Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"Awoooooo..." Shichibei thought it made sense and quickly opened the sealed bag.

Quite unusual, a bag within a bag, with clear instructions on the bag: one for Kawamura Kyōchō, and one for Hashiba Chikuzen. Both small bags also contain [something].

The wax seal was very solemn.

Upon unfolding the letter, the two men looked at each other almost simultaneously. The contents of the letter were largely the same, completely different from the urgent report sent previously.

Ufu no Nakanobu has set out for Kishiwada and is now in command.

All thoughts, even fleeting musings, were suppressed. Oda Nobunaga was alive and well. It was just another ordinary rebellion; Nobunaga had encountered countless rebellions. What storms hadn't he weathered?

Last time, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, led a rebellion. This time, it's just two retainers launching a rebellion, so there's almost nothing to worry about.

You're saying Kyoto has fallen? A national catastrophe?

That's absolutely true; Kyoto is where the imperial court is located. Shichibei previously said that a general who doesn't reside in Kyoto, sit in the palace, and rise to a high position cannot be a true general.

Controlling Kyoto is not only a symbol of military strength but also carries significant political importance. Kyoto will not be relinquished unless faced with a life-or-death crisis.

But then again, if Nobunaga were to fight back, and

If we send a counterattack at the speed of light, we can minimize the political impact of losing Kyoto.

As long as Nobunaga lived, Hideyoshi and Shichibei felt nothing was wrong, completely ignoring Oda Nobutada's situation. After all, with Nobunaga around, everything would be alright.

"This is really a good thing..." Shichibei had no intention of rebelling whatsoever and never thought of overthrowing Nobunaga's system.

When Hideyoshi mentioned dividing the Kinai region equally, Shichibei hesitated. Now that Nobunaga is still alive, everything is as peaceful as ever, which actually suits Shichibei's inner needs.

"It's good that my lord is safe and sound." All the ambitions that had risen in Hideyoshi's heart were immediately suppressed, though it was unknown how much they could be suppressed.

"Let's climb the city walls first." Shichibei breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if he could finally breathe freely again.

"Hmm." Hideyoshi put the secret letter into his pocket. Nobunaga's signature and monogram on it were clearly visible to him.

The two climbed the city walls, where cries could already be heard. When they finally saw Ukita Naoie's body, the smell was unimaginable. His anus was completely prolapsed, and the servants were now truly "gathering" him.

Judging from its appearance, it's definitely not a simple rectal prolapse; it seems to be caused by some...

The reason was that his buttocks were perforated, with more than one hole. He must have died in immense pain and despair, but there was nothing that could be done; there's simply no cure these days.

Now that it's confirmed that Naoie Ukita is dead, the next step is to select a "chief mourner".

The "chief mourner" is, in a sense, the heir apparent, a point on which the Oda clan learned a great lesson. When Oda Nobuhide died, the chief mourner was Oda Nobukatsu, and Nobunaga not only failed to be the first to arrive at the funeral to preside over it, but when he was dragged there by Hirate Masahide, he was disheveled, didn't kowtow, and simply scattered some incense on the ancestral tablet, considering it done.

This arrangement led most of the retainers of the Oda clan from generation to generation to choose to pledge allegiance to Oda Nobukatsu. Even Nobunaga's Hirate-no-sama couldn't stand it anymore and later committed seppuku in protest.

As expected, after Oda Nobuhide's funeral, both Oda Nobukatsu and Oda Nobunaga declared themselves Nobuhide's successors and issued official documents within their respective domains. The two brothers, without a doubt, ultimately faced open conflict and armed confrontation.

Currently, there are two heirs to the Ukita family: one is Ukita Nagaie, whom Oda Nobunaga favors, and the other is Ukita Hachiro, the only son of Naoie.

Because of Nobunaga, Ukita Naoie was never able to eliminate Nobunaga's favored Ukita Nagaie when he first joined Nobunaga's side.

