Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

He sent messengers to inform wealthy merchants from Chikuzen-Hakata, Iyo-Imaji (the former capital of Iyo Province, which almost became the seat of Minamoto no Yoshitsune), Nagato-Akama-seki, Bingo-Onomichi, Wakasa-Kohama, Echizen-Tsuruga, Noto-Washima, Echigo-Naoe-tsu, Ise-Anozu, Suruga-Fuchu, Sagami-Odawara, Hitachi-Kasumiura, and Tohoku-Sakata and Jujūminato, to come to Sakai-machi for a meeting.

Merchants from Kyoto, Otsu, Nagahama, Tsushima, and Sakai each sent a representative to register at Kawamuraya. After the merchants from various regions had gathered, they would then go to Sakai together with Shichibei.

Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi invites you here!

If you come today, then we're all good brothers, and you'll definitely have a seat at the Federal Reserve Bank of Japan in the future. Not coming today? No problem, I'll storm your house with Oda Nobunaga's spear and arquebuses. Believe it or not, come or not.

"I am preparing to cast large and small bronze coins." This was the only sentence Shichibei uttered when he met Nobunaga.

"Hmm." Nobunaga didn't even listen carefully to what Shichibei was saying, he just grunted in response to indicate that he understood.

"One or two small coins will be issued for the journey, and the lord will reward you with ten large coins." Shichibei knew that Nobunaga wasn't indifferent to these things; firstly, he had virtually no understanding of finance, and secondly, he was happy to be a hands-off manager.

"Hmm." Nobunaga still didn't listen much, but instead carefully wiped his beloved sword, the katana, with a piece of fine cotton cloth.

"For amounts below the kopan (small denomination), one fen of gold from Jiazhou is the standard, and one tael of gold equals four fen."

"No need to say anything more, can it make money?" Nobunaga breathed on his sword and asked only this one question.

"In the short term, it might even result in losses. But in the long term, it will greatly benefit commercial circulation throughout Japan." Shichibei spoke the truth.

. 123.

Unlike later generations who only needed a small amount of reserves, today's money-for-money business requires extremely large physical reserves. This money, stored in gold vaults, cannot be used for investment or lending; in reality, it is indeed...

It's a "loss". After all, from a businessman's perspective, not making a profit is a loss.

"Then you decide." Hearing that there was no easy way to make money, Nobunaga lost interest and continued polishing his sword.

Actually, there's some profit to be made. Shichibei plans to forge gold coins, but not those with a gold content of 95% or higher. Achieving 88% gold content would be considered a concession to the market.

Why call so many people here? It's to clearly tell them: I've minted this gold coin, and I've minted this copper coin. Although I'm just an ordinary small merchant, I have the powerful Oda Nobunaga standing behind me.

Even if it's 88%, I'd still say it's pure gold. Who supports that? Who opposes it?

If the vast majority of the wealthy merchants present could approve it, then it was pure gold. Shichibei, who controlled Kyoto and Sakai, the largest handicraft production centers in the country, and was backed by Oda Nobunaga's powerful influence, was confident in issuing gold koban (a type of gold coin). With the help of these large...

The merchant's hand, then the size of the gold is determined by the amount of the gold received.

"Furthermore, we have enough newly minted coins from last year. Could we use them to pay for the annual tribute rice?" Whether Nobunaga cares or not is one thing, whether we report it or not is another. "Yes." Nobunaga had already seen the new coins that Shichibei had minted at the Sakai-cho money-making center.

"Then I will surrender to the magistrate's men." With Nobunaga's words, everything will be easy.

"Oh, by the way, I heard that the Shaou eggplant is currently in your possession?" Compared to matters that would determine the future of the Federal Reserve, Nobunaga clearly had other things he was more concerned about.

"Yes, right beside me."

"You offer me the Sho'ou eggplant, and I will bestow upon you the Nitta shoulder strike." Then Nobunaga replied with a nonsensical remark.

The Shoou eggplant needs no introduction. The Nitta shoulder-shaped tea caddy was a treasured possession of Murata Jukō, later passing to Miyoshi Sōzō. After Sōzō's death, his collection of treasures scattered. For example, the famous sword Sōzō Samonji ended up in the hands of Imagawa Yoshimoto, where it was renamed Yoshimoto Samonji.

