Akechi Mitsuhide didn't know that he was not the only one who desperately wanted Ichikusaune to get involved with the Oda family. There was someone in Sakai Port who was more anxious than her.
Sakai Port area, church.
As the morning sun rose, Louise Flois presided over today's morning prayers. After everyone dispersed, she stopped one person.
The sunlight penetrated into the nave from the glass on the top of the church and shone on the faces of the two people. Flois crossed himself on his chest and prayed to her mother that his plan would succeed.
"Dear Augustus, you have been staying in Sakai Port these days and will not return. Will doing so cause resentment to the lord you are loyal to?"
The person in front of Flois was Governor Konishi who believed in Nanman Cult. She smiled and shook her head and explained.
"I wrote back to the Uki family. My master was very interested in me being able to connect with the powerful Oda family.
She hopes that I can keep this hard-won friendship and allow me to temporarily stay in Sakai Port."
Floyce laughed.
"This is all *'s will. What a good news."
President Konishi said solemnly.
"There is one thing I hope to get help from the church. The Murakami navy in the West Seto Inland Sea has attached itself to the Mori family and has posed a great threat to the Uki family.
My master hopes that I can recruit water pirates in Sakai Port, buy and build ships, and use them to protect the territory of the Uki family.
To complete this task, I need the help of the church."
Flois nodded and said.
"I will contact the believer merchants in Sakai Port for you and provide you with personnel and material support.
The church very much hopes that devout believers like you can gain greater power in this country, which will be conducive to our common cause, the noble cause of spreading the glory of * across this land.
Of course, the lords of the Yuxi family need to pay for this."
Konishi Yukinaga smiled.
"This is natural. The Yuxi family will not be stingy to friends who provide help."
Flois smiled slightly and talked about the real reason why she kept Mr. Konishi.
"Dear Augustus, what do you think of this battle of Miyoshi and Oda?
Can the Oda family defeat the Miyoshi family and continue to maintain their dominance in Sakai Port?"
President Konishi said seriously.
"I have tested Hideyoshi Hashiba, she is Hideyoshi Hashiba's agent who stayed at Sakai Port to deal with my supply issues.
According to her, 30,000 soldiers came from the Oda family this time. The Miyoshi family came across the sea and lacked time, so the number of soldiers transported over was only more than 10,000 at most.
Judging from the number of people, the Oda family has a great chance of winning."
Flois nodded and said.
"According to the information brought back by believers from the periphery, Oda's army has occupied Tenmansen, Kawaguchi, Watanabe, Kanzaki, Kaminamba, Shimo-Namba, and Hamate, and is making pre-war arrangements.
The Oda army surrounded Noda Castle and Fukushima Castle, and the Guards, commanded by Lord Oda himself, set up defenses at Shitennoji Temple."
Governor Konishi frowned, and the terrain around Sakai Port flashed through her mind.
The Miyoshi family came ashore from Osaka Bay and occupied Noda-go, which is actually an outlying island of silt washed out by the river. It is surrounded by water and is divided into a zigzag shape by the Nakatsu River and the Kizugawa River.
Noda Castle is located near the open sea, while Fukushima Castle is located further inland on the river bank.
The Oda family surrounded these two castles, which did not surprise Yukinaga Konishi. What surprised her was that Oda Nobunaga's main formation was located.
Ishiyama Honganji Temple is not an isolated city, but a group of temples and towns with Honganji Temple as its core, only a few kilometers away from Noda Township.
Noda Township is in the north, Ishiyama is in the south, and the Shitennoji Temple occupied by Oda Nobunaga is further south.
In other words, the Oda army not only surrounded Noda Township, but Ishiyama Honganji Temple was also sandwiched between the south and the north by the Oda army.
Mr. Konishi pondered for a while and said.
"The bridges leading to Noda Township are all north of Noda. The battle between the Oda family and the Miyoshi family should be based on the north.
The military position His Majesty Oda arranged in the south of Noda Township was difficult to cross the river to support, and it was used to isolate the connection between the Miyoshi family and Ishiyama Honganji Temple.
She set up formations at Shitennoji Temple, but she was actually worried that the Ichigo clan would interfere in the war, so she set up formations in the north and south to suppress the Ishiyama Honganji Temple to prevent the Ichikō clan from assisting the Miyoshi family."
Flois said with a solemn expression.
"Augustus, you know that I don't understand military affairs. Please judge one thing for me based on your experience in the war of this island nation.
Has trust between the Ishiyama Honganji Temple and the Oda army been completely lost?
