Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Nishimura Kane was indeed a skilled fighter, his leaps and bounds were highly proficient, and he could spot the city gate from outside the city walls. He would not linger in battle, nor would he take heads; he would only head towards the city gate to open it for Saito's troops to follow.

How could they allow him to get away with it so easily? In the blink of an eye, Fujikichiro thrust his guns forward, while Koichiro immediately led his men to block the gap in the long ladder where several people had jumped in.

"Beat the drums!" Koichiro, carrying his sword, didn't care about whether he was a brother-in-law or not, and roared at Shichibei.

“Awooo…” Shichibei, who had been standing there in a daze, quickly responded and picked up the drumsticks that were placed on the haystack.

Seeing the small taiko drum mounted on the wooden frame, he started banging it. Logically speaking, the taiko drum shouldn't be watched by someone like Shichibei who doesn't have much stamina, but in this situation, anyone with strength had to poke Saito Hei on the wall.

Hearing the drums of their own side gradually rise, all the parties and their men mustered their strength to fight again. Fujikichiro finally fought desperately and defeated Nishimura Kanjayuu, but two of his men, Iera, fell beside him.

As darkness fell, Saito's army continued its offensive without waning. After all, they had already breached the city's defenses once, and perhaps with just a little more effort, they could break through Sunomata.

The shouts of battle pierced the last rays of the setting sun. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the long, drawn-out sound of conch shells echoed in the final glimmer of light.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of Umawari, carrying quiver-patterned banners and carrying large swords at their waists, appeared on the south bank of the Nagara River. Following them were clumps of Nagatari Shigaraki, then bow Shigaraki, arquebus Shigaraki, and riku Shigaraki.

The troops arrived and immediately engaged in battle. Dozens of Makai soldiers charged through the water, shouting that Owari no Kami Nobunaga had arrived.

52. I received the reward along with Hideyoshi.

Shichibei, dropping her drumsticks, jumped and hugged Koichiro, looking just like a middle school girl from a Japanese anime. They didn't look alike, but they were similar in height.

Not long after, Fujikichiro also came over, and the three little dwarfs huddled together, like three cloves of garlic, which was quite nice.

As darkness fell, it became impossible to mobilize a large army for battle. Dozens of Oda clan's hatamoto baji lit torches and stood guard on the north bank, forming a wall of sentries every three or five steps.

The gates of Sunomata Castle slowly opened. Nobunaga sat high on his horse, with Tsukigami leaping along with ease, occasionally swaying his hips and causing Nobunaga to bounce slightly on the horse. Campfires had been lit on both sides, and the simple walls still looked somewhat novel to Nobunaga. How could it have been done so quickly?

He wasn't the only one who thought this way; the Oda clan warriors who had come to Sunomata with Nobunaga were equally astonished. Even Niwa Nagahide and Sakuma Nobumori, who were skilled in castle construction, could hardly imagine it.

Upon seeing Nobunaga, Fujikichiro and Shichibei immediately knelt down to pay their respects. Fujikichiro, in particular, had fulfilled his mission, having already built Sunomata Castle, a fortified stronghold capable of housing several hundred foot soldiers, for Nobunaga.

"Fujikichiro, you did a great job!" Nobunaga was indeed generous with his rewards and praise for his hardworking and capable subordinates.

"I dare not take credit." Fujikichiro lowered his head even further, as if he had returned to the era when he led Nobunaga's horse.

"What do you want? Whether it's money or goods, just tell me." Nobunaga was clearly pleased.

Shibata Katsuie and Sakuma Nobumori had both failed in their attempts to build castles, costing them far more than several thousand kan. Fujikichiro, however, built a castle without asking for a single penny, so naturally he deserved a generous reward.

“This is Koroku of the Hachisuka faction, and this is Shōemon of the Tsubouchi faction.” Fujikichirō stood up and pulled Hachisuka Koroku and Maeno Nagayasu in front of Nobunaga.

They were ordered to kneel and pay their respects to Nobunaga immediately. Whether the two men, as members of the Kiso River garrison, could transform into Nobunaga's retainers depended on this one move.

"uh-huh."

"They are willing to lead your horse, my lord!" Fujikichiro said it rather subtly, but to put it bluntly, two groups of Kawanami were willing to pledge allegiance to the Oda clan and asked Nobunaga to accept them.

Normally, if Nobunaga were to invade Mino, groups like the Hachisuka and Tsubouchi factions, who were unruly and refused to serve their lords or pay taxes, would be severely suppressed and massacred. But now that Fujikichiro had spoken up for them, Nobunaga certainly couldn't afford to offend Fujikichiro at this time.

