Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Shichibei felt this claim was highly implausible because it was quite simple: if Tsukiyama-dono had deep feelings for the Imagawa clan, how could Nobuyasu and Princess Tokuhime have had children one after another in the past two years?

In a family where the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is extremely poor, it is highly likely that they will have difficulty having children. Firstly, the son/husband caught in the middle will suffer greatly and find it difficult to arouse sexual interest. Secondly, the daughter-in-law, who is constantly arguing, suffering, or irritable, will find it difficult to ovulate normally and conceive.

If it were just a matter of chance, that would be one thing. But Nobuyasu and Tokuhime had two children in three years. Putting everything else aside, their married life must have been frequent and of high quality.

She gave birth to two girls and a boy in a row; her skill level is quite high.

Therefore, while Tsukiyama-dono's love for the Imagawa clan led him to hate Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga, this was a factor, but it's not the main reason.

"Furthermore, it's said that Lady Tsukiyama colluded with a doctor to try and harm Lady Hamamatsu. She also expelled Lady Hamamatsu's concubine, Yuwan, reportedly while she was pregnant. Lady Hamamatsu still doesn't acknowledge the son she gave birth to." Ito Sojuro continued his gossip, his little mouth chattering away.

"ah? "

Dude, is your family really in the shipping business? How do you even know about this? You didn't just make this up, did you?

It seems not. I have a vague recollection of Lady Yuwan Shichibei, because she is the birth mother of Yuki Hideyasu. I read something in my previous life that Lady Yuwan was heartbroken to see her own son, Hideyasu, who was covered in sores and rotting flesh, suffering from syphilis and smelling terrible.

In a novel attributed to Tokugawa Ieyasu, it is stated that because Yuki Hideyasu was so ugly that Ieyasu was afraid of him, he left Lady Oman and her children in the care of Honda Shigetsugu. The children were born in a rural village and never even saw their father for the first few years of their lives. This is clearly a story with elements of truth and fiction, but there are records of Lady Oman being placed in a commoner's home.

"In short, both Nobuyasu Okazaki and Mrs. Tsukiyama were sentenced to death."

"Of course." They've openly declared their rebellion; they should be beheaded.

Ieyasu at least showed Nobuyasu some dignity by allowing him to commit seppuku, which was already quite respectful of their father-son relationship. After all, this was the chaotic Sengoku period in Japan, where fratricide was not uncommon.

"By the way, Suruga's retainers have already climbed the castle walls, have you seen them?" After talking about other people's affairs, Ito Sojuro brought up his own family's affairs.

"Suruga Samurai has certainly rendered a service this time." With Nobutada's death, all of Nobunaga's sons have suddenly appeared, each trying their best to impress Nobunaga with an incredibly enthusiastic attitude.

"The attendants of Ōkōchi were also summoned."

"Eh, Princess Tokuhime didn't come to Azuchi with you?" Compared to these vying sons, Shichibei was more concerned about Tokuhime, who had suddenly become a widow.

Sigh, I don't know why, but I have this strange and peculiar hobby. It was definitely forced on me by Nobunaga, and that's how it developed. Shichibei used to be perfectly normal.

"Okazaki Nobuyasu had a son named Manchiyo. Princess Tokuhime personally came to Azuchi and prayed to the Right Minister for her life." Speaking of this, Ito Sojuro became gossipy again.

"And his daughter?"

"It is said that she was taken away and raised by Hamamatsu-dono."

So, it seems Princess Tokuhime is also in Azuchi. Shichibei subconsciously smacked his lips. When he returned to Azuchi a few days ago, he heard that Lady Oichi had been taken into custody by Miyoshi Nobutaka and sent back to her mother's house.

All of Azai Nagamasa's brothers and youngest sons who were in Azuchi or Nagahama were slaughtered by Miyoshi Nobutaka and Oda Nobuharu. Those left behind...

Lady Raiichi and her five daughters could only rely on Nobunaga for their livelihood.

