Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

It takes real skill to sail such a massive ironclad ship from Shima Kuki to Osaka Bay.

長12~13間（21.8m~23.6m），宽7間（12.7m），和先前只考虑用船桨的建造计划不同，还在船上建造了使用木绵船帆的巨大单桅杆。

Without this giant sail, it would be extremely difficult for this ship to sail from Shima to the shore of Wada. Even now, with a sail and oars, its speed is as slow as that of an old man with faltering steps.

Tsk.

Is it really possible?

Aside from Shichibei, Oda Nobunaga and his two admirals were all apprehensive upon seeing the speed of the ships. How did they lose the Battle of Kizugawaguchi last time? It was because their large ships were difficult to turn around and maneuver, which allowed the Mori army's Kobayashi to launch fire from all sides, annihilating them all in a terrifying inferno.

Kuki Yoshitaka, of course, knew everyone's doubts. He didn't even disembark, but directly ordered the sailors to shoot at each other on the ship. Whether throwing oil bottles or firing fire arrows, nothing could cause any damage to the ironclad ship. The fire arrows couldn't even land on the ironclad ship; they would fall into the water as soon as they were shot.

In order to gain people's trust, Kuki Yoshitaka also ordered Ataka Kiyoyasu and Morimura Haru to send men to pilot the Kobayashi boat and fire at his ironclad ships.

If he can start a fire, he'll lose and commit seppuku to atone for his sins.

They managed to stay afloat for an hour or so, proving themselves impervious to bullets and fire. Ataka Kiyoyasu and Morimura Haru, being knowledgeable about online trolls, couldn't help but give them a thumbs up.

Although Nobunaga knew nothing about naval affairs, he could see that Ataka and Mori recognized the value placed on ironclad ships. His mood improved greatly, and he immediately rewarded Kuki Yoshitaka with twenty Tensho Daihan coins and nine men to assist him. Ataka Kiyoyasu and Morimura Haru also received ten Tensho Daihan coins as a reward for their efforts in rebuilding their navy.

At this time, Sakuma Nobumori and his son Nobue were already beginning to re-encircle Honganji Temple. There was no need to worry about the land; the focus was now on whether the encirclement on the water would succeed.

Because of the previous military operation by Shimoma Yorihiro to launch a field attack to relieve Arioka Castle and attack Oda Nobutada, the morale of the troops in Ishiyama Honganji Castle was extremely low.

In addition, they also began to suffer from a shortage of troops. Having already lost the support of the Saiga party, Osaka Castle had a total of 20,000 combat-capable men, and more than a quarter of them were wiped out. If it weren't for the religious support of the Jodo Shinshu sect, any other army would have collapsed and fled.

For example, regarding Shibata Katsuie's defeat at the Battle of Shizugatake, could it be said that his army suffered tens of thousands of losses? Actually, no. The main losses were Maeda Toshiie's defection and Sakuma Morimasa's defeat and death; the combined number of defectors and those killed in battle was around eight thousand. However, Shibata Katsuie's army exceeded thirty thousand, which is exactly a quarter of his forces.

With a quarter of their men killed in battle or fleeing, the Shibata clan was finished. Even with a fortified castle like Kitasho Castle, they could not escape destruction.

Therefore, the fact that Honganji was able to retreat to its own castle after this defeat, without a large-scale exodus, is already a miracle of Amitabha Buddha.

At this point, the pro-peace faction within Honganji Temple was already gaining the upper hand. Even the head priest, Kenryo Shonin, began to waver.

The final blow that shook his resolve came from the death of Uesugi Kenshin.

Kenshin, if he did not die, would continue to send troops to Kaga, Echizen, and even the Kinai region.

If a strong attack is launched, then Master Kennyo might still intend to continue to hold out. With the Uesugi clan currently embroiled in internal strife and the sons vying for the throne, it would be strange if Master Kennyo didn't waver.

How to do?

Asking the Mori clan for help? Well, the Mori clan is a complete mess. The San'in army and Hideyoshi are locked in a fierce battle for Inaba Province. As a result, the San'in army has to leave some men to defend their home base while others provide support in various locations, already facing difficulties.

The main issue is that Naoie Ukita, who could mobilize over 12,000 people, has begun to show signs of wavering. After seizing Mimasaka Province, Naoie Ukita has begun to appear to disobey the orders of Yoshida-Koriyama Castle.

It wouldn't be accurate to call it a rebellion. But it certainly wouldn't be considered blind obedience.

