Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Shichibei's investigation confirmed that Ashikaga Yoshiaki had transported over a thousand kilos of rice into Makishima Castle. Where was Makishima Castle? It was located in Kyokuro Pond near Uji. However, this lake was reclamated between 1933 (Showa 8) and 1941 (Showa 16), disappearing and becoming farmland. Before reclamation, Kyokuro Pond had a circumference of approximately 16 kilometers and a water area of ​​about 800 hectares, making it the largest freshwater lake in Kyoto Prefecture at the time.

Makishima Castle, situated on a small island in the middle of a lake, possessed the natural defenses of the lake, making it virtually impregnable in Japan at that time. Ashikaga Yoshiaki's choice of this castle for a siege clearly indicated his preparation for a protracted war with Nobunaga.

Makishima Castle, right? Ashikaga Yoshiaki has already started preparing to stockpile provisions for its siege. Shichibei needs to go and report this to Nobunaga. Otherwise, if Nobunaga asks about it later, Shichibei might seem like he's indifferent.

Looking at Ashikaga Yoshiaki, he had twice sent messengers to Ichijodani Castle in Echizen Province, requesting Asakura Yoshikage to send troops to Omi Province after the spring. However, the Asakura clan, which had suffered heavy losses, did not have enough strength to send troops to Omi Province again.

However, after Ashikaga Yoshiaki conveyed the news of Takeda Shingen's impending march on Kyoto to Asakura Yoshikage, Yoshikage finally showed some interest. After all, according to current estimates, the Takeda clan was a top-tier powerful daimyo capable of mobilizing an army of 50,000.

Once Takeda Shingen marches on Kyoto, Nobunaga's heartland, Noobi, will surely be thrown into turmoil.

If we don't send troops now, the Asakura family might not be involved in the next political reshuffle in the Kinai region. This isn't a threat; it's the truth.

Nobunaga is currently acting quite boldly, but many people believe that he is just another Ōuchi or Miyoshi, stuck in the quagmire of the Kinai region, and will eventually be finished.

The saying "His rise was sudden, and his fall was swift" perfectly describes how many people judge Nobunaga today.

Moreover, this time Ashikaga Yoshiaki's demand for Asakura Yoshikage was no longer 30,000 troops; 30,000 was simply too much for the Asakura family. 15,000! 15,000 should be fine, right? As long as the Asakura could provide 15,000 to rescue Horihidemura from Kamajima Castle, they would have 20,000 troops. 20,000 troops would be more than enough to stir up the situation in Omi Province, forcing Nobunaga to be preoccupied with multiple matters.

When that time comes, Ashikaga Yoshiaki will issue another order to all samurai to attack Nobunaga and declare him a traitor.

If the Ashikaga clan's army rises at Makishima Castle and calls upon all the feudal lords to come to the emperor's aid, Nobunaga will surely retreat to his stronghold in Noo. At that time, the 150,000 koku of the Asai clan in the north and the 150,000 koku in the south can be given to Asakura Yoshikage as a reward. Asakura Yoshikage might even be appointed as a Kanrei (military regent).

If it's just a matter of deploying 15,000 people, perhaps, maybe, possibly, it should be fine...

Asakura Yoshikage replied to Ashikaga Yoshiaki, saying he would try to mobilize 15,000 men to attack north of the river and lift the siege of Kamajima Castle. However, he also urged Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Takeda Shingen to raise their armies as soon as possible, as he alone no longer had enough strength to fight against Oda Nobunaga.

I don't care!

Ashikaga Yoshiaki should focus on luring Asakura Yoshikage out first. With Nobunaga's main force tied up at Takatsuki Castle, this is a golden opportunity. Once Nobunaga is free, when will there be any chance to defeat him?

"Makishima?" Nobunaga was still wondering where this place was after hearing Shichibei's report.

Niwa Nagahide, who was standing nearby, offered a few words of advice, which Nobunaga readily accepted. For some reason, Nobunaga remained completely calm and even smiled.

“Then there’s no need to mobilize troops in Kyoto,” Niwa Nagahide offered as a convenient explanation.

"Yes!" Shichibei had actually thought of that too, but for a moment his mind hadn't quite grasped it, wondering why Nobunaga wasn't angry when he heard Yoshiaki was going to rebel.

"Keep watching, do you hear me?" Nobunaga ignored what the two were saying and simply instructed Shichibei.

Kyoto was a crucial part of Nobunaga's ruling structure. Just as Shichibei once said, only a shogun who resides in Kyoto, sits in the palace, and commands the entire realm is a true shogun. Controlling Kyoto was essential to establishing one's own "national order." With the Emperor and court nobles all residing in Kyoto, this banner could not be relinquished.

By abandoning Kyoto and retreating to Makishima Castle in Uji, Ashikaga Yoshiaki is essentially helping Nobunaga. If a large-scale battle were to break out in Kyoto, the entire city would be devastated.

