Owari Yumeki Golden Day

"It has been confirmed that Iwanari-sama has 10,000 cavalrymen and is currently at Katsuryuji Temple." Hosokawa Fujitaka, who had just rushed back from Kyoto, gave an explanation to the Oda army generals.

"Yeah." Nobunaga just nodded and didn't express any opinion.

He needed to know where Sanhao's 50,000 cavalry were so that he could attack them fiercely and decide the outcome in one battle.

"Another three thousand riders of Miyoshi Hyuga (Nagayoshi) are in Akutagawa, and the Kanreidan has about a few hundred knights."

"What about the rest?" Hosokawa Fujitaka stopped talking, so Nobunaga naturally asked.

"I don't know the rest." Who knew Hosokawa Fujitaka was also single? He hadn't found out anything, so he just said he didn't know. Anyway, he had tried his best to find out, and it wasn't all in vain.

"In other words, the Miyoshi bandits have not yet joined forces?" Sakuma Nobumori was a little hesitant to make a judgment based on the very simple map.

Nobunaga was already within reach, yet the Miyoshi armies hadn't yet united. What was their plan? Were they waiting for Nobunaga to arrive and then attack him one by one?

"Judging from the current situation, they have not yet merged." After saying this, Hosokawa Fujitaka saluted Oda Nobunaga and sat down.

The home field was returned to Nobunaga. No one had ever fought an epic battle on Earth in the feudal era with 60,000 people fighting against 50,000 people, so everyone was looking up to Nobunaga.

Shichibei, whose seat wasn't close to the front, ducked his head. "Ask the elders first, not me." How could Shichibei know such a thing? Historical records from his previous life recorded Nobunaga as a whirlwind of beauty, and his ascent to Kyoto was similarly whirlwind. When the time comes, heaven and earth unite. While others face countless difficulties and dangers in their quest to Kyoto, he can easily find success.

They rushed to Kyoto in less than a month, and then Ashikaga Yoshiei died suddenly. It was simply a coincidence.

Anyway, in another dimension of history, Nobunaga went to Kyoto like an autumn outing, and visited the capital in a hurry. He immediately ushered in the Azuchi-Momoyama period in Japanese history and became the master of the world.

No one wanted to be in the spotlight at this moment. Even the very active Akechi Mitsuhide and Kinoshita Hideyoshi were standing there thinking hard, and did not jump out to help Nobunaga solve his problems.

A massive battle involving hundreds of thousands of people, even in the feudal era, was essentially a gamble on the fate of a nation. Who would easily make a judgment on such a major event? If they were wrong, how many people would be killed?

It's cold...

"If the lord breaks through Liujiao one day, maybe he can scare off the Sanyo gang." Hana Naomasa, who was not among the important ministers and was kneeling in the corridor, suddenly spoke.

"Keep talking!" Nobunaga immediately pointed at Hanawa Naomasa and even walked several steps forward, passing the family elders.

"According to common sense, in order to stabilize Jiangnan, the lord needs to continue to eliminate the Rokugon gang, at least more than 10,000 people. After going to Kyoto, staying in Kyoto to control the checkpoints, ferry ports, Ouchi and the Imperial Palace, he will have more than 10,000 people." Encouraged by Nobunaga, Hanawa Naomasa spoke louder.

"By the time we reach Shenglong Temple, we will have no more than 30,000 men. If the Sanhao bandits unite and attack fiercely, the outcome will be reversed."

"Hiss..." Nobunaga stood there, thinking about the possibility of Hanawa Naomasa's statement.

At this time, Shichibei was right next to Nobunaga's feet. Nobunaga was standing, and Shichibei was sitting. Hey, guess what, Shichibei noticed that Nobunaga's toenails were quite clean. This man seemed to pay attention to cleanliness. The middle and lower-level samurai we have seen before often wore straw sandals all year round, and their feet were mostly not clean.

But now is not the time to observe toenails. Hanawa Naomasa is the future Harada Naomasa, the Harada Naomasa who fought so hard against Ishiyama Honganji that most of his clan commanders and samurai were killed, and who then died in battle and then went straight to the end.

As a member of Nobunaga's Akamori clan, he competed with more than 20 colleagues. He had hundreds of thousands of stones and was the guardian of two countries, while Maeda Toshiie only had 30,000 stones in his mansion.

When it comes to success, this guy is quite fast.

