Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"If a son is not taught properly, it is the father's fault. You even bribed the official in charge; you shall be executed along with him!"

"Hmm? That voice sounds so familiar." Shichibei quickly looked up and found Oda Nobunaga standing not far away, scanning the entire area with a very sharp gaze. Shichibei immediately knelt down and addressed him as "Master Otate."

Just as everyone's attention was focused on Shichibei and the murderer in the storeroom, Nobunaga, who had learned by chance that Shichibei had been delaying the trial of the murder case for many days, became suspicious. Taking advantage of the year-end lull, he rode directly to Tsushima Town. In a territory the size of a prefecture, a murder had occurred in the neighboring town, and the news spread like wildfire throughout the town.

As soon as he entered, he saw Shichibei and the others standing in front of the ventilation window watching the criminal eat rice cake soup. Nobunaga had excellent eyesight and immediately noticed the criminal straightening his chopsticks. Looking at Shichibei's judgment, it was completely appropriate.

Not properly educating his children and publicly bribing officials—in a time of imperfect justice, this would usually only result in a fine. But he happened to run into Nobunaga and bribed officials in front of him.

Hmph, those who are despicable will be punished by Heaven.

No one knows when Heaven will arrive, but Nobunaga has already arrived. Since he's here and has witnessed it with his own eyes, this case must be judged this way. The father and son were dragged to the riverbank, bound and displayed for a day, and then beheaded.

75. Sending a wedding procession to Sanhe

Nobunaga sat inside, poking at the charcoal in the hearth, while listening to Shichibei's account of the case. Several pieces of charcoal were piled up, with gaps in between, and the flames rose slowly, sending out wisps of smoke that made Nobunaga's face appear somewhat radiant.

After listening to the account, Nobunaga found it largely consistent with his own understanding and nodded slightly. He put down the flaming mace and asked Shichibei why, given that there was a method for judgment, the decision had been delayed for several days.

Doesn't it take several days to figure out a solution?

Oh, I thought you were waiting to eat the plaintiff and then the defendant.

Shichibei, unusually, looked up at Nobunaga, but before he could answer, Nobunaga caught his gaze. Shichibei understood the meaning behind Nobunaga's eyes.

For the first time, the two communicated with just their eyes, and in just a few seconds, they completed a series of processes of questioning, explaining, understanding, and acknowledging.

"I understand." Nobunaga's words stunned everyone who was standing at the door, squatting on the eaves, or guarding the courtyard.

"That's exactly right." Shichibei's answer puzzled everyone even more. What did Nobunaga understand? You just said that.

The two exchanged questions and answers in a cryptic manner, leaving everyone baffled. Even Sasa Narimasa and Maeda Toshiie, who had served as Makai's confidants for two years, were unable to understand what was going on.

The only explanation is that Shichibei and Nobunaga must have communicated beforehand to reach this consensus. Otherwise, there's no way to explain it.

Actually, we should thank Nobunaga for coming in person this time. If it were just Shichibei making the judgment, there would inevitably be some trashy content such as the murderer's family making a scene and Shichibei drawing his sword to protest.

But once Nobunaga recited the poem, no one dared to utter a single word. Nobunaga's prestige in the four districts of Owari was virtually unshakeable. After all, the middle generation of Owari today had grown up alongside Nobunaga; those who used to follow him around back then were either dead or had achieved great success.

In short, Nobunaga held the power of discourse in his generation and had unparalleled appeal to them.

"But you rode all that way, ten or twenty kilometers, just to watch me judge a murder case, right?" Shichibei personally brought a teacup to Nobunaga.

Of course, Nobunaga wasn't just there to casually observe a case; he wanted to check if Shichibei's stables had any decent horses left. He planned to give five horses to Matsudaira Ieyasu and his son Matsudaira Nobuyasu, preferably warhorses. But these things are rare and hard to come by; Shichibei also ran a horse business, so perhaps he still had some good horses in his stables.

Yes, there are some. There's a warhorse in the stable, and several other riding horses that look quite spirited. Riding horses are sometimes even larger than warhorses, but size alone isn't enough; they need to be bold and able to withstand the sounds of gunfire and commotion to be considered warhorses.

If it's just for Ieyasu and his son Nobuyasu to ride, then there are plenty of options to choose from. Japanese horses originated from Mongolian horses and are known for their stamina and ability to run long distances. They're perfect for just riding around, traversing mountains and valleys.

