Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

In this way, there would also be one of Nobunaga's own sons in Kyushu, which would meet Nobunaga's strategic requirements.

Why let the Kobayakawa clan take over Chikugo first? Because Chikugo was in turmoil after Ryūzōji Takanobu killed the entire Kamachi family. Although the Oda army arrived, things were far from peaceful.

After Ryuzoji Ieharu, the deputy governor of Chikugo appointed by Ryuzoji, surrendered the castle and went to Kyoto as a guest, Kobayakawa Takakage led his troops to occupy Yanagawa Castle.

Previously, there was no uprising when the rope was inspected and the land was inspected; later, there was no uprising when the order was issued for the entire country and the city. What does this mean?

It means you didn't shave your head.

Kobayakawa Takakage was also a clever man; having been transferred from Bingo, he was willing to...

They must want to use more of their own people and fewer of the natives of Chikugo. Now, with the Mori and Hashiba armies to the north and the Kawamura army to the south, totaling over 60,000 troops, what's wrong with letting him take advantage of this opportunity to force the people of Chikugo to rebel?

"Hmph..." Hideyoshi nodded slightly, perhaps this could be considered as doing Kobayakawa Takakage a favor.

He's just looking for an excuse to get a haircut, so let's give him a push with a public executive order. Let him get a haircut while there are plenty of people around, so he won't cause trouble later when he's in power.

"Go and invite Kobayakawa Nakamatsu immediately." Shichibei saw that Hideyoshi smiled and knew that he agreed.

The attendants immediately ran outside the city, while the generals who were campaigning in Kyushu gathered inside the mansion. They were originally there to serve Oda Nobukatsu and take orders from him. Now that Nobukatsu had temporarily returned to the Kinai region, they had to remain inside the mansion to await Oda Nobunaga's orders.

Not long after, Kobayakawa Takakage entered the castle to pay his respects. Seeing Hideyoshi and Shichibei there, he thought something major had happened. He first bowed and greeted them, then tentatively asked some questions.

Upon learning of the impending sword hunt in Chikugo, it took a moment to process what was happening. Hideyoshi summoned Maeno Nagayasu, while Shichibei brought over Hara Nagayori. A month later, they were stationed in Chikugo.

The border. Without needing their orders, they could charge in upon hearing Kobayakawa Takakage's command.

The two men solemnly accepted the order, while Kobayakawa Takakage nodded with a smile, indicating that he would definitely complete the mission and set a good example for the princes in Chikugo.

It's cruel that they decided to shave thousands of heads in Chikugo with just a few words. But Shichibei and his two companions didn't take it seriously at all; when it's time to be ruthless, there's no room for mercy.

After Kobayakawa's entire army entered Chikugo and took control of Yanagawa Castle, they immediately sent messengers to announce the execution of a sword hunt in Chikugo. As expected, the few remaining nobles in Chikugo were in uproar.

The Tajiri Kensuke family, who had previously followed Ryuzoji Ieharu, had also fallen from grace and were now part of the pilgrimage to Kyoto, not currently residing in Chikugo Province. Consequently, the powerful figures of Chikugo Province went to the Kokusha (national shrine) of Takara Taisha in Chikugo Province for a meeting to discuss how to handle the situation.

Kora Taisha is a national shrine dedicated to Kora Tamakatsumi, and enjoys an extremely high religious status in Chikugo. Its head priest, Ryokan, was also a rather ambitious man who continuously expanded the power of Kora Taisha.

If the Aso Ōmiya clan in the south could rise to become daimyo during the Sengoku period, why can't the Takara clan?

It's truly a case of being greedy when others are fearful, and going all in when others are greedy. The Oda army has suppressed so many uprisings, and then suppressed the local lords who rose up because of the ruined castles, and now they're issuing a sword hunt order. This is simply a godsend for me, Lord Takara, and I can also ascend to the throne of the lord of 300,000 koku in Chikugo Province.

