Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

We need to get this message to Oda Nobunaga as soon as possible, whether he knows it or not, we need to make sure he gets the message across.

Shichibei was told to fetch paper and pen from Ii Toramatsu, as he needed to write a letter to Oda Nobunaga immediately. Ii Toramatsu, being five or six years old, was quite energetic as he ran around. His mother returned shortly with the paper and pen, asking Shichibei what was wrong.

Just in time to grind ink for Shichibei, but Shichibei wasn't in the mood to answer.

Izora immediately understood and stopped asking questions. How wonderful! He wasn't being overly dramatic; he responded to everything I asked, and everything was taken care of, providing emotional support.

He briefly summarized the situation in Kanazawa, sealed the urgent letter in a bag, and ordered the swift-footed soldiers to deliver it to Oda Nobunaga in Kitasho as fast as they could. If Nobunaga was not there, he was to give it to the general who was left behind. The general would surely know where Nobunaga was.

After the first letter was sent out, Ii Naotora took the opportunity to hand Shichibei a cup of tea and asked what he wanted for breakfast. This time, Shichibei responded, saying it didn't matter; coming from a poor background, he ate whatever was available.

The recipes left by later generations say that Hideyoshi ate tiger meat. This was mainly because there were no tigers in Japan, and Hideyoshi satisfied his need to show off. As for the claim that eating tiger meat had aphrodisiac effects?

Hideyoshi wasn't incapable; in fact, he was probably quite capable. He likely had poor sperm quality, which is why he didn't have many children. Even in his middle and old age, there's a Japanese story about how everyone sent a stunningly beautiful page to serve him, wanting to see if Hideyoshi was into philandering. Hideyoshi, with a lecherous grin, asked the page if she had any sisters.

He clearly has both lustful desires and the ability to seduce; otherwise, why would he be involved with so many beautiful concubines? He has twenty or thirty women with official titles in his household, and countless more without. It's obvious he wants to pick wildflowers.

So Ii Naotora immediately ordered breakfast to be served: sesame oil with some leafy greens; a dish of pickled vegetables from Nara, which looked like cucumbers; dried small fish cooked in a mixture of sugar, soy sauce, and sake; and tofu miso soup with rice.

Three dishes and a soup – a perfect Japanese breakfast.

He picked up the bowl of miso soup, took a sip, and then unfolded the second letter, which concerned the situation in Tsuruga. Hideyoshi, who was on his way to Tajima and Inaba to repel the invading Mori San'in army, wrote a letter to the merchants in Tsuruga and Obama, hoping they would cooperate with him to purchase large quantities of autumn grain from the Inaba area as the autumn harvest was approaching.

But Hideyoshi could only issue empty promises, or so-called "red seals." Merchants had to pay for the autumn grain themselves, and the transport of grain to Inaba was strictly prohibited. He wanted to cause a famine in Inaba, preferably starving all the local Maori soldiers to death.

Merchants from Sakohama would naturally ask Niwa Nagahide, while merchants from Echizen Tsuruga would certainly ask Shichibei. They dared not presume to decide whether this matter could be accomplished, or to what extent.

Oh, this is what happened.

So, Hideyoshi started the Battle of Tottori Castle around this time? It seems not. But in this world, Hideyoshi spent 5,000 kan (a unit of currency) to launch a ground attack on Miki, quickly defeating the rebellious Bessho Yoshichika. This allowed Hideyoshi to establish a foothold in Harima.

The situation has improved significantly, and the main focus has been shifted to the profit margin side.

The Mori clan's offensive did not slacken; at least the first wave was quite vigorous. This caused considerable trouble for the Oda clan, attracting a large number of local gentry to side with the Mori.

Forget it, who cares when Hideyoshi starts the war? Since Hideyoshi has this request, Shichibei is willing to vouch for him. The members of the Tsuruga reunion can all set sail to buy Inaba's autumn grain. Paying double or triple the price is fine; Hideyoshi will naturally repay them after they conquer Inaba.

Hideyoshi did not offer any compensation, but Shichibei came to report it.

Kawamura-ya's reputation is well-deserved and you will not be shortchanged in the slightest.

But why didn't Hideyoshi send us a letter? Wouldn't it have been easier if he had informed us first? As a result, no sooner had Shichibei put down his rice bowl than Saegusa Morinaka led in one of the men left behind by Kishiwada.

He was said to have been sent by Todo Takatora to deliver an urgent letter from Princess Hashiba of Harima. No wonder, Hideyoshi sent the letter to Kishiwada Castle, while Shichibei was in Kyoto, taking two or three days to get there.

As expected, the letter requested that Shichibei persuade Wakasa.

