Owari Yumeki Golden Day

The title of Shogun had been given to Ashikaga Yoshihide, and the Kanrei had been appointed to Hosokawa Yoshimoto (later known as Hosokawa Akimoto), the son of Hosokawa Harumoto. Currently, Hosokawa Yoshimoto was in Akutagawa Castle, assisted by Miyoshi Nagayoshi, one of the Three Miyoshi.

But, we must have a but. If the general and the governor can belong to two sides, why can't the governor and the governor's deputy belong to two sides?

Historically, there have been instances of hostility between kanrei and kanrei deputies, such as when kanrei deputies Rokkaku Sadahori attacked kanrei Hosokawa Sumimoto. They each created their own title, and the fight was over.

Is there anyone doing the job of managing the agency now?

No.

If there wasn't one, why couldn't Nobunaga have done it? Wasn't Nobunaga worthy? The money was sent to Kyoto, and I doubt the court would even approve a Kanrei Dai. Although Ashikaga Yoshiaki hadn't been proclaimed Shogun, he always considered himself a Shogun, appointing various shogunate positions without the slightest embarrassment.

If you don't make it to Beijing, you might be considered a "fake officer." If you make it to Beijing, you're acting in accordance with the will of Heaven and making decisions early on.

If Yoshiaki asked Nobunaga to borrow money, then Nobunaga would have to countersign Yoshiaki's official documents in the capacity of "Kanreidai". At the same time, if the money was given to the imperial court, the court would also have to acknowledge Nobunaga's appointment as Kanreidai.

Regardless of whether it's true or false, useful or not, this card must be played out. Once the banner is out, whether the outside world believes it or not is up to them. Internally, we are legitimate, we have a righteous cause, and we are supporting the new emperor.

Of course, there is one more step to take.

Didn't they say that the Great Buddha Hall at Todai-ji Temple was destroyed? Should the shogunate intervene? Of course they should. Not only should they intervene, but they should also publicly announce their involvement.

Oda Nobunaga, the shogunate's governor who was recognized by both Ashikaga Yoshiaki and the imperial court, issued an official document announcing that all criminals who burned down the Great Buddha Hall would be severely punished and would be handed over to the shogunate for trial once they were arrested.

In this way, by contributing to the Great Buddha Hall, he at least earned himself a lot of fame. In terms of status, it also established the legitimacy of Nobunaga's rule in place of the Muromachi shogunate.

Anyway, Kanreidai was a temporary position. While I was in it, I was the shogunate's executive. If I didn't want to do it anymore, I could just change the title, set up the same team, and let them do what they were supposed to do.

The conversion is relatively easy. Anyway, it is just a matter of giving your administrative and military team a suitable skin.

Especially in a country like Japan where the principle of serving the country with the help of the emperor is very prevalent, I will be loyal to the source of the emperor's help. I don't care about other parties.

"Nakabe, being the Kanrei isn't that interesting, but your approach is okay." Nobunaga tapped his folding fan.

It is obvious that Nobunaga does not want to be the Kanrei, he does not even want to be involved in this matter, but he is tempted by the proposal of first obtaining the legitimacy to rule on behalf of the Shogun.

"Then..." But Nobunaga couldn't even be the governor, so how could he give orders to the world?

"You can be appointed as the governor!" Hideyoshi suddenly interrupted. He had already understood Nobunaga's idea.

"Haha, that's good." Nobunaga immediately agreed with Hideyoshi's idea.

It's a truly Japanese style! Stacking beds in a house is a historical tradition. I want the title of kanling, but I can't actually hold the position. What should I do? I'll hire a quasi-kanling agent.

He has the status and power of a deputy leader (achieved through his own ability), but he does not serve as a deputy leader. It is just a waste of time.

"..." The Oda retainers around him didn't expect Nobunaga to be so creative. They really didn't know what was going on in his head.

But since Nobunaga has made a decision, we must do as he says. It's said that we should obey the emperor's will. Nobunaga has given us a favor, so even if he tells us to climb the city walls like ants, we must go.

Upon hearing the news that Nobunaga was willing to offer a huge sum of 3,000 kan to the imperial court, Ashikaga Yoshiaki and the imperial envoy were deeply delighted. Nobunaga was indeed willing to cooperate, able to see the overall situation, and willing to compromise for the overall situation.

When Ashikaga Yoshiaki heard that Nobunaga wanted him to submit a petition to the court for the so-called quasi-kanreidai, he was puzzled. His retainers also thought that Nobunaga was just taking off his pants to fart, which was unnecessary.

Originally, if Nobunaga had succeeded in supporting Yoshiaki to go to Kyoto, he could have legitimately become the shogunate's Kanrei. Now, it wasn't unreasonable for him to be the Kanrei-in-Chief.

