Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"What crime have you been accused of? Take him out and behead him immediately!" Nobunaga deeply hated fickle and treacherous people. He had already killed Araki Murashige's entire family and his senior retainers, so he wouldn't mind killing the Hatano brothers as well.

474. One stab kills three lives

Why was Hideharu Hatano willing to personally travel to Kyoto to apologize to Oda Nobunaga? Because Mitsuhide had entrusted his mother to the Hatano family retainers, guaranteeing the safety of the Hatano brothers with utmost sincerity.

As agreed, Mitsuhide sent men to escort the Hatano brothers to surrender. It was normal for them to be slapped or humiliated by Nobunaga; the Hatano brothers were prepared for that.

When Araki Murashige surrendered to Nobunaga, Nobunaga stuck a steamed bun on his knife and made Murashige crawl on his knees to eat it.

At worst, all the men who went to meet their confidants would be wearing straw sandals covered in sweat and mud. What could they do? They were outmatched and had chosen the wrong side. The Mori clan was clearly on its last legs; their only chance to preserve their name was to surrender to Oda.

Furthermore, since a fortified castle like Yagami Castle could not be defended, Mitsuhide ordered the Hatano clan to descend from the mountain. Half of their territory would be given to Mitsuhide as his direct control, while the other half would remain untouched. From then on, they would serve Mitsuhide as retainers of the Akechi family.

At this moment, the peasant soldiers conscripted into Yagami Castle have all been released and sent back to their hometowns. The outer sluice gates and other structures are being dismantled. Mitsuhide...

While the mother was "visiting" the main castle of Yagami Castle, the retainers of the Hatano family calmly watched as the Akechi army dismantled various military facilities.

With the war at this point, we can only bide our time and wait for the future. Back when Naito Munekatsu was in power, he crushed the Hatano clan in one fell swoop, even losing Yagami Castle, but he still managed to survive. Now it's just a matter of enduring a while longer; it's nothing to be ashamed of.

Mitsuhide, on the other hand, this hard-working guy is currently quite happy. With the opening of Yagami Castle, the entire Tanba Province is essentially pacified. Last year, his daughter Tamako was married off to Hosokawa Tadaoki, the son of Hosokawa Fujitaka, at Nobunaga's request.

Nobunaga promised Hosokawa Fujitaka the entire province of Tango.

Now that Tanba had been pacified, Mitsuhide immediately dispatched Hosokawa Fujitaka and his son to attack Tango. He truly had no intention of resting even for a moment; that's how the King of Rolling was—he rolled himself and expected others to follow suit.

Of course, Hosokawa Fujitaka was also happily preparing to be transferred from Katsuryuji Castle to Tango Province. Although Tango was small, it was the territory of a province. To possess a province on one's own and become its governor would greatly change one's status and position.

Therefore, Hosokawa Fujitaka and his son did not feel that Mitsuhide's urging was excessive at all. They simply sold everything they owned to build up an army, and along with the two thousand troops that Mitsuhide had provided, they marched into Tango.

Having finally quelled the rebellion of Mitsuhide in Tanba, he even prepared to request permission from Nobunaga to attack Yoshikawa Motoharu in the San'in region. He would serve as Hideyoshi's flank commander, while Nobutada and Hideyoshi would focus on attacking the Mori tribes of Aki and Bingo, leaving him to pick up the rest.

Or he could pack his bags and prepare to go to Hyuga. After all, being appointed the governor of Hyuga means he's destined for southern Kyushu. Although it's far from Kyoto, he might be able to control lands in two or three provinces, with over 500,000 koku, which would be quite a lot. And given the current situation of the Oda clan, he'll inevitably be assisting Nobunaga in handling official duties at the central government level.

To wield great power and enjoy the benefits of a great nation—that's enough for this lifetime.

By the way, as we mentioned, Mitsuhide's son is still young. He has to keep fighting until his son comes of age and can lead troops before he can rest. The Sakuma Nobumori case serves as a stark warning, and Mitsuhide has no other choice but to keep going, even if it means sacrificing his old age for the Oda clan.

The Hatano brothers, already prepared to be humiliated by Nobunaga, sat quite quietly. Accompanying them was Mitsuhide's cousin, Akechi Mitsutada. Historically, Akechi Mitsutada often served as Mitsuhide's garrison commander (shusuke), guarding Sakamoto Castle or Tanba-Kameyama Castle when Mitsuhide was away on campaign.

