Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"How much feed do you think is appropriate for elderly people?"

"Ten thousand shi is more reasonable."

Back then, Sakuma Nobumori, along with his retainers, amassed a total of 1.2 million koku of rice, making him the first vassal of the Oda clan to become a lord of the province.

Giving him a stipend of 1,000 or 2,000 koku now would be an insult. A stipend of 10,000 koku would allow Sakuma Nobumori to regain his status as a "daimyo" and have a more respectable position.

Even if it's not as good as it used to be, at least he's returned to the ranks of feudal lords, which can be considered Nobunaga's way of honoring his old retainers. The old saying that people are used like firewood and that newcomers surpass the old ones can be somewhat suppressed.

“Then ten thousand koku.” Nobunaga agreed.

“Ten thousand koku in Owari would be most appropriate,” Shichibei added.

Allowing Sakuma Nobumori to return to his hometown in Owari to retire further demonstrates Nobunaga's magnanimity. Regardless of what others think, being able to return to his roots is a good thing for Sakuma Nobumori.

"Yes."

"Your subject will draft it immediately." This is a serious matter; since Shichibei is going...

If you were to pardon Sakuma Nobumori, it would be best to bring the pardon document along with a letter of acceptance for a 10,000 koku of rice in Owari Province.

"Ah."

Both documents were familiar to Shichibei, so they presented no difficulty. Sanada Nobushige handed him paper and pen, and Shichibei immediately began writing. Nobunaga, without even opening his eyes, let Shichibei continue.

After quickly finishing writing, Nobunaga opened his eyes, glanced at the document briefly, and then signed his name on it. Sanada Nobushige then presented the seal of the Tenka Fubu (Unification of the Realm by Force) and stamped it on. Shichibei, as a senior retainer, countersigned.

These two documents then acquired formal legal effect, were guaranteed by the feudal power of the Oda clan, and could be put into effect.

"Inaba (Sadamitsu), Kawajiri (Hideyoshi), and Sakuma (Nobue) have protected the Vice Admiral's family. What do you think should be done to reward them?" Nobunaga continued, watching Sanada Nobushige put two documents in bags.

“At least 50,000 koku each.” Sakuma Nobueaka is among them, and Shichibei will definitely lend a hand.

Both Inaba Ittetsu and Kawajiri Hidetaka died fighting against the combined forces of Azai Nagamasa and Ando Morinari in Mino, a death deserving of praise. After all, they didn't flee and fought to the very end.

It's not their fault that we couldn't hold out; the enemy outnumbered us, so even in defeat, we were still honorable.

Sakuma Nobue was a meritorious official who followed Kawajiri Hidenaga in protecting Takeda Matsuhime and Oda Sanboshi during their escape. He also made a great contribution by protecting the young lord.

Zhao Zilong of Changshan, since ancient times, has charged into battle to save his lord in times of crisis; who dares to challenge him at Changban?

Where do you think would be a good place?

"Nishinon".

Firstly, all three members of the Western Mino trio are now dead. Ando Morinari killed Inaba Ittetsu, and Chosokabe Nobuchika killed Ando Morinari. Western Mino has truly been purged clean, lacking both the strength and the will to maintain its status as a nation. It's the perfect time to completely nationalize it and install a new lord.

Secondly, western Mino is located at a strategic pass between the Tokaido and the Kinai region, and the Battle of Sekigahara took place in this area historically. Placing these three lords, who would rather die than submit to the enemy, in their service would certainly be beneficial to the Oda clan.

It's like being a security guard at the gate, the kind who's extremely loyal.

Furthermore, the three families together possess 150,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), which, if necessary, could easily mobilize an army of over 8,000 men. Once they occupy Ōgaki City, even a combined attack of tens of thousands of troops would not be able to easily breach the city within two or three days.

This would give the region time to react, allowing for a continuous flow of reinforcements to support Ōgaki and preventing foreign enemies from entering the region and causing widespread chaos that could engulf the region and even threaten Kyoto.

"Then let the three of them share the 200,000 koku of Saino." Nobunaga not only agreed to Shichibei's proposal, but also increased the amount.

There's one more thing Shichibei didn't mention: if these three were placed in Nishimino, it would mean that Nobunaga had no intention of supporting another million-koku lord in Noo.

515. Nobunaga lamented the difficulty of being a father.

You look much older.

Nobunaga sat on a high seat in the main hall of the castle tower, calmly gazing at Sakuma Nobumori, who could only kneel in the corridor outside the hall. Shichibei sat between the two, a look of indescribable anxiety on his face.

