Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Then, without delay, they began preparing for the opening of the war with the Maori. In terms of military finances alone, the current state of Shincho is far better off than in history.

"Lord Gifu, the lord has ordered you to come." The two were counting money when Nobunaga's messenger ran back.

"How is the war in Suruga, Father?" Nobutada asked as he took the letter.

Perhaps seeing that Okabe Motonobu had sold his goods early, Asahina Nobuoki also wanted to get a good price, so he manipulated things a bit. Now, Nobunaga has made an example of him, intending to kill his entire family to intimidate the people of Suruga Province and pave the way for Takeda Nobufusa.

Originally, Nobufusa brought two hundred men into Sunpu, and these two hundred men needed to be settled in the new territory. How could they settle the new men without killing the old ones?

Those Suruga Province residents who didn't immediately kowtow to Takeda Nobufusa were all destined to die. This was partly because they disrespected Oda Nobunaga, and partly because of the practical necessity of it.

Furthermore, the entire Katsurayama family of Shundong will have to be wiped out, and their territory will definitely be completely taken away. However, in this context, the retainers of the Iwamura Toyama family have been relocated to other areas of Shundong.

River. If Takeda Nobufusa has many sons in the future, he can revive the Iwamura Toyama family on the spot. Sometimes, a person's fate is about having both, isn't it?

"Did the Lord of the Capital meet with the Lord?" Shichibei himself was also the Junior Governor of the Capital, but above him was Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Left Governor.

"Lord Mikawa Kyōjō has led his troops across the Ōi River and is currently joining forces with Lord Tokugawa to attack Asahina-sho." The envoy nodded, indicating that Tokugawa Ieyasu was still quite diligent in front of Nobunaga.

"good. "

"Shichibei, take a look." Oda Nobutada handed the official document to Shichibei again.

"Unbelievable..." Shichibei read it quickly and realized that Nobunaga still had his heart set on Kanto.

"Send someone to invite Nagashima," Oda Nobutada instructed his attendant.

Nagashima was a pseudonym for Takigawa Kazumasu, just as Nobutada used Nagahama to refer to Hashiba Hideyoshi. Although Nobutada was the head of the Oda clan, in a sense, he was on par with the various army commanders of the Oda. It was not appropriate to refer to these army commanders who would become his retainers in the future, so he used "castle" as a substitute.

In other words, Shichibei was someone Nobunaga had already indicated his intention to pass on his wealth; he had almost assigned Shichibei to Nobutada. Nobutada addressed Shichibei neither by his official title nor as Tsuruga.

Takigawa Kazumasu arrived in haste, carrying a simple document. Nobunaga was not reclaiming Takigawa Kazumasu's four districts of Ise-Nagashima, but was instead granting him an additional 200,000 koku of land in Nishi-Kōzuke.

In fact, he was in charge of the Kanto campaign, but the strength of the 200,000 koku of Nishi-Kōjō was too weak, so he wasn't making any plans for the time being.

The demands of the Kanto region.

Once Yamagata Masamitsu of Kai Province and Takeda Nobufusa of Suruga Province have settled their territories and can each mobilize tens of thousands of men, then the conquest of the Kanto Hojo clan will begin.

The immediate priority is to completely pacify western Kozuke and unite with Oda Nobuhiro in Shinano, establishing a stable rule at the crossroads of Kanto. To make it clear to Takigawa Kazumasu that this is not exile or banishment, Nobunaga even bestowed upon him a special gift.

Pearl-colored mini eggplants.

In addition, there is Nobunaga's beloved horse, Haikiro's hair, and a long sword, an old Bizen Takatsuna tachi with a vermilion-painted scabbard and a tachi inscription (Seikado Bunko Art Museum).

蔵), famous short swords, etc.

The series of precious gifts bestowed upon him demonstrates Nobunaga's high regard for Takigawa Kazumasu. The pearl-embellished eggplant, in particular, suggests that Kazumasu is still part of Oda's core military and political group.

It's obvious Nobunaga adored Shichibei, yet he didn't reward him with any renowned tea utensils. Shichibei, on the other hand, used a frivolous method to extort a sho'u eggplant from Takeno Munekazu.

He expressed his gratitude. After expressing his gratitude, he needed to lead the army to Nishi-Ueno as soon as possible to stabilize the situation.

There was also a letter addressed to Oda Nobuhiro, the contents of which were self-evident: to cooperate with Takigawa Kazumasu in pacifying western Ueno. After that, Oda Nobuhiro would face Uesugi Ken.

