Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Yesterday at the banquet, Murai Sadakatsu saw it all clearly: Nobunaga was holding Shichibei's hand in order to get this money, and Shichibei was even saying that there were too many people around.

Being a daimyo isn't easy, it really isn't. Only by going this far can you get the gold coins from Shichibei.

The two were exchanging pleasantries when Niwa Nagahide rushed in excitedly. He immediately asked if the money could be withdrawn. Upon seeing Shichibei and Murai Sadakatsu, he immediately understood that the money was still being counted and had not yet been fully deposited.

Niwa Nagahide saw it at yesterday's banquet too. Since he saw it, he's immediately certain that Shichibei, who shares a deep bond with Nobunaga, will lend him money today.

He was certain that the money would come immediately. After all, Nobunaga's expenses were enormous; he spent money almost every day. If he came too late, he might not receive the money.

Why do we need to pay money?

Furthermore, the Oda clan's public funds could not be given to Niwa Nagahide for private use; there had to be a legitimate reason for them to release the money.

While pulling out a document bearing Nobunaga's signature, Niwa Nagahide said that the previous strategy in Settsu and Izumi had shown signs of success. Ataka Nobuyasu, the de facto lord of Awaji Province, intended to side with the Oda clan, but on two conditions.

Firstly, the Awaji Navy will not be disbanded, transferred, or reassigned; the old ship mark fees will continue to be collected as before. Secondly, Ataka Nobuyasu will become the lord of Kishiwada Castle.

This city was seized by his father, Ataka Fuyuyasu, from the Izumi governor, Hosokawa Gyobu, and the Izumi governor, Matsuura Hizen-no-kami, after a fierce battle. It holds great significance for the Ataka family.

Or to put it bluntly, fresh water was scarce on Awaji Island, making agricultural development difficult. Later generations stopped growing rice and instead grew drought-resistant and barren-fertility onions.

They were doomed to starve on Awaji Island, and the Oda clan was growing stronger while the Miyoshi Triumvirate suffered defeat after defeat. Therefore, Ataka Nobuyasu demanded the territory of Izumigishi Wada Castle and offered to serve Oda Nobunaga with the combined naval power of the eight families of Awaji.

Nobunaga currently lacks a navy, and Ataka Nobuyasu has that capability, so he can naturally ask Nobunaga for help.

Once the Shima Kuki navy was revived and combined with the Awaji Ataka navy, Nobunaga would have the ability to cross the sea to conquer Shikoku and annihilate the Miyoshi Triumvirate.

Now, Niwa Nagahide has come to collect the money, which is to use 2,000 kan to bribe Ataka Nobuyasu so that he can land on land as soon as possible, pay homage to Oda Nobunaga, and switch allegiance.

I see……

Shichibei wasn't entirely sure whether Ataka Nobuyasu had sided with the Oda clan in 1862, but since Niwa Nagahide had been assigned to this direction, it meant that Nobunaga did indeed have plans to attack Awa, Sanuki, and other provinces and pacify Shikoku.

It all depends on whether Ataka Nobuyasu can truly defect to the Oda clan. With the Awaji navy already on board, given Nobunaga's abilities, he could kill your entire family today and not let you live until dawn.

"Then collect the money," Niwa Nagahide signed his name on the record, and the two thousand kan were counted out directly. However, of the two conditions proposed by Ataka Nobuyasu, Nobunaga would likely agree to the first one immediately, but what about the second one?

Kishiwada Castle already has a lord, so why would they drive him away for no reason? When Shichibei went to Sakai, he vaguely remembered that Matsuura, who had seized the title of Izumi Shugodai (deputy governor) through the Hatakeyama family, was the lord.

During the great internal strife within the Hosokawa clan, the Matsuura family also split into two branches. Later, as the Hosokawa clan gradually declined, one branch sought refuge with the Hatakeyama family, with Hatakeyama Takamasa, the lord of Takaya Castle, as their support.

Another branch switched from the Hosokawa clan to the Miyoshi clan. With the defeat of the Miyoshi Triumvirate, this branch also fled to Awa or was completely wiped out.

The current lord of Kishiwada Castle, Matsuura, had previously come to pay homage to Nobunaga along with Hatakeyama Takamasa and Hatakeyama Akitaka. The key point is that Hatakeyama Akitaka is Nobunaga's son-in-law, and Nobunaga was deliberately trying to win over the Hatakeyama family. Why would he offend the Hatakeyama family by attacking Matsuura?

To be honest, that's the truth.