As one of the Five Elders of the Akechi clan, Mitsutada's status was sufficient to meet Nobunaga and explain to him the terms of Mitsuhide's negotiations with the Hatano brothers.

The Hatano brothers even dismantled Yagami Castle, so their territory was reduced by half—that's a fair punishment. After all, they had previously assisted Nobunaga and had some merit and hard work to offer. They were temporarily misled by the Mori clan, but now that they've returned, it can be considered a case of realizing their mistake. Their crimes should be pardoned, and they can be used as the vanguard in the next campaign.

Why not let the Hatano brothers lead the charge to attack Gassan-Toda Castle and fill the ditch? The Hatano clan's retainers are a motley crew that has been gathered over a hundred years, but they are quite capable.

Akechi Mitsutada, who was calming down Hatano Hideharu and Hatano Hidehisa, saw Nobunaga's attendants rushing out and assumed they were being summoned. He quickly composed himself and sat down quietly.

Before he could react, the Hatano brothers were pinned down by more than a dozen servants who rushed out. Before they could even struggle to their feet, their hands were tightly bound.

At the same time, two men drew their swords and, almost instantly, beheaded Hatano Hideharu and Hatano Hidehisa.

"Ahhh..." Akechi Mitsutada was already quite old, and in the blink of an eye, he experienced such a dramatic rise and fall, letting out a scream due to the sudden and drastic change.

I really came to surrender, why were you killed?

What will happen to Mitsuhide's mother if this is done? Hideka Hatano is still in the castle. If the news reaches Yagami Castle, Hideka Hatano will surely kill Mitsuhide's mother in revenge.

The servants who came to kill the Hatano brothers didn't care about this or that; they were servants of the entire nation of Japan. Even Akechi Mitsuhide had to be treated with courtesy, let alone Akechi Mitsutada.

As he watched as the two men's heads were taken to Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsutada could only hold the still-warm body of Hatano Hideharu and weep loudly in the courtyard.

While Nobunaga was discussing matters with Nobutada, he saw two severed heads delivered. After confirming that they belonged to Hatano Hideharu, he ordered the heads to be displayed on Nijo Street in Kyoto.

As for the faint crying? Nobunaga, who had just seen the dead man's head, didn't care at all; he was too annoyed to care.

Nobutada, however, heard the crying and asked what was wrong. The servants said that Akechi Mitsutada was crying while holding the body of a corpse. Nobutada subconsciously thought that Mitsuhide had made a promise to Hatano Hideharu to spare his life. With this killing, Mitsuhide's already severely damaged reputation was completely ruined.

"So what if his reputation is ruined? Xinzhong doesn't think it's a big deal."

Mitsuhide's immense fame in war and politics, and the Seven Soldiers

Shichibei was different from others in terms of popularity. He was the most honest and kind-hearted man in Owari, and everyone thought he was easy to talk to and amiable. But when the topic turned to war, killing, or capturing castles, everyone would just laugh it off.

Such a good reputation, brought by good interpersonal relationships, poses no threat. On the contrary, the reputations of Sakuma Nobumori, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Hashiba Hideyoshi, who killed and seized cities, destroyed famous families, and whose martial arts were renowned, are what make people wary.

Nobutada hadn't yet killed Mori Terumoto's entire family, and his martial prowess and reputation weren't enough to completely suppress the powerful and unruly Oda clan commanders. Anyway, it was his father who had tarnished Akechi Mitsuhide's reputation, so he didn't care. He simply turned and left the Right General's residence.

Akechi Mitsutada, who had been crying for a short while while holding Hatano Hideharu's corpse, was also kicked out by Nobunaga's servants, without being given any time to appeal or file a complaint.

When the heads of the Hatano brothers were placed on Nijo Street, the whole world knew that the Hatano brothers, who had surrendered, had been killed. This naturally included the Hatano family retainers who had come to Kyoto with them. Everyone was terrified and fled back to Tanba Hachikami Castle as fast as they could.

We were tricked by that son of a bitch, Mitsuhide Akechi! He lured the head of the family out of the castle and into the Hachigami Castle, and then he killed people!

The moment the heads of the Hatano brothers were planted in the street, the news could no longer be kept secret. Even with Akechi Mitsutada's cunning,

Killing several of Hatano's retainers did nothing to change the situation.

