Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

One thing happens today, another tomorrow, and what will it be like the day after? Being tormented by Nobunaga like this every day—one day a big slap on the wrist, the next a sweet treat—how can anyone live like this?

"Since I came to serve in Tsushima, I have never had any disloyal intentions." Shichibei truly had no disloyal intentions, because it was not easy to find a lord like Nobunaga who was so hands-off and only cared about money.

The key point is that Nobunaga lent him money and he even paid interest?

Especially considering that Shichibei was still his retainer, he still paid interest on the loan. This was extremely rare, and it was the first time Shichibei had ever seen such a thing.

"The fact that our lord is loyal does not mean that others are loyal." Toudou Takatora knew, of course, that Shichibei had never been disloyal; if he were, it would be impossible.

There wasn't a trace left.

"Even if others have ulterior motives, so what?" Shichibei had already discussed this before. Given the situation of the Oda clan, there was no chance that a single legion commander could succeed in rebellion.

If two or three legion commanders rebel, who will lead them?

"Fifty years have passed in the human world. The Regent's Palace is already forty-seven years old, and even the Mori-dono of Mount Tamon has come of age," Takenaka Hanbei suddenly said.

Even his beloved Mori Ranmaru was allowed to undergo his coming-of-age ceremony, and his sexual desires were no longer fulfilled. Nobunaga's stamina was probably far from what it used to be. If he couldn't even handle this, how long could his body sustain it?

"Hiss..." Captain Shichibei gasped. Could this really be explained like this?

481. Nobunaga's health was not as good as before.

No matter how much he planned, Shichibei had never considered this aspect. He had spent thirty or forty years calculating, yet he couldn't understand it as clearly as Todo Takatora before him.

What a waste of my life!

Yes, Oda Nobunaga even gave his most beloved Mori Ranmaru a coming-of-age ceremony, so he no longer had to walk the ditch. The Oda Nobunaga who could run two kilometers barefoot without even breaking a sweat back then is probably "twilight years old" now.

If he still had any energy left, he wouldn't have given up. Even Emperor Qianlong next door was holding a selection of concubines at eighty. Even if he didn't have the energy, he still wanted to project an image of being capable, to make the whole world think he was powerful.

It's no wonder that throughout history, the emperor's private life has been a highly confidential matter. Even now, Shichibei doesn't know whether Nobunaga is closer to Mori Ranmaru or to Lady Nohime.

Unfortunately, Mori Ranmaru was Mori Yoshinari's legitimate son, and theoretically, he would inherit the 70,000 koku left by Mori Yoshinari. Therefore, as a member of a samurai family, he was required to undergo coming-of-age rites and perform military service and civilian duties.

Thus, Nobunaga's affair with Mori Ranmaru was openly and brazenly made public.

He came out. It's just that Shichibei hadn't thought about it in the past, but now that he thinks about it carefully, that's indeed the case.

Nobunaga is not as good as he used to be.

"Hmph." Todo Takatora snorted twice, and Shichibei's silent expression showed that Shichibei also agreed with his words.

"To be honest, I wasn't entirely unprepared," Shichibei said slowly, rubbing his thigh.

This refers to the incident a few days ago in the Settsu-Arioka-Toyoshima camp, where Oda Nobutada tried to recruit Shichibei, the most honest and loyal man in Owari, into his ranks.

Nobutada has promised to peacefully inherit Nobunaga's vast fortune. He not only intends to use Shichibei to continue providing him with a steady stream of loans and cash, but also to use Shichibei to stabilize the morale of the Owari people.

Thinking about it carefully, Nobutada's initial efforts to win over Shichibei back then were perhaps aimed at quickly stabilizing the situation in the post-Nobunaga era. If Shichibei, this powerful figure, could be brought into the limelight, a large number of people wouldn't cause trouble.

After all, Kawamura Nagayoshi was the best transitional chief retainer between Nobunaga and his son Nobutada. He was practically a master of the "Face Fruit" (a metaphor for prestige and influence).

Even a human can say a few polite words when they see a ghost.

