Chapter 1448: Die for the revival of the Wu family
Even if the sun is shining brightly in early winter, there is still little warmth on the earth. The two armies are fighting from morning to noon, and the battle situation is still inextricable.
Maeda sat on the stool, and the news from the front came one after another. She looked up at the sky anxiously. The sun had already set to the west, but the Miyoshi family was still tenacious and showed no signs of collapse.
At this time, Maeda Riku walked through the curtain and said with a solemn expression.
"Zhugu, something happened over there at Jinjing."
Maeda Yoshikatsu suddenly stood up and cursed angrily.
"Those two bastards Inoga Kanai! How did they promise me before? They will die on the battlefield! Never take a step back!
Bastards! What a bunch of bastards! Where are they! I want military law to deal with them!"
Maeda Yoshida deployed a forward formation today, rushing into the middle with all his strength, intending to break Miyoshi Yoshitsugu's main formation and collapse the Miyoshi family's entire army.
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu released the Crane Wing Formation, using his own formation as a decoy to outflank Sika's army on both sides, intending to destroy Sika's front from the side and rear.
The two sides made it clear that they were going to attack each other with horses and chariots, and it was just to see who could not hold back first.
The two reserve units of Inotata Kanai were placed on the left wing by Maeda's interests, which was the flank defense line protecting the front line. They were defeated, and a gap appeared in the front line, which may lead to the collapse of the front line.
Maeda was furious, Maeda Rihisa said with a stern face.
"They can't come back. It is said that Shinohara Nagabo came up with the elite himself and used iron cannons and arrows to smash a gap.
Inotata and Kanai stood behind the formation to kill and supervise the battle. All the ashigaru who escaped were driven back to fill the front line.
Finally, when all the troops were finished, the two of them personally charged with the flag and held until the friendly forces took over the defense and blocked the gap.
Two entire reserve armies and five hundred men were wiped out, and no one survived."
Maeda Yoshida's angry voice suddenly stopped, and he looked ahead and couldn't say a word.
Maeda Riku swallowed and said softly.
"Profits, we underestimated the enemy.
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu had already gone into battle in person, and her Chinese army was fighting to the death. Shinohara Chofusa took advantage of our army's exhaustion after fighting for half a day, and led a surprise attack with elite troops, which almost shook our left wing.
We can no longer fight, we must immediately retreat and tidy up the front. Shinohara Nagabo's wave of raids failed and will soon come back with a vengeance. The left wing cannot withstand her repeated tossing and will collapse."
Maeda's eyes turned red, pointing to the faintly visible Miyoshi Yoshitsugu's horse seal in front of him, and said.
"Mother, Miyoshi Yoshitsugu is right there. I'm about to overthrow her main formation. Do you want me to retreat now?"
Maeda Riku shook his head.
"Benefit, please calm down. If you keep fighting like this, your old team will be wiped out."
Maeda Yoshida said coldly.
"Mother, I am very calm.
I underestimated Miyoshi Yoshitsugu. As Fujitaka Hosokawa said, this guy is really a tough guy.
If I retreat now, she will definitely seize the opportunity to pursue me and fight fiercely. I have no confidence that I can regain my strength and may collapse in an instant.
Jindo-den treats me with great kindness, and he has high hopes for me this time. I will never let him down!
If I am defeated and retreat this time, what will the famous samurai families of Hatakeyama Mibuchi think of me? They will ridicule me as a mediocre person and say that I only have the status I am today because of Tsutaden!
Mother, do you still remember the reply letter from the Hamo clan? I applied to the Tongxin Secretariat for the Sibo establishment. How did she reply to me? I will not forget a word, I remember it clearly!
After an on-site investigation by the Tongxin Secretariat, after extensively listening to and adopting the opinions of all parties in recent years, a review was held for in-depth study and discussion, and the decision was made not to approve it. I am very sorry!
Damn it! When I followed Jindoden out of the Corpse Mountain and the Sea of Blood, this yellow-haired little girl was considered a p*ss, but now even she dares to speak in an official tone to me!
I can't afford to lose, mother. If I lose, how can I be worthy of the dead Zhu Gu and Jin Jing? Only by winning this battle can I have the confidence to ask for rewards and prevent their blood from flowing in vain!
No matter how many people die today, I must win! After defeating all the old team, I can still give the organization to their sisters and children.
But if I lose, then their death will really be in vain, mother, do you understand?"
Maeda Riku's eyes were slightly red, of course she understood.
Today's Shiba family is no longer the grass-roots team it used to be. If Maeda's interests fail, even if Tsudaden is willing to protect her, others will be hurt.
Maeda Yoshida may not be in big trouble herself, but her subordinates will never get decent pensions, and those bastards who pay pensions are not as tolerant as Tsutado-don.
Seeing that Maeda was silent for a long time, Maeda smiled freely. She tightened her hood and picked up the spear beside her.
