Chapter 71
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Early December, 1569.
In mid-December, Nobunaga opened a series of shops for his employed merchants in a corner of Kyoto. The contents of the shops varied, including restaurants, clothing stores, and general stores, but all the products for sale were specialties of Owari and Mino. However, no matter how abundant the products were, the market would not be established if there were no consumers to purchase them. Recognizing this, Nobunaga devised a plan to attract consumers.
Nobunaga believed that efficiently transmitting and spreading information about the products was the most important factor in attracting consumers. So he had Ashimitsu create attractive flyers to increase consumer purchasing desire, and Shizuko printed them in large quantities using a lithographic printing machine she had manufactured. They distributed the flyers for free at the market and residential areas. The use of flyers for advertising quickly spread throughout Kyoto, attracting people who were curious or interested in novelty, as well as business people who were conducting reconnaissance.
When consumer purchasing and merchant transactions became more active, Nobunaga imposed a certain tax on all transactions under the pretext of the reconstruction of the devastated Kyoto during the turmoil. The tax consisted of a special tax imposed only on luxury goods and a general indirect tax similar to the modern consumption tax in Japan. The collected taxes were used for repairing the Imperial Palace, maintaining the infrastructure that had been left in a state of disrepair, and purchasing equipment for the security forces that maintained public order. Furthermore, Nobunaga made the tax amount collected and the intended use of the taxes public to the people of Kyoto.
The reason Nobunaga implemented such policies was because Yoshiaki, as the shogun, was not capable enough. Yoshiaki became the shogun with the help of Nobunaga, but since he had been in the Buddhist clergy since childhood, he had few reliable vassals. If things continued like this, the administration of the shogunate would quickly come to a halt. Therefore, Yoshiaki thought of borrowing some of Nobunaga’s vassals to make up for the lack and carry out the administration of the shogunate. Nobunaga gladly responded to Yoshiaki’s request and dispatched several vassals, including Sadakatsu Murai, to Kyoto to take over the duties of the shogunate.
Nobunaga’s vassals took over the duties of the shogunate. At first glance, it seemed like Nobunaga was in control of the shogunate, but in reality, he was in a position to support the Ashikaga shogunate as Yoshiaki’s assistant. It was not the first time that Nobunaga had taken in specific daimyo and operated the shogunate. The dual government can be considered a characteristic of the late Ashikaga shogunate, with examples such as the relationship between the 10th generation Yoshitomo Ouchi and Takakuni Hosokawa, and the 12th generation Yoshiharu Rokkaku and Sadayori Rokkaku.
However, even with a dual government and many capable vassals under the shogunate, Yoshiaki’s ability as the shogun was not sufficient. Furthermore, he continued to receive criticism from those around him due to various diplomatic blunders, such as mediating land disputes and interfering with the court. Nobunaga was concerned about the dissatisfaction towards Yoshiaki from various people and sent him a letter urging him to reflect on his actions.
“Lately, there has been constant gossip about the palace from the people of Kyoto. Please reflect on your actions and correct the cause of the people’s gossip.”
The retainers were frightened by the fact that Nobunaga scolded the shogun in the letter for Yoshiaki’s continuous blunders. However, Nobunaga himself felt more frustration than hatred. To relieve his physical and mental fatigue, Nobunaga visited Shizuko’s place with only a few attendants. Emptying his mind and taking a hot spring bath was one of the few stress-relieving methods for Nobunaga.
“I can’t even sigh.”
While tilting his sake cup, Nobunaga vented his complaints. Shizuko could tell from the way he drank hot sake, which he usually didn’t, that he was under a lot of stress.
“I understand your feelings.”
Shizuko understood Nobunaga’s mental fatigue, but she couldn’t find the right words to say. She knew that half-hearted kindness was not kindness. And she also understood that Nobunaga was not seeking mere kindness.
“My lord, Konoe-sama has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
After giving a short response to the page, Nobunaga drank the contents of his sake cup in one gulp. While having the pages clean up the small sake cups and sake bottles, Sakihisa (Konoe) entered the room with a refreshing smile. If it was just Sakihisa (Konoe) alone, it wouldn’t have been a cause for surprise. However, Shizuko couldn’t hide her surprise when Ashimitsu also entered the room after Sakihisa (Konoe).
“I have heard the discussions, Lord Oda. I understand your mental fatigue.”
Sakihisa (Konoe) greeted them and casually took a seat in a suitable place. After glancing at Nobunaga and Sakihisa (Konoe), Ashimitsu took a seat between the two of them and Shizuko. It could be seen as a position where he was protecting Shizuko from the two of them.
“Oh, it seems that Ashimitsu-dono doesn’t like me.”
Sakihisa (Konoe) teased while shrugging his shoulders. Nobunaga also seemed to have seen through Ashimitsu’s attitude, as he hid his laughter behind his hand. Ashimitsu showed no signs of being concerned about the attitudes of the two, but to Shizuko, he seemed slightly annoyed. However, it seemed that he was more frustrated with something else rather than being frustrated with the attitudes of the two. Shizuko couldn’t understand what Ashimitsu was frustrated about.
“Hehe, now let’s have a serious discussion. As you know, the public figure’s blunders are intolerable. But when I try to restore the honor of the public figure, I am opposed no matter what. However, if left alone, the shogunate will collapse from within.”
“I have also received some information. Especially the interference with the court, disregarding precedents, seems to have caused more dissatisfaction than I expected.”
From the conversation between the two, Shizuko understood that Yoshiaki’s blunders had reached a dangerous level.
“…I understand that the public figure’s blunders are a problem, but may I ask if it is something I can listen to?”
“It doesn’t matter. We need frank opinions now. Shizuko and Ashimitsu, I want you to think about the future as well.”
If the Oda encirclement were to be completed, it could potentially become a story that would completely overturn the administration of the shogunate. Shizuko didn’t understand why she was being involved in this, but she understood from Nobunaga’s response that he wanted opinions from individuals who were not bound by their positions. After exchanging glances with Ashimitsu, Shizuko nodded slightly.
“I don’t know how much I can contribute, but if it’s me, I won’t hesitate to help.”
“…Don’t expect too much.”
“Hehe, it’s up to Lord Oda to judge that. Now, as for my opinion, I don’t think the public figure is quietly observing Lord Oda’s movements. Let’s take some action in the near future. However, the public figure does not have their own army. If they were to rebel against Lord Oda, where would the public figure get their army from?”
The Ashikaga shogunate, which is operated by the Ashikaga shogun family, reigns at the top of Japan’s political institutions. However, the reality of the Ashikaga shogunate is dismal. Since the Onin War, the main force of the shogunate, the shogunate’s retainers, have been absorbed as vassals by various local daimyo. The exception is the Kinai region centered around Kyoto, which still has its own territory, but the provinces have already become lawless areas. The shogunate’s power has also completely declined since the Eiroku Incident (the assassination of Yoshiteru Ashikaga by the Miyoshi clan). The economic foundation is weak, and it can be said that the Ashikaga shogunate has become a mere formality.
“There is no need to prepare an army from the beginning. Send secret letters to various places and secretly create an encirclement network that isolates only the Oda clan politically and economically, weakening the Oda clan’s influence. When they are sufficiently weakened, request military forces from various provinces to crush the Oda clan under the pretext of ‘suppressing rebels.’ In the Ashikaga shogunate, which has lost its retainers, this method is the most realistic.”
Ashimitsu answered Sakihisa (Konoe)’s question. He said it was realistic, but the current Ashikaga shogunate had no other choice.
“I see, so you plan to use the military forces of various provinces.”
“But the Oda clan has almost complete control over the Kinai region. If the public figure were to use the military forces of various provinces, they would probably rely on the Asai, Asakura, Mori, Takeda, and Uesugi clans. If they start thinking that anyone will do, they might even turn to Honganji Temple and Enryakuji Temple.”
“Now that the authority of the shogunate has declined, I don’t think various forces will unite… ”
Shizuko’s observation was correct. In historical fact, Yoshiaki, who created the Oda encirclement network, expected the various forces to unite, but contrary to his expectations, the various forces never united and rebelled against the Oda clan as they pleased. Therefore, even if Nobunaga was attacked by enemy forces, he had time to regroup afterwards. Nobunaga also considered the possibility that even if he launched an attack on one force, other forces might not send reinforcements, and he began to undermine the unity of the various forces. Regardless of their size, Nobunaga overcame the Oda encirclement network that lasted for eleven years through strategies or extermination against the hostile forces.
“They will unite at first. However, soon each force will start seeking their own interests and lose the unity as an encirclement network. In other words, if the Oda encirclement network is established, there is still a possibility to crush it once they break through the initial encirclement network.”
“Hmm… If the Oda encirclement network were to be established, what actions can we take from now on?”
After thinking for a moment in response to Nobunaga’s question, the three of them each voiced their answers.
“We should focus on the development of the economic foundation that supports the quantity of goods.”
“I think we should solidify the production base of goods.”
“…There are various things, but we should research and develop industrial production of firearms.”
Sakihisa (Konoe), Shizuko, and Ashimitsu’s answers were all important. Developing the economic foundation that supports the quantity of goods, possessing a large number of firearms, and having the production capacity to support a large army are not easily obtained. It would take several years, and in the worst case, even ten years, to gradually prepare the environment.
“Then let each of those be your goals for the future.”
With Nobunaga’s words, each person’s direction was determined.
After that, Sakihisa (Konoe) left the room with Shizuko to see the Ougi eagle. Nobunaga and Ashimitsu remained in the room and silently drank sake for a while. After some time had passed, Ashimitsu murmured with an expression that seemed like nothing.
“Let’s build a reservoir in the Kiso Sanzan. Can we expedite the construction or increase the number of workers?”
“…We can increase the number of workers. But what is the reason for that?”
As a flood control and water utilization measure, Nobunaga first started the construction of a reservoir in the Kiso Sanzan. The reason for prioritizing the construction of the reservoir was to prevent flood damage in the downstream area.
During the rainy season and typhoons, a large amount of rain falls at once, causing rivers to swell. When the water level reaches the limit of the river’s capacity, flooding occurs, causing extensive damage to villages along the river. However, if a reservoir is installed, during sunny weather, a certain amount of water can be released from the reservoir, and during typhoons or heavy rain, pre-release can be done to create capacity and store some of the increased river water in the reservoir. This method of regulating the amount of water released from the reservoir to prevent flood damage in the downstream area is called flood control.
“The water volume of the reservoir is enormous. Mishandling it could lead to an unprecedented disaster.”
“I understand what you’re trying to say. However, whether or not to execute it is my decision.”
“I don’t mind. I’m just making a suggestion.”
“…Order the expansion of the reservoir.”
Nobunaga felt a sense of dread as Ashimitsu calmly proposed a plan, knowing full well that it would cause an unprecedented disaster.
Nobunaga’s development of Owari and Mino was progressing as planned. However, there were clear intentions behind it. The top priority development area was East Owari, which borders Mikawa Province. Next was South Owari, including the Chita Peninsula, and third was North Owari, which borders Mino Province. However, the last area, West Owari, including the lower reaches of the Kiso River, had no clear plan in place. The reason for the lack of a plan was that West Owari was not under Nobunaga’s control.
The lower reaches of the Kiso River, located on the border between Owari and Ise Provinces, is an area isolated from the mainland by the flow of the Kiso River. This region, divided into seven rings, was once called Nanashima (Seven Islands). However, at some point, Nanashima changed to Nagashima. Although it is located in Kuwana District, Ise Province, it was recognized as Kawachi District, Owari Province according to “Nobunaga Kōki.”
In 1501 (Bunki 1), Ganshōji Temple was founded in Sugie, and Rennjun, the sixth son of Rennyo, became the chief priest. Since then, Honganji Temple incorporated local feudal lords and strengthened its defenses by building fortifications such as Nakae Fortress and Ōtorii Fortress around Nagashima. They also built dozens of temples and dojos, completely dominating the entire region.
Nagashima is also a place of fate for Nobunaga. Those who opposed Nobunaga or had been defeated by him in the past sought refuge in Nagashima. Hattori Tomosada, the head of the Hattori clan who had influence in Kawachi, south of Tsushima, participated in the Battle of Okehazama in 1560 (Eiroku 3) and opposed Nobunaga. Saito Ryuko, who was defeated by Nobunaga in the Battle of Inabayama Castle in 1567 (Eiroku 10), is said to have sought refuge in Nagashima in northern Ise. In response, Nobunaga did not attack Nagashima and only brought the local lords in northern Ise under his control. Even when he achieved the unification of Owari in the fourth year of Eiroku, Nobunaga gave up on controlling the lower reaches of the Kiso River, including Nagashima.
Rennjun, who controlled the Rinchu region where Nobunaga hesitated to advance, could not hide his frustration during this time. There were two reasons for his frustration. One was that Nobunaga had invented innovative technologies but kept them to himself, excluding them (Honganji Temple faction). In simple terms, Rennjun wanted them to share the technology and share the profits. Nobunaga had never submitted to Honganji Temple. However, Rennjun took advantage of the fact that Nobunaga had never attacked Nagashima and believed that it was only natural for a samurai like Nobunaga to submit to them, who held religious authority.
The other reason was Nihime’s existence. They had been investigating Nihime (Shizuko) using Honganji Temple’s information network, but even after almost a year, they still couldn’t obtain any useful information. The reason why they were investigating Nihime was related to Nobunaga’s income. Owari and Mino, which Nobunaga ruled, were estimated to have a land value of about one to one and a half million koku. However, in reality, it was not one million koku, but three times that, three million koku. The reason for this had been a mystery until now, but Rennjun believed that Nobunaga had received technological inheritance from Nihime. In other words, Rennjun thought that by incorporating Nihime into the Honganji Temple faction, they could directly receive Nobunaga’s income.
Therefore, it was necessary to find Nihime. However, even after a year had passed, they had not obtained any useful information. The reason for this was that they had misunderstood Nihime’s image. Nihime was a virtual image created by Nobunaga based on Shizuko. Of course, Nobunaga did not adopt Shizuko’s image as it was. Ayanokoji Toshikazu, a warrior of the Sengoku period, died in 1518, so based on that, people around her manipulated the information to make Nihime appear as an old woman in her fifties or sixties.
While Rennjun was frustrated by the lack of information, he was not particularly anxious about Nihime. Nobunaga had never given Nihime a high position or reward. Therefore, Rennjun thought that if they offered her a position with religious authority, Nihime would easily come to the Honganji Temple faction. If someone said such a thing in modern times, most people would laugh it off, but in the Sengoku period, religious authority held great influence. Therefore, they had no doubts that Nihime would easily defect to them.
“Phew, we’re done. Brushing Wittman and the others is quite tiring, isn’t it?”
However, for Shizuko, who is the true image of Nihime, religious authority is less than a pebble lying on the roadside. She has no fear of gods, but she clasps her hands when she sees statues of Jizo, Buddha, or graves. Shizuko is not an atheist who denies religion and gods. She is simply indifferent to the popular new religions in modern Japan and dislikes joining a specific sect and studying its doctrines.
As people began preparing for the year-end and New Year, Shizuko and the Oda army entered Kyoto. This time, it was not a military operation, but the purpose was to console the vassals who had been troubled by Yoshiaki. In addition to Shizuko, Keiji, Saizo, Nagayoshi, Mori Yoshinari, Shibata, Sassa, Sakuma, Hidechika, and the Takenaka brothers, elite vassals of the Oda clan, also accompanied the army.
