Watching the Oda Army fade like a tide, the Ashgaru of the Imagawa family cheered excitedly. Due to the cover of the Oda archers on the city walls, the Imagawa army had no way to pursue.

Due to the fire in the north and south of the castle, the Oda army has not invaded the castle from both sides until now.

"We did it!" Yu Qiuping excitedly shouted at the ashigaru, "We hold it!" ”

However, the good times did not last long, and not long after the troops of the Oda family had withdrawn from the castle, a large number of soldiers poured in again, and this time, attacking from the north, west, and south castles at the same time.

"The fire hasn't been extinguished yet. What do they do? Although Yu Qiuping did not understand the movements of the Oda family, he still asked the troops to continue to defend in accordance with the deployment just now.

The first to ascend the castle were the archers of the Oda clan, who continued to attack the castle tower towards the castle tower and the post where the guards were located, suppressing the archers and javelinmen who could barely raise their heads to fight back.

Yu Qiuping frowned, but it was acceptable. In this case, although the archers of the Imagawa family could not shoot the Oda family's troops, the archers of the Oda family did not have the strength to attack the Imagawa family's Ashigaru.

However, Ashigaru, who then ascended the castle, did not kill the castle wall as Yu Qiuping expected. The ashigaru of Nishijo rushed straight along the castle walls to the north and south castles, not holding bamboo spears in their hands, but shovels and planks instead.

"Nani?" Yu Qiuping had time to be confused, "Is this to extinguish the fire?" There is no soil on the city wall, so what are you doing with a shovel? ”

However, the actions of the Oda family soon caught him by surprise. The Oda family's ashigaru family risked being burned and rushed into the north and south walls of the city, using shovels and planks to dig out the burning straw, wooden fences, horses and other flammable materials that had been placed on the walls. The burning flammable material was thrown high and fell into the houses in the city.

"Knowing that the obstacle is extinguishing the fire, is it necessary to make such a big move..."Yu Qiuping was curious, and watched Oda Gunashigaru's actions blankly, "This is for..."Yu Qiuping suddenly realized something, his eyes widened suddenly, and he looked at the area of the house next to the city wall.

"Oops!" With Yu Qiuping's low roar, the houses near the walls on both sides had been ignited by the flammable materials left by the Oda army, and the fire was gradually expanding. Some of Ogawa Yuto's soldiers, who were originally in ambush in the house, had to quickly escape through the billowing smoke.

At this moment, a group of auxiliaries of the Oda army appeared on the front city wall, and they were in groups of several people, holding small oil pots, either on the stairs or rushing down the stairs, and poured boiling oil on the fortifications in Zhili Castle.

"Quick! Shoot the ones with the pan of oil! "When Yu Qiuhei realized that something was wrong, it was too late, and the archers who were barely attacking shot over two oil pans and burned many of the Oda army's troops, but they were also hit by the Oda family's archers and were forced to stop.

As several torches were thrown into the city, not only the northern and southern urban areas, but also the fortifications near the western city were instantly ignited. The fire is getting bigger and bigger, and the heat wave is coming straight to the Imagawa house. The ashigaru on the defensive line were forced to retreat one after another, and several of them were shot by the Oda archers on the way. When they managed to escape to the castle tower, half of the city was about to be engulfed in flames.

"Oops, it's too big." Yu Qiuping is also helpless at the moment, it is impossible to extinguish the fire, the fortifications that have been worked so hard to build have been burned down, "Quick, retreat to Dongcheng!" ”

Before the words fell, several Oda soldiers who rushed to the eastern castle wall along the castle wall took the lead in igniting the flammable materials on the eastern castle wall, and the eastern castle wall instantly burst into flames. The current Chiritsu Castle, the southern castle, the northern castle, and the western castle walls were all occupied by the Oda family, and the eastern castle walls also caught fire, and the Oda family continued to throw flammable materials down, igniting the eastern castle city. And there is not only a fire in the city area of Xicheng, but also an army of the Oda army on the city wall.

Breaking through is no longer possible.

I can't imagine that I was burned to death in the end.

Yu Qiuping swallowed his saliva and covered his face in pain. The surrounding Imagawa family Ashigaru was also so desperate that they leaned on the edge of the castle tower where there was no fire yet, and could only wait for death in silence.

"No! Can't give up! Yu Qiuping suddenly raised his arms and shouted, "Didn't we say okay!" Even if we want to die, we have to fight to the end! ”

"Build a barrier!" Yu Qiuping thought of the forest fire prevention method he had learned before, "Tear down all the houses around the castle tower and dig a trench!" Draw water from the well of the castle tower and splash it in the trench! ”

"Hurry!" Yu Qiuping saw that everyone was still a little stunned, so he picked up a hoe and rushed up, "Follow the formation of each team and act at speed." ”

The Imagawa family tried their best to knock down every house in front of them, and then frantically dug the earth from behind, shovels, hoes, swords, and even bamboo spears were used to dig up the earth and pile up the soil on the inside of the trench. The ashigaru people braved the rolling heat wave and tongues of fire and struggled desperately, sweat dripping down and being dried in an instant. The ashigaru who fetched water rushed over one after another, splashed the water into the trench, and ran back to fetch water again. The trench grew wider and wider, and the trench around the castle tower was already visible, and the flames were finally kept out of the toppled houses, and did not continue to spread.

