Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

At that time, Shichibei advised Nobunaga to first gain the strength to be a troublemaker before considering these matters. Nobunaga himself then decided to pacify Mino first, and then the northern region, which delayed Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

By leveraging Yoshiaki's connections, he bought himself the title of "Unparalleled General of All Time" and sponsored Prince Seihito's coming-of-age ceremony and the investiture of the Crown Prince. The two sides reconnected and gradually entered a honeymoon period.

After several months of honeymoon, it's about time to confess your feelings and get married, isn't it?

Sending someone to Ichijō Valley now is a way of confessing your feelings. Come with me to Luoyang, and I'll make you a general, do you want?

Who will go? Shimada Hidemitsu and Niwa Nagahide will go. The two have received Nobunaga's orders to persuade Yoshiaki to break away from Asakura Yoshikage and head towards Gifu in Mino.

Not bad, they're quite proactive.

However, this matter won't fall on Shichibei's shoulders for the time being, as Shichibei doesn't have any actual military service. He'll just be sent out as a small pack animal during wartime, and even if Tomoyuki's rank eventually reaches 10,000 kan, it'll just be a matter of bringing a few more horses.

He wondered when the Takeda clan would sell their horses this year. With this thought in mind, Shichibei immediately sent someone with money to Kai to tell Yonekura Nobutsugu, or directly to Yamagata Masakage, to ask them to send as many horses as possible.

If Nobunaga were to lead 60,000 men in an armed march to Kyoto, the necessary logistical support would require several thousand men. At a normal walking pace, the journey from Gifu to Kyoto would take three or four days. A large-scale military operation would take between ten and twelve days. Including fighting in between, at least a month's worth of provisions would be needed for 60,000 men.

Ten thousand people would need at least 200 shi (a unit of dry measure) a day, so 60,000 people would need 1,200 shi. That would amount to 36,000 shi a month, requiring thousands of people and horses to pull, load, and transport by cart and boat, and even then, it would be a tight supply.

We might not have enough horses, so we need to prepare more. We also need to check the condition of the vehicles. Previously, when over 40,000 people set out for northern Ise, some vehicles broke down along the way. Learning from that experience, this time the journey is longer, so we need to be even more prepared.

This only considers the issue of food.

They say there aren't many tasks assigned, but there's still quite a bit to do. We can't stay at Gifu Castle any longer. First, we need to send the people sent to Kai away, and then Shichibei will head to Tsushima. After all, Tsushima is the headquarters of our Kawamura-ya; the registers, personnel, main storehouse, and arable land are all located in Tsushima-cho.

Tsushima is the center of trade for goods and half of Mino Province, as well as a distribution center for grain. Gifu is the largest consumer center, but the largest logistics and freight center is in Tsushima. Shichibei has to travel between the two places, and the main store cannot be moved to Gifu for the time being.

After all, Gifu couldn't be Nobunaga's castle for many more years; sooner or later, he would have to move to Omi. Judging from Nobunaga's plans, his decision to have his sworn brother, Ikeda Tsuneoki, guard the castle tower of Ishiyama Hongan-ji clearly indicated his intention to build a castle in Osaka and unify the western provinces and the Kinki region.

Anyway, Tsushima hasn't silted up yet, so we'll make do for now. If Nobunaga moves to Osaka someday, or if some other powerful figure moves to Osaka, then we'll move our main store there too.

Riding swiftly to Tsushima, Inase Yoshinari spoke with Shichibei about something else entirely. Nobunaga's main castle, wasn't it in Komakiyama? It was moved to Gifu at the end of last year.

Komakiyama Castle was completely demolished. In addition, Komakiyama is a large plain with a protruding hill several tens of meters high that suddenly appears like a pimple.

Although a river flows nearby and the land below the mountain, which was originally streets and houses, could be reclaimed into paddy fields, the entire Komakiyama area was not suitable. Driving water from the foot of the mountain to build terraced fields would be extremely time-consuming, labor-intensive, and require a huge investment.

So this piece of land has not been sold yet.

Yes, it was indeed a "sale." The seller was Oda Nobunaga, and due to the typical laziness of feudal bureaucrats, the land at the foot of Komaki Mountain had to be sold together. If it weren't bundled together, no one would want such a large area of ​​land as the hillside of Sakon.

It's been on the market for almost half a year, but no one has made a move. The land is already large, and they refuse to subdivide it. Even wealthy landowners in Owari and Mino are unwilling to sell for the time being. Horita Yuma, the original town leader of Tsushima-cho, came to Inase Yoshinari to ask if he was interested in buying the land for reaping.

Horses are grazed on the mountain and in areas near the mountain where water is inconvenient, while rice and alfalfa are grown at the foot of the mountain, using a crop rotation system. Anyway, Kawamura-ya isn't short of money, it would be a shame not to acquire such a valuable piece of land.

