Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"So the court expects you to come to Kyoto, my lord?" By evening, Hideyoshi was already sitting in front of Shichibei, explaining all the details to him.

"Indeed, the court looks to our lord as desperately as a parched land longs for rain." Hideyoshi's words were definitely copied from someone else, but they were absolutely true.

"What did the lord say?" Hideyoshi had already reported to Nobunaga during the day, so Nobunaga should have given some instructions or something.

"My lord just smiled and nodded repeatedly." Of course, Hideyoshi wouldn't lie to Shichibei about this.

Nobunaga was pleasantly surprised, but didn't show it immediately. He was gradually realizing a problem: the once powerful forces in the Kinai region were showing signs of aging and decline.

The Hatakeyama clan, which could draw 20,000 to 30,000 people a few years ago, is no longer active, and the Miyoshi clan is exhausted and weakened. Even the Rokkaku clan did not take advantage of such a good opportunity to go to Kyoto to compete for power.

This shows that these former powerful states were all outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and it was only right for a newly emerging hegemonic lord like Oda Nobunaga to march on Kyoto and take it over.

"Hmm..." Shichibei nodded, indicating that he could roughly understand.

But Ashikaga Yoshiaki, is he still not out of Ichijodani? He should be even more anxious than Nobunaga.

123. Yi Zhao's ingenious plan allowed him to escape.

Yes, even Hideyoshi was baffled. Ashikaga Yoshiaki was probably the most eager person in all of Japan to become shogun, and now that Nobunaga had promised to support him in marching to Kyoto, why wasn't he coming?

It's really baffling.

In truth, Yoshiaki was also trying to escape. Asakura Yoshikage was already mentally broken after the sudden death of his only son. But while he was broken, others weren't. There were still plenty of people protecting, or rather, monitoring Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

How could he make the guards relax their guard? Ashikaga Yoshiaki thought and thought. Relying on others made him a princess, relying on you made him Japanese, relying on you made him Taiwanese. Only by relying on himself could he have a bright future.

So Yoshiaki personally submitted a memorial to the imperial court and sent someone to inquire about the connections of the former regent, Nijo Haruyoshi. Judging from the name, everyone can guess that the "Haru" in this person's name is the same as the "Haru" in Ashikaga Yoshiaki's father, Ashikaga Yoshiharu.

It's a serious matter, really. Asakura Yoshikage's father died long ago, more than ten years ago. But his mother is still alive; she has become a nun and taken the name Kōtoku-in.

The ruins of Ichijogani in later Japan still contain the remains of the garden that Yoshikage built for his mother. The mother and son had a very good relationship, even better than the "motherly love and filial piety" of Nobunaga or Date Masamune.

So Ashikaga Yoshiaki had this idea: he submitted a memorial to the court, and through Nijō Haruyoshi's persuasion, he promoted Yoshikage's mother, Kōtoku-in, to the rank of "Ni-hime" (second-rank nun).

Aside from women in the imperial family, this was likely the highest honor a noblewoman could receive in Japanese feudal society. There was probably nothing more prestigious; it was completely impossible for an ordinary person to attain.

In the future, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi also secured two nuns for his mother, Keishoin, and then the imperial court came to announce the decree. However, the lord of the Ako Domain, Asano Naganori, failed to provide adequate hospitality, which enraged Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, who then ordered him to commit seppuku.

Needless to say, when the imperial court suddenly announced its intention to promote Kōtoku-in to the rank of Second Rank nun, Asakura Yoshikage, who had previously suffered a mental breakdown and neglected state affairs, suddenly came back to life. Of course, it is also possible that he had overcome the grief of losing his son, and the two events simply happened to coincide.

Upon learning that Ashikaga Yoshiaki had cooperated, Asakura Yoshikage was overjoyed and hosted banquets for him for several days. Later, when court officials arrived at Ichijodani, a three-day Noh performance and lavish feasts were held in the castle. The main Asakura samurai were all thoroughly drunk, and their surveillance of Ashikaga Yoshiaki finally loosened.

