Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

So what if a meeting was held? If millions of people outside don't recognize it, then even if you come out with the meeting minutes, it's just a piece of waste paper.

Ultimately, who becomes the Grand Chancellor depends on the strength of his sword and the number of samurai behind him.

"Go to Edo in person, thoroughly understand the situation there, and then report back immediately." Shichibei's mind suddenly clicked, and he immediately gave the order.

"Understood!" Although Sanada Nobuyuki hadn't quite figured out why the previous order was to send someone, but now it was to go himself, he chose to accept the order.

Go and learn about the situation in Edo. If you have any questions, ask Sanada Masayuki. They are father and son; there's nothing they can't talk about.

Shichibei immediately got up and went to find Hashiba Hidenaga, the head of the Hakata Domain and also his brother-in-law. Hidenaga had come to Osaka to handle his brother Hideyoshi's funeral. The funeral for Nobuo Saburo was still under discussion, and even the mausoleum was being built on the spot, to be held after the chief mourner was chosen. Hideyoshi's funeral was much simpler: a long sutra was recited, and after seven days of mourning, he was cremated.

Afterwards, Hidekatsu Hashiba remained in Osaka to continue participating in the struggle for the central succession. Hidenaga Hashiba, on the other hand, took Hideyoshi's ashes back to Hakata for burial, a return to his roots.

Seeing Shichibei arrive, Hidenaga was still a little confused. Weren't you busy identifying that illegitimate child? Why are you looking for me?

Indeed, the senior retainers of Owari Province, led by former Toshiie, are diligently investigating the identity of Nobukatsu's illegitimate son, trying to find any flaws. If there is even one discrepancy, they can use it as a pretext to launch an attack.

Knowing what was going on, Shichibei didn't go along, leaving Mori Terumoto, Maeda Toshiie, and the others to handle the situation. Shichibei's original idea was to maintain a neutral stance as much as possible, which would make it easier for him to maneuver in the middle, or to put it bluntly, he wanted to profit "cleanly."

Now, reminded by Sanada Masayuki's secret letter, maintaining outward neutrality is fine—it's just an act, after all; Mori Terumoto was doing it just the other day. But privately, one must stand firm and not be fence-sitters; to be fence-sitters right now is certain death.

After listening to Shichibei's explanation, Hashiba Hidenaga remained silent. As a member of the Hashiba clan who had accumulated merit through dozens of battles and held a stipend of 50,000 koku, he naturally understood what Shichibei was saying.

Despite the apparent debate within the central leadership, preparations for both possibilities must begin. This doesn't mean reorganizing the military, but rather establishing a broad "united front" to proactively prepare for potential armed conflict.

It would be best to avoid war, but judging from Tokugawa Ieyasu's actions, he was thinking about this much earlier than we were, and was already seeking to establish an alliance for offense and defense.

"Hiss..." Hashiba Hidenaga was a little unsure, because his mind had been focused on governing Chikuzen and Hakata recently, and he hadn't been involved in central politics for some time.

In the past, these matters were actively handled by Hideyoshi himself and Hashiba Hidekatsu, while he and Hachisuka Masakatsu were mainly responsible for domestic governance.

"My original intention was not to see a conflict between the two sides, but now I think it's necessary to be prepared." Shichibei and Hidenaga were old friends of almost thirty years, and he was also Hidenaga's brother-in-law, so he could speak frankly.

“If what you say is true, my brother, there are many people who support Vice Admiral Matsushiro, and they are even forming a coalition. Then…” Hashiba Hidenaga didn’t finish his sentence because he was unsure who Shichibei would support.

"What do you think?" Shichibei was undecided about whether to support Oda Nobushige or Nobukatsu's illegitimate son.

As the saying goes, whoever comes to power will have to spend money, and they all need Shichibei. This was Shichibei's initial confidence that he could sit back and play peacemaker. But now he realizes that although everyone has to spend money, if he doesn't take sides, he'll definitely be sidelined once things settle down.

Ultimately, Kawamura-ya survived by relying on feudal monopoly power. When the Tokugawa shogunate collapsed, Konoike, Nara, Yodoya, and others all perished, while Mitsui survived because it quickly abandoned the warlords. Meanwhile, new zaibatsu such as Mitsubishi and Sumitomo rapidly rose to prominence.

The Grand Chancellor needs to spend money, but he also dislikes the disloyalty of the person who provides him with that money. And so-called loyalty is nothing more than indiscriminate loyalty, which is tantamount to absolute disloyalty.

Shichibei can continue his performance for now, but he must secretly choose sides. Whom to side with? Shichibei is still undecided.

“My sworn brother is a senior retainer of Owari Province. Logically and morally, he should choose the Vice Admiral Matsushiro. However, the Kumamoto Domain is located in the southwest. If something happens, we might be surrounded.” Hashiba Hidenaga said bluntly.

