Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"Um, no..." Shichibei scratched his head. The little girl hadn't even had her period yet, so what kind of marriage was she getting?

Even if it's to fit the historical context, you still need to have that [certain thing] before you can get married. Besides, why is Oda Nobunaga in such a hurry about this?

"Ano sent someone to inquire, and it's already arranged for the new year." Nobunaga saw Shichibei's expression and knew that Shichibei was hesitating about something.

"Oh..." You actually knew before me?

"You're twenty-four years old this year, yet you don't even have a wife." Nobunaga seemed even more anxious than Shichibei.

114. General Minamoto no Yoshie issued a decree.

Sumo wrestling was a popular form of entertainment among the samurai at the time, and everyone watched with great interest. Because the performances were so popular, Oda Nobunaga invited the sumo wrestlers to stay at Gifu Castle for two or three more days to perform two more shows. Foot soldiers and even ordinary townspeople were allowed to watch.

In Shadow Warrior, there's a scene where Nobumasa, in order to convince the lower- and middle-ranking samurai of the Takeda clan that Shingen was still alive, takes the shadow warriors to a nighttime Noh performance. While the high-ranking samurai and generals are the only ones inside the curtain, the trees and slopes outside are filled with Takeda soldiers and Oda clan spies.

Ordinary people also want some entertainment, even if it's Noh drama that they don't understand. Just seeing something new makes them very happy.

Outside, it was as lively as a New Year's celebration, and inside the city, it was also quite bustling, because Nobunaga's concubine had given birth to a daughter. Shichibei's impression of this girl was very vague; he didn't know which princess she was. Judging from her age, she could be either Maeda Toshinaga's wife or Nakagawa Hidemasa's wife.

It was because of this incident that Nobunaga suddenly remembered why the marriage between Shichibei and Oda Nobui's adopted daughter had not yet taken place. Lady Nohime then told him that the girl was still too young to marry.

Nobunaga was a little flustered at the time. For an ordinary samurai, it was normal to get married in their late twenties or even their thirties. But Shichibei was now a merchant with a fortune of 2,500 kan, quite a large business, and it was said that he also had the Kawamura Five Hundred Fellowship.

This group of retainers cannot disintegrate because there is no heir; they must be kept in hand so that they can continue to work for the Oda clan.

So he sent Lady Nohime to inquire at Oda Nobui's house again. Perhaps it was because he inquired that this happened. The girl had started her period, which was considered "adulthood" at that time.

That's why Nobunaga specifically asked Shichibei why he hadn't yet married Nobuhisa's daughter, with whom he was already engaged.

I'm so busy every day, and you've been spinning me around like a top. I just got a break, how could I have time to think about this? Shichibei muttered to himself, but he could only say that the other person was still young and had forgotten for a moment.

"You, how could you forget something like this?" Nobunaga was also enjoying a rare moment of leisure, and had time to joke around with Shichibei.

"The world is not yet at peace, so I have no time for personal feelings!"

Shichibei suddenly remembered a very pretentious line and immediately blurted it out, leaving Nobunaga speechless. The line was so sophisticated that Nobunaga didn't know how to respond. After glancing at Shichibei who had just spoken, and realizing that Shichibei had just blurted it out, Nobunaga pulled out his folding fan and tapped Shichibei on the forehead.

"A loach in the rice paddy."

"Hahahaha..." Before Shichibei could answer, Lady Nohime, who was holding a child behind Nobunaga, burst out laughing.

As Nobunaga's principal wife, the daughters born to his concubines of lesser rank were naturally brought to Nobunaga by Lady Nohime. Nobunaga was a man of great energy, and many of his concubines, even his maids, were just there to pass the time, with no special affection or favor towards them.

Moreover, as a daimyo, and a daimyo in the expansion and growth phase, it's essential for him to have many descendants. Having a large retinue is certainly a double-edged sword, but in these times, no one can be trusted. Compared to that, sons and brothers are more reliable. Only with a large enough retinue can one rule over more territory.

There's not much to say about that; Nobunaga needs to work hard. He shouldn't end up like Toyotomi Hideyoshi, with a large number of wives but only one child. If he had twenty or thirty sons, and half of them grew up to inherit or establish ten great daimyo families, who could rebel against him?

If there's going to be a rebellion, it should be among the brothers themselves. In the end, the spoils will rot at the Hashiba family's place, which is better than giving them away to someone else.

Nobunaga glanced back at his wife, indicating that Lady Nohime was discussing important matters of succession with her retainers, and that she should stop laughing. Lady Nohime had no choice but to hand the child to a maid, lower her head slightly, and cover her face with her hand.

