Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

We must not let personal emotions influence any aspect of the war. What happened to Sakuma Nobumori is one thing, killing Ishiyama Honganji is another.

"Shichibei, can I borrow your men?" Oda Nobutada turned around and asked Shichibei with a smile.

"As you wish." How could Shichibei possibly refuse?

Fortunately, this wasn't the first or second time Shichibei's troops had been "seized." Nobunaga would come and seize troops without a word, and would start issuing orders as soon as he arrived.

They didn't treat Shichibei as an outsider. At least Nobutada asked him a question, which was quite a show of respect for Shichibei.

“In that case, let’s proceed accordingly.” Oda Nobutada first stood up and issued the military order, then turned around and gave specific instructions to Kitabatake Nobuo.

"Sanke, from now on, you must obey your sworn brother's orders in all battles!" Oda Nobutada raised his horse staff and gently tapped Kitabatake Nobuo's shoulder.

For a moment, he really did have the air of Oda Nobunaga.

Startled by his words, Kitabatake Nobuo quickly lowered his head and loudly agreed. Oda Nobutada was right; Takayama Shigetomo was indeed Kitabatake Nobuo's brother-in-law, a true family. Listening to one's brother-in-law was normal in principle, but Nobutada worried that once he left, no one would be able to control Nobuo, so he still gave him some instructions and prepared to give Takayama Shigetomo a powerful authority.

"Heh heh." Intimidated by Nobutada's posture, all the Oda officers and generals of the shogunate lowered their heads in response.

Even Sakuma Nobumori bowed his head in agreement, not putting on a brave face and continuing to act like a senior retainer.

Now that the military service has been decided, everyone should proceed according to the outcome.

"Come on. Shichibei's men will join Oda Nobutada's main force. Akechi Mitsuhide and Akechi Hidemitsu will lead the vanguard, Sakuma Nobumori in the second rank, and Hosokawa Fujitaka in the third. Tomorrow at dawn, we will attack Shimoma Yorihiro's location on Toyoshima Island and must defeat the Honganji army."

Having already lost the support of 20,000 to 30,000 Saiga cavalry, if Kennyo Shonin were to lose this large army as well, he would truly be nothing more than a skeleton in a tomb. Even his repeated appeals to believers to come to Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple for help were futile.

In the midst of the Asano River battle in Kaga, Uesugi Kenshin, gazing at the meager wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys of Kanazawa Castle, laughed heartily at his generals. Meanwhile, in Kanazawa Castle, Azai Nagamasa, after his crushing defeat at Asano River, launched four consecutive field battles against the Uesugi army, attempting to re-establish contact between the Sai River to the south of the castle and Hokusho Castle in Echizen Province, thus restoring the supply lines.

Ultimately, he was still a step below Uesugi Kenshin in terms of skill. While Uesugi Kenshin couldn't be considered a peerless military strategist, he was still one of the few remaining heroes of the previous era. Beating a junior like Azai Nagamasa would be a piece of cake for him.

After losing another three or four thousand men, Asai Nagamasa was still unable to break through the Uesugi army's siege of Kanazawa Castle. The army's food supplies in the castle were dwindling day by day, and by the end of last month, they had been completely exhausted.

The soldiers began eating wheat straw, grass roots, birds, and anything else they could eat. Some risked going down from the city walls to catch loaches on the riverbank, but were discovered by the Uesugi army and their heads were stuck under the walls the next day.

Morale within the castle was waning, and envoys seeking reinforcements were being sent out almost daily, but very few were able to break through the Uesugi army's encirclement. To this day, there had been no reply from Kitasō Castle.

However, merchants from Tsuruga sent a ship with thirty bolts of rice to the castle, bringing news of Kawamura Nagayoshi, the lord of Kishiwada Castle. They inquired about the progress of the battle in Kaga and whether any major changes had occurred.

Having grasped at a straw, Asai Nagamasa bought thirty bolts of rice for a huge sum of one hundred taels of gold. He then ordered the ship's captain to immediately return to Tsuruga and inform Kawamura Nagayoshi and Oda Nobunaga to come to Kanazawa's aid.

The boat owner had already taken twenty taels of gold from Ishigami Tsuguyoshi, which was why he risked rowing here. Now that he had received another hundred taels, he was overjoyed and sailed away in his small boat that very night.

The only piece of news brought a glimmer of hope back to Jinze City, which had been completely shaken.