The key point is that Nobunaga has not yet started to help him build a samurai group. Even Hideyoshi became the next in line among the western Mino factions after building the castle of Sunamata, and received support from the Hosuka Party and the Tsubouchi Party.

Just after pacifying Hunan, Shibata Katsuie captured Gamo Kenhide, Sakuma Nobumori captured Kondo Kenmori, Shichibei captured Aochi Shigetsuna, but Hanawa Naomasa had nothing at all.

Could it be that he gained Nobunaga's attention just because of this sudden speech?

"Besides, our army has been on the battlefield for twenty days, and the money and supplies consumed are innumerable. After entering the mountain city, supply will be even more difficult." Hanawa Naomasa took advantage of this opportunity and said everything he wanted to say.

Although Yamashiro and Omi were prosperous, Nobunaga had just settled there and could not exploit the peasants on a large scale. Collecting rice taxes was exploiting the landlords and samurai lords, and the landlords, with their large wealth and power, were unlikely to revolt. The peasants were not afraid, just as those who were barefoot were not afraid of those who wore shoes. If they were to collect rice in the middle of summer, it would be a disaster if the people did not revolt.

If you want to get food supplies, you have to buy them. The current price of rice is 800 coins per stone, or even higher. The 60,000-strong army consumes countless amounts of food every day. How much money does Nobunaga have to burn?

Even the Miyoshi trio could gamble that Nobunaga would only enter Kyoto and escort Ashikaga Yoshiaki to his place, and then call it a day. At that time, only a few thousand soldiers would be left to guard the city, and the entire army would be withdrawn.

Wouldn't the offensive and defensive situation change immediately?

The Miyoshi Three and others, who were temporarily scattered but had their strength intact, could immediately lead their troops to fight again, kill Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and at the same time, eliminate the more than 10,000 troops Nobunaga left near Kyoto and Yamashiro.

At that time, Nobunaga would be stuck in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. The initiative would immediately shift to the hands of the Miyoshi Three, and the imperial court would be controlled by the Miyoshi again.

Although it’s not right, it’s not far off!

Listening quietly to Hanawa Naomasa's boastful remarks, Shichibei noticed that his speculation actually overlapped with subsequent historical developments. This made Shichibei subconsciously take another serious look at Hanawa Naomasa. It turned out that there was always talent; what was lacking was a platform or opportunity for them to display their talents.

Given the opportunity to shine, gold can shine brightly, which is completely different from when it was covered by a rag.

"Kurozaemon, I order you to take the initiative with Quanliu and Sanzuo!" Nobunaga clapped his folding fan and issued the order immediately.

"Ho ho!" Hanako Naomasa crawled on his knees for several steps as fast as he could, came to the corridor and received Nobunaga's order.

Shibata Katsuie and Mori Kazunari both had large armies of several thousand men, while Hanawa Naomasa certainly did not have that many men. However, Nobunaga could give him temporary command of other troops under his command, such as the Homoe-shu and Ashigaru-shu.

It was just like when Nobunaga attacked Inuyama Castle and ordered Hideyoshi to cross the Kiso River and go out to conduct guerrilla warfare to stop the enemy, and he gave him thirty foot soldiers.

Nobunaga's direct forces now numbered over 15,000, and the vast majority were combat-ready. Furthermore, he had just recruited over 6,000 men from the Rokkaku clan, so he was willing to give them all to Hanawa Naomasa to try out.

They're just foot soldiers, aren't they? As long as the Yongle money is in place, there are enough able-bodied men to recruit. Raise the recruiting flag, and the food will come. The principle is the same in ancient and modern times, in China and abroad.

The plan was set, and the entire army headed straight for Otsu.

As an "autonomous city" authorized by the Muromachi shogunate, Otsu knelt down in front of Nobunaga very smoothly, and waited for Ashikaga Yoshiaki to issue a document after he ascended the throne, and then collected arrow money from Nobunaga.

The excited Yoshiaki also rushed to the Tofuku-ji Temple on Mount Higashi and set foot on the land of Yamashiro Province. Nobunaga himself moved his main camp from Kannonji Castle to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and began to send a large number of people to investigate whether there might be an ambush by Miyoshi in Yamashiro Castle.

Adopting Hanawa Naomasa's approach did not hinder Nobunaga's caution.

Furthermore, the imperial court had not yet succeeded in persuading Ashikaga Yoshihide to resign as shogun, which was a bit of a dilemma. Yamashina Nobutsugu, an old friend of the Oda family, personally came from Kyoto to meet with Nobunaga and discuss the matter with him.

