Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

So Shichibei, who was listening to the news at home and had already packed up to go to the sandbar to build a thatched hut, was suddenly pulled in front of Sasa Narimasa to explain the situation.

Hey, Sasa Narimasa, did you suddenly feel some pity for him?

Shichibei was summoned for no apparent reason, and upon hearing the reason, he immediately prepared to refuse. "They're not gunsmiths, what do I need them for?"

15. Indigo dyeing craftsmen are of little use.

Sassa Narimasa was not actually a reckless man. Historically, after seeing Oda Nobunaga turn the number one person in the market into a sake cup, he advised Nobunaga that if he wanted millions of people to willingly submit, he must implement benevolent rule and education.

Cultured and principled.

The reason Shichibei has been summoned now is probably due to a guilty conscience. They want Shichibei to settle the men on the sandbar, thus delaying the inevitable. Once the group that went to Komakiyama Castle town has forged the arquebuses and won Oda Nobunaga's favor, then by asking for a favor, the remaining men will likely be able to get ashore as well.

You're thinking of them, but I'm a follower of the Tsushima sect, a believer of the Tsushima Ox-Head Heavenly King faith. You're asking me to accept Christians? Isn't that asking me to cut myself off from the Tsushima sect?

So Shichibei smiled and said, "It's all up to Lord Otate to decide. I am the host, that's true, but I can't make the decision. We are both retainers of Oda Nobunaga, so please let Nobunaga decide."

Sasa Narimasa, surprised that Shichibei was actually a clever man who knew how to make excuses, couldn't help but think more highly of him. There were indeed several people in Tsushima, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to build such a large operation.

Alright, Sasa Narimasa appeased the remaining Christian townspeople and prepared to send the gunsmith back to Komakiyama before asking Nobunaga for permission.

The Christian townspeople who were allowed to disembark rented horses from Shichibei. They had belongings and elderly or infirm people to carry, and they couldn't possibly carry everything themselves. If they could carry it all themselves, there would be no need for ship transport.

Business was good, so Shichibei quickly arranged packhorses and even said that since Nobunaga had already placed them in Komakiyama, they could serve Nobunaga together. If they didn't have much money, they could wait a month until Nobunaga made arquebuses for them, and then Nobunaga would reward them with money before they settled accounts.

When doing business, harmony brings wealth.

A little girl almost blurted out, "Uncle, you're quite ugly, but you have a really kind heart."

Fortunately, the child's parents were sensible and picked him up, thanking him profusely before leaving.

After seeing the group off, Shichibei, who was already at the port, asked the remaining Christian townspeople, "What do you do? If you don't have any skills, Nobunaga will definitely not take you in."

As I've said, Nobunaga is a pragmatist. He'll only respect you if you're of use to him.

Several Christian townspeople claimed to be dyers from the mountain town, skilled in using indigo and sappanwood to produce a deep blue color, also known as eggplant purple, a brighter shade of purple.

Purple, a rare color in its natural state, is a symbol of nobility throughout the world. The Eastern Roman Empire revered purple, as did the neighboring Song Dynasty, both considering it a superior color.

In Japan, the same thing applies to high-ranking monks who wear purple robes. To be qualified to wear a purple robe, one must obtain imperial permission from the Emperor. It's not something just anyone can do.

Therefore, these dyers who could dye white silk into purple silk were indeed valuable and scarce technical talents.

However, this is limited to the Kinai region, where purple has a strong purchasing power. In the entire Owari region, there are probably only a few people who can afford to wear purple clothing. Without a consumer base, what's the point of having these dyeing workers?

Seeing that Shichibei showed little interest, an old man among the dyers quickly offered to grow indigo plants. Indigo plants prefer damp soil, and whether it's mountain indigo or knotweed, they could try to grow them on a sandbar.

Wow, if I hadn't been so prescient, I would have been fooled by you.

It's true that he likes damp land, but why don't you say he likes warm, damp land, and places where the sun isn't too intense?