As for the thirty taels of rice? While Asai Nagamasa was deceiving the garrison in the castle, saying that Ookakagawa Nagayoshi had already organized a fleet to transport grain to Kanazawa, he divided the rice into three portions, mixed it with water, and cooked it into a thin porridge with all sorts of other worrisome ingredients.

One hundred taels of gold, besides being money for sending a message, also served to incentivize the Dunhe merchants to transport grain.

Hold on for three more days. After three days, perhaps a new small boat will arrive with news. As long as it stops, Oda Nobunaga will surely come to the rescue of Kanazawa Castle.

The Uesugi generals outside the castle, gazing at the almost smokeless Kanazawa Castle, retreated to the castle walls and began to hold a banquet. Uesugi Kenshin had even prepared to appease the 12,000 Ikko-ikki who had defected to him, saying that Kaga was to be returned to Kennyo Shonin, but that was just a pretext.

You can believe in Jodo Shinshu, but you must change your master to me, Uesugi Kenshin.

Everyone believed victory was assured and toasted Uesugi Kenshin. Uesugi Kenshin, being a heavy drinker, accepted all toasts and drank countless cups.

As night fell, Uesugi Kenshin, who had already gone to bed, suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. It was as if something was choking him or violently pounding his chest. He felt weak all over and collapsed onto the bed, unable to move or speak.

He struggled on the bed for no more than ten minutes before falling unconscious. Because it was nighttime and he hadn't called for help, no one around him noticed. Even the guard at the door, Yu Xiaoxing, assumed he was inside the house.

Uesugi Kenshin overdrinked and passed out. Someone brought him water in the middle of the night in case he got thirsty.

441. Only I can be a peacemaker.

Taking this opportunity, Shichibei prepared to carefully observe Oda Nobutada's true character. Although he had heard a lot about Nobutada before, he hadn't seen him with his own eyes, so it was still a bit of a stretch.

I'll most likely have to work under Nobutada in the future, so it's good to get to know my leader beforehand. Nobutada already has a son with Princess Matsuhime of the Takeda clan. If there's an opportunity, we can put our son in the household as a page.

It is said that Takeda Matsuhime quarreled for two days over the destruction of the Takeda clan. However, once the Takeda family name was officially recognized and the heir was Takeda Nobufusa, whom Takeda Shingen had sworn an oath to the gods and heaven to adopt, the quarrel ended. Whether Nobutada's influence was involved remains unknown.

At the time, Shichibei saw that Nobunaga was determined to completely eradicate the Takeda clan. He didn't hesitate for a moment when killing Takeda Yoshiyori. As for the various inside stories, well, I'm not going to speculate.

Let's return to Oda Nobutada. Nobutada's command abilities were mediocre, and his tutor was Kawajiri Hidetaka. His governance skills seemed somewhat lacking, but he was certainly capable in warfare.

Those who could become the ruler of a country under Nobunaga were absolutely...

He was a general who had killed countless people and conquered countless cities.

Shichibei doesn't count; even if he didn't achieve great merit, he certainly put in a lot of effort. Besides, Izumi Province was pacified solely by Shichibei's own strength, making him an exception. The other lords were all very powerful figures.

Soon the two armies were locked in a stalemate on Toyoshima. Nobutada's strategy was to wait until the news reached Toyoshima when his father's 10,000 men at Tennoji Fortress attacked Honganji Temple and Shimoma Yorihiro retreated in panic before launching his own attack.

However, Sakuma Nobumori expressed a different opinion, arguing that many of the troops currently assembled under Nobutada were drawn from other fronts. Hesitation could potentially cause problems on other fronts. The bald monks of Honganji Temple, having left the formidable Ishiyama Osaka Castle, were of mediocre fighting strength.

We should take advantage of the current setback in Shimoma Railei's offensive and the remaining high morale of our troops to launch a full-scale attack immediately. We should seize the opportunity to break through the Honganji army, and then everyone can go home and find their own mothers.

The public says that the public is reasonable, and the mother says that the woman is reasonable.

This situation left the other Oda generals present somewhat bewildered. On one side was Nobunaga's chief retainer, a high-ranking official with a combined income of no less than a million koku, along with his retainers. On the other side was the head of the Oda clan, Nobunaga's heir who had already inherited the family name, also with an income exceeding a million koku.

Regret, not for being born into this world, but for coming too soon and personally coming to Arioka Castle to pledge my loyalty.

