Owari Yumeki Golden Day

Hisahide pushed the thing forward, and Shichibei walked forward very consciously, put the eggplant back into the cypress box, and presented it to Nobunaga for review.

Nobunaga started to show off and act cool, so he didn't play with the ninety-nine eggplants with his hands. Instead, he took out the eggplants, placed them on the indigo-dyed wrapping, and looked at them carefully in his hands.

With Shichibei's years of experience serving Nobunaga, Nobunaga definitely didn't see what was so good about this eggplant. He only knew it was the so-called number one treasure in the world, the best of the three eggplants in the world, and that it was priceless.

"Do you think that by offering this, you can be exempted from all guilt?" Nobunaga said this with a smile, and considering his smile, the words were a bit scary.

"No, no, it's all up to Gifu-dono to decide." Hisahide still maintained that harmless smile, but his attitude was more humble.

"But you and your son murdered the young prince, then the general, and burned down the Great Buddha Hall. Three heinous crimes committed under the sun, and one treasure can only atone for them once."

Nobunaga put down the ninety-nine eggplants and looked directly at Matsunaga Hisahide. It seemed that he was about to use the smashing of the cup as a signal to send two hundred swordsmen and axemen to cut Matsunaga Hisahide into pieces.

"It just so happens that my father and I also have two lives." Hisahide actually raised his head and answered Nobunaga very calmly.

Yes, he did the three most evil things. Ninety-nine eggplants are used to offset one death, Jiuxiu's life is used to offset one death, and Jiutong's life is used to offset one death. Perfect.

"I'm afraid even beheading wouldn't be enough compensation." Nobunaga was indeed in a good mood now, and besides, he and Yoshiteru had no feelings for each other.

It can even be said that Nobunaga had an old grudge against Ashikaga Yoshiteru. At that time, Nobunaga hoped that Ashikaga Yoshiteru would grant him the position of Owari guardian on the condition that he would pay the Owari guardian fee again. However, Yoshiteru ignored him, leaving Nobunaga waiting in Kyoto for two months in vain without any gain.

Yoshiteru certainly didn't expect that in just ten years, Nobunaga would grow to the point where he could support his younger brother Yoshiaki to go to Kyoto and enjoy the treatment of a governor.

"Then we'll tear them into pieces." Jiuxiu laughed, a very wanton laugh that showed his full set of teeth.

"Okay, sure, that's enough compensation!" Nobunaga clapped his hands and laughed, without even drinking a sip of the tea, he started by performing the Five Oxen Dismemberment Technique.

"Nanabe, go and get ten cows immediately and prepare the ropes." Nobunaga turned around and instructed Nanabe. It didn't sound like a joke at all, but serious.

"Yes, sir!" How could Shichibei object? Of course he would go out and lead the cow away immediately.

The temperature in the pavilion suddenly dropped, but Nobunaga didn't notice it at all. He just ordered Matsui Tomokan to make some tea and continued to enjoy the ninety-nine eggplants.

Hirohashi Kunimitsu, who was sitting next to Nobunaga, opened his mouth to say something, but Yamashina Genji quickly grabbed him. Opening his mouth at this time, was he saying he wasn't dying fast enough? Old and experienced, Yamashina Genji still had some experience.

When the tea was served, Matsunaga Hisahide was still enjoying his tea with leisure and elegance. Matsunaga Hisamichi was far less so. Perhaps because the tea was so hot, his hands were shaking slightly as he held the teacup.

"My lord, everything is ready!"

Shichibei knelt on one knee on the open space beside the waterside pavilion. The Oda soldiers behind him brought ten bulls, each of which was tall and strong. It should be very quick to distribute the people.

"Very good!" Nobunaga drank the tea and met the man.

"I wonder if I should divide it first, or my son? This is also a good fun. It would not be perfect if we divide it together." Hisahide took two steps back, lay down on the ground, and asked Nobunaga.

"That makes sense. If we divide it together, we won't be able to see the faces of you and your father clearly." Nobunaga clapped his hands and agreed very much with Hisahide's suggestion.

Five or six people jumped up from both sides, carrying Matsunaga and his son, and stood in the open space in the courtyard. Nobunaga and others also stood in the corridor, ready to watch this rare five-cow dismemberment.

"Please." Shichibei handed the noose to Matsunaga Hisahide's head very politely.

