After sitting stiff for an hour and a half, I felt that my whole body began to ache, and my head was confused by the extreme tension of my thoughts. "It seems that this is the most suitable place, just...... It's a little more difficult! I said, rubbing my slightly throbbing temples. In the past, when I was in school, I had to take exams from time to time, but since I became a samurai in this troubled world, I don't know how to live a comfortable life, except for the occasional rollercoaster-like "thrill", luxury and corruption have become the main theme of life, and everyone regards this behavior as a matter of course.

"Lord......" The half-guard of Takenaka frowned and sighed a few times, it seemed that he hesitated for a long time, but he still said it. You must think about it! If you do attack from here, you may be wiped out if you are not careful! ”

"Really, absolutely not?" I turned my gaze back to the map I had been staring at for three hours.

"Theoretically possible...... Takenaka Hanbei leaned over and pointed at the map. Look! The entire Lumi Valley is 12 miles long, and the roads in it are tortuous and rugged, but it is not impossible to travel, even the war horses are barely feasible! But this was only theoretical, and the Miyoshi Army had checkpoints at the dangerous points of the mountains on both sides, as well as five small camps with more than 100 people. It was found that there were a large number of rolling logs, rocks, rockets, and sulfur, and once the enemy was discovered, they would attack from top to bottom. Now that winter is approaching, the leaves are withering, and the situation in the valley is clear at a glance! ”

"Since it's so dangerous, why don't the three good armies set up checkpoints in the valley?" In my experience, this is a one-man terrain.

"There's a reason for that, of course!" Takenaka Hanbei continued to patiently explain: "Due to the narrow terrain, it is difficult to build a castle or install defensive equipment! In addition, it is difficult to remove all kinds of shrubs growing on the cliffs on both sides, and the invading enemy cannot defend it at all as long as he takes fire attack! Can ......"

"But that's where our army is stuck...... "I understood what he didn't say below." Now that the grass and trees have dried, the Miyoshi Army sends a few people to light a fire, and we are all finished, right? ”

"Well......" he nodded and smiled bitterly, "Even if they don't light a fire, they block the road in front and behind with rolling logs and stones." With our current situation of being cut off from reinforcements, it must not be difficult to capture them alive! ”

"What a pessimistic picture!" I didn't just sigh. "Is it possible for the night to pass?"

"No way!" This time it was Ishikawa Tadatsuna who spoke. "There are many twists and turns in the roads in the valley, the mountains on both sides are high and the stars and the moon are difficult to shine, and our army can't light torches! If it's just a few ninjas, it might not matter, but the thousands of troops are afraid that they won't survive the night. ”

"Not during the day, not at night! Isn't that completely helpless? "I was a little anxious.

"Actually, there's another chance!" Nagano suddenly opened his eyes, which had been slightly closed, and his eyes were full of light. "Izumi, to the west of this mountain range, is a small plain bordering the Seto Inland Sea, and the sea breeze is often very tidal. To the east, the inland terrain of the hinterland of is relatively stable compared to the east, west, north and south, and the difference in temperature and humidity causes fog in the valley from time to time. This fog is usually not very large, but it should be enough to cover the movements of the army from the top down! ”

"And such a thing?" I immediately turned to Ishikawa Tadatsuna and asked, "Isn't this solved?" ”

"Lord, the old man's words are not finished yet!" Nagano was looking at me too excited, and hurriedly added.

"I'm sorry! Teacher, please continue! "I also felt a little impatient.

"It's the old man who didn't make it clear to the lord......," he smiled apologetically and continued: "The reason why Lumigu has this name is because of the intricacy of the roads, and the second is because of this fog that belongs to the 'mountain land'. Miyoshi's family is not stationed in the valley, except for the reason that Takenaka-sama said just now, it is because the humidity inside is too heavy to live! But this fog is very strange, it may still be a vast expanse and disappear after a while, or it may be here to reach out and gather and not disperse, and the wind and sun are not far away. Therefore, no one can say for sure what will happen, and once it is not mastered well, our army will be in danger. The old man proposed this matter just to open an idea, and I hope that everyone's brainstorming can be used as a reference! ”

"It's really not easy to do!" Yamanaka Kanosuke shook his head. "The Miyoshi family has been entrenched in Ho Quan and Hanoi for many years, and it is impossible for us not to know the strategic location of Deer Valley! The reason why there were no heavy troops was that it was considered unnecessary, but the garrisons on the mountains along the way must have been extremely tight. Either way, this is a risky move, and you really shouldn't ...... it unless you have to," he continued.

"But is there a more suitable place than here?" Maeda Keiji unwillingly rushed to say: "Noda Mountain, Kubo, and Kozoji Temple are all heavily defended, and once they are attacked, there may be many reinforcements!" And here......" he said, tapping his hand on the map. "Passing through the Deer Maze Valley is a small town with a high well, and the defenders are only five hundred, which is not enough for people and horses! There is only half a day's journey from Takai Castle to Iimori Castle, and it will be too late for Miyoshi Yoshitsugu to run even if he wants to! ”

"Of course, I know this truth well...... "Hearing the blatant lesson in Maeda Keiji's words, the always good-tempered Yamanaka Kanosuke was also a little angry." But it's obviously a dead end in front of you, and you still encourage adults to go! What are your intentions? ”

"You guy!" Keiji Maeda reached out and was about to press the handle of the knife.

