Owari Yumeki Golden Day

Hojo Ujiyasu also sent his family's diplomatic monks to Kyoto to present horses and hawks to both Yoshiaki and Nobunaga. The purpose was naturally to gain the approval of the Kyoto court and the shogunate, and to show it to the Kanto psoriasis.

You are Bando Hachiya-gata, and I am Oda Shinya-gata.

Kanto is a place with a strong atmosphere of the old samurai clan, otherwise the Hojo clan wouldn't have needed to pretend to be the Hojo clan. They just wanted to find a name that looked legitimate and gain the legal right to enter and exit Kanto.

A diplomatic monk from the Hojo family came before him, and Shichibei heard Nobunaga mutter in private, "Why are they sending another eagle?"

In just the past few days, or perhaps just over half a month, Nobunaga has received over fifty falcons of various kinds. While Nobunaga did participate in falconry and was not averse to this "refined hobby" of samurai daimyo, with over fifty falcons sent to him at once, Nobunaga didn't even have the resources to raise them.

Originally, he'd said he'd just give it to Shichibei and have him calculate the price. Shichibei repeatedly declined, finally turning it down. A large, carved white bronze basin might fetch a good price, but a falcon might not. As the old saying goes, a fortune doesn't count if it's furry. Not to mention that a falcon has fur too, Shichibei couldn't possibly handle it.

In later times, at the gate of Osaka Castle Park in Japan near the Yomiuri TV station, there were two Japanese old men walking hawks. It was considered a tourist attraction. Unfortunately, it was impossible for people to see the hawks catching rabbits and pheasants in the tourist attractions in the city.

Tourists would at most take a photo together and then go on a boat tour of the Osaka Castle moat. I wonder if those two falcons would become stupid standing at the gate every day.

Let’s go back to Nobunaga’s re-establishment of the Yagata system. Ieyasu Tokugawa, who had already received the Yagata system, had just been seen. If he fled back to Mikawa, the Oda family’s military mobilization would be about to begin.

Having a reference would make it easier for So Kotaro, Kuwayama Shigekatsu and the others to understand. They discussed the matter of the iron cannon again. It was already dark, so they ate and slept.

The next day, they had to follow Nobunaga's instructions and deliver cannons, gunpowder, lead ingots, and other military supplies to Odani and Okazaki Castles. This time, Nobunaga's main force was deployed, but due to the sudden separation of soldiers and farmers, there was a slight shortage of troops. Not only did he have to recruit Tokugawa Ieyasu, but Asai Nagamasa was also required to go out.

If he wanted to take his two younger brothers out, he would have to show some support in the form of money, food, and supplies. As the eldest brother, he would use both kindness and force.

After some calculations, we decided to give each of them 200 iron cannons and some other supplies. Asai Nagamasa's was easy, they could just dispatch supplies from Kunitomo Village. As for Tokugawa Ieyasu, we'd have to send a ship from Sakaimachi.

Thanks to the fact that Ataka Nobuyasu of the Awaji Navy and Kuki Yoshitaka of the Shima Navy have all served under Nobunaga, the waterway from Sakai to Ise, Owari, and Totomi is now controlled by the Oda clan.

With the protection of the two large navies in front and behind, the return ships sent to the territories of Oda and Tokugawa would never again encounter the same tragedy that happened to Boss Ito.

Unlike in history, Nobunaga planned to go directly to Odani Castle to join Asai Nagamasa. In history, Nobunaga would take the left bank of Lake Biwa because, in addition to attacking Asakura Yoshikage, he also had to help Yoshiaki's nephew Takeda Motoaki return to Wakasa.

He attacked the pro-Asakura Muto clan and conquered the Wakasa territory. Of course, Nobunaga also had some selfish motives, such as taking control of Wakasa Obama and controlling the trade node of the Hokugawa trade.

At this moment, whether he was truly at odds with Yoshiaki, Yoshiaki had not explicitly stated his intention to reinstate Takeda Motoaki. Therefore, Nobunaga's primary military objective was to capture Ichijodani Castle directly.

As long as Ichijodani Castle was captured, or the two main armies of the Asakura clan - the Tsuruga clan and the Ōno clan - were annihilated, the Asakura clan would be like a candle in the wind, and might even collapse on its own.

