Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

If the city falls within three to five days, then they can seize it and return home safely. With the troops stationed at the city walls, the Kyoto branch office of So Kotaro can also provide them with some logistical support in conjunction with the shogunate's officials.

If they can't take Wakasa Ishiyama Castle in ten days or half a month, Oda Nobuhiro might as well die sooner rather than later. Nobunaga will definitely strip him of all his power, and he'll only be able to defend the main camp and the castle from now on.

Therefore, Shichibei doesn't need to go into battle with the army and can stay in Gifu Castle for the New Year. He can also keep the young general company with him. The young general is only about three months pregnant and hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy yet. The young general is still busy as usual, even getting up early to make breakfast for Shichibei.

Then came news of Oda Nobuhiro and Akechi Mitsuhide's great victory, as Asakura Yoshikage was unable to send troops due to the heavy snow in Echizen. Moreover, his soldiers were indeed exhausted from fighting in the Kinai region and needed rest.

The Wakasa followers who favored the Asakura clan, such as Takeda Nobukata and Awaya Ukyo, lacked both sufficient strength and a leader to guide them in rescuing Wakasa Ishiyama Castle.

As a result, Oda Nobuhiro stormed the city and directly kidnapped Muto Tomomasu's mother.

Literally, it means that he stole someone's mother, forced her to submit, and followed her to Gifu Castle in the dead of winter to apologize to Oda Nobunaga and ask for his forgiveness for his great crime of resisting the royal army.

When Muto's mother was taken hostage and sent to the gates of Gifu Castle, there were still many people watching in the streets. They all said that Nobuhiro had stood up and had not disgraced the old Oda family.

To ensure that Muto Tomomasu could not rebel again, Oda Nobuhiro and Akechi Mitsuhide conspired and completely destroyed Wakasa Ishiyama Castle, giving Muto Tomomasu no chance at all.

Chapter 224 Taking care of the hostages

In the second year of Yuangui, on New Year's Day in the spring.

Shichibei appeared openly in the Oda family's seat, which was second only to the elders and the kinsmen, without any objection. Everyone even bowed to Shichibei.

When presenting the sword, Nobunaga lamented that his beloved elder brother, Oda Nobuhiro, was still trapped in the Wakasa Campaign and could not come to share the first drink of the new year with him.

How could he possibly return? Oda Nobuhiro, possessed by a "war god," marched all the way to Itsumi Masatsune's territory. He witnessed Nobuhiro abduct Muto's mother and utterly destroy Wakasa Ishiyama Castle. Terrified, Itsumi Masatsune rushed to Gifu to kowtow to Oda Nobunaga, fearing that Oda Nobuhiro would also abduct his mother.

Nobunaga waved his hand and handed over the seventeen shogunates of Saburi, the territory that originally belonged to Muto Tomomasu, to him for administration. It was not a grant, because Muto Tomomasu had also been forced to come to Gifu to apologize to Nobunaga, and his territory had been confiscated for the time being, and there was no guarantee that it would be returned someday.

Itsuki Masatsune could simply take over the land of the seventeen shogunates of Saburi for a few years without any compensation; what was there to complain about? The fear he had felt earlier vanished instantly, and he repeatedly exclaimed how kind Lord Nobunaga was.

With Muto Tomomasu captured and Itsumi Masatsugu switching sides, Yamagata Magosaburo, faced with Oda Nobuhiro's power, also sided with Oda. Now, almost half of Wakasa Province has sided with Oda, and it's estimated that after February, Nobunaga will install a head of the Wakasa Takeda clan to assist the Oda ruling group.

At this moment, these old-guard samurai noble families still hold some sway. After Nobunaga won over Hatakeyama Akitaka, he re-disciplined him in Kawachi, and no one seemed to have any complaints. This was partly because Nobunaga was still powerful, and partly because he had the support of the Kawachi governor's family.

Oda Nobuhiro's performance was outstanding, satisfying not only Oda Nobunaga but also the samurai generals who might have thought they could also become commanders of regional armies.

Wen has no first, Wu has no second.

Seeing that Xin Guang had demolished the city, his martial prowess was obvious, so naturally no one would dare to object. That's how it is these days; the bigger the fist, the stronger the back, and the louder the voice.