Merchants from Kohama and Echizen Tsuruga, especially those with large ships, are urged to go to Inaba as soon as possible.

The autumn harvest is almost here, and we must move out immediately. If we are too late, the Mori army will collect or plunder the grain, making Tottori Castle much more difficult to capture.

Tottori Castle, needless to say, is another typical mountain castle in western Japan. As it was the residence of the Yamana clan, it was built very solidly, almost encompassing the entire Hisamatsu Mountain.

The mountains are high and the fortresses are steep, with terraced castles rising in layers from the plains, densely clustered at the foot of the mountains, including the Tenkyu Maru, Ninomaru, Sanomaru, and Uzenmaru. They are not only awe-inspiring, but have reached the point where it is impossible to even begin an attack.

If you attack the outermost city wall, the arrow scouts on the second city wall and the arquebuses and arrows in the narrow passages will directly suppress you using the terrain's height difference. This design is practically made for defense; as long as the firepower is sufficient and the arquebus ammunition and arrows are not exhausted, no matter how many people come, that many lives will be lost.

To launch a direct assault would be tantamount to suicide. With just one glance, Hideyoshi decided to employ a strategy of attacking with supplies.

It's no wonder Hideyoshi is suddenly in a hurry, urging Shichibei to make arrangements immediately. Opportunities are fleeting; this year, seizing them is crucial.

As for accommodation, it's hard to say what will happen next year.

After all, there are so many merchants returning north, many of whom are major merchants from Sakata, Naoetsu, and Juminato. They don't need to listen to the Oda family's orders.

I've already started listening.

Hideyoshi was unaware of this, however. He could not accomplish this this year. Once the Mori clan had established themselves in Inaba, transporting grain from their own territory or buying grain from merchants returning north from other regions would not be difficult.

Merchants from the north have been transporting and selling grain from Echigo and Ōu for hundreds of years. It doesn't matter who they sell to; the highest bidder wins.

Now that Hideyoshi is confirmed to be in the Inaba garrison, Shichibei needs to write him a letter and give him a good talking-to, since he'll have to repay the favor in the future.

Dealing with the merchants returning north is easy; it's just a matter of sending a letter. As for Hideyoshi, Shichibei needs to make it very clear to him how this favor will be repaid.

Either grant him the province of Bichu or the province of Inaba, both worth around 100,000 koku. Either one...

The capital city is fine, since Ikeda Katsumasa is both Nobunaga's top lieutenant and Hideyoshi's right-hand man. Even if he were to raise an army in a province, he would still be carrying the spear for Hideyoshi.

It's all about exchanging favors; let's all do the same.

Historically, Hideyoshi conquered Tottori Castle and granted it to Miyabe Tsugujun. Now, it depends on Hideyoshi's attitude. Since the title of Tottori can be transferred to Inaba afterward, giving it to Ikeda Katsumasa first won't make a difference.

Ii Naotora knelt quietly beside Shichibei, helping him clear the dishes and serving him tea to rinse his mouth. You wouldn't believe it until you see it! Shichibei, such a small-time merchant, could actually decide the fate of a country.

One country!

Regardless of the size of the country, being granted a fiefdom makes one a lord, a guardian. Ii Naotora knows who Ikeda Katsumasa is; he was originally one of the three guardians of Settsu, but was later exiled by Araki Murashige.

I never imagined I'd become the Inaba Guardian. Of course, I could also be the Inaba Guardian Deputy, since the Guardian Yamana Toyokuni is in Hideyoshi's camp.

Having experienced major events, Naotora Ii remained calm and composed.

Kagami was glad that he had understood Shichibei's "hint" and had willingly climbed into Shichibei's bed. With someone like Shichibei to rely on, not only would the Ii family be revived, but the Saegusa family would also surely flourish greatly.

After tidying up the bowls and chopsticks, Ii Naotora took them to the outer room and handed them to the maid. Then, he knelt down next to Shichibei and obediently ground ink so that Shichibei could write his letter.

In just this short time this morning, Shichibei sent three letters: one that determined whether Azai Nagamasa could be rescued, one that determined the outcome of the Mori Inaba-Tajima offensive, and one that explicitly demanded that Hideyoshi grant Ikeda Katsumasa a province.

Everyone says that Shichibei is just a kind-hearted, well-connected small merchant, and not even ranked high among the Oda clan's elders. But looking at the reality today, he truly manipulates state affairs, turning the tables on everyone he touches.

The replies to the Tsuruga and Kohama groups were sent first, while the letter to Hideyoshi would be sent later. Shichibei pondered his words carefully, not wanting to be too forceful. He had to offer friendly advice, and in a tone reminiscent of Ikeda Tomomasa, mentioning that his brother and family were also concerned about Ikeda Katsumasa's martial prowess in the west.

