"Lord, please leave quickly!" At the critical moment, Honda Tadayoshi, who was accompanying Matsudaira Hirohada, didn't care so much anymore. He whipped Matsudaira Hirohada's horse's butt hard and looked at Abe Sadakichi. The others protected Matsudaira Hirotada and left, while he took the remaining few horses and turned around to attack the Mizuno Army's cavalry. They were instantly overwhelmed by the army, but they also bought precious time for Matsudaira Hirotada.
"Guangzhong, this way!"
At the critical moment, Imagawa Yoshimoto led 200 horses to fight back. A burst of arrows drove back the Mizuno family's pursuers. Only then did Matsudaira Hirotada have a chance to breathe. Looking around, Imagawa's army was stationed in Nishibe and Kirabe. Makino Bei's troops all began to gather and retreat. The tight formation prevented Oda Nobuhiro from finding a chance to attack, and he was just slowly following behind.
"Gather the stragglers of the Matsudaira clan as much as possible." Imagawa Yoshimoto took a look at the situation in the west of Sakurai Castle and realized the seriousness of the situation - the Matsudaira clan brought 1,100 people to the battlefield, and it was not easy for more than 200 to come back in the end.
However, Mizuno Bei obviously did not give the Matsudaira family a chance to regroup, and immediately attacked again, followed by the troops of the Fukugama Matsudaira family. Oda Nobhiro's troops did not dare to attack the Imagawa army, but for the Matsudaira clan's defeat Still very interested, he also went straight to the south, even blocking the advance route of the Fukumagama Matsudaira family, forcing the Fukumagama Matsudaira family to go around northwest of Sakurai Castle. This also caused the Matsudaira family to flee north. Being completely surrounded, I had no choice but to kneel down and ask for surrender.
"Brother, this is the Mizuno family!" Hirotada Matsudaira's helmet fell off at some point, and his hair was disheveled.
"Rebellion, Mizuno Shimono may have been controlled by others. Maybe Mizuno Toshichiro is in charge, so he will naturally move closer to the Oda family." Imagawa Yoshimoto repeated the Imagawa family's speculation to Matsudaira Hirotada, while saying Observing the battle situation extremely calmly.
"Then what should we do now?" Matsudaira Hirohada was completely crazy. He wanted to rush back to the rebel army to rescue the Matsudaira family's subordinates. However, Abe Nobuyoshi and others held him tightly and admonished him with tears in his eyes: " My lord, you must calm down! Let’s retreat to Anxiang City as soon as possible! Your life was bought by Lord Honda and countless warriors, you can’t act like this again!”
"There is really a chance to counterattack."
Imagawa Yoshimoto's plain words seemed so calm in the critical situation. Matsudaira Hirotada and others were stunned when they heard the words. At present, the combined forces of Oda Army, Mizuno Bei, Sakurai Matsudairabe, and Fukumagama Matsudairabe totaled There are as many as 3,000 people, and after the Matsudaira clan's troops collapsed, Imagawa Yoshimoto only had 1,200 people from Jinseibei, 900 people from Kirabei, and 300 people from Makino family. What's more, the Imagawa-Matsudaira coalition forces were newly defeated, morale was low, and various ministries They are all retreating, and they don't look like they can counterattack.
"Look, Oda Ohsumi's troops have now reached the west of Sakurai Castle, while the troops of the Fukugama Matsudaira family who detoured are to the north of them, blocking the Oda army's way back to Anxiang Castle." Imagawa Yoshimoto He raised his hand and pointed, revealing the huge flaw in the enemy's formation:
"Now that our army has stopped retreating and is going straight to Anxiang City, Oda Ohsumi must immediately go north to return reinforcements. After all, it is his own city. But the Fukugama Matsudaira family is not willing to defend Anxiang City, and it is impossible for the Oda family to do so. There was a bloody battle between the castle and the Imagawa family, whose number was several times theirs. At that time, if the Fukugama Matsudaira family hesitated, they would block Oda Ohsumi's troops. They and the Oda family were just cheap allies who had just formed a relationship, and they had little trust and trust. There is a tacit understanding, and there will inevitably be conflicts and chaos, which can mess up the formations of both their armies. If we take advantage of the situation and attack, we will have a chance to defeat them."