Why else would indigo be produced in Tokushima Prefecture, which is now Awa Province? Because it is located further south, has a warmer climate, and has the humid soil of the Yoshino River.

My sandy soil is damp, but it doesn't retain water. Besides, it's not warm enough in winter when it snows heavily. Seriously, how can you grow indigo plants here? I spent a whole night thinking about it the other day, and I've already ruled out indigo plants.

Goodbye, I'm leaving.

Seeing Shichibei leave, the old man reached out to stop him. But he had no other bargaining chips, so he just stretched his hand out in mid-air, made a half-hearted effort, and finally had to give up.

He actually wanted to say that he had planted safflower in Ise for a few days, but the sandbar was too damp and not suitable for safflower, which needs dry soil, so he never had the chance.

Nobunaga's reply was very direct: No planting!

Unless you abandon the religion, those who abandon the religion can go ashore.

Those who have landed can go to Shichibei's harvesting grounds and listen to Shichibei's decisions.

The document wasn't sent by Sasa Narimasa, but rather by a family member of Horita Uma who brought it back from Komakiyama Castle. It was a document issued to the Tsushima clan so that they would be informed.

Everyone saw that Nobunaga's decision was acceptable. If you no longer believe in Christianity, then there's no problem. There are plenty of travelers in Tsushima-cho; feel free to come and go as you please.

What to do? Anyway, after Shichibei informed these Christian townspeople of Nobunaga's decision, they split into two groups. One group, mainly able-bodied men and women, refused to abandon their faith and continued to believe in their Lord, continuing their journey by boat. They planned to stay until they reached a place where they could be settled, and then send a letter to inform them.

The remaining elderly, with their children, abandoned their faith, trampled on statues of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child or on crosses, and then stayed in Tsushima to plant alfalfa for Shichibei.

Anyway, Shichibei needs to recruit people to plant barnyard grass and guard alfalfa on the sandbar; it's just a matter of building a couple more thatched huts. It's just that these two old men, with seven or eight children to take care of, can't do any work.

It's settled then, no wages, only rice. A harvest of alfalfa or millet will earn you a portion of grain. Consider it hiring an old man as a gatekeeper.

Many construction sites, and even residential communities, simply hire two old men to guard the gate. Some construction sites sell scaffolding steel pipe fasteners for tens of thousands of yuan, yet they only need an old man to watch over them.

Let's bring two dogs. These days, farmers are quite capable; two old men might not be able to keep an eye on such a large alfalfa field.

He led the two old men and a large group of children to the sandbar and told them that he had surveyed the area and confirmed that the sandbar was stable. So they built thatched huts and a polder.

The dikes are used to grow crops that can grow in dry, sandy soil. Autumn harvest is just around the corner, and it's probably too late to plant anything this year. Next year, everyone, regardless of age, will have to work in the fields; even five- or six-year-old children will have to collect manure. This isn't Shichibei exploiting child labor; it's just the reality of the time.

kindness?

Upon seeing the two-plus acres of sandy land that had already been leveled, the old man who knew how to grow safflowers spoke up. The land was sandy, the ridges had been turned over, water was readily available, and the climate of Owari wasn't extremely cold or hot; it was more of a maritime climate.

This sandy soil is almost the best place to grow safflower, and because the land was burned and alfalfa was planted, it has been barely maintained, so maybe it can really be given a try.

16. Perhaps the red flowers are in full bloom.

safflower?

Shichibei felt a little jealous after the old man asked him that question. It seemed that it was indeed possible to grow safflowers in sandy soil, since red color could be obtained directly from nature, so stories about specifically cultivating crops to obtain red color were relatively rare.

Of course, this is relative. Before the chemical industry was highly developed and could artificially synthesize pigments, all dye plants were expensive. It's just that there were different levels of quality, like how purple is considered more luxurious than red.

