Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Not only that, he also ordered all the lords of Oshu and Ushu to come and pay homage to Oda Nobukatsu. Furthermore, he demanded their participation in the encirclement of Hojo Ujimasa, with those who did not participate being replaced.

At this point, the world is at peace!

With only two or three years to spare, Nobunaga aimed to completely unify Japan and establish a new Oda regime. He also intended to promote Nobukatsu to the position of Minister of the Interior or Minister of the Right, thus preparing him for succession.

To be honest, in the past, fighting each other for two or three years over a single county or village would yield little to no land. But this year, the Oda clan fought three major battles: the battle of Kozuke, the pacification of the Mori clan, and the conquest of Echigoku. In the blink of an eye, they gained control of over a million koku of land.

It's not just accelerating, it's practically flooring the gas pedal and charging forward.

Whether it was Hideyoshi in history or Nobunaga at this time, unifying the country was a foregone conclusion, and they no longer needed to put in too much effort; they could simply proceed step by step.

Times have indeed changed.

"My father has another message to share with you all," Oda Nobukatsu announced publicly, taking advantage of the Oda clan's gains on both the eastern and western fronts.

"On January 2nd of next year, a ceremony will be held before the imperial horse, and Mori Kingo, Kikkawa Harubu, and Kobayakawa Nakamatsu will be invited to attend." (This was stated by the envoy.)

However, he did not only bring news of Niwa Nagahide's great victory.

The role of Oma-mae was originally planned, but it was reserved for Oda Nobutada. Now, the main character has become Oda Nobunaga and Oda Nobukatsu.

The three Mori were invited to Kyoto for two reasons. First, as family members of Nobukatsu's wife, they were required to attend the wedding. Second, by removing the three of them before the Western tribes participated in the horse-riding ceremony, they wouldn't have to worry about any trouble in the local area.

There's no need to pretend they're hostages. They're just naked hostages. If we pack the three of them up and take them away, even if the Western Kingdom causes a commotion, there'll be no one to lead it.

Remember this: Terumoto Mori had no children.

He has no children to this day, and killing him would mean the direct line of the Mori clan would end. They can't even find a son-in-law or adopted son, and the only legitimate son-in-law they have is Oda Nobukatsu.

Yuanjiu's sons were all adopted out and given to other families. Returning to the original family was not only a matter of different status, but also made it difficult to gain the approval of the family retainers.

In short, with these three by our side, all the other daimyo from the western provinces can happily go to Kyoto to participate in the grand ceremony before the imperial horse.

Along the way, you can also witness the ceremony of Oda Nobunaga being appointed as Grand Chancellor. After that, Japan will no longer have the positions of Regent and Grand Minister of State; the two positions will be abolished and merged into the position of Grand Chancellor.

"Our lord's might extends to the four seas, and the world submits." Shichibei immediately reacted and started with a high-sounding statement.

"A feat unparalleled in history has been bestowed upon our lord!" Hideyoshi and Shichibei shouted in perfect unison.

After the two men finished their grand pronouncements, the generals also expressed their determination and support. And rightly so! These are all shrewd individuals who have risen to the rank of feudal lord, among the top 200 in all of Japan; if they don't even have this much awareness, they might as well quit.

The punishment of the Western Kingdom is basically complete, and the army can retreat slowly. However, the feudal lords and daimyo need to take their trusted confidants, such as Ma Hui, and return to the capital as soon as possible.

It wasn't just about dressing up; there was also a pre-ceremony meeting to arrange seating. Shichibei had even considered, and inquired about, the seating arrangement back then.

Oda Nobuo left behind Oda Tadahiro and Kizuki Tomomasa to oversee the demolition of Yoshida-Koriyama Castle and its left and right branch castles. Mori Terumoto left behind Ninomiya Narita and Naito Mototane to construct Hiroshima Castle at the mouth of the Ota River.

As for Nobunaga's request, Mori Terumoto, who had already knelt down, had no choice but to agree.

The men quickly packed up and, following orders, handed the army over to their trusted retainers to be led back to their respective territories at a steady pace. Shichibei, however, didn't require such trouble, as there were plenty of ships and only seven thousand men; they could all be quickly transported back to Sakai and Kishiwada by ship.

Nobuo didn't intend to take a boat; he planned to dress in his finest clothes and run all the way back to Kyoto from Yoshida-Koriyama Castle. Understandable, like a peacock spreading its tail to show off.

Hideyoshi asked Shichibei if there was enough room on the ship. It was perfectly fine; he only had a few men. So Hideyoshi chose to take several hundred horsemen from the Umawari clan and ride back to the Kinai region with Shichibei.

