"A wonderful plan." Asahina Taimo was the first to speak in praise. "Your Highness, the governor of the house, this plan is very quick. If Oda Nobunaga comes to surprise us, there is no chance of survival. If there is no surprise attack, we will divide our forces and advance together to gain the advantage."
"
"Then what if the Oda army turns to attack our Rangers instead of attacking the main formation?" Matsudaira Motoyasu asked, worried about the safety of his own troops.
"Then please rely on your highnesses to defend Odaka Castle and Narumi Castle, wait until the troops of our formation arrive, and then attack from the front and rear. Your highnesses are not at a disadvantage compared to the entire Oda army, so don't worry." Yu Qiuping has already made a plan.
.
"It's just... letting His Highness the Governor serve as bait... it's always a dangerous situation." Sena Shitoshi still felt that something was wrong.
"Don't worry, Your Highness Sena, I have already prepared a perfect plan." Yu Qiuping smiled slightly and said confidently, "But it is a matter of confidentiality. After the meeting, His Highness the Governor will personally inform the family elders."
"Any more questions?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked loudly with a smile. Everyone was impressed by this plan and leaned over to express their compliance.
"If you don't have any questions, please go and have a good rest tonight." Imagawa Yoshimoto said, "Tomorrow morning, everything will be carried out according to the plan!"
After the evaluation meeting, Imagawa Yoshimoto left four close ministers, Amakihei, Sena Ujitoshi, Asahina Taitomo, and Okabe Masatsuna (as the representative of Okabe Motonobu), to tell everyone the secret of the perfect strategy. Wait until
After everyone left, Yu Qiuping and Sena Shitoshi were asked to stay.
"Sena, tonight, all ninjas are out to monitor everyone!" Imagawa Yoshimoto said solemnly, "I still don't believe it, the traitor hasn't taken action until tonight!"
After Sena Shitoshi left, Yu Qiuping was left behind again.
"Your Highness, I wonder if there is anything else?" Yu Qiuping asked with some confusion.
"Two years have passed and Yuqiu has become an amazing young man!" Imagawa Yoshimoto smiled with some relief, "If I entrust my daughter to a responsible person like you, Kaede will definitely be happy."
"Your Highness...why did you suddenly say these things?" Yu Qiuping laughed dumbly.
"It's nothing," Imagawa Yoshimoto also said with a smile, "I'm getting sentimental now. I'd like to remind you again, no matter what, remember to make a choice without regrets!"
On the evening of May 17th, in Owari Province, inside the Kiyoshu Castle Tower.
Since four days ago, Shosaku, who was lurking in Mikawa, has not returned with any news. The Imagawa family castle on the border of Mikawa and Owari has also been put under martial law. Even several wealthy families, such as Masada Tsuna, who have always been close to the family, are gone.
News. The Oda family couldn't help but feel a little nervous, worried about whether the Imagawa family would take any action. For this reason, Oda Nobunaga also strengthened the siege of Narumi Castle and Odaka Castle, and gave repeated orders to the garrison defenders not to attack without permission.
In order to prevent the Imagawa family from defeating the defenders of Zenzhao Temple and transporting grain into Narumi Castle from happening again last year.
This evening, Oda Nobunaga once again convened an evaluation meeting with important ministers and elders to discuss how to tighten the siege of Narumi Castle and Odaka Castle. Everyone has arrived, except Takigawa Kazuki. It was originally scheduled to be held on the 7th of Shenshi
The meeting held at that moment had to be postponed again and again, and it was not until three o'clock in the morning that Takigawa Kazumasu hurried to the evaluation hall.
"Hikoemon, you are getting more and more outrageous." Oda Nobunaga saw Takigawa Ichimasu coming to the door, and he angrily scolded: "It's just that you always violate the rules, even important things
Do you dare to be late for the evaluation meeting?"
Takigawa Kazumasu turned pale, and without saying a word, he knelt down in front of Oda Nobunaga, kowtowed in apology.
"That's all, it doesn't have to be like this." Oda Nobunaga snorted coldly, "Get up."
However, Takigawa Kazuyoshi still did not stand up, and his body continued to shake.
"What's wrong?" Oda Nobunaga's face tightened, as if he realized why Takigawa Kazumi, who was in charge of family intelligence, was so panicked.
