Owari Yumeki Golden Day

It took less than seven days to go back and forth.

"Something big has happened, boss." Jialai was a man of some knowledge. He did not say anything big in public, but pulled Shichibei behind the haystack.

"What's so mysterious?" The weather was already hot, and it was especially hot inside the haystack.

"A major change occurred in Luoyang, and the kofun was murdered by the Miyoshi Three and Matsunaga Uemon!" Ieki said this with trembling voice.

"Boom!" A word suddenly popped up in Shichibei's mind - Eiroku's treason.

Regardless of the few rotten nails left in the wreckage of the Muromachi shogunate, there was no doubt that Ashikaga Yoshiteru was still the shogun recognized by the whole world. Look at what Date Terumune was called, and then look at what Mori Terumoto was called. Such powerful and famous family heads acknowledged Ashikaga Yoshiteru's position as shogun for the sake of face.

As the highest lord of all the samurai families in Japan, the assassination of Ashikaga Yoshiteru was a rebellion as great as the collapse of heaven and earth.

"Come with me!" Qibingwei grabbed Jialai's hand and pulled him onto the horse.

One man, one horse, they rushed towards Komakiyama Castle at full speed, not caring about collisions. The guard at the gate already knew Shichibei from having inspected the land there and accepted reports. If it were anyone else, they would have stabbed him with a spear, piercing Shichibei through first.

The person on duty today is Nobunaga's other centurion foot soldier, Hisamatsu Nobutoshi. You may not be familiar with him, but his family is the Hisamatsu Matsudaira family of the future Edo Shogunate.

Well, to repeat the old saying, the samurai of Owari Mikawa's generation were basically 100% "slaves of three surnames", so there is no need to brag about being the most loyal and righteous person in ancient and modern times.

Grabbing Hisamatsu Nobutoshi's sleeve, Shichibei shouted that there was something earth-shattering that had to be reported to Nobunaga immediately and there could be no delay.

Needless to say, Hisamatsu Nobutoshi was skeptical. After all, what big news could a horse grass seller from the city have to report? But after all, Shichibei was the owner of 260 kan, so he still had to report what he had to report.

So he called a servant and went into the city to ask Nobunaga's close aide, Sasaki Narimasa, if Nobunaga was free to see Shichibei. In vain, Shichibei was left pacing in circles at the city gate, feeling anxious.

After waiting for at least twenty minutes, the attendant finally emerged, saying Nobunaga could see Shichibei. Shichibei dragged Iekai into the castle, but Hisamatsu Nobutoshi stopped them. "Nobunaga can see you, but not your retainers," he said.

Oh, formalism is killing people.

With no other choice, Shichibei rushed into the castle first. He then discovered Nobunaga was practicing archery, not really paying attention to what Shichibei was up to. Even when Shichibei reached the shooting range, he didn't ask.

Because Shichibei was a hereditary retainer, his sword was taken away at the door, and several of Nobunaga's attendants ignored Shichibei. Shichibei saw that Nobunaga still had time to play with the arrow's feathers, so he rushed forward and knocked the arrow down.

Nobunaga immediately looked at Shichibei in disbelief, and the attendants on his left and right shouted that he was rude and wanted to come up and capture Shichibei.

"My lord, there was a great change in Luoyang. The prince was killed by the evildoers four days ago!" Shichibei immediately met Nobunaga's gaze and reported it to him loudly.

"What!" Nobunaga, who was still confused, dropped the bow and grabbed Shichibei's collar.

"The Kubo was murdered by the Miyoshi Three and Matsunaga Uemon four days ago." Shichibei repeated it, adding a subject.

"Where did the news come from?" Nobunaga's eyes moved rapidly and his expression changed again and again.

Killing a general, and killing a general in the capital Luoyang, how evil is this? There is nothing worse than this in the world.

"My family is from Sakai Town."

"What about people?"

"It's just outside the city."