"Smack!" I slammed the table and yelled, "What is this place!" What are you two doing! "Although I am indeed a "sick cat", the lord has been working for a long time and is a little "tiger"!

Hearing my tantrums, both of them fell silent. After a while, Yamanaka Kanosuke gradually calmed down, and his face became less red. Keiji Maeda was still a little puffed up and rolled his eyes from time to time.

"Hey......" I sighed secretly. This opportunity is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and once you miss it, you won't be able to do it again! Let's not talk about the weak forces of Izumi at this time and the wait-and-see of Yamato Matsu Nagahide, just three months later, the return of troops from Shikoku is not something that my more than 6,000 horses can handle! Then...... Thinking of this, I shook my head again and looked at the others.

Nagano is meditating with his eyes closed; Takenaka's half-guard pondered; Shima Katsu didn't know what was going on in his mouth; Nagano Yemori stared at the map; Shinhachiro looked a little overwhelmed......

"Hey!" Ke'er Caizang suddenly shouted, startling everyone in the room. "If we can make the next fog ourselves, then it will all be solved!"

"Bastard!" Keiji Maeda scoffed at his suggestion.

"Fog yourself!" It dawned on me that a fool could sometimes say something clear! "Everyone!" I cleared my throat and said, "Let's all go back and prepare!" It is to prepare for the army. We have to think about the solution, but other things can't stop because of this! ”

"Yes!" Anyone who understands it or not, agrees.

"You send someone to get Mochizuki Yoshito for me......" I whispered to Kusunoki Mitsunari in the hallway. Ever since Kato Duanzo left as I told him, the connection with Koga has fallen on him.

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I don't know what method Kusunoki Mitsunari used, but anyway, Mochizuki Yoshito rushed over the next evening. I didn't want too many people to know about it before I was sure, so I met him alone in my study.

"Subordinates, see the lord!" Mochizuki Yoshito knelt down and bowed to the ground, his attitude extremely respectful. The social status of ninja leaders is often not as high as that of the taller people, and in the eyes of ordinary people, they are just better than the "mob". Although I provided Koga for actual support, I did not give them an official status, so the status of Mochizuki Yoshito should be said to be between a retainer and a vassal.

"It's hard work to come in such a hurry......" I put a kind smile on my face, and despite my status as "lord", I still usually hope to be able to arrange tasks in a willing state. "I didn't want to give you a job so soon, but this time the matter is very urgent, so I have to ask you to go out in advance!"

"The lord doesn't need to be like this, it is our duty to serve death wholeheartedly!" He replied without thinking. I think he's excited, probably because he's finally waiting for a chance to prove his worth.

"Really......" I nodded, very pleased with his attitude. Here's what happened......" I told him about what had happened and what I wanted to do to create a fog, and finally asked, "How is it, are you sure?" "It shouldn't have been too difficult for him to think about, but it turned out to be much more than I expected.

"This thing...... I'm afraid it's not easy! I didn't expect him to say such a sentence after a long time.

"Can't you do it?" Hopefully receiving such an answer, I am now a little skeptical that the decision in favor of them was the right one. "Isn't that 'Dragon Smoke Technique' of yours supposed to play such a role?"

"Please don't misunderstand, it's not difficult to create such a fog with the 'Dragon Smoke Technique'!" Feeling my obvious displeasure, Mochizuki Yoshito hurriedly defended: "The 'Dragon Smoke Technique' has been passed down from my Mochizuki family for more than 20 generations to be quite perfect, I can say with complete certainty that if it is just fogging, it will never be a problem, even if it is easy to eliminate the sulfur smell in the smoke and add some water vapor, but the key to this matter is not here!" ”

"It's me who is a little impatient!" I tried to calm down. “…… Tell me, what is the key issue here? ”

"I've been to Deer Valley before! There are deep grasses and dense forests, and there is only an intermittent sheep intestine path that winds through it, although it is difficult to walk, it is not difficult to hide the tracks. ”

"That's exactly what I like!" I asked for some reason.

"But......" his words changed suddenly. Because of this, there are many birds and beasts living there, and the slightest movement will be alarmed. It is impossible for the lord's army to pass by silently, and once the defenders of the three good things notice it, it will be a big disaster! ”

My mind was confused, I really didn't think about this question before. "Can you ...... Add some poison or drug to the smoke? "In the novels and movies I watched, ninjas often did this kind of thing.

"It's not that it can't be done......" Mochizuki Yoshito smiled bitterly. There are many kinds of birds and beasts there, and the hidden places and habits are different, if you want to put down the medicine at once, you have to be extremely heavy, but it is impossible to use such a drug alone without any effect on people! ”

"Oh, that'...... "I was deflated all at once, I can't go into battle with a groggy army, right?" Lead your 2,000 men to the borders of Hanoi and Ho Quan to hide, and wait for my commands. "I pulled myself together and said that it doesn't hurt to be prepared anyway.

"Yes!"

And ......" I suddenly remembered one more thing. Tell your people to change into the clothes of the people of Hanoi, I don't want others to find out who you really are! ”

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Bear in Winter: In the context of this book, superstitious explanations for unusual natural phenomena should be adopted, but after thinking about it, I didn't make it up, so I asked Nagano to explain some scientific theories. Anyway, that's not the point, let's ignore the past!