Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"I'm under the eaves."

"Bring him in immediately."

Soon, one of the Owari samurai who had accompanied Lady Oichi in her dowry was brought before Nobunaga. Nobunaga vaguely remembered her, but he couldn't care less about anything else at the moment and immediately asked a question.

From this samurai, I learned that A-Hatsu, A-Jiang, and the heir of the Asai family had been sent to Koga and Iga as hostages.

"Nagamasa, Nagamasa, you are truly unforgivable." Nobunaga said through gritted teeth.

"Father, please proceed to Kameyama Castle immediately. Only Hyuga-no-kami's army is currently assembling. I will gather troops here and hold the position, awaiting your reinforcements." These words could only be spoken by Nobutada himself; no one else could utter them.

"My lord, the troops at Kameyama Castle number at least several thousand. If we request reinforcements now, they will surely arrive by noon tomorrow." Murai Sadakatsu was finally able to persuade him. As a retainer, he had to be prepared to cover the rear for his lord.

"Kankuro." This matter is extremely dangerous, and Nobutada is the successor that Nobunaga has been grooming, so he is naturally reluctant to part with him.

According to Lady Oichi, the area east of Kyoto is now teeming with thieves, and the area to the south is undoubtedly teeming with Koga and Iga mercenaries. This is only what Lady Oichi knows; the number of thieves she doesn't know about remains unknown.

The Kawamura army from Izumi and Kishu has already marched to Aki, leaving only the elderly, women, and children in Kishiwada Castle. The Ikeda father and son in Settsu and Osaka are said to have 100,000 koku of rice, but the common people have long since died out. They are still recruiting farmers to move in. Forget about the 6,000 people that should have been there out of 100,000 koku; even if Nobunaga had 2,000 of them, they would consider this sworn brother of Nobunaga to be risking his life.

Takayama Shigetomo and Nakagawa Kiyohide of Settsu Takatsuki Castle are still recruiting troops because Hanakuma Castle has just fallen. It is still unknown whether they can muster 6,000 men at this time.

The only force that can be considered reinforcements right now is Akechi Mitsuhide of Tanba Kameyama Castle.

Could a mere thousand or so men in Kyoto possibly withstand the massive army that Asai Nagamasa was launching? Even just holding out for one night would be extremely dangerous.

Nobunaga was afraid something would happen to Nobutada!

"The world can do without me, but not without my father!" Oda Nobutada suddenly grabbed his old father and pulled Nobunaga away, running outside.

He then instructed Nobunaga's page and attendants to immediately prepare horses and necessary weaponry, and led Nobunaga to flee to Akechi Mitsuhide's castle in Tanba.

Seeing the young headman Mori Ranmaru running over, Oda Nobutada showed no politeness, pointing at Mori Ranmaru and shouting, "Tamon, you're wearing your father's armor!"

With everything so drastically changed, it's always good to be extra cautious. It's crucial to have Mori Ranmaru, dressed in Nobunaga's armor, run out of Kyoto first to scout out the surrounding area.

Asai Nagamasa had even bribed the mountain people of Koga and Iga, so it's possible he had planted some spies around Kyoto. There were no troops around Kyoto, only Kameyama Castle had a large army to rely on.

"Only if Father escapes can I live. There are over ten thousand soldiers at Azuchi Castle, and even the rebel Asai can divide his forces to defeat them. If we attack now, our army may not be able to overwhelm them."

"Ten thousand. One day and one night, we can still defend it." Xinzhong touched his father's hand and suddenly noticed that the veins on his father's hand were showing.

Nobunaga was a naturally thin man, which allowed him to dress as a woman and dance for his retainers. It was precisely because of this that his health gradually deteriorated over the past two years, without anyone noticing. After all, Nobunaga was already thin, so losing another three or five pounds wouldn't have made much difference.

As long as his eyes remain sharp and intimidating, who cares if he's fat or thin?

It wasn't until he touched his father's hand just now that Xinzhong realized his father had grown old, truly old. His reluctance just now might not have been solely due to hesitation.

There was no time for the father and son to hesitate any longer. Nobutada slapped the horse's rump, urging Nobunaga to set off.

Before the Asai army could attack, Nobutada and Murai Sadakatsu immediately moved their thousand men into the Nijō Palace. Former Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihide and his two hundred retainers were also present at the Nijō Palace.

Although the Nijo Palace was damaged during the previous attack, it has now been completely repaired and handed over to Ashikaga Yoshihide to live in.

I reckon he won't stay long. Once Nobunaga succeeds as Grand Chancellor, that would be enough...

Toshiyoshi became the "Taka family," a mere mascot adorning the new Oda regime. The Nijō Palace would certainly be relinquished to the Oda family, serving as the residence of the Oda clan head within Kyoto.

The gates of Nijō Palace were opened, and Ashikaga Yoshihide, inside the castle, was bewildered, but Oda Nobutada, whom he certainly recognized, asked in surprise what had happened. He immediately learned that Azai Nagamasa had launched a rebellion and hired the Koga and Iga troops. With no way to escape from the southeast of Kyoto, they had no choice but to enter Nijō Palace and defend it to the death.

