Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Since Shichibei already has his own ideas, why is he arguing? Besides...

Shichibei's point has some merit; future wars won't be as frequent, so military applications can indeed be postponed.

"After all, I'm a businessman." Shichibei smiled, quickly recovering from the earlier news of Asai Nagamasa's defeat, and got back to his own business.

"What about the Ninomaru Palace?" Takatora Todo, having learned of "Goi" (the emperor's intention), was definitely going to inquire about Shichibei's thoughts on the Ninomaru Grand Garden.

"Let's proceed according to the rules of the lord's residence in Titiya, Gifu." It's not just Shichibei who's doing it this way; everyone's doing it this way.

Nobunaga built Gifu Castle, but he never lived in the castle tower on Mount Kinka. Instead, he resided for a long time in the Totani Residence below the castle, a place with mountains, water, and gardens, offering comfort, coolness in summer, and shelter from the wind in winter.

Oh, and we need to plant windbreaks along the coast. Even though we don't live in Tian Shou, we still need to have some necessary wind protection measures. Otherwise, on cold winter nights, we'll hear the wind banging against the door.

Since Kishiwada Castle was Todo Takatora's first attempt at a new project, he was very pleased to hear Shichibei's supplementary suggestions and carefully noted them down. He even asked Shichibei if there were any other shortcomings. He wanted to point them out to him one by one, eager to learn more.

The two discussed this matter for a good hour or so. Even...

The specific route of the canals under the city walls was planned to facilitate connections between the merchant town.

Just like the water towns of Jiangnan on the mainland, with houses in front and rivers behind, people mainly rely on small boats to get around. These days, transporting goods also mainly depends on water transport. The canals of a castle town must be interconnected in all directions.

"Does the castle need a complete structure?" Takatora Todo asked, looking at the castle that was growing larger and larger.

"General structure? We don't need it for now." Shichibei knew about this; it was said that the idea for the general structure came from the Kanto Hojo clan.

Its main significance was to encompass the vast castle town with earthen ramparts and fences, creating a larger town. It also ensured, to some extent, the supply and production during the siege.

In fact, it was to strengthen defenses, but Shichibei felt that there wouldn't be any more major battles at Kishiwada Castle. There was no need to mobilize a large number of laborers to build an earthen wall.

"We can use the Deer Enclosure first. It's not much trouble anyway, and it's mainly for security." Tōdō Takatora was just practicing, so he wanted to try everything.

“Luyuan is acceptable.” Shichibei agreed. Isn’t this a typical example of a Jiangnan city in the Song Dynasty using willows as walls and digging trenches as moats?

The reason why Fang La was able to cause such a huge disturbance in the Northern Song Dynasty was partly due to the lax military preparedness in the Jiangnan region.

Secondly, towns in Jiangnan lack city walls. For now, we'll build a moat and wooden fences; that should be enough to deal with thieves.

436. The Nine Demons work together to build an iron ship.

"Master, there is a document regarding the Nine Demons."

The two were talking animatedly when a waiter came running up from the eaves. He was carrying a document—a document from Kuki Yoshitaka, a member of Shima's navy. What did this old man want with us?

“Building the castle is a major undertaking; we’ll discuss it in detail later.” Shichibei nodded to Todo Takatora and took the petition from the Hikatsu Clan outside.

Tōdō Takatora didn't linger and got up to leave. He'd barely stood up when Shichibei told him to stop. The petition requested that Shichibei order thirty-six large iron cannons specifically for the Kuki navy from Sakai or Kunitomo, and that the blacksmiths of Sakai work through the night to forge a thousand iron plates.

"This..." It seems that the so-called ironclad ship has been basically completed, and only the final exterior fittings remain.

“Lord Kuki’s ambitions are quite grand.” Tōdō Takatora, who had been stopped, glanced at the document, pondered for a moment, and guessed Kuki Yoshitaka’s thoughts.

Thousands of iron plates, and it was intended for a naval commander; there is no other reasonable explanation besides covering the ship.

"It seems you've thought of that too, Toraga." Shichibei smiled and put the letter away.

"Our army was defeated by fire attack last time, so it seems that Prince Kuki intends to use this method to counter fire attack." By the way, Todo Takatora was not only a master fortress builder, but also a naval commander in history.

“I think so too.” Shichibei was prescient.