“You too.” Sakuma Nobumori bowed and replied to Oda Nobunaga.

To be honest, Sakuma Nobumori really looks incredibly old. Living in that poor, remote mountain village of Koya, with its poor food and clothing, and coupled with his life's disappointments, it would be a miracle if Sakuma Nobumori were to exude youthful energy.

But how could he possibly say that Oda Nobunaga was an old bastard and a lackey in front of him? Shichibei glanced at Nobunaga, then at Nobumori.

"..." Nobunaga opened his mouth as if to say something, but after raising his hand, he put it down again.

The long-awaited meeting ended so abruptly, it felt as if it had never happened at all. Nobunaga was not in the mood for conversation, and Sakuma Nobumori, who came to express his gratitude, also seemed listless. He was happy at the moment of the pardon, but who knows what would happen afterward.

Before leaving his high seat, Nobunaga gave Shichibei a piece of advice.

If Sakuma Nobumori has any needs, try to meet them as much as possible, as long as they are not excessive.

Furthermore, after Sakuma Nobumori was pardoned, he theoretically went into seclusion and became Nobunaga's "go-tsushima" (a type of military officer). However, Nobunaga might not have wanted Nobumori to be around him every day, so Nobumori returned to his hometown of Owari, Sōkyu, under the title of "go-tsushima".

Nobumori's retirement allowance was set at 10,000 koku in Narumi. This was the location of Narumi Castle, where Yamaguchi Noriyuki rebelled and allied with Imagawa Yoshimoto, leading Nobunaga to build fortresses such as Tange Fortress, Zenshōji Fortress, and Nakajima Fortress, and to conduct a prolonged siege. Imagawa Yoshimoto, in order to break the siege and ultimately eliminate the Oda clan of Owari, launched a major battle.

As for castles, they were demolished long ago. Unless absolutely necessary, the Warring States period daimyo generally adopted a policy of eradicating and abandoning these numerous small castles.

Historically, after the Battle of Miki, Hideyoshi ordered the destruction of all the branch castles in Higashi-Harima and strictly prohibited the construction of new castles. The Tokugawa family's rule of one castle per province was a tradition passed down through generations and was not something that happened overnight.

Nobumori was quite satisfied with this arrangement. Sakuma Morishige had died in battle in this area, and Nobumori himself had temporarily served as the lord of Narumi Castle. It could be considered a return to his homeland, at least for now.

Everywhere you go, there are places to reminisce.

When Shichibei saw Sakuma Nobumori off from Azuchi Castle, he also told him about Sakuma Nobuege's appointment as a fief of 66,600 koku in western Mino. Nobumori simply waved his hand and didn't even smile.

I really don't know if they've completely taken it all in stride or if they think it's not worth mentioning.

Of course, 66,600 koku is not comparable to 1.2 million koku, but this gives them the capital to make a comeback. Moreover, the 6,000 cavalry of the Sakuma retainers, after being taken over by Nobutada, were defeated by Azai Nagamasa. Now that they have a new territory to settle in, it can at least be considered a resurgence.

This is no bad word; only by rising from the ashes can there be a future. Although Sakuma Nobueaka may be inferior to his father in military strategy, he can still gain experience. As long as he does well, becoming a daimyo in a province with a salary of two or three hundred thousand koku is a piece of cake.

Although his family had declined in history, he still managed to become a 3,000-koku daishi hatamoto (a high-ranking official in the Tokugawa shogunate). His biological son did not pass on his lineage, but his adopted son's family continued until the end of the Edo period.

After escorting the person to the castle, Shichibei personally arranged for Kuwayama Shigeharu and Tsuchida Chikakiyo to take them to Narumi. As for the safety of the new generation of the Nishi-Mino Trio, Shichibei didn't need to handle that; others would take care of it.

As spring arrived and the ice and snow melted, Nobunaga appointed Niwa Nagahide as commander-in-chief, leading 20,000 cavalry, while coordinating with the Kaga Triumvirate, to attack Echizen and completely eliminate the remnants of the Asai clan.

Even if Lady Oichi knelt outside the castle tower of Azuchi Castle for seven days and seven nights, it would be useless. Rebels should have their entire families killed; this is a matter of course.

Miyoshi Nobutaka, Kagawa Nobusumi, and Chosokabe Nobuchika, after receiving monetary rewards from Nobunaga, were also sent back to Shikoku. The Kinai region was now somewhat pacified, and so many foreign troops were no longer needed.