With Hideyoshi's intelligence and wisdom, he will surely be able to understand it.

Compared to Ii Naotora's surprise, Hideyoshi was merely...

He chuckled, "It's nothing serious. Soon, the ships of the Tsuruga and Kohama groups will be able to come and buy up the grain from the Inaba and Tajima areas. He has already won this battle by five points."

You ask why Konishi Ryusuke and Hihiya Ryoke couldn't handle it? The root of those two is in Sakai. Even if they have money and ships, they can't get past the Murakami Navy, which controls the Seto Inland Sea.

Looking at Ikeda Katsumasa, who was in his own camp, Hideyoshi summoned him over. On one hand, he openly showed him Shichibei's letter, and on the other hand, he promised privately that if he could conquer Inaba Province, he would definitely hand it over to him.

This favor cannot be monopolized by Shichibei alone. Although Hideyoshi and Shichibei have a good relationship, and Hidenaga is Shichibei's brother-in-law, Hideyoshi is very concerned about such a huge reward.

Katsumasa Ikeda originally thought he would most likely be going to China or Mimasaka, but he never expected that he would be going to Inaba, and Inaba was right in front of him, which made him overjoyed.

He repeatedly bowed to Hideyoshi in gratitude, and of course, he was also very grateful to Shichibei, who even wrote a letter to Hideyoshi, asking him to take the matter of reviving the Ikeda family seriously.

After the two men finished their agreement, the ships of Kohama and Tsuruga sailed to Miyako-gun, Inaba-e. Because the prices were far higher than before, various villages and hamlets...

In the fields and farmhouses, they not only sold off the surplus grain, but also sold off all their staple food. Anyway, they could eat taro, yams, and bracken roots, so they wouldn't starve.

445. Changzheng's army was defeated and retreated to Beizhuang.

Uesugi Kenshin died in the Battle of Kanazawa in Echigo Province at the age of forty-nine.

They ignored the corpses and attacked each other while fully armored.

Faced with a massive inheritance exceeding one million koku, the four adopted sons, Uesugi Kagekatsu, Uesugi Kagetora, Toyama Yoshiharu (Kamijo Uesugi Masashige), and Murakami Kunikiyo (Yamaura Uesugi Kagekuni), did not hesitate to choose to engage in a major internal conflict.

Originally, Yoshiharu Toyama and Kunikiyo Murakami were not capable of entering the game because they did not have a large number of supporters or sufficient territory. However, due to the fluctuations in this plane, Yoshiharu Toyama, who was originally from the Toyama family of Noto, gained a place in Nanao Castle by having his father, Kenshin Uesugi, shave his head in Noto for two years.

In addition, the support of the Yusa family and the massacre of the entire Nagae family greatly strengthened Toyama Yoshiharu's control over Noto. Of course, the fundamental reason for all this was that Toyama Yoshiharu himself had become more assertive, and Uesugi Kenshin, in addition to providing him with ninety-six samurai, also allocated more than three hundred men to reinforce his rule in Noto.

To put it simply, Yoshiharu Toyama had a core samurai group of 400 men. With just this samurai group, he could build the framework of a territory of 50,000 to 100,000 koku.

Moreover, Kenshin entrusted him with the command of the eight thousand men he had gathered in Noto.

This essentially achieved the unification of Noto. With the strength of Noto as a single province, Yoshiharu Toyama naturally wanted to compete for it.

Murakami Kunikiyo was even better off. He already had a core group of over 250 samurai retainers left by his father. Now, having married Asakura Yoshikage's daughter and become Asakura Yoshikage's adopted son-in-law, he could barely be considered to have a legitimate title in commanding the remaining members of the Ikko-ikki of Kaga, Echizen, Etchu, and Hiraki.

It should be noted that Kenshin had gathered more than 12,000 members of the Ikko-ikki, and among them, the important leader, Katsukoji Akiyuki, was a close brother-in-law of Murakami Kunikiyo. Katsukoji Akiyuki was naturally willing to step forward to win over the Hokuriku Ikko-ikki to support Murakami Kunikiyo.

When Uesugi Kenshin was on his last breath, Murakami Kunikiyo approached the still hesitant Uesugi Kagekatsu and offered to transfer his 10,000 koku of land in Echigo to Kagekatsu. The condition was that Kagekatsu would help him put on a show, after which he would definitely side with Kagekatsu.

how is it?

They tricked Jinze City into leaving.

Kanazawa Castle was already out of food, its men and horses collapsed, and they were on their last breath. If Uesugi Kenshin hadn't died, he would have already ordered Azai Nagamasa to commit suicide and surrender the castle, then incorporated the Azai army within the castle and marched unimpeded towards Omi.