The vassals from the Oda clan who were currently serving in the shogunate, such as Akechi Mitsuhide and Murai, as well as those who had a cooperative relationship with Nobunaga, such as Hosokawa Fujitaka, Wada Koremasa, Matsunaga Hisahide, and wealthy merchants from Sakai, were invited to the consolation party. Yoshiaki, as the shogun, caused great inconvenience to those around him, so he was not invited to the consolation party.
The person entrusted with serving the dishes for the consolation party was Gorou. Until a few years ago, he was an apprentice at an unknown restaurant in Kyoto, but he showed his talent as a cook as he learned from Mitsuo, Ashimitsu, and Shizuko. Before he knew it, he was not only Nohime’s cook but also recognized as Nobunaga’s cook, and now he had risen to the position of head chef in charge of the Oda clan’s kitchen.
At first, Gorou was timid, but he revitalized himself and successfully led the consolation party. The dishes he made were highly praised by the wealthy merchants of Sakai, who traded with Portuguese and Chinese and had tasted various delicacies from land and sea. The fresh sweets, which did not last long due to their high moisture content, made the participants’ taste buds tingle.
After the consolation party, Shizuko and Gorou taught the cooking staff in Nobunaga’s restaurant the manufacturing methods for various cooking powders made from soybeans, glutinous rice, non-glutinous rice, potatoes, and corn. In two months, Mitarashi dango and shiratama dango, among other things, would be sold at the shops of Nobunaga’s appointed merchants, and influential people such as wealthy merchants and court nobles would come to Kyoto to spend money on them.
After finishing all the government affairs and various matters, the Oda army returned to Gifu. When Mori Yoshinari finished reporting to Nobunaga, the Oda army disbanded, and each person returned home.
“Everyone, thank you for your hard work this year.”
One week after returning to Owari, Shizuko also held a consolation party and year-end party with close acquaintances. The participants were Keiji, Saizo, Nagayoshi, Aya, Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada), Ei, Ashimitsu, Mitsuo, Tsuruhime, Shibata, and Shizuko, a total of eleven people. At first, Shizuko considered a more formal banquet-style gathering, but she reconsidered and switched to a more casual party format, removing the formality. In the end, Shizuko lined up several large charcoal grills and had a barbecue-style party where they grilled skewers on top. However, as a consequence of adopting this unconventional party format, only those who could tolerate unconventional behavior were invited.
The ingredients for the skewers were diverse, including chicken, goose, quail, as well as deer and boar meat. In addition to game meat, they also prepared seasonal vegetables such as onions, pumpkins, and green onions, as well as seasonal fish such as Honmoroko, Kanbora, and Black Sea Bream. Although it was out of season, they also included shrimp, crab, abalone, scallops, turban shells, clams, and oysters that were being cultivated. After preparing each ingredient, all that was left was to skewer them and grill them to each person’s liking, then add sauce whenever desired.
“We’ve had various experiences, but we have safely reached the end of the year. Well, let’s drink and eat to our heart’s content and rejuvenate ourselves. Men, rejoice! We have plenty of sake prepared. As long as we don’t go too far, you can drink as much as you want today!”
At that moment, the men cheered. As Shizuko had said, there were four barrels of refined sake (about 18 liters each) and three barrels of cloudy sake lined up in one corner of the room. On a nearby table, there were many tokkuri (sake flasks) for hot sake, ochoko (small sake cups), and sake bottles.
Although refined sake was being produced under Shizuko’s supervision, only a small amount was available on the market. So, if it was said to be all-you-can-drink refined sake, it was no wonder the men were delighted.
“Well then, thank you for your hard work!”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
Everyone followed the lead of the toast and sang along. After Shizuko’s speech, everyone began to do as they pleased. Some stood up and exchanged sake, some silently grilled and ate, and some engaged in a drinking competition. It was truly a time of revelry.
By the way, the term “inginko” refers to not breaking one’s position, seating order, or proper etiquette. On the other hand, the original meaning of “bureiko” is “participants who should not leave their seats leaving their seats and serving others.” In the Heian period, banquets in the aristocratic society had a strict seating order based on social status, and once someone sat in a seat, they would never move to another seat. However, Emperor Go-Daigo, in order to gauge the intentions of the Kamakura shogunate (the Hojo clan), invited Tsuchii Yoritosune, Tazime Kunitaka, and Ashiyasu Shigenari, who were members of the Mino Genji clan, to a banquet and disregarded common sense, etiquette, and customs. The reason for disregarding etiquette and customs was that the content of the banquet was a disguised conference to deceive the public and eliminate the hierarchy to prevent the content from leaking. However, people who did not know this were greatly surprised by the atmosphere of the banquet, and they called such a wild banquet “bureiko.” This is the origin of “bureiko.”
At first, it was a consolation party where they enjoyed skewers and sake, but as most of the participants began to get drunk, it gradually became chaotic.
“Oh, old man. You’re really strong… huh.”
“I underestimated… urgh.”
“Hehehe, it’s too early for you to challenge me to a drinking contest after I’ve been banned from the all-you-can-drink at the local izakaya with my face on a poster.”
Keiji and Saizo were foolishly challenging Mitsu’o, the only honorable Russian with a liver, to a drinking contest. Seeing even the heavy drinker Keiji losing, it was clear that Mitsu’o was truly strong when it came to alcohol. Nagayoshi was also lying on the floor with Keiji and the others, but Shizuko decided to leave the three of them alone because she didn’t want to deal with the hassle.
“You’re amazing, Mitsu’o-sama.”
Tsuruhime gazed at Mitsu’o, who was declaring victory with a large cup in hand, with a blissful expression. It was unclear what she saw in Mitsu’o, but Shizuko thought it would be uncouth to meddle in other people’s love affairs, so she decided to watch from a distance. She kept her true feelings, that it was more enjoyable to observe from afar, deep in her heart.
“Shizuko, are you drinking? Ah, right, you can’t drink.”
Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada), who was already drunk, approached Shizuko, who was grilling skewers in silence. In the Sengoku period, after reaching adulthood through the ritual of genpuku, the commoners and samurai class would join organizations called “wakashu” or “musume nakama” in farming and fishing villages to receive the necessary training before being allowed to drink alcohol. However, no matter the era, underage individuals would always secretly drink alcohol to experience the feeling of being an adult.
“You’re drinking properly.”
“Yeah, I don’t get many chances to drink. I’m already drunk, and there’s no one here to bother me!”
Laughing, Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) tilted the sake cup he was holding. He was drinking with Ashimitsu and seemed to be enjoying their conversation, paying little attention to Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada). It was not unreasonable for Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) to think that he wouldn’t be bothered if he didn’t say anything.
“Even if I get a hangover, I won’t care. Mmm, these clams are delicious. It was a struggle to bring them alive, but they’re worth it.”
“I like grilled chicken skin. The only downside is that it makes me hungry.”
“Eat some vegetables too.”
“Hahaha, but I refuse. By the way, I heard you had a meeting with the Christians in Kyoto. What did you do?”
“It’s still a secret. Well, it wasn’t that great of a conversation anyway.”
The day before returning from Kyoto to Owari, Shizuko had a meeting with Fróis. Originally, her purpose was to meet with Fróis and make a certain deal. Both sides achieved their goals without any major conflicts. From a worldly perspective, Fróis gained greater benefits. After all, what Fróis obtained was information about a treatment for scurvy. It was known that scurvy could be cured by taking vitamin C, but the relationship between vitamin C and scurvy was not discovered until 1932.
Compared to Fróis, who had knowledge and technology from over 300 years in the future, what Shizuko obtained was a promise to “provide assistance for the importation of various varieties of crops without hesitation.” In simple terms, it meant that the Jesuits would take responsibility for bringing the crop varieties and animals that Shizuko desired to Japan. Among the varieties Shizuko requested were pepper seedlings cultivated in Southeast Asia, Arabian horses, the oldest breed of horses in the world, and hops, which are used as raw materials for beer. There were other varieties she wanted, but due to the lack of progress in her side’s treatment, she limited it to these three. Of course, she secured a promise to provide assistance if there were results in her side’s treatment.
(But if a cure for scurvy is established… it could accelerate colonialism.)
Shizuko felt a slight unease and decided to convey the cultivation of bean sprouts using sponges as a cure for scurvy, rather than the parsley sugar-coated tablets, which were the original cure. Bean sprouts only required water, sunlight, and mung beans. On board the ship, water and fresh vegetables were valuable commodities, but using highly absorbent sponges eliminated the need to dilute water for cultivation. On the other hand, parsley sugar-coated tablets were made by mixing parsley, oil, honey, and bamboo vinegar and wrapping them in granulated sugar. The reason for wrapping them in sugar was to prevent moisture and to counteract the bitterness that made them difficult to swallow. They could be preserved for nearly a year with proper storage and provided quicker results than bean sprouts. Shizuko feared that the efficiency of cultivating parsley sugar-coated tablets on board the ship would accelerate colonial rule, so she kept them secret.
While eating the grilled clams, Shizuko casually spoke to the still frowning Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada).
“Well… there are various things, various things.”
With Nobunaga’s pacification of Ise, the surrounding countries became restless. It wasn’t just the neighboring countries. Now, powerful local lords like Mōri in the west and Takeda and Hōjō in the east, as well as local lords throughout Japan, were closely watching Nobunaga’s movements. Even the temple and shrine forces and the imperial court were naturally keeping a close eye on his actions.
Many local lords felt a sense of disgust towards Nobunaga’s rise, but they only watched from a distance. Honganji Temple and Mount Hiei’s Enryakuji Temple, while finding Nobunaga’s demands for tribute troublesome, did not view him as an enemy because his policies were benefiting them. The imperial court was mostly in a subservient position, and it was clear that if they were to antagonize Nobunaga, it would ignite their own domestic issues. Therefore, they had no choice but to wait and see.
The only ones clearly showing a hostile attitude towards Nobunaga were the Miyoshi Trio and the Asakura clan. As a result, the Asakura clan, which had close ties with the Asakura clan, experienced a family dispute that split the family in two due to a secret letter sent by Yoshiaki. Now, there were those who prioritized their relationship with the rapidly rising Nobunaga, and those who followed Yoshiaki’s secret letter and allied with their trusted ally, the Asakura clan. The former was led by Asakura Nagamasa, and the latter was led by Asakura Hisamasa. Hisamasa, who had been forced into retirement and had lost most of his authority, was able to wield power due to the influence of his pro-Asakura retainers.
“No matter how many secret letters the shogun sends, it’s hard to imagine the surrounding countries easily moving. The Ashikaga shogunate is now just a decoration, and it’s hard to imagine any local lords obeying the shogunate’s orders. Rather than antagonizing the Oda clan, which refuses to recognize any authority other than its own, it’s better to keep a reserved attitude for now.”
In short, the Nagamasa faction’s basic stance was to “wait and see for a while.”
“The shogun’s intention is to eliminate the Oda clan. If the contents of the secret letter are true, we have a just cause. And if we defeat the Oda here, the Asakura clan can increase its influence over the shogunate. Think about it, the current Oda clan refuses to acknowledge any authority other than its own. If we continue like this, the Asakura clan will eventually be forced to submit, and if we refuse, we will be destroyed. In order to preserve the Asakura clan, we must ally with our trusted ally, the Asakura clan, and defeat the traitor Oda.”
On the other hand, the Hisamasa faction’s opinion was to “follow the secret letter proactively.”
Both sides were unwilling to compromise on their opinions, and the relationship between the Asakura father and son deteriorated day by day. Most of the retainers were in the Hisamasa faction, but the Nagamasa faction was supported by the Omi Province merchants’ alliance. The situation was a back-and-forth struggle, but there was also the danger that the balance could be tipped by trivial matters.
“That’s the current situation in Omi Province.”
“Hmm, as expected. Reward the spies generously and let them rest for the next task.”
After receiving the report from Omi Province, Nobunaga nodded in satisfaction and praised Takigawa Kazumasu. His Sixth Division was an intelligence agency that conducted information gathering in other countries using spies as part of their duties. At the moment, they were investigating the internal situation of Omi Province according to Nobunaga’s intentions.
“Accurate information can sometimes surpass the power of thousands of troops. I’ll rely on you for future endeavors as well.”
“I am honored to receive your praise and appreciate your kindness.”
After Takigawa Kazumasu left, Nobunaga pondered while recalling the report.
(Now we know who the enemies and allies are. Next, I should select the incompetent individuals from the Hisamasa faction and request that they warmly welcome the Omi Province merchants’ alliance.)
There was no middle ground for Nobunaga. It was either enemy or ally, regardless of whether they were allied countries. He investigated the internal situation of the Asakura clan to distinguish between enemies and allies. Once the enemies were clear, the next step was to select the incompetent individuals from among them. Treating the incompetent individuals as capable individuals and repeatedly giving them a warm welcome would eventually grant them strong power within the organization. However, if an incapable individual gained power, the organization would eventually collapse. If it collapsed, it would become Nobunaga’s possession. By inviting capable individuals and punishing the incompetent ones, there would be no lingering issues.
(Now is not the time to take risks. We should focus on gathering information and be prepared for when the time comes.)
Nobunaga never had a moment of rest, even at the end of the year.
After finishing her work, Shizuko washed away the dirt from her body and headed straight to the bath.
“Aya-chan, I’m going to wash off the dirt, so you can go ahead and take a bath. We’ll have our meal afterwards.”
“Understood. I’ll bring your change of clothes later.”
“Thank you.”
After waving her hand lightly, Shizuko headed towards the hot spring. Shizuko didn’t desire power, but she was determined to never give up the privilege of taking a bath every day. The comfort of bathing was essential for surviving in the Sengoku period, she believed.
Just as she was about to lightly rinse off the dirt and enter the bath, Shizuko’s ears caught the sound of barking. When she turned around, she saw Wittman and the others running towards her. They circled around her and made affectionate sounds.
“Do you need shampoo too? Are you guys going to get in the bath?”
Whether they understood Shizuko’s words or not, Wittman and the others let out a light bark.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll have to lower the temperature of the water a bit today.”
Dogs and wolves use their scent as a means of self-expression, so they strongly dislike having their scent disappear. Especially for wolves, whose scent conveys various information, the disappearance of their own scent is a matter of life and death. However, for the sake of hygiene and disease prevention, it is necessary to shampoo them once or twice a month. Excessive shampooing can damage the skin, so caution is required.
“Hehehe~ But when did baths become okay for you guys? Barti was fine from the beginning, but Wittman and the others didn’t like it.”
Water seemed like something to drink, and no matter how much Shizuko asked, Wittman and the others refused to get in the bath. However, Barti, with her easygoing personality, accepted Shizuko’s shampoo without hesitation. Seeing that, Wittman and the others burned with jealousy.
Originally, the Wittmans were not afraid of water, but they were scared when they first entered the bath. They thought that Barti saw through their fear. They started with training to dive underwater, and then continued to swim underwater on their own. The efforts they made, which cannot be described without tears, finally allowed the Wittmans to grow to the point where they could dive three meters. They continued to make efforts in secret from Shizuko, and finally they were able to confidently enter the bath without fear. The impression of shampoo that they tasted after such efforts was simply the best.
