Owari Yumeki Golden Day

"Well, later on, my father took the two brothers from the Udono family and exchanged them for my mother and me."

“It’s been a tortuous experience.”

"It's just an ordinary family affair of the samurai family. However, the governor of Suruga did not kill my mother and me. He is indeed magnanimous." Nobuyasu sighed.

Yes, it may be for this reason that when Ieyasu besieged Kakegawa Castle, he promised to spare Imagawa Ujizane's life, and even gave him 500 koku of pension. When Ieyasu's rebellious intentions were obvious and he attacked the capital of Udono Nagashō in Higashi-Mikawa, Ujizane still spared the lives of Nobuyasu and his son. He was truly a magnanimous lord.

If it were someone else, after being betrayed like this by his former subordinates, he would have killed them all long ago.

"Don't you need to go up to the city wall, Lord?" Shichibei asked simply, you are getting married tomorrow, you should be talking about some important alliance matters with Sakuma Nobumori and Mizuno Nobumoto today, why are you still hanging out outside.

"I'm really impatient." Xinkang's answer was really refreshing. He was actually impatient about the national affairs of an allied country.

It can't be that the child's puberty or rebellious period has arrived early. But it was just the New Year, and he was only nine years old. How could he be in a rebellious period at the age of nine?

"Ah this."

"Well, since you're not from Mikawa anyway, I don't mind you knowing that (Ishikawa) Hoki-no-kami is always nagging about this knowledge and that story. It's far less enjoyable than riding a horse and flying hawks. If you have that time, you'd better practice martial arts diligently so that you can go into battle and share your father's worries."

“…”How do you want me to answer?

However, one of the main reasons Ishikawa Sukemasa, Tokugawa Nobuyasu's mentor, fled to Osaka was because his Nobuyasu shares had collapsed. He instantly lost his confidence within the Tokugawa military clique, and since Ieyasu had no other adult sons worth investing in, he decided to find another investor.

"Nothing to say? Oh, you're not a talkative person either." Nobuyasu curled his lips, thinking Shichibei was a fool.

"As the legitimate son of Mikawa no Kami, you don't actually need any martial arts skills. You just need to learn the principles of governing a country. As long as there is a salary and people know how to act, you can always recruit warriors with outstanding martial arts skills." Shichibei had no choice but to answer.

"Tsk, it turns out that you have the same argument as Hoki no Mori. You followers are all in the same boat." Nobuyasu clapped his hands, and there was no question of whether he should wash his hands clean or not. He ran away and disappeared.

It came mysteriously and left strangely.

But how can I describe it? Looking at Xin Kang before me, he looked like a warrior with strong limbs and a dull mind. He hadn't inherited his father's old fox spirit at all, and he wasn't even close to being a young fox.

Hearing what he said, Ishikawa Sukenshi also advised him to read more and learn the so-called "emperor's mind." As for martial arts, forget it.

By now, the Tokugawa family was considered the lord of most of Mikawa, barely joining the ranks of the Warring States daimyo. They no longer needed daimyo and their young masters to lead the charge. They only needed to be able to command and govern.

Building roads, constructing castles, and developing new farmland—all of these could be left to his subordinates. Would Nobunaga be able to handle these menial tasks? Perhaps not, but he could leave them to retainers like Shichibei.

Just explain it in a few words, pay the money, and you're done.

As for martial arts, it's great for a daimyo to have strong martial arts skills, but...

Look at Ashikaga Yoshiteru, known as the swordsman kōbō, who mastered the secrets of the Ichi-no-dachi sword. In terms of close-quarters spear and sword techniques, he was among the best in Japan. But no matter how good his skills were, what good was it? He was still killed by someone else.

Just now, Tokugawa Nobuyasu seemed to have a bit of a "stupid and straightforward" personality. I don't know if he was pretending or if it was really like that.

If he was faking it, then at the age of nine, he could act like this, so his future was definitely limitless. If he wasn't faking it, then Shichibei was hard to describe.