The conch shells immediately began to sound, the taiko drums thundered, and the soldiers donned their helmets and armor, lit the fuses, and were issued arrows. Even the elderly Ashikaga Yoshihide donned his armor, ready to follow Oda Nobutada into battle.

With Mori Ranmaru and more than twenty attendants leading the way, Nobunaga, escorted by his page and attendants, charged toward Tanba Kameyama Castle, keeping a distance of two or three hundred meters between the two sides.

Nobunaga made no adjustments to Nobutada's deployment requirements. At this moment, various rebel groups could indeed emerge outside Kyoto. Having Mori Ranmaru lead the way was truly necessary, and Mori Ranmaru didn't see anything wrong with it.

His relationship with Nobunaga was not just that of lord and subject; it was something else entirely. For a samurai to swear allegiance to his lord was an honor.

As everyone was running with their heads covered, Mori Ranmaru and his group, who were running at night with torches ahead, suddenly stopped. Looking into the distance, they could see a large number of candles on the street, and judging from the fire dragon, there was probably a procession of tens of thousands of people.

No!

An indescribable feeling rose in Oda Nobunaga's heart. Could it be? Could it be? Could it be?

Mori Ranmaru, at the forefront, sent out his attendants to address the approaching army. Theoretically, all the armies within the Kinai region were now under the protection of the Oda clan. Everyone was either a retainer of Nobunaga or a retainer's retainer. Every army was, in effect, an Oda army.

Upon seeing Oda Nobunaga, kneeling to greet him and offering loyal support to the emperor are all expected.

but……

He vaguely heard some shouts, and the man Nobunaga had sent ran ahead to confirm it before riding back alone. He brought a reply that terrified Oda Nobunaga.

Water-colored bellflower!

Who else could it be but Akechi Mitsuhide? Without any prior notice or summons, they were supposed to attack via the San'in (blocked) route.

Akechi Mitsuhide, who was fighting against the Western Hell, actually led an army of tens of thousands of people in the opposite direction towards Kyoto.

He immediately recalled the small bean bag that Lady Oichi had sent him. It turned out that Oichi had long suspected that Akechi Mitsuhide in the west of Kyoto, Azai Nagamasa in the east, and the Koga and Iga lords in the south had all rebelled at the same time.

The world is collapsing!

"Bang bang bang bang bang..." A series of rapid gunshots that tore through the night sky rang in everyone's ears.

Mori Ranmaru and his twenty-odd attendants, who were standing in front of Akechi Mitsuhide's army, were almost all hit by the Akechi army's arquebuses. Even their horses collapsed and died after a few neighs.

Even the horses of Nobunaga's attendants and pagemen were startled by the burst of gunfire and neighed slightly.

"Not good!" Nonomura Sanjuro Masashige immediately noticed that a group of men had broken off from the opposite side and were rushing towards them.

“You take the lord and go first, I will stay here to delay.” Nonomura Masashige immediately pointed at Sanada Genzaburo and Sanada Genjiro.

At this time, the son of a small local tycoon from Sanada village in a small prefecture of Shinano province became the most reliable person. After all, the Sanada brothers had almost no contact with anyone in the Oda family, except for their second uncle, Sanada.

Changhui worked tirelessly under Kawamura Nagayoshi to pay off his debts.

The incident happened so suddenly that even Mitsuhide Akechi rebelled, leaving almost no one to trust.

"Yes!" Sanada Genjiro immediately took Nobunaga's horse reins. Although he was only eleven years old, he was calm and composed.

He called to the pageboys whom Nobunaga had subdued in the eastern provinces, and, leading the somewhat dazed Nobunaga, spurred his horse and galloped away. Where to?

I don't know for now. It seems the entire Kinai region is in rebellion. They are Nobunaga's pageboys, and all this is known. But what good is knowing? We need to find a decent place to stay so we can prepare our army for war.

Go to Takatsuki? Takayama Shigetomo was Oda Nobunaga's good son-in-law, but he didn't have much power. Go to Osaka? Admittedly, Ikeda Tsuneoki grew up with Nobunaga, but he had even less power.

Go to Yamato or Kawachi? Akechi Mitsuhide has rebelled, and Tsutsui Junkei is probably in danger too. The remaining feudal lords only have 10,000 to 20,000 koku or 20,000 to 30,000 koku, which is nothing compared to the two major army commanders.

The Sanada brothers exchanged a glance and immediately decided to flee to Kishiwada Castle in Izumi. It wasn't that Kishiwada Castle had a large army, but rather...

Their second uncle, Sanada Masaaki, was a retainer of the Kawamura family, while Kawamura Nagayoshi was a kind and honest man who took in hundreds of Takeda samurai.

Even if the entire Oda clan rebels, Kawamura Nagayoshi probably won't.

The two men called to the twenty or thirty servants around them, and after examining the barely perceptible moonlight and starlight of the new moon, they turned their horses around and, with Oda Nobunaga, who was barely able to speak, headed towards Izumi.