Therefore, the Ukita family has not yet publicly announced the establishment of an heir to their retainers. Currently, Naoie is dead, and no heir has been established, creating a complicated situation that leaves even the elders of the Ukita family somewhat at a loss.

Ukita Tadakane has already led his troops back to Okayama, while Hanafusa Masanari is still at Bitchu Takamatsu Castle. The administration of Okayama Castle is being handled by Osafune Sadachika, Togawa Hideyasu, and others; their opinions are also very important in matters of state.

How to say?

Upon receiving the news, Ukita Nagaie accompanied his father, Ukita Tadai, to the castle and into the Okayama Palace. Needless to say, even though Tadai and Naoie were brothers with a deep bond, almost a model of brotherhood in Japan's Sengoku period, he would not give up on supporting his son to succeed him.

An elder brother is an elder brother, and their feelings are sincere and genuine; a nephew is a nephew, and besides, the nephew is only eight years old. Could an eight-year-old possibly lead a large state with a population of 400,000 shi (a unit of grain measure) in such a chaotic world?

As a prominent family with a stipend of 24,000 koku, the Ukita Tadakatsu family already wielded considerable influence within the clan. Now, they are bringing their son to...

The city is there to make its stance clear.

"Now that my elder brother, the governor of Bizen, has passed away, our household cannot be without a head for even a day. I request that the governor of Chikuzen report this to the Right Minister." Ukita Tadai immediately seized the initiative.

Ukita Nagaie had Nobunaga's trust and affection, while Ukita Tadai commanded several thousand soldiers of his own clan and, as Naoie's deputy commander, had already participated in many battles.

“My husband’s body is not yet cold, we should first properly arrange the funeral.” Daigo-dono, the wife of Naoie who had already been accepted by Hideyoshi, pulled Ukita Hachiro into the palace.

"Let's deal with Bizen no Kami first, then we can discuss other things." Hideyoshi himself favored Ukita Hachiro, after all, he had slept with the man's own mother.

But the past is the past, and the present is the present. Hideyoshi is a very quick-witted person; he thinks a lot. Nobunaga has suddenly encountered the betrayal of Akechi Mitsuhide and Azai Nagamasa, and he will definitely have doubts about his subordinates. Even if he doesn't show it at all, this suspicion probably won't be easily suppressed.

The Yu happy family in front of us must be inherited by the Yu Xi family!

The problem is that Hideyoshi, lying in bed, has already promised the Empress Dowager to support her eldest son. Furthermore, he has been secretly contacting Hanafusa Masashige and other retainers of the Ukishita clan.

I've gone through it and understand their attitude.

This sudden change of heart will not only displease Daigo-dono, but also the senior retainers of the Ukita family who stand behind Ukita Hachiro.

Hideyoshi absolutely did not want to see this happen. The Ukita clan was the largest and strongest force under Hideyoshi's command, with a total strength more than double that of Bessho Nagaharu, who ranked second.

"Respect for the dead is paramount; let's settle the affairs of the Bizen-no-kami first." Shichibei hadn't really thought that far ahead; the succession of the Ukita family was not a matter within their jurisdiction.

What we can manage is matters like the division of property after the death of Hideya Takeno Jōō. Theoretically, the final judgment for the merchants' appeals rests with Shichibei, because even if the appeal is submitted to Nobunaga, Nobunaga will still assign it to Shichibei for review.

With both Hideyoshi and Shichibei speaking, the already tense atmosphere immediately shifted to mourning for Ukita Naoie. Ukita Tadai and Naoie's feelings for each other were genuine, and Princess Taira was deeply saddened by the loss of another husband.

Naoie Shinichi was one of the most notorious villains in Japanese Sengoku period history. Murder and betrayal were commonplace for him; his daughter was purely a political tool, and he killed both her and her son-in-law. Throughout his life, he maneuvered between Urakami, Mori, and Oda, constantly selling himself for a high price, demonstrating his extremely low moral character.

Inferior, everyone who comes has to say "awesome".

