Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Furthermore, according to Maeda Toshinaga's account, who had previously fled to Kishiwada, Azuchi Castle collapsed rapidly, with the castle suffering almost no damage. If the Asai army were to besiege Azuchi Castle, even an army of 100,000 would find it difficult to breach it by force.

After all, Nagamasa had at least twenty or thirty thousand troops, and I heard he even recruited...

The number of Koga and Iga mercenaries participating in the war is probably well over 30,000. Azuchi Castle, defended by 30,000 troops, will likely only fall when its food supplies run out.

Unfortunately, Omi was Nobunaga's personal territory, which led to Kawamura-ya's main store being moved to the foot of Azuchi Castle. With the main store in Azuchi, many warehouses were naturally also located there. In addition, the area along Lake Biwa was Japan's largest private agricultural trade center, making it easy to obtain rice at rural markets.

If they really defended the castle for a year, they could wear down the Oda clan to the point of near death.

There were 30,000 people inside the city, and at least 100,000 besieging it. It would take emptying out the entire capital region to mobilize such a large force.

"By the way, I've also heard something else." Todo Takatora sat down.

"What? "

"The Kawamura residence in Rakukyo was also destroyed by the Akechi thief, but Lady Ii has already escaped." Todo Takatora brought news that was quite important to Shichibei.

"That's no problem." When Shichibei made arrangements in Azuchi Castle, he also made some arrangements in Kyoto.

Since only Sister-in-law Ii and her three children needed to flee from Kyoto, making arrangements wasn't difficult. After the incident, they headed north or northeast, fleeing into the mountains...

Not difficult.

Shichibei has already arranged their whereabouts. Didn't he once oversee the restoration of the now-abandoned Katsugunyama Castle? There was a temple inside the castle, and Shichibei spent a small sum of money to hire monks and have a golden statue made. Ii-sama and her child should be safely sheltering on the mountain.

"My lord is well-versed in the art of having three burrows," said Tōdō Takatora. This wasn't a sarcastic remark about Shichibei; he genuinely admired Shichibei's brilliant strategy.

Many of Oda clan's famous retainers and generals were held hostage in Azuchi or Kyoto. But Shichibei was prepared; not only were his own family safe, but he also brought out hundreds of other military officers' hostages and their families.

You're saying Shichibei knew all along that Mitsuhide and Nagamasa were going to rebel? Then why did Shichibei go to Okayama? He should have been in Kishiwada first, seizing the great credit for saving his lord.

No achievement surpasses saving the emperor's life; Zhao Zilong was known for his unparalleled courage and was hailed as "a hero who twice saved his lord." Liu Bei regarded him as a trusted confidant and put him in charge of the imperial guards.

Our seventh master didn't actually perform the great deed of saving the emperor; it was Nobunaga who managed to escape on his own.

Not to mention doubting him, Nobunaga even entrusted half of his life and fortune to Shichibei, and had no doubts about Shichibei whatsoever.

Now even the 30,000 cavalry of the Shikoku army will be incorporated into Kawamura's army.

"Since you've come out to serve the public, you must think things through carefully, considering danger, change, and retreat." Shichibei rarely gets a chance to pretend, but he finds he can't pull off the act of a reclusive sage.

“Oh…” Hara Nagayori and Todo Takatora were quite enlightened and began to ponder the meaning of this “thinking thrice”.

"Oh, right, we also need to send someone to contact Lord Tokugawa in Hamamatsu and ask him to send troops to Noo to participate in the siege of Azuchi." Shichibei had to begin planning the battle against Azai Nagamasa.

Shichibei might not understand other principles of warfare, but he certainly understood the principle of outnumbering the enemy, attacking squarely and honestly, without being frivolous or reckless.

When logistical conditions permit, mobilizing several times the enemy's forces is one of the best ways to greatly guarantee victory.

So how is Ieyasu doing now?

Of course, he was openly opposing his eldest son, Nobuyasu.

Kiyosu Castle's deputy, Gamo Fuehide, retreated to Okazaki to seek refuge with Ieyasu and his son, Nobuyasu. On the way, they were ambushed by Nobuyasu, resulting in a rout and numerous casualties. Kiyosu himself fled on horseback, and his whereabouts are now unknown.