He might have been tricked by someone into colluding with the Takeda family, planning to take the Mikawa clan and the Okazaki clan with him and flee with Takeda. Then, they would join forces to attack his old father in Hamamatsu.

"What a 'straightforward' person." It was completely dark, and Shichibei had no light, so he could only grope his way back to the Mizuno family's residence in the dark.

The women in the family were still discussing the details of tomorrow's wedding with Princess Tokuhime. Meanwhile, Sakuma Nobumori had ascended the castle wall, likely planning something secret with Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Shichibei happened to have nothing to do, so he secretly observed Princess Tokuhime's teaching for a while before running back to his room. He began to think about the conversation he had just had with Tokugawa Nobuyasu, the waiter. At least the waiter didn't beat around the bush when he spoke.

77. How Nobunaga selected talents

As a representative of the Oda clan, Shichibei attended Tokugawa Nobuyasu's coming-of-age ceremony and his wedding to Princess Tokuhime. Everything was conducted according to normal samurai etiquette. Nobuyasu, who had been holding his bladder the previous night, held it tightly today, and went through the formalities in front of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the guests.

The person who combed his hair was Hiraiwa Shinkichi, who came from a small family of Ieyasu and was said to be highly trusted by Ieyasu.

But it was of little use. As the heir apparent of the Tokugawa family, the most trusted of the trusted, the daimyo Hiraiwa clan was extinct. In his early years, Hiraiwa Yoshikichi had an adopted son, Senchiyo, who died young, leaving no replacement. When Hiraiwa Yoshikichi died and the throne was abolished, no one thought was given to finding a decent successor for such an old retainer.

As for the reason? There are many different opinions, but it is definitely related to Xin Kang's early death. Xin Kang had two successors, one of whom ran away and the other was expelled from the government, and the results were not good.

In this way, the veteran retainers from Mikawa were divided into the West Mikawa group, the East Mikawa group, and the Hatamoto pioneers. Those who ultimately fared well were mainly concentrated in the Hatamoto pioneers. To put it bluntly, those who had always followed Ieyasu and remained in Mikawa were one level lower.

If Honda Tadakatsu and Sakakibara Yasumasa had not been included in the hatamoto pioneer service, their future treatment might not have been very good.

As expected, this is a society ruled by man. Leaders cannot even promote all the cadres in front of them, so how can they think of those cadres outside who work diligently and do not run around or give gifts?

The ceremony is completed.

Tokugawa Nobuyasu and Princess Tokuhime drank together, and with the blessings and approval of everyone, their wedding was officially completed. But while they were now living in harmony, had they ever imagined that they would fight each other in the future?

When the banquet began, the "dumbfounded" Nobuyasu finally had the chance to raise his wine dish and toast to Shichibei from afar. "Wow, little brother, you're toasting me." Shichibei quickly raised his glass as well, toasting to Nobuyasu from afar.

Yesterday you said I was boring to chat with, but today you are being polite.

Sakuma Nobumori, who was standing by, saw this and thought it was just a casual toast from Nobuyasu, so he didn't take it seriously and continued drinking with Tokugawa Ieyasu. By the way, let's talk about the secret discussion between the two elders.

As we all know, during the unification of Owari, which marked the beginning of Nobunaga's succession to the throne, the Battle of Okehazama, and the defeat of Inuyama Oda, Tokugawa Ieyasu rarely appeared in scenes. To put it bluntly, he did not send reinforcements or any other form of support to Nobunaga.

But now it’s different. In addition to the basic alliance between the two countries, Nobuyasu has also become Nobunaga’s son-in-law.

Becoming a son-in-law came at a price, and it wasn't small. Princess Tokuhime's dowry was a "reward" or "bribe" to the Tokugawa family.

After the Seino clan defected, Nobunaga would immediately launch a general attack on Inabayama Castle. By then, Tokugawa Ieyasu would have to send at least two to three thousand troops, not just three hundred or five hundred.

It would be best if we could get 5,000 people out.

