On May 21st, the twelfth year of Eiroku, the rain had stopped and the sun was rising. In the Ugasaki Hall located on the northern edge of the Kai Basin, the ministers gathered in the courtyard anxiously, waiting anxiously for the doctor's diagnosis.
Takeda Shingen's asthma symptoms suddenly worsened, adding to the crisis of the Takeda family.
After a while, Takeda Katsuyori walked out slowly accompanied by an old doctor. The ministers hurriedly approached and asked: "How is my lord's condition? Is he in danger? When can he come out to take charge of the overall situation?"
The old doctor twisted his beard and said: "This attack is very serious. I didn't expect that His Highness Dr. Dashan would also suffer from a serious air disease. If you follow the previous prescriptions for treating asthma, it will only get worse. Fortunately, the old doctor found out enough
Early to avoid a disaster..."
Shimotsone Masato grabbed the old doctor by the collar and said angrily: "Don't talk nonsense like this, you old fool. Can the lord come out and take charge of the overall situation? Kaibi is in such a mess now, it will be terrible if the lord doesn't step forward.
Got it!"
"Uh-huh..." The old doctor was choked and couldn't breathe. Just when he was about to roll his eyes, a few young samurai pulled Shimo Sone Masato free. Takeda Katsuyori dissatisfied and scolded: "Do it in public."
Damn, how unbecoming is this! Look, do you still look like a samurai? Your clothes are disheveled, your etiquette is gone, your shoulders are hunched over your back, and you look angry. If outsiders see it, they will think that all the samurai of the Takeda family are so unruly.
!”
"...Ha!" Shimotsone lowered his head angrily and muttered softly: "The bastard of the Suwa family dares to ride on my head and run wild..."
Sone Toranaga glared at him and deliberately coughed to cover up his voice. He was Shimo Sone Masato's uncle. Ever since his younger brother Sone Toromei was implicated in Takeda Yoshinobu's rebellion and was killed, the Sone clan has been obsessed with it.
Takeda Shingen, the governor of the clan, was deeply dissatisfied. Sone Toramori was one of Takeda Yoshinobu's servants, and the Sone clan was a die-hard supporter of Takeda Yoshinobu. It is conceivable that after the death of a powerful member of the clan, he was suppressed one after another.
How dissatisfied.
Takeda Katsuyori slowly glanced at the ministers for a moment. He said with a touch of pride: "My father's health is not good. He needs to think less and rest more. He should not be too busy. Therefore, my father ordered that the affairs of the family be transferred to me.
Lai Chu, Mino Shou of Racecourse, Mei Shou of Jibu, Diao Xianzhai of Nagasaka, and Jinfu Jingxianzhai can testify to this."
"Young Master is right! We can testify." Nagasaka Mitsuken nodded as he entered the road. Takeda Shingen's immediate subordinates have always been famous for their loyalty and reliability in their family. With this veteran,
The powerful evidence made the warriors' last extravagant hopes vanish.
"Damn it! Are we really going to be ruled by this guy Suwa Katsuyori? We are really unwilling to do so!" Masari Shimosone clenched his fists angrily, and quietly turned his head to find that his fellow Sone Masayo also had a similar expression. Fortunately, they
The two were squeezed into the second row and were not seen by Takeda Katsuyori.
The family members bowed their heads and saluted. Takeda Katsuyori reservedly accepted the courtesy and said with a smile: "Today's crisis. I, Katsuyori, are very clear about it. Although the dangers in Kai Kingdom are very dangerous, I
As the general of the Western Army, the Takeda family single-handedly held off the main force of the Eastern Army for nearly two months, fully demonstrating the bravery of our Kai samurai, so we can just leave the rest of the battle to the reinforcements!"
Oyamada Masayuki frowned and said: "Can the reinforcements from the Western Army really rescue me from the crisis in Kai? It always seems unreliable."
"I believe that I must be our nemesis!" Takeda Katsuyori said confidently: "All we need is..."
Just at this time, Kosaka Masanobu came out and said in a cold tone: "The crisis in Kai is that there are enemies on all sides. Most of the northern part of Juma County fell into the hands of Yukitaka Sanada, the Mikawa gengata rebelled, the Toe gengata rebelled, and the Suruga gengata led the rebellion.
The army surrendered to the Eastern Army, and all our retreat routes were cut off. Is it really useful to rely on the Western Army at this time?"