Nobuyasu, who defeated Gamo Fuehide, did not go to ally with Azai Nagamasa. This was because his true intention was to oppose Ieyasu, not Nobunaga—a mindset that shouldn't be surprising.

On the neighboring mainland, throughout history, there have been countless people who opposed treacherous officials or eunuchs, but not the emperor himself. Did they not know that treacherous officials and eunuchs were essentially the emperor's front men? They probably knew very well.

After defeating Gamo Fushihide, Nobuyasu did not hesitate for a moment and launched a swift attack on Hamamatsu. Unfortunately, Hiraiwa Chikayoshi had already entered the castle half a day earlier, and Nobuyasu's risky attempt to ambush his father failed.

Needless to say, his father immediately raised an army to fight him. As for the fighting strength of the Mikawa people? Ieyasu didn't think much of them. If they were truly invincible, they wouldn't have been serving three masters for three decades, sometimes under the Oda, sometimes under the Imagawa, and sometimes under the Matsudaira.

However, the Mikawa garrison numbered as many as ten thousand cavalry, and news of the internal strife within the Oda clan and the fact that Azai Nagamasa had broken through Gifu and Kiyosu had reached Ieyasu's ears.

Upon hearing this news, Ieyasu practically cursed his eldest son, Nobuyasu, to the point of a tirade. It was truly a golden opportunity, ruined by his own son.

But there's nothing more to say now; all we can do is tell Xin Kang.

The hope is to quickly defeat Xinkang in battle.

Asai Nagamasa, however, did not expect that entering Owari would be so easy. After burning Kiyosu Castle to the ground, he withdrew his troops back to Gifu to observe the situation on all sides and await further action.

505. Doubts arise before success is achieved.

Shichibei, who had only rested for at most two hours, was awakened by his attendants. Although the main army still needed to rest for half a day to await the arrival of the Shikoku troops from Amagasaki, the vanguard had to set off to capture Yamazaki.

As a crucial point on the western border, controlling Katsuryuji Castle would allow the army to enter the mountain castle without hindrance. After all, Kyoto is a city with very little defense; if the invading enemy cannot be repelled outside the castle, it is highly likely that the castle will not be able to be defended afterward.

When Nobunaga marched on Kyoto, he believed he would engage in a major battle with the Miyoshi army at Setabashi Bridge. However, the Miyoshi Triumvirate collapsed without a fight, fled, and surrendered Kyoto.

Historically, Mitsuhide also attempted to block Hideyoshi Hashiba's return from the west at the Yamazaki Pass. The most important passages to the east and west of Kyoto were Mount Tenno and the Seta River in Eshu; if these could not be defended, then Kyoto itself could not be defended.

"Torata, you can go." Todo Takatora is bold and meticulous, making him the perfect candidate to control Yamazaki.

"Understood." Tōdō Takatora probably hadn't slept all night, but he seemed extremely excited.

"After capturing Katsuryu-ji Temple, I dispatched a messenger to investigate the situation in Kyoto."

"As you wish."

Tōdō Takatora immediately led two thousand soldiers forward, while Shichibei asked his men if Takayama Shigetomo had returned. If he had, he asked him to come see him immediately.

The attendant replied that Gao Shan Chong You had not yet returned.

"Oh dear, why are you so slow, little brother?" Shichibei continued, asking if Oda Nobunaga had sent any orders to Kishiwada. Mitsuhide's head had been delivered to Kishiwada overnight; ten hours had passed. If they were galloping at full speed, completely disregarding the horse's condition, they could have made it back by now. From Kishiwada to Sakai, from Sakai to Osaka, and from Osaka into Settsu, the entire street had been thoroughly repaired and maintained.

As long as you dare to run, you can run incredibly fast. Back when Nobunaga was attacking Kii Province, he ran from Sakai to Sano Fortress in just half a day, and that was with a large army.

"We can wait no longer. Order all troops to break camp." Mitsuhide was beheaded, but his son, Akechi Mitsuyoshi, was still alive in Sakamoto Castle.