Especially since this matter is connected to another matter.

Since northern Ise has been captured, Inase Yoshinari reminded Shichibei of the plan he had made back then to move the old man's family and friends who grew safflower to Ise on the other side of the Kiso River.

The old man with the safflower is willing to teach people how to grow safflower, but he refuses to share his technique for making safflower cakes. If you want him to teach you, you have to allow his Christian family members to settle ashore.

Currently, dozens of acres of safflower have been planted on the sandbar, yielding a profit of several hundred kan (a unit of currency). Considering the matter of Komaki-kari's land quarrying, if the old man's family could be settled in Kita-Ise, all several hundred acres of land on the Kiso River estuary sandbar could be planted with safflower.

The insufficient pastures and harvested land were moved to Xiaomushan. Horses grazed on the mountain, and crops were grown at the foot of the mountain, achieving the best of both worlds. Now that spring is here, it's a good time to plant two seasons of alfalfa to fertilize the land. Next year, paddy fields can be dug at the foot of the mountain to grow rice, or the land can be divided into smaller plots and sold to others.

We can sow alfalfa on the mountain and let the horses roam freely, which will allow us to work on their breeding. Relying entirely on external purchases isn't impossible, but we should always have a backup plan.

hiss……

"You're something else, aren't you? You planned everything out before asking me?" Shichibei suddenly understood Nobunaga's style a little better. First, he'd push out the seemingly capable people, give them certain tasks, and those who couldn't handle them would be fired, while those who could would be rewarded with money, power, and even more.

Shichibei had some reservations when he sent Inase Yoshinari to purchase military rations in Anotsu, fearing that Inase Yoshinari might not handle it well. But in the end, Inase not only succeeded, he did it exceptionally well.

Those who are capable and competent should indeed be given more responsibilities, both to develop their potential and to promote our family's business.

"Do as you say. I will report to the lord on the placement of those townspeople. You go and discuss the matter of Komakiyama." Shichibei accepted Inase Yoshinari's plan without changing it at all.

Sending those dozen or so Christian townspeople to Kita-Ise is a simple matter; just write a document for Nobunaga. Send them to Kita-Ise to compete with Ise Taisha and the Ikko-shu Ganshoji Temple for religious power, and let them kill each other indiscriminately.

They couldn't even fight a decisive battle among themselves, so how could they care about a dozen Christian households? Even if the Nagashima Ikko-ikki were to be revolted in the future, their main objective would be to weaken Nobunaga's military power in northern Ise. They didn't even manage to capture Tsushima before Nobunaga pushed them back.

"Yes!" Inase Yoshinari replied happily.

Before proposing this rather large-scale plan, Inase Yoshinari was somewhat hesitant, but now that Shichibei had fully accepted it, he was extremely delighted. After all, this was his first major business venture planned independently.

"Work hard, and one day you'll be the head of the plantation." Shichibei patted his good brother-in-law, promising him a rosy picture.

The distribution of shares will be postponed; only then were the service allowances issued. Inase Yoshinari received a particularly large allowance because of his involvement in buying rice in Anotsu. The bonuses have already been received; other matters will be discussed after he has handled everything properly.

Seeing Shichibei filming Inase Yoshinari, Ai, who had been leaning against the doorframe, finally came in. She handed Shichibei a cup of now-cold hot tea.

Perhaps Ayi deserves some credit for this plan. The young couple is a perfect match, childhood sweethearts who share similar interests. Free love is indeed wonderful; at least you can find someone you like.

Unlike our wedding, where I've only met my fiancée once, and she even sneaked out to meet me. The image of that flat-chested little girl in Shichibei's memory is now somewhat blurry.

Unfortunately, given our social status, we can't freely choose our partners. Let's just leave it to Nobunaga's arrangements. Judging from how much he's taking on, I hope he prepares a lot of dowry items.

Sipping cold tea while watching the young couple's sweet moments, the tea tasted bitter.

He stopped drinking and immediately put on a stern face. He began to check the material data of the Tsushima main store with Inase Yoshinari and learn about the construction work of the Anotsu branch and the Tsushima-Anotsu road.

Checking the data is to have a clear understanding of the situation. The number of people working together with us is already in my mind; now it's about the number of fixed assets in the store.

Inase Yoshinari was originally a shop assistant at Itōya, which was a shipbuilding company. Calculation and allocation were Inase Yoshinari's forte; he had studied for nine years before becoming a master, so how could he not be proficient? Shichibei asked, and Inase Yoshinari answered, almost effortlessly.

As for the road conditions from Tsushima to Anotsu, Nobunaga conscripted laborers from Kita-Ise to carry out large-scale renovations of the Kita-Ise road. The project is still underway and will likely take another two or three months. The branch store in Anotsu, however, is progressing rapidly; after all, it's not a grand palace, just a typical machiya (traditional townhouse) shop.

