Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Of course, attacking Kishiwada Castle now might allow Oda Nobunaga to escape. Therefore, Akechi Mitsuhide also bribed the naval forces of Sakamoto and Katada, or rather, the local power group that monopolized the local shipping industry.

Similar to the Kiso River and Hachisuka Party and Tsubouchi Party of that time, Shichibei initially did not have a naval force; he mainly served as a messenger on land. Therefore, the naval forces of Sakamoto and Katada were incorporated into Mitsuhide's ranks and served as subordinate national soldiers.

Now, Mitsuhide had made a solemn promise: a fief of 5,000 koku and exemption from all corvée labor, thus bringing these naval troops from the lake under his command. The naval forces at Kishida Castle had all followed Shichibei to Aki and Bingo.

Although these naval forces on Lake Biwa are not good at naval warfare, they can still easily besiege the port of Wada Castle on the shore.

Therefore, Mitsuhide planned to advance by land and sea to completely crush Nobunaga. Once Oda Nobunaga was crushed, the ambiguous attitude of the imperial court, Ashikaga Yoshiaki who was still hiding in the mountains and refusing to show himself, and the hesitant Hosokawa Fujitaka and his son Tadaoki would surely have to make a decision.

The idea was quite good. The 18,000 cavalry of the Akechi Army quickly left Katsuryuji Castle and made an agreement with Tsutsui Junkei to launch a pincer attack on Kishiwada Castle.

The problem lies with Takayama Shigetomo of Takatsuki Castle. Takayama Shigetomo's loyalty to his father-in-law, Oda Nobunaga, is not merely simple loyalty, but also borders on superstitious worship.

Back then, Takayama Shigetomo had half his neck severed, but Nobunaga touched it, and Takayama Shigetomo came back to life. As a result, Shigetomo developed a considerable "religious fanaticism" for Nobunaga.

Therefore, when Takayama Shigetomo learned that Oda Nobunaga was still alive and had safely entered Kishiwada Castle, his first reaction was to lead his troops to protect Nobunaga.

However, as news reached Takatsuki Castle, Takayama Shigetomo firmly established himself. He rallied four thousand men to enter the castle by striking bells and drums; if he were to fully consolidate Settsu Province, he would have ten thousand men. (Nakagawa)

Qingxiu also mobilized more than 2,000 people to enter Ibaraki Castle and defend it.

The main reason was that they had heard Nobunaga was alive and that official documents had been sent. The two generals, Takayama and Nakagawa, who might have been panicked and abandoned the castle, were now quite resolute.

Mitsuhide ran headlong into Takatsuki Castle, a simple flatland castle with mediocre defenses. Such a castle, if fought with reckless ferocity, could likely be taken. For example, Fushimi Castle, from the same period, was many times larger and more heavily fortified than Takatsuki.

The entire 1,800-strong castle garrison was wiped out, wiped out completely. The last few survivors committed seppuku at the castle tower. So how many soldiers died on the attacking side? Opinions vary, but a relatively credible figure is over 800 dead, not counting the wounded. The siege lasted ten days, theoretically even affecting Ukita Hideie's deployment at Sekigahara.

Currently, Mitsuhide's 18,000 cavalry are besieging Takatsuki, which is defended by 4,000 men. Takatsuki Castle is of average quality, but its garrison is larger than that of Fushimi in history.

Mitsuhide, trapped beneath the castle walls, couldn't spare 8,000 men to besiege Takatsuki, especially with Ibaraki Castle below. Therefore, he had no choice but to launch a fierce attack, resulting in a one-for-one exchange.

Day 1.

Day two.

Day three.

……

"My lord, Kawamura Kyōjō-dono has retreated to Kishiwada, and the main army has arrived at the castle." Hachiya Yoritaka has now become Nobunaga's chief scribe again, which is equivalent to returning to his old profession.

Nobunaga had received intelligence that Mitsuhide was launching a fierce attack on Takatsuki Castle, and that Tsutsui Junkei was moving towards Izumi Province. Currently, the only troops that could be organized around Kishiwada Castle were a mere ten thousand men. Not only were they at a disadvantage against either Mitsuhide or Tsutsui Junkei, but if they left Kishiwada to confront Mitsuhide, this crucial town, brimming with military supplies, could potentially fall into Tsutsui Junkei's hands.

