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The location of the Kurigara Valley is roughly at the junction of Toyama Prefecture and Ishikawa Prefecture in what is to become Japan.

While the Uesugi army camp was discussing tactics, the Oda army's main camp, which was stationed on the west side of the Kurigara Valley, was also very nervous.

Shibata Katsuie had been in Hokuriku for a long time, and he had the highest status in the Oda family, so it was only natural that he should be the first spokesman for this campaign.

I saw him ponder for a moment, stroked his beard, and said: "In my humble opinion, Uesugi Keiho's little ghost has no intention of taking the initiative to attack us in the base camp of Mt. Tonami in the east of the Kurigara Valley and the camp of Saito Asanobu and other generals in the Nanbo Mountain, so it seems that they are ready to fight a protracted war." ”

Niwa Nagahide said: "Shibata-sama is right, Saito Asanobu is in a dangerous terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack, the height is roughly estimated to be 1,500 feet, standing there, the official road to the west can be seen at a glance, it is a hard bone to gnaw." However, the base camp of Uesugi Keitora on Tonami Mountain is located in a position where he can monitor Saito and other generals, which shows that not only did Uesugi Keitora himself have no intention of going out to fight us, but he is also carefully preventing the generals from attacking without permission. ”

Father Akechi Mitsuhide smiled, "Hehe, Uesugi Jinghu is really not easy, after all, he is only twenty years old, and the generals in his hands are all old-timers who followed Uesugi Kenshin to fight in the south and the north, and they may not be able to obey him wholeheartedly...... Of course, Uesugi Keitora also has another intention, Kurikara Valley is located at the junction of Kaga Province and Vietnamese China, and he chose to set up a formation in this place, it is not difficult to guess that he wants to mobilize the people of Kaga and Noto Ichisuji and other countries to hinder us and make us exhausted! ”

Shibata Katsuie's nephew, Sakuma Morimasa, who is known as a "pig (wild boar) samurai" because of his extraordinary bravery, said contemptuously: "Hmph! I'm afraid that Lord Wise is too worried, the wild monkeys in these two countries have already been killed by me, how can they rise up and make trouble again?! ”

Standing behind my father, there was some resentment in my eyes.

I know that Sakuma Morimasa's words are not malicious, but I just don't like his arrogant tone and slightly contemptuous attitude towards his father.

"Sakuma-sama misunderstood, what my father meant...... Uesugi Keitora's real intention was to make us pay attention to the rear in order to relieve his own pressure, and the fact that he was in the Tonami Mountains showed that he wanted to use the natural danger to mock and tease us...... It's just wishful thinking on his part. Knowing this, his purpose is clear at a glance, and if we follow the ordinary methods of warfare, we will have no chance of victory......"

"Enough! Kogoro! My father interrupted me, "Lord Sakuma is the 'Oni Xuanfan' praised by the lord himself, and he has experienced a hundred battles, does he still need you to guide me in the art of war?!" Why don't you step down for me...... Sakuma-sama, it was the dog who was rude just now, so please don't be surprised. ”

"It doesn't matter, the words of the general are very reasonable, and they are worth our reference."

Sakuma Morimasa, who didn't have much time with me, let alone a holiday, glanced at me and didn't say anything.

"If I remember correctly, this is the first time in my impression that Shibata Katsuie took the initiative to talk to me, he glanced around, and said: "Uesugi Keitora asked Saito Asanobu to set up camp in Nanba Mountain, but he himself set up a large camp in Tonba Mountain, with three intentions: one is that the generals under him were impatient, did not listen to orders, and rashly attacked our army, so they contained him in the rear; Second, if he camped in Mt. Tonba, he would be able to control the back of the streets, and he would be able to supply a steady stream of food and grass from Echigo or some other place to relieve his worries, and third, as Wise Lord said just now, in order to echo the evil party and bandits from afar, and contain them on both sides. ”

"And that's not all." "If we don't make a decision now, once the snow season comes, our army will no longer be able to come up with a set of feasible tactics...... Once this happens, Uesugi Keitora will be even more emboldened. Therefore, I assume that he will not move at this time. ”

"So, do you have any ideas for repairing Ryū-sama?" This can speak, it is Maeda Toshiie, who has always called Shibata Katsuya "righteous father", known as "the right and left of the gun".

"I have already instructed the ninjas about this, let them spread rumors everywhere, saying that this time to send troops, our 70,000 army originally wanted to defeat the eastern army in seven or eight days, but when I saw it here, I changed my mind."

"What's the change?" Maeda Toshiya became nervous and interjected.

"I'll let the rumor-mongers say that Uesugi Keiho relies on natural hazards and sticks to the north, even if it's my Katsuna (what does "even" mean, is the old guy selling himself and boasting?). ), and there is nowhere to start. ”

"But repair Lord Liang, in this way, the enemy's morale will be greatly increased, and our sharpness will be weakened......"