The Anotsu branch will be completed next month, and hopefully the Takeda clan's cavalry can be delivered then. This will allow them to fill positions at both the Anotsu and Gifu branches. The personnel training is being conducted in Gifu and Tsushima, and should be completed in a month.

Anyway, the old and the new are mentored. The core positions are filled by the store's veterans, while the newly recruited employees start with odd jobs and assisting. After one or two years, they will be able to play a more important role.

Everything went smoothly. It can be said that only by relying on Oda Nobunaga's powerful backing could such rapid and smooth business expansion be achieved at this stage.

The next stage will depend on Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the west and Tokugawa Ieyasu in the east. These two have very different styles and may not be able to win them over.

It's better to grow bigger now, so that it will be easier for them to come to us in the future.

"Our lord may be marching to Kyoto, so please order more vehicles." Since Inase Yoshinari is capable, Shichibei doesn't need to order the vehicles himself.

"Go to Luoyang!" Inase Yoshinari was slightly surprised.

It wasn't that Shichibei was loose-lipped; it was because Inase Yoshinari's older brother was Nobunaga's head servant, so even if Shichibei didn't say anything, he would know. The real solution was to tell him the reason directly, so he could prepare properly and not slack off.

"Things are still undecided, there's no need to make a fuss about it everywhere." Shichibei nodded.

If it were simply a march to Kyoto, then all that would be needed is for the troops to arrive in Kyoto. But this is a military campaign to Kyoto, which means they must fight their way in. Such a momentous event naturally surprised Inase Yoshinari; how many times in a lifetime could a Japanese soldier have the experience of marching to Kyoto?

This is a major life event, something you can brag about when you're old. Inase Yoshinari was even more enthusiastic than Shichibei about participating and becoming a member of the army marching to Kyoto.

116. A special horse ranch was set up for the elderly.

It's so great to have people on your team.

No wonder Nobunaga trusted his subordinates so much. Delegating tasks to them while he coordinated everything was truly enjoyable. He could enjoy watching sumo wrestling during the day, dancing the Atsumori dance at night, and occasionally even have sex.

Ah, you jest. Nobunaga was quite busy when he was busy, but he was good at recognizing and utilizing talent. We're also making good use of talent by assigning Inase Yoshinari to this task. Why not cultivate capable people instead of letting them languish in their stalls?

Besides, I also drank a cup of cold tea that smelled strongly of love.

By keeping Inase Yoshinari on his heels, Shichibei finally had time to inspect the Komakiyama quarry. Actually, Shichibei was quite familiar with Komakiyama, having lived there for several years. The mountain itself wasn't very large, only about 600 meters east to west and 400 meters north to south, totaling just over 21 hectares.

Including the original towns and villages at the foot of the mountain, the current vacant land only covers a little over 70 hectares. The advantage is that it's next to the Aise River, providing ample water. Until 2024, there will still be large tracts of farmland at the foot of Komaki Mountain, all of which are high-yield rice paddies, which is quite good.

There used to be a Kannon-ji temple on the mountain, but Nobunaga moved there and forced it to move to the castle. Now it has moved to Gifu Castle, competing for worship with a large group of temples. I wonder if it enshrines a Kannon who grants children. If it is, it might be able to get some incense offerings.

By the way, Shichibei wasn't a core samurai of the Nobunaga clan back then, so when Oda moved his main castle from Kiyosu to Komakiyama, he wasn't notified. However, the senior retainers of the Oda clan who were notified all opposed the decision to move the main castle. After all, Kiyosu was the old castle of the Owari clan, which had been guarded for over eighty years. It was both prosperous and peaceful, and everyone had homes and businesses in Kiyosu, so they were reluctant to leave.

So Nobunaga lied and said he was going to move further north to Ninomiyayama (now Honmiyayama in Rakuda area of ​​Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture) to build Ninomiyayama Castle. His retainers were in an uproar. Nobunaga had just defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and was at the height of his fame, evolving from "the fool of Owari" to "the hero of Owari".

Under Nobunaga's forceful orders, the retainers were compelled to set off. Reaching Komaki village, they were met with continuous rain, causing them great suffering. Nobunaga then suggested building a castle in Komaki, not far from Kiyosu. The retainers were overjoyed and readily agreed, saying Komaki was a good place.

This version of the story is very similar to the reforms of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, when the capital was moved from Pingcheng to Luoyang.

As to the true nature of the situation at the time, Shichibei was young and not part of the inner circle. The other retainers also did not mention it, making it difficult to discern the truth or what methods Nobunaga had used.

If it weren't for the decision to move from Kiyosu to Komakiyama last time, this move from Komakiyama to Gifu might not have been so easy; it all depended on Nobunaga's word.