"Thank you for your help." Hisahide actually bowed to Shichibei, being more polite than Shichibei.

"I'll tie it tighter for you, so that when I apply force it will cut your trachea and you will die instantly without any pain." So Shichibei had to be even more polite.

"Oh? You are good at killing people." Hisahide took the initiative to put his head into the noose without trembling.

"what?"

Goodness me, Shichibei was stunned by Matsunaga Hisahide's words. "I can't kill a shit, at most I can kill a fish." Don't be fooled by Shichibei's sword, he looks like a high-ranking samurai, but in reality, he's wearing a "kind sword" that hasn't even seen a drop of blood in years.

"Any last words you would like to leave?" The noose had been tied, and according to the rules, he left a final message.

"I wish to become a ghost after my death and help Gifu-dono conquer the two countries of Kawachi and Yamato." Matsunaga Hisahide said this and closed his eyes.

"How can a ghost conquer two countries?"

"The big Buddha may not offer any blessings."

"Hahahahahaha..." Nobunaga clapped his hands and laughed when he heard that.

Yes, since the ghosts couldn't help Nobunaga conquer the two kingdoms, then the burned-down Great Buddha Hall couldn't punish Matsunaga or protect the people. But these are all just nonsense about gods and ghosts, what's the point?

"I now order you and your son to conquer Yamato. Are you willing?" After laughing, Nobunaga asked Matsunaga Hisahide with great importance.

"I'm willing!" Matsunaga Hisahide also answered Nobunaga very loudly, and his tone was different from his previous humble and submissive tone.

"Okay!" Nobunaga clapped the folding fan in his hand, and the five cows were no longer torn into pieces.

The Matsunaga father and son knelt before Nobunaga, bound with ropes, and only dared to lift their buttocks when Nobunaga's figure was out of sight. Shichibei, standing behind Matsunaga Hisahide, noticed beads of sweat on Hisahide's neck. "You old man, you're scared too! I thought you were so awesome, battling Nobunaga with wits and courage."

Patting Matsunaga Hisahide on the shoulder, Shichibei left a bright smile and chased after Nobunaga.

At this point, Matsunaga Hisahide only had a few tens of thousands of koku of territory left around Tamonyama Castle, effectively losing most of his power. However, since he had expressed his willingness to surrender to Nobunaga, Nobunaga felt he could use these men. He ordered Sakuma Nobumori, along with Hosokawa Fujitaka, Wada Koremasa, and Ikeda Terumasa, to lead an army of 20,000 men to attack Yamato.

To put it bluntly, Nobunaga provided the men, Hisahide provided the money and food, and they pacified the Yamato Province. Tsutsui Junkei, who had already basically conquered the entire Yamato Province, would completely lose all his territory under this attack and fled to Iga Province for a time to seek asylum.

It was thanks to Nobunaga's assistance that Matsunaga Hisahide established his largest territorial sphere of influence in both the Okawa and Kawachi regions. Even with the complete destruction of Tsutsui Junkei's power, his rule in Yamato was significantly more secure, far surpassing his earlier struggles with the local temples and religious forces during his time as a member of the Miyoshi clan.

I can only say that this guy might be a bit remarkable in how he deals with life.

142. Taking charge of each neighborhood

Ashikaga Yoshiaki was proclaimed the 15th Shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, while Ashikaga Yoshiei was given the title of Grand Shogun, becoming the former Shogun.

The honeymoon period is sweet, so sweet that Yoshiaki immediately appointed Nobunaga as the Kanrei of the Muromachi shogunate, and hinted to Nobunaga that he could completely compile his family lineage into the lineage of the Sasaki Kanrei.

No matter which generation, you can say he is the illegitimate son, branch, or even posthumous son of Sasaki Kanrei.

To put it bluntly, he allowed Nobunaga to falsify his lineage, and he guaranteed that once Nobunaga finished falsifying his lineage, he, the shogun, would immediately recognize Nobunaga as Sasaki Nobunaga. Not only would he recognize it, he would also submit a memorial to the imperial court, guaranteeing that the court would also recognize this falsified lineage and grant Nobunaga the "hereditary position" of Sabei-du.

By then, Nobunaga would be the official shogunate governor, the Go-Ichimon-shu of the Ashikaga family, the pillar of the Seiwa Genji clan, and he could also serve as a kama-shu and inherit the position of the Muromachi shogunate governor.