With faith, Takigawa Kazumasu faced Hojo Ujimasa, and the two, supporting each other, needed to cooperate well.

Nobunaga didn't mention this sum of money from Nishi-Ueno, clearly intending it for Ichimasu to collect. He could easily scrape together 20,000 to 30,000 kan, enough for Ichimasu to establish himself.

At this time, in Sunpu Castle, Hojo Ujimasa's envoy finally arrived and paid his respects to Oda Nobunaga.

Because of Takeda Nobufusa's extremely unique existence, the Hojo clan lacked a pretext for military action to revive the Takeda clan. The Takeda clan was doing just fine, and Takeda Shingen's eldest son was enjoying himself, facing Lake Suwa and Mount Fuji, with the eight million gods and spirits rising up...

After swearing an oath, having read the initiation document, and having walked through the adoption ceremony room, he sat down to the side.

Otherwise, Hojo Ujimasa's wife was Kobeiin, the daughter of Takeda Shingen, and Hojo Ujinao's transformation would have perfectly conformed to the succession laws of the Sengoku period in Japan.

Ultimately, a grandson cannot compare to an adopted son who has followed the right path.

Of course, it also depends on the size of their fists afterward. Clearly, Oda Nobunaga's fist is larger now, while Hojo Ujimasa's fist is smaller.

Because the Takeda clan collapsed so quickly, Hojo Ujimasa was indeed caught off guard. The main reason he sent someone to visit Nobunaga was to test Nobunaga's attitude towards Kanto.

Should we launch a rapid and decisive attack, or a slow and deliberate one?

Hojo Ujimasa wasn't stupid; he knew Nobunaga intended to unify Japan, and anyone who disobeyed him would perish. If Nobunaga launched a hasty attack on Kanto, Hojo Ujimasa would have to sacrifice the interests of Shimotsuke, Shimosa, and Hitachi, and hastily return to Odawara.

领。

If Nobunaga had adopted a more measured approach, then there would be a reason for his actions. Perhaps through various maneuvers, he could have at least preserved three intact territories—Sagami, Izu, and Musashi—as well as half of Shimosa and a very small piece of Kozuke territory.

That adds up to over a million shi (a unit of dry measure), enough to produce at least 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers. This gives them the strength to protect themselves, and the space to observe the world and wait for the opportune moment.

He came to test Nobunaga, and Nobunaga, naturally, also wanted to display his might and intimidate the Hojo clan. On one hand, Nobunaga displayed a mixed formation of over six hundred of Shichibei's cavalry and his own thousand-plus pure cavalry and infantry in front of the Hojo envoy, trying to make a show of force.

He used splendid clothing and armor to display his immense wealth and status as the ruler of the world.

On the other hand, Oda Nobunaga naturally demanded that the Hojo clan hand over their territory in Ueno to Takigawa Kazumasu, who was about to take up his post in Ueno.

Not paying?

No problem, after I destroy Takeda, I'll destroy you.

Nobunaga boasted that his trusted subordinate, Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi, could dispatch 100,000 koku of military rations from above to Ejiri Port in Sunpu within one to two months.

At that time, Oda's army will number 60,000, and Tokugawa's army 20,000, totaling 80,000 troops. They will be divided into three provinces: Koshu, Suruga, and Koshu, to attack Kanto together. They will also be able to contact anti-Hōjō forces such as Utsunomiya, Satake, Yuki, and Satomi, and then there will be a situation where 150,000 troops surround Odawara.

Believe it or not!

Shichibei's name was known to many even in the Kanto region. After all, after Shichibei acquired the shipbuilding and shipping businesses of the Ito Sojuro family, he slowly revived the Ito family's shipbuilding business. Although it hadn't returned to its former level, at least the route from Sakaimachi to Odawara had begun to operate again.

The Kawamura-ya flag has been returned to its original state.

In reality, it's not that easy to summon so many returning ships. Although the ships from Sakai, Anotsu, and Tsushima are bound by feudal contracts and are used by Nobunaga when needed, they can't be summoned just because you want them today. With a single order, you have to wait at least ten days to half a month for the ships to return from all directions before they can be used.

They also had to procure more military rations along the way, all of which required cash payment. One hundred thousand koku was no small sum. Shichibei had already stockpiled forty thousand koku of rice at Gifu Castle, and this entire batch was carried over by the peasant soldiers of Nobi and Kuchi provinces, one koku each. If they wanted more, the price wouldn't be five hundred sen per koku; it would be one kan and five hundred sen per koku.

