Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

This short sentence made Shichibei a little uneasy. Even after Oda Nobutada absorbed the Sakuma retainers, he only mobilized 30,000 men. Damn, Shichibei had a combined 600,000 koku of rice, and with a full mobilization of 30,000 men, he was, in a sense, the biggest military leader.

Even Azai Nagamasa, who was granted a fief of 450,000 koku in Kitasho, Echizen Province, devoted himself to...

They could only mobilize 25,000 people. Shichibei's mobilization capacity, if truly considered on a large scale, was not to be underestimated.

According to your logic, Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi will be the next high-ranking retainer to be suppressed?

"..." Tōdō Takatora didn't dare to say a word, he just swallowed and bowed, taking two steps back.

"Let's attack Shodoshima as soon as possible and also draw away the Murakami Navy from Mishima." Takenaka Hanbei clearly agreed with Todo Takatora's words.

Whether or not there will be suppression, we have no idea. But with the mindset of being prepared, our Kawamura family has to do it, and we have to do it seriously, work non-stop, and never rest.

Shichibei simply couldn't understand it. He was always kind and unassuming, and everyone in Owari considered him the most honest and kind person in Owari, a good man who was well-liked by all sides of the Oda clan.

Even Oda Nobutada personally approached Shichibei to cultivate a relationship, believing that Shichibei represented the greatest common denominator among the entire Owari samurai. With Shichibei around, he believed he could unite the Oda retainers and ensure their continued service to Oda Nobutada.

And it's only been a few days? We've already become the biggest military leader?

No, no, no, Oda Nobuhiro isn't older than us? That's true.

They are older than us, but they are Nobunaga's elder brother, and belong to a faction that Nobunaga specially supported to protect the royal family.

I really can't understand how one day we suddenly have to be led around like dogs and start working like crazy.

The somewhat disorganized Shichibei simply ordered Kawamura's navy to cooperate, along with Takenaka Hanbei's troops, plus 1,000 cavalry from Awakawa Sadanobu, Kuwayama Kazuharu, and Sanada Masaaki, to attack Shodoshima.

Then, he immediately sent people to Kyoto and Gifu. In Kyoto, he went to find out where they stood in the ceremony before the imperial horse that Nobunaga had mentioned earlier. In Gifu, it was simple: to probe Oda Nobutada's intentions and see if he would consider marrying his daughter to the Kawamura family.

When Nobutada took the initiative to win us over, Shichibei should have seized the opportunity and directly negotiated the marriage between his son and Nobutada's daughter. The fact that he didn't bring it up then puts him in a passive position now.

However, there really isn't a good way to quickly improve our relationship with Oda Nobunaga and his son Nobutada. Even the closest rulers and their subjects can develop rifts, and constant maintenance is needed to ensure a long-term close relationship.

Compared to Shichibei's eagerness, Asai Nagamasa, far away in Kitasho, Echizen, was burning with anxiety, sweat pouring down his face.

After the defeat at Kanazawa Castle, Azai Nagamasa clearly saw the genuine rage in his brother-in-law Oda Nobunaga's eyes, a rage that threatened to drive him to seppuku. This presented a perfect opportunity for Azai Terumasa, the legitimate son of Lady Oichi, to inherit the Azai clan's legacy and be controlled by Oda Nobunaga.

If Azai Nagamasa still harbored a glimmer of hope when Sakuma Nobumori had not been exiled, now he was filled with utter fear and unease.

In the matter of conquering Hokuriku, Azai Nagamasa believed he was still somewhat useful. Therefore, he had at least maintained a degree of composure, thinking he could probably hold out.

That won't work now. Now he's certain that Nobunaga will really do something to him, the kind of thing that kills him.

Even Sakuma Nobumori, a loyal retainer who had served the Oda clan for generations and remained steadfastly loyal to Nobunaga even when Nobunaga had only 700 men, was completely stripped of his power, let alone others.

If I had known I would die back then, I should never have left Xiaogucheng!

At least in Xiaogu City, there is a very strong local foundation. Even a lord with 150,000 shi of grain can mobilize an army of 10,000 men to fight locally in a short period of time.

Now that Echizen has arrived, his control over the retainers has deepened.