When this was brought up, Niwa Nagahide was also a little troubled. He certainly knew why Ataka Nobuyasu wanted a piece of territory on Honshu Island, both to leave himself a way out and to strengthen his own power.

If he can't get territory on Honshu Island, why should he pledge allegiance to Nobunaga? Even without Nobunaga, he's still the lord of Awaji. Everything he needs for the first condition is already there; he already possesses it.

“My lord seems to be troubled as well. Ataka Shintaro may not be willing to take land in Jiangnan.” Niwa Nagahide sighed.

If the new territory is in Settsu and Izumi, then Ataka Nobuyasu can maintain close contact between the new territory and Awaji Island. He has boats and men, and can travel from morning to evening. The sea is a smooth road for them.

But if the new territories are located in southern Omi or Nobi, he simply won't be able to manage them. In the end, he'll likely be unable to attend to either one or the other, and it will all be for nothing.

"Does Settsu still have territory to be divided?"

"Where are they? They've already placed three guardian families there."

"What about Izumi?" Shichibei tried to search his memory, but it seemed that Izumi did not have any powerful military commanders stationed there at the moment.

"Izumi, the two manors in Sakai, north and south, have not yet been awarded titles." Niwa Nagahide pondered for a moment and gave an answer.

"Huh? Both of these estates are fertile lands. But..." Shichibei, as the magistrate of Sakai, knew a little bit about them.

But what was it? Both Sakai South Estate and Sakai North Estate were estates owned by the shogunate. Ashikaga Yoshiaki had asked Nobunaga if he wanted them, and Nobunaga had said no. He only wanted to serve as the magistrate or deputy magistrate of Sakai. So Yoshiaki granted Nobunaga all the towns and villages of Sakai, Otsu, Kusatsu, Katada, and even Kunitomo Village.

Then Nobunaga said, "I shall return," and left to go back to Gifu to prepare for his next conquest. Sakai South Village and Sakai North Village continued to exist as direct territories of the shogunate, and their deputies were two familiar names: Imai Munehisa and Tsuda Munekichi.

“That’s enough to compensate for the loss of Kishiwada Castle…” Niwa Nagahide said.

That's for sure. The two estates together have a combined value of at least 20,000 koku, and Kishiwada Castle, along with its surrounding territory, has a value of around 30,000 koku. The reason Kishiwada Castle became a castle controlling the central route to Izumi was because Miyoshi Yoshikata, Sogawa Kazutsugu, and Ataka Fuyuyasu repeatedly led troops to land and aid their good brother, Miyoshi Nagayoshi.

At that time, Naito Munekatsu, Matsunaga's younger brother, was commanding battles in Tanba and Harima on the Settsu side. Therefore, the brothers mainly needed to deal with Yamato and Kawachi on the other side, making Kishiwada Castle in Izumi a perfect landing site.

During Yoshikata Miyoshi's tenure as lord of the castle, he carried out large-scale renovations and expansions of Kishiwada Castle, adding stone walls and a small castle tower, and also expanding the waterway.

Otherwise, how could a small territory of 30,000 to 50,000 koku have a large castle and a keep? Most of the small castles in Japan can only hold a few hundred people, but Kishiwada Castle can hold 8,200 people, which made it easier for the Miyoshi Army to mobilize troops in the Battle of Kyokoji and launch a fierce attack on Hatakeyama Takamasa.

"Should I petition the General to grant the two Sakai estates to Atakami Shintaro?" Shichibei knew what Niwa Nagahide was up to just by looking at his expression.

"otherwise?"

Yes, indeed. Ataka Nobuyasu insisted on taking the territory of Settsu or Izumi, and Nobunaga did not have any of those territories, so the only option left was to seize Yoshiaki's territory.

But how could Yoshiaki be happy about this? How could he be pleased? Back when Yoshiaki and Nobunaga were getting close, he gave it to Nobunaga, but Nobunaga refused it. Now he's coming to ask for it again; it's just so disgusting.

The distrust and even conflict between Yoshiaki and Nobunaga certainly didn't arise overnight or from a single incident. It was entirely due to a gradual accumulation of various frictions that ultimately led to their internal strife.

When Nobunaga rushed day and night to relieve Shogun's castle, Yoshiaki called Nobunaga "good father." At that time, gratitude certainly outweighed resentment, but now, it's hard to say.

During this casual chat, Shichibei's money was all deposited into the Gifu Castle's gold storehouse. Soon after, he gave Niwa Nagahide another 2,000 kan on the spot to bribe Ataka Nobuyasu.