Logically, supporting Oda Nobushige would be the most sensible choice. However, once war breaks out, those daimyo who have been granted fiefdoms by Nobukatsu or are now rising in power will undoubtedly support his son. The emerging western lords also saw this as an opportunity to seize power from Owari no Fukuyo, a significant internal factor.

Among the hereditary lords of the Oda clan were those who originated from the old Owari region, and those who later joined the Oda clan and served Nobunaga and his son, Nobukatsu. For example, Ito Yuhei of the Hyuga Obi Domain was a hereditary lord. However, he was not familiar with the hereditary lords of Owari and was originally excluded from the core of the government.

Now they're starting to seize power; see which side he chooses.

"To be on the safe side, do you mean I should choose Grand Chancellor Yu Luoyin as my successor?"

"This is just my personal opinion."

"What is Hashiba's attitude?" Shichibei still had to ask Hashiba Hidekatsu what he thought, since he was now the lord of Chikuzen-Hakata with 500,000 koku of land.

“My lord is willing to support Yu Luoyin.” Xiu Chang was aware of his nephew-in-law’s intentions.

Why?

"It has only been three months since the emperor fell from power, and he will not assume full rule for another fifteen years."

What a perfect reason to support Nobuo's son! It gives everyone at least fifteen years to fight for power. The kid in the main seat, just watch.

I support Oda Nobushige; he's already fifteen years old. He can assume full power immediately, and the regents he appoints will undoubtedly be his father Nobutada's confidants, as well as the fuyoshi of Owari. Hashiba Hidekatsu might get an appointment, but he definitely won't be given much responsibility.

In fact, Nobuo's governance model reveals that the four elders held high positions and wielded great power, so Nobuo gradually weakened their authority. By last year, it had essentially evolved into a system where the four elders would only convene for major events, while ordinary affairs were handled by the three middle elders.

The subsequent replacements for the position of chief minister were all mid-level feudal lords with fiefs of 100,000 to 200,000 shi (a unit of grain measurement). You can't have both a large fief of 500,000 shi and hold power in the central government; you can't have all the good things at once.

Once Nobushige ascends the throne, those old retainers of his father Nobutada, the lords with only tens of thousands of koku of land, will inevitably be promoted to chief retainers and young nobles. Maeda Toshiie, who currently supports him, will most likely become a senior chief retainer, or even a "great elder," ranking above the chief retainer and young noble.

Maeda Toshiie was merely a feudal lord with a fief of 100,000 koku. Even if he became a high-ranking official, he would not have the power to rebel or the resources to resist the Grand Chancellor. In the end, he would only serve as a regent for the Grand Chancellor, nothing more.

“If we follow your logic, then that is indeed the case…” Shichibei naturally agreed with this reasoning.

Fifteen years is a long time, long enough for a feudal dynasty to establish an "ancestral system" that would allow Shichibei to strengthen his monopoly on commercial power through established practice. Perhaps supporting Nobuo's illegitimate son was the best option.

"On a grander scale, the people of the Western Kingdom could use their merit in supporting the emperor to take control of the central government," said Hashiba Hideaki, shrugging his shoulders, driven by self-interest.

For example, Hatakeyama Nobutaka loves his older brother Nobuo. If Nobuo doesn't encounter any unforeseen circumstances, after two more years of training, he will inevitably become Nobuo's junior steward, or even the head of the household. After all, his actions are very much in line with Nobuo's wishes, and the two are extremely close.

Just when they were about to restore the glory of the Hatakeyama family as the head of the household, they were suddenly told to step aside. Do you think he would do everything in his power to protect Nobuo's son from inheriting the throne?

"I understand." Shichibei's heart tipped slightly in favor of Nobuo's illegitimate son.

The reason it's not a complete surrender depends on whether Nobushige makes an offer. After all, the matter of the illegitimate child has only recently been exposed, and Nobushige, who was originally certain of succeeding to the throne, didn't need to win over Shichibei. Now that the illegitimate child issue has arisen, winning over Shichibei has become inevitable.

Mori Terumoto and his group have already stepped in to win over Shichibei, and Oda Nobushige, who is far away in Edo, should be making his move soon, right?

I wonder what price he'll offer? Shichibei is already at the pinnacle of his power, and it's impossible for him to advance any further. His territory is already a whopping 570,000 koku, so it's not really feasible to grant him anything more. In terms of economic interests, Mori Terumoto and the others have already given Shichibei the voyage seal.

Tsk, let's reconsider the price after reading the letter.

Upon learning that Oda Nobushige had an illegitimate son, his previously somewhat reserved demeanor immediately became more flexible. Dan Tadamasa clearly told him that both sides in Osaka had begun to coordinate, and if he didn't personally step in to offer official titles and promises, he feared he would lose the election.

