Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Because Awaga Sadanori believed that Shichibei was giving him an ultimatum: either his entire family would be killed, or he would be transferred to a lower-ranking position and forced to live a few more years before further discussion.

It's not impossible for my whole family to be killed after the ban is lifted, but that's better than having my whole family killed tomorrow.

"Really...really...really..." Bessho Nagaharu didn't know what to say for a moment, but for him, this was a good thing.

With Awaga Sadanori's capture, Awaga Castle became his direct territory. Nobunaga sent Shichibei to aid Hideyoshi and also to assist in the recapture of Nagaji.

Side quests from the old territory.

Nobunaga's rule over the Bessho clan in Higashiharima was confirmed, at least for Nagaharu himself. Bessho Yoshichika and his accomplices were to be killed, but Nagaharu himself and those who had defected were spared. After all, Nagaharu had always followed Nobunaga, participating in all military service, large and small, and contributing repair materials for the reconstruction of Kyoto; he had done no wrong as a vassal.

"In that case, please have Prime Minister Hosokawa enter the city to supervise the retreat of the Awaga army." Shichibei immediately made this request to Reizei Tamejun.

Hosokawa was named so because Reizei Tamejun's territory was located in Hosokawa-sou, and he was called Prime Minister because he served as a councilor.

"Of course." Reizei Tamejun was originally invited by Nobunaga to act as a persuader.

Furthermore, since he oversaw the withdrawal of the troops from Tamagawa Castle, Shichibei should give him a thank-you gift. The exact amount doesn't matter (actually, I couldn't find the exact figure), but at least one gift should be prepared.

That night, many people stayed awake in the Kawamura army camp in and around Awaga Castle. Shichibei, however, slept soundly, on a tatami mat made of bundles of straw, and on a bed prepared by his sister-in-law, Ii. Of course, with war raging, he couldn't be intimate with his sister-in-law; Shichibei knew the importance of this.

While others couldn't sleep, Shichibei slept soundly. With the thought of Sanada Masaki guarding the gate for him, how could he not sleep?

When they got up in the morning to drink tea and eat rice, Tamsui had already opened the city gates, waiting for Reizen Watari and Tamsui Teiban to leave the city together. As for the soldiers inside the city? The elderly and weak were sent out first and were taken in by the head of another office.

There's also Nagaharu's aunt inside. Let's see if Oda's army is really trying to persuade them to surrender, or if it's just a pretense.

Once the elderly and infirm have been properly settled, the able-bodied men will be sent out of the city. Village chiefs and wealthy farmers recruited from the villages outside the city will be released after their identities have been verified and they have paid a ransom.

Only the retainers and samurai of the Awakawa clan, as well as the regularly recruited foot soldiers, will be kept in check. There are also about a hundred ronin recruited by Awakawa Sadahiro; these men have neither money nor are they retainers of the Awakawa clan. Well, sorry, they'll stay in the camp as laborers or foot soldiers, but they'll have to earn enough to ransom before they can be released.

If he performs well within Kawamura's army, he can be retained. During yesterday's siege, despite Hachiya Yoritaka's bravery, dozens were killed or wounded and rendered incapable of fighting. They'll be useful replacements, cannon fodder.

Around 10 a.m., Tamagawa Sadakano, led by Reizen Tamejun, along with his relatives, entourage, and several dozen elders and retainers, withdrew.

The city was subdued.

He kowtowed once, and then said, "A poor bird has entered my embrace."

Oh my, he's got some education, no wonder he came up with a plan to defeat Niwa Nagahide. With just this one battle, Awakawa Sadanobu, a mere resident of the country, has made his mark on Japanese history.

However, it must be made clear that once transferred, they will become retainers of the Kawamura family. Shichibei and Bessho Nagaharu have already discussed this matter, and Bessho Nagaharu is eager to increase his direct fiefdom to place his trusted retainers there. For powerful statesmen like this, whose own grandfathers had to marry off their daughters to win them over, the feudal lords would all try to eliminate them if given the opportunity.

You say that wouldn't be enough retainers? No problem, Bessho Nagaharu escaped from Miki Castle with eight hundred men. Those who used to have a 100 koku will be given a 500 koku reward, and those who used to have a 500 koku reward will be given a 1000 koku reward. We can absorb them quickly. It will also further strengthen the core cohesion of the team, making the retainers revolve around you.

Since Shichibei currently has no territory to settle in, he can only issue a letter of 10,000 koku to Awakawa Sadanobu, along with an additional 3,000 kan, as living expenses for the hundreds of retainers, samurai, and foot soldiers under his command. The living expenses will cease once he is settled in a new location.

