Oda Nobunaga rushed back to Kiyosu Castle at lightning speed. Outside the city, she met Maeda Toshiie and seven or eight others in her mother's clothes who were waiting for her anxiously.
"Your Highness, you are back."
"Inuchiyo, something happened at home?"
"Never heard of it, everything is fine."
"Oh, then let's assemble the army and prepare for war! Call the important ministers for a military meeting and prepare for war."
"Ah??? Where are everyone, Yiyin-sama?"
Nobunaga glanced at her, and Toshiya panicked.
"I asked him to go back and organize the army."
Nobunaga said and walked towards the city. Toshiie, who looked dull, didn't understand what happened at all and chased Nobunaga towards the city.
"Your Highness, what happened? Why did the war start?"
"Lin Xiuzhen is going to rebel."
"This treacherous minister! Where did your Highness learn about this?"
"I just forced you to rebel."
"..."
The damn expression on Toshiie's face made Nobunaga laugh, and the shadow of Saito Dōsan's death in the battle dissipated from her heart.
It would be a lie to say that she was not panicking. She knew that sooner or later she would have to fight with her sister Nobuyuki. She would have to raise the soldiers she needed to raise and the retainers she needed to win over.
Everything was moving forward according to plan, but who would have thought that something unexpected happened and the viper died at the wrong time.
Look at Saito, no, it should be called Isshiki Yoshiryu's style now. If he doesn't join forces with Nobuyuki to start an attack after Mino is stabilized, I'll cut off his own head and play it as a ball.
Since there is no need to develop, the grandson no longer needs to pretend.
In troubled times, there is no reason to talk about. The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. Seeing Yoshilong killing his mother and sister like killing a chicken, who can condemn her? If you win, it is the truth!
Nobunaga made up his mind to go his own way and cut off his own escape route. Now he can finally have a good fight to see who will be the master of the Oda family!
Of course, a traditional Hime warrior like Toshi couldn't understand the wild Nobunaga, but the master's family had already done this, so the loyal Hime warrior had no choice but to follow.
Horses galloped around the house, calling Nobunaga's direct ministers and cronies one by one. All the wealth that Nobunaga had cultivated for many years was brought out this time.
In the meeting room, Nobunaga was half-lying and waiting, his eyes narrowed as if he was asleep.
The one who came first was the dashing Ikeda Tsuneki, who was Nobunaga's wet nurse and the daughter of his wet nurse.
The horseback warriors under her control are all the most elite Hatamotohime samurai. The female warriors under Toshiie's command are part of her bodyguards responsible for Nobunaga's safety.
"Hengxing came very quickly, please sit down first."
Ikeda Hengxing was not polite, thanked him and sat down calmly. She was Nobunaga's number one confidant, no matter what Nobunaga wanted, she just followed him.
Then came an elegant and intellectual beauty, with a pair of phoenix eyes looking helplessly at Nobunaga with a playful smile.
"Niwa Nagahide has met the governor."
"Mi Wuniang, I'm going to leave all the logistics to you this time!"
The visitor was Niwa Nagahide, Nobunaga's younger brother, who had taken the blame for Nobunaga since childhood. When Nobunaga hit people, she handed him the stick. When Nobunaga stole people, she looked after him. After Nobunaga became the governor of the family, she was responsible for the internal affairs of the family.
Nobunaga devoted himself to training the army, and the resources of fifty thousand koku directly commanded her were not enough to cause trouble for her. All the holes were filled by Niwa moving left and right.
Isn’t it the same this time? I was preparing for winter plowing in the territory, but I was told to prepare for war???
Tears were shed on the spot. We started a war when we said it was going to start. There was no preparation at all. Where would the money, food, and military equipment come from? Who would transport the logistics and supplies?
All kinds of words were blocked by Nobunaga's "please". He felt bruised for a long time, sighed, and continued to take the blame silently.
The next people to come were Mori Katsunari and Kawajiri Hidetaka. They were the elders left to Nobunaga by their ancestor Oda Nobuhide, and both were samurai families born in Mino.
He defected to Oda Nobuhide in his early years, saying that he was a veteran and not very young, and the two imperial sisters were both battle-hardened warriors.
The above are Nobunaga's direct ministers, and they share the same prosperity and loss with Nobunaga.
Seeing that everyone was almost here, Nobunaga sat up straight and stretched out three fingers on his right hand.
"Three days, the territorial army will be mobilized within three days. My lovely sister will soon raise her troops to attack and prepare to fight."
All the ministers looked at each other in confusion. If you say rebellion, you will rebel. How can you be so accurate? Could it be that you have done something else?
"We will do our best."
Anyway, you have the final say. Now that things are like this, what else can Naomi's close confidants say?