Generals such as Oda Nobuhiro, Takigawa Kazumasu, and Mori Hideyori, who were stationed on the eastern front, also rushed to pay their respects to Nobunaga. On one hand, they expressed their loyalty, and on the other hand, they inquired whether Nobunaga would proceed with the original plan to launch a large-scale attack on the Hojo and Uesugi tribes after spring.

implement!

It must be carried out; we must crush the morale of the Hojo and Uesugi families. We must establish the Oda clan's advantage on the eastern front, preventing any force from challenging the Oda clan's hegemony from ever existing.

Once the Mori clan is subdued, the only remaining force in the entire realm that wouldn't submit to the emperor's rule is the brotherhood of the Hojo and Uesugi clans. Even the most powerful families in Kyushu couldn't mobilize enough troops to resist the Oda clan, especially without the Nijō Incident in Kyoto. The Oda clan had already sent 120,000 troops on a campaign in Yoshida County.

It's a mountain city.

If Nobunaga could send 120,000 men to Aki and Bingo, he could certainly send them to Kyushu. Once they landed, given the strength of the Oda army, there would be no force capable of resisting them.

Oda Nobuhiro, who personally came to Azuchi, received an unexpected surprise. However, it wasn't just him who received it; almost all of Nobunaga's followers did as well.

He was promoted to the rank of third-class councilor.

Oda Nobuhiro became the third member of the Oda clan, after Nobunaga and Nobutada, to attain the high rank of Junior Third Rank, Upper-Rank Minister. Since Nobunaga was already the Minister of the Right, it wasn't surprising that his elder brother, Nobunaga no Osako, had only achieved the rank of Junior Third Rank, Prime Minister of Kaizu. Everyone simply offered their congratulations, along with a touch of envy.

Takashiro Nobuhiro and Nobunaga shared the same father, both being sons of Oda Nobuhide. So, let alone a councilor, even a middle councilor could be touched if one lived long enough.

The other rewards were rather puzzling. Nobunaga's eldest son, nephew, and son-in-law were mostly granted the rank of Junior Fifth Rank, either as retainers or concurrently as governors of the province.

But this time it was very different, because of Nobuo, Nobutaka, and Nobufusa.

The four men, including Xin Cheng, were all promoted to lieutenant general of the fourth rank, with the only difference being that Xin Cheng was promoted to right-hand lieutenant general of the Imperial Guard.

This wasn't simply a matter of rapid promotion, skipping over the ranks of Hyōe-no-Sō and Shōjō. It was due to Nobunaga's exceptional support for the Oda clan's sons and nephews.

The sons-in-law of the Oda clan, such as Takayama Shigetomo, were appointed as attendants and governors of Settsu. Chosokabe Nobuchika, who came and rendered meritorious service, was appointed as attendants and governor of Tosa.

One by one, they all became court nobles and high officials, and according to Nobunaga's wishes, all the court nobles who originally held this position had to give up their posts.

Previously, the appointment of samurai officials was outside the normal system of appointments within the court. Only when they were promoted to positions like Naijami (Minister of the Interior) or Ujō (Minister of the Right) did their appointments merge with those of the court nobles.

In later Tokugawa Shogunates, if a shogun held the position of Grand Minister of State, then the Imperial Court would never appoint another court noble as Grand Minister of State. This could be considered a convergence of elite power, perhaps.

Nobunaga no longer appoints samurai to official positions outside the court; instead, he wants them to be appointed within the entire court nobility system. The position of Vice-General is divided into the Left and Right Inner Palace Guard Offices, theoretically one guarding the Yomeimon Gate and the other the Infumon Gate. However, these positions have long been nominal and are not actually held.

Initially, there were usually two full-time lieutenant generals and one assistant lieutenant general. However, with so many court nobles, the number gradually expanded. During the reign of Emperor Go-Shirakawa, the system had expanded to one office with four full-time lieutenant generals and three assistant lieutenant generals, totaling fourteen people.

Therefore, it was not a problem for Nobunaga to temporarily appoint four of his nephews to the rank of junior general; there were plenty of vacancies in the court nobility. But the message this conveyed was very puzzling.

When Shichibei suggested that Nobunaga place Kawajiri Hidenaga, Inaba Sadamichi, and Sakuma Nobuege in the 200,000 koku of western Mino, it was discovered that Nobunaga did not seem to have any intention of cultivating another eldest son with a 1 million koku of koku.