The power of Otomo and Ryuzoji declined from Chikugo, and the great lords of Chikugo, such as Kusano Tajiri, also fell into decline. It was truly a case of "if you don't take what God gives you, you will suffer the consequences."

Taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the people of Chikugo Province holding a meeting on Mount Kora, Ryokan and his brother Rinkei rallied the nation's heroes, who immediately armed themselves and prepared to challenge Kobayakawa Takakage.

Based at Yoshimi-gaku Castle near Mount Kora, the Kokujin So-ikki quickly gathered more than 15,000 followers and confronted the suppressing forces directly.

They even thought they could negotiate, demanding that Kobayakawa Takakage cease his sword hunting and recognize half of Chikugo Province as the sacred territory of Kora Taisha Shrine. This was the kind of sacred and inviolable territory, not only exempt from inspection but also from paying annual tribute.

In any case, the Takara Shrine wanted all the benefits. If their demands were not met, they would not withdraw their troops and even threatened to gather 30,000 men to punish the villains who disrespected the life of Takara Takami.

Okay, let's negotiate.

"Let's talk right away. Kobayakawa Takakage warmly welcomes Ryokan and Urokodori to come and negotiate."

580. Kyushu Province has its own repertoire of plays.

I heard that the killing at the Takara Shrine was so fierce that the steps were smeared with blood.

"stupid!"

Hideyoshi had only this one concise and clear assessment of Ryokan, Rinkei, Takara Shachu, and even the entire Chikugo Province So-ikki.

"..." Shichibei did not answer, but stood at the city gate, watching the head of the leader of the Chikugo Province uprising, which was brought to Funai Castle and was about to be displayed in Kyushu.

"What's so interesting about this?" Hideyoshi closed Kobayakawa Takakage's report, showing no regard for the severed head.

"Reading this often will keep you alert." Shichibei took the report and began to read it as well.

The people of Chikugo Province cannot be said to have committed a clear rebellion. In the Sengoku period, "Ikki" (撆) not only referred to religious or peasant uprisings, but also to a form of organization.

In Japanese, it is said as "心を一つにすること。一致団結。" The Taiheiki also mentions that an uprising is a matter of working together to accomplish something.

At this time, the uprising of the people of Chikugo Province was more like a gathering of people...

Together, though one person is weak, many people are strong, and they jointly make demands and protests against Kobayakawa Takakage, the new lord.

However, previous uprisings often demanded the promulgation of benevolent decrees, that is, the exemption of loans and interest issued to the people by temples, granaries, and government offices. Of course, there were also demands for reduced annual tributes, or for relief in case of disasters; the demands were varied.

Because these uprisings often involved not only independent farmers and tenant farmers, but also members of the military class such as estate owners and land servants, the power disparity between lords and uprisings was no longer as vast as heaven and earth.

Those uprisings that actually breached castles and killed the guards were very rare. Most uprisings involved gathering thousands upon thousands of people, carrying torches, and surrounding temples and government offices. Consider this: a temple's main hall costs tens of thousands, while forgiving the debts of an uprising might only amount to a few thousand. Should one forgive or not?

As the saying goes, a single arrow is easily broken, but three arrows are hard to break. A single ordinary person is like a blade of grass or dust, but millions of ordinary people possess an unshakeable power. Of course, once machine guns are introduced, even hundreds of thousands or millions of ordinary people are of no use.

The uprising led by Lord Ryokan of Kora was stuck in the past, thinking, "I have gathered an uprising, and you, Lord, should listen to our opinions and let us discuss it together."

After that, they paid their annual tribute and performed military service as required.

As the newly arrived lord, Kobayakawa Takakage adopted a somewhat conciliatory stance, inviting Ryokan and others to Yanagawa Castle for peace talks. To demonstrate his sincerity, Kobayakawa Takakage even led two hundred followers to Kora Taisha Shrine to pay homage, expressing his respect for the gods of Chikugo Province and offering one hundred silver coins.

