Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

The news that Kanesada had been exiled by his retainers must have reached Kyoto as well. The court nobles of Kyoto have lost another source of leisure and alms-seeking opportunities; they're anxious.

"Understood," Shichibei replied, bowing his head.

Just as he was about to stand up and leave, he suddenly realized that the page who was loading Nobunaga's arquebus looked somewhat familiar. He couldn't help but take a second look, and then the page actually bowed to Shichibei.

Who is it?

“This is Ukita Shichirobei’s eldest son, Yojiro.” Nobunaga also stood up and casually replied.

"Oh..." You've really made a name for yourself working for Nobunaga.

I was wondering why you looked familiar; you do look quite like your father, Ukita Tadashi. After all, you're father and son. Nobunaga loved strong, honest, and robust young boys like you.

You finally got what you wanted...

Following Nobunaga, if you do well, might not be worse than following Ukita Naoie. Who knows, you might even become the lord of a castle with a 100,000 koku of rice.

"It's been a long time. You've grown so much." Shichibei had only seen this boy once before, when Ukita Tadakatsu sent him over. In the blink of an eye, the boy was already thirteen years old (by Chinese reckoning).

Thirteen years old, a minor surname.

This was the age when Nobunaga liked to make up stories.

"Lord Kawamura." Ukita and Jiro came over again to pay their respects.

"Very good." Shichibei patted the kid on the shoulder. It was a pity that he didn't have anything good around him, otherwise he would have taken it off and given it to the kid right away.

But it's alright, I can just send someone to bring me a couple of sets of clothes when I get home. After all, this is a hostage that Shichibei dragged from the Ukiya family, and Shichibei is practically a pimp.

Following Nobunaga back from the training ground where he practiced firing arquebuses, Nobunaga acted as if nothing had happened. He even remarked that the recent clear autumn weather was a good time to dry rice.

That's true. Good sunshine makes it easier to spread out the millet to dry. Dry millet can be stored for a longer time and is less likely to get infested with rice weevils.

"How about entrusting such a wealthy Nobi to Kankuro?" Nobunaga asked casually.

"..." Shichibei did not answer immediately, but looked around first.

They confirmed that the servants and attendants were only a few meters away, and lowered their voices so that they wouldn't be easily overheard. They also wouldn't easily spread the word.

"Does the lord intend to relinquish the title of head of the clan?" Oda Nobuhiro had mentioned this when Shichibei was handling the succession matters for Nobutada.

Now, taking advantage of the victory in pacifying Kawachi and Echizen, the powerful, and indeed the powerful, former retainers of Owari were all removed and relocated to other territories like potted plants. The most prominent retainer left was Hayashi Hidesada, who had no legitimate son to inherit the family business.

Thinking about it carefully, this is understandable. It was Japan's Sengoku period, after all. Raising the next generation was essential, but it was also necessary to ensure that the next generation wouldn't kill their father and become a vassal while they were still alive. So, they gave out territories, but not powerful and capable retainers.

By the time Oda Nobutada has gradually built up a strong and capable group of retainers and gathered a number of capable samurai, it will take at least five or eight years. By then, Oda Nobunaga will be around fifty years old, almost old enough to die.

It is said that during the Honnoji Incident, Nobunaga initially asked if Nobutada had rebelled.

This is probably why, if Nobutada were powerful enough, possessing both the vast wealth of Noo'o (a region in Taiwan) and the support of a strong samurai corps, then killing his father to prove his righteousness wouldn't be out of the question. For example, Ōtomo Yoshishige of Bungo Province did just that, killing his father to prove his righteousness, and so did Takeda Shingen of Kai Province, except he exiled his father.

"It has to be given up eventually." Nobunaga didn't pretend and immediately stated that he had this intention.

"With a million koku of rice, how can we organize a corresponding group of retainers in such a short time?" Shichibei did not give a clear answer, but asked Nobunaga instead.

"It's not a difficult matter..." Nobunaga had actually planned this for a long time.

There was an elder of the Oda clan who hasn't appeared for quite a while. I wonder if everyone still remembers him: Ikeda Tsuneoki.