Nobunaga broke into a run, shirtless, dragging Shichibei along with him. He knew Shichibei, but he didn't know his family. The attendants on his left and right heard a few words, but before they could react, they saw Nobunaga and Shichibei "elope."

There was no choice but for the group to follow immediately.

Shichibei felt like his lungs were about to burst, but Nobunaga's breathing was only slightly disordered. This guy really has some skills. His soles are so good, he is worthy of being one of the three heroes of the Warring States Period.

When he arrived at the door, he saw the house that Shichibei pointed to and went up to ask what had happened in Kyoto and what news he had learned from Sakaimachi. He told them everything, no matter how big or small.

Ieki never thought it was Nobunaga, but he was overwhelmed by Nobunaga's aura. Fortunately, he had seen enough of the world to be able to speak without being mute. He then told Nobunaga all the news he had learned in Sakaimachi.

Nobunaga's brows widened as he listened.

"Really, really, really..." Nobunaga thought to himself that he would never dare to kill the general. Exile was already the limit. He never expected that there would be such a vicious person in this day and age.

38. One cake is worth five hundred coins

The drums on Komakiyama Castle were beating loudly, and all the important officials and generals of the Oda family knew that this was Oda Nobunaga gathering his retainers. All the important officials had to put down everything they were doing and rush to the castle to pay their respects to Nobunaga.

Some even hurriedly put on their armor. After all, just because Oda Nobunaga didn't send troops to attack Saito Tatsuoki after the summer harvest didn't mean Saito Tatsuoki couldn't attack Nobunaga. Perhaps Tatsuoki had already crossed the Nagara River and was heading towards the Kiso River, requiring immediate action.

One after another, samurai generals swarmed to the gates of Komakiyama Castle. To their amazement, Nobunaga, shirtless, was questioning a seemingly lowly samurai at the gates.

Those who were holding horses and those who were unsheathing swords gathered around Nobunaga. Nobunaga's brother Nobuhiro even grabbed the young man and asked what had happened.

The Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru, was assassinated!

Just like Shichibei had been when he heard the news, the important retainers and family elders were also horrified. All the generals in the world had been murdered. The world was about to change drastically.

After Nobunaga finished asking questions, he did not enter the city. He looked around and found that the generals had already arrived. He then sat directly on the bow rack and asked the important ministers what they thought.

Now that the Shogun has been assassinated, the situation in Kyoto is bound to change. Who will be the next Shogun, and who will support him, is even more important.

The person who supports the shogun will become the ruler of the world, with the power to suppress rebellion and mediate disputes between samurai. The Sasaki clan, the former master of the Oda clan, once wielded such power.

Owari is not far from Kyoto, only a hundred kilometers away in a straight line, so Nobunaga certainly had some concerns about it.

Mori Kanari, the first to arrive, immediately declared that, regardless of anything else, the most urgent task was to dispatch personnel to Kyoto to reconfirm the information and gather more concrete details. Nobunaga nodded immediately, confirming the matter. Shichibei certainly wouldn't joke about such a matter, but confirming the information was essential.

Nobunaga pointed casually and saw Kinoshita Tokichiro standing a little further away. He immediately ordered Tokichiro to take his men to the vicinity of Kyoto and return quickly to gather information.

Kinoshita Tokichiro was not actually qualified to attend the meeting, but he was the head of a hundred foot soldiers. If there was a battle, he would immediately be ready to go into battle. He appeared at the city gate to understand the situation. He was immediately called upon by Nobunaga.

Turn around and leave. Fujiyoshiro now carries out Nobunaga's orders without reservation.

On the other side, Sakuma Nobumori spoke up. It's unknown if the shogun's legitimate son is still alive. Assuming he's also deceased, we need to keep a close eye on Asai Prefecture in Hokkaido, Echizen Asakura, and Wakasa Takeda, especially Echizen Asakura.

Since it was the Miyoshi Three who murdered the shogun, and the Hatakeyama family had already declined at this time, in order to revive the shogunate, the shogun's brothers who were qualified to succeed the shogun would definitely run to Rokkaku and Asakura.

