July 1, the 14th year of Tenmon (1546), on the south bank of the Yahachi River and north of Nishio Castle.
In the past two days, the Imagawa Army has built a series of supporting fortifications on the south bank of the Yahagi River, keeping a close eye on the Oda Army who is camped across the river. The Oda Army is also doing a lot of construction, and is constantly building siege towers and pontoon bridges.
, seemed to want to retaliate fiercely when landing across the river. In any case, the number of people is a disadvantage after all, and the Imagawa family did not dare to be careless, and always maintained first-level combat readiness. On the evening of July 1, the Imagawa family's
Hatamoto and other important officials gathered together to discuss future countermeasures. However, an uninvited guest suddenly knocked on the door and entered.
"I...I want to go back to Imagawa Hall."
The person who came was none other than Goro Imagawa.
Ever since he was frightened in the battle the day before yesterday, Imagawa Goro has never attended the evaluation meeting again. Today he came uninvited, but he poured cold water on the important ministers on the spot - the young master who came to supervise the battle actually wanted to escape from the battle.
?
"Both Okabe and Asahina said that there is going to be a big battle here, so wouldn't I be in danger? I can't even ride a horse. If the enemy catches me, I won't be able to run away." Imagawa Goro just said
As he said this, his legs began to tremble. It seemed that the battlefield experience in the past few days really frightened him.
Yamada Keitaka, Uden Chomochi, Ohsawa Motozo and others looked at each other for a moment, not knowing what to reply.
"To be honest, the front line is indeed dangerous, and I can't guarantee that the Imagination Army will be able to defend Xiwei City. If the young master decides to leave, he will directly give the order to the family minister, and I, the monk and others, should obey the order.
"Lengquan Weihe saw that everyone was silent, so he slowly began to persuade, "But if you leave, the morale of the Imagawa family on the front line will not be maintained. If the battle is really defeated, hundreds of people may die.
There are thousands of soldiers. Does the young master really want to leave?"
When Lengquan Weihe said this, Imagawa Goro was speechless. Although his legs were still shaking, he gritted his teeth and refused to mention the matter of Imagawa Hall again.
"Then can I go to Okazaki Castle?" Goro Imagawa poked his finger hesitantly and asked in a low voice: "Going to Okazaki Castle doesn't count as leaving the front line, right?"
"Okazaki Castle?" Everyone was stunned for a moment after hearing this gratuitous conversation. They didn't know how Imagawa Goro remembered Okazaki Castle.
"Because my father said that Okazaki Castle is the safest place... If you don't know where to go, go to Okazaki Castle." Imagawa Goro stuttered in reply, and then the retainers suddenly realized - everything came from Imagawa Yoshi
It was Yuan's casual words that made Imagawa Goro, who was still a child who knew nothing about battle formations, care so much about Okazaki Castle.
"If you go to Okazaki Castle, it is better to go to Yoshida Castle. First, Okazaki Castle is also on the front line. Second, Okazaki Castle is controlled by the Matsudaira family, which is a vassal ally after all. If you enter the city alone, your personal safety and freedom may not be
We can get enough guarantee." After Yamada Ketaka pondered for a moment, he suggested to Imagawa Goro, "So the young master might as well go back to Yoshida Castle? Yoshida Castle is in Higashi Mikawa and is very safe. We can also say to the outside world that it is from Imagawakan.
Reinforcements have arrived, and you are returning to Yoshida Castle to hold down the army. Not only will it not shake the morale of the army, it will also make the enemy terrified."
"Hmm...Okay." Imagawa Goro nodded blankly.
In the early morning of July 2, the 14th year of Tenmon (1546), before the morning fog had cleared, a small group of knights surrounded a knight carrying a child and headed east. Asahina Yasumo placed Imagawa Goro in front of him
, carefully controlling the horse's speed to avoid being frightened again by Goro Imagawa, who seemed to have developed a phobia about riding horses in the past few days.
After all, it was within the Self-Controlled Zone, and it was early in the morning. There were no pedestrians or businessmen on the road. The Imagawa family’s team of lightly-armed knights marched very fast. It didn’t take long before they crossed Tojo Castle. At noon, Jian was on the road.
After having some food, we continued our journey in the afternoon. If everything goes well, we might be able to rest at Yoshida Castle in the evening - Asahina Yasumo thought.
The next second, he only felt a little warm under his crotch.
Taking a closer look, it was not the feces and urine he imagined, but vomit - Imagawa Goro didn't know when he grabbed his mane and vomited. The vomit had already flowed bumpily along the horse's back from under Imagawa Goro's crotch.
Arrived at Asahina Tai's crotch.
In desperation, the group of people deserved to stop and rest. However, seeing that Imagawa Goro's face was so ugly, it was probably impossible to continue on the road. Okabe Motobu had no choice but to arrange for people to cut firewood and camp on the spot, and at the same time sent Oda Kirihikojiro to Yoshida Castle first.
, ask the Imagawa family samurai left behind to send a carriage or ox cart to pick up Imagawa Goro.
After nightfall, the guards took turns to keep watch, leaving Imagawa Goro to sleep in a small marching tent. Asahina Taichao felt a little depressed and wiped his crotch with a roll of dry grass - of course it was impossible to bring a change of clothes during this kind of urgent march.
As for clothing. The pair of trousers that were vomited on are still on.
