Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"Alright, have some tea." After they finished, Matsui Yujian expressed his two opinions. He then saw them out of the house and said he hoped they could bring a new flower to admire next time.

"Shichibei, what have you learned?" Nobunaga tapped his ear with his little finger, whether because he felt his ear was blocked or something else was unclear.

"Ah? The process of the tea ceremony?" Shichibei thought to himself, could there really be some deeper meaning in drinking a cup of tea?

“Very good, I think so too.” Nobunaga blew on his little finger to show his approval of getting the same answer.

"That……"

What should I say? Should I keep this person to teach tea ceremony, or send him away? Or what? You, Oda Nobunaga, should give me a serious opinion.

"Let's come again in two days." Whether Nobunaga was genuinely interested in the tea ceremony or something else, he made the decision immediately.

Then the two of them stared at each other blankly as they drank a cup of matcha brewed by Matsui Yuzan. This time it was quite nice; Matsui Yuzan had prepared two wagashi (Japanese sweets) in advance. According to him, he made them himself, borrowing the kitchen of Kawamura-ya.

It took five hours just to cook the red bean paste, and it had to be filtered three times through fine gauze to ensure it melts in your mouth. The reason it's shaped like a peach blossom in this wagashi is because there are still a few peach trees blooming on Mount Gifu, and he picked a petal for it. This creates a charming contrast, making it easier to immerse the reader in the scene.

After eating something sweet, drinking something bitter makes the bitterness seem less intense.

It's a pity. Despite spending two days preparing, Shichibei still didn't get any inspiration. Nobunaga was in a similar situation, even saying that this person was quite good and that it would be nice to keep him around to make wagashi (Japanese sweets) for him.

Nobunaga had an extreme fondness for sweets, and he ate konpeito, a type of pure sugar granule, as a snack. He not only ate it himself but also gave it away as a reward or gift. Although sugar is indeed a delicious thing, his fondness for it was perhaps a bit too much.

It would be a joke to recruit someone as a samurai simply because they can make sweets. Why not just find a wagashi (Japanese sweets) master in Kyoto? It wouldn't even cost twenty kan a year.

Let's wait two more days and come back. Matsui Yujian was entrusted by Tsuda Muneki to give Shichibei to the church.

Secondly, Matsui Tomokazu didn't have a clear understanding of the situation at Gifu Castle. He needed to listen more, ask more questions, and observe more before he could report back to Tsuda Munekichi about the Oda clan's situation.

As a businessman, Tsuda Munekichi was most concerned about political changes in the Kinai region. The Oda clan was one of the potential variables in the Kinai, and Tsuda Munekichi could not afford to overlook it.

This tea party was even more elaborate. Matsui Yuzan knelt in the corridor, waiting for Shichibei and Nobunaga to arrive. He bowed respectfully, then filled a wooden bucket with water and had the two rinse their mouths and wash their hands. The manner was somewhat incomprehensible and impressive. Only after the two had supposedly cleansed their hearts and minds were they led into the house by him.

Previously there were crabapple and peach blossoms, now there is a two-colored violet. It is placed in a bamboo box that was just split this morning, quietly sitting in a corner of the room.

While the water was boiling, Matsui Yuzan brought out two plates of "Shingen Mochi." Hmm, why is it called Shingen Mochi? Shichibei certainly didn't know. Later rumors said it was food from Shingen's army, but it feels like many Japanese foods are associated with Shingen.

For example, there's the story of knife-cut noodles and sliced ​​noodles, and it's even said that Shingen made Takeda soldiers eat knife-cut noodles during the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima. This supposedly allowed Takeda soldiers to fight from dawn until noon because the knife-cut noodles provided them with more energy.

It looks like it was written in later times, especially by a Japanese-American soldier. Did Shingen have enough stone mills to grind flour to feed his 20,000-strong army knife-cut noodles back then?

The Shingen Mochi was alright, though. It was made by kneading sugar into glutinous rice flour, steaming it, and then dipping it in roasted soybean powder. It was wrapped in a finely cut piece of paper so you wouldn't get your hands dirty.

It wasn't too sweet, which suited Shichibei's taste. Nobunaga ate it and nodded in approval, treating it as a taste of a new flavor of wagashi (Japanese sweets).

The whole process was completed before the brewed tea was served; this was the third lesson already. At least Shichibei could manage to come up with a description like "the foam is even, like the calm waters of Lake Biwa."

