Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

To be fair, having a good skill is indeed a good thing. After the fall of Minowa Castle, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna of the Shinkage-ryu school was actively recruited by Takeda Shingen. Hosokawa Fujitaka was defending the castle, and fearing his death, the imperial court even sent someone to have him write down and distribute the "Ancient and Modern Transmission" before allowing the Western Army to continue the siege.

As Yoshida Shigemasa was the successor of the Hioki-ryu archery style, Nobunaga gave him face, allowing his son to live in Kyoto and teach archery.

This further strengthened Shichibei's resolve to study the arts. Learning martial arts was too late; besides, they could never become sword saints. The arts, however, seemed more promising; perhaps with a little hype, they could become powerful figures in their own right.

Continue the advance?

Everyone thought the advance would continue, but it didn't, because Hosokawa Fujitaka and Isshiki Fujinaga, who had gone to Kyoto, brought back news. It was that Ashikaga Yoshihide's shogunate was indeed genuine, and the imperial court, out of customary legal precedent, had no precedent or precedent for confiscating shogunate regency.

Another general's decree could be issued, which would also be equally effective. However…

Therefore, it would be best to send someone to persuade Ashikaga Yoshihide to submit a memorial requesting that he resign as shogun. Then, the subsequent appointment of Ashikaga Yoshiaki as shogun would proceed smoothly.

Of course, everyone took initiative in this matter. The imperial court was also afraid of angering Nobunaga, especially since Nobunaga had almost killed Rokkaku, so they took the initiative to send someone to Sakai to pay a visit to Ashikaga Yoshihide.

In addition, Matsunaga Hisahide of Yamato was also mobilized and sent people to Sakai to persuade the Sakai people to give up their support for Ashikaga Yoshihide and the Miyoshi Triumvirate.

It means that Nobunaga, you should continue your campaign into Yamashiro Province. In the meantime, we will do everything we can to get Ashikaga Yoshihide to resign, so as not to disturb your enjoyment, Lord Nobunaga.

Therefore, Nobunaga paused for another day, sending people to inquire about the Miyoshi clan's troop deployment in Yamashiro Province. At the same time, he reported back to the Imperial Court that he was aware of the matter and hoped it would be resolved as soon as possible.

Two days on the same day is definitely not a good thing.

(Historically, Nobunaga broke through Kannonji on September 9.12, but continued his advance on September 9.25, crossing Ōtsu.)

At this time, the situation inside and outside Kyoto was unclear. Tsutsui Junkei, supported by the Miyoshi Triumvirate, had already captured Shigiyama Castle. Matsunaga Hisahide was really bad at fighting and retreated to Tamonyama Castle.

Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, who was originally stationed at Takaya Castle, was not a capable commander. Takaya Castle was also breached, and he retreated to Wakae Castle in Kawachi, which can be described as a last-ditch effort.

As for Hatakeyama Takamasa and Yasami Munefusa, they were both people who were constantly being chased and beaten during the Miyoshi Chōkei era. If Hatakeyama Takamasa hadn't had the support of the Kii-Yukawa family, he would have been dead long ago.

On the other hand, the Miyoshi Triumvirate consisted of Iwanari Tomomichi at Katsuryuji Castle in Yamashiro, Miyoshi Nagayasu at Akutagawa Yamashiro in Settsu, Miyoshi Masayasu at Kizu Castle in Yamashiro, and Shinohara Nagafusa, who continued to fight in the Kinai region, based at Koshimizu Castle and Iimori Castle.

If we include Katsumasa Ikeda of Settsu Ikeda Castle, it wouldn't be difficult for these people to raise 50,000 troops. If they really push their troops, they could even raise more.

This is also why Nobunaga waited for the various armies to assemble, and even stopped to incorporate the more than 6,000 defeated soldiers from the Rokkaku region. This is the second time Nobunaga has led such a large army into battle. He is no match for the battle-hardened Miyoshi Triumvirate of the Kinai region. Although he is confident, he must be extremely cautious.

Why haven't the Miyoshi Triumvirate and Shinohara Nagafusa brought 50,000 men to fight me?

"It has been confirmed that Iwanari-sama has 10,000 cavalrymen and is currently at Katsuryuji Temple." Hosokawa Fujitaka, who had just rushed back from Kyoto, gave an explanation to the Oda army generals.

"Yes." Nobunaga simply nodded without offering any further comment.

He needed to know exactly where the 350,000 cavalry were so he could launch a fierce attack and decide the fate of the world in one battle.

"The other three thousand cavalry of the Yoshihide Hyuga (Nagayasu) are in Akutagawa, and the Kanrei-dono has about several hundred cavalrymen."

"What about the rest?" Hosokawa Fujitaka stopped talking, so Nobunaga naturally asked.