“Towels, check. Everything is ready. Ugh, it’s cold… Let’s get in quickly.”
After taking off their kimono and underwear and putting them in a basket, Shizuko carried the bath set and entered the women’s hot spring. After quickly washing her head and body, she diluted the Mukuroji powder and shampooed the Wittmans. They all sweated when shampooing everyone at once, but they rinsed it off with hot water.
“Phew… This is paradise.”
Shizuko thought that the pleasure of soaking in the hot spring was incomparable. The Wittmans soaked in the lukewarm bath (about 37 degrees) reserved for them. Their relaxed faces did not seem like wolves with mysterious beauty.
“Come to think of it, I wonder if Friar-san liked the futon and other gifts I gave him.”
Through Nobunaga, Shizuko received various things from Friar-san, so she thought it would be bad to just receive them and gave him a “dotera” (a padded kimono), “kotatsu” (a heated table), “futon” (a Japanese-style mattress), and a “wooden barrel bath” to help him withstand the cold winter. If people knew, they would think that these were tools to corrupt the missionaries like Friar-san, but for Shizuko, it was just a way to cope with the cold.
“Japanese winters are cold, you know. A warm bath is the best.”
While enjoying the scent of the highest quality Kiso cypress, they relaxed and healed their tiredness in the pleasantly warm hot spring. The Wittmans also leaned their heads on the edge of the bathtub and let out relaxed voices. Seeing their blissful faces, Shizuko also crossed her arms and rested her head on the edge of the bathtub, closing her eyes.
“My chest feels tight.”
Shizuko opened her eyes and looked down at the tightness in her chest. In her eyes, she could see her own chest being squeezed between the edge of the bathtub and her body.
Shizuko, who hunted deer with a compound bow, unknowingly trained her pectoral muscles. In archery, both arms and muscles in the lower body and upper body are used to shoot the bow. As a result, not only arm strength but also shoulder muscles and back muscles are trained, but the most trained muscle is the pectoral muscle.
The pectoral muscles in women support the breasts, and if they weaken, the shape of the breasts will be distorted. However, it is difficult to train the pectoral muscles in daily life, and they usually weaken with age. But with a bow, the pectoral muscles are moderately trained, and it can have a bust-enhancing effect. Of course, it doesn’t mean that everyone will have a bigger bust just by handling a bow, but in Shizuko’s case, she handled a bow a lot during her growth period, and her good diet also contributed to her breasts growing. In addition, her back muscles were trained, improving her posture, and her metabolism was increased by exercise and rest.
“I know it’s a luxury to worry about it when I don’t have excess fat. But it’s hard to wrap a sarashi (a cloth used to bind the chest) when my breasts are big. If I don’t need to hide my face when meeting Friar-san, I won’t have to bear this kind of trouble.”
After sighing, Shizuko rested her cheek on the edge of the bathtub. For her, having bigger breasts didn’t have many advantages, and she only noticed the disadvantages, such as feeling slightly uncomfortable when wearing a kimono. She thought it would be troublesome if they grew even more.
“Ah, let’s stop thinking. It’s better to empty my mind.”
Feeling a headache, Shizuko lightly shook her head and closed her eyes, prostrating herself on the edge of the bathtub.
Friar-san picked up his pen as usual and wrote a report to the Jesuit Order.
“The Headscarf Prime Minister by Oda-sama’s side is terrifying. He possessed a cure for hemoptysis (hemophilia). It seems that the neighboring country of Japan has been using it as a medicine for a long time. The cure is originally a secret recipe, but we were able to negotiate and obtain a secret book that contains the recipe in exchange for certain items. However, those certain items are Arabian horses imported from India, pepper seedlings, and something called hops. I have submitted separate documents to obtain approval for this.”
Friar-san sent the approval document first, but he never thought it would be rejected. Since it is possible to obtain a cure for an incurable disease through animals and plants, he didn’t think the headquarters would show any resistance to importing horses.
“Based on the request, the Headscarf Prime Minister seems to have a preference for animals and plants that cannot be obtained in Japan. I presented gemstones and goldsmithing as offerings before, but the response was not very good, and some were even declined. However, since Oda-sama keeps a large eagle, I believe my speculation is correct. From not owning large animals, I speculate that he prefers small to medium-sized animals such as dogs, cats, and birds.”
After writing that much, Friar-san put down his pen and took a breath.
He also considered this conversation a good deal. Of course, there is a possibility of being lied to, but he thought that possibility was low. There was no need for him to lie, and it was easier to answer “I don’t know” than to lie. He couldn’t imagine that the Headscarf Prime Minister would gain anything by lying to them.
“But if this experiment is successful, we can regain the authority of the Church. For that reason, we must succeed in the trade with him at all costs.”
If the trade is successful and the experiment is successful, Friar-san will also benefit. He had long despised the human trafficking of Portuguese merchants. Not out of love for humanity, but because their actions hindered the spread of Christianity. However, when he suggested stopping human trafficking, he was told, “There are sellers, so there’s nothing we can do.”
“We must hurry. This country is different from other countries, as it excels in culture and military power. If an expulsion order is issued, it may finally lead to the prohibition of missionary work itself.”
After finishing the report, Friar-san felt the urge to send it immediately, but it was an impossible wish. Even though the security in Kyoto had improved, it was still too dangerous to go out at night without an escort.
“Ugh… It’s getting a little cold. But as expected of the Headscarf Prime Minister, this kotatsu thing reduces the coldness of Kyoto. By the way, there was a costume called dotera. It’s a good opportunity to try it on Atsukan.”
After that, Friar-san put on a dotera and got back into the dug kotatsu. He enjoyed karasumi (dried mullet roe) as a snack with hot sake, and when he was satisfied both physically and mentally, he got into bed. Having fully immersed himself in Owari culture, Friar-san added the following to his report the next day.
“The tool called kotatsu that was given to me by the Headscarf Prime Minister, it is a devil’s invention. It possesses a terrifying power to corrupt people. Furthermore, if you wear a dotera, resistance becomes impossible. If the missionaries who read this report and consider visiting Japan, I recommend accumulating virtue.”
Since Sakihisa (Konoe) established a residence in Gifu a few months ago, he had been devoting his efforts to hosting banquets with influential courtiers and powerful figures in the vicinity of Kyoto. From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem like they are just reciting poetry and drinking, but banquets are important ceremonies in the courtier society and also serve as political gatherings. Therefore, not only the seating order but also the seats themselves are highly valued.
Even though the head of the family had been exiled from Kyoto, the Konoe family still maintained a solid influence. The courtiers, who were invited to the banquet and couldn’t refuse, initially attended with an attitude of having something up their sleeves. However, Sakihisa (Konoe) had devised a plan to make them never refuse an invitation again. It was the temptation of gourmet food, a “deadly poison.” In the Sengoku period, fallen courtiers faced economic hardships and settled in local manors or relied on powerful provincial lords.
Courtiers in dire economic situations were overwhelmed with work to earn income and had no leisure to enjoy entertainment. For them, the temptation of gourmet food became a strong “deadly poison.” Once they knew it, they could never resist it again. If they forcibly resisted, they would be subjected to great mental tension. Gourmet food, a simple strategy, or rather, daily meals, yielded high effects precisely because they were something that was always done. Furthermore, Sakihisa (Konoe) prepared delicious meals not with expensive or rare ingredients, but with ingredients that courtiers were familiar with.
Sakihisa (Konoe)’s banquets, where dishes that seemed otherworldly were served, spread through word of mouth, and other people were invited and fell into the trap of gourmet food. The courtier society was gradually invaded by the deadly poison of gourmet food.
“Welcome, please relax and enjoy today’s renga gathering.”
Sakihisa (Konoe)’s renga gathering and banquet could only accommodate a small number of seventeen people. However, each and every one of them was a powerful figure in the Kinai region and had various connections as influential individuals.
“Konoe-dono, would it be acceptable to use a half-verse (18 phrases) for today’s renga?”
The structure of a renga consists of a 5-7-5 phrase as the upper verse and a 7-7 phrase as the lower verse, and each of these two phrases is called a “ku.” The 18 phrases start with Sakihisa (Konoe) and continue clockwise, with the final person being the 18th phrase, completing the renga. There are also the “kasen” with 36 phrases, the “Sekichi” with 44 phrases, and the “chorenka” (also called “hyakuin”) with 100 phrases. Furthermore, the “senku” is a collection of ten works of chorenka. The collection of “senku” is called “manku.”
“Certainly.”
“As Maro, I think it would be better if it were a little livelier. No, I am not blaming the Konoe family in any way.”
“Hahaha, I understand. However, recently the eyes of the Lord have become strict, and even enjoying a renga gathering with everyone is suspected of plotting something improper. That is why we are in a situation where we cannot invite many people. If we could invite a few more people, the renga gathering would become more splendid… I apologize, I have said something indiscreet in front of everyone. Well then, let’s start right away.”
Sakihisa (Konoe) casually brushed it off, but of course, he had calculated even this complaint into his words. Those who had been poisoned by the food were looking forward to Sakihisa (Konoe)’s banquet more than anything else, to the point of appointing a representative even if they couldn’t attend due to other matters. This was because they would receive special products from Owari, such as pickled plums, dashi miso, and soy sauce, as souvenirs from Sakihisa (Konoe). They were addicted to the taste, but maintained a condescending attitude due to their social status. However, if it was a gift from the Konoe family, they couldn’t disrespect it and had an excuse.
“Hohoho, I haven’t heard anything, Maro.”
The person next to Sakihisa (Konoe) lightly recited a verse while brushing it off. However, although he appeared cheerful on the surface, internally he was boiling with anger towards Yoshiaki, the current Shogun. He had been completely invaded by Sakihisa (Konoe)’s poison and was now a soy sauce maniac beyond help. Of course, he was not the only one. There were already countless people whose minds had been driven mad by dashi miso and soy sauce. Using the connections of these influential people, Sakihisa (Konoe) was indirectly approaching the imperial court.
“Indeed, Lord Konoe. You have obtained excellent cuisine and sake. The skill of the chef is also remarkable.”
“Maro, this grilled dish is excellent. It shines beautifully and the sauce on it is so delicious.”
“No, Maro thinks this tartar sauce is also irresistible.”
The influential people praised the dishes at the banquet. Even though they were well-versed in Kyoto cuisine and had refined palates, they were giving their seal of approval to the point that Sakihisa (Konoe) secretly smirked.
“(Hehehe, indulge in the poison of exquisite food to your heart’s content. To the point where you cannot resist…)” I am glad you like it. Today, we have prepared a large selection of sake and dishes. Please, everyone, enjoy them to your heart’s content.”
Sakihisa (Konoe) steadily solidified his foothold in the imperial court using his own means.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Early December, 1569.
In mid-December, Nobunaga opened a series of shops for his employed merchants in a corner of Kyoto. The contents of the shops varied, including restaurants, clothing stores, and general stores, but all the products for sale were specialties of Owari and Mino. However, no matter how abundant the products were, the market would not be established if there were no consumers to purchase them. Recognizing this, Nobunaga devised a plan to attract consumers.
Nobunaga believed that efficiently transmitting and spreading information about the products was the most important factor in attracting consumers. So he had Ashimitsu create attractive flyers to increase consumer purchasing desire, and Shizuko printed them in large quantities using a lithographic printing machine she had manufactured. They distributed the flyers for free at the market and residential areas. The use of flyers for advertising quickly spread throughout Kyoto, attracting people who were curious or interested in novelty, as well as business people who were conducting reconnaissance.
When consumer purchasing and merchant transactions became more active, Nobunaga imposed a certain tax on all transactions under the pretext of the reconstruction of the devastated Kyoto during the turmoil. The tax consisted of a special tax imposed only on luxury goods and a general indirect tax similar to the modern consumption tax in Japan. The collected taxes were used for repairing the Imperial Palace, maintaining the infrastructure that had been left in a state of disrepair, and purchasing equipment for the security forces that maintained public order. Furthermore, Nobunaga made the tax amount collected and the intended use of the taxes public to the people of Kyoto.
The reason Nobunaga implemented such policies was because Yoshiaki, as the shogun, was not capable enough. Yoshiaki became the shogun with the help of Nobunaga, but since he had been in the Buddhist clergy since childhood, he had few reliable vassals. If things continued like this, the administration of the shogunate would quickly come to a halt. Therefore, Yoshiaki thought of borrowing some of Nobunaga’s vassals to make up for the lack and carry out the administration of the shogunate. Nobunaga gladly responded to Yoshiaki’s request and dispatched several vassals, including Sadakatsu Murai, to Kyoto to take over the duties of the shogunate.
Nobunaga’s vassals took over the duties of the shogunate. At first glance, it seemed like Nobunaga was in control of the shogunate, but in reality, he was in a position to support the Ashikaga shogunate as Yoshiaki’s assistant. It was not the first time that Nobunaga had taken in specific daimyo and operated the shogunate. The dual government can be considered a characteristic of the late Ashikaga shogunate, with examples such as the relationship between the 10th generation Yoshitomo Ouchi and Takakuni Hosokawa, and the 12th generation Yoshiharu Rokkaku and Sadayori Rokkaku.
However, even with a dual government and many capable vassals under the shogunate, Yoshiaki’s ability as the shogun was not sufficient. Furthermore, he continued to receive criticism from those around him due to various diplomatic blunders, such as mediating land disputes and interfering with the court. Nobunaga was concerned about the dissatisfaction towards Yoshiaki from various people and sent him a letter urging him to reflect on his actions.
“Lately, there has been constant gossip about the palace from the people of Kyoto. Please reflect on your actions and correct the cause of the people’s gossip.”
The retainers were frightened by the fact that Nobunaga scolded the shogun in the letter for Yoshiaki’s continuous blunders. However, Nobunaga himself felt more frustration than hatred. To relieve his physical and mental fatigue, Nobunaga visited Shizuko’s place with only a few attendants. Emptying his mind and taking a hot spring bath was one of the few stress-relieving methods for Nobunaga.
“I can’t even sigh.”
While tilting his sake cup, Nobunaga vented his complaints. Shizuko could tell from the way he drank hot sake, which he usually didn’t, that he was under a lot of stress.
“I understand your feelings.”
Shizuko understood Nobunaga’s mental fatigue, but she couldn’t find the right words to say. She knew that half-hearted kindness was not kindness. And she also understood that Nobunaga was not seeking mere kindness.
“My lord, Konoe-sama has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
After giving a short response to the page, Nobunaga drank the contents of his sake cup in one gulp. While having the pages clean up the small sake cups and sake bottles, Sakihisa (Konoe) entered the room with a refreshing smile. If it was just Sakihisa (Konoe) alone, it wouldn’t have been a cause for surprise. However, Shizuko couldn’t hide her surprise when Ashimitsu also entered the room after Sakihisa (Konoe).
“I have heard the discussions, Lord Oda. I understand your mental fatigue.”
Sakihisa (Konoe) greeted them and casually took a seat in a suitable place. After glancing at Nobunaga and Sakihisa (Konoe), Ashimitsu took a seat between the two of them and Shizuko. It could be seen as a position where he was protecting Shizuko from the two of them.
“Oh, it seems that Ashimitsu-dono doesn’t like me.”