"Why don't we give it a try?" The old man could tell that Shichibei was the type who wouldn't act without a clear benefit; without some incentive, he wouldn't be able to sway Shichibei. But he had, after all, lived in Kyoto and Luoyang, and hadn't lived in vain, so he asked Shichibei: If he could successfully cultivate the safflower on this sandbar, could he settle his other families here?

Hey, you know what? If you could plant a few hundred acres of safflower and make money, and then donate gold to Oda Nobunaga every year, he would definitely allow those Christian townspeople to come ashore, and even live right next to Tsushima Town.

But Shichibei didn't dare agree now. He could only say, "Try planting it. If you succeed, I'll take your whole family as my retainers. We'll figure out a way to negotiate with Nobunaga later."

And don't rush into planting hundreds of acres all at once; it's good enough if we can plant these two acres right now. As for seeds? The old man said they can be bought in Ise or Sakai. It's not that those people who grow safflower are stupid and don't know about seed monopolies.

Safflower seeds are a medicinal herb.

The soon-to-be-published *Compendium of Materia Medica* mentions that safflower seeds promote blood circulation and regulate menstruation; I wonder who discovered that. Anyway, it's just a medicinal herb, and it's difficult to buy large quantities of safflower seeds from hundreds of acres. What's so difficult about just two acres? Just find any traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy.

Sure enough, Shichibei went to the herbal medicine shop in Ominato and asked, and they sold him a small bag of safflower seeds. He didn't suspect a thing, and didn't even ask any questions.

After all, in many people's eyes, where can one find a perfect combination of dry sandy soil, easy access to water, and convenient irrigation?

If there's land that's easy to irrigate, it'd be perfect for growing rice. Why not develop it into paddy fields?

As for planting, Shichibei made a rare trip to Komakiyama, hoping to recruit two or three farmers. There's more than one sandbar; the two old men can only look after one. They'll have to hire people for the others.

Outside the castle town, there were many civilians fleeing south, but I didn't quite understand how to interview Shichibei. The only thing I could be sure of was his Owari accent, to ensure he was from the same hometown.

Presumably out of concern that there might be spies from Inuyama Oda Nobukiyo's side, foot soldiers patrolled the castle grounds and were responsible for driving people away. The farmers who came from the south didn't expect to enter the castle town of Komakiyama; they could simply make a living in the four districts of Owari Province.

Because the four districts of Owari, especially the area where the Chita Peninsula and Mikawa meet, have been a battleground between Oda and Imagawa since the time of Oda Nobuhide.

The two sides fought for a long time in this area until Imagawa Yoshimoto was defeated and killed at Okehazama. After the Imagawa clan's power quickly retreated from Owari and Mikawa, the border became somewhat stable.

Matsudaira Ieyasu, the current lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa, has already turned against his brother-in-law, Imagawa Ujizane, and formed an alliance with Oda Nobunaga.

The farmers who had fled the area naturally began to return and resume farming. Abandoned fields were also redeveloped, and the local rural areas experienced a brief period of recovery and prosperity.

Furthermore, the Mikawa Ikko-ikki uprising had just been suppressed, leaving many unclaimed fields in Mikawa. In particular, the Mizuno clan, which occupies both Mikawa and Owari, seems to be recruiting farmers to cultivate the land and expand their power.

People aren't stupid; they know that for landowners, labor is also a form of wealth.

Completely at a loss, Shichibei simply went to a tavern that also served as an inn and had the two owners come and recruit people. He then observed the various aspects of life in the tavern.

Since defeating Imagawa Yoshimoto at Okehazama, Oda Nobunaga's fame spread throughout the country. He used to be called the "big fool of Owari," but now he's known as the "flying star of Owari."

A person's name, a tree's shadow.

The autumn harvest is just around the corner. Once the harvest is over, the annual tribute will be deposited into the warehouses of Komakiyama Castle. At that point, Nobunaga will almost certainly muster a large army, march on Inuyama, defeat Oda Nobukiyo, and attempt to unify Owari. If the campaign goes quickly, he might even be able to take advantage of the momentum to invade Mino and seize territory from there.

