After leaving Minezawa Castle, Shimada Kanbei and his party headed south, unimpeded along the way, and arrived at Yuzawa Castle in Yukatsu-gun that evening.

Yuzawa Castle was the largest castle in the southern part of the Yugo region, and it was already very prosperous. In addition, in recent years, the Tsugawa family has vigorously developed the two counties of Pinglu and Xiongsheng, and the stone height of the entire Xiongsheng County has increased from 24,000 stones to 36,000 stones. The lord of Yuzawa Castle was a retainer of the former Onodera family, Shimizu Naokin, and received 2,000 stone from Yuzawa Castle Chiyuki.

Yuzawa Castle, as the name suggests, is home to a large number of hot springs and hot springs nearby, which attracts many people to soak in the hot springs, so the castle town of Yuyeba is quite large and very lively.

Kanbei Shimada, Katsushiro Okamoto and others came to a commercial house in the castle town of Yuzawa Castle and stopped, and then a man in his forties and fifties came out of the commercial house.

The man glanced at Kanbei Shimada and Katsushiro Okamoto, then looked around casually, then returned to the merchant house and instructed several apprentices to push the cart brought by Shimada Kanbei and others into the merchant house.

Then the man beckoned Shimada Kanbei and the others to the attic of the merchant house.

Having entered the attic, Shimada Kanbei, Katsushiro Okamoto and the others immediately saluted the man, and then said with a respectful face, "Lord Nakano, fortunately, I am not dishonored, a total of forty muskets have been brought by the inferior. ”

The man is the head of the Nakano family, Nakano Yoshikiyo. This man, who should have become the governor of the most important family, is not bad now.

After all, Mogami Yoshimori, in order to fight against the Tendo clan and other divisions, must have the greatest support of the Nakano family, the Mogami family, in order to gain a foothold in the Hazen area. It is no exaggeration to say that without the help of the Nakano family, Mogami Yoshimori may not even be able to stay in Yamagata Castle.

"Kanbei and Katsushiro, you two did a good job this time. When I get back to Yamagata Castle, I'll ask the main concert for a generous reward for both of you!" In the attic, Nakano Yoshikiyoshi casually took out a musket from a bag wrapped in cloth, and then looked excited.

The Tsugawa family had such a sharp weapon as a musket, which Nakano Yoshikiyo also learned about by accident.

Nakano Yoshikiyo traveled extensively in his early years and had a close relationship with the Haguro cultivators. What Tsugawa Soji didn't know was that although the Haguro cultivators promised to provide the Tsugawa family with information on various regions, this did not mean that the Haguro cultivators only served the Tsugawa family. As long as anyone can afford to pay for it, the Hakuro cultivators will provide them with the information and information they want to know.

There are even times when the cultivators of the Feathered Black Mountain will take advantage of the grievances between the two forces to curry favor with both sides and make a lot of money.

For example, in the fourth year of astronomy, the Dahoji family of the wealthy clan of Shonai fought with the Sasaki family of Mogami County. At that time, both warring sides had courted the Haguro cultivators for support, and the Haguro cultivators also took advantage of the problem.

First of all, the Sasaki family's marching route was informed of the Dahoji family, and the Dahoji family was naturally overjoyed when they learned the news. First, he rewarded the cultivator who came to inform him of the news, and then mobilized his troops to prepare to set up an ambush on the road that Sasaki's house must pass.

And after the cultivator got the money, he immediately informed the Sasaki family of the news that the Dahoji family was going to set up an ambush, and even told the location of the ambush.

The head of the Sasaki family immediately prepared to plan and mobilize his troops to go around the back of the Dabaoji family's ambush site, preparing for a counter-encirclement. Just as the plan was going smoothly, another cultivator told the Sasaki family that they had "discovered" the ambush of the Dahoji family.

In this way, the Daihoji family and Sasaki fought in the Shonai area for nearly three months, and were played by the Haguro cultivators. In the end, the Sasaki family and the Daihoji family were both defeated and each of them quit their own troops, while the Haguro cultivators made a lot of money.

