The hot midsummer sun is scorching the earth, and it has been almost three months since it rained in Shinano. Faced with the most terrifying drought demon, people are helpless and watch helplessly as a load of water poured into the ground completely dries up in a short time. The farmers We can only pray for the blessing of Iizuna and Suwa Myojin.
A group of troops with chaotic flags were walking on the mountain road. From the flag seal, it can be seen that this army is a coalition of wealthy families from Northern Shinano. In front of them is a group of troops with a neat lineup. Just look at the six company coins on the flag seal. You know, that's the legion directly under Yukitaka Sanada, a popular member of the Takeda family.
"Tsumayama, Chikuma River, Kaijin Castle! This battle is not going to be easy!" Aiki Masatomo is a native of Saku County. He was the first member of the Shinano sect who surrendered to the Takeda family in 1540. He believed in The family elder of Oi Sadataka, the lord of Nagakubo Castle in Nokuni, was a traitor who betrayed his master's family and joined the Takeda family. He was also a representative figure of the unscrupulous people.
"Are we making bait?" Aoyagi Kiyonaga, the lord of Shinano Aoyagi Castle, complained softly.
"Hush! The front has stopped advancing." Nobutoshi Muruga reminded his companions. They saw that the front army began to form an orderly formation, and the rear army also had to prepare for war.
In order to achieve the purpose of feigning an attack, these three thousand troops carried twice as many flags as their own, and also pulled five hundred civilians to mix in the rear of the formation to carry the flags. Gorgeous flag prints were scattered everywhere in the woods, combined with vivid military The sound of the taiko drum really does have the meaning of a large-scale attack.
In Kaijin Castle, a group of Shinano warriors stood on arrow sculls and looked at the military situation in the distance. They said worriedly: "Six thousand troops are attacking Kaijin Castle. What should we do?"
"I don't think so! There are seven or eight thousand people riding on the flag seal. I heard that the Takeda family dispatched 28,000 people this time. It is twice as many as us!" A Shinano native expressed his different opinions.
"Shh! Be careful! It will be bad if they hear it." Several samurai looked around cautiously. Then they glanced at the castle oar opposite. There were Ogasawara Nagatoki, Murakami Yoshikiyo, Suda Mitsuchi, and Shimazu. Tadanao and other Shinano people were personally in charge, but the gates of Kaijin Castle were closed at this time, and all the tiger's mouths, horse exits, stables, and small castles had been controlled by the Echigo samurai. The people of Shinano could only complain in a low voice about these things in the past. Distrust of colleagues.
Several people carefully looked at it several times before snorting: "What are you afraid of? The Takeda family is unstoppable. Everyone in Shinano knows that this is the general trend. I don't think even the coming of gods and Buddhas can save the situation!"
"Alas! Have you heard about it? Now the leader of Echigo is not the long-tailed Kagetora Nagao who loves to drink, but some prominent member of the shogunate who occupies Echigo."
"Let me see, those famous families are just about the same. Why don't they rob Echigo and then come to attack our Shinano? What kind of righteousness is not righteousness? How can one have knowledge and practice in the land?"
"That's right! The ones I admire the most are Hojo Soun, Saito Douzan, and Nizi Yuujiu. These are the role models for our martial arts family. To overthrow the master's family and become the governor yourself, it all depends on your ability!"
"I heard that the famous shogunate became famous because he helped the shogunate in joint wars. He himself was from a small wealthy family in the countryside, and somehow he became famous. From my perspective, there must be something wrong with this. Most likely, he was the surname of the shogun. Something like that?"
"How do you know this? You're not envious of the closeness between Takeda Osen and Kasuga Torasuna, right? No one wants to give anyone a nickname like you! Hahaha..."
Not long after, the Sanada army finished their formation and began to attack unhurriedly. The Ashigaru team and the archery team slowly advanced, and a hail of arrows was scattered and then was counterattacked by the defenders in the city. This type of attack caused casualties on both sides.
