Chapter 121: The Collapse of the House
Although the defeat of the Hojo Army outside the middle castle of Musashi Prefecture was already decided, the Asadachi did not dare to be careless. On the one hand, he sent a fast horse to invite the already reclusive Uesugi Kenmasa, and on the other hand, he led the remaining tens of thousands of Uesugi troops to approach the army of Toshimitsu Anazawa and others. Chao Ding went up the mountain and left behind, and asked him to take some people to count the war dead and transport the wounded.
The Asada's dispatch of Uesugi Kenmasa was also to give him some satisfaction. At least in his lifetime, he could see that the Uesugi army defeated the Hojo army, and Asadaku was ready to give him the task of the first inspection. After all, Uesugi Kenmasa is still the adoptive father of the former Kanto governor and Kenshin. is reasonable, and the court needs to give him face.
The head left for Uesugi Kenmasa to see is nothing more than the head of the main general of the Hojo Army who has been courted. All of the Hojo generals who were courted were retainers of the former Satomi family of the Hojo family (Sashi Kuninobu, Shiizu Nobumasa, Kurokawa Hiroshige, Horie Yorishige, Horie Yorishige, Horie Yoritsu, Sano Tozo, Machino Juro, Itami Hachiro, Ono Tadaaki, Kaji Arhisa, Murakami Nobukiyo, Komiya Totsune, Kamada Katsuta, Kamada Yorimasa, Kato Mabo, Taga Nobuyoshi, Mitsunami Yuyori), Hojo Clan's important retainers (Hojo Shinan Nagatoma, Tominaga Naokakatsu), and the Hojo family sent to various important ministers (Asakura Heijiro, Sakabe Okano Nobori).
Although Captain Araki Uemon in Aobei and Riki handed over the head of Naokatsu Tominaga to Masatsu Tominaga, who was still in the Hojo clan, he didn't think about how to assist the young master. Captain Araki Uemon then joined the ranks of the Hojo clan to command the temple army. He just wants to do his last bit for the master and the general (Tominaga Naokatum).
It was not for nothing that the Hojo family lost quickly in this joint battle. Five-color preparation, this standing army that the Hojo family is proud of is bound to be exhausted in the perennial tug-of-war with the Uesugi family and the Satomi family. Many fierce generals and powerful retainers died on the battlefield. In addition, the first hand of this battle in Fuzhong was still served by the Fang Zongzhong, who had just surrendered. Although their rear is monitored by Tominaga Naokatu, the ashigaru under the command of the Boso is not all fools. Once, Satomi Yiyao's father and son worked hard to govern the country, and they also took the initiative to let the people report those acting officials who did evil. Although the hard work of the father and son of Satomi Yoshiyao could not make the Satomi family really rise and become rich and strong, their policies were deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Therefore, as soon as the war began, Kurokawa Hiroshige was the first to be defeated. Most of the 6,000 people eventually became captives and escaped. This is the reason why Honjo was able to withstand the attack of 6,000 troops with 3,500 troops.
With the defeat of Fang Zongzhong, Qingbei, who suffered losses in the Battle of Sanfune Mountain, naturally became the target of successive attacks by the Uesugi army. Although Hojo Nagassuna (Hojo Phantom An) led a thousand troops to support his headquarters, his main force had long been wiped out by the Uesugi army. The department is just a temporary patchwork of soldiers and horses, and its combat effectiveness is similar to that of Fang Zongzhong, who has no intention of fighting. Just after Tominaga Naokumaki seppuku, Hojo Nagasuna was also courted by Hirosawa Tadanobu.
After getting a series of bad news, Hojo Shiyasu naturally understood that Musashi Country was no longer the place where he used to casually enter and exit his own backyard. His primary purpose was to continue to maintain the forces of the Sagami people and withdraw into Odawara Castle.
This time, Hojo Shiyasu chose a good candidate for the queen of the palace - Hojo Shigeru. The mother of the Hojo clan was the daughter of the Hojo clan, and he himself married the daughter of the Hojo clan, Nanakuden. In other words, he was more common than his father. But his son Shun is still young, and if he dies in battle, then there is no doubt that the banner head of the Jade Rope will be replaced.