Back then, Mori betrayed Mimura Motochika and won over Ukita Naoie. I wonder if he regrets it now. Of course, it's too late for regrets. The Sanyo Army has 12,000 fewer troops available; how much can they accomplish?

So, apart from continuing to supply Ishiyama Hongan-ji with military provisions and weapons, the Mori clan was already somewhat exhausted and unable to launch a large-scale offensive.

However, Terumoto Mori and Takakage Kobayakawa also suggested that Honganji continue to recruit people from Jodo Shinshu followers throughout the country and call on armed followers to come to the aid of the main temple.

Believers? What use are the elderly, the weak, women, and children?

And to be frank, the followers on Nagashima were wiped out completely, not a single hair was left. The followers on Omi were shaved twice, resulting in the deaths of at least 20,000. Most importantly, the followers on Kaga, after years of intense warfare and conquest, how many people were in this sub-province with a rice yield exceeding 350,000 koku?

Less than one hundred thousand.

At least half of the population has been completely wiped out in the wars of the last decade or so.

Historically, when Maeda Toshiie entered the country, the population of the region was only around 120,000 to 130,000. However, in the 18th century, the population suddenly swelled to over 400,000, soaring from 120,000 to 420,000 in a hundred years.

Without a significant improvement in agricultural standards, productivity remained stagnant. Kaga Prefecture, which could have supported 300,000 to 400,000 people, now has less than 100,000 left, demonstrating the severity of its population loss.

Where can we find another 10,000 to 20,000 strong believers to bolster the army of Shishan Honganji Temple and serve their Amitabha Buddha?

Even Shimoma Yorihiro, who had originally been actively leading the battle, developed a desire to avoid war and seek peace. He advocated sending envoys to the imperial court to ask the court to act as an intermediary and find a way to reach an agreement between the Honganji Temple and the Oda clan.

If peace can be achieved and at least 100,000 koku of land can be retained, then even withdrawing from Ishiyama-Osaka Castle is not entirely out of the question.

However, it was Master Xianru's eldest son, Jiaoru, who strongly advocated continuing the war of resistance. If peace talks were to take place, the foundation of Honganji Temple, built up over hundreds of years, would be completely destroyed and vanished. It would never be able to restore the glorious scene where the Dharma Master's call could be answered by half the world.

Moreover, although Uesugi has withdrawn his troops, Mori still controls Osaka Bay and has the strongest navy in the land, which can maintain the logistics of Ishiyama Osaka Castle.

Delay and wait for a change!

Throughout history, rulers like Hosokawa, Ōuchi, and Miyoshi have all fallen. Could Oda Nobunaga have lasted forever, unbroken and indestructible? Perhaps not.

Before he could finish speaking, his subordinate monks rushed in shouting that the Oda clan's navy, carrying the banner of Hachiman Daibosatsu, had appeared at the mouth of the Kizu River and were surrounding them again.

The teacher, who had just been full of passion and generosity, immediately shut up, revealing himself to be all bark and no bite.

But there's no use talking about that now. Let's climb the tower immediately and observe the formation of the Oda army's navy. The Oda army's land encirclement is the same old tactic: using Tennoji Fortress as the core, they gradually unfold the encirclement network, relying on natural barriers such as the Yodo River to compress the Honganji army's operational space.

Even with the land-based defenses tightened, the Honganji Temple wasn't too worried, since the Oda clan's navy had been completely routed. The Mori clan held sway over the waters, so they weren't afraid.

No sooner had he boasted that the Mori navy was invincible than the Oda navy surrounded them. What else was there to say? He should go and invite Buddha—no, I mean, he should invite Mori Kingo.

What good is Buddha? He chants sutras every day, but he can't kill Oda Nobunaga.

The messenger from Honganji Temple found a small boat and, under the cover of night, sailed out of the Kizu River estuary, rushing towards Aki as fast as he could. Fortunately, Kizu Fortress and Rogan Fortress were still under the control of Honganji Temple at this time; if Kizu Fortress had been lost, it would have been difficult for Honganji Temple to send anyone to deliver a message to Mori Terumoto.

Oda's navy split into two, using the ports of Kishiwada Castle's port of Katsu and Sakaizu as their bases, and took turns blocking the waterway exit of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple. They intercepted all ships entering and leaving the area and threatened Kizu Fortress.