Since it concerned Sakai, Shichibei was quite curious. Moreover, Shichibei's interests lay in commerce, so maintaining a stable trading environment off the coast of Sakai was crucial. If Nobunaga could send troops to attack Awa and Sanuki next spring, it would best suit Shichibei's wishes.

Now that the money has been given to Murai Sadakatsu, Shichibei can legitimately report this matter to Nobunaga. He can also take the opportunity to sound out Nobunaga's opinion: is he planning to deal with the Miyoshi Triumvirate, or with Asakura Yoshikage?

Nobunaga, who had taken 50,000 men from Shichibei, was currently practicing archery. Nobunaga was a competent samurai; he trained his entire life, practicing horseback riding, archery, and arquebus firing, maintaining his physical agility and adaptability.

Otherwise, he could have easily subdued Shichibei by grabbing him with both hands. He has considerable strength in his hands and waist, and his feet are also very nimble.

Seeing that it was Shichibei coming over, Nobunaga understood, so he didn't stop immediately. He finished shooting the remaining five arrows in the page's hand before turning around to greet Shichibei.

"Thank you for your hard work." Nobunaga would occasionally offer some emotional support, of course, when he was in a good mood.

"It's my duty." Nobunaga took out Murai Sasakatsu's receipt, glanced at it casually, and indicated that he knew about it.

"Anything else you want to ask?" Nobunaga asked casually as he sat down, glancing at Shichibei.

"Hey, I just learned from Kinzo that Gorozae is trying to recruit Ataka Shintaro." Nobunaga is really smart; apart from being a bit arrogant at times, he really doesn't have any major flaws.

"We still don't have enough ships, and we might not be able to advance into Awa by next spring." Nobunaga knew what Shichibei was asking about as soon as he heard that.

"Oh..." Well, since Nobunaga has already said that, why is Shichibei still asking questions?

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Ataka Nobuyasu is currently in the process of reorganizing, and Kuki Yoshitaka only returned to Shima Province last month. Even if the Kuki clan has a lot of connections in Shima, it's impossible for them to get everything in order in just three to five months and take hundreds of large ships with Nobunaga on his expedition to Awa.

The Miyoshi clan of Hashu under Shinohara Nagafusa could mobilize an army of 20,000. Adding the forces of the Miyoshi Triumvirate, the total must be at least 30,000.

To defeat the Kitabatake clan, which numbered 16,000, Nobunaga mobilized 75,000 men. So, to defeat the Awa clan, which numbered 30,000, he would have needed to mobilize 100,000 troops to simply overwhelm them.

"Don't worry, we'll go fight Awa after next autumn's harvest, and then I'll let you take care of Tsudai." Nobunaga had his own plans, and he was also good at making grand promises.

Fuyotsu, or Fuyotsu Port, is a vital port at the mouth of the Konarimon Strait. Internally, it connects to the waterways of the Awa Yoshino River, and externally, it serves as the gateway between the entire Shikoku Island and Honshu Island.

Indigo, timber, salt, and other products from Awa and Sanuki gathered in Fuyotsu and were shipped to Sakai, Osaka, and other places on the other side of the river. Due to its prosperous trade, it can be called the largest tsukyu in Shikoku.

The key point is that this place is located in Tsuminato, a port with excellent conditions. It is sheltered from the wind, has depth, and occupies the main shipping route from Shūchō Akamazaki and Buzen-Moji to Sakaimachi and Osaka. Just collecting tolls would make a fortune.

"I am too busy to attend to everything." Shichibei could accept this offer, but he still had to feign reluctance.

Now that we've assumed the position of Sakai magistrate, with the Awaji Navy as our ally, and with control of Fuyo Port, Osaka Bay will become a completely safe haven. This is a good thing for Sakai and for the future development of Osaka.

Nobunaga was indeed good at making empty promises. He made promises to Shichibei, such as becoming the Grand Administrator of the Land or the Governor of Sakai, all of which made Shichibei envious.

He presented his daughter to Akitaka Hatakeyama as his wife, saying that since his child was still young, Akitaka would be the eldest brother-in-law in the family, and so on. This completely bewildered Akitaka Hatakeyama, who immediately knelt down and called him "father."

Tut tut...

"Alright, alright, go about your business." After dismissing Shichibei, Nobunaga was probably preparing to fire a couple more shots, so he stopped arguing with Shichibei.

"Yes." Shichibei got up and left, but only when he reached the entrance of the residence did he suddenly remember.

I forgot to ask Nobunaga about his plan to seize the two Sakai estates from Yoshiaki and then reward them to Ataka Nobuyasu. Doing that would definitely offend Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and what if Yoshiaki hates Nobunaga then?

What?

Nobunaga has his own way.