"Hachisuka Koroku, Tsubouchi Shōemon, right? How much do you command? Never mind, Kyuemon." Nobunaga tapped Hachisuka Koroku and Maeno Nagayasu on the forehead with his riding crop, getting a clear look at their faces.

Sugaya Nagayori immediately ran up from behind, took out paper and pen, and hastily wrote it down on the haystack: "Fifty shogunate of Hachisuka party, 500 kan of land under my control." Nobunaga glanced at the contents, and without saying a word, signed his name on it.

Fifty villages, registered in Nobunaga's military service register, only five hundred kan, is that reasonable?

It's outrageous, but that's what Eun-yong is all about.

Since the duty levy was only set at 500 kan, the military service payable would only be based on 500 kan. The key point is that Nobunaga also recognized that within the Hachisuka party's territory in Ushiko, all public service duties were exempted, with the Hachisuka party having complete discretion. In short, this meant acknowledging the Hachisuka party's semi-independent status while simultaneously accepting Nobunaga's protection.

The same was true for the Tsubouchi Party; their territory was vast, but their contribution was meager. Hachisuka Koroku and Maeno Nagayasu were naturally grateful. They were merely small forces struggling in the chaotic Sengoku period, and now, with such favorable conditions, they were able to find refuge under Nobunaga's wing, which filled them with gratitude.

"Your Excellency, Lord Nobunaga!" The two quickly changed their address and repeatedly expressed their submission to Nobunaga.

"Fujikichiro, for your merit in building Sunomata Castle, I hereby appoint you as the deputy of Sunomata Castle, to serve General Kaku, and to be in charge of the various factions in western Mino." Nobunaga tapped Fujikichiro's forehead with his riding whip again, speaking very quickly.

"Thank you!" Although he had expected it, Fujikichiro was still extremely excited.

It might be necessary to explain here that, under the daimyo of the Sengoku period in Japan, there was actually no clear hierarchy among the samurai general, hatamoto general, and foot soldier general.

The Ashigaru-daisho (foot soldier general) commanded the Ashigaru troops, the Hatamoto-daisho (legendary general) commanded the Hatamoto troops, and the Samurai-daisho (samurai general) commanded the Samurai and military service troops. The reason why the Samurai-daisho is perceived as being of a higher rank is because the composition of the subordinate forces of the Samurai-daisho is different.

He drew troops more broadly from the territories directly controlled by the daimyo. The local servants and those with sufficient military service in each village were all placed under the command of the samurai daimyo and organized into fighting groups during wartime.

To facilitate command, the daimyo would naturally designate a group of men with the same accent and who were familiar with each other within a certain area to be under his command. Based on this, the samurai general, as the daimyo's representative in that area, would most likely serve as a district governor, district commander, or castle governor.

Meanwhile, a dispute arose over the inheritance of property among local military families, which the Grand Marshal, as the county magistrate, was required to resolve. Furthermore, a local river changed course, altering the land ownership of two villages, which the Grand Marshal was tasked with judging.

They indirectly gained control of administrative and judicial power, becoming the de facto rulers of the region. This led to the perception that the Samurai General was superior to the Foot Garrison General and the Hatamoto General. While this was indeed the case, within the daimyo's ranks, all three were considered equal.

Fujikichiro could have easily served as the deputy of Sunomata Castle as a foot soldier commander.

Why was the title changed to Samurai General? This is related to the Hachisuka Party and the Tsubouchi Party. If Nobunaga had given Fujikichiro 500 foot soldiers to garrison Sunomata, then he wouldn't have needed the title of Samurai General.

However, his current role as a subordinate official in the various parties of Nishimino, namely in negotiation, mobilization, and mediation, is more in line with the scope of General Samurai's duties.

In times of emergency and when battle was needed, besides the soldiers he mobilized himself, Fujikichiro's army was also largely composed of the forces of the Hachisuka and Tsubouchi factions.

Of course, if Fujikichiro later won over other wealthy landowners in western Mino, then the troops of these wealthy landowners would also be under Fujikichiro's command. In fact, these people's lord was still Nobunaga, but Nobunaga could not manage them all, so he assigned them to the samurai general Fujikichiro to manage, creating an additional level of management.

The crude and simplistic local management model resulted in some generals being able to mobilize only two or three hundred people, while others were able to mobilize three or five thousand.