Before coming, everyone had made it very clear that the Hatano brothers would return, and Mitsuhide Akechi's mother would leave the city. One for two was already giving Mitsuhide the greatest face. If it weren't for Akira Kofuminaga, a local with extensive connections in Tanba, acting as guarantor and going into the city as a hostage, the Hatano brothers would never have left the city.

Let's fight! The food in the city can last at least four months. With the depletion from the war and the resulting decrease in population, it might last eight months.

While it's not quite a matter of guarding this wall until death, it's still a very long process. Being able to open the city gates under certain conditions is an acceptable outcome for both sides.

Now?

As his entourage rushed back to Yagami Castle, Akechi Mitsutada arrived at the castle's outer fortifications almost immediately. The destruction of Yagami Castle's fortifications was largely complete; the main gates and arrow spurs had been dismantled, and the moat was being filled in.

Hideka Hatano erupted in fury almost instantly; the feeling of being deceived was truly excruciating. To be tricked by Mitsuhide Akechi, who had a "previous record," was utterly infuriating.

They beat the taiko drums and blew the conch shells, rallying the farmers and local lords of the surrounding fields to arm themselves and attack the Akechi army. The Hatano retainers who remained at the main citadel of Yagi Castle immediately donned their armor, nailed Mitsuhide's mother to a large wooden frame with iron nails, and executed her in front of Akechi Mitsuhide below the castle with the cruelest torture.

Punishment!

When Mitsuhide's mother learned that Nobunaga had so readily executed the Hatano brothers, she closed her eyes, remained silent, and calmly accepted her punishment. The moment she heard the news, she knew she had no chance of survival. Rather than struggle and lose all dignity, she preferred death.

The suffering endured in the struggle might be even more painful than being beheaded outright. She just hated it; Mitsuhide had already been tricked by Nobunaga once, so why did Nobunaga have to trick him again?

To say that Mitsuhide's achievements overshadowed the emperor is clearly an overstatement. If it was merely to pave the way for Nobutada, then Mitsuhide's strength was only average and far from threatening Nobutada.

It's true, it's true, it's true, I'm so unwilling to accept this.

As the sharp spear tip pierced her body, Akechi Mitsuhide, standing frozen in place below the castle, was left speechless. This was more than just a dramatic rise and fall; anyone else in this situation would likely have gone completely insane by now.

Having lost all his strength, Mitsuhide Akechi found the whole world deathly silent. He could not hear the cries of his subordinates, nor the screams of his mother before her death. A strange emotion, penetrating to the core, filled Mitsuhide's entire body.

"Whose heads are those?" Shichibei was returning to Kyoto from Yuzuki Castle and was heading towards his home in Kamikyo when he saw heads sticking out of the street again.

There were a huge crowd of onlookers; they didn't seem like bandits or ordinary samurai at all. And I hadn't heard of any notable families having their homes destroyed recently.

"I'll go take a look." Morinaka Saegusa quickly stepped forward.

In front of the long pole with the severed head stuck in it, there would usually be a sign listing who the person was and what crime they had committed. Those who could be publicly displayed at the gates of Kyoto prison were generally either extremely heinous criminals or notorious.

This perfectly embodies the concept that a true man, if he cannot live a life of luxury, should at least die a life of culinary excellence. If he cannot become a king or general in life, then he can at least be remembered for his infamy after death.

A moment later, Saegusa Morinaka returned, clearly understanding the situation.

He looks like the person he killed was quite famous.

"It is the lord of Yagami Castle in Dan Province, Hatano Uemon-no-daifu, and his younger brother."

"What!" Shichibei was shocked. He had only gone to Yuzuki Castle once, and Mitsuhide had already breached Yagami Castle and killed the Hatano brothers.

But there are only two of the three Hatano brothers here.

"He was sent to Kyoto in chains the day before yesterday and sentenced to beheading." Saegusa Morinao read out the contents of the notice board.

"Captured alive?" That's impossible, given the defensive situation of Yagami Castle and the normal reaction of Japanese samurai.

Before Akechi Mitsuhide could even enter the citadel, Hatano Hideharu committed seppuku. And he would certainly have set it ablaze to prevent Akechi Mitsuhide from obtaining his head.

