Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"This black horse is quite good." When Shichibei came in, the page had already announced that it was a horse to be presented. So the venue was moved directly to the racetrack that was combined with the shooting range.

"It is said to be the beloved horse of Saburobei of the Takeda clan's yukuroyama prefecture." Shichibei, who was a horse seller, subconsciously started exaggerating.

He only remembered halfway through playing the tune that this thing was a gift to Nobunaga, and had no seller. But he still had to play it, and if he played it well, Nobunaga would be even more pleased.

"Then how did it end up in your hands?" Nobunaga mounted his horse and started trotting around the shooting range.

"Daizen-dono wants to purchase arquebuses, doesn't he?" Why? It's because he needs my help; he wants me to purchase arquebuses for Kai.

"Aww..." Yes, Shichibei had specifically reported this to them beforehand.

Nobunaga, mounted on his horse, merely responded with a single word, focusing his attention and energy on familiarizing himself with the horse beneath him. This horse was very likely indeed from Iitomi-sho in Koma District, and perhaps Yamagata Masakage had truly trained it. Nobunaga found its temperament quite good; with a little more practice, he could take it to the battlefield.

"Speak, what is it?" After jogging around for more than ten laps, Nobunaga's forehead was slightly sweaty before he dismounted.

As soon as he sat down, the servants on either side handed him water and led the horse away to walk it around a couple more times. Just like a person, it had been running just now, and its heart was racing. Stopping abruptly now wouldn't be good; a couple more laps would be more appropriate.

"I would like to request that my lord appoint Hikojiro Kuwayama as his assistant." Shichibei showed no embarrassment at being exposed or ashamed of being discovered; he just blurted it out.

Nobunaga is such a smart man; it's obviously better for him to speak frankly rather than pretend. Besides, he doesn't have time for beating around the bush with his subordinates; after all, he's a daimyo with a million koku of rice, and there's just too much to handle.

“Okay.” Nobunaga turned and beckoned to Kanamori Nagachika, who was standing beside him.

It seems that Kanamori Nagachika is on duty among the Moi-shu today, and the one I saw ahead was Sasa Narimasa. Kanamori Nagachika was able to be promoted from the foot soldier head to the Moi-shu, so he must be quite skilled. Such a person actually managed to become one of the Seven Friends of Rikyu (the Seven Recluses of Rikyu), excelling in both literary and martial arts.

Historically, he was assigned to Shibata Katsuie as a retainer, not only receiving the rank of Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade, Minister of War, but also possessing the domain of a district. If things went smoothly, reaching 200,000 or 300,000 koku would be within reach. If he chose the right side, 500,000 koku wouldn't be impossible.

Unfortunately, one wrong step led to another, and coupled with his advanced age, he ended up as the lord of Hida.

Sigh, it's none of our business. Hideyoshi and Katsuie fighting is a decade or more away. Who knows if they'll fight now, or how badly it will turn out?

Judging from Nobunaga's demeanor, he hasn't gotten too cocky yet; he acts boldly but cautiously. He won't act without complete preparation, so there's no need to remind him of things like "two dragons cannot meet" or that he and Oda Nobutada must live apart.

Historically, he only truly began to get arrogant when he attacked the Asakura clan. According to the later historical perspective of the Edo Shogunate, Oda Nobunaga had always paid great attention to strategy in his battles, but after entering Kyoto, he became overconfident and directly led his troops to fight a great lord like Asakura without any preparation.

For this reason, Tokugawa Ieyasu strongly advised Nobunaga, hoping he would take it seriously. Nobunaga not only ignored him, but also pointed to his tens of thousands of troops and said that anyone who tried to stop such an army would be crushed.

Then came the rebellion of Asai Nagamasa.

After this incident, Nobunaga remained cautious for two more years, but as the Oda clan grew stronger and his dominance in the land became undeniable, Nobunaga inevitably became arrogant and lost his former caution.

Let's remind him then, or...

Kanamori Nagachika, never expecting that Shichibei was thinking about his future, smiled and nodded at Shichibei before sending someone to inform Kuwayama Shigekatsu. His organizational affiliation and official position would remain in Gifu Castle as a direct retainer of Oda Nobunaga, but he would be transferred to Tsushima Kawamura-ya as Kawamura Shichibei's vassal.

Logically, Nobunaga should have met with Kuwayama Shigekatsu, spoken with him as a leader, and sought his opinion. However, firstly, Kuwayama Shigekatsu clearly lacked the talent Nobunaga valued; otherwise, he wouldn't still be serving as an ashigaru head at the age of forty-four. Secondly, samurai, after all, value "the way of the servant," meaning they simply obey orders.

"Why would you need someone like that?" Kuwayama Shigekatsu had served Nobunaga for many years, so Nobunaga naturally knew of this person.