After all, Ieyasu had already basically suppressed the non-Nobunaga territories in Mikawa and killed the Imagawa clan's bannerman Udono Nagateru in Mikawa. As the lord of the country, Ieyasu had an obligation to show his loyalty to Nobunaga.

Don’t brag about the “brotherhood alliance”. Nobunaga was notoriously cruel to his “brothers”.

A major reason Asai Nagamasa rebelled against Nobunaga was that Nobunaga repeatedly requested Asai Nagamasa's assistance in dealing with the ongoing wars in Kinai. After Nobunaga took control of Kyoto, established the Shogun, and began to set his sights on unifying the country, Asai Nagamasa, who was in Hubei, could only be exiled to Kyushu or Oshu, becoming a million-koku daimyo.

It was Nobunaga's consistent policy to constantly deplete and suppress the power of these vassals and subjects and eventually turn them into retainers.

In fact, by the end of Nobunaga's reign, Ieyasu had become the undisputed leader of Nobunaga's army. Even the security of his territory required Nobunaga's approval.

At that time, Tokugawa Ieyasu had become like Oda under Nobunaga's constant "training".

Now is just the beginning of the entire "training" process. As for when it will end? Qibingwei didn't see it in his previous life, but he can take a look in this life.

It's no wonder Nobunaga sent his daughter all the way to Kariya Castle, specifically to sleep on the same bed with Tokugawa Ieyasu. That previous night, she was probably vying for power with Ieyasu.

That night, Ieyasu must have surrendered under Nobunaga's fierce demands. This is why Sakuma Nobumori and Tokugawa Ieyasu now have a detailed discussion about the details of the military deployment and the composition of the military service.

As we said before, Ota Ujisuke was asked by Hojo Ujiyasu to have 1,000 soldiers from Arima to participate in the war. Nobunaga could also ask Ieyasu to have a certain number of cannons and archers.

It is said that during the Battle of Kanegasaki in history, Ieyasu gave all the cannons under his command to Hideyoshi, so that Hideyoshi could have sufficient firepower advantage.

This shows that when Nobunaga recruited the Tokugawa army to go into battle, he had certain requirements for the composition of the army. He would not let Tokugawa Ieyasu just randomly recruit some old, weak, sick and disabled people to fill the numbers.

Furthermore, the urgent need to discuss military service with Tokugawa Ieyasu was likely due to the fact that Andō Morinari's tactical work was nearing completion. The defection of the Seino clan was imminent.

So now Shichibei has another job, or another deal.

As mentioned earlier, Mikawa lacked a large-scale market, nor did it have any large commercial towns or temple and shrine gate towns. Much of the horse-carrying business in Mikawa relied on the support of the horse-carrying services of Atsuta Town.

Now that Tokugawa Ieyasu is about to send troops to Inabayama Castle, this is not a battle that can be fought by soldiers simply carrying lunch boxes or five or ten days' worth of dry food on their backs.

Assuming 3,000 men march from Okazaki to Inabayama, the siege would take ten to twenty days, not to mention food for the return trip. Wouldn't that require a hundred horses for either pack or cart transport?

Not only food needed to be transported to Inabayama, but also gunpowder, arrows, and the foot soldiers' armor and weapons all needed to be transported to Inabayama.

Even when Nobunaga arrived in Mino, he was responsible for feeding the Tokugawa army, so he didn't need to bring so much rice. However, for such a long march, sufficient transportation capacity was also necessary.

This is different from the previous war mode in Sanhe, where everyone put on armor and walked three to five kilometers to reach the battlefield.

Under the new model, new supporting construction is needed.

"So that Shichibei is indeed a shrewd businessman?" After receiving Nobuyasu's answer, Tokugawa Ieyasu did not find it surprising.

"You talk just like Hoki no Mamoru." Nobuyasu was still honest in front of his father.

"Hehe, he's not your tutor, why should he give me advice?" Tokugawa Ieyasu was just worried that Nobunaga was going to exploit his manpower.

"I just think he speaks in an old-fashioned way."

"How do you know he's saying what he's thinking?"