Who should be won over first? In the Kanto region, Tokugawa Ieyasu should be won over; in the Kansai region, Kawamura Nagayoshi should be won over.

On the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Edo, Oda Nobushige believed he had already won him over. Not only was Tokugawa Ieyasu quite respectful and courteous to him, but Ieyasu had also privately expressed his willingness to support him long ago.

How can we win over the village chief, Nobushige? By giving him money? Nobushige has no money; his father, Nobutada, died owing Shichibei a mountain of debt. It's just that Shichibei doesn't follow the traditional model of sons paying for their fathers' debts; otherwise, he'd be hundreds of thousands in debt right now.

Arranged marriages? Or perhaps granting a fiefdom? Nobunaga and Nobukatsu had already done all that; it was too late for him to do it now. Kawamura Nobuyoshi was even Oda Nobukatsu's son-in-law, having married Oda Nobunaga's own daughter.

The hereditary rule of Kyushu? How do we win over the Hashiba family? That's tough; we don't have any offers to make.

At this moment, his close aide, Tada Nagayoshi (son of Tada Hiromasa), suggested that he shouldn't be afraid to ask for a price now. He should figure out a solution after he had truly secured the position of Grand Chancellor.

With power in hand and the will to accomplish great things decided, there's always a way. If you worry now about not being able to fulfill your promises in the future, how can you achieve anything great?

"Alright, what do you suggest?" Oda Nobushige was willing to listen and immediately asked Tada Nagayoshi what promise to make. Tada Nagayoshi was bold and gave Oda Nobushige a suggestion without hesitation.

One million koku of rice in Higo and Bungo provinces!

Chapter 638 Unexpectedly, Hideaki Suffers a Sudden Death

Once you've decided to take sides, you have to act immediately. You can't hesitate when doing business, and this is even more true when undertaking big projects.

Shichibei didn't explicitly state whose side he would side with first, but rather emphasized that bringing along his relatives and friends was the proper course of action. Actively taking sides and waiting for the highest bidder aren't entirely mutually exclusive; is it wrong for me to actively wait for the highest bidder?

While waiting for a higher bid, actively seeking a buyer is just as effective. Japan hasn't seen this kind of political contest in decades; everyone is participating for the first time and has to figure things out as they go.

Tokugawa Ieyasu next door is busy recruiting people and forming alliances, so why can't we? By uniting people's hearts and minds, strengthening the fighting power and overall strength of our forces, we can fetch a better price.

Moreover, regardless of which side one supports, a fierce power struggle will ensue after the new ruler ascends the throne. Clearly, the side with more people and strength has the advantage and will be able to seize the initiative.

While Mori Terumoto, Maeda Toshiie, and others were confirming Nobukatsu's status as an illegitimate son, Shichibei immediately invited all his brothers-in-law and sons-in-law in Kyoto to his home for a banquet. These sons-in-law were originally Nobukatsu's sons-in-law, but now that Nobukatsu was practically dead, the political ties of their marriages were flimsy. Shichibei could easily seize this opportunity and bring them under his control.

Previously, Amagi Katsuhisa, Ikeda Naomasa, and others had come to Shichibei, hoping he could give them some advice. The situation was changing rapidly, and as lords who had not yet entered the core of the ruling class, they were truly at a loss.

Now that Shichibei, their father-in-law, has an idea, "letting things take their course" has become their core strategy.

Soon, Hashiba Hidenaga, Shibata Nagakatsu, Hara Nagayasu, Amago Katsuhisa, Ikeda Naomasa, Chosokabe Nobuchika, Goto Mototsugu, Shimazu Tadatsumi, Shimazu Toyohisa, and others gathered at Shichibei's residence. In addition, other daimyo such as Ukita Nagaie, Ito Yuhei, Hachiya Yoritaka, Shiga Chikatsugu, Bessho Nagaharu, Watanabe Kanbei, and Matsuura Shigenobu also arrived.

Meeting!

The meetings outside are outside meetings, and our meetings at home are at home meetings. I ask you all here, has anyone already decided which side to take?

The crowd around him remained silent, shook their heads, or looked around. Soon, Bessho Nagaharu stepped forward. He first nodded and bowed to the crowd before speaking.

"Since you invited us, and we're all willing to come, then naturally we're happy to follow your instructions." No more pretense, we're just waiting for your orders, brother.

"That's right!" Shibata Nagakatsu immediately chimed in, "Brother-in-law, say something!"

"United as one?" Shichibei wasn't stupid. Given the situation, people's hearts were restless. Who didn't have their own little schemes?

“As you command!” Ikeda Naomasa replied loudly.

"Absolutely no disloyalty!" Shichibei had secretly tried to guess what everyone was thinking, but he didn't expect that after actually gathering everyone together, he would find that unifying people's hearts seemed to be very simple.