Even if Nobunaga ultimately wins, his prestige and goodwill among the court nobles and officials will plummet. Even if he funds the reconstruction of Kyoto, such relations will be difficult to restore quickly.

Good riddance. The sooner you get out of here, the sooner this will be over.

"Heh heh." After reporting, Shichibei prepared to leave.

Nobunaga didn't stop him; he didn't need Shichibei for the time being, so he let Shichibei return to Kyoto. However, upon leaving Nobunaga's tent, he saw Akechi Mitsuhide heading towards the shogunate. The two greeted each other politely.

Upon learning that Shichibei had come to report to Nobunaga about Ashikaga Yoshiaki's stockpiling of grain at Makishima Castle, Akechi Mitsuhide remained silent for a moment. However, he quickly composed himself and bluntly stated that the nobleman was blinded by a single leaf and could not see the whole mountain.

Shichibei didn't respond to this question, but instead asked Akechi Mitsuhide what business he had with Nobunaga.

It also concerns Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Didn't Nobunaga grant the entire Shiga district to Mitsuhide? Although Enryakuji Temple was defeated, not all its members were killed. So some remnants still remain, and they've gathered near Ishiyama Castle in Shiga district, constantly recruiting pro-shogunate forces from Takashima district in Kohoku.

The former Enryakuji forces, unwilling to accept defeat and annihilation, seem to be showing signs of merging with the pro-shogunate forces in Shiga and Takashima districts.

Chapter 253 Evacuation from Kyoto for Safety

Yoshiaki is in a hurry.

On the one hand, Yoshiaki was useful; most of his direct retainers were won over by Nobunaga. On the other hand, he was useless; relying on his influence and various favors, he could attract this person today and that person tomorrow.

They've managed to create an encirclement around Nobunaga, nearly causing him to lose his life several times. The last encirclement hasn't even ended for a few days, and a second one seems imminent.

The two bowed again, and Akechi Mitsuhide hurriedly went into the tent to report to Nobunaga the unusual movements in Shiga and Takashima districts. Mitsuhide was certainly busy; Sakamoto Castle wasn't even finished yet, and now another battle was about to begin.

Just as he reached the outside of the camp, he saw a messenger on horseback rushing towards the outpost. Nobunaga's situation was truly dire; trouble was brewing everywhere, one thing leading to another, with no respite whatsoever.

It's getting late, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get back to Kyoto in time. I'll just have to make do for the night in the camps inside and outside Takatsuki Castle.

Just as he lay down, he heard the sounds of soldiers moving back and forth outside. Shichibei, who wasn't very sleepy to begin with, quickly got up, put on his clothes, and sent a servant to the camp to inquire about the situation.

A great plague has struck Sickle City!

This is the time when the winter snow melts and spring gradually arrives, and all things begin to grow. The once well-preserved Sickle City has suddenly been struck by a plague. No one knows what kind of plague it is, but it is certain that people are dying in the city.

This isn't the first day; it's likely been spreading covertly for a while now, and it's probably entering its outbreak phase. Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Hanawa Naomasa hurriedly sent messengers to consult Nobunaga: should they launch a direct assault and break through Kamajima Castle, or continue the siege and try to lure out Asakura Yoshikage of Echizen Ichijōdani Castle?

Alternatively, they could try to persuade him to surrender, depending entirely on Oda Nobunaga's wishes. After all, Hori Hidemura was a powerful local tyrant in Sakata County, north of the Kobe River, with a nominal capital of 60,000 and an inner capital of 100,000. If his 5,000 men surrendered, they could conveniently block one of Nobunaga's gun barrels.

But judging from Nobunaga's troop deployment, perhaps he wasn't going to give Hori Hidemura and Higuchi Naofabu a chance to surrender.

The night was chaotic, so Shichibei didn't leave the camp. The next day at dawn, when they inquired again, Nobunaga ordered Hachiya Yoritaka, Nagano Nobukatsu, Oda Nobuhisa, Iio Naokiyo, and other generals to assemble two thousand men and head to the front line of Kamajima Castle in preparation for a general attack on the castle.

Nobunaga was certain that Asakura Yoshikage of Ichijogani was already on his last legs and there was no need for any further siege or reinforcement strategy. The main problem was Hori-hide Village in the north of the river, which was a real nuisance. It not only affected the stability of the entire Omi Province, but also tied up two of Nobunaga's main army commanders.

With troops on all sides, manpower is scarce everywhere. Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Hanawa Naomasa are both very hardworking retainers, and Nobunaga is of great use, so he can no longer be left to besiege the city north of the river.

I understand. That's perfect. Shichibei can just follow the rest of the advancing troops back to Kyoto. It's quite a coincidence that he'll be traveling with Oda Nobui. That guy almost became Shichibei's father! Besides, they're about the same age, so they'll definitely get along well.