Sakihisa (Konoe) teased while shrugging his shoulders. Nobunaga also seemed to have seen through Ashimitsu’s attitude, as he hid his laughter behind his hand. Ashimitsu showed no signs of being concerned about the attitudes of the two, but to Shizuko, he seemed slightly annoyed. However, it seemed that he was more frustrated with something else rather than being frustrated with the attitudes of the two. Shizuko couldn’t understand what Ashimitsu was frustrated about.
“Hehe, now let’s have a serious discussion. As you know, the public figure’s blunders are intolerable. But when I try to restore the honor of the public figure, I am opposed no matter what. However, if left alone, the shogunate will collapse from within.”
“I have also received some information. Especially the interference with the court, disregarding precedents, seems to have caused more dissatisfaction than I expected.”
From the conversation between the two, Shizuko understood that Yoshiaki’s blunders had reached a dangerous level.
“…I understand that the public figure’s blunders are a problem, but may I ask if it is something I can listen to?”
“It doesn’t matter. We need frank opinions now. Shizuko and Ashimitsu, I want you to think about the future as well.”
If the Oda encirclement were to be completed, it could potentially become a story that would completely overturn the administration of the shogunate. Shizuko didn’t understand why she was being involved in this, but she understood from Nobunaga’s response that he wanted opinions from individuals who were not bound by their positions. After exchanging glances with Ashimitsu, Shizuko nodded slightly.
“I don’t know how much I can contribute, but if it’s me, I won’t hesitate to help.”
“…Don’t expect too much.”
“Hehe, it’s up to Lord Oda to judge that. Now, as for my opinion, I don’t think the public figure is quietly observing Lord Oda’s movements. Let’s take some action in the near future. However, the public figure does not have their own army. If they were to rebel against Lord Oda, where would the public figure get their army from?”
The Ashikaga shogunate, which is operated by the Ashikaga shogun family, reigns at the top of Japan’s political institutions. However, the reality of the Ashikaga shogunate is dismal. Since the Onin War, the main force of the shogunate, the shogunate’s retainers, have been absorbed as vassals by various local daimyo. The exception is the Kinai region centered around Kyoto, which still has its own territory, but the provinces have already become lawless areas. The shogunate’s power has also completely declined since the Eiroku Incident (the assassination of Yoshiteru Ashikaga by the Miyoshi clan). The economic foundation is weak, and it can be said that the Ashikaga shogunate has become a mere formality.
“There is no need to prepare an army from the beginning. Send secret letters to various places and secretly create an encirclement network that isolates only the Oda clan politically and economically, weakening the Oda clan’s influence. When they are sufficiently weakened, request military forces from various provinces to crush the Oda clan under the pretext of ‘suppressing rebels.’ In the Ashikaga shogunate, which has lost its retainers, this method is the most realistic.”
Ashimitsu answered Sakihisa (Konoe)’s question. He said it was realistic, but the current Ashikaga shogunate had no other choice.
“I see, so you plan to use the military forces of various provinces.”
“But the Oda clan has almost complete control over the Kinai region. If the public figure were to use the military forces of various provinces, they would probably rely on the Asai, Asakura, Mori, Takeda, and Uesugi clans. If they start thinking that anyone will do, they might even turn to Honganji Temple and Enryakuji Temple.”
“Now that the authority of the shogunate has declined, I don’t think various forces will unite… ”
Shizuko’s observation was correct. In historical fact, Yoshiaki, who created the Oda encirclement network, expected the various forces to unite, but contrary to his expectations, the various forces never united and rebelled against the Oda clan as they pleased. Therefore, even if Nobunaga was attacked by enemy forces, he had time to regroup afterwards. Nobunaga also considered the possibility that even if he launched an attack on one force, other forces might not send reinforcements, and he began to undermine the unity of the various forces. Regardless of their size, Nobunaga overcame the Oda encirclement network that lasted for eleven years through strategies or extermination against the hostile forces.
“They will unite at first. However, soon each force will start seeking their own interests and lose the unity as an encirclement network. In other words, if the Oda encirclement network is established, there is still a possibility to crush it once they break through the initial encirclement network.”
“Hmm… If the Oda encirclement network were to be established, what actions can we take from now on?”
After thinking for a moment in response to Nobunaga’s question, the three of them each voiced their answers.
“We should focus on the development of the economic foundation that supports the quantity of goods.”
“I think we should solidify the production base of goods.”
“…There are various things, but we should research and develop industrial production of firearms.”
Sakihisa (Konoe), Shizuko, and Ashimitsu’s answers were all important. Developing the economic foundation that supports the quantity of goods, possessing a large number of firearms, and having the production capacity to support a large army are not easily obtained. It would take several years, and in the worst case, even ten years, to gradually prepare the environment.
“Then let each of those be your goals for the future.”
With Nobunaga’s words, each person’s direction was determined.
After that, Sakihisa (Konoe) left the room with Shizuko to see the Ougi eagle. Nobunaga and Ashimitsu remained in the room and silently drank sake for a while. After some time had passed, Ashimitsu murmured with an expression that seemed like nothing.
“Let’s build a reservoir in the Kiso Sanzan. Can we expedite the construction or increase the number of workers?”
“…We can increase the number of workers. But what is the reason for that?”
As a flood control and water utilization measure, Nobunaga first started the construction of a reservoir in the Kiso Sanzan. The reason for prioritizing the construction of the reservoir was to prevent flood damage in the downstream area.
During the rainy season and typhoons, a large amount of rain falls at once, causing rivers to swell. When the water level reaches the limit of the river’s capacity, flooding occurs, causing extensive damage to villages along the river. However, if a reservoir is installed, during sunny weather, a certain amount of water can be released from the reservoir, and during typhoons or heavy rain, pre-release can be done to create capacity and store some of the increased river water in the reservoir. This method of regulating the amount of water released from the reservoir to prevent flood damage in the downstream area is called flood control.
“The water volume of the reservoir is enormous. Mishandling it could lead to an unprecedented disaster.”
“I understand what you’re trying to say. However, whether or not to execute it is my decision.”
“I don’t mind. I’m just making a suggestion.”
“…Order the expansion of the reservoir.”
Nobunaga felt a sense of dread as Ashimitsu calmly proposed a plan, knowing full well that it would cause an unprecedented disaster.
Nobunaga’s development of Owari and Mino was progressing as planned. However, there were clear intentions behind it. The top priority development area was East Owari, which borders Mikawa Province. Next was South Owari, including the Chita Peninsula, and third was North Owari, which borders Mino Province. However, the last area, West Owari, including the lower reaches of the Kiso River, had no clear plan in place. The reason for the lack of a plan was that West Owari was not under Nobunaga’s control.
The lower reaches of the Kiso River, located on the border between Owari and Ise Provinces, is an area isolated from the mainland by the flow of the Kiso River. This region, divided into seven rings, was once called Nanashima (Seven Islands). However, at some point, Nanashima changed to Nagashima. Although it is located in Kuwana District, Ise Province, it was recognized as Kawachi District, Owari Province according to “Nobunaga Kōki.”
In 1501 (Bunki 1), Ganshōji Temple was founded in Sugie, and Rennjun, the sixth son of Rennyo, became the chief priest. Since then, Honganji Temple incorporated local feudal lords and strengthened its defenses by building fortifications such as Nakae Fortress and Ōtorii Fortress around Nagashima. They also built dozens of temples and dojos, completely dominating the entire region.
Nagashima is also a place of fate for Nobunaga. Those who opposed Nobunaga or had been defeated by him in the past sought refuge in Nagashima. Hattori Tomosada, the head of the Hattori clan who had influence in Kawachi, south of Tsushima, participated in the Battle of Okehazama in 1560 (Eiroku 3) and opposed Nobunaga. Saito Ryuko, who was defeated by Nobunaga in the Battle of Inabayama Castle in 1567 (Eiroku 10), is said to have sought refuge in Nagashima in northern Ise. In response, Nobunaga did not attack Nagashima and only brought the local lords in northern Ise under his control. Even when he achieved the unification of Owari in the fourth year of Eiroku, Nobunaga gave up on controlling the lower reaches of the Kiso River, including Nagashima.
Rennjun, who controlled the Rinchu region where Nobunaga hesitated to advance, could not hide his frustration during this time. There were two reasons for his frustration. One was that Nobunaga had invented innovative technologies but kept them to himself, excluding them (Honganji Temple faction). In simple terms, Rennjun wanted them to share the technology and share the profits. Nobunaga had never submitted to Honganji Temple. However, Rennjun took advantage of the fact that Nobunaga had never attacked Nagashima and believed that it was only natural for a samurai like Nobunaga to submit to them, who held religious authority.
The other reason was Nihime’s existence. They had been investigating Nihime (Shizuko) using Honganji Temple’s information network, but even after almost a year, they still couldn’t obtain any useful information. The reason why they were investigating Nihime was related to Nobunaga’s income. Owari and Mino, which Nobunaga ruled, were estimated to have a land value of about one to one and a half million koku. However, in reality, it was not one million koku, but three times that, three million koku. The reason for this had been a mystery until now, but Rennjun believed that Nobunaga had received technological inheritance from Nihime. In other words, Rennjun thought that by incorporating Nihime into the Honganji Temple faction, they could directly receive Nobunaga’s income.
Therefore, it was necessary to find Nihime. However, even after a year had passed, they had not obtained any useful information. The reason for this was that they had misunderstood Nihime’s image. Nihime was a virtual image created by Nobunaga based on Shizuko. Of course, Nobunaga did not adopt Shizuko’s image as it was. Ayanokoji Toshikazu, a warrior of the Sengoku period, died in 1518, so based on that, people around her manipulated the information to make Nihime appear as an old woman in her fifties or sixties.
While Rennjun was frustrated by the lack of information, he was not particularly anxious about Nihime. Nobunaga had never given Nihime a high position or reward. Therefore, Rennjun thought that if they offered her a position with religious authority, Nihime would easily come to the Honganji Temple faction. If someone said such a thing in modern times, most people would laugh it off, but in the Sengoku period, religious authority held great influence. Therefore, they had no doubts that Nihime would easily defect to them.
“Phew, we’re done. Brushing Wittman and the others is quite tiring, isn’t it?”
However, for Shizuko, who is the true image of Nihime, religious authority is less than a pebble lying on the roadside. She has no fear of gods, but she clasps her hands when she sees statues of Jizo, Buddha, or graves. Shizuko is not an atheist who denies religion and gods. She is simply indifferent to the popular new religions in modern Japan and dislikes joining a specific sect and studying its doctrines.
As people began preparing for the year-end and New Year, Shizuko and the Oda army entered Kyoto. This time, it was not a military operation, but the purpose was to console the vassals who had been troubled by Yoshiaki. In addition to Shizuko, Keiji, Saizo, Nagayoshi, Mori Yoshinari, Shibata, Sassa, Sakuma, Hidechika, and the Takenaka brothers, elite vassals of the Oda clan, also accompanied the army.
The vassals from the Oda clan who were currently serving in the shogunate, such as Akechi Mitsuhide and Murai, as well as those who had a cooperative relationship with Nobunaga, such as Hosokawa Fujitaka, Wada Koremasa, Matsunaga Hisahide, and wealthy merchants from Sakai, were invited to the consolation party. Yoshiaki, as the shogun, caused great inconvenience to those around him, so he was not invited to the consolation party.
The person entrusted with serving the dishes for the consolation party was Gorou. Until a few years ago, he was an apprentice at an unknown restaurant in Kyoto, but he showed his talent as a cook as he learned from Mitsuo, Ashimitsu, and Shizuko. Before he knew it, he was not only Nohime’s cook but also recognized as Nobunaga’s cook, and now he had risen to the position of head chef in charge of the Oda clan’s kitchen.
At first, Gorou was timid, but he revitalized himself and successfully led the consolation party. The dishes he made were highly praised by the wealthy merchants of Sakai, who traded with Portuguese and Chinese and had tasted various delicacies from land and sea. The fresh sweets, which did not last long due to their high moisture content, made the participants’ taste buds tingle.
After the consolation party, Shizuko and Gorou taught the cooking staff in Nobunaga’s restaurant the manufacturing methods for various cooking powders made from soybeans, glutinous rice, non-glutinous rice, potatoes, and corn. In two months, Mitarashi dango and shiratama dango, among other things, would be sold at the shops of Nobunaga’s appointed merchants, and influential people such as wealthy merchants and court nobles would come to Kyoto to spend money on them.
After finishing all the government affairs and various matters, the Oda army returned to Gifu. When Mori Yoshinari finished reporting to Nobunaga, the Oda army disbanded, and each person returned home.
“Everyone, thank you for your hard work this year.”
One week after returning to Owari, Shizuko also held a consolation party and year-end party with close acquaintances. The participants were Keiji, Saizo, Nagayoshi, Aya, Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada), Ei, Ashimitsu, Mitsuo, Tsuruhime, Shibata, and Shizuko, a total of eleven people. At first, Shizuko considered a more formal banquet-style gathering, but she reconsidered and switched to a more casual party format, removing the formality. In the end, Shizuko lined up several large charcoal grills and had a barbecue-style party where they grilled skewers on top. However, as a consequence of adopting this unconventional party format, only those who could tolerate unconventional behavior were invited.
The ingredients for the skewers were diverse, including chicken, goose, quail, as well as deer and boar meat. In addition to game meat, they also prepared seasonal vegetables such as onions, pumpkins, and green onions, as well as seasonal fish such as Honmoroko, Kanbora, and Black Sea Bream. Although it was out of season, they also included shrimp, crab, abalone, scallops, turban shells, clams, and oysters that were being cultivated. After preparing each ingredient, all that was left was to skewer them and grill them to each person’s liking, then add sauce whenever desired.
“We’ve had various experiences, but we have safely reached the end of the year. Well, let’s drink and eat to our heart’s content and rejuvenate ourselves. Men, rejoice! We have plenty of sake prepared. As long as we don’t go too far, you can drink as much as you want today!”
At that moment, the men cheered. As Shizuko had said, there were four barrels of refined sake (about 18 liters each) and three barrels of cloudy sake lined up in one corner of the room. On a nearby table, there were many tokkuri (sake flasks) for hot sake, ochoko (small sake cups), and sake bottles.
Although refined sake was being produced under Shizuko’s supervision, only a small amount was available on the market. So, if it was said to be all-you-can-drink refined sake, it was no wonder the men were delighted.
“Well then, thank you for your hard work!”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
Everyone followed the lead of the toast and sang along. After Shizuko’s speech, everyone began to do as they pleased. Some stood up and exchanged sake, some silently grilled and ate, and some engaged in a drinking competition. It was truly a time of revelry.
By the way, the term “inginko” refers to not breaking one’s position, seating order, or proper etiquette. On the other hand, the original meaning of “bureiko” is “participants who should not leave their seats leaving their seats and serving others.” In the Heian period, banquets in the aristocratic society had a strict seating order based on social status, and once someone sat in a seat, they would never move to another seat. However, Emperor Go-Daigo, in order to gauge the intentions of the Kamakura shogunate (the Hojo clan), invited Tsuchii Yoritosune, Tazime Kunitaka, and Ashiyasu Shigenari, who were members of the Mino Genji clan, to a banquet and disregarded common sense, etiquette, and customs. The reason for disregarding etiquette and customs was that the content of the banquet was a disguised conference to deceive the public and eliminate the hierarchy to prevent the content from leaking. However, people who did not know this were greatly surprised by the atmosphere of the banquet, and they called such a wild banquet “bureiko.” This is the origin of “bureiko.”
