The fire on the east and west sides was slowly approaching, and I quickly ordered everyone to withdraw from the camp, and then surrounded the fire from three sides. If you encounter an enemy escaping from the fire, kill them immediately. During this period, some women also escaped, some with children on their backs, and they were all ordered by their subordinates. I was ruthless and didn't interfere with their movements. In addition, there were also people from my own side who escaped, probably greedy for loot and did not listen to the greetings, so I asked Yoshiyuki Sawaki to keep all of them under centralized custody and punish them later.

Suddenly, three men rushed straight at me, carrying a little flame. Seeing that the people who came did not have a white cloth tied to their heads, the surrounding ashigaru was about to step forward and kill, but one of them shouted, "O lord of the city! I am Shiba! ”

"Wait!" I stopped the ashigaru people in their movements. When I looked over, it was really the three of them. I hurriedly let them jump into the sea and drown the flames on them.

"How did you get into the camp? After lighting the bonfire, just wait! Otherwise, what if you kill it by mistake? Looking at the wet trio, I blamed.

"Return to the city lord...... When the villain heard the shouting of killing, he knew that the city lord's army was coming...... Then he saw that there was a fire in the east, but a few pirates had escaped from the west, so he took advantage of the chaos to set fire to the west side as well......" Shihachi replied with a haggard face.

"I wanted to set the fire and escape, but I didn't expect to be trapped in the fire...... And then it was surrounded. Seeing that almost everyone who went out had been killed, Shinpachi proposed that only the castle lord and Iwamatsu-sama know about us, and that if we want to survive, we can only rush directly to the castle lord's main camp......" the other added.

I understood, it turned out that the fire in the west was set by them. If it weren't for their tricks, there would have been a lot of pirates who would have escaped. I am not afraid of them even though I have lost the ship, but it will be a trouble after all. From this point of view, the three of them have made great contributions.

Especially this Shiba, in such a situation, he can also think of the only way to survive, and his mind is really good.

"So, whose idea was it to set the fire?"

"It's also very bad." Said the person who interjected.

"Then, Shiba, I will promote you to the bow of the ship, and the other two will still be the head of the sailor, and the three of them will be given the status of samurai!"

"Thank you for the great grace of the city lord!" The three of them knelt down excitedly.

"Since you are a direct samurai, you can call the lord in the future," I nodded, "Do you have Miao characters?" ”

"Back to the city...... Back to the lord, no. The three replied.

"Then let's take Futamiura. The three of you are out of Southern Ise together, and you have experienced the same hardships, so you might as well be called brothers. ”

"Yes!" The three of them bowed down again, then retreated to rest.

By this time, the camp was almost burned. I ordered everyone to rest on the spot, and then boarded a ship with a few of my main men.

"Congratulations! From then on, Ise Bay was the territory of my Kira family's navy. "Masakatsu Wasuka congratulated first.

"This is also the result of everyone's concerted efforts!" I looked at the furnishings inside the Ataka ship and felt very relaxed.

"It's a pity that the camp was burned down...... There should be a lot of money for the Kitabatake Navy! "Yansong has been operating water transportation for a long time, and it is very important to pay attention to income.

"Gold, silver and copper coins can't be burned, but large quantities of goods certainly won't be placed here...... The Kitabatake Navy is not like the Hattori Party, they are subordinates of the Kitabatake family, and several generals have territories. I said.

"You are so cunning! Yesterday I said that I would not take stolen goods, but it turned out that there was no stolen goods at all! Yoshiyuki Sawaki said with a smile. He has a close relationship with me, and he is the only one who can joke like this.

"I'm not lying, if there is stolen goods, there must be stolen goods...... Really, if you control Ise Bay, are you afraid that you won't have money to give you a reward? I shrugged.

"So where's the reward?" He asked, confused.

"Rest first...... You'll find out tomorrow! I smiled mysteriously.

The next day, I left Futami Ura with the fleet. The fleet naturally included the four captured Ataku ships.

