Owari Yumeki Golden Day

Nothing unexpected happened. Nobunaga simply asked if there were any problems with the annexation of Katoya. Shichibei replied in the negative, and Nobunaga waved his hand, dismissing the matter. Don't report such trivial matters unless there's a genuine problem.

Nobunaga was very concerned about shipbuilding.

Kuki Yoshitaka built ships and recruited personnel in Tsushima. Shichibei and Takigawa Kazumasu reported to him the expenses of the ships needed by the Kuki pirates and other related matters.

Nobunaga didn't know much about naval warfare or ships, but that didn't stop him from being curious and wanting to learn more. He should have taken advantage of the good relations with the Mori clan and asked them for someone who was proficient in naval warfare to learn more about it.

During the First Battle of Kizugawaguchi, the Mori navy used the flaming arrows to inflict a crushing defeat on the Oda navy. The existence of this weapon is now considered a closely guarded secret; if it had been discovered earlier by the Mori clan, the Oda navy would have been spared the blow.

Having thought of this, Shichibei directly suggested that someone should be sent through Mori's connections to bring a samurai from Murakami's navy who was proficient in naval warfare to Gifu for further investigation.

You, Nobunaga, have sent 20,000 troops to support Mori. If Mori doesn't even agree to this small request, it would be really disrespectful to the people of New World.

Upon hearing this, Nobunaga clapped his hands and said yes, and immediately ordered Nakagawa Shigemasa, who was sitting next to him, to go to Mori as an envoy. This Nakagawa Shigemasa was the Oda Suruga no Kami who had greeted Shichibei outside the residence in Tsuchiya earlier. He had been ordered by Nobunaga to inherit the family line of Nakagawa Jirozaemon Iji and had just changed his name to Nakagawa Shigemasa.

Nakagawa Shigemasa immediately agreed. He had grown up among the horsemen. After this mission was completed, he would probably be given a greater responsibility.

The reporting process ended here and everyone stood up.

The rules were really strict. A few years ago, when everyone stood up, they would gather in groups of three or five to chat about random things, such as government and military affairs. But now it was really different. No one dared to move until Nobunaga left. After Nobunaga left the hall, everyone stood up again, but no one dared to gather together to gossip.

Sakuma Nobumori, who had just returned to Gifu from the Yamato Camp, waited until the end of the corridor to wave goodbye to Shichibei. After the Yamato Campaign ended, he had already reported the various battle situations to Nobunaga. This time, he returned to inquire about the reconstruction of the Great Buddha Hall at Todai-ji Temple.

Hadn't Nobunaga previously been so pretentious as to declare that he would pursue, apprehend, and punish the criminals who had set fire to the Great Buddha Hall? Including the Miyoshi Three and the father and son of Matsunaga Hisahide, a series of people were actually within this scope.

But now that Matsunaga Hisahide and Matsunaga Michi were pardoned by Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Nobunaga also took advantage of the situation and removed the Matsunaga family. So the original document issued on behalf of the quasi-kanrei was a bit of a joke.

In addition to continuing to chase after the Three Good Men, let's quickly turn the page and consider rebuilding the Great Buddha Hall.

Once the Great Buddha Hall was repaired, everything could be moved on. Seeing that Nobunaga had become the heir to the old order, Todai-ji Temple didn't bother to find out who had burned it down, and decided to just finish building the Great Buddha Hall first.

The news reached Oda Nobunaga through Sakuma Nobumori. Nobunaga was both rich and poor. His wealth came from his occupation of central Japan, his vast territory and population, and his heavy annual tribute. His poverty came from his enormous expenses, and maintaining a large army was enough to cost him his life.

Moreover, most of Nobunaga's own troops were standing troops, which consumed more resources, and that was the only way to support them. If it were any other daimyo, they would have died of poverty long ago.

There is actually an essential difference between Nobunaga's 20,000 troops and Shingen's 20,000 troops.

The simplest point is that Nobunaga's troops can go out to fight all year round. At the sound of a whistle, the troops will be drawn up, and the army of tens of thousands will set out at lightning speed. Shingen, on the other hand, had to wait until the wheat and rice in the fields were grown and harvested before he could have sufficient manpower to go out and fight against the enemy.

Ultimately, it comes down to money.