But as bad as he was, his skills were definitely top-notch. In the Warring States period, when everyone was vying for power, the retainers weren't afraid of your wickedness, your cruelty, or your wickedness; they were only afraid of your incompetence.

Now that Naoie, who is by no means weak, has died, the entire family is in mourning.

A chief mourner? We can't appoint one yet; the burial process alone will take two hours. We also need to send someone to change Naoya's clothes and do his makeup, so that he can finally lie peacefully in the coffin, holding his prayer beads.

They can also be placed in an urn; cremation is not always necessary. Later, during the Edo period, the Tokugawa shoguns were sometimes buried normally and sometimes cremated, depending on the family's choice regarding the funeral arrangements.

Hideyoshi and Shichibei, who were led to the next room, were speechless at first. After a moment of silence, Hideyoshi spoke first.

What do you think?

"Let's split it in two." What good ideas did Shichibei have? He could only split it in two.

"How should we divide it?" Hideyoshi had certainly thought about this, but the problem was that it wouldn't be divided evenly.

Although the Naoki family possessed both Mimasaka and Bizen, they were in Harima and Bichu.

It still possesses some territory. However, its core territory remains the southern and western parts of Bizen, with its former territory of Numa Castle and its present-day Honjo Okayama as its foundation. Both sides certainly want it and neither will be willing to give it up.

If the responsibilities could be divided, one could lead Mimasaka and the other Bizen, both lords of the land, with their retainers sharing the spoils equally. The army would still number over ten thousand, so Hideyoshi wouldn't have much to worry about.

"What are your thoughts?" Shichibei didn't answer, but instead asked Hideyoshi.

"Oh dear..." There were just too many and too big of things to deal with today, and Hideyoshi's mind was reeling.

I received news at noon that Nobunaga was dead. I ran back to Okayama all afternoon, but before I could even sit down, Nobunaga was resurrected. Then they said that Ukita Naoie was dead.

"With Ritsu and Jiro, there might be some discontent within the Ukita family. As for Ritsu Hachiro, the lord will not agree." This is the current situation.

"Alright then, I'll stay in Okayama to handle the matter of the Ukita family's successor. You return to Kishiwada as soon as possible and report to our lord." Hideyoshi had originally planned to rush back to the Kinai region, but now that Nobunaga was alive and well, what was he supposed to do?

Let's wait for Nobunaga's orders. Anyway, the Mori clan is badly wounded, so it won't be a big deal if we temporarily withdraw our troops.

"My forces?"

"And the Shikoku clan too."

"That's true..."

Shichibei's ships were originally intended to carry 30,000 troops from Shikoku to attack various ports in the Seto Inland Sea, eventually joining the encirclement of Yoshida-Koriyama Castle in Aki Province. Now that Hideyoshi no longer needs the ships, he can free them up to take the Shikoku troops into battle.

"Let's do it this way." Hideyoshi was a decisive man, and without hesitation, he dropped the matter of returning to the Kinai region to participate in the war and show his loyalty.

Who knows whether Nobunaga would see it as loyalty if he ran back without orders, or if he had ulterior motives?

"Tsk, why don't you adopt Ukita Hachiro?" Shichibei had already stood up when he suddenly thought of this.

"What do you mean?" Hideyoshi's eyes flashed.

"The Hashiba family business will eventually be handed over to Ujimaru, but you still have at least 50,000 koku of living expenses, don't you?" Shichibei thought to himself, "Since you don't want the Ukita family to split up, then show some sincerity."

The Ukita family will be handed over to the Ukita Nagaie family, and the Hashiba family will be handed over to Oda Otsujimaru. In the end, with the retirement allowance and the compensation that Nobunaga should give, let's put it all together, it will be at least 100,000 koku.

It's better to grant Ukita Hachiro an additional 100,000 koku than to have him lose everything in a real conflict. After all, Nobunaga's stance was firm: he wanted to establish the Ukita Nagaie clan.

Unless Yukita Nagae falls and dies instantly tomorrow, it won't change.