"I don't know the rest." Who knew Hosokawa Fujitaka was also single? He hadn't found out anything, so he just said he didn't know. Anyway, he had tried his best to find out, and it wasn't all in vain.

"So, the Miyoshi thieves haven't joined forces yet?" Sakuma Nobumori looked at the very simple map, finding it difficult to make a judgment.

Nobunaga is almost here, yet the Miyoshi armies haven't united. What are they planning? Surely they're not waiting for Nobunaga to come to them and defeat them one by one?

"Judging from the current situation, they have not yet merged." After saying this, Hosokawa Fujitaka saluted Oda Nobunaga and sat down.

The home ground was handed back to Nobunaga. No one had ever fought an epic battle like the feudal era's 60,000 vs. 50,000, so they all looked to Nobunaga.

Shichibei, whose seat wasn't near the front, shrank back, thinking, "Ask the elders first, don't ask me." How would Shichibei know such a thing? In the historical records of his previous life, Nobunaga was described as a handsome man as swift as a whirlwind, and his journey to Kyoto was just as swift. When the time was right, heaven and earth seemed to be on his side; while others faced countless hardships on their way to Kyoto, he could simply walk out the door and find something.

He rushed to Kyoto in less than a month, and then Ashikaga Yoshihide died suddenly. It was just a coincidence that opened the door for another coincidence. It was incredibly coincidental.

In another historical timeline, Nobunaga's trip to Kyoto was like an autumn outing; he made a whirlwind visit to the capital. He instantly ushered in the Azuchi-Momoyama period in Japanese history, becoming the ruler of the entire country.

At this moment, no one was thinking about showing off. Even the very proactive Mitsuhide Akechi and Hideyoshi Kinoshita were standing there deep in thought, not jumping out to help Nobunaga.

A massive battle involving hundreds of thousands of people, even in the feudal era, was essentially a gamble on the fate of a nation. Who would easily make a judgment on such a major event? If they were wrong, how many people would be killed?

An awkward silence fell...

“Our lord has broken through the six corners in a single day. Perhaps this will frighten the Miyoshi gang.” Naomasa, dressed in red robes and kneeling under the eaves, who was not among the high-ranking officials, suddenly spoke.

"Keep talking!" Nobunaga immediately pointed at Hanawa Naomasa and even walked several steps forward, passing the family elders.

“Logically speaking, in order to stabilize Jiangnan and continue to suppress the Rokkaku rebels, my lord needs at least ten thousand men. After marching on Kyoto, you can stay behind to guard the capital, control the pass, the tsukyo, the palace, and the palace, which will give you another ten thousand men.” Encouraged by Nobunaga, Hanawa Naomasa’s voice became louder.

"When they advance on Katsuryuji Castle, they will only have 30,000 men. At that time, the Miyoshi gang will join forces to launch a fierce attack, and the outcome will be reversed."

“Hiss…” Nobunaga stood there, pondering the possibility of Hanawa Naomasa’s claim.

At this moment, Shichibei was standing at Nobunaga's feet. Nobunaga was standing, and Shichibei was sitting. Guess what? Shichibei noticed that Nobunaga's toenails were quite clean; this man seemed to be quite hygienic. Most of the lower-ranking samurai we've seen before, who wore straw sandals year-round, usually had dirty feet.

However, now is not the time to observe toenails; Hanawa Naomasa is the future Harada Naomasa. Harada Naomasa fought too hard at the Ishiyama Honganji Temple, losing most of his clan's generals and samurai, and was the one who was stripped of all his titles after his death.

As a member of Nobunaga's Akamori clan, he competed with more than 20 colleagues. He had hundreds of thousands of stones and was the guardian of two countries, while Maeda Toshiie only had 30,000 stones in his mansion.

When it comes to getting ahead, this guy is quite quick to do so.

The key point is that Nobunaga has not yet started to help him build a samurai group. Even Hideyoshi, after Sunomata Castle was built, became the second of the various parties in western Mino, and received support from the Hachisuka Party and the Tsubouchi Party.

Just after pacifying Hunan, Shibata Katsuie captured Gamo Kenhide, Sakuma Nobumori captured Kondo Kenmori, Shichibei captured Aochi Shigetsuna, but Hanawa Naomasa had nothing at all.

Could it be that he gained Nobunaga's attention because of this sudden speech?

"Moreover, our army has been out in battle for twenty days, and the amount of food and money we have consumed is countless. After entering the mountain city, resupply will be even more difficult." Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hana Naomasa said everything he wanted to say at once.

Although Yamashiro and Omi were prosperous, Nobunaga had just settled there and could not exploit the peasants on a large scale. Collecting rice taxes was exploiting the landlords and samurai lords, and the landlords, with their large wealth and power, were unlikely to revolt. The peasants were not afraid, just as those who were barefoot were not afraid of those who wore shoes. If they were to collect rice in the middle of summer, it would be a disaster if the people did not revolt.