The army was left to Hachisuka Koroku's disposal. Hachisuka Koroku, in terms of rank and status, was essentially the chief retainer of the Hashiba clan. In terms of seniority alone, Hidenaga couldn't compare to Hachisuka Koroku. Therefore, Hidenaga also traveled back by boat with Hideyoshi.

The daimyo of the western provinces, who did not want the trouble, also chose to travel by boat to Kyoto as soon as possible to pay their respects to Oda Nobunaga.

However, Katsumasa Ikeda stated that he needed to go to Suo first to take over the Yamaguchi-no-kan (Yamaguchi-kan estate), so he couldn't travel with them. He would then charter a fast boat to come after he finished taking over the estate in a few days. As the lord of Suo Province...

If something goes wrong, he'll still have to guard Nobuo's horse.

541.Longjingfenshuoxinxiongen

Kyoto, Nijo Imperial Palace.

The Nijō Palace, which underwent a large-scale mobilization for repairs and reconstruction, has been completely renovated and is awaiting two major tasks. First, Nobunaga will receive the imperial decree at the palace; second, the palace will serve as the departure and landing point for Oda's army before they participate in the imperial procession.

According to the normal procedure, the Shogun and the Governor of the Pass would be announced by a Tibetan chieftain carrying an imperial edict. The nobles and samurai who received the edict would then arrange a date to ascend the throne and pay homage to the Emperor.

Therefore, a debate arose in later generations: although Ashikaga Yoshihide received the title of Shogun, he never entered Kyoto to ascend the throne and pay homage to the Emperor, nor did they exchange gifts. Thus, his succession process as Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate was incomplete, and he cannot be considered a legitimate Shogun.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki, on the other hand, not only received the imperial decree but also entered Kyoto to pay homage to the Emperor and presented him with repair materials from the Imperial Palace, thus completing the entire process.

Oda Nobunaga has already received the imperial edict appointing him as Grand Chancellor. The edict reads "Chancellor," with the word "Grand" merely adding a touch of grandeur, serving more as a title of respect or indicating seniority. In a sense, the "Grand" in "Minister" carries this meaning, signifying high esteem.

The reason why he has not yet ascended the throne to pay homage to the Emperor is mainly because he is waiting for Oda Nobukatsu to return and for those who have contributed to the Mori Campaign in the western provinces to be rewarded with official titles and ranks.

Those who fully possess a country can serve as attendants and governors. Those who do not fully possess a country but whose grain yield exceeds 100,000 shi (a unit of grain), may also be granted the title of attendant with special permission. However, this "special permission" is only possible by risking one's life to kill people; it is not something that can be obtained easily.

Mori, Yoshikawa, and Kobayakawa all received promotions, but we won't go into that now. Nobunaga's insistence on bringing Nobukatsu to the palace also stemmed from his intention to prepare for Nobukatsu's further promotion.

The reason why Nobuo, Nobutaka, Nobusumi, and Nobufusa were promoted to lieutenant general on the same day was to place the sons and nephews of the Oda family in high positions in the imperial court, so as to promote the merging of the Oda regime and the Shinto power of the old Japanese court nobles.

The current promotion of Oda Nobukatsu is purely to pave the way for him. Nobukatsu has already rendered meritorious service by pacifying powerful lords like the Mori clan, so his promotion to Junior Third Rank Councilor is reasonable and justified.

Since the promotion to councilor is to be made, Nobuo must be included, and his merits in the western provinces must be properly mentioned to Emperor Ogimachi.

Theoretically, Oda Nobunaga was appointed Chancellor because of his great achievement in pacifying the entire western province. If Emperor Ogimachi were to ask, Nobukatsu, as the supreme commander, could certainly offer some explanation.

Shichibei and Hideyoshi did not stay in Kishiwada for long. Lady Takaya's due date was approaching, and there was no other way. Shichibei had to attend the Oma-mae ceremony, an important ceremony that determined the order of the next generation. Compared to a concubine without a title giving birth, political prospects were definitely more important.

Lady Takaya, of course, wouldn't whine and cry. When she learned that her beloved eldest son, Hatakeyama Nobutaka, had been transferred to Nagato Province with a fief of 130,000 koku, she was overjoyed, clapping her hands repeatedly. Her son was a piece of her own flesh and blood, while Shichibei was just a fleeting romance.

Those who have no official status or recognition, that's good enough.

When Hideyoshi arrived in Kyoto, the generals from the Kinai and eastern provinces had already arrived, including Takigawa Kazumasu. He temporarily entrusted his army and territory to Takigawa Masushige.