Look at Oda Nobuharu of Saiga Castle, Hachiya Yoritaka of Shigetakayama Castle, and Tsutsui Junkei of Tsutsui Castle—none of them came. Whatever the reason, their absence means they don't have to face this scene.

Taking sides with anyone is wrong; you absolutely cannot take sides. If you do, you will definitely suffer the consequences.

Heavens above, earth below, what terrible law have I broken to deserve this torment? Shichibei closed his eyes, wishing only for time to pass quickly.

This time, there was no one like Takayama Shigetomo, Nobunaga's son-in-law, to mediate. Another senior retainer, Niwa Nagahide, was busy building Azuchi Castle. The two clearly expressed their differing opinions; if Nobunaga were present, his decision would prevail. But Nobunaga was absent now.

Sato Toshiharu, Nobunaga's brother-in-law, who was standing beside Shichibei, was secretly nudging Shichibei. What to do? He was Nobutada's right-hand man and had to support Nobutada's opinion, but he didn't want to offend Sakuma Nobumori.

Just because you don't want to offend someone doesn't mean I have to step forward and offend them.

Shichibei glanced at Sato Toshiharu, thinking, "No matter how much you poke me, I'll pretend I don't know." But before Shichibei could turn his head back, Sato Toshiharu suddenly exerted force.

I've chosen you, Shichibei!

Then Xiaoqi left her seat, breaking the somewhat stagnant atmosphere, and stood in the middle of the group. She didn't even have time to turn around and scold Sato Toshiharu; she could only smile at everyone first.

“Yes, Shichibei, tell me about him.” Sakuma Nobumori saw that it was Shichibei and immediately greeted him, thinking that they were all buddies from Owari.

“Yes, Shichibei, you speak.” Oda Nobutada also turned to Shichibei.

I know you're in a hurry, but please don't rush...

Fortunately, Shichibei wasn't that kind of scoundrel and didn't immediately start talking. Although the two sides had different attitudes, they at least shared a common goal: to defeat Shimoma Yorihiro.

If we want to reach an agreement, we can only start with consensus. Should we set aside our disputes and fight together? But that's where the problem lies: one side wants to rush in immediately, while the other wants to wait for the enemy to make a mistake.

What to do? Create an opening for the enemy immediately!

If you can't change yourself, then change others.

"In my opinion, after failing to capture Arigaoka, the enemy's forces are already showing signs of unrest." Shichibei pointed to the Honganji army's camp opposite them.

If you look at the answer and try to come up with a reason, you can always come up with something, except for math, including the enemy formation in front of you.

At its simplest point, the Honganji army, lacking any territorial rewards and having engaged in intense warfare in recent years with constant casualties and replacements, was already in a rather poor state overall. If it weren't for the religious support of the Jodo Shinshu sect, it would have collapsed long ago.

Therefore, it is clear that after the Honganji army failed to capture Kita-Tomi no Nobukatsu, the morale of the entire army was very low. The camp was only fortified with a stag wall, and no moats were dug around it.

This is the most common method used worldwide, from the Eastern Hemisphere to the Western Hemisphere. Warfare is essentially about digging ditches. You need to dig ditches when marching (to facilitate drainage), you need to dig ditches when fighting, you need to dig ditches when building camps, and even when running away, you need to cut off roads, which is essentially the same as digging ditches.

Look, the Honganji army didn't dig a ditch.

Have they become complacent? Are there any flaws in their plans?

Then look at the soldiers sent by the Honganji army to gather firewood and fetch water. In this sweltering heat, they usually get up in the evening or early morning to do this work. Did you see any organized firewood and water-gathering troops when we drove over this morning?

Historically, when Akechi Mitsuhide marched into Kyoto, it's clear he had scouts to provide cover for his army. He famously killed several dozen early-rising melon-planting farmers along the way.

Oda Nobutada was heading towards the direction where the enemy forces were gathering, so he must have sent out quite a few troops. Shichibei was right next to him and was quite certain that he hadn't heard of any of the Honganji army's water-fetching and wood-chopping troops.

If the Honganji Army couldn't even handle something like this properly, how could they possibly feed, drink, and relieve themselves for 20,000 people in the morning? Their camp must be in complete chaos, riddled with weaknesses.

Perfect for a quick attack!

"In my humble opinion." Shichibei's back was sweating, whether from the heat or the atmosphere, he couldn't tell.

"Shichibei's words make sense." Oda Nobutada knew after hearing this that Shichibei was trying to save face for both sides, and that he meant well.