On the one hand, Nobunaga asked the court to continue urging him, and on the other hand, he sent his right-hand man Matsui Tomokane, who had previously had contact with Ashikaga Yoshihide, and Wada Koremasa to meet Ashikaga Yoshihide directly.

After all, Ashikaga Yoshiei's status is indeed noble, especially in a place like Kinai where the atmosphere of the old feudal power is strong. Nobunaga probably meant to honor Ashikaga Yoshiei as the Ogosho, and did not deny the fact that he had served as a shogun.

In addition, a territory of 50,000 koku can be allocated anywhere to Ashikaga Yoshihide as his retirement allowance. Ashikaga Yoshihide only needs to resign and take the lead in supporting Ashikaga Yoshiaki to succeed him.

Now that Nobunaga has not yet entered the capital, everything is easy to discuss. If he enters the capital, there will be no such conditions. Moreover, if Ashikaga Yoshihide can become the Grand Palace, at least one thing will be clear: his sons will also have an orthodox status.

We're in a state of flux. Give Yirong some hope. While he might not be a general for many years, his sons might one day rise again. Who knows when the chaotic Warring States era will end? Who knows, someone might emerge and be crowned the emperor?

139. Although the journey to Luoyang is one step short

"Oh? The Hoshu governor is quite interested?"

Shichibei continued to build a pontoon bridge over the Uji River as usual to ensure that Nobunaga's 60,000-strong army could cross the river. If the Miyoshi army did not stop Nobunaga at the Uji River, Nobunaga would have to move his troops westward.

"Yes, yes." Matsui Tomokan nodded repeatedly, obviously happy because he had accomplished a great thing and was able to gain favor in front of Nobunaga.

Matsui Tomokan went to Sakaimachi via the Uji River and the Yodo River. The so-called Uji River has its source in Lake Biwa. The earliest section is called the Seta River, the middle reaches are called the Uji River, and the lower reaches are called the Yodo River.

The Seta River is the same one where, according to legend, Shingen cried out, "I saw my flag hoisted on the Seta Bridge" upon his death. It's like the last natural barrier before entering Kyoto, similar to Nobunaga's prediction that the Miyoshi army would be blocked by the Uji River. They believed that once they crossed this river, the road to Kyoto would be smooth.

(The same river is called Xin'an River in its upper reaches, Fuchun River in its middle reaches, and Qiantang River in its lower reaches. To people other than locals, these names are really incomprehensible. Why can't they just have one name? Perhaps there's a special reason. Can those of you who study water conservancy or geography tell me?)

"Is the Shogun of Hamasu ready to go to Kyoto?" Shichibei seemed to be thinking about something.

Because historically, Ashikaga Yoshihide seems to have died suddenly of a back ulcer a few months later, and the exact circumstances are unclear. Records from that time are very few, and there are many conspiracy theories.

"I am trying to escape from Sakai with the help of the Sakai people and Matsunaga Michigi." Matsui Tomo had some free time, so he walked ashore from the boat on the Uji River and went to Kiyomizu Temple to report to Nobunaga who was setting up camp at Kiyomizu Temple.

"That's right. The Three Good Thieves are all terrified right now and may not have the time to care about him."

Although Matsui Tomokan's historical reputation seems to be not very good, because our Shichibei introduced him to Nobunaga, he is still quite friendly to Shichibei. He even nods and salutes when he sees Shichibei, which seems very intimate.

At the same time, as Shichibei's tea ceremony master, Shichibei also respects him. After all, we are master and apprentice, so if you are friendly, I will naturally be friendly too.

"The main reason is the power of the soldiers at the Imperial Palace." Matsui Tomokan saw that Wada Koremasa's boat had also docked, so he prepared to set off.

"That's right..." That's a good point.

A few days ago, Hanawa Naomasa analyzed why the Miyoshi Three didn't gather an army of 50,000 to fight Nobunaga, mainly because Nobunaga broke through the Rokkaku in one day. This is so shocking, so shocking that it can't be said to be more shocking.

The Rokkaku clan, perhaps later generations might think, was merely the downfall of a daimyo. But the Rokkaku clan was a prominent clan among prominent clans, facing the Ashikaga shogunate's attacks. Their fall was no less shocking than the fall of the Imagawa or Ōuchi clans.

Similarly, the Miyoshi trio were all shocked, let alone Ashikaga Yoshihide. These born political animals may be slow in other aspects, but they are really good at manipulating politics.

