Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Odawara Castle's overall structure still utilizes part of the mountain terrain, using only the kashigaki (castle wall), which is quite normal. Kishiwada Castle, expanded by Shichibei, was essentially just a wooden palisade and moat in its so-called overall structure.

With Nobunaga's order, Shichibei immediately arranged for the destruction of the main structure of Ishiyama. When the townspeople saw the main structure being destroyed, they fled in panic. Many people were already at the crossroads, but they were forced back by Oda's arquebusiers.

Now that the cannons and bows have been removed, and the Oda army is no longer blocking the roads, allowing the townspeople to escape, it's a cause for celebration. Staying in Ishiyama Town for even a second longer could mean being engulfed by the raging fire that has already taken hold within the castle.

Standing atop the earthen rampart, Shichibei looked at the fleeing civilians and the raging fire, and felt a pang of感慨 (gan3 kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both sorrow and reflection). This fire had destroyed countless riches.

Forget about the 20,000 kan of cash and the dongbie money that we can get immediately; even the yunshang gold that we can look forward to receiving every year in the future will be nowhere to be found.

The fleeing townspeople might go to Sakai, Kyoto, or stay in the nearby countryside. Gathering them all back together and rebuilding a large town of over 40,000 people would be incredibly difficult.

462. The city fell, but Xin Sheng achieved nothing.

Many Oda soldiers lined the roads, brandishing firearms and guns, in groups of three or five, extorting money from the townspeople fleeing Ishiyama Town from various intersections. Organized? Unorganized? It no longer mattered. They were all there to profit from the war; Nobunaga might not have succeeded in profiting, but they could certainly make a small fortune.

Many soldiers were not under Shichibei's command, and as long as they did not kill indiscriminately, Shichibei had no authority to discipline them. Even Nobunaga, aside from sternly reiterating military discipline during his first march on Kyoto, left behind records of large-scale burning, looting, and plundering in many other battles.

Kyoto was chosen for its political influence; other places lacked Kyoto's prestige, so it was understandable that they were plundered by Nobunaga. Feudal armies were purely machines of violence; destruction was their defining characteristic.

Although the dead Jodo Shinshu followers were the true believers, Shichibei couldn't help but feel emotionally affected by the sight of burning and looting.

I'm not watching anymore, I'm going back to bed. Tomorrow we'll definitely launch a full-scale attack on Ishiyama Gobo. We've already come this far, and the enemy is just clinging to life by occupying Hoanji Temple. We should press our advantage and eliminate Ishiyama; then all the military forces in the entire Kinai region will be revitalized.

As dawn broke, without Shichibei needing to inquire further, he heard...

A cacophony of voices and the neighing of horses filled the air. Although Nobunaga himself did not enter Ishiyama Castle, the hostility towards him within the castle was immense. However, the generals of Nobunaga's own army eagerly rushed into the castle, each one aiming for Noriyuki's head.

Those who are dismissed from their posts will be given two or three thousand shi of grain if they are ignorant and incompetent, and at least ten thousand shi if they are knowledgeable and competent. Those with around ten thousand shi of grain will definitely be sent to be city lords with a capital of fifty thousand shi.

If Shichibei were younger and more energetic, he would have joined the fray by now. Those remaining with Shichibei are mostly older men who are no longer capable of fighting. Men like Kuwayama Shigeharu and Ota Gyuichi, who are still able to wield a spear, are now leading their core troops towards Hōan-ji Temple.

Last night, Akechi Mitsuhide was ruthless. He sent several bold soldiers to run around Hōan-ji Temple and read aloud the announcement that Kōnyō and Shimoma Rairyū had been expelled from the monastic order. They didn't stop for a moment, reading it all night long, until dawn, when the troops rushed in.

I don't know what kind of reaction they made to the religious army inside the temple, but before the fighting even started, some people were already climbing over the wall to surrender. This was because they had promised not to kill those who surrendered, which was meant to demoralize the religious army.

Although Hoanji Temple is called a temple, Ishiyama Osaka Castle was also a temple in Ishiyama Gobo. These Japanese monks built magnificent and tall temples, erected towering stone walls, and even amassed a army of monks.

Kill!

Instead of chanting scriptures, the monks practiced martial arts, which only made things difficult for the rulers. Even Tokugawa Ieyasu, let alone Oda Nobunaga, had to sacrifice some rural interests to get temples and shrines to abandon all their armed forces.

No matter what, the three generations of the emperor continued to move forward on the path of eliminating the military power of temples. The imperial family and nobles were not allowed to possess military power, and the same applied to temples and shrines. The Aso Ōmiyaji family and the Suwa Shrine family were both eliminated, and they were no longer allowed to hold both religious authority and secular power as ordinary samurai families.