"Your handwriting is beautiful," Shichibei blurted out.

It's not like he's a good conversationalist. If that were the reason, even the worldly-wise Nobunaga would be stunned for a few seconds. Can being a good conversationalist put food on the table these days?

"Hahahaha, that's true. You're very sociable, so it's definitely useful." Nobunaga clapped his hands and laughed, clearly agreeing with this reason.

That's right. When Shichibei Miten and the merchants from Yasunatsu, Sakaimachi, and Atsuta were issuing invoices, posting notices, and sending letters, their ugly handwriting not only affected the reading experience but also the reading time.

Many letters from Japan's Sengoku period that have survived to later generations contain some samurai with such ugly handwriting that it's truly astonishing. It would probably take ten or twenty minutes just to decipher what they wrote.

“There’s no shortage of people in the shop who know how to use a knife.” Shichibei cleverly offered Nobunaga a way to get past this.

"Knowing how to use an abacus is far more important to you than knowing how to use swords and spears." Nobunaga stopped laughing, casually handed the ladle to Shichibei, and asked Shichibei if he wanted some water.

This was a favor, and Shichibei had to accept it even if he wasn't thirsty, taking a sip. Since they weren't facing the same direction, avoiding mouth-to-mouth contact, he might as well drink it.

He handed the ladle back to Nobunaga, who simply nodded and tossed it into the bucket. The water seemed to be from Mount Gifu, specifically from the former Kinka Spring on Mount Kinka; it even seemed a little sweet.

"By the way, do you have any skilled workers in your shop?" Nobunaga started chatting with Shichibei before Kanamori Nagachika returned.

As his family business grew, Nobunaga was neither short of samurai nor lacking in samurai. It's easy to understand why he didn't lack samurai; if you include the family members and servants of the regular foot soldiers and samurai retainers at Gifu Castle, Nobunaga's main force would have more than 8,000 men.

However, Nobunaga still lacks samurai skilled in civil administration, accounting, grain collection, and logistical planning—positions that lean towards administrative tasks. Or rather, the shortage will only increase in the future, which is why Nobunaga is actively recruiting such samurai.

Take Takei Yuan, for example. Just from the name, you can tell he's a monk; his original name was Takei Sukenao. This old man isn't just approaching sixty; he's actually sixty. At that age, Nobunaga still pulled him out and appointed him as a steward of temples and shrines, handling various administrative affairs.

Because of his exceptional competence, Nobunaga greatly favored him. After 1553, due to Niwa Nagahide's reassignment, Murai Sadakatsu, although ranked first among the magistrates, was primarily responsible for administrative affairs in Kyoto and Yamashiro Province, and did not serve in Gifu and Azuchi for long. This made Takei Yuan the de facto head of the Oda clan's bureaucracy.

It is said that at one time only three people were able to directly enter the Nobunaga residence on the top floor of Azuchi Castle: Oda Nobutada, Takei Yuan, and Mori Ranmaru.

Foreign retainers could only report matters directly to Nobunaga through these three individuals. Alternatively, they could register at the castle gates and wait for Nobunaga's summons. If they interfered and prevented an audience, there was really nothing they could do.

Even a 60-year-old man like Nobunaga wanted it; that speaks volumes.

"Oh! There's one right here!" Shichibei suddenly slapped his forehead, how could he have forgotten about that?

A few days ago, we arranged for the Takeda clan's samurai to make a regular journey to Sakai by returning ship. Just then, a letter arrived from Sakai, from Tsuda Munekichi, the big boss of Tennoji-ya. He said he had a very good friend named Matsui Tomokazu, the kind of friend you drink tea with.

In the letter, Tsuda Munekichi repeatedly praised Matsui Yukan, saying that he was a person with a high level of skill in the tea ceremony. Moreover, he was not of humble origin; his family was originally a retainer of the Ashikaga clan. It was only after the Miyoshi Triumvirate murdered Ashikaga Yoshiteru that he took refuge in Sakai.

Shichibei has been searching everywhere for someone to teach him all sorts of random arts and literature. Nobunaga is about to march on Kyoto, and if he doesn't know anything about the arts, he'll fall behind in his interactions with Kyoto's wealthy merchants and court nobles.

The waka poem is being copied and read, awaiting explanation from the Venerable Sawahiko Sōon. There aren't any good tea masters, though; otherwise, why did Imagawa Ujizane from Captain Tsubasa come to mind earlier?

Because of this, Shichibei asked Tsuda Muneki, a great tea master, if he knew anyone he could hire to come to Owari to teach the art of tea ceremony. He wasn't worried about the price, as long as the skill level was good enough; preferably someone with some background and a bit of fame.

So I recommended Matsui Tomokazu to Shichibei.