The continuous relocation of daimyo to their respective castles to prevent their retainers from developing a deeply entrenched political power was clearly part of Nobunaga's strategy for establishing a new rule. He must have had a well-thought-out plan for how to manage the relationship between daimyo and their retainers, and he continuously adjusted it to keep pace with the times.

buy it.

Since the landowner was Nobunaga, he certainly wouldn't have time to come and sign any contracts with Shichibei. He would simply hand over the contract to Murai Sadakatsu, who was in charge of general affairs, to sign. After Shichibei signed it, Nobunaga would add his signature when he had time, and that would be considered a deal.

He didn't even hand the money over to Murai Sadakatsu; following Nobunaga's instructions, he deposited it directly in Shichibei's cabinet. The Battle of Kyoto might be imminent, so he needed to prepare to purchase saltpeter, lead ingots, and arquebuses. He also might need to temporarily recruit a large wave of men and miscellaneous soldiers, so he needed to prepare inexpensive weapons like guzaku (armored trinkets).

If the battle becomes a protracted war, the grunts are of little use. But if the battle is going well, the grunts can be quite effective at boosting morale by cheering from the rear.

When Imagawa Yoshimoto raised an army to attack Owari, he hired a large number of miscellaneous soldiers. This led to the army immediately scattering after Yoshimoto's death, with some units even turning against the Imagawa army and seizing weapons, rations, and money.

Mercenaries, who can't even provide their own weapons, how much combat strength or unwavering loyalty can you expect from them?

That's enough.

Upon hearing that the money didn't need to be delivered to Gifu, Shichibei immediately instructed his men to bring back a few fine writing brushes since they were going to Sakai to buy arquebuses anyway. Giving Murai Sadakatsu money directly would be too vulgar; sending two Chinese-imported Tang dynasty writing brushes would be presentable without attracting attention. Moreover, it wouldn't be considered a bribe; it would simply be a matter of courtesy between colleagues.

When it comes to settling accounts at the end of the year, we'll have to coordinate with Murai Sadakatsu. Nobunaga can't possibly reconcile accounts with Shichibei item by item; does he expect him to be watching how many lead ingots Shichibei sends into the city? Impossible. Getting the accounts settled quickly will also simplify the financial procedures at our Kawamura-ya household.

The more than 70 hectares of land now belong to Shichibei, which is about 0.7 square kilometers, roughly one two-thousandth of the entire Owari region.

At least it's enough for horse racing. Japanese horses are hardy and can withstand roughage, and we're not breeding them for war. There's no need to provide each warhorse with three hectares of space and natural pastures. For packhorses, a small running track of one or two hundred square meters is sufficient. All things considered, raising several hundred horses is a breeze.

They can even free up some land to grow alfalfa. Just in time, the sandbars on Tsushima are going to be converted to safflower, so they can take over here and ensure that Kawamura-ya's horse feed and hay needs are met.

"In that case, Komaki will have to form another group," Shichibei muttered to himself.

Previously, manpower was simply allocated on a per-country, per-group, per-store basis, with an additional daily reserve group. Now, with the expansion of the horse farm, a dedicated team is needed to oversee horse breeding.

As one of Kawamura-ya's core businesses, this matter was elevated to the same status as the branch stores. Shichibei secretly made a mental note of this, and upon returning to Tsushima, he sought out his hometown, Nanbu Sanenaga.

The old man is an expert at raising horses. Back when Shichibei was still collecting horse manure, the old man was already leading his horses across the riverbanks. Now that the small horse ranch is being built, we need to entrust it to a trustworthy and experienced person. We don't have anyone more suitable than Nanbu Sanenaga in our store.

"Team leader?" Nanbu Sanenaga's teeth weren't very good; they were crooked, and his speech sounded lisp.

Because the term "team leader" has been mostly used in Japanese yakuza groups in later generations, translations in Taiwan and mainland China have rendered it as "boss." This has made what is clearly a fairly respectable term seem to carry a slightly derogatory connotation.

Nowadays, being a squad leader has no negative connotation whatsoever; it simply means leading a group of people. There's also a squad leader (組頭), where the foot soldier squad leader (足気組頭) is a higher rank than a foot soldier squad leader (足気組頭).

"How about it? I'll give you an extra thirty kan every year." Shichibei could tell from the old man's half-deaf appearance that he was shrewd.

"Young Master Duo?" Nanbu Shichang bared his gaping teeth, but still couldn't hear clearly.

"Forty kan, forty kan, alright." Shichibei forced a smile. This is talent, this is talent, worth the price.

"Oh, alright. I'm afraid my old bones can only feed horses now." Hey, Shichibei offered forty kan, and the old man's hearing wasn't deaf anymore, and his voice wasn't hoarse either. He got up and started walking back.

What for? Packing my luggage, of course. I took Shichibei's money, so I have to work for him. And to be fair, the old man at least has some business ethics. He gets what he pays for, and he'll definitely do it right up to the price.