"Do you think Nobuhime's daughter's status is insufficient?" Nobunaga stopped Nohime's laughter and asked Shichibei in a very formal tone.

This kind of thing can be discussed openly. Japan has always been a country that values ​​hierarchy and social status, and marriage between people of similar social standing is important. It might be a little better in the 21st century, but nowadays, the rules and regulations are very strict.

A man's social status should be reflected in the status of his wife. Nobunaga, as the eldest son of a daimyo in the four lower districts of Owari, married Lady Nohime. Tokugawa Ieyasu, from the neighboring region, as the heir of the Ansho Matsudaira clan of Nishi-Mikawa, married Lady Tsukiyama.

Both men were heirs to nearly half a province at the time, so they both married daughters or adopted daughters of powerful lords. Hideyoshi, who was then just a foot soldier, married the daughter of the Asano family, the foot soldier head of the Oda clan.

If Hideyoshi were to marry now, he would have to send Nene to the homes of Hayashi Hidesada or Sakuma Nobumori to "gild" her status as the daughter of an Oda clan elder, in order to be befit Hideyoshi's principal wife.

Initially, Shichibei's family fortune of sixty kan (a unit of currency) made his marriage to the daughter of a retainer of Ōhashi Shigenaga, the lord of Ōhashi Castle, perfectly in line with their social standing. One was a retainer of a vassal, while the other was a retainer of Oda no Naotomi Oda with little wealth. Logically, Shichibei's family was of slightly higher social standing, but the Ōhashi clan was the Oda clan's representative in Tsushima. This connection leveled the playing field, making them evenly matched.

By the time Shichibei had risen to power and amassed over 300 kan, he had already annexed Atsuta Kato Denmaya, making their social standing somewhat mismatched. Nobunaga then instructed Oda Nobui to adopt a girl and maintain his engagement with Shichibei.

Oda Nobui was an heir of the Oda clan, and his daughter's marriage to Shichibei was a suitable match. After all, Oda Nobui was not only an heir of the Oda clan but also a servant of the 400-kan (a unit of currency).

The situation is different now. The Ōhashi family's business was inherited by Ōhashi Nagamasa, Oda Nobuhisa's older brother, and has nothing to do with him. His income has only increased to 800 kan so far. The daughter of a samurai family with 800 kan and the samurai with 2,500 kan have already created a de facto class gap.

In the Edo period, a daimyo with 10,000 koku of rice marrying the daughter of a daimyo with 3,200 koku of rice was considered a good match. However, this is not the Edo period. If we were to make a comparison, he would have to marry the daughter of a red-robed or black-robed family to be worthy of Shichibei's current status.

In today's marriages, romantic love is the least important factor to consider; social status and family background are the most important considerations.

"No, no, no, I am just a small merchant. I only need the lord's appreciation and do not need to rely on external forces." Shichibei really did not think that his wife was so noble, and besides, we could not control someone so noble.

Originally, the core of Kawamuraya was the commercial monopoly, and only Nobunaga could grant this right. No one else could do anything. Even if they married the daughters of Sakuma Nobumori or Niwa Nagahide, they could only indirectly influence Nobunaga, but could not determine who would own the commercial monopoly.

Then Shichibei wouldn't need to climb any social ladder for this, unless that social ladder was Nobunaga's daughter or adopted daughter.

However, Shichibei doesn't currently have the status to marry Nobunaga's daughter, or even an adopted daughter. Unless one day Shichibei enjoys a stipend of tens of thousands of kan and becomes the kinsei of Noo no Seiji, then his dream of becoming a prince consort might be somewhat possible.

No matter how much Saito Tatsuoki had a grudge against Nobunaga, it did not prevent him from becoming the lord of Kiyosu Castle with a salary of 15,000 kan. Nobunaga's condition for his surrender was that he marry his adopted daughter to Nobunaga, become a relative of the Oda clan, and become a member of the Oda family.

"How about this, I'll have my elder brother adopt her, what do you think?" Nobunaga tapped his folding fan and quickly made a decision.

Nobunaga only had one elder brother, Oda Nobuhiro, the chief retainer and general of the Oda clan. For a daughter of such a family to marry Shichibei, whose family had a fortune of 2,500 kan, was indeed more than enough.

Oda Nobuhiro was merely Nobunaga's nephew, while Oda Nobuhiro was not only Nobunaga's elder brother but also a key figure in the family and held a high salary.

"I dare not presume to be worthy of the title of Sanrou or Goro." Shichibei hadn't expected such a high praise.

"What's so presumptuous about this? It's only right and proper. I'll make the decision." Seeing that Shichibei wasn't determined to refuse, Nobunaga immediately took charge.