Japan's Warring States period has evolved from the days when village chiefs fought each other to the current stage where tens of thousands of people fight and a single battle determines the fate of the entire nation.

So, Nobunaga decided to take the more convenient and shorter route to Odani Castle. He also had to bring his good brother-in-law along, so they could all go together to beat up Asakura Yoshikage.

"It's really strange that someone in Jiangbei is actually storing salt." Tsuchida Yoshikiyo and Ota Ushiichi, who rushed from Gifu to Kunitomo Village to dispatch cannons and send them to Odani, and then came back to report to Shichibei, saw Shichibei and began to report to him.

"It's normal. When a war is about to start, it's only natural for Lord Kodani to collect war horses, salt, and food." Shichibei didn't even raise his head after hearing this, but asked for Asai Nagamasa's receipt to look at.

Without a receipt from Asai Nagamasa, how could we prove that the 200 cannons were clearly delivered to the Asai family? At the end of the year, when we settled accounts with Oda Nobunaga, even if there were some gimmicks involved, such a large expenditure had to be clearly accounted for.

"But His Highness Odani seems to have prepared it a long time ago." Ota Ushiichi took out the receipt from Asai Nagamasa from his arms.

Last year, the Oda clan debated whether to attack Kitabatake, Asakura, or the Miyoshi Trio. Ultimately, they decided to attack Kitabatake, and the Asai clan sent reinforcements. With reinforcements, there would naturally be a military commander from the Asai clan.

When Asai Nagamasa learned that Nobunaga had preserved the Kitabatake clan and supported his son, he guessed that Nobunaga would continue to mobilize troops to conquer new territories this year to reward his retainers.

In this case, it is not surprising to start preparing in advance.

To be honest, Asai Nagamasa was known as the "Eagle of Hubei" not only because he was a tall, dark and strong man, but also because he was talented and knowledgeable.

"Isn't it Odani-dono?" Shichibei looked at the receipt, this time with some curiosity.

"Yeah, it can't be the Asakura family, right?" When Ota Gyu saw that there was no problem with the receipt, he sat down and picked up the cup to drink water.

"Hmm?" Strange...

In Kita-Omi, there's no tradition of salting fish. Instead, they use fermented rice bran and vinegar to pickle Lake Biwa fish. This pickling is said to be one of the origins of Japanese sushi, and it can indeed extend the shelf life of fish.

Many areas along the Seto Inland Sea are accustomed to making salted fish because the Seto Inland Sea is relatively calm and is one of the salt-producing areas.

Many other coastal areas also make smoked bonito flakes, which are dried bonito flakes that have been sharpened to resemble daggers. Some places call it bonito flakes, others call it katsuobushi. Anyway, it's the same thing.

Each region produces its own specialty products based on local conditions. They wouldn't bring salt all the way to their village to pickle fish. If you want salted fish, why not just buy it? The wealth on both sides of Lake Biwa means you can afford to buy some.

"What's wrong?" Tsuchida Yoshikiyo and Ota Ushiichi looked at Shichibei with some confusion.

"Oh, nothing." Shichibei waved his hand and sent the two away.

If someone were buying up salt for no apparent reason at the market, it certainly wasn't for salting fish. They were most likely hoarding it for future use. And there's no such thing as a buyout monopoly on salt in Japan, given that the country is surrounded by the sea, with only a few inland areas experiencing a shortage.

that……

Someone is going to lay siege to the city, so they stock up on salt and food in advance to prepare for a protracted war.

There was indeed such a possibility, but who would need to defend the city? Asai Nagamasa? He didn't need to hide his purchase of salt; he could just buy it openly.

I understand. They are Rokkaku Yoshihiko and Rokkaku Yoshiharu, father and son from Jiangnan.

Taking advantage of the fact that Nobunaga and even Asai Nagamasa's main forces were heading for Ichijodani Castle and then being held up by the Asakura army and unable to return, the two men raised an army in southern Omi, rebuilt some mountain castles, stockpiled food and military supplies, and attacked various parts of southern Omi.

The more he thought about it, the more certain it seemed. He quickly beckoned for Noda Sanbei, who had accompanied him to Kyoto on his errands. Ever since he'd brought him to the ranch, Noda Sanbei had been at his side, working diligently and effectively.

