Looking at each other across the Kiso River, the wealthy families of Meinong and the Yuqiu family are some happy and some are worried.

On Yuqiu's side, craftsmen are working overtime to repair armor and weapons. The Sena clan has already contacted more than a dozen wealthy families in Ise, and they are willing to spend a total of nearly 3,000 yen to eat this "brand-new" armor. For the transportation of armor, Sena wanted to transport it by water through the Kiso River, but Naoe Tadahei decided that it was not safe enough and took it by land from Owari.

Tokiwabei's daily training was also restored, and Fukushima Yasunari followed Akihei's instructions to build a huge training barracks outside Kuroda Castle. Runways, sand pits, arrow targets, dumbbells, and all kinds of equipment in the military camp in later generations were all moved out by Yu Qiuping.

After the efforts of Naoe Tadahei, each village in Yuqiuping's territory sent an acting official, who was responsible for implementing the personal income tax system for taxation during the autumn harvest. This policy was indeed the same as when he was in the Imagawa family, and it was well received by the people. Coupled with Yu Qiuping's recent victory, he successfully surrounded the people's territory from being disturbed, and it made Yu Qiuping, a lord who had barely shown his face in front of the people, his prestige in the territory increased unprecedentedly.

However, the system of judges in Yuqiuping's previous territory was not well enforced. The judges of the Yuqiu family are basically veterans who were injured in the battle and were discharged from the army. When these Suruga people came to Owari, they were unable to gain the trust of the local people of Owari. Even though the system of judges has been explained to the people over and over again, the people will still turn to the village chief and clan elders for help when they encounter disputes and cases. These local snakes firmly control the judicial power, so that the top management of the Yuqiu family has no good way for the time being.

And on the other side of the Kiso River, the four wealthy families of the Saito family have not had a good time in the past month.

In this way, nearly three-quarters of the savings that have been saved for many years were handed over to Yu Qiuping, and the high-level officials were naturally very unhappy. What made them even more angry was that the low-level ashigaru and the common people remembered the good of the rain and autumn and red leaves, thinking that it was all thanks to his kindness and trustworthiness that these poor captives could go home and reunite with their families again - they didn't care who paid the ransom at all! Gradually, Yuqiuping's reputation for trustworthiness and kindness began to spread in the West Mino area.

However, the high-level leaders of the wealthy clan who have unspeakable hardships have no intention of caring about fame at the moment. Because the other wealthy clans around them have long been ready to move on their territory. To the north of the territory of the four wealthy families, a big wealthy clan in the territory of Mino - Hibino Kiyoshi. He is the lord of Mino Kunikata Prefecture and one of the "Saito Rokujuku" of the Mino Saito family. The Adachi Rokubei under his command is a famous strong man in Mino, known as "Adachi by the neck". When Hibino Kiyomi heard that several small wealthy clans located south of him had suffered a crushing defeat, he immediately made up his mind and tried to take the opportunity to enter the territory of these wealthy clans and encroach on their territory under the pretext of guarding the border.

However, Yu Qiuping quickly released the captives of the Hao clan, and his calculations failed. However, because most of the armor and ordnance of these four wealthy families were detained by Yu Qiuping, they couldn't even make up the equipment for the armed forces, and their strength was very weak. The Hibino family obviously did not intend to give up, and repeatedly stirred up friction on the border, and in the name of helping to manage law and order, they occupied the territory of the Kato family, the Nonomura family, and the Hara family of nearly 1,000 koku each. Several wealthy families who were unable to resist had no choice but to swallow their front teeth into their stomachs. The senior management of the Saito family is said to have heard a little about their negotiations with the Yuqiu family. It's already good if you don't punish them for collaborating with the enemy, so how can you help them uphold justice?

And the last messenger sent by Yu Qiuping also left them a prophecy: on May 11 they will regret it. This warning was like a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, and they were on their minds every day. After several families discussed, although they all said that this was Yu Qiuping's bluff, they were still very afraid that Yu Qiuping would cross the river on May 11 to kill. When the time comes, there is the fierce Momiji Chang Iwan in front of him, and there is Hibino Kiyoshi who obviously has a ghost in his heart, and these wealthy families are afraid that they will not have good fruits to eat.

No matter how much they prayed, the day of May 11 still came. Hikato Mitsutomo gathered his troops early and waited in several newly built rocks on the banks of the Kiso River. His son, Mitsuyasu Kato, was sent by him to the northern border to guard against the Hibino family. Overstretched forces made it impossible for him to even draw reserves. He had already discussed it with the original family, the Nonomura family and the Kawa family, and this time he must fight the enemy side by side.

However, he waited from early morning to morning, morning to noon, noon to afternoon, and did not eat two meals, but he never waited for the news of Yuqiu's attack. Not to mention that Hosaku, who was ambushed in Yeturi County, didn't bring any news back, and the plains on the other side of the Kiso River were even more empty, and there was no intention of attacking at all.

"This rain and autumn leaves... Sure enough, it's a bluff! He scolded to himself, "Why on May 11 we will regret not paying him back!" Obviously deliberately tricked us into assembling troops once! ”

Just as he was about to give the order to collect his troops and disband them, a herald suddenly rode his horse from the north like crazy. The rider ran straight to the edge of the rock, dismounted and rushed into the rock.

"What's wrong with Wu'er? Why are you in such a hurry? Yuan Laifang recognized this as the captain of the guard of Yuan Chang Lai at a glance, and immediately asked anxiously.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! The herald whispered breathlessly, "Urgent report from Inabayama Castle!" ”

"What do you mean?" When Hara Yoribo heard the name of Inabayama Castle, the Saito family's main residence, his whole body immediately tightened. Could it be that something happened to the Saito family? Is it to confiscate their own territory!

