Due to the tremendous power displayed by the Tokiwabei iron gunners, it must have been the Inuyama Oda family's troops that collapsed first, and Mita Yoshitoshi had to change his approach. He ordered the archers to retreat, and all the infantry immediately charged. The tide of battle was changing so fast that he didn't have time to ask Oda Nobukiyo if he wanted to do so, because the heralds would give the gunners a second shot as soon as they came and went.

He was also a man who had seen the world, and he knew in his heart that even the most skilled gunners would take a long time to reload once. They charged to the front line of the enemy from where they were now, and the enemy did not have time to reload.

So, under the command of his banner, his various retainers and samurai led their subordinates one after another, and attacked the right flank of Tokiwabi. He had expected that the archers might shoot once or twice, and the gunners would retreat in a hurry. However, to his surprise, it was the next move of the gunners.

They did not seem to have the slightest estimate of the charging enemy forces, and continued their movements without hurrying. After completing the chambering, he skillfully took out a small paper bag from his chest pocket, tore it with his teeth, and introduced something into the chamber of the gun. This was followed by a series of dazzling and incomparably skillful movements.

"Can they really reload in such a short time!" Yoshitoshi Mita looked at the small row of red leaf soldiers on the opposite side with incredulous eyes, "How is it possible!" ”

However, it just happened.

When the distance between the two armies was only about 20 meters, the archers who had fired flat had already retreated from the gap between the three infantry platoons. Their ranks were still not scattered, relying on skillful three-sided forwarding and running marches, without any breakage in formation. The 20 gunners, on the other hand, finished loading almost at the same time, and raised their cannons in unison at the same moment - that was the aiming posture.

"Oops!" Before Mita Yoshitoshi finished shouting this sentence, the end of the last word was lost in the roar of the iron cannon, and a burst of gunpowder smoke instantly rose in front of Mita Yoshitoshi's eyes. Faintly, he could see a vague figure through the smoke. The 20 iron gunners, after firing, immediately took the center as the dividing line, and the left one turned left, and the right one turned right, and ran away from the front line, leaving through the gap in the infantry phalanx.

After the smoke cleared, the scene in front of him made Yoshitoshi Mita feel sick. At a distance of 20 meters, the cannon was almost completely empty, and 15 people fell on the wasteland, bleeding all over the ground. The battle line in the center seemed to have collapsed, and the surrounding ashigaru surrounded the hapless victims, looking at each other and not daring to move forward, probably frightened by the terrible roar and great power. The troops on both sides, which were not directly hit by the iron cannons, met the two reserves of Nakahide Gozensaki and Hidetaka Uji, respectively, the latter of whom was also a slave from Zhili Castle.

The infantry platoon in the center was led by Yoshioka Katsumasa. He was always brave, and when he found that the local central front was slightly shaken by the volley of iron artillery, he immediately ordered the whole army to attack. His platoon immediately embedded in the opposing front, forming a salient. Charlie, who completed the reorganization in the back, also immediately led his troops to follow, covering Yoshioka Katsumasa's platoon with projectiles.

Yoshitoshi Mita was caught off guard and hurriedly tried to regroup the ashigaru formations in the middle of the group. However, Yoshioka Katsumasa's ferocity was beyond his imagination. He personally charged forward with his sword, ignoring the danger on his flanks, and single-mindedly slaughtered him. His platoon has been following him for so many years, and it seems that he has also developed a "bandit spirit", and they are brave and not afraid of death, and they beat Mita Yoshitoshi to the ground.

·

At the same time, the commanders of the two armies also discovered the situation on the southern side of the battlefield.

Oda Nobukiyoshi was also a little surprised when he saw someone using an iron cannon in Tokiwabei, but he never expected Mita Yoshitoshi to rush forward directly. Before the battle, it was clear that he would attack with bows and arrows for a while, and wait for him to give orders before the two wings came out, but the current situation deviated from the original track. Oda Nobukiyo had no choice but to order Besshotaro on the other side to immediately lead his army to attack Yu Qiuping's left flank.

Yu Qiuping sensed the advantage of Chang Panbei on the right flank, but he could not make up his mind to launch a flanking attack. Even though Sanada Masayuki had repeatedly advised Akihei to send the platoon in the center to flank the enemy on the right flank, because Oda Nobuyiyo's central forces had not come to attack, Akihei's central forces were on standby at the moment. He actually had the opportunity to send the central troops to flank the attack, and then transfer the reserves to the central maintenance front - but he was always conservative and hesitated and missed this good opportunity.

After the troops on the right flank of Oda Nobukiyo also pressed up, Yu Qiuping did not dare to make any small moves on the central battlefield where the space was further reduced, so he had to wait for the progress of the troops for the time being.

On the left flank of Yuakihei, that is, on the north side of the battlefield, there were three infantry platoons and a bow platoon of Fukushima Yasunari, Mizuatomi and Aoki Kazuki, although they were smaller in number than Oda Nobukiyo's side, but their combat effectiveness was not comparable to Oda Nobukiyo's troops. Although there are many new recruits among them, they are not left behind at all thanks to the strict training of those veterans who have followed Yuqiuping from Zhili City and normal days.

At this time, in the battle situation on the southern front, Yuqiuping's Chang Panbei had the advantage. The left flank of Oda Nobukiyo's huge crane wing array had been gradually pressed back, and Ashigaru continued to fall in front of Tokiwabei's powerful spear array.