Upon seeing this name, Shichibei basically understood the whole story. The Matsui family were retainers of the Ashikaga shogunate, and Matsui Tomokazu's older brother, Matsui Masayuki, was a senior retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiteru, responsible for part of Kyoto's security.

After Ashikaga Yoshiteru was killed, Matsui Masayuki committed suicide to honor his lord, preserving the Matsui family's reputation for loyalty. Then, Matsui Masayuki's son, Matsui Yasuyuki, went to serve Ashikaga Yoshiaki and eventually became a retainer of the Hosokawa family.

Matsui Tomokazu, on the other hand, sought refuge with Tsuda Munekichi of Sakai and became close to Ashikaga Yoshihide, the Awa Kubo. At this point, everyone understands: hedging his bets—a common practice among military commanders.

Nobunaga's purchase of the "unparalleled general of all time" in Kyoto and his funding of Prince Seihito's coming-of-age ceremony were both public knowledge. So why was he building momentum and connections in Kyoto so early? It was all for the purpose of supporting Ashikaga Yoshiaki's march to Kyoto.

Tsuda Munekichi, who was most astute in understanding political trends, suggested that Matsui Yukan go to Gifu to see what Oda Nobunaga was really made of. This was both preparation for himself and for Tsuda Munekichi.

If Shichibei hadn't been prescient, he would have agreed immediately. But now Shichibei is from another time, and knows that this person is cunning and has even secretly slandered Nobunaga, framing Akechi Mitsuhide, Araki Murashige, and Tokugawa Ieyasu (this is questionable).

After 1558, due to Takei Yuan's advanced age, Matsui Yukan effectively succeeded him as the Oda clan's Minister of Finance, overseeing all civil administration within Nobunaga's territory and also serving as the Sakai Daikan (a high-ranking official in the Sakai region).

To be honest, when it comes to playing mind games, Shichibei knew he couldn't outmaneuver anyone else.

Since they wouldn't play the game, Shichibei couldn't sever Tsuda Muneki's feelings. Perfect, he'd recommend Matsui Tomokan to Nobunaga. Matsui Tomokan was eager for an opportunity to get close to Nobunaga; Shichibei was helping him out, not expecting gratitude, just hoping he'd say less in the future.

As for silencing him? This person has never harmed me in history, and in this world, he has the influence of Tsuda Munekichi. Forget it, don't think too much about it.

"A former retainer of the shogunate, yet he's in Sakai?" Nobunaga smiled knowingly after hearing the story.

The true former retainers of the shogunate should be in Ichijodani or in Kyoto. Why would they be in Sakai? They're simply there to curry favor with Ashikaga Yoshihide, who has already been appointed shogun.

The bottom line of being a subject can be somewhat flexible.

"It is said that he has become a monk and is merely a tea master. But the great boss Tsuda praised him for his financial management skills." The original letter from Tsuda Muneki is still there; Shichibei could easily take it out and show it to Nobunaga.

"A tea master, huh... Interesting. Let him come to Gifu and see for himself." Nobunaga wasn't afraid of playing mind games with people; in fact, he might even be looking forward to someone trying to outwit him.

"As ordered."

After their conversation ended, Nobunaga took the horse and praised Shichibei a few more times. When Shichibei returned to Kawamura-ya, Kuwayama Shigekatsu was already there, waiting for him.

Very well, brother, don't just sit around doing nothing. Go to Sakai-cho for me. Find Tsuda Munekiri and bring Matsui Tomokazu to Gifu. This will be the first errand I've been given.

I should get to know Tsuda Munechika first. Who knows, in the future I might have to use my silver tongue to persuade the Sakai-kai members, led by Tsuda Munechika, to hand over a huge sum of 20,000 kan.

Shigekatsu Kuwayama didn't expect to have work right away, but he didn't refuse. He even said that he was good at running errands and had been doing it for more than ten years.

Hey, you have a good attitude.

Because of this, Shichibei could only wait at the Gifu branch. It took Kuwayama Shigekatsu ten days to finally bring Matsui Tomokazu to Gifu. They recounted that on the way, the Miyoshi Triumvirate were engaged in a fierce battle with the Matsunaga father and son, the fighting so intense that the road was completely blocked.

121. Three tea ceremonies demonstrate good composure.

Matsui Yukan came to Gifu ostensibly to teach Shichibei some tea ceremony etiquette. As for Nobunaga wanting to see this person, only Nobunaga and Shichibei knew about it at the moment; no one else was aware of it.

The only person who could be responsible for receiving Matsui Toukan was Shichibei. He was arranged to stay at his home for the time being. Food and drink were provided, and Kuwayama Shigekatsu was assigned to keep him company. There was no need to meet him immediately.