The Tsugawa family used muskets in battle only twice, once during the Battle of Mount Suzuru to ambush the Hiyama Ando family, and the other when they were used during the attack on Sado Island. And both of these were also seen by the cultivators of the Feathered Black Mountain "just right".

Then, by chance, Nakano Yoshikiyo, who was the foreign affairs officer of the Mogami family, learned about this from the Haguro cultivators when he asked the Haguro cultivators about the situation of other forces.

At first, Mogami was skeptical about this, after all, such a thing is too unbelievable. However, after Nakano Yoshikiyoshi asked his eldest son, Nakano Yoshiaki, to try to get ten muskets from the Tsugawa family, Mogami Yoshimori, the head of the Mogami family, suddenly understood that such a sharp weapon as a musket would definitely change the pattern of war in the future.

However, ten muskets were too few, so Mogami Yoshimori ordered Nakano Yoshikiyoshi to get more muskets anyway. And he paid a lot of money to entrust the Haguro Mountain cultivators to come to the aid of the musket of the Tsugawa family.

Naturally, the news of the Haguro cultivators is not said to be there, so they can only start with the muskets of the Tsugawa family, and this is why Minezawa Castle and his party of Shimada Kanbei and others are here.

..........

Shimada Kanbei and others left Yuzawa Castle overnight under the arrangement of Nakano Yoshikiyo, and then Nakano Yoshikiyo began to dispatch men to prepare to transport these muskets out of the Tsugawa family's territory at dawn the next day under the name of "Fujitaya". Fujitaya is the Nakano family's industry, and it is also an important source of income for the Nakano family, mainly engaged in the timber business and the sale of tea.

As soon as Kanbei Shimada and Katsushiro Okamoto left Yuzawa Castle on their front feet, Nozawa and Kuro followed.

"Nozawa-sama, Shimada Kanbei and the others are heading south, probably in the direction of Mogami County." A ninja whispered in Nozawa and Kuro's ears.

Nozawa and Kuro nodded, and then said, "Fujitaya in the castle should be a secret stronghold of the enemy, so immediately ask Shimizu-sama to send troops to stop this group of people in the castle." ”

"The middle-aged man in Fujitaya should not be low, as long as you catch him, everything will be revealed. Katsuchiyo, you follow Shimada Kanbei and the others, and capture them in one fell swoop when they are unprepared! ”

"I've been following for so long, my legs are numb, it's time to end this!" After saying that, Nozawa and Kuro finally showed a relaxed smile on their faces.

........

In Yuzawa Castle, Shimizu Naojin had already prepared Ashigaru for a squadron in the city, and after receiving the order from Nozawa and Kuro, Shimizu Naoqin immediately surrounded Fujitaya with the first squadron of Ashigaru garrison of Yuzawa Castle.

Shimizu Naojin stood at the door of Fujitaya with a sword in hand, and the ashigaru men under his command stood on both sides of Shimizu Naokin, just waiting for Shimizu Naojin to give an order and prepare to rush in.

It's late at night, and such a big movement can't be hidden. When Shimizu Naojin and the others had just surrounded Fujitaya, Nakano Yoshikiyo had already been woken up by two attendants.

When he learned from the mouths of the two attendants that the Tsugawa family's forces had surrounded Fujitaya, Nakano Yoshikiyoshi was shocked.

"How is that possible! Even if the people of the Tsukawa family knew that the musket had been acquired by the main family, it would be impossible for them to act so quickly! ”

"Is there a traitor among us?" Nakano Yoshikiyoshi couldn't understand why the musket had just been handed over to him, and the people of the Tsugawa family immediately surrounded him. Even Nakano Yoshikiyo thought that there were traitors among Shimada Kanbei and Katsushiro Okamoto who had snitched off the Tsugawa family.

But no matter what, Nakano Yoshikiyo also knew that he had already planted his wings. He didn't intend to run away, so he got dressed under the service of a maid, and then walked out of the merchant house slowly.

When he saw Shimizu Naoqin standing at the door, Nakano Yoshikiyo suddenly showed a mouthful of white teeth, and said with a smile, "Shimizu-sama, don't come unharmed!" ”