May 25 of the first year of Yongroku. Dewa is located in the Honmaru Ohiro room of the island castle of the gun.

"Everyone, please be calm. I have come here to inform you that the 5,000 reinforcements will be withdrawn in these two days. Although Kawada couldn't bear to pour cold water on everyone, he still said it.

"What?!" The generals' faces suddenly changed color.

"What did you just say?!" Nagao looked at Kawada with a look of disbelief.

"The main team of the Date Army has arrived in Mutsu Shibata Prefecture under the leadership of Dr. Date Sakyo. Our army will be able to withdraw from here, turn the horse's head and meet the Date army together with Owari Moriden. Kawada said with his head bowed. He no longer had the courage to face the thirteen defenders of Chau Island City.

"Then we ······"

"It's not easy for you to persist so far. Owari Moriden is also grateful for your heroic battle. But this is an existential crisis. ”

"Lord Kawada! Do you mean to abandon us? The youngest of the thirteen guards, Kagemoto Tsumito, shouted. He really didn't believe he would be abandoned.

In an instant, the atmosphere between the thirteen generals of Zhou Island City and Kawada Naga immediately began to tense. I was finally looking forward to reinforcements, but it backfired. The guards suddenly felt abandoned.

"I will never abandon you below. As long as you return to Yonezawa with the army, the castle will be ceded to the Mogami army. Nowadays, compared to sticking to the island castle of Chau, it is imperative to find ways to protect Aizu and Echigo. If you don't unite the Uesugi army, you won't be able to protect anything. Kawada began to state his interests to the generals, preparing to convince them.

However, none of the thirteen guards agreed to Kawada's suggestion. Although everyone understood what Kawada said, it was really difficult to accept emotionally.

"Then if we surrender like this, won't our previous efforts to fight be in vain?" Shimayama Zhou said dissatisfiedly.

"What do you say about sticking to the city of Zhoudao City, but in the face of the encirclement of 11,000 Supreme Army, we have tried our best and racked our brains to hold on until now. What are we fighting so hard for? Tell me······" Kamito Dewa Mamoru said with a sigh.

“······” Kawada was silent. He didn't know what to say to Dewa and the rest of the guards.

"We didn't fight so far to beg for our lives from the most advanced army! We believe that this battle is for the sake of the Uesugi family, and for the sake of the wives and children who remain in Echigo and Aizu, and we are determined to die. Now it'······" Nagao Xian said this with a long breath, and tears couldn't help but fall in his eyes. This is the only time he has shed tears since the beginning of the city defense war, and it should be said that it is the first time he has shed tears since he served as the castle representative of Zhoudao City.

In fact, there is not only one person who is long in Nagao, but also a number of generals such as Kamito Deyu Mamoru, Shimayama Zhou Defense, and Nagao Tsuemon have tears in their eyes. The feelings that have been held in the chest so far burst out like a burst of embankment at this moment.

In the face of the passionate generals, Kawada still did not give up and persuaded: "Everyone calm down, please take a long-term view." As long as the current difficulties are over, the recapture of Chau Island City is just around the corner. As the saying goes: 'It is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge in ten years.' Isn't that so? Sweeper-sama? Denemon-sama? Dewa Mamoru Lord? Zhou Defense?······"

The negotiations could not be concluded smoothly for a long time. From night to dawn, knowing that the sun is shining, the discussion is going on repeatedly. Looking out from the windows of the castle tower on the second floor, even the mountain peaks are bathed in the clear morning sun, shining with a pure white glow.

"Say no more! Kawada-sama. Nagao, the eldest of the thirteen generals who defended the castle, looked at Mt. Azuma, not far south of Sushima Castle, and said quietly, "We are determined to repay Lord Goya and the prince of the town with our lives, and this is the only way to live up to the name of samurai." The mountain is beckoning to us······"

After hearing Nagao's words, Kawada Nagakin immediately turned his head to look at Mt. Azuma. Mt. Azuma, which I used to think was very ordinary, now seems very sacred and worthy of respect. If it is really a spiritual peak, then the soul of a person after death will climb to the top of this mountain.

"Please don't! Whether it's Owari Moriden or Lord Miyayuki in Musashi, I hope you can return to your hometown safe and sound! Don't have the thought of dying, you can only continue to fight if you are alive! ”

Just as Kawada was about to continue, Nagao wiped away his tears and said categorically: "No! Rather than succumbing to the enemy and living with shame, then dying on the battlefield is the way of a samurai! Even though it is against the Lord's command, please forgive us for making this decision without permission. ”

The expressions revealed in the eyes of the generals seemed to be no longer in this world, and their expressions did not waver in the slightest.

