Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

He needed hundreds of feudal lords to surround him, leading his horse and holding his flag, in order to show off his status as the Grand Chancellor of the State.

Nobuo himself only returned to Kyoto more than two weeks ago, having previously been working at Azuchi Castle. He himself was happy to make the trip, so who could stop him?

Kyoto and Azuchi are a day's journey by fast horse, less than fifty kilometers. However, because the procession protecting Nobukatsu was extremely large, it took them a whole day to arrive.

Along the way, everyone bowed their heads in submission, a feeling that Nobuo loved most.

On the way, Shichibei had hoped to chat with Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had rushed over, and ask for his opinion on the Osaka construction project. However, he couldn't find a good opportunity, and even when Nobuo stopped to rest, drink water, and relieve himself, he didn't get a chance to speak.

Finally, he managed to meet with Tokugawa Ieyasu at a residence under Azuchi Castle. Tokugawa Ieyasu frankly admitted that he had indeed heard about the situation at the construction site, and that some of his retainers had even died from dehydration due to persistent diarrhea and unclean food and water.

But then again, this is Xinxiong's vanity project, so it's going to be difficult.

"Well, I was just doing this on someone's behalf." Shichibei sensed that he was being pressured to take the lead, but that was definitely not an option.

I was originally thinking you'd take the lead, I'd try to persuade him from the sidelines, and then we could get some of Hideyoshi Hashiba or Nagahide Niwa involved—maybe we could convince Nobukatsu. But you, you old rascal, are actually encouraging me to take the lead!

"I am also willing to entrust this to you." To everyone's surprise, Tokugawa Ieyasu took the opportunity to ask Shichibei for help.

"What do you mean by that?" Shichibei is clearly a member of the Western Kingdoms and has absolutely nothing to do with this matter.

"You are a national hero, holding a high position, and are also a member of the same family. Who else could it be but you?" Tokugawa Ieyasu had by now mastered the skill of being shameless, and there was nothing he couldn't say.

All those present were national heroes, but only four could be called regents, and even those were relatives of the same clan. The only ones who could speak to Nobuo were Shichibei and Niwa Nagahide.

Why didn't Shichibei ask Niwa Nagahide to take the lead? Because he'd already investigated the construction site. Niwa Nagahide had sent over five of his own powerful daimyo, clearly a way to deplete their resources. The more trouble the construction site caused, the better—it suited Niwa Nagahide's interests perfectly. Anyway, Sawai Oshige was the villain; if anyone was to blame, it would fall on Nobuo.

If we were to use Tokugawa Ieyasu's standards, Shichibei would indeed be the only person in all of Japan who would meet them.

After all, he was merely a veteran of the Oda clan and a member of its retinue, not a chief retainer of the government, just an ordinary hereditary lord. To be honest, he wasn't even qualified to offer advice to Nobukatsu in person.

He could only answer if Xin Xiong asked him.

"You should know that I come from a merchant family in Tsushima. You can't use words against me." Shichibei and Tokugawa Ieyasu had a decent relationship and were old acquaintances.

If Matsudaira Nobuyasu hadn't died, Shichibei would still be the messenger who escorted him to the wedding, and they would have had an exceptionally close relationship. Now that Nobuyasu is dead, they can at least have a little more open communication.

"Sigh..." Ieyasu just sighed. Shichibei was not going to listen to him, so there was no point in him saying anything more. He quickly gave up.

"Then I will have no choice but to offer my earnest advice, and I hope you will be able to lend your support." After sighing, Tokugawa Ieyasu looked at Shichibei with a genuine and sincere expression, his eyes shining brightly.

Before Shichibei could react, Tokugawa Ieyasu had already grasped Shichibei's hand, their four hands joined together, giving Shichibei no chance to break free.

It should be noted that Shichibei was a thin man who was less than 1.5 meters tall, while Ieyasu was a tall, dark-skinned, and fat man who was 1.6 meters tall.

Ieyasu truly wielded his sword and spear, going into battle to behead people. Shichibei also participated in many battles, but his actual casualties were best left unmentioned.

Seeing that look in his eyes, Shichibei had a fleeting illusion that Ieyasu was truly selfless and devoted to the public good. A slight sense of goodwill rose in his heart, and he felt that this man did indeed have some sense of responsibility.

"If you can offer some advice, I will certainly assist you." Shichibei quickly agreed.

