Mukaiyama Aldol and Attempted Benzylic Oxidation. We posited that a late-stage introduction of the pyridine nitrogen and the C3-oxidation state after the fragment coupling could offer an alternative strategic disconnection and preclude the undesired reactivity from the aforementioned oxime fragment (Scheme 13A). The central pyridine could arise from condensation and 6π-electrocyclization of the dienone moiety in 13-1, which could be accessed via a Mukaiyamaaldol between the dienoate fragment 10-7 and the enoxysilane fragment 10-8 (Scheme 13A).