What is the purpose of “accurate”?

Hosokawa Fujitaka seemed to have figured something out, but wasn't entirely sure. Meanwhile, Akechi Mitsuhide, standing slightly to the side, had a clear, sharp gaze, which revealed a hint of understanding.

Could it be that this Nobunaga really didn't want to accept the Muromachi shogunate's position? The neighboring Ming Dynasty had to accept the abdication of the previous dynasty when it founded a new dynasty. The Oda Nobunaga in front of him actually...

127. Mitsuhide comes from behind and wins

Akechi Mitsuhide changed his mind and made a suggestion to Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Nobunaga only asked Yoshiaki and the court for the title of deputy governor, which showed that Nobunaga knew his position well and was aware of his humble origins and humble family background.

ha?

Even Hosokawa Fujitaka, who had already had some ideas, was interrupted by Akechi Mitsuhide. The retainers on both sides turned to look at Akechi Mitsuhide, meaning of course that you should speak up quickly.

Mitsuhide, already concocting a story, immediately offered a crucial premise: Is 3,000 kan a large sum of money? Regardless of the context, 3,000 kan is a significant sum. Especially for Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who lived in poverty and long relied on donations from the daimyo. Is 3,000 kan money? It's life.

That's it. Nobunaga was willing to give a huge sum of 3,000 kan, which shows that he really respected the shogunate and the imperial court, and was really willing to have good relations with them.

With this as the premise, the image of Oda Nobunaga, a wise and loyal minister, emerges before everyone.

Is that right? Nobunaga, because he deeply respected the old authorities, was willing to take the enormous risk of supporting Ashikaga Yoshiaki on his journey to Kyoto. While Nobunaga undoubtedly intended this as a way to boost his status, improve his family's standing, and secure goodwill with the imperial court, it was also a well-deserved reward.

Just as the Ouchi clan supported the shogun in his journey to Kyoto, the shogun directly granted him the title of guardian of the seven provinces (western provinces, Kyushu, and mountain castles), and the imperial court also granted him the title of the third rank. Did this suddenly elevate the Ouchi clan to the status of the world's foremost military clan? With this existing precedent in mind, could Nobunaga also claim the title of guardian of the seven provinces, becoming one of the ninth rank?

As for him flexing his muscles and showing his ambition, what a joke! Can a person without ambition conquer the borders of two and a half countries and support our Duke Yi Zhao to go to Luoyang?

Look at Asakura Yoshikage. He cried for two months over his son's death. He ignored the Ikko Ikki's attacks, the rebellion of his retainers, and even the rebellion in Wakasa. He's a complete loser. If we depend on him, our Lord Yoshiaki will never become a shogun.

Hey, this is a typical case of each person having his own reasons.

From a positive perspective, and from a negative perspective, journalism is extremely charming.

It's possible that this is Nobunaga's way of showing goodwill to you, hoping to take the title of Kanrei first and ask you for the Kanrei position in the future.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who was a bit unpredictable at first, was now led into a ditch by Mitsuhide. The main reason was that Yoshiaki really wanted to become the shogun. With this obsession, it is human nature that he would tend to follow the idea of ​​making him the shogun.

With loyal retainers, Nobunaga is truly a loyal retainer of the Muromachi shogunate!

So Yoshiaki very naturally ordered Mitsuhide to praise Nobunaga and reassure Nobunaga that Yoshiaki knew what was going on with this gesture of goodwill (he would definitely express his gratitude after the success of the Kyoto expedition).

Not to mention, thanks to Akechi Mitsuhide's analysis, Ashikaga Yoshiaki even felt he had Nobunaga under his thumb. After all, Nobunaga was of humble origin, a subordinate of a vassal. Once Yoshiaki ascended to the shogunate, he would secure the highest position in the samurai world. If he granted Nobunaga a title, it would be a boon, a great boon, more than enough to repay Nobunaga for his support.

Hurry up and coax Nobunaga to take everyone out. Hurry up and don't wait any longer.

Shichibei was not present at the meeting between Mitsuhide and Nobunaga, and did not know what happened or what was said. However, he knew what happened after the meeting.

Nobunaga specifically sent someone to discuss with Ashikaga Yoshiaki, hoping that Akechi Mitsuhide would become a retainer of both Ashikaga and Oda. This can be compared to Ashikaga Yoshiaki sending Mitsuhide to Nobunaga as a retainer, but it is not entirely accurate, it is a bit similar.

In short, Nobunaga openly asked Yoshiaki for Mitsuhide, and many Oda retainers did not understand why Nobunaga did this. It is unlikely that it was because Mitsuhide's archery and horsemanship had surpassed the Oda retainers during the previous hunting trip, and Nobunaga felt that he had to seize this man because of the loss of face.