They were all extremely low. The Sanada army attacked all morning, and the Shinano allied army continued the attack. They fought hard all day long, and in the evening each of them withdrew their troops and returned to camp.
August is the end of midsummer, and the nights are slightly cooler than in the previous months. The dry earth has cracked ugly holes. Unlike the attacking side, the defensive side is under relatively greater pressure. After a whole day of fighting
The warriors also looked tired. They took off their heavy armors and picked up wooden basins to line up at the well to get water to wash away the dirt on their bodies.
A waning moon rose higher and higher, and the dim moonlight was not enough to illuminate the scenery in the distance. The ashigaru on duty on the arrow oars seized this precious time to hide in the corner and take a nap. The city soon fell into silence.
The assessment room in Haijin City is still brightly lit.
"Why is their attack so weak? Why are there only more than a thousand people in each detachment?"
"I think they must be scared. Even if six thousand people besiege Haijin City, they can't easily win it!"
Kakizaki Keike shook his head. He instinctively felt that this matter would not be that simple, and reminded: "Don't forget that Yukitaka Sanada was the leader. That person is very cunning."
"Sanada Yukitaka..." The samurai of Shinano looked at each other. This name was like a nightmare. It was this man who used tricks to draw the relationship between Murakami Yoshikiyo and Takanashi Masayori into opposition. It was also he who tore most of the Shinano samurai family into pieces.
Two halves, one half supported the Nagao family and the other half supported the Takeda family. From then on, the Northern Shinano wealthy alliance fell apart.
Ogasawara looked around anxiously for a long time, then suddenly turned around and asked: "Did Wu Weiden say when he would come to rescue Kaijin Castle?"
The warriors looked at each other and shook their heads. A bitter expression appeared on Murakami Yoshikiyo's face, and he lamented: "Are we forced to defend Kaijin Castle? This will cause problems with morale and military morale."
Kakizaki Kage tried his best to comfort him: "Don't worry, everyone, Wu Weiden will definitely come to save us! Please believe me..."
Suddenly, there was a cry of killing outside the city, and there was a faint light of fire. The banging of the military drum and the trumpet of the conch shocked everyone. Almost at the same time, they said one word: "Night attack!"
"Hurry! You must block it!" Murakami Yoshikiyo stood up and hurried out. The samurai who was slower to wake up also jumped up and ran out quickly.
The flames outside the city were soaring into the sky, and the number of shadowy flags was frightening. The rumbling military drums and shouts of killing frightened the defenders inside the city. In this dark and windy night, no one dared to go out to fight, so they could only shoot out the pot with all their strength.
Arrows and arrows, the stalemate did not last long. After about half an hour, the enemy troops under the city gradually retreated. Dark silence returned to the city.
The defenders in the city were frightened by the sudden night attack and broke out in cold sweat. They were afraid that Yukitaka Sanada would play another trick. The samurai could only wait in confusion for him to come back and kill him again. As a result, they waited until the middle of the night and there was no sign of him, so
Someone started complaining, and after a commotion, they all went back to their houses to put on their clothes and sleep.
Not long after they slept, there was another noise outside the city, flames flickering everywhere, and flaming rockets fired into the city. These frightened warriors rushed out to defend the city, facing a fierce counterattack from the defenders.
The enemy troops under the city did not last long before they all retreated.
This time many people saw it clearly. Murakami Yoshikiyo cursed with a livid face: "Yukitaka Sanada, what a bastard! I have never offended you, why did you harm us like this! You are plotting and plotting again and again, can't you be as upright as a samurai?"
Fight!"
Suda Mitsuchi said bitterly: "They are trying to kill us!"
"Don't worry about this for now, everyone needs to rest immediately! We samurai take turns on duty, and when the enemy attacks, we will use our bows and arrows to drive them back! There is no need for the Ashigaru to come out."
"Izumi Mamoru, is this really okay? What if he really attacks at night?"