Ryokan and his followers, who had no real intention of attacking the guardians or establishing a divine kingdom, but only wanted to expand their power through the uprising, lowered their guard. You say Kobayakawa Takakage took a risk? Of course not, because the uprising forces were concentrated in Yoshimi-dake Castle, and Kora Taisha was just a shrine with no defensive capabilities. The uprising forces only used it as a meeting place; for a real battle, they still needed to rely on the castle.

It was precisely because he understood this that Takakage Kobayakawa was able to openly visit the shrine, bringing only two hundred people with him.

Deceived by his seemingly benevolent appearance, Ryokan and other leaders of the Ikki entered Yanagawa Castle for negotiations. At the banquet, they were slaughtered like vegetables, while Maeno Nagayasu and Hara Nagayori had already led their troops into Chikugo, and Kobayakawa's 4,000 cavalry had also regrouped and launched a fierce attack on Yoshimi Takeshi Castle, which had lost its main leader.

Being served by a trio of Kobayakawa Takakage, Maeno Nagayasu, and Hara Nagayori, the people of Chikugo Province are truly blessed. Half a day later...

The city was attacked, and two or three thousand heads were chopped off on the spot, causing the rebels to scatter and flee. Many people fled to the Kora Shrine, hoping that the gods would protect them.

Dream on! Kobayakawa Takakage directly led his troops to attack the shrine, killing over 1,200 people before ordering his swords to be sheathed and the attack to cease. The so-called uprising of 15,000 Chikugo people, which had only just begun, was met with a heavy blow, resulting in a bloodbath and causing Chikugo to turn pale in fear.

The true color changed, turning blood red.

"The lord's realm is as solid as a rock, what are you so wary of?" Hideyoshi listened to the words, but actually didn't care at all, but he paused after he finished speaking.

Shichibei could see that Nobunaga could barely walk, his health was deteriorating rapidly, so how could Hideyoshi not see it? Hideyoshi was completely subservient to Nobunaga; the two were like fish and water, ruler and vassal. They had fought side by side since the beginning of Owari, and now most of the country was pacified.

"The lord's realm is naturally as solid as a rock." After reading the report, Shichibei folded it up and put it back in the sealed bag, without saying the rest of his sentence.

"Alright, alright." Hideyoshi lost interest in chatting, put away the report, added his own comments, and sent it by fast ship to Kyoto-Azuchi so that Oda Nobuo could also take a look.

Although Nobuo has temporarily returned to the capital region, he is still the supreme commander, and these matters still need to be reported so that Nobuo can at least feel involved.

The two had just sat down and begun drafting a report for Nobukatsu, which was actually also a report for Nobunaga's Chikugo sword hunt, when an order from the Kinai region arrived.

Half of Kiju District, the northernmost part of Buzen Province, was transferred to the Oda clan when the Mori clan surrendered. Later, the Otomo clan was promised a place in Usa District, the southernmost part of Buzen Province, which was originally difficult to divide.

As a result, Shiroi Utsunomiya Shigefusa launched a rebellion, resisting the "one country, one castle" edict. He was brutally suppressed by Mori Terumoto, who had deployed troops in the area, and his entire family was killed. Ōtomo Yoshitomo was then demoted for the serious crime of abandoning his army and commander.

Now, Buzen has been unified and controlled by the Oda clan for various reasons. Moreover, after Hori Hidemasa became the Kyushu Inspector General, Buzen, which originally had a mere 140,000 koku, surged to 300,740 koku in one fell swoop.

Therefore, Nobunaga issued an order that Kagawa Nobuzumi (with 300,000 koku), the lord of Matsuyama Castle in Kita-Iyo, be transferred to Kokura Castle in Buzen, Kyushu.

This was truly unexpected, but even more unexpected news accompanied it: Nagasokabe Nobuchika, lord of Ozu Castle in Southern Iyo (100,000 koku), was promoted to the rank of second-in-command of Matsuyama Castle in Northern Iyo.

