Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"The kingdoms of Hosokawa and Kyōjō, all perished, their people died, and their states were destroyed." Asai Nagamasa slowly recounted the stories of the people of the previous dynasty.

Miyoshi Nagayoshi, Ōuchi Yoshioki, Hosokawa Katsumoto—look at their families, their power—do they still exist? The Miyoshi family, thanks to Nobutaka's rise to power, successfully transitioned to a new lineage, ensuring the continuation of their name. What about the Ōuchi and Hosokawa families? The Ōuchi family is practically wiped out, leaving only a handful of members, while Hosokawa Akimoto is relegated to a laughable high-ranking position in Kyoto.

No one in the world will have a good ending in the end.

So, is it certain that Oda Nobunaga, the ruler of the land, will have a good ending?

"This...this..."

"I heard that Kawamura Kyōjō was insulted and beaten by the Regent for his outspoken remonstrance, and is now seriously injured and unable to recover." Asai Nagamasa had heard secondhand information, so it was somewhat inaccurate.

Of course, whether he exaggerated or not is a question for him to answer.

“Sakuma Kingo burned down Ishiyama Town, and he deserves to be punished…” Even Isono Kazumasa himself lacked confidence when he said this.

Arson at Ishiyama Town was indeed a heinous crime. Ordering Sakuma Nobumori to commit seppuku would be acceptable, but stripping the Sakuma family of their titles and honors would be a grave offense.

In the end, all his titles and honors were confiscated, and he was exiled to Mount Koya. Even Nobue was not spared; the punishment was indeed too severe.

"What about Kawamura Kyōjō? What about Akechi Hyuga?" Asai Nagamasa laughed, a somewhat eerie laugh.

Tell me, what mistake did Akechi Mitsuhide make? What mistake did Kawamura Nagayoshi make? They were extremely loyal to their lord; you could search all of Japan with a lantern and you wouldn't find many retainers like them. Any daimyo who had such retainers would treasure them dearly.

And what about Nobunaga?

"My lord, please speak frankly." Isono Kazumasa's palms began to sweat.

"Hahahaha, it can't be said, it can't be said." Asai Nagamasa laughed loudly, patting Isono Kazumasa on the shoulder.

Charge! Charge! Charge into Matsunari Castle together! Everyone who breaks through Matsunari Castle will be rewarded. Asai Nagamasa, who had just lifted the curtain, watched the three members of his household—Maeda Toshiie, Sasa Narimasa, and Fuwa Mitsuharu—charging towards Matsunari Castle, and still maintained his smile.

Asai Nagamasa's strength has not yet fully recovered, but during the previous siege of Kanazawa, the three members of the Fuchu group served as guards, and their strength was mostly preserved.

Now, Azai Nagamasa understands Nobunaga's intentions and promises to conquer Kaga.

After the country was established, the 200,000 koku of Kaga Province was divided equally among the three people.

Previously, the three of them shared 100,000 koku of grain in the government office; now, they share 200,000 koku in Kaga, which is a significant increase in their fiefdom. Moreover, Nobunaga was pleased and satisfied with this increase in their fiefdom.

The 100,000 koku of rice vacated by the three men could be used as a reward for Azai Nagamasa's military campaign and bestowed upon the Azai family. In this way, Azai Nagamasa would actually receive 550,000 koku, which would enhance both his mobilization and recovery capabilities.

All that's missing is an opportunity.

Now that Echizen is entering the pass north of the river, Kawamura Shichibei, the lord of Tsuruga District, has incurred the displeasure of Oda Nobunaga. This opportunity may be about to arise.

Don't rush, absolutely don't rush. Asai Nagamasa had lived so many more years, seen and experienced so much, and had become increasingly mature. He discovered that Japan was a place where everyone competed to be the worst. He figured that it was enough to carefully avoid making mistakes or make as few mistakes as possible, and just wait for his opponents to rot, stink, and collapse.

Leaving aside distant examples, let's look at something more recent: Uesugi Kenshin was about to fight his way back to the past, riding across the north of the Yangtze River, when he ended up drinking himself to death.

How can this not be considered a form of self-decay and disintegration?

Although, based on the comparison of military strength, Kenshin was able to advance into Jiangbei...

Basically, they were running out of steam. But as long as he was alive, the Uesugi clan posed a considerable threat to the Oda clan. Moreover, the monk Kennyo of Ishiyama Honganji Temple was still in power at the time, with 20,000 cavalrymen. With support from both sides, even if they couldn't succeed, they could still give Nobunaga a headache.