"In that case, I thank you on behalf of the Bando generals." Ieyasu had obviously received many requests for favors; he supported Shichibei, while others supported him.

"No, no, no."

With that settled, the two went home to rest. At the Azuchi River Village residence, the young general and Princess Ichi were already there, and they had prepared everything for Shichibei, including hot water and a hot meal.

He really needs to marry so many women; he'll have a home anywhere, everything will be convenient, and he can lie in a warm bed anywhere.

The young general did mention that Nobunaga's Tenchō Shrine had already completed its ground-leveling work. Nobukatsu's visit to hold the "ground-laying ceremony" before the foundation laying was mainly to show off that his father had been deified. In addition to enhancing Nobukatsu's own prestige, he also wanted to bring out his three-year-old son, the monk Oda Saburo, to meet everyone at the banquet after the ceremony.

Chapter 615 persuaded someone to buy a thousand cartloads of water.

Ok?

Logically, the introduction of the eldest son should be a formal one during the New Year when everyone congratulates the lord. How did it get changed to the celebratory banquet after the Tianchang Divine Palace's earth-suppressing ceremony? It's only a difference of seven or eight months.

What difference is there between a three-year-old child seeing a retainer on the first day of the Lunar New Year and seeing a retainer in the sweltering heat of August? What was Nobukatsu's intention in doing this?

At this point, Shichibei actually felt a growing sense that he was drifting away from the center of political power. During Nobunaga's reign, Shichibei was firmly seated at the core of the government. While he might not have held the first or second most important position, he was certainly within that circle. But now that Nobukatsu was in power, Shichibei was completely unaware of many of Nobukatsu's policies and governance.

Although Nobukatsu fully considered the opinions of his hereditary retainers and chief retainers in the matter of transferring the fiefdom to a lord of one million koku in Kanto, and even held a special meeting with the four chief retainers, he would also consult with another group of his trusted confidants after listening to their opinions.

In fact, it's fair to say that Shichibei's name is no longer among the decision-making circles in the world today.

Shichibei only had the right to attend and offer suggestions, and sometimes he might not even be able to offer suggestions or be informed. This was because Nobuo might not bring Shichibei with him; he had his own group of men.

Regardless of what kind of people they are, they are now effectively in charge of governing the more than three million koku of land in Japan and the overall political affairs of the country.

A new emperor brings a new court.

There's not much to say about the local festival; even in the 21st century, Japanese people would still invite priests or something similar to perform a ceremony when building a house. The only difference is that theirs was for praying for peace and tranquility in the home, while ours is a bit more sophisticated—a prayer for the Tenchō Myōjin (Great God of Heaven).

It was rare to see hundreds of lords, who might have been enemies in the past, following behind Oda Nobukatsu and making a joint vow. A solemn atmosphere prevailed, with everyone silently praying.

No matter how bad the relationship was, everyone had to stand up straight and pray respectfully to the Tenchōmyō-jin. Although Oda Nobunaga was dead, the impact he had on the Japanese people remained. As the first person to completely unify Japan after a century of chaos, he certainly held prestige among the Japanese.

When he was alive, if he glared at everyone present, they would immediately kneel down and kowtow to him.

Although he is now dead, his influence remains. At least people are still wary of Nobunaga's methods.

Nobukatsu, who inherited the most of this prestige, had a psychological and political advantage over the feudal lords. At the banquet in Azuchi Castle, Nobukatsu sat calmly in the main seat. This time was particularly different because Oda Nobuhisa and Oda Nobushige, the two "Go-kyō" (two high-ranking officials), were arranged to sit on the step below Nobukatsu's tatami mat.

Although he was still above the four senior retainers, Nobukatsu's status as the head of the Oda clan and his lord was more clearly defined by his status as a retainer. Furthermore, the reason for this seating arrangement was quite legitimate, as the young lord would soon be seated next to Nobukatsu. He was now the young lord, but would become the lord in the future, so he had to yield.

If you give way today, you'll always have to give way in the future.

Sigh, this situation was predictable. Feudal monarchs and patriarchs are bound to rule by a single voice. Even in a society like Japan, where layers of power are often hollowed out and absolute authority is commonplace, if a monarch can establish absolute power, he will still do so.

It's not impossible for a courtier to hold the reins of power; it's possible. However, one must always be prepared for the monarch's counterattack, unless the monarch is truly so weak that he has no power left and his decrees don't even leave his bedside.