Although he didn't participate in the Battle of Inohara or the Battle of Okehazama, Shichibei was involved directly or indirectly in almost every battle, large or small, that followed. He was present at the Battle of Shin-Anegawa and commanded the Battle of Ishiyama. In terms of seniority, Shichibei was already among the most senior members of the Oda clan.

"The Regent and Gifu-dono father and son are truly adept at manipulating people's hearts." After listening to Shichibei's account, Takenaka Hanbei and Todo Takatora were both deeply impressed.

"It's not manipulation."

"It is not the human heart."

The first sentence was said by Shichibei, and the second sentence was said by Saegusa Morinaka.

Shichibei said it wasn't manipulation? Because removing troublemakers from Mino and Owari was something everyone had anticipated. In the future, Mino and Owari would most likely become direct territories under the Oda regime, belonging to all the people of the land. There wouldn't be any troublemakers in these areas; they would just pay taxes.

Therefore, anyone could be exiled or banished; the only difference would be the order in which they were exiled. Even those who weren't removed as troublemakers would, like Tsuda Nobuyoshi whom we just met, be transferred from their former territory in the Inuyama area to Kita Kawachi.

Lord Ikeda Tsuneoki of Inuyama Castle has already been granted a fief of 100,000 koku in Osaka. Can you be closer to Nobunaga than him? He and Nobunaga were practically inseparable, sharing the same milk.

How can something so common knowledge be considered manipulation? At most, it's just a whim that leaves everyone bewildered. The result is what it is, but the process was exhausting.

"What do you mean?" But it wasn't about people's hearts, which was a bit strange. Shichibei and the other two turned to Sanegori Morinaka, who was guarding the door.

"I'm sorry, but in my opinion, this is a change in the situation." Saegusa Morinao wasn't particularly intimidated. He had been working as Shichibei's security guard and errand boy every day and had seen many different situations.

"The situation?"

"Whether it's Nobi or Kinai, they have been basically integrated into the Tenryo (Heavenly Territory)," Saegusa Morinao stated clearly.

Shichibei had previously discovered that the Kinai region was mainly being used to settle Owari lords with 10,000 to 20,000 koku of land, while the remaining large tracts of land were under Nobunaga's direct control. Within the Kinai region alone, there was no longer any force capable of challenging Nobunaga.

If Saegusa Morinao hadn't felt anything before the conversation, then upon hearing that Oda Nobunaga's health was gradually declining...

Then everything makes perfect sense.

From his youth, Oda Nobunaga was a fierce warrior who led his pageboys and retainers on relentless charges, often going days and nights without sleep for the sake of battle. During the Battle of Okehazama, he endured several sleepless nights. While he didn't have as many bullet holes as Todo Takatora, he still had his share.

During the attack on Ishiyama, he was ambushed by Shimoma Yorimitsu and seriously wounded. At that time, even Akechi Mitsuhide was rendered incapacitated and fell unconscious on the spot. During the attack on Kii Province, he also survived an assassination attempt by arquebusiers, being shot in the thigh.

To put it bluntly, we may not know, but Nobunaga himself probably did know that he wouldn't last many more years.

His body was rapidly collapsing, so Nobunaga had to pave the way for Nobutada as soon as possible to ensure the succession and stability of the Oda regime.

The day before, Nobunaga had massacred over a thousand people, including Konoha Sacred Bodyguard. Nobunaga was promoted to Minister of the Right, and Nobutada was promoted to Junior Third Rank, Left General of the Imperial Guard. With Nobunaga's death, Nobutada's status, position, and power were second to none in the Oda clan. Unless all his retainers rebelled, a single rebellion by one or two individuals was simply no match for Nobutada.

“Hiss…” Saegusa Morinaka’s words make some sense.

It's normal that Nobunaga can't handle the game anymore, he's almost fifty.

Alright, you can still play every day? Looking at Nobunaga and Nobutada's constant torment of the old retainers, I just feel that the two of them are a bit rash and don't care about the old retainers.

What if we combine the two?

