Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Even if there were any, they would have been besieged to death, not captured by brute force. Oda Nobunaga spent hundreds of thousands of kan (a unit of currency), appointed Niwa Nagahide as the chief commissioner for the construction of the castle, mobilized more than 8,000 laborers, and recruited tens of thousands of workers to level Azuchi Mountain and dig Azuchi Port.

Such a magnificent city could not have been taken over so suddenly.

"This is just my advice to you, but you must keep it in mind." Shichibei couldn't explain it too clearly because it was all speculation.

All the legions from the Kinki region were to be mobilized westward to kill Mori Terumoto's entire family. Except for Azai Nagamasa, who remained in Azuchi or the Kinki region, everyone else was to go into battle.

Everyone's out in battle, so why is there chaos?

"Hmm?" The young general raised his head slightly to check on Shichibei's expression and found that Shichibei was speaking quite solemnly.

"A storm is brewing." Shichibei gently stroked the young general's hand.

"Understood." The young general then lowered his head and nestled into Shichibei's arms.

"My lord, this is a golden opportunity!" Endo Kiemon said decisively.

“Hmm…” Asai Nagamasa only hesitated.

"The fact that 100,000 koku of rice from the government was allocated to Niwa Echizen no Kami is very significant." Another senior retainer, Isono Kazumasa, believes that something has changed.

Originally, when Niwa Nagahide was promoted to the fifth rank, Echizen Moritsugu, everyone was not...

What do you think? At that time, Azai Nagamasa was a fourth-rank official, a high-ranking official, and owned 450,000 koku of rice in six districts of Echizen. He was a very powerful and influential man.

The Oda and Uesugi clans are now openly at odds. From this winter to next spring, Azai Nagamasa will be waiting in Azuchi or Kyoto. If he doesn't need to go to the western provinces, he will have to go to Echigo to attack Uesugi Kagetora.

Winning might not be a good thing, because a victory could lead to being transferred to Echigo Province to suppress the remnants of the Uesugi clan. Anyway, Azai Nagamasa is a physician, so it doesn't matter where he's placed.

On the contrary, Niwa Nagahide could openly and legitimately possess the entire province of Echizen, becoming the true governor of Echizen. After all, Azai Nagamasa had risen from being a vassal lord through coercion among allied feudal lords to a vassal lord, and now he had practically become a powerful daimyo. In terms of closeness and distance, Niwa Nagahide, who had followed Nobunaga since the uprising in Owari, was undoubtedly the closest.

It was obvious that they wanted to drive Azai Nagamasa to attack Uesugi, and then transfer him to the frontier.

Those close to Nobunaga in Owari could receive territories surrounding the Kinki region. Nobunaga Nobutada himself and his clan possessed the territories of Kinki and Nobori, forming a tightly interconnected and highly secure network.

"If we are truly forced to relocate to Echigo, we will wish we were dead!" Akao Kiyofuyu (Akao Kiyotsunako) exclaimed excitedly.

That's true. Transferring from Jiangbei to Echizen is barely acceptable. Firstly, it's 150,000 koku in Jiangbei, and 450,000 koku in Echizen. Secondly, the two places are not far apart, they're right next door, so they're quite familiar with each other.

Moving from Jiangbei to the harsh and cold Echigo was truly a journey away from home.

"This time, we will enter Azuchi, and with the other armies outside, after beheading them, we will contact the Mori army and sweep through the land." Isono Kazumasa's plan was simple.

The Asai army brazenly entered Azuchi Castle and sent envoys to explain the situation to the Mori clan, requesting them to engage the Oda army on their expedition. In the Kinai region, all that was needed was to kill Nobunaga, and the troops besieging the castle would immediately collapse.

That's how the Japanese army was: once the commander died, not only did the army's discipline disappear, but it also meant that the soldiers' rewards would go unpaid. Even if a few stayed behind to resist, it would be futile under the influence of the vast majority of deserters.

Moreover, the Asai army could easily take advantage of the situation and crush all the resistance. After beheading Nobunaga and capturing Azuchi Castle, the land north of the river would once again fall under the Asai family's control. Given Azai Nagamasa's prestige in the area, mobilizing five thousand men would be a small number.

They could easily advance eastward and seize Gifu Castle, which was left undefended. Gaining control of Gifu would then allow them to control the Nakasendo and Tokaido routes.

All reinforcements were blocked east of Jinjiang.