"The west side of Sakurai Castle is now in a mess. The troops of the Mizuno family, the Oda family, and the Sakurai Matsudaira family are intertwined, and they are all chasing the defeated troops of the Matsudaira clan. Once the friendly forces in front are defeated and roll back to the front, they will have no time to regroup. Their troops
As soon as we retreat, we have a chance to rescue the scattered friendly forces, and if things go wrong, we can capture them and call them."
"How is it?" Imagawa Yoshimoto turned around and looked at Yamada Keitaka, Obara Masumi, Nana Furunoji Yutaka and others.
"If I think it's feasible, His Highness will give the order." Yamada Ketaka, a veteran for many years, said with relief.
However, Ohara Jinmi and Na Furunoji Yutaka looked at each other and both shook their heads. Imagawa Yoshimoto knew their subtext even without asking - why risk the family's troops in order to save the Matsudaira clan?
"Earlier in Shinano, my brother was not at all willing to take advantage of the Takeda family's adventure." That Furunoji Yutaka advised meaningfully, expressing his protest without arousing the resentment of everyone in the Matsudaira family.
"The situation is different." Imagawa Yoshimoto just smiled slightly, and then snapped his fingers in the direction of Anxiang City, "Zhenxibei, march towards Anxiang City! Kirabei, cover the rear and prevent the Oda army from returning reinforcements!
Makino Bei, guard the gates of Sakurai Castle to see if any enemy troops are entering or exiting!"
Under the order of Imagawa Yoshimoto, the Imagawa Army stopped retreating, turned around and headed towards Anxiang Castle. Oda Nobhiro was busy arresting deserters from the Matsudaira clan just now, but by the time he discovered the unusual movements of the Imagawa Army, it was already a little late.
.
"No way. If we don't retreat at this time, will we have to counterattack?" Oda Nobuhiro hurriedly jumped on a small hill and saw that the flag of the Imagawa Army Flag Team was indeed heading towards Anxiang City, and then he became anxious.
"Go back to Anxiang City immediately and don't worry about the prisoners anymore!" Oda Nobhiro roared to urge the horses, swinging his whip in the air at all the soldiers who were still lingering and unwilling to leave, "Quickly go! Take everything you grabbed.
Throw it down! Withdraw! Don’t you dare to stay and engage in military law again!”
Oda Nobhiro issued such a strict order, and samurai at all levels did not dare to delay. They urged their deployment and reluctantly headed north. However, on the flat ground in the northwest corner of Sakurai Castle, they were pursued.
The Fukuoka Matsudaira family was blocked. The troops of the Fukumagama Matsudaira family were searching the battlefield for the gold and silver that had been dropped by the defeated soldiers, but the queue of several hundred people was long and chaotic.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Let them stop the Imagawa army immediately, or they will make way for us!" Oda Nobhiro suddenly became angry, and he yelled at the envoy and ordered, "Hurry up, let us get out of the way!"
Get out of here, those Sanhe guys!"
The envoy who was so angry naturally did not look good on Matsudaira Chiji of the Fukugama Matsudaira family. He sternly conveyed Oda Nobhiro's instructions, but Matsudaira Chiji also instantly became serious: "What does Oda Ohsumi Mamoru mean?
?The two families are temporary allies, how can we be under his command? I am not his retainer, so who will be the one to scold me?"
However, Matsudaira did not dare to fall out with Oda Nobuhiro, who had a large number of people. However, he was full of complaints and naturally had no intention of saving the Oda family's city. He just slowly began to restrain the troops and left Oda Nobuhiro with some time.
There were several channels for returning reinforcements. Oda Nobuhiro hurriedly urged his men to pass through Fukuoka Matsudairabei and go north, but the formation was a bit scattered. The leading troops were in a hurry before entering Anxiang City before Zhenxibei. However, before the leader could
Several Oda family generals went to the city to defend, and found that Jin Xibei had changed his direction and instead went towards the somewhat confused Oda Nobhiro's horse seal.