Because Nobunaga had discovered Yoshiaki's "cowardice" in the previous incident where Yoshiaki sent someone to mediate the peace talks between Kitabatake and Oda, he believed that he could further encroach on the Shogun's power beyond taking over the old framework of the Muromachi Shogunate.

Let it drift, it's just drifting anyway.

Nobunaga planned to add seven more terms to Ashikaga Yoshiaki's existing nine, one of which was very direct: if Ashikaga Yoshiaki needed to reward someone, he could take land from Oda Nobunaga's territory and use it as a reward.

On the surface, it seems like Nobunaga was at a disadvantage, but Japan's current system of loyalty between superiors and subordinates is the "Go'en Hougong" system. Whoever gives me land, I will pledge my loyalty to them.

It's true, it's true, it's true...

185. Even Shingen eventually had to ask for help.

Indeed, Nobunaga, in his capacity as regent of the shogunate, forcibly granted Sakai Minami-sho to Ataka Nobuyasu. Upon receiving this reward, Ataka Nobuyasu left Awaji Island, personally landed in Sakai, met with Niwa Nagahide, and expressed his surrender to the Oda army. He also drafted a pledge and sent it to Gifu.

The reason they didn't come in person was because the Miyoshi Triumvirate were desperately seeking refuge. Once news of Ataka Nobuyasu's defection to Oda reached them, they would surely send troops to attack.

The journey from Awaji to Gifu takes too long, and to prevent any major unforeseen events, only Atake Nobuyasu need to submit a pledge. Nobunaga even promised to send reinforcements should Awaji Island be attacked in the future.

And then guess what?

When the Miyoshi Triumvirate heard that Nobuyasu Ataka had defected, they were naturally furious and did not hesitate to begin mobilizing their troops to prepare for an attack on Awaji Island.

They were already reliant on Awa Island, having no territory of their own and relying entirely on the support of Shinohara Nagafusa. Now, they could seize Awaji Island's territory as a springboard for a counterattack against the mainland.

When news arrived from Awaji, Nobunaga was certain he wouldn't take it lightly. He had finally managed to bring another naval force under his command, and he couldn't just stand by and watch it be destroyed. The mission was quickly assigned to Shichibei, who was tasked with coordinating with Sakai to organize at least fifty large ships to transport reinforcements led by Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, Matsunaga Hisahide, and Hosokawa Fujitaka to Awaji.

See? I told you Nobunaga couldn't hold onto money. He would spend it all, until he had nothing left.

They've barely opened a breach, and they're already throwing money around, calling in troops everywhere to wage war. Renting a boat from Sakai is simple; as long as the money's there, it's fine. There's no need for Shichibei to personally go and handle this; he can just send a letter to Kyoto and have Sou Kotaro, who's at the Kyoto branch, negotiate on his behalf.

Another letter was sent to Tsuda Muneyoshi in Sakaimachi. The Miyoshi Triumvirate still maintains such a strong fighting spirit; this is something we must be wary of. He was asked to closely monitor the situation in Izumi and Settsu, and to report any unusual activity to Gifu as quickly as possible.

Shichibei's own men stationed in Sakai would also keep an eye on the situation, but having more people means having more options. Historically, the Miyoshi Triumvirate landed again the following year to launch a counterattack, echoing Yoshiaki's Nobunaga encirclement.

Although Azai Nagamasa has been apprehended for now, there's a high probability that an encirclement will still be launched later. After all, Nobunaga and Yoshiaki are no longer as close as they once were; there's a growing rift between them.

With all that busy work, the end of the year arrived in no time.

It snowed, it snowed heavily, and with the snow, people relaxed. This relaxation was especially pronounced after receiving Awaji's military report. The Miyoshi Triumvirate had only sent a mere three thousand men to attempt an attack on Sumoto Castle, without even receiving reinforcements from Shinohara Nagafusa.

What good are three thousand men? Especially in a siege. Ataka Nobuyasu can muster two or three thousand men on his own, and if he were to call upon all eight Ataka families together, five thousand men wouldn't be out of the question.

I wonder what the Miyoshi Triumvirate were thinking? Did they think they couldn't beat Nobunaga, but they could at least beat Nobuyasu? They were incredibly arrogant. They went and besieged Sumoto Castle, which was defended by 3,000 men, and when Miyoshi Yoshitsugu and his 5,000 men from Sakai arrived from the opposite bank, they crushed them all.

Caught in a pincer attack, the Miyoshi Triumphed, leaving them crying for their parents and nearly contemplating suicide. Forget about capturing Awaji; they also lost hundreds of lives in the process.