Iwayama Castle is located at the junction of Yama-gun and Dewa-shiki Prefecture in the Aizu region, between Mt. Azuma and Mt. Iimori, and the terrain is very dangerous.

It is also the main road that guards the Aizu area of the Ashina family, and it is also the only way to get from Zhishi County to the Aizu area, so it can be said that as long as this area is blocked, the Tsugawa family in the north will not be able to enter the hinterland of the Ashina family smoothly.

However, this is based on the fact that the enemy of the Ashina family is only the Tsugawa family.

Now that the Nagao family has surrounded Kurokawa Castle, it is possible to come north at any time to block the retreat of the Ashina family. Once the Nagao family blocked the retreat and the Tsugawa family's pursuers came again, even if a small castle like Iwayama Castle was dangerous, it would not be possible to support it for long without the rear, support and logistical supplies, so the Ashina Mori clan had no intention of staying in Iwayama Castle for a long time.

The lord of Iwayama Castle is Toshimitsu Anazawa, the son of Shintoku Anazawa (the first general of the Ashina family in Shinno 14, manual funny!) Because of the death of his father Anazawa Shintoku in battle, the Ashina Mori clan gave a gift on the basis of the Hibara Township led by the Anazawa clan, and gave Anazawa Toshimitsu thousands of koku in the northern part of Yama County.

Toshimitsu Anazawa, commonly known as Shinemon, has always been the vanguard of the Ashina family against the Date family in history, somewhat similar to figures like Yuan Chonghuan and Wu Sangui who guarded Liaodong in the late Ming Dynasty.

For example, in the 8th year of Eiroku, Ishikawa Tajimamoru, a retainer of Date Terumune, attacked Toyama Castle, a branch of Iwayama Castle, and Toshimitsu Anazawa and his father, Anazawa Kaga Moritori, lowered his army to repel it. Unlike other important ministers of the Ashina family, Toshimitsu Anazawa is a rare talent in military affairs, and it can also be said that he was the pillar of the later period of the Ashina family. Because he repelled the attacks of the Date family many times, he was called the "guardian of the north".

However, in the 12th year of Tensho, the Anazawa Shiro Guards of the Anazawa clan communicated with the Date family, and Date One-Eyed Dragon Masamune ordered 1,500 horsemen to attack Hinohara Township and surround Iwayama Castle. Toshimitsu Anazawa fought for several days in Iwayama Castle, but because of the internal response, Iwayama Castle eventually fell, and Toshimitsu Anazawa also had a seppuku in the city, and all the clans died in battle. (Toshimitsu Anazawa Shunji came out of the Gamo clan that was transferred to Aizu, and later his descendants worked for the Aizu Matsudaira family.) ）

"Lord, are you feeling better?"

In Iwayama Castle, the Ashina Mori clan's complexion, who was finally able to rest for a while, was much better than before, and a group of Ashina retainers such as Toshimitsu Anazawa were sitting on the side and watching the Ashina Mori clan with concern.

Ashina Mori nodded, and then said with a gloomy face, "Why did you abandon Yonezawa Castle, who gave the order?" ”

"After the lord fainted, I discussed together, and both the Pig Miao Hall and the Yamanuchi Hall proposed to retreat first, and in the end the people who supported the retreat accounted for the majority, so I retreated." Matsumoto replied at this time.

Ashina Mori shook his head and sighed, "With this withdrawal, the situation on the Date family's side is dangerous." ”

"The Tsukawa family is really not to be underestimated, I thought that I had already fought twelve points of spirit, but I still fell into the strategy of the Tsugawa family at this juncture! The Nagao family, the Uchiying, and the Tsugawa family have probably been preparing for this dispatch for several years! ”

Ashina Mori didn't think that the Tsugawa family's operation could be implemented on a temporary basis. Let's not talk about the Nagao family, you need to communicate well in advance, but how much time does it take to rebel against Yoshikuni Nihonmatsu and Moribi Kanegami and others?