We have no way of inquiring about the Rokkaku clan for now, but Asakura has a solution. If we can't support a general, at least we can give him money, or send him retainers and soldiers to ensure his safety and win his favor.

Let's think more optimistically. Maybe the general will escape to Hubei and we can stop him.

Yoshiteru had many younger brothers, including Ichijoin Kakuei, Rokuinen Shuho, and Hokyōin Rigen. It was customary for the Shogun's family to have the eldest son succeed the Shogun, while the other children were sent out to become monks to prevent sibling rivalry. Being sent out to become a monk, in some circumstances, meant that one was no longer considered an "ordinary person" but rather a being who served the gods.

If there is a general or successor, it is legally untenable to try to compete for the throne as a monk.

Returning to secular life, or even inheriting another family, is another matter entirely.

Nobunaga nodded and sent people to Odani Castle to visit Aichi and give her Owari specialties. At the same time, he sent people to Kinai to find and learn about the other descendants of the former shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu.

At this time, Nobunaga and his companions were unaware that the Miyoshi trio dared to commit such a heinous act of murdering the shogun because they had Ashikaga Yoshiei, their great treasure. Ashikaga Yoshiei was the son of Ashikaga Yoshine, and Ashikaga Yoshine and Ashikaga Yoshiharu were brothers.

If Ashikaga Yoshiharu died without an heir, Ashikaga Yoshiei would have the right of succession. Otherwise, his right of succession would have been behind that of many monks.

After saying these two things, Oda Nobunaga took the initiative to speak, saying that he had another matter to attend to immediately. Everyone around him listened attentively, thinking that if one of Ashikaga Yoshiteru's brothers sent a letter to Nobunaga asking for his assistance in going to Kyoto, then he would help him to the end.

Now we have to send someone to Kyoto to build connections in the court for this candidate and see if there is any way to get him the official position of Left Horse-Headmaster, lower than the Fifth Rank.

Some people choose to remain unchanged in the face of ever-changing circumstances, but Nobunaga and his retainers are not like that. They choose to adapt to the circumstances and make all preparations to be on the safe side.

If they could establish a shogun, they would have a legitimate reason to attack Mino, using the pretext of opening a route to Kyoto as an excuse to win over the local nobles. Don't underestimate the shogun's power; until a few years ago, Mino was still sending craftsmen to Kyoto for labor service, and even assisted the shogunate in temporarily collecting Tobetsu money in Mino.

As to whether there is a 50-50 split or a 60-40 split, we don't know. We have to ask Isshiki Yoshiryu who has already kicked his legs and spread his hands.

The atmosphere of authority of the old shogunate is still very strong in Mino.

Saito Dosan's legal basis for rule came from the Saito clan, the guardian of Mino. Isshiki Yoshitatsu further became a formal member of the Ashikaga clan. Not only did he obtain the title of Kyōshō no daifu, which was only possible for a powerful guardian daimyo, but he also participated in the shogunate's political affairs to a certain extent with the rank of one of the three governors and four positions of the shogunate.

By now, Saito Tatsuoki had distanced himself from the old authority of the shogunate, a sign of a lack of political wisdom. He might be brave, but when it came to political balancing, he was far inferior to both his father and grandfather.

A group of people discussed in a mess in the open space at the city gate for at least half an hour, and their unanimous opinion was that the Oda family could not stand by and watch this matter. No matter whether it was a puddle or an oil pan, they had to try it themselves.

After the plan was finalized, messengers were sent to all directions in an endless stream, and spies were also sent in droves.

At this moment, Nobunaga realized that Shichibei was still kneeling beside him. After thinking for a while, Nobunaga said that the message was delivered very timely. If you need to deliver a message to the city in the future, you can report it directly to Sassa Narimasa or Maeda Toshiie and others, and there is no need to wait at the city gate for a long time.

