Chapter 50
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Mid-August in the year 1568.
After that, there were no special events, and the Oda army peacefully welcomed the next day without being ambushed by the Rokkaku army. The army that marched to Kyoto consisted of approximately 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers from the Oda clan, around 1,000 soldiers from the Tokugawa clan, and around 3,000 soldiers from the Asai clan, totaling nearly 60,000 soldiers. In response to this, the Rokkaku army stationed their main force at Kanonji Castle, with the lord Rokkaku Yoshiharu, Yoshiharu’s father Yoshitaka, Yoshiharu’s younger brother Yoshisada, and a thousand elite horsemen. At Mitsukuri Castle, there were over 3,000 soldiers led by renowned warriors such as Yoshida Shigemitsu, Tatebe Hideaki, Koma Shuri-no-suke, and Yoshida Shinsuke. And at Wadayama Castle, there were over 6,000 soldiers led by Tanaka Daisuke. In total, the Rokkaku army consisted of approximately 10,000 soldiers. In terms of numbers alone, the Rokkaku army was less than half the size of the army marching to Kyoto. However, if they attacked Wadayama Castle, they would be flanked by Mitsukuri Castle, and if they attacked Kanonji Castle, they would be attacked from both Wadayama Castle and Mitsukuri Castle. Mitsukuri Mountain, where Mitsukuri Castle was located, was a small mountain with an elevation of about 300 meters, and there was only one steep path leading to the castle. Furthermore, it was a natural fortress surrounded by tall trees.
Mitsukuri Mountain has two peaks, and Mitsukuri Castle is located on the northern peak. From the northern Mitsukuri Mountain, there is Kanonji Mountain to the northwest, where Kanonji Castle is located. Then, about 2 km east of Kanonji Mountain, there is Wadayama Mountain, which is about 180m high and located to the west of the confluence of the Aichi River and the Daido River. Wadayama Castle is located near the summit of Wadayama Mountain, with earthworks surrounding an area of about 50m x 100m. From the south, it is connected to the Horsemen Kuruwa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuruwa) and the Main Kuruwa from the south, and there is also a turret platform of about 10m x 10m behind the Main Kuruwa.
Mitsukuri Mountain and Kanonji Mountain are mountains located in the Lake Biwa Plain, which is also known as the Omi Basin. The area between these two mountains forms a crucial transportation hub, with a narrow passage. In modern times, National Route 8, the JR Biwako Line, and the Shinkansen all pass through the area between Kanonji Mountain and Mitsukuri Moutain. It is natural to say that the Rokkaku clan built their main castle in Kanonji Mountain and a supporting castle in Mitsukuri Moutain in order to control this route.
Rokkaku Yoshiharu, the head of the Rokkaku family, had absolute confidence in the defense line that had been built over many years. However, misfortune befell him. It was the fact that all the military-related information, such as the defense network he had absolute confidence in, the strategy and personnel deployment for this operation, and the traditional escape route, were all known to Nobunaga and his key subordinate.
“There is no need to scheme against someone like Rokkaku. Crush him with the power we possess.”
As soon as Nobunaga made the declaration, the battle of Kanonji Castle began.
The three armies of Oda, Tokugawa, and Asai began their battle early in the morning and divided into three squads after crossing the Aichi River. The first squad, led by Inaba Yoshimichi, headed towards Wadayama Castle, while the second squad, led by Shibata and Mori Yoshinari, headed towards Kanonji Castle. The third squad, led by Niwa Nagahide, Hideyoshi, and Nobunaga, headed towards Mitsukuri Castle. The battle began at Mitsukuri Castle. Hideyoshi led 2,300 men from the northern entrance, while Niwa Nagahide led 3,000 men from the eastern entrance to initiate the attack. However, Mitsukuri Castle was a formidable fortress with steep slopes and dense trees. The defense led by Yoshida Izumo-no-kami was also strong, and Hideyoshi and Niwa Nagahide were struggling. Meanwhile, what was Nobunaga doing? He was blocking the only path leading to Mitsukuri Castle. The road leading to Mitsukuri Castle was the only route available, as the rest was surrounded by giant trees or steep animal trails, making it unsuitable for conventional military operations. In other words, if the single road was blocked, the defending forces in Mitsukuri Castle would not be able to retreat in an organized manner.
Nobunaga, having sealed off three locations at the foot of the mountain and four locations along the way, begins to transport large quantities of jars containing something. Once a certain amount has been gathered, the soldiers throw the jars towards the castle. The jars make a loud noise as they shatter, causing the contents to scatter around. What Nobunaga has put in the jars is a liquid with an alcohol content exceeding 60 percent. Rather than being considered alcohol, it is more like a hazardous substance. Nobunaga continues to throw them into the castle. The Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad, unable to understand Nobunaga’s actions, is perplexed but confronts the Hideyoshi squad and the Niwa Nagahide squad. Eventually, the alcohol that has been thrown in, creating small puddles on some floors, begins to evaporate slowly due to the surrounding heat. At that moment, the sound of an alarm bell echoes through Mitsukuri Castle. In response, the Hideyoshi squad and the Niwa Nagahide squad stop their attack and quickly retreat. Unable to comprehend any of their actions, the Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad falls into a state of mild panic and stands there dumbfounded.
That determined their fate.
A single flaming arrow was shot towards the castle. The moment it touched the evaporated alcohol, the world changed completely. Mitsukuri Castle was engulfed in flames in an instant. The Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad couldn’t comprehend what had happened, but as soon as they realized the current situation, panic consumed the soldiers. If only they had understood that while alcohol burns quickly, it lacks sustained burning, the outcome might have been different. However, surrounded by a sudden sea of fire, they were disoriented and didn’t even know which direction to flee for safety. This only fueled the spread of panic. In a matter of moments, they succumbed to collective panic, and the Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad scattered in disarray.
Originally, the Rokkaku army was led by Rokkaku Yoshiharu, the head of the Rokkaku family. Despite lacking both skill and talent, he had a high pride and constantly gave orders with a condescending attitude, which lowered the morale of his troops. It was impossible for them to defend places like Mitsukuri Castle, which turned into a sea of fire, so they threw away their weapons and fled in a panic. However, even escape was not allowed for them. This was because the Oda army, who had finished preparing to hunt them down, was waiting for them on the only road leading to the castle.
Mitsukuri Castle fell. It happened just six hours after the castle was attacked. The Rokkaku army, especially their current leader Rokkaku Yoshiharu, couldn’t hide their shock at the castle’s fall in such a short time. After all, Wadayama Castle and Kanonji Castle were also under simultaneous attack, but they were able to hold their ground against the enemy. Yoshiharu believed that they could push back the army advancing towards the capital with this momentum, but the reality was different. The army advancing towards the capital was intentionally acting as if they were being pushed back, in order to lure them out of the castle and divert their attention from the situation at Mitsukuri Castle. Some members of the army were not skilled in acting, so their losing performance seemed somewhat awkward. However, the Rokkaku army, blinded by the possibility of victory, failed to see through their clumsy act.
Fortunately, Yoshiharu was at Kanonji Castle, but his manipulated father and brother left the castle with seven hundred horsemen. He quickly sends a messenger to his father and brother, urging them to return to Kanonji Castle and to hold out at Wadazan Castle. However, the information brought back by the messenger only brings despair to him.
“What… you fool! My elite horsemen have been completely wiped out, and on top of that, my father and younger brother were killed in battle!”
Out of the elite group of one thousand horsemen, seven hundred horsemen were completely wiped out. Furthermore, Yoshiharu’s father, Yoshikatsu, and his younger brother, Yoshisada, who had led those seven hundred horsemen, were killed in battle. Additionally, Wadayama Castle had almost collapsed after Mitsukuri Castle fell. Not only the foot soldiers, but even the military commanders had discarded their weapons and fled in a panic. Yoshiharu had lost Mitsukuri Castle and Wadayama Castle in just half a day. It would still take several more hours until the sun completely set. Moreover, in this season, the days were longer compared to autumn or winter. In that time, with only about two hundred horsemen, they had to confront an army of over ten thousand soldiers heading to the capital. The moment Yoshiharu understood this fact, he collapsed to his knees.
“Why, why does fortune smile upon the Kyoto-bound army?!”
Like a tantrum-throwing child, he pounds the floor with both hands. However, even as he does so, the Kyoto-bound Army is heading towards Kanonji Castle. Compared to Wadayama Castle and Mitsukuri Castle, Kanonji Castle has weaker defenses. Realizing that time is of the essence, he makes the decision to follow the ancient example and flee to Koga. Normally, they would need to move under the cover of darkness, but the chances of Kanonji Castle holding out until then are low. Yoshiharu instructs his subordinates to relay the message of escape and to quickly prepare. There were several hidden passages set up for escaping from Kanonji Castle.
“Everyone, flee to where you need to flee. I will escape towards Koga.”
With just that, he took more than twenty of his most trusted horsemen and escaped from Kanonji Castle using one of the escape routes. As soon as they entered the dim and narrow secret passage, Yoshiharu’s ears caught a distant clamor. After giving a resentful glare at the entrance of the secret passage, he held his breath and walked through it. After walking for a while, they reached the hidden exit concealed among the trees in the mountains. One of the horsemen cautiously crawled out of the secret passage, looking around but seeing no one, only hearing the voices of the troops heading to the capital in the distance. The horsemen, deeming it safe, gave a signal. Shortly after, Yoshiharu and the more than twenty horsemen crawled out of the secret passage. Brushing off the dust from their clothes, Yoshiharu pointed towards the direction of Koga.
“The direction to escape is this way. Let’s go.”
While saying that, Yoshiharu, who was walking at the front, suddenly disappeared a few steps ahead. Startled by the sudden event, the horsemen began searching for Yoshiharu. Looking up at the sound of branches rubbing against each other, the horsemen spotted Yoshiharu falling towards the ground. He had been caught in a trap and launched into the air. After a few bone-crushing sounds, Yoshiharu was slammed onto the ground, barely clinging to life. Of course, the trap didn’t end with Yoshiharu alone. It also attacked the horsemen, who were in a state of confusion. In no time, all the horsemen were wiped out, and Yoshiharu was the only one left standing.
“What… is… happening…”
“I can’t believe that the head of the Rokkaku family himself fell into the trap first and set an example for his subordinates. Are you in such a hurry that you don’t even consider setting up a decoy?”
Yoshiharu moves only his eyes towards the direction where the voice came from. He sees Takigawa Kazumasu and the group of ninjas he is accompanied by, who are a little bit away from him.
“Why…”
Yoshiharu, with various doubts in mind such as how the enemy knew about the existence of a hidden passage exit, knowing that he would come out from this location, and having set traps in advance, spoke his words. However, Takiyama, in a matter-of-fact tone, simply uttered a short response without answering Yoshiharu’s question.
“Take it easy, it’ll be over soon”
Those were the last words heard in this world from Rokkaku Yoshiharu, the head of the Rokkaku family that ruled over Southern Omi Province.
The battle between the Kyoto-bound Army and the Rokkaku Army in the Southern Omi Province, as well as the Battle of Kanonji Castle (or the Battle of Mitsukuri Castle), was resolved in just one day. The Oda Army suffered losses of about a thousand men, the Tokugawa Army had several dozen casualties, and the Asai Army lost around 300 soldiers including their retainer Wakisaka Yasuaki who died in battle. On the other hand, the Rokkaku Army saw the deaths of their leader Yoshiharu, his father Yoshikatsu, and his younger brother Yoshisada. Their elite cavalry of a thousand horsemen was completely wiped out, and most of the influential warriors who had supported the Rokkaku family also perished. The Rokkaku Army suffered losses of about 4,000 soldiers, with 4,500 fleeing the battlefield. The remaining soldiers did not display the noble mentality of staying with their lord until the end; instead, they resorted to looting equipment from the bodies of their former allies. Kanonji Castle, Wadayama Castle, and Mitsukuri Castle were abandoned, and apart from Hino Castle, which was defended by the Rokkaku family’s senior retainer Gamō Yoshiteru, the rest of the remaining intact castles surrendered to the Kyoto-bound Army on that fateful day. In the future, the Oda clan’s retainer Gōribe Kobe convinced Gamō Yoshiteru to surrender by personally infiltrating Hino Castle. The reason why he was able to do this was because Kobe’s wife was Yoshiteru’s sister. Yielding to Kobe’s persuasion, Yoshiteru surrendered, offering his son as a hostage and pledging loyalty to Nobunaga. This hostage was Gamō Ujisato, who later married Nobunaga’s daughter Fuyuhime.
“So, everything fell in just one day, but I think the enemy was fully intent on escaping, right?”
Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada), Nagayoshi, and Shizuko were ordered to wait at the main camp. Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) and Nagayoshi, feeling bored, were contemplating the reason behind Rokkaku’s downfall in just one day.
“Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I wonder if I’ll go to Kyoto…”
“Before that, we have to think about the Rokkaku. The role of a military commander is to think about the cause of their downfall.”
“Well… do your best. I’m not a military commander or anything. Besides, that’s a traditional tactic that has been passed down through generations.”
“Wait, don’t come to a conclusion so easily. Do you know something in detail? It seems that the Lord Oda has been asking various questions as well.”
“Sometimes it’s important to think for yourself.”
It is nearly impossible for any great general to capture a castle in just one day. However, the combination of Nobunaga’s belief in “settling things in one day” and the Rokkaku clan’s ancestral tactic of “retreating when things become unfavorable” resulted in the decisive battle of Kanonji Castle being resolved in just one day. Although Yoshiharu had anticipated a long-term battle, the situation that led him to choose retreat in just one day was unexpected even for him.
“I don’t understand anything as it is now. Please give me some kind of clue.”
“Hmm, well, I guess that’s okay then.”
If I explain everything, I will take away the ability to think from Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) and Nagayoshi. Thinking this way, Shizuko intentionally did not provide important information. However, realizing that without any hints, they cannot think of anything, she starts writing down hints on a large piece of paper.
When “Rokkaku” is written in the center of the paper, it refers to Biwako (also known as Omi), Fuwa Seki (Mino), Ai Hatsuseki (Echizen), the guardian of the Onimon (Mount Hiei), and Koga and Ise are added. Next to the characters for Rokkaku, “Kyoshoku” (maintaining public order in Kyoto) and “Kenpiishin” (protecting the imperial court) are added. After that, the paper is placed in front of Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada). The two of them happily peer into the paper.
(I wonder when these two became friends?)
Shizuko observes the actions and words of the two people, thinking that it might be because they are close in age.
“With this arrangement, Rokkaku’s tax revenue relies on Lake Biwa.”
“If that’s the case, then it would be a blow to the Rokkaku clan to have been in conflict with the Asai clan in northern Omi.”
“No wait. If that’s all it is, running away isn’t an option. It’s inconvenient for Rokkaku… I remember reading somewhere that Fuwa Seki, Arachi Seki, and Suzuka Seki were referred to as the Three Seki. It’s possible that since Fuwa Seki also became Oda territory, they had planned to escape from the beginning.”
“The Asai family was betrayed, the Saito family was destroyed, and in their place, the Oda family came to rule Mino and became enemies… Hmm, if Rokkaku’s ‘if it’s inconvenient, retreat’ is a long-standing tactic of their ancestors, then it’s not an implausible story.”
(Oh, you’ve hit on something good. Well, Rokkaku is the type that “parasitizes” on the strong, so I don’t think they ever had any intention of fighting from the beginning.)
Southern Omi Province, where Rokkaku lives, is a land protected by Lake Biwa and three major defense bases (Mount Hiei, Fuwa Seki, and Arachi Seki). Tax revenues also depend on Lake Biwa and the three major defense bases. However, due to the majority of the land being occupied by Lake Biwa, the number of soldiers that can be supported is always small. Even with a generous estimate, the mobilized forces would amount to around ten thousand. In such a situation, Rokkaku, which relies on Mount Hiei, Fuwa Seki, Arachi Seki, the merchant alliance of Lake Biwa, and multiple other entities, is divided and lacks unity.
Due to its location, southern Omi tends to become a battlefield during times of war, so it has become a common tactic for the Rokkaku army to hide and wait for large enemy forces to pass by, and then conceal themselves until the fighting subsides. If the checkpoints or Mount Hiei are breached, they would be left with no options. Furthermore, the local lords who try to advance to Kyoto are mostly overwhelmed by armies of tens of thousands, and their determination and military strength cannot compare to the Rokkaku army.
“But then it’s strange. Why didn’t the head of the Rokkaku family adopt an evasive stance from the beginning? The army coming to Kyoto is about fifty thousand strong, while they can only mobilize around ten thousand soldiers. Following the precedent of the past, they should have let the army pass through from the beginning and hidden themselves.”
“Even if you ask me… Maybe because the head of the family was a fool who couldn’t even grasp the situation?”
“No matter how you look at it, that’s impossible. Did you consider the future planning are based on present situations? If so, the fact that Mitsukuri Castle fell in half a day was unexpected for Rokkaku, right?”
“Hmm, I can’t help but think of myself as nothing more than a fool. According to the story, soldiers and numerous warlords came out of Kanonji Castle, which was supposed to be under siege, right? It’s only natural to think that sending out soldiers while under siege is nothing but foolishness…”
Even after that, the two of them never ran out of things to talk about. Despite being almost like strangers, for some reason it seemed as if Shizuko and the two of them were bound by a strong bond, almost like a bond of life and death.
“Come to think of it, we conducted a fire attack at Mitsukuri Castle, but how did we transport the fire source?”
“Hmm? I think that was used for this.”
Shizuko responded Nagayoshi’s words by taking out a fire piston. The two of them turned their faces towards her and tilted their heads at the same time. From their perspective, the fire piston appeared to be just a wooden stick, so their reaction was natural.
“It’s a type of fire-starting tool used in Nanban. I think Aya-chan has been using it the longest at our place.”
Even if they were told that something that only looks like a wooden stick can be used to create a fire, neither of them can even imagine it. Shizuko, while smiling wryly, demonstrates fire starting in front of them. The small piece of cloth quickly transforms into a spark, leaving both of them astonished.
“What a tool. But indeed, with this, there is no need to carry a fire source around. It’s not too big either, so it’s possible to conceal it.”
“It can be done with just one small knife to make. I made three, but they were all taken by the lord.”
“Of course, you fool. You don’t understand how advantageous it is to not carry around a spark.”
In the Sengoku period, fire was a precious commodity to the extent that there were dedicated craftsmen who specialized in its storage. People would prepare special tools called “hiire” and make efforts to maintain the fire by keeping it in a hearth. Starting a fire was such a difficult task.
“Seriously, Shizuko always surprises me.”
“I agree. If there is such a convenient tool, it should have been released sooner.”
Shizuko couldn’t help but hope that the two of them would continue to have a good relationship as they nodded at each other, their arms linked.
June 30th. Nobunaga, who quickly pacified South Omi, immediately sent Fuwa Mitsuharu to Yoshiaki to prepare for his entry into Kyoto. Ten days later, on July 10th, Yoshiaki departed for Kyoto. On July 15th, Nobunaga moved his camp to Mitsui-dera Gokurakuin (Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture). The next day, Nobunaga welcomed Yoshiaki at Mitsui-dera Gokurakuin. And on July 17th, Nobunaga finally entered Kyoto.
When Nobunaga set up his camp at Tofukuji Temple, the vanguard led by Shibata Katsuie, Hachiya Yoritaka, Mori Yoshinari, and Sakai Masanobu crossed the Katsura River and first attacked Iwanari Tomomichi, one of the Miyoshi Trio, who was at Kototecho and Seiryuji (Katsuryuji) Temple. Although the Miyoshi forces resisted, they were soon forced to retreat into the castle. Perhaps feeling relieved by Nobunaga’s victory, Yoshiaki also entered Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.
The next day, Nobunaga’s main army marched out, and Iwanari Tomomichi realized the situation and surrendered. After that, Nobunaga continued to attack and capture the castles of the Miyoshi faction one after another. The lords of Akutagawa Castle, Hosokawa Akimasa and Miyoshi Nagayoshi, could not put up much resistance and retreated. Shinohara Nagafusa, the lord of Etsumi and Takisan Castle, also abandoned his castle and retreated. Yoshiaki entered the empty Akutagawa Castle. Meanwhile, the Oda army attacked Ikeda Castle, the residence of Ikeda Katsumasa. However, unlike other castles, the resistance here was fierce, and the Oda army suffered heavy casualties, including many deaths. However, Ikeda Katsumasa, who resisted, finally surrendered to the overwhelmingly powerful Oda army and handed over hostages to Nobunaga. Matsunaga Hisahide, who was in conflict with the Miyoshi Trio, the leaders of the Miyoshi family, presented the highest-grade tea container, “Kujūkyūkami,” to Nobunaga and joined his army.
The army that marched to Kyoto quickly brought the Kinai region and surrounding countries under its control within a few days. Nobunaga, who continued his overwhelming advance, encountered a problem within his army at this point. The morale of the Asai army had dropped. This was not an issue for the Oda army, as they had implemented a separation of soldiers and farmers. However, both the Tokugawa and Asai armies had conscripted peasants as soldiers. As a result, the peasant soldiers in the Asai army were constantly preoccupied with the state of their fields and were in a state of distraction.
Nobunaga, who had originally planned to go to Kyoto after the busy farming season, decided to shorten his trip and arrive in July. Therefore, he did not complain about the low morale of the Asai army, but instead expressed gratitude to Nagamasa and showed concern for his health. Fortunately or unfortunately, Nagamasa was impressed by Nobunaga’s attitude. Although it was not yet obvious, Nobunaga believed that the Tokugawa army would soon experience a decline in morale, so he disbanded his troops heading to Kyoto on July 20th.
After obtaining Yoshiaki’s commitment to leave future matters to him, Nobunaga immediately took action after seeing off Ieyasu and Hideyoshi upon their return to their respective domains. For Yoshiaki to become the Shogun, he needed to be appointed by an imperial decree. Therefore, Nobunaga needed to negotiate with the imperial court. During these negotiations, Yoshiaki moved from Akutagawa Castle to Honganji Temple, received visits from Imai Munekazu and many others bearing tribute, and kept Nobunaga busy with various matters. Then, approximately three weeks after the pacification of the Kinai region, on August 12th, Yoshiaki visited the Imperial Palace and was appointed as the Shogun. Thus, the fifteenth and final shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, was born.
Nobunaga, who installed Yoshiaki as the shogun, obtained his permission and began making personnel changes in the Kinai region. He assigned Hosokawa Fujitaka, who was under Yoshiaki’s command, to Kyoto and Yamashiro, and Wada Koremasa, also under Yoshiaki’s command, to Settsu and Takatsuki Castle. Other personnel were assigned to the castles in Settsu: Itami Castle was given to Itami Tadayasu, and Ikeda Castle was given to Ikeda Katsumasa. In Kawachi, Mikiyoshi Yosotsuna was assigned to Wako Castle, Hatakeyama Takamasa to Takaya Castle, and Matsunaga Hisahide to Yamato.
Nobunaga granted the territories of the former Miyoshi faction, excluding those under Yoshiaki’s control, to the other warlords who surrendered to him. This was because there was internal division caused by the conflict between the Miyoshi Trio and the successors of the Miyoshi family, as well as Matsunaga Hisahide. Most of the warlords who surrendered to Nobunaga were against the Miyoshi Trio. By granting them their territories, Nobunaga aimed to crush the power of the Miyoshi Trio and avoid hostility with the anti-Miyoshi Trio faction. Although he took Yoshiaki’s intentions into account to some extent, it was only a small consideration. Yoshiaki was satisfied with this arrangement, but Nobunaga couldn’t help but be amazed at how easily he manipulated Yoshiaki, who was truly a lightweight.
After completing personnel affairs, Nobunaga abolished the checkpoints and seats within his territory. This was aimed at gaining support from the people of Kyoto and restoring public order. As expected, the majority of the people living in Kyoto supported Nobunaga’s policies. With the support of the people, Nobunaga carried out further reforms. In order to restore and maintain public order in Kyoto, Nobunaga gathered around five thousand of his soldiers and formed the “Kyoto Public Security Patrol.” Although it was called a patrol, it was essentially a police system that Shizuko had implemented in a village of technicians, which was then adapted. However, this patrol force far exceeded Nobunaga’s expectations and became deeply ingrained in the local population.
Although the Police Force is not an official position in Kyoto, they are essentially the regular army of Nobunaga. Therefore, criminals have no choice but to flee from Kyoto as they cannot lay a hand on them. As a result of the disappearance of criminals, incidents including minor offenses visibly decreased. Along with the restoration of public order, the Police Force was welcomed by the people.
Yoshiaki organized a Noh performance to express his gratitude to Nobunaga, which included restoring public order and personnel matters. Yoshiaki planned to appoint Nobunaga as vice shogun or kanrei, and he sent messengers such as Hosokawa Fujitaka and Wada Koremasa to convey this intention. However, Nobunaga declined the offer, considering himself a newcomer and stating that someone familiar with Kyoto should be appointed instead, in order to avoid hurting Yoshiaki’s pride. Instead, Nobunaga proposed to shorten the Noh performance to five acts, but as a form of apology, he accompanied Yoshiaki all the way to the thirteenth act. Yoshiaki and many others were impressed by Nobunaga’s refusal of the vice shogun position and his willingness to accompany them. Of course, Nobunaga’s reason for accompanying Yoshiaki in the palanquin was to prevent his secret orders to his subordinates from being discovered.
