Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

The ownership of the area around Iwamura Castle in Higashimino was still to be inherited by Nobunaga's son, Bōmaru. However, he would no longer inherit the so-called Iwamura-Toyama clan, but would instead be adopted by Takeda Shingen as his son and renamed Takeda Nobufusa.

Then Takeda Nobufusa took control of Iwamura Castle, while Tatsuoki himself remained at Meiji Castle, becoming Takeda Nobufusa's ally. The two sides used Mino Kanayama Castle as the boundary, with the Kiso Mountains serving as the "boundary line," meaning those within the mountains belonged to Takeda, and those outside the mountains belonged to Oda.

Based on this, the two sides entered into a three-year ceasefire agreement.

They could directly request imperial envoys, including the Emperor's younger brother, Prince Kakusho, to act as mediators and conduct so-called imperial peace negotiations.

Nobunaga suspected that Shingen was going to die!

It's that simple. Otherwise, why would Shingen want to negotiate peace? Although Shingen doesn't have a significant advantage right now, if he had the time, he could easily send 5,000 men to defend Yoshida Castle and have some fun with the Oda-Tokugawa alliance.

He's playing the same game he played with the Minowa clan of Nishi-Ueno back then, and he's playing the same game with the Okazaki clan now. Okazaki Castle is the main castle, and there's a whole ring of branch castles surrounding it.

He'll raid one castle this year, another next year, and after three to five years, he'll have stripped all the surrounding outlying castles of Okazaki Castle bare. Then, leading 30,000 men to attack the castle will be a piece of cake.

It's even possible that Tokugawa Ieyasu wouldn't even need to siege a city; he could simply take his core few hundred samurai and run off to join Nobunaga, waiting for his brother in Owari to lead him back to their homeland.

But now Shingen wants to negotiate peace, clearly intending to solidify his control over Tōtōmi Province, annex and assimilate it, and further strengthen the Takeda clan's power. It seems unlikely he'll be able to march on Kyoto this year; he can only hope that the next generation, Takeda Yoshiyori, will succeed.

"If we can get the armored army to retreat, it wouldn't be a bad thing." This was the opinion of the other senior officials before Shichibei arrived.

Nobunaga had already experienced the strength of the Kai army. If it weren't for a group of lowly soldiers from the Kinai region holding back Nobunaga's capable generals, Hashiba Hideyoshi, Niwa Nagahide, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Hanawa Naomasa, these four army commanders' 20,000 men would have been a formidable force.

With Nobunaga bringing 50,000 men, there would be no room for the Kai army to maneuver on the periphery. All the key outposts would be occupied by these capable legion commanders.

At present, the only one with the power to shake Oda Nobunaga's prestige is Takeda Shingen.

Why not make peace temporarily, eliminate all the weaklings in the rear, and then in two or three years, lead an army of 50,000, 70,000, or even 100,000 to have a proper hunt with Takeda Shingen in Kai.

how is it?

"Return to Makishima Castle and annihilate Ichijodani!" Shichibei shared this idea.

First, blast Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the source of Nobunaga's legitimacy and righteousness, into the sky with a single punch. Then, blast Asakura Yoshikage, who was already dead but still falsely alive, into the sky as well.

With the acquisition of 750,000 troops in Echizen, plus the Yamashiro and the Kinai Imperial Estate, totaling one million koku of land, the Oda clan's strength will immediately increase dramatically. At that point, you, Nobunaga, won't even need to come in person; just send a legion commander, and he can muster 30,000 to 50,000 men to contend with Takeda Shingen.

When Hideyoshi was the lord of Himeji Castle in Harima, he could raise 10,000 men with just Rikyu Kita Naoie. If he were to mobilize all his forces, he could easily raise 50,000 men to fight the Mori clan head-on.

Mori Mori exerted all his strength to rescue Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu, but he only managed to gather 50,000 men. At that time, a top-tier feudal lord was only comparable to Nobunaga's army commander.

"Then go!" Nobunaga and Tokugawa Nobuyasu had just returned from killing a wild boar, still wearing their hunting robes and bamboo hats.

"Me?" Shichibei thought to himself, "I should avoid this matter."

"You go, and keep a close eye on things while you're at it." Nobunaga said, unbuttoning his hunting robe and gloves as he checked.

What needs careful observation? Of course, it's Shingen's condition. If Shingen were to die in the Battle of Mikawa, Oda Nobunaga would absolutely not hesitate to launch a fierce attack on the Takeda clan immediately, striking while the enemy was weakened and killing them.

"Yes, sir." What else is there to say? Let's just consider this a final look at Shingen.