With news of successive victories arriving one after another during the New Year, the entire main hall of the Titoniya Residence was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

As they were chatting, they noticed that Nobunaga was talking to Hideyoshi, who was offering him drinks and compliments. The two seemed to be having a lively conversation, but they didn't know what they were talking about.

At the dinner table, the truth couldn't be hidden for long; soon Shichibei overheard the conversation. It was Nobunaga asking Hideyoshi what to do since he still didn't have a legitimate son. If all else failed, he could just take one from Nobunaga's side.

Nobunaga's fourth son, Ujimaru, is now over three years old. He's not much younger than Hideyoshi's only legitimate daughter, Nene, who doesn't exist in history. It's a good time to arrange a marriage between them, so that the two families can be merged into one, and Hideyoshi's family status can be directly elevated to that of a major branch of the Oda clan.

Historically, it wasn't until another Hashiba Hidekatsu (Ishimatsu Maru) died young, around the fourth or fifth year of Tensho (1565), that Hideyoshi took the initiative to ask Nobunaga to send Otsuji Maru to the Hashiba family as his heir.

The current situation is slightly different because Hideyoshi has an additional daughter who is a pure-blooded Owari, so even if Hideyoshi doesn't lay any eggs in the end, he can still find a suitable and satisfactory successor through adoption.

Another well-known incident is that during the Battle of Ōkōchi, Hideyoshi was shot in the groin by an arrow. If it weren't for Shichibei's quick thinking in applying some ashes and pressing to stop the bleeding, his testicles might have died from blood loss.

The two eggs were saved, but it's true that Hideyoshi never had another child. After the New Year, Hideyoshi was a very typical thirty-five years old—in later times, he would be considered a promising talent, contributing to society. In today's terms, he'd be quite a grandfather.

Unfortunately, Hideyoshi only had one daughter; he had no other children whatsoever.

Yokoyama's territory of 10,000 kan (a unit of currency) and the sizable samurai group he had built up could not be without an heir. That's why Nobunaga asked; it wasn't interfering in a subordinate's private life, but rather one of the important internal affairs of the daimyo at that time.

Ensuring the stability of his samurai ranks and persevering in his campaigns, while also showing concern for the family lives of his subordinates, was a consistent style of Nobunaga's conduct.

Nobunaga had interfered in Shichibei's marriage, and now Shichibei's sisters had become important links in Nobunaga's network of relationships that he could "use." Nene and Hideyoshi's marriage was also a result of Nobunaga's interference.

These kinds of things can be discussed and negotiated; Nobunaga never said he had to force his son into Hideyoshi's hands. Given the current situation, Nobunaga had many options; he was simply giving Hideyoshi another choice.

After Hideyoshi returned home, he discussed with his retainers whether to welcome Oda Nobunaga, the young lord of the Oda clan, to marry the princess and become her heir.

People from later generations might feel uncomfortable, thinking it's like seizing family property, but in the present day, everyone is used to it and doesn't think it's anything wrong.

If Shichibei doesn't have a legitimate son, Nobunaga will intervene.

Actually, Koichiro and Shichibei's sister, Aji, had a son, so it would be the same if Hideyoshi adopted this boy as his heir. But it's hard to say, as Hideyoshi himself had some feudalistic ideas, and the final decision was up to him.

After a day of heavy drinking, the New Year's banquet in the city finally came to an end. Shichibei and his colleagues walked back arm in arm, hardly behaving themselves. Before they even left the house, Shibata Nagakatsu, who was staying at the residence, ran out and called out to Shichibei, saying that Nobunaga had something to discuss and asked him to wait a moment.

"A errand?" Although Shichibei and Shibata Nagakatsu were complete strangers before, they were now brothers-in-law, so there was nothing they couldn't talk about. Shibata Nagakatsu waved his hand and said it was about Muto's mother; it wasn't a big deal.

Muto's mom? What's wrong?

Back at his residence, Nobunaga went to change his clothes and wash his face. After a short while, he returned. He then announced that Muto Tomomasu would temporarily serve as a major retainer, participating in the Oda clan's war efforts under the identities of Nobunaga's Naotomi, Nobuhiro, and Riki.

