Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"No problem, no problem." Shichibei really couldn't understand how Bessho Nagaharu could have rebelled. He was such a good young man, smart and sensible.

"It's just a small token." Bessho Nagaharu carefully put away Nobunaga's imperial edict and bowed to Shichibei again.

Having encountered such a sensible person, Shichibei, who had originally planned to leave immediately after announcing the imperial decree and head to Himeji Castle, was ultimately persuaded by their hospitality to stay at a villa outside the castle. It was a bit risky, but not too risky; Shichibei was still with three hundred men. Having a villa to rely on meant that even if something happened, they could wait for Hideyoshi to arrive.

Furthermore, Shichibei observed that Miki Castle hadn't mobilized a large army; the movement of thousands of troops would be difficult to conceal. Even if it were concealed, it would easily reveal their presence.

foot.

In another villa outside the castle, Kurose Hideaki, the younger brother of Miki Michiaki, the lord of Higa Castle, was meeting with Bessho Yoshichika. The main topic of their discussion was that the 6,000 cavalry reinforcements under Hashiba Hideyoshi's command were about to withdraw, which was probably the weakest Hashiba Hideyoshi had been in recently.

They must successfully get Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi to take the troops back to the Kinai region. Only then will their chances of victory be greater if they launch an attack in Harima in conjunction with the Mori clan's offensive.

That's right. After the conflict between Bessho Yoshichika and Hideyoshi, Miki Michiaki sent someone to contact Bessho Yoshichika. Miki Michiaki's region, Eiga, was home to the Eiga Gobo, the center of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism's spread throughout Harima. In a sense, Miki Michiaki...

Aki has become highly associated with Hongan-ji Temple. He himself is also very enthusiastic about the Jodo Shinshu sect's cause, sending troops and supplies to Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple.

In the first year of the Genki era, when the Battle of Ishiyama began, Miki Michiaki delivered 3,000 bundles of rice to Ishiyama Honganji Temple in one go. Such strong support greatly surprised even Kennyo Shonin.

With the help of Honganji Temple, the Mori family and Miki Michiaki were successfully connected. Because the Mori navy had won a brilliant victory at the Kizu River estuary and supplied Ishiyama with military provisions, Miki Michiaki became very enthusiastic and proactive in connecting the Mori with the people of Harima Province.

Upon hearing that Bessho Yoshichika and Hideyoshi had quarreled, Miki Michiaki sent his younger brother out to make contact with Bessho Yoshichika.

However, Bessho Yoshichika was merely a senior retainer of the Bessho clan, not the head of the family. For the Bessho clan to side with the Mori Honganji, Bessho Nagaharu's consent was required. Bessho Nagaharu also newly appointed Harima governor, a legitimate governor, which carried even greater weight within the powerful families of Harima province.

Originally, Bessho Yoshichika thought that if Shichibei came today and gave Bessho Nagaharu a good scolding on behalf of Oda Nobunaga, he could take the opportunity to persuade Nagaharu to join the anti-Oda alliance.

.123.C

To everyone's surprise, instead of reprimanding Bessho, Nobunaga sent Shichibei to offer Bessho Nagaharu a way out, allowing him to back down gracefully.

Initially indignant, Bessho Nagaharu, upon seeing this, immediately agreed to obey the Emperor's orders. This was because Nobunaga's decision was placed on a moral high ground, perfectly aligning with the obligations and rights between a monarch and his subjects in classical feudal times.

what is it now?

The Mori army has basically assembled and will launch simultaneous offensives in the directions of Settsu and Harima, aiming to enter the Kinai region as soon as possible. Taking advantage of their recent victory, once they enter the Kinai region, a qualitative change will occur, and the entire situation in the country will be disrupted.

No matter how many victories are won on the outskirts, if they cannot penetrate into the capital region, it is all in vain.

If the Mori clan starts advancing their troops and the other clans haven't made a move yet, then even if they eventually surrender, they won't gain any benefits and might even be thwarted.

Hesitation will only lead to more trouble!

In the candlelight of the dark night, the faces of Hideaki Kurose and Yoshichika Bessho flickered, but the fierce glint in their pupils shone even brighter.