Yoshiaki lifted his leg and ran, just as Nobunaga gave him thirty riding horses.

Of course, Yoshiaki was also a little embarrassed. For the past year or so, he had only managed to avoid going hungry thanks to Asakura Yoshikage's hospitality. So before leaving, he wrote a letter to Asakura Yoshikage to express his gratitude.

After writing the letter, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, accompanied by a dozen or so close associates and confidants, rushed south, heading straight for Gifu Castle. He didn't even have time to inform Oda Nobunaga, since who knew when Asakura Yoshikage might get drunk and host a banquet?

When Yoshiaki arrived at the border of Mino, Nobunaga received the report and immediately dispatched five men—Sakuma Nobumori, Ando Morinari, Kinoshita Hideyoshi, Murai Sadakatsu, and Fuwa Mitsuharu—to the border to welcome Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

He also ordered Shichibei and Maeda Toshiie to clean up the Mino Rissei-ji Temple (now 7-11 Nishi-so 3-chome, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture), which is not far from Gifu, specifically to welcome Ashikaga Yoshiaki's arrival.

Why not just bring him to Nobunaga's residence in Titoniya? Of course not. We didn't see Uesugi Kenshin cede Kasugayama Castle after welcoming Uesugi Norimasa to Echigo. Uesugi Norimasa initially lived in a temple, and later in Fuchu Castle in Echigo.

At this point, Shichibei still didn't know how Ashikaga Yoshiaki had escaped. He only sensed that Yoshiaki must have fled in a hurry, taking only a dozen or so attendants with him. Following Nobunaga's orders, he immediately went to visit Lady Nohime, asking her to find a few more maids to attend to Ashikaga Yoshiaki's needs.

You can't exactly have a bunch of grown men bathe Ashikaga Yoshiaki, can you? Oda Nobunaga might have a thing for strong, handsome teenagers, but I've never heard of Ashikaga Yoshiaki having that kind of taste.

Upon entering the mansion, Nobunaga was busy preparing a gift for Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He decided not to disturb him and instead seek out Lady Nohime. Lady Nohime was playing with a little girl whom Shichibei recognized—the youngest daughter of Saito Michizo, previously raised by Nagai Michitoshi. Now, she was considered Nobunaga's adopted daughter, exclusively cared for by Lady Nohime.

The girl wasn't shy at all; she even bowed to Shichibei. I wonder whose wife this daughter will end up with; she probably won't marry too badly. Saito Dosan is a proper deputy governor of Mino, and Nobunaga is the future ruler of the land.

Upon hearing that the task was to arrange maids for Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Lady Nohime took it seriously and quickly assured her that she would take care of it. She would arrange for someone to go to Rissei-ji Temple that very evening to ensure that it would not affect Yoshiaki's reception later.

So, the house was cleaned and the staff were all in place. Now, they just needed to explain some important points to the maids later. For example, they should speak as little as possible, and not answer any of Yoshiaki's questions. If Yoshiaki showed interest in them, then they should reciprocate. If they could bear Yoshiaki a child or two, that wouldn't be a bad thing.

Yoshiaki's son could easily have access to grand temples and monasteries, and enjoy temple stipends of several thousand or even tens of thousands of koku. Living with such a son would surely be a life of luxury.

As for the daughters of the Ashikaga family, they had no trouble finding husbands. Every feudal lord in the land wanted a daughter-in-law from the Ashikaga family. This was the official declaration of the Muromachi Shogunate.

After all this was done, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, escorted by more than ten attendants, arrived in Gifu.

Shichibei was not a police officer and did not need to stand in the street to greet Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Instead, Niwa Nagahide and Hayashi Hidesada were in charge of the police force, mobilizing several thousand men directly under Nobunaga's command to line up along the street all the way to the entrance of Rissei-ji Temple.

