On April 26, 1576, a war broke out on the island of Shikoku and Kawachi and Izumi on the island of Honshu. On Shikoku Island, Miyoshi Nagakei announced the launch of a general attack on Nagamune's family. The Honganji Temple of Ishiyama Gobo also called on the forces of the Ichizan sect to invade the territory of the Yuqiu family in Hanoi and Hozumi. Shigeharu Takenaka, who was sitting in Kawachi, saw the menacing Honganji army and hurriedly ordered the recall of two companies of Hosoyanagi from Kii to resist the attack of Honganji.

On April 27, as soon as Hosoyanagi's troops left, the Kii people, including Suzuki's Shigei's Saga and Ota's Miyazato, joined forces with Nakajima Daishi and others to start an incident in Kii. The rebels cut off access to the main road that the Uaki family had built in Kii, and at the same time began to lay siege to Saga Castle, which was weak. The strength of a reserve in the hands of Nakahide Gomasaki was not enough to defend Saga Castle, so he had to ask the Kii people who had surrendered to the Yuqiu family to rush to support. In a hurry, only Tsuda's Nerai and Satake Yoshimasa's Nakago responded to the call and entered Saga Castle to assist in the garrison. The rest of the countrymen waited and saw the situation and did not take action.

As a result of the religious reform movement that Akihei had previously initiated in Kii, it had a great impact on the teachings and legitimacy of the Pure Land Shinshu. This time, Honganji encountered a lot of trouble when it incited the believers to launch a rebellion. Many communities refused to join the war, and many protested against such acts. In the end, Master Nakajima only mobilized a group of people who did not even have half of the expected number, but even so, it was enough to form an overwhelming numerical advantage over the Yuqiu family's troops. Although Oda Nobubo, who was located in Minamikii, tried to support Kitaki, he was helpless because he was blocked by Kii's rebels in the mountains of the south.

At the same time, the Miyoshi Army on the island of Shikoku also launched an operation. The main force of the 20,000 Miyoshi family, under the leadership of Miyoshi Chokei, set off from Shirachi Castle and went straight to Okatoyo Castle, the core of Tosa Province. The 7,000 main forces of the Chozong and Ibu families were personally led by the head of the Chozong and Ibu families in the mountainous areas of the Toyonaga-Katsubara line, and they were bound to use the complex terrain to block the attack of the Miyoshi family.

On the western front, 2,000 of Kira's 3,000 troops were stationed at Omori Castle on the Nishitosa border, and the rest remained in the territory to prevent Miyoshi's army from smuggling across the long border. The terrain of Nishi-Tosa is much better than that of Naka-Tosa and Higashi-Tosa, with several large plains and wide mountain roads. Therefore, Kira did not dare to be careless.

However, Miyoshi Yoshiken has no plans to divide his troops in a roundabout way. His 8,000 main forces all drove to Omori Castle, built a large number of siege equipment, and seemed to plan to storm Omori Castle, a mountain city that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

On the East Road, the 9,000 people in Yuqiuping are also under pressure. Although he was not very satisfied with the advice of the head of the Changzong and my department about his deployment, he still respected his opinion. He left Ogawa Youto's drunken reserve as a reserve and stayed at Xiangzong Castle to deal with possible crises on the front lines of the Middle and East Routes. And he himself personally led the 1,500 soldiers and 3,000 auxiliaries of Yoshigang Shengzheng's Liaoyuan and 400 cavalry of the cavalry company into Anyi City to resist the upcoming Sanhao Army.

The ships brought by the Yuqiu family and the few sailors of the Choso-Ibu family were all hidden in Urado Bay to avoid clashes with the powerful Awaji navy.

On April 28, fierce battles broke out between the Miyoshi Army on both the West and Middle Routes and the Chozong family. To everyone's surprise, the East Road, which was originally regarded as the main direction of attack by everyone, was calm. The army of the Ten Rivers and One Cun stopped after advancing to Naibali, forty miles southeast of Anyi City, and set up camp with no intention of continuing the attack. And the Awaji Navy of Anzhai Dongkang did not even bypass the foot cape, and never appeared in everyone's sight.

It stands to reason that the East Route Army of the Miyoshi family has the cooperation of the water army, and the supply is not a problem, plus the fierce general Ghost Shihe is personally in charge, it should be the road with the strongest desire to attack. Therefore, the silence of the Eastern Route Army made Changzong's relatives quite uneasy. He sent ninjas and tanma to cross Yuqiuping's defense area many times to reconnoiter the situation of the Eastern Route Army, which made Yuqiujun very dissatisfied. However, the relatives of Changzong and my department did not see anything abnormal in the silence of the Miyoshi Army. The head relatives of Changzong and my department could only comfort himself and other subordinates with "Sure enough, it is His Royal Highness Momiji who has the name of 'absolute defense', and the Miyoshi Army does not even dare to attack".

Although Changzong and my family are confused, Yu Qiuping knows it in his heart. Not long ago, Amano Keitoku had already sent information. In the conspiracy of Yoshiken Miyoshi and Shigekane Suzuki, as long as the Saga people work together, the Awaji Navy will leave Shikoku Island and go to Kii to support. Yu Qiuping estimated that they would even take the Sanuki people who were in the Ten Rivers and went to Kii together. Therefore, Yu Qiuping's restraint on Shihe Yicun and Anzhai Dongkang is not surprising - it is just to facilitate getting out of the battlefield.