However, the recruited soldiers were mostly ineffective. The local village officials also had no affection for Asai Nagamasa. It's unlikely that they would immediately bring provisions and oxen to Kitasho Castle to help defend it after the rebellion.

At that point, they will have to rely on the army that Asai Nagamasa recruited with his knowledge and money to fight for them.

The key issue is that the army was severely weakened. Last year, when Kanazawa was captured, the Asai army not only lost eight or nine thousand men, but also lost all their weapons and cannons. They were essentially stripped naked and sent back to their homeland.

After a year of reorganization, the number of soldiers increased by four or five thousand, but the replenishment of military equipment was very slow. Shichibei, who controlled the supply, also distinguished between those close to him and those distant from him, prioritizing those who expanded the army, Nobunaga and Nobutada, and then his old friends like Hideyoshi.

Asai Nagamasa was relegated to the rear and received very little military supplies. Moreover, Echizen was in ruins, and no matter how much Asai Nagamasa tried to extort, there was a limit; the income could not cover the expenses at all.

Under such circumstances, whether it's sending troops to Kaga or any other unsettling actions, it would be difficult for Asai Nagamasa to make any significant moves.

To raise money, he sold off last year's autumn harvest and this year's summer harvest in a pittance. He didn't even have enough rations for his army to advance into Kaga, let alone anything else.

But given the current situation, if he can't get things done and continue to contribute to Nobunaga, it seems like Nobunaga might really kill him.

After all, Oda Nobunaga never kept any idle people under his command. In particular, useless idle people were definitely the first to be kicked out by Oda Nobunaga.

What will become of the Asai family then? All their struggles over the generations will have been in vain.

466. The matter concerning the imperial horse is still unresolved.

Before Takenaka Hanbei and his men could even land on Shodoshima and report their victory over Samikawa Genrin, Shichibei couldn't contain himself and personally went to Kyoto to inquire about the progress of the Omazen-mae project.

What the Emperor said before the horse seemed simple: it was just that the generals of the Oda clan would come to Kyoto in full regalia to review their troops. However, there was a problem involved: since the Oda clan's army could not enter the Imperial Palace, Emperor Ogimachi had to leave the palace and personally inspect the Oda clan's army on the streets.

Although it's not explicitly stated that the Emperor is a living god in this day and age, his status and position are undeniable. How could he possibly leave the palace and appear before ordinary soldiers of Oda's army? Even officials below the rank of 6th grade cannot easily see the Emperor's true face, let alone ordinary soldiers and civilians.

The specific plan required repeated discussions between Murai Sadakatsu and the Imperial Court. Furthermore, Nobunaga had a special request: he stipulated that when he appeared before the Emperor, the curtain in front of the Emperor must be completely lifted so that both sides could clearly see each other.

The reason is perfectly valid; he is the Minister of the Interior, a prince of the Imperial Household, already a person of the highest rank. If he were to ascend the throne to pay homage to the Emperor, it would indeed be...

There's really no need to hang any curtains.

Moreover, he is fighting for peace and tranquility, and he is winning victory after victory, soon to achieve this great cause. For the Emperor to refuse to even meet with such a meritorious minister is truly disheartening.

However, from the perspective of the court nobles and those in the Forbidden City, this would undermine the Emperor's "divinity." Because the meeting place was not within the Forbidden City, but on the street outside, this was unacceptable.

The two sides argued and debated over all sorts of trivial details almost every day. Previously, Nobunaga himself was either focused on the Kizugawa verbal battle or the Battle of Ishiyama, and could not spare any attention for this matter.

Without Nobunaga's personal pressure, how could Murai Sadakatsu possibly compete with the court's large group of court nobles who were all talk and no action?

It was precisely because Nobunaga had destroyed Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple and abducted Kyoto monk Kennyo that the matter of the Imperial Palace was being pushed forward rapidly again. If Nobunaga hadn't pushed it forward, the Imperial Court would have guaranteed to delay the matter indefinitely; avoiding it if possible and keeping everything unchanged was their motto.

Hey, now that you mention it, how come this group of people is the same as the British civil servants led by Humphrey in "Yes, Minister"?

Perhaps clinging to old ways is a stumbling block, and this has something in common in many things.