However, Nobunaga was likely to be engaged in a long campaign, and Nobuhiro estimated that he would also be busy putting out fires for the next two years. Fortunately, Shichibei was Nobuhiro's son-in-law and did not need to fight everywhere, so the hostage Muto's mother, whom they had kidnapped, was entrusted to Shichibei's care.

Ow...

So that's what happened. This job is doable; it's just looking after someone who doesn't earn a living. Oda Nobuhiro's main problem is that he's never had a son. He's quite old, and while he has several daughters, he hasn't had a son. Now that he's become a legion commander and will be away fighting for a long time, he has no one at home to make decisions.

As the son-in-law, Shichibei did have some power, and even an obligation, to take care of Oda Nobuhiro's household affairs in a certain sense.

Alright, let's bring Mutou's mother over then. Judging by her age, she's already fifty. She's lived most of her life and has been kidnapped as a hostage; she's clearly a pitiful person.

When Muto Tomomasu learned that his mother had been placed in the Kawamura family, he also came to pay his respects to Shichibei. His castle had been demolished and his territory confiscated. He could only serve Nobunaga as a large retainer with a few hundred members of his clan and retainers, hoping to gain Nobunaga's forgiveness and return to his former territory.

Seeing that even his mother had been brought to the Kawamura family, he simply kowtowed to Shichibei, indicating that he would definitely be following Lord Nobunaga everywhere, carrying guns, and would never have a moment's peace. He entrusted all the women in the household to Shichibei. They were family, and living together would provide mutual support.

That's the truth. Shichibei's house was already large, and he built a lot of houses for the 500 cavalrymen, including Namie Sadaharu, who came to join him. There was plenty of room for them to live in.

Let's all come, consider it making friends.

Shichibei had his own reasons for not refusing. He knew Nobunaga would eventually completely suppress Wakasa and Asakura, and the ports of Obama and Tsuruga would fall into Nobunaga's hands. Once they were in Nobunaga's hands, they would essentially be in Shichibei's hands as well.

The Northward Trade is a lucrative business, and Shichibei will inevitably get involved sooner or later. Getting to know a few local strongmen in Wakasa beforehand might prove surprisingly useful in the future. Even if it doesn't, we small merchants believe in making money through harmony. They've practically begged for money; why shouldn't we agree?

As a result of his actions, whether someone mentioned it to Nobunaga or they conspired among themselves, the hostages of Itsumi Masatsune and Yamagata Magohachiro were also sent to Shichibei's house. They were all Wakasa members, or rather, Wakasa members who had sided with Nobunaga, and the hostages ended up living together.

It was quite common for retainers to take hostages on behalf of their lords. For example, when Hideyoshi was in Jiangbei, he took hostages from many powerful clans there, and more importantly, he took several of them as concubines.

Historically, Nene went to Nobunaga's court because of this very issue. Nobunaga directly told her that this "bald rat" was disobedient and that he would teach her a lesson.

The aforementioned Hidekatsu Hashiba (Ishimatsu Maru) was most likely born to Hideyoshi as the daughter of a powerful clan in Kohoku. However, there are also theories that he was born to Kyogoku Ryuko. In any case, he was a hostage brought from Kohoku and born to Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi was quite a character to have managed to seduce hostages. And this was a consistent habit of his. When Ukita Naoie handed his wife and children over to Hideyoshi as hostages, Hideyoshi didn't hold back at all, readily sleeping with his wife and raising his children. He truly was a "model" of "I'll take care of your wife and children, so you don't need to worry about them."

The only difference is that other people treat their brother's wife as their sister-in-law, while he treats his brother's wife as his own wife.

Alright, come on over. Right now, it's the Warring States period, a chaotic world. Many rules have been overturned, many orders haven't been established, so let's just move forward like this makeshift group. As long as the program still works, even if it's a mountain of crap code, don't try to change it. We're just looking after Nobunaga's hostages, nothing more.

Before Nobuhiro returned, Nobunaga continued to take advantage of the peace agreement with Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple and the fact that Echizen was still under heavy snow, preparing to remove Saito Tatsuoki, a thorn in Kiyosu's side.