Even Nobunaga's current legitimate son, Oda Qimyoumaru, could become Ashikaga Yoshiaki's adopted son. This meant he was a godson. If Yoshiaki had a biological son, then this was out of the question. If Yoshiaki didn't have any biological sons, this adopted son could even gain a weak claim to the Muromachi shogunate.

The imperial court also sent someone to ask Nobunaga if he would like to be appointed as a councilor when he became the governor of the Left Guard. From then on, when Nobunaga went out, everyone had to respectfully address him as the Prime Minister of Gifu.

"You go and take over Otsu and Kusatsu immediately!" Nobunaga obviously had his own plan and gave orders to Shichibei.

"Is it just the collection of the Dorbe money? Or?" Shichibei had to ask clearly, would this Otsu deputy official be working temporarily for only a few days, or would he be working there for a long time?

"Collect the money from Donbetsu first, and we'll discuss it later." Nobunaga was stunned for a moment, but when he thought that it was Shichibei who was always timid, he understood and added one more sentence.

"clear."

"Have you got control of the horses in Kinshu?" Nobunaga raised his foot and started walking forward. He was about to meet the envoy sent by Honganji.

That's right, now Honganji is not only not hostile to Nobunaga, but has even taken the initiative to get close to Nobunaga. Earlier, when Nobunaga pacified Northern Ise, he also deliberately left out the Northern Ise Nagashima area and did not carry out a military attack.

At this time, the major powers in Kinai were watching Nobunaga's next moves and then deciding their attitude towards him. Perhaps Nobunaga, like Ōuchi Yoshioki, would simply go to Kyoto to serve as the governor, and then everything would operate within the old framework of the Muromachi shogunate.

Since they were all participants and maintainers of the old order, they would definitely support Nobunaga, unless Nobunaga showed signs of wanting to overturn the entire old order and create a new one.

"I have already sent people to make the connections, and the Oshu horse merchants in Imahama and Otsu have signed contracts. In addition, I have also sent people to Kanazawa, Wajima, Hoshozu, Naoetsu and Sakata on the returning ship." Nobunaga did not need to tell Shichibei about business matters, as he had his own initiative.

These ports were all major hubs in the Hokuriku trade. Shichibei certainly couldn't participate in it yet, but it wouldn't hurt to start preparing in advance. Understanding the situation in the Hokuriku and Oshu regions, and researching and compiling information about local customs and people, were all essential qualities a businessman should possess.

As for the day when Nobunaga breaks into Wakasa and Echizen, or even into Kaga and Echizen, then with the Oda army's violent punches, Shichibei will definitely enter these markets smoothly.

"There is one more thing, Kunitomo and Hino, you go and revise the official documents yourself." Nobunaga suddenly paused, stopped, and even turned back to look at General Shichibei.

As mentioned earlier, Kunitomo Village or Kunitomo Town was a craft settlement that received the privilege of "self-governing settlement" from a letter from the previous shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiharu. There were many such self-governing settlements in Kinai, some of which were achieved through the patronage of major temples and shrines, or by the regents.

This was partly due to large-scale Dezheng Ikki or local Ikki, which led to reconciliation with the imperial court, the shogunate, or temples and shrines, and the realization of autonomous "Somura" organizations by paying only a small amount of taxes.

Others, like Kunitomo Village, rely on their own skills to make a living. Initially renowned for its forging of weapons such as the Omi-made kodachi, Kunitomo quickly became one of Japan's largest arquebus production centers thanks to its superior ironworksmanship. Following orders from Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu and Kanrei Hosokawa Harumoto to replicate the matchlock musket, Kunitomo quickly became one of Japan's largest arquebus production centers.

Similarly, Anata of Omi had very sophisticated craftsmanship because they had long undertaken large-scale construction projects for the shogunate, the imperial court, and temples and shrines.

This type of human settlement, where handicrafts or artisans gathered, was recognized by the authorities in the past, and gained autonomy and the privilege of not being subject to the inspection and county magistrates. They even went further and gained the privilege of "no import, no export," meaning they did not have to pay taxes or tribute.

Asai Nagamasa had no shogunate position and no legal identity in the imperial court, and his management of Kunitomo Village was almost non-existent.