In his letter, Kuki Yoshitaka requested that Shichibei gather craftsmen from Sakai and Kunitomo to forge him an iron plate, or rather, a sheet of iron, approximately 3mm thick. He also requested a large iron cannon, bigger than a large barrel, the bigger the better. This time, Kuki Yoshitaka didn't want to fire grapeshot; he only wanted to fire a single, large lead bullet.

Tsk, no wonder Takatora Todo said he had big ambitions.

This was clearly a long-range attack. The main force of the Maori navy consisted of small, fast, motorized oar-powered boats, known for their elusive and unpredictable nature. They would scatter flaming arrows and fire arrows everywhere; once an enemy ship was ablaze, it meant certain death at sea.

Moreover, it wasn't just one or two small boats, but hundreds, even thousands. With such dense mobile projectile firepower, it's no wonder that Ataka Nobuyasu and Kuki Yoshitaka suffered their defeat. It wasn't that they couldn't fight naval battles; it was that they weren't given the opportunity to board.

Now that's settled, if you don't give me a chance to jump ship, I won't even give you a chance to get close.

The large iron cannon fired lead pellets weighing over a hundred coins, which would be 100% effective against...

The planks of the small boat were pierced. A typical small boat would probably sink after being hit twice, and even medium and large boats like the Guan boat might not be able to withstand many hits.

But aren't thirty-six large iron cannons too few? Shichibei's idea should be to emulate Nobunaga and employ the so-called "three-stage firing" technique. One person fires, while two others reload. This maintains continuous firepower, constantly striking the enemy.

“Wait a minute…” Todo Takatora thought for a moment, as if he had suddenly thought of something.

"What? "

"The iron plates are so heavy, it will be extremely difficult to move around once they are installed." This thought immediately reminded Shichibei that there were historical records of this kind of battle fought by ironclad ships.

After that, it remained docked in the ports of Sakai and Osaka for an extended period. Aside from the iron plates being completely removed after the war, the ship itself eventually rotted and fell into disrepair due to lack of maintenance. As a result, usable ship parts were used to build the later Nihon Maru, while unusable parts became firewood.

We haven't seen the true appearance of the so-called ironclad ships yet. Judging from the results, they seem to be a completely specialized type of ship, only suitable for the battle at Kizugawaguchi.

Historically, during the Korean War, the Joseon Dynasty developed the so-called "turtle ships," which were armored vessels but possessed excellent mobility and considerable firepower. There's likely a reason why Hideyoshi didn't deploy armored ships in response.

"Neither you nor I are responsible for this matter; it's all up to the Shima Party to handle." Shichibei could probably guess the problem, but we should stay out of Kuki Yoshitaka's affairs.

After all, we took over the Atake navy and rebuilt the Awa navy under Nobunaga's orders, effectively creating competition with Kuki Yoshitaka. Last time, if Nobunaga hadn't had no other navy, Kuki Yoshitaka would have committed seppuku. Now that we're building a new navy, Kuki Yoshitaka is definitely putting in a lot of effort.

Another loss? Another loss and I might really have to commit seppuku.

"Understood." Tōdō Takatora said no more, rode back to Anwada Castle, and continued his first practice project of building a castle.

Shichibei immediately sent a message to the Sakai headquarters and Somura of Kunitomo Village, informing them of their need for the large iron cannon and iron plate. Kuki Yoshitaka's plan was to deliver the goods to him within three months, after which the rest would be his responsibility.

After sending official documents to both locations, Shichibei dropped the matter. However, another document from Kuki Yoshitaka arrived, this time requesting Shichibei...

He was able to recruit two thousand rowers for him.

To seize the young?

Two thousand?

There are only 36 large iron cannons, but they need 2,000 rowers? What are they trying to do? Row an aircraft carrier? You're kidding, no one in Japan has ever heard of 2,000 rowers.

We need to ask about this, because Kuki Yoshitaka needs two thousand people who are essentially sold into servitude for many years to pay off debts, or who are captured in war and forced to do hard labor in exchange for payment.

Just like the express delivery sorting in later generations, which is said to be full of gamblers, failed entrepreneurs, and people with seriously ill family members, it's really hard to find someone to go to the battlefield as a rower, not someone who sells themselves into slavery.