Going back in time a little, when Yoshiaki became the shogun and the “Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Force” was formed, Shizuko was strolling around the streets of Kyoto. She was accompanied by Keiji, Saizo, Nagayoshi, Kaiser, and König. The mission assigned to her by Nobunaga was to send many artisans to Gifu. In modern terms, it was like scouting or head hunting. In addition to that, Shizuko was buying books in Kyoto and visiting cultural properties that are rarely seen in the present day. The cultural properties she visited included buildings, paintings, sculptures, crafts, manuscripts, classics, ancient documents, archaeological materials, and historical materials, among others. She also bought things that were considered worthless at the time but are now national treasures in the present day. Rather than saying she was buying them, it was more like she was using the pretext of protecting cultural properties.
“A great catch, a great catch, I was able to buy a lot today too!”
What I bought were twenty volumes of a certain noble’s long diary, four books that were imported from overseas but couldn’t be read and were sold off, several crafts of unknown production period, and one sculpture that I don’t really understand.
“I don’t know what is good.”
“If you can understand Shizucci, I think that’s amazing, Katsuzo (Mori Nagayoshi).”
“It feels like the floor is about to give way from all these books.”
The three individuals, who are more like baggage carriers than guards, tilt their heads in confusion as they look at what Shizuko has bought. They cannot understand what is so good about the noble’s diary. But that’s understandable. For Shizuko, anything related to the Sengoku period is a primary historical source that allows her to learn about that era. Especially diaries, which provide insights into the thoughts of people from that time that cannot be found in compiled materials by later historians.
The people of Kyoto watched Shizuko, who was strolling through the city in a cheerful mood, from a distance. Unlike in the past, this time the troops that came to Kyoto were disciplined and there were no large-scale looting or massacres. Nobunaga strictly prohibited looting, and soldiers who violated this rule were severely punished. Moreover, the soldiers were guaranteed sufficient rewards if they upheld military discipline and fulfilled their duties. The formation of the “Kyoto Public Safety Maintenance Police Force” also contributed to the favorable attitude of the people of Kyoto towards the troops that came to the city.
Among the troops that have gone up to the capital, Shizuko has three tasks. The first is to search for skilled craftsmen as ordered by Nobunaga, the second is to gather orphans and have them live in an orphanage, and the last is to improve sanitation by handling corpse disposal, among other things. In between, Shizuko personally collects old-fashioned wooden statues that were stored away, coins of unknown origin, and diaries written by impoverished courtiers. At first, people were surprised, but they were willing to sell their items as long as she would take them for recycling. Some tried to sell counterfeit goods, but they were quickly exposed by her discerning eye, and no one was able to sell any counterfeit items.
“I was able to obtain quite a variety of crop seeds, so it’s going well (it’s convenient because I don’t have to check if they are F1-hybrid seeds or heirloom seeds every time, it’s easy!)”
In the Sengoku period, where seed banks and seed merchants did not exist, it was easy to obtain fixed species seeds through bartering. However, in modern times, it is difficult to acquire fixed species seeds. The only way to obtain seeds is to participate in events related to that field, purchase them from research institutions or individuals who handle fixed species, or personally conduct seed research as a farmer. On the other hand, F1-hybrid seeds are abundant in the market, making it easy to obtain.
Why is there such a big difference? It’s because F1 hybrids, which grow quickly, have good uniformity, and are resistant to diseases, are easier to cultivate. Open-pollinated varieties require deep knowledge about diseases, have uneven shapes, and take longer to grow. That’s why both farmers who sell their produce in the market and home gardeners rarely choose to grow open-pollinated varieties. Considering that companies and agricultural cooperatives that deal with F1 hybrids are pushing open-pollinated varieties out of the market to ensure regular profits, it is too difficult to grow open-pollinated varieties unless the surrounding environment is favorable.
“Well, shall we go and receive the report from the patrol team?”
After muttering so, Shizuko led Keiji and the others towards the base facility used by the patrol team.
Among the three jobs that Shizuko is responsible for, corpse disposal is the easiest. It only requires taking the body outside of town and covering it with at least 1.5 meters of soil, as well as sprinkling quicklime on the body. Finding craftsmen is also easy if Shizuko gets along well with the people of Kyoto and utilizes the local network. As for negotiations, they went smoothly without any major obstacles.
The problem lies in securing orphanages and gathering orphans. If we leave war orphans unattended, they will eventually form gangs and become bandits. Even without resorting to that, the orphans commit crimes such as theft in order to survive. To prevent war orphans from becoming bandits, it is better to have them live in orphanages, provide them with education to acquire skills, and recruit foster parents. This is based on the infamous “Law of Compassion for Living Beings” from the Edo period. It is often misunderstood as an excessive animal protection law, but the Law of Compassion for Living Beings also provided relief for the sick and abandoned children. When the sixth generation shogun came to be, the Law of Compassion for Living Beings was abolished, but the educational system for abandoned children was retained because it was such an excellent system.
However, even if excellent systems are implemented, it is unlikely that orphaned children will obediently follow instructions. Most orphans try to escape to avoid being caught, and even if they are placed in orphanages, they repeatedly escape, creating a complete game of cat and mouse.
“Hmm, today there were three escapees. Two of them were caught right away, but one of them committed theft… You know, if we try to restrain them by force, it might make things worse. And if they manage to get outside the city, there’s a possibility they could form a gang.”
Upon receiving a report from the Public Security Maintenance Police Force, Shizuko clutched her head and slumped onto her desk. Although officially under Nobunaga’s command, it was Shizuko who actually determined and directed the actions of the police force. They were faced with many first-time tasks, such as patrolling in pairs, introducing guard dogs, and establishing patrol routes, which left them feeling bewildered. However, thanks to Shizuko’s expertise in the technology district, the implementation proceeded smoothly without any delays.
“Fortunately, I have never been able to escape for more than a day so far… but that may not be the case in the future.”
A young soldier advises Shizuko in this way. He is the captain of the second squad of the Southern Patrol Squad. The Kyoto Security Maintenance Patrol Squad is composed of six units: the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Patrol Squads, responsible for maintaining public order in their respective areas; the Administrative Support Squad, responsible for behind-the-scenes work such as administration and accounting; and the Health Squad, responsible for the well-being of the five squads.
The maintenance of public order in Kyoto under the Ashikaga Shogunate is already in a state of disarray. While the security around the imperial court is maintained by a separate office, the security around the shogun and ultimately the maintenance of order in Kyoto relies on the military and financial power of Nobunaga. Therefore, it is Shizuko’s role to organize a security organization and hand it over to Mitsuhide Akechi, who is a subordinate of Nobunaga.
(Well, even though it’s called a handover, it’s just me handing over the documents I wrote to one of Akechi Mitsuhide’s subordinates and that’s it…)
Shizuko will return to Owari when the time comes, but several of her subordinates, including Mitsuhide, will remain in Kyoto. Whether or not the Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Force can operate efficiently in the future actually depends on Shizuko’s organizational arrangements. Shizuko is unaware of this.
“We have no choice but to diligently gather information about this. If we were to abandon orphans… they would be exploited by the anti-Oda faction.”
I considered various methods to prevent the orphans from escaping, but I couldn’t think of any other way besides continuously capturing them diligently. If we were to kill the orphans, there is a high possibility that the anti-Oda faction would exploit that point.
“What is the status of introducing guard dogs?”
“It’s not very favorable. If it were just a few hundred people, it would be understandable, but the security maintenance unit exceeds four thousand people in size… It may be necessary to consider it over the course of several years.”
“Hmm… I see. Yes, it’s best to avoid rushing into it and failing. Please take enough time for dog training. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to finish quickly either.”
The security maintenance team exceeds 4,000 people when the four squads are combined. It would still take a lot of time to introduce guard dogs. In the first place, there were no dog breeders in the Sengoku period. It is a struggle just to gather dogs, and there are few people who can train them as guard dogs. It is inevitable that the introduction of guard dogs is delayed.
“This should suffice. Please remember to keep me informed and continue with your duties.”
Shizuko, who no longer had anything to ask, looked around at the leaders of each team and gave a summary before concluding the meeting.
From then until August 12th, she managed the “Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Squad”. However, on August 13th, Shizuko was officially ordered by Nobunaga to transfer authority and succession regarding the “Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Squad” to Mitsuhide. And on August 15th, although Nobunaga had been staying in Kyoto for a long time, he considered it a problem to leave Gifu any longer and decided to return to his home country.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Mid-August in the year 1568.
After that, there were no special events, and the Oda army peacefully welcomed the next day without being ambushed by the Rokkaku army. The army that marched to Kyoto consisted of approximately 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers from the Oda clan, around 1,000 soldiers from the Tokugawa clan, and around 3,000 soldiers from the Asai clan, totaling nearly 60,000 soldiers. In response to this, the Rokkaku army stationed their main force at Kanonji Castle, with the lord Rokkaku Yoshiharu, Yoshiharu’s father Yoshitaka, Yoshiharu’s younger brother Yoshisada, and a thousand elite horsemen. At Mitsukuri Castle, there were over 3,000 soldiers led by renowned warriors such as Yoshida Shigemitsu, Tatebe Hideaki, Koma Shuri-no-suke, and Yoshida Shinsuke. And at Wadayama Castle, there were over 6,000 soldiers led by Tanaka Daisuke. In total, the Rokkaku army consisted of approximately 10,000 soldiers. In terms of numbers alone, the Rokkaku army was less than half the size of the army marching to Kyoto. However, if they attacked Wadayama Castle, they would be flanked by Mitsukuri Castle, and if they attacked Kanonji Castle, they would be attacked from both Wadayama Castle and Mitsukuri Castle. Mitsukuri Mountain, where Mitsukuri Castle was located, was a small mountain with an elevation of about 300 meters, and there was only one steep path leading to the castle. Furthermore, it was a natural fortress surrounded by tall trees.
Mitsukuri Mountain has two peaks, and Mitsukuri Castle is located on the northern peak. From the northern Mitsukuri Mountain, there is Kanonji Mountain to the northwest, where Kanonji Castle is located. Then, about 2 km east of Kanonji Mountain, there is Wadayama Mountain, which is about 180m high and located to the west of the confluence of the Aichi River and the Daido River. Wadayama Castle is located near the summit of Wadayama Mountain, with earthworks surrounding an area of about 50m x 100m. From the south, it is connected to the Horsemen Kuruwa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuruwa) and the Main Kuruwa from the south, and there is also a turret platform of about 10m x 10m behind the Main Kuruwa.
Mitsukuri Mountain and Kanonji Mountain are mountains located in the Lake Biwa Plain, which is also known as the Omi Basin. The area between these two mountains forms a crucial transportation hub, with a narrow passage. In modern times, National Route 8, the JR Biwako Line, and the Shinkansen all pass through the area between Kanonji Mountain and Mitsukuri Moutain. It is natural to say that the Rokkaku clan built their main castle in Kanonji Mountain and a supporting castle in Mitsukuri Moutain in order to control this route.
Rokkaku Yoshiharu, the head of the Rokkaku family, had absolute confidence in the defense line that had been built over many years. However, misfortune befell him. It was the fact that all the military-related information, such as the defense network he had absolute confidence in, the strategy and personnel deployment for this operation, and the traditional escape route, were all known to Nobunaga and his key subordinate.
“There is no need to scheme against someone like Rokkaku. Crush him with the power we possess.”
As soon as Nobunaga made the declaration, the battle of Kanonji Castle began.
The three armies of Oda, Tokugawa, and Asai began their battle early in the morning and divided into three squads after crossing the Aichi River. The first squad, led by Inaba Yoshimichi, headed towards Wadayama Castle, while the second squad, led by Shibata and Mori Yoshinari, headed towards Kanonji Castle. The third squad, led by Niwa Nagahide, Hideyoshi, and Nobunaga, headed towards Mitsukuri Castle. The battle began at Mitsukuri Castle. Hideyoshi led 2,300 men from the northern entrance, while Niwa Nagahide led 3,000 men from the eastern entrance to initiate the attack. However, Mitsukuri Castle was a formidable fortress with steep slopes and dense trees. The defense led by Yoshida Izumo-no-kami was also strong, and Hideyoshi and Niwa Nagahide were struggling. Meanwhile, what was Nobunaga doing? He was blocking the only path leading to Mitsukuri Castle. The road leading to Mitsukuri Castle was the only route available, as the rest was surrounded by giant trees or steep animal trails, making it unsuitable for conventional military operations. In other words, if the single road was blocked, the defending forces in Mitsukuri Castle would not be able to retreat in an organized manner.
