Ueno Province, Stablebridge Castle.

The two dragon flags and the bizi flags with black characters on a white background were erected high, blown up by the strong wind, and spread to the maximum.

"Drive!"

With the sound of the horse's hooves, the clattering sound, the Uesugi family's horseback team, with two cedar flags on their backs, galloped against the wind, and the ashigaru soldiers, dressed in black goods, stepped on the dust on the ground, and looked like a giant dragon from a distance, rolling away.

Uesugi Kenshin Banner This team is out of Azuma-gun!

Kenshin Uesugi rode his famous horse, 'Liberation Morizuki', and stood on the hillside, holding the reins in one hand and holding the whip under his arm with the other, watching the soldiers who were pouring out of the castle. Minoru Naoe, Kagan Keiji, Shigeta Shigeie, Onikojima Yataro and other Echigo heavy generals all wore helmets and rode horses behind Kenshin Uesugi.

At this time, a samurai rode to the mountain, turned over and bowed down in front of Uesugi Kenshin, and said: "My lord, the Nagano army was outside the castle of Hawei Castle, and was ambushed by the Takeda generals Hoshina Masatoshi, Li Xiao, and Sanada Masayuki. The Nagano army was defeated, and both Nagano and Hidetsuna Kamiizumi were wounded, but the Takeda general, Masatoshi Hoshina, was also killed in the battle. ”

Hearing this news, the Echigo generals were surprised, for them, the defeat of the Nagano army by the Takeda army was expected, and the death of Hoshina Masatoshi in battle was nothing, and Nagano Yegu's injury was not worth mentioning, but the only surprise was that Kamiizumi Hidetsuna was actually injured in this battle.

Yataro Onitajima, the fierce general of Echigo, said: "Who was in the Takeda family who was able to hurt Lord Kamiizumi Isemomoru, was it besieged by the army, or was he ambushed by bows and arrows and iron cannons?" ”

"No, it was injured by Li Xiao, the general of the Takeda family."

In the face of the uproar among the Echigo generals, Uesugi Kenshin suddenly said: "What is there to make a fuss about, who can go to the battlefield without being injured." ”

Uesugi Kenshin rode forward, pointed in the direction of Azuma County with his horsewhip, turned back to the generals and said: "The Takeda Army has now been heavily surrounded by our army in Azuma County, like a tiger in a net, it is impossible to escape with wings, even if there are ten more fierce generals like Li Xiao, what can they do?" ”

When Uesugi Kenshin said this, all the generals were ashamed.

"Where are the teams of our army advancing now?" Uesugi Kenshin turned to the samurai.

"Back to my lordship, now Nagano Yegu-sama is reorganizing his army in Hakuo Castle, and he and Lord Takemata's 300 troops are helping to defend Hakuo Castle."

"And Lord Murakami is leading a thousand troops to pursue Li Xiao, Sanada Masayuki's Takeda Army detachment. In addition to leaving 300 troops to defend Kamahara-jou Castle, Lord Yamamoto Temple is personally leading 300 troops as a second formation to lead Murakami-sama.

"The 1,000 troops of Lord Honjo have occupied Songshan Castle in the past, and then they are arrayed in front of Iwaki Castle to monitor the Suwa Katsuyori in the castle, and the main team of the Takeda army of the Great Bear Chaoxiu."

"And Lord Saito, the 7,000 troops led by Lord Sebe are marching along the streets of Azuma, and it is expected that they will arrive at the foot of Iwaki Castle the day after tomorrow."

"Very well, everything is under our control," Uesugi Kenshin thought for a moment and said to the samurai, "If you work hard, go to Minowa Castle immediately, let Nagano Shinano guard the castle, and watch out for the Takeda army to go out to Nishi-Ueno at any time, and it is expected that in another ten days, I will be able to wipe out this Takeda army in Azuma Prefecture." ”

"But, my lord," Minoru Naoe on the side hesitated and said, "As soon as our army leaves again, the castle will be empty, and the main force of the Takeda Army led by Takeda Yoshinobu and Iitomi Toramasa has been reorganized, and if they take the opportunity to attack the flank and rear of our army when our army is out of Azuma-gun, then our army will be in danger." ”

Uesugi Kenshin heard Naoe Minoru say this, and he looked up and laughed.