Why else would Kenshin have known the castle was starving but not seized it? It was to seize control of the remaining Asai troops. And not to immediately reorganize them into the Uesugi army, but to render the entire Echizen region incapable of resistance.

Compared to these adopted sons whose historical performance was actually quite mediocre, Uesugi Kenshin himself, while not particularly politically capable, at least in his middle and old age, understood the general trend of the world, abandoned the Kanto direction, and turned to actually seize the territory of Hokuriku.

He clearly realized that compared to Nobunaga, his strength was now at a level of one finger against one fist. If he wanted to defeat Nobunaga and march into Kyoto, he needed to rapidly increase his own strength. With the Kaga Ikko-ikki reconciled, the Echizen army naturally needed to be brought under his control.

The situation has changed. The adopted sons all know it's impossible to invade Kyoto again, so they'll have to divide their father's territory. Kaga Province is already considered by Murakami Kunikiyo to be his for the taking; he just needs everyone's cooperation.

Sitting next to Uesugi Kagekatsu, Kanetsugu asked Murakami Kunikiyo, "Why would Azai Nagamasa, who was inside the castle, surrender and run away?" Azai Nagamasa must have known very well why Uesugi Kenshin had been clinging to him and not killing him.

It's very simple. Just make up a reason: say that the Hojo clan, seeing the Uesugi and Oda clans fighting each other, launched a fierce attack on eastern Kozuke. Meanwhile, the Oda army launched a fierce attack on Echigo, and now the Echigo army needs to withdraw to stabilize the situation. (Uesugi Kenshin)

He was willing to release Azai Nagamasa and his ilk in exchange for the entire province of Kaga.

Reasonable.

After all, Azai Nagamasa lost over 4,000 men at Asano River, and another 4,000 at Kanazawa Castle after repeated breakouts and raids. Of the 25,000 men who went into battle, those who went missing or starved to death are now down to 15,000. Just returning to lick their wounds will take two years.

Releasing him would be an extraordinary act of mercy. The 30,000-strong Uesugi army below the castle was already stronger than the Asai army, and Kanazawa Castle could be captured in one strike. However, the question of who would lead the attack became unsolvable after Uesugi Kenshin fell.

If Kenshin were alive, his three adopted sons present would surely have rushed to the city walls.

The two reached an agreement, and Toyama Yoshiharu and Shiina Kagenao were also invited over. With Murakami Kunikiyoshi and Uesugi Kagekatsu joining forces, their strength accounted for roughly half of the forces present. Although Toyama Yoshiharu was interested in the position of Kasugayama Taidai, he felt it was better to sit back and watch the fight unfold, waiting for the other three to weaken each other before intervening. Therefore, he agreed.

After a moment's hesitation, Shiina Kagenao also agreed. In any case, his messenger was already halfway there, and it would be best if Kanazawa could pull and tug on Kagekatsu's trail.

Having just received thirty tatami mats, Asai Nagamasa met with the Uesugi envoy and learned that Uesugi was willing to withdraw his troops on the condition that he open the castle and leave Kaga empty-handed.

For the past three months, the image of Uesugi Kenshin had been lingering in Asai Nagamasa's mind, and he agreed to the request almost without hesitation.

Then, Uesugi Kagekatsu, disguised as a shadow warrior, stood guard below the castle, watching as Azai Nagamasa opened the gates. From a distance, Azai Nagamasa could only vaguely discern the resemblance, but his soldiers were so hungry they were dizzy and weak, barely able to walk, and only wanted to get back to Kitasō Castle as quickly as possible. No one even considered confirming Uesugi Kenshin's identity.

How to divide the mountain of captured weapons? Fortunately, it was agreed beforehand that they would be divided into four parts.

The distribution wasn't based on the number of people, but on the number of adopted sons. Shiina Kagenao, as a garrison commander for Uesugi Kagetora, received Kagetora's share. As for Kaga Province, it would definitely belong to Murakami Kunikiyo.

Without any objection, everyone divided the spoils and ran back as fast as they could. Shiina Kagenao, in particular, sent half of his men back before even claiming the spoils, determined to block Uozu Castle and Koide Castle before Kagekatsu could return.

Jing Sheng wasn't one to sit idly by; he had already notified those who supported him.

The lord of Toyama Castle, Kawada Nagachika, instructed him to find a way to intercept the Shiina clan's army halfway and prevent Shiina Kagenao from returning to the eastern part of Echigo Province.

And intercept all messengers heading to Echigo!

Unfortunately, Tangren Osaka had already rushed over to Toyama overnight.