Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

When he returned to Kumamoto, it had been a long time since he had been there. His retainers and the people lined the streets to welcome Shichibei, and everyone wanted to see what Kawamura Nagayoshi, who had commanded the Western Army to a great victory over the Eastern Army at Kiso River, looked like.

It's a pity that Kumamoto isn't my hometown. If I were to return home in glory, I would surely be able to compose a poem like "The Song of the Great Wind".

The matter of banning pirates, which was discussed at the meeting in Sakai the other day, must be put into action as soon as Shichibei returns to Kumamoto. He summoned Matsuura Shigenori, Hata Chika, Munechika, Goto Jungen, and others to Kumamoto for a small meeting.

Logically, Shichibei was a feudal lord, and they were all feudal lords under the Oda clan's regime, serving as direct retainers of Oda's Grand Chancellor. Although their rank differed, they were essentially equal in status. Theoretically, Shichibei had no right to summon them to a meeting in Kumamoto, but all the aforementioned feudal lords arrived remarkably quickly.

In particular, Matsuura Shigenori, who had previously participated in the Battle of To-To-Kiso River, was among those sent, along with Ishida Mitsunari and Asano Nagamasa from the Hashiba clan. Since being transferred to Hakata, Hideyoshi had also been involved in maritime trade. Furthermore, he commanded a group of pirates he had incorporated—the Munakata Navy.

Coincidentally, Munakata Ujisada died last year, and his son, Munakata Shiojumaru, died young, leaving behind only four or five daughters. So, Hashiba Hidenaga made no attempt to be polite and prepared to have his retainers seize control of the Munakata family and become Ujisada's adopted son-in-law.

The Munakata family also split into two: the family that inherited the Munakata Taisha Shrine became the Ōmiya-ji family, and the family that inherited the navy became the Funamochi-Ōsho family.

Since Shichibei wanted to eradicate pirates throughout the country, Munakata's navy, which had control of the sea and the right to collect ship levies in western Hibiki Beach and Genkai Beach, naturally had to attend the meeting, at least to hear what Shichibei had to say.

Shichibei didn't have much to say; everyone present only controlled a small area of ​​sea. They were nowhere near as powerful as the Murakami family of the Seto Inland Sea, who directly blocked their path.

Let's all give up the pirate profession and exchange it for a perpetually inheritable seal of honor. This is roughly equivalent to being able to send a seal-stamped ship on foreign trade every year without having to pay any fees to Shichibei or Oda Nobunaga.

They used this fee to offset the previous loss of ship bids, since the waters they controlled might not even yield four thousand strings of cash a year.

The majority of the profits come from maritime trade; collecting tolls just doesn't amount to much. From now on, I should focus on foreign trade and earn money through legitimate business.

Furthermore, everyone needs to work together to eliminate any scattered pirates that may exist along the Kyushu-Seto Inland Sea route. This will ensure the safety of the shipping lanes and further promote the development of Japan-foreign trade.

The group was generally satisfied with Shichibei's "buyout" of their toll collection from ships. After all, sailing was risky, so it was better to stay close at home and collect tolls.

However, given Shichibei's current prestige and reputation, they couldn't easily refuse. After much deliberation, Munechika was the first to agree. But he stated that he could refrain from participating in maritime trade in other regions, but he would monopolize maritime trade in Korea.

They couldn't agree, because Shichibei's good son-in-law, Amago Katsuhisa, also traded with Korea. He exported steel to Korea and imported steel from Korea; they weren't the same type of steel.

However, Shichibei could agree to his request and then send an envoy to Korea in the name of the Japanese king to try to expand trade with Korea.

Let's make the plate bigger, instead of eating alone.

On this point, Shichibei has always believed that sharing happiness is worse than keeping it to himself. Money is something you can never earn all at once; it's much better for everyone to make money together harmoniously. Developing the North Korean market is far better than secretly smuggling three or five boats a year to Dongnae and Fusanpo.

Korea was even worse off than Japan, a truly desolate place with extremely underdeveloped handicrafts. Perhaps only in a very few areas, such as ceramics, did Korea surpass Japan. Until the mid-Qing Dynasty, Korea still needed to import agricultural tools, cotton cloth, and even basic items like needles, thread, candlesticks, and scales from the Qing Dynasty.

Tsushima Island could easily be used for transshipment, importing goods from handicraft production areas in southern China, adding a markup, and then buying them from North Korea.

North Korea, which did not experience the Japanese invasion of Korea, has a population of about ten million. We can take advantage of its current peace and sell goods to North Korea.