One hundred thousand stones.

The vacated 100,000 koku of Ōzu Castle was granted to Hori Hidemasa, lord of Iimori Castle in Kitakawachi (60,000 koku). Hachiya Yoritaka, former lord of Wakae Castle in Kawachi (100,000 koku), was granted an additional 150,000 koku of Saga Castle in Hizen. Okada Shigeyoshi, the son of Okada Shigetaka, former general under Nobunaga, was promoted to daimyo and granted 50,000 koku of Hinoe Castle in Takaki District, Hizen.

Hideyoshi was granted 350,000 koku of land in Chikuzen Province, excluding the Akizuki and Chikushi territories, as well as four districts in Hizen Province, including Kanzaki, Motoshi, his adoptive father, and Sanne, and half of Saga District, totaling 150,000 koku.

Thus, Hizen Province was left with only 50,000 koku of land in Hiki Province, which was then granted to Kawamura Nagayoshi, the lord of Kumamoto Castle in Higo Province. Kawamura Nagayoshi remained the lord of 570,000 koku.

It's unclear what kind of spell Fukami Nagatomo cast on Oda Nobunaga, but the Sagara clan of Hitoyoshi Domain, with a fief of 50,000 koku, continued to exist as an independent daimyo. Nobunaga, also as compensation to Shichibei, granted him 50,000 koku of real estate at Ōmura Castle in Hiroki District, Hizen Province.

Together with the transfer of the Chikugo Empire to Kobayakawa, Kitakyushu's complete national division was completed.

The other two daimyo without high rank need some explanation: Goto Jungen (10,000 koku) from the Hizen Goto Islands, and Mune Yoshitomo (100,000 koku) from Tsushima Island. Both of them also expressed their submission to Nobunaga.

Since the two knelt down quickly enough in such a trivial place, Nobunaga did not punish them.

Someone asked about Iki Island? Isn't that Matsuura Shigenobu's territory? It's also a place with no high rank and zero koku, but because of this, Matsuura Shigenobu was able to be appointed as Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade, Chamberlain, and Iki no Kami, since he was also considered a Kunimachi Daimyo.

After kneeling before Nobunaga, Shimazu Yoshihisa received 20,000 koku of Ōsumi, while Shimazu Yoshihiro, Shimazu Iehisa, Ijuin Tadatsugu, Yamada Arinobu, and Hirata Masamune each received 30,000 koku, for a total of 150,000 koku.

Together they obtained 170,000 koku of Ōsumi Province, all of which were given to Shimazu Tadatsumi, the lord of Satsuma Province, as a powerful daimyo, making Shimazu Tadatsumi a daimyo of 450,000 koku in Ryōgoku Province.

Besides the 50,000 koku that Ito Yuhei had taken from Hijo, the Hyuga clan found 200,000 koku in land surveys, all of which were treasured by Oda Nobukatsu. In Bungo, in addition to the 195,000 koku that the Ōtomo clan had, there were also 200,000 koku that were treasured by Nobukatsu.

Of the 300,000 koku allocated to Okawachi in southern Ise, 200,000 were given to Harada Nobumasa and 100,000 to Nagano Nobukatsu. Of the 100,000 koku allocated to Miyoshi Yasutoshi in northern Ise, the remaining 100,000 were to be used to house eight of Nobunaga's pageboys and sworn brothers: Sanada Nobuyuki, Sanada Nobushige, Dan Tadamasa, Yoshikawa Hiroie, Sado (Oda), Nagamasa, Nonomura Yukinari (Nonomura Masashigeko), Tsuda Motochika (Oda Motosadako), and Hasegawa Hideichi.

In this way, Nobunaga himself possessed 2.5 million koku of land in eight provinces: Omi, Wakasa, Yamashiro, Yamato, Settsu, Izumi, Kawachi, and Awaji, while Nobukatsu possessed 400,000 koku of land in Kyushu.