It can only be said that Miyoshi Sōzō had a good eldest son, Miyoshi Masayasu, who...

His father's inheritance was either given away or sold off, leaving him with nothing in the end.

Nitta Kanetsuki was acquired by Hikida Munekazu, a prominent merchant from Kyoto, during this period. After Nobunaga's successful march to Kyoto, it was presented to him.

Strangely, during the Honnoji Incident, this object was not destroyed in the fire and ended up in the hands of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This became one of the pieces of evidence that the Honnoji Incident was premeditated, because the Hatsuhana Kanju, a famous treasure belonging to Oda Nobutada, was also surprisingly not destroyed; it was taken out and presented to Tokugawa Ieyasu.

It's true that some famous items disappeared from Nobunaga and Nobutada's possessions, but the truly remarkable and prestigious items were all brought back by others. And it's impossible to say who brought them back.

But what is Nobunaga planning to do by sending Sōō-naki and then granting Nitta-no-kō?

"Understood." Fortunately, Shichibei wasn't the type to pry, so since Nobunaga wanted it, he would offer it up.

"I'm hosting the Regent the day after tomorrow, you should attend as well." Nobunaga was clearly pleased with Shichibei's immediate agreement.

The other day when we were at Azuchi Castle, wasn't the citadel under construction?

The Ryouden (Sora-den) was originally intended for use by the Emperor when he visited Azuchi. Nobunaga was pushing for this project. Therefore, he invited the Kanpaku (regent) Nijō Haruyoshi to come and begin discussing the matter.

Furthermore, Nobunaga is currently the Grand Councilor and Right General of the Imperial Guard, after the destruction of the Takeda clan.

To celebrate this great achievement, the imperial court contacted Nobunaga and prepared to appoint him as Minister of the Interior.

This matter also requires the involvement of the court officials, and it will take at least several months for them to make their way back and forth. After all, it has been many years since a military lord, who is not yet the Shogun, has been appointed as a Minister of the Interior.

The imperial court might take this opportunity to inquire whether Nobunaga intends to assume the positions of Grand Minister of State or Shogun. After all, with the Takeda clan destroyed, the political landscape has become increasingly clear. The great responsibility of "pacifying the realm" can indeed be entirely entrusted to Oda Nobunaga.

“Your Majesty…” Shichibei quickly bowed his head and asked if anything needed to be prepared.

"You? Arrive soon." Nobunaga sheathed his sword and thought for a moment.

One is Nobunaga, and the other is Kanpaku Nijō Haruyoshi. Shichibei should arrive at least half an hour early, no, an hour, I'll say.

If it's already been marked, waiting a little longer is no big deal.

It's a pity we don't have a home in Kyoto. If Princess Ashikaga lived in Kyoto, she would have prepared everything perfectly, from clothes and accessories to shoes and fans, without the slightest mistake.

You should marry two more, and they should be cultured and virtuous wives.

There was no other way but to return to Kawamuraya's branch in Kyoto. There, he found Kotaro So sitting inside, chatting with Nagasu Tsuchiya about rice prices in Kyoto after the autumn harvest. Kyoto was a bustling city of handicrafts, with a large population of townspeople and a huge demand for agricultural products.

Generally, grain prices in such places are higher than in ordinary towns, and much higher than in rural areas. After all, artisans can earn cash income, and this ample cash income makes the market more active and increases trade. Unfortunately, logistics these days are poor; the most powerful means of transportation is water.

Shipped.

The imbalance between supply and demand naturally drives up prices to meet market demand. In rural areas, buying a shi (a unit of dry measure) of tribute rice might only cost four hundred or four hundred and fifty wen. Transporting it to the capital for sale is relatively easy now, in September and October, but by March or April of next year, the old grain will be...

Even if the new grain isn't ripe yet, it's not impossible to get one stone and two strings of cash.

Being a grain merchant means profiting from both ends. On one hand, you profit from impoverished farmers, and on the other hand, you profit from townspeople and citizens. Every year, just by dealing in Nobunaga's annual tribute rice, Shichibei earns well over 100,000 or 200,000 taels of silver. With the expansion of Nobunaga's territory, earning a million taels a year is not a dream.

After all, people always need to eat, and as long as they eat, they'll need money.

