On October 16, the ninth year of Tensho (1581), after learning that Kiso Yoshimasa had been instigated to rebel and that the Red Leaves Army might break through from the borders of Mino and Shinano, Takeda Katsuyori was frightened on the spot. He left Nobukun Anayama behind
5,000 people were stationed at Kabara Castle, and he immediately returned north to Shinano with 30,000 troops, trying to meet the Momiji Army. At the same time, he also passed the message to the Hojo family, Satake family, Yuki family, Utsunomiya family and other Kanto wealthy families, requesting them to send reinforcements.
Support the Takeda family.
After receiving the information from the Takeda family, the Kanto wealthy families breathed a sigh of relief - at least the Red Leaf Fleet would not land on the coast of their territory. However, the joy of the aftermath did not last long, because if the Takeda family collapsed
If it fails, the entire East Kingdom Alliance will undoubtedly be defeated. Therefore, the Kanto daimyo who had not dared to take action because they were worried about the existence of the Momiji Fleet immediately ordered their troops to march westward, passing through Ueno and Sagami to the territory of the Takeda family.
go.
On October 20, the ninth year of Tensho (1581), the vanguard of the Hojo family had entered Shinano. On October 25, the ninth year of Tensho (1581), basically all the troops of the Kanto noble families had arrived at Shinano. The 40,000-strong army of the Hojo family,
15,000 people from the Satake family, 6,000 people from the Utsunomiya family, 5,000 people from the Yuki family, 2,000 people from the Sano family, and 1,000 people from the Oda family, plus 30,000 people from the Takeda family and Nishina Morinobu's remaining troops, gathered at
The total number of the Kanto Allied Forces in Shinano was close to 100,000. However, the Hongye Army they were waiting for did not arrive as expected.
"What is the situation now? What are the movements of the Momiji Army?" Hojo Tsunari, the commander of the Hojo family's reinforcements, asked Takeda Katsuyori as the interim general-in-chief. Since Hojo Ushimasa did not personally lead the army, it was reasonable to do so.
Takeda Katsuyori, the highest-ranking governor of the Takeda family, serves as the general.
"The Oda family sent many ninjas into Nishi-Shinano. Our Tanba and ninjas will be killed as soon as they get close. We don't know the situation of Kiso Fukushima Castle at all." Takeda Katsuyori explained to Hojo Tsunari with a look of embarrassment on his face.
.
"Then your highness, won't you lead the troops? Didn't the 30,000 people of the Takeda family arrive very early?" Satake Yoshige, who had traveled thousands of miles and traveled day and night, realized that he might have fallen into the trap because he had fallen into the trap of diverting the tiger away from the mountain.
Immediately he became worried about Ota Castle, which is close to the sea. "If the Red Leaf Army did not come to Shinano at all, but went to Hitachi, Ota Castle would be lost in less than two days!"
"If the Red Leaves Army enters Kiso Fukushima Castle, there will be 40,000 people. His Majesty Satake asked us how to lead the troops to conduct reconnaissance? Without the support of the city and no backup, we will be wiped out by the Red Leaves Army in the wild if we are not careful." Takeda
Katsuyori's close minister Atobe Katsuki saw his lord being pointed at and scolded by Satake Yoshige, and he immediately became angry and pushed back unceremoniously, "You don't believe me, Satake-dono?"
"Where was the Koshu Army that was running rampant all over the world when Dr. Daizen was here? When did the Takeda Army become so cowardly that they didn't even dare to conduct basic investigations?" Satake Yoshishige shook his head repeatedly with great regret, but these words were still there.
The sound in the Takeda family's ears was as harsh as needle pricks, and the atmosphere in the Takato Castle Castle suddenly became tense.
"Everyone, please be patient. The top priority is to find out the movements of the Red Leaf Army." Hojo Tsunari couldn't bear to see these juniors making trouble here, so he had to stand up and preside over the meeting and said, "Without further delay, let's set off immediately.
.Please ask His Highness Takeda, who is familiar with the terrain, to serve as your guide, and the Hojo Army will personally hold the battle for His Highness."