Halfway through the banquet, the atmosphere had reached a comfortable level, and Oda Nobuo coughed lightly. The once bustling hall immediately fell silent, awaiting Nobuo's instructions.

The introduction of the Crown Prince to everyone had been planned beforehand, so no one was surprised. They simply awaited the arrival of the eldest son of the Oda clan, the monk Oda Saburo, to receive their congratulations.

Soon, the three-year-old monk Sanlang entered the hall, guided by his attendants. It was not surprising that he appeared somewhat uneasy and nervous due to his young age.

I remember a movie where the young emperor ascended the throne, and his father was kneeling below. Seeing the young emperor twisting and turning unwillingly, he said to him, "It's almost over, it's almost over!"

They were both three years old, so it was naturally difficult for them to remain calm.

However, it was clear that his mother, Komaki Mori, and Nobuo had given him many instructions: after entering, he should sit down and wait for everyone to bow and pay their respects to him; he only needed to respond with a simple "Daigoi!"

Seeing that Master Sanlang was seated, the crowd, led by the two ministers and the four elders, respectfully bowed to him. Those who would become the people of the world in the future should now be expected to kowtow.

"Great Ceremony!"

I must say, Master Sanlang's recitation of the Great Ceremony phrase seemed to have been practiced; he pronounced it quite clearly. Although his voice wasn't loud, his enunciation was very clear.

"Gentlemen, you should also assist Master Sanlang in the future." Nobuyuki was quite pleased to see that the lords were kneeling so readily.

"I am filled with fear and trepidation." This was a phrase that had been discussed beforehand, and everyone answered it very smoothly.

"I intend to bestow Azuchi Castle and 200,000 koku of rice in Jiangnan upon the monk Saburo." To everyone's surprise, Oda Nobuo immediately dropped a bombshell.

He bestowed upon the three-year-old child a large town throughout the land, along with a stipend of 200,000 shi (a unit of grain measure). After a brief moment of shock, he realized it wasn't so strange; now that the world was at peace, it was time to consider new methods of succession. He arranged land and cities for the eldest son in advance, so that he could quickly establish his power base.

What happens next? Naturally, the Grand Chancellor abdicates and retires to become the Grand Palace Attendant. Of course, this is the title of the Shogun; Nobukatsu might be called something else after his abdication and retirement.

Nobukatsu is just making an exception now. Normally, the prince would only be given a castle and subjects, and his retainers would be organized, after the prince is seven or ten years old and has started wearing hakama. Then, when the prince is eighteen or twenty, the prime minister would abdicate and go into seclusion, thus ensuring a smooth transfer of power.

This is not uncommon in Japan; many emperors, shoguns, and daimyo abdicate early, while others abdicate without relinquishing power, but the main approach is to establish a stable successor through abdication. The Japanese have certainly considered the need to prevent internal strife. Of course, whether or not they are willing to use this method depends on the individual.

This kind of thing happened in the Muromachi Shogunate and the Hosokawa Kanrei family, or rather, it happened in the families of feudal lords. By doing this, Nobukatsu was essentially declaring that he would guarantee the heir's right to the throne.

Everyone supports you, Grand Chancellor Ping, and there must be some benefits, right? Firmly defending the right of the eldest son to inherit the throne is one of those benefits.

The Oda regime set an example, showing the feudal lords that if anyone dared to rebel within their domain and overthrow the established heir apparent, the Grand Chancellor would surely lead the armies of the realm to aid them and quell the rebellion.

Don't laugh, this point is extremely important during Japan's Warring States period!

In countless families, turmoil has erupted, with fathers vying for the throne and brothers fighting amongst themselves. Some have even risen up in rebellion when the ruler was young and the country was in turmoil. Now, none of this is allowed anymore. The Grand Chancellor has chosen the hundreds of feudal lords present, along with their designated heirs.

If you support me, then as long as I live, I will use my armed forces to guarantee your family's feudal royal power within the domain.

"May you live a thousand years!" Mori Terumoto, the lord of the Great Dynasty, sitting to Shichibei's left, responded very respectfully and bowed.

Ah yes, this Oda Saburo monk is his grandson, so of course he hopes for his family's longevity. Only when he bowed did everyone realize their rudeness, failing to respond to Oda Nobukatsu's words, and they all bowed down, wishing the Oda family's rule a thousand years and their descendants to continue.