With the Mori clan to the west and the Uesugi and Hojo clans to the east, there's at least a 60% chance of winning.

The remaining 40% mainly depend on the possibility that Oda Nobutada might lead his armies to negotiate peace with the Mori clan, relinquishing all western territories to the Mori and leading his core troops back to the Kinai region.

But even at the fastest speed, this kind of thing still takes a month or two. It would also take a month to get back from the rear guard front, unless you abandoned all your supplies and ran back barefoot.

Running back naked won't get you into battle; you'll be met with a crushing defeat by Asai Nagamasa.

Besides that, there was another problem. Oda Nobunaga and Crown Prince Naruhito were inseparable. Historically, Prince Naruhito was in Honno-ji Temple. When Mitsuhide stormed in, he directly asked himself, as the Crown Prince whom Nobunaga had installed, whether he should commit seppuku according to the rules. In the end, Mitsuhide softened and said, "You can run away." So he was escorted out of Honno-ji Temple with the women.

Thanks to Nobunaga's influence, Azai Nagamasa has maintained some connections with the imperial court over the past two years. He also has several people in the court, but he is unsure whether he can obtain legitimate legitimacy from the court.

If the Imperial Court couldn't get it, then they could only get it from the Shogunate. Having someone as troublesome as Yoshiaki Akira was like swallowing a fly for Azai Nagamasa.

However, attacking and killing Oda Nobunaga is something that cannot be done without a righteous cause. Nobunaga was already the de facto ruler of the land, and his relationship with the imperial court was highly intertwined.

"Has the time truly come?" Asai Nagamasa poked at the fire in the stove in front of him, his tone not entirely certain.

486. Xinzhong was ordered to offer mirror cakes.

To ensure large-scale logistical support, Shichibei mobilized all of the troops from the Riki clan. This included Akaza Naoyasu from Echizen, Ogawa Yutada and Kuchiki Motonsuna from Kohoku, and Aochi Shigetsuna from Konan.

These men didn't directly engage in combat; their main role was to guard the ports, ships, and warehouses along the Seto Inland Sea. They carried hundreds of thousands of koku of rice as military rations, along with other supplies piled up like mountains. They even had over half a million pairs of straw sandals—not just for people, but also for horses.

When going to war, horses without horseshoes must wear riding shoes. A simple conflict could consume hundreds or even thousands of pairs of riding shoes.

Including Hideyoshi, who was originally stationed in Nagahama, Kobe, he transferred Kobe and the rest of the army to the front line of Bichu. At this time, most of the rest of Omi Province were on the outer perimeter, except for Nobunaga's 17,000 cavalry troops under Azuchi Castle.

With such a formidable military force, Shichibei couldn't understand what could possibly go wrong. How could Mitsuhide, under the dual protection of 17,000 men and Azuchi Castle, possibly kill Nobunaga?

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

Therefore, Shichibei left Azuchi Castle with relative peace of mind. Soon, Oda Nobutada would also lead an army of 30,000 to Aki. With Nobutada and Nobunaga completely separated, and Nobutada having over 100,000 troops under his command, his safety was excellent.

They rushed back to Sakai, where a large amount of military supplies needed to be taken care of. Therefore, both Sakai and Kishiwada, the two ports, needed to participate in the logistical preparations for the expedition. If necessary, Osaka would also have to be mobilized. Although Ishiyama Gobo was demolished and more than half of Ishiyama Town was burned down, there were still some remnants.

Ikeda Tsuneoki used Hoanji Temple as a base, relocated and transferred some townhouses, and temporarily maintained the operation of Osaka by forming Jinyabanmachi (townhouses under the jurisdiction of the castle town). At this time, the castle town had about a few thousand townspeople, and its production capacity had greatly decreased, but its function as a transit point for transportation along the Yodo River was still intact.

Merchant ships traveling from Lake Biwa into Osaka Bay need to stop overnight in Osaka to rest fully in preparation for the risks of entering the ocean from the inland waterways later.

You said it's Chinese New Year?

If we don't celebrate the New Year, how can we have time to celebrate it?

Apart from Oda Nobunaga, who was appointed Minister of the Right and required to attend Emperor Ogimachi's New Year's ceremonies (Monsatsu Festival, Reishai Festival, and Kyonen Festival), even Nobutada was organizing his troops at Gifu Castle in preparation for battle.