It's quite pitiful to think about. The two youngest sons born to Lady Oichi were split in two by Nobutaka almost right in front of him because they were being held hostage in Azuchi.

It is said that at this time, Lady Oichi was kneeling in front of Nobunaga's house, begging Nobunaga to spare Asai Terumasa, who was still in Kitasho Castle.

Do you think Nobunaga would agree? Of course not. Once the snow melts in spring, Niwa Nagahide and Miyoshi Nobutaka will rush in and, together with the Kaga trio, destroy Azai Terumasa and Kitakō Castle.

When plotting a rebellion, one should be prepared to be beheaded; not everyone has a second chance to rebel.

"Oh, right, boss, there's one more thing." Since there was no one around, and Ito Sojuro and Shichibei were townspeople who grew up together in the streets of Tsushima, it wouldn't hurt to ask quietly.

"What is it?"

"Do you know what districts Owari and Mino are?" Itō Sojūrō, who was in charge of the Noo area, naturally inquired about this matter.

"What rumors are circulating?" Shichibei didn't answer, but instead asked Ito Sojuro.

Everyone on Tsushima was speculating whether it was Okochi's retainer who possessed...

"Owari Province." Ito Sojuro certainly wouldn't say it was his own thought; he would simply say it was what everyone thought.

514. By imperial decree, Sakuma was pardoned.

Where did this rumor come from?

Earlier, Shichibei and Nobunaga had a private conversation. Shichibei bluntly stated that if the patriarchal system were followed, Oda Nobutada's son, Sanboshi, should succeed to the throne. Just like how Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest son, Zhu Biao, passed away, and his grandson, Zhu Yunwen, succeeded him.

But Oda Nobunaga was only five years old. How could a five-year-old possibly govern the vast Oda regime? How could he possibly subdue Nobunaga's arrogant and fierce generals and maintain stability in Japan?

Therefore, a wise and virtuous son should be chosen from among Nobunaga's sons to establish a new heir.

At that time, Shichibei only praised Kita-tomi Nobuo and Kobe Nobutaka, and Nobunaga waved his hand to signal Shichibei not to praise them anymore, saying bluntly that his sons were all useless.

This at least shows that when Nobunaga discussed this matter with Shichibei, he did not have a clear preference for Kita-Tomi Nobukatsu as his heir. Even though Kita-Tomi Nobukatsu was born to Lady Ikoma and was Oda Nobutada's younger brother, his abilities were ultimately insufficient, and he was even once sentenced by Nobunaga to live in seclusion.

"Where did these rumors originate?" Shichibei was unsure. If Kita-Tomi Nobuo was trying to promote himself, spreading rumors in Owari that he was about to take over the country...

His cleverness is indeed commendable.

"Eh, I really don't know. I just heard someone talking about it during a meeting at the town hall." This question stumped Ito Sojuro, as he genuinely didn't know who started the rumor.

"Go back and secretly inquire about it." Although Shichibei didn't want to get involved in the struggle for the crown prince position, given our position, we would inevitably have to get involved.

"Understood, understood." At first, Ito Sojuro thought it was just normal gossip, but when he saw the seriousness on Shichibei's face, he immediately became serious.

"Do not divulge this to anyone else." Since the matter was of great importance, Shichibei felt compelled to offer this reminder.

If it's true that Oda Nobukatsu is starting to build momentum for himself, then we should really take him seriously. Or, if he has any capable people under his command who can offer him advice and strategies, that would also be a testament to his abilities.

Even if a monarch is weak or foolish, he can still be saved. As long as he listens to good advice, he may still be able to achieve great things.

Only a ruler who is both foolish and cruel, incompetent yet diligent, is a true menace. If he doesn't cause trouble, he can survive a few more days relying on the inertia of his rule; but once he starts causing trouble, he'll only hasten his demise.

Putting that aside for now, Shichibei still needs to deal with the situation in Iga Province.