Having not slept well the previous night, Nobunaga was too preoccupied to inquire about Shichibei, focusing instead on the tense reports of the battle within the Ishiyama Palace. So Shichibei continued to nap on the haystack of the Kotsume pack animal caravan, having dug a sheltered spot, intending to be called if needed.

"With all the warriors vying for merit, I'm sure we'll be able to take Ishiyama today," Mori Ranmaru, who was serving Nobunaga, said a prophetic remark.

"Hmm." Nobunaga was focused on the battle at the moment, but since it was Mori Ranmaru, he still responded softly.

Last night's anger was directed at Mori Ranmaru; the two have a very close relationship.

"I wonder who will be credited with the greatest achievement."

Mori Ranmaru's words were quite natural; he was still a lowly page and had no chance of gaining merit in battle. But as someone who witnessed a major battle, it was only natural to speculate about the outcome.

It wasn't just him who was curious; everyone else who served as Nobunaga's page was also very curious. For example, Sanada Genjiro was "eagerly awaiting" the event, wishing he could personally throw himself into the battlefield and participate in the battle.

"Hmph, Ranmaru, what do you think?" Nobunaga, finding that several of his favorite pageboys were quite curious, suppressed his emotions slightly, treating it as a little interlude in his anxious wait.

“I think it will be Yuito Hyuga-no-kami,” Mori Ranmaru replied.

"And you? "

"Perhaps it's not Lord Hyuga no Kami, but Lord Wakae Sakuma Kingo." Sanada Genjiro, whose mind was relatively simple, followed his own train of thought when asked by Nobunaga.

"Oh?" Upon hearing the name Sakuma Nobumori, Nobunaga paused slightly, a nameless anger rising within him.

"Yesterday, the Sakuma army set fire to Ishiyama Town. If Lord Sakuma Kingo wants to atone for his crimes, he must win the first victory. In that case, he will surely be incredibly brave and charge forward like a pig." Sanada Genjiro, that kid, just says whatever comes to mind.

If it weren't for yesterday's incident, he would have thought it would have been Akechi Mitsuhide, since Akechi Mitsuhide was the most hardworking and driven person there. But since Ishiyama Town was attacked and burned by the Sakuma army, it's reasonable to deduce that it was Sakuma Nobumori.

The heinous crime of burning down Ishiyama Town can probably only be atoned for by the head of the monk and the castle itself.

With a loud "thud," Nobunaga slammed his horse-drawn staff down on the table in front of him. The anger contained within his gesture was clear to everyone present. The crowd immediately fell silent and bowed their heads.

Mori Ranmaru, who had lowered his head, revealed a sneer. "You old bastard Sakuma, now you have to drink my foot bath water too."

He stopped short of provoking Nobunaga, further fueling his anger. Even if Sakuma Nobumori had been the first to storm Hōan-ji Temple and beheaded Kōnyō, it would have been difficult for Nobunaga to reconcile his actions with his merits.

Trying to figure out the boss's temperament is exactly what these people who serve the common folk do every day.

Sakuma Nobumori of Ishiyama Gobo was indeed working extremely hard. He knew he had made a grave mistake and needed to gain the upper hand. But while he wanted to, the others weren't about to let him have it. Everyone knew how valuable Kyouya's head was.

Hōan-ji Temple, located within the inner sanctum of Ishiyama Gobō, is somewhat similar to the inner city of a Chinese town. Ishiyama Gobō itself is the outer city, and once the Gobō is breached, Hōan-ji Temple can provide considerable protection as long as the Hongan-ji army wants to continue resisting.

The temple has both a well and a granary; if they are determined to hold out, they might be able to hold out for a month or two.

Unfortunately, the temple's resolve was weak; the impact of being excommunicated by Kennyo Shonin was simply too great. Many soldiers who followed Kennyo to Hōan-ji Temple were actually prepared to fight Nobunaga to the bitter end. But once the order to breach the gate was issued, their will to resist vanished, and the faith they had dedicated their lives to protecting collapsed.

Although there are still about two thousand soldiers in the temple, and their weapons and food supplies are still sufficient, their morale is declining at a visible rate.

It all depends on teaching, which is like having a mouth.

He declared that Kennyo's withdrawal from the Jodo Shinshu headquarters at Ishiyama Gobo meant he had relinquished his duties as the head of the sect, and that he was now the true head of the sect. Kennyo's order to break down the sect was useless; his order was the only true decree.