Nobunaga, having sealed off three locations at the foot of the mountain and four locations along the way, begins to transport large quantities of jars containing something. Once a certain amount has been gathered, the soldiers throw the jars towards the castle. The jars make a loud noise as they shatter, causing the contents to scatter around. What Nobunaga has put in the jars is a liquid with an alcohol content exceeding 60 percent. Rather than being considered alcohol, it is more like a hazardous substance. Nobunaga continues to throw them into the castle. The Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad, unable to understand Nobunaga’s actions, is perplexed but confronts the Hideyoshi squad and the Niwa Nagahide squad. Eventually, the alcohol that has been thrown in, creating small puddles on some floors, begins to evaporate slowly due to the surrounding heat. At that moment, the sound of an alarm bell echoes through Mitsukuri Castle. In response, the Hideyoshi squad and the Niwa Nagahide squad stop their attack and quickly retreat. Unable to comprehend any of their actions, the Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad falls into a state of mild panic and stands there dumbfounded.
That determined their fate.
A single flaming arrow was shot towards the castle. The moment it touched the evaporated alcohol, the world changed completely. Mitsukuri Castle was engulfed in flames in an instant. The Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad couldn’t comprehend what had happened, but as soon as they realized the current situation, panic consumed the soldiers. If only they had understood that while alcohol burns quickly, it lacks sustained burning, the outcome might have been different. However, surrounded by a sudden sea of fire, they were disoriented and didn’t even know which direction to flee for safety. This only fueled the spread of panic. In a matter of moments, they succumbed to collective panic, and the Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad scattered in disarray.
Originally, the Rokkaku army was led by Rokkaku Yoshiharu, the head of the Rokkaku family. Despite lacking both skill and talent, he had a high pride and constantly gave orders with a condescending attitude, which lowered the morale of his troops. It was impossible for them to defend places like Mitsukuri Castle, which turned into a sea of fire, so they threw away their weapons and fled in a panic. However, even escape was not allowed for them. This was because the Oda army, who had finished preparing to hunt them down, was waiting for them on the only road leading to the castle.
Mitsukuri Castle fell. It happened just six hours after the castle was attacked. The Rokkaku army, especially their current leader Rokkaku Yoshiharu, couldn’t hide their shock at the castle’s fall in such a short time. After all, Wadayama Castle and Kanonji Castle were also under simultaneous attack, but they were able to hold their ground against the enemy. Yoshiharu believed that they could push back the army advancing towards the capital with this momentum, but the reality was different. The army advancing towards the capital was intentionally acting as if they were being pushed back, in order to lure them out of the castle and divert their attention from the situation at Mitsukuri Castle. Some members of the army were not skilled in acting, so their losing performance seemed somewhat awkward. However, the Rokkaku army, blinded by the possibility of victory, failed to see through their clumsy act.
Fortunately, Yoshiharu was at Kanonji Castle, but his manipulated father and brother left the castle with seven hundred horsemen. He quickly sends a messenger to his father and brother, urging them to return to Kanonji Castle and to hold out at Wadazan Castle. However, the information brought back by the messenger only brings despair to him.
“What… you fool! My elite horsemen have been completely wiped out, and on top of that, my father and younger brother were killed in battle!”
Out of the elite group of one thousand horsemen, seven hundred horsemen were completely wiped out. Furthermore, Yoshiharu’s father, Yoshikatsu, and his younger brother, Yoshisada, who had led those seven hundred horsemen, were killed in battle. Additionally, Wadayama Castle had almost collapsed after Mitsukuri Castle fell. Not only the foot soldiers, but even the military commanders had discarded their weapons and fled in a panic. Yoshiharu had lost Mitsukuri Castle and Wadayama Castle in just half a day. It would still take several more hours until the sun completely set. Moreover, in this season, the days were longer compared to autumn or winter. In that time, with only about two hundred horsemen, they had to confront an army of over ten thousand soldiers heading to the capital. The moment Yoshiharu understood this fact, he collapsed to his knees.
“Why, why does fortune smile upon the Kyoto-bound army?!”
Like a tantrum-throwing child, he pounds the floor with both hands. However, even as he does so, the Kyoto-bound Army is heading towards Kanonji Castle. Compared to Wadayama Castle and Mitsukuri Castle, Kanonji Castle has weaker defenses. Realizing that time is of the essence, he makes the decision to follow the ancient example and flee to Koga. Normally, they would need to move under the cover of darkness, but the chances of Kanonji Castle holding out until then are low. Yoshiharu instructs his subordinates to relay the message of escape and to quickly prepare. There were several hidden passages set up for escaping from Kanonji Castle.
“Everyone, flee to where you need to flee. I will escape towards Koga.”
With just that, he took more than twenty of his most trusted horsemen and escaped from Kanonji Castle using one of the escape routes. As soon as they entered the dim and narrow secret passage, Yoshiharu’s ears caught a distant clamor. After giving a resentful glare at the entrance of the secret passage, he held his breath and walked through it. After walking for a while, they reached the hidden exit concealed among the trees in the mountains. One of the horsemen cautiously crawled out of the secret passage, looking around but seeing no one, only hearing the voices of the troops heading to the capital in the distance. The horsemen, deeming it safe, gave a signal. Shortly after, Yoshiharu and the more than twenty horsemen crawled out of the secret passage. Brushing off the dust from their clothes, Yoshiharu pointed towards the direction of Koga.
“The direction to escape is this way. Let’s go.”
While saying that, Yoshiharu, who was walking at the front, suddenly disappeared a few steps ahead. Startled by the sudden event, the horsemen began searching for Yoshiharu. Looking up at the sound of branches rubbing against each other, the horsemen spotted Yoshiharu falling towards the ground. He had been caught in a trap and launched into the air. After a few bone-crushing sounds, Yoshiharu was slammed onto the ground, barely clinging to life. Of course, the trap didn’t end with Yoshiharu alone. It also attacked the horsemen, who were in a state of confusion. In no time, all the horsemen were wiped out, and Yoshiharu was the only one left standing.
“What… is… happening…”
“I can’t believe that the head of the Rokkaku family himself fell into the trap first and set an example for his subordinates. Are you in such a hurry that you don’t even consider setting up a decoy?”
Yoshiharu moves only his eyes towards the direction where the voice came from. He sees Takigawa Kazumasu and the group of ninjas he is accompanied by, who are a little bit away from him.
“Why…”
Yoshiharu, with various doubts in mind such as how the enemy knew about the existence of a hidden passage exit, knowing that he would come out from this location, and having set traps in advance, spoke his words. However, Takiyama, in a matter-of-fact tone, simply uttered a short response without answering Yoshiharu’s question.
“Take it easy, it’ll be over soon”
Those were the last words heard in this world from Rokkaku Yoshiharu, the head of the Rokkaku family that ruled over Southern Omi Province.
The battle between the Kyoto-bound Army and the Rokkaku Army in the Southern Omi Province, as well as the Battle of Kanonji Castle (or the Battle of Mitsukuri Castle), was resolved in just one day. The Oda Army suffered losses of about a thousand men, the Tokugawa Army had several dozen casualties, and the Asai Army lost around 300 soldiers including their retainer Wakisaka Yasuaki who died in battle. On the other hand, the Rokkaku Army saw the deaths of their leader Yoshiharu, his father Yoshikatsu, and his younger brother Yoshisada. Their elite cavalry of a thousand horsemen was completely wiped out, and most of the influential warriors who had supported the Rokkaku family also perished. The Rokkaku Army suffered losses of about 4,000 soldiers, with 4,500 fleeing the battlefield. The remaining soldiers did not display the noble mentality of staying with their lord until the end; instead, they resorted to looting equipment from the bodies of their former allies. Kanonji Castle, Wadayama Castle, and Mitsukuri Castle were abandoned, and apart from Hino Castle, which was defended by the Rokkaku family’s senior retainer Gamō Yoshiteru, the rest of the remaining intact castles surrendered to the Kyoto-bound Army on that fateful day. In the future, the Oda clan’s retainer Gōribe Kobe convinced Gamō Yoshiteru to surrender by personally infiltrating Hino Castle. The reason why he was able to do this was because Kobe’s wife was Yoshiteru’s sister. Yielding to Kobe’s persuasion, Yoshiteru surrendered, offering his son as a hostage and pledging loyalty to Nobunaga. This hostage was Gamō Ujisato, who later married Nobunaga’s daughter Fuyuhime.
“So, everything fell in just one day, but I think the enemy was fully intent on escaping, right?”
Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada), Nagayoshi, and Shizuko were ordered to wait at the main camp. Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) and Nagayoshi, feeling bored, were contemplating the reason behind Rokkaku’s downfall in just one day.
“Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I wonder if I’ll go to Kyoto…”
“Before that, we have to think about the Rokkaku. The role of a military commander is to think about the cause of their downfall.”
“Well… do your best. I’m not a military commander or anything. Besides, that’s a traditional tactic that has been passed down through generations.”
“Wait, don’t come to a conclusion so easily. Do you know something in detail? It seems that the Lord Oda has been asking various questions as well.”
“Sometimes it’s important to think for yourself.”
It is nearly impossible for any great general to capture a castle in just one day. However, the combination of Nobunaga’s belief in “settling things in one day” and the Rokkaku clan’s ancestral tactic of “retreating when things become unfavorable” resulted in the decisive battle of Kanonji Castle being resolved in just one day. Although Yoshiharu had anticipated a long-term battle, the situation that led him to choose retreat in just one day was unexpected even for him.
“I don’t understand anything as it is now. Please give me some kind of clue.”
“Hmm, well, I guess that’s okay then.”
If I explain everything, I will take away the ability to think from Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) and Nagayoshi. Thinking this way, Shizuko intentionally did not provide important information. However, realizing that without any hints, they cannot think of anything, she starts writing down hints on a large piece of paper.
When “Rokkaku” is written in the center of the paper, it refers to Biwako (also known as Omi), Fuwa Seki (Mino), Ai Hatsuseki (Echizen), the guardian of the Onimon (Mount Hiei), and Koga and Ise are added. Next to the characters for Rokkaku, “Kyoshoku” (maintaining public order in Kyoto) and “Kenpiishin” (protecting the imperial court) are added. After that, the paper is placed in front of Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada). The two of them happily peer into the paper.
(I wonder when these two became friends?)
Shizuko observes the actions and words of the two people, thinking that it might be because they are close in age.
“With this arrangement, Rokkaku’s tax revenue relies on Lake Biwa.”
“If that’s the case, then it would be a blow to the Rokkaku clan to have been in conflict with the Asai clan in northern Omi.”
“No wait. If that’s all it is, running away isn’t an option. It’s inconvenient for Rokkaku… I remember reading somewhere that Fuwa Seki, Arachi Seki, and Suzuka Seki were referred to as the Three Seki. It’s possible that since Fuwa Seki also became Oda territory, they had planned to escape from the beginning.”
“The Asai family was betrayed, the Saito family was destroyed, and in their place, the Oda family came to rule Mino and became enemies… Hmm, if Rokkaku’s ‘if it’s inconvenient, retreat’ is a long-standing tactic of their ancestors, then it’s not an implausible story.”
(Oh, you’ve hit on something good. Well, Rokkaku is the type that “parasitizes” on the strong, so I don’t think they ever had any intention of fighting from the beginning.)
Southern Omi Province, where Rokkaku lives, is a land protected by Lake Biwa and three major defense bases (Mount Hiei, Fuwa Seki, and Arachi Seki). Tax revenues also depend on Lake Biwa and the three major defense bases. However, due to the majority of the land being occupied by Lake Biwa, the number of soldiers that can be supported is always small. Even with a generous estimate, the mobilized forces would amount to around ten thousand. In such a situation, Rokkaku, which relies on Mount Hiei, Fuwa Seki, Arachi Seki, the merchant alliance of Lake Biwa, and multiple other entities, is divided and lacks unity.
Due to its location, southern Omi tends to become a battlefield during times of war, so it has become a common tactic for the Rokkaku army to hide and wait for large enemy forces to pass by, and then conceal themselves until the fighting subsides. If the checkpoints or Mount Hiei are breached, they would be left with no options. Furthermore, the local lords who try to advance to Kyoto are mostly overwhelmed by armies of tens of thousands, and their determination and military strength cannot compare to the Rokkaku army.