What does this mean? It means a large number of soldiers are needed, of course.

Besides conscripting soldiers from their own domains and mobilizing their standing foot soldiers and hatamoto, daimyo often recruited ronin (masterless samurai) by promising rewards and offers of service before battles. For example, Naito Masatoyo, the lord of Minowa Castle in the Takeda clan, was a samurai who was extremely skilled at commanding ronin.

This is clearly related to the fact that the Takeda clan did not commit its main force to western Kozuke, but needed to use other military forces to engage in a protracted struggle with the Minowa clan. The dead ronin did not require compensation; if victorious, those who distinguished themselves would be placed in the newly conquered territories. Both the daimyo and the ronin got what they needed—a win-win situation, winning twice.

Shichibei saw many ronin carrying spears and swords at the tavern, drinking and chatting idly. They were all waiting for Oda Nobunaga's ronin conscription before he went to war, hoping to gain a foothold in the Oda family.

For example, there's Yamauchi Inoemon, who was followed by an old man and a young boy.

Your wife is pretty good...

It was because he heard an old man and a young man calling out this name that Shichibei, with a slightly observant mindset, squatted in the tavern and watched the three of them argue.

The Yamauchi clan, formerly the chief retainer of the Iwakura family, has now completely fallen into decline. Oda Nobuyasu has fled, and Oda Nobukata has been defeated and killed. Yamauchi Kazutoyo's father and elder brother have both been killed by Nobunaga's forces.

Sometimes it's quite strange to think about it. How did Yamauchi Kazutoyo manage to lower his head and find a place in Oda Nobunaga's household to serve, given such deep-seated hatred?

It's understandable that he voted for anyone, but it's incomprehensible that he voted for Oda Nobunaga.

The two samurai, one old and one young, probably couldn't quite understand Yamauchi Kazutoyo's thoughts, but Kazutoyo's father and brothers had already died in battle, and the only way to revive the Yamauchi family name was to rely on the young Yamauchi Kazutoyo. Even if they were unwilling, the two had to follow Yamauchi Kazutoyo.

After arguing for a while, the three of them roughly reached a conclusion. They decided to wait at the tavern to see if Nobunaga would recruit ronin. If he did, they would join his army.

For no other reason than to restore the old territory.

That is, Kuroda Castle, the main castle of the Yamauchi clan. It was a branch castle of Iwakura Castle, not a famous city or town. It was more like a village.

17. Inouemon secretly harbors other ambitions.

Logically, Shichibei should be upstairs with a bottle of sake by now, chatting with the three of them. After all, the tavern is currently filled with ronin waiting to be recruited by Nobunaga, so it's not unusual for them to be asking each other questions.

They all came for Nobunaga's rewards and territory; everyone knew exactly what was going on.

But you lack knowledge and action, while I do.

Shichibei has both a master and a son, making him a perfect "tall, rich, and handsome" guy. If someone asks him a question, they might think you're making fun of them.

If Yamauchi Kazutoyo is indeed hired by Oda Nobunaga to attack Inuyama Castle, then there will definitely be another meeting. After all, by then it will be a large army of three to five thousand men. If Oda Nobukiyoshi holds the castle at the gates, Nobunaga will definitely order the conscription of horsemen on the Owari Road to begin the siege.

We'll meet again then. You can fill your gaps, I'll deliver my military rations, and we'll all have a bright future.

Just as they were thinking this, perhaps their furtive glances were noticed by the Yamauchi family, for the three of them turned to look at Shichibei. As retainers of the Iwakura Oda clan, the Yamauchi family actually had many miscellaneous relatives in Owari. After all, a small province like Owari was smaller than a prefecture on the neighboring mainland.

Everyone has relatives in the same county or the next town; there's a whole bunch of close friends and family. If you include classmates and such, you can run into acquaintances anywhere on the street.

So Muto Yoshibei came up to Shichibei and asked if there was anything wrong.