"This is Ryuquan, the direct descendant of Genji. It is a gift given to you. Why are you so sad?" Okabe Motonobu stood up from the simple bedclothes and walked over to Asahina Taitomo. He patted him on the shoulder while giving him a cold joke, "
It's shift change, go and lie down for a while, remember not to fall asleep."
"Can't you come earlier?" Asahina Taichao yawned, "I suspect you got up a quarter of an hour late."
"Who knows, if you can, go and do the watch." Okabe Motonobu snorted coldly, then raised his legs to push aside Asahina Taichao, and sat down on the tree pillar where he was sitting just now. Asahina Taichao
I staggered after being squeezed, and I was about to come back with revenge when I suddenly heard a sound - it sounded like the sound of a hidden weapon.
"Are you really on duty?" Okabe Motonobu suddenly jumped up and kicked out the flames. He put his hand on the handle of the knife to be on guard and did not forget to make another cold joke.
"Hit your sister." Asahina Yasuo leaned with his back to Okabe Motobu, also holding the handle of the knife, and looked around cautiously.
"Alert!" Okabe Gennobu roared, and the guards who were resting outside the tent also stood up.
Almost at the same time that Okabe Gennobu roared, Imagawa Goro inside the tent suddenly exclaimed. The guards were all frightened when they heard the sound. They hurriedly opened the tent, only to see that the back of the tent had been torn apart by a sharp weapon, and the frame was also broken.
It was knocked over. It was obvious that someone had just broken in. Okabe Motonobu hurriedly took a few steps forward to check, but behind the tent were woods and rivers. Many birds inhabiting the woods in the dark were also awakened by the movement, hula la.
There was chaos and the attackers could not be found.
"Protect the young master!"
Okabe Motonobu immediately gave the order, and the guards of the Imagawa family also rushed into the tent, using their bodies to protect Goro Imagawa behind them. At the same time, Asahina Yasumo quickly jumped on his horse and started galloping around the camp to check if there were still people around.
There were attackers ambushing me. After struggling for more than a quarter of an hour, I finally temporarily ensured the safety of the area.
"Why is there an empty seat behind the tent?" Asahina Taichao asked anxiously after returning.
"It's not your fault. I was originally guarding that position and asked you to change shifts, but I dragged my feet and refused to go." Okabe Motonobu glared at Asahina Taimo, who spread his hands and sighed with some fear: "Fortunately
Young Master is fine."
"But they chose to attack when we were changing shifts, which means they have been following us for a while. Moreover, our escorting the young master away is obviously a top-secret matter, and it was only decided last night. There is no way the Oda family would know the news so quickly.
, and then sent people to hunt him down." Okabe Motonobu sat down on the tree pillar again, forced himself to calm down, and his brain began to work rapidly:
"Then there is only one possibility. There happened to be people from the Oda family or hostile forces operating nearby. They happened to meet us and planned this attack on the spur of the moment. Could it be..."
Okabe Gennobu lowered his head and pondered for a moment, and then ordered the other guards: "I suggest changing the route immediately and returning to Nishio City."
"Why?" Asahina Taichao asked in confusion.
"It's a good thing that the attackers are the Oda family. They don't have too many ninjas and craftsmen in Mikawa, and they definitely have no contact with each other. If they want to take us down, they will have to gather at least twenty people. I don't think they can do it."
With such a large number of people, I am afraid that these attackers are members of the Yixiang Sect. Didn't His Highness the Family Governor have a very unhappy time with the Yixiang Sect in Mikawa? If they want to take the opportunity to retaliate, it will be troublesome. In their territory
If you go up, you can easily pull out hundreds or thousands of people to attack us."
Okabe Motoshin's face became uglier the more he talked, "Now continue to the east, and there will be several Ichigo sect temples immediately. We can't go any further. Let's go back to Nishio Castle."
"I don't want to go back." However, Imagawa Goro suddenly cried and started to interrupt. He was wrapped in a thin sheet. He was already a little nervous and was even more panicked by the attack just now. "I almost died.
Everything has just gotten in my face, I don’t want to go back, I want to go to a safe place!”
"Young Master, the safest place is to go back to Nishio City now. There are thousands of troops protecting you, and no one can do anything to you." Okabe Motonobu persuaded you earnestly, but Imagawa Goro just shook his head: "It's really that safe.
, why did everyone still agree to send me out? Didn’t Master Lengquan say that there is no way to ensure that we can defend Xiwei City?"
"But young master, it will be really dangerous to go further east, and it will be equally dangerous to stay here. Our position has been exposed. If we don't move, it is very likely that the attacker will bring his companions."
"Then we can't go to Okazaki Castle? Why not go to Okazaki Castle?" Goro Imagawa still only has the place name "Okazaki Castle" in his mind - this may be the only Mikawa place name he knows.
"Uh..." Okabe Motonobu was also a little stunned when Imagawa Goro said this. As luck would have it, the place where they are staying now is at the intersection of Mikawa Coastal Highway. If you go north, you can go directly to Oka
Sakijo - There are not many Ichigo sect temples along this road.
"It's not impossible..." Okabe Motonobu exchanged glances with the surrounding guards, and then whispered: "Asahina, you go ahead and clear the way immediately. We will pack up and go north, towards Okazaki Castle, and then
Send someone back to Xiwei City to report our change of whereabouts."