When Ōtomo Sōrin visited Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he described the decline of his nation's power by the deaths of over twenty loyal and valiant generals. Upon hearing this, Hideyoshi realized the Ōtomo clan was doomed and rushed to provide reinforcements.

A Samurai General represents a military unit capable of independent action; its size can vary, but it is always a key player in any area. Even the Ōtomo clan, who were in charge of the Kyushu Detective Agency, could not afford to lose more than twenty Samurai Generals.

"By the way, from now on you will be called Kinoshita Tokichiro Hideyoshi, and Chisumata Mata 500 kan."

Nobunaga seemed to suddenly realize that Fujikichiro didn't have a name, which was somewhat inconsistent with his status, so he immediately gave Fujikichiro a name.

Kinoshita Hideyoshi!

"What a great name! What a great name!" Shichibei clapped his hands beside him. "Truly a great name. The important thing is that Hideyoshi is already a mid-to-high-ranking samurai with a fief of 500 kan, a real leader."

Although we haven't decided to join Hideyoshi's crew, we've at least tied Koichiro's ship to us. Even if we end up poor and destitute, we won't starve to death on the streets, at least that's how it will be before Koichiro dies.

Shichibei stood there lost in thought, while Hideyoshi was moved to tears, his face streaked with tears. If this wasn't gratitude for being recognized and appreciated, what was? Everything Hideyoshi possessed now was due to both his own hard work and Nobunaga's appreciation and favor. At this stage alone, perhaps only the phrase "fish and water, ruler and subject" could truly describe the relationship between Nobunaga and Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi, his face streaked with tears, knelt and kowtowed to Nobunaga. If we disregard his future achievements, Hideyoshi at that moment could be considered successful; he had not only achieved upward social mobility but had even joined the ruling class. No amount of emotion could be too much.

"Shichibei, what role did you play this time?" Nobunaga saw Shichibei clapping for Hideyoshi and tapped Shichibei's forehead with his riding crop.

"I was merely delivering wine." Why are they asking me? I didn't do anything.

If we absolutely must say what Shichibei did when the castle was being built, well, he helped everyone by handing out rice balls. He didn't dig the pits, he didn't tie up the fences, he didn't even help put in the planks; he just stood by and watched.

Of course, I also served as a guard for a while, but guarding didn't require much effort; I could even stand guard while sitting. If I had to give credit, I was the one who stood up the shield for Hachisuka Koroku.

"Is this all?" Nobunaga jumped off his horse and began to patrol the city. The others had no choice but to follow behind him.

"It cost some money, not much," Shichibei said truthfully, since the debt was owed by Hideyoshi anyway.

After taking over as the Grand General of the Western Mino Clan, why would he worry about not being able to pay back the money? Anyway, Koichiro has already pledged the money to the Kawamura family, so Shichibei won't lose out either way.

"Fujikichiro, how much did Shichibei cost?" Nobunaga asked Hideyoshi with a smile.

"Two thousand kan, including interest," Hideyoshi said, uttering an unbelievable figure.

"Hahahaha, yes, yes, definitely. For such a large city, two thousand kan is still too little." Nobunaga knew this well, as Shibata Katsuie and Sakuma Nobumori had spent more than that amount of money before.

"Yes," Fujikichiro replied with a bow and a smile.

"..." Shichibei wanted to answer, but Nobunaga interrupted him.

"Kueimon, after returning to the castle, give Shichibei 2,500 kan." Nobunaga immediately gave the order to Sugaya Nagayori.

"Shichibei, you are in charge of building another post station on the south bank. It needs to be large enough to accommodate five hundred people and fifty horses for overnight rest." Nobunaga should still have money for this post station in his account.

As mentioned before, the area enclosed by the walls of the castle is only a little over 3,000 square meters. When the castle was first built, more than a thousand people were crammed in, and it was already packed with people. Later, when rice granaries, armories, foot soldiers' longhouses, and battlements are to be built, the number of troops permanently stationed in the castle will be at most five or eight hundred.

Such a small capacity is definitely too small. Nobunaga needs Sunomata to become a bridgehead for attacking Nishino and Nakano, and he needs to cram his standing army into it.

The expansion of Sunomata Castle will definitely be put on the agenda, but that's a matter for later, as it will be very expensive. Sunomata Castle is currently located on a small island in the middle of the river, and if more people are to be accommodated temporarily, Nobunaga's idea is to build another post station on the south bank of the Nagara River.

It forms a two-city layout with Sunomata Castle, one in the north and one in the south. In Japan, it would be called a branch castle, and in China, it would be called an outer camp, creating a pincer movement.