Ordinary boatmen are easy to find; being a fisherman is just as tough, so working as a boatman on a merchant ship is nothing special. But going to the battlefield and getting shot is a completely different story.

Knowing that employing so many slave laborers would be difficult, Kuki Yoshitaka stated frankly in his letter that he had no other choice. The Ōtakebune was basically completed; all that remained was to install the iron plates.

According to his estimate, to operate the large Atakebune after it was fitted with iron plates, it would require three or four people to row it.

Only oars are needed. And not just one or two; there need to be at least twelve oars on one side of the boat, and twenty-four on both sides. A shift requires a hundred oarsmen.

To maintain mobility, at least three shifts of people needed to be on board. He had six large Atakebune, which meant at least 1,800 rowers.

Considering the need for replacements due to injuries and illnesses, two thousand slave rowers was a relatively safe number. In addition, he also needed to equip the Otakebune with sails to maximize wind power.

It's likely that in the end, a single ironclad ship will require five to eight hundred men. Even if all the able-bodied men of Shima's navy were brought in, there wouldn't be enough for the technical roles; the rowers would definitely have to be hired as slave laborers. There's no other way; Kuki Yoshitaka is now in a difficult position. To achieve high ship protection, maneuverability must be sacrificed.

To achieve even a slight balance between the two, the only option is to increase the number of oarsmen as much as possible. Relying on manpower to forcibly propel his armored ship will at least get him to Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple.

If the ship can't get here, then it's a complete joke; even the strongest defenses are meaningless.

In any case, please, Shichibei, do your utmost to help him find at least two thousand slave laborers and oarsmen within the Kinai region. Norio and Ise haven't experienced war for many years; finding prisoners of war is simply impossible. Besides, this...

The quantity is indeed large; unless you find a big snakehead like Takeda Shingen or Uesugi Kenshin, it's impossible to gather them in a short time.

Why not ask Shichibei? Should we ask Oda Nobunaga instead? Even if we did ask Nobunaga, he would just assign the task to Shichibei. Instead of complaining to Nobunaga, we should ask Shichibei for help.

It's just a favor owed; if we win the war, we'll have everything we need; if we lose, we'll just commit seppuku. The favor will simply vanish, as if it were never owed at all.

Well, since Kuki Yoshitaka has made such a sincere request, how could Shichibei refuse? Although he wasn't from the same hometown as Nobunaga, Kuki Yoshitaka was still someone Nobunaga considered worthy of his attention. It's better to resolve enmity than to create it; let's consider this a way to build goodwill.

"Go find them for him," a document was sent to the Sakai Club. Shichibei's good lackey, Takeno Munekata, was the first to arrive. Even he said that needing two thousand slave laborers and oarsmen was an exaggeration. "Please give me more time; it will take at least a month or two to gather them all."

No rush. It will take three months just to forge the arquebuses and the large arquebuses. We can send the slave laborers and oarsmen to Kuki Yoshitaka within three months. Although rowing requires coordination and discipline, it mainly requires strength. Those who are not strong will have to cry for help after only a few strokes.

Especially rowing an ironclad ship was an extremely difficult task.

However, Takeno Munekazu wasn't just complaining; he had a solution too. As a political and business broker, he suggested that Shichibei go to Harima to buy it.

Hideyoshi is besieging Mitsuaki Kodera's fortified castle, Miki Michiaki's fortified castle, Eiga Gobo. After eliminating these two strongholds behind him, Hideyoshi will then attack Yoshikawa Tsuneyoshi's castle, Kozuki Castle.

There were small battles every three days and large battles every five days, with all sorts of prisoners of war being sold off. Given Shichibei's relationship with Hideyoshi, he might be able to get a 30% or 20% discount.

Hey, you're really smart, what you said makes a lot of sense.

Shichibei immediately sent a letter to Hideyoshi in Himeji, instructing him to send all the captured prisoners to Sakai, on Shichibei's behalf. If the contract had already been signed with Konishi Ryūsō and Hihiya Ryōkei, then he asked them not to resell them to others.

Even if we over-buy, it's no problem. We can invest in the Tada Copper Mine in Settsu; mines are always short of workers. Even in later China, the coal mining industry was always hiring. There were even rumors that illegal coal mines specifically hired women to pretend to be wealthy women online to seduce Black women. Once a Black man took the bait, they would be lured into the illegal coal mine.