“But then it’s strange. Why didn’t the head of the Rokkaku family adopt an evasive stance from the beginning? The army coming to Kyoto is about fifty thousand strong, while they can only mobilize around ten thousand soldiers. Following the precedent of the past, they should have let the army pass through from the beginning and hidden themselves.”
“Even if you ask me… Maybe because the head of the family was a fool who couldn’t even grasp the situation?”
“No matter how you look at it, that’s impossible. Did you consider the future planning are based on present situations? If so, the fact that Mitsukuri Castle fell in half a day was unexpected for Rokkaku, right?”
“Hmm, I can’t help but think of myself as nothing more than a fool. According to the story, soldiers and numerous warlords came out of Kanonji Castle, which was supposed to be under siege, right? It’s only natural to think that sending out soldiers while under siege is nothing but foolishness…”
Even after that, the two of them never ran out of things to talk about. Despite being almost like strangers, for some reason it seemed as if Shizuko and the two of them were bound by a strong bond, almost like a bond of life and death.
“Come to think of it, we conducted a fire attack at Mitsukuri Castle, but how did we transport the fire source?”
“Hmm? I think that was used for this.”
Shizuko responded Nagayoshi’s words by taking out a fire piston. The two of them turned their faces towards her and tilted their heads at the same time. From their perspective, the fire piston appeared to be just a wooden stick, so their reaction was natural.
“It’s a type of fire-starting tool used in Nanban. I think Aya-chan has been using it the longest at our place.”
Even if they were told that something that only looks like a wooden stick can be used to create a fire, neither of them can even imagine it. Shizuko, while smiling wryly, demonstrates fire starting in front of them. The small piece of cloth quickly transforms into a spark, leaving both of them astonished.
“What a tool. But indeed, with this, there is no need to carry a fire source around. It’s not too big either, so it’s possible to conceal it.”
“It can be done with just one small knife to make. I made three, but they were all taken by the lord.”
“Of course, you fool. You don’t understand how advantageous it is to not carry around a spark.”
In the Sengoku period, fire was a precious commodity to the extent that there were dedicated craftsmen who specialized in its storage. People would prepare special tools called “hiire” and make efforts to maintain the fire by keeping it in a hearth. Starting a fire was such a difficult task.
“Seriously, Shizuko always surprises me.”
“I agree. If there is such a convenient tool, it should have been released sooner.”
Shizuko couldn’t help but hope that the two of them would continue to have a good relationship as they nodded at each other, their arms linked.
June 30th. Nobunaga, who quickly pacified South Omi, immediately sent Fuwa Mitsuharu to Yoshiaki to prepare for his entry into Kyoto. Ten days later, on July 10th, Yoshiaki departed for Kyoto. On July 15th, Nobunaga moved his camp to Mitsui-dera Gokurakuin (Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture). The next day, Nobunaga welcomed Yoshiaki at Mitsui-dera Gokurakuin. And on July 17th, Nobunaga finally entered Kyoto.
When Nobunaga set up his camp at Tofukuji Temple, the vanguard led by Shibata Katsuie, Hachiya Yoritaka, Mori Yoshinari, and Sakai Masanobu crossed the Katsura River and first attacked Iwanari Tomomichi, one of the Miyoshi Trio, who was at Kototecho and Seiryuji (Katsuryuji) Temple. Although the Miyoshi forces resisted, they were soon forced to retreat into the castle. Perhaps feeling relieved by Nobunaga’s victory, Yoshiaki also entered Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.
The next day, Nobunaga’s main army marched out, and Iwanari Tomomichi realized the situation and surrendered. After that, Nobunaga continued to attack and capture the castles of the Miyoshi faction one after another. The lords of Akutagawa Castle, Hosokawa Akimasa and Miyoshi Nagayoshi, could not put up much resistance and retreated. Shinohara Nagafusa, the lord of Etsumi and Takisan Castle, also abandoned his castle and retreated. Yoshiaki entered the empty Akutagawa Castle. Meanwhile, the Oda army attacked Ikeda Castle, the residence of Ikeda Katsumasa. However, unlike other castles, the resistance here was fierce, and the Oda army suffered heavy casualties, including many deaths. However, Ikeda Katsumasa, who resisted, finally surrendered to the overwhelmingly powerful Oda army and handed over hostages to Nobunaga. Matsunaga Hisahide, who was in conflict with the Miyoshi Trio, the leaders of the Miyoshi family, presented the highest-grade tea container, “Kujūkyūkami,” to Nobunaga and joined his army.
The army that marched to Kyoto quickly brought the Kinai region and surrounding countries under its control within a few days. Nobunaga, who continued his overwhelming advance, encountered a problem within his army at this point. The morale of the Asai army had dropped. This was not an issue for the Oda army, as they had implemented a separation of soldiers and farmers. However, both the Tokugawa and Asai armies had conscripted peasants as soldiers. As a result, the peasant soldiers in the Asai army were constantly preoccupied with the state of their fields and were in a state of distraction.
Nobunaga, who had originally planned to go to Kyoto after the busy farming season, decided to shorten his trip and arrive in July. Therefore, he did not complain about the low morale of the Asai army, but instead expressed gratitude to Nagamasa and showed concern for his health. Fortunately or unfortunately, Nagamasa was impressed by Nobunaga’s attitude. Although it was not yet obvious, Nobunaga believed that the Tokugawa army would soon experience a decline in morale, so he disbanded his troops heading to Kyoto on July 20th.
After obtaining Yoshiaki’s commitment to leave future matters to him, Nobunaga immediately took action after seeing off Ieyasu and Hideyoshi upon their return to their respective domains. For Yoshiaki to become the Shogun, he needed to be appointed by an imperial decree. Therefore, Nobunaga needed to negotiate with the imperial court. During these negotiations, Yoshiaki moved from Akutagawa Castle to Honganji Temple, received visits from Imai Munekazu and many others bearing tribute, and kept Nobunaga busy with various matters. Then, approximately three weeks after the pacification of the Kinai region, on August 12th, Yoshiaki visited the Imperial Palace and was appointed as the Shogun. Thus, the fifteenth and final shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, was born.
Nobunaga, who installed Yoshiaki as the shogun, obtained his permission and began making personnel changes in the Kinai region. He assigned Hosokawa Fujitaka, who was under Yoshiaki’s command, to Kyoto and Yamashiro, and Wada Koremasa, also under Yoshiaki’s command, to Settsu and Takatsuki Castle. Other personnel were assigned to the castles in Settsu: Itami Castle was given to Itami Tadayasu, and Ikeda Castle was given to Ikeda Katsumasa. In Kawachi, Mikiyoshi Yosotsuna was assigned to Wako Castle, Hatakeyama Takamasa to Takaya Castle, and Matsunaga Hisahide to Yamato.
Nobunaga granted the territories of the former Miyoshi faction, excluding those under Yoshiaki’s control, to the other warlords who surrendered to him. This was because there was internal division caused by the conflict between the Miyoshi Trio and the successors of the Miyoshi family, as well as Matsunaga Hisahide. Most of the warlords who surrendered to Nobunaga were against the Miyoshi Trio. By granting them their territories, Nobunaga aimed to crush the power of the Miyoshi Trio and avoid hostility with the anti-Miyoshi Trio faction. Although he took Yoshiaki’s intentions into account to some extent, it was only a small consideration. Yoshiaki was satisfied with this arrangement, but Nobunaga couldn’t help but be amazed at how easily he manipulated Yoshiaki, who was truly a lightweight.
After completing personnel affairs, Nobunaga abolished the checkpoints and seats within his territory. This was aimed at gaining support from the people of Kyoto and restoring public order. As expected, the majority of the people living in Kyoto supported Nobunaga’s policies. With the support of the people, Nobunaga carried out further reforms. In order to restore and maintain public order in Kyoto, Nobunaga gathered around five thousand of his soldiers and formed the “Kyoto Public Security Patrol.” Although it was called a patrol, it was essentially a police system that Shizuko had implemented in a village of technicians, which was then adapted. However, this patrol force far exceeded Nobunaga’s expectations and became deeply ingrained in the local population.
Although the Police Force is not an official position in Kyoto, they are essentially the regular army of Nobunaga. Therefore, criminals have no choice but to flee from Kyoto as they cannot lay a hand on them. As a result of the disappearance of criminals, incidents including minor offenses visibly decreased. Along with the restoration of public order, the Police Force was welcomed by the people.
Yoshiaki organized a Noh performance to express his gratitude to Nobunaga, which included restoring public order and personnel matters. Yoshiaki planned to appoint Nobunaga as vice shogun or kanrei, and he sent messengers such as Hosokawa Fujitaka and Wada Koremasa to convey this intention. However, Nobunaga declined the offer, considering himself a newcomer and stating that someone familiar with Kyoto should be appointed instead, in order to avoid hurting Yoshiaki’s pride. Instead, Nobunaga proposed to shorten the Noh performance to five acts, but as a form of apology, he accompanied Yoshiaki all the way to the thirteenth act. Yoshiaki and many others were impressed by Nobunaga’s refusal of the vice shogun position and his willingness to accompany them. Of course, Nobunaga’s reason for accompanying Yoshiaki in the palanquin was to prevent his secret orders to his subordinates from being discovered.
Going back in time a little, when Yoshiaki became the shogun and the “Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Force” was formed, Shizuko was strolling around the streets of Kyoto. She was accompanied by Keiji, Saizo, Nagayoshi, Kaiser, and König. The mission assigned to her by Nobunaga was to send many artisans to Gifu. In modern terms, it was like scouting or head hunting. In addition to that, Shizuko was buying books in Kyoto and visiting cultural properties that are rarely seen in the present day. The cultural properties she visited included buildings, paintings, sculptures, crafts, manuscripts, classics, ancient documents, archaeological materials, and historical materials, among others. She also bought things that were considered worthless at the time but are now national treasures in the present day. Rather than saying she was buying them, it was more like she was using the pretext of protecting cultural properties.
“A great catch, a great catch, I was able to buy a lot today too!”
What I bought were twenty volumes of a certain noble’s long diary, four books that were imported from overseas but couldn’t be read and were sold off, several crafts of unknown production period, and one sculpture that I don’t really understand.
“I don’t know what is good.”
“If you can understand Shizucci, I think that’s amazing, Katsuzo (Mori Nagayoshi).”
“It feels like the floor is about to give way from all these books.”
The three individuals, who are more like baggage carriers than guards, tilt their heads in confusion as they look at what Shizuko has bought. They cannot understand what is so good about the noble’s diary. But that’s understandable. For Shizuko, anything related to the Sengoku period is a primary historical source that allows her to learn about that era. Especially diaries, which provide insights into the thoughts of people from that time that cannot be found in compiled materials by later historians.
The people of Kyoto watched Shizuko, who was strolling through the city in a cheerful mood, from a distance. Unlike in the past, this time the troops that came to Kyoto were disciplined and there were no large-scale looting or massacres. Nobunaga strictly prohibited looting, and soldiers who violated this rule were severely punished. Moreover, the soldiers were guaranteed sufficient rewards if they upheld military discipline and fulfilled their duties. The formation of the “Kyoto Public Safety Maintenance Police Force” also contributed to the favorable attitude of the people of Kyoto towards the troops that came to the city.
Among the troops that have gone up to the capital, Shizuko has three tasks. The first is to search for skilled craftsmen as ordered by Nobunaga, the second is to gather orphans and have them live in an orphanage, and the last is to improve sanitation by handling corpse disposal, among other things. In between, Shizuko personally collects old-fashioned wooden statues that were stored away, coins of unknown origin, and diaries written by impoverished courtiers. At first, people were surprised, but they were willing to sell their items as long as she would take them for recycling. Some tried to sell counterfeit goods, but they were quickly exposed by her discerning eye, and no one was able to sell any counterfeit items.
“I was able to obtain quite a variety of crop seeds, so it’s going well (it’s convenient because I don’t have to check if they are F1-hybrid seeds or heirloom seeds every time, it’s easy!)”
In the Sengoku period, where seed banks and seed merchants did not exist, it was easy to obtain fixed species seeds through bartering. However, in modern times, it is difficult to acquire fixed species seeds. The only way to obtain seeds is to participate in events related to that field, purchase them from research institutions or individuals who handle fixed species, or personally conduct seed research as a farmer. On the other hand, F1-hybrid seeds are abundant in the market, making it easy to obtain.
Why is there such a big difference? It’s because F1 hybrids, which grow quickly, have good uniformity, and are resistant to diseases, are easier to cultivate. Open-pollinated varieties require deep knowledge about diseases, have uneven shapes, and take longer to grow. That’s why both farmers who sell their produce in the market and home gardeners rarely choose to grow open-pollinated varieties. Considering that companies and agricultural cooperatives that deal with F1 hybrids are pushing open-pollinated varieties out of the market to ensure regular profits, it is too difficult to grow open-pollinated varieties unless the surrounding environment is favorable.