He was somewhat reluctant to part with six thousand cavalry. Mainly, he had a very clear understanding of the fighting strength of Shichibei's troops; they were not only on par with Amago's re-established army, but also comparable to the troops he had served in for many years.

It could even be argued that, due to their superior equipment and higher income, the Kawamura Army's fighting strength surpassed that of the Hashiba Army. Had Shichibei's troops not been tasked with launching attacks in any particular direction, the Kawamura Army's reputation would have spread far and wide long ago.

He was itching to keep him there. It was only because Hidenaga had previously married a daughter of the Kawamura family, and Shichibei's own status was no less than Hideyoshi's, and the two were old acquaintances, that he could be detained. Otherwise, even if forced to stay, Hideyoshi would have to try and keep him in Harima.

Historically, he successfully recruited Ishikawa Kazumasa from the Tokugawa clan, Ijuin Tadatsunari from the Shimazu clan, Kobayakawa Takakage from the Mori clan, and Naoe Kanetsugu from the Uesugi clan.

Yes, some attempts were unsuccessful. Anyway, he has a lot of experience with this kind of thing and keeps trying.

Of course, the relationship between Shichibei and his subordinates is another matter and cannot be compared entirely.

Well, what can we do? Kawamura's army also came out to fight...

It's been a year, and it's time to keep the agreement and let these people leave. With the Mori clan posing a threat, it's not convenient for Hideyoshi himself to leave Himeji Castle directly. So, he should send Hashiba Hidenaga to return these 6,000 men to Shichibei.

No, there aren't 6,000 men left. 200 died in battle, and 300 of them returned first, so to be precise, there are 5,500 men.

Hidenaga was sent to Miki, just in time to receive Nobunaga's previous appeal.

He was relieved. Hideyoshi knew perfectly well that Nobunaga wouldn't punish him for such a trivial matter. As for Bessho? Hideyoshi wasn't entirely unprepared; he was trying to bribe the Bessho clan's retainers, just in case.

Chapter 401 The Imperial Guard's Choice: One of Two

ah?

What, Hidenaga, you've arrived? Shichibei had just left Miki Castle and crossed the Kako River when he encountered Hashiba Hidenaga, who was leading a large army to return Shichibei to his home, at the foot of Kamiya Castle.

While addressing his sworn brother, Hidenaga inquired about Nobunaga's judgment. "What could it be?" Shichibei readily presented it, and Hidenaga smiled upon seeing it. Sure enough, Nobunaga was biased towards Hideyoshi, but not openly; at least he maintained a facade of impartiality.

Furthermore, letting Hidenaga go first gives Hideyoshi room to maneuver should anything go wrong. As long as Nobunaga's written complaint isn't presented to Hideyoshi in person, he can certainly appeal. Of course, this is assuming things are unfavorable for Hideyoshi; if things are currently in his favor, then it doesn't matter.

Having received the soldiers, Shichibei immediately sent someone to inform the lord of Kamiyoshi Castle, Kamiyoshi Yorisada, hoping for his cooperation in steaming and cooking a large quantity of rice balls and salted fish to reward the soldiers. In addition to the rice wine from Kamiyoshi Castle, rice wine from nearby villages and Miki Castle behind it was also purchased and brought over for the soldiers to enjoy.

They also had to distribute rewards, but fortunately, Shichibei had prepared them in advance. He showered the soldiers with cash, and they cheered in unison. (Later generations...)

The movie "The Head", although it is also called "The Ditch", has a scene that Shichibei felt was filmed very vividly.

Hideyoshi discovered that some of his men were gambling and that one of them was cheating. He immediately drew his sword to behead the cheater, but when the man brought out all his money, terrified, Hideyoshi stopped him. Instead, he had Hidenaga produce a bag of gold to cover the cheater's losses.

The money was used to buy drinks and prostitutes for all the soldiers present.

Such manipulation of people's hearts is so effortless, it's as if it were happening naturally. What's the point of talking about so many grand principles in a feudal army? It's better to learn from Hideyoshi in the movies, using both kindness and severity, with clear rewards and punishments, so that every soldier fights with their life.