At this time, Kawada had to give up persuasion. Although he has been preaching for a day.

In the evening of that day, a banquet was held in the city for Kawada Chief's relatives, and he also relaxed for the fierce battle that followed.

In the hearts of the generals, they no longer have any grudges against Kawada's retreat. With their own hands, they chose the path of fighting with their chests held high.

When leaving the city, Kawada Naga was more cautious than when he entered the city before. He swam out of the trench and slipped several times under the noses of the most uphill soldiers and samurai who surrounded the castle, and finally reached the front of the camp outside Kuwata Castle before dawn.

On the twenty-seventh day of the fifth month of the first year of Yongroku, in the middle of the night—

The Uesugi army began to retreat from Kurota Castle. In order not to be noticed by the Mogami army, not only did the bonfire not be extinguished, but the flags in the mountains and various important places outside the castle were also retained. Taking advantage of the night, the men and horses of the Uesugi army quickly retreated towards Itaya Castle.

At the forefront of the 5,000-person Uesugi army were Kawada Nagakin, the youngest general in this army, Mori Keihiro, as well as Mori Takasho and Mori Takamasa.

The whole army crossed Itaya Castle and the surrounding checkpoints before dawn without stopping, and instantly passed through the territory of Kawada Nagakin. Arrived at Fukushima Castle in Nobuo-gun. At this moment, the Date Army (Date Army + Kasai Army + Osaki Army + Kokushi) gathered 10,000 troops at Watari Castle, Mitsu Watari County, and most of the Soma family's territories in Karida County and Igo County were conquered in an instant. From the end of April to the present, the Soma family has paid more than 1,000 deaths to defend the gateway to Uta-gun, Komaga-no-Ridge Castle.

If Uta-gun is lost, then Miharu Castle in Tamura-gun, where the Tamura family is located, will also be within the strike range of the Date Army. After all, south of Komagome Ridge Castle is the terrain of the Ichima Flat River, and although it takes you to cross the mountains and mountains to enter the Uesugi Territory at the opportunity, you don't need to go over the mountains and mountains to attack the Soma family, and you can completely go all the way to Kotaka Castle.

Since the Soma family couldn't help them, Tao Qingxian sent a guest general to Kogao City. First arrange for the evacuation of Yoshiyin Soma and others. As long as Soma Yoshiyin is alive, then the Uesugi family will have a reason to compete with the Date family for the land of the six counties of Mutsu, including Karida-gun, Watari-gun, Igo-gun, Gyokata-gun, Shiiba-gun, and Naraha-gun.

Previously, Karida-gun was under the control of the Uesugi family. It's just that due to the tense war, Tao Qingxian had to withdraw all the acting officials of the Uesugi family and a small number of standing ashigaru. This led to the Date army taking Karita County without a fight, and then most of Igu County and Watari County were conquered, and a large number of Soma samurai and Ashigaru died in battle.

The guest sent by Tao Qingxian will be from Noto Province, named Yu Zuo Xuguang. Originally, he was the head of the important minister of the Noto Hatakeyama family, but due to the defeat, he had to flee to Echigo with Nishino Sokei to wait for the assistance of the Uesugi family to prepare to return to Noto. But with the Kanto Raiders and Uesugi Kenshin staying at Kawagoe Castle, Yusa Xumitsu's illusions were shattered. He had to leave Echigo for Aizu.

Noto Province can be regarded as the most chaotic and worst area during the Warring States Period, but in fact, during the period of the seventh governor Hatakeyama Yoshito, the Noto area was unprecedentedly prosperous, and the Hatakeyama family also reached its heyday, Hatakeyama Yoshinobu was always a person who valued culture more than territory, and he devoted most of his life to the prosperity of Noto culture, and actively took in the nobles, scholars, and a large number of craftsmen and merchants who escaped from Gyeonggi to escape the war, so that the castle town of Nanao Castle has developed considerably, and won the title of "Little Kyoto". Although his approach was despised by most of the daimyo whose primary goal was to expand their territory, it is undeniable that his approach ushered in an era of cultural and economic prosperity in the Noto region. In the fourteenth year of astronomy, the 55-year-old Yoshito Hatakeyama died of illness. After the death of Mr. Yoshi, the 28-year-old second son Hatakeyama Yoshitsu inherited the family business, and several major forces in the family saw that Yoshitsu did not even grow a full beard, so they did not take this young man into account at all, and began to compete for the dominance of the family by themselves, and the strength of the Hatakeyama family began to decline rapidly.

