At this moment, a fast horse was speeding towards the left-behind home of the city of Iwaki, and the person on the horse had a flag painted with a bamboo finch pattern on his back, and his face was solemn.

......

An hour and a half later, the castle tower of Iwakiri Castle was built.

The territory of the left-behind family was not large, and after the order of the left-behind Jingzong, the retainers of the left-behind family quickly rushed to the castle tower of Iwakiri Castle.

As soon as everyone sat down, Jingzong, who was sitting on the main seat, took out a document with a solemn face, and then opened his mouth and said, "Everyone, Jiro Hall (Date Harumun) has just sent a message, and Date Hall has re-entered Xishan City. ”

"Could it be that the Qing Sect is about to be defeated?" Hearing the words of the left-behind Jingzong, the elder of the left-behind family, the important minister Sato Jinggao, couldn't help but let out an exclamation. And the rest of the retainers who stayed behind also changed their faces one after another, and they all lowered their heads and didn't know what they were thinking.

Nishiyama Castle has always been the foundation of the Date family, and Date Minoru's re-entry into Nishiyama Castle is undoubtedly tantamount to a direct announcement that Date Minoru has regained the power of the Date family, which makes it a little difficult for everyone who followed Date Harumun to mix with the remaining family.

Hearing Sato Jinggao's words, the remaining Jingzong continued with an unchanged face, "But you don't have to worry, there is still good news for this family to announce here!" ”

"Good news?"

"Not bad!" Keizong nodded, and then continued, "The head of the Ashina clan in Aizu has decided to join the Jiro Hall side, and is about to send an envoy to White Rock Castle!" ”

"What?"

"That's great!" The retainers who had just looked frightened suddenly became excited.

Sato Jinggao, who was the first to speak before, also looked at the Jingzong who stayed behind with a surprised face, "Lord, with the addition of the Ashina family, then the disadvantage of the previous Qingzong Gong can be reversed in one fell swoop!" ”

"Yes! With the strength and influence of the Ashina family, the forces of the people of the Southern Michitsu Okus, such as Nikaido and Hatakeyama, will inevitably have a lot of scruples, and may be forced to support the Ashina family to support the Harumuna Prince! In this way, the number of supporters on the side of Zhizong Gong will be greatly reduced! As soon as Sato Keitaka finished speaking, Takahashi Uemon Captain Keifang, who was sitting on the side, echoed.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became a lot more lively, and the left-behind Jingzong then spoke, "These things have their own Jiro Hall to consider, relatively speaking, there is something here that makes the family have to be cautious!" ”

Under the gaze of the retainers, Jingzong who stayed behind said slowly, "Osaki Yoshinobu and Kasai Haruyin have gathered nearly 3,000 troops, and they may directly attack their own family territory within three days, what do you think about this?" ”

The words of Jingzong who stayed behind made the retainers of the left-behind family hurt again, can't they finish it all at once? It's like you're reading a book, and you're seeing it rise up and suddenly disappear underneath, and then after you've gotten used to it, the unscrupulous author suddenly updates it! When you click in again and start reading, you turn two pages and read it again, the key is that this author is particularly deep in the essence of the broken chapter, so you don't want it...... Oops, it's so angry!

"It's not a day or two for Kasai Haruhin and Osaki Yoshinobu to covet the territory of the family, and the Kasai family has not dared to act rashly since the Luchu region, especially the Tsugawa family, attacked the Takasuidaji Spo family and incorporated all the people of the Shoi, Barnyard Kan, and Waga prefectures into their subordination."

"And after Yoshinaoken (Osaki Yoshinao) married his widowed aunt to Tsugawa Soji, he also concluded an in-law relationship with the Tsugawa family, and Osaki Yoshinobu naturally did not dare to use troops against Osaki Yoshinao!"

"The Kunita family is on the side of the Uemune Gong just like Kasai Haruhin and Osaki Yoshinobu, so only the main family is the most suitable target for their attack!" The head of the analysis is the Tao is the Yumu Isemoru who stayed at home.

The first generation of the Yumu clan is the third generation of the left-behind clan, the second son of the left-behind family, and the second son of the left-behind family. The Yume clan was once appointed as the head of the land by the Kamakura shogunate, and has a strength comparable to that of the left-behind clan. Of course, that was in the past, and now the Yu Mu clan is just a retainer who stayed at home.

However, the relationship between the Yumu clan and the Osaki clan has always been good, and when the left-behind family had a dispute over the governor, the Yumu clan was very hostile to the Date family, and by the way, the Yumu clan was also very opposed to the rule of the left-behind Jingzong. However, opposition is opposition, and on top of the major rights and wrongs of this foreign invasion, Yume Isemoru still has a clear distinction between the most important and the more important.

"What Ise Mamoru said is good, so there is definitely no room for maneuver in this invasion between Kasai Haruhin and Osaki Yoshinobu, which means that there is no choice but to go to war!" Sato Keitaka, the lord of Koma Inu Castle, who is known as the "Imperial Father" of the left-behind family.

The Sato clan is an old minister since the ancestor of the left-behind clan, Izawa Jiajing, and serves as the deacon of the left-behind clan (pen head family elder + general commissioner), and the heads of the Sato clan in successive generations have been called "imperial fathers", and they have a high prestige among the left-behind retainers.

Hearing that Sato Jinggao had already said that he could only start a war, then everyone who stayed at home also knew it.

"This family only broke out a fierce battle with the Kunita clan last month, and dozens of casualties were ashigaru, and now the autumn harvest is approaching, and the peasants' desire to fight is not very high, so they must fight quickly, and they can't drag it out, otherwise once the war drags on and affects the autumn harvest, I'm afraid the peasants will flee!" Takahashi Jingfang said at this time.

"What Captain Saemon said coincides with the family, because the family believes that for the invasion of the Kasai family and Osaki Yoshinobu, the family should gather forces to fight a decisive battle with them, and strive to win the battle in one battle, so that the enemy army retreats! At the same time, the family has decided to send people to spread rumors in Kasai and Osaki, agitating and creating instability in the rear of the enemy army, so that the family can rest easy! The left-behind Jingzong looked like he was winning, which made the retainers of the left-behind family feel a lot more at ease.

After the remaining Jingzong finished speaking, Sato Keigaka and Yume Ise Mamoru looked at each other, and then nodded one after another, "The lord is wise!! ”

"Hah!" Seeing that the "big guys" in the two families nodded, the rest of the left-behind salted fish also agreed.

.......

Xishan City, also called Sangzhi Xishan City. Since Date Minoru moved the Date family's headquarters from Liangchuan Castle to this place during the Astronomical Year, it has become the new base of the Date family.

Located in Karata County, Kushiri Nishiyama Castle is located at the junction of various main roads, and is a very important geographical location as a road intersection that crosses Kosaka Pass and enters the Dewa-shiki area from the western part of Karita-gun.

At this time, the fifty-eight-year-old former head of the Date family, Date Minoru, was angrily denouncing the Ashina family's ingratitude.

"The reclusive lord doesn't need to be angry, now that our side has occupied an overwhelming advantage, even if the Ashina family joins the side of the Qingzong Hall at this time, it won't be able to save much of the situation!" Seeing the furious Date Minoru sect, Date Minoru sect's confidant Xiao Liangchuan Zongchao whispered persuasion on the side.

Hearing the words of the Xiaoliangchuan Sect, Date Minoru became even more annoyed, "The Ashina family is not enough? And what about the Tsugawa family? ”