The classes were worthwhile, and the learning was worthwhile.

Nobunaga held the teacup, taking three sips and finishing it slowly. He even blew on the tea after finishing it. The first sip balanced the previous sweetness, bland and unobtrusive. The second sip was slightly bitter, prominent but not excessive. The third sip was the most bitter, excessive yet invigorating.

"Good, good, good, I'll give you a round of applause!" Shichibei almost actually started clapping. For a good subordinate, praising their leader must be a habit, and something they always keep in mind.

"It seems that you two have already grasped the essence of the tea ceremony." Matsui Yuzan smiled, a rare and standard smile on his face, as if he had successfully educated two qualified students.

"It's all thanks to your guidance." Nobunaga wouldn't kowtow to Matsui Tomokazu, so Shichibei answered on his behalf.

"This humble monk has fulfilled the trust placed in him," Matsui Yukan returned the greeting, and Nobunaga then lowered his head.

The two came out of the room, and Nobunaga smacked his lips, which was unusual for him. It was hard to tell whether he was savoring the bitterness of the tea or his condition.

"This person is very organized," Nobunaga stated as an initial assessment.

"He's calm and composed; he certainly knows his limits." Shichibei noticed this as well; at least he didn't get angry or anxious about teaching two slow learners.

"Indeed, the tea ceremony is a thing that can test one's character."

"You're right."

"Tell him to come to the city in a couple of days, and we'll have a proper taste of it." At this moment, the page who was guarding outside the door had already brought over the horse, and Nobunaga made the decision immediately.

"Understood." Shichibei readily agreed.

At least for now, Matsui Toukan seems like a competent clerk, regardless of his actual competence. According to Nobunaga, staying on to work in the wagashi (Japanese sweets) industry would be excellent.

Whether he can be retained or not may still depend on some test from Nobunaga. But Shichibei was certain of one thing: since this fellow came to Gifu to scout the situation, he was able to remain silent and indifferent despite knowing a high-ranking retainer like Oda Nobuhiro.

What strong willpower! Even more so than Shichibei.

122. Hideyoshi brought back the Central Letter to Kyoto

This time, Oda Nobuhiro really came and even greeted Shichibei. After all, Nobunaga was in charge, and he was about to become Shichibei's father-in-law, so it was good to get acquainted.

Marriages during the Warring States period, especially those between military families, were often driven by significant political considerations. However, it must be said that in an era where betrayal was a possibility for everyone, marriage was a relatively stable and solid form of political alliance.

So much so that by the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, it was clearly stipulated that marriages between feudal lords could only take place with the consent of Hideyoshi himself or his successor, Hideyori.

Tokugawa Ieyasu both blatantly violated and inherited this rule. The Edo Shogunate also required that marriages between feudal lords, and between feudal lords and their lords (hatō), must be approved by the Shogunate.

They're keeping a close watch on it.

However, that's not the main topic today. The main topic is that Matsui Tomokazu was invited into the castle to serve tea to Oda Nobunaga. He was also told in advance that several other important retainers of the Oda clan would be present.

Gifu is not a culturally vibrant place, so it's not surprising that a respectable tea master would come here. It's not unusual for Oda Nobuhiro to mention it to his younger brother after drinking the tea.

Then Matsui Tomokazu saw that Nobunaga was sitting in the seat of honor, while the real Oda Nobuhiro was sitting to Nobunaga's left. The two were brothers and looked alike, so it was hard to tell them apart for a moment.

Sure enough, this man only hesitated for a moment before accepting reality with ease. He respectfully bowed to Nobunaga, who was Oda Nobuhiro just a few days ago, and then bowed to the other senior retainers of Oda.

He stood there with his head bowed, and Nobunaga's gaze shifted, landing on Shichibei. He nodded to Shichibei as well. Any normal person would have been excited for a moment, no matter what kind of excitement it was, even a slight tremor in their hand. But Matsui Tomokazu accepted it very quickly, adjusting quite naturally; he simply kowtowed and that was it.

He didn't even open his mouth to ask, and of course, even if he did ask, he might not get an answer.

Have tea!

Sakuma Nobumori and Niwa Nagahide were both proper samurai, so they were certainly not completely ignorant of etiquette, as was Murai Sadakatsu. The three of them had been notified beforehand and had made some inquiries. Now they were carefully observing Nobunaga's actions, or rather, his pretentious manner.