But instead of going straight back, I sailed to Ujiyamada Town, less than three kilometers from Futamiura, and docked at Uji Mita Port near the mouth of the Miyagawa Sea. Then, I led the standing guard into Ujiyamada Town, and put the iron cannon group in front of me.

When such a large-scale water army arrived, Uji Yamada Town naturally reacted. Before he could get ashore, he was greeted by a man in his forties, wearing a ping'an-style black hat and a priest's winter clothes.

"I am the shrine of the shrine of Aisu Jungang, dare to ask His Highness who is here, what is the matter here?" He held a paper fan in his hand, and his tone was slightly arrogant.

"Below is Kira Nobuyi, the commander of the Kira family's navy," I replied, "I attacked the Kitabatake clan last night and won by luck. However, the people who saw it said that they saw a few enemy generals fleeing into your territory, so they brought people to search for it......"

"How's the Kitabatake Water Army?" Toshitsuna Aisu tried his best to keep his composure.

"It's all gone, and the camp is burned to the ground...... You should be able to see a little bit of the fire in the east last night, right? I smiled loyally.

Hearing my answer, he almost gasped, and his expression became extremely embarrassed: "Your Highness said that you want to search...... But this is a god's territory! ”

"I also know that it is a god leader, so I only brought this little army, and there are more than 2,000 people left on the ship...... It's just that those generals carry a large amount of gold and silver with them, but they are all trophies of our side, and they really can't give it up. Otherwise, the sons and daughters of his subordinates will definitely turn the sky upside down! "I looked bitter and looked more embarrassed than he was.

"This ......," he muttered.

"Your Excellency is a priest, so it must be inconvenient to manage the mundane affairs of Honmachi," I said, revealing his puppet status in Ujiyamada, "Why don't you go back and discuss with the stewards of the town?" Or will you do it for you, and chase the loot you deserve? …… You can wait for half an hour in the next day. ”

“…… Then I will be out of company first, please wait a moment, Your Highness. I exposed the old bottom, he replied with a little embarrassment.

"Your Excellency, please."

Seeing Ai Zhou Jungang leaving, the iron artillery general Tsubouchi Riding came over: "Lord, is there really a general of the Kitabatake family naval army who has escaped?" ”

"Kitaro, you idiot," I scolded with a laugh, "maybe the 'general' doesn't, and that's not the point." The focus is on the belongings of the 'generals'! Even if they didn't, they would have to make it up and give it back to me! Didn't you hear me? If you don't recover it, your sons and daughters will turn the sky upside down. ”

"How many are there?" He also mixed in the United Water Army, and like Iwamatsu Jingding, he was also very concerned about income.

"At least four or five thousand! …… I put your iron cannon team in front to tell them that we have seen the world, not little pirates, and don't want to send us away with hundreds of thousands of dollars. ”

"Your Majesty has been taught." Tsubouchi retreated with admiration.

Sure enough, in less than half an hour, Aizhou Jungang returned, followed by a carriage carrying a wooden box and a dozen retinues. The group walked up to me, and Toshitsuna Aisu lifted the lid of the box on the carriage, revealing the gold nuggets on his face.

"Your Highness's deserved loot is almost here...... Five thousand taels of gold, please check it with Your Highness. He said.

"Then I'll be relieved," I nodded with satisfaction, "and I would like to take my leave and send New Year's greetings to all of you in the town." ”

"Your Highness has a heart!" Ai Zhou Jungang reluctantly answered.

……，……

As the banner leader, although I don't have to participate in the New Year's Eve banquet in Cheongju City and the New Year's Eve on the first day of the new year, it's not good to be too lazy. Considering the slow speed of the Ataka ship, I did not go with the main force, but led the standing horse crew to cross Ise Bay on a fast closing boat, and finally rushed back to Kanie Castle in the evening.

The next day, I took the people and drove to Cheongju. After settling down in the mansion, I went into the castle to meet Nobunaga.

At the gate of the city, I saw a man talking to the guards, and when I looked closer, it turned out to be the Nine Ghosts Jialong.