Nobunaga would not allow Kunitomo Village to "govern itself" after he took control of the shogunate and entered southern Omi. Of course, Nobunaga had just become the ruler of the country and his foundation was unstable, so he would not radically relocate or reform Kunitomo Village.

What he was talking about was the re-establishment of the Komon Shikimu, meaning that in his current de facto Kanrei capacity, he had the authority to take charge of shogunate politics on behalf of the Shogun, and to re-establish the feudal obligations between the shogunate authorities and Kunitomo Village.

There is only one key point, that is, the iron cannons produced in Kunitomo Village must be purchased by Oda Nobunaga first.

Only those teppo that Nobunaga explicitly said he would not purchase were allowed to be circulated and sold in the market. Oda retainers also had to obtain Nobunaga's written permission before they could purchase teppo in Kunitomo Village.

You can still be autonomous, but sales will be subject to the control of the new Tianxia people. After all, the Kunitomo craftsmen have the skills that Nobunaga needs, and there won't be enough people to replace them in a short period of time. Naturally, the conditions Nobunaga offers are relatively moderate.

The price of the arquebus was also allowed for the craftsmen of Kunitomo Village to quote prices according to the normal market circulation price. Nobunaga would never let them make no profit and starve to death.

"Is this confirmed?" Shichibei explained the main point to Nobunaga, who listened carefully.

"Let's do it this way, but add one more thing: even letters from the shogun or the government office won't work, only my letters will." Nobunaga nodded after hearing this and made another addition.

As for the general, he only needed an ordinary armed force of 2,000 to 3,000 men to maintain the security and order of Kyoto. He was also responsible for guarding the Imperial Palace and the inner palace. He did not need too many men and horses, let alone artillery.

Just learn more about archery and horse riding. The bow is also a very good weapon. Didn’t you see that Yoshida Izumo, who was guarding Minozaku Castle, was shooting people inside the castle and killed many Oda soldiers?

"Yes!" Shichibei bowed in response.

At this moment, Nobunaga also walked to the outside of the hall where the Honganji envoys were to be received. He turned around and asked Shichibei if he was dressed appropriately. After all, Nobunaga had to save face now and could no longer greet guests with his careless attitude as before.

The people who came today were also high-ranking officials of Honganji. Although they were not retainers or family members of Honganji, they were also the two high-ranking officials, Hogen Shima Raisuke and Hōhashi Shima Raitan.

(Established in the sixth year of the Zhenguan reign, the positions of the Great Monk Fayin, the Monk Fayan, and the Venerable Master Faqiao correspond to the three ranks of Sangha Chief, Sangha Chief, and Dharma Master. These three ranks are the ranks of high-ranking monks, and the next ranks are for the transmission of the lamp and cultivation.)

Because Sakuma Nobumori had gone to Yamato to fight Tsutsui Junkei, Oda Nobuhiro was to command Nobunaga's central army as a precaution. Therefore, the guest was Akechi Mitsuhide, who was well-versed in etiquette. Shichibei declined to be a guest, nodded to Mitsuhide, and then turned and left. Two young men escorted Nobunaga into the palace and took their seats.

He ordered Takenaka Hanbei to take the draft of the new shikime to Kunitomo Village, while Shichibei was to rush to Otsu. Takenaka was to announce Nobunaga's order, and Kunitomo Village had to listen whether they wanted to or not. Otsu was different; after all, they had to make a profit and negotiate with the wealthy merchants.

Located on the southern shore of Lake Biwa and at the mouth of the Seta River, Otsu enjoyed unparalleled commercial advantages. Historically, it later became the castle town of the Edo Zensho Domain, playing a role alongside many other famous Omi castles.

For example, the gate town of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei was rebuilt into Omi Sakamoto Castle after Nobunaga burned it. Neighboring towns like Kusatsu and Katada were both important economic towns on the southern shore of Lake Biwa, and were all subject to Nobunaga's collection of Tobetsu money.

Even at the gate town of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei, you have to pay arrow money.

This shouldn't be the reason for the enmity between the two sides. It was customary for people from all over the country to collect arrow money and dobetsu money when they came to Kyoto. Didn't you see that Honganji also sent officials to make peace with Nobunaga and offer arrow money?

After Nobunaga expelled the Miyoshi Three and Shinohara Nagafusa fled to Awa, Sakaimachi also had to pay Nobunaga. No distinction was made, everyone had to pay, without distinction.

