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In March of the 8th year of Tensho (1580), by virtue of the warm spring, a peerless great man who shook the world with benevolence, an extraordinary military strategist, a great human veteran, the creator and practitioner of advanced military thought in the chest loved and trusted by the people, a wonderful strategic tactician, a flawless military strategist, a victorious battleman, a general among generals, a symbol of invincibility, the world's first leading artist, and an undefeated commander - oh, it was not Kim Sanfat, but Mr. Oda Nobunaga, who held a large tea party in Kyoto.

There were many people invited, including wealthy merchants from Sakai Port and Ishiyama Port, cultural celebrities from, tea people with excellent tea skills, powerful people from the imperial court (those with official positions lower than four were exempted), and royal family members all came.

Oda, there are fewer people coming, except for Niwa Nagahide, who has been stationed in all the year round, and his father, who has just returned to Beijing, none of the commanders of the Oda family came, and the monkey continued to promote his "Inaba strategy", Shiba Fat (I really don't understand, why is Shibata Katsuya called "Shibata Fat" on the Internet, he just looks a little burly, where is he fat? After the death of Uesugi Kenshin, he finally let out a bad breath that had been suppressed by the latter for many years, ** Silk successfully counterattacked Gao Fushuai, and he is now happily counterattacking the east of the country, Kaga has all been taken by him, and the next step is Noto.

was also busy, with Ikeda Tsuneko and Takigawa Kazuki monitoring the Iga Ninjas and Saga Iron Guns in Yamato, while Sakuma Nobumori continued to engage in an endless tug-of-war with the monks of Ishiyama.

However, although there were not many important ministers, all the people came, including Oda Nobuo, who had just suffered a defeat.

In short, the prestige of the Oda family has once again reached a new peak with this tea party.

However, despite the large scale of this tea party, the protagonist of this tea party was not Oda Nobunaga himself, who was the organizer.

It's Oda Nobutada.

I don't know what benefits Oda Nobunaga gave to the emperor in advance, and the nominal supreme leader of the whole country issued an edict appointing Oda Nobutada as the fourth lieutenant general of the lower left guard, and Oda Nobutada also made a long and boring and even somewhat verbose speech in front of everyone, saying that he would be loyal to the revolution and the party, and strive to contribute more to the great cause of Japan's reunification.

If Oda Nobunaga wanted to establish his son's prestige, then he was undoubtedly successful, and there was no one more "popular" than Oda Nobutada on the scene that day.

Towards the end of the tea ceremony, Oda Nobutada, in his capacity as the governor of the Oda family, sent an invitation to the Emperor Shokincho, asking the emperor and his family to have time and the opportunity to go to the newly built Azuchi Castle to have a "good fortune".

The seven-story castle tower of Azuchi Castle was an eye-opener for the world, and the infinite wealth displayed by the Oda family after that shocked the world.

A new era has really arrived, and this idea has been deeply rooted in people's hearts. From Kyoto and Ise to Sakai Port, no one does not recognize the Oda family as a well-deserved leader of the world.

The significance of the construction of Azuchi Castle does not stop there.

In a sense, Oda Nobunaga and Oda Nobutada were taking the initiative to carry out a huge construction project, and the effect was no less than that of a large-scale joint battle, and the construction of Azuchi Castle, the revival of the capital, and the magnificent ceremony of honoring the emperor were all a series of pressures exerted on the daimyo of the foreign domains who did not submit to him, and in order to make them submit, they had to exert corresponding strength.

More than two months after the tea party.

Oda Nobutada frequently traveled back and forth between Gifu Castle and Azuchi Castle, planning to send troops.

Where to send troops?

Iga!

This is the consistent style of the Oda family, where you have suffered a loss, you will start from there.

Nobuo Oda, who had been the loser of the last battle, had returned to Ise and was training his army day and night in preparation for a disgrace, while the interior officials of Azuchi Castle were also actively preparing for the minting of gold and silver coins, and they were responsible for raising military expenses. Oda Nobunaga secretly ordered to prepare enough military rations for 100,000 people, so he pre-purchased rice, wheat, and millet from the local tyrants of Sakai Port and Ishiyama Port for this autumn. Needless to say, the goal was to conquer Iga.

No, it's not just Iga's damn ninjas, but if you can get rid of Kii's Saga Iron Cannon by the way, it will be perfect.

Spring is a busy season, not only externally, but also in, where conscription is in full swing.

Probably because Oda Nobunaga's reputation for being "invincible" was too high. So even young farmers and merchants came with bamboo guns to join the Oda Army.

Among them, there is a saying: "If we win a battle, we are all samurai!" ”

However, I have some doubts about this, because the speed of conscription is very fast, and it has already exceeded 20,000 men, and if this continues, it will not be difficult to gather a force of 40,000 or 50,000 men and horses before the end of May, plus my own private soldiers, 100,000 men and horses will not be a problem.

But with such a huge military capacity, is it a bit "wasteful" to deal with the Iga ninja army with only 4,000 people and the 20,000 Zaga iron artillery army?

"Oh no, it's not a waste at all," Mori Ranmaru said to me when I was drinking in private: "In addition to those two 'turtles', the lord has already contacted the relatives of the Changzong and my department of the four countries, and made an appointment to march into Awa and divide the territory of the Miyoshi family, and when those two turtles are finished, the next one will be the Miyoshi family." ”

I see.

Before you know it, summer arrives with the scent of earth.