Oda Nobunaga could basically accept the conditions proposed by Takeda Shingen. In any case, Mikawa would definitely be given to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and as for Tōtōmi, that could be dealt with later. The Tōkaidō region would ultimately be entrusted to Ieyasu and his son Nobuyasu; Nobuyasu was practically their son-in-law, a member of their own clan, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he controlled three provinces of the Tōkaidō.

Thinking about it, Takeda Shingen was quite pragmatic. If he could go to Kyoto, he would go to Kyoto. If he couldn't go to Kyoto, he would immediately give up the eastern three rivers that he had already conquered, consolidate the territory of Tōtōmi that already had local strongmen, and completely turn Suruga into a separate province.

With Kakegawa Castle and Takatenjin Castle providing cover, the people of Suruga Province will have no external threats and will likely be even more dedicated to serving the Takeda clan.

And so, Shichibei, with a dozen or so riders, arrived at the capital city between Okazaki and Yoshida. To be honest, the road was incredibly difficult; it was completely impossible to ride horses anymore, so they had to walk.

You have to be constantly watching your step when walking, otherwise you're guaranteed to slip and fall. The roads are badly damaged, with gaps and potholes everywhere. Some roadside trees have even been cut down and are lying across the road, their branches sticking out haphazardly, forcing you to climb down into the ditch to find a way around them.

What should have been a two- or three-hour walk took a whole day to complete.

It was quite effective, no wonder Takeda Shingen admitted defeat, realizing he couldn't take down the Okazaki Castle complex in a short time, and was willing to make peace with Nobunaga.

The person who received Shichibei was Yonekura Nobutsugu, a very old acquaintance. Upon meeting him, Yonekura Nobutsugu even showed a hint of embarrassment.

Indeed, the two families were once allied through marriage, but suddenly the alliance broke down and war broke out. The fighting was fierce, with heads rolling everywhere, and no regard for appearances whatsoever.

Especially for mid-level retainers like Yonekura Nobutsugu, who wasn't yet a high-ranking vassal, it was possible to anticipate such a situation. Yesterday they were doing business with Kawamura-ya, and today they're announcing war and going to kill. Anyone hearing this news would be momentarily at a loss.

However, Yonekura Nobutsugu had seen his share of situations and quickly regained his composure, leading Shichibei to pay his respects to Atobe Katsuyuki and Anayama Nobuki, who had come to preside over the peace talks.

Hmm? Shouldn't we pay our respects to the Grand Master of Cookery first?

Logically, although the peace talks are conducted by the lower-ranking samurai, they should first pay their respects to the opposing lord and present a letter of greeting from their own lord before proceeding with the peace negotiations.

Yonekura Nobutsugu simply shook his head, indicating that his only orders were to receive Shichibei, and he knew nothing else. Perhaps he could ask Lord Atobe Katsuyuki and Lord Anayama Nobuki; they might know.

Upon hearing this, Shichibei had a guess in his heart, or perhaps it wasn't a guess, but rather that Takeda Shingen was probably already incapacitated.

Chapter 287 Nobunaga's Change of Era and Establishment of the Royal Ceremony

Atobe Katsuyuki was an old acquaintance; he and Shichibei had been the ones who facilitated Takeda Yoshiyori's appointment as a Junior Fifth Rank official and governor of Shinano Province. Later, he even asked Settsu Harumon for help, but the matter was eventually settled, allowing Takeda Yoshiyori to gain the legitimate status of the entire Shinano Province.

Anayama Nobu-kun wasn't very sociable, but judging from his attire, he resembled one of the pretentious bigwigs of Sakai. His speech wasn't rough like that of a typical military commander; he was quite calm.

Speaking of which, Shingen's younger brother, Takeda Shōyōken Shinken, was also a highly cultured man and a renowned painter. Many portraits of the Takeda family were based on his work and were considered accurate representations. After all, others might have only heard about or speculated about his work, and during the Edo period, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Takeda Shingen were sometimes depicted as the same person.

Only Takeda Shōyōken could draw his elder brother based on his own appearance, and he had even personally seen the Takeda generals. So if not him as the standard, what would be the standard?

Let's talk.

Nobunaga only had one point of contention: he wanted Takeda Shingen to return Saito Tatsuoki to the Oda clan. However, this was only a matter of negotiation; if Takeda Shingen refused, it wasn't a necessary condition.

After all, a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. Nobunaga has already experienced the might of the Kai army. But the Taira army may not be much worse. It's just a temporary victory or defeat. Once he brings all four main army commanders, he can still send your Kai army flying.