If you follow Nobunaga's example, you'll be pretty close to the mark.

"Oh right," Shichibei suddenly felt a warm glow inside. Why? Because Nobunaga had attended the tea ceremony class with him. Shichibei had seen how unsophisticated Nobunaga was. Nobunaga hadn't held back at all, genuinely revealing certain aspects of himself to Shichibei.

On the contrary, when he was in front of these trusted and important officials, he acted very formally and seriously, as if he was afraid that he would not do things in accordance with regulations.

Nobunaga loved me too.

pet.

After everyone had admired the bubbles on the tea and shared their opinions, Nobunaga, without pretense, asked Matsui Yukan if he would be willing to be his tea master.

How could anyone refuse? Matsui Yuzan didn't even hesitate and immediately agreed. After all, he wasn't a tea master, and his future reputation in the tea ceremony wouldn't even be as good as that of Furuta Oribe, who was currently serving as an envoy outside the school.

In other words, if Nobunaga hadn't conquered Kyoto, once he had successfully stormed the city, what kind of tea ceremony masters couldn't he have found? There were plenty of tea masters in Kyoto who served the imperial family, the shogunate, and court nobles. It was only because Sen no Rikyu later aligned himself with two generations of rulers and had the backing of power that he became the founder of many schools of tea ceremony.

The so-called three thousand schools have already occupied the first tier of the Japanese tea ceremony's ecological niche.

It's all because he has a powerful backer; Murata Jukō is a top disciple of Ikkyu. He's the Ikkyu from the anime who's always teasing Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Disciples of such masters are those whose schools are virtually unknown, and whose lineages are so obscure that you can't even find an entry for them on Japanese Wikipedia. Examples include Matsumoto Juho and Kuritaguchi Zenho.

Just like Kamiizumi Nobutsuna's Shinkage-ryu, the Kamiizumi family had both heirs and disciples. However, the Yagyu family couldn't resist siding with a good master, the Tokugawa family, who eventually seized power. Thus, the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu became the main representative of the Shinkage-ryu.

To put it bluntly, one learns both literary and martial arts skills and then sells them to the emperor.

If you don't sell to powerful lords or even the people of the world, even the best tea ceremony or swordsmanship will fade into obscurity. Even if you hone your skills in seclusion in the mountains, if no one supports you, you can only enjoy yourself alone.

This is something that happens all over the world: without climbing the ladder of power, even gold will be buried in the dirt.

After the tea party, Nobunaga instructed his page to provide Matsui Tomokazu with a room near the castle and to give him an extra 100 kan of salary. "Just do it for now, we'll see how things go later."

Upon reaching the city gate, Matsui Yuzan behaved quite respectfully, giving Shichibei a proper bow. Before he arrived, Tsuda Muneki had told him that Shichibei was a favorite of Nobunaga, and that once he got close to Shichibei, things would fall into place.

He had assumed that Shichibei had been asked to do everything in his power to get him a place in Nobunaga's inner circle. Now, he was powerless and his salary was only 100 kan, so he didn't even thank Shichibei.

He bowed, acknowledging the favor, and said he would repay it when the opportunity arose.

They didn't make any empty promises or boast about the future; it was just a simple bow. Interesting, really interesting.

After Shichibei returned the greeting, his page took him to his new home. Nobunaga had set up numerous residences around the castle, all for recruiting samurai. Anyone who came to join Nobunaga now would be provided with food, lodging, and even a wife.

Don't laugh. During the final assault on Inabayama, didn't Ryūō organize several hundred men for a surprise attack in the middle of the night? Over three hundred were killed on the spot by Nobunaga. Counting those killed before and after, there must have been at least several hundred widows and unmarried daughters among the samurai of Mino.

Only underage sons or brothers were ineligible to serve Nobunaga. Therefore, Shimada Hidemitsu and Sugaya Nagayori were tasked with introducing recruited single samurai, widows with children, or young girls to their families. Their mission was to quickly rebuild these households' fighting strength and get them involved in Nobunaga's unification of Japan.

Even though Nobunaga killed your father, your brother, or your husband—basically any male in your family—he still found you a new man.

Nobunaga is actually a pretty good person.