Apparently, Ashikaga Yoshiei realized that Nobunaga's army was at its peak and no powerful force could stop him from going to Kyoto. So, he had no choice but to negotiate a suitable price for the item while it was still available.

When Nobunaga is dead one day, Yoshiei can still make a comeback.

Could Ouchi Yoshioki, the world's ruler who went to Kyoto decades ago, have known that the Ouchi family would be completely destroyed? I think Ouchi Yoshioki could never have imagined that his family would rise and fall so suddenly.

At this moment, Wada Koremasa also came down from the boat. Seeing Shichibei and Matsui Tomokan chatting on the shore, he also came over to say hello. Like Matsui Tomokan, Wada Koremasa's face was also full of joy. He had finally completed the task assigned to him by Nobunaga and Yoshiaki, and he was naturally happy.

Along with a dozen followers, the two changed horses at Shichibei's place and immediately set off for Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Even a horse race would take an hour or so, and working for Nobunaga meant constant effort.

However, according to Matsui Tomokan, if this happens, the world's situation will change. Nobunaga will have two powerful shoguns in his hands, one is the current shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and the other is the Grand Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihide.

Even if Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Nobunaga turned against each other in the future, or even launched the so-called Nobunaga encirclement, Nobunaga could raise the orthodox banner of Ashikaga Yoshiei, let Yoshiei return to the position of shogun, and then issue an edict declaring that Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin and others were all traitors.

Wow, just thinking about that picture is beautiful.

Kenshin Uesugi held high the banner of respecting the emperor and expelling the barbarians all his life, but in the end he was denounced as a traitor by the shogunate he respected. Tsk tsk tsk tsk, I guess Kenshin Uesugi would have died of a cerebral hemorrhage prematurely.

Furthermore, the Muromachi shogunate had a precedent of former shoguns returning to serve as shoguns. Ashikaga Yoshizai served as shogun twice, but he changed his name to Ashikaga Yoshitane during the second term.

Even though Ashikaga Yoshiei has resigned now, he has been a genuine shogun for half a year after all, so his future is promising.

"Hanbei, how do you think the situation in the capital will change?" Shichibei felt that the current situation was developing in an interesting way, so he asked Takenaka Hanbei, who was also standing by the bridge.

"Well, it is inevitable that His Majesty the Kubo will succeed to the throne, but the Miyoshi clan has not been destroyed yet..." Takenaka Hanbei is not a god, and he does not have the ability to calculate ahead of time.

The general direction is still the same as the concerns of Oda's retainers, that is, the problem of the Miyoshi Three and Shinohara Nagafusa's 50,000 troops. If these 50,000 people are not killed, Nobunaga will never be able to maintain peace in Kyoto.

"What else? For example, if the Bozhou Kubo turns to the lord." Shichibei wanted to hear something new.

"Excuse me for being blunt, but the Shogunate of Bozhou has no foundation of its own, so it may not be easy for it to escape." Takenaka Hanbei pondered for a moment and began to explain.

First, there is the Sakai Kaiheshu. Most of these people support the Miyoshi family and now basically stand on the side of the Miyoshi Three. Next is Matsunaga Hisahide. Whether he had a part in killing the shogun or not is not discussed for now, but it is true that he was against the Miyoshi Three and supported Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

Matsui Tomokan said that the Sakai clan and Matsunaga Hisahide are trying to help Ashikaga Yoshiei leave Sakai-machi and go to Kyoto to join Nobunaga. How feasible is this?

Will the Sakai clan betray Ashikaga Yoshihide? Will Ashikaga Yoshihide trust Matsunaga Hisahide? Can these three parties work together to ultimately allow Yoshihide to escape?

These are all real problems, and in fact, they're not all that optimistic. Matsui Tomokan and Wada Koremasa exemplify the simplest approach: they prioritize what they most want to happen. This is a common human trait, but they avoid predicting the worst-case scenario.

Perhaps Ashikaga Yoshiei was deceiving them? As long as Ashikaga Yoshiaki didn't succeed to the throne, Nobunaga's righteousness would remain uncertain. Perhaps the Miyoshi Three knew about this and intervened?

In short, all kinds of developments are possible. Those involved are confused, but those who are on the sidelines can see things clearly. Takenaka Hanbei did not think that the people and events along the line of Ashikaga Yoshiei would easily turn to Oda Nobunaga.

"Oh..." You're quite creative.

