Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

As the owner of Kawamura-ya, Nanbu Sanenaga worked hard for the store, and Shichibei's act of giving him a bonus was already a great favor.

"Bring a few more men, Kai's horses will be arriving soon." Shichibei seemed to be giving way verbally, but in reality, he didn't budge an inch, having already played along with the old man's performance.

"If there are too few, we can't keep an eye on them..." It was clear the old man was faking it; in just a short while, he changed his tune, and Shichibei only heard half of his reply.

A few days later, Nanbu Sanenaga and his men set up camp in Komaki, hiring people to build stables, warehouses, and fences. As if to coordinate with him, the Kawamura family's cavalry and the Takeda family's cavalry arrived at Tsushima at the same time.

This time, Shingen had no message for Nobunaga, so it wasn't a famous samurai leading the troops; even Yonekura Nobutsugu wasn't there. However, he did bring a considerable number of horses—nearly a thousand of various kinds. And the number of warhorses remained in the double digits, reaching twelve.

Looking closely, it seemed that the people who came to deliver the horse were students who had attended Shichibei's class. There were dozens of students who attended the class, and Shichibei couldn't remember them all; they were just familiar faces.

The inventory and handover, and the settlement of horse prices, were all established procedures that had been followed for years. Shichibei also asked them when they would be setting off for Suruga.

After Iitomi Toramasa committed suicide and Takeda Yoshinobu died in captivity, news of the Takeda clan's impending invasion of Suruga spread among the upper echelons. This was made public after Imagawa Yoshimoto's daughter, Ryoushoin, was returned to Sunpu, and Imagawa Ujizane implemented the "salt cut-off" policy in Kai.

Not only Suruga's salt, but even the Hojo clan of Sagami and Izu prohibited merchants from importing salt into Kai. Without salt, even the children of Kai knew that Shingen was at odds with the Imagawa and Hojo clans.

Perhaps by now, Takeda Shingen is already holding his nose and buying salt from Uesugi Kenshin at several times the original price.

The visitor stated that he held a lowly position and was unaware of the exact date of the battle. However, their Lord Xinxuan had already mobilized horses, provisions, and troops, making such a large-scale military operation impossible to conceal.

That means it'll be soon.

Historically, Tokugawa Ieyasu had already dispatched Sakai Tadatsugu to Tsutsuzaki-no-kan to formally sign an alliance with the Takeda clan. The two sides ceded Suruga and Tōtōmi provinces to the Imagawa clan, with the Ōi River as the border.

After chatting for a while, the visitor seemed to remember something and pulled a roll of paper out of his package. He said it was paper improved based on Shichibei's previous suggestion, and the quality of the paper was now very even. Apart from not being as white, it wrote smoothly and was not fragile.

Shichibei took the scroll of paper, smacked his lips—a bit rude of him. But a nagging thought crossed his mind: would Shingen pull off some kind of comeback just because he'd earned a few thousand more kan each year?

117. Kai wants to buy iron cannons

Unfortunately, the people who came were of such low rank that they knew absolutely nothing about how Shingen had managed the Suruga samurai. Shichibei had nowhere to ask, and could only stare helplessly.

Given Takeda Shingen's abilities, most of the powerful figures in Suruga Province would probably have already switched sides and switched sides. If Shichibei were in Suruga, he would definitely have chosen Takeda as well. After all, while Imagawa Ujizane wasn't exactly useless, he seemed insignificant compared to someone like Takeda Shingen.

Unless Hojo Ujiyasu, his father-in-law, devotes all his efforts to rescuing Imagawa Ujizane, there might still be a chance for Imagawa Ujizane to stabilize his family business. After all, the Hojo clan is a powerful daimyo with a million koku of rice, and if they were to mobilize, it wouldn't be difficult for them to raise 30,000 to 50,000 men.

However, there were far too many scalpers in the Kanto region. Hojo Ujiyasu spent his entire life trying to eradicate them, and could only watch them roam around right under his nose.

To guard against these disgusting nuisances, the Hojo clan's forces were scattered and unable to be mustered. If they could gather 30,000 men and set up camp outside the road to Mount Fuji, Imagawa Ujizane could have survived for at least two more years.

Furthermore, Hojo Ujiyasu is currently facing a very dire situation. It's uncertain whether Uesugi Kenshin will once again campaign in the Kanto region after spring. To the west, Takeda Shingen has already turned against them, abandoning the alliance with Imagawa and Hojo. And to the east, the Satomi clan is truly an unkillable cockroach, growing stronger with each battle.

Fortunately, the sea is to the south.

If nothing unexpected happens, Hojo Ujiyasu has already dispatched Ishinomaki Yasutaka to send a signal of peace to Uesugi Kenshin through his former retainers as Kanto Kanrei and Kanto Kubo in Higashi-Ueno, Kita-Musashi, and Nishi-Shimotsuke.