Of course! After more than a decade of planning, when he finally rallied the troops, they flocked to him and swept all before them. It was like opening doors everywhere, accepting surrenders from all sides, and sailing smoothly to the extreme, without even encountering any decent resistance.

The American-made heavy howitzer regiment on the mountain outside Seoul, the armored vehicles and tanks of the chief police commander, and the "stand still and watch me send you all to heaven one by one" are all made up by later generations in movies and TV dramas.

The truth is that when Jeon Jun stepped forward, all the generals and soldiers were just waiting for Ying Liang to come and help him seize power in the entire Korean penniless regime.

"We are of one mind!" Everyone bowed their heads in respect.

"Good! Good, good, good!" Shichibei clapped his hands in delight, far exceeding his expectations.

For now, let's put everything else aside and focus on making as many friends as possible, even those who aren't entirely reliable, and bringing them to the periphery of the group (with my brother-in-law and son-in-law at the core). When the situation is unclear, even just standing behind and cheering is a form of support.

The San'in region was to be managed by Amago Katsuhisa, the San'yo region by Ukita Nagaie, and the Shikoku region by Chōsokabe Nobuchika. The task was to cultivate relationships with as many lords as possible, forging alliances of offense and defense. Together, they would face the current chaos within the Oda clan.

As for Oda Naotomi, the 5,000-koku and 8,000-koku lords of the Oda clan in the Kinai region, as well as the Oma- ...

Thirty years ago, this guy was washing his feet in the mud in the ditch of Owari. Now it's time for him to shamelessly ask for help!

After instructing and arranging things for the group in front of him, Shichibei immediately went to visit Hashiba Hidekatsu and Kobayakawa Nobuhira, who had publicly sided with Mori Terumoto. He gave each of them 10,000 kan and asked them to provide drinks day and night, entertaining them as much as possible, even if others came to eat and drink for free.

These two younger brothers of Oda Nobuo were put in charge of the outside world, trying to attract attention and make it easier for Shichibei to make connections in private.

Kobayakawa Nobuhira was still young, and his adoptive father, Kobayakawa Takakage, was still in power and had not retired. He was currently observing the situation within Chikugo territory, and had sent Nobunaga's own son to Osaka. Youth is good; a young man is unreliable.

If he makes a fool of himself, it might actually attract attention. Shichibei has quite a few "expectations" for Kobayakawa Shinpei.

As for Hidekatsu Hashiba, he was almost twenty and had followed Hideyoshi in battle for several years. He had personally participated in the Mori Campaign in the west and the Kyushu Campaign, and through the transfer of fiefdoms to Kyushu, he had cultivated a group of his own trusted retainers at home. At this point, he had already gained considerable composure and was ready to plunge into the vortex of politics.

Through Hashiba Hidenaga's secret mediation, Shichibei and Hashiba Hidekatsu formed an alliance. Hashiba Hidekatsu wanted to inherit his adoptive father Hideyoshi's position as chief retainer and military magistrate, and he was eager for Shichibei's support, so he was very pleased with Shichibei's overtures.

When Shichibei explicitly supported him and became the chief retainer, Hidekatsu Hashiba's smile was impossible to fake.

Tsk, still need to practice.

Upon leaving the Hashiba residence, Shichibei felt as if Ishida Mitsunari had promised Kobayakawa Hideaki that before Lord Hideyori's coming-of-age ceremony, Hideaki would temporarily assume the position of Kanpaku.

Bah, bah, bah! Hidekatsu Hashiba had absolutely no need to rebel. It was only when Nobukatsu's illegitimate son succeeded him that he was able to jump into the quagmire of the central government and stir up trouble.

Next came those Owari nobility with capacities of 10,000 to 20,000 koku, 20,000 to 30,000 koku, or even just a few thousand koku. Many had publicly declared their support for Maeda Toshiie, but it was merely a statement. People are always fickle; I might be completely different today than I was yesterday.

The power struggles did not affect their friendship with Shichibei; Tanaka Yoshimasa and Ishida Mitsunari were close friends who had served Hideyoshi since childhood. After capturing Ishida Mitsunari, they sold him off quickly, exchanging him for a fortune of 320,000 koku.

The central government hasn't turned against them yet. Today they support Maeda Toshiie and Mori Terumoto in their struggle for power, and tomorrow they might support Shichibei to step in and stabilize the court. The key is to preserve their power and prevent their interests from being harmed. If they could even rise to a higher position, that would be ideal.

Mori Terumoto and Maeda Toshiie were vying for the position of chief retainer, a position in Owari with a stipend of 20,000 to 30,000 koku. Those with 10,000 or 5,000 koku were competing for positions like the position of general commissioner or temple commissioner. Everyone had different aspirations, and we didn't have time to deal with the power struggles at the top, but our seventh brother was willing to listen to your opinions.