“Well, shall we go and receive the report from the patrol team?”
After muttering so, Shizuko led Keiji and the others towards the base facility used by the patrol team.
Among the three jobs that Shizuko is responsible for, corpse disposal is the easiest. It only requires taking the body outside of town and covering it with at least 1.5 meters of soil, as well as sprinkling quicklime on the body. Finding craftsmen is also easy if Shizuko gets along well with the people of Kyoto and utilizes the local network. As for negotiations, they went smoothly without any major obstacles.
The problem lies in securing orphanages and gathering orphans. If we leave war orphans unattended, they will eventually form gangs and become bandits. Even without resorting to that, the orphans commit crimes such as theft in order to survive. To prevent war orphans from becoming bandits, it is better to have them live in orphanages, provide them with education to acquire skills, and recruit foster parents. This is based on the infamous “Law of Compassion for Living Beings” from the Edo period. It is often misunderstood as an excessive animal protection law, but the Law of Compassion for Living Beings also provided relief for the sick and abandoned children. When the sixth generation shogun came to be, the Law of Compassion for Living Beings was abolished, but the educational system for abandoned children was retained because it was such an excellent system.
However, even if excellent systems are implemented, it is unlikely that orphaned children will obediently follow instructions. Most orphans try to escape to avoid being caught, and even if they are placed in orphanages, they repeatedly escape, creating a complete game of cat and mouse.
“Hmm, today there were three escapees. Two of them were caught right away, but one of them committed theft… You know, if we try to restrain them by force, it might make things worse. And if they manage to get outside the city, there’s a possibility they could form a gang.”
Upon receiving a report from the Public Security Maintenance Police Force, Shizuko clutched her head and slumped onto her desk. Although officially under Nobunaga’s command, it was Shizuko who actually determined and directed the actions of the police force. They were faced with many first-time tasks, such as patrolling in pairs, introducing guard dogs, and establishing patrol routes, which left them feeling bewildered. However, thanks to Shizuko’s expertise in the technology district, the implementation proceeded smoothly without any delays.
“Fortunately, I have never been able to escape for more than a day so far… but that may not be the case in the future.”
A young soldier advises Shizuko in this way. He is the captain of the second squad of the Southern Patrol Squad. The Kyoto Security Maintenance Patrol Squad is composed of six units: the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Patrol Squads, responsible for maintaining public order in their respective areas; the Administrative Support Squad, responsible for behind-the-scenes work such as administration and accounting; and the Health Squad, responsible for the well-being of the five squads.
The maintenance of public order in Kyoto under the Ashikaga Shogunate is already in a state of disarray. While the security around the imperial court is maintained by a separate office, the security around the shogun and ultimately the maintenance of order in Kyoto relies on the military and financial power of Nobunaga. Therefore, it is Shizuko’s role to organize a security organization and hand it over to Mitsuhide Akechi, who is a subordinate of Nobunaga.
(Well, even though it’s called a handover, it’s just me handing over the documents I wrote to one of Akechi Mitsuhide’s subordinates and that’s it…)
Shizuko will return to Owari when the time comes, but several of her subordinates, including Mitsuhide, will remain in Kyoto. Whether or not the Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Force can operate efficiently in the future actually depends on Shizuko’s organizational arrangements. Shizuko is unaware of this.
“We have no choice but to diligently gather information about this. If we were to abandon orphans… they would be exploited by the anti-Oda faction.”
I considered various methods to prevent the orphans from escaping, but I couldn’t think of any other way besides continuously capturing them diligently. If we were to kill the orphans, there is a high possibility that the anti-Oda faction would exploit that point.
“What is the status of introducing guard dogs?”
“It’s not very favorable. If it were just a few hundred people, it would be understandable, but the security maintenance unit exceeds four thousand people in size… It may be necessary to consider it over the course of several years.”
“Hmm… I see. Yes, it’s best to avoid rushing into it and failing. Please take enough time for dog training. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to finish quickly either.”
The security maintenance team exceeds 4,000 people when the four squads are combined. It would still take a lot of time to introduce guard dogs. In the first place, there were no dog breeders in the Sengoku period. It is a struggle just to gather dogs, and there are few people who can train them as guard dogs. It is inevitable that the introduction of guard dogs is delayed.
“This should suffice. Please remember to keep me informed and continue with your duties.”
Shizuko, who no longer had anything to ask, looked around at the leaders of each team and gave a summary before concluding the meeting.
From then until August 12th, she managed the “Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Squad”. However, on August 13th, Shizuko was officially ordered by Nobunaga to transfer authority and succession regarding the “Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Squad” to Mitsuhide. And on August 15th, although Nobunaga had been staying in Kyoto for a long time, he considered it a problem to leave Gifu any longer and decided to return to his home country.
Mid-August in the year 1568.After that, there were no special events, and the Oda army peacefully welcomed the next day without being ambushed by the Rokkaku army. The army that marched to Kyoto consisted of approximately 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers from the Oda clan, around 1,000 soldiers from the Tokugawa clan, and around 3,000 soldiers from the Asai clan, totaling nearly 60,000 soldiers. In response to this, the Rokkaku army stationed their main force at Kanonji Castle, with the lord Rokkaku Yoshiharu, Yoshiharu's father Yoshitaka, Yoshiharu's younger brother Yoshisada, and a thousand elite horsemen. At Mitsukuri Castle, there were over 3,000 soldiers led by renowned warriors such as Yoshida Shigemitsu, Tatebe Hideaki, Koma Shuri-no-suke, and Yoshida Shinsuke. And at Wadayama Castle, there were over 6,000 soldiers led by Tanaka Daisuke. In total, the Rokkaku army consisted of approximately 10,000 soldiers. In terms of numbers alone, the Rokkaku army was less than half the size of the army marching to Kyoto. However, if they attacked Wadayama Castle, they would be flanked by Mitsukuri Castle, and if they attacked Kanonji Castle, they would be attacked from both Wadayama Castle and Mitsukuri Castle. Mitsukuri Mountain, where Mitsukuri Castle was located, was a small mountain with an elevation of about 300 meters, and there was only one steep path leading to the castle. Furthermore, it was a natural fortress surrounded by tall trees.Mitsukuri Mountain has two peaks, and Mitsukuri Castle is located on the northern peak. From the northern Mitsukuri Mountain, there is Kanonji Mountain to the northwest, where Kanonji Castle is located. Then, about 2 km east of Kanonji Mountain, there is Wadayama Mountain, which is about 180m high and located to the west of the confluence of the Aichi River and the Daido River. Wadayama Castle is located near the summit of Wadayama Mountain, with earthworks surrounding an area of about 50m x 100m. From the south, it is connected to the Horsemen Kuruwa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuruwa and the Main Kuruwa from the south, and there is also a turret platform of about 10m x 10m behind the Main Kuruwa.Mitsukuri Mountain and Kanonji Mountain are mountains located in the Lake Biwa Plain, which is also known as the Omi Basin. The area between these two mountains forms a crucial transportation hub, with a narrow passage. In modern times, National Route 8, the JR Biwako Line, and the Shinkansen all pass through the area between Kanonji Mountain and Mitsukuri Moutain. It is natural to say that the Rokkaku clan built their main castle in Kanonji Mountain and a supporting castle in Mitsukuri Moutain in order to control this route.Rokkaku Yoshiharu, the head of the Rokkaku family, had absolute confidence in the defense line that had been built over many years. However, misfortune befell him. It was the fact that all the military-related information, such as the defense network he had absolute confidence in, the strategy and personnel deployment for this operation, and the traditional escape route, were all known to Nobunaga and his key subordinate.There is no need to scheme against someone like Rokkaku. Crush him with the power we possess.As soon as Nobunaga made the declaration, the battle of Kanonji Castle began.The three armies of Oda, Tokugawa, and Asai began their battle early in the morning and divided into three squads after crossing the Aichi River. The first squad, led by Inaba Yoshimichi, headed towards Wadayama Castle, while the second squad, led by Shibata and Mori Yoshinari, headed towards Kanonji Castle. The third squad, led by Niwa Nagahide, Hideyoshi, and Nobunaga, headed towards Mitsukuri Castle. The battle began at Mitsukuri Castle. Hideyoshi led 2,300 men from the northern entrance, while Niwa Nagahide led 3,000 men from the eastern entrance to initiate the attack. However, Mitsukuri Castle was a formidable fortress with steep slopes and dense trees. The defense led by Yoshida Izumo-no-kami was also strong, and Hideyoshi and Niwa Nagahide were struggling. Meanwhile, what was Nobunaga doing? He was blocking the only path leading to Mitsukuri Castle. The road leading to Mitsukuri Castle was the only route available, as the rest was surrounded by giant trees or steep animal trails, making it unsuitable for conventional military operations. In other words, if the single road was blocked, the defending forces in Mitsukuri Castle would not be able to retreat in an organized manner.Nobunaga, having sealed off three locations at the foot of the mountain and four locations along the way, begins to transport large quantities of jars containing something. Once a certain amount has been gathered, the soldiers throw the jars towards the castle. The jars make a loud noise as they shatter, causing the contents to scatter around. What Nobunaga has put in the jars is a liquid with an alcohol content exceeding 60 percent. Rather than being considered alcohol, it is more like a hazardous substance. Nobunaga continues to throw them into the castle. The Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad, unable to understand Nobunaga's actions, is perplexed but confronts the Hideyoshi squad and the Niwa Nagahide squad. Eventually, the alcohol that has been thrown in, creating small puddles on some floors, begins to evaporate slowly due to the surrounding heat. At that moment, the sound of an alarm bell echoes through Mitsukuri Castle. In response, the Hideyoshi squad and the Niwa Nagahide squad stop their attack and quickly retreat. Unable to comprehend any of their actions, the Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad falls into a state of mild panic and stands there dumbfounded.That determined their fate.A single flaming arrow was shot towards the castle. The moment it touched the evaporated alcohol, the world changed completely. Mitsukuri Castle was engulfed in flames in an instant. The Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad couldn't comprehend what had happened, but as soon as they realized the current situation, panic consumed the soldiers. If only they had understood that while alcohol burns quickly, it lacks sustained burning, the outcome might have been different. However, surrounded by a sudden sea of fire, they were disoriented and didn't even know which direction to flee for safety. This only fueled the spread of panic. In a matter of moments, they succumbed to collective panic, and the Yoshida Izumo-no-kami squad scattered in disarray.Originally, the Rokkaku army was led by Rokkaku Yoshiharu, the head of the Rokkaku family. Despite lacking both skill and talent, he had a high pride and constantly gave orders with a condescending attitude, which lowered the morale of his troops. It was impossible for them to defend places like Mitsukuri Castle, which turned into a sea of fire, so they threw away their weapons and fled in a panic. However, even escape was not allowed for them. This was because the Oda army, who had finished preparing to hunt them down, was waiting for them on the only road leading to the castle.Mitsukuri Castle fell. It happened just six hours after the castle was attacked. The Rokkaku army, especially their current leader Rokkaku Yoshiharu, couldn't hide their shock at the castle's fall in such a short time. After all, Wadayama Castle and Kanonji Castle were also under simultaneous attack, but they were able to hold their ground against the enemy. Yoshiharu believed that they could push back the army advancing towards the capital with this momentum, but the reality was different. The army advancing towards the capital was intentionally acting as if they were being pushed back, in order to lure them out of the castle and divert their attention from the situation at Mitsukuri Castle. Some members of the army were not skilled in acting, so their losing performance seemed somewhat awkward. However, the Rokkaku army, blinded by the possibility of victory, failed to see through their clumsy act.Fortunately, Yoshiharu was at Kanonji Castle, but his manipulated father and brother left the castle with seven hundred horsemen. He quickly sends a messenger to his father and brother, urging them to return to Kanonji Castle and to hold out at Wadazan Castle. However, the information brought back by the messenger only brings despair to him.What you fool! My elite horsemen have been completely wiped out, and on top of that, my father and younger brother were killed in battle!Out of the elite group of one thousand horsemen, seven hundred horsemen were completely wiped out. Furthermore, Yoshiharu's father, Yoshikatsu, and his younger brother, Yoshisada, who had led those seven hundred horsemen, were killed in battle. Additionally, Wadayama Castle had almost collapsed after Mitsukuri Castle fell. Not only the foot soldiers, but even the military commanders had discarded their weapons and fled in a panic. Yoshiharu had lost Mitsukuri Castle and Wadayama Castle in just half a day. It would still take several more hours until the sun completely set. Moreover, in this season, the days were longer