Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

At first, Shichibei didn't realize anything was wrong. The number of people was right, the heads were right, it was the same face, it was the same person, but there was one thing that wasn't quite right.

Of the thousands of taels of gold from the horse sale, some were weighed by Shichibei himself; he knew exactly how much and how heavy it was. In addition, Yonekura Nobutsugu and the others had sold a batch of mountain goods in Owari. Although they were mostly worthless odds and ends, they should have carried some with them.

At the very least, they would exchange their belongings for scarce commodities like linen or silk to take back to the Kai Mountains and improve their families' lives. These people's packages would definitely have to be bigger, not smaller. They would either be filled with money or cloth.

However, the number of money bags carried by the horse pulling the gold didn't seem to match up, but Shichibei didn't make a fuss and sent Yonekura Nobutsugu and the others away as usual.

Back at Kawamura-ya, I asked the shop assistant if he knew where Nobutsugu Yonekura had been these past few days.

It's no wonder Shichibei wasn't paying attention. He was busy expanding Kawamura-ya's business and taking care of Nene's baby, so he was practically running around non-stop. How could he have time to follow Yonekura Nobutsugu around every day?

When asked this, the waiter only said that in addition to going up the castle to pay his respects to Nobunaga, Yonekura Nobutsugu also visited Sakuma Nobumori, Niwa Nagahide, and Hirate Hirohide.

Visiting a senior retainer of the Oda clan? Could it be that he offered money to bribe Sakuma Nobumori? There's no need for that. The alliance between the two sides is still quite strong. At least Shingen wants to attack Suruga, and Nobunaga wants to go to the Kinai region. They each have their own interests and don't want their backyards to be in turmoil.

What else? They also sell their dried fruit, beeswax, and riding shoes on the streets. The shopkeeper thought for a moment; the people from Takeda had indeed only brought some mountain goods, nothing expensive. Shingen probably didn't intend to buy or sell anything in Owari; the mountain goods were all brought by Yonekura Nobutsugu and his men.

They're all just ordinary mountain products, nothing special at all.

that……

For a moment, Shichibei was a little confused. Why did it seem like the price of the horse that Yonekura Nobutsugu received was less?

92. Relocation and introduction of foreign countries and implementation.

Shichibei was sitting at home, pondering this, when someone came in and said that the main hall had summoned him, ordering him to go to the city walls immediately. Shichibei could only suppress his thoughts, change his clothes, and go out.

Many of Oda's senior retainers who were outside the castle were summoned by Nobunaga to the castle grounds. By the time Shichibei sat down, the main hall was already quite full. More people kept arriving, clearly indicating that Nobunaga had important matters to announce or discuss.

Important matters are discussed in small meetings, while minor matters are discussed in large meetings.

If all the senior retainers are summoned, it basically means that Nobunaga has already made a decision and is preparing to announce it. Or it may still be in the initial discussion stage, with everyone brainstorming.

When making decisions, Nobunaga would only consult with a few retainers in private. For example, when he was recruiting the three vassals of western Mino, it was only a few people who discussed it with Nobunaga. Even Shichibei was only called upon to give instructions later, when the mission was about to be carried out.

Once everyone was seated on time, Nobunaga strode in and sat on the tatami mat. Without further ado, after checking that everyone was present, he made his formal announcement.

We're moving to Inabayama!

As expected, Shichibei knew that Nobunaga, who was determined to cause trouble in the Kinai region, would definitely move his castle to Mino, where it would be easier to travel to Kyoto. After all, Owari was his old base, especially the four lower districts, which were very stable, and the local lords were all his childhood friends. As long as Nobunaga didn't show any signs of defeat, his support for Nobunaga would not waver.

Many of Nobunaga's senior retainers had clearly discussed this matter with him. Nobunaga wasn't always a unilateral decision-maker; even before the Battle of Okehazama, he convened a meeting of his senior retainers. Hiromasa Kiyata strongly supported launching a surprise attack on Imagawa Yoshimoto, but most of his retainers believed that it was better to defend Kiyosu to the death.

Are there any differing opinions? Of course not.

This can be seen as a precursor to the later depictions of "retainers living together" and "soldiers and farmers being separated" in games and novels. In addition to the vassals, pagemen, and foot soldiers, the key retainers of the Oda clan also moved to Mino with Nobunaga.