Historically, it was through the coordination of figures like Yoshinobu Shigeru and Hojo Takahiro that the agreement was reached at the end of this year. Next year, Hojo Ujihide will become Uesugi Kagetora and become Kenshin's eldest son.

Poor things, even Captain Tsubasa didn't have many good days left.

Alright, let's just call it gold then. The only pity is that Captain Tsubasa is a very talented "cultured person," but because of his deep-seated hatred for Nobunaga, he can't come to Owari for the time being.

Like the cultured scholar Asakura Yoshikage of Ichijodani, he was a renowned calligrapher of the Sonchin-ryu school (founded by Prince Sonchin-ryu, son of Emperor Go-Kashiwabara). While kemari (Japanese football) was his least impressive skill, he excelled in other arts such as waka (Japanese poetry), renga (linked verse), archery, swordsmanship, and painting.

Historically, even before Hosokawa Fujitaka, he received instruction in waka poetry from court nobles such as Reizei and Sanjo Nishi. However, when he was in his sixties, he wrote waka with Tokugawa Ieyasu, who remarked that Ujizane's waka poems used too many allusions and lacked spontaneity and naturalness. Although his waka poems did not conform to the principles of poetry, they still conveyed genuine meaning.

What can people say? They just say, "Ah, yes, yes, yes!" and "Ah, right, right, right!" You are the Great Lord, you are the best.

Indeed, after entering the pass, great Confucian scholars naturally came to debate the classics for me. All the teachings passed down from ancient times to the present are utter nonsense; they are not as good as my true nature.

If Imagawa were to actually visit Owari or Gifu, he would be proficient in virtually every artistic pursuit imaginable these days. Learning from him would be incredibly efficient. He would likely be far superior to the monk Sawahiko Sōon.

such a pity……

After weighing the gold, the Takeda samurai took the opportunity to ask Shichibei if it was possible to purchase arquebuses. Takeda Shingen himself attached great importance to arquebuses and had various deployment records.

By the way, Takeda Shingen should have equipped himself with firearms earlier than Oda Nobunaga.

This firearm does not refer to the matchlock gun introduced from Portugal, but to the bronze single-barreled matchlock gun, also known as a monocular gun, which was introduced from Korea.

Nobunaga hadn't even seen what a musket looked like, while Shingen had already equipped himself with hundreds of matchlock muskets, which were going off everywhere. However, compared to matchlock guns, matchlock muskets were definitely outdated weapons, and they quickly became obsolete after the introduction of muskets.

Shingen's inquiry about Shichibei's purchase of firearms stems from his genuine desire for them, not from a last-minute desperate attempt to salvage the situation.

But you've asked the wrong person, my friend. Shichibei is Nobunaga's trusted merchant. He can handle things like silk, salted fish, and even rice. But asking for a musket is out of the question. Shichibei has to sell any musket he can get his hands on to Nobunaga at a price.

Who would dare to openly sell a musket to another company? Unless they didn't want to stay in Owari anymore.

The man wouldn't give up, offering double the price? Ideally, he'd include saltpeter. If he had saltpeter, the price could be increased further.

Shichibei could only wave his hands repeatedly; it was impossible to do this, not because of the money. If he did it and someone reported him, would Shichibei even want his head?

Seeing the disappointed look on the Takeda samurai's face, Shichibei thought for a moment. He could introduce him to Tsuda Munechi, the big boss of Tennoji-ya in Sakai-cho. Whether he could buy it in Sakai-cho was up to his own skills.

Anyway, when Shichibei went to Sakai, everyone had to queue up to order. At that time, it was still a period when the supply of firearms could not meet the demand. It was not until a dozen years later that many daimyo began to produce their own firearms, and even Date, which was far away in Oshu, had reached the point where firearms were forged.

"I am like a brother to Gorobei, so I can help you with this." Shichibei could only point out a clear way out, and it was impossible to sell it directly.

"I am deeply grateful, I am deeply grateful." The samurai quickly bowed. He had been somewhat disappointed, but now that he heard that someone could be sent to Sakai to directly contact the arquebus manufacturer, he nodded excitedly.

As he ate, he was also inwardly grateful to Yonekura Nobutsugu. No wonder Yonekura Nobutsugu had told him before he came that he must beg Shichibei to help him find a solution. Now that the sea routes for Takeda were blocked, it was impossible to buy arquebuses and saltpeter. The only one he could count on was Owari Shichibei. Satomi Yoshitaka might be able to help, but even Satomi might not have a good solution.

For the Takeda family, both the merchants of Sakai and the artisans of Kunitomo were completely unfamiliar people, people they had never met before.