compared to autumn or winter. In that time, with only about two hundred horsemen, they had to confront an army of over ten thousand soldiers heading to the capital. The moment Yoshiharu understood this fact, he collapsed to his knees.Why, why does fortune smile upon the Kyoto-bound army?!Like a tantrum-throwing child, he pounds the floor with both hands. However, even as he does so, the Kyoto-bound Army is heading towards Kanonji Castle. Compared to Wadayama Castle and Mitsukuri Castle, Kanonji Castle has weaker defenses. Realizing that time is of the essence, he makes the decision to follow the ancient example and flee to Koga. Normally, they would need to move under the cover of darkness, but the chances of Kanonji Castle holding out until then are low. Yoshiharu instructs his subordinates to relay the message of escape and to quickly prepare. There were several hidden passages set up for escaping from Kanonji Castle.Everyone, flee to where you need to flee. I will escape towards Koga.With just that, he took more than twenty of his most trusted horsemen and escaped from Kanonji Castle using one of the escape routes. As soon as they entered the dim and narrow secret passage, Yoshiharu's ears caught a distant clamor. After giving a resentful glare at the entrance of the secret passage, he held his breath and walked through it. After walking for a while, they reached the hidden exit concealed among the trees in the mountains. One of the horsemen cautiously crawled out of the secret passage, looking around but seeing no one, only hearing the voices of the troops heading to the capital in the distance. The horsemen, deeming it safe, gave a signal. Shortly after, Yoshiharu and the more than twenty horsemen crawled out of the secret passage. Brushing off the dust from their clothes, Yoshiharu pointed towards the direction of Koga.The direction to escape is this way. Let's go.While saying that, Yoshiharu, who was walking at the front, suddenly disappeared a few steps ahead. Startled by the sudden event, the horsemen began searching for Yoshiharu. Looking up at the sound of branches rubbing against each other, the horsemen spotted Yoshiharu falling towards the ground. He had been caught in a trap and launched into the air. After a few bone-crushing sounds, Yoshiharu was slammed onto the ground, barely clinging to life. Of course, the trap didn't end with Yoshiharu alone. It also attacked the horsemen, who were in a state of confusion. In no time, all the horsemen were wiped out, and Yoshiharu was the only one left standing.What is happeningI can't believe that the head of the Rokkaku family himself fell into the trap first and set an example for his subordinates. Are you in such a hurry that you don't even consider setting up a decoy?Yoshiharu moves only his eyes towards the direction where the voice came from. He sees Takigawa Kazumasu and the group of ninjas he is accompanied by, who are a little bit away from him.WhyYoshiharu, with various doubts in mind such as how the enemy knew about the existence of a hidden passage exit, knowing that he would come out from this location, and having set traps in advance, spoke his words. However, Takiyama, in a matter-of-fact tone, simply uttered a short response without answering Yoshiharu's question.Take it easy, it'll be over soonThose were the last words heard in this world from Rokkaku Yoshiharu, the head of the Rokkaku family that ruled over Southern Omi Province.The battle between the Kyoto-bound Army and the Rokkaku Army in the Southern Omi Province, as well as the Battle of Kanonji Castle or the Battle of Mitsukuri Castle, was resolved in just one day. The Oda Army suffered losses of about a thousand men, the Tokugawa Army had several dozen casualties, and the Asai Army lost around 300 soldiers including their retainer Wakisaka Yasuaki who died in battle. On the other hand, the Rokkaku Army saw the deaths of their leader Yoshiharu, his father Yoshikatsu, and his younger brother Yoshisada. Their elite cavalry of a thousand horsemen was completely wiped out, and most of the influential warriors who had supported the Rokkaku family also perished. The Rokkaku Army suffered losses of about 4,000 soldiers, with 4,500 fleeing the battlefield. The remaining soldiers did not display the noble mentality of staying with their lord until the end; instead, they resorted to looting equipment from the bodies of their former allies. Kanonji Castle, Wadayama Castle, and Mitsukuri Castle were abandoned, and apart from Hino Castle, which was defended by the Rokkaku family's senior retainer Gam Yoshiteru, the rest of the remaining intact castles surrendered to the Kyoto-bound Army on that fateful day. In the future, the Oda clan's retainer Gribe Kobe convinced Gam Yoshiteru to surrender by personally infiltrating Hino Castle. The reason why he was able to do this was because Kobe's wife was Yoshiteru's sister. Yielding to Kobe's persuasion, Yoshiteru surrendered, offering his son as a hostage and pledging loyalty to Nobunaga. This hostage was Gam Ujisato, who later married Nobunaga's daughter Fuyuhime.So, everything fell in just one day, but I think the enemy was fully intent on escaping, right?Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada, Nagayoshi, and Shizuko were ordered to wait at the main camp. Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada and Nagayoshi, feeling bored, were contemplating the reason behind Rokkaku's downfall in just one day.Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I wonder if I'll go to KyotoBefore that, we have to think about the Rokkaku. The role of a military commander is to think about the cause of their downfall.Well do your best. I'm not a military commander or anything. Besides, that's a traditional tactic that has been passed down through generations.Wait, don't come to a conclusion so easily. Do you know something in detail? It seems that the Lord Oda has been asking various questions as well.Sometimes it's important to think for yourself.It is nearly impossible for any great general to capture a castle in just one day. However, the combination of Nobunaga's belief in settling things in one day and the Rokkaku clan's ancestral tactic of retreating when things become unfavorable resulted in the decisive battle of Kanonji Castle being resolved in just one day. Although Yoshiharu had anticipated a long-term battle, the situation that led him to choose retreat in just one day was unexpected even for him.I don't understand anything as it is now. Please give me some kind of clue.Hmm, well, I guess that's okay then.If I explain everything, I will take away the ability to think from Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada and Nagayoshi. Thinking this way, Shizuko intentionally did not provide important information. However, realizing that without any hints, they cannot think of anything, she starts writing down hints on a large piece of paper.When Rokkaku is written in the center of the paper, it refers to Biwako also known as Omi, Fuwa Seki Mino, Ai Hatsuseki Echizen, the guardian of the Onimon Mount Hiei, and Koga and Ise are added. Next to the characters for Rokkaku, Kyoshoku maintaining public order in Kyoto and Kenpiishin protecting the imperial court are added. After that, the paper is placed in front of Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada. The two of them happily peer into the paper.I wonder when these two became friends?Shizuko observes the actions and words of the two people, thinking that it might be because they are close in age.With this arrangement, Rokkaku's tax revenue relies on Lake Biwa.If that's the case, then it would be a blow to the Rokkaku clan to have been in conflict with the Asai clan in northern Omi.No wait. If that's all it is, running away isn't an option. It's inconvenient for Rokkaku I remember reading somewhere that Fuwa Seki, Arachi Seki, and Suzuka Seki were referred to as the Three Seki. It's possible that since Fuwa Seki also became Oda territory, they had planned to escape from the beginning.The Asai family was betrayed, the Saito family was destroyed, and in their place, the Oda family came to rule Mino and became enemies Hmm, if Rokkaku's if it's inconvenient, retreat' is a long-standing tactic of their ancestors, then it's not an implausible story.Oh, you've hit on something good. Well, Rokkaku is the type that parasitizes on the strong, so I don't think they ever had any intention of fighting from the beginning.Southern Omi Province, where Rokkaku lives, is a land protected by Lake Biwa and three major defense bases Mount Hiei, Fuwa Seki, and Arachi Seki. Tax revenues also depend on Lake Biwa and the three major defense bases. However, due to the majority of the land being occupied by Lake Biwa, the number of soldiers that can be supported is always small. Even with a generous estimate, the mobilized forces would amount to around ten thousand. In such a situation, Rokkaku, which relies on Mount Hiei, Fuwa Seki, Arachi Seki, the merchant alliance of Lake Biwa, and multiple other entities, is divided and lacks unity.Due to its location, southern Omi tends to become a battlefield during times of war, so it has become a common tactic for the Rokkaku army to hide and wait for large enemy forces to pass by, and then conceal themselves until the fighting subsides. If the checkpoints or Mount Hiei are breached, they would be left with no options. Furthermore, the local lords who try to advance to Kyoto are mostly overwhelmed by armies of tens of thousands, and their determination and military strength cannot compare to the Rokkaku army.But then it's strange. Why didn't the head of the Rokkaku family adopt an evasive stance from the beginning? The army coming to Kyoto is about fifty thousand strong, while they can only mobilize around ten thousand soldiers. Following the precedent of the past, they should have let the army pass through from the beginning and hidden themselves.Even if you ask me Maybe because the head of the family was a fool who couldn't even grasp the situation?No matter how you look at it, that's impossible. Did you consider the future planning are based on present situations? If so, the fact that Mitsukuri Castle fell in half a day was unexpected for Rokkaku, right?Hmm, I can't help but think of myself as nothing more than a fool. According to the story, soldiers and numerous warlords came out of Kanonji Castle, which was supposed to be under siege, right? It's only natural to think that sending out soldiers while under siege is nothing but foolishnessEven after that, the two of them never ran out of things to talk about. Despite being almost like strangers, for some reason it seemed as if Shizuko and the two of them were bound by a strong bond, almost like a bond of life and death.Come to think of it, we conducted a fire attack at Mitsukuri Castle, but how did we transport the fire source?Hmm? I think that was used for this.Shizuko responded Nagayoshi's words by taking out a fire piston. The two of them turned their faces towards her and tilted their heads at the same time. From their perspective, the fire piston appeared to be just a wooden stick, so their reaction was natural.It's a type of fire-starting tool used in Nanban. I think Aya-chan has been using it the longest at our place.Even if they were told that something that only looks like a wooden stick can be used to create a fire, neither of them can even imagine it. Shizuko, while smiling wryly, demonstrates fire starting in front of them. The small piece of cloth quickly transforms into a spark, leaving both of them astonished.What a tool. But indeed, with this, there is no need to carry a fire source around. It's not too big either, so it's possible to conceal it.It can be done with just one small knife to make. I made three, but they were all taken by the lord.Of course, you fool. You don't understand how advantageous it is to not carry around a spark.In the Sengoku period, fire was a precious commodity to the extent that there were dedicated craftsmen who specialized in its storage. People would prepare special tools called hiire and make efforts to maintain the fire by keeping it in a hearth. Starting a fire was such a difficult task.Seriously, Shizuko always surprises me.I agree. If there is such a convenient tool, it should have been released sooner.Shizuko couldn't help but hope that the two of them would continue to have a good relationship as they nodded at each other, their arms linked.June 30th. Nobunaga, who quickly pacified South Omi, immediately sent Fuwa Mitsuharu to Yoshiaki to prepare for his entry into Kyoto. Ten days later, on July 10th, Yoshiaki departed for Kyoto. On July 15th, Nobunaga moved his camp to Mitsui-dera Gokurakuin Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. The next day, Nobunaga welcomed Yoshiaki at Mitsui-dera Gokurakuin. And on July 17th, Nobunaga finally entered Kyoto.When Nobunaga set up his camp at Tofukuji Temple, the vanguard led by Shibata Katsuie, Hachiya Yoritaka, Mori Yoshinari, and Sakai Masanobu crossed the Katsura River and first attacked Iwanari Tomomichi, one of the Miyoshi Trio, who was at Kototecho and Seiryuji Katsuryuji Temple. Although the Miyoshi forces resisted, they were soon forced to retreat into the castle. Perhaps feeling relieved by Nobunaga's victory, Yoshiaki also entered Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.The next day, Nobunaga's main army marched out, and Iwanari Tomomichi realized the situation and surrendered. After that, Nobunaga continued to attack and capture the castles of the Miyoshi faction one after another. The lords of Akutagawa Castle, Hosokawa Akimasa and Miyoshi Nagayoshi, could not put up much resistance and retreated. Shinohara Nagafusa, the lord of Etsumi and Takisan Castle, also abandoned his castle and retreated. Yoshiaki entered the empty Akutagawa Castle. Meanwhile, the Oda army attacked Ikeda Castle, the residence of Ikeda Katsumasa. However, unlike other castles, the resistance here was fierce, and the Oda army suffered heavy casualties, including many deaths. However, Ikeda Katsumasa, who resisted, finally surrendered to the overwhelmingly powerful Oda army and handed over hostages to Nobunaga. Matsunaga Hisahide, who was in conflict with the Miyoshi Trio, the leaders of the Miyoshi family, presented the highest-grade tea container, Kujkykami, to Nobunaga and joined his army.The army that marched to Kyoto quickly brought the Kinai region and surrounding countries under its control within a few days. Nobunaga, who continued his overwhelming advance, encountered a problem within his army at this point. The morale of the Asai army had dropped. This was not an issue for the Oda army, as they had implemented a separation of soldiers and farmers. However, both the Tokugawa and Asai armies had conscripted peasants as soldiers. As a result, the peasant soldiers in the Asai army were constantly preoccupied with the state of their fields and were in a state of distraction.Nobunaga, who had originally planned to go to Kyoto after the busy farming season, decided to shorten his trip and arrive in July. Therefore, he did not complain about the low