If we give him time to regroup his remaining forces and build up his supporters, he can hold Sakamoto Castle to the death. Even if an army of 60,000 besieges it, it will take several months. We can't afford to delay any longer; Shichibei must enter Kyoto as soon as possible.

After packing up and cleaning up the battlefield, the forces from the four kingdoms should arrive around the same time. With troops gathered, we set off immediately.

"Sakai's bento has arrived." Takenaka Shigeharu led Takeno Munekazu into the shogunate.

"Why is Zongwa here?" Shichibei actually knew perfectly well what was going on.

The followers in Sakai had heard last night that Shichibei had decisively defeated Akechi Mitsuhide's army and killed Mitsuhide in the Battle of Takatsuki-Akutagawa. Therefore, chaos was unlikely in the Kinai region, and they would continue to operate under the umbrella of Oda Kawamura. Naturally, this morning, enough provisions for three days' marching for their 60,000-strong army were delivered.

"Boss Tsuda is here too." Takeno Munekazu stepped aside, revealing Tsuda Muneki behind him.

"The representatives have come to reward the troops." Without Shichibei needing to ask, Tsuda Muneki quickly came over and bowed.

"Hahaha, no problem, no problem." Shichibei quickly stepped forward and shook hands with Takeno Munekazu and Tsuda Munekazu.

"But I'm about to break camp, so I won't be able to entertain you."

"I dare not disturb you, but I wish the Jingzhao Palace continued good fortune." They are all seasoned veterans, how could they care about a meal and drinks?

"My lord, the troops of Kagawa's retinue are about a mile from here." The messenger outside said.

Announce it loudly.

"Please, both of you." Shichibei was too busy to say more than a few words.

Previously, he only needed to manage the small pack animal convoy and didn't need to worry about anything else. Now, suddenly appointed as the commander-in-chief, everyone is coming to Shichibei for advice and decisions. Even if you split Shichibei in two, it wouldn't make a difference.

“You don’t need to worry about us.” Takeno Munekazu actually wanted to say a few more words to Shichibei, but Tsuda Muneki stopped him.

Right now, Shichibei is about to lead a large army to attack Kyoto. Any other matters can wait until after the victory; for now, everything is geared towards the war effort.

"Hmm." Shichibei casually replied and led the generals out of the tent.

Kagawa Nobusumi is a day's journey from Takatsuki, which is four kilometers. Running there wouldn't take long. However, a steady march could take an hour or two. After all, the army also has a large number of oxen and horses, carrying provisions and weapons. With coordinated attacks from both sides, an hour would be considered fast.

"The wife of Yuzuki's attendant..." Shichibei mounted his horse to patrol the camp and directed the soldiers to make way. Takenaka Hanbei, who was standing beside him, mentioned this.

"How could they possibly be in cahoots when they're so far apart?" Shichibei waved his hand dismissively.

Kagawa Nobuzumi was raised by Nobunaga himself, and he was treated no differently than his other adult sons. Nobutaka was Nobunaga's biological son, and he received Awa and half of Sanuki Province; Takeda Nobufusa was Nobunaga's biological son, and he received Suruga Province. Both of them earned their start-up capital from Nobunaga through their own abilities and then conquered their own territories.

Apart from his eldest son Nobutada, Nobunaga treated all his sons very equally, with Nobusumi receiving almost no difference in treatment from his own sons.

Even if his legal wife was Mitsuhide's daughter, so what? This marriage was arranged by Nobunaga himself, just as Nobunaga had asked Mitsuhide to marry his daughter to Hosokawa Tadaoki.

If Nobusumi were in the Kinai region, Shichibei would be on guard against him. But he's far away in Kita Iyo, what is there to guard against him for?

He was able to return because of Nobunaga's military order and Kawamura's navy, which brought him back. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to even set foot in the Kinai region.

Rather than worrying about Kagawa Nobusumi's potential instability given Akechi Mitsuhide's clear declaration of his intention to die, it would be better to consider how to counter Azai Nagamasa, who is bound to begin preparing his troops and may be besieging Azuchi Castle.