To take this point alone, Shichibei initially wanted to test who Nobunaga intended to appoint, so he specifically mentioned Nishi-Mino. Unexpectedly, Nobunaga actually agreed, which left Shichibei completely baffled.

Looking back now, Shichibei suddenly realized that Nobunaga was raising a flag!

This is a very bold move, a move that predecessors attempted but failed to fully execute. Nobunaga may be trying to integrate his Oda clan and key retainers into the existing Japanese court system.

Or rather, Nobunaga wanted to reunite the samurai and court families, so that they would no longer rule Japan as separate samurai families and establish a new social order.

No, that's not quite right either.

It should be said that Nobunaga intended for his own clan to also become a legacy for all time. Now that they possess military strength, and a strong one at that, that's one thing. Even if they lose their military strength in the future, they will still serve as a symbol of good fortune, passed down through generations, ensuring their descendants enjoy benefits far exceeding those of ordinary Japanese civilians.

Just after the imperial edict promoting Nobunaga's four sons and nephews to the rank of Lieutenant General was issued, Shichibei was also promoted to Junior Fourth Rank, Right Governor-General. Similarly, Hideyoshi was promoted to Junior Fourth Rank, Chamberlain, and Governor of Chikuzen. Takigawa Kazumasu was promoted to Junior Fourth Rank, Chamberlain, and Governor of Iyo, and Niwa Nagahide was promoted to Junior Fourth Rank, Chamberlain, and Governor of Echizen.

Similarly, this puzzled Shichibei as well. Logically, he should have been promoted to Junior Fourth Rank Attendant-in-Ordinary and Governor of the State. Instead, he was promoted to Grand Master of the Capital. What else could be more puzzling?

After sitting down and thinking about the context, Shichibei began to understand. Hideyoshi and Kazumasu were capable of going out and killing people, and they were needed to continue killing people to unify Japan. Therefore, their rank should be in the military officer category.

Unlike Shichibei, who had been Nobunaga's underling since his appointment, this meant that Shichibei's seniority would be relegated to the civil service, allowing him to continue serving the Oda clan within the ranks of civil officials.

If the Oda clan were to gradually integrate into or even replace the court system maintained by the nobility, then there would indeed be a need for civil officials to handle political affairs, documents, and the people's livelihood.

Rather than using someone you don't trust or someone you're not comfortable with, it's better to use someone familiar and used to, like Shichibei. The key point is that there's a clear lord-vassal relationship with the Oda clan, and the hierarchy is very clear.

Even though the Oda family members all served as Grand Chancellor afterward, it did not prevent Shichibei's descendants from serving the Grand Chancellor with the official title of Grand Chancellor of the Capital Region.

An official post is an official post, and loyalty is loyalty.

No way, they're really going to do this? We haven't seen Nobunaga discuss this with us at all. Besides, does Nobunaga really think he can definitely succeed and do something perfectly?

It can only be said that Nobunaga had grand ambitions!

As was customary, after sending out the gifts presented to the imperial envoy and the coins offered to Nobunaga, Shichibei was inclined to ask Nobunaga if he was truly planning to do so.

Upon entering the palace, Nobunaga was reading a military report. It wasn't from Echizen, but from Tango. The report stated that Tango had seized 123,000 koku of land, a devastating blow to the local gentry and powerful families.

What to do? Naturally, they started making a fuss. They even sent Isshiki Yoshisada to negotiate with Hosokawa Fujitaka, asking him to mediate. Because Isshiki Yoshisada was Hosokawa Fujitaka's son-in-law, and about four or five hundred people from Tango Province had gone to Miyazu Castle with him, he felt that he would not be in any danger.

That was definitely dangerous, so Hosokawa Fujitaka and his son Hosokawa Tadaoki didn't hesitate to chop Isshiki Yoshisada, who had entered the castle, into mincemeat. Then, their ambush troops sprang out from all sides, slaughtering the four or five hundred Tango soldiers, both those who had entered and those who hadn't, like cutting melons and vegetables. The area inside and outside Miyazu Castle was awash in blood.

When Isshiki Yoshisada's uncle, Isshiki Yoshimichi, heard the news, he intended to raise an army. However, before he could gather his forces, he was captured and killed on the spot by the Hosokawa father and son, who were already prepared.

The small town of Tango had only tens of thousands of inhabitants. Without the slightest hesitation, the Hosokawa father and son massacred two or three hundred families, including the Kunio family. In total, they killed at least five thousand people.

That's equivalent to wiping out at least 7% of Dango's population. He risked his life to stabilize Dango and prevent her from going into chaos.