On March 27, 1576, the second Nobunaga siege began.

The Takeda family has been silent for three years after Takeda Shingen's death. This time, the army of the Takeda family, led by Takeda Katsuyori, once again embarked on the road of the westward expedition. Tokugawa Ieyasu of Mikawa Enoe had the experience of the last time, and he no longer dared to go out of the castle to fight, so he retreated all his troops into a fortified castle and asked Oda Nobunaga for reinforcements at the same time. Oda Nobunaga was also unambiguous, and personally led the Oda family's large army left in Owari, Mino, and Ise to reinforce it.

At the same time, the dragon of Echigo in the northern country also showed hostility towards the Oda family for the first time. Uesugi Kenshin personally led the army out of Kasugayama Castle, crossed the border of Kokoku and Noto Province, and drove to the border of Kaga Province, faintly threatening to relieve the siege of Oyama Gobo. Since the end of last year, the Oda family's army led by Oda Nobutada has besieged Oyama Gobo for several months without being able to conquer it, and its morale is quite low. Seeing that the Uesugi army was coming, they had to lift the siege of Oyama Gobo and retreat and regroup.

On the Western Front, Hashiba Hideyoshi, Araki Murashige and Akechi Mitsuhide did not make much progress in their strategy against the Western Kingdom for the time being, and their troops could not be withdrawn. On the island of Shikoku, the Miyoshi family once again planned a major offensive against the Nagamune Ibu family, and it was said that the Awaji Navy would also participate in the war. The rumored Changzong and my relatives once again sent Xiangzong and our pro-Tai to ask for help, and asked Yu Qiuping to send troops across the sea to Tosa Province to support - otherwise he really might not be able to stop it.

However, the situation of the Yuqiu family is not very optimistic at the moment. The Oda family fought on multiple fronts, and Oda Nobunaga no longer had any extra reserves on hand, and it was impossible to come to support Yu Qiuping. At this moment, the Yuqiu family has to beware of the imminent attack on Honganji Temple in the north, and Kii in the south has just been pacified, and the military power in the hands of the people and temples has not been withdrawn, so it doesn't look like they can cross the sea all the way to support the Changzong family.

However, Oda Nobunaga secretly demanded that Yu Qiuhei must not show weakness. Now is the critical moment for the Oda family to establish hegemony in the world, if they give up their allies, then who will be willing to form an alliance with the Oda family in the future? Even if you grit your teeth, you have to gather people to support the relatives of Changzong and my department. After all, Tosa is a nail in the back of the Miyoshi family, and if Tosa is suppressed by the Miyoshi family, the entire Shikoku will become the back garden of the Miyoshi family, and it will be difficult to land on it again.

·

So, on April 11, 1576, a fleet of Kishiwada Port quietly set sail in the evening when it was dark.

This fleet is part of the navy that Yu Qiuping and Itami Yasukiyo have been planning for a long time. Western warships, designed and built according to the drawings of Itami Yasukiyo's masted galleons, were very different in size and shape from Japanese ships. Japan's Kohayafune, Sekifune, and Ataka ships are all called living coffins by Itami Yasukiyo. The ships of the Yu Qiu family are more similar to the streamlined ships of the West that Yu Qiuping saw in games such as the Age of Discovery. According to Yu Qiuping's suggestion, the Yu Qiujia divided this batch of naval ships into three classes: destroyers, cruisers, and battleships. It may seem to correspond to the traditional Japanese naval forces of Kohayafune, Sekifune, and Ataka Ship, but in fact, the destroyers of the Yuqiu family are already about the same size as the larger Sekibune, which can carry 40 sailors and 60 soldiers (including 30 iron gunners), and is also equipped with a gun. The cruiser was the size of an Ataka ship, with 80 sailors and 120 men (including 60 iron gunners), and was also equipped with bow guns and two broadside guns. And the size of the three battleships that were being built intensively was unimaginable to the Japanese. So much so that when the congressional businessmen occasionally visited the port of Kishiwada, they did not know what was being made in the shipyard. And the two rows of gun windows reserved on the side of the battleship hint at what kind of firepower monster Yu Qiuping wants to turn the battleship into.

Yu Qiuping and Itami Yasukiyo planned to build three battleships, ten cruisers and thirty destroyers first. However, due to the lack of shipbuilding skills and various new technical problems, the construction period looks like it will be extended considerably. Now the construction has been completed, only three cruisers and twelve destroyers. However, Itan Kangqing is not in a hurry. As a samurai from a naval family, he understands that for a naval army, the strength of the ship and the guns are indeed important, but more important is the person who controls the ship. Without experienced captains, sailors and sailors, more ships are useless. Captains, sailors, and sailors cannot be taught on paper, but can only grow up by letting them sail out to sea and experience storms and naval battles. Therefore, it is clear that the task of training captains, sailors and sailors should also be on the agenda.

So, when he learned that Yu Qiuping needed to cross the sea to support Changzong's family, Itami Yasuqing took the initiative to ask Ying to let his fleet of fifteen ships escort Yu Qiuping's army.