Let everyone speculate. Yoshiaki thought that Nobunaga would become the regent of the shogunate in the future anyway, so he agreed to Nobunaga's request without much hesitation.

From then on, Akechi Mitsuhide could appear openly in the account book of Oda Nobunaga's retainers.

"Perhaps the lord needs a wise man who is well versed in the etiquette of public office and military service to serve him..." Hideyoshi was still in Gifu at this time, and the incident of Akechi Mitsuhide seemed to make him feel a sense of crisis or tension.

"Maybe he just admires him purely." Shichibei didn't quite understand. It seemed that Mitsuhide was just running between Yoshiaki and Nobunaga. After a few trips, Nobunaga asked for the person openly.

There were many reasons involved, and Shichibei didn't have any spies who could record them all and relay them to him.

"Hmm..." Of course, Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide did not have any hatred at all. It might just be based on intuition.

"At least he is very skilled in martial arts and well-educated." Shichibei thought it would take another two years for Mitsuhide to defect to Nobunaga.

After all, Nobunaga had offered Mitsuhide 4,000 kan to recruit him, but Mitsuhide had honestly rejected Nobunaga. At that time, Shichibei felt that Mitsuhide did not seem to be very optimistic about Nobunaga, nor did he have the intention to bet all on Nobunaga.

Following Ashikaga Yoshiaki, a natural "great treasure", he had plenty of time to observe the heroes of the world. Nobunaga at the time probably did not show enough magnanimity for him to serve.

The saying goes, "A good bird chooses a tree to roost in, and a good minister chooses a master to serve" is exactly this principle.

Mitsuhide was undoubtedly a man of great ambition, constantly seeking opportunities for success. What was it about him that made him feel that he and Nobunaga were a perfect match, and that led him to accept the "dual-servant" proposal, serving both Yoshiaki and Nobunaga simultaneously?

It’s a pity that we are not the worms in their stomachs.

"Tsk, do you think there is a possibility that this Akechi Jubei was bribed by the lord?" Hideyoshi suddenly came up with an idea.

"What do you mean?" Shichibei came forward quickly.

"I think that His Highness is a very active person..."

It's clear that Yoshiaki wasn't completely stupid. After all, he was able to link so many people into Nobunaga's encirclement, and even caused him considerable trouble. This shows that Yoshiaki actually had some ability to link people, and his intelligence was at least above average for the time being.

Hideyoshi roughly concluded this from the descriptions of others and his own observations.

In order to stabilize such a capable and self-reflective Lord, would it be okay to place someone by his side who is equally smart and can lead others astray?

There was someone who could calm Yoshiaki down, squatting beside him, and this person also had a confidant with Nobunaga. For Nobunaga, this would bring many benefits.

"Hey! Your idea..." Shichibei felt that Hideyoshi's idea made sense because it made sense logically.

"But there is a problem." Hideyoshi still had some hesitation in his tone.

"what?"

"My lord, why do you believe that this Akechi Jubei is truly in cahoots with the traitors?"

Yes, if Mitsuhide could sell out Yoshiaki, he could certainly sell out others. Nobunaga always treated his subjects with the principle of bleeding them first and then dealing with them, making the most of them. So why would one assume that Mitsuhide wasn't a treacherous villain and could trust someone so deeply that he could place them beside Yoshiaki?

"Not necessarily. The lord is a very confident person." On this point, Shichibei's opinion differs from Hideyoshi's.

Judging from historical records, Nobunaga possessed an unparalleled self-confidence. Once he set his mind to something, he would carry it out. Similarly, he not only employed those he identified, such as Oda Nobuhiro, who openly rebelled and threatened to kill his brother, but also appointed him as a clerk for his entire family.

Not to mention Shibata Katsuie, who was really swinging a knife and slashing him on the forehead. But after judging his loyalty, Nobunaga entrusted him with an important task.

In this case, if Nobunaga had already determined that Mitsuhide had defected to him, he would have boldly appointed Mitsuhide without any doubt.

Of course, Mitsuhide was treated like a beast of burden, driven from morning till night by Nobunaga, but that's another matter. The same thing happened to Shichibei and Hideyoshi, who were present here. With only a few days off throughout the year, Nobunaga treated people like animals, with no respect for them at all.

I'm really afraid that one day he will use me like a forklift...

"Oh, now that you mention it, I'm not sure again." Hideyoshi scratched his already bald forehead. Although he was complaining, his tone was still good.

Multiple ideas are naturally a good thing.

"Boss, Lord Yamauchi is looking for you." The two men were halfway through their secret discussion when the waiter outside came to report.

"Please let him in." When Shichibei heard that it was Yamanouchi Kazutoyo who came, he naturally would not stop him.

"Then I'll take my leave." Hideyoshi stood up and prepared to leave.