This demonstrates both Oda Nobunaga's high regard for Ashikaga Yoshiaki and the strength of the Oda clan's military at that time. After all, the number of daimyo who directly commanded standing armies of several thousand men was now quite small. They were all powerful daimyo with a combined koku of rice, regional hegemons.

Upon arriving at the entrance of Rissei-ji Temple, the senior retainers and advisors of the Oda clan stood respectfully, awaiting Yoshiaki's arrival. Nobunaga now needed Yoshiaki's legitimacy and naturally treated him with great respect. Standing guard at the temple gate was nothing short of an act of deference; kneeling in submission was certainly an option.

Nobunaga personally cleared the way for Yoshiaki, and the two then entered Risseiji Temple.

Shichibei, standing behind a senior retainer, secretly observed Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He had a round face, a short beard, and was neither tall nor strong; his appearance was hardly handsome. As for his demeanor? It was hard to describe; he certainly didn't have the natural air of Nobunaga. He seemed slightly affected, or, in later terms, "affected."

Ashikaga Yoshiaki, known as the "poor kōbō" (a derogatory term for a powerful figure), only had the status of the heir to the former shogun to rely on at this point. If he didn't "pretend" a little more, he probably wouldn't have anything else to offer.

Can understand.

Similarly, during the initial greeting, Shichibei could only sit in the corridor, serving as a mere accompaniment. Hosokawa Fujitaka and Isshiki Fujinaga, on the other hand, sat on one side of the Ashikaga tatami mat, while Wada Koremasa, Akechi Mitsuhide, and others sat on the other side of the corridor, just like Shichibei.

This wasn't the first time such a situation had occurred. In a later game, many people would desperately want Isshiki Fujinaga. But now, he's a retainer under Yoshiaki, and a high-ranking one at that. In a game, many would treat Sakuma Nobumori as just a conscription captain, not giving him much importance. But now, he sits close to Nobunaga, a senior retainer and a respected elder statesman.

Shichibei couldn't see what was happening inside, but he could hear the sounds. When Nobunaga clapped his hands and said to present the gift of lodging, Shichibei hurriedly bent down, took a famous sword brought up by the servants outside, placed it on a small table (it should be called a three-sided table, which came in various sizes), and carried it into the building.

Hideyoshi also carried a full jar of gold coins, probably worth several hundred kan. Behind him, someone carried Kyoto silk, and another carried a saddle and boots. There was some custom involved in giving gifts, and for good luck, a box of steamed buns was also given. This wasn't Shichibei's responsibility; he was only responsible for delivering them to Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

Yoshiaki didn't answer; it was Hosokawa Fujitaka, who was beside him, who thanked Nobunaga. Only when Nobunaga bowed did Yoshiaki speak, saying that Nobunaga should not be so formal.

After that, most of the questions were asked by Hosokawa Fujitaka, and Shichibei didn't even have a chance to hear Ashikaga Yoshiaki's voice. At their first meeting, Yoshiaki was quite patient and didn't rush to ask Nobunaga when he would come to Kyoto; they just met up and that was it.

After the formal initial meeting, Nobunaga invited Yoshiaki to stay temporarily at Rissei-ji Temple. It was a pleasant affair for both host and guest; Nobunaga was certainly in high spirits, having at least secured Yoshiaki's services.

"Shichibei, there are still retainers of the shogunate following behind. Send someone to the border to meet them and make sure they are properly arranged." Nobunaga left Rissei-ji Temple with a smug look on his face and gave the order as soon as he saw Shichibei on horseback.

"Understood!" This is a serious matter.

Although our family's horse stable wasn't built all the way to Omi, it's already reached the border of Mino. If anyone comes to Mino later, we can simply send horses to bring them back, one trip at a time.

Nobunaga's intention, of course, was to bring him here for free, and to take good care of him along the way. Having finally secured Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Nobunaga remained deeply protective of this "treasure." The future lay in the future, but for now, Nobunaga couldn't wait to hold him in his hands and embrace him.