"I have a humble opinion." Saegusa Morinaka truly deserves to be called a key figure in the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate in history.

It's no wonder that Tokugawa Ieyasu favored the historical figure Ii Naomasa so much; it wasn't just because they had a sexual relationship. Ii Naomasa also possessed political talent, the ability to connect clues, and analytical skills.

"That's insightful." Todo Takatora also thought of Nobunaga's poor health, but the follow-up was being made and disseminated. Saegusa Morinao had already made the arrangements.

“If the Regent’s Palace is to be established within the next year or two…” Takenaka Hanbei suddenly lowered his voice.

"The situation is still uncertain." That was the first thing Shichibei said.

Xinzhong's competence is not a major issue; he could easily deal with any legion commander who rebelled. However, his recent extremely chaotic actions have unsettled the senior officials. While the probability of Xinzhong rising up in rebellion after taking power is low, the likelihood of him outwardly complying while inwardly resisting is not small.

This is all too common in Japanese history: regents usurping the emperor's power, regents effectively controlling the shogun, and the household governor (Naikanrei) further weakening the regent's authority. It even escalated to...

After that, even a magistrate like Oda Nobuhide was able to sideline the governor.

Given Xinzhong's strength, he certainly wouldn't be easily sidelined. However, provided that the senior officials didn't rebel, it was perfectly normal for them to unite and share power from Xinzhong.

A system of joint deliberation by senior officials.

You, Nobunaga Nobutada, wanted to establish a one-man rule. In Nobunaga's time, no one dared to say much. Even Sakuma Nobumori, who dared to speak out, was silenced. But Nobutada, right? That might not be the case.

Nobutada hadn't yet killed Mori Terumoto's entire family and established his renowned reputation throughout Japan. People feared Nobunaga, but they weren't afraid of him.

If Nobunaga were to pass away tomorrow, the day after, the elders of the Oda clan would be able to jointly sign the petition to be offered to the gods and Buddhas, a process known as "joint petition." Without the joint signatures of the senior retainers who participated in the deliberation, the document signed by Nobutada would be invalid.

This is similar to how imperial edicts from neighboring countries, lacking the countersignature of the prime minister, could only be referred to as "imperial decrees." However, the difference between China and Japan lies in the fact that Japan's high-ranking officials each controlled multiple provinces and counties, commanded large armies, and had the power to speak loudly.

Even with Nobunaga present, it was still necessary to first send Sakuma Nobueshi away as a hostage.

Then, little by little, he stripped away size and force, and finally kicked Nobumori away, exiling him to Mount Koya.

If it were Xinzhong, the senior officials would have already banded together, ready to give him a good sparring match as soon as he took his first or second steps.

Previously, Nobutada's ability to win over Shichibei might have been partly motivated by a desire to bring this potentially influential confederate into his own service. If Shichibei, this good-natured man, hadn't stepped forward to facilitate the connection, it would have taken considerable time and effort for others to quickly unite and consolidate their power.

The secret meeting was so intense it sent chills down my spine.

However, it must be said that it was also quite fruitful. Shichibei immediately sent people to secretly inquire about Nobunaga's current appetite, bowel movements, sleep, and other related conditions. In the past, Shichibei wouldn't have paid much attention to such trivial matters, but now that he heard Nobunaga's health was failing, he had to be very concerned.

Eating little, having difficulty defecating, and sleeping poorly are definitely signs that one is nearing the end of their life.

Some elderly people die from constipation. Given their diet and lifestyle, intestinal obstruction is not an uncommon occurrence.

Anyway, we have connections; Masaki Sanada is in contact with his good nephew.

Sanada Genjiro, and Inase Yoshinari, are connected to his good older brother, Inase Sukeemon.

Nobunaga had to inspect every single night's chamber pot!

Don't be disgusted. King Goujian of Yue endured hardship and even ate the excrement of King Fuchai of Wu. It's nothing; we don't need to see it with our own eyes. We can just send someone to check. While this kind of thing may be considered shameful, it can provide a very direct indication of a person's physical health.