At first, it was a consolation party where they enjoyed skewers and sake, but as most of the participants began to get drunk, it gradually became chaotic.
“Oh, old man. You’re really strong… huh.”
“I underestimated… urgh.”
“Hehehe, it’s too early for you to challenge me to a drinking contest after I’ve been banned from the all-you-can-drink at the local izakaya with my face on a poster.”
Keiji and Saizo were foolishly challenging Mitsu’o, the only honorable Russian with a liver, to a drinking contest. Seeing even the heavy drinker Keiji losing, it was clear that Mitsu’o was truly strong when it came to alcohol. Nagayoshi was also lying on the floor with Keiji and the others, but Shizuko decided to leave the three of them alone because she didn’t want to deal with the hassle.
“You’re amazing, Mitsu’o-sama.”
Tsuruhime gazed at Mitsu’o, who was declaring victory with a large cup in hand, with a blissful expression. It was unclear what she saw in Mitsu’o, but Shizuko thought it would be uncouth to meddle in other people’s love affairs, so she decided to watch from a distance. She kept her true feelings, that it was more enjoyable to observe from afar, deep in her heart.
“Shizuko, are you drinking? Ah, right, you can’t drink.”
Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada), who was already drunk, approached Shizuko, who was grilling skewers in silence. In the Sengoku period, after reaching adulthood through the ritual of genpuku, the commoners and samurai class would join organizations called “wakashu” or “musume nakama” in farming and fishing villages to receive the necessary training before being allowed to drink alcohol. However, no matter the era, underage individuals would always secretly drink alcohol to experience the feeling of being an adult.
“You’re drinking properly.”
“Yeah, I don’t get many chances to drink. I’m already drunk, and there’s no one here to bother me!”
Laughing, Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) tilted the sake cup he was holding. He was drinking with Ashimitsu and seemed to be enjoying their conversation, paying little attention to Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada). It was not unreasonable for Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada) to think that he wouldn’t be bothered if he didn’t say anything.
“Even if I get a hangover, I won’t care. Mmm, these clams are delicious. It was a struggle to bring them alive, but they’re worth it.”
“I like grilled chicken skin. The only downside is that it makes me hungry.”
“Eat some vegetables too.”
“Hahaha, but I refuse. By the way, I heard you had a meeting with the Christians in Kyoto. What did you do?”
“It’s still a secret. Well, it wasn’t that great of a conversation anyway.”
The day before returning from Kyoto to Owari, Shizuko had a meeting with Fróis. Originally, her purpose was to meet with Fróis and make a certain deal. Both sides achieved their goals without any major conflicts. From a worldly perspective, Fróis gained greater benefits. After all, what Fróis obtained was information about a treatment for scurvy. It was known that scurvy could be cured by taking vitamin C, but the relationship between vitamin C and scurvy was not discovered until 1932.
Compared to Fróis, who had knowledge and technology from over 300 years in the future, what Shizuko obtained was a promise to “provide assistance for the importation of various varieties of crops without hesitation.” In simple terms, it meant that the Jesuits would take responsibility for bringing the crop varieties and animals that Shizuko desired to Japan. Among the varieties Shizuko requested were pepper seedlings cultivated in Southeast Asia, Arabian horses, the oldest breed of horses in the world, and hops, which are used as raw materials for beer. There were other varieties she wanted, but due to the lack of progress in her side’s treatment, she limited it to these three. Of course, she secured a promise to provide assistance if there were results in her side’s treatment.
(But if a cure for scurvy is established… it could accelerate colonialism.)
Shizuko felt a slight unease and decided to convey the cultivation of bean sprouts using sponges as a cure for scurvy, rather than the parsley sugar-coated tablets, which were the original cure. Bean sprouts only required water, sunlight, and mung beans. On board the ship, water and fresh vegetables were valuable commodities, but using highly absorbent sponges eliminated the need to dilute water for cultivation. On the other hand, parsley sugar-coated tablets were made by mixing parsley, oil, honey, and bamboo vinegar and wrapping them in granulated sugar. The reason for wrapping them in sugar was to prevent moisture and to counteract the bitterness that made them difficult to swallow. They could be preserved for nearly a year with proper storage and provided quicker results than bean sprouts. Shizuko feared that the efficiency of cultivating parsley sugar-coated tablets on board the ship would accelerate colonial rule, so she kept them secret.
While eating the grilled clams, Shizuko casually spoke to the still frowning Kimyomaru (Oda Nobutada).
“Well… there are various things, various things.”
With Nobunaga’s pacification of Ise, the surrounding countries became restless. It wasn’t just the neighboring countries. Now, powerful local lords like Mōri in the west and Takeda and Hōjō in the east, as well as local lords throughout Japan, were closely watching Nobunaga’s movements. Even the temple and shrine forces and the imperial court were naturally keeping a close eye on his actions.
Many local lords felt a sense of disgust towards Nobunaga’s rise, but they only watched from a distance. Honganji Temple and Mount Hiei’s Enryakuji Temple, while finding Nobunaga’s demands for tribute troublesome, did not view him as an enemy because his policies were benefiting them. The imperial court was mostly in a subservient position, and it was clear that if they were to antagonize Nobunaga, it would ignite their own domestic issues. Therefore, they had no choice but to wait and see.
The only ones clearly showing a hostile attitude towards Nobunaga were the Miyoshi Trio and the Asakura clan. As a result, the Asakura clan, which had close ties with the Asakura clan, experienced a family dispute that split the family in two due to a secret letter sent by Yoshiaki. Now, there were those who prioritized their relationship with the rapidly rising Nobunaga, and those who followed Yoshiaki’s secret letter and allied with their trusted ally, the Asakura clan. The former was led by Asakura Nagamasa, and the latter was led by Asakura Hisamasa. Hisamasa, who had been forced into retirement and had lost most of his authority, was able to wield power due to the influence of his pro-Asakura retainers.
“No matter how many secret letters the shogun sends, it’s hard to imagine the surrounding countries easily moving. The Ashikaga shogunate is now just a decoration, and it’s hard to imagine any local lords obeying the shogunate’s orders. Rather than antagonizing the Oda clan, which refuses to recognize any authority other than its own, it’s better to keep a reserved attitude for now.”
In short, the Nagamasa faction’s basic stance was to “wait and see for a while.”
“The shogun’s intention is to eliminate the Oda clan. If the contents of the secret letter are true, we have a just cause. And if we defeat the Oda here, the Asakura clan can increase its influence over the shogunate. Think about it, the current Oda clan refuses to acknowledge any authority other than its own. If we continue like this, the Asakura clan will eventually be forced to submit, and if we refuse, we will be destroyed. In order to preserve the Asakura clan, we must ally with our trusted ally, the Asakura clan, and defeat the traitor Oda.”
On the other hand, the Hisamasa faction’s opinion was to “follow the secret letter proactively.”
Both sides were unwilling to compromise on their opinions, and the relationship between the Asakura father and son deteriorated day by day. Most of the retainers were in the Hisamasa faction, but the Nagamasa faction was supported by the Omi Province merchants’ alliance. The situation was a back-and-forth struggle, but there was also the danger that the balance could be tipped by trivial matters.
“That’s the current situation in Omi Province.”
“Hmm, as expected. Reward the spies generously and let them rest for the next task.”
After receiving the report from Omi Province, Nobunaga nodded in satisfaction and praised Takigawa Kazumasu. His Sixth Division was an intelligence agency that conducted information gathering in other countries using spies as part of their duties. At the moment, they were investigating the internal situation of Omi Province according to Nobunaga’s intentions.
“Accurate information can sometimes surpass the power of thousands of troops. I’ll rely on you for future endeavors as well.”
“I am honored to receive your praise and appreciate your kindness.”
After Takigawa Kazumasu left, Nobunaga pondered while recalling the report.
(Now we know who the enemies and allies are. Next, I should select the incompetent individuals from the Hisamasa faction and request that they warmly welcome the Omi Province merchants’ alliance.)
There was no middle ground for Nobunaga. It was either enemy or ally, regardless of whether they were allied countries. He investigated the internal situation of the Asakura clan to distinguish between enemies and allies. Once the enemies were clear, the next step was to select the incompetent individuals from among them. Treating the incompetent individuals as capable individuals and repeatedly giving them a warm welcome would eventually grant them strong power within the organization. However, if an incapable individual gained power, the organization would eventually collapse. If it collapsed, it would become Nobunaga’s possession. By inviting capable individuals and punishing the incompetent ones, there would be no lingering issues.
(Now is not the time to take risks. We should focus on gathering information and be prepared for when the time comes.)
Nobunaga never had a moment of rest, even at the end of the year.
After finishing her work, Shizuko washed away the dirt from her body and headed straight to the bath.
“Aya-chan, I’m going to wash off the dirt, so you can go ahead and take a bath. We’ll have our meal afterwards.”
“Understood. I’ll bring your change of clothes later.”
“Thank you.”
After waving her hand lightly, Shizuko headed towards the hot spring. Shizuko didn’t desire power, but she was determined to never give up the privilege of taking a bath every day. The comfort of bathing was essential for surviving in the Sengoku period, she believed.
Just as she was about to lightly rinse off the dirt and enter the bath, Shizuko’s ears caught the sound of barking. When she turned around, she saw Wittman and the others running towards her. They circled around her and made affectionate sounds.
“Do you need shampoo too? Are you guys going to get in the bath?”
Whether they understood Shizuko’s words or not, Wittman and the others let out a light bark.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll have to lower the temperature of the water a bit today.”
Dogs and wolves use their scent as a means of self-expression, so they strongly dislike having their scent disappear. Especially for wolves, whose scent conveys various information, the disappearance of their own scent is a matter of life and death. However, for the sake of hygiene and disease prevention, it is necessary to shampoo them once or twice a month. Excessive shampooing can damage the skin, so caution is required.
“Hehehe~ But when did baths become okay for you guys? Barti was fine from the beginning, but Wittman and the others didn’t like it.”
Water seemed like something to drink, and no matter how much Shizuko asked, Wittman and the others refused to get in the bath. However, Barti, with her easygoing personality, accepted Shizuko’s shampoo without hesitation. Seeing that, Wittman and the others burned with jealousy.
Originally, the Wittmans were not afraid of water, but they were scared when they first entered the bath. They thought that Barti saw through their fear. They started with training to dive underwater, and then continued to swim underwater on their own. The efforts they made, which cannot be described without tears, finally allowed the Wittmans to grow to the point where they could dive three meters. They continued to make efforts in secret from Shizuko, and finally they were able to confidently enter the bath without fear. The impression of shampoo that they tasted after such efforts was simply the best.
“Towels, check. Everything is ready. Ugh, it’s cold… Let’s get in quickly.”
After taking off their kimono and underwear and putting them in a basket, Shizuko carried the bath set and entered the women’s hot spring. After quickly washing her head and body, she diluted the Mukuroji powder and shampooed the Wittmans. They all sweated when shampooing everyone at once, but they rinsed it off with hot water.
“Phew… This is paradise.”
Shizuko thought that the pleasure of soaking in the hot spring was incomparable. The Wittmans soaked in the lukewarm bath (about 37 degrees) reserved for them. Their relaxed faces did not seem like wolves with mysterious beauty.
“Come to think of it, I wonder if Friar-san liked the futon and other gifts I gave him.”
Through Nobunaga, Shizuko received various things from Friar-san, so she thought it would be bad to just receive them and gave him a “dotera” (a padded kimono), “kotatsu” (a heated table), “futon” (a Japanese-style mattress), and a “wooden barrel bath” to help him withstand the cold winter. If people knew, they would think that these were tools to corrupt the missionaries like Friar-san, but for Shizuko, it was just a way to cope with the cold.
“Japanese winters are cold, you know. A warm bath is the best.”
While enjoying the scent of the highest quality Kiso cypress, they relaxed and healed their tiredness in the pleasantly warm hot spring. The Wittmans also leaned their heads on the edge of the bathtub and let out relaxed voices. Seeing their blissful faces, Shizuko also crossed her arms and rested her head on the edge of the bathtub, closing her eyes.
“My chest feels tight.”
Shizuko opened her eyes and looked down at the tightness in her chest. In her eyes, she could see her own chest being squeezed between the edge of the bathtub and her body.
Shizuko, who hunted deer with a compound bow, unknowingly trained her pectoral muscles. In archery, both arms and muscles in the lower body and upper body are used to shoot the bow. As a result, not only arm strength but also shoulder muscles and back muscles are trained, but the most trained muscle is the pectoral muscle.
The pectoral muscles in women support the breasts, and if they weaken, the shape of the breasts will be distorted. However, it is difficult to train the pectoral muscles in daily life, and they usually weaken with age. But with a bow, the pectoral muscles are moderately trained, and it can have a bust-enhancing effect. Of course, it doesn’t mean that everyone will have a bigger bust just by handling a bow, but in Shizuko’s case, she handled a bow a lot during her growth period, and her good diet also contributed to her breasts growing. In addition, her back muscles were trained, improving her posture, and her metabolism was increased by exercise and rest.
“I know it’s a luxury to worry about it when I don’t have excess fat. But it’s hard to wrap a sarashi (a cloth used to bind the chest) when my breasts are big. If I don’t need to hide my face when meeting Friar-san, I won’t have to bear this kind of trouble.”
After sighing, Shizuko rested her cheek on the edge of the bathtub. For her, having bigger breasts didn’t have many advantages, and she only noticed the disadvantages, such as feeling slightly uncomfortable when wearing a kimono. She thought it would be troublesome if they grew even more.
“Ah, let’s stop thinking. It’s better to empty my mind.”
Feeling a headache, Shizuko lightly shook her head and closed her eyes, prostrating herself on the edge of the bathtub.
Friar-san picked up his pen as usual and wrote a report to the Jesuit Order.
“The Headscarf Prime Minister by Oda-sama’s side is terrifying. He possessed a cure for hemoptysis (hemophilia). It seems that the neighboring country of Japan has been using it as a medicine for a long time. The cure is originally a secret recipe, but we were able to negotiate and obtain a secret book that contains the recipe in exchange for certain items. However, those certain items are Arabian horses imported from India, pepper seedlings, and something called hops. I have submitted separate documents to obtain approval for this.”
Friar-san sent the approval document first, but he never thought it would be rejected. Since it is possible to obtain a cure for an incurable disease through animals and plants, he didn’t think the headquarters would show any resistance to importing horses.
“Based on the request, the Headscarf Prime Minister seems to have a preference for animals and plants that cannot be obtained in Japan. I presented gemstones and goldsmithing as offerings before, but the response was not very good, and some were even declined. However, since Oda-sama keeps a large eagle, I believe my speculation is correct. From not owning large animals, I speculate that he prefers small to medium-sized animals such as dogs, cats, and birds.”
After writing that much, Friar-san put down his pen and took a breath.
He also considered this conversation a good deal. Of course, there is a possibility of being lied to, but he thought that possibility was low. There was no need for him to lie, and it was easier to answer “I don’t know” than to lie. He couldn’t imagine that the Headscarf Prime Minister would gain anything by lying to them.