As we all know, the most famous retainers of the Hatakeyama family are none other than the Hatakeyama Seven led by Weni Shosada, and the remaining six people in the seven, in addition to Onkai Shosada, are Yusa Soenen, Yusa Sumitsu, Nagashiren, Itami Soken, Miyake Sohiro, and Hei. After Yoshitsu succeeded the family governor, the most powerful Tsushosada Onkai and Yusa Sumitsu began an endless fierce confrontation in order to gain real power in their families, and Nanao Castle, known as "Little Kyoto", was also severely damaged in the battle between the two. Although Hatakeyama Yoshisuke had the intention to take back the rights, he did not succeed in the end due to the huge disparity in strength. In the twentieth year of astronomy, the Hatakeyama Seven forced the disobedient Hatakeyama Yoshisugu to abdicate on the grounds that the family chaos caused by Yoshisuke's reign, and only became the family governor for 6 years, and Hatakeyama Yoshisuke, who was in the year of the fight, reluctantly retreated behind the scenes to become the 16-year-old new family governor Hatakeyama Yoshitsuna's rear servant (that is, guardian).

In the 22nd year of Astronomy, the contradiction between Wasai and Yusa Sumitsu became increasingly intense, and Yusa Sumitsu, who was not as strong as Onkai Sosada, introduced the Kaga region to Noto in order to seize power, and in December, the Otsuki Ichinomiya War broke out. The troops of the Hatakeyama Continuation Light are composed of 5,000 people from the headquarters and 10,000 people, and on the way to the north, they encountered the troops of the Hatakeyama Genealogy Acting Retainer of the Hatakeyama General, in the face of tens of thousands of people, the eight hundred warriors under the Hatakeyama General Supervisor barely dragged down the speed of the northward advance of the people after a day of fighting, and the next day the Takezo Xuguang changed his tactics, and replaced the soldiers and horses of the headquarters as the vanguard instead of the people who were only suitable for making piles to fill the number of those rabble, and the effect of changing tactics was immediate. Early the next morning, the 800 warriors of the Hatakeyama General were defeated by the Yousa army, and more than 90 people were killed in the battle, and the Yousa army won the first battle.

The victorious Yu Zuo Xuguang was suddenly full of pride, and in his opinion, it would be easy to take Nanao Castle, but the day of the delay in the battle of the Hatakeyama general had already bought time for the Hatakeyama army, and the Hatakeyama army was one step ahead of the Yuzuo army in Tianhe. On December 27th, the main force of the Yusa army and the Hatakeyama army met in Otsuki, and the Hatakeyama army, which had only 6,000 people, did not wait for the Yusa Sukomi array to attack the Yusa army, and the unprepared Yusa Sukotsu retreated while fighting, and was beaten by the Hatakeyama army from Otsuki to Hazuki Ichinomiya, and finally, after the death of the palace general Itami Zongken, the Yusa army was completely dispersed, and the number of people who were killed reached 2,000 people. The victory at the Battle of Otsuki Ichinomiya ensured Onai Sosada's dominance in the family, and Yusa Sumitsu fled to Echigo after this battle to join Keiho (Kenshin).

And Onkai was later killed by Hatakeyama Yoshitsuna, a newborn calf. He was charged with 'deceiving the master'. Mainly unwilling to continue to be the puppet of Oni Shosada, Hatakeyama Yoshitsuna, with the assistance of his father Hatakeyama Yoshitsune, united with the Yusa family, who was at odds with the Onai family, and the rest of the wealthy families who were dissatisfied with the Onai family, and killed the powerful Onai Shosada.

It is also because You Zuo Xuguang has some experience in larger battles that Tao Qingxian took matters into his own hands and made him a guest general of the Uesugi family. However, he also sent an envoy to Hayue Castle to report the incident. And the housework of the Hatakeyama family is not directly related to Tao Qingxian, for him, as long as there is this kind of guest general who has commanded tens of thousands of people, he needs it very much. Because a large number of Aizu people and the original Ogiya Uesugi retainers were drawn to Kanto, and they were also distributed in Musashi, Ueno, Shimoso, Kamiso, and Shimono, there were not many retainers left in Aizu, and it can be described as pitiful.