The Asai Nagamasa family was a powerful force in Kohoku, the kind that could command a large following. Although they had moved to Kita-sho in Echizen several years ago, their old connections remained intact.

So what was Nagamasa Asai doing?

When he learned that Mitsuhide was launching a fierce attack on Takatsuki, his main force was still in Gifu. After pacifying Omi, Nagamasa sent men to seize Fuchu from Niwa Nagahide and Tsuruga from Kawamura Nagayoshi. Now, it was necessary to determine the next direction of the advance, as the Oda army in Hokuriku and Kainobu was unable to attack him due to the heavy snow.

However, once the snow melts in the spring, the Oda army generals on the eastern front will surely launch a fierce attack, especially after learning that Oda Nobunaga is still alive.

Even now, he's still complaining that Akechi Mitsuhide is useless for not explicitly killing Nobunaga and his son. He has no idea that the person who tipped him off is in his backyard.

However, there's no point in saying any of this now. The rebellion is already out in the open, so let's prepare to fight the Oda army's counterattack.

Asai Nagamasa was not overly concerned about the Hokuriku region. This was because the Kaga Triumvirate had only recently been enfeoffed, and Kaga had suffered repeated massacres and attacks, resulting in significant population loss. While nominally entitled to 200,000 koku of rice, they actually had fewer than 100,000 inhabitants.

When the Kaga Triumvirate arrived in the province, they only numbered four or five thousand. Even with their best efforts to recruit more, they would only have around ten thousand. Toyama Yoshiharu of Noto Province, though he has pledged allegiance to Oda, is likely currently holding back, and given his normal mobilization capacity of eight thousand men, he's unlikely to launch a full-scale attack on the north.

Zhuang's.

Thus, Beizhuang only needs five thousand, or at most eight thousand, men to cover Echizen behind them.

To Azai Nagamasa's delight, the Tokugawa clan was in turmoil, a truly unexpected bonus. Losing Tokugawa's 18,000 cavalry would not only reduce their troop strength but would also prevent the armies of places like Konobuno from attacking Nobi via the Tokaido due to the Tokaido War.

This was the greatest help that the internal strife within the Tokugawa clan provided to Azai Nagamasa!

Traveling along the Kiso Street of the Zhongshan Road would not only be possible after the third month of the lunar calendar, but also with a limited number of troops. Thirty thousand would be the limit, and even then, logistics might not be able to keep up.

If Kai and Shinano could only send 30,000 men, then Azai Nagamasa felt his chances of winning were extremely high. He might even form an alliance with Hojo and Uesugi, ceding territories in Shinano, Ueno, and Kai in exchange for a secure rear.

Suddenly the situation improved, how wonderful!

The only one who was unhappy was that there was still one person whose situation hadn't been resolved. That person was Kitabatake Nobuo, who had just withdrawn his troops from Shinano and was preparing to fight again in Ueno next April at Okawachi Castle in southern Ise.

Nobuyuki's eight thousand cavalrymen were waiting at Ōkawachi Castle.

They neither advance nor retreat, yet the eight thousand men are real.

However, Kita-Tomi nobukatsu's military prestige within the Oda clan was even lower than that of Kawamura Nagayoshi. Kawamura Nagayoshi, at least, had served as a rearguard and possessed some military reputation. He had also participated in the siege of Miki Castle, and everyone knew that Kawamura Nagayoshi was a cautious and reliable man.

Kitafumi Nobuo? Haha, he's a spoiled little boy. Although his dad gave him a good beating later, it's hardly a case of him turning over a new leaf.

Now that he's been handed over to his uncle, there's no doubt he might later send him to Kanto and settle accounts with a large state there with 300,000 to 400,000 koku of rice. Sending him far away, without losing any territory, Nobunaga has done a good job of treating Lady Ikoma well.

Should they first attack Kita-Tomi Nobukatsu in Ōkōchi, or turn back to Azuchi in Ōmi Province to observe the situation in Kyoto? After all, Azai Nagamasa knew that Mitsuhide had attacked Takatsuki and was trying to kill Nobunaga.

Casting his doubts to his trusted advisors, Isono Kazumasa casually remarked, "Kita Tomio might be pleased with the current situation."