But the problem is that rebuilding the Great Buddha Hall will cost at least tens of thousands of strings of cash. If you really don't care about the budget, 100,000 strings of cash is just a drop in the bucket.

Even a wealthy man like Nobunaga would never be willing to spend such a huge amount of money to build a religious building project that has no meaning to the new regime during the Warring States period.

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi built the Great Buddha Hall at Hoko-ji Temple, it was because he was already a confederate. For confederates, building magnificent structures was a crucial way to demonstrate their power to the world's vassal states. Rulers throughout history, both in China and abroad, have built wonders. Without them, there wouldn't be so many world cultural heritage sites.

"Where did my lord get so much money..." Shichibei received a total of 130,000 stones of tribute rice from Nobunaga over the years, but sold it for less than 70,000 strings of cash.

Although this was the amount of rice distributed as support, and it was only the annual tribute rice from the two countries of Nobi, the standing army still had to be paid. Ashikaga Yoshiei alone took away 10,000 kan. An ashigaru received 10,000 kan, an ashigaru chief received 30 to 50 kan, and an ashigaru general could easily receive several hundred kan.

Even though 70,000 kan seems like a lot of money, it can be lost if you spend it carelessly. In this situation, how could Nobunaga afford 100,000 kan to rebuild Todai-ji Temple?

"Of course I know this. There is actually another way." Sakuma Nobumori must have seen the situation of the Great Buddha Hall on the spot.

"What do you mean?" Shichibei was a little curious.

"My lord, you have a lot of money left here, right?"

"A little."

"There must be at least ten thousand, right?"

"That's for sure."

"That makes it easy." Sakuma Nobumori pointed to an ordinary palace and asked Shichibei to look at it.

His idea was simple: a simple pavilion seven or eight meters high, including the roof, could be built for just two cents. But it couldn't accommodate a fifteen-meter-tall Buddha, so he built a simple pavilion seven or eight meters high, cut a skylight, and then used a simple wooden frame to build a roof over the skylight to cover the Buddha.

Live together.

It will cost you a few thousand strings of cash at most, but I’ll just ask you whether the Buddha statue is exposed in the wild.

"Will Todai-ji Temple agree?" Shichibei thought to himself, it turns out that you, Sakuma Nobumori, also have no heart for worshipping Buddha.

"Don't agree? What can he do? Go to Kyoto to appeal?" As the elder of the shogunate's Kanrei family and one of the people at the pinnacle of power in Japan, Sakuma Nobumori didn't have much respect for religion.

157. Main store moved to Gifu

Back at the shop, they settled Sakuma Nobumori's rice bill and discussed the matter briefly. The Great Buddha Hall was, after all, a designated imperial temple, so while they planned to use a wooden frame, they still had to ensure the front was unobstructed.

The fire also caused the bronze Buddha's head and body to crack at the junction, causing the head to fall off. This also required the assistance of a skilled craftsman to repair. The Buddha's halo was also significantly damaged, which was also a costly expense.

That's why Sakuma Nobumori asked if there was any with 10,000 kan. They were all big projects, and even if they were simplified, they would still cost two.

Nobunaga seemed a little hesitant, but he wouldn't hesitate for a few days. Compared to the huge repair and construction costs of more than 100,000 kan, it would be more economical to spend a few thousand or 10,000 kan to get this thing over with.

When he truly unified Japan in the future, he would invest in rebuilding it. Then he would recast the statue. The Buddha was fifteen meters tall, right? He would recast it to twenty meters. Seeing a statue over twenty meters tall, who would remember this perfunctory little thing now?

However, it is a waste for Sakuma Nobumori, the patriarch of the Oda family, to be busy with such things every day.

Before the two had finished their discussion, Shimada Hidemitsu arrived to collect the 10,000 kan pension for Ashikaga Yoshiei. Seeing Sakuma Nobumori present, he said he'd come back tomorrow. That wasn't necessary, as they were only discussing the Buddhist temple renovation, which wasn't a secret.

The 10,000 kan in cash isn't currently on the counter at the Gifu branch. Send someone to the Shintsushima branch immediately; it should be delivered tomorrow evening. Shichibei has Shimada Hidemitsu come to claim it tomorrow evening, or the morning after tomorrow. After all, Ashikaga Yoshiei won't starve to death if he receives his pay two days late.