"Lord..." Takigawa Kazumasu tried his best to maintain the stability of his voice and whispered: "Imagawa Yoshimoto personally led more than 30,000 people and set out on May 12th to raise troops to Luo. Now they have arrived at Okazaki Castle."
As soon as this statement came out, the entire assessment room exploded. The Imagawa family's intention of imposing martial law on the border for several days was actually to hide the movements of the army!
A total of 30,000 troops, more than three times the number of the Oda family! The number one archer of the Tokaido, Imagawa Yoshimoto, even personally conquered Owari. Such an overwhelming posture frightened everyone into panic. Such a lack of strength was definitely not something that the Oda family could resist.
It's amazing. The Oda family is already facing catastrophe.
After a moment of panic, the important ministers in the evaluation room immediately started shouting and quarreling. Some people demanded that they make a desperate move and storm Narumi Castle before the Imagawa family attacked, and then capture Narumi Castle and fight to the death. Others shouted that resistance was impractical.
, it is better to temporarily rely on the Imagawa family, leaving the green hills without worrying about having no firewood, which is actually planning to surrender. The vast majority of people demanded that the country's troops be gathered immediately to defend, but they couldn't argue over the location. Some
To guard the five border villages, some wanted to defend the Furuno Castle, and more people advocated clearing the country with a strong wall in Qingzhou. Some even requested to flee to Oda Nobukiyo's Inuyama Castle for defense.
For a while, the scene was very chaotic. Niwa Nagahide, Shibata Katsuie, Takigawa Kazumasu and other important ministers each had their own opinions and were in a stalemate. The quarrels were mixed with scoldings and curses, and could be heard in the room. After a long time of arguing, everyone gradually
Someone discovered that Oda Nobunaga, who should have been the most anxious, was sitting on the throne at the moment, holding his chin with his hand, watching the people quarreling thoughtfully without saying a word. So, the important ministers slowly calmed down,
They all silently turned their attention to Oda Nobunaga.
"Please, my lord, make a decision." Lin Xiuzhen, who had been silent all the time, said, "It's war, it's defense, it's peace. Everyone is waiting for a word from my lord."
However, to everyone's surprise, Oda Nobunaga suddenly laughed a few times, straightened up, casually said "the meeting is over", and left the evaluation room with the others.
At that moment, a deep despair and sorrow surged in the hearts of everyone present. In the face of a powerful enemy, their stupid lord refused to make any decision, and instead waved his sleeves and walked away. The retainers had lost their backbone.
Whether fighting or guarding, they had no idea what to do. They probably already felt that the Oda family was going to perish here. Except Niwa Nagahide and a few others who were unwilling to stay and asked to see the lord again. Others were shaking their heads.
He nodded, sighed, and left the assessment room.
"Your Majesty Lin, what are your orders?" Several people dressed as ninjas were summoned by Lin Xiuzhen immediately after he returned to the mansion. Lin Xiuzhen is the elder of the Oda family and a veteran of the Oda family who has followed the Oda family since the time of Oda Nobhide.
Nobhide's only remaining trusted official. He himself was Oda Nobunaga's teacher. However, for some unknown reason, he took the side of Oda Nobunaga in the fight between Oda Nobunaga and his younger brother Oda Nobuyuki.
.After his defeat, he was pardoned by Oda Nobunaga and became a retainer again.
"What happened to the three people I asked you to monitor?" Lin Xiuzhen asked in a low voice.
"As soon as the evaluation meeting was over, Arao Zenji slipped away towards Mikawa." A ninja whispered, "Everything is normal for the other two people, nothing has changed."
"Watch closely and don't let up." Lin Xiuzhen warned, thought for a moment, and then said: "Starting tonight, you will transfer all the hostages sent by the wealthy families in Qingzhou City to Jindao, and the old master will stay
They are hiding in several secret shops. If the Imagawa army really breaks in, they must not be allowed to easily obtain these hostages."
"Yes, Your Highness." Several ninja leaders accepted the order and left one after another.
At this time, in the Qingzhou Castle Castle, Niwa Nagahide, Kawajiri Hidetaka, Naomasa Naomasa, Ikeda Tsuneki and other retainers who were close servants of Oda Nobunaga, knelt outside the door of Oda Nobunaga's room and begged Oda Nobunaga.