Nobunaga's foster brother, Ikeda Tsuneoki, remained the lord of Inuyama Castle with 10,000 kan (a unit of currency), and was not removed from the list during this major reshuffling. As for his abilities, well, everyone knows what's going on, so there's no need to bring it up and hurt anyone's feelings.

By assigning Oda Nobutada a good brother named Ikeda Tsuneoki, who was skilled in storytelling, singing, and comedy, to Oda Nobutada, Nobutada would have had the basic strength to maintain his rule over Owari.

Then, Sato Toshiharu of the Mino Kajita clan was also transferred to Nobutada, so that Nobutada would also have a local strongman in Mino to help him manage Mino.

With Nobuo having people on both sides, others like Hayashi Hideyoshi, Kawajiri Hidetaka, Mizuno Tadashige, and Saji Kazunari were added to strengthen the group. This established the core of Nobuo's samurai group; the rest would depend on whether he could cultivate or recruit capable retainers.

If Nobutada possesses a territory of one million koku but cannot recruit powerful retainers, then he is truly incompetent.

"My lord's arrangements are truly appropriate." Very well, this was all your plan; I didn't offer any suggestions.

"And you?" Nobunaga suddenly pointed at Shichibei himself.

"Your subject?" Shichibei felt a chill run down his spine when he was pointed at.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to be assigned to Oda Nobutada, but rather that he worried that Nobunaga was testing Shichibei's loyalty. Kawamura-ya had grown increasingly large, and although Nobunaga never interfered with these matters, someone would inevitably mention them to him.

To reiterate, as long as income can cover interest payments, everyone benefits. But what if one day income can't even cover interest payments?

Shichibei was a long-time retainer of Oda Nobunaga, but not of Oda Nobutada.

"Never mind, you're not good enough." Before Shichibei could answer, Nobunaga smiled and directly rejected the idea.

Ultimately, I still can't live without Shichibei's inexpensive yet reliable large wallet; it's been incredibly convenient to use over the years. If I were to give Shichibei to Nobutada, finding another wallet as good as his might be difficult.

Shichibei, who had been feeling tense in his back, immediately relaxed. Nobunaga answered his own question: "Alright, we don't need to make the decision ourselves. A person still needs to have a skill, a decent skill, so they won't starve."

Once the craftsmanship was perfected, even Nobunaga was reluctant to release him.

"You're right." Shichibei quickly bowed his head, grateful for Nobunaga's leniency in not asking questions.

It seems he's been frequently questioning and learning about his retainers lately. He must have just happened to run into Shichibei today, hence the question. In a sense, Shichibei's importance in Nobunaga's eyes now far surpasses that of Ikeda Tsuneoki.

Ikeda Tsuneoki's position with Nobunaga has probably been completely reduced to that of a gatekeeper. Now that the reins have been passed to Oda Nobutada, it all depends on whether his sons are capable enough. If they are, they might be able to carve out a future for themselves under Nobutada's rule.

What if he doesn't live up to expectations? Heh, the favor between the Ikeda and Oda families will probably only last until his grandson's generation.

After retreating from the castle, Shichibei ran home as fast as he could, his mouth parched and thirsty. Once home, he immediately drank from a gourd ladle, sharing the same ladle with his horse.

Inase Yoshinari even asked, "What's wrong? You're so thirsty? You've even fallen to the point of fighting with a horse for water? That's too much!"

You don't know anything, kid, what are you talking about? Just as he sat down, Inase Yoshinari said that he had found homes for the five Ashikaga Princess maids he had been asked to redeem the other day, and had paid to get them released. This was because these five women came from a prominent family; their mistress was Ashikaga Yoshiharu's daughter.

Well, what I mean is that Sanada Masayuki married a woman who had studied in a prestigious family, had a certain social standing, and wasn't entirely a commoner. To be more precise, she was a lady-in-waiting.

However, once it fell into the hands of the victors, it became nothing more than a plaything. Two men, upon hearing that it belonged to Shichibei, immediately offered to give it to him, saying it wasn't worth much and that they would rely on the Kawamura brothers for support in the future.

