The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Chapter 123 Mitsuhide's Worries

June of the second year of Yuangui (1571).

To prevent his family from falling into danger again, Changqing arranged for his concubines, Yuanshandian and Izumodian, to be relocated back to Gifu.

In order to train Maeda Keiji, he had Honda Masanobu assist Keiji in governing Sawayama Castle.

Hattori Haruyasu, as the chief retainer, was also recalled to Gifu.

He now only has Kani Saizo, Yamazaki Shigemasa, and Ishida Sakichi by his side. The rest of his retainers are busy governing the new territory of Higashi-Mino.

Nagayoshi's eldest son, Kotamaru, was already six years old, and Nobunaga sent Kotamaru back to Gifu.

He had wives and concubines by his side, and three children. His only misfortune was that when Yuanshan Palace hid in the back mountain of Yan Village, he slipped and fell, resulting in the loss of his first child.

Changqing felt guilty about this, and therefore he cherished Yuanshan Palace especially.

In Gifu Nido Castle, Nobutada built a large "Shinzoden" specifically for Nagayoshi.

This is a traditional Kyoto noble residence, which is now rarely seen.

The main hall is located in the center, facing south. In front of it is a courtyard covered with white sand, and further ahead there is a pond.

Oichi lived in the main hall, while the east and west "opposite rooms" connecting the main hall to the left and right were assigned to Toyama-dono and Izumo-dono.

Changqing leaned against the pillar, watching Hutuwan clumsily wield his bamboo knife in the courtyard, and suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already traveled through eleven years.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 10 ...

After Katsuyori Takeda succeeded as head of the clan, he maintained the alliance with Uesugi and Hojo.

He has nothing to do now except govern his territory and teach Hidetada.

Akechi Mitsuhide is currently riding high, having defeated Takeda Shingen as the commander-in-chief of the reinforcements, which makes his conquest of Tanba incredibly smooth.

Hideharu Hatano quickly gave up resistance, and there was no historical anecdote about "Mitsuhide sending his mother as a hostage".

For this reason, Nobunaga specifically recalled Mitsuhide, who had recently performed the best, back to Azuchi.

In the main hall on the third floor of the castle tower, only Nobunaga and Mitsuhide were present.

"From this day forward, you are the Fifth Rank, Lower Grade, Hyuga-no-kami (Minister of the Hyuga Kingdom), Akechi Mitsuhide!"

Nobunaga pinched Mitsuhide's shoulder.

The last time he kicked Mitsuhide, he kicked right there.

"Thank you, my lord!"

"I plan to summon Ieyasu!" Nobunaga discussed with Mitsuhide. "The Takeda clan's fate is sealed, but the Hojo clan is still opposing us. We need Ieyasu to keep the Hojo clan in check so that I can pacify Shikoku with peace of mind."

On a sweltering summer day, Nobunaga wore only a single garment, while Mitsuhide was dressed neatly, with beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

"If we send Lord Ieyasu to Kyoto now, I'm afraid he won't come immediately."

"Baldy, are you saying he has ulterior motives?"

Mitsuhide wiped his sweat, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"My lord has now brought the entire Kinki region under his control, yet Ieyasu has not yet declared his allegiance. If we march on Kyoto now, he might be worried—"

"Don't let your imagination run wild," Nobunaga said, pointing to the misty Lake Biwa before him. "If he comes, once he conquers Takeda, Suruga will be his."

"My lord, you must not underestimate Tokugawa—" Mitsuhide began to speak, but then immediately stopped.

Nobunaga used to frequently consult me, but perhaps as we grew closer, his respect for me diminished.

But the once outspoken lord seems quite different lately.

In his youth, Nobunaga was so determined to defeat Nobuyuki that he even forgave his own retainers who had rebelled.

Even though he was eccentric, he would do his best to recruit anyone with talent.

This is why Hideyoshi Hashiba, a high-ranking official who came from a commoner background, dared to contradict Nobunaga's retainer, Nagayoshi Mori.