But here's a question that's been bothering Shichibei for a while now. Should Kawamuraya's main store be relocated? Perhaps to Gifu Castle?

This was actually something that had been considered earlier. The idea was to wait until Nobunaga moved to Azuchi Castle before moving to Azuchi Castle. Historically, Nobunaga had Tsuda Nobusumi stationed at the Senkan-ya Yari in Osaka, with the idea of ​​renovating Osaka as his main castle for governing the country. Moving to Osaka would facilitate both public and private matters.

However, the Oda clan and Kawamuraya were growing rapidly, leading to a problem. The main storehouse maintained the entire family's ledgers and most of its liquid funds. However, the transition to Gifu, the political power center, required a significant amount of money.

To give an analogy that is easier to understand, is the company headquarters located in Beijing or Shanghai?

In Beijing, being close to the power center makes it easier to get policies and information. In Shanghai, being close to the sales market makes it easier to seize business opportunities and engage in shipping.

Only in Gifu could Shichibei manage the annual tribute rice business, directly under Oda Nobunaga, and thus secure Nobunaga's trust and favor. However, Gifu was not a port, a logistics and trade center, or even a center for handicraft production. For business in this day and age, convenient shipping was paramount.

It would be great if I could fast forward to the time when Hideyoshi built Osaka and go all in on Osaka.

Nobunaga still lived in Gifu. Although Gifu was on the main route from Kinki to the eastern part of the country, it lacked access to water transportation. The section of the Kiso River from Sumata to the Kiso River was only accessible by small boats carrying a thousand or two kilograms. After Inuyama, the only way up was by raft or raft.

In any case, it can't be compared with the tawara boat that can carry dozens of tons. As for the large ship that can carry one or two hundred tons, there is no need to even mention it.

If you go to Azuchi, you can at least take the Yodo River from Lake Biwa to Osaka and Sakai. In Gifu, it's a far cry from that.

Should we relocate the shop to Gifu? If we do, we'll also have to move hundreds of our employees. Many of them are already married with families, so just preparing a house would require approval from Murai Sadakatsu. Even if all of the over a hundred households lived in long houses, that would require more than a dozen rows.

This kind of problem is relatively easy to solve. The key point is that it is becoming more difficult to communicate with Annozu, Sakaimachi, and the subsequent stops of the shipping trade, such as Sunpu and Odawara.

A fast horse had to be sent to Tsushima first, and Tsushima would then send messages by ship. News from other places would be transported to Tsushima by water, and then a fast horse or flying foot would be sent to Gifu to relay it.

The increased cost is not a big deal, but the main concern is that it will delay the delivery of information.

When it comes to business, the most important thing is market information, which also includes military and political information. For example, when the Takeda army stormed Imagawa-kan in Suruga and burned and slaughtered people, all the boats bound for Suruga were piled up on Tsushima Island. They dared not go east, fearing that they would be seized by the Takeda army.

Anyway, most of the shipping vessels weren't under the Takeda clan's allies, the Oda and Tokugawa clans. If they robbed other merchant ships, they'd be out of luck. The only difference between them and the Miyoshi Trio was that the Takeda clan was more likely to capture prisoners and then send back to notify their families to redeem them.

That’s right, feudal power and military violence are still more powerful these days!

That night, Shichibei made the decision to move Kawamuraya's main store to Gifu Castle, following in the footsteps of Oda Nobunaga. Only by following Nobunaga could they seize the commercial power of the entire Japan.

Meeting, meeting, meeting, an impromptu meeting of all the owners of Kawamura-ya was called. Including the newly joined Ito Sojuro, there were only Kawamura Juki, the head owner and heir of the name Kawamura Shichibei Nagakichi, presiding over the meeting.

The core content is that Kawamuraya decided to move with Nobunaga. Wherever Nobunaga moved, Kawamuraya would move there. Kawamuraya had originally expanded from a simple horse-carrying house to include the entire rice industry, even handling military procurement.

The merchant business became increasingly dependent on the commercial monopoly granted by Oda Nobunaga himself. If it stayed in Tsushima and did not follow Nobunaga closely, sooner or later someone would take advantage of the situation and move in.

You, the stock owners, certainly don't want to lose the wealth you have now.