Previously, because Osaka Bay was controlled by the Mori clan, Honganji Temple reduced its defensive forces towards Kizu Fortress. Now that the Oda navy has appeared, it is difficult to strengthen the defenses of Kizu Fortress with sufficient manpower.

Suga no Tatsunaga, the lord of Iwaya Castle who had defected to the Mori clan among the people of Awaji Province, also noticed the unusual activity in Osaka Bay and immediately sent someone to inform Kobayakawa Takakage.

Save them! They absolutely must be saved!

Kobayakawa Takakage was a shrewd man; he knew very well the immense value of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple. With this thorn in their side in the Kinai region, tens of thousands of Oda clan members were bound to their posts, unable to move.

Once Honganji Temple falls, the Mori clan will not only be unable to maintain the current balance of power, but also unable to launch an offensive. It would be a miracle if Oda Nobunaga didn't become a sitting duck.

While the Mori clan's land power was unassailable, their naval power was something they were very proud of. During the Battle of Itsukushima, it was the combined forces of the Mori and Murakami navies that defeated the navy of Yaku Munakata and others who supported the Ōuchi clan. After that, the Mori navy practically became the sole dominant force in the Seto Inland Sea.

Forget about anyone being able to defeat the Mori navy; no challenger has even appeared yet. It is precisely because of their powerful navy that the Mori clan is able to rapidly move in and out of the western provinces, both transporting troops and maintaining logistics.

The fragmented Western Kingdoms achieved a general unification for the first time during the Warring States period.

With such a proud Maori navy, they naturally wouldn't be afraid of battle.

Kobayakawa Takakage even believed that by defeating the Oda navy once again, he could revive the Mori army's prestige and intimidate more people in the Kinai region. This would force the Oda clan to continue putting out fires throughout the Kinai region, preventing them from committing more troops to the western provinces. This would buy time for the Mori army to regroup and launch another offensive.

The idea was excellent, and Mori Terumoto agreed. He originally envisioned a five-pronged attack, a swift incursion into the Kinai region, and the smug prospect of becoming the new Shogun. While the campaign generated considerable momentum and achieved a resounding victory at Kizugawa, the army faltered, failing to breach Harima or Settsu.

Now things have gotten even worse. Not only has Toyotomi Hideyoshi established a foothold in Himeji, but the Oda army has even begun a counter-offensive along the Inaba-Tajima line.

Given the current situation, a major victory is indeed needed to boost morale.

Let's do it!

"The lord has high hopes for this advance; there can be no more mistakes." Shichibei still remembered the last time it was the Honganji Temple that set fire to their ships upstream...

The advantage lies in launching fire arrows downstream.

The Oda navy was engulfed in flames, screaming and crying, with nowhere to run. Not only were seven ship captains under Kuki Yoshitaka burned to death, but Ataka Nobuyasu was also burned to death.

"Don't worry, we'll definitely keep an eye on the fire raft at Kizugawa estuary." Ataka Kiyoyasu's leg was crippled from the burns; the memory was etched into his bones, something he would never forget.

As per Nobunaga's plan, he now went to urge the Sakuma army on land to attack Kizu Fortress and Rogishi Fortress, completely blocking the exit of the Kizu River and preventing the Honganji Temple from escaping.

The waterborne operations were left to Kuki Yoshitaka and Shichibei. Kuki Yoshitaka's idea was simple: his six large ironclad ships would stand in front to confront the Mori navy.

The Ataka navy was responsible for the protection and guard of both flanks, preventing the Mori navy from flanking them. The Awa navy was responsible for reaching the mouth of the Kizu River and blocking any fire ships or rafts that might appear.

Furthermore, through his connections with Ataka Kiyoyasu, he sent men to Awaji Island to observe the water conditions and enemy activity. The Mori navy, in order to enter Osaka Bay, would inevitably pass through the Akashi Strait. Knowing the Mori army's movements in advance would allow the Oda army to prepare more thoroughly.

Or to put it more bluntly, the ironclad ships were simply too slow...

If it's too slow, it's impossible to remain deployed at sea for an extended period. Therefore, under normal circumstances, it anchors in Sakai-cho Port and only sets off for Kizu River estuary upon receiving orders.

The Mori navy, having departed from the Seto Inland Islands and reached Iwaya Castle in Awaji, will surely rest for the night. They will then be in perfect condition for battle at Kizuguchi the next day. Kuki Yoshitaka needs this time to deploy his six ironclad ships to the battlefield.