Because of their high status, they did not fall into the hands of lower-ranking samurai or foot soldiers; at worst, they fell into the hands of a hundred foot soldiers.

They all had legitimate wives; their abduction of these women was merely for the sake of status. Besides, the female officials from wealthy families in the capital were indeed more attractive than their wives.

The other three were priced normally and redeemed directly with cash. There were no complications whatsoever; there was no need to buy another woman to replace them.

The five people have now been brought to Kawamura-ya. Shall we meet them?

No way, no way, no way! Shichibei's muscles have just relaxed, how could he have time to see five maids? Send them all to find the young admiral, or just dump them on Ashikaga Hime and be done with it.

Then Shichibei regretted it. The five maids were sent to Ashikaga Hime, and they cried and wailed so loudly that anyone who didn't know better would think Shichibei had suddenly died.

Oh dear, it's already troublesome enough to have ten daughters crying, and now I have to deal with six more women crying too.

I've finally achieved something in my life!

Unable to manage it, and unwilling to manage it, Shichibei got up and left, heading straight for Hideyoshi's house. Hideyoshi was also unusually in Gifu at the moment; he had to wait for Azai Nagamasa to move to Kitasho before he moved to Otani, and while he was at it, he would dismantle Yokoyama and give it to Oda Nobuhiro.

It's a series of interconnected steps, gradually expanding outwards.

Unlike Shichibei, Hideyoshi had a daughter on each arm; he genuinely loved children, but they had to be his own. If the child was a boy, that would be even better.

Seeing Shichibei arrive, he assumed something was amiss, so he put the child down and let Nene take her away. What could Shichibei possibly have to do? He was just looking for some peace and quiet. But Hideyoshi truly had something to attend to.

what's up?

Demolish Xiaogucheng!

Hideyoshi believed that Odani Castle was an inconvenient mountain castle, unsuitable for developing commerce or accommodating a large number of retainers and townspeople. Therefore, after being transferred to Jiangbei, he planned to find a suitable location on the north bank of Biwa Lake to build his own castle.

As for why he was happy to see Shichibei, it was because he wanted to borrow 10,000 yen from him. He could get the main materials and buildings directly from Odani, but digging and preparing the harbor and ditches, hiring large construction teams from Kyoto, and building the castle tower would all cost a lot of money.

Chapter 319 suggests that Hideaki pull a sect.

This is a minor matter, not worth mentioning.

Hideyoshi had already been granted 120,000 koku of land in Otani, so a mere 10,000 kan was something he could easily repay by collecting a season's worth of tribute rice. It was just that he was temporarily short of funds because he needed to build a new castle.

He already had an idea for the location of the new castle. Rather than going through the trouble of rebuilding a prosperous town, it would be better to use an existing one. He would build a large castle, including a port town, directly in Imahama, and he even had a name in mind.

Changbin.

Good, good, good, just as I expected. Shichibei knew what Hideyoshi was going to say the moment he turned his back. It's obvious that this name was chosen to curry favor with Oda Nobunaga, but Nobunaga clearly quite likes it.

A castle is a symbol of authority, so naming it Nagahama would be perfect; Nobunaga certainly wouldn't object. Who knows, maybe I can even get a reimbursement of three or five thousand kilos from Nobunaga for that name.

Look at Azai Nagamasa. He'd take anything Nobunaga offered, as much as he could get. Everyone risked their lives for Nobunaga, so receiving a couple of "favors" from him was only fair.

"But in Imahama..." Shichibei should say this in advance: the deputy governor of the castle town can be appointed by Hideyoshi himself, but he has exclusive rights.

Back then, Shichibei spent several thousand kan to buy the commercial monopoly in Kohoku from Azai Nagamasa. Now that Azai Nagamasa has gone to Kitakō in Echizen, Shichibei will have to send someone to set up a branch store in Kitakō.

"I will send Toda Saburo-shiro to explain this to you later." Hideyoshi nodded; he understood Shichibei's meaning.