With the situation changing so drastically, Nobunaga was recruiting soldiers.

"Perfect timing!" Nobunaga jumped up and ran straight to the port below the castle.

When Nobunaga sent letters to Hideyoshi and Shichibei, he didn't mention bringing them back. With Nobutada's death, the expedition against the Mori was, at least for the time being, on hold. Furthermore, Mitsuhide's forces, originally planning to take the San'in (Shielded) route, did not attack Seihachi and Izumo.

If Hideyoshi and Shichibei retreated overnight and returned, they would already be with Nobunaga.

Mori Terumoto, who secretly made a pact, may not continue to keep the agreement and wait for the Oda clan to take over.

Nobunaga originally planned to use the troops from the Kinai region he had gathered, plus the soldiers from Kishu, to have at least 20,000 men. With these 20,000 men, he could advance on Kawachi and Yamato, cutting off Mitsuhide's arm first. Afterward, he could take advantage of the victory to attack either Mitsuhide or Nagamasa, and could continuously recruit soldiers along the way.

Because Nobunaga's face is Japan's biggest and most invincible brand, once he launches a counterattack and wins, even the peasants and soldiers in the villages along the way will eagerly come to join him.

Even if we're not talking about getting immense wealth, at least Nobunaga's money is real. Besides, it's the dead of winter now, and the Japanese during the Sengoku period, except for places where heavy snow blocked their doors, basically all had experience going out to fight and plunder.

In the dead of winter, instead of staying home and eating our own food, why not go out and plunder other neighboring countries?

As long as it's fast! A quick attack and a swift strike, without giving Akechi Mitsuhide and Azai Nagamasa a chance to join forces, Nobunaga is confident that he won't even need to mobilize the army commanders outside; he can wreak havoc on all sides on his own.

Oda Nobunaga's formidable reputation was earned through countless battles. He seems less powerful now simply because he's older and his body isn't as strong as it used to be. If Nobunaga were only eighteen this year, he would already be...

They charged into the rebel ranks like a whirlwind and began to wreak havoc.

What to brush?

Of course, it's heads.

But before he could launch his attack, Mitsuhide attacked Settsu first. The battle plan had to be changed. They had to act according to the circumstances.

"My lord!" Shichibei, who had just disembarked from the ship, spotted the gleaming Oda Nobunaga from afar in the crowd.

Having served as Oda Nobunaga for so many years, Shichibei had developed an unconscious, automatic ability to spot him in a crowd. He could spot Nobunaga instantly and quickly run over to greet him.

"How many men did you bring back?" Nobunaga ran over and quickly helped Shichibei, who was about to kneel down to pay his respects, and asked this question abruptly.

"Twelve thousand." Shichibei's total mobilization capacity exceeds eighteen thousand men, but not all of them are here.

One thousand men were left to guard Kishiwada Castle, five hundred to Tsuruga Castle, five hundred to guard the rice granary at Okayama Castle (containing 60,000 koku of rice), and one thousand to guard Awaji Island as a retreat route. Additionally, two thousand cavalrymen from Kurushima Michiyasu, who had recently come under Shichibei's command, did not accompany them.

Shichibei didn't call him. He had only been in Michiyasu Island for half a year and had changed his surname to Oda. Besides, he was a naval officer, so forcibly bringing him over might not be of much use.

"Twelve thousand..." Nobunaga was slightly dissatisfied with this number.

He had estimated that Shichibei could mobilize a maximum of about 20,000 men, but now only 60% of them had arrived. How could this satisfy Nobunaga? Originally, he had calculated that Shichibei would have 20,000 cavalry, Kishi and Wada would have 10,000, and Kishu would have 10,000, giving him a total of 40,000 cavalry.

He left the 10,000 weakest men in Kishiwada, while the other 30,000 followed him to relieve the siege of Takatsuki Castle. Rescuing Takayama Shigetomo and Nakagawa Kiyohide would add another 6,000 men.

With 36,000 troops launching a fierce attack on Kyoto, even if Azai Nagamasa returned to reinforce, he was certain of victory.