But Nobunaga has changed.

I don't know when it started, but it has become equally cruel to both enemies and its own people.

When did it start?

Asai's betrayal? The burning of Mount Hiei? Hayashi Hide-jung's rebellion?

Is he inherently cruel, or does he feel that his business is booming and he can act recklessly?

Lately, Nobunaga has been surrounded by all sorts of people: tea masters, entertainers, wealthy merchants, court nobles, and newly surrendered powerful clansmen.

Compared to these diverse figures, the retainers who had followed Nobunaga since the Owari period always seemed out of place and timid.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Nobunaga slammed his hand on the bedside table. "Are you against me sending Ieyasu to Kyoto?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant—"

"You said Ieyasu has ulterior motives and won't come!"

Mitsuhide carefully prepared his statement, feeling as if he were no different from any other former retainer of Owari.

"Now, everyone in the world fears our lord's authority. But even if they do, Ieyasu has no choice but to come."

"That's more like it! Ieyasu's march to Kyoto is in your hands. You don't need to participate in the recent battles. While you're at it, take care of the new territory."

"yes----"

The differences in Nobunaga's and Mitsuhide's personalities are like light and shadow.

Although Nobunaga called him "bald man" repeatedly, he actually held Mitsuhide in high regard.

However, it was simply his nature to be short-tempered and often speak without thinking. Mitsuhide, on the other hand, was very shrewd and exceptionally composed, a trait that Nobunaga disliked.

In comparison, Nagayoshi and Nobunaga had similar temperaments.

What has Changqing been up to lately?

"My lord, I have no close relationship with Lord Mori, so I have no idea what he is doing."

Mitsuhide answered instinctively, unaware that Nobunaga was actually talking to himself.

"That guy must be really free lately, huh?"

"I don't know—" Mitsuhide could only reply.

"Let Nagayoshi come to Azuchi. He and Ieyasu are old acquaintances!"

When Nobunaga spoke with his close retainers, he would often forget to add the word "Lord" after "Ieyasu" whenever he mentioned Tokugawa.

It's obvious to anyone with eyes that Nobunaga already regarded Tokugawa as a retainer.

When Nagayoshi received Nobunaga's summons, he was watching Hutsumura practice swordsmanship in the Shinzo-den in Gifu.

The child was only six years old, and his bamboo sword swings were crooked and awkward. Oichi covered her mouth and chuckled softly. Izumo-dono sat on the veranda holding his two-year-old daughter.

Such a comfortable life was too much for Changqing to get used to.

"Is Father going to see Uncle?" Hutuwan looked up.

"Yes, practice hard. Lord Yamazaki will be keeping a close eye on you!"

In mid-June, Changqing arrived in Antu.

Also on the third floor of the castle tower, Nobunaga couldn't help but complain to Nagayoshi.

"I summoned you here to welcome Ieyasu! I had Mitsuhide make the arrangements. But Mitsuhide somehow managed to get things done, and Tokugawa Ieyasu claimed that the Hojo and Takeda were threatening his territory, so he sent Sakai Tadatsugu and Okubo Tadayo to pay their respects to me first."

The Tokugawa clan sent two senior retainers to test the waters, so as not to appear impolite.

"Perhaps Lord Ieyasu is somewhat worried that you will discard him after he has served his purpose!"

"Your words are too harsh! Ieyasu is a good friend of mine—it really breaks my heart if he misunderstands me like this! Anyway, these two will arrive tomorrow, and you must attend the banquet tomorrow night."

"yes!"

The banquet the following day was held on the second floor of the castle tower.

When Sakai Tadatsugu and Okubo Tadayo met Nobunaga, they were so nervous that they didn't know which leg to step with first.

The two men only showed a hint of relief when they saw Nagayoshi sitting below Nobunaga.

"Both of you are Lord Ieyasu's right-hand men, so there's no need for formalities—let's just have a chat today, no need to be too formal."

Nobunaga was the first to raise his sake cup.

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