Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

By the way, the gold mine in Kai was temporarily handed over to Yonekura Nobutsugu for management. Yonekura Nobutsugu stayed in Kaifu and helped Kawamuraya rebuild the stables, post stations, and branch shops in Kaifu.

The Takeda clan primarily outsourced the development of the gold mines to gold diggers. Mining and refining both require highly specialized skills. For samurai, it was best to leave such technical work to professionals. Therefore, the Kurokawa gold mines were mainly developed by the Tanabe family, whose head was named Tanabe Shirozaemon.

This Tanabe Shirozaemon is definitely a remarkable figure. He was able to persuade Takeda Yoshiyori to pay only one horse's worth of gold each month, so he must be intelligent and eloquent.

Mount Fuji Kinzan, which is located in Yunoku and Mount Kinzan on the opposite bank of Suruga, is actually the same mountain and will henceforth be commonly referred to as Mount Fuji Kinzan. Mount Fuji Kinzan was primarily developed by the Sano clan, a group of gold diggers. Historically, when the Takeda clan attacked Fukasawa Castle of the Hojo clan, the Sano clan's gold diggers were among those who contributed to the attack. They employed a tsurugi (earth dragon) attack, directly breaching the castle through a tunnel.

In the short term, Shichibei has no intention of changing this contracted development approach. Furthermore, they will continue the agreed-upon amount of gold transported with Takeda Yoshiyori to maintain stable mining operations.

Tsuchiya Nagasu was busy with Tajima Ikuno Ginzan and Settsu Tada.

The three major mines—Copper Mine, Hida-Kamioka Silver Mine, and others—did not have time to revisit their old haunts in Kai.

Fortunately, with local strongman Nobutsugu Yonekura around, they spent a year or two thoroughly investigating the annual production of Kurokawa and Fuji gold mines. After that, Shichibei would definitely need to renegotiate contracts with the Tanabe and Sano clans.

After giving instructions to Inase Yoshinari, Shichibei glanced at the sky outside and, seeing that it was almost time, rode his horse towards Hideyoshi's residence near Gifu Castle.

I promised Hideyoshi I'd meet him tonight, and I'd also like to see Kodera Yoshitaka while I'm at it. In later video games, Kodera Yoshitaka and Takenaka Hanbei are known as the "Two Heroes of the Realm."

But this is almost certainly due to the Kuroda family's later rise to become a powerful daimyo with 520,000 koku of land in Chikuzen and Fukuoka. It's perfectly normal for descendants to embellish the deeds of their predecessors. Takenaka Hanbei is basically confirmed because he had a good son, Takenaka Shigekado, who also wrote a book called "Toyokan," which boosted his status.

Kodera Takataka, haha, if he were truly so powerful that he planned to conquer half of Hideyoshi's territory, then his fiefdom of 120,000 koku in Nakatsu, Buzen Province, would definitely not be so high. Anyway, he supposedly presented the strategy for the siege of Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu Province.

And the strategy of returning China (by Ekiken Kaihara, 1688).

The claim that Tokugawa Hidetada praised Kodera Yoshitaka as a modern-day Zhang Liang comes from the revised Mikawa Fudoki. This work was written in September of the third year of the Tenpō era (1832) and compiled under the order of Tokugawa Ienari.

However, this fellow at least understood one thing clearly: he was the first among the people of Harima Province to stand up and resolutely support the Oda clan. In this respect alone, Kodera Yoshitaka does have some merit.

Upon arriving at Hideyoshi's residence, they found everything prepared. Hideyoshi and Nene personally greeted him at the door. The couple had an excellent relationship; although Hideyoshi was currently seeking out women to father children, Nene had complained to Nobunaga, who then reprimanded him.

After getting rid of the "bald rat" and giving him an adopted son, Hideyoshi became much more restrained.

Since he's not openly having affairs, Ningning has nothing to say. She can just stay home and raise her two daughters well. One of them will be adopted as a son-in-law of Hidekatsu Hashiba, and the other will most likely marry Hidenaga and Aji's son.

child.