After eliminating Ryūō, we'll move on to take down the Ikkō-ikyu (co-revolutionary) of Nagashima in northern Ise. We'll proceed with the easy tasks first, following a proper order.

Besides, his credit limit with Shichibei has been updated, right? New year, new credit line, time to start using it.

As a result, just after the Lantern Festival, Nobunaga began sharpening his sword towards Kiyosu. Saito Tatsuoki had previously lost several hundred men in battles against Ikeda Tsuneoki, Hayashi Michimasa, and Shichibei. Given his situation, replenishing his troops in Kiyosu Castle would be difficult, and he currently had at most three thousand men besieging the castle.

According to Nobunaga's plan, not many troops would need to be mobilized. The three men of Nishi-Mino would gather 5,000 men, the younger brother of Mikawa would gather 5,000 men, and the Kitabatake family would gather 5,000 men to intercept the troops that Nagashima Ganshoji Temple might send to reinforce Kiyosu Castle.

Nobunaga then led his 10,000 regular troops in a ten-sided attack and recaptured Kiyosu. His retainers had been conscripted more soldiers than required last year, so he told them to rest a bit longer and wait for Asakura Yoshikage's 30,000-strong army to return in March or April. There would be plenty of mobilization orders to issue and plenty of battles to fight.

Everyone would definitely agree, and since the operation is being fought on the Owari front, Shichibei wouldn't even need to handle logistics. Two supplies could be sent to Kiyosu from Gifu Castle at regular intervals. What if Nobunaga couldn't capture Kiyosu Castle in ten days or half a month?

He's wasted all those years in Qingxu!

If the Battle of Kiyosu can be concluded within ten days, the Oda army can return and rest for a month or two. Once they have recovered, they can begin to engage in the battles in the Kinai region or in the battles in northern Ise and Nagashima.

After discussing it, everyone agreed that Nobunaga's decision was suitable for everyone, and no one objected. Last year's war had exhausted everyone, so it was time to rest.

Nobunaga had a large fortune, while they did not.

So, after a meeting at the front, Shichibei and the others all stayed in Gifu to assist Oda Kyokumaru in defending the castle. Nobunaga himself, along with Ikeda Katsumasa, Muto Tomomasu, Hosokawa Akimoto, Kyogoku Takakichi, and other large troops, as well as his own men of the rank of Mokui, foot soldiers, and small soldiers, swiftly fled to Kiyosu.

They're really prepared to act swiftly and decisively, without any hesitation.

He even rejected Shichibei's suggestion to stockpile enough rations for 25,000 men for a month at Iwakura Castle. This time, Nobunaga wasn't just arrogant; he was overconfident. Fighting in his comfort zone—losing would be incredibly humiliating.

The three leaders of Nishi-Mino mobilized 5,000 men. They did not travel with Nobunaga, but instead assembled at Ōgaki Castle and proceeded along the Ise Road to Ogie Castle. Afterwards, they headed to Tsushima, and along the main streets of Owari, Mino, and Ise, intercepted any reinforcements that Nagashima might send.

Tokugawa Ieyasu from Mikawa arrived quite quickly. At the moment, Ieyasu's military pressure was relatively low because the Takeda clan was allied with Nobunaga and was also locked in a fierce battle with Hojo Ujiyasu. Therefore, he could easily deploy 5,000 men.

He also brought Nobunaga a personal letter from Takeda Shingen, in which Shingen hoped that Nobunaga would continue his efforts and make sure to mediate between the Takeda and Uesugi families to achieve complete harmony.

Even after the alliance between the two states, Takeda Shingen was under considerable pressure. He discovered that he couldn't actually kill Hojo Ujiyasu and his son Hojo Ujimasa, and Uesugi Kenshin had long been proven to be invincible.

Nobunaga secretly hoped that the Takeda clan would remain mired in a quagmire forever, so he wrote back saying that he had tried his best and was almost breaking his bones, but he still hadn't convinced Uesugi Kenshin, and asked Shingen to wait a little longer.

Chapter 225 Rumors and New Developments Regarding the IPO

Shingen is eager to reach a peace agreement with Echigo right now. Tsk tsk tsk, upon hearing this, Shichibei knows that Takeda Shingen has probably already decided to challenge Oda Nobunaga.