If Shichibei had made this decision a few days earlier, the stockholders who grew up in Tsushima and knew all the people and things there might have expressed some opposition.

Just a few days earlier, Nobunaga had ordered Itoya to close down, with the previous owner, Ito Sojuro, retiring as a monk and the entire family business being acquired by Kawamuraya. This event had a profound impact on everyone. Itoya, which had existed for over thirty years, had become a colossus to those who, at the time, were still only a small-time horse-carrier.

Now, under a single order from Nobunaga, it was directly transferred to Kawamuraya. This was like a small, unknown company suddenly popping up within three to five years, rapidly growing to hundreds of billions in assets and, under government orders, swallowing up a large state-owned enterprise like China National Petroleum Corporation, like a snake swallowing an elephant, with the elephant refusing to resist.

Anyone would be surprised if they were in my place.

The stockholders' understanding of feudal power naturally increased significantly. No one present expressed any objection, and the resolution to relocate the Kawamuraya main store was passed unanimously. There was no need for a vote; it was passed by applause.

"Why did you move our store to Gifu?" Nobunaga was changing his clothes, and without avoiding Shichibei at all, he was only wearing a loincloth in front of Shichibei.

"I'm just doing my best to serve my job." Shichibei lowered his head, not interested in looking at this thing.

"I think you have united the people of Tsushima, so there is no need to fight for territory in Tsushima." Nobunaga's analysis of the problem was quite sharp and pointed out the essence of interests.

His words were indeed true. Once Itoya collapsed, the entire Tsushima Society would unite and no merchant house could rival Kawamuraya. Other merchants dealing in ceramics, ironware, kimono, or lumber were small and weak, and there was no way they could win Nobunaga's favor and challenge Kawamuraya.

This, admittedly, was one of the reasons Shichibei had the nerve to relocate his shop. With all his rivals defeated, the next step was to tightly control the policies and the source of their power to ensure no new rivals emerged.

"My lord, you are wise." Yes, yes, yes, yes, there is no one in this world who is smarter than you.

"How do you like my outfit?" Nobunaga didn't respond, but instead asked Shichibei to look up and take a look at his flashy "Western-style dress".

"Ah, this..." Shichibei didn't quite understand, but he respected it.

"Hmph, you don't understand. This is the attire of the southern barbarians." Nobunaga saw Shichibei's reaction and was actually a little smug. After all, he had been fashionable since he was a child and was used to all kinds of reactions.

"My lord, do you want to meet the southern barbarians?" Qibingwei suddenly reacted.

The other day, there was talk of Matsunaga Hisahide coming to Gifu to meet Nobunaga. Matsunaga Hisahide was a Christian, so it's likely he was bringing someone with him. Nobunaga was quite curious about these things, and although he was a pragmatist, that didn't stop him from exploring them. Who knows, this southern barbarian might be useful.

"Well, Wada Kii said he wanted to introduce Bantenren to me." Nobunaga nodded slightly and began to trim his mustache.

It was around this time that Nobunaga began growing a beard. It wasn't a full beard, though, just a small moustache. A beard, for example, requires both money and time, along with someone to care for it and the time it takes to maintain it daily, to be a truly effective addition to your look. Growing it yourself will only make you look slovenly.

Nobunaga had a young man shave him, so he naturally made it look presentable. Finally, in front of Shichibei, he showed off like a peacock spreading its feathers before running out.

"Then I'll take my leave." Nobunaga finished his questioning, and there was another guest he wanted to meet, so Shichibei tactfully took his leave.

"You go too." Unexpectedly, Nobunaga took Shichibei with him.

There were three braziers in the front hall of the residence. Late autumn in Gifu was already quite cold, though the valley was relatively cool. Beyond the valley, the mountain breeze chilled the heart. The charcoal in the braziers burned brightly. Shichibei sat down next to Nobunaga, right next to the brazier at his feet, which was quite comfortable.

After adjusting his sitting position slightly, Wada Koremasa, who had been waiting in the hall for a while, ordered someone to bring up the missionary Floyds whom he wanted to introduce.

A famous person who left many chapters in the history of Christian missions in Japan.

