"You said they continued to go north?" Maeda Keiji repeatedly confirmed to Tanma who was returning in front of him.
"Yes, sir. Judging from the footprints, we must have gone north." Tan Ma replied very definitely, while pointing roughly in that direction with his hand, "We have arranged for a few people to follow it, and we will be able to follow it soon.
Found their traces."
"Go north..." Maeda Keiji waved and signaled the staff in the reserve team to come over with the map. He pulled both sides of the map with both hands and unfolded the map. Then he felt that the posture was a little uncomfortable, so he turned over and dismounted.
The map was spread out on the horse's back, and he pointed at the location of Tianshen Mountain City with his right hand.
"They ran all the way north from Tenjin Mountain Castle, into the United States, and then to Samsung." Maeda Keiji pressed the fingers of his right hand on the map and slowly moved it up, following the retreat route of the Ukita Nao family and others, "Then
Did they not turn west to Tsuyama Castle at Sanxing, but continue to the north..." Maeda Keiji muttered to himself, and at the same time continued to draw his finger upwards, reading out the passages that will be passed on this northward route one by one.
The location, "First we pass Kujo, and then we leave Misaku Country and enter Inaba Country. Then we have to pass Chizu, Kageishi...and then - Tottori Castle."
"Tottori Castle is the most fortified castle in Sanin () Road, and it is also the headquarters of the Sanno family. If so many soldiers escape into Tottori Castle, it will be inconvenient to fight."
Maeda Keiji closed the map and shouted eagerly: "Let's go, let's catch up and don't let them enter Tottori Castle."
"Wait a minute, sir." Upon seeing this, the commander of the second company of Tongqiangbi, Yoshino Tencheng, stood up and stopped him in a hurry, "His Highness's order only allows us to fight in the United States to prevent the enemy from entering Tsuyama Castle, but it does not authorize us to go there.
Activities within Inaba Country.”
"Then let's get rid of them before they enter Inaba Country." Maeda Keiji smirked twice, raised his big red gun and said, "Of these 1,200 cavalry, who can be our enemy? It's not necessarily a big fanfare.
Come and fight us, but you won’t swing a single sword, right? It’s a shame for our copper wall!”
Soon after, Jiuchang was on the mountain road leading to Zhitou.
"Sir, it seems that I am still going to embarrass Tongqiang." Yoshino Tensei rode up to behind Maeda Keiji and joked in a joking tone.
"They are really a bunch of cowards." Maeda Keiji looked at the mountain road ahead that was ruined by the chaos and rolling logs, and said with a helpless smile, "Ukita Nao family, this beautiful work is his territory after all, and it's also his territory.
He didn't lose it, so why did he take thousands of people into exile without even defending? He even blocked his way home with a backhand, it's really his fault."
"Then Sir, do we want to go back and recover?" Yoshino Tencheng asked again.
"Return to life, what kind of life to return to? If you haven't swung the sword, how can you have the nerve to go back?" Maeda Keiji snorted twice in a nasal voice, casually raised the red gun and pointed at the direction they came from, "Ukita Nao's family has all run away.
He doesn’t even want Jinshan Castle, so let’s take Jinshan Castle for him.”
"Sir, you want to use cavalry to attack the city?" Yoshino Tencheng complained with a frown.
"Attack some city, let's persuade them to surrender." Maeda Keiji nonchalantly pinched the horse's belly, then turned around and galloped away. "My lord is so cowardly, let me see if they dare to resist."
·
On the evening of August 9, the eighth year of Tianzheng (1580), Tianshen Mountain City.
When the news that Ukita Naoie, Nizi Katsuhisa, and Urakami Munekage jointly fled to Tottori Castle first came, it really surprised both Ukita Naoie and Hashiba Hideyoshi - they didn't expect Ukita Naoie to flee so simply.
All his own territory was thrown away. After the Ukita Nao family fled, Masayuki Hanabusa of Tsuyama Castle also burned down the castle tower and led his army to flee to Takada Castle in the western mountains of the United States. The Tongqianbi cavalry successfully occupied the empty castle.
Tsuyama Castle and surrounding plains.
Before sunset, the Red Leaf Army also captured Nagafune Castle and Okayama Castle. The remaining Ukita Army was weak and unable to form a strong resistance. After a hasty defense, they abandoned the city and fled. The entire army fled towards the Ukita Army.
The last stronghold of the Bizen Kingdom - Shimotsui Castle on the Kojima Peninsula. However, for Uakiuhei, who has the strongest naval force in the Seto Inland Sea, this method of escape is no different from throwing himself into a trap. Uakihira ordered the Awaji Navy
The Mishima navy returned and surrounded the Kojima Peninsula.
After that, Hashiba Hideyoshi led his troops north to repair the road to Inaba Country and prepare to attack Tottori Castle. At the same time, he sent a division to quell Mimasaku and attack the remaining forces of the Uki family around Takata Castle. Ume Akihei led his troops south,
Attack Shizui Castle and beware of the reinforcements sent by the Mori family from Sanyo Road.
On August 11, the eighth year of Tensho (1580), after a short rest, Yu Qiuping left the Liaoyuan Bei, Fujiu Bei, Jincao Bei, and Tongqiang Bei to garrison Okayama Castle and monitor the movements of the Maori army in Takamatsu Castle in Bitaka.