Takeda Katsuyori turned blue with anger. He hated being intercepted the most in his life. He glared at him bitterly and was about to speak. He heard Baba Nobuka echoing: "It is said that part of the main force of the Western Army has been transferred to Owari Province on standby.
, but we were in such a hurry to retreat that we didn’t have time to find out exactly how many reinforcements there were. Logically speaking, the reinforcements should rescue us as soon as possible. Why hasn’t there been any movement yet?”
Masamori Kobata also sneered: "Last month, the army wasted time by besieging Sakamoto, but by now the Battle of Sakamoto should have been completed! No reinforcements have been sent yet. Have you ever taken the Allies' difficulties into consideration?
Or is it Oda Nobunaga who doesn't keep his words and is teasing me!"
Takeda Katsuyori was so angry that he was shaking all over. Just when he was about to scold the rudeness of the public, he saw a sudden commotion in the crowd. Someone pinched his throat and said: "If we had accepted the request of the Right General, would we have
We can join the Eastern Army to avoid the war. After all, we are Eastern Warriors, so joining the Western Army is nothing..."
"Ahem!" Jinfu Jingxianzhai said with a smile: "My lord is in poor health and needs some self-cultivation. How about we come here today and continue the debate tomorrow?"
The ministers looked at each other and bowed before slowly retreating. Needless to say, they knew that some things would not be possible. No matter how much trouble there was in the Takeda family, they were not willing to let the family business break up. The so-called surrender to General Right's request was not allowed.
It is possible, or in other words, no Kai samurai with backbone and ambition would agree to it.
The almost harsh demands put forward by Minamoto no Yoshi were unacceptable to the Takeda family. Even if some members of the clan thought they were acceptable, they did not dare to say them out. After all, Takeda Shingen and several of his sons committed seppuku and established Takeda Nobushige as the successor.
The conditions imposed by the governor were already excessive, and reducing the territory to half a kingdom of Kai by 150,000 dan was an even more impossible condition to agree to.
After the ministers had dispersed and only a few close ministers remained in the courtyard, Takeda Katsuyori said angrily: "Imofuku enters Johensesai! Answer me directly, why did you send them away just now! I am about to catch the man who is deceiving the public with his lies.
Bastard, then cut him into pieces! Why did you do that?"
"This is for the safety of Young Palace." Nagasaka Diao Xiansai took a deep look at Takeda Katsuyori and said in a warning tone: "Now that our Takeda family is at the critical moment of life and death, we must not make any decisions just because of some conflicts.
If something hurts the lord's popularity, the young palace should exercise the power of family supervision on the lord's behalf, and should be more kind, more tolerant and understanding, more patient and listening, instead of getting angry or punishing people."
Takeda Katsuyori roared angrily: "Nagaban fished into Daoxianzhai! What do you mean by this! I am the acting governor of the Takeda family, and the power of acting as a governor is a matter of course. Someone just made a monstrous statement to confuse the public. Why should I have to endure this?
Where is the authority of the family governor who can endure this? What are your intentions?"
"We are acting out of public motives, Young Master has no doubt about this." Baba Nobuka glanced at the angry Takeda Katsuyori and said calmly: "Young Master should not be so angry. The first thing the acting family governor did not go as he wished is exactly what he said.
Young Master needs to listen patiently and learn with humility. After all, Young Master is still the acting governor, not the new governor of the Takeda family."
Takeda Katsuyori angrily said tit for tat: "Are you talking to me in this tone? Remember your identity! You are retainers. I am the master, and retainers must respect the master! If I are rude to you, my family will
Write them down one by one!"
"The etiquette of a ruler and his ministers is also a matter of principle! If the ruler is wise, virtuous and talented, his retainers will naturally respect and love him..." Masanobu Takasaka sneered: "If the ruler is not virtuous and virtuous, his subjects may not necessarily abide by the etiquette of a ruler and his ministers!"
"There is one more thing I would like to inform the young palace. After all, the young palace is just the heir of the family governor, and he exercises the power of the family governor. It is better to use this title sparingly. This is an overstep of the lord's authority. If this word spreads, he will be ridiculed by the retainers!
"Kosaka Masanobu turned around and walked back to the house. Several veterans passed by him without saying a word. From the beginning to the end, no one made any other gestures to him other than saluting.