“But if this experiment is successful, we can regain the authority of the Church. For that reason, we must succeed in the trade with him at all costs.”
If the trade is successful and the experiment is successful, Friar-san will also benefit. He had long despised the human trafficking of Portuguese merchants. Not out of love for humanity, but because their actions hindered the spread of Christianity. However, when he suggested stopping human trafficking, he was told, “There are sellers, so there’s nothing we can do.”
“We must hurry. This country is different from other countries, as it excels in culture and military power. If an expulsion order is issued, it may finally lead to the prohibition of missionary work itself.”
After finishing the report, Friar-san felt the urge to send it immediately, but it was an impossible wish. Even though the security in Kyoto had improved, it was still too dangerous to go out at night without an escort.
“Ugh… It’s getting a little cold. But as expected of the Headscarf Prime Minister, this kotatsu thing reduces the coldness of Kyoto. By the way, there was a costume called dotera. It’s a good opportunity to try it on Atsukan.”
After that, Friar-san put on a dotera and got back into the dug kotatsu. He enjoyed karasumi (dried mullet roe) as a snack with hot sake, and when he was satisfied both physically and mentally, he got into bed. Having fully immersed himself in Owari culture, Friar-san added the following to his report the next day.
“The tool called kotatsu that was given to me by the Headscarf Prime Minister, it is a devil’s invention. It possesses a terrifying power to corrupt people. Furthermore, if you wear a dotera, resistance becomes impossible. If the missionaries who read this report and consider visiting Japan, I recommend accumulating virtue.”
Since Sakihisa (Konoe) established a residence in Gifu a few months ago, he had been devoting his efforts to hosting banquets with influential courtiers and powerful figures in the vicinity of Kyoto. From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem like they are just reciting poetry and drinking, but banquets are important ceremonies in the courtier society and also serve as political gatherings. Therefore, not only the seating order but also the seats themselves are highly valued.
Even though the head of the family had been exiled from Kyoto, the Konoe family still maintained a solid influence. The courtiers, who were invited to the banquet and couldn’t refuse, initially attended with an attitude of having something up their sleeves. However, Sakihisa (Konoe) had devised a plan to make them never refuse an invitation again. It was the temptation of gourmet food, a “deadly poison.” In the Sengoku period, fallen courtiers faced economic hardships and settled in local manors or relied on powerful provincial lords.
Courtiers in dire economic situations were overwhelmed with work to earn income and had no leisure to enjoy entertainment. For them, the temptation of gourmet food became a strong “deadly poison.” Once they knew it, they could never resist it again. If they forcibly resisted, they would be subjected to great mental tension. Gourmet food, a simple strategy, or rather, daily meals, yielded high effects precisely because they were something that was always done. Furthermore, Sakihisa (Konoe) prepared delicious meals not with expensive or rare ingredients, but with ingredients that courtiers were familiar with.
Sakihisa (Konoe)’s banquets, where dishes that seemed otherworldly were served, spread through word of mouth, and other people were invited and fell into the trap of gourmet food. The courtier society was gradually invaded by the deadly poison of gourmet food.
“Welcome, please relax and enjoy today’s renga gathering.”
Sakihisa (Konoe)’s renga gathering and banquet could only accommodate a small number of seventeen people. However, each and every one of them was a powerful figure in the Kinai region and had various connections as influential individuals.
“Konoe-dono, would it be acceptable to use a half-verse (18 phrases) for today’s renga?”
The structure of a renga consists of a 5-7-5 phrase as the upper verse and a 7-7 phrase as the lower verse, and each of these two phrases is called a “ku.” The 18 phrases start with Sakihisa (Konoe) and continue clockwise, with the final person being the 18th phrase, completing the renga. There are also the “kasen” with 36 phrases, the “Sekichi” with 44 phrases, and the “chorenka” (also called “hyakuin”) with 100 phrases. Furthermore, the “senku” is a collection of ten works of chorenka. The collection of “senku” is called “manku.”
“Certainly.”
“As Maro, I think it would be better if it were a little livelier. No, I am not blaming the Konoe family in any way.”
“Hahaha, I understand. However, recently the eyes of the Lord have become strict, and even enjoying a renga gathering with everyone is suspected of plotting something improper. That is why we are in a situation where we cannot invite many people. If we could invite a few more people, the renga gathering would become more splendid… I apologize, I have said something indiscreet in front of everyone. Well then, let’s start right away.”
Sakihisa (Konoe) casually brushed it off, but of course, he had calculated even this complaint into his words. Those who had been poisoned by the food were looking forward to Sakihisa (Konoe)’s banquet more than anything else, to the point of appointing a representative even if they couldn’t attend due to other matters. This was because they would receive special products from Owari, such as pickled plums, dashi miso, and soy sauce, as souvenirs from Sakihisa (Konoe). They were addicted to the taste, but maintained a condescending attitude due to their social status. However, if it was a gift from the Konoe family, they couldn’t disrespect it and had an excuse.
“Hohoho, I haven’t heard anything, Maro.”
The person next to Sakihisa (Konoe) lightly recited a verse while brushing it off. However, although he appeared cheerful on the surface, internally he was boiling with anger towards Yoshiaki, the current Shogun. He had been completely invaded by Sakihisa (Konoe)’s poison and was now a soy sauce maniac beyond help. Of course, he was not the only one. There were already countless people whose minds had been driven mad by dashi miso and soy sauce. Using the connections of these influential people, Sakihisa (Konoe) was indirectly approaching the imperial court.
“Indeed, Lord Konoe. You have obtained excellent cuisine and sake. The skill of the chef is also remarkable.”
“Maro, this grilled dish is excellent. It shines beautifully and the sauce on it is so delicious.”
“No, Maro thinks this tartar sauce is also irresistible.”
The influential people praised the dishes at the banquet. Even though they were well-versed in Kyoto cuisine and had refined palates, they were giving their seal of approval to the point that Sakihisa (Konoe) secretly smirked.
“(Hehehe, indulge in the poison of exquisite food to your heart’s content. To the point where you cannot resist…)” I am glad you like it. Today, we have prepared a large selection of sake and dishes. Please, everyone, enjoy them to your heart’s content.”
Sakihisa (Konoe) steadily solidified his foothold in the imperial court using his own means.
Early December, 1569.In mid-December, Nobunaga opened a series of shops for his employed merchants in a corner of Kyoto. The contents of the shops varied, including restaurants, clothing stores, and general stores, but all the products for sale were specialties of Owari and Mino. However, no matter how abundant the products were, the market would not be established if there were no consumers to purchase them. Recognizing this, Nobunaga devised a plan to attract consumers.Nobunaga believed that efficiently transmitting and spreading information about the products was the most important factor in attracting consumers. So he had Ashimitsu create attractive flyers to increase consumer purchasing desire, and Shizuko printed them in large quantities using a lithographic printing machine she had manufactured. They distributed the flyers for free at the market and residential areas. The use of flyers for advertising quickly spread throughout Kyoto, attracting people who were curious or interested in novelty, as well as business people who were conducting reconnaissance.When consumer purchasing and merchant transactions became more active, Nobunaga imposed a certain tax on all transactions under the pretext of the reconstruction of the devastated Kyoto during the turmoil. The tax consisted of a special tax imposed only on luxury goods and a general indirect tax similar to the modern consumption tax in Japan. The collected taxes were used for repairing the Imperial Palace, maintaining the infrastructure that had been left in a state of disrepair, and purchasing equipment for the security forces that maintained public order. Furthermore, Nobunaga made the tax amount collected and the intended use of the taxes public to the people of Kyoto.The reason Nobunaga implemented such policies was because Yoshiaki, as the shogun, was not capable enough. Yoshiaki became the shogun with the help of Nobunaga, but since he had been in the Buddhist clergy since childhood, he had few reliable vassals. If things continued like this, the administration of the shogunate would quickly come to a halt. Therefore, Yoshiaki thought of borrowing some of Nobunaga's vassals to make up for the lack and carry out the administration of the shogunate. Nobunaga gladly responded to Yoshiaki's request and dispatched several vassals, including Sadakatsu Murai, to Kyoto to take over the duties of the shogunate.Nobunaga's vassals took over the duties of the shogunate. At first glance, it seemed like Nobunaga was in control of the shogunate, but in reality, he was in a position to support the Ashikaga shogunate as Yoshiaki's assistant. It was not the first time that Nobunaga had taken in specific daimyo and operated the shogunate. The dual government can be considered a characteristic of the late Ashikaga shogunate, with examples such as the relationship between the 10th generation Yoshitomo Ouchi and Takakuni Hosokawa, and the 12th generation Yoshiharu Rokkaku and Sadayori Rokkaku.However, even with a dual government and many capable vassals under the shogunate, Yoshiaki's ability as the shogun was not sufficient. Furthermore, he continued to receive criticism from those around him due to various diplomatic blunders, such as mediating land disputes and interfering with the court. Nobunaga was concerned about the dissatisfaction towards Yoshiaki from various people and sent him a letter urging him to reflect on his actions.Lately, there has been constant gossip about the palace from the people of Kyoto. Please reflect on your actions and correct the cause of the people's gossip.The retainers were frightened by the fact that Nobunaga scolded the shogun in the letter for Yoshiaki's continuous blunders. However, Nobunaga himself felt more frustration than hatred. To relieve his physical and mental fatigue, Nobunaga visited Shizuko's place with only a few attendants. Emptying his mind and taking a hot spring bath was one of the few stress-relieving methods for Nobunaga.I can't even sigh.While tilting his sake cup, Nobunaga vented his complaints. Shizuko could tell from the way he drank hot sake, which he usually didn't, that he was under a lot of stress.I understand your feelings.Shizuko understood Nobunaga's mental fatigue, but she couldn't find the right words to say. She knew that half-hearted kindness was not kindness. And she also understood that Nobunaga was not seeking mere kindness.My lord, Konoe-sama has arrived.Let him in.After giving a short response to the page, Nobunaga drank the contents of his sake cup in one gulp. While having the pages clean up the small sake cups and sake bottles, Sakihisa Konoe entered the room with a refreshing smile. If it was just Sakihisa Konoe alone, it wouldn't have been a cause for surprise. However, Shizuko couldn't hide her surprise when Ashimitsu also entered the room after Sakihisa Konoe.I have heard the discussions, Lord Oda. I understand your mental fatigue.Sakihisa Konoe greeted them and casually took a seat in a suitable place. After glancing at Nobunaga and Sakihisa Konoe, Ashimitsu took a seat between the two of them and Shizuko. It could be seen as a position where he was protecting Shizuko from the two of them.Oh, it seems that Ashimitsu-dono doesn't like me.Sakihisa Konoe teased while shrugging his shoulders. Nobunaga also seemed to have seen through Ashimitsu's attitude, as he hid his laughter behind his hand. Ashimitsu showed no signs of being concerned about the attitudes of the two, but to Shizuko, he seemed slightly annoyed. However, it seemed that he was more frustrated with something else rather than being frustrated with the attitudes of the two. Shizuko couldn't understand what Ashimitsu was frustrated about.Hehe, now let's have a serious discussion. As you know, the public figure's blunders are intolerable. But when I try to restore the honor of the public figure, I am opposed no matter what. However, if left alone, the shogunate will collapse from within.I have also received some information. Especially the interference with the court, disregarding precedents, seems to have caused more dissatisfaction than I expected.From the conversation between the two, Shizuko understood that Yoshiaki's blunders had reached a dangerous level.I understand that the public figure's blunders are a problem, but may I ask if it is something I can listen to?It doesn't matter. We need frank opinions now. Shizuko and Ashimitsu, I want you to think about the future as well.If the Oda encirclement were to be completed, it could potentially become a story that would completely overturn the administration of the shogunate. Shizuko didn't understand why she was being involved in this, but she understood from Nobunaga's response that he wanted opinions from individuals who were not bound by their positions. After exchanging glances with Ashimitsu, Shizuko nodded slightly.I don't know how much I can contribute, but if it's me, I won't hesitate to help.Don't expect too much.Hehe, it's up to Lord Oda to judge that. Now, as for my opinion, I don't think the public figure is quietly observing Lord Oda's movements. Let's take some action in the near future. However, the public figure does not have their own army. If they were to rebel against Lord Oda, where would the public figure get their army from?The Ashikaga shogunate, which is operated by the Ashikaga shogun family, reigns at the top of Japan's political institutions. However, the reality of the Ashikaga shogunate is dismal. Since the Onin War, the main force of the shogunate, the shogunate's retainers, have been absorbed as vassals by various local daimyo. The exception is the Kinai region centered around Kyoto, which still has its own territory, but the provinces have already become lawless areas. The shogunate's power has also completely declined since the Eiroku Incident the assassination of Yoshiteru Ashikaga by the Miyoshi clan. The economic foundation is weak, and it can be said that the Ashikaga shogunate has become a mere formality.There is no need to prepare an army from the beginning. Send secret letters to various places and secretly create an encirclement network that isolates only the Oda clan politically and economically, weakening the Oda clan's influence. When they are sufficiently weakened, request military forces from various provinces to crush the Oda clan under the pretext of suppressing rebels.' In the Ashikaga shogunate, which has lost its retainers, this method is the most realistic.Ashimitsu answered Sakihisa Konoe's question. He said it was realistic, but the current Ashikaga shogunate had no other choice.I see, so you plan to use the military forces of various provinces.But the Oda clan has almost complete control over the Kinai region. If the public figure were to use the military forces of various provinces, they would probably rely on the Asai, Asakura, Mori, Takeda, and Uesugi clans. If they start thinking that anyone will do, they might even turn to Honganji Temple and Enryakuji Temple.Now that the authority of the shogunate has declined, I don't think various forces will unite Shizuko's observation was correct. In historical fact, Yoshiaki, who created the Oda encirclement network, expected the various forces to unite, but contrary to his expectations, the various forces never united and rebelled against the Oda clan as they pleased. Therefore, even if Nobunaga was attacked by enemy forces, he had time to regroup afterwards. Nobunaga also considered the possibility that even if he launched an attack on one force, other forces might not send reinforcements, and he began to undermine the unity of the various forces. Regardless of their size, Nobunaga overcame the Oda encirclement network that lasted for eleven years through strategies or extermination against the hostile forces.They will unite at first. However, soon each force will start seeking their own interests and lose the unity as an encirclement network. In other words, if the Oda encirclement network is established, there is still a possibility to crush it once they break through the initial encirclement network.Hmm If the Oda encirclement network were to be established, what actions can we take from now on?After thinking for a moment in response to Nobunaga's question, the three of them each voiced their answers.We should focus on the development of the economic foundation that supports the quantity of goods.I think we should solidify the production base of goods.There are various things, but we should research and develop industrial production of firearms.Sakihisa Konoe, Shizuko, and Ashimitsu's answers were all important. Developing the economic foundation that supports the quantity of goods, possessing a large number of firearms, and having the production capacity to support a large army are not easily obtained. It would take several years, and in the worst case, even ten years, to gradually prepare the environment.Then let each of those be your goals for the future.With Nobunaga's words, each person's direction was determined.After that, Sakihisa Konoe left the room with Shizuko to see the Ougi eagle. Nobunaga and Ashimitsu remained in the room and silently drank sake for a while. After some time had passed, Ashimitsu murmured with an expression that seemed like nothing.Let's