Even though the territories of the senior retainers were in Owari, in order to serve Nobunaga and stay close to the power core of the Oda clan, they inevitably had to leave their territories for a long time.

At first, there may be no problem, but as time goes on, the firmly established feudal local power structure will inevitably develop gaps and become unstable. The longer this continues, the larger these gaps will become.

Not many years ago, Hayashi Hidesada and Shibata Katsuie could still muster troops and openly attack Oda Nobunaga. But after the senior retainers had followed Nobunaga away from Owari for a long time, even though Hayashi Hidesada was the lord of Kiyosu with a fief of 100,000 koku and Sakuma Nobumori was the governor of a province, they could be stripped of their titles and honors without hesitation.

Moreover, Nobunaga didn't just punish them; in order to eliminate troublemakers, he laid the groundwork for Nobutada in Noo. Ando Morinari, mentioned earlier, and Niwa Ujikatsu (Nobunaga's brother-in-law), the lord of Iwasaki Castle in Owari, were also exiled.

Look at all these people, which one of them has raised an army and besieged the city?

We've been away from our territory for too long. The common people only know Oda, not you gentlemen.

However, Niwa Ujikatsu turned around and joined Tokugawa Ieyasu. His two sons, Niwa Ujishige and Niwa Ujitsugu, fought against Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi's army of tens of thousands with only two hundred men in the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute. The fierce battle alerted Tokugawa Ieyasu behind them, and the surprise attack turned into a counter-surprise attack.

Hideyoshi lost two key generals, Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi, which was more than just a loss.

The senior retainers bowed their heads in obedience; it was a victory assembly, a unity assembly, and the order was passed unanimously with applause. With two kingdoms under his control, Nobunaga's power was already evident, and no one dared to provoke him on such a matter.

Further details will be announced separately.

Those not involved left the castle first, while Nobunaga kept six people behind: Niwa Nagahide, Sakuma Nobumori, Murai Sadakatsu, Sasa Narimasa, Shimada Hidemitsu, and Shichibei.

Naturally, the task then became assigning tasks related to the relocation. Niwa Nagahide was the first to be chosen, and was assigned to continue the construction of the Kagaki (castle) for Inabayama Castle. This was work that had been underway since Nobunaga conquered Inabayama. Some key and crucial areas needed further reinforcement. Where necessary, wooden siege towers should be erected, and where necessary, trenches should be dug.

The buildings destroyed by fire within the castle also need to be rebuilt. The main gate, the palace, the small castle tower, and other buildings should be constructed to be more magnificent and grand, so as to accommodate more soldiers during wartime.

Ando Morinari and two others, who had previously expressed their willingness to surrender and submit to Nobunaga, were immediately conscripted to work on the construction of Nobunaga's new castle.

At this point, Nobunaga nodded to Shichibei. Shichibei had initially requested that the three members of the Saimino tribe contribute to Nobunaga's castle construction, a deal Nobunaga considered excellent. Perhaps this was one of the reasons Nobunaga was so eager to move to Inabayama—to weaken and consolidate the Saimino tribe.

The three families had just received 15,000 kan of cash and labor fees from Nobunaga, and now they had to give back at least half of it to build Nobunaga's castle. Moreover, the local people would continue to be conscripted, as clearly stated in the newly compiled military service register.

Another requirement is to construct large-scale samurai residences and foot soldier houses around the castle. Previously, only samurai from half of Mino Province lived around the castle during the Ryūō period, but now Nobunaga has samurai and foot soldiers from both Noo and O provinces living around it. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately expand housing on a large scale to accommodate these new people.

It's only natural that samurai would carry your gun and fight for you, and daimyo would provide you with housing and lodging.

Who would want to work for someone whose life is hanging by a thread if there's no guarantee of livelihood? Not only does he have to expand the castle buildings, but he also has to add wells, plan the streets, and strengthen fire prevention. Niwa Nagahide's job is no easy task.

The second, Sakuma Nobumori, was equally busy, mainly responsible for demolishing the buildings at Komakiyama Castle. You ask where Nobunaga and his family lived? They lived in Sakuma Nobumori's residence.

Historically, when Azuchi Castle was being built, Nobunaga chose to reside in the residence of Nobumori in Sakuma. Up until then, Nobumori was likely a trusted senior retainer. What happened after that is unclear.