"We need to prepare resting places along the way." Nobunaga turned and looked at Niwa Nagahide.

Actually, if you run fast, it only takes half a day to get from the Mino border to Gifu Castle, so there's no need to rest. But Nobunaga's idea was to provide the best possible hospitality. If they came to surrender in the middle of the night, he wanted to provide them with hot soup and a warm bed.

"Your subject will make the arrangements." Niwa Nagahide naturally understood Nobunaga's thoughts.

"Alright, everyone go back to your work." Nobunaga waved to the Oda retainers who had come to fill in the ranks, signaling them to go home and find their own mothers.

The security of Risseiji Temple was to be handled by Mori Nagahide, a member of the Moi clan. His father was Shiba Yoshitomo, so at least Ashikaga Yoshiaki would find him agreeable. Furthermore, the Shiba family was a powerful clan, one of the cornerstones of the Muromachi Shogunate, and Yoshiaki would certainly want to get closer to Mori Nagahide.

After greeting Nagahide Mori, Shichibei immediately returned to Kawamuraya to assign tasks.

Yoshiaki's arrival in Gifu became the biggest news in the entire Gifu Castle town. On the way back to the shop, almost everyone was talking about it. Some even said that Nobunaga was about to become Kanrei (military regent), inheriting the mantle of the Shiba family and ruling the country in place of the shogun.

As expected, the people of the capital love discussing politics the most and are the most sensitive to it. Anyone can spout off a few points, and do so with great eloquence.

It's none of my business.

Actually, there's some connection. Yamauchi Kazutoyo, who came to invite Shichibei for drinks, said that Oda Nobunaga was going to go on a falconry and dog hunt with Ashikaga Yoshiaki, which was basically to demonstrate the military might of the Oda clan. There were plenty of wild boars near Titani, so killing them would not only allow everyone to share the meat, but also quell the boar problem in the castle town.

Could you bring me a pig's leg? I've heard that wild boar meat is a bit gamey because it's not castrated. But we can smoke it, or stuff it into sausages with spices, right?

Eating sardines every day will make you look like a sardine.

Kazutoyo Yamauchi stated that he would participate in the falconry, but whether he would actually catch a wild boar was uncertain. If he did manage to catch one, it would depend on how Nobunaga divided the spoils.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Kawamura here?" The two were chatting when they saw someone at the door asking.

If it's not Mitsuhide Akechi, then who is it?

"It is indeed me." Shichibei recognized Akechi Mitsuhide at a glance.

"You are..." Akechi Mitsuhide also saw Shichibei and felt that he looked familiar. They had met each other the last time he came to the Oda family.

"Haha, I was the one who brought your horse last time." When Hosokawa Fujitaka and Akechi Mitsuhide came to the Oda clan last time, Nobunaga saw that the horses they were riding were all weak, so he had Shichibei pick out two good horses for them to avoid them getting exhausted on their way back to Ichijodani.

"What a coincidence, what a coincidence..."

"How can I help you?" Since they've come all this way, they must have something to say.

"Lord Mori Juro said that only Kawamuraya in Gifu sells fine horses, so I came to inquire." Akechi Mitsuhide was also acting on someone else's behalf.

Specifically, it was at the request of Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Nobunaga was planning a hunt, after all. Ashikaga Yoshiaki himself was unskilled, that was to be expected. However, he didn't want to be outdone by Nobunaga, so he immediately summoned Akechi Mitsuhide. He instructed him to buy a fine horse and procure good bows and arrows, making sure to bring honor to the Ashikaga clan.

Don't let Oda Nobunaga's fierce generals get too prominent, or Ashikaga Yoshiaki won't be able to chat and laugh with Nobunaga anymore. Even though the Ashikaga clan has been defeated, we must show Nobunaga that even a broken ship has three pounds of iron.