Now Shichibei has only brought 12,000 men. After deducting the 2,000 cavalry from Kawamura's navy, it's only 10,000 men who have returned. How did that happen?

There was nothing Nobunaga could do. The troops stationed at Kishiwada had been temporarily absorbed by Nobunaga, as had the guards and servants from the post stations and stables who had scattered to Kishiwada. These two groups alone cost Nobunaga three thousand men. Where could he possibly complain?

"My lord, a messenger from Takatsuki has arrived!" Before Nobunaga and Shichibei could say anything more, a blood-soaked messenger was led to them by a servant.

"Youfu-sama, the number of soldiers killed in Takatsuki Castle has exceeded 1,500. The outer flank has been completely destroyed, and the inner flank's sloping wheel has been burned. The entire castle is in grave danger." The messenger brought a very urgent message.

Takayama Shigetomo, who had been defending Takatsuki Castle for four days, had lost more than half of his troops (including the wounded). Not only had the outer turret been breached, but the second turret was also under siege. If the second turret fell, they would have no choice but to retreat to the main turret.

In other words, Takatsuki Castle has at most three days left to live!

If Oda Nobunaga doesn't send troops to rescue Takatsuki Castle within three days, he might not even be able to find the bodies of his beloved daughter and son-in-law.

"It has come to this!" Shichibei was taken aback when he heard such dire news as soon as he returned, and he lost his composure for a moment.

"Let's return to the castle for a military council." Nobunaga knew that even with his forces weakened, he had to immediately raise an army to rescue Takatsuki.

If not rescued, Settsu will fall into Mitsuhide's hands. Mitsuhide's army will then join forces with Tsutsui's army to launch a pincer attack on Kishida Castle.

Upon hearing the order, Shichibei disregarded everything else and followed Nobunaga back. The keep of Kishiwada Castle was still under construction; keepers were massive projects, and it was normal for them to take three to five years to complete. The other buildings were already finished. The Ninomaru Palace, where Shichibei had originally stayed, was now occupied by Nobunaga.

Without any hesitation, we used it as a residence.

As Shichibei ran inside, he was suddenly greeted by a scene that filled him with immense joy. The young general, who had been held hostage at Azuchi Castle, was standing right by the wall, waving at him.

Yes, the young major general has a boat, so he must be fast.

After such a calamity, when they meet again, Shichibei will always go up and offer a few words of comfort. Anyway, when Nobunaga summons the generals for a meeting, no matter how fast everyone runs, they'll still have ten or eight seconds to greet the young admiral.

"Is everything alright at home?" Shichibei and the young general had been a couple since they were both humble beginnings, so they still had feelings for each other.

"Everything is fine, we've all arrived at Kishiwada." The young general's hand was grasped by Shichibei; it was a little cold.

"It's good that nothing happened, it's good that nothing happened." Shichibei was immediately relieved.

His wife and kids are all safe, so even if the house burned down and he lost all his money, he can still work hard. Besides, with the monopoly he currently holds in the business world, he doesn't need to work hard at all. Once things return to normal, he can make hundreds of thousands a year just by working steadily.

"I also brought the family of the commander of Chikuzen Province, Hashiba, to Kishiwada Castle." The young general was not boasting, but stating the facts.

"Ouch!"

Her reminder reminded Shichibei of Hideyoshi, who was currently dealing with the succession dispute of the Ukita family in Bizen. This was a serious matter, and if Nobunaga issued an imperial decree, the retainers of the Ukita family would likely be more willing to accept the fact that the Ukita Nagaie had succeeded to the throne.

"I'll go to the city for a military meeting. You should take care of yourself." Shichibei patted the young general's hand and hurriedly chased after him.

"it is good."

Before the young admiral could finish speaking, Shichibei had already run several steps ahead. Nobunaga's every step was two steps for Shichibei; if he didn't hurry, he wouldn't be able to catch up with Nobunaga.

Shichibei sprinted to catch up with Nobunaga, about to speak, when Nobunaga suddenly grabbed a doorpost with one hand and clutched his clothes to his chest with the other. Despite the cold weather, cold sweat quickly beaded on his forehead.