In the past, it might have been possible to meet merchants from Sakai who traded in the shipwreck industry through merchants from Suruga, a trading hub. Now that the relationship between Kobe and Suruga has soured and the roads are cut off, it is simply impossible.

"Stay in Tsushima for a couple more days. When you come across a return ferry to Sakaimachi, I'll send one of the shop's employees with you." Shichibei told them to be patient. Although the return ferry departs on a regular schedule, it doesn't necessarily run every day.

"understand."

Less than ten minutes later, the man ran back and said that Yamagata Masakage had gifted Shichibei a fine horse and asked him to accept it.

Good heavens! Who said the Kai samurai were brainless? They're quite shrewd, aren't they? They don't act until they see the benefit. If we hadn't taken him to Sakai, would we have even brought that warhorse out?

Just by looking at the horse's glossy black coat, you can tell it's a fine horse. Based on Shichibei's many years of experience selling horses, he could definitely get it for fifty kan, and if he found someone he liked, he could get it for sixty kan.

"Tsk tsk tsk..." Shichibei sized up the young man a few times.

"I forgot, I forgot." Takeda scratched his head, his skin thick as he said he forgot. What could you do to him?

"I'll accept this horse. Please convey my gratitude to Lord Yamagata." Yamagata Masakage is a daimyo with 23,000 kan, so of course he should be addressed as "Lord."

A few years ago, we were eating and drinking soup with him, but now he's a general of the Takeda clan whom we can no longer reach.

Originally, they planned to exchange all the horse fares for gold and have the messenger carry it back to Kai. Now, there's no need to exchange it for gold anymore; they can just issue a receipt, have the Takeda samurai carry it, and show it to Tennojiya. As the dual representative of the Tsushima and Anotsu factions, Shichibei has the authority to issue receipts first and settle accounts later, let alone extend credit.

But that samurai, touching the mulberry paper cut in half, said that this piece of paper could be exchanged for 1,400 kan in Sakaimachi.

That's right, this piece of paper is worth 1,400 strings of cash, and with a bit of luck, you could buy a hundred cannons. If you're even luckier, you might even get some gunpowder and lead ingots as a bonus.

It's understandable that the samurai in the Kai Mountains had never seen this kind of money exchange before. Based on their long-standing trust and cooperation, they carefully carried the piece of paper and boarded the return ship with seven or eight companions.

As soon as the man left, Shichibei immediately ran to Gifu to report Takeda Shingen's attempt to purchase arquebuses. He advised, "Report first. What happens after the report is the leader's business. We're just lowly employees; don't worry about it."

Since Shichibei never sold a single arquebus to Takeda Shingen, he had nothing to fear from Nobunaga's wrath.

Nobunaga, who was waiting for reports from both Ichijodani and Kyoto, was not greatly alarmed upon hearing the news. He simply nodded slightly and handed over the land transfer document, which he had signed, to Shichibei.

"How many arquebuses do you think Sakai can produce in a year?" Nobunaga asked curiously.

"At least three to five thousand." Shichibei didn't know either; it was a trade secret, after all, we weren't the Sakai Guild.

Besides the inherently high market demand, firearms can also break down. For example, after firing a few hundred lead bullets, the barrel might break and become unusable. Or, the manufacturing process might be flawed, or the foot soldiers might have overloaded the gun with too much gunpowder, causing a barrel explosion.

It's a consumable item, but the profit margin is quite high, so Sakai Town would definitely organize a large-scale production effort. Saying he could produce three to five thousand a year is an understatement; a skilled craftsman can drill one and a half gun barrels in a month, and this iron pipe is the most important component of the arquebus. In short, it's reasonable for a skilled craftsman to produce fifteen arquebuses a year.

Sakai has far more than a few hundred blacksmiths. If they were to produce at full capacity, they could make at least five thousand arquebuses.

Moreover, Sakai was an important port for trade with Japan, and arquebuses smuggled from the Ming Dynasty were also being imported into Japan. The exact amount of this item is even more unknown.

"Three to five thousand?" Nobunaga pondered the number, seemingly very interested in it.

118. Yoshiaki was determined to escape.

Nobunaga probably desperately wanted to have a large-scale arquebus production base, but unfortunately he only had a small Christian community under Gifu Castle that could provide him with arquebuses, at most seventy or eighty a year.

However, there is a village called Kunitomo under the jurisdiction of the ally Asai family. Kunitomo is located on the side of Imahama-cho, Sakata-gun, Omi Province. This area was originally a production base for Omi-made kodachi (small swords). At the request of the previous shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu and the previous Kanrei Hosokawa Harumoto, they began to imitate firearms.