·
However, as the Kanto Allied Forces marched out of Takato Castle and advanced towards Kiso Fukushima Castle, everyone's hearts became colder and colder. All the Oda family ninjas who were active before now disappeared, which was obviously a lack of confidence. When the Kanto Allied Forces
After driving outside Kiso Fukushima Castle, we discovered that Kiso Yoshimasa had abandoned the city and fled - Nishi Shinano didn't even see a shadow of the Red Leaf Army. Kiso Yoshimasa's rebellion was entirely the result of Yu Qiupei attracting the Kanto Allied Forces.
Suspicious soldiers.
"It's broken." At this moment, Hojo Tsunari had an image in his mind of the Momiji Fleet arriving at Sagami Bay, and the under-strength Odawara Castle, which was empty and fortified but unable to defend it. And Satake Yoshige, who had the same worries as him, had an expression on his face.
It would be even worse. Takeda Katsuyori was not much better. If the Momiji fleet landed at Kabara Castle after arriving at Kabara Castle, Anayayama Nobu-kun's troops without reinforcements would be in trouble.
At this moment, a messenger was seen coming from the northeast at a high speed, and the dust from the horseshoes on the mountain road was almost as high as a tree. Everyone was shocked at the first moment - could it be that the Red Leaf Army was sent?
News of the landing from behind? However, after thinking about it, the allied warriors were relieved - if it was really the Hongye Army that landed from behind, the messenger should come from the east, not from Northern Shinano.
Come.
"Your Majesty, Your Highnesses!" The messenger came to the battle and dismounted from his horse, and immediately reported hurriedly, "Sanada-sama received a report from His Highness Uesugi, saying that the ninjas discovered that the Momiji Fleet has landed at Kashiwazaki Port in Echigo Province.
!Your Highness Uesugi requests reinforcements!”
Upon hearing the news, the various lords and samurai immediately let out a long sigh of relief.
"It turns out that Yuqiu Hongye is not a military god who always anticipates the enemy's opportunities." Utsunomiya Kunitsuna smiled a little too easily, "I thought he was so good at using his tactics to suspect soldiers. What if he landed in Kanto?
If so, we would be finished now, but he ran away to Hokuriku?"
"Leave Hokuriku to them. Let's immediately enter Shinano's defense and see how they can break into Northern Shinano." Atobe Katsuki suggested equally optimistically, which was unanimously approved by the Kanto minor daimyo and Satake Yoshige.
"What do you mean? Aren't you going to save the Uesugi family?" However, after hearing this, several generals of the Hojo family became alert and asked in a deep voice. The three of them, Hojo Ujiteru, Hojo Ujikuni, and Hojo Ujiki
He glared at other relaxed people. Others may have no feelings for the Higashi-Uesugi family, but they were different - Uesugi Kagetora, the head of the Higashi-Uesugi family, was a bloodline of the Hojo family and the younger brother of the three of them.
"Naturally, we cannot ignore death." Although Takeda Katsuyori has a bad temper, he is by no means an unreasonable person. If he bluntly abandons his allies at this moment, the Eastern Kingdom Alliance will fall apart. "It's just that Echigo is too far away, and the Red Leaf Army
The combined combat power of the Hokurikudo Army is too strong, and His Highness Uesugi may not be able to sustain us..."
"It's too late." The Hojo clan was the first to jump out and object when they saw this. "If we were still staying in each family's main city before, it might not be too late to gather together to support us. But now our entire army has gathered in Shinano.
It’s too late to rush to Ueno immediately and then drive directly to Sakado Castle!”
"That's right." Uji Teruya Hojo agreed, "The autumn autumn leaves have helped us pull the troops to Shinano in advance, and saved us a lot of trouble."
"We must go to support." Hojo Ujiki reiterated without any doubt, and at the same time looked around.
As the most powerful force in the coalition, the Hojo family's opinions cannot be ignored, and they should not abandon the Higashi-Uesugi family, who are also allies, without a battle. So in the Hojo family's
After insisting, the coalition forces decided to go north to support the Higashi-Uesugi family.