As a courtier ranked alongside the Left Minister in the Grand Council of State, Nobunaga, as the Right Minister, also had to perform official duties for the imperial court. In Tang Dynasty terms, he would be addressed as the Right Vice-Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

As the Emperor's representative, the Grand Councilor was required to present "kagami mochi" (mirror rice cakes) to the various shrines. Kagami mochi is essentially rice cake, but the imperial rice cakes were decorated more elaborately. In later anime such as *Chibi Maruko-chan* or *Crayon Shin-chan*, the kagami mochi appears in two layers, placed in an offering box, conveying the intended meaning.

The Emperor's kagami mochi (mirror rice cakes) even use specially cultivated "mirror rice." In the past, when the Imperial Court still had some dignity, it would often collect rice from major agricultural regions throughout the country. Now, only the Yoshida family provides a small amount of rice to make kagami mochi for distribution. Nobunaga, as the lord of the temple, is to offer it to the Kyoto-shiki-nainjin (the shiki of the Engi shiki-jin namebook).

To everyone's surprise, Nobunaga summoned Oda Nobutada from Gifu and ordered Nobutada, a junior third-rank left lieutenant general, to also receive a kame mochi (a type of rice cake) to offer as tribute to the gods.

In this day and age, the worship of gods is a form of power, and a great one at that. Nobunaga's move was undoubtedly aimed at strengthening Oda Nobutada's authority within the imperial court.

Nobutada was in charge of the Kuji Machi no Myojin Shrine, a place that would take a long time to explain, but for those who know it, this shrine is located west of the Shijo-bomon gate in Kyoto. (The Imperial Court...)

By this time, Nobunaga had completely swayed him, and he had no complaints whatsoever about Nobutada receiving the inner deity of the Mirror Rice Ritual.

It was also agreed that after Nobutada returned victorious from Aki, a grand procession would be held before the emperor, where Nobutada would lead a hundred riders to be inspected by Emperor Ogimachi.

Everyone assumed that Oda Nobutada, who was reorganizing his troops in Gifu, had only led a few hundred followers and stayed at Honno-ji Temple in Kyoto. Nobunaga himself, along with two hundred pagemen and attendants, stayed at the residence of the Right General.

In addition, there may also be five hundred loyal followers of Murai Sadakatsu, the Kyoto Shojidai.

Lady Tsumaki suffered a miscarriage, resulting in the deaths of both mother and child. Not only did she lose the baby, but Lady Tsumaki herself also succumbed to shock and passed away.

When the news reached Akechi Mitsuhide's ears, he was struck dumb. He was not originally from Owari, unlike the other Owari generals who had close ties with Nobunaga's pagemen.

His wife's younger sister, Tsumabuki-dono, had finally gained Nobunaga's favor and become his concubine, but now she had passed away. With this, Mitsuhide had no one close to Nobunaga left.

Given Nobunaga's busy schedule, even if he had three heads and six arms, one

Nobunaga, standing atop the clouds of Azuchi Castle's castle tower, could hardly see many people or handle many matters. How could he possibly hear the voices of those far from home?

The vast majority of the information he received was probably instilled in him by people close to Nobunaga.

Even Kawamura Nagayoshi, widely praised as the most honest and loyal man in Owari, could only convey the difficulties of being a foreign retainer to Nobunaga through vehement remonstrance. Mitsuhide knew he lacked Kawamura Nagayoshi's courage to remonstrate with Nobunaga to the point of suicide.

What should we do now?

They were about to reorganize their troops to attack Inaba, Izumo, and Iwami, and with military affairs so busy, they had almost no time to deal with this sudden change.

Offering his daughters to Nobunaga as concubines? No, that's not the case. The *Akechi Gunki* (Records of the Akechi Army) clearly states that his daughters married Akechi Hidemitsu, Tsuda Nobusumi, and Hosokawa Tadaoki, respectively. This world is exactly the same, except that Tsuda Nobusumi's name is changed to Kagawa Nobusumi.

Where did they find a little daughter to marry Nobunaga as a concubine?

If a retainer's daughter is adopted, she cannot be sent to Nobunaga's door.

Now, Nobunaga's concubines are truly like those who have entered the capital, being divided among the daughters of nobles and courtiers. Sanjō Nishi Sane'e's daughter was carried directly into Nobunaga's bedroom.

In return, Nobunaga recommended Sanjō Nishi Saneie for the position of Dainagon (Grand Councilor). However, Nobunaga showed little favor to this concubine, and historical records about her are extremely scarce.