Kodera Yoshitaka, whom they had mentioned in the meeting, was already waiting inside, and Hidenaga was keeping him company with casual conversation. Although Kodera Yoshitaka's status was ordinary, he was, after all, the first person in Harima Province to explicitly declare his allegiance to the Oda clan, so he was naturally treated with more respect within the Oda family.

Upon seeing Shichibei, the two quickly stood up to greet him. Shichibei observed Kodera Takataka, and Kodera Takataka also observed Shichibei.

Ugh……

Ugly.

Kodera Takataka has very unsightly acne on his face; to put it bluntly, he had a lot of pimples when he was young, and he probably squeezed them every day out of habit. As a result, his entire face looks like the surface of the moon, full of craters. Although commenting on someone's appearance like this is extremely impolite, it really is…

Consider that Kodera Takataka was imprisoned in the earthen dungeon of Arioka Castle for a year, resulting in a leg injury and leaving him lame. His overall appearance was truly unappealing.

However, Shichibei is past the age of judging people by their appearance. The fact that Kodera Takataka appeared in Gifu shows that he is intelligent. Given his intelligence, being a little ugly is insignificant.

They sat down for the meal. Hienaga, Koroku, and Maeno Nagayasu were all there; they had just returned from their campaign in Kai, so...

Most people were present. We greeted everyone at Kaimi Ten, so this time we didn't need to greet each person individually; we mainly chatted with Kodera Takataka.

Having the opportunity to meet two of Oda clan's senior retainers, Kodera Yoshitaka was naturally thrilled. However, he restrained his emotions, respectfully bowing to Shichibei and praising him as a renowned financial expert in the Kinai region. Praise aside, Shichibei was perfectly comfortable with someone of Kodera Yoshitaka's stature being straightforward. He immediately asked why Kodera believed the Oda army had a winning advantage in the west. The Mori clan had a full 100,000 troops in the west, while the Oda clan, before destroying the Takeda clan, only had 120,000 troops.

"Does Lord Kawamura know of the saying that one can control the world by ruling the Central Plains?" Kodera Takataka asked eloquently.

"He who controls the Central Plains controls the world." Shichibei certainly knew this.

"Indeed! The Palace of Regents possesses the royal domain, much like the Central Plains. It is well-equipped with everything—money, provisions, and soldiers—and its resources far exceed those of other feudal lords."

"Hmm." Shichibei simply nodded.

"Although possessing the capital region may seem to be surrounded by enemies on all sides, it can actually rely on annexing elite troops and securing supplies from the capital."

The emperor, using his authority to command those who disobey, declared that those who refused would be punished, for he held the moral high ground. The powerful lords of the four directions would then become powerful. For example, the six states of Shandong...

"How can the alliance between states against the powerful Qin last?" Koji Takataka believed that the feudal lords were already worthless.

"Hmm..." Shichibei's response was one of strong agreement.

"Moreover, the power of the Regent Palace is already established, and with the recent defeat of the Takeda clan, their military might is even stronger. "Clearly, the destruction of the Kai Takeda clan has greatly shocked the various powers, from top to bottom, everyone is astonished."

Chapter 378 Gamblers are indeed hard-pressed to gamble.

"But that's not necessarily true."

Kodera Takataka was speaking with great enthusiasm when Shichibei suddenly poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "Who says that destroying the Takeda clan will guarantee a sweeping victory over the entire country?"

"Huh?" Kodera Takataka paused, wondering why Kawamura Nagayoshi was being sarcastic.

"If you can see the gold and jade on the outside but not the rotten cotton inside, you cannot be satisfied." Shichibei picked up the tsukudani. You can taste the slight sweetness of the taro, but you haven't tasted the bitterness of the taro stem. You can't say that you fully understand the taste of taro.

"Shichibei?" Hideyoshi also picked up his tsukudani, somewhat puzzled.

"For example, you go to Bozhou to quickly organize a legion and make contact with the Mori clan."

"Your hand will surely absorb a large number of local powerful figures from Bozhou. And you yourself have no loyal and valiant retainers passed down through generations. If you win, all is well; but what if you lose?"

"Ah, this..."