"Hahaha, good, good, good." Oda Nobuo was satisfied when he saw everyone kowtowing, and laughed out loud.

"After Osaka is completed, I intend to make Osaka my main castle." After drinking a cup of sake, Oda Nobuo announced a seemingly reasonable decision with a smile.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had been calm and composed, suddenly paused, his hand holding the wine cup freezing in mid-air for several seconds before finally falling.

That's right. Although Kyoto has the Nijō Palace and Oda Nobukatsu is the Grand Chancellor, he was the leader of both the court nobles and the samurai class. Therefore, he worked in Osaka, which is cool by the sea in the summer, and in Kyoto, which is located in a basin and is not bitterly cold in the winter. He took care of both sides and made sure neither was neglected.

The key point is the Oda clan's main castle, which had already been granted to Oda Saburo. As a vassal, you can't let your lord not even have a castle to reside in.

Britain has the landless king, so should Japan also have the castleless king?

All the words he had to say were suddenly swallowed back down. Shichibei had originally thought that Nobuo was in a good mood today and would chime in with a few words when the party ended. But once Nobuo said those words, Shichibei knew that it would be difficult to persuade him otherwise.

As a former minister, he was already a step below in the new dynasty. Now, to interfere in political events that had nothing to do with him was actually very unwise.

Getting involved in this matter means getting caught up in karma and will involve you in responsibilities.

Seeing that Tokugawa Ieyasu was only feigning a smile, Shichibei knew that this matter was probably best left unmentioned today. If the one leading the charge didn't step forward first, Shichibei, playing a supporting role, wouldn't dare to speak up.

Even after the banquet ended, many people remained preoccupied. While the main topic of conversation was Oda Saburo's confirmation of his position as Crown Prince and his receiving a fief of 200,000 koku in Azuchi, Nobukatsu's plan to relocate to Osaka Castle was also a bombshell. Osaka Castle had to be completed as quickly as possible; the castle tower could be built later, but the walls and moat were not so difficult to construct.

He exchanged a glance with Tokugawa Ieyasu, but to his surprise, Tokugawa Ieyasu did not give him a look of rejection, but rather an air of self-assurance.

After the generals left their seats, Tokugawa Ieyasu spoke first, saying he wanted to discuss something with the Grand Chancellor. Nobukatsu neither had much affection nor dislike for Ieyasu, and considering Ieyasu's substantial estate of 800,000 koku (including Yuki Castle), he valued it highly. With a smile, he beckoned Ieyasu over, and the two stood in the corridor of the Azuchi Castle residence.

Speak your mind; this isn't a repressive occasion. Besides, it's right after everyone has relaxed from the banquet. Although it looks crowded and noisy, with the servants blocking the way on both sides, ordinary people can't get close at all.

"What can I do for you, Lord Edo?" Oda Nobuo seemed to be in a good mood today, as his tone was quite amiable.

"When Qin built the Epang Palace, 700,000 people were conscripted; when Sui built the Daxing Palace, a million people were mobilized; when Ming built the Zhongdu Palace, no fewer than a million people were conscripted." Tokugawa Ieyasu stood respectfully beside Oda Nobukatsu, with only a few people around him.

"What!" Although Oda Nobuo did not receive a complete education as a crown prince, he came from a proper samurai family and had been educated by a scholarly monk.

"To mobilize labor and build palaces is to enhance the prestige of the nation." But what Tokugawa Ieyasu said next was not problematic.

Yes, you belong to the world, so you need a vast city to reside in. A magnificent city is essential to reflect your formidable power.

"Huh?" This question left Nobuo completely bewildered.

"It suits you perfectly, as a Japanese king."

“Excellent, excellent. I am the King of Japan, and I shall be awe-inspiring.” Nobuo readily accepted the title of king.

Historically, when Hideyoshi was officially recognized as the King of Japan by the Ming Dynasty, he declared himself to be the King of Japan. In the context of Japanese, the word "king" (王) has clearly begun to carry a slightly different meaning from the Chinese word for "king" (王).

"The king's kindness and power are both generous, and I am deeply grateful for his grace." Tokugawa Ieyasu said frankly that he could never repay the kindness of Lord Nobukatsu, and that countless years had passed since then.

"Hahahaha, how about this? Lord Edo contributed a lot to the Battle of Osaka, so it's alright if the section he was in charge of is a little slower." Nobuo's foolishness lies in certain important matters, but he still extends such small favors.