As a result of Kenshin's death, the Uesugi clan vanished, shattering into pieces. Although Uesugi Kagetora's succession led to a brotherhood alliance with the Hojo clan, the Uesugi clan's own power had genuinely declined on a massive scale.

They could have wiped out the entire Oda clan's army in the Hokuriku region and severed Nobunaga's finger, but now, instead of severing Nobunaga's finger, they've delivered a punch to the eastern provinces.

He wanted to see how long Nobunaga's golden statue could last.

Soon, cheers erupted from all sides like a tsunami. Maeda Toshiie's eldest son, Maeda Toshinaga, had already broken through the main gate of Matsuto Castle, shouting "Ichiban-jō" as he rushed into the castle.

Someone broke down the city gate, instantly crushing the will to resist within the city. Although the fighting continued, and the sounds of fierce battle never ceased, the Asai army's offensive was clearly stronger.

After capturing Matsunari Castle and then Komatsu Castle, we will return with Yoshiharu Tomiyama. This will be considered a recapture of Kaga Province. We can then transfer Kaga to the three members of the Fuchu Sanju and order them to reside there.

Putting everything else aside, Maeda Toshiie and the other two were quite happy with the offer. Even though they had already reorganized their 100,000 koku in Echizen Prefecture and were gradually resuming production, moving to Kaga would mean a significant increase in their wealth and experience. Each of them would be granted 66,666 koku and would also receive their own castle, becoming the lord of a castle.

City Lord.

For every Japanese samurai, it was an alluring phrase. Countless young men had sworn an oath to become the lord of a province and its castle. Now, with the opportunity to achieve it, even Hosokawa Fujitaka from next door would sell everything he owned to try and make it in Tango.

As night fell, Murakami Kunikiyo, with the assistance and protection of about a hundred core samurai, opened the back gate and fought his way out of Matsunaga Castle, retreating towards Komatsu Castle. He probably wouldn't defend the castle anyway; he'd find a boat and head straight for Uesugi Kagetora.

Although Murakami Kunikiyo did not support Uesugi Kagetora during the previous Otate Rebellion, given the current situation, Murakami Kunikiyo has no one else to support if he doesn't side with Uesugi Kagetora.

Murakami Kunikiyo was not without value; the former Shinano governor, Ogasawara Nagatoki, was now living a leisurely life as a member of the Taka family in Kyoto. Of the four great generals of Shinano, the Suwa clan had been almost wiped out, the Kiso clan had surrendered to Oda, leaving only Murakami Kunikiyo, who was not under Oda's control.

Uesugi Kagetora and Hojo Ujimasa wanted to win over the hearts of the people of Shinano. Using Murakami Kunikiyo as their banner to pacify Shinano was much easier than if they went themselves.

Because of its remote location and limited external exchanges, many old customs and traditions remain deeply ingrained in the eastern region. That's why Nobunaga tried to win over Toyama Yoshiharu; what he really wanted was the title of one of the legitimate heirs of the Uesugi clan, publicly adopted by Uesugi Kenshin.

Regardless of how Murakami Kunikiyo fled, within a few days, the Asai army captured Matsuto and eliminated Komatsu, and victoriously joined forces with Toyama Yoshiharu in Kanazawa.

Having fulfilled his feudal military obligations to the Oda clan, Toyama Yoshiharu immediately dispatched envoys to Oda Nobunaga and Oda Nobuhiro. His mission was twofold: first, to solidify his position as the governor of Noto, and second, to demonstrate the strength of his hold on Noto by controlling the central government under Oda Nobunaga. The matter of Nagaretsu would undoubtedly be discussed, and its resolution would depend on Nobunaga's decision.

Secondly, immediately send someone to contact Oda Nobuhiro, who, as the commander of the legion commanders, effectively took over the command of the entire Oda clan's eastern front in place of Oda Nobunaga.

Before the downfall of the Uesugi and Hojo clans, Oda Nobuhiro was Toyama Yoshiharu's superior. Without cultivating a proper relationship, Nobuhiro might have sent him to...

Chongchun Rishan City Gate.

Looking back at Shichibei in Kishiwada Castle, he was truly bedridden. It wasn't due to overwork; although Shichibei was often at Nobunaga's beck and call, he wasn't that ill. It was the immense emotional turmoil that caused him to become so depressed.

If the symptoms cannot be released, it can indeed lead to physical illness. Later generations' depression may initially appear as a mental issue, but as it progresses to later stages, it can cause serious physical ailments. This has scientific basis; it's not just nonsense.