"Your Highness the Nine Ghosts, haven't you been received yet?" I asked.

"His Highness Togilian's blessing has already been seen. Today I have come here to congratulate His Highness Danzheng on the New Year. But......" he turned his head to look at the guard.

"Lord Kira, this highness is the identity of a ronin, and without the order of the hall master or the company of Lord Murai, the villain will not dare to enter it without permission."

Murai-sama refers to Sadakatsu Murai, who is in charge of introduction and diplomacy at his own house. The last time I introduced the Nine Demons to Yoshitaka, I asked the Nine Demons to bring my letters, and he took them to meet Nobunaga. However, he still has not joined the family. I guess he made too high a request, so Nobunaga didn't accept it.

"I'm really sorry, my family has strict laws, and I can't bring outsiders into the city," I smiled at him apologetically, "Congratulations from His Highness the Nine Ghosts, I will convey it on my behalf." ”

"Yes. Please ask His Highness Jiliang. "He owes a debt.

I entered the castle gate, and after a briefing from Shigemasa Nakagawa, I met Nobunaga in the meeting room.

"Congratulations to my lord on a prosperous New Year! May the martial arts of this family last a long time! As soon as Nobunaga entered the door, I immediately bowed down.

"You're coming very fast, Lin Xiuzhen is closer than you, and you haven't arrived yet." Nobunaga sat down and said.

"Mamoru Sado may be busy...... Naturally, the subordinates cannot be compared. ”

"Well, speaking of which, you've been a little slacking off lately." Nobunaga said with dissatisfaction, "Every day on the sea!" Do you really want to be a pirate with peace of mind? ”

"Your Majesty is also using your Ise strategy! A few days ago, I also introduced the ...... of the Shima Nine Ghost Family to meet the lord"

"That person......" Nobunaga interrupted me and snorted coldly, "I actually asked the family to take back Shima for him first, and then surrender to the family and deal with the Kitabatake Gujiao together...... Treat himself for something! What did you think of my Oda family again! ”

"When His Majesty entered the city just now, he met His Royal Highness the Nine Ghosts and said that he wanted to congratulate the lord on the New Year." I reported it.

"I just want to keep lobbying! Let him dry for a while, and then wait for him to recognize the reality. Nobunaga waved his hand.

"The lord is wise!" I complimented.

"However, the former Shima Navy of the Nine Ghost Family does have some strength...... After all, you don't come from a naval background, so if you want to deal with the Kitabatake naval army, you may have to borrow from him...... "Nobunaga said.

In history, the Nine Demons Yoshitaka was the general of Nobunaga's naval army.

When I first saw him, I naturally feared that he would replace me and gradually take command of the entire naval force of the Oda family. After he left, I already had the idea of attacking him halfway. But Kong Xuan said that it was the introduction of the Yixiang Sect, so I would not be able to do it, otherwise I might offend the Yixiang Sect. Fortunately, he later revealed two important news, which allowed me to gain the opportunity to defeat the Kitabatake family's naval army.

The Battle of Futamiura, which destroyed the Kitabatake family's navy, has made my position in the Oda family's navy extremely stable, and the value of Kuki Yoshitaka to Nobunaga's use has been greatly reduced. I don't have to worry about anything anymore,

Now, even if he joins the Oda family, he will have to submit to me and accept my command. Because Nobunaga had a navy that could control Ise Bay, it was impossible to spend any effort to rebuild an Shima navy.

"I was about to return to my lord, but in the early hours of yesterday morning, the Kitabatake Navy had been destroyed." Despite this achievement, my attitude became more and more respectful.

"What!" Nobunaga was surprised, and then his expression became serious, "This kind of thing is not a joke! ”

After saying this, he stared at me with a very stern gaze.

"Your Majesty will never dare to deceive your lord!" I leaned down deeply.

"Is that so......" Nobunaga finally withdrew his gaze after looking at me for a moment, "So, tell me how you did it!" ”

"Yes. His Majesty's battle was actually borrowed from the strategy of the Battle of the Lord's Barrel Saruma...... "I explained the entire decision-making and battle process to Nobunaga. By the way, I also praised him openly and secretly. The battle of Barrel Sama was Nobunaga's proudest thing so far.