He rode swiftly to Kyoto, much to the surprise of his wife, Ii, who was at home nursing her child. Wasn't Shichibei currently leading troops into the Seto Inland Sea? How could the Commander-in-Chief have time to travel to Kyoto?

The Seto Inland Sea strategy is not urgent. Samikawa Genrin has at most three to five hundred soldiers. With the abilities of Takenaka Hanbei and others, once they land on Shodoshima, it will be as easy as cutting melons and vegetables.

Miyoshi Nobutaka was happy, pleased, and satisfied. Now that Ishiyama Castle had been opened, Kawamura's navy no longer needed to maintain a high level of vigilance in Osaka Bay. So Nobutaka ordered Shichibei to send out one hundred warships of various sizes to escort his troops to land in eastern Iyo and launch the Iyo campaign, while maintaining logistical support.

By the way, Nobutaka also requisitioned one hundred jibune from Sakai. This was a military obligation order he issued directly to Sakai through Nobunaga.

When Sakai surrendered to Nobunaga, Nobunaga acknowledged Sakai's so-called autonomous privileges as a "free city," but only on the condition that he send Shichibei as Sakai's daikan (deputy governor). Sakai was obligated to pay its dues in the form of arrow money and tsubo-mon ...

The military obligations are very clear: if the country wants to maintain autonomy, it must ensure the completion of its mission.

So Nobutaka happily led his navy and transport ships back to Awa Katsumi Castle. Without a second thought, he knew he would soon be launching an attack on Iyo. He could either seize the rice from the Kono clan or the powerful families of Iyo before the autumn harvest, or wait until after the harvest to have ample provisions and wage a protracted war in Iyo.

Japanese castles, you know, are all built on desolate hilltops, looking so formidable that it makes one's teeth ache. Hideyoshi spent ten months attacking Tottori Castle, and Mitsuhide next door will probably spend another ten months attacking Yagami Castle.

"Before the horse?" Sister-in-law Ii put down the child and helped Shichibei change his clothes.

Weary from our journey, we should take a bath and comb our hair before heading to the Right General's residence to pay our respects to Nobunaga. Or perhaps we should seek out our old friend, Karasuma Mitsunori, and ask him to inquire within the court.

"Yes, my lord is going to hold a ceremony before the imperial horse race." Shichibei said, taking off his clothes while urging the servants in the house to boil a large pot of water.

"That's quite a grand event."

"blind……"

That would be a grand event, but we still need to see where our Shichibei stands. If we're serving as Nobunaga's guides, like Niwa Nagahide, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Murai Sadakatsu in history, then at least our position is secure right now, representing the Oda clan as the lead-out cavalry.

If one were a member of the Oda clan's inner circle, that would be perfect, absolutely perfect. Within this scope, even those who act alone would be considered part of the ruling core of the Oda family.

Don't think that Shichibei couldn't be selected. People like Oda Nobushiki, the son of Nobunaga's sister, and Kinoshita Yoshitoshi, the grandson of Nobunaga's uncle Oda Nobutsugu, both entered the group as individuals. They were assigned to the group after Nobunaga's eldest sons and were also honorably called "Oda Goshū".

Let's forget about the Imperial Branches, but there's still a chance with the Imperial One Sect.

If you can't even get selected for this position and become a guard, then you're finished. Historically, the guards consisted of Nobunaga's mother's robes, fifteen pageboys, and the court nobles. This court noble also included prominent families of the Muromachi Shogunate such as Hosokawa Akimoto, Yamana Ujimasa, Isshiki Yoshisada, and Ogasawara Nagatoki, who at this point could only sit at the same table as the court nobles.

Alongside the common lords of several thousand koku, Shichibei might as well find a block of tofu and die.

"Has the lord issued an imperial decree to make new clothes?" Ii's sister-in-law, who was helping Shichibei choose clothes, was obviously an observer and asked this question as soon as she saw Shichibei sigh.

"No." That's right, Shichibei didn't receive any orders to make new clothes.

Before participating in the Imperial Horse Ceremony, it was tantamount to going to pay homage to the Emperor and attending a large-scale political propaganda show. While not necessarily dressed in the most extravagant attire, one had to at least wear a crisp new outfit to demonstrate the strength and dignity of the Oda army.