The herald drank several sips of water and took a breath before he spoke in a panic:

"Saito Daiden died suddenly!"

Hearing the news, Yuan Laifang only felt that the world was spinning in front of him, and he almost couldn't stand on his feet.

May 11th... How could it be!

·

Soon after, inside Cheongju Castle.

Yu Qiuping put on his official samurai uniform early today, and waited at home for Oda Nobunaga's urgent summons. Because he clearly remembered that Saito Yoshiryu would die on May 11, 1561. He couldn't remember such a trivial historical time anyway. But in his previous life, when he played a computer game of Japan's Sengoku period, he once played it well. Saito Yoshiryu suddenly fell ill and died, which made him very depressed. So, he went to check the time of Saito Yoshiryu's death, which was May 11 - and what impressed him even more was that Oda Nobunaga took advantage of the danger on May 13 to invade Mino who was mourning.

Sure enough, in the afternoon, Yu Qiuping received a report from his mother's clothes, asking him to rush to the castle tower of Cheongju City immediately.

Since Yu Qiuping happened to be stranded in Cheongju City at this time, he was also one of the first high-ranking generals to arrive. Half an hour later, Mori Kosei, Shibata Katsuie, Niwa Nagahide, and other important ministers who were a little closer also rode their horses to Kiyoshu Castle. Before nightfall, the Oda family department basically arrived with all the samurai of the upper ranks, and Oda Nobunaga also rushed to the castle tower with Hayashi Hidesada and Takigawa Kazuyi, and immediately convened this emergency assessment meeting.

Judging from the latest information that Takigawa Kazuyi just brought, Saito Yoshiryu must be dead. Although the Saito family had already established Saito Ryuko, the eldest son of Saito Yoshiryu, as the next governor, Saito Ryuko was not yet 14 years old and could not take charge of the family's affairs, so he had to establish a retainer who was an auxiliary government. In order to compete for power in the family, the Mino Hao faction within the Saito family and the Saito family's direct ministers fought fiercely. Saito Rokujuku was also divided into two, among which Mamoru Ando, Naomoto of the clan, and Kiyomi Hibino of the wealthy faction advocated that the leader of the wealthy clan should be the auxiliary government in accordance with the principle of the retainers of the Mino family. The leaders of the Naotomi faction, Nagai Eiyasu, Hineno Hiromasa, and Takeshiro Naomitsu, tried to defend the power of the Saito family, and were reluctant to let the foreign wealthy clan enter the center.

Because of the hostility between the two factions in Inabayama Castle, the top of the Saito family also fell into chaos. Even the important news of the death of the family governor could not be blocked—it was already learned by the Oda family on the same day. Sensing the chaos within the Saito family and the lack of a backbone, Oda Nobunaga excitedly interrupted Takigawa Kazuyi's report at the meeting and abruptly stood up from his seat. He stepped on the small table in front of him with one foot and waved the folding fan in his hand with the other.

"Ladies and gentlemen! That bastard of Yoshiryu Saito has finally gone to see Hades! Oda Nobunaga shouted, "The lord is weak and the minister is suspicious, how can Yu let go of such a good opportunity?" ”

"Your Highness!" Niwa Nagahide looked at Oda Nobunaga's high-spirited appearance, and couldn't help but remind: "The mourning of the people is really against the morality of the samurai. ”

"Who cares about all that stuff," Oda Nobunaga flicked the folding fan in his hand with disdain.

"Your Highness, this will inevitably teach you the truth," Niwa Nagahide still tried his best to persuade him: "If you are unkind and unjust, you will also lose the hearts of the rich people of the thick tail family!" ”

"Okay, okay, Yagoro, it's just you! Then I will personally raise some troops, prepare sacrifices, and go to mourn my brother-in-law! It's all right! Oda Nobunaga snorted coldly and responded to Niwa Nagahide's words.

"Even when our father died, he just threw a handful of incense on the spiritual seat," Maeda Toshiie, who was sitting next to Yu Qiuping, laughed, "Does anyone still expect him to cry bitterly over Saito Yoshiryu's death?" ”

"Time is pressing, it's too late to mobilize the whole army!" Oda Nobunaga said in a loud voice, "Except for the remaining families, you don't have to deliberately gather troops. ”

"Momiji!" Oda Nobunaga was the first to call Yu Qiuping's name, "You immediately go back to the territory to gather troops, cross the Kiso River tomorrow, occupy a few ferries and strongholds, and go to prepare some incense candles for Yu's eldest brother!" ”

"Yes!" Yu Qiuping bowed his head.

"Gonroku, Sanzaemon! You should also go back and gather your troops at once, arrive at Momiji's territory by tomorrow night, and cross the Kiso River early the day after tomorrow to build a rock as a place of worship. Oda Nobunaga called out the names of Shibata Katsuya and Mori Katsu again.

Yu Hui personally gathered a large army and rushed to the banks of the Kiso River by the night after tomorrow with sacrifices. When the time comes, you will need to find enough ferries or build pontoons, and if you don't finish it, come and see you! ”

"Yes!" Yu Qiuping, Mori Kecheng and Shibata Katsuya responded in unison.

"Hengxing, Neizang Zhu, you lead the troops as a rearguard, carry grain and grass, lay supply lines, and prepare to meet the army." Oda Nobunaga once again singled out the names of Tsuneko Ikeda and Narimasa Sasa.

"This is the end of the order." Oda Nobunaga said loudly. However, a moment later, his subordinates were still sitting and looking at Oda Nobunaga. Oda Nobunaga was angry and amused, and threw the folding fan at the door, slamming it on the door beam.

"Why are you still stunned! Do you have to wait until my brother-in-law's bones are cold before you do it! Go back and prepare! ”