morale of the Asai army, but instead expressed gratitude to Nagamasa and showed concern for his health. Fortunately or unfortunately, Nagamasa was impressed by Nobunaga's attitude. Although it was not yet obvious, Nobunaga believed that the Tokugawa army would soon experience a decline in morale, so he disbanded his troops heading to Kyoto on July 20th.After obtaining Yoshiaki's commitment to leave future matters to him, Nobunaga immediately took action after seeing off Ieyasu and Hideyoshi upon their return to their respective domains. For Yoshiaki to become the Shogun, he needed to be appointed by an imperial decree. Therefore, Nobunaga needed to negotiate with the imperial court. During these negotiations, Yoshiaki moved from Akutagawa Castle to Honganji Temple, received visits from Imai Munekazu and many others bearing tribute, and kept Nobunaga busy with various matters. Then, approximately three weeks after the pacification of the Kinai region, on August 12th, Yoshiaki visited the Imperial Palace and was appointed as the Shogun. Thus, the fifteenth and final shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, was born.Nobunaga, who installed Yoshiaki as the shogun, obtained his permission and began making personnel changes in the Kinai region. He assigned Hosokawa Fujitaka, who was under Yoshiaki's command, to Kyoto and Yamashiro, and Wada Koremasa, also under Yoshiaki's command, to Settsu and Takatsuki Castle. Other personnel were assigned to the castles in Settsu: Itami Castle was given to Itami Tadayasu, and Ikeda Castle was given to Ikeda Katsumasa. In Kawachi, Mikiyoshi Yosotsuna was assigned to Wako Castle, Hatakeyama Takamasa to Takaya Castle, and Matsunaga Hisahide to Yamato.Nobunaga granted the territories of the former Miyoshi faction, excluding those under Yoshiaki's control, to the other warlords who surrendered to him. This was because there was internal division caused by the conflict between the Miyoshi Trio and the successors of the Miyoshi family, as well as Matsunaga Hisahide. Most of the warlords who surrendered to Nobunaga were against the Miyoshi Trio. By granting them their territories, Nobunaga aimed to crush the power of the Miyoshi Trio and avoid hostility with the anti-Miyoshi Trio faction. Although he took Yoshiaki's intentions into account to some extent, it was only a small consideration. Yoshiaki was satisfied with this arrangement, but Nobunaga couldn't help but be amazed at how easily he manipulated Yoshiaki, who was truly a lightweight.After completing personnel affairs, Nobunaga abolished the checkpoints and seats within his territory. This was aimed at gaining support from the people of Kyoto and restoring public order. As expected, the majority of the people living in Kyoto supported Nobunaga's policies. With the support of the people, Nobunaga carried out further reforms. In order to restore and maintain public order in Kyoto, Nobunaga gathered around five thousand of his soldiers and formed the Kyoto Public Security Patrol. Although it was called a patrol, it was essentially a police system that Shizuko had implemented in a village of technicians, which was then adapted. However, this patrol force far exceeded Nobunaga's expectations and became deeply ingrained in the local population.Although the Police Force is not an official position in Kyoto, they are essentially the regular army of Nobunaga. Therefore, criminals have no choice but to flee from Kyoto as they cannot lay a hand on them. As a result of the disappearance of criminals, incidents including minor offenses visibly decreased. Along with the restoration of public order, the Police Force was welcomed by the people.Yoshiaki organized a Noh performance to express his gratitude to Nobunaga, which included restoring public order and personnel matters. Yoshiaki planned to appoint Nobunaga as vice shogun or kanrei, and he sent messengers such as Hosokawa Fujitaka and Wada Koremasa to convey this intention. However, Nobunaga declined the offer, considering himself a newcomer and stating that someone familiar with Kyoto should be appointed instead, in order to avoid hurting Yoshiaki's pride. Instead, Nobunaga proposed to shorten the Noh performance to five acts, but as a form of apology, he accompanied Yoshiaki all the way to the thirteenth act. Yoshiaki and many others were impressed by Nobunaga's refusal of the vice shogun position and his willingness to accompany them. Of course, Nobunaga's reason for accompanying Yoshiaki in the palanquin was to prevent his secret orders to his subordinates from being discovered.Going back in time a little, when Yoshiaki became the shogun and the Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Force was formed, Shizuko was strolling around the streets of Kyoto. She was accompanied by Keiji, Saizo, Nagayoshi, Kaiser, and Knig. The mission assigned to her by Nobunaga was to send many artisans to Gifu. In modern terms, it was like scouting or head hunting. In addition to that, Shizuko was buying books in Kyoto and visiting cultural properties that are rarely seen in the present day. The cultural properties she visited included buildings, paintings, sculptures, crafts, manuscripts, classics, ancient documents, archaeological materials, and historical materials, among others. She also bought things that were considered worthless at the time but are now national treasures in the present day. Rather than saying she was buying them, it was more like she was using the pretext of protecting cultural properties.A great catch, a great catch, I was able to buy a lot today too!What I bought were twenty volumes of a certain noble's long diary, four books that were imported from overseas but couldn't be read and were sold off, several crafts of unknown production period, and one sculpture that I don't really understand.I don't know what is good.If you can understand Shizucci, I think that's amazing, Katsuzo Mori Nagayoshi.It feels like the floor is about to give way from all these books.The three individuals, who are more like baggage carriers than guards, tilt their heads in confusion as they look at what Shizuko has bought. They cannot understand what is so good about the noble's diary. But that's understandable. For Shizuko, anything related to the Sengoku period is a primary historical source that allows her to learn about that era. Especially diaries, which provide insights into the thoughts of people from that time that cannot be found in compiled materials by later historians.The people of Kyoto watched Shizuko, who was strolling through the city in a cheerful mood, from a distance. Unlike in the past, this time the troops that came to Kyoto were disciplined and there were no large-scale looting or massacres. Nobunaga strictly prohibited looting, and soldiers who violated this rule were severely punished. Moreover, the soldiers were guaranteed sufficient rewards if they upheld military discipline and fulfilled their duties. The formation of the Kyoto Public Safety Maintenance Police Force also contributed to the favorable attitude of the people of Kyoto towards the troops that came to the city.Among the troops that have gone up to the capital, Shizuko has three tasks. The first is to search for skilled craftsmen as ordered by Nobunaga, the second is to gather orphans and have them live in an orphanage, and the last is to improve sanitation by handling corpse disposal, among other things. In between, Shizuko personally collects old-fashioned wooden statues that were stored away, coins of unknown origin, and diaries written by impoverished courtiers. At first, people were surprised, but they were willing to sell their items as long as she would take them for recycling. Some tried to sell counterfeit goods, but they were quickly exposed by her discerning eye, and no one was able to sell any counterfeit items.I was able to obtain quite a variety of crop seeds, so it's going well it's convenient because I don't have to check if they are F1-hybrid seeds or heirloom seeds every time, it's easy!In the Sengoku period, where seed banks and seed merchants did not exist, it was easy to obtain fixed species seeds through bartering. However, in modern times, it is difficult to acquire fixed species seeds. The only way to obtain seeds is to participate in events related to that field, purchase them from research institutions or individuals who handle fixed species, or personally conduct seed research as a farmer. On the other hand, F1-hybrid seeds are abundant in the market, making it easy to obtain.Why is there such a big difference? It's because F1 hybrids, which grow quickly, have good uniformity, and are resistant to diseases, are easier to cultivate. Open-pollinated varieties require deep knowledge about diseases, have uneven shapes, and take longer to grow. That's why both farmers who sell their produce in the market and home gardeners rarely choose to grow open-pollinated varieties. Considering that companies and agricultural cooperatives that deal with F1 hybrids are pushing open-pollinated varieties out of the market to ensure regular profits, it is too difficult to grow open-pollinated varieties unless the surrounding environment is favorable.Well, shall we go and receive the report from the patrol team?After muttering so, Shizuko led Keiji and the others towards the base facility used by the patrol team.Among the three jobs that Shizuko is responsible for, corpse disposal is the easiest. It only requires taking the body outside of town and covering it with at least 1.5 meters of soil, as well as sprinkling quicklime on the body. Finding craftsmen is also easy if Shizuko gets along well with the people of Kyoto and utilizes the local network. As for negotiations, they went smoothly without any major obstacles.The problem lies in securing orphanages and gathering orphans. If we leave war orphans unattended, they will eventually form gangs and become bandits. Even without resorting to that, the orphans commit crimes such as theft in order to survive. To prevent war orphans from becoming bandits, it is better to have them live in orphanages, provide them with education to acquire skills, and recruit foster parents. This is based on the infamous Law of Compassion for Living Beings from the Edo period. It is often misunderstood as an excessive animal protection law, but the Law of Compassion for Living Beings also provided relief for the sick and abandoned children. When the sixth generation shogun came to be, the Law of Compassion for Living Beings was abolished, but the educational system for abandoned children was retained because it was such an excellent system.However, even if excellent systems are implemented, it is unlikely that orphaned children will obediently follow instructions. Most orphans try to escape to avoid being caught, and even if they are placed in orphanages, they repeatedly escape, creating a complete game of cat and mouse.Hmm, today there were three escapees. Two of them were caught right away, but one of them committed theft You know, if we try to restrain them by force, it might make things worse. And if they manage to get outside the city, there's a possibility they could form a gang.Upon receiving a report from the Public Security Maintenance Police Force, Shizuko clutched her head and slumped onto her desk. Although officially under Nobunaga's command, it was Shizuko who actually determined and directed the actions of the police force. They were faced with many first-time tasks, such as patrolling in pairs, introducing guard dogs, and establishing patrol routes, which left them feeling bewildered. However, thanks to Shizuko's expertise in the technology district, the implementation proceeded smoothly without any delays.Fortunately, I have never been able to escape for more than a day so far but that may not be the case in the future.A young soldier advises Shizuko in this way. He is the captain of the second squad of the Southern Patrol Squad. The Kyoto Security Maintenance Patrol Squad is composed of six units: the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Patrol Squads, responsible for maintaining public order in their respective areas; the Administrative Support Squad, responsible for behind-the-scenes work such as administration and accounting; and the Health Squad, responsible for the well-being of the five squads.The maintenance of public order in Kyoto under the Ashikaga Shogunate is already in a state of disarray. While the security around the imperial court is maintained by a separate office, the security around the shogun and ultimately the maintenance of order in Kyoto relies on the military and financial power of Nobunaga. Therefore, it is Shizuko's role to organize a security organization and hand it over to Mitsuhide Akechi, who is a subordinate of Nobunaga.Well, even though it's called a handover, it's just me handing over the documents I wrote to one of Akechi Mitsuhide's subordinates and that's itShizuko will return to Owari when the time comes, but several of her subordinates, including Mitsuhide, will remain in Kyoto. Whether or not the Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Force can operate efficiently in the future actually depends on Shizuko's organizational arrangements. Shizuko is unaware of this.We have no choice but to diligently gather information about this. If we were to abandon orphans they would be exploited by the anti-Oda faction.I considered various methods to prevent the orphans from escaping, but I couldn't think of any other way besides continuously capturing them diligently. If we were to kill the orphans, there is a high possibility that the anti-Oda faction would exploit that point.What is the status of introducing guard dogs?It's not very favorable. If it were just a few hundred people, it would be understandable, but the security maintenance unit exceeds four thousand people in size It may be necessary to consider it over the course of several years.Hmm I see. Yes, it's best to avoid rushing into it and failing. Please take enough time for dog training. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to finish quickly either.The security maintenance team exceeds 4,000 people when the four squads are combined. It would still take a lot of time to introduce guard dogs. In the first place, there were no dog breeders in the Sengoku period. It is a struggle just to gather dogs, and there are few people who can train them as guard dogs. It is inevitable that the introduction of guard dogs is delayed.This should suffice. Please remember to keep me informed and continue with your duties.Shizuko, who no longer had anything to ask, looked around at the leaders of each team and gave a summary before concluding the meeting.From then until August 12th, she managed the Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Squad. However, on August 13th, Shizuko was officially ordered by Nobunaga to transfer authority and succession regarding the Kyoto Security Maintenance Police Squad to Mitsuhide. And on August 15th, although Nobunaga had been staying in Kyoto for a long time, he considered it a problem to leave Gifu any longer and decided to return to his home country.
