Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

After sending people to negotiate, they discovered that the situation was in a very strange state. The besieging army wanted Sakuma Nobumori inside the city to lead the Oda army to retreat, but Sakuma Nobumori inside the city said that he would not leave and that he could defend this city wall until he died of old age.

Anyway, the autumn harvest had only just ended a few days ago, and there were several thousand shi (a unit of dry measure) of tribute rice in Kono Castle, all collected from Anmi Nobukuni. Five hundred people? It would take five years to finish that much rice.

The besiegers were hesitant to act rashly, while the defenders seemed somewhat emboldened.

Then an even more dramatic scene unfolded. Matsunaga Hisahide, Matsunaga Hisamichi, and Yusa Nobutori, who were besieging the castle, suddenly realized that Sakuma Nobumori's refusal to leave was because he had discovered reinforcements outside the castle. If they could drive away Wada Koremasa, the reinforcements, the castle would surely lose heart, and Sakuma Nobumori would then be willing to flee.

Thus, a great battle was fought between the armies outside the city, and the feud between Wada Koremasa and Matsunaga father and son was finally established. Because he only brought less than three thousand men to the rescue, Wada Koremasa was defeated and fled.

After a while, Nobunaga arrived at Yodogawa, and the Matsunaga and Yusa armies finally drove away the Wada army and re-besieged Kono Castle.

As things became clearer, Nobunaga grew less anxious. He rallied his friends and allies, and even sent envoys to question Matsunaga Hisahide about why he had attacked other daimyo.

If we disregard Sakuma Nobumori's influence, Matsunaga Hisahide's uprising against Ami Nobukuni, within the samurai class, was essentially a private feud between feudal lords, and not really a rebellion.

However, a lot of noise can lead to failure, and if things get out of hand, it's not such a simple matter.

Chapter 220 Surprised by Hisashi's Decisive Actions

Nobunaga certainly had prestige, and as a legitimate holder of the shogunate's regent position, which was universally recognized by all the samurai families in the land, the moment he appeared in Yodogawa outside Kyoto, those feudal lords who had not been stirred up sent people to inquire whether they needed assistance.

Oda Nobunaga is still the "true Kanrei" who is acting as shogun and ruling the country. As long as he is not defeated, he will have no shortage of supporters.

Even after his defeat and retreat, Wada Koremasa came to Nobunaga to apologize. Of course, Nobunaga wouldn't hold it against him; Wada Koremasa's willingness to send troops was already a favor to the Oda clan. If he were to be blamed for this, who would be willing to serve Nobunaga in the future?

After offering some words of comfort to Wada Koremasa, Nobunaga instructed him to reorganize his remaining troops and wait in the ranks. Nobunaga then summoned Shichibei to his presence. The more than 5,000 Eshu soldiers were handed over to Nobunaga for his personal command, while Shichibei's unit served as the rearguard, or rather, the main force's reserve.

Based on information from various sources, and because the incident occurred rather suddenly and there are too many uncertainties, Nobunaga is still unsure whether Matsunaga Hisahide's actions constitute a rebellion or a private feud.

However, Nobunaga had the insight and decisiveness to cut through the Gordian knot. Since the attitude of Matsunaga Hisahide, the governor of the Great River, was not so easy to determine, he decided to first determine the attitude of Yusa Shinkyo, the governor of the Kawachi half-country.

Prior to this, Nobunaga had already ordered Hatakeyama Akitaka to arrest the men and women of the Yusa Nobutori clan residing near Takaya Castle. If it was just a private fight, then release them; Yusa Nobutori would simply be sentenced to seppuku, and the Yusa clan's samurai group would still be of use.

If you plot a rebellion? Then I'm sorry, your entire family, young and old, men and women, will be sentenced to beheading, and their heads will be stuck on bamboo poles and displayed in the street.

The entire Araki family enjoys this kind of treatment.