At four moments, the flames were isolated five meters away from the castle tower, and counting the seriously wounded, the surviving 200 people were all hiding in the castle tower, and each of them poured water on their bodies to resist the rolling heat. As for the seriously injured members of the Oda family, they could no longer be cared for, and many of them died in the fire. Nakahide Gozenzaki also angrily threw Masaji Sasa's coffin into the flames, however, the well water was suddenly used in large quantities and soon couldn't keep up. Thirsty Yoshioka Katsumasa ignored Ogawa Yuto's objections and snatched a few bottles of his wine and gave them to Ashigaru to drink.

"Nine bottles of wine have a total of 27 Wen, pay me back when the time comes!" Ogawa Yudong scolded.

"You're sober now, you drunkard!" Yoshioka Katsumasa smiled, "When I finished drinking, I was so drunk that I couldn't even remember the price!" ”

"It's two people to drink or not." Nakahide Mimasaki also smiled.

The conversation and laughter between the three of them more or less eased the atmosphere of despair. Hearing that Ashigaru was still discussing repaying the money later, Ashigaru also regained some confidence a little.

At this time, Oda Nobunaga, who was standing on the walls of the West Castle, looked with satisfaction at the whole castle that was gradually engulfed in flames.

"The Lord is clever and clever, and the fire will break the enemy." Naomasa on the side complimented, "I admire it below." ”

"Hmph, I don't want to see who our lord is, and I still want to play tricks." Yoshiyuki Sawaki said with a smile. "Our lord set fire to Cheongju City ten years ago, what is that stinky boy on the other side!"

"But that Yu Qiuping is really a talent." Oda Nobunaga approvingly, "Even though the situation was so dangerous, I responded calmly and saved the castle tower from being destroyed by fire." ”

"Now this wall of fire has become an obstacle for us." Oda Nobunaga frowned, "Light a fire on the city wall, let the archers light the bow and arrow in the fire, and shoot rockets at the castle tower!" ”

As the Oda family began to throw rockets at the castle tower, the castle tower, which had already been dried out, immediately caught fire everywhere, but there was not much water left, so the ashigaru had to shovel soil to extinguish the fire or use clothes to extinguish the fire. However, the fire on the roof was too much to reach, and it didn't take long for the roof of the castle tower to fall down, and the falling roof ignited the third floor of the castle tower. Yu Qiuping, who was exhausted, watched the rockets that kept falling from the Oda house and the fire that was burning more and more on the third floor of the castle tower, and finally realized what despair was. I was thirsty, hungry and tired, but I didn't have time to rest. I don't know how many times the sweat has wet my clothes, and how many times I have been dried by the fire.

"Your Excellency." Amano Jingde suddenly leaned over to Yu Qiuping and whispered, "Your Excellency can send a messenger to ask for surrender." The lives of the slaves are not important, the adults are majestic and strategic, and they should not die here like this. ”

"How is that possible!" Yu Qiuping grabbed Amano Jingde's shoulder with his backhand and shouted in a low voice, "Let's say that everyone will live and die together!" As long as this red leaf is still there, I will never leave everyone alone! ”

"My lord," Amano Keide looked fierce, "Then it's up to the adults to decide." ”

Yu Qiuping looked back and saw that Fukushima Yasunari, Yoshioka Katsumasa, Mimasaki Nakahide and Ogawa Yuto, Charlie and Probei, all gathered around him.

"Tie up the adults, and then we tell the people of the Oda family that the adults surrender, and we will come back to resist." Mimasaki Nakahide smiled evilly, "Lord Amano, the foreigner brother and the one-eyed brother, you have been taken care of for so many days, you don't have to accompany us to death, let's go together." ”

"You dare! No! Yu Qiuping scolded sharply, "Pro-guard! Thompson! Don't mess around with them! ”

"My lord, there's no time!" Keitoku Amano looked at the growing fire and the falling rockets, "We..."

At this critical moment, the rocket, which was constantly falling, suddenly stopped. The Imagawa army ashigaru seized the time to immediately extinguish the fire, and finally contained the fire.

Yu Qiuping looked at the city wall in surprise, and saw that the Oda army on the city wall was staring straight in the southwest direction. Many people shouted in surprise, and several people raised their arms to point southwest, pulling at their companions who had not been found.

Yu Qiuping quickly jumped to a commanding height on the third floor of the castle tower and looked southwest.

I saw a distant hill, in the wind, a flag fluttering high.

On the white flag, a big red bird is flying.

"Red Bird Banner!" Tianye Jingde suddenly shouted excitedly, "That's the horse seal of the Governor's Palace!" ”

"Reinforcements! Our reinforcements have arrived! After Mizenzaki Nakahide reacted, he also shouted excitedly, wishing that every ashigaru would hear it, "Our family governor is here in person!" The end of the Oda family has arrived! ”

The Imagawa army, which was already at the end of its rope, suddenly escaped death, and many of them shouted excitedly with their thirsty throats. There were many people who were speechless with joy, just waving their arms vigorously, hugging each other, and jumping in celebration.

At this time, on the walls of the West City.

"That's right... It is the horse seal of Yiyuan. Oda Nobunaga's face turned pale.

"Could it be the enemy's bluff? Erect Imagawa Yoshimoto's horse seal to scare us? Naomasa's voice trembled, "Imagawa Yoshimoto is in Sunfu!" How could it have come so soon! ”

"It doesn't matter!" Oda Nobunaga suddenly burst into a rage, "What did the horses do!" Why is it that there is no reward for letting the enemy touch us right under our noses! ”

"That place," Hidetaka Kawajiri suddenly reacted, ""the location of the camp we set up on the official road from Kariya Castle to Chiritsu. ”

"The flag of the Imagawa family was erected there... And no one came back to report ... This means that the dozen or so horsemen who were there to reconnoitre have been completely wiped out. Hidetaka Kawajiri muttered, seemingly incredulous.