The key point is that this guy knows Japanese, which is amazing. To spread the gospel, they learned the local language and culture, integrated into local society, and then carried out their mission. These people, having traveled thousands of miles from Europe to Japan, certainly have a certain amount of religious fervor.

No, it should be a strong religious fervor. Perhaps in the minds of such people, being able to dedicate their lives to their Lord is their greatest honor.

It was their first meeting, just an acquaintance. Floys would not preach to Nobunaga, and Nobunaga did not expect to gain anything from this person right away.

But there was one point that both sides discussed very directly, that is, where there is missionary work, there is trade with the southern barbarians.

Or to put it bluntly, merchant ships from places like Manila, Macau, and Goa would dock at ports where missionary work was permitted and churches were established. Anyone who banned religion would not be able to obtain what they needed for the Nanman trade.

What could the Nanban trade bring? Besides military supplies that Japan didn't produce, or produced in small quantities, it also brought a large amount of other civilian supplies. The enormous wealth generated by this was something that every daimyo coveted.

The import of dyes alone is a huge business worth over 100,000 kan per year. The reason is that Japan lacks dyes in large quantities.

Nobunaga did not object to Froyce's statement. Firstly, he himself had a mentality of using religion and was not superstitious. Secondly, he was very confident in himself and believed that all religions could be controlled and utilized.

Of course, after he was disturbed by the Honganji Ikko Ikki, this idea might change to some extent.

But at least that was the case now. Regardless of whether he actually burned down all the main temples and halls, he definitely set the fire. Another conservative daimyo would have thought twice before setting fire to a mountain.

All in all, the conversation was quite pleasant. Nobunaga promised to continue to allow Christian missionary activities in the Kinai countries. Whether the missions could be successful depended on the ability of Froyce and his men, but he would not prohibit them.

Froyce and Wada Koremasa were very happy to receive his promise and repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Nobunaga. They also said that there would definitely be a Nanban ship going to Sakaimachi to deliver various Nanban goods that Nobunaga needed.

Nobunaga waved his hand, indicating that he should not talk to him about this matter. If there really is a Nanban ship coming, go directly to Shichibei. Nobunaga pointed at Shichibei and said that no matter what is on the ship, go to this person to take care of the whole ship.

Remember, this person alone can do it, no one else can.

Wada Koremasa did know Shichibei, and he chatted with Froyce for a long time. So in his diary that night, Froyce recorded that under the command of Nobunaga, the new ruler of Japan, there was a chairman of the Royal Assets Management Committee.

He was a short, dark-skinned young man with a very ordinary appearance, but he was quiet and polite. It was said that the chairman of the committee, who also ran his own business, had astonishing wealth, comparable to any duke on the European continent.

When he left, Shichibei told Froyce that he had protected dozens of Christians many years ago and that they were still on the other side of Tsushima. This greatly surprised Froyce, who thought Shichibei was a potential Christian philanthropist.

158. Summoning the People to the City on a Snowy Night

The main store had a lot of relocations, and Inase Yoshinari and Ai also moved from the Tsushima branch to the Gifu branch. The Tsushima branch, which had become a branch, was handed over to Ito Sojuro, who was originally from Tsushima, so I felt more at ease handing it over to him.

Ai was already seven or eight months pregnant, and her legs were swollen, making it difficult for her to move. This move was quite a struggle. Fortunately, she was very strong, a merchant girl who had spent her days riding horses, so her calves were very strong, and she finally arrived safely.

As soon as she announced her pregnancy, Aji, who lived two blocks away, also announced her pregnancy. Hadn't Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Hidenaga been ordered to lead an army of 20,000 to attack the Yamane clan of Tajima? Hideyoshi's main force suffered over 200 casualties during the attack on Minasaku Castle. With such a significant loss of strength, Nobunaga allowed Hideyoshi to restock his weapons at the Gifu armory.

When your men go to war, the daimyo should at least provide them with enough weapons and armor. Nobunaga would never let everyone attack the city with bamboo spears.

Then Hidenaga stayed at the gates of Gifu Castle for several days. There was no other way. After years of fighting, the men were away, and the women gathered at the gates of Gifu Castle. A short separation is like a new marriage, how can a fire burn like dry wood?

As a result, after Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Hidenaga finished their battle and led their troops back to Gifu, Aji told Hidenaga that she was pregnant and had been pregnant for more than three months.