“…” Nobuyasu was only nine years old after all, and it was great that he could repeat the conversation with Shichibei to his father.

As for detailed thinking, diverging ideas, and further extensions, that's his father's job. His father will certainly teach him, but that's a process. Without three to five years of guidance, through words and deeds, the old fox can't bring the young fox up to speed.

"You go to Owari with the accountant and buy a horse from him." Ieyasu was not in a hurry. He was still young and had plenty of time to teach his son.

The previous Matsudaira Hirotada and Matsudaira Kiyoyasu were not necessarily short-lived, as they both died in assassinations and attacks. If they had not been killed, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu would still be alive and kicking at this point, based on the grandson's inference of his grandfather.

Among Ieyasu's sons, some were short-lived, while others lived quite long lives, such as Yuki Hideyasu, who was very healthy and strong when he was young, but eventually died of plum blossoms.

It's that Mei. It is said that his body shape was very exaggerated when he died, and his mother collapsed on the spot when she saw it.

Matsudaira Tadateru lived to be ninety-two years old. He was very much like his father, and even surpassed him.

"Buy a horse?" Xinkang was only nine years old after all, and he certainly didn't understand his old father's intention.

"When you go to Owari, you naturally have to go to Komakiyama to pay a visit to your father-in-law. It's a good opportunity to see the talents of Owari." Tokugawa Ieyasu had some affection for his legitimate son.

Even if it was an idiotic question, Tokugawa Ieyasu would certainly be happy to answer it. Besides, Nobuyasu's question wasn't a stupid one, so it was worth mentioning.

The story of Sunomata's overnight castle had spread across the country, instantly spreading Kinoshita Hideyoshi's deeds. Even the merchants and sarumaru musicians of the Kaido were singing the legend, and Shichibei, as a supporting character, had unwittingly gained a modicum of fame.

Upon hearing this story, Tokugawa Ieyasu was naturally curious and sent someone to inquire about it. The story of Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Kawamura Shichibei Nagakichi is even more legendary than a legend.

After months of preparation, one person was willing to pay, and the other was willing to work alone, they built a bridgehead in Seino for Nobunaga.

Having received the order to dispatch troops, Ieyasu certainly understood the importance of Sunomata, which was one of the important reasons why the Seino clan was willing to defect to Nobunaga. With Nobunaga's castle and army already at his doorstep, he naturally had to make a new choice.

How come such talented people appear one after another in such a small country like Owari?

Before this, Tokugawa Ieyasu hadn't been particularly impressed, but when the story of the Sunomata Castle was revealed, his curiosity truly piqued. While Hideki hadn't seen Shichibei, he had. He was known for his reserved and cautious responses. Nobunaga's attitude suggested that Shichibei was highly regarded.

The night before, Nobunaga had been talking with Ieyasu about this. If a seven-and-a-half-year-old child beats a five-and-a-half-year-old child to death, and everyone says the child is young and ignorant and doesn't understand that this is called murder, and is willing to compensate the family of the deceased for cremation and burial money, how would you judge?

Ieyasu thought it would be difficult to judge if the family of the deceased kept crying and begging. Then Nobunaga told him that Shichibei could judge whether the seven-and-a-half-year-old murderer was conscious or not with just a pair of chopsticks.

What a smart person!

Why did Nobunaga's army continuously produce talented people, while Mikawa was mostly composed of "straightforward" warriors? Logically speaking, Mikawa's cultural education and social talent base were no worse than Owari's.

Going back a few hundred years, Owari was the domain of the Shiba clan, while Mikawa was largely the domain of the Kira clan and their offshoots. Samurai from both families gradually spread throughout their territories, with Mikawa even boasting more branches of the Kira clan. In terms of the number of samurai present in the lower-class rural areas, Mikawa may even have been more powerful.

Because the Sasaki clan often assisted the shogun in Kyoto and participated in state affairs, their branches gradually stayed in Kyoto for a long time and even branched out to Echizen. This was also the fundamental reason why the Oda clan, the shugodai, usurped Owari Province. The Sasaki clan heads were often absent from the country, and their power was undoubtedly weakened.