After all, he had already faced both Uesugi Kenshin and Hojo Ujiyasu, and neither of them had the strength to completely defeat him. So, naturally, Shingen turned his attention to Nobunaga.

Later generations, when looking back at Takeda Shingen's decision, probably judged it as a futile attempt. However, Takeda Shingen at the time might not have thought so. After all, from a strategic perspective, Nobunaga was surrounded on several sides, and had not been able to defeat a major enemy force; it seemed like he was doomed.

We need to send someone to Kai and Shinano to buy another batch of horses. Currently, many Oshu horses traded northwards are restricted and cannot reach Imahama and Otsu, let alone become horses owned by Kawamuraya.

Purchasing Kiso horses from the Takeda clan at this time is still considered normal commercial trade between allies. Shingen would not only not stop him, but might even sell a few more to raise funds for his army.

Quickly make arrangements. The snow is very deep on the Nakasendo Road, which is the Kiso Street. Send people to the Tokai Street and then to Suruga. Don't wait for the Takeda clan's horse herders to send horses for the trade; let's send our own people to buy them.

The reason is readily available: it is common knowledge that Oda Nobunaga was being attacked on all sides. Since he was being attacked, he had to fight. He raised troops for months, but he only regretted that he had too few horses.

Last year, due to the war in the Kinai region, the price of the annual tribute rice shipped to Sakai actually increased slightly. Shichibei currently has sufficient funds in his account; he'll first send 5,000 kan to Kai to buy horses. If that's not enough, he can send someone back to get more.

By the way, the rice industry in Sakai and Ishiyama is already showing some signs of rice futures trading. They previously signed a futures contract with Shichibei for 40,000 koku of annual tribute rice. At the end of last year, rice prices fluctuated, and I wonder how many rice industry workers jumped into the river?

When Nobunaga finally defeats Ishiyama Honganji and Shichibei takes over Ishiyama Monzen-cho, completely controlling Sakai-cho and Ishiyama-Osaka-cho in Osaka Bay, we'll have to get involved in this rice futures market.

While he was currently at the main store in Gifu, where he could manage the business and affairs, Shichibei sent Inase Yoshinari on a field mission. This kid had been serving at the main store all along; he needed to go out and see the world. Even though he was his brother-in-law, he couldn't stay confined to his comfort zone forever; he needed to get out and explore.

Kotaro and Shichibei have been friends since they were little, picking up horse manure together. Now, they've been assigned to the Kyoto branch.

Please have Nagae Sadaharu send a few skilled men to protect Inase Yoshinari. They are also experts in Ogasawara archery and horsemanship; they can help you buy good horses in Shinano and prevent you from being cheated.

To be honest, Inase Yoshinari was quite happy to be sent out on a rare mission. He packed a bundle and a lot of gold and set off for Kai with about a hundred men and guards.

Shichibei and Ito Sojuro of the Tsushima branch began logistical support for Oda Nobunaga's war effort. Tsushima had a stockpile of Nobi's annual tribute rice, so military rations hardly needed to be transported; they were supplied as needed. What was required were simply arrows, lead pellets, and gunpowder.

With Nobunaga's main force of 10,000 men, besieging Kiyosu Castle, which was defended by a mere 3,000 men, would be a piece of cake.

The only thing that puzzled Shichibei was why Nagashima Ganshoji seemed indifferent. Didn't Shichibei bribe Ōki Kaneyoshi during the Kiyosu siege?

That kid's a real character. I treated him to a two-hour lunch, and the price was 1,500 kan. I gave him 750 on the spot, and told him to pick up the remaining 750 later at the Tsushima branch with the receipt.

It's hilarious! The Oda army defeated Saito Tatsuoki and then turned to relieve Oki's castle. Oki Kaneyuki watched the whole thing eating his lunchbox – those few coins were definitely well spent!

As a result, when Shichibei withdrew from Nagashima and followed Sakuma Nobumori back to rescue Ezu, this guy Oki Kaneyoshi actually sent someone to the Tsushima branch and took away the remaining 750 kan.