"Hmm..." Hideyoshi remained noncommittal, but got up and walked out with Shichibei.

Shichibei, whose mind was also in turmoil, urged the troops to board the ships before dawn. Hideyoshi only came to the port to see them off and said nothing more. The generals of Kawamura, who had been somewhat uneasy, calmed down when they learned that Nobunaga was not dead, thinking that they were just going back to quell the rebellion.

We've done this many times before, and having done it year after year, we're not afraid at all.

Besides, isn't this under the command of Lord Nobunaga? If our Lord Kawamura can't do it, does that mean Lord Nobunaga can't either? Well then, let me tell you what the three great surprise attacks of the Sengoku period are.

Now that Akechi Mitsuhide and Azai Nagamasa have rebelled, the campaign against the Mori clan will certainly have to be postponed. Shichibei can then send ships to evacuate the garrisons along the northern coast of the Seto Inland Sea from the ports.

At the same time, news of Nobunaga's journey to Kishiwada spread.

The deliberate propaganda finally reached Kyoto. Akechi Mitsuhide, who had failed to capture Ashikaga Yoshiaki and had not been fully persuaded by the imperial court, was greatly alarmed.

Nobunaga didn't die, so he had to!

We must send troops immediately, taking advantage of the fact that there are hardly any troops at Kishiwada Castle and other places, to conquer Kishiwada Castle and kill Nobunaga.

The flank could be reinforced by 10,000 cavalrymen from Tsutsui Junkei, while Mitsuhide himself could lead 15,000 to 20,000 cavalrymen, creating a force that would overwhelm Wada Castle on the opposite bank.

Should we inform Azai Nagamasa? Let him know. But there's no need for him to come; Mitsuhide is both impatient and believes that with superior forces, there's no need to wait.

498. Mitsuhide's attack on Takatsuki Castle

Although Mitsuhide did not attack Takayama Shigetomo and Nakagawa Kiyohide in Settsu, he launched an offensive against Katsuryuji Castle, located in western Yamashiro Province, a major transportation route in and out of Settsu.

The previous lord of Katsuryuji Castle was Hosokawa Fujitaka, who had by then been granted a fief of 100,000 koku in Tango-Tanabe. The new lord was Yabe Iesada, who had risen through the ranks from a close retainer of Nobunaga and accumulated merit over the years, receiving a fief of 10,000 koku in Katsuryuji Castle. However, he was not an independent daimyo, but rather a subordinate daimyo of Murai Sadakatsu.

How many soldiers are there in the city?

Three hundred and fifty people.

Therefore, Yabe Iesada was the kind of minor Oda daimyo who, upon hearing of impending disaster, was thrown into turmoil and uneasy within his own domain, and had no choice but to flee. He released all the ragtag soldiers and junior officers in his ranks, and with only his hundred or so trusted retainers and regular foot soldiers, he also rushed to Kishiwada Castle.

Therefore, Mitsuhide easily took over Katsuryuji Castle and promised to return it to Hosokawa Fujitaka. Now, Mitsuhide is preparing to send troops to attack Kishiwada Castle, once again using the former territory of Katsuryuji to entice Hosokawa Fujitaka.

Hosokawa Fujitaka and his six thousand men are requested to join him as soon as possible to attack Kishiwada Castle. This would also be a good opportunity to sweep through the area.

Tsu, the province of Settsu was granted to the Hosokawa family.

And what happened? Hosokawa Fujitaka received news that Oda Nobunaga had retreated safely to Kishiwada Castle, and immediately stated that he needed three more days to reorganize his troops. Furthermore, it would take another two or three days to march to Kyoto, and he hoped that Akechi Mitsuhide would agree.

How could we agree to that? Nobunaga is in Kishiwada Castle, a port city. If we attack now, Nobunaga might still be inside. What if he goes to Shikoku to get reinforcements in a couple of days? The Shikoku forces are already assembled, just waiting for Kawamura's and Murakami's navies to send them on their campaign.