On October 27, the ninth year of Tensho (1581), news of the fall of Sakado Castle came - the Red Leaf Army was making rapid progress as usual. The attack on Sakado Castle was obviously to cut off the route of the Kanto Allied Forces to support the Higashi-Uesugi family -
The Oda family is indeed going to take action against Echigo.
However, on October 28, the ninth year of Tensho (1581), when the army marched to Hokushinano Komoro Castle and prepared to march eastward to Ueno, news of the accident suddenly came. The Kwantung Allied Forces hurriedly held an emergency assessment meeting to discuss the subsequent actions.
After the meeting, Hojo Tsunari, who had been frowning for a long time, regained his look for the first time.
"Although it is still difficult to shake such a behemoth..." Hojo Tsunari clenched his fist tightly and turned back to look in the direction of Odawara Castle, "but at least we... have a chance to succeed."
·
The news of the accident did not come from Echigo, but from Mutsu Dewa.
After the news of the Momiji Fleet landing in Echigo came, Date Masamune was relieved - the Momiji Fleet did not choose to escort his father and other daimyo back to Mutsu to seize power, allowing the sword that had been hanging over his head to be temporarily sheathed.
So, he once again mobilized the troops that had dispersed to various places to guard against the landing of the daimyo, intending to fight to the death with the Mogami Army and drive Mogami Yoshimitsu back to Deyu. Mogami Yoshimitsu was also unafraid, and was ready to fight the Date Army to the end.
.However, judging from the number of troops alone, the Mogami Army is obviously at a disadvantage - it's just that if Date Masamune wants to completely defeat Mogami Yoshimitsu, it will probably take a lot of time and cost a lot of losses.
On October 26, the ninth year of Tensho (1581), just before the decisive battle between the Date family and the Mogami army, a woman appeared. She was none other than the mother of Date Masamune, the commander of the Date family, and the Mogami family.
Mogami Yoshiki, the sister of the commander-in-chief Yoshimitsu Mogami. She crossed into the battlefield alone, leaving the two armies who originally wanted to have a duel unable to start, and forcibly ended the fratricide between uncle and nephew.
Under the mediation of Mogami Yoshihime, Date Masamune and Mogami Yoshimitsu temporarily entered into a truce. Date Masamune handed over the captured hostages of various daimyo families to Mogami Yoshimitsu for safekeeping, in exchange for Mogami Yoshimitsu retreating from Mutsu Kingdom. Finally, he escaped.
Date Masamune, who was constrained by the rear, rushed towards the North Vietnamese without hesitation - the scene of the confrontation between the Higashi-Uesugi family and the Nishigousugi family.
When Date Masamune sent an envoy to inform the Kanto Allied Forces, the Date Army had just set off from Yonezawa Castle. However, with the help of the 20,000 troops of the Date Army, Uesugi Kagetora might be able to defeat Uesugi before the Oda Army arrived.
Kagekatsu. Then relying on the strong castle of Shinbada Castle and the heavy snow and severe winter of Echigo, they defended to block the Oda army's counterattack.
This unexpected force became the key to breaking the alliance of the Eastern Kingdom. The Oda family never expected that the confrontation between the Date Army and the Mogami Army would end so dramatically, nor did they expect that Date Masamune would attack Echigo.
.
What the Kwantung Allied Forces have to do now is to give up supporting Uesugi Kagetora from Ueno, and instead drive directly to the line between Iiyama Castle and Kasugayama Castle, cut off the Oda family's food route, and take advantage of the Oda army's large-scale eastward expedition to take them out in one fell swoop.
The retreat. Although there is the Momiji Fleet, the Oda army still has the possibility of withdrawing. However, it is not easy to board the ship and retreat in the ice and snow that is coming to Hokurikudo. As long as the Kanto Allied Forces can seize the only Echigo Kingdom
The large port of Kashiwazaki Port will deprive the Momiji Fleet of a docking place for large-scale amphibious operations, and the Oda Army will not be able to quickly return to the Momiji Fleet. This will give the Eastern Union an opportunity to launch a massive counterattack. This
This is also the Eastern United Nations' only chance of victory in the face of this overwhelming material difference.
Chapter completed!