The money and food in Tamho City were allowed to be taken away by Tamho Dingfan and his group. However, they were not allowed to take the armory, including their own weapons. Apart from their personal armguards, everything else had to be handed over.

The lower-ranking samurai and foot soldiers would first serve two months of hard labor alongside the unit, and after this test of loyalty, their weapons would be returned. The upper-ranking samurai, namely the Awakawa Sadanobu brothers and their chief retainers, would have to go to Kyoto to pay their respects to Nobunaga and apologize.

However, the armory in Tamagawa Castle gave Shichibei a very pleasant surprise.

Due to the defeat and collapse of Niwa Nagahide's army, the equipment of tens of thousands of men was captured by Awakawa Sadanobu. No wonder there were several hundred arquebuses in the castle; they must have been captured from the Oda army.

In addition, there were thousands of various types of takatsu (armor), though most were incomplete. But what was Shichibei's job? To repair them, give them a fresh coat of paint, and sell them to Oda Nobunaga as brand new.

The number of swords, spears, bows, and arrows was countless, impossible to count at once. They would all have to be moved out of the city and then stored away for inventory. Even Shichibei secretly swallowed hard at the sheer scale of the spoils.

If all the battles we fight in the future are these kinds of lucrative ones, then becoming a legion commander wouldn't be bad. The money comes in fast, incredibly fast, almost like robbing someone.

No, if we expose the true nature of warfare, the purpose of fighting is simply to plunder. It's true that the easiest business to make money is one with no initial investment, even though the risks are high, the potential rewards are also high.

415. Pool wisdom and resources to prioritize reinforcements.

Shichibei, true to his small-business nature, immediately summoned the servants from Kawamuraya who were following the rear guard. After a one-day halt, the spoils were tallied, loaded onto carts, and sent back to Kyoto.

The official explanation, of course, was that they had sent out scouts to investigate the other branch castles of Miki Castle ahead. Everyone was there to rescue Hideyoshi, not to die. Especially with Niwa Nagahide's crushing defeat, Shichibei's cautious approach was something no one could easily object to.

Even Hachiya Yoritaka, eager to make a name for himself, suggested that they should conduct more scouting. After all, they were deep in enemy territory, heading straight for the enemy's main castle, Miki Castle. Along the way, they also needed to capture outpost castles and guard against surprise attacks.

What they think is their business. Shichibei, with Ii's sister-in-law massaging his legs, is happily calculating his profits. This round will easily earn him tens of thousands; he's grateful to his family.

When Sanegori Morinaka, who had been sent out as a scout, returned on horseback, he saw his mother massaging Shichibei's legs. His eyes blinked as he reported that Oshibe Castle, southwest of Awaga Castle, had begun its siege. Many wealthy farmers and commoners outside the castle had been taken inside, seemingly preparing to defend it to the death.

And the castle commander? What is his name? Nagai Masashige.

Very well, someone I've never heard of before. Let me think carefully...

I have absolutely no recollection of the Battle of Shimomitsu. And what about the number of soldiers in the castle?

The estimated strength is three hundred cavalry, plus another three hundred able-bodied men from the wealthy farmers who were brought in from outside the city, totaling about six hundred. This is still a step below the strength of Tamho City; even if they hold out to the death, they'll only be able to take the city by the third watch.

Of course, it was Kawamura's army that was able to take the city in three drumbeats. A hundred years ago, the defenders would fight a chaotic battle, rushing in and then collapsing in a flash. This kind of earthen fortress could hold off a force of several thousand defenders.

Upon hearing that it was just this one idiot, Shichibei just chuckled to himself.

No rush, let's surround it first. Once we've secured Oshibe Castle, we can send out messengers to investigate the situation at Miki Castle, the main castle of Bessho. We'll deal with that then.

Awaga Castle had now become a retreat route, and Shichibei handed it back to Bessho Nagaharu. Bessho Nagaharu also did not stay behind, appointing his younger brother Bessho Tomohisa as the castle magistrate, while he himself continued to fight alongside Shichibei.

Shichibei temporarily repaired the crankshaft and Ōtemon gate, which had been destroyed by Hachiya Yoritaka, using planks. He even gave him some military rations. Such generosity was truly remarkable. And all of this was free; Shichibei didn't even consider having Bessho Nagaharu charge Oda Nobunaga.

Let's go, let's attack Yabu City.

Meanwhile, Bessho Yoshichika, after a tremendous effort, finally joined forces with Kamiya Yorisada to breach Kakogawa Castle. Kakogawa Castle shouldn't be underestimated, as it was originally the capital of Harima Province, and thus could also be called Harima Fuchu Castle.