Oda Nobhiro was horrified when he saw this, and hurriedly tried to adjust his position and camp. However, how could his own soldiers who were sandwiched in the Fukugama Matsudaira family's troops be mobilized quickly? There were many chaos in an instant. Matsudaira Chiji was now just like a dream.
They woke up and quickly formed a formation to defend against the enemy, but their troops were too thin. Oda Nobuhiro and Matsudaira Okaji immediately asked for help from the Mizuno family. The Mizuno family hurriedly gathered their troops and wanted to come over, but they were defeated by the Oda army and Fukumagama Matsudairabe.
Blocked behind them, they had no choice but to join up with the Sakurai Matsudaira family, try to pass through Sakurai Castle, and attack the flank of the Imagawa Army - however, Kirabei and Makinobei had been on guard for a long time and had formed a formation so that they had no chance to take advantage.
Just when the troops of Oda Nobuhiro and Matsudaira Chiji were in chaos, and the Imagawa army's counterattack was about to succeed, trouble came again. An Oda army suddenly appeared from the north of Anxiang City.
When I sneaked here quietly, I saw that the flag was the troops of the Yamaguchi family of Narumi Castle. There were already more than 1,200 people - 300 more than when Imagawa Yoshimoto last saw Yamaguchi Kensugu. It seems that he has really developed in recent years.
Not bad.
If the Imagawa Army continues to advance, Yamaguchi Bei will have the opportunity to flank the Imagawa Army at any time and block them in the gap between Anxiang Castle and Sakurai Castle. Imagawa Yoshimoto does not have much choice, so he can only regretfully go underground.
The troops were ordered to retreat immediately. However, Yamaguchi Kotsugi was very polite and had no intention of pursuing him. He just sent Imagawa Yoshigenrei out of the country.
"After this great defeat, the Matsudaira clan is finished."
On the ferry bridge of the Yahagi River, Na Furunoji Yutaka looked at Imagawa Yoshimoto with some schadenfreude. Imagawa Yoshimoto followed his gaze and could see Matsudaira Hirotada crossing the river east with only a few dozen troops.
Return. The flags on the backs of these defeated soldiers of the Matsudaira clan are all in pieces, and their armors are in tatters. They all managed to escape from the battlefield and return to the team. And the remaining troops of nearly a thousand people were all ruined.
At the foot of Sakurai Castle on the other side of the Yahagi River. I don't know how many people were captured, how many died in battle, and how many people escaped, but they haven't found a chance to escape yet.
However, nearly half of the troops and samurai were lost at once, and the status of the Matsudaira clan also plummeted. With the break of the Mizuno family's alliance and the betrayal of the Sakurai Matsudaira family and the Fukugama Matsudaira family, Mikawa west of the Yahagi River also completely broke away from the Matsudaira clan.
Taking into account the Higashi Mikawa wealthy family that became independent after the death of Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, the land that the Matsudaira clan can control now is only a small circle around Okazaki Castle, and the main branch families are only the Tojo Matsudaira family and the Goi Matsudaira family.
Also supports Matsudaira Hirotada.
"This is a good opportunity for us to extend our influence deep into Mikawa." Furunoji Yutaka whispered into Imagawa Yoshimoto's ear again, "Whether we take this opportunity to control the Matsudaira family, or we clean up those people who don't listen to me in Higashi Mikawa.
Whether it is the wealthy families of Xuan, they are all within your choice, Fourth Brother. Although the wealthy families of Dong Mikawa nominally surrender to our Imagawa family, they have neither hostages nor military service. In the past, we were worried about the influence of the Matsudaira family and did not dare to annex them.
They are afraid that they will join forces with the Matsudaira family to fight against us. Now that the Matsudaira clan has collapsed, this is a good opportunity for us."
"Some are happy and some are sad." Imagawa Yoshimoto sighed helplessly and looked at the lonely figure of Matsudaira Hirotada - he was looking back at the land of Nishi Mikawa with tears in his eyes.