"Let's stay and have dinner together. Maybe Inoemon came here for something." Yamauchi Kazutoyo was the gatekeeper for Nobunaga after all, and he was also a person on the edge of the core of power.

Just like the gatekeepers at the compound, they may not know much about other things, but at least they know the leaders' comings and goings and their daily routines. For this reason alone, I wonder how many people bribed the gatekeepers.

"Don Kinoshita is here too." Yamauchi Kazutoyo hurried in and greeted Hideyoshi as soon as he saw him.

"Just now, the lord has granted Akechi Jubei a salary of 4,000 kan." As expected, Yamauchi Kazutoyo had just sat down when he brought the two of them the latest news.

"Wow!" Hideyoshi and Shichibei said in unison.

The two men had carried spears for Nobunaga for so many years, and were treated like cattle and horses by Nobunaga, but in the end they only earned 2,500 kan of money. But when Akechi Mitsuhide came, he earned 4,000 kan of money.

The only difference is that theirs is knowledge and action, while Mitsuhide's is purely money, and he did not specify a place to become Mitsuhide's territory.

Shichibei should have known this long ago, as Mitsuhide started out very well in the Oda clan. He was initially given a salary of 4,000 kan (approximately 2,000 kan) and then, after moving to Kyoto, was directly granted Yamashiro Kuzesho. The area covered by this estate was approximately 28,000 koku in the Edo period, though it may be less now.

After only two years, he was transferred to Omi Shiga County, which was already worth 50,000 koku. After that, Mitsuhide became the lord of Sakamoto Castle and the de facto commander of a corps.

It’s really fast.

How should I put it? It is true that Nobunaga trusted his subordinates. He had promised Mitsuhide 4,000 kan, and now that Mitsuhide had arrived, he really gave him 4,000 kan immediately.

But the words sounded rather unpleasant to the Oda retainers. No one feels comfortable when a newcomer takes the upper hand.

"Forget it, let's have a drink." Shichibei clapped his hands and said nothing more.

"That's right." Yamauchi Kazutoyo is just a foot soldier now, not an important official, and it is not yet time for him to consider such things.

128. Can’t See Clearly

However, the presence of Akechi Mitsuhide at the meeting of the Oda clan's important officials was still a bit unpleasant. Those present had to chop people until their hands were numb, and only then did they have a seat in the residence, and there was a seat for everyone who came.

Speechless...

However, Oda Nobunaga was now the undisputed leader of the Oda Clan. His prestige, having unified Owari and conquered Mino and Northern Ise, was enough to silence any opposition within the clan. He had the final say over the entire Oda Clan, and once Nobunaga made a decision, there was no room for rebuttal.

Prestige, once established, is quite useful. With prestige, Nobunaga naturally holds the supreme position in the Oda clan.

Who agrees? Who objects?

Anyway, Shichibei agreed. One more ox or horse would make the burden on the others lighter. Besides, Mitsuhide was a very capable and hardworking ox or horse.

Let's sit down and discuss matters that everyone knows for sure. The summer harvest is approaching, and with food, we can prepare for war. Ashikaga Yoshiaki holds the righteous title, and the court is already negotiating with him. Nobunaga's position as deputy governor has been confirmed. They even eagerly anticipate Nobunaga's arrival to maintain order in Kyoto.

When Asai Nagamasa heard that Nobunaga was going to attack Rokkaku Yoshiharu, he almost signed a military order, saying that he would definitely send more than 5,000 troops to support him. Tokugawa Ieyasu did not refuse, saying that he would also send more than 5,000 troops whenever Nobunaga called him.

These two alone had over 10,000 men, so Nobunaga was already quite impressive at this point. His teammates could summon tens of thousands of men at once, which was quite impressive.

In addition, the two territories of Owari and Mino, which were Nobunaga's core, had completely become his inner territories. The surrounding areas were either his own territories or allies and subordinate forces. Oda Nobunaga almost had all three of the advantages of time, place, and people.

In this case, how can we not go to Luoyang?

The meeting was held to announce this matter. Nobunaga decided to go to Kyoto and asked the important officials of the Oda clan present to mobilize immediately. As soon as the summer harvest was completed, they would recruit troops from all directions and gather in Gifu Castle to support Ashikaga Yoshiaki to enter Kyoto and take the throne.

Everyone had a task: the county governor was to collect food, the castle governor was to mobilize the nobles, and the magistrate was to prepare the military equipment. Shichibei was no exception and had to purchase rice according to Nobunaga's needs.

There is an army only when there is white rice.

In addition to the several thousand koku of tribute rice stored within the castle, Shichibei was ordered to prepare 40,000 koku of military rations. 30,000 koku was to be taken with the army, and the remaining 10,000 koku was to be stored in the rice storage at Gifu Castle as a reserve.