Ah, I get it. First, arrest the Yuza Shinkyo family members who are attacking Kono Castle. As actual participants, they must know some details. There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. As long as the Yuza Shinkyo decides to raise an army and start a war, they will inevitably mobilize a group of men. It wouldn't be surprising if these men, dressed in armor, uttered a few words to their female relatives.

I've decided on you, Pikachu, no, Shichibei.

In addition to ordering Hatakeyama Akitaka to arrest the family members of Yuza Nobutaka, Nobunaga also ordered Akechi Mitsuhide to attack the Yuza family's residence in Tange, northwest of Takaya Castle. Nobunaga was going to fight in the dead of winter; he had to make some money, right? Last month, he settled accounts with Shichibei, and after a year's work, he still owed Shichibei a considerable amount for the famine.

As for Shichibei, he was ordered to deliver a message to Matsunaga Hisahide. What exactly happened? Send someone to Nobunaga's presence to clarify the matter. If it was truly a rebellion, Nobunaga would have led his troops there and dealt with him within half a day. If not, there needs to be a reason.

Should I go? Shichibei wanted to ask why he was going alone.

He turned his head left and right, realizing he really had to go alone. Nobunaga's senior retainers weren't with him. Discussing matters with a powerful figure like Matsunaga Hisahide required someone of considerable influence. Mitsuhide was going to attack Tange-sho, and Wada Koremasa, having just been beaten by Hisahide, was seething with rage.

Hosokawa Fujitaka is a good candidate, but Nobunaga still needs Hosokawa Fujitaka to maintain constant contact with Kyoto and ensure the stability of the capital.

Alright, Shichibei had no choice but to set off on horseback. Takino Castle was quite close, located near the southern part of Yamashiro Province; it would only take two hours by horseback. Accompanying Shichibei were only a few attendants, including Mori Jiroza and Ota Gyuichi.

The battle outside Takino Castle had just ended when the victorious Matsunaga-Yusa allied forces arrived, and they were cleaning up the battlefield. As for Takino Castle, it stood majestically on the plain. The castle was not large; it was a fortified castle built on a man-made foundation about one and a half meters above the ground, with three layers of walls. The platform of the main keep was the highest, about three meters high.

If you really put your heart into attacking such a city, it would be quite impressive if the few hundred people inside could hold out for even a day.

After revealing his identity, Matsunaga Hisahide immediately welcomed Shichibei into the tent. After scanning the room and finding no one from the Yusa family, Shichibei sat down.

"Matsunaga's performance is truly impressive." Shichibei was genuinely surprised that Matsunaga Hisahide would betray them at this point; it was illogical.

"Bad luck and misfortune." Matsunaga Hisahide never imagined that his petty theft of a few tens of thousands of koku of land would escalate into such a huge mess.

From the shogunate to Nobunaga, everyone was mobilized. This was completely different from the previous plan to cover things up internally and have Nobunaga reluctantly accept it.

"I'm afraid this answer won't convince the authorities and the executive branch..." With that one sentence, Shichibei was certain that Matsunaga Hisahide was not truly plotting a rebellion.

He was probably instigated by someone, and judging that Nobunaga was currently preoccupied with a problem and had no time to deal with him, he wanted to expand his strength and continue to observe the situation.

"I am willing to join Lord Gifu in sending troops to punish the disloyal!" Matsunaga Hisahide blinked and immediately stood up to express his stance.

"Disloyal?" Shichibei thought to himself, "You old bastard, you're already disloyal enough."

"Naturally, it's Yuzakawachi!"

"Tsk, tsk tsk tsk."

Almost instantly, Shichibei felt an urge to applaud Matsunaga Hisahide. Once Hisahide confirmed that Nobunaga had arrived with his army and that he had no way to explain himself, he immediately decided to betray his comrade.

Regardless of Yusa Nobutori's true intentions, to quell Nobunaga's anger, some sincerity must be shown. Yamato's territory is already unstable due to Tsutsui Junkei's meddling and cannot be ceded further. The only way to gain forgiveness is to send troops to fight Yusa Nobutori and eliminate this destabilizing factor for Nobunaga.