Nobunaga probably had some knowledge of horses, because in addition to the black warhorse that looked decent, he also picked out two riding horses.

"You have always been so loyal and dedicated, I will surely reward you even more."

As Nobunaga mounted his horse, he gently tapped Shichibei's head with his riding staff and uttered these words. His tone was unusually gentle.

"I am deeply terrified." Shichibei immediately prepared to kneel on one knee, but then worried that Nobunaga's horse-drawn carriage would not be able to hit his head.

"You'll have plenty of errands to run in the future, just wait." Nobunaga put away his horse-riding staff and gestured to Shichibei that he didn't need to kneel down to answer.

"It is all my duty."

The others couldn't hear their conversation because of the strong wind. Having finished speaking, Nobunaga, having nothing more to say, spurred his horse and rode away. However, Sassa Narimasa stayed behind, telling Shichibei to report to Komakiyama in ten days with fifty horses.

We must send Princess Tokuhime off to her wedding, and also congratulate Tokugawa Ieyasu on finally becoming the "true governor of Mikawa".

Nobunaga's sudden request for horses stemmed from the fact that Matsudaira Ieyasu had received imperial permission from the Imperial Court in December of the previous year. After offering the court a staggering sum of 300 kanmon, far below market value, the court finally recognized Matsudaira Ieyasu's position as the governor of Mikawa, issuing him official documents. At the same time, Ieyasu also reported to the court that he belonged to the Tokugawa clan, a branch of the Nitta clan, a branch of the Seiwa Genji.

The imperial court appointed "Tokugawa Ieyasu" as the governor of Mikawa, effectively acknowledging Ieyasu's lineage from the Genji clan. Although no one cared about his claim of ancestry at the moment, it would come in handy in the future.

From a nobody in Mikawa, he transformed into a branch of the Seiwa Genji clan, which at least made him seem a bit "noble".

Mikawa was actually a territory with a strong feudal atmosphere of samurai families. Because the Kira clan, the first generation of Ashikaga clan members, came to Kira-sho in Mikawa, a large number of famous samurai from the Minamoto clan were born, and the history of classifying people by birth in the country was long and profound.

In order to gain a foothold in Mikawa, Ieyasu not only needed to rely on the Matsudaira clan, which sometimes rebelled and sometimes submitted, but also needed to establish a prestigious lineage for himself.

You are a branch of the Ashikaga clan, and although I am not quite there yet, I am still a branch of the Tokugawa clan; we are both "sources".

Upon hearing this, I thought Nobunaga was so in love with me that he had come all this way to find me. Shichibei nodded repeatedly, though a little disappointed inside.

Who was the chief envoy escorting the bride? Sakuma Nobumori.

The marriage was arranged by brothers Mizuno Nobumoto and Mizuno Tadashige, who would meet the wedding procession at the border of Owari Province, rest for the night at Kariya Castle, and then escort them to Okazaki Castle. It was said that Tokugawa Ieyasu and his son Tokugawa Nobuyasu would come out of the castle to greet them, but whether this would actually happen remained to be seen.

"Understood, understood. Shichibei guarantees that the riders and horses will arrive on time." Sasa Narimasa nodded, whipped his horse, and rode off to catch up with Oda Nobunaga.

Once everyone had disappeared, Shichibei realized he had forgotten something: even if he didn't inform Oda Nobunaga, he should have asked Sasa Narimasa.

Who will behead him?

Shichibei, the magistrate of Kaito District, doesn't have any particularly skilled executioners under his command. Even the newly appointed samurai retainers are mainly trained in construction, calculation, and clerical work. Examining a corpse is one thing, but expecting them to behead someone?

While it's not entirely unacceptable, one, two, or three cuts would really be unsightly.

The father and son will be displayed for a day, and the execution will be delayed until tomorrow; there's still time. Shichibei immediately dispatched men to the bridge-crossing castle across the river to find a samurai skilled in decapitation. He needed someone capable of killing with a single blow, someone with exceptional swordsmanship.

Anyway, Shichibei can't behead people. If he had the skill, he would have been rich long ago. Look at Yamauchi Kazutoyo, because he can kill people, he's willing to go out and kill people for Nobunaga, and he gets 45 kan for every door he opens.

If we work for another two years and cut down a couple more, two or three hundred strings of cash will be easy to obtain.