Fortunately, the arrow money collected at Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei was not collected by Shichibei, but by Takei Yuian, the magistrate of the temples and shrines. The old man's hair had turned white, and I wondered how many more years he could have served Nobunaga.

Forget it, there's no point in managing them. Who knows, Takei Yuian might even enjoy it. He wasn't much of a figure in the Saito clan, but in the Oda clan, he was a magistrate under the command of the entire nation, a powerful and influential one. He could intimidate temples and shrines, commanding respect like a guest of honor.

When Shichibei rushed to Otsu and issued Nobunaga's letter to collect the money for Dobetsu, he was ready to have a good talk with the merchants of Otsu as he had done in Annozu.

Without a word, they brought out three thousand strings of cash and one thousand shi of rice, and also gave Shichibei an additional fifty taels of gold.

kindness?

So self-conscious!

It is said that the people under the emperor's feet are highly conscious!

I haven't even started talking to you yet, and you've already got all the money ready? Seeing Shichibei's confusion, the Otsu representatives were straightforward: they just wanted to conduct business peacefully. Now that Nobunaga had stabilized the situation in Kyoto, he was still conquering Settsu, Kawachi, and Izumi.

To put it bluntly, it is to stabilize the downstream market for these merchants who act as intermediaries. Not only should they actively cooperate with Nobunaga's policies, but they should also strongly support Nobunaga in his battles and suppress his enemies.

Although making money from war is a very satisfying thing, most businessmen still need a stable and peaceful environment to make a steady income.

So it seems that the only one who can bring peace to them is Nobunaga.

I wish Nobunaga long-lasting military fortune, and I'd like to offer you three thousand kan. Is that enough? Not enough? We can chip in a little more, and it's no problem to get another one or two thousand kan. The dongbetsu money is just a name, after all. Is Shichibei really going to go from house to house, store to store, and warehouse to warehouse to count the number of beams in his house?

That's about it. Taxation in the feudal era was always this sloppy. Throughout ancient history, perhaps only one or two feudal dynasties were able to formulate detailed tax items and implement them effectively. The rest were merely superficial, or even lacked the necessary attention to detail.

They were sensible, really sensible. Shichibei didn't know what to say about the sensible person. He could only praise them on behalf of Nobunaga and then continue to grant them the authority of an autonomous town.

Nobunaga showed a very tolerant attitude towards these large towns that could regularly pay him various kinds of money and quickly dispatch weapons, ammunition, food, and personnel. Of course, this tolerance was based on your cooperation. As long as you were obedient, Nobunaga would rarely intervene.

The same thing happened in Kusatsu next door. Even before Shichibei's men arrived, they heard that Shichibei was already working in Otsu and immediately rushed to give him money.

For a moment, Shichibei became a little unconfident. Is this still the chaotic Warring States period in Japan? Everyone is so obedient, which is completely unlike the true nature of the Warring States period.

Haha, in fact, the main reason was that Nobunaga defeated the Rokkaku family in just one day. Not only did he scare these local bullies, but he also made them think that Nobunaga was capable and able to bring peace.

In addition, Nobunaga was now a governor, and he had a feudal political obligation to express cooperation with Nobunaga, or even to submit to him. They also had to rely on the commercial monopoly rights granted by the powerful to maintain various trades.

After both sides paid the money to Shichibei, they jointly petitioned Shichibei, hoping that Nobunaga would take the initiative to demolish a large number of checkpoints inside and outside Kyoto, especially those upstream and downstream of the Seta River, Uji River and Yodo River.

Some temples, shrines, and regent family estates had checkpoints set up, and they could obtain exemptions, but that also cost money. So it would be best to remove them all and only retain a few checkpoints to supply the shogunate's expenses.

What? Abolish the checkpoints in and around Kyoto? Keep the checkpoints for the shogunate's daily expenses?

This was a bit puzzling to Shichibei. It wasn't the removal of the checkpoints that was puzzling; it was the shogunate's checkpoints that were puzzling. Did Nobunaga, in history, remove the checkpoints where Ashikaga Yoshiaki earned his living? And did he forbid anyone else from setting up checkpoints?

If that were the case, it's no wonder Yoshiaki became dissatisfied with Nobunaga upon arriving in Kyoto. Cutting off someone's financial resources is no different from killing their parents.

143. Land Inspection and Administration of Five Thousand Guan