Living in constant fear leads to anxiety and mental instability, causing the person to go insane before falling ill. Without prompt treatment, the disease progresses rapidly, and the person may die within a year or two.

Of course, Shichibei wouldn't go that far; he just felt sad, as if he had wasted his life.

After enduring the uproar throughout Kishiwada Castle and receiving treatment from several renowned doctors brought in from Sakai, Shichibei regained consciousness. Upon waking, he received an order from Nobunaga to remain in the castle and await punishment, after which he collapsed again.

Upon hearing the news, Shichibei simply lay down, devoid of emotion. For over a decade or two, he had served his family faithfully, always at their beck and call, and he had never harbored any disloyalty. Now, for a single remark, Shichibei was being confined to the city awaiting punishment. What more could he possibly want?

There's not much to say.

No matter how much you say, it's just a matter of shedding a few more tears; tears won't win Oda Nobunaga's sympathy.

477. Nobunaga's Unique Way of Apologizing

The development of the situation was so dizzying that Araki Murashige, who had held out in Hanakuma Castle for several more months, could no longer hold on. Almost alone, he fled to Aki by small boat overnight, along with a Mori general in Hanakuma Castle, abandoning about a hundred mid- to high-ranking retainers and more than three thousand Mori soldiers.

Takayama Shigetomo and Nakagawa Kiyohide, who had been besieging Hanakuma Castle, captured it in one fell swoop, and the entire Settsu province came under Takayama Shigetomo's control. Takayama Shigetomo himself received 260,000 koku, while Nakagawa Kiyohide received 80,000 koku, making him another reserve corps commander under Nobunaga.

More than three thousand Mori prisoners were thrown into the Settsu-Tada Copper Mine, bought by Kawamura-ya, and forced to serve three years of hard labor in exchange for their lives.

However, Nobunaga still issued a strict order to hunt down and kill the senior retainers left behind by Araki Murashige. Anyone who dared to harbor the Araki family and their senior retainers would have their entire family executed upon discovery.

When Araki Murashige and the Mori generals fled, the Araki clan and their retainers, unable to escape, scattered in all directions. Amidst the chaos, many people did flee Hanakuma Castle.

The dozens of people arrested were escorted to Kyoto by Shigetomo Takayama.

Without a word, Nobunaga ordered the executions, and all the severed heads were displayed alongside the Hatano brothers.

Killing these people is normal; Hanakuma Castle wasn't surrendered by surrendering; it resisted to the end and ultimately fled. Beheading them after capture is standard practice. Hunting down their remaining followers is also entirely understandable.

The problem is that someone ran away to Mount Koya.

This is Mount Koya, the place where Sakuma Nobumori was exiled. This area has not yet officially submitted to Nobunaga. However, Oda Nobunaga has a connection to Mount Koya, a connection related to his father, Oda Nobuhide.

In 1521, a massive fire destroyed the entire Mount Koya, burning down all 4,200 temples, shrines, and monks' quarters below the Golden Hall. The entire Kongō-bō-ji Temple on Mount Koya was nearly destroyed as a result.

At that time, Mount Koya was divided into three groups: scholars, practitioners, and saints. We have already introduced the scholars and practitioners when we introduced Negoro-ji Temple. The saint group, which is an additional group at Mount Koya, can be discussed in detail.

The so-called Koya Saints were a group of people who went out to preach, travel to famous mountains and rivers, and experience the world. After the Great Koya Fire, they had an additional responsibility: "Kanjin" (劝进). This word has a completely different meaning in Japanese than in Chinese; taking one of its meanings, it means fundraising.

To revitalize Kongō-ō-ji Temple on Mount Kōya, thousands of people from Kōya traveled throughout Japan to conduct a large-scale fundraising campaign. As the head temple of the Shingon sect, Kongō-ō-ji Temple holds a very high position.

By then, the Warring States period had begun, and the generous gifts from the imperial court and nobles that had been received through the patronage of the monk Kūkai had largely vanished. To obtain funds for reconstruction, they had to rely on the powerful daimyo throughout the country.

Among them was Nobunaga's great-father, Oda Nobuhide. Nobuhide was very keen on befriending the imperial court, nobles, temples, and shrines. He not only presented huge sums of money to the imperial court, but also contributed funds to the reconstruction of Ise Grand Shrine.

Naturally, when Mount Koya was being rebuilt, Oda Nobuhide generously donated funds, hoping to use this opportunity to elevate his rank and strengthen his ties with the imperial court.