There are many examples of this in Japan's Sengoku period, the most typical being Nobunaga's case at Honno-ji Temple. Unable to win a fight or escape, he resorted to seppuku and arson. Mitsuhide searched for three days without finding his head. Later, Hideyoshi held a funeral for Nobunaga, where he had a dummy carved from sandalwood.

Later, when Ōtani Yoshitsugu committed seppuku, he also instructed his retainers to hide his head and resolutely prevent it from falling into the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

If the city falls, Hideharu Hatano will most likely kill all of his men.

He went home, and then committed suicide. For a powerful lord like him, the only options were to surrender sooner rather than later, or to die directly; there was practically no third choice.

“It does indeed say ‘sending weapons to Luoyang.’” Saegusa Morinaka led Shichibei’s horse forward a little.

The crowd, seeing Shichibei on his tall horse, surrounded by a retinue, quickly made way. Shichibei, dismounting, clearly saw the words "Armed to Luoyang" in the parting crowd.

"Impossible, how could this be?" For a moment, Shichibei doubted his eyes, wondering if he had seen wrong.

“That’s right.” Saegusa Morinao also looked at it, and even rubbed his eyes.

"..." A memory from his previous life suddenly appeared in Shichibei's mind, and in a moment, it filled all his thoughts.

Could it be? Did something truly happen that would make anyone take notice?

If this were to actually happen, where would the Oda clan's future lead?

No, no, no. Nobunaga and Nobutada didn't live together at all. Nobunaga lived in Ryoyang or Azuchi, while Nobutada lived in Gifu. Even if something happened, it was impossible for them to be wiped out.

Besides, this is just speculation...

"Go to the Right General's residence immediately and find out the details of this matter." Shichibei grabbed Sane no Morinaka and ordered him to go to the Right General's residence right away.

475. Offering strong advice only leads to being sullied.

The details of the incident were quickly presented to Shichibei. Akechi Mitsutada led the surrendered Hatano brothers to Nobunaga to beg for mercy, but Nobunaga didn't even see them and directly ordered them to be beheaded.

How could you kill someone without even seeing them once?

Even prisoners deserve a voice of injustice. Murderers should at least understand why they died; how can you just execute someone so carelessly?

The news that followed made Shichibei tremble even more. Mitsuhide's mother, Mitsuhide's elder brother Akechi Sakon, who was being held hostage in the Yagami Castle Honmaru, along with five other local strongmen, including Ofuminaga Akira, were beheaded. Their heads were then returned to Akechi Mitsuhide by three maids.

The Hatano family of Tanba rose up in rebellion. Hatano Hideka rang the great bell and issued a proclamation, calling on the people of Tanshu to rise up and counterattack the Akechi army. She herself led the Hatano clan to defend the main citadel of Yagami Castle to the death, preparing to fight Akechi Mitsuhide to the bitter end.

The entire Tanba region was thrown into turmoil. Even the people of Amada, Hero, and Hikami counties, who had surrendered to Mitsuhide, were in turmoil. It was truly outrageous that Mitsuhide was so "treacherous," twice deceiving and killing the generals who had surrendered to Kaesong; he was simply inhuman.

God is angry.

It is truly despicable to serve such a general who is so treacherous and has completely disregarded the code of the samurai.

It's true, it's true, it's true...

On the surface, everyone says that Mitsuhide's two killings of surrendered soldiers were outrageous. But in reality, how could the generals of the Oda clan not know the truth? The Araki family members who did not escape, their senior retainers, and the Hatano brothers were all killed by Nobunaga, and had nothing to do with Mitsuhide.

With things escalating like this, how can Mitsuhide ever face anyone again? While Shichibei didn't particularly like Mitsuhide's workaholic ways, especially since he'd dragged the entire Oda clan into it, the saying "like boss, like employee" applies. Shichibei was a rather arrogant person, but from the outside, he was also seen as a workaholic.

However, it cannot be denied that the root of the problem lies with Oda Nobunaga, and it's impossible to place all the blame on Mitsuhide alone. The fact that Mitsuhide is now suffering such "suppression" is disheartening.

The key question is, what if Akechi Mitsuhide becomes disloyal if Nobunaga does this?

Previously, because he was unsure of Nobutada's attitude, Shichibei still harbored some ambition. But ever since Nobutada hinted to Shichibei during the Battle of Settsu Arioka that he would follow suit if Shichibei was willing to pledge allegiance to him, he has been more certain of his own ambitions.