Those who remain at Fa'an Temple to continue the resistance are not only believers whose temples were breached, but also devout believers who will be reborn in the Pure Land if they die in battle, and will receive the blessings of Amitabha Buddha.

People with religious beliefs do need a little suggestion at times like these. Even if this suggestion is completely illogical and makes no sense, as long as they have a reason to convince themselves, they can gain a sense of "peace" and continue doing their work.

This includes the immediate and desperate resistance against the Oda army's attack.

Historically, Norinka eventually made peace with Nobunaga, surrendered his castle, and wandered throughout the country, without Nobunaga pursuing him. This was because he still controlled Ishiyama Gobo, giving him leverage in negotiations. Now, he only has the small Hōan-ji fortress left; even if he surrendered, he would certainly be beheaded.

Why keep worthless enemy generals around? Nobunaga would never try to annex a group of loyal retainers of the Jodo Shinshu sect.

Those who followed Kyoju in the battle at Hoanji Temple either perished in battle or were captured and beheaded. After all, before dawn that day, Akechi Mitsuhide had already given them their last chance to escape. If you didn't run away when given the chance to surrender, wouldn't you be a "truly great traitor"? You must be severely beheaded to eliminate any future threat.

Accompanied by the firing of arquebuses and bows, and the shouts of the soldiers, the gate of Faan Temple was finally breached after continuous ramming.

The moment the temple gates opened, mountains collapsed and seas crumbled.

The first to storm into Hōan-ji Temple and claim the credit for the first assault were Niwa Nagahide and Rikitokuyama Norihide. Subsequent forces poured in, hacking and slashing everywhere. The generals, meanwhile, were frantically searching for Kyouya and Shimoma Rairyu, their eyes bloodshot, as if they were about to devour them.

Jiaoru knew he was doomed by this point, but he didn't give up. He tried to swim away to the outer river through the temple's irrigation canal. If he could escape from Faan Temple, he believed that with the missionary power of the Jodo Shinshu sect, he could surely establish a foothold in some remote mountain village.

He won't even need eighteen years; he'll be a hero again in three to five years.

Sakuma Nobumori, his eyes blazing red, led his elite gang of roguish warriors, charging into battle despite the chaos. They killed two wardens in succession, but still failed to obtain any news of Kyouru.

On the contrary, Ikeda Tsuneoki, who came to the Kinai region with Oda Nobutada and his eldest son Ikeda Gensuke, discovered a small group of people dismantling the fences inside and outside the drainage ditch during the search.

Without a word, they started chopping, because some of the people in this small group were wearing clothes of very good quality. Those who wore nice clothes either had them stolen or were of high status.

Helpless, he turned to fight back. But he wasn't a skilled fighter; after his loyal servants were killed, Ikeda Gensuke severed three of his fingers with a single blow. He rolled on the ground, howling in pain.

Lai Long, standing to the side, shouted that this was the Dharma Master.

Dharma Master? What Dharma Master? The Dharma Master is none other than the Venerable Master outside the city, serving as Nobunaga's "honored guest."

It was Ikeda Tsuneoki who reacted quickly. Although his skills were mediocre and his level was limited, his years of experience hadn't gone to waste. He immediately realized that this was Kyoru and shouted, "Take him alive!" Three Ikeda samurai pounced on him and pinned Kyoru down firmly.

It's been almost ten years, and the Ikeda family is still a prominent household with 10,000 kan in Inuyama, Owari Province. With this achievement, they can finally take a step forward and reach 100,000 koku.

Kyo-yori was escorted along the way, and the Ikeda father and son delivered him to Oda Nobunaga. Shimoma Nakataka personally confirmed that this was indeed Kyo-yori. Several captured or escaped soldiers of the Honganji Temple also confirmed it. Finally, the monk Kennyo came to see for himself and found that he was indeed his beloved eldest son.

What else is there to say? Take him out and behead him. Let his head be stuck in the rocky hill for ten days, then send it to the capital and stick it there for another ten days.

The same fate befell Shimoma Rairyu, who was also captured, except that after Shimoma Rairyu was beheaded, his head remained stuck in the rocky hill. It's estimated that his death will only end when his head has completely decomposed.

Shichibei has also returned from his nap and is standing in a corner of the shogunate.

Looking at the ecstatic Ikeda Tsuneoki and his son, and the Honganji Kyoyo who had fainted due to blood loss and pressure, he felt nothing much.

The ten-year Battle of Shishan has finally come to an end.