Maeda Riku looked at her and asked.
"You want to go into battle yourself?"
Maeda said with a smile.
"Yoshitsugi Miyoshi is already on the battlefield, so naturally I'm going to meet her for a while."
Maeda pointed his gun forward and said.
"They are waiting for me, my men are bleeding and dying.
I want to stand with them, I want to fight side by side with them, to win our victory, our military exploits, and our rewards.
Mother, please take command here for me, please!"
———
Northern line, Hosokawa Fujitaka main formation.
After hearing the report, Hosokawa Fujitaka said to Monokenban.
"Explore again."
"Hi!"
Seeing the visitor bow and leave quickly, Hosokawa Fujitaka sighed inwardly.
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu is indeed brave, and Maeda's interests are very strong. It seems that these two people will never stop until there is a fight to win today.
But Maeda's interests were too great, and her left wing was almost broken by a sneak attack by Shinohara Chofusa, which really scared Hosokawa Fujitaka into a cold sweat.
Hosokawa Fujitaka has been completely convinced by Yoshigan Shiba and is in Shiba's camp. She is closer to Shiba than Haruka Mibuchi. Of course she hopes that Maeda's interests can win this battle.
Therefore, Hosokawa Fujitaka decided to take the initiative, she ordered.
"The whole army is ready to enter the battlefield."
Maeda's advantage was to deploy her formation from east to west. Her left wing was on the southern line, and Hosokawa Fujitaka was beyond reach.
However, the Miyoshi family's military strength was also very limited. If Shinohara Chofusa led his elite troops to make a surprise attack on the southern front, then the Miyoshi family's northern front must be short of men. The enemy forces facing Hosokawa Fujitaka were bluffing.
Hosokawa Fujitaka, who was guarding the northern front, attacked at this time. If he could destabilize the enemy's northern front and force Miyoshi Yoshitsugu to divide his troops to support, it would be a timely help to Maeda's interests.
———
On the southern front, where the Kwantung Student Army is located, Mikami Momo frowned.
Yuya, the ghost head, came running from a distance and shouted to her.
"Mikami, I secretly caught a lone survivor alive and figured out the situation on the other side.
Shinohara Nagafusa took his elite troops to help the Chinese army, and the enemy troops currently guarding the southern front are evil party ronin hired by the Miyoshi family, about five to six hundred people."
Kito Yua came closer and found Mikami Momo's face looking ugly, so he asked.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Mikami Momo said solemnly.
"The classmates I sent to watch the battle with the Chinese Army have returned. The situation there is very bad. Lord Maeda Yoshida has been unable to open up the situation, and was disrupted by Shinohara Chofusa's surprise attack.
We must take action immediately to break through the enemy's southern line, outflank the Chinese army, and share the pressure for Lord Maeda."
Ghost Head Yuya was stunned and said.
"There are five to six hundred people on the opposite side, and we only have more than 200 people. Is it too risky to attack like this?
Moreover, our ordnance is incomplete. Those snobs at the logistics station did not even give us a horse. Most of the students are wearing light clothes and only twenty pairs of heavy armor."
Mikami Momo glanced at her and said contemptuously.
"Are you scared? Then you stay, and I will take the classmates who are willing to fight and kill them!"
Ghost Head Yuya's face turned red and he said angrily.
"I'm not afraid! You're insulting me! I just think there's something wrong with attacking!"
Mikami Momo said in a deep voice.
"Tsudaden sent Lord Maeda Yoshida here this time, seemingly to target the Miyoshi family, but in fact he wanted to consolidate the military strength of local powerful factions.
However, these shogunate samurai were corrupt and selfish, and treated Maeda's interests in a perfunctory manner.
That's why Maeda Yoshitsugi agreed to Miyoshi Yoshitsugu's letter of challenge, hoping to use his military exploits to subdue those famous families. However, due to his eagerness for success, he fell into a crisis.
If the outcome of this battle is unsatisfactory, the Shiba family's rhythm of integrating local powerful factions in the shogunate will be disrupted, and Tsutama Hall will need to pay more to quell this disaster.
Gitouji, you and I have been greatly favored by Jinduo Palace, and we have sworn to support and follow him with our lives.
Today's crisis is the time to fulfill our oath, but you are here talking to me about the appropriate number of people and ordnance?
I’m asking you now, do you still remember your oath?”
Ghost head Yuya shouted with enthusiasm.
"Of course you remember! Be loyal to the leader! Follow him to the death!"
Mikami Momo shouted.
"Okay! Now the situation is extremely critical. We have no time to consider other strategies. We can only rush forward and fight for our lives. Are you willing to go?"
Ghost head Yuya said resolutely.
"Let's go together!"
Mikami Momo and Kito Yua looked at each other with the intention of daring to die, and nodded together.