Ah, never mind that. Shichibei is preparing to make another trip to Komakiyama. Nanbu Sanenaga has been there for almost a month now, and the ranch should be nearly finished. This is an important project for Kawamuraya, and Shichibei should be able to check it out.

Before I even left the house, I heard from below that Hideyoshi had run away from Kyoto. Well, I'll just have to wait a day and find out about Hideyoshi's strange adventures in Kyoto.

Hideyoshi's trip to Kyoto was not without purpose; he learned much about the situation in the capital. For example, he learned why the Imperial Court issued a decree to Ashikaga Yoshihide first, because at least the Miyoshi clan, the former "protectors of Kyoto" led by the Miyoshi Triumvirate, supported Ashikaga Yoshihide. Ashikaga Yoshiaki, on the other hand, did not have any strong support at the moment.

At that time, Nobunaga was wreaking havoc in Ise and showed no signs of heading to Kyoto. The Imperial Court and Nobunaga had only just made contact, and it was uncertain when Nobunaga would arrive.

Given this, the Miyoshi family, which had a "good relationship" with the imperial court for decades, naturally gained the court's favor, and Ashikaga Yoshihide, whom they supported, was appointed shogun.

The court's favor came with a condition: once Ashikaga Yoshihide ascended the throne in Kyoto, he would be responsible for maintaining order throughout the capital.

Kyoto's population exceeded 100,000, even reaching 200,000 in some cases. By the Edo period, the population had remained between 300,000 and 400,000 for a long time. It was one of the largest towns in Japan, and with such a large population came significant challenges to maintaining order. The imperial court alone could no longer maintain order in Kyoto and had to rely on the shogun and the Kanrei (regent).

The Miyoshi Triumvirate did not lack sufficient troops to escort Ashikaga Yoshihide to Kyoto to assume the throne, but they were currently engaged in a protracted struggle and battle with Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, Matsunaga Hisahide and his son, and forces such as Hatakeyama.

Unfortunately, their skills were far inferior to those of Miyoshi Nagayoshi, who had the ability to beat people to death. Even Iimori Castle, their residence, was taken from Kizawa Nagamasa. The Miyoshi Triumvirate had been fighting for two or three years, but they still hadn't killed Matsunaga Hisahide and his son. The more they fought, the fewer troops they had, and their army was also exhausted.

Assuming Ashikaga Yoshihide marches on Kyoto, it would be quite simple: at least temporarily, he would need to station an army of 5,000 men in Kyoto.

Some might ask, didn't the shogunate have over two thousand retainers and foot soldiers? These were troops supported by income from the manors in the mountain castle and the gatehouses in Kyoto. As long as the shogun was in power, wouldn't they come at a moment's notice?

Yes, they did exist, but in the Rebellion of Ise Sataka, the steward of the Mandokoro (administrative office), in 1665, these local military forces in Kyoto suffered heavy losses. Not only did Ise Sataka and his son die in battle, but he also lost several hundred soldiers from the Mandokoro.

The regent Ashikaga Yoshiteru who was replaced by Settsu Harumo, lacked the charisma to muster two or three thousand troops to protect Kyoto and maintain order. This was one of the reasons for the Eiroku Rebellion.

The military forces directly under the general never recovered after that, and they were even unable to do the basic tasks of uniting with the imperial court to maintain order in the capital.

So, if Ashikaga Yoshihide goes to Kyoto, should he be assigned troops?

In terms of troop deployment, losing 5,000 troops at once meant the Miyoshi Triumvirate felt they couldn't possibly overpower Matsunaga Hisahide and his son. This wasn't even about whether Matsunaga Hisahide would attack their rear after marching on Kyoto. The real issue was that the Miyoshi Triumvirate objectively lacked the ability to march on Kyoto for the time being, and, more importantly, the ability to maintain stability in Kyoto.

Without this capability, Ashikaga Yoshihide certainly couldn't have entered Kyoto. This, in effect, created a golden opportunity for Nobunaga, who had the power to maintain order in Kyoto.

Whether in terms of money or military strength, Nobunaga possessed the capability to maintain order in Kyoto. In fact, the Imperial Court would readily embrace Nobunaga should he enter Kyoto.

After all, the court officials and nobles didn't want to encounter bandits when they went out, or have their homes burgled every day. They longed for someone with the real ability to maintain peace in the capital; this person's name didn't matter.

How can those who have never experienced war understand the preciousness of peace?