The search and killing of the remaining soldiers continued, and now it was time to begin extinguishing the fire in Ishiyama Town. How to extinguish it was actually of little significance, because half of Ishiyama Town had been burned, the fire had spread swiftly and completely, leaving a vast expanse of black and gray earth, utterly unclean.

The reason the fire didn't spread to the other half was mainly because there was a large ditch about ten meters wide in the middle, which formed a firebreak and prevented the fire from leaping over it. Once one side was basically burned out, the other side was also largely saved.

But what good is it if the houses are saved? The more than 40,000 residents of Ishiyama Town have all fled; almost no one remains. With the fire last night and the fighting, it would be strange if the townspeople hadn't all fled.

Right now, it's less about putting out the fire and more about cleaning up the mess. Inside the fire, there are at least several thousand bodies burned to death. Especially since it's already spring, although the weather hasn't warmed up yet. But spring weather can change very quickly; it's not entirely impossible for the temperature to jump from ten degrees to the twenties in just two or three days.

If not dealt with promptly, it will become a plague.

Shichibei's territory was right next to Izumi, near Ishiyama-Osaka Castle, and a major plague could not be allowed to break out. Therefore, he readily accepted the task of firefighting and reorganization, and ordered his soldiers to dig several large pits outside the castle. He also mobilized oxcarts and horse-drawn carts for transport.

He accepted the order and left the tent, just in time to see Sakuma Nobumori walking towards him with a very somber expression. Perhaps because he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts, he didn't even notice Shichibei, nor did he greet him. He simply lifted the tent flap and entered the shogunate.

Subconsciously, Shichibei turned back, wanting to see what would happen.

Upon seeing Sakuma Nobumori enter, Nobunaga smiled, a rather amused smile. Nobumori simply knelt on the ground, stating that he deserved to die and that he was willing to accept punishment.

Punishment? Nothing happened at all. Nobunaga simply said "You've had a good time" and dismissed Sakuma Nobumori to reorganize the troops. Not only was Sakuma Nobumori incredulous, but everyone else around him found it unbelievable.

That's it? All over?

463. To be punished and exiled would shock the world.

The leader neither scolded nor hit him; instead, he said, "You've worked hard."

It seems like there's no problem, but what if someone commits a serious mistake, and one that's completely unforgivable? In that case, the approach might not be so simple.

Sakuma Nobumori had clearly realized this as well, and opened his mouth to explain. But what could he explain? The mistake had already been made, everyone present knew that, and there was no need for an apology. Punishment? Nobunaga didn't intend to punish him, at least not now. He couldn't very well slap himself twice, could he?

To call it a self-inflicted injury is hardly enough of a feigned grievance. After all, compared to Ishiyama Town, which could immediately rake in 20,000 kan and continue to earn 10,000 kan annually, even a plea for forgiveness wouldn't be enough to compensate.

Running directly outside the shogunate and committing seppuku might be more practical.

After all, in Japanese culture, seppuku is considered a samurai's honorable death. Normally, once someone dies, they're dead, and people generally don't pursue the matter further. Therefore, Sakuma Nobumori could be buried with honor, and his fate would be sealed.

But after all, it's death, and how many ordinary people can make that decision?

的呢。

In the end, Sakuma Nobumori left the shogunate in a daze. Everyone held their breath, and no one dared to speak loudly at that moment. However, Shichibei heard two pieces of news halfway there.

At the very moment Sakuma Nobumori apologized to Nobunaga, the Negoro troops, who possessed a large number of arquebuses, were ordered to be reassigned to Akechi Mitsuhide. If this were a simple reassignment, it could be explained. However, Sakuma Nobuege was summoned to a meeting by Oda Nobutada and never returned, which is quite obvious.

Nobue was Nobumori's eldest son, and one who had already begun the handover of power. Now that Nobue was in the hands of the Oda clan, what chance did Nobumori have of rebelling? He'd be doomed if he tried.

The separation of the Negoro clan from the army represents an epic weakening for the Sakuma army. The Negoro clan mobilized a total of 7,000 men, and this time they even spent money to recruit an additional 10,000. With all of them being transferred to Akechi Mitsuhide, the Sakuma army, once one of the most powerful armies in the clan, was immediately drastically reduced in strength.

It would be better to mobilize the Kawamura Army, the eternally young pack animal team, with all their might.

With these two moves, the death knell for Sakuma Nobumori and his army has been sounded. The reason Nobunaga hasn't dealt with them yet is probably because he's wary of their army, which currently numbers over 25,000.

Nobunaga brought a total of over 60,000 men, which is roughly half or less of what the Sakuma family contributed. Under these circumstances, even if internal strife broke out, Nobunaga might not have been entirely confident of victory.