Including the mining and commercial income provided by Shichibei to Nobunaga, the total income of Nobunaga and his son Nobukatsu exceeded four million koku!

Of course, these territories were not empty; there were many foot soldiers, archers, and arquebusiers with rank of three to five thousand koku, as well as Nobunaga's personal retainers, such as Mima-mawari, with rank of five hundred to eight thousand koku.

The only problem is that there are no daimyo with a rank of 10,000 koku or more in their territory. There are plenty of foot soldiers with a rank of several thousand koku. Nobunaga and Nobukatsu's direct army is approaching 60,000 men and they seem to be recruiting more.

What a major overhaul of the Western Kingdom!

Along with Nobunaga's message came numerous signed letters of acknowledgment. The messengers were Nobunaga's trusted retainers, Okada Shigeyoshi and his son Shigetaka, who had finally risen to the rank of lord of Hinoe Castle with a 50,000 koku under Nobunaga's command. The old man, though his temples were gray, was still remarkably spry. Many might not recognize Okada Shigeyoshi, but mentioning one of his nicknames should ring a bell.

Ozusaka Seven Spears

They're truly figures from a bygone era: Okada Shigeyoshi and Taigen Zen.

The division commander had fought in battles. After serving the public for thirty years, the father and son only managed to earn 50,000 shi of grain, which was truly remarkable.

Shichibei, however, never expected to receive 50,000 koku of compensation from Hizen Ōmura, and deeply appreciated Nobunaga's generosity. Meanwhile, Hachiya Yoritaka, standing to the side, was quite surprised to learn that he was being moved to Saga Castle.

If Zoga's 150,000 koku is worth 150,000 koku, I wonder if it can compare to the 100,000 koku that was developed quite well in Wakae, Kawachi. But the difference is a conferment of titles, and that is irresistible.

"Besides the national territory, does my lord have any other instructions?" The Okada father and son were Nobunaga's retainers. Although their status was not as high as Hideyoshi and Shichibei, they had just been transferred from the leader's side.

"Please have the Jingzhao Palace clarify the trade between the southern barbarians and the nine provinces, and issue a special document with a vermilion seal." Sure enough, that was the order.

The order stipulated that all merchant ships belonging to the Kyushu daimyo and sailing overseas for trade must obtain a red seal certificate from Oda Nobunaga. Merchant ships without a red seal certificate would be considered pirates, and the various domains were permitted to capture and kill them at will, without exception.

It was said that they would receive the official seal from Nobunaga, but in reality, Nobunaga had already sent two hundred blank seals; if that wasn't enough, they would have to ask him for more. Each seal required a fee of four thousand kan. Nobunaga was essentially selling a monopoly.

What can you do about it?

If the daimyo of the western countries organizes red-stamped ships for foreign trade, they should also follow this method. In any case, each red-stamped certificate costs four thousand kan, is valid for one transaction, and can be applied for again for the next transaction.

At the same time, the task of combating pirates in the waters near Japan was also entrusted to Shichibei. Shichibei could command the naval forces of all the daimyo (feudal lords) in Kyushu and western provinces. Of course, he needed to report to Nobunaga before making these deployments. He didn't need Nobunaga's approval, but he did need to inform him.

We must eradicate the pirates in the waters near Japan.

As for what you said about encountering pirates in Fujian during the Ming Dynasty, or encountering pirates in Siam, well, there's nothing I can do, it's just that you were unlucky.

In an instant, Shichibei understood the purpose of receiving 50,000 koku from Ōmura Castle in Hizen Province. Nobunaga didn't really intend to compensate Shichibei with this amount; it was because this place was an important port for trade with the Nanban (Southern Barbarians).

Hakata-tsu was primarily a port for trade with the Ming Dynasty, and it was already extremely prosperous during the Song Dynasty. The Mongol army even landed at Hakata-tsu, causing widespread destruction and slaughter.

The Portuguese and Spanish who came to Japan later often...