I remember the last time Shichibei and Nobunaga watched Akechi Mitsuhide perform at the racetrack. Even at forty years old, he was still incredibly dashing and imposing on horseback. He was in no way inferior to Nobunaga's twenty-something warriors, and perhaps even surpassed them.

"Yes, yes, please come and take a look." Shichibei, who was open to do business, would never refuse Akechi Mitsuhide.

Akechi Mitsuhide was also generous this time, because Ashikaga Yoshiaki had just received a gift worth thousands of kan from Nobunaga, so buying a good horse for Akechi Mitsuhide was a piece of cake.

124. It's nothing more than a facade of harmony.

If this were a Japanese period drama, Shichibei would likely generously gift Akechi Mitsuhide a fine steed, and the two would become fast friends, forming a sworn brotherhood. Unfortunately, Akechi Mitsuhide only considered Shichibei an ordinary Oda retainer and had no intention of befriending him. So Shichibei had no reason to fawn over him; he wasn't after anything.

Good horses are certainly available; they were just sent by Takeda Shingen, who should already be leading troops to Suruga by now. By the end of the year, he should be able to subjugate Suruga province and repel Hojo Ujiyasu's reinforcements. Meanwhile, Captain Tsubasa will have to flee to Kakegawa Castle in Totomi Province, relying on Asahina Yasutomo.

After all, Nobunaga had instructed that the Ashikaga faction be entertained, so Shichibei didn't hold back and brought several horses for Akechi Mitsuhide to see. He also said that if he didn't like any of them, he could go to the Komakimaru stable to choose one, where there was a stallion that had miraculously grown to over 1.5 meters tall.

Mitsuhide Akechi repeatedly declined, but politely inquired if he could try riding it himself. "Of course," Mitsuhide replied, "a test ride is just like buying a car in later generations. Why can't I test ride a horse now? Are you afraid it'll run away?"

If Akechi Mitsuhide really does ride away, Shichibei decides to start writing in his diary from today.

Not only should an original copy be made, but a copy should also be prepared to ensure that it is not lost.

Mitsuhide's demeanor changed completely when he mounted his horse; he truly had that kind of presence. Despite living in poverty and dressing shabbily, his bearing was exceptionally refined. He possessed the imposing presence of a warrior, no wonder Nobunaga fell for him at first sight.

Like at Komakiyama Castle, Kawamura-ya had a racecourse outside Gifu Castle's town. It was a gift from Nobunaga to his retainer, Shichibei, and would be returned to the new lord of the castle when Nobunaga moved. Alternatively, if Shichibei died and the next head of the Kawamura family was not favored by Nobunaga, he could take it back.

This could probably be considered part of "imperial favor," much like the samurai who carried spears for Nobunaga, who were provided with food, lodging, and wives. All they needed to do was carry a sword and possess the skills that Nobunaga valued.

"This horsemanship is quite impressive." Yamauchi Kazutoyo had a keen eye, having been observing Akechi Mitsuhide from the sidelines.

"Yes, it's hard to compare with you and me." It's not shameful to be inferior to Akechi Mitsuhide. Mitsuhide was a figure who turned the tide of Japanese history. What are we, mere mortals?

“Even in exile, His Highness has such a servant, tsk tsk tsk…” Yamauchi Kazutoyo nodded.

“Once you become the lord of a country and a city, with hundreds of thousands of koku of rice, you will be able to recruit such samurai.” Shichibei suddenly thought of someone.

Katsunaga Mori!

In terms of martial arts, military strategy, moral character, and even his willingness to sell his body to serve Hideyori again, he was first-rate in every aspect. Such a military commander served the Yamauchi family for a full thirteen years; Yamauchi Kazutoyo should be secretly delighted.

"Hundreds of thousands of koku? I dare not even think about it." Yamauchi Kazutoyo was quite clear-headed about his own abilities, feeling that he was only worth a few thousand koku, and quickly waved his hand.