Nobunaga also felt all over his body and found that he had nothing to reward Shichibei. He happened to see the young man following behind holding his bow, so he took the bow and gave it to Shichibei.

It's useless. Shichibei can't shoot arrows.

After thanking him, Nobunaga didn't let Shichibei leave immediately. Instead, he ordered him to send someone to Sakaimachi. Sakaimachi was now controlled by the Miyoshi Three, and perhaps there were other developments. He would send someone back regularly to report any important information. If they could find out, he would reward them handsomely.

Understand, understand, obey.

It was almost dark when the matter was finally concluded. Shichibei followed Jialai and slowly walked back on his horse. Ahead were all the Oda clan's magistrates, senior retainers, and generals. They had blocked the road, and even if we wanted to ride fast, we couldn't.

However, Sakuma Nobumori fell behind and told Shichibei that if he found out any news, he should be sure to tell him so that he would not be too late to respond.

Besides, if he was told that, there would be someone to assist Shichibei in Nobunaga's presence.

Back in his makeshift cabin, Shichibei lay on his makeshift bed on the straw bale and thought, after what happened, Nobunaga probably wouldn't attack Mino this year. Perhaps Saito Tatsuoki would receive a letter from one of the shogun's successors, requesting assistance in the march to Kyoto. If Nobunaga attacked Mino now, it would only give him something to criticize.

If you think about it carefully, Nobunaga set fire to Mount Hiei because it housed the defeated troops of Asakura and Asai. He massacred Nagashima because the Nagashima people not only refused to surrender, but also attacked and killed a large number of Oda clan members, including Nobunaga's brother Nobuhiro.

Nobunaga always seemed to have legitimate and reasonable reasons for doing "evil things". You killed my brother, so I let you be buried with him. It is only right and proper.

Blood revenge is a universal principle throughout the world.

After lying down for a while, his stomach started to growl. He had been so busy this afternoon, so he must be hungry. Shichibei jumped up and found that the man was still sitting in front of him.

Oops... I forgot to claim reimbursement for travel expenses.

Damn it! A boss who doesn’t reimburse is a beast.

Inwardly cursing himself for being a capitalist without a sweat, Shichibei quickly opened his small purse and inquired about Ieki's spending. He also brought back news that Nobunaga had rewarded Shichibei with a Japanese bow, worth at least two or three kan. Half of that sum was to be given to Ieki.

"By the way, have you asked about the price of safflower cakes?" The general was killed, that was the business of samurai like Oda Nobunaga. Shichibei sent people to Sakaimachi to find out the price of safflower cakes.

"I've asked around, and I've found out that Mr. Tsuda, the big boss of Tennoji-ya, has a letter for you." Jialai stuffed the small gold coin in his hand into his collar, and took out a letter from his sleeve.

Well, after Shichibei unfolded the letter, Jialai happily took out the small gold coin and rubbed it repeatedly in his hand. He was a simple man, and his emotions were reflected on his face.

"Did Boss Tsuda say anything else?" Shichibei opened the envelope and found no sealing wax.

"He said it was all in the letter, and he was very happy when he handed the letter to me." Seeing that Qibingwei had finished asking all his questions, the man stuffed the gold coins into his collar again and got up to leave.

"Okay." Shichibei unfolded the letter and took a look.

In fact, the power that Tsuda Muneyoshi relied on at this time was the Miyoshi family, or the Miyoshi Three who held real power in the Miyoshi family, and were especially friendly with Miyoshi Masayasu.

As a businessman, after Nobunaga went to Kyoto, Tsuda Munekichi quickly turned to Nobunaga and was granted the old fiefdom of Sakainansho. His family also had a fortune of 3,000 koku, and during the reign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he was also one of Hideyoshi's imperial tea masters.

The letter was simple, consisting of two parts. The first congratulated Shichibei on becoming a member of the Tsushima Kaiheshu. He had already learned the news from the shipping merchant and hoped to have more contact and exchanges in the future. He also wished Shichibei further success in his horse-training business in Owari.