He was ordered to immediately go to the towns and villages of Minami-Omi and secretly investigate whether any of the Rokkaku clan's former allies were purchasing salt. If confirmed, he was to report back to Kyoto immediately.

Alternatively, if Shichibei and Nobunaga return to Gifu, they can report back. If confirmed, Nobunaga can also make early preparations. In the original dimension, it was Asai Nagamasa who rebelled, while in this dimension, it might be Rokkaku Yoshitaka who launched a counterattack.

Noda Sanbei immediately set out upon receiving the order, and he also agreed on a code with Shichibei. If he infiltrated Koga County to directly investigate the Rokkaku clan's movements and could not immediately return to Gifu, he would send someone to inform Shichibei with a code.

Oh wow, the young man can draw inferences from one example, very good.

After sending out the people, a few days later, Tokugawa Ieyasu also left Kyoto and returned to Okazaki and Hamamatsu to gather troops and prepare to participate in Nobunaga's Echizen strategy.

Nobunaga, Shichibei, and the others did not linger in Kyoto and rushed back to Gifu. No mobilization order was needed, as the retainers were already gathered. They only needed to gather the scattered samurai generals, their retainers, and standing ashigaru, and they could set off immediately.

As soon as Tokugawa Ieyasu arrived in Gifu with 5,000 men, Nobunaga set out, leaving all logistics to Shichibei, who would have to stay in Odani Castle for two days anyway, giving him plenty of time to catch up.

Noda Sanbei, who was investigating in Minami-Omi at the time, was completely baffled, as there was no news of any large-scale salt purchases by the towns in Minami-Omi. Only in Imahama Town in Kita-Omi did he learn that someone had indeed purchased a batch of salt.

191. Owari and the Three Rivers Compete for Merit

Nobunaga left behind one-fifth of his hatamoto and ashigaru troops as the defense of Gifu Castle, with Hayashi Hidetada assisting Oda Qimyoumaru in the main stronghold. Nobunaga set out first with four-fifths of his main force, approximately 10,000 standing troops.

He was accompanied by 5,000 men led by Ieyasu's younger brother from Mikawa. The rest of the tribes agreed to rendezvous at Odani Castle. Takigawa Ikmasu and Nagano Nobuhashi from Ise, for example, took the Ise Kaido to Omi and then headed north. Ikeda Katsumasa from Settsu and Matsunaga Hisahide from Yamato first joined Akechi Mitsuhide and the court officials in Kyoto before heading to Odani.

Shichibei's expedition was even slower because it was a long overseas expedition that would span two or three territories, so military rations and supplies had to be prepared in quantities sufficient for more than one month.

This time, with Asai Nagamasa, the total force was 35,000 cavalry, roughly the same level as the Asakura clan's full mobilization. However, the Asakura clan also had to guard against the Ikko-Ikki forces in Hokuriku, so it was actually impossible to send out all its forces to attack Nobunaga.

Furthermore, Nobunaga held the righteous cause as he was fighting for the Shogun to suppress the rebellious forces, so no one would dare to challenge him.

This is strange to talk about. Why? Before this, Shichibei discussed with Oda Nobuhiro and Kinoshita Hideyoshi to station troops in the seven gates of Kyoto to arrest those who have suspicious behavior and accents.

As a result, when Nobunaga arrived, he directly called on all the lords in the world to come to Kyoto to sit in a row and share the fruits. As a result, Kyoto was suddenly filled with travelers with accents from various countries, many of whom were envoys from the lords and daimyo, coming to pay homage to Nobunaga.

This directly made Hideyoshi hesitant and unable to capture various suspects. However, it was not without results. There were two people who resisted Hideyoshi's arrest with weapons.

According to the customs tax collector Nagamimoriguchi, the accent was that of Echizen.

Unfortunately, they resisted arrest with weapons, and in a flurry of hacking, two people were hacked to death, and no letters or other items were found on their bodies. In the end, we can only say that it is suspicious, but there is no solid evidence.

The matter was eventually reported to Nobunaga, who, upon hearing the Echizen accent, simply smiled, not expressing any outrage. Few people who could make it in Kyoto were truly foolish, so even if spies from the Asakura clan were entering Kyoto at this point, it was understandable. However, whether they were colluding with Yoshiaki remained to be investigated.

