On June 6, Oda's family was in the castle of Mt. Imu.

It has been three days since the Oda family crossed the river, and the fortified fortress on Mt. Imu has been reinforced. The heavy grain and grass that had been left on the south bank of the Kiso River were also transported in these three days—enough for the Oda family to move around the Mino territory for more than two months.

After Mino has a foothold, what they have to solve is how to lay down the city of Mino. At this moment, everyone in the Oda family was gathered around a hanging map, discussing the situation in front of them.

"Ape City must be defeated." Niwa Nagahide nodded to Saruki Castle, located a few miles upstream of Mt. Iki. It is located on a high mountain on the north bank of the Kiso River, and the terrain is difficult to defend and difficult to attack. From the top of Mt. Imu, you can already see the whole city clearly. Although it is only a small town, the difference in altitude is huge. The castle towns around it were scattered scattered in the chaotic mountainous terrain, and if you wanted to attack the castle, you could not even get open space for the troops, so you had to send small troops to the ground in batches, and the large army had to be blocked in the rugged mountains to watch. The troops at the head of the city can calmly defend against even more than their own siege troops, and the casualty ratio will be very large. In the era when cold weapons were the mainstay, this kind of city was generally considered to be a city that could not be captured by siege, and could only be defeated through a long-term siege.

However, the fact that Ape City is a small city means that it doesn't need many defenders - it is estimated that there are fewer than 500 people inside. These people consume relatively little food and can support them for a long time even when they are under siege.

Towns with such steep terrain tend to be built in the middle of nowhere, rather than beside important roads, because no one will build important official roads next to such rugged areas. The Oda family can also choose to bypass the Ape City without fighting, and the hundreds of people in it will not dare to go out of the city to fight in the field anyway. After getting around it, go to the other castles of Higashiminon. After the other cities fell, the isolated Ape City had to surrender.

However, the Oda family was not engaged in a strategic decisive battle, but sent a partial division to attack the city. Their goal was simply to capture one or two castles in Higashimino and then withdraw to Owari. If they don't fight Saruki Castle, when the Saito family sends a large army to regain the lost territory, the Oda family will find themselves sticking a nail in the land occupied by Mino - Saruwa Castle. It can easily obtain information on the movements of the Oda family's army through the view from the high mountains, attack the Oda family's baggage team, and even cooperate with the Saito family's troops to flank the Oda army. This was something that the under-armed Oda family could not tolerate.

"Oh, His Royal Highness Niwa, we all understand what you said!" Ikeda muttered dissatisfiedly, "But that must be able to beat it down!" But such a small ruined city is still built on a high mountain where birds don't, how can you fight it? ”

"Oh my God, even our Owari King has a castle that can't be defeated!" Maeda Toshiya laughed and sarcastically said to Ikeda Tsuneko: "You're not! Invincible! ”

"Dog! Shut your mouth, you stinky boy! Ikeda Hengxing patted Maeda Toshiya dissatisfied, "Where am I to force the king!" I've always been the most knowledgeable! ”

"Then our Highness Hengxing knows the most!" Toshiya Maeda teased in an exaggerated tone, "What do you think should be done right now?" ”

"Don't make a fuss about the two of you," Yu Qiuping said with a wry smile: "Discuss business!" What do you think about your Highnesses? ”

Yu Qiuping then set his eyes on Takigawa Kazuki who was standing beside him, who noticed his gaze and bowed his head slightly: "How to act, you must have sufficient information before you can make a decision." ”

"As for how to get enough information, you can only know by going to the field." Takigawa Kazuyi said in a deep voice.

·

At noon on June 6, a group of high-ranking generals of the Oda family came to the outside of Saruchi Castle with their guards to reconnoiter the local geography.

"This mountain is really high." Longzi, who was following Yu Qiuping, kept raising his little head, and his hair was hanging down the back of his head. She looked at the Ape Castle built on the hill and asked puzzledly, "Why would anyone build a castle in such a place?" ”

"Nabenosuke, what do you think?" Yu Qiuping didn't answer directly, but asked Honda Tadakatsu on the side.

"I don't know. It doesn't have to be known. Honda Tadakatsu shook his head, "I only know that if His Highness wants to take this city, he will definitely take the lead." ”

"Alas, Nabenosuke," Yu Qiuping sighed and patted Honda Tadashikatsu's shoulder, "As a general, it's not just a brave spirit." If you want to be a great samurai, you must also be familiar with military strategy. ”

"It's only a shallow learning in the next place, and I can't do it." Honda Tadakatsu very dryly refused.