Takashiro Shichibei is a high-ranking samurai with 2,500 kan (a unit of currency). Even if he doesn't have to attend to countless concubines every day, he must be incredibly busy. If you were Ōtani Yoshitsugu, I would greet you with my shoes on and run out barefoot to express my enthusiasm. But you are Matsui Tomokazu; your presence or absence makes no difference.

Being too enthusiastic would make Shichibei seem less respectable, as if he were just missing a cup of hot tea.

After waiting for three days at Kawamura-ya, Shichibei finally went to meet him, repeatedly apologizing. Matsui Tomokazu, however, remained calm, saying that it was already an honor for an old monk like himself to have Shichibei invite him.

The Matsui family declined after Ashikaga Yoshiteru's assassination and now has no hope of revival. Furthermore, they are not a branch of the main branch; the main branch can invoke the prestige of being supported by the shogunate, while a branch family's fate depends entirely on whether others respect them.

Shichibei doesn't have a tea set, but you can buy two ordinary ones to use. After all, it's for learning; who would use a celadon leech-shaped ornament to learn tea ceremony? This thing would be an absolute national treasure in both Japan and China. After all, it's expensive and exquisite porcelain, from the Song Dynasty, and supposedly even repaired by Ming Dynasty court artisans.

Just this long-standing and legendary identity alone is enough to sell it for thirty to fifty million.

I bought a set of odds and ends, including a tea caddy, a matcha box, and a tea spoon, which cost a total of seventeen kan. Seventeen kan is probably the minimum requirement for practicing the tea ceremony. No wonder even a samurai with a salary of two hundred koku could practice the tea ceremony in the later part of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Yes, I'm talking about you, Furuta Oribe.

At this time, Furuta Oribe is still serving as a messenger under Nobunaga, essentially a messenger; in the Takeda clan, they are called the "Hyakuzu-shu" (Hundred-Legged Gentlemen). Nobunaga didn't give Oda's messengers any fancy names; they were all samurai with a few hundred koku of rice and their own horses.

On our first meeting, we didn't discuss anything too in-depth; we mainly just explained the uses of the tea set. The only other thing we talked about was that Kawamura-ya didn't have a suitable tea room.

Nowadays, teahouses emphasize being small and secluded. Kawamura-ya has a shop in the front, a stable in the middle, and the residences of the waiters and Shichibei in the back. It's rare to find a teahouse that is both small and quiet.

However, Matsui Yujian wasn't pretentious. He said that they should learn first, and then set up a proper tea room when they actually held a tea ceremony in the future. He didn't put on any airs of a tea master in front of Shichibei, acting just like an ordinary tea person.

Sigh, even without foresight, there really are innocent and naive little white rabbits these days?

They're all in this together; pretending to be too harmless will only attract attention. It's better to learn from Tokugawa Nobuyasu and urinate in front of Shichibei; at least on the surface, he'll look like a reckless person.

Once outside the house, Shichibei reported the entire meeting, along with some of his own assessments, to Nobunaga. Nobunaga simply nodded slightly; he had never seen a "little white rabbit" in his entire life.

Thinking about it carefully, it's true. I was disliked by my own mother when I was just a few years old. When I was a teenager, my younger brother rebelled, then my older brother rebelled, then my uncle rebelled. My brother-in-law rebelled against my father-in-law and even instigated other uncles to rebel as well. And to make matters worse, my dear Mr. Hirate didn't approve of me. My first half of life was so bumpy; I never met any truly kind people.

Following Matsui Tomokazu's example, Nobunaga used Oda Nobuhiro's identity to attend the tea party with Shichibei. Since Shichibei was now Oda Nobuhiro's prospective son-in-law, it was public knowledge, and their normal interactions were reasonable; their appearance together was also expected.

Matsui Tomokazu simply smiled at the sudden appearance of "Oda Nobuhiro." He diligently boiled water, brewed tea, whisked it with a tea whisk to create perfect foam, and then handed it to Shichibei and Nobunaga to observe.

The two roughnecks, who knew nothing about the subject, could only sit there pretending to look at it while turning their teacups around.

"Gentlemen, you should calm down." Matsui Yuzan seemed to have reduced the size of his movements and his voice became low and slow.

"The tea ceremony is a beautiful practice of wabi-sabi, and it should be experienced with a pure and tranquil mind."

Shichibei glanced at Nobunaga out of the corner of his eye, and Nobunaga, holding his teacup, also glanced at Shichibei out of the corner of his eye. Well, they were thinking the same thing.

This thing is beyond the capabilities of the two of us.

Now that we're already here, are we going to just jump up and leave?

Neither of them answered, so Matsui Yuzan gently moved a vase with a sprig of begonia in it in front of them. A flower, a scene; a scene, an object—appreciate it.