Whether it's true or false, just take it as entertainment; the fact that the mine is short-staffed is definitely true.

To be fair, Hideyoshi was quite sentimental about these kinds of things. The moment Shichibei's letter arrived, he sold seven or eight hundred people over. They were all Jodo Shinshu followers captured from the Eiga region. According to Nobunaga's attitude, they would have been killed. But Hideyoshi didn't kill them; instead, he sold them all, making a small profit.

Very well, since they are all believers who say "those who advance will be reborn in the Pure Land, while those who retreat will be condemned to the Avici Hell," then let's go to the battlefield and see if Amitabha Buddha can protect them.

With Hideyoshi's help, the manpower recruitment process progressed much faster. With the assistance of Takeno Munekata and Tsuda Muneki in Sakai, it didn't take more than a month; in a total of only twenty days, they gathered the two thousand men needed by Kuki Yoshitaka.

They were divided into ten groups and escorted to Shima, so that Kuki Yoshitaka's Ōtakebune could move and not float on the water motionless like a turtle sunbathing.

Since Hideyoshi had helped with this matter, Shichibei felt he had to write a reply. However, when the letter reached Himeji, Hideyoshi's men were nowhere to be found.

But then the horse got into trouble again!

Originally, the Mori clan was hostile to Tajima because some of its forces, similar to the Takayuki clan, supported the Amago Restoration Army. However, later...

However, Masahiro Yamana Yutaka stated that he would no longer support Amago, thus achieving harmony between them.

Now things are really complicated; the Mori and Oda clans are at war. Tajima, on Oda's side, has become the battlefield. Wasn't the Oda clan in a very bad situation last year? The Mori clan launched attacks on Oda from multiple directions.

This caused some of the Tajima people to waver, and when Yoshikawa Tsuneyoshi led his troops into Tajima this year, some openly defected. After all, Nobunaga was too far away to intervene, while the Mori army was already close at hand.

Yoshikawa Tsuneie persuaded his own father, Yoshikawa Motoharu, to dispatch General Yoshikawa Tsuneie to Inaba Tottori Castle, preparing for a two-pronged attack to capture Tajima.

Tajima was in dire need of help. Yamana Hirotoyo, nearing seventy, was too old to fight and could only send envoys to Hideyoshi and Nobunaga for assistance. He pleaded with Hideyoshi and Nobunaga to come to Tajima's aid immediately.

Nobunaga was preparing to personally lead troops to aid Azai Nagamasa, and the situation in Hokuriku was not optimistic. Therefore, Nobunaga relayed Yamana Suetoyo's request to Hideyoshi, ordering him to go and support Tajima.

By this time, Hideyoshi's situation had stabilized considerably, and figures like Kodera Masamune and Miki Michiaki were already weakened. Furthermore, Yoshikawa Tsuneyoshi's main offensive was no longer focused on Harima, and Hachisuka Koroku was stationed at the Tatsuno front.

So Hideyoshi personally went to rescue Tajima.

Upon learning of Hideyoshi's departure, not only did Tajima stabilize, but the generals of Inaba also wavered. Yamana Toyokuni, the nominal governor of Inaba, after much deliberation, decided that staying in the Mori army would only lead to his death. He immediately abandoned his close retainers of the Mori, such as Nakamura Haruto and Morishita Michiyo, and rode alone to Hideyoshi's camp to surrender.

The situation changed too quickly; neither Yoshikawa Tsuneyoshi nor Yoshikawa Tsuneie had anticipated this turn of events. Yamana Toyokuni's escape caused unrest in Inaba Province, which had already submitted to the Mori clan.

As outsiders, Yoshikawa Tsuneie had to devote most of his energy to pacifying and calming Inaba Province. Without the support of Yoshikawa Tsuneie and his many generals, it would have been difficult for Yoshikawa Tsuneie to stand against Hideyoshi on his own.

On the contrary, Hideyoshi, who had no future troubles, planned to take advantage of this opportunity to first seize Inaba, who had both a legitimate claim and a traitorous ally. On the one hand, this would allow him to expand his territory, and on the other hand, it would further weaken Mori's momentum.

Without further ado, Hideyoshi led 15,000 cavalry, including 5,000 from Bessho Nagaharu, into battle in Inaba. He naturally didn't receive the letter of thanks from Shichibei.