After that, he led Tianhe Bei, Xinghuo Bei and Jingzhe Bei to attack the Kojima Peninsula. The total number of Ukita troops remaining in Bizen country was only about 1,000, and the number of combat troops was less than 400. Yu Qiupei even felt that he only needed to send one company.
Get the Kojima Peninsula. However, out of caution, he still came with three reserve troops and mobilized a large number of troops.
Amagi Castle, the gateway to the Kojima Peninsula, is a key pass, but at this moment, the Ukita Army has no chance of holding on. Although the copper wall is not there, the two infantry reserves of the Momiji Army are each equipped with a cavalry platoon.
It was completely possible to annihilate the Ukita Army on the plains when they retreated. So the Ukita Army had to gather all the forces it could muster at Shimotsui Castle on the seaside at the southernmost tip of the Kojima Peninsula. The Mishima Navy and the Awaji Navy also arrived subsequently.
, surrounded the port of Shijinjing Castle. In order to facilitate the attack on the city, Yu Qiuping also transferred the Kawachi Maru and prepared to bombard Shijinjing Castle at sea. On August 12, the eighth year of Tianzheng (1580), Shimojinjing Castle had been attacked.
Surrounded by everyone, Yu Qiuping sent envoys to the city to persuade them to surrender, but they were rejected by the defenders without hesitation.
"Why haven't you surrendered yet?" Yu Qiuping curiously asked the returning envoy, "Who is in charge in the city?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, they are two brothers, Tsunao Nagafune and Sadayuki Nagafune." The messenger answered truthfully, "They are both the sons of Sadami Nagafune, the elder of the Uki family."
"Oh?" Yu Qiuping was a little surprised when he heard this, "They should all be in their early 20s."
"Your Highness, you are indeed very young." The messenger replied again.
After the envoy went down, Uji Hidetaka couldn't help but asked curiously, "Your Highness, what do you care about which two guard generals are doing?"
"Because things are very abnormal." Yu Qiuping thought and replied with a smile, "The current situation is extremely bad for them. There is no possibility of successful defense, but they still have to fight for the Yuxi family.
Finally, it would be understandable if the defenders were veterans who had been with the Ukita Nao family for decades. But they are just two 20-year-old young men. There is no need to lead hundreds of soldiers to defend a place with no hope and no hope.
Where is the city of meaning?”
"What His Highness said seems to make sense." Haizuka Xiaoliu couldn't help but echoed, "It's indeed a bit strange. It's useless for them to defend this city. They still want to wait for reinforcements from the Maori family? If we are willing
If so, we can capture the city in half an hour."
"Your Highness." Naoe Nobuei standing next to him suddenly thought of something and stood up to interrupt, "I heard before that the Ukita Nao family has a young son. Do you know his whereabouts now?"
Everyone present was stunned for a moment when they heard this out-of-the-box speech. Only Yu Qiuping nodded with relief, "What you are thinking is what I am thinking."
"Your Highness, you mean that the reason why the guard refused to surrender even after being beaten to death is because the young master of the Uki family is in the city?" Uji Hidetaka finally realized it after thinking about it for a while.
"It stands to reason that the youngest son of the Ukita Nao family should have stayed in Okayama Castle, the home city of the Ukita family. After Okayama Castle was captured by us, the defenders fled to Shimotsui Castle, and it is very likely that they fled with their youngest son.
"Yu Qiuping touched his chin and analyzed thoughtfully.
"Change the information on Nagafune Tsunao and Nagafune Sadahi." Yu Qiuping waved to Masayuki Sanada, who immediately exited the tent and walked towards the information containing the tent of the Military Intelligence Department.
"Does the Military Intelligence Department also have information about such a small person?" Hachisuka Xiaoliu couldn't help but be a little surprised.
"Otherwise, what do you think the Military Intelligence Department does with all the funds it spends every year?" Yu Qiuping smiled and glanced at Haesuga Koliu, "Besides, don't underestimate the little people."
After a while, Masayuki Sanada came back with three or four pieces of paper. Although Nagafune Tsunao and Nagafune Sadayuki were only samurai who had just entered the Yuan Dynasty, Nagafune Sadaki, one of the three elders of the Uki family,
Son, the Military Intelligence Department also collected their information in detail. Yu Qiuping took the paper and opened it for a while, then circulated the paper to the surrounding officers, and said with a smile: "It's done, I guess it's close to ten. This
Nagafune Tsunao is the bodyguard and chaperone assigned only to his youngest son by the Ukita Nao family. Although Nagafune Tsunao's information does not cover this aspect, it may be similar to his elder brother."
"So there is the only legitimate son of the Ukita Nao family in this city?" Senju Okinari was excited and gearing up, "It would be a lot easier if we could catch him."
"It's not to facilitate us, but to facilitate His Highness Yu Shiba." Yu Qiuping thought of Yu Shiba Hideyoshi's murder of the Nizi family who was his best friend a few days ago, and couldn't help but deeply rubbed his forehead, "And I don't know whether he will survive
He is still going to die, send a messenger to ask him."
"Why do you want to die?" Senju Oinari widened his eyes exaggeratedly, "The Uki family is a powerful family in the Mizusaku Bizen two countries. It will be a lot easier to rule this place if we can capture his legitimate son."
"His Royal Highness Yu Chai has a huge appetite, and he might want to take all this territory to himself." Yu Qiuping shrugged angrily.
Chapter completed!