Upon seeing Shichibei enter, the two men quickly rose and knelt to one side to bow to him. Shichibei invited them to sit and ordered someone to ride swiftly to Ashikaga-hime's place in Sakai-cho to fetch the Sōō eggplant. It was to be presented to Nobunaga at the tea ceremony the day after tomorrow. Nobunaga would then take out his Nitta shoulder-shaped rice cake for comparison, and finally exchange it with Shichibei's. After briefly explaining Nobunaga's plans for the tea ceremony, Shichibei went on to instruct that 50,000 kan be sent to Murai Sadakatsu. Since Nobunaga's annual tribute rice had been sold, it should be used to pay the stipends to the regular foot soldiers and kabuki. Even cannon fodder would receive a stipend of 50 to 10 kan per year.

Lu also needs to provide support rice for one or two people.

If the money isn't paid in time, how can these people have the morale to continue their eastern and western campaigns with Nobunaga? We need to use our own Yongle Tongbao coins, brand new and golden...

Copper coins. Sixteen hundred and sixty thousand strings of copper coins have already been minted, and they can be released into the market now. First, release them to Oda's standing army, which is purely for consumption, to see their quality and market reaction.

Murai Sadakatsu was in Kyoto, as he also served as the Kyoto Magistrate. Giving him the money would naturally ensure its proper distribution to the soldiers still under Nobunaga's command. Of the less than ten thousand men, the vast majority went to Nobunaga's favored sons and nephews. Just two months ago, two thousand men were given to Takeda Nobufusa.

Otherwise, how could Takeda Nobufusa have secured his position as the lord of Suruga? Hojo Ujimasa and Nobunaga temporarily refrained from fighting, but they didn't say they would never fight. If Suruga lacked the strength to defend itself, it wouldn't be surprising if the Hojo broke their alliance.

Those high-ranking retainers under Nobunaga, like Amago Katsuhisa, had already been paid off. Now, the only one of note was Ikeda Katsumasa, who alone received four thousand kan a year. The money wasn't distributed individually to the magistrates, but was paid directly by Nobunaga.

Oh, and now there's also Hosokawa Saneyuki. After being captured by Niwa Nagahide, he brought about two hundred followers and came to Nobunaga's side to freeload.

Similar to Hideyoshi's later establishment of the Imperial Guard, Nobunaga also began to support these various former noble families. However, this is not yet confirmed.

He established the Yudu clan simply by keeping them by his side as a large group of followers.

Hosokawa Saneyuki is also an Awa Guardian, and comes from the prestigious Hosokawa family, making him qualified to be a guest for conversation. While you're at it, you can also try to find Ashikaga Yoshie; both of them are from the Awa family and would have plenty to talk about.

Ashikaga Yoshihide's annual allowance of 10,000 kan was more than he could ever spend. Nobunaga, aside from allowing him to support his existing two or three hundred retainers, completely destroyed the Muromachi Shogunate's bureaucracy, leaving nothing behind. Normally, it was difficult to find someone to chat with at the Nijō Palace, so he was very happy to have an acquaintance come to talk to.

The next day, news of Nobunaga's payday spread far and wide. In the afternoon, Shichibei was still examining the shoga eggplants he had brought from Sakai when news came that Lord Ikeda had arrived.

He carefully put away the teacup and went to the bottom of the steps to greet him. It wasn't anything serious; the Oda clan was paying wages, and Nobunaga had given him a receipt for 4,000 kan, instructing him to collect the cash from Shichibei. For ordinary soldiers, getting paid usually took many days. In fact, the money was only handed over to Murai Sadakatsu today.

Only someone as prominent as Katsumasa Ikeda could receive it individually, as it meant he didn't have to queue and the distribution was quite fast.

Perhaps because of the surrender of Araki Murashige, the hope of returning to the old Settsu territory is becoming increasingly slim, and Ikeda Katsumasa looks somewhat dejected.

"Please wait a moment." Shichibei instructed the waiter to serve tea to Ikeda Katsumasa and then asked him to sit down quickly.

“There’s no rush, we have nothing else to do anyway.” Ikeda Katsumasa and Shichibei knew each other, and had known each other for many years.

"Blind..."

It's obvious without even guessing that Ikeda Katsumasa was angry, but what could he do? Without Nobunaga's help, Ikeda Katsumasa couldn't return to Ikeda Castle on his own.