I sat down to feast with the generals and my men, and also invited Kamiki Yoriichi to join us. Five thousand five hundred regular soldiers invited you to drink; how could you refuse? Especially since it's right under your walls, you had no choice but to come.

Shichibei was busy patting this and looking at that, chatting with Aochi Shigetsuna one moment and Sanada Masaki the next, completely oblivious to the anxiety and constant scrutiny in Kamiyoshi Yorisada's eyes.

After a few rounds of drinks, when Hidenaga and Shichibei were arm in arm, Shichibei jokingly suggested something to Hidenaga.

Tell him to go back and explain things to Hideyoshi. Western Japan is a place that highly values ​​family status. Look at the Mori clan; because they were initially just the leader of the local uprising, they actively engaged with the Imperial Court and the Shogunate, hoping to elevate their own status.

The western provinces were long ruled by two prominent families: the Ōuchi clan, who were once considered the most powerful people in the land, and the Amago clan, whose members were descendants of Sasaki Kyogoku, one of the key figures in establishing the Muromachi shogunate.

In addition, the overall terrain of the Western Kingdom is fragmented. If you attack it one by one, even if you are a military genius, you probably won't be able to take it all down in your lifetime.

It would be better to leverage the prestige and authority of one's family, commanding widespread support and achieving a degree of controlled rule. Local powerful figures would offer hostages in response to the military obligation to send troops. However, they would still act independently within their own territories, completely disregarding the orders or demands of their so-called master.

When they win, they command overwhelming support, even becoming powerful figures in the military; when they lose, they crumble completely, unable to even mount basic resistance. Historically, after the Battle of Sekigahara, the Mori clan, despite possessing no fewer than 70,000 to 80,000 men, couldn't even hold out in Osaka.

The city fought bravely again to preserve the Western Kingdom, even displaying the courage to become the leader of the Western Kingdom.

Yes, it's positively correlated with the instability of his core support base.

Holding the wine dish, Hideyoshi blinked. This idea had actually been mentioned to Hideyoshi by someone else. It was Kodera Takataka, who had recently pledged allegiance to Hideyoshi. He believed that if Hideyoshi wanted to conquer the entire western province, finding a respectable father figure would be a good idea.

When Nobunaga recently assigned the Amago clan to Hideyoshi, wasn't it also because he hoped to leverage the Amago family's reputation as the governor of the eight provinces? After all, Amago Haruhisa's title of governor of the eight provinces was personally bestowed upon him by the previous shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru, making him one of the "eighth-ranked princes" of Japan.

Furthermore, Hideyoshi had readily available men to use, while Kyogoku Takakichi was just sitting idly by under Nobunaga. The Kyogoku family was now considered the main branch of the Kyogoku clan; whether they were considered main branches before or not was irrelevant. Kyogoku Takakichi had been rather impoverished in his early years, and in the last two years, he had become a parasite on Nobunaga's rule, yet he had two children in three years, constantly having more than one.

Besides the historical firefly daimyo Kyogoku Takatsugu, he also had five daughters. The first one married the so-called Wakasa governor Takeda Motoaki, regardless of...

That's it. There are a few more daughters; just take one and give her to Hideyoshi as a concubine. Then Hideyoshi can legitimately become Kyogoku Takakichi's adopted son and the head of the Kyogoku family.

There's nothing wrong with this approach. For example, Sanada Nobushige's older brother, Sanada Nobuyuki, first married Sanada Nobutsuna's daughter, and later Honda Tadakatsu's daughter. One was settled in Matsumoto Castle, and the other in Numata Castle. When it was necessary to unite the old retainers, I was Sanada Nobutsuna's son-in-law. When it was necessary to get closer to the Tokugawa, I was Honda Tadakatsu's son-in-law.

Anyway, it's adjacent to both sides, and both are considered large houses. Even if they're separated, as long as you can manage, there's nothing you can't do.

On Hideyoshi's side, the only problem was his principal wife, Nene, who came from the core 300 samurai families of Owari. Marrying her meant being accepted into the core Owari samurai group and becoming part of the old Owari elite. It was like Zhuge Liang marrying Huang Yueying; only by marrying her could one become a member of the Jingxiang scholar-official group and serve as a representative to Liu Bei.