build a reservoir in the Kiso Sanzan. Can we expedite the construction or increase the number of workers?We can increase the number of workers. But what is the reason for that?As a flood control and water utilization measure, Nobunaga first started the construction of a reservoir in the Kiso Sanzan. The reason for prioritizing the construction of the reservoir was to prevent flood damage in the downstream area.During the rainy season and typhoons, a large amount of rain falls at once, causing rivers to swell. When the water level reaches the limit of the river's capacity, flooding occurs, causing extensive damage to villages along the river. However, if a reservoir is installed, during sunny weather, a certain amount of water can be released from the reservoir, and during typhoons or heavy rain, pre-release can be done to create capacity and store some of the increased river water in the reservoir. This method of regulating the amount of water released from the reservoir to prevent flood damage in the downstream area is called flood control.The water volume of the reservoir is enormous. Mishandling it could lead to an unprecedented disaster.I understand what you're trying to say. However, whether or not to execute it is my decision.I don't mind. I'm just making a suggestion.Order the expansion of the reservoir.Nobunaga felt a sense of dread as Ashimitsu calmly proposed a plan, knowing full well that it would cause an unprecedented disaster.Nobunaga's development of Owari and Mino was progressing as planned. However, there were clear intentions behind it. The top priority development area was East Owari, which borders Mikawa Province. Next was South Owari, including the Chita Peninsula, and third was North Owari, which borders Mino Province. However, the last area, West Owari, including the lower reaches of the Kiso River, had no clear plan in place. The reason for the lack of a plan was that West Owari was not under Nobunaga's control.The lower reaches of the Kiso River, located on the border between Owari and Ise Provinces, is an area isolated from the mainland by the flow of the Kiso River. This region, divided into seven rings, was once called Nanashima Seven Islands. However, at some point, Nanashima changed to Nagashima. Although it is located in Kuwana District, Ise Province, it was recognized as Kawachi District, Owari Province according to Nobunaga Kki.In 1501 Bunki 1, Ganshji Temple was founded in Sugie, and Rennjun, the sixth son of Rennyo, became the chief priest. Since then, Honganji Temple incorporated local feudal lords and strengthened its defenses by building fortifications such as Nakae Fortress and torii Fortress around Nagashima. They also built dozens of temples and dojos, completely dominating the entire region.Nagashima is also a place of fate for Nobunaga. Those who opposed Nobunaga or had been defeated by him in the past sought refuge in Nagashima. Hattori Tomosada, the head of the Hattori clan who had influence in Kawachi, south of Tsushima, participated in the Battle of Okehazama in 1560 Eiroku 3 and opposed Nobunaga. Saito Ryuko, who was defeated by Nobunaga in the Battle of Inabayama Castle in 1567 Eiroku 10, is said to have sought refuge in Nagashima in northern Ise. In response, Nobunaga did not attack Nagashima and only brought the local lords in northern Ise under his control. Even when he achieved the unification of Owari in the fourth year of Eiroku, Nobunaga gave up on controlling the lower reaches of the Kiso River, including Nagashima.Rennjun, who controlled the Rinchu region where Nobunaga hesitated to advance, could not hide his frustration during this time. There were two reasons for his frustration. One was that Nobunaga had invented innovative technologies but kept them to himself, excluding them Honganji Temple faction. In simple terms, Rennjun wanted them to share the technology and share the profits. Nobunaga had never submitted to Honganji Temple. However, Rennjun took advantage of the fact that Nobunaga had never attacked Nagashima and believed that it was only natural for a samurai like Nobunaga to submit to them, who held religious authority.The other reason was Nihime's existence. They had been investigating Nihime Shizuko using Honganji Temple's information network, but even after almost a year, they still couldn't obtain any useful information. The reason why they were investigating Nihime was related to Nobunaga's income. Owari and Mino, which Nobunaga ruled, were estimated to have a land value of about one to one and a half million koku. However, in reality, it was not one million koku, but three times that, three million koku. The reason for this had been a mystery until now, but Rennjun believed that Nobunaga had received technological inheritance from Nihime. In other words, Rennjun thought that by incorporating Nihime into the Honganji Temple faction, they could directly receive Nobunaga's income.Therefore, it was necessary to find Nihime. However, even after a year had passed, they had not obtained any useful information. The reason for this was that they had misunderstood Nihime's image. Nihime was a virtual image created by Nobunaga based on Shizuko. Of course, Nobunaga did not adopt Shizuko's image as it was. Ayanokoji Toshikazu, a warrior of the Sengoku period, died in 1518, so based on that, people around her manipulated the information to make Nihime appear as an old woman in her fifties or sixties.While Rennjun was frustrated by the lack of information, he was not particularly anxious about Nihime. Nobunaga had never given Nihime a high position or reward. Therefore, Rennjun thought that if they offered her a position with religious authority, Nihime would easily come to the Honganji Temple faction. If someone said such a thing in modern times, most people would laugh it off, but in the Sengoku period, religious authority held great influence. Therefore, they had no doubts that Nihime would easily defect to them.Phew, we're done. Brushing Wittman and the others is quite tiring, isn't it?However, for Shizuko, who is the true image of Nihime, religious authority is less than a pebble lying on the roadside. She has no fear of gods, but she clasps her hands when she sees statues of Jizo, Buddha, or graves. Shizuko is not an atheist who denies religion and gods. She is simply indifferent to the popular new religions in modern Japan and dislikes joining a specific sect and studying its doctrines.As people began preparing for the year-end and New Year, Shizuko and the Oda army entered Kyoto. This time, it was not a military operation, but the purpose was to console the vassals who had been troubled by Yoshiaki. In addition to Shizuko, Keiji, Saizo, Nagayoshi, Mori Yoshinari, Shibata, Sassa, Sakuma, Hidechika, and the Takenaka brothers, elite vassals of the Oda clan, also accompanied the army.The vassals from the Oda clan who were currently serving in the shogunate, such as Akechi Mitsuhide and Murai, as well as those who had a cooperative relationship with Nobunaga, such as Hosokawa Fujitaka, Wada Koremasa, Matsunaga Hisahide, and wealthy merchants from Sakai, were invited to the consolation party. Yoshiaki, as the shogun, caused great inconvenience to those around him, so he was not invited to the consolation party.The person entrusted with serving the dishes for the consolation party was Gorou. Until a few years ago, he was an apprentice at an unknown restaurant in Kyoto, but he showed his talent as a cook as he learned from Mitsuo, Ashimitsu, and Shizuko. Before he knew it, he was not only Nohime's cook but also recognized as Nobunaga's cook, and now he had risen to the position of head chef in charge of the Oda clan's kitchen.At first, Gorou was timid, but he revitalized himself and successfully led the consolation party. The dishes he made were highly praised by the wealthy merchants of Sakai, who traded with Portuguese and Chinese and had tasted various delicacies from land and sea. The fresh sweets, which did not last long due to their high moisture content, made the participants' taste buds tingle.After the consolation party, Shizuko and Gorou taught the cooking staff in Nobunaga's restaurant the manufacturing methods for various cooking powders made from soybeans, glutinous rice, non-glutinous rice, potatoes, and corn. In two months, Mitarashi dango and shiratama dango, among other things, would be sold at the shops of Nobunaga's appointed merchants, and influential people such as wealthy merchants and court nobles would come to Kyoto to spend money on them.After finishing all the government affairs and various matters, the Oda army returned to Gifu. When Mori Yoshinari finished reporting to Nobunaga, the Oda army disbanded, and each person returned home.Everyone, thank you for your hard work this year.One week after returning to Owari, Shizuko also held a consolation party and year-end party with close acquaintances. The participants were Keiji, Saizo, Nagayoshi, Aya, Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada, Ei, Ashimitsu, Mitsuo, Tsuruhime, Shibata, and Shizuko, a total of eleven people. At first, Shizuko considered a more formal banquet-style gathering, but she reconsidered and switched to a more casual party format, removing the formality. In the end, Shizuko lined up several large charcoal grills and had a barbecue-style party where they grilled skewers on top. However, as a consequence of adopting this unconventional party format, only those who could tolerate unconventional behavior were invited.The ingredients for the skewers were diverse, including chicken, goose, quail, as well as deer and boar meat. In addition to game meat, they also prepared seasonal vegetables such as onions, pumpkins, and green onions, as well as seasonal fish such as Honmoroko, Kanbora, and Black Sea Bream. Although it was out of season, they also included shrimp, crab, abalone, scallops, turban shells, clams, and oysters that were being cultivated. After preparing each ingredient, all that was left was to skewer them and grill them to each person's liking, then add sauce whenever desired.We've had various experiences, but we have safely reached the end of the year. Well, let's drink and eat to our heart's content and rejuvenate ourselves. Men, rejoice! We have plenty of sake prepared. As long as we don't go too far, you can drink as much as you want today!At that moment, the men cheered. As Shizuko had said, there were four barrels of refined sake about 18 liters each and three barrels of cloudy sake lined up in one corner of the room. On a nearby table, there were many tokkuri sake flasks for hot sake, ochoko small sake cups, and sake bottles.Although refined sake was being produced under Shizuko's supervision, only a small amount was available on the market. So, if it was said to be all-you-can-drink refined sake, it was no wonder the men were delighted.Well then, thank you for your hard work!Thank you for your hard work!Everyone followed the lead of the toast and sang along. After Shizuko's speech, everyone began to do as they pleased. Some stood up and exchanged sake, some silently grilled and ate, and some engaged in a drinking competition. It was truly a time of revelry.By the way, the term inginko refers to not breaking one's position, seating order, or proper etiquette. On the other hand, the original meaning of bureiko is participants who should not leave their seats leaving their seats and serving others. In the Heian period, banquets in the aristocratic society had a strict seating order based on social status, and once someone sat in a seat, they would never move to another seat. However, Emperor Go-Daigo, in order to gauge the intentions of the Kamakura shogunate the Hojo clan, invited Tsuchii Yoritosune, Tazime Kunitaka, and Ashiyasu Shigenari, who were members of the Mino Genji clan, to a banquet and disregarded common sense, etiquette, and customs. The reason for disregarding etiquette and customs was that the content of the banquet was a disguised conference to deceive the public and eliminate the hierarchy to prevent the content from leaking. However, people who did not know this were greatly surprised by the atmosphere of the banquet, and they called such a wild banquet bureiko. This is the origin of bureiko.At first, it was a consolation party where they enjoyed skewers and sake, but as most of the participants began to get drunk, it gradually became chaotic.Oh, old man. You're really strong huh.I underestimated urgh.Hehehe, it's too early for you to challenge me to a drinking contest after I've been banned from the all-you-can-drink at the local izakaya with my face on a poster.Keiji and Saizo were foolishly challenging Mitsu'o, the only honorable Russian with a liver, to a drinking contest. Seeing even the heavy drinker Keiji losing, it was clear that Mitsu'o was truly strong when it came to alcohol. Nagayoshi was also lying on the floor with Keiji and the others, but Shizuko decided to leave the three of them alone because she didn't want to deal with the hassle.You're amazing, Mitsu'o-sama.Tsuruhime gazed at Mitsu'o, who was declaring victory with a large cup in hand, with a blissful expression. It was unclear what she saw in Mitsu'o, but Shizuko thought it would be uncouth to meddle in other people's love affairs, so she decided to watch from a distance. She kept her true feelings, that it was more enjoyable to observe from afar, deep in her heart.Shizuko, are you drinking? Ah, right, you can't drink.Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada, who was already drunk, approached Shizuko, who was grilling skewers in silence. In the Sengoku period, after reaching adulthood through the ritual of genpuku, the commoners and samurai class would join organizations called wakashu or musume nakama in farming and fishing villages to receive the necessary training before being allowed to drink alcohol. However, no matter the era, underage individuals would always secretly drink alcohol to experience the feeling of being an adult.You're drinking properly.Yeah, I don't get many chances to drink. I'm already drunk, and there's no one here to bother me!Laughing, Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada tilted the sake cup he was holding. He was drinking with Ashimitsu and seemed to be enjoying their conversation, paying little attention to Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada. It was not unreasonable for Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada to think that he wouldn't be bothered if he didn't say anything.Even if I get a hangover, I won't care. Mmm, these clams are delicious. It was a struggle to bring them alive, but they're worth it.I like grilled chicken skin. The only downside is that it makes me hungry.Eat some vegetables too.Hahaha, but I refuse. By the way, I heard you had a meeting with the Christians in Kyoto. What did you do?It's still a secret. Well, it wasn't that great of a conversation anyway.The day before returning from Kyoto to Owari, Shizuko had a meeting with Fris. Originally, her purpose was to meet with Fris and make a certain deal. Both sides achieved their goals without any major conflicts. From a worldly perspective, Fris gained greater benefits. After all, what Fris obtained was information about a treatment for scurvy. It was known that scurvy could be cured by taking vitamin C, but the relationship between vitamin C and scurvy was not discovered until 1932.Compared to Fris, who had knowledge and technology from over 300 years in the future, what Shizuko obtained was a promise to provide assistance for the importation of various varieties of crops without hesitation. In simple terms, it meant that the Jesuits would take responsibility for bringing the crop varieties and animals that Shizuko desired to Japan. Among the varieties Shizuko requested were pepper seedlings cultivated in Southeast Asia, Arabian horses, the oldest breed of horses in the world, and hops, which are used as raw materials for beer. There were other varieties she wanted, but due to the lack of progress in her side's treatment, she limited it to these three. Of course, she secured a promise to provide assistance if there were results in her side's treatment.But if a cure for scurvy is established it could accelerate colonialism.Shizuko felt a slight unease and decided to convey the cultivation of bean sprouts using sponges as a cure for scurvy, rather than the parsley sugar-coated tablets, which were the original cure. Bean sprouts only required water, sunlight, and mung beans. On board the ship, water and fresh vegetables were valuable commodities, but using highly absorbent sponges eliminated the need to dilute water for cultivation. On the other hand, parsley sugar-coated tablets were made by mixing parsley, oil, honey, and bamboo vinegar and wrapping them in granulated sugar. The reason for wrapping them in sugar was to prevent moisture and to counteract the bitterness that made them difficult to swallow. They could be preserved for nearly a year with proper storage and provided quicker results than bean sprouts. Shizuko feared that the efficiency of cultivating parsley sugar-coated tablets on board the ship would accelerate colonial rule, so she kept them secret.While eating the grilled clams, Shizuko casually spoke to the still frowning Kimyomaru Oda Nobutada.Well there are various things, various things.With Nobunaga's pacification of Ise, the surrounding countries became restless. It wasn't just the neighboring countries. Now, powerful local lords like Mri in the west and Takeda and Hj in the east, as well as local lords throughout Japan, were closely watching Nobunaga's movements. Even the temple and shrine forces and the imperial court were naturally keeping a close eye on his actions.Many local lords felt a sense of disgust towards Nobunaga's rise, but they only watched from a distance. Honganji Temple and Mount Hiei's Enryakuji Temple, while finding Nobunaga's demands for tribute troublesome, did not view him as an enemy because his policies were benefiting them. The imperial court was mostly in a subservient position, and it was clear that if they were to antagonize Nobunaga, it would ignite their own domestic issues. Therefore, they had no choice but to wait and see.The only ones clearly showing a hostile attitude towards Nobunaga were the Miyoshi Trio and the Asakura clan. As a result, the Asakura clan, which had close ties with the Asakura clan, experienced a family dispute that split the family in two due to a secret letter sent by Yoshiaki. Now, there were those who