As a close relative of the Oda clan, Oda Nobui has fared quite well. Although he wasn't assigned to be an independent legion commander, as the second son of the Ohashi clan, he was noticed by Nobunaga and rose through the ranks from Nobunaga's retainer to his current position with 25 mounted retainers, 25 foot soldiers, and 200 infantrymen—quite an impressive achievement.

Although he was still Nobunaga's security captain, he could become the lord of a province and a castle at any time given the opportunity. In the future, Oda Nobuhisa's elder brother, Ōhashi Nagamasa, might still have to live at his beck and call, or even become his henchman.

Oh, and Shinji also said that if Shichibei has a daughter later, she must arrange a marriage between him and his son. Since Shichibei can't be his son-in-law, then his son can be Shichibei's son-in-law.

Hahaha, this kid's a real character. How can anyone argue like that? It's unbelievable! Let's not even talk about the fact that Shichibei doesn't have a daughter. Even if he did, Nobunaga would have to decide who she married. Daughters in Owari are all precious; whoever they marry is qualified to join the core samurai group of Owari.

However, marrying Oda Nobuhisa's son is also a good thing. The young general is originally from their family, so it would be a double blessing. The young general himself would probably be happy to do so.

After chatting for a while, Shichibei asked Oda Nobui if he was ordered to launch a strong attack on Kamajima Castle.

Of course! A plague has broken out in Sickle City, and it's said that a hundred or so people are dying every day. Don't underestimate the city's 5,000 soldiers; at this rate, they'll all be dead within a month. Considering the time it took to discover the plague and the time it took to report it, Sickle City probably only has two or three thousand half-dead soldiers left in the city right now.

With such a small force, even with the largest fortified mountain city north of the Yangtze River as a stronghold, it's useless. In the end, defending a city still depends on manpower; without people, nothing can be accomplished.

The only problem is the plague; we need to be careful when attacking the city.

Oda Nobuhiro, who was across the street, laughed. What's the trouble? Just burn it down. Anyway, there was no need for Kamajima Castle to exist, and besides, to prevent the spread of the plague, they simply set it on fire.

Burn them all to the ground, then use the 60,000 koku of rice in Sakata County to settle the retainers and samurai. It's so much easier to wipe out the old guard. Look at what Akechi Mitsuhide just reported about the old party in Shiga County; they've been instigated and are about to cause trouble again. It's easiest to settle things by killing them all; there's no need for any backup plans.

Ow...

There's really nothing to worry about. This is the Warring States period; nobody cares about treating the sick or burying the dead. Just set it on fire, whether they're alive or dead, and that's it.

All the plagues will be burned away. After a year or two, we'll find someone to bury them, and while we're at it, we'll build a small temple and erect a pagoda on the mountain. That way, we'll feel at ease and justified.

I wish you great success and a swift victory!

The two chatted as they went, and soon arrived in Kyoto. Shichibei had to continue managing Nobunaga's supply depot in Kyoto, so he couldn't see them off. Oda Nobuhisa didn't mind, waved his hand, and continued heading north of the river with his 250 men.

Upon returning to Kyoto, Shichibei's first words were that the court had purchased another 500 taels of rice and transported them to the Nijō Palace.

what?

"Didn't they already start planning to flee to Makishima Castle? Why are they still transporting grain to Nijo Palace?" Shichibei was a little confused. What exactly was Ashikaga Yoshiaki trying to do?

What are we going to do? You'll find out soon enough.

Yamaoka Keitomo was appointed as the guardian of Yamashiro, but this position was merely a shell; he had neither men nor a staff under his command. The official reason given for appointing him was that maintaining order in Kyoto required manpower.

Guess what? Haha, Ashikaga Yoshiaki asked Nobunaga to provide money to Yamaoka Kagetomo to recruit people to maintain order in Kyoto and strengthen fire prevention.

He was asking for money openly and legitimately, with perfectly valid reasons. As I've already said, within Kyoto, Ashikaga Yoshiaki was in his comfort zone. Relying on the influence of the old guard, he had many options and could definitely challenge Nobunaga.

Could Nobunaga refuse to give it to him?

The Shogunate Regent is nothing but a nobody!

Therefore, Nobunaga not only had to give it, but he had to give it immediately. Otherwise, Ashikaga Yoshiaki would have to submit a memorial to the court, saying that Nobunaga was shirking his duty to maintain order in Kyoto and was not giving the coins.

In the end, the money still ended up in Shichibei's hands. What money could Nobunaga possibly have now? It all belonged to Shichibei. Ashikaga Yoshiaki didn't stand on ceremony either, demanding three thousand kan immediately, which was all allocated to Yamaoka Kagetomo.