But since Nobunaga said that, if we really wanted to do it, there was actually a possibility that we could succeed.

Look at his determination, and the prices that Shichibei reported to the merchants, townspeople, and pirates along the way.

Startled by Nobunaga's words, the Hojo clan's envoy fled back to Odawara to report to Hojo Ujimasa. Nobunaga, meanwhile, instructed Takigawa Kazumasu, who had come to visit him, to manage Nishi-Kōzuke well and to restore its military mobilization capacity as quickly as possible. Of the lords and samurai in Nishi-Kōzuke, aside from those who had died in battle or had their families exterminated, the rest could be recruited or surrendered.

For now, I'll just have to accept it and hold my nose.

After conquering Kanto, Takigawa Kazumasu will benefit greatly, at least two or three countries. Takigawa Kazumasu witnessed the entire conversation between Nobunaga and the Hojo clan's envoy, and understood that Nobunaga was trying to negotiate for him. He was deeply impressed and repeatedly kowtowed to Nobunaga.

After Nobunaga exterminated the Asahina Nobuoki and Katsurayama Nobusada families, Hojo Ujimasa's envoy returned to Sunpu. He promised to transfer the two counties of Kozuke and Midorino, which were owned by the Hojo clan, to the Oda clan.

It was roughly a territory of 40,000 koku, and the Hojo clan wouldn't be heartbroken to give it up. From then on, all the territory west of the Tone River in Kozuke Province was under the Oda clan's control.

Since Naito Masatoyo, the lord of Minowa Castle, had already died in the Battle of Kamo, Minowa Castle naturally fell to Takigawa Kazumasu. His son, Naito Masayuki, was not a particularly capable man, and surrendered as soon as the Oda army arrived.

Since the Hojo clan was so obedient, Nobunaga readily promised not to attack them immediately. The two sides thus entered into a one-year non-aggression pact.

Since it wasn't a royal decree for peace, no high-ranking officials came. Both sides exchanged oaths at Fuji Asama Shrine, and then...

Once the divine sword was presented, the agreement was considered complete.

When passing through Kofu, Takigawa Kazumasu borrowed 10,000 kan from Shichibei. He didn't have much savings to begin with, as he had mostly used them to repair and rebuild Nagashima Castle. Not long after, he was granted an additional 200,000 koku in Nishi-Kōzuke. Even though Minowa Castle was a branch castle that the Takeda clan had repaired and maintained, he would still have to make repairs there.

The main purpose was to prevent Takeda clan retainers familiar with the inner workings of the castle from fleeing to the Uesugi or Hojo clans and revealing the inside story to outsiders.

Shichibei asked him how he would repay the debt. Takigawa Kazumasu thought for a moment and said that there were nine "Imperial Pastures" in Ueno. After he went to his fiefdom, he would immediately begin to restore these pastures and agreed to give Shichibei at least sixty warhorses every year to repay the debt.

Chapter 376 Hideyoshi Takes Over the Hot Pot in Bozhou.

By mid-August, they had retreated to Gifu. It was said that the Takeda clan was wiped out in a swift and sudden manner, but in reality, the operation lasted for more than five months, and they worked almost non-stop for more than five months.

The reactions from all sides are also worth mentioning. Uesugi Kenshin sent Nobunaga a royal sword to congratulate him on the defeat of the Takeda clan. He then intensified his campaign against Noto, launching repeated attacks. The Hojo clan and the Oda clan reached a year-long peace agreement, while the Mori clan's actions are more intriguing.

On the surface, Oda and Mori are still allies, but both sides know very well that this alliance could be torn apart at any time. Therefore, the Mori family not only sent people to Gifu to congratulate Oda Nobunaga, but also presented gifts and earnestly requested to be engaged to Oda Nobutada's eldest son, Kichifushi.

It doesn't matter that Mori Terumoto doesn't have a daughter; he can adopt a suitable one from a relative. His grandfather, Mori Motonari, was practically a fertility god, still fathering children in his seventies, with countless sons and daughters surviving. Finding a girl would be too easy; it just depends on whether Nobunaga agrees.

hum.

This proposal was presented to Oda Nobunaga and Oda Nobutada.

This almost made the two of them burst out laughing. Fortunately, they were both professionally trained and were able to hold it in.

Let the Mori clan's envoy rest first. Such an important marriage requires consultation with the clan's senior retainers before a decision can be made. Then Shichibei overheard this and learned that Nobunaga and Nobutada were preparing to agree.