In a few decades, the internal pressure in North Korea will explode, leading to a change of regime, and it might be impossible to do business with North Korea for some time.

But by then, all of us old folks would be dead. That's something for future generations to consider and face; let's not think about it too much.

good or not?

If the scope and volume of trade with North Korea could be expanded, and trade with North Korea could be conducted openly and legitimately, then it could indeed offset the losses on Tsushima. So, Yoshitomo lowered his head and indicated that there was no problem, after all, Shichibei's face was at stake.

He's practically a seasoned salesman; Shichibei has built up this reputation over the years. As for money, most of it went to the Oda clan and other feudal lords. Good thing, that money eventually brought people together.

Money can attract people, so it can't be called a waste; in fact, it's worth spending, and spending lavishly is even better.

Others went to Ryukyu, Ming China, or even Siam, all they wanted was a permanent seal of office. They all expressed their willingness to accept Shichibei's mediation, allowing him to resolve Japan's pirate problem.

At this time, Hashiba retainer Ishida Mitsunari asked Shichibei, "I heard that things are in chaos in Osaka. How should this order be issued?"

Wow, this young man does have a bit of a political sense.

Shichibei couldn't help but glance at the magistrate who already held a high salary of 3,000 koku in the Chikuzen-Hakata Domain. It was a pity that Hideyoshi, who had discovered him, had already passed away, and it was unknown how far he could go in his career. However, the Hashiba clan was no longer likely to split, so he probably didn't need to call Hashiba Hideaki a bastard anymore.

"After the chaos in Osaka, there will inevitably be order." Shichibei uttered this mystical statement.

"I understand." It was unclear what he understood, but Ishida Mitsunari gave Shichibei a meaningful look before bowing deeply.

If his family sold the Munakata Navy, they could get a permanent seal of office, which would fulfill his mission. As for everything else, those were secondary tasks.

The others had also wanted to ask, but weren't as bold. Since Ishida Mitsunari had asked, that was for the best. After receiving this answer, everyone had different thoughts and made various guesses.

How did he guess? Shichibei didn't really care. It wasn't the right time to act yet, and Shichibei still didn't have a very clear vision for the future direction of the regime.

Clearly, the aristocratic republic, which was the first to be dragged out and whipped, was a pile of dung.

Not to mention Shichibei looking down on him, even Maeda Toshiie, who first proposed him, is probably swallowing his bitter pill right now.

There's still time; we can think things through slowly. Handling this immediate matter will at least stabilize part of the rear and win over some others. We should make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible.

After that, Shichibei began to inspect the new territory. Due to the repeated struggles between Ryuzoji and Ōtomo, and the shaving of heads by Kobayakawa Takakage after entering the country, there were no troublemakers left, and even the decent local representatives had been wiped out.

This is similar to Shichibei's situation in Higo, because the tug-of-war between Ryuzoji and Shimazu in Higo, and the great battle between Shichibei and Shimazu Yoshihiro and Toshihisa after Shichibei entered the country, caused the total collapse of the fifty-three families of the Higo local lords.

The old guard was either dead or extinct, leaving only a handful of people. At least the Aso Ōmiya clan was still wealthy, receiving a fief of 8,000 koku, which was much better than the Kōra Ōmiya clan in Chikugo.

Therefore, all that is needed now is to send a deputy to manage it. There is no need to demolish Liuhe Castle. Although the "one country, one castle" decree has long been issued, it is impossible for Chikugo Province to leave no castles behind. It is still necessary to set up an administrative center as a rapid response base.

In fact, apart from these cities on the surface, the administrative offices of various counties, as well as the residences of vassals with thousands or tens of thousands of bushels of grain in their territories, can all be used temporarily as fortresses.

In later Japan, there was an anime called "Summer Wars," in which the female protagonist lived in what was then a typical old-fashioned samurai family mansion.

Logically speaking, since everything was demolished during the Meiji era, it shouldn't be very likely to have survived. But there's no need to delve into the details of animated films.

After inspecting Chiku, they still needed to go to Hyuga. Ito Yuhei from Hyuga had also gone to Kiso River to participate in the battle, but he had not made any great contributions. Therefore, he only received Shichibei's money and rations as a reward before returning to his domain.

Upon hearing that Shichibei had led a team to inspect the area, Ito Yuhei rushed over to greet them. He was overjoyed to be Shichibei's neighbor.

If he hadn't already had a wife, he would have been at least Shichibei's son-in-law. However, it was precisely because he had a wife, and that wife was being targeted by Ōtomo Yoshimune, that he fled to join the Oda clan. It can only be said that everything was a matter of fate, and not everything can be perfect.