As for where Sakuma Nobumori would live? He'd find a temple near the castle to make do. Unsurprisingly, the temple would eventually have to move as well. Temples depend on their followers and the land for survival, especially Japanese temples at this time, which were actively involved in the struggle for secular power. They were either dependent on those in power or were themselves powerful.

Once Nobunaga left, all the shrines and temples around the castle had to move as well. To put it nicely, it was called "relocation of the palace"; to put it bluntly, it meant following their sugar daddy.

Although Nobumori's job was simple, it required close coordination with Niwa Nagahide. Once the materials were dismantled here, they had to be transported by manpower and horses to Inabayama in the north. They couldn't delay the construction schedule in Inabayama, nor could they disrupt everyone's relocation; it was a highly technical job these days.

Besides, demolition and relocation are things that either need to be handled by someone with the most power or someone with high prestige and a wide network of connections. Relocating tens of thousands of people to Inabayama, demolishing this house today and that house tomorrow, requires very strong coordination skills.

It's only because Sakuma Nobumori, the chief retainer, is capable of handling things; if anyone else came, who knows what kind of fight would break out.

Murai Sasakatsu and Sasa Narimasa had relatively different tasks. Murai Sasakatsu was responsible for bringing money, food, supplies, and all kinds of household items to Inabayama without missing a single one.

There's a Japanese movie called "The Moving Daimyo," which tells the story of the Echizen Matsudaira family moving house, illustrating the difficulties of moving all their belongings to a new territory.

What needs to be discarded must be discarded, and what needs to be taken must be taken. Along the way, there were also family treasures and books, such as the "Imperial Pestle," one of the Three Great Spears of the World, that needed to be moved, making the troublesome matters countless.

Even the various documents and account books in Owari had to be carefully kept by Murai Sadamatsu and delivered safely to the library at Inabayama Castle. Any shortages or discrepancies would be major problems.

Sasa Narimasa was mainly responsible for leading Nobunaga's direct military personnel and their families away. The force numbered about 5,000 soldiers, and the Nobunaga retainers, numbering over 20,000, were all organized by him and the Makai-shu, and walked dozens of kilometers to Inabayama.

The Umawari, the kokushi, and the foot soldiers—none of them could be missing. These were Nobunaga's assets; he had paid for each and every one of them. Although many soldiers were recruited by the nobles of the Umawari through military expansion, that still indirectly cost Nobunaga money.

This group, consisting of families and armed individuals, needed their own capable generals to lead them on their journey. Who else but Sasa Narimasa could do it?

Hidemitsu Shimada and Shichibei's tasks were more straightforward. Hidemitsu Shimada was in charge of repairing the bridges and streets from Komaki to Inabayama, especially the pontoon bridge over the Kiso River.

With so many people and belongings to move, a good road is essential. Fortunately, the summer flood season is over, and the flow of the Kiso River has not changed much, allowing for a more relaxed approach.

Finally, Shichibei is simple: just bring out all the horses and let them handle the transport.

The six men accepted the orders one by one. Nobunaga's arrangements must have been well thought out, and they were all appropriate.

Upon learning that his only responsibility was to relay horses, Shichibei breathed a sigh of relief; after all, they wouldn't be building castles. Japanese castles, in fact, quite fit the description of being small yet sturdy. During the Imjin War (Japanese invasion of Korea), the Japanese army's fortified castles in southern Korea caused considerable trouble for the Ming army.

The shell of a turtle is smelly and hard.

There's definitely some skill involved, but we haven't learned it and don't know how to build it. If we have the chance, we can ask Niwa Nagahide or Sakuma Nobumori for advice. They probably have some experience, but they likely won't teach Shichibei everything.

"Shichibei, you can take your job as the Kaito District Magistrate for now. Reassign him to the position of Okinobu Magistrate." Nobunaga had already gotten off the bus when he remembered this matter before leaving.

After the autumn harvest, Shichibei still has to take care of the annual tribute rice, and now he is also busy with the Inabayama horse-riding project. If he were to take charge of the civil administration of Kaito County, he would indeed be too busy.

What about the twenty warriors supported by the "Guardianship" of Haidong County? Shichibei quickly got up and followed Nobunaga to ask.

"I'll give them all to you. You can use them for whatever you do in the future." Nobunaga answered without any hesitation.

"Chengzhi."

"Understood," Shichibei quickly bowed. "If they don't withdraw their men, things will be much easier. Having enough manpower makes things much easier."