"Hmph." Sakuma Nobumori really couldn't refuse Shichibei's request, after all, he still owed Shichibei tens of thousands of famine debts, and besides, Shichibei's status was not low.

“In that case, let’s do as Shichibei says.” Mitsuhide Akechi finally stepped forward. Since Shichibei was already acting as a peacemaker and mediating, he would lend a hand.

Stop arguing, everyone, just get to work.

Alright, alright, that's the only way. Immediately form ranks and get into battle formation. The foot soldiers lit the fuses, removed their holsters, and the samurai donned their armor, mounted their horses, and took their positions.

The vanguard was naturally Akechi Mitsuhide, who was quite proactive in handling matters in Settsu. His aim was to crush the Mori and Honganji reinforcements, destroy Araki Murashige's will to defend the castle, and then take over the entire Araki retainer group.

Naturally, no one bothered to compete with him. Even if they won this battle, they would only get some spoils, not any territory as a reward. The generals who came to their aid would certainly want to preserve their strength and avoid fighting difficult battles if possible.

Fully armed and ready, Akechi Hidemitsu, as the vanguard general of the Akechi army, was the first to emerge from his camp and form ranks. As soon as the conch shell sounded, the Honganji army on the opposite side also mobilized immediately, pulling their men and horses out of their camp in a flurry, preparing for another battle with Oda Nobutada.

That was just something Shichibei said casually. Shimoma Yorihiro is quite capable; at least he wouldn't have any difficulty organizing a large army for battle.

West Ueno, Minowa Castle.

After confirming that Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga had completely broken off relations, Takigawa Kazumasu, who was stationed in Ueno, immediately mobilized his troops to prepare to seize the Higashi-Ueno region on the east bank of the Tone River.

Once conquered, it will be his, and he will possess the entirety of Ueno Province. Even if Ueno is ravaged, it is still a country. Only with a complete country can one be a true ruler, and only then will the title of protector be truly legitimate.

According to Nobunaga's previous plan, Oda Nobuhiro was to lead his troops to invade Echigo Province. Even if he didn't capture Kasugayama Castle, he was to at least tie down the forces of the Echigo garrison, preventing Uesugi Kenshin from launching a full-scale attack.

Yamagata Masamitsu of Kai provided support to the two, while Takeda Nobufusa of Suruga remained unmoved, serving as the first breakwater against the Hojo.

In other words, Oda Nobuhiro, Takigawa Kazumasu, and Yamagata Masamitsu joined forces to fight Uesugi. Takeda Shingen's strength was roughly the same back then, which was certainly enough to keep the Echigo region at bay.

Nobuhiro is currently mobilizing his troops, and Takikawa Kazumasu has completed most of the mobilization and is beginning to plan an attack on Uesugi's important stronghold in Ueno.

Hojo Takahiro, lord of Masahashi Castle, was a member of the Yahoku clan and one of the Fifteen Generals of Echigo. He was an important figure in Uesugi Kenshin's conquest of Kanto, but ultimately surrendered to the Hojo clan. However, due to the peace between the Echigo ministers, he returned to the Uesugi clan. He is currently stationed at Masahashi Castle and serves as the guardian of eastern Ueno for the Uesugi clan.

If not him, who should we kill?

Higashi-Ueno is now an isolated geographical unit, and Hojo is unlikely to come to its aid in the rescue of Masahashi. Echigo will face an attack from Oda Nobuhiro. Although Takigawa Kazumasu seems to only have half of western Ueno, he also has five districts in northern Ise, so his strength is definitely superior to Hojo Takahiro's.

The drums thundered, and Takikawa Kazumasu, full of vigor, drove straight to the Tone River.

Prior to this, he not only sent a message to the Hojo clan, asking Hojo Ujimasa to consider whether he wanted to get involved in the turmoil in Ueno, but also sent messages to the head magnates of Higashi Ueno, such as Nagao, Ashikaga, Shirai, and Numata, asking them to assess the situation and decide whether to continue following Uesugi Kenshin or join the Oda clan.

Don't make a mistake; think it through carefully.

As for the smaller factions on the outskirts of Ueno, such as Sano, Yuki, and Minagawa, they were informed that they would be going to fight at Masahashi Castle, and nothing else was said.

Having worked the dirty work for Nobunaga and been involved in intelligence gathering, Takigawa Kazumasu was extremely thorough in his preparations for the war. His two years of rest and recuperation in Ueno allowed him to manage the internal affairs of his western Ueno territory and organize an army of over 15,000 men, sufficient for combat.