By defeating the Yuza clan, Nobunaga's trip was not in vain. The territory could be used to strengthen Hatakeyama Akitaka, or it could be used to reward Wada Koremasa or someone else; either way, it would strengthen the power of Nobunaga's supporters.

"And I am willing to offer you a first-class rank in the Ido." Matsunaga Hisahide continued to add to the offer.

Hisahide's most famous tea utensils were the Tsukumo Nasu and the Koten Meihira Spider Pot. The Tsukumo Nasu had already been presented to Nobunaga when he came to Kyoto. The Spider Pot was something Hisahide loved deeply and refused to give up even if it meant his death. So, he had to settle for the second best and present the Ido Tea Bowl.

The so-called "Ido" tea bowls are actually ceramic bowls from the Joseon Dynasty of neighboring Korea, characterized by their bamboo-shaped raised base and plum blossom-shaped glaze (shrinkage). The "Tsutsui-tsui," "Shibata Ido," and "Kizaemon Ido" mentioned in later games all refer to this type of tea bowl.

Great tea connoisseurs such as Sen no Rikyu and Kobori Enshu praised the Ido tea bowls, selecting many famous examples. The Hosokawa Ido, later a national treasure of Japan, was brought to Japan during this period and eventually ended up in the hands of Hosokawa Tadaoki.

"Since Matsunaga Danjo is so resolute, then I have nothing more to say." What else could Shichibei say? Matsunaga Hisahide had already made his plans.

He pointed at Matsunaga Hisamichi, "These things can't be done without taking a hostage. Forget about elders or daughters, we need a legitimate son. Come with me."

Matsunaga Hisamichi glanced at Hisahide. What could Hisahide do? Nobunaga had already arrived; he could only back down for now. If Nobunaga really wanted to send reinforcements, he could muster 30,000 to 50,000 men, which the Matsunaga clan couldn't handle.

"Take care of yourself."

The attendant had already lifted the curtain on the shogunate, but Shichibei still turned back and gave Matsunaga Hisahide a word of advice. "Why be such a troublemaker? At worst, you can pass on your business to Matsunaga Hisahide and become a retainer under Nobunaga. As long as you diligently serve Nobunaga, he'll be quite forgiving."

Upon hearing Shichibei's words, Matsunaga Hisahide gave a somewhat enigmatic smile. But he quickly lowered his head and saw Shichibei out of the tent.

Fine.

He rushed back to Nobunaga's main camp and learned that Matsunaga Hisahide had decided to betray Yusa Nobutori first to appease Nobunaga's discontent. Nobunaga laughed heartily, saying, "I've already told you, I'm not afraid of your greed, I'm not afraid of your evil, I'm only afraid of your incompetence."

The food itself is the original sin!

As long as you're not weak, Nobunaga has boundless confidence that he can subdue you and make you continue to follow him. Hisahide's performance, while not perfect, was at least passable.

"First published on 705u.com - Book Club"

Without a word, Nobunaga ordered the camp to be broken up and rushed to attack Yusa Nobutori. Matsunaga Hisahide, who had already made an appointment with Nobunaga, also turned his attention to Yusa Nobutori, who was his ally just yesterday, as soon as he saw the Oda army arrive.

Nobunaga, positioned in the center of the camp, instructed that Yusa Nobutori must be captured alive. There was a small group of bad elements in the Kinai region who, despite repeatedly showing signs and weaknesses, were never actually captured by Nobunaga.

There must be an unseen hand remotely directing Yuza Shinkyo's actions this time. Once we capture Yuza Shinkyo alive, everything will become clear.

Shichibei didn't need to go into battle; he simply rode alongside Nobunaga to observe. Yusa Nobutori, who had brought two or three thousand men, was caught in a pincer attack by Nobunaga's ten thousand men and Hisahide's three thousand, and was almost instantly routed. Yesterday they were fighting side by side against Wada Koremasa, and today they've turned against him; anyone would be astonished.

