichibei to the church.

Secondly, Matsui Tomokan didn't have a clear understanding of the situation outside Gifu Castle. He needed to listen, ask, and observe more before he could report the situation of the Oda clan to Tsuda Muneki.

As a businessman, Tsuda Muneki was most concerned about the political changes in Kinai. As the Oda family was one of the possible variables in Kinai, Tsuda Muneki could not let it go.

This time, the tea party was even more elaborate. Matsui Tomokan knelt in the hallway, awaiting the arrival of Shichibei and Nobunaga. He bowed earnestly, then filled a wooden bucket with water, allowing them to rinse their mouths and then their hands. His gesture was profoundly impressive. Only after the two men had, so to speak, cleansed their hearts and minds did he lead them inside.

Before, there were crabapple and peach blossoms, and now there is a two-colored pansy. It is placed in a bamboo box that was just split this morning and sits quietly in a corner of the room.

While the water was boiling, Matsui Tomokan brought out two plates of "Shingen Mochi." Hmm, why is it called Shingen Mochi? Shichibei had no idea. Later rumors spread that it was a food served by Shingen's army, but it seems like so many foods in Japan are associated with Shingen.

For example, shaved noodles and shaved noodles, and it is said that during the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima, Shingen let the Takeda soldiers eat shaved noodles. So the Takeda soldiers were able to fight from early morning until noon because the shaved noodles filled them up and provided more calories.