Not to mention anything else, the 2,000 troops of the Jade Rope people led by the Hojo clan and the 3,000 Odawara people assigned to him by the Hojo clan Yasu for his command encountered the Uesugi army in the north of Sekido Castle in the south of Fuchu Castle.
However, the first to enter the Hojo army was Saito Toshizo, who had been carrying the Hojo clan in circles. He led the white-robed knight to throw the spear in his hand first, and then drew his saber to harvest the jade rope that had no ability to resist.
Probably due to the mass deaths of the Huangbei samurai, the Hojo clan did not assemble a cavalry composed of samurai on horseback. And the ashigaru under his command are all former peasant soldiers who wear corresponding armor and use matching weapons.
However, the seven members of Odawara's Matsuda Inaba, Matsuda Hyobe Cheng, Sakai Nakaji, Goto Hikozaburo, Aoki Hirata, Watanabe Yahachiro, and Yabe Yajiro were attacked by Toshimitsu Anazawa, Motonobu Okabe, and Yasutoaki Asahina.
Captain Araki Uemon, a young general who had joined the temple army before, was picked off by Toshimitsu Anazawa with a shot when he intersected with Toshimitsu Anazawa. This is the consequence of foolishness.
"Captain Araki Uemon was taken by my Anazawa Toshimitsu!" As Toshimitsu Anazawa carried the head of Captain Araki Uemon with a spear, the morale of the Odawara people was lowered.
Captain Araki's capture was like a domino, and then the Odawara generals, who were suppressed by the Uesugi army's superiority, had new takers.
"Matsuda Inaba was taken by me towards Bina Bichu Shoutaichao!" Asahina Tai Asahi is working hard for his old master, the Imagawa clan, to return to Suruga. Compared to the Hojo family, who can only shrink their heads, he believes in the promise of the Uesugi family more.
The Hojo Ieden Army, which had only 5,000 troops, attacked the 'Imagawa Army' with the Red Bird Pattern and the Imagawa Army, which used the Red Bird Pattern and the Imagawa Army, which was the strongest combat force of the Uesugi family, with 500 white-robed knights of the Kawagoe Knights, as well as the 3,000 troops of the Tokhimsu Clan and the 5,500 troops led by Motonobu Okabe.
Soon, Okabe Motonobu ordered Okabe Tadajiro and Asahina Nobuya, Asahina Terukatsu, Asahina Motochi and others to lead 2,000 troops to support Saito Rizo, and the Jade Rope Crowd, who had finally withstood the attack of the white-robed knight, collapsed instantly.
The 'Imagawa Army' has always been in a state of waiting for work, but in fact, it only needs to use half of its strength to annihilate the exhausted Jade Rope Crowd. But Okabe Motonobu and the others were not prepared to entangle with the men and horses of this palace army for too long. Okabe Motonobu directly took the lead and took the 100 Imagawa family samurai who had entered Musashi before as the vanguard, and after directly replacing the Anazawa Shunkobe, he defeated the 3,000 Odawara people.
Matsuda Hyobejo, Sakai Nakaji, Goto Hikozaburo, Aoki Hirata, Watanabe Yahachiro, and Yabe Yajiro were successively taken by the samurai or ashigaru in the 'Imagawa Army'. On this day, the 3,000 troops of the Odawara people finally saw the true strength of the Suruga samurai. Although the Suruga samurai were once called 'female samurai', under the leadership of the Imagawa family's fierce generals Okabe Motonobu and Asahina Taichao, these Suruga samurai, who were known as 'female samurai' by the world, defeated the Hojo Army, which was able to resurrect itself.
"Your Highness! There are too many Uesugi troops! We are already surrounded! At this time, the bloodied house Fang Cheng came to the side of the Hojo clan, who had already been hit by three arrows.
"Where's the Gomoto Castle Palace?" Hojo didn't turn around and looked at the sun that was about to set in the distance.