Because no one was to die, Nobunaga announced a bounty before the war began: anyone captured alive by Yusa Shinkyo, regardless of their social standing, would receive 500 kan.

The entire Oda army, including the mobilized shogunate officials, had gone mad. A hereditary fief of 500 kan was something they might not achieve even in three lifetimes, and now that such a great achievement was within their grasp, they were all searching with bloodshot eyes.

Unfortunately, while Nobunaga wanted to capture Yusa Nobutori alive, Matsunaga Hisahide hoped that Yusa Nobutori would die quickly and be done with it. So, as the person involved, wasn't the entire cause and effect determined by his words?

The two sides had different goals, which led to a breakdown in coordination. Yuzo Shinkyo, being a local strongman in Hanoi, was very familiar with the terrain. Seizing an opportunity, he dashed away like a whirlwind.

It is said that in the history of Ashikaga Yoshiaki's Tomosaku Shogunate, there was a samurai named Yusa Kawachi Nyudo, who was most likely Yusa Nobutori. There are even claims that Yusa Kawachi was among Hideyoshi's retainers, the Umakai-shu. However, considering his age, Yusa Nobutori probably didn't live to such an advanced age.

Ran?

At this moment, Akechi Mitsuhide also rushed back, and Hatakeyama Akitaka, Nobunaga's good son-in-law, also came to apologize to Nobunaga. Such a thing had happened under his jurisdiction, and he could not escape blame.

But since he was Nobunaga's son-in-law and Nobunaga needed him to maintain order in Kawachi, he didn't really blame him. Families like the Yusa and Yasami clans, which had been established for over a hundred years, were actually quite independent, and could even be considered independent daimyo.

For example, the governor of Owari, Shiba Yoshitomo, and the deputy governor, Oda Tatsukatsu, were in a superior-subordinate relationship, but in reality, Shiba Yoshitomo could not command Oda Tatsukatsu most of the time.

Oda Tatsukatsu is having a private fight with others. Let's see if Shiba Yoshitomo can stop it.

"There's no useful information at all?" While Nobunaga was talking to Hatakeyama Akitaka inside the tent, Shichibei was chatting with Akechi Mitsuhide outside.

Mitsuhide broke into Tange Manor and, together with Hatakeyama Akitaka, escorted the entire Yusa family's retainers to Takino Castle. After a thorough interrogation, almost no useful information was obtained.

"Sigh..." Mitsuhide wasn't very good at interrogation, so he could only bring the person to Nobunaga for the time being.

Sakuma Nobumori had also extricated himself and begun assisting Nobunaga with military and political affairs. Let him handle the interrogation; at least he has Yasami Nobukuni to assist him.

"Jubei, do you think the king is involved in this matter?" Shichibei scrutinized Mitsuhide's expression, trying to grasp something.

It's actually a bit impolite to ask this, but given the current situation, many people in the Kinai region are suspects. And Mitsuhide is still Nobunaga's retainer; avoiding certain things would only make things more difficult to understand.

“Not really, Wada Iga arrived to provide assistance almost immediately.” Akechi Mitsuhide’s expression didn’t change much, as if he were deep in thought.

Indeed, this is the main evidence that allowed Ashikaga Yoshiaki to clear his name, as so many people in the shogunate witnessed it. Upon learning that Sakuma Nobumori was besieged at Takino Castle, Yoshiaki immediately ordered Wada Koremasa to rush to his rescue.

Wada Koremasa also fought very hard in the rescue, engaging in a fierce battle with the Matsunaga-Yusa allied forces. This bought Nobunaga at least a whole day to arrive with his troops.

"That's strange." Having reached the front of the shogunate's curtain, the two ended their conversation and went inside to register.