Because the reconstruction relied on donations from feudal lords, the buildings surrounding the main hall of Mount Koya today are, in theory, the "lower temples" of the feudal lords.

When Sakuma Nobumori was exiled to Mount Koya, he lived in the lower courtyard that Oda Nobuhide had funded and built. Naturally, the Oda family and Mount Koya became connected to some extent.

But if the Oda family is in contact, why aren't the other families?

Dozens of feudal lords donated funds, and dozens of lower temples gathered; Takano Seimichi

Through extensive fundraising, Mount Koya became a transit point and central hub for communication among the feudal lords of the land. This also greatly strengthened the connection between Mount Koya and the feudal lords, making Koya Sacred Mountain a significant force within the mountain.

Oh, and there's one more thing that needs to be clearly explained: why Mount Koya holds such a prestigious position.

It is not only because of the founding of the temple by the great master Kūkai, but also because Kongō-bō-ji enshrines the ancestral tablets of the Japanese emperors, making it the "Taimō" (Imperial Ancestral Temple) of the Japanese Imperial Family.

In terms of political status, it is even higher than Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei, the head temple of the Tendai sect.

Upon receiving intelligence, Oda clan constables were ordered to enter Mount Koya and conduct a search of the entire temple area. However, Mount Koya, citing a special permission granted by the Imperial Court and the Muromachi Shogunate, refused entry to the Oda clan constables.

To put it simply, it's similar to Kai Erinji Temple, which sheltered defeated soldiers back then, but of course, Mount Koya has a higher status and greater strength.

The underlying reason was to maintain the 170,000-stone temple territory and its transcendent political status, so that it could carry out its own "Buddhist teachings" within the temple territory and not impose labor on generals or any other rulers, thus continuing to exempt itself from all kinds of labor.

They were confident that they could use the status of the "Imperial Ancestral Temple" to negotiate with Oda Nobunaga.

After all, Oda Nobunaga was currently at a crucial juncture in his cooperation with the Imperial Court, with the upcoming events of the Imperial Horse Trip and the Emperor's visit to Azuchi-Seiryo-den Palace, and Nobunaga was also about to be promoted to Minister of the Right. This was precisely the time to negotiate terms with Nobunaga.

Future generations will surely think that the monks of Kongōbō-ji Temple on Mount Kōya are out of their minds, a lesson not far removed from that of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Eizan, yet they still dare to act so recklessly.

If later generations lament but do not learn from their mistakes, they will only cause future generations to lament again.

Those involved are often blinded by their own perspective, while bystanders see things more clearly. There are always those who think they are unique and can withstand Oda Nobunaga's sword.

The arresting officers dispatched by Nobunaga were all high and mighty, after all, they were officials under the jurisdiction of the people of the land, and when they came to arrest a wanted criminal, their tone was certainly that of angels. The people of Mount Koya were also very arrogant, and the two sides started fighting as soon as they disagreed.

The Kono Satoshi gang numbered in the thousands, overwhelming the Oda clan's officers, who numbered only thirty-odd. How could two fists fight four hands? Then the officers drew their swords; otherwise, they would have only suffered minor injuries. They drew their swords? The Kono Satoshi swarmed forward, hacking several Oda clan officers to death. This completely escalated the situation.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple, huh? Well, today I'll be the mighty General and give your Imperial Ancestral Temple a good cleaning.

"How long are you going to lie here?" Shichibei was lying there doing nothing when Oda Nobunaga's shout was like thunder, hitting Shichibei's eardrums.

"My lord!" Shichibei practically leaped out of bed.

"Summon all the generals and come with me to Mount Koya to meet those bald thieves." Nobunaga slammed his sword on the floor with a heavy thud.

"Yes, yes, yes." Swallowing his saliva, Shichibei responded repeatedly.

It was only because Oda Nobunaga came in person that anyone else could have made it from outside Kishiwada Castle all the way to Shichibei's bedside. Even if there was unrest in the household, as long as Nobunaga wanted to seize the army, no one would refuse.

His face is his greatest asset; his prestige is deeply ingrained, and the world is in awe of him.

"Why aren't you putting on your armor? Open the rice granaries and supply the army." Nobunaga plopped down in Shichibei's main seat and issued the order.

Nobunaga led his own force of 18,000 cavalry into Kishiwada Castle, and then had Shichibei bring in another 12,000 cavalry, making a total of 30,000 men, enough to burn the castle to the ground.