If, I mean, if the city wall on the Shishan side was shot by muskets at this time, would the tense nerves on both sides react violently and directly trigger a battle?"
Konishi Governor knew in his heart that Frois couldn't wait for the Ichikai clan to break with the Oda family, and was determined to let the Nanman Sect himself fire the first shot.
She thought about it carefully, nodded slowly under the expectant eyes of Flois, and said decisively.
"There will definitely be a fight!
As far as I know, His Highness Oda was not completely ignorant of the Ichikō clan's conspiracy against Oda. He once asked Ishiyama Honganji Temple to pay a condolence payment of 5,000 kan, but was sternly rejected by Master Xianru.
The dissatisfaction between the middle and lower classes of the Ichigo sect towards the Oda family has long been piled high with just one spark missing. If an iron cannon attack occurs, the middle and lower class believers will inevitably choose to go alone and attack the Oda family.
If bloodshed breaks out between the Ichiko clan and the Oda family, Master Mingru will have no choice but to break up and start a war, with no possibility of turning back."
Religious belief is a double-edged sword. As the supreme leader of Yixiang Sect, Master Xianru is actually riding on the back of a tiger.
The tiger beneath her was going crazy. The only thing she could do was to follow the tiger's bestiality and ensure that she would not be overthrown. As for other long-term considerations, she had to step aside before saving her life.
Flois said with a satisfied smile.
"I understand, thank you very much for your analysis. I believe that soon, the bullets of the Oda family will fall on the two villages of Lou Zhigan and Kawaguchi."
President Konishi nodded silently and said again.
"Then the Oda family must move quickly.
Because based on my understanding of the Japanese samurai family, when surrounded by powerful enemies, a group of Hime warriors like the Miyoshi family, which is full of internal conflicts, is likely to choose to request peace talks.
If the Oda family's iron cannon fires too late, it may be too late."
Floyce nodded cautiously.
"I believe it won't be too late."
The two of them were talking about the Oda family, but in fact they knew in their hearts that the shot must have been fired by a Nanman believer.
The prospect of a war between the Ichigo Sect and the Oda family is really great for the Nanman Sect.
———
The Nanman religion, which came with the Nanman trade, used the benefits of trade and technology to open a way, and soon allowed the samurai daimyo on Kyushu Island to loosen their religious restrictions and gain a firm foothold.
After successfully establishing the Kyushu Diocese, the Nanman Sect continued eastward and set foot on the Sakai Port on the other side of the Seto Inland Sea. They wanted to repeat their old tricks and use the Nanman trade to open the door to preaching.
The Yixiang Sect prides itself on protecting the Dharma of Buddhism, and has always used the brutal method of physical destruction to prevent the spread of the Nanman Sect in Settsu Country and even in recent times. It is regarded by the Nanman Sect as the biggest threat.
However, Yixiang Sect has a complete grassroots organizational structure, explosive mobilization power, fanaticism and no fear of death, and behind it is the support of recent Buddhist sects who are afraid of the powerful spreading power of Nanman Sect.
The Nanman Sect, unable to be induced by inducements, was unable to use its strengths to expand rapidly, and the Yixiang Sect successfully blocked the pace of its missionary work.
Frois thought of using the Oda family to eliminate the biggest stumbling block of the Nanman Sect in Settsu. Ishiyama Honganji Temple, Ishiyama, carefully prepared to help both parties fire the first shot.
At the same time, Honnōji Hikaru, who had endured for many years in Kyoto, finally got the opportunity he had dreamed of, and the fire of revenge was already burning in his heart.
Honnoji Temple, inside the quiet room.
Hingen of Honnoji Temple looked at the devout believers in front of him and asked softly.
"Are you sure Enryakuji Kakushu doesn't know about this matter?"
The man nodded.
"Hi, Master Kakushu went to Beijing to participate in Buddhist meetings after autumn, and has never been on Mount Hiei.
It was the religious group in charge of Enryaku Temple that accepted bribes from the Asai family and decided to lend troops to Asai and Asakura's coalition forces to attack Sakamoto Castle.
Sakamoto Castle guard General Mori Katsunari led his troops to move to Usayama Castle, and fought a small-scale battle with Asai Asakura's coalition forces at the foot of Sakamoto Town, with neither victory nor defeat.
With her guarding the Sakamoto Gate, Asai and Asakura's coalition forces are not allowed to enter for a while. She probably doesn't know that Mount Hiei has decided to join the war, and her army will soon be attacked from both sides."
Honnōji Hingen couldn't help but laugh. Yudokoni's face of compassion for all living beings was torn to pieces by the ferocious smile.
To be continued...