"Your Highness, the old brothers brought here haven't been to sea for several years, and those recruits can't learn water warfare while sitting in the shipyard." Itan Kangqing said to Yu Qiuping, "They must be allowed to go to sea to experience and experience, otherwise even if His Highness's big ships are all completed, the giant ship without soldiers is just a divine weapon in the hands of a doll." ”

Thus, this grass platform fleet set off from the port of Kishiwada. In addition to three cruisers and twelve destroyers, there were also ten merchant ships bought by Yu Qiuping to serve as transport ships for grain, grass and personnel. Led by Yu Qiuping and Itami Yasukiyo himself, he led the newly formed army's Liaoyuan Bei, Jiujiubei and cavalry companies to support. Although Shigeharu Takenaka and others persuaded Yu Qiuping not to take such a risk, and it would be troublesome if the fleet encountered the main force of the Awaji Navy at sea, Yu Qiuping was not so worried.

The carrying capacity of the Yuqiu family's mast sailing ship is very strong, and it will not be like the Nine Ghost Jialong's sailors who can't fight a naval battle if the draft is too deep after carrying people. Therefore, the 3,000 troops brought by the Yuqiu family can all fight on ships. That's an extra 900 iron cannons, which adds up to more than 1,400 iron cannons, which is not something that ordinary people can afford. And the amazing speed of the masted sailing ship is not comparable to the living coffins of the closed ship and the house ship, as long as Yu Qiuping wants to run, open the sail and run to the open sea, who can catch up?

"Even so, does Your Highness really not bring Chang Pan Bei, Ming Di Bei, or Hosoyanagi Bei to go?" Shigeharu Takenaka was still a little uneasy, and asked in a low voice, "Although according to our training and establishment methods, even if it is a newly established reserve team, a large number of veterans will be added as the backbone, and the combat effectiveness will not be too bad." However, after all, Liaoyuan Bei and Jiu Bei are newly established command systems, and it is really inappropriate to carry out such a dangerous mission. ”

"Don't forget, this trip is not only a military consideration, but also a political factor." Before leaving, Yu Qiuping instructed Shigeharu Takenaka, who came to see him off, "The strategic situation of the Yuqiu family is not very good now, and Honganji Temple in the north and Kii in the south are likely to be in trouble. Once they know that I have personally led nearly half of my troops to leave, they will definitely be ready to move. That's why I asked the crows of the Gonbei to try their best to block the news of my departure, so I took advantage of the evening to find a way to make a detour to Tosa, so that the ninjas of the Miyoshi family would not find out that the Yuqiu family's troops had left. ”

"I can't let the enemy know that the Yuqiu family has divided their troops to rescue Tosa, and they have to make them think that all five of our reserves are sitting here, so that they can suppress Xiaoxiao's thoughts." Yuqiu paused and glanced at Shigeharu Takenaka meaningfully, "But paper can't contain the fire, and the news that I led the army to leave will be known sooner or later." At that time, the enemy will definitely launch an attack on the territory of the Yuqiu family, and at that time, it will only be up to you to command the troops to defend the mainland. That's why I've left you with the three most combat-ready reserves. ”

"In that case, why didn't Your Highness arrange to go down to support Tosa, and His Highness personally led the army to take charge of? Wouldn't that be more subduing the small mind? Shigeharu Takenaka seemed to sense Yu Qiuping's deep meaning, and asked in a low voice, "His Highness left an elite in Izumi in Hanoi on the one hand, trying to suppress Xiaoxiao. On the other hand, he left in person, giving Xiaoxiao a chance. Such contradictory behavior is not a habit of His Highness. ”

"If I guessed correctly... Your Highness is going to..."

"Shh Yu Qiuping made a silent gesture towards Shigeharu Takenaka, "It's not me, it's Gonbei's plan." When the situation really changes, the right guard will come to communicate with you. ”

"Crows?" Shigeharu Takenaka sneered, "Then it's better not to change." ”

·

The voyage at sea was much smoother than Akihei had thought, and they sailed south from Kishiwada Port along the coastline, passing through Tomojima Oki and Wakaura Bay, almost bypassing under the noses of Awaji Island (even the main castle of Awaji Island was faintly visible), but they were never intercepted by the Awaji Naval Army. After the fleet sailed into the Kii waterway, Yu Qiuping was completely relieved. As soon as the fleet leaves the Seto Inland Sea through the Kii Suido and sails into the open sea, it can sail and accelerate, and even if the Awaji Navy finds their tracks, it is impossible to catch up with them.

"With so many fleets with torches, there's no reason why they won't be discovered." Yu Qiuping couldn't help muttering a little about the current situation that was going too well, "Could it be that the Miyoshi family mistook our navy for a large-scale merchant fleet from Sakai Port?" ”

However, Yu Qiuping obviously thought too much. Almost at the same time as he muttered, several figures were watching the fleet, which was gradually moving away, on the castle tower of the castle.

"Father, don't you really need to intercept?" The son of Ataka Fuyasu, Nobuyasu Ataka watched the fleet leave, and still asked again with some unwillingness.

"No, it can't be done." An Zhai Dongyasu shook his head and said lightly, "Before they intercept before they pass through Yujima Chong, they will retreat to Kishiwada Port, and it is impossible for us to storm a port with so many large barrels of defense." If it is intercepted after passing through the island rush, it will not be able to catch up at all. Their ship seems to be modeled after the Nanban, and it is very fast. ”

"Even if you can stop it, don't stop it." Miyoshi Yoshixian, who was standing behind Antaku Dongkang and Antaku Shinyasu, had already sat back at the table at this moment, sipping the tea in the cup, "Otherwise, the plan will not be launched." ”