This area had permission for "autonomy" from the shogunate. Although the shogunate had collapsed, the Kinai region still had a relatively strong atmosphere of the old order, and Asai Nagamasa did not strictly control the production and sales of Kunitomo Village.

By the way, Hino in Omi is also a place where arquebuses are produced. Hino-cho is under the jurisdiction of the Gamo family, the Gamo family from Gamo Ujisato.

Why did Nobunaga marry his own daughter to Gamo Ujisato? Was it really because he showed extraordinary talent when he was seven or eight years old, which was rare in the world?

Of course not. Firstly, after the Kannonji Incident, the Kondo and Goto clans in Hunan suffered heavy losses and were no longer able to maintain their power. Meanwhile, the Gamo clan, which was not originally a member of the Rokkaku clan, began to rise and became a representative of local power.

For Nobunaga to conquer Hunan, he needed a samurai family that could slide into the ground quickly enough and had enough influence in the region to pacify the people of Hunan.

The other reason, of course, is that Hino Town, where the Southern Omi merchant group originated, produces arquebuses. In order to completely control the production location of Hino arquebuses, Nobunaga did not hesitate to risk his own daughter.

So next time you talk about how the Japanese sent their daughters away to get guns, remember to include Oda Nobunaga in the story.

Leaving the castle, Nobunaga's residence in Titani Valley at the foot of Mount Gifu now seemed quite beautiful in springtime. A gentle breeze blew, fragrant flowers bloomed, and on the pebbles by the lake, a stone tortoise, having finished its hibernation, stretched its neck. Even the tortoise gets to bask in the sun, but we couldn't rest; we still had to ride back to Tsushima.

There's no rush; you can walk out slowly. The horse is outside; it's impossible for Shichibei to ride inside the residence. Next door there's a so-called privilege of riding a horse from the Forbidden City, but in reality, it's carried by two people. After all, a horse is an animal; no matter how well trained, it's still easy for it to offend a distinguished person.

Just as his left foot stepped out the door, before he even crossed the threshold, two horses galloped to the entrance. He didn't recognize them; Nobunaga's retinue wasn't actually a fixed ten or nine people; it fluctuated constantly. Surely Sassa Narimasa and Maeda Toshiie hadn't gone to Echizen and Kaga, and no replacements were coming in?

Therefore, comparing the lists of Red-Clad and Black-Clad Soldiers from different eras, the differences are quite significant. In a sense, the Junior Corps was like an army officer school, while the Black-Clad Soldiers were like an army university. Graduates from the army university were at least lieutenant generals. Graduates from the Black-Clad Soldiers were at least from a county.

At one point, the two groups of followers together numbered as many as thirty. With so many people coming and going, it's not surprising that it's hard to remember them all.

Even graduates from the real Lu University might not be able to memorize all their classmates from the ten years before and after them. You have to interact with them a lot and meet them in person to become familiar with them.

The two even nodded to Shichibei, who quickly returned the greeting. They were definitely members of the Mokushiro clan; one of them looked familiar, like Oda Echizen-no-kami. Oh well, we'll run into each other again sometime; I'll ask then.

What a coincidence! The gatekeeper is none other than Kazutoyo Yamauchi. That lad's really made it to the foreman, guarding the gate for the boss! How come I didn't see him when I came in?

Standing by the door in a sunny spot, the two chatted for a while. Yamauchi Kazutoyo had just been patrolling the residence, not because he was worried about anyone climbing over the wall, but because the natural environment of Mount Gifu was excellent, and there were many wild boars.

After spring arrives, wild boars forage everywhere, also looking for water. The inn has a large pond connected to an external canal, the kind where one can boat on a lake. As a result, the wild boars have disturbed the water gate several times, damaging it in the process.

So Sasa Narimasa, who was in charge of guarding Nobunaga, made everyone run around the residence frequently, two shifts a day. Not only were the water gates easily damaged by wild boars, but even the stone walls of the residence were being scratched by them.

In the wild, countless trees have been broken by bears, wild boars, and other large animals rubbing against them. If they really kept rubbing, they could even crush the foundation of a wall.

It's also because Nobunaga has been busy lately, having just moved here. It will be much easier when a large-scale hunt is launched. Thousands of people can swarm in and kill hundreds of wild boars, both for meat and to rid the area of ​​pests.

"Oh dear," Shichibei shook his head. "It's outrageous that a gatekeeper has such a job."

There was nothing else to it; it was just a matter of walking a few more steps, so Yamauchi Kazutoyo didn't think much of it. Once the conversation started, Yamauchi Kazutoyo asked Shichibei if he had any official business in Gifu, if he had prepared the packhorses and equipment for the journey to Kyoto, and if he knew when the journey to Kyoto would begin.

"What could I possibly know?" Shichibei is just a merchant with a salary of 2,500 kan.