In ancient times, after each emperor used the toilet, a special imperial physician would observe the condition of his "dew" (vital fluid). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the emperors' dew was even kept in confidential archives.

Eating is even easier to understand. In those days, poor samurai, because they didn't have much oil or fat, were allowed to eat their fill, sometimes consuming ten pounds of rice in one meal. Even though Nobunaga's diet was relatively rich in oil and fat, it was normal for him to eat two or three pounds of rice in one meal. Otherwise, Japan wouldn't have developed the "forced meal" for entertaining guests.

The rice is piled high in the bowl, forming a pillar shape, and each bowl weighs two or three pounds. This allows the guests to enjoy a hearty meal of white rice.

As for the one who orchestrated the meeting of important officials through collusion?

Shichibei really didn't want to be the head of this conspiracy, preferring to let his loyal younger brother Tokugawa Ieyasu from Mikawa, or his beloved younger brother Asai Nagayoshi from Kohoku, take the lead.

It would be so much better if they could manage things properly. They already possessed considerable independence, and when Nobunaga was alive, they naturally served him as his subjects. Now that Nobunaga is gone, they are, in principle, Nobutada's good uncles.

Besides, there are plenty of smart people these days. If Shichibei can talk about it, why wouldn't other legion commanders or city lords talk about it?

Even intelligent people like Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu were able to figure this out themselves.

Shichibei possessed ambition, but it wasn't great. It was mainly focused on the business world. As for a real Osaka tycoon's wrath causing widespread fear among feudal lords? That was extremely difficult. Many wealthy merchants in the Edo period had their properties confiscated; those who escaped were merely high-class moneybags.

By the way, with so many people being released at once, Takenaka Hanbei's younger brother, Takenaka Shigenori, was still following Ando Mamoru with about a hundred men. I wonder if he's been implicated yet, considering the Takenaka family split in two, trying to hedge their bets.

Someone was sent to inquire, and sure enough, Takenaka Shigenori was implicated and stripped of his rank as well. This wasn't surprising; after all, Takenaka Shigenori had joined Ando Morinari as a retainer, and now trouble had arisen.

But it doesn't matter. Takenaka Hanbei received 10,000 koku of azuki beans from Shichibei. Even if he's banished from there, he'll still have a place to stay here.

Historically, Yamauchi Kazutoyo's younger brother, Yamauchi Yasutoyo, specifically went to serve Toyotomi Hidetsugu. When Hidetsugu fell from power, Yamauchi Yasutoyo simply returned to Yamauchi Kazutoyo, and his son smoothly took over the Yamauchi family. Not only was the transition seamless, but it was even more convenient than Kazutoyo's own rise to wealth.

Instead of worrying about those who bet on both sides, we should worry more about ourselves.

News kept pouring in from all directions, and one of them particularly intrigued Shichibei. Lin Xiuzhen and her son Lin Yiji had been exiled, so normally they should be kept under surveillance, either sent to Hamamatsu or Kita-sho.

However, in practice, things were not like that at all. After being exiled, Lin Xiuzhen went by boat to Yoshida-Koriyama Castle in Aki Province. Lin Yiji himself remained in Kyoto, neither exiled nor becoming a monk.

It was as if he were a hostage.

This arrangement certainly raises some questions. Unfortunately, none of Shichibei's men around Nobunaga provided any useful information.

Speaking of Hayashi Hideyoshi's status alone, he was the chief retainer of the Oda clan for many years, and even after he was handed over to Nobutada, he was still theoretically the chief retainer of the Oda clan. It's just that Nobunaga's own chief retainer was replaced by Sakuma Nobumori, and the second chief retainer was Niwa Nagahide.

The long-established chief retainer of the Oda clan was suddenly sentenced to exile. However, the destination of his exile was the territory of the rival Mori clan, which seems to have some historical significance.

In terms of status, Lin Xiuzhen was absolutely trustworthy enough to gain Mori Terumoto's trust. So they were simply exiled to Yoshida-Koriyama Castle, while the eldest son remained in Kyoto, and the two were exiled separately.