This is this...

Shichibei quickly stepped forward to help Nobunaga up. Fortunately, Shichibei knew that Nobunaga was the pillar of everyone's support at this moment, so he didn't shout or make a fuss. He simply called out to Hachiya Yoritsu, who was leading the way. Hachiya Yoritsu turned around, saw Nobunaga's condition, and immediately turned around to help him up as well.

"This isn't the first time?" Shichibei could tell from Hachiya Yoritsu's expression that it wasn't the first time.

“Blind…” Hachiya Raitaka didn’t answer, but just sighed heavily.

The two men escorted Nobunaga into the house, offering him a place to lie down, but he refused, only asking for a cup of hot tea. A short while later, the minor lords Nobunaga had placed within the Kinai region, along with the generals of Kii Province led by Oda Nobuharu, arrived.

Despite his pain, Nobunaga immediately ordered the mobilization of troops and commanded his generals to set off immediately to reinforce Takatsuki.

499. Traveling day and night, galloping on Takatsuki

How long will it take for the Shikoku people to reach the shores of Wada and Sakai?

After the generals left the residence, Nobunaga grabbed Shichibei's arm. He was now desperate for soldiers, and he needed to bring his eldest son and nephew's troops to help him in the battle.

"At most three days!" Shichibei had already sent people to find out about the situation of the Shikoku garrison when he returned to Kishiwada from Okayama.

Miyoshi Nobutaka's 10,000 cavalry, Kagawa Nobusumi's 10,000 cavalry, and Chosokabe Nobuchika's 10,000 cavalry were gathered between Yuzuki Castle and Imabari Town in Iyo, all preparing to land in Aki and Bingo to take down Mori Terumoto.

The troops have been assembled and the ships are ready. At Nobunaga's command, the campaign against the Mori clan can be abandoned immediately, and the troops can be redirected to support the Kinai region.

"Three days! Takatsuki Castle has fallen in three days!" Nobunaga knew that the problem wasn't Shichibei's fault, but he still raised his voice.

All of Oda Nobutada's forces west of the Kinai region were preparing for the Mori clan's conquest. All that was missing was a commander-in-chief, Oda Nobutada, to lead the troops. Now, the situation has suddenly changed, but the deployment cannot be adjusted so quickly.

"This..." What's the use of yelling at me?

The pre-battle deployment was made by you, Oda Nobunaga, and everyone advanced according to your instructions. Now Shichibei has received the letter and rushed back, but the others have not received any urgent reports or military orders.

A great battle is about to begin, and the crime of causing chaos in the army is punishable by death.

"You must save Takatsuki, you must!" Nobunaga suddenly pulled Shichibei close to him, almost face to face, and gave the order mouth to mouth.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes." After so many years as lord and subject, Shichibei had a habitual obedience to Nobunaga.

As soon as he finished speaking, Nobunaga collapsed to the ground, unconscious. His pageboys Sanada Nobushige and Sanada Nobuyuki rushed to check on him, while Hachiya Yoritaka, who was sitting by the door, also jumped up.

"Lord Kyoto, the lord's order has been given. Takatsuki is in imminent danger and cannot be delayed." Hachiya Yoritaka said solemnly to Shichibei as he arranged Nobunaga on the tatami mat.

The situation changed drastically each day, and the predicament grew increasingly critical. Although Nobunaga had survived, which brought some relief, the current situation was one of "increasing arrogance," leaving no room for Akechi Mitsuhide and Azai Nagamasa to expand their influence. If they continued to win battles, even with Nobunaga's prestige, the Oda clan would not be able to withstand it.

"But, this, I..." Shichibei is currently the only senior retainer of the Oda clan in the Kinai region, truly the number one person after Nobunaga.

Hachiya Yoritaka is right. Since Nobunaga has given the order, troops should be dispatched as soon as possible to rescue Takatsuki Castle. This is crucial to stabilizing the situation in Takatsuki and, consequently, the entire Settsu province.

Once the situation stabilizes, we should gather the forces of the four kingdoms and attack Kyoto together. The rebel army will inevitably collapse.

We must win!

We absolutely must win now!