The latter part was about safflower mochi. He had already received two samples of safflower mochi. Japan itself also produces safflower mochi, with two main production areas: one in the Sogo Prefecture and the other on the border between Iga and Ise.

During the Edo period, the production area of ​​Soshu was destroyed due to the large-scale diversion of the Tone River. The production area of ​​Iga was more direct. Oda Nobuo killed, killed, and killed, and it was all over.

In addition, safflower production in Yamagata and Yonezawa began to increase in volume, and these two old production areas completely declined.

Tsuda Muneki was surprised to learn that safflower could now be produced in Owari Tsushima. He had tried samples of safflower cakes and found no problems. If Shichibei could provide a stable supply, he would sign a special contract with him.

This meant establishing a monopoly. He would purchase all of Shichibei's safflower cakes, regardless of production volume. Of course, the price was negotiable, as long as it was cheaper than importing from Ming.

So what's the price? One cake is worth five hundred silver coins.

Because the unit price was high, copper coins could no longer be used for transactions. Five silver coins were equivalent to five hundred coins.

Shichibei didn't know the price. If it were in Daiming, it would be expensive, quite expensive. But if it were in Japan, it would be a completely reasonable price.

In the ninth year of the Wanli reign, a cake of safflower could be sold in the capital for one and a half qian of silver. By the twenty-ninth year of the Wanli reign, it was worth four qian of silver. The reason for this is currently unknown.

Considering the general premium in Sino-Japanese trade and Japan's huge demand for Chinese dyes, the price of safflower in Japan should be at least two to three times the price in China.

Taking the average price during the Wanli period as three qian of silver per cake, the landed price in Japan should be at least six qian of silver per cake. Tsuda Muneki's quoted price of five qian of silver per cake is roughly equivalent to five qian of silver. At this price, one cannot actually buy safflower cakes in Japan.

What a pity, Shichibei doesn't understand anything at all.

Two mu of land yielded seventy loaves of bread, and that was just the first year of cultivation. Once the land was properly cultivated and matured, one mu might yield forty loaves of bread, which was about twenty strings of cash.

Oh my god, what's the point of farming? If I convert all 1,000 mu of land into safflower, wouldn't my annual income be 20,000 strings of cash?

Kenshin Uesugi’s annual income may not even be more than mine!

Fortunately, Shichibei wasn't some young, fresh-faced guy, so he wasn't fooled by the price. Not to mention the impossibility of increasing production on such a large scale in such a short period of time, Shichibei understood the importance of comparing prices.

After asking around at Tennoji-ya, I'll send someone to Ominato to inquire about prices. Kyoto should be an option, but there's a war going on there right now. It's probably not a good time to go. I can wait until the recent turmoil is over before I investigate.

39. Five Hundred Mu and the annexation of Kato

The safflower cake was a major event, worthy of Shichibei's special trip back to Tsushima. He could let his family handle the business around Komakiyama Castle; it was a regular business anyway, so Shichibei's absence wouldn't matter.

As soon as I returned to Tsushima, I heard the news that Ohashi Shigenaga, who had been ill since last year, had passed away, and the people of Tsushima had to rush to pay their respects.

Of course, Shichibei's fiancée was the daughter of a retainer of the Ohashi clan. Furthermore, since they were all serving under Nobunaga, they had to follow normal social etiquette.

Then I have to put the matter of Honghuadi aside for the time being and go to pay my respects today.

Nowadays, if a warrior died of illness, there wouldn't be all that much elaborate ceremony. A monk would come and chant some sutras, and then the body could be placed in an urn or a coffin. They would just take it to their own Bodhi temple, dig a hole, and bury it.

If someone died in battle, cremation was usually the method. These days, everyone knows that with so many casualties on the battlefield, even a little warm weather can easily lead to disease. Just burn it and forget it. If a head becomes a trophy, the enemy will either buy it back or place it in a cenotaph.