After laughing, Uesugi Kenshin slashed the horsewhip in his hand down, and said: "Takeda Yoshinobu is just an incompetent person, and there is nothing to fear. Besides, I'm helping him get rid of the thorn in his side, Suwa Katsuyori, and he will never come to hold me back at this time. ”

Naoe Minoru nodded and said with a smile: "Yes, lord, probably I was too worried." ”

Uesugi Kenshin smiled slightly, closed his eyes, and said silently in his heart: The god of war is blessed by the heavens, I, Uesugi Huihu, this time I went out to fight in Azuma County, set foot on Iwaki Castle, and captured Suwa Shengli in front of the battle, the shame of Snow White Root Mountain, after recruiting Li Xiao, destroy Takeda Hojo, Kuang Fu Shogunate, and proclaim righteousness to the world!

After Uesugi Kenshin finished silently reciting, he suddenly whipped the horse's whip under his crotch 'Release Mao Yue', and the war horse neighed, and ran down the mountain with four hooves. The Echigo army generals Naoe Minorutsuna, Gan Gyo Keiji, Shinbata Shigeie, and Onitajima Yataro also drove their horses to keep up.

Azuma-gun, inside a hot spring soup wooden house on the mountain.

Murakami Yoshikiyo, dressed in armor, walked around the house with a katana at his waist in his left hand.

"Tell Murakami-sama, according to the report of my ninjas, Li Xiao, Sanada Masayuki's Takeda Army, is resting here for two hours this morning."

The leader of the Isaso Ninja Chief, Iena Shusuke, is now reporting to Murakami Yoshikiyo.

"I see, I can feel it," Murakami Yoshikiyoshi untied his head pocket in front of the word 'Shang', held it in his hand, and then sat down cross-legged in the room, and said, "Everyone says that the two generals under Suwa Katsuyori, Li Xiaoshan and Sanada Masayuki, are resourceful, but I think it's just like that, I was pursued by our army for two days in a row, and I didn't even have the courage to fight with our army." ”

Isato Shusuke buried his head and said, "My lord, that's right. ”

Murakami Yoshikiyoshi suddenly said: "Iine, you brought more than 100 ninjas this time, you can try to attack the Takeda Army at night." ”

Hanrope Shusuke's face changed, and he said: "No, Lord Murakami, the Takeda Army has the support of the Togakure ninjas, and its ninja leader is Uramori Kiyoshi, and he is one of the best ninjutsu masters among the Togakushi ninjas, and we fought with the Togakure ninjas last night, although there are many of us, but we still suffered a small loss." ”

Murakami said coldly: "Hmph, don't you claim to have the blessing of the rice rope power?" Rice rope, Togakure is also a member of the North Shinano ninjas, why is there such a big gap between the two of you? ”

The image he shows is a bird tengu dressed as a practitioner in the form of a white pipe fox with a sword in one hand. As a god who prays for victory among the mountain gods, he has always been revered by the samurai.

For example, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the three shoguns of the shogunate who ended the confrontation between the northern and southern dynasties, believed in the rice rope power, and at the same time, in the early years, Uesugi Kenshin also believed in the rice rope power, and he had a head pocket in front of the front is the image of the rice rope power, called the rice rope power figure.

Hanrope Shusuke buried his head and said, "Togakure is a group of ninjas who are famous in the world, and his reputation is no less than that of Koga and Iga. It's not that I can't fight together, but I don't have the certainty of victory, so it's not worth it. ”

After a pause, Shusuke suddenly said: "But the subordinates noticed that the movement of the Takeda army was strange today, and it stands to reason that they should go straight to Iwaki Castle, but today they suddenly turned back, and it seems that they deliberately led our army to go around in circles in the mountains of Azuma County, I am afraid that there is some trickery in this?" ”

"Oh? Ruse? Murakami Yoshikiyo laughed and said: "What other strategies can the Takeda Army have, don't pay attention to him, I think Sanada, Li Xiao is just a mediocre general, not worthy of our attention." You just need to let the ninjas under your command keep an eye on the movements of the Takeda Army, and let me do the rest. ”

"Oh." Isato Shusuke agreed.

At this time, Murakami Yoshikiyoshi stood up and shouted out the window: "Order, after the ashigaru men finish their meals, continue to pursue the Takeda army." ”