Takeda Katsuyori was shaken by the blow and almost sat down on the ground. When he looked up, he realized that there were so many retainers in the courtyard, but none of his trusted generals existed. The only one who could be regarded as a trusted confidant was Gomi Nagasaka.
Diao Xianshai is not as loyal to himself as he is to Takeda Shingen, and Atobe Katsushi and others are not yet qualified to enter the ranks of important ministers.
"How dare you bastards despise me! Just wait, I will get this debt back one by one!" Takeda Katsuyori left in panic. He didn't even notice that the title changed back to its original form.
appearance.
Kosaka Masanobu walked back to the house, gently opened the door and smelled a strong smell of herbs. He walked quietly outside the inner room door, and suddenly heard a deep voice in the inner room saying:
"Is it Torasuna? Come in!"
"yes!"
Takeda Shingen looked sick and asked feebly: "How is the situation outside?"
"Everything is fine, my lord, please rest assured and cultivate yourself!" Kosaka Masanobu lowered his head and comforted in a low voice: "Katsuraiden is very outstanding and will be a good family governor..."
Takeda Shingen shook his head and said: "Don't lie to me, it must be terrible outside! How many territories have been lost during this period. Is Suruga still in his hands? What is the situation with Oyamada and Anayama? Tell me the truth, I don't want to listen to those flattery words.
.”
Seeing that he couldn't escape, Kosaka Masanobu had to explain the situation clearly. Shun Enzo was completely under the control of the Eastern Army. Half of Juma County was controlled by Yukitaka Sanada, and the most important ones were Nobumo Oyamada and Nobukun Anayama.
After losing contact, the military strength in the country is only about 13,000, and it is still a question of how long it can last.
Takeda Shingen slowly closed his eyes, and after a long time he sighed: "Have Oyamada and Anayama lost contact? Sure enough, they have already cut in, and more than half of Kai's territory has fallen into the hands of the enemy. Our Takeda family is going to be finished..."
"besides……"
Takeda Shingen glanced at Kosaka Masanobu. If he was familiar with his character, he knew that he was very hesitant. He said calmly: "If there is anything else, please explain it clearly in one breath! I will not blame you."
"The latest information I just received is that Takeda Nomado is leading an army of more than 20,000 from Shunen's three avant-garde troops, with 3,000 troops commanded by Akiyama Nobuyoshi as the avant-garde general, and they are heading towards Uzakizakikan." Takasaka Masanobu suddenly knelt down.
He fell to the ground and cried loudly. While crying, he said: "It's all because of my incompetence. During the month when my lord was seriously ill, he was defeated many times by the Eastern Army. His crime of losing an army and humiliating the country is unforgivable..."
"Jiro is finally here..." Takeda Shingen suddenly saw two long and short swords placed in the corner. The longer sword was named Lai Kunichō, and the shorter sword was Lai Kunichō. Both swords were his father's.
The Yuanfu gift that Takeda Nobutora gave him back then, more than thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and all the past events have long since changed.
"...Lord! Are you listening?" Kosaka Masanobu looked at him with concern, worried that Takeda Shingen would fall into coma on the spot holding ribs a month ago when he received Lai Kunjun. This illness lasted for a month.
As a result of his illness, the situation in Kai Country gradually collapsed, leaving Takeda's retainers helpless and exhausted.
Takeda Shingen said slowly: "I'm fine, I just lament that the world has changed too fast. The glorious years of the past seem to be vaguely in front of my eyes, but in the blink of an eye, they have become like this. Sure enough, as my father said, I really am not a good person."
An excellent governor?"
"That's not the case. My lord is the best family governor in the world. Even when the Takeda family encountered crises several times, he was still able to expand the territory and create a large habitat for the Kai samurai. This is something that many samurai could not do in their lifetimes.
One in ten thousand great achievements! Please don't be discouraged, my lord, you will definitely get out of the predicament!" Kosaka Masanobu tried hard to persuade, but in his heart he kept blaming himself for his negligence and stupidity, and he should not let the sick house governor listen again.
Got such dangerous information.
But sometimes, it is not that he can pretend that it never happened without telling him. The news that Yamada Nobu-kun, the commander of the county, and Nobu-kun Yamada, the leader of Kawachi, betrayed the Takeda family spread throughout Kai. Takeda Nobutora took his father Nobutora Takeda to "restore Shoshuo".
In the name of "Suppressing the Rebellion", he crusade against the unscrupulous family governor Takeda Shingen. This is the first time the two brothers have faced each other tit for tat, and it is also the last time.