Obi was his hometown, so he naturally governed it with great care. His ideas for governing Hyuga were also quite simple: forget about developing agriculture, just utilize the numerous rivers flowing from the mountains to the coast for dry forestry. It wasn't that terracing wasn't possible, but the soil in southern Kyushu didn't retain water well enough for it.

Neighboring Satsuma faces the same problem; their soil is sandy, and there aren't many areas suitable for paddy fields. Planting relatively easy-to-grow cedar trees, managing them in small plots, wouldn't require as many people, and the returns would be decent.

Hey, judging from this, you're planning to devote yourself entirely to managing your territory and don't want to get involved in the mess in Osaka's central government? (Ito Yuhei is a general hereditary head)

Chapter 672 Everyone Asked Me to Come Out of the Mountain

"If it weren't for the mercy of the Great Bright God, I would not have been able to return to Xiangzhou." Ito Yuhei was quite moved, as he had truly experienced the destruction of his family and country.

After the Battle of Mimikawa, the Ito clan's rule in Hyuga completely collapsed, and the power of the Ōtomo clan, which supported them in the war, also gradually declined. Under such circumstances, Ito Yuhei could only follow his retainers, such as Yamada Munemasa and Kawasaki Yusuke, and flee with his father, Ito Yoshisuke.

As a result, Ōtomo Yoshitomo also coveted his wife. He couldn't even stay in Bungo and was forced to seek refuge with Oda Nobunaga, who had the ambition to unify the country.

Nobunaga was quite pleased with the surrender of this local Kyushu tyrant, providing him with money, land, and a place for his men. Nobunaga's actions in restoring the Ito clan were of immense kindness, akin to a complete rebuilding of their fortunes.

Naturally, Ito Yuhei had deep feelings for Oda Nobunaga. He also hoped that Oda's regime would enjoy long-lasting military success and last for countless years.

But when he went to Osaka for a meeting the other day, the situation there left him feeling genuinely frustrated. Even Maeda Toshiie, who had summoned him to the meeting, lacked the strong will and strategy to maintain and develop the government.

Shichibei, who had rendered great service in quelling the Eastern bandits, was only offered tea and the opportunity to urinate. How could he not feel disheartened under such circumstances?

Having returned to the Obi Domain, Ito Yuhei is now only concerned with protecting the territory and its people, and maintaining the Ito family's business in Hyuga. As for the situation in Osaka, there's really nothing more to say.

"Oh." Shichibei's tone rose as he scrutinized Ito Yuhei.

Are you also going to join the silent majority?

In a sense, this was a foreseeable situation. The endless quarrels in Osaka lasted for a full month. If you include the handover between the feudal lords and their successors before and after the event, you could say that the disputes had lasted for more than five months.

In five months, apart from the necessary matter of appointing Oda Nobu as a senior official, the entire Oda clan accomplished nothing.

It wasn't that Osaka's treasury was empty, nor was it due to a poor rice harvest last year. In fact, the Oda clan's treasury had a balance, but they simply couldn't use it.

There's a certain "beauty" to Polish aristocratic republicanism; it's a truly wonderful recreation of the scene.

After all, the feudal lords were truly nobles who had carved out their own territories and were practically the only ones who mattered in their own domains. They were all loyal retainers serving their superior, Oda Nobuyuki, so why should I listen to you?

Moreover, there are many deep-seated grudges among the feudal lords. For example, Ito Yuhei, who is currently in the air, hates the Shimazu clan intensely, as do the Ōtomo clan and the three Ōtomo generals in the north. And the Amago Mori clan in the west would glare at each other even if they met in Osaka.

The reason they didn't actually draw their swords and kill each other was because there were still highly respected elders in their household guarding them. Looking at the private feuds between feudal lords during the Edo period, there were countless instances of hostility, whether it was the lords themselves directly drawing their swords against each other or inciting their subjects to confront each other near the border.

The Tokugawa Shogunate's control over Japan was already stronger than ever before, yet there were still so many conflicts between feudal lords. Not to mention the current situation where Oda Nobuyoshi is only three years old and has no ability to govern.

"Anyway, I am a lowly savage and should not be involved in matters of Osaka, so I neither can nor want to." That's what Ito Yuhei said, but his eyes still revealed a desire to understand Shichibei's intentions.

He just felt that he and Shichibei weren't close enough to be inseparable, so he was too embarrassed to ask, "Dude, when did you seize the throne?"