Nobunaga saw Akechi Mitsuhide and asked him the same question. After learning that there was still no useful information, he immediately clapped his hands and ordered Sakuma Nobumori to torture him.

Carve out a small bamboo stick, first hit the palms, then the soles of the feet, and if they're worn out, hit the calves. Don't ask any questions, just beat them three times, and I bet you won't be able to get a fart out of them.

Sakuma Nobumori must have been furious after being messed with like this, so he took on the task and got to work.

The topic shifted to the present: the more than 30,000 koku of land surrounding Tange-sho, and the remaining samurai group of Yuza no Shinkyo, both needed new masters. Upon hearing this, everyone in the shogunate held their breath. Whether the land was directly transferred or the samurai were distributed among the generals as provisions, it was a valuable asset.

For those eager to improve themselves, it's a tempting offer. For those who want to give up and slack off, it's a bit of a hot potato. After all, more land means more military service.

Nobunaga pondered for a moment, then looked up and summoned Shibata Nagakatsu. He instructed him to allocate 5,000 koku of the koku to Kuki Yoshitaka of Shima Province, and to order Kuki Yoshitaka to build more large ships in preparation for future campaigns.

As for the remaining 20,000 koku, Nobunaga glanced at his son-in-law, Hatakeyama Akitaka, and then at Yasami Nobukuni, finding it difficult to make a decision. Alternatively, temporarily handing over Tange Estate to Ashikaga Yoshiaki to ease tensions with him were also options.

Chapter 221 Business Decentralization to Key Officials

Twenty thousand koku wasn't much to Nobunaga, but in other places, it was a fiercely contested territory. Nobunaga was hesitant to make a decision, and besides, he had to thoroughly investigate Yusa's religious beliefs; he wasn't sure he wouldn't find out the truth.

In the past, there were no clues or the parties involved could not be caught for a while, but in the case of Yusa Shinkyo, the person involved, Matsunaga Hisahide, is now kneeling in front of Nobunaga, holding an Ido tea bowl and begging for mercy.

Tell me about it.

Nobunaga, sitting on a stool, watched Matsunaga Hisahide with great interest; perhaps Nobunaga and Hisahide shared a mutual respect. Of course, that's not quite accurate. A more fitting description would be that Nobunaga developed a strong competitive spirit to completely subdue Hisahide, which is why, despite Hisahide's repeated betrayals, Nobunaga was still willing to forgive him in history.

Once you reach the level of the strong, killing, arson, and conquering cities become commonplace and natural occurrences. What truly interests them is the conquest of certain aspects or certain people.

It's possible that Nobunaga was interested in Hisahide and wanted him to completely kneel before him and willingly submit.

Of course, this was just Shichibei's guess. At this moment, Shichibei was standing beside Nobunaga, watching Matsunaga Hisahide's performance.

Matsunaga Hisahide spilled the beans, revealing in detail how Yusa Nobutaka attempted to kill Yasami Nobukuni, then Hatakeyama Akitaka, seize power in the Hatakeyama clan, and ultimately inherit the Hatakeyama lineage. He also disclosed the "righteous cause" behind Yusa Nobutaka's attack on Yasami Nobukuni: after becoming Hatakeyama Nobutaka, Yusa Nobutaka declared Yasami Nobukuni a traitor, and Matsunaga Hisahide's campaign against him was justified.

In any case, the pot was made by Yuza Shinkyo. Matsunaga Hisahide was just temporarily bewitched and blinded by greed, thinking about getting a vote from Ami Nobukuni. He had absolutely no intention of being an enemy of Nobunaga.

Wait, why was Yusa Shinkyo allowed to succeed the Hatakeyama clan?

Oda Nobunaga had been fighting in Owari for so many years, yet he hadn't managed to kill the Shiba clan. Finally, he entered Kyoto, where Ashikaga Yoshiaki asked Oda Nobunaga if he was interested in succeeding the Shiba clan. If Nobunaga had simply nodded, he would have immediately become the head of the Shiba family.