But Shinaga said there was no need to check. He was confident that he was about to send Asakura Yoshikage's entire family to heaven, so what else was there to check?

It's also floating.

Actually, that's true. Since there's no evidence and you still have suspicions, then the most effective way to resolve the issue once and for all is to physically destroy the suspect. After all, the dead can't plot anything, at least not right now.

So the matter was finally dropped. In addition to strengthening Oda Nobuhiro's army to 1,000 standing foot soldiers to assist in the defense of Nijo Palace, Nobunaga also summoned Hideyoshi to join him in the expedition to Ichijodani Castle with several hundred people.

Look, I’m going to kill Asakura Yoshikage’s entire family. How can you, Yoshiaki, continue to plot?

When Shichibei led a small caravan of more than 3,000 people to meet up at Odani Castle, he found that he was not too late, because Matsunaga Hisahide had just arrived and was being very friendly and drinking with Nobunaga.

Asai Nagamasa also brought Aichi out to welcome his brother-in-law. It was so hard to see Aichi again. Mashiro, Shichibei couldn't help but sigh once more.

Imagine a dark and fat Asai Nagamasa, pressed down on a small and white one at night...

No, no, no, I have to think of a number if I think about it again.

It's no wonder that Shibata Katsuie, at such an old age, with one leg about to step into the coffin, still wanted to marry Aichi. Aichi was indeed extraordinary.

This time Nagamasa was also going to lead the army. As the wife of a samurai, Aichi not only had to prepare rations for the soldiers for the first few days of the march, but also had to prepare external medicines for her husband's wounds, bandages for wrapping, and finally she had to see her husband off at the foot of the city.

Of course, this time was different, because he had to send his brother off to the war. Seeing his sister and Nagamasa getting along well and giving birth to children one after another, Nobunaga was very happy.

Even marriage alliances were unreliable these days, but it had to be said that it was the most reliable method of forming alliances during the treacherous Warring States Period in Japan. The fact that Nagamasa and Aichi were so harmonious at least showed that Nagamasa still wanted to get along with Nobunaga.

After counting the troops and distributing a certain amount of supplies, Nobunaga saw Shichibei's small porter team following, so he immediately called on his men to march out.

Ieyasu did ask whether any ambush personnel had been arranged to scout the borders of Omi, Echizen and Wakasa in advance to find out whether the Asakura clan had deployed their troops in advance.

Nobunaga waved his hand and said, "We're currently raising a standing army, while Ieyasu is bringing in the hatamoto soldiers who were drafted first. This has nothing to do with the farming season." Asakura Yoshikage didn't have the strength to do that, and if Nobunaga hadn't clearly threatened him, it would have been difficult to mobilize the people who were currently plowing to serve.

Assuming this, Yoshikage certainly wasn't on guard, and he might even be silently praying that Nobunaga wouldn't come.

Seeing his confident answer, Ieyasu chose to keep quiet. He was a man with a sharp eye, so how could he possibly spoil Nobunaga's mood in person? Besides, the troops Nobunaga brought with him this time were indeed elite and strong, all of them were standing troops. In Ieyasu's opinion, their combat effectiveness was definitely stronger than the Asakura army, which was mixed with farmers and soldiers.

There shouldn't be any big problems...

According to Nobunaga's plan, he would launch a direct assault on Tsuruga from Odani, striking down the Tsuruga clan, one of the two wings of the Asakura clan. After seizing Tsuruga's foothold, he would then attack Ichijodani with a small force heading to Wakasa to take over Obama.

Who goes first?

All the generals who had been silent at first suddenly jumped out. In Japan, the merit of taking a head is of course the most important, but the merit of taking a spear or a ride is also a great merit.

Everyone knew that attacking Asakura would increase their knowledge and behavior, so who wouldn't be enthusiastic? Samurai were already engaged in a bloody business, and Nobunaga loved the samurai who worked for him. If he wasn't enthusiastic now, when would he be enthusiastic?

Even Asai Nagamasa said that he was most familiar with the situation in the neighboring Tsuruga County, and that he should personally go into battle to seize a foothold for his brother-in-law.