The core samurai group of Owari was the foundation of Nobunaga's rule over the country. Within this group, members did not make their own decisions about marriage or funerals; instead, Nobunaga made the decisions.

Shichibei's sisters were all betrothed by Nobunaga; there was no room for free choice or matching families. Hideyoshi and Nene's two daughters: the elder daughter married Nobunaga's son, Utsumaru; the younger daughter either married one of Hideyoshi's sons or had to marry according to Nobunaga's wishes.

The requirement is to be matched with someone.

So Hideyoshi rejected the idea outright, because Nene and he had been through thick and thin together, and their relationship was extremely deep. She was also pregnant and had the potential to have more children. It was true that Hideyoshi had affairs, but it was also true that Nene was his only wife.

Now that Shichibei has brought it up again, Hidenaga can only say that he'll mention it to Hideyoshi later. If it were a powerful family, perhaps Hideyoshi might be interested, but the mere Omi Genji and Sasaki Kyogoku clans are something Hideyoshi currently looks down on.

Grandfather? Hideyoshi, you really have wild ideas.

This is understandable, though, as Tokugawa Ieyasu was also trying to curry favor with Nitta Yoshisada. Hideyoshi, now the lord of Harima Province with a land area of ​​420,000 koku, wanted to connect with the powerful and influential Ōuchi clan, who had effectively served as the governor of three provinces in Kyushu.

It's not an exaggeration to say that it's a surname.

So, could it be that Shao Ni's father could also do it? The Shao Ni family has a hereditary title of Dazai Daini, which is a way of preparing for Hideyoshi's future assignment to northern Kyushu. Shichibei brought up this suggestion, and Hidenaga nodded, indicating that Shao Ni would also be suitable.

Since Shichibei brought this up, then I'll ask him to look around in Kyoto and see if he has any connections that might allow him to...

Climb the social ladder by attaching yourself to a high-ranking official or a junior official. Either way, just get in. At worst, become a surrogate son and get some random father in Harima, a five-thousand-koku salary, and that's it. Alright, Shichibei will remember this. So what if he has a illegitimate father? We can handle that.

Remember Kagawa Nobusumi? The Kagawa clan, the deputy governor of Sanuki, had two branches. One was the Kagawa clan residing in Amagiri Castle in the province. The other was the Kagawa clan serving the shogun and kkanrei in Kyoto, but this branch had died out. Nobunaga forced the lord Ashikaga Yoshihide to assume the position before the shogun's coffin, placing Nobusumi in this family as his heir. Of course, ideally, there would be a living person who would adopt him, with Ashikaga Yoshihide then certifying the adoption, the family genealogy sent to the imperial court, and the lineage recorded in the "Genealogical Records" for 300 kan. That would have been perfect.

As for Hideyoshi's main family, there's still Hidenaga. Hidenaga can inherit the main family line, or he already has two sons, one on each side; either way, it's easy to arrange.

Leaving aside the Ōuchi family, there was indeed a son of Shōni Sukemoto in the Kinai region at that time. In the fourth year of Tenshō (1565), which was last year, the generals of Higashihizen and Kita-Chikugo, supported by Ōtomo Yoshishige, raised an army under the patronage of Shōni Sukemoto's third son, Shōni Masaru. Shōni Sukemoto's fourth son...

However, Gojo Shigeaki's defeat soon implicated the entire Shoni Re-establishment Army, and the re-establishment ended in failure. Shoni Motomori was only a few days old when his father, Shoni Sukemoto, was forced to commit suicide by Ryuzoji Temple. Therefore, he grew up in a temple under the protection of his retainer, Yokogaku Sukemasa.

Growing up in a temple has its advantages. His master had senior brothers in the Five Mountains and Five Temples, and these senior brothers had connections in the homes of court nobles, who were able to speak with Emperor Ogimachi.

So, despite being supposed to be beheaded by Ryuzoji Takanobu, Shoni Motomori miraculously received an imperial decree from the Emperor, who ordered Ryuzoji Takanobu to spare Shoni Motomori's life and allow him to shave his head and become a monk.