"The 4,000 troops of Kenji Namba and the long army of Honjo led the Kanan Hall and captured Tachikawakan, Hachioji Castle, Mita Castle, Oyamada Castle, Onoji Castle, Daimaru Castle, Takiyama Castle, and Togura Castle in an instant! The retreat of the Imperial Castle Hall has been cut off! The tens of thousands of Uesugi troops led by Uesugi Asadashi are also approaching! "The house is almost said with a roar, because the shouting and killing around it is too loud at this time. Even about ten steps in front of the Hojo clan were fighting.
"What?!" The news that Hojo heard was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue. If Hojo Clan Yasu can't withdraw from Musashi in time, then the Hojo samurai and retainers who died here will die a meaningless death!
"Your Highness! I'm afraid we won't be able to see the body of the ancestor yet, and I hope to keep the last seed of the Jade Rope People! "The house does not want the Jade Rope people guarding the border of Sagami Province to be wiped out, if this is the case, Toshimitsu Anazawa will be able to lead the army into Sagami Country immediately.
"At this point, our army can no longer break through. The Uesugi army is nearly 10,000, while our army is only 5,000! Hojo Shigeru didn't have time to sigh, and he continued: "You are familiar with the southern part of Musashi, you go and find a way to withdraw from Musashi with the Gomoto Castle Hall!" ”
"Your Highness!" The house wanted to refuse Hojo's order, but after seeing him rush into the Uesugi army to fight, he tearfully led several samurai to break through.
Before it was dark, Hojo Clan Yasu headed for Hachioji Castle with 6,000 troops. But on the way, it was attacked by a 4,000-strong army led by Kenji Namba. As soon as Kenji Namba saw the flag seal of the Hojo clan, he remembered his father and clansmen who died tragically at the hands of the Hojo family. He then led an army to raid the Hojo Army, which outnumbered his own.
It was probably the Hojo clan who was desperate to flee for his life, and as soon as he encountered the attack of Namba Tian Kenji, he immediately fled with the Mayu people. However, he was still pursued by Namba Tian Kenji for a while, and after killing nearly a thousand people, he was able to escape. However, Shiroku Wisteria, one of the Hojo clan's Yasuo Goma Clan, was killed by Kenji Nambata.
Although Kenji Namba was able to effortlessly occupy several of the fortresses established by Hojo Nagasuna with the guidance and help of the local people, his goal was only to kill the Hojo clan with his own hands. But he couldn't do it, and under the queen of Wisteria Shinroku, Hojo Shiyasu successfully escaped.
In order not to allow Hojo clan Yasu to leave Musashi easily, Namba Tian Kenji captured most of the Hojo clan branch castles in the southwestern part of Musashi Province. In addition, the Honjo Honjo Clangbu who had been replaced in the Battle of Fuchu was also sent here to assist him in occupying these branch castles.
Not long after the house was gone, the troops under the command of the Hojo clan were getting smaller and smaller.
"Yokoi Shinsuke was taken by my Anazawa Shiro Guard (Anazawa Toshimitsu's younger brother and clan brother)!"
"The Yukata bullet is being taken by me towards Bina Chikuzen Mori Katsu!"
"Yokoi Echizen Mamoru was taken by my Okabe Tadajiro!"
"Honda Masakatsu was taken by me to Higo Mamoru Higo by me!"
As one retainer after another of the Jade Rope retainers were taken, the Hojo clan was miserable. His most heartache was the death of Yokoi Shinsuke. Yokoi Shinsuke had previously shot Ashikaga Yoshiaki with a bow and arrow when he was fighting under Hojo Tsunari, and he was also the commander of the Jade Rope Clan. His death undoubtedly made the situation worse for the Jade Rope army, which was already on the verge of collapse. Subsequently, the Hojo clan sent a request to Okabe Motonobu. He didn't want to die at the hands of a nobody. His father was still courted by the old Ota Shimasa of the Uesugi family, and the Hojo clan didn't want to be left behind his father, so he happened to find the former Imagawa family's genealogy and retainer Okabe Motonobu in the midst of the chaos.