"Well, this kind of thing happens, no one wants it to happen." Yu Qiuping smiled bitterly, "Then I'll tell you." ”

"Meinong is a place where there are many large and small wealthy families, and the phenomenon of mergers between wealthy families is very serious. The ancestor of Tajimi's repairer must have wanted to preserve his family, so he built a fortified castle here. The surrounding small wealthy families must be discouraged when they see such a mountain town. Saruki Castle stands on a high hill on the banks of the Kiso River, and it is enough to see the movement of the Kiso River in Minami-Owari. Such a vision point of great strategic significance must also be the object of the Daihao family or the Mino Saito family. Therefore, building a city here can ensure the peace of the family. ”

Ryuko nodded as if he didn't understand, and Honda Tadashi still had an indifferent expression, which made Yu Qiuping, a teacher, very frustrated. In desperation, he had to awkwardly open a new topic: "How to say it, generally this kind of highland is a good place to build a city!" ”

Yu Qiuping scratched the back of his head, wanting to cite an example to prove his argument, but in a hurry, he couldn't find an example of making a lot of profits in building a city at a high level, but a negative example came to mind.

Ma Tan! In the Battle of Jieting, he chose to camp in the high mountains to contain the momentum of the Wei army's offensive. However, his opponent, Zhang He, one of the five good generals, keenly found the weakness and cut off his water source, and was finally defeated by Zhang He.

Yu Qiuping only felt that his heart suddenly brightened, and when he looked at the almost impregnable mountain city again, he was full of confidence.

"Let's go! Let's take a look around this ape city! ”

·

Yu Qiuping rushed to the place where Niwa Nagahide and Takigawa Kazuyi were with his attendants, and just as he was about to make a suggestion, he suddenly found that Kinoshita Toyoshiro also ran over from another direction with a few henchmen.

"Oh? Momiji, Fujiyoshiro, you're in such a hurry to come back, didn't you find something? Niwa Nagahide asked with some joy.

Yu Qiuping and Kinoshita Toyoshiro looked at each other, and they both smiled. Yu Qiuping patted Kinoshita Tojiro on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Fujiyoshiro, you can say it first." ”

"Then you're welcome!" Kinoshita Fujiyoshiro was not stage frightened, patted his chest and said, "His Royal Highness Niwa! There's a way to conquer Ape Castle! ”

"Huh?" Kinoshita Toyoshiro had already spoken, and the people around him were all exclaimed. Although everyone regards this monkey as a friend, they all think that he has no special abilities other than being clever, and he will play tricks. At this moment, he spoke amazingly, and Maeda Toshiie and Ikeda Tsuneko couldn't help but snicker on the side, ready to see his joke.

"Oh?" Niwa Nagahide was as generous and kind as ever, and did not show any dissatisfaction or contempt, "Fujiyoshiro, tell me about it." ”

"His Royal Highness Niwa is gracious!" Kinoshita Tojiro pointed his finger at Saruki Castle and excitedly shouted, "We can use the strategy of cutting off the water to capture Saruki Castle!" ”

"Water cut?" Many people around were stunned, but Yu Qiuping was surprised. He didn't expect that this Kinoshita Tojiro would coincide with him.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Kinoshita Toyoshiro nodded again and again, "Ape Castle is set up on a high mountain, and it is not easy to get water!" It was found that the water source of their entire city seemed to come from the groundwater of the three mountain springs on the mountain behind the Ape City! As long as we cut off these three water sources, it is estimated that the wells in their city will not be able to get water! ”

"If that's the case, that's a great achievement, Fujiyoshiro!" Niwa Nagahide encouraged happily.

"Toyoshiro is right, exactly." Yu Qiuping affirmed with a smile on the side: "The method I came up with is also a plan to cut off the water." ”

"So what are you waiting for!" Maeda Toshiya jumped three feet high excitedly, "Let's hurry up and go around the mountain castle!" Let's see if that's the case! ”

When the group hurried on the road, Kinoshita Toyoshiro could not hide the excitement in his eyes. This is the first time he has contributed to the battle, and the entire 4,000 troops may act according to his plan!

However, Yu Qiuping, who was following him, understood that this was by no means the last time he would shine. In the history of his previous life, the future Hashiba Hideyoshi was a siege master who was famous for "killing Tottori by hunger, killing Miki by thirst, and flooding Takamatsu without a single soldier". Even Odawara Castle, which is known as "never falling", was attacked by him in one fell swoop. At that time, no city could stop this siege genius wherever he went, and the whole of Japan was terrified.

·

After the reconnaissance was completed, the Oda family immediately launched an operation to cut off the water. They sent a large number of auxiliaries to the mountains behind the city of Ape and excavated the land near the three springs in an attempt to block the water or dig ditches to divert the water upstream.

Tajimi in Saruki Castle was shocked when he found out that the Oda family had begun to try to cut off the water source - that was the lifeblood of Saruki Castle! In the previous decades, no outsider had ever seen through this! was easily caught by the Oda family! Caught off guard, he hurriedly dispatched his troops out of the city to counterattack, trying to stop the Oda family's water cut-off operation.