Then, they gathered all their classmates and placed the twenty pairs of heavy armor on the field.
Mikami Momo jumped onto a stone pier and shouted to everyone.
"Students! But the current situation is extremely critical. I have to stand up and ask you to die with me!"
All the eyes of the Kanto international students were focused on Mikami Momo. At this moment, she felt that the blood in her body was boiling. She pointed in the direction of the Chinese army and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"The enemy's counterattack has begun, and the Chinese army is in a critical situation. We must attack, tear open the enemy's defense line in front of us, outflank the enemy's flanks, and reduce the pressure on Maeda Yoshida!
The number of enemies is twice as many as ours! There are more enemies behind them! And we have no horses, only these twenty sets of heavy armor!"
Yuya Kito stepped forward and shouted.
"You talk too much nonsense!"
She raised her arms and shouted.
"Who wants to put on heavy armor with me? We will be at the front, blocking bows and arrows and cannons, and protecting our classmates. Go up and kill those bastards!"
Everyone looked at the twenty pairs of heavy armor in the field. It was said to be heavy armor, but in fact it was just an ordinary armor, just a little thicker than the ashigaru armor they were wearing now.
Without war horses and lacking long-range weapons, if they wanted to attack and fight the enemy in close combat, they could only rely on human shields. For the 20 people standing in the front row wearing hoods, this would mean death.
Some people's eyes were shaken. Although they did not lack the passion of young people, they still felt scared when they really faced death.
The scene was a little cold, and Yuya Kito said angrily.
"I'll go first!"
Mikami Momo jumped off the stone pier, stood with Yuya Kito without hesitation, grabbed a pair of trousers, and shouted.
"I'm coming too!
I once starved in the village. I thought I would live in such a humble manner for the rest of my life, struggling on the verge of death every day and watching my friends die of hunger one by one.
But now, I am a Ji warrior from Kanto. I know the glory of my ancestors, the dignity of the martial arts family, and what is the mission that our generation must bear, which is to revive the martial arts family!
It's better not to live than to live! I don't want to live an ignoble existence. I want to fight for the revival of the Wu family. That is my own choice!
Our cause will not be easy, we must sacrifice for it at the cost of bloodshed!
Look at this land. Over the past five hundred years, countless Kanto warriors have come here. Our ancestors conquered this place and were buried here.
Today, I am willing to die here! Where I fell, lotus roots sprouted and emerged from the mud without being stained!
The ancestors are watching us! They are watching us! Classmates!”
Yuya, the ghost head, was stuck in his crotch for a few times and couldn't get it in, so he couldn't help but said angrily.
"Why are you talking so much nonsense! Come and help me!"
Mikami Momo opened her mouth, stopped her unfinished speech, helped Yuya, the ghost head, tidy up her clothes, and then started working on her armor by herself.
Ghost Head Yuya patted the iron armor on his chest and cursed again.
"Damn Kansai guys, they just look down on us, what kind of scraps do they give us!
Hey, why haven't you come to get your body yet? Are you confused by Mikami Hime? Have you forgotten your oath? What did you say when you volunteered to join the Western Expedition Student Army?
Don’t let me look down on you! Come on! Follow me and kill those Kansai guys! Don’t embarrass us Kanto people!”
A group of classmates came to their senses and rushed to grab the remaining eighteen sets of bags.
Those who got it were overjoyed, while those who didn't get it were beating their chests and blaming Mikami Momo for talking too much nonsense. None of the students were willing to admit that they had been shaken just now.
The young people were full of enthusiasm, while the gangsters on the opposite side were lazily guarding the front line, completely confused as to what these student boys were making a fuss about.
The Miyoshi family has long figured out the situation. The Sibo army on the southern front is just a group of poor girls who came from Kanto to beg for food. They want war horses but not war horses, and they want ordnance but not ordnance.
The bows, arrows, and iron cannons lack everything. They only have a spear and a sword. The student army is good if it can hold the line of defense, but it has no combat effectiveness.
The gangsters of the evil party only use money to do things. They are happy to confront these students and can eat without fighting, so why not do it.
But they didn't know that the student army on the opposite side had already formed a formation, with twenty Kabutoji warriors standing in the front row, followed by the students who were eager to attack and were about to attack.
Mikami Momo and Kito Yua, who were standing at the front of the queue, looked at each other, smiled, and tapped each other's breastplates.
This drama of black faces and white faces was well sung, and the two of them worked together as if they were one person.
Then, Mikami Momo shouted.
"It's about to happen! Long live Tsudo-den!"
Kito Yua shouted after him.
"Loyal to the leader!"
Everyone behind him cheered together.
"Follow me to the death!"
As if they were going to a banquet, a group of young people, dressed in the simplest clothing and armed with the cheapest weapons, happily launched an attack on an enemy army that was several times their size.
"For the revival of the Wu family! Classmates! Charge!"