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April 30, Hanoi, Hoa Quan country.

Due to the timely return of two companies of Hosoyanagi Bei, together with the Kamiikeda Army, the Narutobi Garrison, the Kawachi Izumi Garrison, and some reinforcements sent by Sakuma Nobumori, the Honganji attack did not make much progress. The strongest commander of the Red Leaf Army, Tokiwa Bei, and the supreme commander left behind by the Yuqiu family, Shigeharu Takenaka, did not even appear on the front line of the battlefield, but always acted as a reserve in the rear, which also showed that the Yuqiu family had spare strength. After seeing that the situation was difficult to open, Honganji did not rush to break through, but waited patiently. Because they know that the price of the Yuqiu family's ease on the frontal battlefield is the lack of troops on the Kii battlefield.

Honganji is right, but the situation of the Yuqiu army trapped in Saga Castle is indeed not optimistic. The rebels have cut off all communication routes between them and the outside world, and have aggressively attacked Kii's Yuqiu stronghold, expelling the Yuqiu family's deputies and judges one after another. The main force of the rebels is besieging Saga Castle for days. Seeing that Yuqiu's army was weak, many of the originally wavering people announced their rebellion, expelled the acting officials and judges of the Yuqiu family, and joined the command of the Zaga people. With a surplus of troops, Suzuki Shigeyi immediately commanded the people of the country to capture the three key points of communication in Kii, the Yuqiu family and the Nerai, which were in Kii - Tsuchimaru, Sengoku Castle and Takanoguchi. In order to defend Saga Castle, the Yuqiu family concentrated almost all their forces, and these key points were basically in an undefended state, and they were easily captured by the rebels. And after controlling these three traffic points, it is equivalent to locking the west, middle, and north roads where Yuqiu's family went south to support Kii. If the Yuqiu family wants to support, they must first break through these three easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack levels.

"It's really too deceitful, and I actually dare to transfer the thin willow bei, who doesn't have many people, back to two companies." Suzuki, who was standing on the east hill of Saga Castle, looked at the tired defenders in Saga Castle with disdain, "It's over now, the whole Kii is already our place except for this Saga Castle." If he doesn't come back, Kii will be returned to his original owner. ”

"Even if they come back to help, it won't help." Shigekane Suzuki stood behind Shigei Suzuki and added with a smile, "Let's rely on those dangerous levels to hold them off for at least a few days." When the time comes, His Royal Highness the Dharma Lord will take the opportunity to attack, and the defense line of the Yuqiu family will not be able to hold on. As long as those few checkpoints are still in our hands, the reinforcements from the Yuqiu family will not be able to pass, and we can besiege this Saga City in a big way. ”

"Well said!" Suzuki laughed out loud in satisfaction and glanced at his eldest son a few times encouragingly. He had always felt that his eldest son was frail and sickly, and he had not been able to inherit his heroics, but he was literate and had no future at all. But now it seems that this kid is quite heroic, "Chongxiu, learn from your brother's courage." Suzuki Shigeyi glanced at Suzuki Shigehide, and said with a smile of hatred, "Every day is timid, like a woman, what kind of system is it?" ”

"I still think that the Red Leaf Army has transferred most of the defenders of Saga Castle, and there is something strange." Shigehide Suzuki ignored his father's words and said head-on.

"What's strange, it's that the people of the Yuqiu family are careless, and they underestimate the enemy!" Suzuki Shigei glared at Suzuki Shigehide with annoyance, and said loudly over Suzuki Shigehide's voice: "They are careless, they can't imagine that we dare to make trouble!" They underestimated the enemy, and they didn't know that we could make such a big storm! Now they have to swallow the bitter fruit themselves! ”

"But if the Red Leaves Army comes back, we..."Shigehide Suzuki still reluctantly advised, "Should we prepare early?" ”

"Even if they want to come back, they still have to beat those three levels, leaving us with enough time to prepare. When they start tackling the problem, it's never too late for us to prepare. Shigekane Suzuki helped his father and said, "Besides, reinforcements from the Miyoshi family will arrive soon, so why should we worry?" According to His Royal Highness Shikyu, it is not only the Awaji Naval Army that will come, but also the Sanuki people of the Onijukawa who will come together. If reinforcements come, even if the whole division of the Red Leaf Army comes, we have nothing to fear! ”

"What the elder brother said," Shigehide Suzuki's analysis dispelled Shigehide's doubts, and the latter, who seemed to be a little ashamed of his cowardice for many days before, hammered his fist heavily in the chest, trying to cheer himself up, "Now go and personally command the siege!" Before sunset today, we will knock down all the three rocks on the periphery! Father, brother, look at it! ”

"This is the good son of my Suzuki family!" Seeing that Shigehide Suzuki finally cheered up, Shigeki Suzuki couldn't help but laugh with relief, "Go ahead and teach those and Kii traitors a hard lesson!" ”

Looking at the back of Shigehide Suzuki gradually descending the mountain, Shigei Suzuki's eyes were full of his father's expectations for his son. And Suzuki Shigekane's gaze is much more complicated. There is not only love for my brother, but also some subtle fires dancing. He looked at his father, then at his brother, and sighed helplessly.