The Oda clan's expansion was incredibly rapid, surpassing all previous rulers of the land. However, the Oda clan originated as mere vassals of the four lower districts of Owari Province, their hereditary retainers and descendants...

Hush! None of the five hundred loyal and brave cavalrymen of Mikawa were among them.

According to Shichibei's understanding, at most, there wouldn't be more than three hundred core samurai families. Even if you included all the virtuous people in the underworld, that is, the village chiefs and local officials, the number wouldn't exceed a thousand.

It was absolutely impossible to build a samurai order that ruled all of Japan from top to bottom with just a thousand men. It's true that the people of a prefecture or even a village could govern all of China. But below them were hundreds of thousands of middle and lower-level officials and clerks. These people were inherited from the tax-farming group of the Song Dynasty by the Yuan Dynasty, from the clerk system of the Ming Dynasty by the Yuan Dynasty, and from the clerk system of the Qing Dynasty.

The administration became increasingly corrupt with each new dynasty, and the exploitation became increasingly severe.

Similarly, Oda Nobunaga extensively recruited a large number of samurai from various provinces. When he conquered a territory, he physically eliminated the upper-ranking samurai. The middle and lower-ranking samurai were incorporated into his army and driven to fight. Those who died in battle were accounted for, and those who survived were at least given personal allegiance. This group was then used to conquer the next territory.

Let these people become the upper echelons of the next ruling nation, driving out the defeated to fight, repeating the cycle of annexation. Expanding like a snowball, their unity under the papaya-patterned banner is not based on loyalty.

Or perhaps it's a matter of gratitude or obligation, but it's all about self-interest.

With Nobunaga and Nobutada dead, there wasn't even one person to speak up for the three Oda brothers.

Yes. Niwa Nagahide was a trusted confidant, and both he and his son were Nobunaga's sons-in-law. What do you think?

Regardless of personal motives or self-interest, solely to ensure the loyalty of the samurai groups he had acquired through conquest and to guarantee their continued share of the spoils, he ultimately chose to betray Oda, in exchange for a vast territory of 1.2 million koku.

Of course, the retainers who maintained their clan by selling out their former master's territory would also betray the Niwa clan after Niwa Nagahide's death, tempted by even larger territories and greater wealth and power.

With Nagahide's death, the many retainers who had gathered there quickly switched their allegiance to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, showing no attachment whatsoever to the Niwa clan. Only a handful of hereditary retainers remained by Niwa Nagashige's side, who had served him faithfully since the beginning of his reign in Owari.

Even among the Oda clan's legion commanders, including powerful figures like Azai Nagamasa and influential elders like Sakuma Nobumori, the number of their hereditary retainers was extremely limited.

The sudden granting of a vast fiefdom with hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain inevitably resulted in the absorption of numerous wealthy landowners from the fiefdom and the sheltering of wandering people from various countries.

Endless military service.

If Oda Nobunaga had lived a long life, reaching eighty years old, and had over twenty years to consolidate power after unifying the country, and if he had remained wise and vigorous even in his old age, managing to keep the samurai class in check, then the country would have been stable.

If Nobunaga didn't live a long life...

hum.

After speaking, Hideyoshi lowered his head instantly, not daring to meet Shichibei's gaze. His lowered eyes darted around, his mind racing with thoughts of something profound. The amount of information was so vast that he himself probably hadn't had time to calmly ponder it.

As for Kodera Takataka, his hand holding the wine glass froze in mid-air, and then he stared intently at Shichibei, trying to see something in Shichibei's eyes.

"It's better than the country being destroyed and me dying, with all my achievements vanished." He then said this.

"Haha, Kanbei is absolutely right." Shichibei immediately clapped. The Japanese should have their own way of thinking; a unified China...

The idea of ​​planning for a dynasty that will last for thousands of generations is not entirely suitable for Japan. In the Warring States period, which was a time of great strife, planning for the continuation of one's lineage was not impossible, but it was a lower priority.

I'll unify Japan first, achieving the great feat of "peace and tranquility under heaven," and then consider everything else. I'm willing to risk everything to achieve this goal.

Their gambling instincts are even stronger!