After the funds were allocated, Yamaoka Kagetomo didn't hold back and immediately used the large sums of gold coins to recruit mercenaries in Iga and Koga. He directly established the Koga and Iga groups under the so-called Yamashiro Guardian, initially with 500 men each, and later intended to increase the number of personnel.

Two groups of men were stationed at Nijō Palace, and that provided the manpower for defense. Although they were mercenaries, mercenaries also needed to eat, and those 500 taels of rice wouldn't be enough to feed a thousand people for long.

Tsk tsk tsk, what exactly is Yoshiaki planning?

Although we know that Yoshiaki eventually raised an army in history, how can we fully understand the details without being there? We can only do our best to inquire and learn more, to avoid any unforeseen problems that might trap us in Kyoto.

How about we move to Otsu?

Shichibei thought to himself, "It seems that Ashikaga Yoshiaki is getting closer and closer to turning against Nobunaga. Preparing for war is already underway. Who knows when they'll turn against each other? There are no Nobunaga troops in Kyoto. How many soldiers does Shichibei, the head of the supply depot, have around him? They're all shop assistants and servants."

If they were to be attacked by the shogunate's retainers and the mountain castle's guardians, they wouldn't even have a defensive camp, and they might die on the spot.

No, no, no, we have to get out of this dangerous place, Kyoto. As the saying goes, a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. Although we can hardly call ourselves wise men, it's always right to avoid dangerous situations.

The pretext was readily available: Mitsuhide began the full restoration of Sakamoto Castle Town, which was originally Enryakuji Monmae Town. Shichibei, as a close associate of the Oda clan, needed to clarify commercial rights and confirm the "obligations" of Sakamoto Town.

For example, if Nobunaga were to collect arrow tax, how much would he collect? How many years would it be required to pay extra tax? And if Nobunaga were preparing for a major war, what could Sakamoto-cho do for him?

During the Warring States period, many monasteries were exempt from annual tributes and corvée labor, but they still had to bear certain obligations. The simplest of these was the requirement to provide physicians. This was especially true for monasteries that regularly employed doctors or had a family tradition of medicine.

When war breaks out, monks are sent out to pray, not for victory, but to prepare for reciting sutras for the dead, both allies and enemies, after the battle. Similarly, when a lord dies, all the temples within his territory that have been exempted from paying annual tribute are required to mobilize to recite sutras for him. This explains why there are records of as many as 40,000 monks performing sutras when a lord dies.

This means summoning all the monks from all the monasteries in the territory, from resident monks to novice monks and junior monks, including the so-called monk soldiers.

They won't pay.

Temples, by their very nature, have obligations, and towns naturally bear various responsibilities as well. For example, they may dispatch ships free of charge, or send maids to work for free at the post stations set up by the daimyo in the area, and even, when necessary, emulate the townspeople of the former Enryakuji Temple town, becoming human shields in front of Enryakuji Temple.

Sakamoto Town should be considered to have barely recovered by now, and it has even paid Nobunaga 20,000 kan of arrow money. The relationship between the two lords and vassals has been established, and it is time to clarify their obligations.

Upon hearing Shichibei's analysis, Kotaro understood. He would naturally go to the branch in Sakaimachi, while Shichibei would go to Sakamoto and Otsu. They would split up to avoid any trouble if they were together. Even if something did happen, the other could continue to provide Nobunaga with provisions.

Once the two had agreed, they immediately packed their bags. Of course, they didn't evacuate the entire Kyoto branch; the usual staff remained, but only two of Kotaro's trusted henchmen stayed behind. They were explicitly told that in the event of an emergency, they should run away immediately. Preserving their lives was the top priority, and Shichibei would cover for them if anything happened.

What does "once things calm down" mean? It's hard to say, but the most typical example is when war breaks out.

That's all they could do. After giving instructions to the two captains, Sou Kotaro led his team to Yodogawa, and Shichibei led his team to Otsu. They took all the account books, receipts, and cash, leaving only a small amount of loose change in the counter for emergencies.

However, we should leave more horses behind so that everyone can escape later.

After a hasty retreat to Ōtsu, everything in Ōtsu town was naturally unharmed. The town was still reeling from Nobunaga's earlier burning of Mount Hiei and likely hadn't fully recovered, remaining deeply in awe of Nobunaga's authority. Upon seeing Shichibei arrive, they assumed he was there to collect arrows. The townspeople indicated that two or three thousand kan would be raised immediately, and four or five thousand kan would only take three to five days.

Tsk, it seems that these days, might makes right and it's easier to persuade people.

It's not impossible to persuade people with reason, but it's best to have someone standing by who can persuade people with force.

Nobunaga hadn't asked for money, so Shichibei certainly wouldn't be the bad guy. As a close associate, his main job was to coordinate and manage the commercial activities under Oda Nobunaga's command. However, that was only when speaking to Nobunaga; when dealing with the merchants and townspeople below him, Shichibei also had to consider their attitudes and opinions.