If it were Takatora Todo or Shigeharu Takenaka, they would have already privately inquired with Shichibei about their plans to weaken the Oda clan and strike at the feudal lords.

"Since you've been invited to participate in politics, then you should go. It would be a waste to give it up for nothing." Anyway, it wasn't Shichibei who started this.

It was Maeda Toshiie who proposed the system of joint consultation among hereditary feudal lords, and it was Mori Terumoto who immediately agreed and strongly supported it. Shichibei had nothing to do with this matter.

You can't blame Shichibei for inviting everyone to drink tea and urinate.

"What are your instructions?" Ito Yuhei still wanted to know Shichibei's thoughts.

"How dare I say it's an order? We've fought side by side many times, we're like brothers." Shichibei saw a lot in Ito Yuhei.

It's true that they've gotten tired of arguing, and it's also true that they've started to focus on their own interests. But this doesn't mean that these people have completely given up their sudden power to participate in politics. They still yearn to maintain this power and to actually use it.

Furthermore, since Shichibei himself was already considered one of the most prestigious figures in Japan, and widely respected, he was known as the most honest and kind-hearted man in Owari. Therefore, these people tended to listen to Shichibei's opinions, observe his stance, and then make their own plans.

"Hey, I'm counting on you for everything." Ito Yuhei merely bowed, but he still had some ulterior motives.

Previously, when fighting the Eastern bandits, he was willing to kowtow to Shichibei and support Shichibei in leading the army to fight against Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Now, the world may have changed, and since he still owes favor to the Oda family, he cannot immediately switch allegiance to the Kawamura family.

"No problem, no problem." Seeing that he was indeed still on our side, Shichibei quickly offered a gesture of support.

After inspecting his new territory, Shichibei, in his capacity as the chief retainer and Ōchikata of the Oda clan, signed and issued the "Pirate Suppression Edict." In name, since the time of Oda Nobunaga, all commercial activities in Japan had been entrusted to Shichibei's management.

So at least on the surface, Shichibei simply no longer allows pirates to collect ship's mark money, openly rob people on the road, and to become like feudal lords, samurai, and nouveau riche.

But the timing of this order is quite intriguing. Osaka couldn't even issue a single decree, yet Kawamura Nagayoshi in Kumamoto Castle was able to issue orders openly and with the approval of pirate daimyo and coastal lords.

The subtle, ineffable atmosphere of power imbalance that it exuded spread among the feudal lords and hereditary bannermen.

It still has to be Kawamura Nagayoshi who does it!

Others are no good. After Oda Nobunaga and Nobukatsu, only Kawamura Nagayoshi seems to have the ability and prestige to maintain order and peace in Japan.

Still in Osaka, Matsui Tomokazu, a 6,000 koku hatamoto (military commander), suddenly became very active. He not only made connections everywhere, but also secretly gathered a group of people.

Matsui Tomokazu was introduced to Oda Nobunaga by Shichibei. He first served as the tea master, and later, because he served Nobunaga very well, he became Nobunaga's right-hand scribe. After Murai Sadakatsu, Sugaya Nagayori, and others were killed in battle, he enjoyed a period of great prestige.

He became a key figure in the Nobunaga corps and received a high salary of 5,000 koku without any military achievements.

However, this period of prosperity was short-lived. After Nobukatsu succeeded to the throne, the three senior retainers followed him from the provinces to the central government. The heads of the magistrates who were actually in charge of governing the Oda clan's territory became the three senior retainers, led by Takikawa Ogatoshi. Matsui Tomokazu effectively retired and retired, receiving an additional 1,000 koku of retirement allowance, totaling 6,000 koku, becoming an ordinary, powerless hereditary hatamoto.

These past two years, Matsui Tomokazu has been incredibly restless. He and Sen no Rikyu are similar figures, both hoping to enter the political center through unorthodox means and seize power. In this world, Sen no Rikyu gained the favor of Nobunaga Nobukatsu by overseeing the construction of the Sento Palace and became their tea master.

Matsui Tomokazu, having served Nobunaga earlier, smoothly transitioned from tea master to magistrate, wielding immense power and influence comparable to a lord with a fief of 100,000 koku.

Having enjoyed immense power, Matsui Yujian must have felt terrible about suddenly becoming a retired old man.

Matsui Tomokazu realized that his opportunity had come when Shichibei proposed that the hereditary rulers of Owari with a rank of 5,000 koku or more should also be included in the council of hereditary rulers of the feudal lords.

Fortune favors the prepared mind!