Furthermore, Nobunaga had privately hinted that if Ishiyama Hongan-ji were destroyed, half of the land could be given to Ikeda Katsumasa. It was a kind of promise, just not made public.

"Why not go to the Western Regions instead?"

"No, no, you can't say things like that!" Shichibei quickly reached out to stop him. You can't go and defect to the Mori! If you do, Nobunaga will kill your whole family. Besides, saying it to Shichibei is just asking for trouble.

"Huh?" Katsumasa Ikeda was taken aback at first, then gave a wry smile.

Come.

"They joined forces with Hashiba to defend Chikuzen and attack the Mori clan."

"Phew..." Upon hearing this, Shichibei breathed a sigh of relief. You're really scary when you talk.

Actually, the two hundred samurai under Ikeda Katsumasa were quite tempting. Otherwise, Nobunaga wouldn't have paid to support them and allowed them to recruit their own men.

Light. But such a person is single-mindedly focused on restoring their former skills, making them difficult to absorb. Unless there is no hope of restoration, or Shengzheng dies and his son becomes the head of the family...

main.

"Shichibei, you said you'd go to the Western Lands, is that feasible or not?"

Chapter 382 The Intimacy and Alienation of the Imperial Court

Going to the western provinces at this time? You're not like Kodera Takataka, whose family is a local bigwig in Harima, with connections and influence, where a gamble could turn your life around. You, Ikeda Katsunari, are from Settsu Province; you'd be completely clueless if you went to the western provinces.

Putting aside our own foresight, given the current situation, going to the west to make a big splash might not be better than staying with Nobunaga's forces and waiting for the restoration of the country.

Of course, if one combines this with foresight, then becoming Hideyoshi's ally would essentially be a promising investment. After all, Hideyoshi himself lacked a hereditary retainer group, and his own faction was quite weak. If Ikeda Katsumasa, with two hundred core samurai, were to join him, he would likely be able to achieve considerable success under Hideyoshi.

While Hideyoshi is not exactly insignificant or worthless, he is still in the early stages of building his empire. This opportunity to bring investment into the group is something Hideyoshi couldn't be happier with.

Should we try to persuade them or not?

Settsu is fertile land, while the western kingdoms are truly mountainous. Apart from a few tiny plains and some mines, many of the smaller kingdoms are so poor they're practically weeping. There are also many troublemakers and unruly people on the ground, making governance difficult, costly, and unprofitable.

It's not even as good as Kyushu. Kyushu has excellent ports everywhere. At least before the country closed itself off from the world, it could trade extensively with the mainland and Southeast Asia. Not to mention getting rich, it could at least make a comfortable living.

"To be honest, this Settsu Province is mostly under Takayama Hikogoro's control." Ikeda Katsumasa was able to bring several thousand of Nobunaga's main force back to Kyoto during the Great Retreat from Kanesaki, so he must have been quite capable.

"Hmm..." That's not wrong.

Takayama Shigetomo was Nobunaga's good son-in-law, and extremely hardworking and ambitious. If it weren't for the all-out effort of Ishiyama Honganji Temple, they would most likely have killed Araki Murashige this year. Whether killing Araki Murashige would lead to his conquest of Settsu Province or the reinstatement of Ikeda Katsumasa is actually quite easy to discern.

Nobunaga was human, and humans have varying degrees of closeness and distance. Given Takayama's dedication and closeness, Nobunaga's choice was self-evident.

According to Ikeda Katsumasa, while he still had some value to Nobunaga and his core retainers were still around, he could obtain more resources from Nobunaga and launch a campaign in western Japan. If successful, he could at least take half the country, if not the entire one. If not, it would still be better than wasting time in Kyoto.

There was one thing that Katsumasa Ikeda understood very clearly. Nobunaga had already...

He developed the idea of ​​completely crushing the Mori clan, as it was impossible for Hideyoshi to give all ten provinces of the Mori. Historically, because Shimizu Muneharu defended Bitchu and Takamatsu Castle to the death, Nobunaga once promised to give the provinces of Bitchu and Bingo as a reward in exchange for Shimizu's surrender.

There's also a legend that Mitsuhide would be transferred to the provinces of Izumo and Iwami. Adding to this the historical fact that Hidenaga was granted Tajima province, and the promise made to Ōtomo and Ōnobu, the Mōri clan would still have...