Visit.
"His Majesty Niwa, my lord has said that he has gone to bed and has disappeared." Shortly after going in to report, a young man came out and said apologetically to Niwa Nagahide and others.
"Please inform my lord! This is a time of life and death for the Oda family! We must not be as willful as we were when we were children!" Niwa Nagahide said sadly, "Whenever my lord gets up, we will kneel down!"
"Your Highness Niyu..." I shook my head and felt very sorry for this senior. "My lord also said that if His Highness Niyu insists on not leaving, let him kneel down. He will never get up anyway."
At the same time, Shibata Katsuie was riding his horse back to his territory angrily. As soon as he arrived at the territory, he angrily issued an order to summon all the troops.
"Your Highness, what's going on!" Several retainers asked in surprise.
"More than 30,000 members of the Imagawa family's army have attacked." Shibata Katsuie spat angrily, "My lord, he dismissed the meeting without paying any attention to anything."
"Your Highness! What...what should we do?" Several retainers were also frightened and asked each other with pale faces.
"Our Shibata family has been carrying out the Oda family tree for generations. My old master has been so kind to me. Quan Liu has no choice but to die in repayment."
On the evening of the 17th, all the troops that had set out earlier had sent messengers back to Okazaki Castle, indicating that they had successfully arrived at their target location and that everything was as planned.
In the early morning of the 18th, before sunrise, the Imagawa Army inside and outside Kariya Castle began to take action. 4,500 Asahina Bei and Matsudaira Bei set off first, and the army headed westward, crossing the Aizuma River and heading towards Nawa. Katsurayama Bei also left Okazaki Castle and headed north.
Detour to Takake. At the same time that the leading troops of Asahina Bei and Matsudaira Bei left Kariya, more than 2,000 troops from many small wealthy families such as Miura Bei and Okuhei Bei also set off from Anxiang Castle, turned northwest, and headed straight for Chirit.
The team that set off next was Okabe Masatsuna's 1,800-man Okabe team, escorting a large number of transport trains and slowly leaving toward the west. By the time the trains had all passed through Anxiang and Imagawa,
More than 13,000 people from the family's main team, led by Yu Qiupei and Sena Ujitoshi, gathered around a sedan and embarked on the journey to Takake via Anxiang and Chili.
Among the entire team, Tsukiwabei, who belongs to Yu Qiupei, is the most dazzling. The identical uniforms reflect the cold light in the sun. The red leaves above the head, the red leaf flag behind the back, and the high-flying maple bird horse print all declare this team.
The pride of the troops. The surrounding friendly troops all admired Tokiwabei's ashigaru.
Before nightfall on the 18th, the Imagawa family's main team finally arrived at Takake Castle in Owari. Timey Akihei had already moved all the troops forward the day before in order to maximize the use of the road's traffic capacity on the 18th, but there still appeared
Part of the crowding situation was eliminated. Yu Qiuping simply left enough margin, and all the troops successfully arrived at the location on the 18th.
After nightfall, the troops who had worked hard all day fell asleep in the barracks, but Yu Qiuping lay on the tatami, sleepless for a long time, tossing and turning. His heart was full of mixed feelings and complex emotions. There were expectations and worries about the war, as well as about himself.
The excitement of being able to use history to set up an impeccable trap and ambush Oda Nobunaga, and the gratitude for Imagawa Yoshimoto's trust. There is also the extreme nervousness and anxiety about the heavy burden that will be shouldered tomorrow. Finally, there is also the longing for myself in the distance.
Wife's lovesickness.
It was early in the morning, and Yu Qiuping still couldn't fall asleep. He simply got up and walked on the corridor of the castle tower, looking at Tongzhazama fifteen miles away in the west - tomorrow's magnificent battlefield. Yu Qiuping looked at the sky. The moon is very full today.
It was very bright, and you could vaguely see the dark clouds in the sky.
It will rain tomorrow.
On the 19th, May 19th, May 19th in the third year of Yonglu.
I won't remember it wrong.
"Nobunaga, what are you doing now?" Yu Qiuping said to himself, looking northwest, in the direction of Qingzhou City. "Are you going to dance the famous Atsei song?"
To be continued...