For clothing made of silk and cotton to appear crisp and straight, it needs to be starched or waxed after the first wear. This helps to shape the soft fibers and maintain their sharp, angular form.

Some of the patterns on the clothes are painted on, making them impossible to wash. They will fade after being worn for a while, which is normal given the dyes used in their production.

The officials next door, wearing crimson and purple robes, still need to have them re-dyed regularly. All these constraints necessitate that everyone participating in the procession before the imperial horse must have a brand-new set of clothing made, ready to dress in their finest attire.

Seat.

That means things are still undecided.

"That makes sense, that makes sense, that makes sense." Shichibei, who was initially quite anxious, calmed down a bit.

"Besides, before the imperial procession begins, the generals will have to come to you to buy horses." Ii's sister-in-law had already settled down opposite Shichibei.

Even Oda clan samurai with fine steeds would surely inquire whether there were better horses that would allow them to appear before the emperor in perfect form.

The story of Yamauchi Kazutoyo and his wife Chiyo takes place during this period. Yamauchi Kazutoyo had no good horses to attend the imperial horse-riding ceremony, and then he saw a magnificent Oshu horse at the horse market, but the price was too high for him to afford. Upon hearing this, Chiyo used her dowry to buy the horse and gifted it to Yamauchi Kazutoyo.

Because of this magnificent steed from Oshu, Nobunaga greatly enhanced his memory of Yamauchi Kazutoyo, allowing Yamauchi Kazutoyo to make a name for himself within the Oda clan.

This story definitely has fictional elements, because historically, Nobunaga ordered all horses in Omi Province to be traded in the town below Azuchi Castle. It's pretty much the same now; all horses must be under the control of Kawamuraya.

The transaction took place at the foot of Azuchi Castle.

Normally, Shichibei would buy all the large horses brought by the Ou merchants and then distribute them to branch stores and stables in various places for sale.

So how did Yamauchi Kazutoyo, who was in Harima, end up buying horses in the town of Azuchi Castle? He couldn't have bought them from somewhere else, since Nobunaga had issued a ban on horse trading.

The same principle applies to this plane. Warhorses and mounts from Oshu and Ueshu, including Shinano and Ueno, are all purchased by Shichibei and then distributed to various places for sale.

The fact that no requests have been received from various lords to purchase fine horses indicates that other lords have also not received news of the upcoming imperial horse-riding ceremony.

indeed.

The initial panic expressed by his sweating retainers at home had eased considerably. Shichibei was no longer in a hurry to find Oda Nobunaga; instead, he sent someone to inquire with Murai Sadakatsu and to find out if Karasuma Mitsunori was at his residence in Kyoto.

Karasuma Mitsunori spends his summer vacations every year at the villa in Otsu, Omi Province, a gift from Shichibei. If he's already in Otsu, Shichibei will have to...

Let's make another trip.

News came back quickly from both sides. Shichibei's good reputation within the Oda clan and his image as a loyal and honest man were very useful at this time.

Murai Sadakatsu told Shichibei directly that the location for the imperial horse-riding ceremony would be on the horse farm east of the Forbidden City. At present, this "horse farm" is still just a concept on paper, and the land leveling and construction have not yet begun. The matter of the imperial horse-riding ceremony is still a long way off.

The Oda clan and the Imperial Court argued for more than half a year just to determine this location. In any case, the Imperial Court did not want the Emperor to go too far from the inner palace. Ideally, a platform should be set up at the main gate of the inner palace so that one could get back to the inner palace by walking a few steps.

Finally, the two sides compromised and built a horse farm on the east side of the Forbidden City.

It's fair to say that this matter wouldn't progress any further until the horse farm was completed. As for Karasuma Mitsunori, he even stated that none of the court officials had received any notification, and if they had, he would have sent someone to inform Shichibei.

Alright, both places say this matter hasn't been settled for now. Why is Shichibei still going to see Oda Nobunaga? Going to him now would just be asking for trouble.

Just as he was about to sneak back, Nobunaga, who obviously knew that Shichibei had arrived in Kyoto, sent someone directly to Kawamura's residence to summon Shichibei.

What's up?