prioritized their relationship with the rapidly rising Nobunaga, and those who followed Yoshiaki's secret letter and allied with their trusted ally, the Asakura clan. The former was led by Asakura Nagamasa, and the latter was led by Asakura Hisamasa. Hisamasa, who had been forced into retirement and had lost most of his authority, was able to wield power due to the influence of his pro-Asakura retainers.No matter how many secret letters the shogun sends, it's hard to imagine the surrounding countries easily moving. The Ashikaga shogunate is now just a decoration, and it's hard to imagine any local lords obeying the shogunate's orders. Rather than antagonizing the Oda clan, which refuses to recognize any authority other than its own, it's better to keep a reserved attitude for now.In short, the Nagamasa faction's basic stance was to wait and see for a while.The shogun's intention is to eliminate the Oda clan. If the contents of the secret letter are true, we have a just cause. And if we defeat the Oda here, the Asakura clan can increase its influence over the shogunate. Think about it, the current Oda clan refuses to acknowledge any authority other than its own. If we continue like this, the Asakura clan will eventually be forced to submit, and if we refuse, we will be destroyed. In order to preserve the Asakura clan, we must ally with our trusted ally, the Asakura clan, and defeat the traitor Oda.On the other hand, the Hisamasa faction's opinion was to follow the secret letter proactively.Both sides were unwilling to compromise on their opinions, and the relationship between the Asakura father and son deteriorated day by day. Most of the retainers were in the Hisamasa faction, but the Nagamasa faction was supported by the Omi Province merchants' alliance. The situation was a back-and-forth struggle, but there was also the danger that the balance could be tipped by trivial matters.That's the current situation in Omi Province.Hmm, as expected. Reward the spies generously and let them rest for the next task.After receiving the report from Omi Province, Nobunaga nodded in satisfaction and praised Takigawa Kazumasu. His Sixth Division was an intelligence agency that conducted information gathering in other countries using spies as part of their duties. At the moment, they were investigating the internal situation of Omi Province according to Nobunaga's intentions.Accurate information can sometimes surpass the power of thousands of troops. I'll rely on you for future endeavors as well.I am honored to receive your praise and appreciate your kindness.After Takigawa Kazumasu left, Nobunaga pondered while recalling the report.Now we know who the enemies and allies are. Next, I should select the incompetent individuals from the Hisamasa faction and request that they warmly welcome the Omi Province merchants' alliance.There was no middle ground for Nobunaga. It was either enemy or ally, regardless of whether they were allied countries. He investigated the internal situation of the Asakura clan to distinguish between enemies and allies. Once the enemies were clear, the next step was to select the incompetent individuals from among them. Treating the incompetent individuals as capable individuals and repeatedly giving them a warm welcome would eventually grant them strong power within the organization. However, if an incapable individual gained power, the organization would eventually collapse. If it collapsed, it would become Nobunaga's possession. By inviting capable individuals and punishing the incompetent ones, there would be no lingering issues.Now is not the time to take risks. We should focus on gathering information and be prepared for when the time comes.Nobunaga never had a moment of rest, even at the end of the year.After finishing her work, Shizuko washed away the dirt from her body and headed straight to the bath.Aya-chan, I'm going to wash off the dirt, so you can go ahead and take a bath. We'll have our meal afterwards.Understood. I'll bring your change of clothes later.Thank you.After waving her hand lightly, Shizuko headed towards the hot spring. Shizuko didn't desire power, but she was determined to never give up the privilege of taking a bath every day. The comfort of bathing was essential for surviving in the Sengoku period, she believed.Just as she was about to lightly rinse off the dirt and enter the bath, Shizuko's ears caught the sound of barking. When she turned around, she saw Wittman and the others running towards her. They circled around her and made affectionate sounds.Do you need shampoo too? Are you guys going to get in the bath?Whether they understood Shizuko's words or not, Wittman and the others let out a light bark.Alright, I understand. I'll have to lower the temperature of the water a bit today.Dogs and wolves use their scent as a means of self-expression, so they strongly dislike having their scent disappear. Especially for wolves, whose scent conveys various information, the disappearance of their own scent is a matter of life and death. However, for the sake of hygiene and disease prevention, it is necessary to shampoo them once or twice a month. Excessive shampooing can damage the skin, so caution is required.Hehehe~ But when did baths become okay for you guys? Barti was fine from the beginning, but Wittman and the others didn't like it.Water seemed like something to drink, and no matter how much Shizuko asked, Wittman and the others refused to get in the bath. However, Barti, with her easygoing personality, accepted Shizuko's shampoo without hesitation. Seeing that, Wittman and the others burned with jealousy.Originally, the Wittmans were not afraid of water, but they were scared when they first entered the bath. They thought that Barti saw through their fear. They started with training to dive underwater, and then continued to swim underwater on their own. The efforts they made, which cannot be described without tears, finally allowed the Wittmans to grow to the point where they could dive three meters. They continued to make efforts in secret from Shizuko, and finally they were able to confidently enter the bath without fear. The impression of shampoo that they tasted after such efforts was simply the best.Towels, check. Everything is ready. Ugh, it's cold Let's get in quickly.After taking off their kimono and underwear and putting them in a basket, Shizuko carried the bath set and entered the women's hot spring. After quickly washing her head and body, she diluted the Mukuroji powder and shampooed the Wittmans. They all sweated when shampooing everyone at once, but they rinsed it off with hot water.Phew This is paradise.Shizuko thought that the pleasure of soaking in the hot spring was incomparable. The Wittmans soaked in the lukewarm bath about 37 degrees reserved for them. Their relaxed faces did not seem like wolves with mysterious beauty.Come to think of it, I wonder if Friar-san liked the futon and other gifts I gave him.Through Nobunaga, Shizuko received various things from Friar-san, so she thought it would be bad to just receive them and gave him a dotera a padded kimono, kotatsu a heated table, futon a Japanese-style mattress, and a wooden barrel bath to help him withstand the cold winter. If people knew, they would think that these were tools to corrupt the missionaries like Friar-san, but for Shizuko, it was just a way to cope with the cold.Japanese winters are cold, you know. A warm bath is the best.While enjoying the scent of the highest quality Kiso cypress, they relaxed and healed their tiredness in the pleasantly warm hot spring. The Wittmans also leaned their heads on the edge of the bathtub and let out relaxed voices. Seeing their blissful faces, Shizuko also crossed her arms and rested her head on the edge of the bathtub, closing her eyes.My chest feels tight.Shizuko opened her eyes and looked down at the tightness in her chest. In her eyes, she could see her own chest being squeezed between the edge of the bathtub and her body.Shizuko, who hunted deer with a compound bow, unknowingly trained her pectoral muscles. In archery, both arms and muscles in the lower body and upper body are used to shoot the bow. As a result, not only arm strength but also shoulder muscles and back muscles are trained, but the most trained muscle is the pectoral muscle.The pectoral muscles in women support the breasts, and if they weaken, the shape of the breasts will be distorted. However, it is difficult to train the pectoral muscles in daily life, and they usually weaken with age. But with a bow, the pectoral muscles are moderately trained, and it can have a bust-enhancing effect. Of course, it doesn't mean that everyone will have a bigger bust just by handling a bow, but in Shizuko's case, she handled a bow a lot during her growth period, and her good diet also contributed to her breasts growing. In addition, her back muscles were trained, improving her posture, and her metabolism was increased by exercise and rest.I know it's a luxury to worry about it when I don't have excess fat. But it's hard to wrap a sarashi a cloth used to bind the chest when my breasts are big. If I don't need to hide my face when meeting Friar-san, I won't have to bear this kind of trouble.After sighing, Shizuko rested her cheek on the edge of the bathtub. For her, having bigger breasts didn't have many advantages, and she only noticed the disadvantages, such as feeling slightly uncomfortable when wearing a kimono. She thought it would be troublesome if they grew even more.Ah, let's stop thinking. It's better to empty my mind.Feeling a headache, Shizuko lightly shook her head and closed her eyes, prostrating herself on the edge of the bathtub.Friar-san picked up his pen as usual and wrote a report to the Jesuit Order.The Headscarf Prime Minister by Oda-sama's side is terrifying. He possessed a cure for hemoptysis hemophilia. It seems that the neighboring country of Japan has been using it as a medicine for a long time. The cure is originally a secret recipe, but we were able to negotiate and obtain a secret book that contains the recipe in exchange for certain items. However, those certain items are Arabian horses imported from India, pepper seedlings, and something called hops. I have submitted separate documents to obtain approval for this.Friar-san sent the approval document first, but he never thought it would be rejected. Since it is possible to obtain a cure for an incurable disease through animals and plants, he didn't think the headquarters would show any resistance to importing horses.Based on the request, the Headscarf Prime Minister seems to have a preference for animals and plants that cannot be obtained in Japan. I presented gemstones and goldsmithing as offerings before, but the response was not very good, and some were even declined. However, since Oda-sama keeps a large eagle, I believe my speculation is correct. From not owning large animals, I speculate that he prefers small to medium-sized animals such as dogs, cats, and birds.After writing that much, Friar-san put down his pen and took a breath.He also considered this conversation a good deal. Of course, there is a possibility of being lied to, but he thought that possibility was low. There was no need for him to lie, and it was easier to answer I don't know than to lie. He couldn't imagine that the Headscarf Prime Minister would gain anything by lying to them.But if this experiment is successful, we can regain the authority of the Church. For that reason, we must succeed in the trade with him at all costs.If the trade is successful and the experiment is successful, Friar-san will also benefit. He had long despised the human trafficking of Portuguese merchants. Not out of love for humanity, but because their actions hindered the spread of Christianity. However, when he suggested stopping human trafficking, he was told, There are sellers, so there's nothing we can do.We must hurry. This country is different from other countries, as it excels in culture and military power. If an expulsion order is issued, it may finally lead to the prohibition of missionary work itself.After finishing the report, Friar-san felt the urge to send it immediately, but it was an impossible wish. Even though the security in Kyoto had improved, it was still too dangerous to go out at night without an escort.Ugh It's getting a little cold. But as expected of the Headscarf Prime Minister, this kotatsu thing reduces the coldness of Kyoto. By the way, there was a costume called dotera. It's a good opportunity to try it on Atsukan.After that, Friar-san put on a dotera and got back into the dug kotatsu. He enjoyed karasumi dried mullet roe as a snack with hot sake, and when he was satisfied both physically and mentally, he got into bed. Having fully immersed himself in Owari culture, Friar-san added the following to his report the next day.The tool called kotatsu that was given to me by the Headscarf Prime Minister, it is a devil's invention. It possesses a terrifying power to corrupt people. Furthermore, if you wear a dotera, resistance becomes impossible. If the missionaries who read this report and consider visiting Japan, I recommend accumulating virtue.Since Sakihisa Konoe established a residence in Gifu a few months ago, he had been devoting his efforts to hosting banquets with influential courtiers and powerful figures in the vicinity of Kyoto. From an outsider's perspective, it may seem like they are just reciting poetry and drinking, but banquets are important ceremonies in the courtier society and also serve as political gatherings. Therefore, not only the seating order but also the seats themselves are highly valued.Even though the head of the family had been exiled from Kyoto, the Konoe family still maintained a solid influence. The courtiers, who were invited to the banquet and couldn't refuse, initially attended with an attitude of having something up their sleeves. However, Sakihisa Konoe had devised a plan to make them never refuse an invitation again. It was the temptation of gourmet food, a deadly poison. In the Sengoku period, fallen courtiers faced economic hardships and settled in local manors or relied on powerful provincial lords.Courtiers in dire economic situations were overwhelmed with work to earn income and had no leisure to enjoy entertainment. For them, the temptation of gourmet food became a strong deadly poison. Once they knew it, they could never resist it again. If they forcibly resisted, they would be subjected to great mental tension. Gourmet food, a simple strategy, or rather, daily meals, yielded high effects precisely because they were something that was always done. Furthermore, Sakihisa Konoe prepared delicious meals not with expensive or rare ingredients, but with ingredients that courtiers were familiar with.Sakihisa Konoe's banquets, where dishes that seemed otherworldly were served, spread through word of mouth, and other people were invited and fell into the trap of gourmet food. The courtier society was gradually invaded by the deadly poison of gourmet food.Welcome, please relax and enjoy today's renga gathering.Sakihisa Konoe's renga gathering and banquet could only accommodate a small number of seventeen people. However, each and every one of them was a powerful figure in the Kinai region and had various connections as influential individuals.Konoe-dono, would it be acceptable to use a half-verse 18 phrases for today's renga?The structure of a renga consists of a 5-7-5 phrase as the upper verse and a 7-7 phrase as the lower verse, and each of these two phrases is called a ku. The 18 phrases start with Sakihisa Konoe and continue clockwise, with the final person being the 18th phrase, completing the renga. There are also the kasen with 36 phrases, the Sekichi with 44 phrases, and the chorenka also called hyakuin with 100 phrases. Furthermore, the senku is a collection of ten works of chorenka. The collection of senku is called manku.Certainly.As Maro, I think it would be better if it were a little livelier. No, I am not blaming the Konoe family in any way.Hahaha, I understand. However, recently the eyes of the Lord have become strict, and even enjoying a renga gathering with everyone is suspected of plotting something improper. That is why we are in a situation where we cannot invite many people. If we could invite a few more people, the renga gathering would become more splendid I apologize, I have said something indiscreet in front of everyone. Well then, let's start right away.Sakihisa Konoe casually brushed it off, but of course, he had calculated even this complaint into his words. Those who had been poisoned by the food were looking forward to Sakihisa Konoe's banquet more than anything else, to the point of appointing a representative even if they couldn't attend due to other matters. This was because they would receive special products from Owari, such as pickled plums, dashi miso, and soy sauce, as souvenirs from Sakihisa Konoe. They were addicted to the taste, but maintained a condescending attitude due to their social status. However, if it was a gift from the Konoe family, they couldn't disrespect it and had an excuse.Hohoho, I haven't heard anything, Maro.The person next to Sakihisa Konoe lightly recited a verse while brushing it off. However, although he appeared cheerful on the surface, internally he was boiling with anger towards Yoshiaki, the current Shogun. He had been completely invaded by Sakihisa Konoe's poison and was now a soy sauce maniac beyond help. Of course, he was not the only one. There were already countless people whose minds had been driven mad by dashi miso and soy sauce. Using the connections of these influential people, Sakihisa Konoe was indirectly approaching the imperial court.Indeed, Lord Konoe. You have obtained excellent cuisine and sake. The skill of the chef is also remarkable.Maro, this grilled dish is excellent. It shines beautifully and the sauce on it is so delicious.No, Maro thinks this tartar sauce is also irresistible.The influential people praised the dishes at the banquet. Even though they were well-versed in Kyoto cuisine and had refined palates, they were giving their seal of approval to the point that Sakihisa Konoe secretly smirked.Hehehe, indulge in the poison of exquisite food to your heart's content. To the point where you cannot resist I am glad you like it. Today, we have prepared a large selection of sake and dishes. Please, everyone, enjoy them to your heart's content.Sakihisa Konoe steadily solidified his foothold in the imperial court using his own means.