Although the castle commander Kasuya Masao only had two hundred men, with the addition of Kodera Takataka and Bessho Shigemune's four hundred and fifty men who came to support him, they had a certain ability to defend the castle.

Bessho Yoshichika and Kamiya Yorisada's army consisted of both regular foot soldiers and retainers, as well as peasant soldiers mobilized from their own territories. Some were eager to make a name for themselves, while others were afraid of losing their lives. In the siege battles, most of them were just going through the motions, and very few were actually putting in any real effort.

It took several days of fighting to finally break into the outer creek. Moreover, the castle wasn't actually completely breached; Kodera Takataka, seeing that his army had lost about a hundred men and realizing that further delay would be disastrous, voluntarily withdrew to preserve his forces. He then abandoned Kakogawa Castle to Bessho Yoshichika, who had come to attack it.

Before they could even celebrate for three minutes, news arrived from behind that Tamagawa Castle had been opened and Tamagawa Sadakabe had surrendered to Kawamura Nagayoshi.

Startled, Bessho Yoshichika nearly dropped his water bottle. He had received news that Shichibei had entered Harima Province.

He also received news of the siege of Tamho City.

How could Awakawa Sadanobu surrender the castle after only a day and a night? Moreover, according to reports, Awakawa Sadanobu ceded the castle to Bessho Nagaharu and became a retainer of Shichibei. Such terms were nothing short of wishful thinking and delusional for an old-fashioned person like Bessho Yoshichika.

The Bessho family had toiled in Higashiharima for over a dozen generations, yet they couldn't uproot the Tamakawa family. This so-called small merchant, Kawamura-ya, managed to wipe out the local bully in a single day and night.

If this message hadn't come from a wealthy farmer outside Tamsukawa Castle, Bessho Yoshichika wouldn't have been surprised; he would have laughed out loud. He laughed at how some idiot could fabricate such a stupid, pig-like rumor to undermine his army's morale.

But the facts were undeniable, leaving him no choice but to believe them.

With the fall of Tamagawa Castle, a corner of Miki Castle's defenses had already been breached. If it weren't for the existence of Oshibe Castle, Shichibei would have advanced unimpeded and surrounded Miki.

What should we do now?

Having just escaped isolation, Kamiya Yorisada immediately advised that Hideyoshi's main force was bogged down by Kobayakawa Takakage and Yoshikawa Tsunegen in the Tatsuno-Kami area of ​​western Harima Province. Therefore, he could only send a mere four...

A force of 150 men was sent to support Kasaya Masao.

This indicates that Hideyoshi's forces had already been mobilized to their limit, leaving him with very few mobile units available. Otherwise, Kodera Takataka wouldn't have abandoned Kakogawa Castle to preserve his already limited forces.

The immediate priority is to protect Oshibe Castle. While Awaga Castle provides direct access to Miki, failing to capture Oshibe Castle to the southwest would threaten Shichibei's rear. Therefore, Shichibei must eliminate Oshibe, and the Bessho Army must come to its aid.

As long as Oshibe remains, Kawamura's army cannot march swaggering to the gates of Miki Castle. Therefore, Bessho Yoshichika will still have room to maneuver and can wait for reinforcements.

Reinforcements?

That's right. On one hand, Shinji Yorisada sought help from Bessho Yoshichika, and on the other hand, he also sought help from Miki Michiaki of Eiga Gobō, as well as Kajiwara Kageyuki of Takasago, Beppu, and Noguchi, Goto Motonobu (Goto Matabei's father).

Regardless of the others, Miki Michiaki was quite anxious upon learning of the perilous situation elsewhere. This was because he was, in fact, surrounded on all sides by the forces of Hideyoshi and Himeji. Ishiyama Honganji was a thorn in Nobunaga's side, and Eiga Gobo was a thorn in Hideyoshi's side.

Miki Michiaki was able to get support from Mori at sea, but Kobayakawa Takakage couldn't get in on land, so he must be hoping for support from Bessho Yoshichika.

The logic is simple: surrounded by enemies, prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat. Therefore, it's crucial to have friendly forces and support on the outer lines, focusing the battlefield primarily on those areas. This allows for continued production and resupply within the city. Once the enemy reaches the outskirts of your city, you're doomed. There's virtually no chance of a comeback unless an invincible army arrives from the heavens.

For example, the Mori navy decisively defeated the Oda navy at the Kizugawa estuary, rendering their ironclad encirclement meaningless.