Fortunately, the messenger sent to the bridge city quickly returned with a report, saying that sending someone was fine, but only with a single, high-quality sword. It had to be a good sword; a samurai's sword was for fighting other samurai, not for slaughtering commoners, whose blood would taint their precious blades. The need for a good sword also made sense; a broken sword would immediately chip at bone, and even after three blows, the neck wouldn't be severed, with blood spurting everywhere—it was utterly disgraceful.

No problem, no problem. Shichibei immediately went to the earthen warehouse on Tsushima Island to find someone to buy a good sword that he had been keeping there. It wasn't made by any famous craftsman; two or three kan would be quite good, and it wouldn't chip so easily anyway.

I've already heard that Boss Tsuchikura is going to be beheaded tomorrow, and he even asked Shichibei, "Is Boss Kawamura going to personally behead someone? Then I'll definitely be there tomorrow. When is the execution? I'll bring my whole family to watch the show."

Go away, what's so interesting about beheading?

Although the retainers weren't very good at beheading, they were quite skilled at sharpening swords. Shichibei took out the Omi-made kodachi, and the retainer immediately began sharpening it. Sharpening swords was considered one of their essential skills; they carried a sword around every day just to look good, and even the "kindestination" sword needed maintenance.

The next day, a samurai from the Ohashi family crossed the river to the place, greeted Shichibei, introduced himself, and then asked to see his sword. Shichibei said, "Not bad," and then quietly sat down on the veranda.

Before they even reached the killing spot, Shichibei asked if they wanted to eat and drink. The samurai didn't stand on ceremony; he'd already eaten before the meal arrived, but a jug of sake was welcome. It was low-alcohol rice wine from the countryside, practically like water.

He quickly called to the waiter, who brought over two bottles of wine. The samurai then took out a piece of cloth and repeatedly stroked his sword, occasionally tilting his head back to drink deeply from the wine bottle. How to describe him? He certainly exuded a murderous aura.

After drinking two bottles, the samurai glanced at the sun, then looked at Shichibei. Yes, it was time for his execution.

Two straw mats were laid out along the riverbank, without any fence, but ten men were on site maintaining order. Many local residents knew that an execution was scheduled for today and came to watch. It was the Lunar New Year, and with nothing much to do, plus the lack of snow this year making it easy to go out, the area was bustling with people.

"My lord?" A soldier saw Shichibei riding up.

He then peered around behind Shichibei, knowing that beheading was something only an expert could handle. Only when he spotted the samurai carrying the sword did he step forward to lead Shichibei's horse.

"Put the criminals down and behead them." The criminal father and son were previously tied to a cross, but now they had to be put down and pushed onto a straw mat.

There was no protest of innocence, no begging for mercy. Under normal circumstances, their identities would have been verified again, and they would have been informed by others. Today, however, the entire province was spared. Because it was the dead of winter, they were paraded outside all night. The father still looked like a human being, while the murderer was barely breathing, showing no trace of the arrogance he displayed just days before when he had beaten another child to death.

At least for Shichibei, this was a good thing; there was no need to go through any procedures, he could just be beheaded.

As the first case of the new year in the local area, the news spread everywhere. When the father and son who committed the crime were taken down, some people even shouted that they should be chopped up and pushed forward to see how their heads were cut off.

They forgot to call in dozens of people to maintain order.

"Fine, I'll just cut it down and leave." Shichibei waved his hand, and the samurai sword was already drawn. It was freezing cold, no wonder he had been rubbing it with cloth earlier. Now the sword was "warm" and not stiff.

With a single slash, Dahao's head rolled three meters away. The crowd erupted in gasps and chatter, as if a lively symphony was unfolding before them.

Shichibei turned his horse and rode away as soon as his second head was severed. Nobunaga's sentence only included beheading, not "prison gates." That is, there was no additional requirement to display the body in the government office, prison, or on a street notice board, so after the beheading, the family could be allowed to collect the body and cremate it.

Back home, Shichibei felt inexplicably nauseous. It wasn't the thought of being beheaded that bothered him, but rather his general unease. He didn't even want to stay in Tsushima anymore. After a moment's hesitation, he instructed Inase Yoshinari to take good care of the samurai from Ohashi. Then, without even packing his bags, Shichibei headed straight for Komakiyama Castle to await the wedding procession.

A feeling that was hard to describe made Shichibei stay in bed for two days before he recovered. Then he spent several more days outside, grooming, letting the horses run wild, and finally felt completely at ease.