On the first day of the seventh month of the eighth year of Tensho, Oda Nobunaga went to Kyoto to meet His Majesty the Emperor, and after receiving an edict allowing him to conquer all disobedient forces, he led the mother-clothed people and the black mother-clothed people, holding knotty swords, and marched east across the newly erected Sanjo Bridge, and the news quickly spread throughout.

Oda Nobunaga's expedition this time was more imposing than the last battle of Tetorigawa, and even the well-informed people of Kyoto were shocked.

On the day of the expedition, Oda Nobunaga was dressed in a very frightening manner: he wore a flat cross Tang crown, dazzling gold armor, his teeth were stained with black iron pulp, his cheeks were covered with white* powder, and his chin was covered with bear hair and false beards. Holding a bright red heavy rattan bow bought from the nomads in the Liaodong region of the Ming Dynasty as a tribute from Sakai Port merchants, he inserted an arrow in a gold-plated quiver. The two knives are made of gold, and the horns are inlaid with adzuki beans in the shape of a Mayman. Five feet and seven inches of horseback, bright red tassels hung from the fire.

As the highest-ranking samurai in the entire world, Oda Nobunaga exercised the etiquette used by the noble samurai of the Heian period when the royal samurai went on an expedition, and solemnly crossed the three bridges, but it made people feel a little unusual.

According to folk legends, the leader of the Saga clan in Kii, Suzuki Shigehide, that is, the famous Saga Sun City, heard this, and couldn't help laughing, and said:

"It's a monster in broad daylight!"

Another characteristic of Oda Nobunaga's expedition this time is that he did not choose an important minister to stay in Kyoto or Azuchi in order to sit in the rear, and the task of "supervising the country" was assigned to Oda Nobutada for the first time.

By the time Oda Nobunaga's army arrived in Yamato with astonishing momentum, Ikeda Nobutru and Takigawa Kazuki were ready to march into Iga Province.

In Yamato Province, Oda Nobunaga reorganized the army, and the Oda army was divided into seven groups

In order: Niwa Echizen Mori Nagahide, Takigawa Iyo Mori Ichiyi, Oda (Kitada) Ise Mori Nobuo, Oda (Kobe) Ise Mori Nobu Taka (yes, Oda Nobunaga applied for the same official position for his two sons), Ikeda Shimonono Morinobu Teru, Wise Patrol Non Mitsuhide, and finally his own honjin.

On the morning of July 3, it suddenly began to rain on a good day, and it was three days at a time.

When Oda Nobunaga marched from Tsutsui Castle to Yamato-gunyama Castle and entered Yamato-gunyama Castle, rumors spread in the army:

"Shouldn't we go into the city in a daze, but cross the river as soon as possible?"

"Why march on such a rainy day?"

"The canal in front of the river is very deep. Lingering here, once the water rises, it will be troublesome to march, and if a ninja attacks along the canal, it will be a bad thing. ”

"Would those ninjas have the guts to do that?"

"Humph! These ninjas are just a bunch of rats, what bad things can't be done?! ”

Not only the soldiers and ashigaru said this, but some middle and lower-ranking officers also came up with this idea.

These rumors reached the ears of Oda Nobunaga in the main camp through Masuda Nagamori, who was in charge of transporting military rations.

It is not only those soldiers who want to make life more brilliant than just those who are composed of civilians and want to soar.

Oda Nobunaga, who was so ambitious because of his invincibility over the years, had a purpose that was not comparable to that of his soldiers.

"Those people are in a hurry to fight, aren't they? Good! I'll give them a chance! ”

So Oda Nobunaga ordered: "We don't have to stay in such a small town (in fact, Yamato-gunyama Castle is not small). Don't worry about the wind and rain, march to Iga! ”

When Oda Nobunaga was about to leave the city, someone shouted, "Please wait, lord!" ”

It was Niwa Echizen Mamoru Nagahide, who was ordered to serve as the pioneer officer of the first road.

Niwa Nagahide said: "My lord, I think it's better to wait for the rain to pass and the sky is clear before leaving, this kind of weather is really not suitable for the army to advance, but it is the Iga ninja who can easily use the wind and rain to disturb our army's hearing and hearing, and then achieve the purpose of a surprise attack, lord, please think twice." ”

If it was someone else to dissuade him, the arrogant Oda chief wouldn't take it seriously at all, and even provoked him, and he would pull out a knife to cut people, even if it was Chai Fat of the Yongguan Three Armies (I'm KAO!). The more you shout, the more smooth it becomes), and it has also been "taught" many times.

But there are some exceptions, such as Niwa Nagahide, who played with Oda Nobunaga since he was a child and never betrayed.

Oda Nobunaga didn't get angry, but nodded and smiled: "Manchiyo, you have a very reasonable point, but if my army is blocked by wind and rain and messes up the itinerary, won't it be laughed at?" Heavy rain is not terrible. There is a river ahead, and if you don't go over now, it will be even worse in the future. ”

This is very true. However, in the art of war, if there is a river in front of it and it rains, the few people can rush to cross, and the army should wait for the opportunity. ”

"Oh, interesting. Why is that? ”

"If a large army forcibly crosses the river, it will take a long time, and the rear army will be stopped by the rising waters. The army of adults exceeds tens of thousands, the enemy is only a few thousand, and the victory and defeat have been divided, so there is no need for the lord to be in such a hurry. ”

Oda Nobunaga stroked his beard and smiled, "Good! Banchiyo! You're right! I'll depend on you. Everyone rested in the city and waited for the weather to clear! ”