Once the mission was assigned, everyone had to work together diligently. There were two inspectors: Niwa Nagahide was on the other side of Inabayama, and Sakuma Nobumori was on this side of Komakiyama.

If there's anything, just contact those two. The remaining four are responsible for overseeing and managing their respective areas. If anything goes wrong, hold that person accountable.

"Shichibei, send five hundred bundles of hay to my residence." After everyone left the castle, Sakuma Nobumori, perhaps thinking of something, instructed Shichibei.

"Is this prepared for the lord?" Shichibei immediately understood.

Nobunaga himself owned at least several dozen horses. Any daimyo with a bit of means would prepare several horses for themselves. So, having them all crammed into the Sakuma household meant that extra fodder had to be prepared.

"Haha." Nobumori Sakuma nodded naturally; that was exactly what he thought.

"I'll send someone to deliver it as soon as I get back."

"Hey, did that person buy hay from you?" There was a distance between the city and the outside, so the two naturally started chatting.

The "news figure" at the castle gates recently is naturally Saito Tatsuoki. This is because Nobunaga is about to preside over the wedding of Tatsuoki and the daughter of Nobunaga's cousin, Oda Hiroyoshi. Oda Hiroyoshi was the first to attack in the Battle of Shijō five years ago, but was defeated by Nonomura Masanari of Saito's army.

Therefore, his children were transferred to Nobunaga's care, and he happened to have a daughter who was slightly younger than Tatsuoki.

By the way, this girl's name is also Oichi.

Shichibei was quite surprised when he heard the news. "If I'd known there was an Oichi, and that she was the daughter of Nobunaga's cousin, I would have worked harder to become one of her."

I only found out now, so what's the point of striving anymore?

Otherwise, a backdoor listing would also be a good thing.

"Eh, no." After being pointed at by Sakuma Nobumori, Shichibei thought about it and realized that there really was no such thing.

I remember the Saito family sent someone to buy horses, and when they bought horses, they would definitely throw in a few bundles of hay. Shichibei can't even do this much business; he's a waste of being a boss. But Ryūō first rushed to Kiyosu Castle, settled his retainers, and then sped back to Komakiyama, without having any time to let the horses graze or exercise on the riverbank wasteland.

That horse can only eat readily available hay, and if necessary, it also needs rice bran, wheat bran, millet, and soybeans. Unless he bought it from Katoya, then it wouldn't be surprising.

It's possible. Back in Mino, Ryūō complained about being wronged by a small businessman. So it's understandable that he would hold a grudge against Shichibei and not support Shichibei's business.

Horses can only be bought from Shichibei, but grass can be exchanged for at Katoya.

The two had only exchanged casual questions and pleasantries, and now that they had reached the foot of the castle, Sakuma Nobumori immediately mounted his horse and rode off. Shichibei also mounted his horse and headed home. Actually, Shichibei didn't really want to ride a horse for this short distance, but given his status, how could he display his rank as a thousand-kan samurai without riding? So even though it was only a ten-minute walk, he still had to ride.

Once home, Shichibei tossed the reins to his servant and first drank a cup of tea. He'd been on the castle for so long without a drop of water and was thirsty.

After finishing his drink, Shichibei sat idly, bored. He remembered what Sakuma Nobumori had said earlier. He flipped through the recent account books and noticed that Ryūō hadn't bought any hay, but Yonekura Nobutsugu had.

93. To unify the world by force, one must change the name.

Yonekura Nobutsugu was staying at Kawamura-ya when the hay and feed he received were all provided by Shichibei. He didn't need to buy any himself; after all, they were friends, what did a few bundles of hay matter? The gold coin he was given was enough to feed his entire team of horses countless bundles of hay.

Could it be...?

Needless to say, Shichibei naturally harbored suspicions. This was Japan's Sengoku period, and it was better to err on the side of caution. While we had some dealings with Yonekura Nobutsugu, we were ultimately serving different masters. Although our alliance was currently based on marriage and seemed quite harmonious, the future was uncertain.

Asai Nagamasa was also Nobunaga's brother-in-law, and now he even had a child; he should be killed just the same way. Takeda Katsuyori was theoretically Nobunaga's son-in-law, but in a fight, he should be killed just the same way.

Historically, it's said that Oda Nobutada didn't intend to kill his fiancée, Takeda Matsuhime, and even searched for her in Kai province. Furthermore, Nobutada never formally married a wife, or perhaps he truly intended to marry Takeda Matsuhime.