Perhaps it was the flapping of the wings of history that Yoshiaki did not ask Nobunaga to assist Takeda Motoaki in his restoration. Instead, Nobunaga mainly valued trading ports such as Tsuruga and Obama. Therefore, some of Wakasa's territory could naturally be divided among Asai Nagamasa.

If you want me to risk my life for you, you have to give me some benefits.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had just asked the question, immediately jumped out and said that Nobunaga did not allow his younger brother Mikawa to make any merit when attacking Okouchi Castle, nor did he allow his younger brother Mikawa to make any merit when attacking Rokkaku clan. Instead, he rewarded and treated him well many times.

If Ieyasu doesn't achieve merit now, he'll be ashamed to serve Nobunaga. I'm going to go out and commit suicide right now!

Wow!

Wow wow wow wow!

Seeing him make such a statement, even Asai Nagamasa was stunned. This man was going too far to show his loyalty. But such a thing is indeed not impossible. Date Masamune led his troops to participate in the Battle of Osaka, and Goto Nobuyasu, a senior official of the family, found that he was not among the list of soldiers.

Thinking his chance to make a name for himself had been lost, Goto Nobuyasu rode his horse to the top of Sendai Castle's walls and pleaded with Masamune to take him with him. Masamune refused. Then what happened? He then charged down the wall and committed suicide by jumping from the building.

Tut tut...

What else can we say? The first general to take the lead is definitely Tokugawa Ieyasu. Is there anyone who can compete with him?

"Mikawa-no-kami is really, really..." Hideyoshi just wanted to show his loyalty, but he found that his level of loyalty was still weak, far weaker than Tokugawa Ieyasu.

"What? Are you not convinced?" Shichibei was the only warrior in the tent who did not seek credit and just watched the whole process.

"I have to admit defeat." Hideyoshi opened his mouth, perhaps wanting to say something to refute, but after thinking hard, he found that he had no good reason.

"Yeah, you only have a few hundred people, so just save some time this time." Shichibei could understand Hideyoshi's desperate desire to make a contribution. Hideyoshi was just a worker chosen by God.

The last time I fought Ohkouchi, I rushed so far forward that I almost lost both eggs.

"Hmm..." Hideyoshi scratched his bald head and sighed.

Since we have chosen to take the lead, let's set off. There is nothing more to say. Tokugawa Ieyasu asked Asai Nagamasa for a few guides and took the lead.

Odani is very close to Tsuruga. Even with the current level of Japanese roads, it only takes a day's journey at most. It's just that the mountains make the journey a little more difficult.

By the way, about two hours’ walk north of Xiaogu is Jianzhidake.

There were no castles or beacon towers built in this area, and the Asai clan hadn't deployed any defenses. Who could have imagined that the otherworldly Kanegasaki would become one of the most important battlefields in Hideyoshi's unification of the world?

Shichibei originally wanted to pay his respects locally, but Maeda Toshiie, you ran well.

Unfortunately, Shichibei wasn't in charge of the army. Tokugawa Ieyasu, eager to gain merit, rushed into Echizen. Asakura Kagetsune, defending Tsuruga County, seemed determined to defend his castle to the death.

Of course, a certain number of troops were also deployed in several important branch cities around. For example, Tentsuzan Castle was surrounded by 1,300 people led by Terada Sainomasa.

After Nobunaga initially deployed his forces at Myokenji Temple (Nichiren sect), he ordered Tokugawa Ieyasu to lead 5,000 cavalrymen to attack Kanezaki, the main attack. He also ordered Shibata Katsuie to lead the Owari people to attack Tentsusan Castle.

Oh?

Then Shichibei saw Yamanouchi Iktoyo and more than a hundred other foot soldiers launching a fierce attack on Tentsuzan Castle under the cover of cannons and bows and arrows?

No, how did Shibata Katsuie pull Yamauchi Kazutoyo up there? He looked again and saw that it wasn't just his team charging forward; Mao Shouzhaochang and his son were also charging forward.

I heard Shibata Katsuie encouraging the Owari generals, saying that we Owari men must not be outdone by the Mikawa men. It looked like you guys couldn't do it, so I went in myself.

192. Breaking the Tsuruga County (Zhu Xiucai's Three-Jin Crown) in One Day