Since Shichibei's father was already dead and he didn't have any high-ranking relatives, Nobunaga, as his lord, had every right and legal right to take charge of this matter.

"Echizen has reported!"

Just as Nobunaga was feeling pleased with himself, thinking he had done another great deed, he suddenly looked up. He could clearly hear the sound of small, quick steps approaching from the porch, even in his relaxed state.

Kosaka Masanobu once remarked that Nobunaga was the kind of person who might forget to bring toilet paper when taking a dump, but would never forget to bring a sword. It seems his assessment was quite accurate; Nobunaga was able to keep a sharp eye on everything, even while arranging Shichibei's marriage.

"Your subject takes his leave." Since it was an urgent report from Echizen, what is Shichibei still doing here?

"No need, just listen." Nobunaga gestured for Lady Nohime to leave with her maids and children, but he didn't let Shichibei leave.

Upon hearing the name "Echizen," Shichibei already knew what it was about. Ashikaga Yoshiaki had come to ask Nobunaga again when he would take him to Kyoto. He had asked this several times already, with a long string of various retainers, including Wada Koremasa, Isshiki Fujinaga, Hosokawa Fujitaka, and Akechi Mitsuhide, coming to inquire.

Nobunaga was too busy before, but now that he's won a victory in northern Ise, the news has probably reached Kyoto and Ichijodani in Echizen. So Ashikaga Yoshiaki came to ask again, what else could it be?

"Greetings, Lord Gifu!" Shichibei didn't recognize the group as soon as they entered.

He introduced himself as Soga Suke, a retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He had been traveling back and forth between Echizen Ichijodani and Kyoto, gathering news from Kyoto for Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He was a veteran retainer, having served both Ashikaga Yoshiharu and Ashikaga Yoshiteru. As for what news he brought? Shichibei was completely wrong.

Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihide hereby issues the decree!

Indeed, Ashikaga Yoshihide, the Awa Kubo supported by the Miyoshi Triumvirate, has been officially appointed as the 14th Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate by the Kyoto Imperial Court.

Upon hearing this news, Nobunaga was startled and nearly sat up, but quickly suppressed his emotions. He asked Soga to ride away and rest, and ordered his attendants to immediately summon the senior retainers and retainers to the castle.

Who could have imagined that before Oda Nobunaga had even secured Ashikaga Yoshiaki's hand in office, Ashikaga Yoshihide had already become the shogun. To put it bluntly, if Nobunaga were to proceed with the task of securing a new shogun, he would be risking becoming a traitor and a disloyal retainer.

After all, at this point, Nobunaga certainly couldn't be certain that he would successfully march on Kyoto. The Miyoshi clan was the dominant power in more than ten provinces within the Kinai region, and Miyoshi Nagayoshi was virtually invincible, commanding respect wherever he went.

If Yoshiaki Ashikaga fails, Owari might fare relatively well, but major unrest could erupt in northern Ise and Mino. All the powerful clans and local lords would then have a legitimate reason to attack Oda Nobunaga, and even other daimyo could launch a legitimate offensive against him.

He's a traitor.

No wonder Soga no Suke rushed over to inform Nobunaga in such a hurry. Ashikaga Yoshiaki must have been completely devastated upon hearing the news, feeling as if half the sky had collapsed, which is why he quickly sent someone to Gifu.

Before long, the senior retainers arrived at the residence one after another. This was the advantage of the retainers living together; if something happened, they would arrive as soon as they were called. The residences of the senior retainers were all built around the residence, almost facing each other.

Before they arrived, everyone asked what it was about. But when Shichibei, sitting at the end of the room, relayed the message from Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihide, the expressions of the Oda retainers changed drastically.

They're already a full-fledged general, can we still fight them?

The samurai below were unaware of Nobunaga's plans, but the senior retainers were. Having established himself in Noo, he was now poised to stir up trouble in the Kinai region, a move previously challenged by Hosokawa Masamoto and later by Ōuchi Yoshioki; Nobunaga wanted to try it himself.

But before even trying, they're already being branded as traitors—that's not a pleasant feeling. Perhaps the Miyoshi Triumvirate are waiting for Asakura Yoshikage or Oda Nobunaga to suffer a lifetime of setbacks at the Rokkaku family's residence in Hunan, only to appear battered and bruised at Setabashi, where they can easily defeat them with their superior strength and resources.

Who could have imagined that Rokkaku, which had once stood against the general's family without falling, would collapse so easily? And who could have imagined that Miyoshi, who had dominated more than ten provinces in the capital region, would be so easily defeated?