Satake Yoshige led an army of 20,000 people across the mountains, and with Oyamada Nobushige as the vanguard, invaded the Kai Basin. For a time, the small Kingdom of Kai gathered an army of 70,000 people. Without the protection of the surrounding mountains, the Kai Basin was like a snail that had lost its shell.
It was extremely fragile and powerless. The entire Kai Basin was fertile and wild for thousands of miles, and had no basis for defense. Most of it was captured in an instant.
Sanada Yukitaka in the northwest led an army of 30,000, plus more than 5,000 servants from Kai Province and Suwa County, and easily crossed the Kamamashi River and went straight to Uzakikan. Takeda Nobushige in the southwest moved faster.
With the support of Nobu-kun Anesama, who was leading the party, and who had the status and the great cause of attacking the family governor, the remaining garrison guards in the cities along the way all surrendered.
Even Satake Yoshige's troops, who were not making much progress, easily crossed the Fuefuki River at this time and met up with the other two armies in the center of the Kai Plains. Seventy thousand people surrounded a weakly defended Heijo Uzakikan.
In just a few days, the number of the garrison in the city was reduced to less than 2,000. The speed of collapse was beyond imagination, and the Takeda family had already deserted.
After a few days, the people in the Tsuzakikan were already panicked and the peace and tranquility of the past was no longer the same. The defenders in the city were only a few hundred loyal samurai and more than a thousand ashigaru who continued to persevere. They were loyal, brave and with the heart to repay kindness.
Such complex thoughts, in short, those samurai and ashigaru who have been favored by Takeda Shingen over the years have stayed. They are the last courage of the Takeda family, and many of their enemies are former relatives, friends, colleagues, and friends.
In a few days, we have become two camps: the enemy and ourselves. It can be said that things in the world are unpredictable.
Takeda Shingen's condition recovered well and he could stand up and walk around the courtyard. He refused his son Takeda Katsuyori's request to be transferred to the key mountain castle cage defense and stubbornly stayed in the Uzakizaki Hall. Others also stayed.
Kosaka Masanobu, Baba Nobuka and other close veterans who had been close to them for many years, and the rest of the Shodai died on the run. For example, there were many traitors in the Sone clan collective, and more than half of the Shodai disappeared, but a few Ashigaru generals were still alive.
Stay, but none of this can stop the Eastern Army. The Takeda family is really going to end.
At this moment, Takeda Shingen has lost his former high-spirited style. He is like a middle-aged man who has experienced many vicissitudes of life. He is sitting on the corridor of the courtyard and singing poetry. He listens carefully to the ballad of Yuko Wakamu from "Atsori". After a long time, he sighs: "It's a pity that I
This broken body cannot be driven, otherwise I would really want to dance a Xingruo dance as the final ritual!"
Fierce gunfire exchanges came from the city, and occasionally there was an earth-shattering artillery explosion. The screams and cries were intertwined. The earth trembled again and again, as if a helpless child was in painful torture.
He groaned in a low voice, and occasionally heard the sound of a building collapsing. Everyone in the courtyard was worried about it. The shamisen in Xiao's hand stopped unconsciously, and he looked at Takeda Shingen in confusion, feeling at a loss.
Kosaka Masanobu made a gesture to the little surname, stood up, walked to the courtyard and bowed: "If my lord does not mind, let me dance this section for you!"
The music played again, and Kosaka Masanobu slowly danced the Kowa dance. Even though he was over forty and his body had grown fat and out of shape, and he no longer looked as handsome and charming as before, his dancing posture and movements were still graceful and perfect, and he was good at it after many years of fighting.
His excellent physique was undoubtedly on display. Nobubo Baba played time to cheer him up, and there were several other minors who played taiko drums, played shakuhachi, and shook golden bells. Although not as professional as the performance of the Sarugoshi, it fit the situation perfectly.
Takeda Shingen sang softly: "I often think about this world, wandering without a fixed place, sighing for the moon in the water, floating like morning dew, fifty years in the world, compared with the heaven and earth, it seems like a small thing, looking at the world as a dream like water, let's live one life,
Immediately after entering and passing away, this is the seed of Bodhi. Feelings of annoyance fill your mind. If you go to the capital at this moment, if you see the head of Lord Dunsheng, if you look at the world, sea and sky, there is no one who will live forever..."