On the contrary, the Kira family initially served in Kyoto, but later went there less and less frequently, and most of the branch families stayed in Mikawa.

I am not afraid of you in terms of the number of warriors, and I am better than you in terms of cultural level.

Why then were the warriors who fell into the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu only capable of wielding spears and clubs? What about those warriors who could find ways to raise money, carry out construction, conduct diplomatic negotiations, and develop water conservancy projects?

Having become lord, Ieyasu began to need samurai retainers to help build his kingdom. As Shichibei said, as long as there's a salary and the knowledge to act, there will always be a shortage of skilled warriors. However, those skilled in handling domestic affairs are much harder to come by.

Now that there was an opportunity and a need, Tokugawa Ieyasu wanted Hiraiwa Shinkichi to take Tokugawa Nobuyasu to Owari. Ostensibly to express his gratitude to Nobunaga and to purchase horses, but in reality, to learn more about the inner workings of Owari.

Especially the way of selecting talents, perhaps Nobunaga has some special way.

After the father and son agreed, they went to bed and didn't mention it again. Then Shichibei received a notice that the fifty pack horses he had brought to Mikawa were to be sold to Ieyasu. It was Sakuma Nobumori who notified him, so it wasn't an order.

Selling them is easy. Spring is coming, and the Takeda clan's new horses will arrive soon. Shichibei even wants to buy a few more. The more horses, the better. Ieyasu will definitely need them in future battles.

They all had to go with Takeda Shingen to fight Imagawa Ujizane, on a long expedition to Totomi Province, with a food supply route of hundreds of kilometers, right?

Unexpectedly, news had actually reached Ieyasu. Shichibei assumed Ieyasu would buy it directly from the Takeda clan, since the Takeda clan's envoy had just left. The two families needed to stay in touch, so sending someone to Tsutsujizaki-kan was a good idea.

But in the end, Ieyasu still chose to buy it from Owari, which was definitely to give face to Oda Nobunaga.

Shichibei returned home lightly, riding only a few horses. Naturally, Tokugawa Nobuyasu and Hiraiwa Shinkichi also set out for Owari with a dozen attendants.

Shichibei even suggested that they could gather horses directly from Atsuta and send them to Okazaki immediately. Hiraiwa Shinkichi then came over and laughed, saying, "They still have to go to Komakiyama." "Right, it's like we're chasing guests away."

While he was apologizing repeatedly, Hiraiwa Shinkichi started chatting with Shichibei, asking him how a royal merchant like him was elected as the governor of Kaito County.

Hiraiwa Chikayoshiie was a hereditary retainer of the Ansho Matsudaira clan, serving for approximately four generations according to reliable records. He also served as a samurai to Tokugawa Ieyasu, served as a castle lord, and served as governor of Mikawa Okada County.

With such status, it is normal for him to be appointed as a county governor. But how could Shichibei, a royal merchant and not even a merchant leader, appear in Nobunaga's sight?

It’s a long story. When I was eighteen, I stood like a minion outside Inuyama Castle.

78. Bamboo’s intention and strength

ha?

Hiraiwa Shinkichi was a little confused. The reason was that Shichibei's family's horses were bundled up and given to Inuyama Tessai by Nobunaga, leaving Shichibei unemployed. So in order to find work for Shichibei, he started building stables and post stations, which became larger and larger, and finally built to Sunomata Castle.

Just such a coincidence?

It seemed like such a coincidence, and Shichibei wasn't entirely sure. He was a descendant of the old Owari Masamaki banner, having worked for the Oda clan for three or four generations, making him a veteran vassal. With Nobunaga's power gradually expanding, it was possible he might take me with him.

Hiraiwa Shinkichi was obviously not convinced by this answer. According to Shichibei's statement, Shichibei was forced to take the position because he had no experience in domestic administration. However, Nobunaga promoted Shichibei, and he succeeded.