What Takenaka said was indeed a possible direction. Shichibei found that it was easy for him to fit things into the line of foresight. Subconsciously, he really needed someone to talk about other ideas and methods.

"If Otate-sama had believed the report too easily, he might not have been able to wait for the arrival of the Shogun of Hama." Takenaka Hanbei was not involved in the decision-making of the Oda family anyway, so it didn't matter if he got involved. He could just say what he wanted to say.

Nobunaga was the only one who could make decisions in the Oda clan, and everyone else had the right to offer suggestions. Unless what they said was exactly what Nobunaga was thinking, it would appear that Nobunaga was listening to the opinions of his subordinates.

"That's what you said." Shichibei nodded slightly, it was indeed true.

However, if Ashikaga Yoshiei really died suddenly, it would not have much impact on Nobunaga now. After all, there is Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and falling out is a problem in the future.

How about I give Nobunaga some more information?

Noda Sanbei, who had just swapped horses for Matsui Tomokan and Wada Koremasa, appeared right in front of Shichibei. Noda was a new face among new faces, having previously worked at the small ranch, where his presence or absence wouldn't have been a major concern. Perfect for a brief disappearance.

While Hanbei went to check the quality of the floating bridge, Shichibei called Noda over, said this and that, and then took out a few large gold coins and asked him to take a few old friends of Nanbu Sanenaga with him to set off together.

Just prepare it first, use it if you need it, forget it if you don't. If you really need it, then there will be a good show to watch.

In the past, Shichibei would have stayed out of everything. But now, he loves to watch fights, love to see violence, love to see blood flowing like a river, and love to see blood splattered on my face. Life is so boring anyway, how about being a fun person?

I feel secretly happy that I am present and I am in charge.

Putting this aside, Nobunaga brought Ashikaga Yoshiaki with him and entered Kyoto smoothly without any obstruction. It was surprisingly smooth. Then, as everyone knows, Nobunaga appointed Kinoshita Hideyoshi, Akechi Mitsuhide and others as Kyoto magistrates and set three rules.

Even robbing a merchant of a single fruit or secretly drinking a sip of water would result in death by beheading. Random hunting and poaching in Kyoto were strictly prohibited, and prominent signs were posted at major intersections, declaring the Oda Army's status as the "Royal Army" and demonstrating the magnanimity of Oda Nobunaga to the world.

In order to win over the townspeople of Kyoto and the nobles of the imperial court, Nobunaga also distributed two koku of rice to each of them for free. As for the townspeople, he allowed them to borrow food from the Oda army at 30% interest.

Well, it is the “three cuts” interest.

It was a good policy. The annual interest rate was 30%. The people in Kyoto loved Nobunaga so much. They thought Nobunaga was really capable as the interest rate for lending money was so low.

Of course, the Virtuous Decree was not issued. I don’t know whether Nobunaga did not want to issue it, or he waited until Ashikaga Yoshiaki succeeded as Shogun before issuing it together.

Regardless, it's true that the people of Kyoto were delighted. Nobunaga, who didn't rob the capital, instead providing aid to the nobles and issuing low-interest loans, was truly a shining example of peace during a century of war. Even the imperial court was surprised that Nobunaga wouldn't rob, and they even sent someone to inquire about the cost of repairs to the inner palace.

How the imperial palace was finally built depended on Nobunaga's wishes, but by making this gesture, even the Emperor and Prince Makoto thought that Nobunaga was a good man.

By the way, for this, the imperial court awarded Nobunaga the title of "the bravest man in the world" (historical fact).

I don't know if it was to cater to Nobunaga's personal preferences, or if there really wasn't anything good to reward him, but he just kept boasting about it. Nobunaga himself was also happy to accept this kind of fancy stuff, because the Oda family's lineage was really nothing to brag about.

In addition, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who was housed in Honbu-ji Temple in Kyoto, was also allowed to ascend the throne and pay his respects to the Emperor and Crown Prince Makoto, and gradually began to follow the various procedures ordered by the Shogun.

Like the nobles at court, the shogun's career path followed a general progression. Initially, he was given the rank of Matou, a fifth-rank official. The next shogun was then given the rank of fourth-rank official, leading to positions like councilor or left lieutenant general. After serving as shogun for several years, he could be promoted to the rank of third-rank official, becoming the Gondainagon.

If you take it one step at a time, you might even be able to become a junior Grand Minister while you're still alive. As for the senior Grand Minister, that's a rare title, usually awarded posthumously.