He neither gave birth nor received a posthumous Buddhist name.

His lack of children is related to Nobunaga's inability to walk on genitals; historically, only Tsumagi-dono became pregnant during Nobunaga's later years. However, he didn't even receive a posthumous Buddhist name, especially considering his father was Sanjo Nishi Saneide, which shows how poorly he was treated.

After that, Oda Nobuo, who raised them, paid her no attention at all.

The daughters of the Grand Councilor were all out of favor; could Akechi Mitsuhide really fool Nobunaga with an adopted daughter? It seems unlikely. If Shichibei's sisters hadn't all married, their status would be similar. But Shichibei's sisters weren't known for their talents or looks; they were girls raised in shops, from merchant families, so it's hard to say they possessed any particular elegance or refinement.

"My lord, the Right Attendant has sent word." The envoy knelt on the eaves of the house and called out to Mitsuhide, who was deep in thought inside.

"Bring it here so I can see it." Mitsuhide had already returned to Kameyama Castle and was conducting a general deployment of his troops.

Hosokawa Fujitaka and his son Tadaoki, along with Tsutsui Junkei, are already on their way. Once they reunite, they can march into San'in.

As he received the official document from the envoy, Akechi Mitsuhide's eyes suddenly narrowed. The document was simple, nothing of great importance. It simply requested that the imperial kitchen staff be dispatched from the Tanba region to prepare for the harvest festival.

In theory, personnel and ingredients should be sent, but in reality, it's just a matter of giving money to settle the matter. The Imperial Household and the court nobles have several estates in Tanba. In theory, Nobunaga demanded that Mitsuhide return them all to their original owners, but in reality, it's just a small portion of the "protection fee" money being handed over again.

For tasks like serving as a royal chef, a hundred or so kan (a unit of currency) would suffice to fulfill a feudal obligation. Since Nobunaga was busy, once Mitsuhide gave the money, he wouldn't concern himself with such trivial matters.

But one piece of information in the official document stirred a strange impulse in Akechi Mitsuhide. Nobunaga instructed Mitsuhide to deliver the imperial chef's ingredients from Tanba to the Vice Admiral Gifu, who was none other than Nobutada.

In other words, the official document clearly informed Mitsuhide that Nobunaga and Nobutada were both in Kyoto at that time. However, Mitsuhide's attendants in Kyoto did not report that a large army was gathering in Kyoto.

With Nobunaga refusing to engage in battle, his army naturally remained beneath Azuchi Castle. Nobutada's army of 30,000 men, once set out, would cause the earth to tremble and their advance would be boundless and endless.

"Take a look," Mitsuhide said, showing the official document to Saito Rizo, who had been invited.

"Hiss..." Saito Risa glanced at it and immediately understood the meaning behind it.

"Should we send someone to inquire about the situation in Kyoto?" Saito Rizo knew that Mitsuhide's feelings towards Nobunaga were very complicated, but Nobunaga was really pressing Mitsuhide step by step, leaving him no way out.

"It's already been dispatched." Mitsuhide was no ordinary man; he had already begun preparations when he summoned Saito Rizo.

“If that’s really the case, it would certainly be a good opportunity, but…” Saito Rizo wasn’t trying to discourage Mitsuhide, but rather wanted to clarify something.

Where does the righteous cause come from?

Nobunaga was clearly Mitsuhide's lord, and he was plotting rebellion. How could he command the land? Unless he received an imperial edict or the political endorsement of the shogunate.

Actually, for Guangxiu, the channels were already readily available, because Guangxiu...

Hideyoshi incorporated the more than two thousand mountain castle retainers of the Muromachi Shogunate. These retainers were seasoned veterans and swindlers in both the imperial court and the shogunate, with a complex web of connections.

However, being able to immediately contact the imperial court and the shogunate is one thing, but who is willing to defy public opinion and grant Mitsuhide a title is another matter entirely.

We can't exactly have the imperial court issue a decree to General Guangxiu, can we?

"I am also worried about this." Mitsuhide had not made up his mind; he was just pondering what his future held.

Should he first attack the Mori clan, wait to be transferred to Suo and Nagato provinces, reorganize, and then march south to attack Kyushu? Or should he ultimately be relegated to a remote position in Hyuga, living as an ordinary daimyo? Or should he seize the opportunity presented by his powerful military and strength to fight for himself?