Faced with the questions from the people of Shinano, Kakizaki Keie comforted: "No! In addition to being good at strategy, Yukitaka Sanada has little ability to lead troops. The success of several raids depends entirely on good strategies. Even Takeda Harunobu would not have been able to do it overnight.
Conquer Haijin City. Don’t worry, everyone!”
The fact was exactly as he expected. Until dawn, Yukitaka Sanada organized two more feint attacks, each time with fewer troops deployed. The last time he was almost surrounded and annihilated by the Echigo army who was chasing out of the city. It was obvious that the leader of the army
The person was not Yukitaka Sanada, and the opponent abandoned more than a hundred corpses and retreated hastily.
Generally speaking, the losses on both sides were not large. The defenders inside the city only lost a night's rest and some arrows, while the defenders outside the city only failed to achieve their full success due to the last less successful harassment. Those who experienced a night attack
Due to the turmoil, the defenders in the city became exhausted. Not long after they slept, Yukitaka Sanada led his formation to attack again.
The Sanada troops standing outside Kaijin Castle were all full of energy and vitality. After a night's rest, they completely suppressed the defenders in the city. Shoki Shochao said excitedly: "The attack on the main hall is really a clever idea! Let the soldiers divide into several groups and take turns to harass, but it will only last one night.
Just let Murakami Yoshikiyo run for his life, and the main hall is really a clever plan!"
Standing in the shady woods to avoid the sun, even if it is not too hot in the morning, the heat between summer and autumn is still unbearable for the warriors wearing helmets and armor. They gather under the woods to enjoy the coolness in this short time.
feeling.
"Notoshou is an honor." Sanada Yukitaka's mind was obviously not on flattery. His eyes were fixed on something jumping in the distance. He walked over and pinched a huge locust. The brown-gray locust had a pair of
With its fat hind legs, it can jump very far in one bound. He is very familiar with this insect. It is one of the great disasters that has plagued agriculture for thousands of years.
"Locust! It turned out to be a locust!" He squeezed the lively insect to death with his fingers. At this time, Xiang Mu Changchao happened to come over and said, "What's the matter, playing in the main hall?"
"The locusts are coming... Look there!" Following the direction he led, you can see a group of locusts emerging from the land in the distance. Seeing this scene, Xiang Mu Changchao's face turned blue: "It's terrible.
!”
Looking up at the dry land all over the vast land of Shinano, groups of locusts slowly and silently emerged from the cracks. They spread their wings and jumped into the army of their companions. In the next period of time,
They will turn into a terrifying monster called the Locust God, which will devour all animals and plants they can see, and no corpses will be left after the locusts pass by.
"There will be big trouble this year..." Yukitaka Sanada said worriedly.
The battle of wits and courage under Kaijin Castle lasted for five or six days. The tenacious Shinano people still held on to Kaijin Castle without taking a step back. Sanada Yukitaka's ability to attack the city did not mean that he was good at fighting such tough battles.
Some Shinano samurai troubled him, and several attempts to instigate rebellion within the city were discovered by the vigilant Kakizaki Keie.
The Kakizaki Kei family is not like the careless Murakami Yoshikiyo. As the number one person in the seven counties of Echigo, what he is good at is not only outstanding military strategy and martial arts. Unlike the ordinary old man who cannot read a word, the Kakizaki Kei family has a very high level of cultural accomplishment.
Gao was a devout disciple of the Soto Sect, and it was he who invited Master Tianshi Guangyu to serve as the abbot of Surangama Temple in Kakizaki Castle.
He also has a very high level of intelligence and government affairs. It was he who saw the opportunity to stand on Nagao's side in the One-third War of the Original War, and helped the Nagao family withstand the fierce counterattack of the Echigo-Uesugi faction.
Only then did he join the ranks of the important ministers of the Nagao family tree. At the same time, he was also an important member of the followers who were stationed in Kasugayama Castle. It was reasonable to see through the unusual movements in Kaijin City at a glance. After all, he had suffered such a loss before, and it would be difficult to use the same method.
