In Osaka Castle, the gradually growing snow made the ground muddy, and the dejected soldiers sat listlessly.

The shogunate army surrounded Osaka Castle for a long time, and Osaka Castle fell into a situation of food cuts. The main force of the defenders in Osaka Castle was the daimyos of Shikoku Island, and the food was transported from Shikoku Island to Osaka Castle by sea. However, the farmers on Shikoku Island could not bear the long-term war, so a large-scale peasant uprising broke out on Shikoku Island, and the food routes to Osaka Castle were blocked, which caused Osaka Castle to encounter the dilemma of food shortage. Throughout the winter, the samurai and farmers in Osaka Castle were restricted from the use of food, and many times the soldiers could only drink porridge.

"According to letters from my retainers, Shikoku Island is full of refugees and peasant uprising troops, with a scale of tens of thousands. Wherever they go, no grass grows, farmland is destroyed, and their granaries are captured. It is impossible for Shikoku Island to send food. Our Osaka Castle has no additional food, so we can only hold on for half a month. If we can't get food in half a month, we will have to eat people at that time. I'm afraid there will be no such tragic battle in the entire Warring States Period."

Daimue, a Shikoku Island trapped in Osaka Castle, said to everyone with a sad face.

Yamauchi Tadaoyi, Tachibana Soshima and other daimyos gathered together, their faces were also not good-looking, and Osaka Castle reached its limit.

"The snow melted, and Sanada Maru was no longer indestructible. When our food was exhausted, it was when the shogunate army launched a general offensive." said veteran Takaha Soshiro.

"Don't the main force of the Kyushu Army have arrived yet? Although the advance team they sent helped us defend Mount Kazuya, even if Mount Kazuya is still holding on, it will be useless. Our food and grass are about to be exhausted and our morale has dropped to the lowest point. Shikoku Island peasant uprising, Osaka Castle and Kyoto defense line have been held for half a year. We are so kind and righteous. If this continues, we can only surrender to the shogunate." Others who insisted on the presidency said in unison.

"Everyone, we have been holding on for the whole winter. Wouldn't all our efforts be wasted? I have sent messengers to the capital to ask for help again. It is estimated that the main force of the Kyushu Army will arrive soon." As the general of Osaka, Tadaoyi Yamauchi can only place his hopes on the main force of the Kyushu Army to arrive as soon as possible.

"Will the main force of the Kyushu Army really come? We have been waiting for the whole winter night and we haven't seen their traces. Maybe there was a civil strife in their country, and it's hard to say whether we can intervene in the Osaka War." said Tadaeyoshi Bee Suga, the lord of the Tokushima clan.

The Tennoji defense line he was in charge was soon broken through by the shogunate army led by Tokugawa Iemitsu. He was also shot by muskets. Everyone thought he had died, but Tadaeyoshi Hinaga survived tenaciously and became a disabled person.

"Taiteng Hinasuka, you must understand the strength of the Kyushu Army. Their generals can defend Shiranuyama under the offensive of Katsunari Mizuno, and if their main force arrives, they will definitely be able to easily defeat the shogunate army." Tadaoyi of Yamauchi said.

"Their army's combat effectiveness is indeed far above us." Tadaeyoshi Hinasuga had to admit it.

A group of the sacred mountain positions mentioned in the daimyo were under the control of Lu Xiangsheng throughout the winter.

However, after a winter of consumption, Lu Xiangsheng also faced the problem of gunpowder shortage and food shortage. Only two boxes of solid bullets were left in the three smoothbore guns. If all two boxes of solid bullets were used up, the smoothbore gun would become a decoration.

"We will give up Shinoyama and retreat to Sanada Maru tomorrow morning when the enemy outside was not aware of it." Lu Xiangsheng was using a telescope to observe the encirclement of Tada Takasen outside.

"The whole ship of ammunition and food are consumed, and the consumption of war is really terrible." Tachibana Tadashi, as a comrade-in-arms, witnessed that a large ship of supplies brought by Lu Xiangsheng to Japan were used up in the war.

Some of the supplies for a large sailing ship brought by Lu Xiangsheng were used by dozens of Chinese soldiers he brought, and a batch of muskets and ammunition was sent to Tachibana Zhongmao's garrison to help him defend Xiaoshan. A considerable part of the supplies of this large ship were food.

"War is a battle to compete for national strength. Many times, the outcome has been decided before the battle begins." Lu Xiangsheng said calmly.

If it was the era of cold weapons, an elite army would likely create miracles. It is not uncommon to win more with less. However, after entering the age of firearms, a group of generals of the Jiuzhou Army such as Lu Xiangsheng began to realize that the possibility of weak defeating strong in the era of cold weapons was getting smaller and smaller. In the future, the wars will compete for whose weapons are more advanced and ammunition is more sufficient.

"What should we do with the prisoner Miyamoto Musashi and others?" Tadashi Tadashi Tadashi asked Lu Xiangsheng.

"After all, they are prisoners. Taking them to Osaka Castle may come in handy, such as attacking the morale of the enemy." Lu Xiangsheng replied.

Miyamoto Musashi and several raid team members were captured and were imprisoned. The poor Japanese swordsman originally wanted to make a name for himself on the battlefield before he was seclusion, but became prisoners.

"Prepare to withdraw from Osaka Castle, we are finally leaving here."

"Hold this damn place for the whole winter, but the overall situation of the war has not changed much. The shogunate army is still besieging Osaka Castle."

The soldiers of the garrison packed their armor in a war-weary mood and left Xiaoshan's position the next day.

"Reported that there is no defender on Xiaoshan's earthen wall!"

Ida Tada Sect, who surrounded Shinoyama, soon had strange things happening to Shinoyama. When they stepped onto this position that they could never conquer, there were no defenders and artillery on Shinoyama.

"It seems that the other party has retreated to Osaka Castle. It is no point in continuing to stay in Shinoyama. We will join the general and launch a general offensive against Osaka Castle." Tadate Ida sighed.

Shogun General Tokugawa Iemitsu stood in front of the sand table in Osaka Castle, and all the important shogun officials such as Katsunari Mizuno were ready to go.

"The walls of Osaka Castle and Sanada Maru have been damaged in our several attacks. It is estimated that their food consumption has reached an end. We must take Osaka Castle in one fell swoop. Our shogun can no longer bear the consumption for longer, and we must decide the outcome in one battle!" Tokugawa Ie-gun had a dark face and blocked the national fortune in the last battle against Osaka Castle.

"The first brigade attacked Sanada Maru, the second brigade feinted the attack on Nishi Castle, and the third brigade was appropriately detouring to the East Castle to put pressure on the defenders! Once Sanada Maru is in crisis, I will personally lead the reserve team to assist the first brigade to break through Sanamaru and then break through Osaka Nancheng!" Tokugawa Iemitsu made the general arrangement and took the open Nancheng as a breakthrough.

"The first team led by the veteran will definitely live up to expectations!" said Katsunari Mizuno.
Chapter completed!