The day for Princess Tokuhime's departure arrived, and Nobunaga personally saw her off. Perhaps because Princess Tokuhime was the daughter of Lady Ikoma, and Nobunaga adored her, he actually followed the wedding procession all the way to Kariya.

An eight-year-old girl has left her parents like this, and it's highly likely she'll never see them again in her life.

Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Nobuyasu were also extremely courteous, even traveling to Kariya to pay their respects to Nobunaga. However, the father and son did not treat Nobunaga as equals or allies. Judging from Shichibei's behavior, Ieyasu's posture was extremely humble, almost that of a vassal.

As for his appearance, in my opinion, he is not suited to be a great leader.

Upon closer inspection, Ieyasu at this time was slightly overweight, with a round face, light eyebrows, and a small mouth, but his nose was also not large. This made his facial features appear less full and harmonious. More importantly, he was also dark-skinned, and it was a rough, coarse dark color, not the kind of shiny, oily black.

The difference between dark black and glossy black is indeed significant.

However, Ieyasu had rather long earlobes, which is said to be a sign of a king, though whether this is true or not is unknown. It is said that Liu Bei had earlobes that reached his shoulders, but Ieyasu's hands did not reach past his knees.

"Who is this?" Shichibei was still observing from the shadows when Ieyasu suddenly looked over.

"Kawamura Shichibei is a merchant from Tsushima and also the governor of Kaito District." Nobunaga directly stated Shichibei's identity.

"Greetings, Lord Mikawa." The group was sitting in a camp outside Kariya Castle, with straw mats and felt blankets spread on the ground. Shichibei sat to Nobunaga's side and behind.

"Of course, of course." Ieyasu was very amiable, bowing to Shichibei.

He then praised Nobunaga's forces for their abundance of talent, noting the constant emergence of various capable individuals. Unlike his situation in Mikawa, where the province was small and weak, there were few respectable samurai.

Nobunaga glanced at Shichibei, seemingly somewhat smug. But the conversation certainly wouldn't stay on Shichibei; after a few words, it turned to real state affairs.

Shingen sent an envoy to Tokugawa Ieyasu to inquire about the strength of Mikawa Province, specifically how many troops it could mobilize.

76. Is Xin Kang a stupid and straightforward person?

It's said that Nobunaga and Ieyasu slept on the same tatami mat that night. They had known each other since childhood, so this wasn't the first time they'd shared a bed. Besides, this wasn't a discussion about Takeda Shingen, was it? As for whether anything else might have happened?

Based on Shichibei's observation of Ieyasu's appearance during the day, it is highly unlikely.

Nobunaga was quite picky.

Since Takeda Shingen sent envoys to establish friendly relations with Tokugawa Ieyasu, it meant that after conquering western Kozuke, there were no more easy targets for the Takeda clan to exploit outside their borders. After weighing the options, attacking Suruga became Takeda Shingen's final choice.

In the Warring States period, it was a matter of either advancing or retreating. For a ruler seeking to maintain the status quo, survival was virtually impossible. They either had to aggressively expand their territory or perish on the battlefield. To submit and preserve their family's reputation was extremely difficult.

Even the smallest, most insignificant power in the most remote corners of the land has to fight tooth and nail for the survival of its clan. Yasha Kuro Tozawa Moriyasu, upon hearing the order to attack Odawara, led nine riders into battle. Even a power as insignificant as the Tozawa family was pulling out all the stops to survive.

Now that Ieyasu could muster at least five or six thousand men, he was qualified to play chess, so it was only natural that Shingen would take him seriously and start to get to know him.

It's unclear when the war will begin. Anyway, Takeda Yoshinobu is dead. Whether he died of illness, suicide, depression, or assassination, he's dead. Shingen is probably already trying to win over the senior retainers and samurai of the Imagawa clan in Suruga. For example, the Katsurayama clan, who were hereditary retainers of the Imagawa family, eventually switched their allegiance to Takeda.

Continue escorting the bride.

Nobunaga wouldn't go to Okazaki Castle. After a night of detailed discussions with Ieyasu, he returned to Komakiyama Castle to continue his conquest of Mino. Ando Morinari had been allied with Oda last year, and it's unknown how far his efforts to persuade the Mino followers have progressed.

We arrived at Okazaki before noon, which shows how close Okazaki is to Owari.