Although he had already secretly decided to attack the Mori, Nobunaga still needed to let his troops rest for a while and replenish their weapons and provisions. He would at least wait until after the autumn harvest before considering going into battle.

The military rations in Gifu have all been used up, leaving the Oda clan to attack the Mori on an empty stomach.

So why not agree to it first? That's how simple the marriage alliances of the Warring States period daimyo were. You want to attack me, I know you want to attack me, but I'll pretend I don't know and still marry my daughter to your grandson.

The Mori clan is also ramping up its war preparations, as is the Oda clan. Every moment of delay will increase the forces that both sides can mobilize. Based on the long-standing mobilization capacity of the western provinces, the Mori clan can now mobilize more than 100,000 men.

That's right. With the Yu happy family included, there are 100,000. Although most of them are weak peasant soldiers, the number of 100,000 alone is enough to make people dizzy.

"The powerful clans in Harima are also showing signs of wavering." Nobumori Sakuma, who had rushed back from the Settsu front to attend the meeting, chaired the meeting.

The siege of Hongan-ji Temple was reopened, this time with a much larger force. Nobunaga assigned all 10,000 members of the Negoroku clan to Sakuma Nobumori for command. With 40,000 to 50,000 men gathered, they quickly rebuilt the fortified castle surrounding Ishiyama-Osaka Hongan-ji. Now it was a test of patience; they would see how many days it would take for Hongan-ji to starve.

This tactic worked very well at the Ganshoji Temple on Nagashima. The Ikko-ikki were truly disgusting, like bedbugs, impossible to eradicate no matter how many times you killed them. Even someone like Nobunaga, who didn't mind killing, found it annoying. It would be better if they all starved to death, sending them to meet their maker.

It was precisely because the fortified castle had been rebuilt that Sakuma Nobumori was able to come and preside over the Oda clan's military affairs meeting.

"The region between Harima and Harima is already divided," said Shigetomo Takayama, who was closer to Harima.

"We must enter Harima before it completely sides with the Mori, in order to stabilize the situation." Surprisingly, Niwa Nagahide also appeared at the meeting.

That's right, after nearly a year of brutal siege, a large-scale plague broke out in Shengrui City this May.

Happiness can stagnate

In June, more than 2,700 people died of the plague in the city. Thus, Miyoshi Nagaharu could no longer hold Shengrui City, and he himself contracted the plague and eventually died.

With the death of Miyoshi Nagaharu, the few remaining men, along with Hosokawa Saneyuki, surrendered the castle. Miyoshi Nobutaka officially took control of Katsuzui Castle and became the lord of Awa, a land with a population of 200,000 koku.

Controlling Katsuzui Castle was tantamount to controlling the center of Awa, Sanuki, and Awaji provinces, allowing the offensive to ease somewhat for a moment. Therefore, Niwa Nagahide, Miyoshi Nobutaka, and Kagawa Nobusumi returned to report to Nobunaga and attend a meeting.

The next step is for the three of them to launch a joint attack on Sanuki Province, quell the troublemakers within Awa Province, and eliminate various disobedient forces in the region. They will then establish Oda clan rule in the area, threatening the Mori clan's lifeline—the Seto Inland Waterway—from the flank.

Nobunaga's original plan was to attack Iyo after defeating Awa and Sanuki. But now things have changed. Nobunaga has ordered his eldest son, Nobutaka, and his eldest nephew, Nobusuke, to immediately begin building a navy. While Kuki Yoshitaka's Shima navy was quite good, its constant movement was inconvenient.

Ataka Nobuyasu's Awaji navy is quite capable, but on one hand, he needs to maintain the shipping route from Honshu to Shikoku, and on the other hand, he is under surveillance.

We must guard against Osaka Bay. Now we must also add the need to be wary of the Kii River and Saiga naval forces in Kishu, as they are simply too numerous to handle.

Therefore, Nobunaga instructed that the Awa Navy should be formed as soon as possible, and that the existing naval forces of Shinohara Nagafusa should be well won over and put into combat as soon as possible, so as to be deployed to the encirclement of Osaka Bay and the war against the Mori clan.

"Our family has almost no support in Harima." Mori Yoshinari, who also rushed back for the meeting, looked thin and was in very poor spirits.

It wasn't just because he was shot twice; his eldest son, Mori Yoshinori, died in battle, and his second son, Mori Nagayoshi, also died in battle. It would be hard for anyone to bear the loss of two sons in a row.