The rebellion was quelled. The army of 7,000 men, led by Hara Nagayori as commander-in-chief and Watanabe Ryo and Goto Mototsugu as deputies, marched into Iga. Needless to say, Iga offered fierce resistance.

Even though thousands of able-bodied men died or were captured at the Setagawa River, the local lords still resisted the entry of Oda's forces. They had joined Azai Nagamasa's rebellion for a right to autonomy, so they were naturally willing to continue fighting to ensure that autonomy.

With the permission of Oda Nobunaga and Shichibei, Kawamura's army, which was able to plunder and kill on a large scale, launched an offensive against Iga, adhering to the core principle of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free".

Due to unexpected resistance, Nagano Nobukatsu and Miyoshi Yasutoshi of Kitano-Ise, as well as Kitabatake Nobuo of Minami-Ise, were also ordered by Nobunaga to join the attack on Iga.

It wasn't that Nobunaga loved Shichibei; it was simply his hatred for traitors. The Iga clan's assistance to Azai Nagamasa was a death sentence.

The entire Akechi Mitsuhide family was wiped out; even his unmarried daughters and his concubines were killed. In the Asai family, only a few daughters born to Lady Oichi were spared; everyone else associated with the Asai family was killed.

You disagree? If you disagree, why are you even involved in Japan's Sengoku period?

They didn't show any mercy to Nobunaga and Nobutada, even though Azai Nagamasa and Akechi Mitsuhide did so when it came to them. When the time came to use force, they were ruthless. This is what is meant by karma.

Shichibei didn't inquire about the casualty figures, but considering the moral standards of Japanese soldiers at the time, he estimated that at least 10,000 people in Iga had died, and 20,000 was not impossible.

Just like in Koga District of Omi Province next door, Hori Hidemasa, the reinstated Nobunaga general, was guilty of losing Nagahama Castle. In order to atone for his crime, he engaged in rampant burning, killing, and looting in Koga, killing more than 5,000 people in just two or three days. The heads were piled up and built into a mound of heads.

To console himself, he donated another two hundred strings of cash to rebuild the Jingguan (a mound of fallen soldiers) into a "tomb." He then built a small pagoda on top of it to comfort the spirits of the dead.

The entire area was teeming with "troublemakers" and "rebels," regardless of age or gender; all were to be killed. The Oda army would not stop until the local people were completely subdued and relinquished their so-called autonomy.

After quickly organizing the military reports, Shichibei hurriedly went into the castle to pay his respects to Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga had summoned Kita-Tomi Nobukatsu and Takeda Nobufusa the other day, and both of them had left Azuchi Castle with beaming smiles.

I reckon Nobunaga was dangling a big promise in front of both of them. What promise? Naturally, it was the promise of becoming the legitimate son of the Oda clan.

As they approached the city gate, they saw a messenger on horseback rushing into the city with an urgent report from Tango. When Shichibei climbed to the outside of the castle tower, he heard the contents of Tango's so-called urgent report.

The petite Empress Dango was found to have 123,000 koku of grain.

Oh dear, this high rice yield will surely cause discontent among the powerful figures of Tango Province, including Isshiki Yoshisada. Tango is already poor, and now they have to bear the burden of 123,000 koku of military service and tribute rice. Nobunaga's move is ruthless.

Anyway, since Tango Province was granted to you and your son Hosokawa Fujitaka and Hosokawa Tadaoki, if anything happens to Tango, you and your son Hosokawa will definitely be held accountable.

Why was it that when Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled, Hosokawa Fujitaka merely "observed mourning" and didn't immediately stand up to oppose Mitsuhide? This behavior was, in effect, a wait-and-see attitude.

Today's inspection is the punishment for yesterday's hesitation.

Nobunaga's magnanimity in remaining unmoved despite commanding an army of six thousand is already remarkable. Let's wait and see how the Hosokawa father and son handle the inevitable unrest in Tango.

"At the Jingzhao Palace, the lord has summoned you." Sanada Nobushige came to the door specifically to greet Shichibei.