It's just a franchise, right? Before, Asai Nagamasa would transport the same amount of gold as the franchise, and the franchise would never raise the price. And now they're even lending him money, so the price could even be reduced.

"Toda Saburoshiro?" Shichibei didn't recognize the name.

"Ah, Daimyo Toda Katsutaka, my magistrate." Hideyoshi's retainers at this time were far from luxurious.

People like Kato Kiyomasa, Fukushima Masanori, and Ishida Mitsunari were either too young or hadn't yet joined his ranks. Others like Otani Yoshitsugu and Masuda Nagamori were also absent.

Thus, it was Toda Katsutaka who served as Hideyoshi's magistrate. Historically, he had a nickname: "The Four Heavenly Kings of Hashiba." However, he wasn't very famous because the four of them either died or were demoted, and none of them made it to the Edo period.

It is said that Toda Katsutaka was an ashigaru (foot soldier) from Owari Province who initially served Oda Nobunaga. During the conquest of Mino Province, he was given to Hideyoshi. Afterward, he followed Hideyoshi in battles and distinguished himself.

He eventually died of illness during the Korean campaign. Despite having a younger brother, Hideyoshi showed him no mercy, stripping him of his fiefdom and confiscating his family stipend. His 100,000 koku of Iyo-Ozu was given to Todo Takatora, who then ordered Takatora to take an additional 3,000 men to Sekigahara to kill Ishida Mitsunari.

The other three are: Tomonori Oto, a retainer of the Ogasawara clan, lords of Fukashi Castle in Shinano Province, who later fell from power and wandered to Owari. He is not very famous, but after the fall of Sunomata Castle, he joined Hideyoshi and is now considered a scribe of the Four Heavenly Kings of Hashiba, enjoying a stipend of 1,800 koku.

Shinjiro Mikota was born into a wealthy family in Owari Kaisei District; in short, he was the youngest son of a rich farmer. He rose to prominence and became a samurai during the rise of the Owari samurai class. It was also during the Mino campaign that he was given to Hideyoshi by Nobunaga as an ashigaru (foot soldier).

The last one, Miyata Mitsuji, was also given to Hideyoshi by Nobunaga as a foot soldier. His origins are unclear, but he was probably a wealthy farmer from the border area of ​​Omi, Mino, and Owari.

This man was exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts, and there was an anecdote about him during the Edo period. It is said that when Hideyoshi served as the lord of Himeji Castle, and his combined wealth and power reached two million koku, he held a banquet with his retainers after a victory.

Hideyoshi asked everyone how many times stronger the Hashiba clan was now compared to what it was back then. Some said three times stronger, some said five times stronger. Hideyoshi himself said it was more than ten times stronger.

As a result, Takenaka Hanbei, sitting on the lower side, muttered, "Although the retainers have expanded tenfold, their skill level is far inferior to what it used to be." Hideyoshi was about to ask why when Takenaka Hanbei added, "After Miyata Kihachi's death, there have never been such valiant samurai again."

The question silenced Hideyoshi, who then offered two hundred bolts of cloth to the temple that enshrined Miyata Mitsuji as a sacrifice.

Of these four men, only Oto Tomonori held 1,800 koku; the other three each held a so-called 250 kan in Nagahama. They served under Hideyoshi and worked for him.

“Fujikichiro, I saw him in Takikawa that he bestowed the surname Takikawa upon all his fellow townsmen and associates.” Now that the topic had come up, Shichibei felt he could share this idea with Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi himself had two biological daughters, Hidenaga had one son and two daughters, and he also had two sisters. His eldest sister, Ochi, was fertile, just like in history, and already had several children; perhaps due to historical changes, she had daughters. His younger sister, O-Asahi, or rather, Princess Asahi, did not have any children.

However, her husband died during her maternity leave. She later remarried into the Fusuda family, but Hideyoshi forcibly separated them and married her off to Tokugawa Ieyasu as his principal wife.

Right now, Hideyoshi's sister has lost her husband, and he's looking for a new husband for her.