Ryuzoji Takanobu, whose reputation in northern Kyushu was somewhat tainted by tyranny, after weighing his options, allowed Shono Ni Motomori to become a monk at Mount Koya in the Kinai region. The condition was that all four of his sons remain under Ryuzoji's wing and serve in the government—in other words, as hostages. Furthermore, all of Shono Ni's family name was stripped, and his new names were changed to Chiba, Seki, Matsuura, and Nakamuta.

By the way, the emperor was short-lived and had no heir.

In other words, the Shao Er clan is now practically extinct.

There's not much difference. Furthermore, the youngest heir, Shao Er Yuansheng, is over forty years old, has shaved his head to become a monk, and is forbidden from marrying.

Although Mount Koya is not under Oda Nobunaga's control, it is influenced by the Imperial Court. And now, more than half of the Imperial Court resembles Oda Nobunaga.

Of course, neither Hashiba Hidenaga nor Shichibei knew much about this matter at the moment. They were just planning to return to Kyoto to inquire about the current situation of the Ouchi and Shonai families.

Based on Hidenaga's understanding of Hideyoshi, he guessed that what Hideyoshi truly wanted was either Ouchi or Shonin. It wasn't that Hideyoshi looked down on the other noble families, but rather that he didn't need them. After all, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Hideyoshi would spend his life working in the western provinces and Kyushu. Acknowledging someone like Akamatsu or Kyogoku wouldn't be worthwhile; they wouldn't be of much use.

Don't worry, Shichibei has noted this down and will take care of it when he returns to the capital.

Nobunaga's decree was announced, and Kawamura's army of over five thousand men received it. They made a ruckus outside Kamiyoshi Castle all night, causing Kamiyoshi Yorisada's eyelids to twitch wildly. Only when Shichibei broke camp and prepared to leave the next day did Kamiyoshi Yorisada finally relax.

Because Shichibei was Hidenaga's brother-in-law, Hidenaga declared that no matter what, he had to escort his brother-in-law to the border of Harima Province for it to be considered a proper marriage.

It is in accordance with etiquette.

Unable to refuse such hospitality, Shichibei had no reason to decline. He and Hideyoshi crossed the Kako River and returned to Miki Castle. Knowing that Kawamura's army would be passing through, Bessho Nagaharu even came out of the castle to entertain them. Furthermore, to express his goodwill towards Shichibei, he hoped to escort him to the border of Harima Province.

Oh my, this young man is really charming; at least his attitude is very good.

After passing Miki Castle and reaching Tamagawa Castle on the border, which is the castle where Tamagawa Sadakabe is located, they had reached the border. As darkness fell, Shichibei set up camp at the foot of Tamagawa Castle.

The only strange thing was that earlier, Shinji Yoriichi had come down to the city to feast with everyone. Now that Bessho Nagaharu was present, Awaga Sadanori said that he was exhausted from his military journey and had fallen ill after returning to Awaga Castle. He was now bedridden and unable to come out of the city to entertain everyone. He could only send two hundred bottles of sake as a token of his respect.

Speaking of which, Awakawa Sadanori is actually Bessho Nagaharu's uncle, so why is he being so disrespectful? But Shichibei is currently surrounded by thousands of elite troops, so he naturally feels no sense of crisis whatsoever. Since Awakawa Sadanori says he's sick, then so be it.

His younger brother, Jiang Jian Dingchun, did leave the city to express his apologies.

It seems he's truly ill; Shichibei even asked if we should call a doctor. We have quite a few acquaintances in Kyoto; it wouldn't be difficult to invite two renowned doctors who have treated the Emperor.

Jiang Jianzhichun quickly said there was no need for that; his brother was just tired from military service and only needed to rest for ten days to half a month. He apologized for causing concern among the princes.

Having said all that, what could Shichibei say? He closed his eyes, and by daybreak, a few steps would take him to Settsu Province. Arima Castle in Settsu Muko District stood opposite Awaga Castle in Harima Province. Although both were now within Oda Nobunaga's sphere of influence, these border castles had not been demolished.