It worked again on him.
Murakami Yoshikiyo, Kakizaki Keike and others in the city used various methods such as lighting torches outside the city, warnings and reminders from several nearby castles, etc., to deal with nighttime disturbances. The effect was somewhat effective, but the morale in the city gradually declined as time went by.
It is also inevitable.
In the early morning of August 8, Yukitaka Sanada launched a routine attack. As soon as the troops reached the gate of Kaijin Castle, he felt the ground shaking slightly. Yukitaka Sanada suddenly turned around and asked: "Did you hear anything?"
His disciple Yazawa Yorizuna shook his head and said he didn't notice it. The Sanada family samurai behind him also shook his head. After thinking for a while, Sanada Yukitaka still felt something was wrong. He jumped off his horse and lay on the ground with his ears on the ground. Hearing the rumbling vibrations from the north, he moved towards
It's coming from here.
Sanada Yukitaka's expression changed suddenly and he shouted: "No! There is an enemy attack! The entire army forms a formation!"
At this time, a group of red cavalry roared, like a sweeping red tsunami rushing over. The familiar black and white Ashikaga Nibiki Ryō flags were printed in all directions, and in an instant the Sanada army fell into a sea of red.
The reaction of the samurai of the Sanada family was not unpleasant. In just a few breaths, more than a dozen samurai appeared in front of Yukitaka Sanada holding swords. Yoritsuna Yazawa also drew his sword and shouted urgently: "It's Akabi from the Kira Army! My lord.
Retreat quickly! Everyone listen, we must risk our lives to cover the retreat of our lord!"
"Fight to the death!" the Sanada family samurai shouted.
Takigawa Tokimasu, who was wearing red armor and holding a Minazhu spear, was also eyeing Yukitaka Sanada. Generals like this are often the most conspicuous. They wear the most gorgeous armors, are surrounded by the most dense samurai, and have a dazzling side.
Liulian Qian Daqi betrayed him even more deeply. Takigawa Shiyi shouted: "Sakon! Cover me!"
"I know!" The red-armored bow-wielding general raised his bow and aimed at the samurai blocking the road in front of Takigawa Tokimasu. One arrow after another seemed like an ordinary bow-drawing training. The Sanada family samurai was struck like fallen wheat.
Death.
At the same time, there were three cavalrymen following Takigawa Tokiyoshi. They waved the big guns in their hands to cover Takigawa Tokiyoshi. Any Sanada army who tried to outflank would be killed by their scimitars and big guns, and a round of fierce wind and fire.
The charge smashed Sanada's army into a sieve. Sanada Yukitaka no longer cared about this and retreated desperately backwards under the escort of more than a dozen mounted samurai.
Shitara Sadachi also saw Yukitaka Sanada running away like crazy, and he shouted excitedly: "My lord has a message! Whoever captures the enemy general Yukitaka Sanada alive will be rewarded with a thousand catties of money and promoted to the next level!"
"Ha!" The Akabi warriors were all in a panic. Their red eyes were fixed on the direction in which Sanada Yukitaka was escaping. A thousand cavalrymen turned into several groups and rushed out quickly. Even the defeated Sanada army behind them was too late. Regardless, no one paid attention to the strange title he shouted out.
The Shinano samurai at the top of Kaijin Castle were dumbfounded. A large group of red horse-riding samurai charged into the Sanada army and started a massacre, and then chased them out. What on earth is going on? Many people haven't figured it out yet. Be clear about the situation.
"Go out! Defeat the remnants of Sanada's army!" Kakizaki Keie and Murakami Yoshikiyo issued orders at almost the same moment. Hundreds of horse-riding samurai from Echigo and Shinano rushed out of the Otemon Gate and caught up with the Sanada army who was desperately retreating. The situation on the battlefield suddenly took a 180-degree turn, and it went smoothly beyond imagination. (To be continued, please search Piaotian Literature, the novel is better and updated faster!