The Hojo clan went to face Okabe Motonobu with an exhausted body. It's a pity that the sword he was holding was knocked down in just two blows when he slashed at Okabe Motonobu, and he himself was killed by Okabe Motoshin without hesitation.
"The Hojo clan was taken by my Okabe Motoshin!"
"Oh!" The Uesugi army cheered, and the remaining Tamami people, like the Odawara people, were surrounded by the Uesugi army until they all died.
When he was on his way to Hachioji Castle, he encountered the forces of the Imperial Horse Castle led by Hojo Shiyasu. But at this moment, there were only more than 2,000 people left, and from time to time deserters appeared, and even some samurai deserted and fled the ranks.
"The Imperial City Palace, just died in the battle of the Fang Cai Clan's Fan Palace!" The house room knelt in front of Hojo Shiyasu's horse, almost crying.
"What?!" The retainers of the Imperial Horse Courtyard behind the Hojo clan Yasushi exchanged heads and ears, they knew that the Hojo clan was one of the last fierce generals of the Hojo family, if he died on the battlefield, who would stop the Uesugi army in the future?
"The Uesugi Army is here!" Just when the Hojo army was still about to rest, Namba Tian Kenji once again found the location of the Hojo clan under the guidance of the ninja, and this time he only led four hundred horseback samurai. On the front of the Hojo Army, there were also more than 400 white-robed knights led by Saito Rizo, more than 5,200 Imagawa Army, and more than 2,800 Anazawa Toshimitsu Divisions rushed to arrive. It can be said that Saito Toshizo, Okabe Motonobu and others took with them except for some of the heads of the generals who were taken, and the rest of the corpses of the enemy were all left outside Sekido Castle, because Hojo Shiyasu was the big fish.
"The situation is urgent, please come with me!" Seeing that the Uesugi army had already flanked the Hojo army back and forth, it was no longer possible to withdraw into Sagami Province with thousands of people, so it was better to flee into Sagami with Hojo Shiyasu alone.
Subsequently, Hojo Shiyasu was helped by the house to dismount and enter the forest he had fled into before, while the rest of the Hojo army was ruthlessly abandoned by Hojo Shiyasu.
Nagata Tajimamoru, Tsuchiya Yojiro, Ito Kuro Saburo, Matsushita Saburo Uemon, and Nisugi Goro Saburo were successively captured by the Uesugi army, and the remaining 2,000 Hojo troops were also annihilated by the Uesugi army. Namba Tian Kenji even led his troops to kill one by one, without mercy. However, when Namba Kenji killed the naginata blade in his hand, the blade was broken, and the saber was curled, and he did not see the figure of Hojo Shiyasu.
This crushing defeat of the Hojo family in Musashi was the last time they fought in Musashi. As the Hojo family killed a large number of retainers, pedigreas, and royal horses in battle, the Hojo clan called it 'Fuchu Collapse'. A few days later, Hojo was taken back to Sagami by the house house. However, Sagami is not the indestructible Sagami country that the Hojo family has run for generations. Toshimitsu Anazawa, Motonobu Okabe and others took advantage of the situation to enter Sagami Province when Hojo Yasu and Zhaima Fangnari were still running away in the woods.
Tsukui-gun, north of the important town of Sagami Province, was invaded by the Uesugi army. Tsukui Castle, Shinjo Castle, Sawayama Castle, Komatsu Castle, Matano Castle, Sagami Harakan, Moriya Castle, Fumada Castle and other large and small castles were conquered one after another, and the Hojo clan retainers Numagami Fujiemon, Tami Shozenmasa, Daido Tera Yunosuke, Yoshida Mashige (former Hojo clan retainer), Ueda Kenjo (Ueda Nao's second son), Oishi Dingzhong, Oishi Kenna, Ushiri Katsushige, Ushiri Bomitsu, and Naito Yasuyuki (Tsukui Castle Lord) were killed in battle or committed suicide in the castle.
Since then, Sagami, Kunizu, Kuai-gun, has been seized by the Uesugi family, and it is only a matter of time before the Uesugi dynasty settles its troops under Odawara Castle.