So, taking advantage of Hideyoshi's lack of resources and Miki Michiaki's arrival, they gathered their forces to deal with Kawamura Nagayoshi, a merchant by trade. Perhaps they could seize the opportunity to win and maintain the situation. If they failed to drive away Kawamura Nagayoshi, Bessho Yoshichika's fate would be difficult to predict.

Since that's the case, Bessho Yoshichika wasn't the kind of person to hesitate or waver. He was able to make up his mind to attack and kill his beloved nephew, Bessho Harusada, and exile Bessho Nagaharu, so he was naturally very decisive.

Let's get to work! There's no time for a celebration banquet; we must go rescue Nagai Masashige immediately.

Looking back at Shichibei, because of communication difficulties with Hideyoshi, he asked Hidenaga if he and his brother had formed any good relations in Harima.

Shō, Shinto priests, or Yamabushi (shrine maidens) of Shugendō. Harima is currently in chaos, with killings happening everywhere, making it difficult to send messengers. Only deeply entrenched local monks are reliable.

I must tell Hideyoshi that I'm about to encircle Miki, and ask him to hold on and prevent Kobayakawa Takakage from pushing into Himeji Castle. If the front lines collapse, even Shichibei won't be able to save him.

Hideyoshi said he had a way, but he could only pass on a message.

It's just a verbal message; it's just a notification to Hideyoshi that Oshibe Castle can only hold out against Shichibei for two days at most. Within five days, Shichibei might reach the walls of Miki Castle.

The army marched on, and Oshibe Castle was indeed much as Sanegane Morinaka had previously scouted. It had already closed its gates and was prepared to defend to the death.

No need for a military meeting, Shichibei can handle this. Hachiya, you go first, you get the first kill. Next up is Todo Takatora, whoever cuts down Nagai Masashige gets the prize.

There were only six hundred people in the city, half of whom were peasant soldiers. What kind of ingenious strategies could they possibly need? They didn't even plan to use the Seven Soldiers with their fire arrows. They just brought in two hundred arquebuses as a token gesture to suppress the city walls.

It's not that we've become arrogant or complacent. It's just that in such a small sub-city, after experiencing Danhe City, there's nothing particularly noteworthy.

That's part of it.

The only thing that Shichibei needed to worry about was the possibility of Bessho Yoshi's personal reinforcements. But this wasn't anything to fear, because Shichibei had already dispatched over six hundred cavalrymen from Namae Sadaharu and nearly two hundred from Sanada Masaki to search the surrounding area within a radius of several kilometers, in order to avoid ambushes or surprise attacks.

You mean deploying cavalry a hundred miles away? That's unnecessary; the Harima region is only fifty or sixty kilometers long. Deploy them that far? They'd be positioned right behind Kobayakawa Takakage.

Given the precedent of Tamsui's defenses, there's no need to flex our muscles this time. First, try to persuade them: if they can open the city gates, then open them directly. If they don't listen, then proceed with the plan.

Nagai Masashige, inside the castle, received a reply from Bessho Yoshichika in the morning. Shichibei had spent the whole day at the foot of Awaga Castle, both counting the spoils and repairing the castle so that Bessho Nagaharu could move in.

In the ensuing exchange, Nagai Masashige learned that Bessho Yoshichika would be leading troops to rescue him. With reinforcements, the morale within Oshibe Castle could at least be maintained. Therefore, Nagai Masashige chose not to surrender, sending Reizei Tameri out of the castle to show that he would resist to the end.

Hearing this reply, Shichibei was not annoyed. Everyone has their own choices and serves their own master, so there is no question of who is better or worse.

Anyway, if someone dies without begging for mercy or crying out for their parents, then they're a real man. Shichibei will have to donate 100 kan to build a stone pagoda for him; in Japan, this is called a way to appease the spirit of the dead.

"Hyogo will make the first move." Shichibei didn't even need to give any orders; Hachiya Yoritaka was already itching to fight.

"Ho ho."

"Hu You, you are my successor."

"Jiro Zuo, lead two hundred arquebusiers to suppress the city walls."

"Urgent report!" Just as the deployment was underway, an envoy rushed in.

"The force of Bessho Mountain Castle is about seven or eight thousand cavalry, and they are rushing towards Miki." The gatekeeper made way for them, and a cavalryman belonging to Namie Sadahatsu ran up to Shichibei.

"Seven or eight thousand cavalry?" Impossible. Shichibei remembered clearly that in history, Bessho Nagaharu mobilized all his strength and only managed to raise eight thousand men to start an uprising.

Now that Bessho Yoshichika has rebelled, he has released seven or eight hundred people, including Bessho Nagaharu. Under normal circumstances, Bessho Yoshichika could only raise a force of seven thousand.