"We are willing to follow our lord even unto death." While everyone else was still considering, Shibata Katsuie was the first to jump out, expressing his loyalty without offering any opinions.

Let's do it, Kaka!

I'll do whatever you do, whether I can or can't. It's just about marching into Kyoto and taking that damn throne.

"Yes!" Nobunaga was clearly pleased with the show of loyalty and nodded heavily to Shibata Katsuie.

If you follow Nobunaga to support Yoshiaki, becoming Nobunaga will make you a hero who restores the dynasty, and everyone will be a military retainer who assists in welcoming the emperor. If you lose? If you lose, just go home and prepare for a ten-year hard-fought battle.

Chisong killed the general, and he's still alive. Liujiao rebelled against the general, and he's still alive too. At worst, they can go into the mountains and fight as guerrillas; there's always a chance for them to rise again.

“If you don’t go to Luoyang, sit in the center, and call yourself the general of the world, what kind of general are you?” Shichibei said.

If Ashikaga Yoshihide were to enter the capital, sit in the main hall, issue an edict, command the entire nation, and grant official positions to figures such as Mori Motonari, Takeda Shingen, and Uesugi Kenshin, and if these individuals accepted these positions, then he would truly be a shogun.

This doesn't count if it's not from Kyoto!

115. Purchased Komakiyama in one fell swoop

Well said!

Nobunaga immediately clapped his hands, "What kind of general is a general who doesn't go to Kyoto? A general who doesn't issue orders from Kyoto is nothing but a chicken. If he sits in the imperial palace in Kyoto, I'd still show him some respect. If he sits in Awa or Sakai, what does that make him?"

Believe it or not, I believe it.

The key is to have an excuse, and an excuse that seems plausible at that. Giving everyone an excuse to demystify the Muromachi Shogun, coupled with Nobunaga's prestige within the Oda clan at that time, allows everyone to comfort themselves.

That's not the general, that's not the general, that's not the general.

That's a pheasant, that's a pheasant, that's a pheasant.

"Immediately prepare the army and send a letter to Ichijōdani." Nobunaga snapped his fan shut, stood up abruptly, and looked around at his senior retainers.

"Hehe..." The high-ranking officials bowed and saluted, indicating their obedience.

Upon receiving the order, Kinoshita Hideyoshi, who was stationed at Sunomata, was summoned back first. As someone with some connections in Kyoto, Nobunaga ordered him to immediately go to the capital to inquire with the Imperial Court about the details of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki's decree. He also requested that the court nobles report to the Imperial Court, and that Oda Nobunaga himself would escort Ashikaga Yoshiaki to Kyoto, where the Imperial Court would then make a fair and just judgment.

In addition, someone was sent to inform Tokugawa Ieyasu and Azai Nagamasa that if Nobunaga raised an army to march on Kyoto, both of them should send troops to assist him. Moreover, they should have more than 5,000 men, lest they be unable to defeat Rokkaku and Miyoshi.

Actually, this isn't a good time, because Tokugawa Ieyasu has already made an appointment with Takeda Shingen to attack his former master, Imagawa Ujizane. The small number of people they sent last time was manageable, but this time they'll need at least five thousand. It's uncertain whether Tokugawa Ieyasu can spare the manpower.

After all, he only had an incomplete Mikawa province at the moment, and could only muster a maximum of 10,000 men, but in reality, he could only muster 8,000 or 9,000. Historically, he followed Nobunaga to Kyoto in September or October of the eleventh year of Eiroku, and did not return to his main base in Mikawa until November or December.

In January of the twelfth year of the Yonglu era, soccer prodigy Imagawa Ujizane and Asahina Yasutomo occupied Kakegawa Castle. Here we won't criticize Tosho no Okami, but he used an army that had just returned from an expedition to besiege Kakegawa Castle. After half a year of fighting, he finally won by persuading the castle to surrender when the food supplies ran out.

It wasn't that the deity was ineffective; it was simply that the old soldiers were too tired to fight.

But that's all hindsight. At the moment, Nobunaga didn't care about or know any of that; he just wanted to bring in allies. Even the newly conquered northern Ise had to go into battle alongside him, led by Takigawa Kazumasu and others.

Without bringing along a true force of 60,000 men, Nobunaga himself probably wouldn't have had enough confidence.

Finally, there's one more thing: send someone to Ichijo-dani and Ashikaga Yoshiaki to express our stance. Nobunaga had previously intended to support Yoshiaki's march to Kyoto, and Yoshiaki had even written to Ryūō and Nobunaga urging them to stop fighting and join forces to send him to the capital.