Returning to Takiyama Castle from Hanakuma Castle, which was about to be built, before Araki Village could sit down, the detective who had been sent out to investigate the movements of the Tsugawa family returned.

"Lord, the Tsugawa family's troops have already come out of Tamkawa City! The enemy's general Tsukawa Soji has also been dispatched and is heading in the direction of Takiyama Castle! The enemy's front has reached Eyoshi Castle, with a total strength of more than 30,000 men! ”

"In addition, more than 10,000 troops led by the Hojo family set off from Danhe City and advanced to the territory of the Arima family, and they have already crossed the small wall, and it is expected that they will arrive at Arima Castle early tomorrow morning!"

Hearing Detective's words, Araki Murashige and Yasumi Naomasa glanced at each other, and then said in unison, "What a speed!" ”

"Has the composition of these two enemy forces ever been discovered?" Araki Murashige then asked.

Detective Fan hurriedly replied, "Judging from the enemy's flag seals and banners, it is the main force of the Tsugawa family that is marching towards Takiyama Castle!" The strength of the thirty legions of the Tsugawa family is all here. ”

"It seems that the main force of the Tsugawa family is marching towards Takiyama Castle!" Yasumi Naomasa said with a calm face.

Araki Murashige nodded, "In this way, the progress of building Hanakuma Castle needs to be accelerated!" From Eyoshi Castle to Hanakuma Castle, if the enemy army is fast, I am afraid that it will not take three days to reach the vicinity of Hanakuma Castle! ”

"Lord Nakagawa, can you raise another thousand people within today?" Araki Murashige set his sights on a middle-aged samurai in the hall.

The wealthy family of Settsu, the head of the Nakagawa family, Nakagawa Shigekiyo, hesitated for a long time, and then nodded and promised, "Do your best!" ”

1,000 people may not seem like much, but judging from the situation around Takiyama Castle, it is indeed not an easy task.

Because the Tsugawa family has three days to go to the city, at this time, the nearby peasants have fled in all directions to take refuge, and who will stay at home. Because every time a battle breaks out, especially the attacking side will definitely plunder everywhere. Whether it's looting property or plundering people, it's a disaster for these locals.

Therefore, if war is about to break out in a certain place, the peasants of this place will take the few belongings and food left in the family early, and drag their children and daughters to the mountains for refuge. When the war is over, they will not return, and they are afraid that they will be affected by the pond fish.

So Araki Murashige asked Nakagawa Shigekiyo to gather the people at this time, to be honest, Nakagawa Shigekiyo really didn't have any certainty. But after all, this matter is also related to the safety of the Nakagawa family, and Nakagawa Chongqing can only try his best.

"Is there a need to send reinforcements over there in Arimajo?" Naomasa Yasumi looked at Araki Murashige and said with a little worry.

Araki Murashige hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "First, the pressure on Takiyama Castle is greater, and the enemy forces facing it are stronger in terms of number and combat effectiveness. Second, we don't have any extra troops to draw from! “

"Besides, the terrain of Arima Castle is dangerous, and Arima is also experienced in a hundred battles, so it's no problem to deal with that yellow-mouthed kid of the Hojo family!" After all, Araki Murashige is still too young, and he is inexplicably optimistic about some things.

Arakimura Shigesai is the "Settsu General General" who accepted Miyoshi Nagakei's fate, and Anmi Naomasa was just a force sent over. Seeing that Araki Murashige said this, Naomasa Yasumi could only choose to remain silent.

......

On the 10th day of the seventh month of the 24th year of the Astronomical Calendar, the front line of the Tsugawa family's Settsu invasion army left Ereyoshi Castle and successfully entered the territory of Settsu.

On the 11th, 3,000 troops of the three corps of Miki Naogo, Takahashi Koke, and Nagano Masabo entered the outside of Hanakuma Castle. Araki Village resent Nakagawa Shigekiyo as the generation of Hanakuma Castle, and stationed more than 1,000 peasant soldiers in Hanakuma Castle.

On the 12th, Minohe Harimasa, Nobunaka Kunohe, Tendo Yorinaga, and Yoshiaki Ueyama of the left flank of the Tsugawa Clan's second formation surrounded Maya Yamajo, a branch of Takiyama Castle. On the afternoon of the 12th, Haruki Kurokawa, Yoshinao Osaki, Yoshikuni Nihonmatsu, Kuniti Mori and others began to block the area along Settsu Bay.

The atmosphere around the entire Takiyama Castle suddenly became tense.

In Hanakuma Castle, a castle that has not yet had time to build a castle tower, Nakagawa Shigekiyo sat under a pergola with a confused face, drinking cold water by himself.

The weather is so hot, it's breathless!

"Why hasn't the enemy attacked the city yet?" Nakagawa Shigekiyo looked at several retainers beside him with a puzzled expression.

A samurai of the Nakagawa family replied with a smile, "It's noon, and the weather is at its hottest, and even the Honfamily Ashigaru, who has lived in Settsu for a long time, can't bear the heat, not to mention the Tsugawa family's Ashigaru who are used to blowing cold winds in the land of Haao!" ”

"Haha! I think that at this time, Soji Tsugawa must be scolding his mother! ”

"Hahahaha!"

The situation is indeed similar to what Nakagawa Shigeqing and others guessed.

In July and August, the weather in the Kinai region is really hot. The Tsukawa family's troops all live in the bitter cold land of Okuba, and it is really a little uncomfortable to come to such a hot place all of a sudden.

In just three days, dozens of people have fainted from heat stroke. Although there were no casualties, it was a great blow to Ashigaru's morale.

"Lord, the weather has been unusually hot these days, and most of the ashigaru in my family have never experienced such a scorching heat! Therefore, I am afraid that it will not be possible to organize an effective offensive in a short time! Sanada Yutaka took Soji Tsugawa to inspect the camp in front of him and said with a worried face.

Soji Tsugawa was also sweating at this time, but he still forced himself and said, "Go find a few locals to ask, is such a hot weather suddenly appearing recently, or is it every year in the past!" ”

"Also, be careful about the ashigaru people's escape from the heat! Otherwise, once there is a large-scale heat stroke, it will be a disaster! ”

"Hah!"

It turns out that the BUG-like existence of the protagonist's aura is really not blown out! Several local farmers and samurai confirmed that such hot weather was indeed an accident, and although it was hot in the past, it was not as hot as it is now.

Hearing this, Soji Tsugawa relaxed slightly.

At the same time, under Arima Castle, which is separated from Takiyama Castle by a mountain, the Hojo clan and others have also come to the castle.

"Young master, the terrain of Arima City can really be described as difficult!" The Hojo family, who have lived in the Kanto Plain for a long time, are rarely seen in a steep mountain castle like Arimajo. Of course, it cannot be said that there are no mountain castles in the Hojo family's territory, but there are relatively few of them.

The Hojo clan drank profusely and then pointed in the direction of Arima Castle and said, "I'm going to attack early tomorrow morning, what good advice does Tokinaga-sama have?" ”

"Generally speaking, attacking such a mountain city is a siege method, and when the food and water in the city are almost consumed, the enemy army will naturally open the city and surrender!"

"But the Tsugawa Hall wants us to capture Arima Castle as soon as possible, so there is only one option left!" Tominaga Naokakatsu thought for a moment, and then continued, "I think that I can let my family's troops start repairing now!" Tomorrow morning is when the weather is at its coolest! ”

"If the family attacks at this time, maybe they can kill the enemy by surprise?"