"Again, your temperament is too anxious, and then you will listen down - and then say: Katsuya has no gap, and has to change the battle strategy, it seems that it is going to be a protracted war, so first let you and Uchizosuke (Sasa Seimasa) go back to Fuchu Castle to recuperate, and let Akechi-sama and Niwa-sama also go to my Echizen country for a while to rest, and my Katsuya himself will also have to recuperate for some time. This will naturally attract the attention of Jing Hu, who is a fledgling and has little experience in the battlefield. Then, left ......"

"Yes." As soon as Maeda Toshiya heard that Shibata Katsuya had a task assigned to him, he immediately became nervous.

"You stealthily go around the enemy's back from the port of Tsuruga by boat, that is, any port in Vietnam, and attack from there. You have this secret order with you, and now you are on your way! ”

"Repair Ryū-sama, do you mean that this is also a rumor?"

"Waste...... (Maybe he felt that he couldn't make Maeda Toshiya lose face in front of everyone, and Shibata Katsuya swallowed the "words" behind)...... Of course, does this still need to be asked? ”

As he spoke, he called a young man next to him, "Quan Liulang, come, it's a little cold here, you can burn the fire more vigorously." ”

This Gonrokuro is the eldest son of the Shibata Katsu family, and if memory serves, he should be the later Shibata Katsutoshi.

"Come on, bring the lamp closer. Did you see that? If the enemy captures Mt. Tsuhata, Mt. Mikuni, Mt. Hasupo, and Mt. Koyabe, our fortifications in the Kurigaro Valley will be meaningless. So my Shengjia had to change his mind and decided to accompany him Jinghu to fight a positional battle, attack Nanbo Mountain first, and personally go around to the side of Tongbo Mountain...... This will shake the enemy, for this is what they have been waiting for. Even if Uesugi Jinghu himself can calm down and hide in Tonami Mountain and not come out, the group of unruly veterans under him will definitely not be able to bear it, after all, when it comes to the meat in the mouth, how can there be a reason not to eat it? They will surely hunt them down to the valley of Kuligaro. There will be victory. That was my first thought. With that, Shibata Katsuya glanced at everyone with a sharp gaze.

"Shibata-sama Takami," his father high-fived and praised, "Maybe Uesugi Keitora can still act cautiously, but whether Saito Asanobu and Honjo can sit still depends on how much prestige Uesugi Keitora has." ”

"The wise lord has overdone it...... On both sides of the Kurigara Valley are Mt. Kogata and Mt. Kasama, which are important strongholds for the defense of the Kurigara Valley, so please keep your heart and Niwa-sama aware. ”

"Got it, leave it to us."

"In short, this is the place where the battle will be fiercest at that time. Left again, you remember! When I take a small group of men and horses to attack Tonba Mountain, you can take people around the coast of Vietaka by boat, and put a few fires there, or attack two villages directly, and you must not stay there for long, you must withdraw quickly. That's enough to make the other person anxious. The key is to lure the enemy out of the mountains where there is no way to attack. Do you all understand? …… Today's arrangement is like this, everyone go back to the camp early, make good arrangements, and ensure that 10,000 yuan is lost. Tomorrow morning I will go to the camp to inspect and arrange everything as the rumors say - Uesugi Jinghu is impregnable, and there is no gap for us. ”

After the order, as a general, he clapped his hands and asked the guards to bring up the rice balls that had been prepared long ago......

In the early morning of the next day, Shibata Katsuya rode a horse to patrol the camp and inspect the formation of troops on both sides. Among the entourage were the young Hachimoto samurai, as well as his sons and nephews Katsutoshi, adopted sons Katsutoyo, and Sakuma Morimasa. Shibata Katsuya is really a fickle person, yesterday he was in high spirits, but today he is full of frost, after all, he is almost sixty years old.

"You little devils have listened to me...... On the surface, the probability of our army defeating the enemy this time is very high, but in fact, I would like to tell you that defeating Uesugi Keitora will not be an easy task. Shibata Katsuya frowned. Perhaps, he did it on purpose to show his subordinates. These young warriors have always been arrogant and conceited. They can't be too arrogant, or it will be detrimental to the tide of battle. "Those veterans of the Uesugi family, they all fought with Uesugi Kenshin back then, and they are all very capable people, plus the cavalry of the Uesugi family has always been the strongest in the world...... So once we rush to attack, the mountains and wilderness in this area may become a hell on earth, you all cheer me up 120,000 points, if anyone pulls back at the critical moment, I will not spare it! ”

Looking along the cloudy eyes of Shibata Katsuya, I saw that the official road of the northern country was like a belt, floating out of the camp in the west, winding and circling in the mountain stream. The road is flanked by towering mountains that stretch endlessly.

"This time, I bet on the honor of my fifty-year career as a horseman, and I must destroy the Uesugi family with my own hands, so that the reputation of the Shibata family will be resounded all over the five and seven provinces!"