Needless to say, Saito Tatsuoki was the legitimate reason for the Takeda clan's violent invasion of Mino, and Shingen certainly wouldn't be willing to let him go. He could even make a slight concession and restore the dual attributes of the three factions of the Okumikawayama family.

That is, both the Takeda and Tokugawa families could simultaneously conscript troops from the three mountain families.

It's like having multiple buffer zones. Leaving people from these small, dual-origin countries on the border isn't actually that much of a nuisance. If the two sides start arguing, there's even someone to act as a mediator, which is quite convenient.

In that sense, it's not much different from being a leader's secretary. With this layer of secrecy, if things get heated, it can be pretended that neither party knew about it, and then they can sit down and talk it over again.

Alright, Nobunaga's instructions before he came were twofold: one was to expedite peace talks so he could clean up the mess in the Kinai region and send Ashikaga Yoshiaki away.

One task was to ascertain the situation of Takeda Shingen himself. If Shingen was dead, they had to find a way to inform him. He would immediately launch an attack on the armored army to avenge the arrow wound.

Sakuma Nobumori is here, what's there to be afraid of? This is the famous Oda general known as "the one who retreated Sakuma," renowned in Owari and Mino, a wise strategist known to everyone in and around the Tokaido region.

Both sides agreed that they should request the imperial court to issue an edict for peace.

Both Nobunaga and Shingen were able to find a way to end the war and withdraw their troops. It's not that I didn't want to fight anymore, it's that the Imperial Court wouldn't allow me to fight. The descendants of Amaterasu Omikami won't let me fight, what can I do?

While waiting for the imperial decree, Shichibei said that he would present Nobunaga's personal letter of greeting to Takeda Shingen. This was a matter of etiquette and there was no need to hide it.

"Oh? The minister has sent me a message?" I had barely opened my mouth when I heard a sound coming from outside the porch.

Upon hearing the voice, it was undoubtedly Takeda Shingen, and Shichibei immediately bowed in respect. (Here, Shingen should refer to himself as "this old and unworthy one," since he had become a monk. But for the sake of convenience, I will use "I" and not delve into the details.)

"Greetings, Grand Dining Hall." Shichibei followed official protocol, using the proper title granted by the court.

"Shichibei, it's been a long time. You've managed to cover the rear now." Shingen, dressed in a monk's robe, slowly walked in and sat down directly in front of Shichibei.

"I am a man of Owari, and I possess great strength, no less than that of an armored soldier." Even if I lose, I will not lose face. You say I covered the rear, then I shall say I am truly awesome.

He looked up to observe Shingen. It was indeed him. Shichibei had seen Takeda Shingen several times, initially from afar, and later, when welcoming Takeda Matsuhime, he had paid him a face-to-face visit. Shingen, now with a completely shaved head, looked rather pale, but his voice was still very loud.

In stark contrast to the gentle and soft-spoken Anayama Shinkun earlier, it was clear that this Shingen-kun, dressed in monk's robes, was a monk like Lu Zhishen, showing no mercy when it came to killing.

Hey, where's Takeda Shōyōken Shinryō?

I vaguely remember that the two brothers did look very similar. On some occasions, Xinlian of Xiaoyaoxuan would act as Xinxuan's shadow warrior.

If Oda Nobukatsu hadn't rebelled in history, then Nobunaga's puppet would probably have been Nobukatsu, not Ikeda Tsuneoki who grew up on milk, or the tall and handsome Akechi Mitsuhide.

"Xiaoyaoxuan is in command of troops in Yoshida, guarding the main camp." Shingen noticed Shichibei looking him over and actually guessed what Shichibei was thinking.

"No, no..." Shichibei quickly lowered his head. Although Kai's tiger was old, its skill was still top-notch.

"Of course." Shingen took out a folding fan and beckoned to Shichibei.

The implication is that if Shichibei doesn't believe it, he should sit closer and take a look. Once he's seen it clearly, he should go back and report to Nobunaga. This tiger of Kai is still alive; we probably won't be able to deal with it for the time being.

"Although the abbot of the Qidi Temple in Luoyang knows that Kusai is near Gifu, this is the imperial physician of the late General Guangyuan. My lord will invite him to examine your pulse." Shichibei moved closer, and Shingen's complexion was indeed not good.

Also, her neck seems a bit pink, and the rise and fall of her chest isn't very regular. We're not doctors, so we can't be sure what kind of cancer it is. But sending someone to take a look is always better than guessing.

"Thank you!" Shingen agreed without hesitation, without the slightest hesitation.