It is not difficult to see from here that the Tsukawa family has really been careful about Mutsu for a long time, but they hate themselves for being confused by the results achieved in the battle with the Date family, otherwise how could the Tsugawa family quietly do this?

"What's the news from Kurokawa Castle?" Ashina Mori then asked.

"Not yet, but it's not easy for the Nagao family to easily capture Kurokawa City, so the lord can rest assured."

"The family is not worried about the defense of Kurokawa Castle, but about the long-tailed Jinghu! This person is a figure who is not inferior to Tsugawa Soji, and after the news of our army's retreat from Yonezawa Castle comes, I am afraid that Nagao Keitora will immediately abandon Kurokawa Castle to intercept us. ”

"Maybe the forces of the Nagao family are already on the way at this time, and it may not be." Ashina Mori is full of gloom about the future.

Hearing Ashina Mori's words, Matsumoto Clan and the others looked at each other for a while, with a look of disbelieving.

And Anazawa Toshimitsu on the side nodded, "The strength of the family's retreat from Yonezawa Castle is thousands, and once they return to Kurokawa City, it will be difficult for the Nagao family to capture it again." The castle is dead, but the people are alive, as long as we are defeated, then Kurokawa Castle will be in the pocket of the Nagao family sooner or later. ”

"I see. Then don't we have to retreat to Kurokawa Castle as soon as possible to prevent Nagao Jinghu from blocking us on the road? Matsumoto asked hurriedly.

Ashina Mori nodded, and then turned his gaze to Toshimitsu Anazawa on the side, "Shinemon, the terrain here is the most familiar to you. What is the closest road from here to Kurokawa Castle? ”

Toshimitsu Anazawa thought for a moment, then replied with an affirmative face, "Uehara! ”

......

The Azuma Mountains are a mountainous area with many branches, the highest peak, Mt. Nishi-Azuma, which is more than 2,000 meters high, and there are many volcanoes around it, making it a very dangerous terrain.

There are only two roads leading from Iwayama Castle to Kurokawa Castle.

One is to take the big salt wall in the southwest direction, go around Maomo Mountain and walk south for fifty or sixty miles. One is to transfer from Hinobara to the southeast to the Inawashiro Castle of the Inawashiro family, and then follow Lake Inawashiro to Kurokawa Castle.

The second road is farther than the first one, but the advantage is that the road is easier to walk.

However, instead of choosing either path, Ashina Mori chose a more adventurous path – directly over Mt. Kimomo and Mt. Bandai to Origamihara and then directly to the castle base of Kurokawa Castle.

Mt. Bandai is a volcano with a height of more than 1,800 meters, and there is only a very narrow path between it and the adjacent Mt. Maomo, and the mountain road is extremely rugged, so it is not easy to get through here.

But in order to rush for time, Ashina Mori also had to take a risk.

"Lord, why don't you go directly to the big salt wall, the distance should be about the same, the key is that the road is better!" On the mountain path between Mt. Maomo and Mt. Bandai, a group of Ashina clan's soldiers were slowly moving forward with bitterness, and the Matsumoto clan was carefully supporting the Ashina Mori clan.

Ashina Mori replied without looking back while opening his legs, "After passing the Great Salt Ridge, it is all the main road over there, and the march of our thousands of people is too big, and it is very likely that the Nagao family will be discovered in advance, so we can only go here!" ”

"It's a bit harder to walk, but it's safe, as long as you cross this mountain, you'll be safe when you reach Origamihara."

The people of the Ashina family are moving forward wholeheartedly, but it is impossible to know that the Ashina Mori clan is killed, and just halfway up the mountain not far away, four or five ninjas of the Tsukawa family have already seen everything......

"Kitaro, the strength of the Ashina family should be preparing to directly climb over Mt. Bandai, you immediately go and report this matter to Nagaoden!"

"Ha~ha!"