With Sunomata Castle holding the line, the relay stations behind could be built smoothly. They didn't need too strong a defense; their main purpose was to serve as rest areas for the soldiers of Sunomata Castle and as garrison points for Nobunaga's subsequent advance.

"Yes, sir!" Having been put in that position, Shichibei had no choice but to respond.

"Alright, alright, hahahaha..." Nobunaga was truly delighted. With the successful construction of the castle by Sunomata, he was now in an invincible position, able to attack or defend at will.

After an exciting night, the two armies faced off at the Nagara River. The three thousand men of the Nishi Mino Triumvirate had already been mobilized. After all, they were local, so a call to arms was all it took for them to don their armor and assemble within a day.

However, Nobunaga had already arrived at Sunomata. There were over a thousand Hachisuka and Tsubouchi party members inside Sunomata Castle, and over two thousand Oda clan regular soldiers outside the castle. They were fully capable of fighting Saito's army a hundred rounds.

By the way, Nobunaga was supposed to arrive this morning, but after receiving Fujikichiro's report yesterday morning, he immediately ordered the Oda army, which was still preparing, to set off. They hurried along, practically running, and arrived in Sunomata by evening. If he had arrived this morning, Ryūkō might have actually launched a night attack last night.

In a night battle, Hideyoshi and Shichibei would definitely suffer a great loss. After all, the Hachisuka faction consisted mostly of wealthy landowners, while Saito's army was a regular force.

Who knows, maybe Sunomata Castle was captured and destroyed by Saito's army last night. It's only thanks to Nobunaga's timely arrival that the current stalemate has been achieved.

Seven thousand men attacked a city defended by three thousand and a few hundred men.

Impossible. Both armies are regular armies. Even someone with no military knowledge wouldn't do something so foolish. Defending a city naturally gives them an advantage. Saito's army wasn't that large; there weren't any tens of thousands of troops.

Before leaving, Sakuma Nobumori mentioned the precautions against water attacks. Nobunaga took this to heart. The Oda army entered the castle to defend it, while the Hachisuka faction went out to dig trenches, specifically the section of the moat facing upstream of the Nagara River, digging two trenches.

As expected, Ryūō's reluctance to retreat stemmed from his attempt to flood Sumimata Castle. A day later, Shichibei returned to Komakiyama, bringing back 500 kilos of grain. Only then did the floodwaters of the Nagara River begin to rise.

It was useless. Most of the water was drained out by the trench. Although a small part of the water spread into the Sun Moon Lake Castle, it had no effect on the city as a whole. The city still stood firmly in its place.

Then what's the point of fighting? Ryūshō could only lead his army back to Inabayama Castle and seek other ways to remove Sunomata, this thorn in Mino's side.

53. A leisurely chat about city building methods

Joy! The air around Komakiyama Castle was filled with jubilation. After leaving 500 foot soldiers at Sunomata Castle, Oda Nobunaga led his army back to Komakiyama Castle.

He was delighted to have a forward base for advancing into Mino, while his retainers were delighted that Nobunaga had gained thousands more kan of new territory. This meant that in future battles, as long as they fought diligently, they could obtain the title of Chi-gyo, which would be passed down through generations.

Nobunaga is now desperately seeking soldiers, and in this stage of his life, he is not stingy at all when it comes to the expenses of recruiting soldiers and rewarding meritorious soldiers.

Well, for example, when settling accounts with Shichibei for 2,500 kan, they weren't stingy.

With Sunomata Castle already secured, why would we care about 2,500 kan? Of course not.

Shichibei managed to remain calm and composed in the face of this huge sum of money. Now he had two things to do: immediately arrange the marriages of Inase Yoshinari and Ai, and Kinoshita Hidenaga and Aji.

Both marriages had to be arranged, and Inase Yoshinari had to stay in Tsushima to oversee the operation of the Kawamura-ya Tsushima base. Shichibei had a premonition that he would be busy for a long time between Owari and Mino, preparing roads, building post stations, and planning all matters related to Nobunaga's future advance from Owari into Mino.

As for the marriage between Kinoshita Koichiro Hidenaga and Aji, it must be arranged immediately; doing so now would be a win-win situation. If Nobunaga were to defeat Saito Tatsuoki and seize Mino in two years, acquiring a vast territory of over a million koku, his retainers would rise in rank. The uncertainty would increase significantly then, which would be truly undesirable.

As the head of the Kawamura family, Shichibei was capable of making the decision on this matter independently.