His openness made Shichibei seem a bit "petty." But Takeda Shingen didn't care at all; he simply let Shichibei stay at the Kokufu for a while and sent his reply to Nobunaga to Okazaki.

After Shichibei left, Takeda Shingen suddenly loosened his fist, which had been clenched under his monk's robe. He was indeed feeling like he was about to collapse. He had forced himself to come see Shichibei today, and although it wasn't exactly exhaustion, it had left him extremely tired.

What a pity, such a pity! If I were ten years younger, I could have a real showdown with Nobunaga in Mikawa. But he's already over fifty, his health is failing and incurable, so the priority is to secure his domain and ensure a smooth succession.

At least this expedition wasn't without its gains. If they could absorb the territory of Totomi, they could mobilize at least another eight thousand men to fight for the Takeda clan.

The Takeda clan still has a chance to contend for the throne!

Meanwhile, Nobunaga in Okazaki received replies from Shichibei and Takeda Shingen, exclaiming in disbelief. "How come this man isn't dead yet? Didn't they say he'd been recuperating at a hot spring for half a year, even calling doctors every day?"

We need to get a doctor to take a look quickly, and also to confirm whether Shingen is actually sick, what kind of illness he has, and whether it can be cured. If it can't be cured, how many days does he have left?

By the way, in "Kagemusha," it's described that Nobunaga sent Takeda Nobutora's retainer to visit the shadow warrior Shingen. But at that time, Takeda Nobutora was still serving as a retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiaki in Makishima Castle, so it's most likely just fiction.

It's hard to say whether Takeda Nobutora will starve to death inside Makishima Castle.

The Kyoto court, which had initially stirred up some ripples, immediately calmed down after Nobunaga and Shingen simultaneously submitted memorials requesting an imperial edict for peace. Clearly, despite finally finding someone capable of inflicting a major defeat on Nobunaga, they still failed to capture Kyoto.

No matter how powerful a feudal lord is, if he can't conquer Kyoto, he's still just a country bumpkin, someone you can't rely on or utilize.

Thus, a peace treaty was established, and the Takeda clan returned the entire eastern Mikawa region, centered on Yoshida Castle, to the Tokugawa clan. The three factions of the Oku-Mikawa-yama clan also reverted to being subjects of two provinces, and Nobunaga's sons became one of the only two legitimate heirs of Shingen, one being Takeda Yoshiyori and the other Takeda Nobufusa.

All the others were adopted out, so they are no longer considered direct descendants of the Takeda clan.

Even if you are Nishina Morinobu, it won't work. From now on, you will be separated from the main branch of the family. Unless the main branch is completely wiped out, you will say goodbye to the main branch and have basically no relationship with them anymore.

Nobunaga was quite satisfied with this. Of course, he was extremely dissatisfied that Shingen was still alive.

In addition, Shingen deployed Saegusa Moritomo in Ii-dani, Iio Tomoyuki in Hamamatsu Castle, Komai Goro in Kakegawa Castle, and Kurihara Gyufuyu in Takatenjin Castle, thus strengthening his control over the entire Totomi Province.

Whether he can truly digest it depends on how old he lives.

It is said that before leaving, Takeda Shingen summoned the heads of the three branches of the Yama family and treated them well. The three branches of the Yama family saw that although Shingen was not as lively as before, he was still alive and well. They had no complaints about serving as subjects of two vassal states and even kowtowed to Shingen, wishing Lord Tokuei-ken a long and prosperous military career.

Having finished dealing with all matters in Okazaki, Nobunaga left behind 3,000 men, including Ikeda Tsuneoki, to assist Tokugawa Ieyasu in restoring Mikawa. He then led only 2,000 close cavalrymen on a swift march to Makishima Castle.

Two things. First, to welcome Ashikaga Yoshihide with great fanfare to the Nijō Palace in Kyoto. Second, to unite the four legion commanders to completely surround Makishima Castle, and then inform Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

You're dead! Takeda Shingen has run away back to Kai!

When news of the Takeda army's retreat reached Makishima Castle, it was truly like the sky falling. The reason Ashikaga Yoshiaki had held out in Makishima Castle for over eight months was precisely because he was hoping that Takeda Shingen would come to his rescue.

Now that Takeda Shingen has fled, what else can he do? He can only surrender to save his life.

Nobunaga's promise to surrender came with conditions. The most important condition was that Ashikaga Yoshiaki had to resign as shogun, and this resignation had to be a public formality submitted to the imperial court, following a proper procedure, and he would not be honored as a great lord. He would simply become a ronin, without any further title or honors.