"Oda Nobukiyo is probably going to be out of breath." Yuqiu Ping looked at Oda Nobukiyo's horse seal a few hundred meters away, "The stalemate and protracted battle is not good news for him. I have already sent someone to ask for help from the lord, and the reinforcements will arrive around noon. And he doesn't have any reinforcements. ”

·

Sure enough, Oda Nobunkiyo, who could not tolerate the stalemate in the battle, began to try to adjust the formation. He sent all the original 200 infantry to the southern front battlefield to support Mita Yoshitoshi, who was already overstretched.

"Your Highness! Golden opportunity! After Anayama Nobukiyo saw Oda Nobukiyo's dispatch, he excitedly shouted to Ariyu Akihei: "Oda Nobukiyo's main camp is empty!" There are only a few dozen cavalry left! Your Highness, we have 100 people on the central front, and you still have 100 reserves and 50 cavalry in your hands, now rush over and serve Oda Nobukiyo's main formation in one pot, and this battle will be over! ”

"Yes, Your Highness," Keiji Maeda also took a puff of cigarette on the side, and said, "That Oda Nobukiyo is obviously jumping off the wall in a hurry, and he wants to save the decline in the south, and he doesn't even want his life." Give the order to attack! ”

However, Yu Qiuping looked at the huge gap, but he was a little uncertain. What if there is danger? Why did Oda Nobukiyo show such a big flaw, it was obviously intentional!

"Let's be on the safe side," Yu Qiuping shook his head and rejected the proposal of the two subordinates, "Anyway, as long as we are undefeated, we will win, and there is no need to take too risks." ”

"Order, let the reserves of the two platoons go to support the right flank!" Yu Qiuping sent out the reserves of two platoons, "one platoon filled behind Yoshioka Katsumasa's platoon. The other platoon covers the flanks of Nakahide Mizensaki. By the way, bring the Iron Gunners back, they won't be useful anyway. ”

Yu Qiuping suddenly felt that the situation was a little troublesome—there were too many troops he needed to command. There were a total of 13 platoons on the battlefield, all of which were commanded by him, and he was really busy. It may be necessary to set up an intermediate command structure to take some of the pressure off him.

But now is not the time to think about that. With the support of 200 men, the left flank of Oda Nobukiyo's army on the southern front battlefield already had a strong strength of 500 men. Not only did they fill the gap in the central front and contain Yoshioka Katsumasa's offensive, but they also tried to detour to the right flank of Yuakihei from the right - the reserves sent by Yuakihei arrived in time and blocked their attack together with Mimasaki Nakahide's platoon.

·

At the same time, Oda Nobukiyo's main camp.

"Damn! How can that Yu Qiuping not move! Oda Nobukiyo looked at the immovable maple bird horse mark in the distance, and stomped his foot in anger. He had planned to lure Yu Qiuping into a surprise attack on his own position, and then abandon the battle lines on both flanks and send a large number of troops to attack his assault troops from both sides, thus turning the tide of the battle in one fell swoop. He had even sent heralds to the left and right flanks with about 100 troops to break away from the battle line, ready to flank at any time. To be honest, the plan itself was very dangerous, and the transfer of a large number of troops away from the flanks would most likely lead to the collapse of the battle line, and the formation adjustment would also give Joban a chance to take advantage of it. If Yu Qiuping decides to assault, he can even win with a sixty percent chance - Oda Nobukiyo is deliberately selling a flaw, hoping to win a desperate opportunity.

As a result, Yu Qiuping did not have any countermeasures now, so he honestly sent people to support the right wing and no longer made any moves.

"What a coward!" Oda Nobukiyo scolded angrily, "Is there still a bit of martial blood?" ”

Just when Oda Nobukiyo was angry, a herald hurried towards him.

"Report!" The herald whispered breathlessly, "Your Highness! Oh no! Our scouting found that a large number of Oda reinforcements had arrived from the south! It is estimated that we will be able to reach the battlefield in half an hour! ”

"Damn!" Oda Nobukiyo shouted angrily, at this moment he had no other way.

"He doesn't have many troops in his own formation!" Oda Nobukiyo pointed straight to the location of Yu Qiuping's horse print with his hand, "All the people in the reserve have been sent to the right flank, and there are only 50 infantry and 50 archers left in this formation, as well as dozens of cavalry!" ”

"What does Your Highness mean?" Oda Nobukiyo's Ma Dai commander asked tentatively, "Do you want to lead an army to assault his own camp?" ”

"That's right!" Oda Nobukiyo shook his fist fiercely, "You guys just rush over and take down Yu Qiuping's head for me!" ”

"But Your Highness!" The commander of the horse valley said with some concern, "There are 50 pikemen in Tokiwa! Chang Panbei has always been disciplined and has high combat power, and we use cavalry to charge hard, and it is estimated that we will suffer heavy losses! ”

"Won't you go around then?" Oda Nobukiyo said in a loud voice with some anger, "Our two wings also pulled his battle line very wide, and the little people on his central front didn't dare to spread it out, you guys bypassed the gap on both sides of him!" ”

Commander Ma Di glanced at Yu Qiuping's battle line, and then realized that there was a considerable gap between the infantry phalanx in the center and the large army on both wings, and it was indeed possible to bypass it. But this is a risk after all, but there is no other way for them to do it.