The only way to obtain food supplies is to buy them, and the current price of rice is 800 sen per shi (a unit of dry measure), or even higher. With an army of 60,000 men consuming countless rations daily, how much money does Nobunaga have to burn?

The Miyoshi Triumvirate could even gamble that Nobunaga would only enter Kyoto and deliver Ashikaga Yoshiaki to his post, thus settling the score. They would then leave only ten thousand troops to guard the capital, while the rest of the army would withdraw.

Wouldn't the balance of power immediately shift?

The Miyoshi Triumvirate, who were temporarily scattered but still had their strength intact, could immediately launch another attack, kill Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and take down Nobunaga's more than 10,000 troops left in Kyoto and the vicinity of Yamashiro.

At that point, Nobunaga would be stuck in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. The initiative would immediately shift to the Miyoshi Triumvirate, and the Imperial Court would once again fall under their control.

Although it may not be perfect, it's not far off!

While listening quietly to Hanawa Naomasa's boastful remarks, Shichibei realized that his guesses actually overlapped quite a bit with subsequent historical developments. This made Shichibei subconsciously take another serious look at Hanawa Naomasa. Sure enough, there are always talented people; what's lacking is a platform or opportunity for them to showcase their abilities.

When given the opportunity to shine, gold can truly radiate its brilliance. It's a world of difference compared to when it was hidden behind a tattered rag.

"Kurozaemon, I order you to take the initiative with Quanliu and Sanzuo!" Nobunaga clapped his folding fan and issued the order immediately.

"Heh heh!" Hanawa Naomasa crawled several steps on his knees as if flying, and came to the corridor to receive Nobunaga's orders.

Shibata Katsuie and Mori Yoshinari each commanded large armies of several thousand men, while Hanawa Naomasa certainly didn't have that many. However, Nobunaga could temporarily entrust him with the command of his other units, such as the Moi-shu and Shigaru-shu.

Just like when Nobunaga attacked Inuyama Castle, he ordered Hideyoshi to cross the Kiso River and go out to fight and block the enemy, giving him thirty foot soldiers.

Nobunaga's direct forces now exceed 15,000, and the vast majority of them are combat-ready. Moreover, he has just incorporated more than 6,000 men from the Rokkaku clan, and he is willing to let Hanawa Naomasa try them all out.

They're just foot soldiers and miscellaneous troops. As long as Yongle has the money, there are plenty of able-bodied men to recruit. Raise the recruitment flag, and people will naturally come to eat. The principle is the same throughout history and across the world.

The plan has been decided, and the entire army will head straight for Dajin.

As an "autonomous city" authorized by the Muromachi Shogunate, Ōtsu knelt down smoothly before Nobunaga and waited for Ashikaga Yoshiaki to issue a document after his succession, and then began to collect arrows from Nobunaga.

An excited Yoshiaki also rushed to Tofukuji Temple in the eastern part of the mountain, setting foot on the land of Yamashiro Province. Nobunaga's main camp was moved from Kannonji Castle to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and he began to dispatch a large number of people to investigate whether there might be any Miyoshi ambush troops in Yamashiro.

Adopting Hanawa Naomasa's approach does not preclude Nobunaga from being cautious.

Furthermore, the imperial court has yet to successfully persuade Ashikaga Yoshihide to resign as shogun, which presents a difficult situation. Oda's old friend, Yamashina Tokitsugu, personally traveled from Kyoto to meet with Nobunaga and discuss the matter.

On the one hand, Nobunaga requested the imperial court to continue to urge them, and on the other hand, he also dispatched Matsui Tomokazu, the right-hand scribe who had previously been in contact with Ashikaga Yoshihide, and Wada Koremasa to pay a direct visit to Ashikaga Yoshihide.

After all, Ashikaga Yoshiei's status is indeed noble, especially in a place like Kinai where the atmosphere of the old feudal power is strong. Nobunaga probably meant to honor Ashikaga Yoshiei as the Ogosho, and did not deny the fact that he had served as a shogun.

Furthermore, any territory of 50,000 koku can be allocated to Ashikaga Yoshihide as his retirement fund. All that's needed is for Ashikaga Yoshihide to submit his resignation and lead the way in supporting Ashikaga Yoshiaki's succession.

Everything is fine now that Nobunaga hasn't entered Kyoto yet, but once he does, these conditions won't be the same. Furthermore, if Ashikaga Yoshihide becomes the Grand Master, at least one thing is clear: his sons will also have legitimate status and legitimacy.

Fortune changes every thirty years. Let's give Yi Rong some hope. He may not have many more days as a general, but his sons might have a chance to rise again. Who knows when the Warring States period will end? Who knows who might suddenly appear and be chosen as emperor?