Soon behind them came various sounds of fighting and shouting. Oda Nobunaga's shouts were heard four or five times, and several riders fled in different directions.

They quickly disappeared into the darkness of the night, discarding all fire and candles. Relying solely on sight, they tightly surrounded Oda Nobunaga, escorting him towards Izumi. Everything else was no longer of concern.

492. Lieutenant General Dies at Nijo Castle

With a kick, he flipped Mori Ranmaru, whose body was riddled with holes, onto his face. Akechi Mitsuhide was filled with remorse. He had spent his whole life hunting eagles, and now he had been pecked in the eye by an eagle.

Upon hearing that the Right Magistrate was there, for some inexplicable reason, he believed it and ordered the arquebusiers to fire indiscriminately. This inadvertently scared away Oda Nobunaga, who was already on the verge of falling into his hands.

"Go search! We absolutely cannot let Nobunaga escape!"

Mitsuhide's attendants and guards, each leading dozens of riders, galloped after the sound. What had seemed like a sure thing suddenly became unpredictable.

“Nobunaga’s sudden rush here means something big must have happened in Kyoto.” Saito Rizo, though also a little anxious, keenly noticed this.

"You mean someone is plotting a rebellion?" Mitsuhide was in a panic, and panic makes one prone to confusion. After being reminded by Saito Rizo, he immediately realized what was going on.

Such a coincidence could not have happened. Mitsuhide had exerted all his efforts to win over Nobunaga and Nobutada, mobilizing his main forces. This, coupled with the fortuitous coincidence of Nobunaga and Nobutada both being in Kyoto, led to the decision.

They intended to launch a rebellion.

Who is this person plotting a rebellion in Kyoto?

"The doctor who repairs the Kitasō." Saito Rizo gave the name without hesitation, because there were only two people in the Kinai region who had the power to rebel.

The other feudal lords were either too weak or were engaged in battles elsewhere, making a rebellion impossible. Niwa Nagahide went to Tottori Castle to prepare logistics for the San'in region. Kawamura Nagayoshi went to Kuranoura to prepare logistics for the San'yo region.

Two logistics corps capable of mobilizing tens of thousands of troops have already set out. Apart from Mitsuhide himself, the only other one in the Kinai region is Azai Nagamasa.

"Hiss..." Mitsuhide gasped.

If I had known he was going to rebel, I wouldn't have rebelled; it would have been so much better to serve the emperor.

"In any case, entering Kyoto first is the priority." Saito Rizo hadn't expected this either, but now that he had already fired at Oda Nobunaga, there was no turning back.

"We will split into two groups. You will search for Nobunaga in the surrounding area, while I will personally advance into Kyoto." Mitsuhide made the decision immediately without hesitation.

"Order."

Saito Toshimitsu rallied several thousand men and began expanding the search area. Akechi Mitsuhide, on the other hand, composed himself and steered his army toward Kyoto.

What puzzled Mitsuhide was that there had been no fighting, fires, or explosions in Kyoto. Although he could faintly hear the sound of gongs and drums...

what?

Tonight has been truly bizarre, defying all logic. Oda Nobunaga fled Kyoto, yet Kyoto remains completely unscathed. Could my guess be wrong?

Having just seen Oda Nobunaga leave, Akechi Mitsuhide dared not hesitate any longer and immediately rushed to Honno-ji Temple. He had learned yesterday that Oda Nobunaga and Oda Nobutada would be hosting court nobles and holding a renga (linked poem) gathering at Honno-ji Temple today.

The enemy is at Honnoji!

Unable to determine whether Nobutada had fled or not, they could only check Honnoji Temple first. If no one was there, they would have to expand their search to Myokakuji Temple, the residence of the Right General, the Kyoto Magistrate's Office, and the Nijō Palace.

What a bad start!

The army dispersed into Kyoto, and Mitsuhide himself stood guard at the residence of the Right General.

After the mansion was destroyed, only Nobunaga's two concubines and servants remained inside; not even the samurai who stayed behind were left. When asked where they had gone, they were told they had gone to a renga (linked song) gathering.

After searching for at least half an hour, they finally confirmed that Oda's army was swarming at Nijō Palace. All other places were deserted, and Myōkaku-ji Temple was empty except for the monks.

"It's Mizuiro Kikyo!" The Oda soldier lying on the wall shouted excitedly to those behind him.

"Hyuga no Kami!" Nobutada, standing under the arrow yoke, was delighted to hear that the Kikyo banner had arrived.

Unexpectedly, before the Asai army even attacked, the Akechi army had already arrived. It's truly a stroke of luck; my fate is not yet sealed.

“Lieutenant General, it would take at least two hours for our lord to reach Kameyama Castle, and even with a large army, it would take two or three hours. Besides, we have neither seen our lord nor the governor of Hyuga.” Murai Sadakatsu grabbed Oda Nobutada.

Don't be too happy yet, kid!

"What?" Xinzhong was taken aback.