"Alright, thank you." Shichibei put away his reverie and followed Sanada Nobushige into the castle tower.

By the way, Lady Nohime also escaped during the previous battle. As a daughter of a samurai family, Lady Nohime was quite resourceful; seeing the chaos outside the castle, she immediately decided to disguise herself as a beggar and flee. Before the Asai army even reached the castle gates, she had already escaped from Azuchi Castle.

First, they fled to Gamo Kensuke at Hino Castle. Later, when Nagamasa sent troops to pacify Omi Province, Gamo Kensuke fled north to Ise with Lady Nohime. The group was only safe after reaching Nagashima Castle, which was under the control of Takigawa Kazumasu.

Lady Nohime has now moved back to Azuchi Castle and is living with Nobunaga.

"How's the pacification of Iga going?" Nobunaga had so many things to deal with lately that he didn't exchange any pleasantries with Shichibei and went straight to asking.

"Yakuno Juro has already shown signs of surrendering." Shichibei, seeing Nobunaga's tired expression, reported the result directly.

Juro Izumino was Yoshimasa Izumino, one of the leaders of the Twelve Iga, and the lord of Kashiwabara Castle. His forces had likely suffered significant losses at the Setagawa River and were under attack from three sides by the Oda army, causing his position to waver.

Others, such as Momochi Tanba no Kami, Morita Izu no Kami, and Ueda Mikawa no Kami, also showed signs of wavering to varying degrees.

"At most ten days, the Iga must be pacified within ten days." Nobunaga wasn't trying to add more burden to Shichibei, but rather that revenge couldn't be delayed for too long.

In Japan, the idea that revenge should be taken on the spot, or that a gentleman's revenge is never too late, doesn't apply. This was especially true during Japan's Warring States period. If you didn't take revenge on the spot, they would really think you were a weakling and a useless person.

In times like these, it's crucial to have a firm hand. Nobunaga's swift and decisive action in pacifying the Koga and Iga regions actually brought a little more stability to the area.

If Nobunaga had picked it up high and put it down gently, he would have left the Koga and Iga nobles with the impression that Nobunaga was nothing special.

"Ten days is enough." Shichibei confirmed the battle situation, and Hara Nagayori clearly stated that the war was more than halfway through.

"Okay," Nobunaga replied, rubbing his temples.

Seeing this, Shichibei prepared to leave. Nobunaga has many things to attend to; let's not linger too long. It would be better to let him rest more, or quickly deal with the next matter.

"How's the progress on the ruins of Sakamoto Castle?" Before Shichibei could even get up, Nobunaga asked this question with his eyes closed.

"It's basically destroyed," Shichibei replied hastily.

One-third of Sakamoto Castle was subjected to a fierce attack by Oda's army.

It was severely damaged. Its castle tower was also bombarded day and night by the Kawamura army's large iron cannons, and eventually half of it caught fire and was burned away.

Apart from a few gates that were given to Takayama Shigetomo for the reconstruction of Takatsuki Castle, not many of the other buildings remained. The main task now is to fill in the moats and then plow the land again, which will completely destroy the castle.

"So you don't have anything else to do?"

"I have some free time."

"Alright, go and call Sakuma back." Then Nobunaga said something that made Shichibei's heart flutter.

"Your Majesty, I am terrified. Is it Sakuma Nobumori or Sakuma Nobueki?" Shichibei was able to ascertain the name. Nobumori was exiled to Mount Koya, while Nobueki served as a retainer for Nobutada and was currently pacifying Mino.

"Pardon Nobumori." Nobunaga, of course, understood why Shichibei would ask this question, and calmly explained.

"I'll go right away, I'll go right away." Shichibei thought Nobunaga had handled this matter very well.

Sakuma Nobumori, as a former chief retainer and skilled warrior, held immense political significance. Nobunaga's pardon of Nobumori would undoubtedly have a significant positive impact on stabilizing the household.