"Inuchiyo, you have to return to Huangzi City overnight to convince your mother to send troops to help me. At worst, you must remain neutral so that the Lin family cannot use the soldiers and horses of Huangzi City."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Mi Wuniang, I will entrust you with the rations for the army. In addition, we will mobilize farmers and soldiers to transport rations to Qingzhou to defend the city. We will pull out as many men and horses as we can in three days.
I have no hope for the people of my country. The Sasa family and the Sakuma family have issued an order for them to join the war. It is time to test their loyalty."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Hengxing, all the horsemen will begin to gather in the city tonight and prepare their weapons."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Sir Mori, Lord Kawajiri, your reserve team is moving closer to Qingzhou City. Except for a few spies left behind, the garrison Qingzu from each city along the pass has brought them to Qingzhou City."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Nobunaga thought about what he was saying, and the ministers took the orders one by one. Finally, he sneered and hit the table with his fist.
"Shibata Katsuie led the reserve team to guard Kamiowari in the north, and the Hayashi family mobilized the three castles of Owaki, Arako, and Yoneno, plus Nobuyuki's Suemori Castle.
In order not to affect the winter defense, they will definitely choose to fight quickly and attack Qingzhou City directly. I will wait here to see how capable they are and whether they can overthrow me, Oda Nobunaga!"
"We must send troops immediately!"
In Suomori City, Shibata Katsuie, who received the news from Lin Xiuzhen, rushed over quickly. When he entered the meeting hall, his first words were to send troops.
"Is it too hasty?"
Oda Nobuyuki, who is on the throne, looks very similar to Nobunaga. He is fair-skinned, beautiful and has long thighs, but anyone who has seen the two women will not admit their mistake.
Oda Nobunaga was domineering, with a fierce face, and acted dissolutely without caring about his manners. However, Nobunaga was knowledgeable and courteous, spoke softly, and looked like a wise king who was courteous and virtuous.
"May I ask Mr. Lin, when did the news of His Highness Saito's death arrive?"
Shibata Katsuie bowed to Nobu and asked Lin Xiuzhen on the side.
"this morning."
"When did His Highness Nobunaga come to provoke you?"
"Not until noon."
Lin Xiuzhen said, her heart moved, her mind that was overwhelmed by anger had already calmed down, and now she didn't feel right either.
"His Royal Highness Nobunaga is deliberately provoking. He hopes that we will act as soon as possible to prevent us from reaching an agreement with Saito Yoshiryu to jointly deal with her."
Shibata Katsuie said to Oda Nobuyuki, and Nobuyuki thought.
"Nobunaga, the governor of the Iwakura Oda family in the upper four counties, has reached a tacit agreement with me and will help me deal with my sister. If I contact Saito Yoshiryu again, then Oda Nobunaga's appointment as the governor will be almost certain."
"Damn it, Nobunaga's little girl is really hateful, how about we stop the action first?"
Lin Gudong on the side jumped up and was frightened by Shibata Katsuie's stern look.
"Your Highness Nobunaga is still on the throne. Do you have any etiquette for shouting? Your Highness Nobunaga is also a descendant. Please keep your mouth clean."
Shibata Katsuie, like Lin Xiuzhen, was a traditional warrior who valued superiority and inferiority. Lin Gutong knew that he had made a mistake and did not dare to say anything.
"It's too late to stop now."
Lin Xiuzhen did not stop Shibata Katsuie from scolding her sister. She thought about it and shook her face with an ugly expression.
"The news has spread. If we don't take action, those outsiders will turn to His Highness Nobunaga."
In matters at home, either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind.
No matter what the timing or strategy, the neutral faction would only see Nobuyuki raising troops and lowering the flag, thinking that they were afraid of Nobunaga, so they would all turn to Nobunaga in the hope of ending the chaos at home as soon as possible.
After all, the fight for position in the family has been going on for a long time, and the retainers have become impatient.
"Then, what should we do now?"
Nobuyuki also felt in a dilemma, Shibata Katsuie clenched his fist and waved.
"Send troops quickly. I am back this time with a hundred elite troops. Tonight I will seize the two passes of Kasugai and Shushan between Qingzhou Castle and Suemori Castle overnight.
His Highness Nobuyuki and Lord Lin mobilized the standing troops and supplies of food and fodder to prepare them for the night, and set off tomorrow.
My reserve team will also arrive tomorrow. The two cities are not far away. With the pass in hand, I will arrive at the foot of Qingzhou City in one day, repair it overnight, and besiege Qingzhou City in the early morning the day after tomorrow!"
Shibata Katsuie snorted.
"Since His Highness Nobunaga wants us to send troops, then we will send troops! Send troops faster than she thinks!
We have more troops than she does, so she wants to wait for work in the city. But no matter how fast she is, it will still take three days to assemble the garrison scattered in various cities, mobilize the soldiers and horses in the territory, and greet the close retainers, right?
The news that His Highness Saito is dead in the battle came just this morning, so she must have had an impromptu move to provoke the war. As long as we are quick enough, we can quickly decide and capture Qingzhou City!"