Anyway, the oarsmen were all Jodo Shinshu followers that Hideyoshi had captured from Eiga-gobo in Harima Province, so let them row themselves to death or work themselves to death. Kuki Yoshitaka had only one goal: victory.

Shichibei didn't know anything about naval warfare and could only follow Kuki Yoshitaka's orders.

"In addition, our lord will also be leading troops to attack Kizu Fortress, and you two must assist him in building a pontoon bridge." Shichibei had another temporary task assigned to the two of them.

"A piece of cake." A mere hundred meters or so of pontoon bridge is no problem at all for two naval forces with hundreds of warships of various sizes.

Moreover, the small sampans used for the pontoon bridge don't need to be sourced from their fleet; they can simply be requisitioned from civilian boats. Giving the fishermen and local people a few coins to buy their boats is very convenient.

"Alright, then I wish you both good fortune in battle and great victories." Shichibei had said all he needed to say, and there was nothing more to add.

"Definitely!" the two replied solemnly.

Then Shichibei turned his horse around and headed towards Kyoto, as it was time for his appointment with the major merchants of the northward trade route. Shichibei had to go and greet these merchants to prepare for Oda's army's later attack on Echigo.

Both are matters of national importance and should be taken into account, so we can only keep running around and take care of both.

451. The situation in Echigo is becoming increasingly clear.

The meeting was announced in advance, and all the major business owners of the Northbound Trade Center were aware of it. Therefore, the entire meeting process was more like a notification than a discussion.

No one questioned it; after all, they weren't the Uesugi family's official merchants. The Uesugi family's official merchant, Kurataya, monopolized the ramie trade, which was on a completely different level from theirs, who were just buying and selling. Their raw materials were renowned throughout Japan; they weren't even in the same league as them.

However, since they were already there, Shichibei had to ask them about the situation in Naoetsu, Echigo Province. Naoetsu was a crucial transit point and trading port on the northward trade route. Furthermore, it was an export port for ramie, making its position exceptionally important.

In fact, Naoezu was essentially equivalent to the castle town of Kasugayama Castle. Later, during the Edo period, Takada Castle Town of the Echigo-Takada Domain was also the harbor town of Naoezu.

So, did the Uesugi family's sons fight for the throne, leading to a brawl in Naoetsu?

No, merchants from Sakata and Tsuchizaki Minato, who passed through Naoezu in Echigo, reported that Kasugayama Castle was perfectly fine and no fighting had broken out. The reason is simple: while some of the local gentry in Echigo explicitly supported the attack, the war had not yet begun.

Sugikage Kagekatsu and Uesugi Kagetora, but most are in a wait-and-see mode.

Let the two big guys fight it out first, and at least wait for the wind to blow before declaring your allegiance.

The 20,000-strong Hojo army, commanded by Hojo Ujiteru (with 10,000 remaining in Higashi-Ueno to guard the rear and assist Hojo Takahiro), had already reached the foot of Kasugayama Castle. The Oda army had also withdrawn from the Sekikawa Pass, and the Kasugayama forces were actively gathering troops to prepare for their mission to Uozu Castle in Etchu Province, where they would send Uesugi Kagekatsu to his doom.

The main problem lies with Uesugi Kagekatsu and Naoe Kanetsugu; they were truly incompetent in warfare, in a way that's hard to describe. This applies both historically and in this world. Historically, when Uesugi attacked Hasedo Castle with superior forces—18,000 Uesugi troops versus 1,000 Shimura Mitsuru—the situation was dire.

They were ambushed by Shimura Mitsuan's 200 men, who attacked Naoe Kanetsugu's main camp. They were so badly defeated that their underwear was exposed. More than 250 samurai in the main camp were killed.

Enraged, Naoe Kanetsugu prepared to launch a full-scale attack on Hasedo Castle with an eighteen-fold numerical advantage. However, Shimura Mitsuyasu used the terrain to his advantage, luring them in and wreaking havoc.

Not only did they lose, but they also took down the swordsman Kamiizumi Yasutsuna. Kamiizumi Yasutsuna's grandfather was none other than the world's greatest swordsman, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna.

How embarrassing! It's really embarrassing.

As a result of the war, the Mogami army suffered 623 deaths, while the Uesugi army suffered more than 2100 deaths.

If Uesugi Kenshin were still alive, seeing such a casualty ratio, and the dishes served by Uesugi Kagekatsu and Naoe Kanetsugu, he would probably vomit blood.