139. Although Shangluo was completed, it was still one section short.

"Oh? The Bozhou government seems quite interested?"

Shichibei continued to build pontoon bridges across the Uji River as usual, ensuring the passage of Nobunaga's army of over 60,000. Since the Miyoshi army did not intercept Nobunaga at the Uji River, Nobunaga had to move his troops westward.

"Yes, yes." Matsui Tomokan nodded repeatedly, obviously happy because he had accomplished a great thing and was able to gain favor in front of Nobunaga.

Matsui Yukan traveled to Sakai via the Uji River and Yodo River. The so-called Uji River originates from Lake Biwa. The first section is called the Seta River, the middle section is called the Uji River, and the lower section is called the Yodo River.

The Setagawa River is the one where Shingen famously cried out, "I see my flag planted on the Seta Bridge!" when he died. It's similar to the last major obstacle before entering Kyoto, much like Nobunaga's prediction that the Miyoshi army would block his way at the Uji River. Both believed that once they crossed this river, the road to Kyoto would be smooth sailing.

(The same river is called the Xin'an River in its upper reaches, the Fuchun River in its middle reaches, and the Qiantang River in its lower reaches. For people outside the local area, this naming system is really incomprehensible. Why can't it be unified under one name? Perhaps there's some special reason? Could those of you who study water conservancy or geography explain?)

"Is the Bozhou government preparing to march to Kyoto?" Shichibei asked thoughtfully.

Historically, Ashikaga Yoshihide apparently died suddenly from a carbuncle a few months later, but the exact circumstances are unclear. Records from that time are scarce, and many conspiracy theories abound.

"We are trying to escape from Sakai with the help of the Sakai people and Matsunaga Michiyoshi." Matsui Yukan abandoned his boat on the Uji River and walked ashore to Kiyomizu-dera Temple to report to Nobunaga, who was stationed there.

"That's true. The Miyoshi gang is all terrified right now, so they might not have time to deal with him."

Although Matsui Tomokazu's historical reputation isn't great, because Shichibei introduced him to Nobunaga, he's still quite friendly towards Shichibei for now. He even nods and bows to Shichibei, appearing very affectionate.

As Shichibei's tea ceremony master, Shichibei also respected him quite a bit. After all, they were master and apprentice; if you're friendly, I'll naturally be friendly in return.

"It's mainly because the Otate-sama's military might is formidable." Matsui Yuzan saw that Wada Koremasa's ship had also docked and prepared to set off.

"That's true..." That's a good point.

A couple of days ago, Hanawa Naomasa analyzed why the Miyoshi Triumvirate didn't raise an army of 50,000 to fight Nobunaga. The main reason was that Nobunaga broke through the Rokkaku in a single day. That's so shocking, truly beyond words.

The Rokkaku clan—later generations might think, "They just defeated a daimyo, didn't they?" But the Rokkaku clan was a prestigious clan among prestigious clans, a powerful daimyo among powerful daimyo, that directly faced the Ashikaga shogunate of the Muromachi shogunate. The Rokkaku clan's defeat was no less shocking than the defeats of the Imagawa or Ōuchi clans.

Similarly, the Miyoshi Triumvirate were shocked, let alone Ashikaga Yoshisaka? These natural-born political animals may be dull in other ways, but they are truly masters at manipulating politics.

Clearly, Ashikaga Yoshihide realized that Nobunaga's military power was at its peak, and no force could stop him from marching on Kyoto. Therefore, he decided to take advantage of the current situation, while he could still fetch a good price, to secure a suitable offer for himself.

When Nobunaga falls from power, Yoshie can always make a comeback.

Could Yoshioki Ouchi, the powerful ruler of Kyoto decades ago, have known that the Ouchi family would be completely wiped out now? It seems that Yoshioki Ouchi could never have imagined that his family's rise and fall would be so sudden.

At this moment, Wada Koremasa also disembarked from the ship and saw Shichibei and Matsui Tomokazu chatting on the shore, so he came over to greet them. Like Matsui Tomokazu, Wada Koremasa also had a look of joy on his face. He had finally completed the task assigned to him by Nobunaga and Yoshiaki, and was naturally happy.

Accompanied by more than ten attendants, the two changed horses at Shichibei's place and immediately set off for Kiyomizu-dera Temple. It would take at least an hour to ride, but working for Nobunaga meant constantly on the go.

However, according to Matsui Tomokazu, this would change the course of history. Nobunaga would then hold two powerful shoguns in his hands: the current shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and the lord Ashikaga Yoshihide.

Even if Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Nobunaga turn against each other in the future, and Nobunaga launches the so-called Nobunaga encirclement, Nobunaga can raise the banner of Ashikaga Yoshihide's legitimacy, let Yoshihide return to the position of shogun, and then issue an edict declaring that Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin and others are all traitors.