As long as I succeed, even if I only have eight brilliant seconds of landing like Sakura, it will be worth it. I'll have lived a magnificent life, stirred up the world before I die, and have no regrets.

"Having is everything; without having, all talk is meaningless." Kodera Takataka took another step closer to Shichibei.

Suddenly, Shichibei realized something. Kodera Yoshitaka's decision to join the Oda clan might not be solely due to his intelligence, but also because of his considerable ambition. Joining the Mori clan as a popular choice would only allow him to play an insignificant role in the Mori's grand alliance of local lords.

By joining the Oda clan against his own will, he at least became a key figure among the Oda clan's early followers in Harima. Better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.

If Oda wins, he gets everything. If Oda loses, so be it...

When the body dies, the Dao vanishes.

Historically, Kuroda Kanbei, upon hearing news of the Battle of Sekigahara, sold everything he owned to raise troops and launch a fierce attack on the western army's territory near Kyushu. This perfectly illustrates his "gambling nature." He was gambling all the time, and not just when he saw a glimmer of hope to win, but when he saw the enormous profits that followed.

Whether or not you can win is secondary; the primary concern is whether the benefits of winning are substantial enough.

"Alright, alright, let's make a big cup." Shichibei poured a cup directly for Kodera Takataka.

You gambling addict, to be able to talk about gambling so openly and honestly, you deserve a toast. After that, I'll send you to the front lines, the first to attack the Mori.

"Thank you!" Kodera Takataka accepted the wine poured by Shichibei without hesitation and drank it down on the spot.

The two men spoke in unison, while Hideyoshi was still pondering what Shichibei had said: that if Nobunaga didn't live to be a hundred, the current operating mechanism would malfunction.

Next, we needed to understand the situation in Harima. It wasn't actually that complicated. The Akamatsu clan used to be quite powerful, so the domestic situation was relatively stable. However, with the entry of external forces, things suddenly...

A new trend has emerged.

In a sense, the wealthy and powerful families of Harima also realized, amidst the tides of the times, that the era had changed.

The key point is that Mori is right in front of us, and he has given Urakami Munekage, who also has a considerable presence in Harima, a good beating. On the contrary, a few years ago, Oda Nobunaga, at the invitation of Ukita Naoie, ordered Ikeda Katsumasa, Bessho Yasuharu and other generals to attack Urakami Munekage, but it was unsuccessful.

This led most of the powerful clans in Harima to follow the Mori clan rather than the Oda clan. Moreover, the previous rulers of the land, the Hosokawa and Miyoshi clans, had both experienced periods of great prosperity followed by dramatic decline, and many people did not believe that the Oda clan's rule could last long.

Hideyoshi is in trouble. He needs to win a major victory in Harima first to break the deadlock and avoid further setbacks. If he gets bogged down in the war in the west, things will likely get tough.

However, Hideyoshi was quite upset. After seeing Kodera Yoshitaka off, Hideyoshi pulled Shichibei aside. "Even though everyone here is on our side—Hideyoshi's brother-in-law and Koroku's sworn brother—how could you say such a thing?"

Nonsense, what's the big deal? We're just stating the facts.

Even if Nobunaga heard it, he wouldn't say anything. He's so clever; he knows perfectly well what's going on. Doesn't Nobunaga know?

The consequences of doing so? He knew very well. But a true man, if he cannot live a life of luxury, then he should die a life of honor. He would settle things after he had accomplished his goal; whether he could maintain it was a matter for future generations.

"What will we do if Lord Nobunaga dies?" Hideyoshi had barely finished speaking when he realized his mistake and quickly stopped. Shichibei chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, "Isn't this..."

Is there Gifu-dono Nobutada?

Yes, yes, and Xinzhong too.

Hideyoshi muttered something to Nobutada before turning and going back into the house, while Shichibei rode back home. "Aren't we afraid that what we said today will reach Nobunaga's ears? We, as elders of the Oda clan..."

As a shareholder of the Oda clan, it's only natural for a shareholder to worry about the company's future. After all, times have changed. In the future, one can cash out and leave, but now we have to fight to the bitter end.