You ask why Hojo Ujimasa didn't act now? First, at the beginning of the year, Hojo Ujikuni and others went to Kozuke and suffered a complete defeat. In Izu, they also suffered a fierce attack from Takeda Nobufusa and Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Ujimasa's main force also suffered heavy losses.

But the Hojo family was large, so in theory there shouldn't have been any problems. However, in the middle of that year, Ashina Moriji of Aizu died. After Ashina Moriji's death, his eldest son Ashina Morioki died young and adopted Nikaido Moritaka as his adopted son.

Then internal strife began within the Ashina family. Originally, Nikaido Mori...

Takashi was merely a hostage sent to Kurokawa Castle by the Nikaido family, which had been defeated by Ashina Morioji. Surprisingly, this hostage married Ashina Morioki's daughter, became his legitimate son, and eventually the head of the family.

After the internal strife, the Mutsu Date family and the Hitachi Satake family were overjoyed. The ruler of Aizu was doomed; they'd be foolish not to intervene.

Therefore, Yoshishige Satake set his sights on Aizu and began to contend with the Tamura family. As for the Shirakawa and Iwaki families, they had already been subdued by Satake.

Satake Yoshishige moved his troops to Aizu. Hojo Ujimasa, thinking he couldn't defeat Oda, decided to target Satake, a persistent nuisance, and shifted his main military forces to the Shimotsuke and Hitachi areas.

Naturally, Takigawa Kazumasu was no longer under much military pressure and could come to Kyoto for a meeting.

To be honest, Nobunaga really needs to hurry. If a winner is decided in the several hundred thousand koku of territory in Aizu, then a new daimyo with more than one million koku, or even one million five hundred thousand koku, will emerge in northern Kanto or southern Mutsu.

Northern Kanto and Oshu are indeed protected by natural defenses and formidable passes. Moreover, during the time of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Kitabatake Akiie, the Oshu army was a renowned and powerful force.

If a powerful lord with 1.5 million koku were to rise up and gather 70,000 to 80,000 men, Nobunaga might not have a sure chance of success even if he led 100,000 men to attack him.

You ask why we don't conscript two or three hundred thousand men to fight? It's possible. There are two difficulties: first, we don't know if the logistics can handle it; second, if we send two or three hundred thousand men to fight, they'll be rewarded, and if they achieve merit, they'll be rewarded. Even if we kill the enemy, the spoils and territory we seize might not be enough to cover the rewards.

Historically, Date Masamune was indeed just a hair's breadth away from unifying Aizu. If he had unified Aizu two or three years earlier and basically absorbed Aizu, then after the Siege of Odawara, there would inevitably have been the Siege of Yonezawa.

The arrival of Oda clan retainers in Kyoto was truly a gathering of feudal lords and powerful figures. Since Nobukatsu had not yet arrived, everyone was socializing. Given the realities of Japan's Sengoku period, the Oda clan itself was rife with factions; whether they were former retainers or outlying lords, each was inviting friends and holding banquets daily.

In any case, the feudal lords all had residences in Kyoto, and several streets were lined with residences of Oda's senior retainers. Almost every residence was filled with the sounds of singing, dancing, music, and boisterous revelry.

Even Shichibei couldn't escape the custom; at the very least, his brothers-in-law had come to Kyoto, so he had to entertain them. Shibata Nagakatsu and Yamagata Masamitsu were both daimyo, so they had to be treated to the best food and drink.

After that, it was always Nobuo's old acquaintances inviting him, one after another, and it was hard to refuse anyone's invitation. If Hideyoshi invited him, Shichibei had to eat. If Sakuma Nobueshige invited him, Shichibei had to eat as well. If Oda Nobuie invited him, would he eat or not? There was no end to it, until Nobuo returned to Kyoto.

Spreading his fame like a peacock displaying its plumage, he naturally had to slow down a bit.

When he returned to the capital, even his brothers sent him congratulatory gifts to celebrate his victory in the Western Campaign. Gifts from the feudal lords filled his house, with countless rare and precious items.

In addition, Mori Terumoto, Yoshikawa Motoharu, and Kobayakawa Takakage, who were visiting Kyoto in person for the first time, were warmly received by Oda Nobunaga. From then on, Nobunaga and Terumoto became close family members, working together to support Oda Nobukatsu in his succession to the throne.

Upon learning that Nobunaga had indeed accepted the orders of the three Mori clan members summoned by the Chancellor, he secretly began to strategize. Nobunaga's conquest of the land was now assured. Although Nobunaga appeared somewhat aged, he could still support Oda Nobukatsu for some time. Subjugating the Oda clan now was a natural course of action. As for what would happen to Oda Nobukatsu?

The three people had differing opinions.

