As the red flag in the Hojo Ryuyama formation was raised, the military drums rumbled, and the surrounding reserve troops began to gather towards her.
The running messenger ran past a reserve team of ten, conveying Hojo Ryuzan's command to the ears of each team of Hojo warriors until their mouths were dry and their tongues were exhausted.
They have no reinforcements, they cannot retreat, they must die here. This bad news is like a wave of waves, radiating from the center outwards in circles, making people excited.
In the face of death, some people choose to run away, some people stop moving forward, and some people speed up towards Beitiaolong Mountain without hesitation.
In the end, one-third of the reserve troops maintained order and united around Chibei at Hojo Ryusan Mountain, fighting to the death.
The ten-man Hojo Hime samurai team was killing every escaping ashigaru, desperately holding on to their position, and fighting until the last moment of their lives.
With the persistence of these elite Hojo soldiers who risked their lives, they actually blocked the armored legions of the Kanto Palace.
In times of crisis, the true colors of heroes are revealed. Ashikaga Yoshiji, who was retreating, saw that the situation improved, and his horse seal slowly returned to its original position.
———
The biggest reason why Hojo Ryuzan was able to stabilize his position was not that the Hime Warriors were willing to die, but that Shima Katsuo's thoughts were not on them.
After breaking through the Hojo army on the northern front, Shimakatsu glanced at the horseback samurai warriors who were scattered and killing each other, and shouted to Hatakemoto beside him.
"Blow the conch and regroup!"
"Hi!"
Hatamoto took off the conch shell from his back and started blowing it. The cavalrymen who heard the sound of the conch shell gave up the pursuit and gathered around.
Shimakatsu looked fiercely in the direction of the Chinese army, not knowing what was going on with Shiba Yiyin, who was deeply trapped in the enemy's formation. She was so anxious at this time that she shouted.
"Line up! Line up!"
The Ji warriors galloped into formation and once again formed a charging formation. Shimakatsu glanced at the chaotic battlefield on the northern front without any hesitation.
She pointed at the flying family crest flags and horse seals of the Hojo Central Army's headquarters, and shouted to the Hime Warriors.
"Target southeast! Attack with the whole army! The merit of breaking the enemy's main formation belongs to us!"
"Hi!"
The cavalry instantly boiled with momentum and followed Shima Shengmeng, leaving the northern battlefield and rushing towards the Hojo main formation in the southeast.
As they left the battlefield, the pressure on Hojo Ryuzan was greatly reduced instantly, and they became a problem for Yukimori Yamazaka.
The troops on Hojo's right wing were either routed and left the battlefield, or they gathered around Mount Hojo and were locked in place.
The Hojo army still on the battlefield is centered on a group of Hime warriors who are loyal to the Hojo family. They don't expect to leave alive at all, they just want to drag a few backers to die together.
Facing these Hojo warriors with death aspirations, Yamanaka Yukimori had a splitting headache. Of the eight reserve teams under her command, six were exhausted and two lacked warriors, so she had no capital to attack.
Moreover, the war went smoothly, and his subordinate Ji Ji was fully looking forward to the reward after the war, and no longer had the belief to fight to the death. The heroes who cherished their lives were unwilling to win when faced with the dead soldiers who refused to retreat.
Without the fierce war hammer of Shimakatsu's fierce cavalry, Yamanaka Yukimori could not smash Hojo Ryuzan's front, and the battle on the northern front once again reached a stalemate.
———
As Hojo Ryuzan's eyes turned to the collapsed northern front, the Sanada Ironclad Army that she had just led to besiege finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Hojo Ryuzan led the troops to shrink and gather their forces to fight against Yamanaka Yukimori's hundred armored warriors and eight reserve teams. She really couldn't care about the Sanada armored army on the flanks.
Sanada Nobushige was shocked by Hojo Ryuzan's tactics just now. The number of her armored troops was too small, and she was disgraced by Hojo Ryuzan's red bet as a shield and the reserve team's output.
Now that the two sides were out of contact, she ordered the armored troops to line up to take a break and take the opportunity to observe the battle situation.
Shima Katsuo left the battlefield on the northern front, and she saw the confrontation between Yamanaka Yukimori and Hojo Ryuzan.
Why did Shima Katsuo leave at this time? It was clear that Hojo's right wing would collapse just short of the final blow, but if he gave up halfway, all his previous efforts might be wasted.
Sanada Nobushige's pupils shrank, and he thought of something. The Imperial Office! Something happened at the Imperial Office!
Dao Shengmeng did things in an orderly manner, with clear priorities, and could not waste energy on useless efforts. She left the northern front battlefield in a hurry, there was only one possibility, there must be something wrong with the imperial office.
Sanada Nobushige gritted his teeth.
No, the Hojo army on the northern front must be defeated as soon as possible, and the stalemate cannot continue. Only when the Hojo right wing collapses will the Hojo clan in the central army completely lose their fighting spirit.
She looked up at the battlefield, trying to find opportunities. But it was too difficult. Hojo Ryuzan was much smarter than Ashikaga Yoshiji.
She saw that the number of Sanada's armored soldiers was too small. As long as the armored soldiers did not break through the queue and disrupt the formation, how many people could these armored Hime warriors kill?
Are the Hojo troops afraid of killing people now? They are just stalling for time, the longer the better!
Sanada Nobushige became impatient. Umino Riichi was not here. She suddenly wanted to rush back to the rear and ask Roku Niang what to do at this time.
But the people from Hojo Ryuzan are old and sophisticated and are difficult to deal with. Roku Niang can deal with Ashikaga Yoshi, but she may not be able to deal with this old fox.
Wait, Ashikaga Yoshiji?
Sanada Nobushige cast his gaze behind the Hojo formation not far away, looking thoughtfully at the Ashikaga family crest flag. That was where Ashikaga Yoshiji secretly returned to his original position after the northern line was stabilized again.
Sanada Nobushige grinned, and no one saw her slightly ferocious smile under her visor.
"Everyone has it! Stand at attention! Turn right! The target is the Ashikaga family crest flag, and walk together! One, two, one!"
———
Discovering that the Sanada Ironclad Army on the flank was moving again, Hojo Ryuzan couldn't help but frown.
She managed to stabilize the situation with great difficulty. If the Sanada Ironclad Army charged into the formation regardless of casualties, Yamanaka Yukimori in front would definitely take the opportunity to launch an offensive.
The spirit of the Hojo army on the northern front has been defeated. Now the loyal Hojo warriors in the army are using their knives to force the Ashigaru to death. The situation seems to be getting better, but in fact it is not that good.
Hojo Ryuzan nervously observed the movements of the Sanada Armored Army and found that they were not coming towards him, but were advancing eastward.
She looked behind her in surprise and found that Ashikaga Yoshiji, who had left long ago, had returned to his original position. Looking at the Ashikaga family crest, Hojo Ryuzan couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Ashikaga Yoshiji! I swear to kill you!"
Ashikaga Yoshiji's command was impatient, and the entire army went deep, while Hojo Ryuzan was tolerant. Ashikaga Yoshiji cowered in the face of danger, and Hojo Ryuzan went into battle. Ashikaga Yoshiji fled the battlefield, and Hojo Ryuzan fought to the death.
Despite all the twists and turns in the military, Hojo Ryuzan endured it. This Kanto general was still useful to the Hojo family. She had to endure the loss of her teeth and blood.
But at this time, facing Ashikaga Yoshiji's departure and return, with a shameless face of cherishing life and grabbing credit, Hojo Ryuzan felt a murderous intention in his heart.
Ashikaga Yoshiji is the right-wing general. Her main formation was captured, and the northern front was completely finished.