These three were different from the generals who returned to the Kinai region by boat; they were the peacock's tail feathers, the very feathers of Oda Nobukatsu's peacock. Nobukatsu was going to bring...

They strolled home along the streets of Sanyo in the western country; otherwise, why would they be slower than Shichibei and the others?

Mori Terumoto surprisingly felt a sense of camaraderie with Oda Nobukatsu, just like Nobukatsu and Hatakeyama Nobutaka hit it off immediately. Terumoto believed that Nobukatsu, with his ambition to unify the country, was a man capable of succeeding the Oda clan's imperial legacy.

Ambitious but incompetent.

It must be said that the only reason why these three people could come together in such a short time and be of one mind with each other is that all three of them are "extraordinary talents" with great ambitions but little ability.

Based on this miraculous connection, as if their hearts were linked, Mori Terumoto and Oda Nobuo chatted amiably, all the way from Aki to Kyoto. If they hadn't already become father-in-law and son-in-law, they would surely have chopped off chicken heads, burned yellow paper, and become sworn brothers.

It was a bit late, and Hatakeyama Nobutaka and Oda Nobuo were already considered sworn brothers. The two had only just met when they felt an instant connection and couldn't help but feel a strong bond; to put it bluntly, they might even have actually slept together.

Yoshikawa Motoharu held a completely different view from Mori Terumoto, believing that Oda Nobuo's imitations were too obvious. He likely imitated Oda Nobunaga, but not comprehensively.

Because Nobunaga was a lavish spender, spending lavishly and generously, his soldiers were willing to die for him. But when necessary, Nobunaga could also don armor and personally lead attacks, shouting "Follow me!" during battles.

It's equivalent to saying "Follow me" and "Charge!" Oda Nobunaga knew both of these moves, and used them very skillfully.

Unfortunately, Nobuo only learned one trick: charging me. Of course, he did pay me well, so charging me is no problem. But that's only true for now, not forever.

We're winning all the battles now, but what do we do when we're losing?

Yoshikawa Motoharu was speaking the truth. Although the unification of the entire country seemed to be in its final stages, given the size of the Oda clan, it was impossible for them to encounter any more unfavorable situations.

But when it comes to this, who can be more certain, you or me?

The tyrannical and domineering will eventually perish, like dust rising in the wind.

The logic is simple: Yoshikawa Motoharu's view of Oda Nobuo could only be described as neutral. He believed that Nobuo was at most a rich second-generation heir, and whether he could stabilize Oda Nobunaga's empire was still uncertain.

Kobayakawa Takakage, however, held a somewhat different view. He believed Oda Nobuo was all show and no substance.

On the surface, Nobuo seemed to have some magnanimity and would reward the troops, which to some extent won over the hearts of the people.

But all his tricks are superficial; his acts of kindness are merely clumsy imitations of kindness, not genuine acts of kindness that demonstrate a deep understanding of people's hearts.

How so? It's simple. A man's mother fell ill, and two older brothers jumped in, each trying to win him over. Brother A casually offered 300,000 yuan, telling the man to come back for more when he finished. Brother B took a personal business card, sent a henchman to take the man to a specialist, didn't mention a penny, and the man was cured instantly.

If you were this person, which older brother would you like?

Gratitude is a complex thing; it depends on the person, the time, and the situation. It's not something that can be settled simply by giving money. Of course, if you meet Brother A but don't have Brother B, you'll bow down in gratitude. But if Brother B is present, how do you show your gratitude?

Just like now, for Amago Katsuhisa and his group, all their expectations and wishes lie in returning to Izumo, returning to Gassan-Toda Castle, and reviving the Amago clan. So when Oda Nobukatsu allowed them to restore their former territory and revive their family, their gratitude was truly like a surging river, never-ending.

As long as Oda Nobuo doesn't act recklessly, Amago Katsuhisa will definitely love Oda Nobuo deeply, fight for him, and never give up.

But what if it were Hatakeyama Nobutaka? It seems like a high-ranking official position with 130,000 koku of rice in Nagato province was bestowed upon him. This would restore the Hatakeyama Kingo family to the status of a powerful daimyo, a pillar of the state. But was Hatakeyama Nobutaka truly happy?

I was certainly happy, but not filled with gratitude.

Over the past few months, Kobayakawa Takakage has keenly sensed that Hatakeyama Nobutaka's ambition lies in reviving the Hatakeyama Kingo clan. He has been running errands for Oda Nobuo, using his silver tongue to persuade Mori Terumoto to surrender and marry his daughter to Nobuo.

What they were after was to return to the glorious past of their ancestral Hatakeyama family, where they participated in central government affairs during the Muromachi Shogunate, wielded great power, and enjoyed immense prestige and fame.