“…… Then his subordinates returned by fast boat and came to Cheongju. The four captured Ataka ships are probably back to Cape Kiso! I finally said this.

"Keijiro, you can really surprise me!" After listening to the detailed process, Nobunaga finally believed in this fact, "I'm completely relieved that I'll leave the Ise strategy to you!" ”

He burst out laughing in the meeting room.

"Yes. Some time ago, His Majesty had a lot of gains at sea...... Today, I specially offer a thousand pieces of gold to do my best to build a new small herd mountain city for the lord. ”

"I'll take your thoughts. It's up to you to handle the affairs at sea, and if necessary, you can ask the George family to help. Nobunaga nodded, "I'm impatient to wait for him about the Nine Ghosts Kataka, so I'll leave it to you as well." If he can give up those unrealistic ideas, you might as well give him a promise. ”

"Yes." I commanded.

Gaining and consolidating the position of the commander-in-chief of the navy is the purpose of my first visit and at the same time giving a generous gift. Now it's finally happening.

Back in the city, the Nine Ghosts Jialong hadn't left yet. Maybe he was waiting for Nobunaga's announcement...... His eyes lit up when he saw me coming.

"Your Highness the Nine Ghosts, I have indeed conveyed your congratulations to His Highness Danzheng." I say.

"So, does His Highness Oda Danmasa have any intention of receiving him again?"

I shook my head.

"That's right......" Nine Ghost Jialong nodded, turning to leave.

"His Highness the Nine Ghosts, can you take a step to speak?" I beckoned from behind him, "My mansion is close to the left, why don't you have a couple of bowls together?" ”

"I'm going to bother you, thank you for your kindness."

I took him back to the mansion with me and told my grandfather, Tokujiro, to fetch a drink.

After drinking three bowls, I suddenly spoke: "His Royal Highness Danzheng has already handed over the affairs of the Nine Ghost Family to me. ”

"Oh? I was in contact with His Highness Kira before! He said.

"The reason why His Royal Highness the Nine Ghosts contacted Zaixia before was because he wanted to maintain his reading status, and he didn't want to have anything to do with the Oda family, right? After that, coming to Cheongju was the next best choice. Therefore, His Royal Highness the Nine Ghosts asked my Oda family to restore the territory of the Nine Ghost families first, and then talk about surrender. I'm talking about that, right? Please ask His Highness the Nine Ghosts to still answer me as frankly as he did in Crab River City. "I poured him a fourth bowl of sake.

"That's exactly what I think below." He pinched the wine bowl and drank it in one gulp, wiping his mouth, "The original Shima Navy was a powerful force that could compete with the Kitabatake Navy at sea. If Oda Danmasa and His Highness Kira want to attack Ise, they must be able to deal with the Kitabatake Water Army. ”

"Your Highness the Nine Ghosts is right," I agreed, but at the same time shook my head, "but now the situation is different. ”

"What's the difference, please ask His Highness Kira for advice."

"Because the Kitabatake Navy is now extinct." I say.

"Impossible!" He stood up at once, almost flipping the bottle over.

"His Royal Highness the Nine Ghosts may wish to follow me back to Tsushima and take a look at the four Ataka ships of the Kitabatake family that have been captured," I motioned for him to sit down, "That's why His Highness Danzheng thinks that the navy of his family is strong enough, so he entrusts the affairs of the Nine Ghost family to his subordinates." ”

"So how is His Highness Kira going to arrange the Nine Ghost Families?" He stood in front of me, looked at me condescendingly, and said.

"If His Highness the Nine Ghosts wants to talk, please sit down and say a more realistic idea."

He thought about it, sat down dejectedly, and said, "I heard that the sister-in-law of the Chita George family is in Cheongju City. Following this example, he left the head of the family in Cheongju Castle and immediately submitted to the Oda family. ”

"His Highness the Nine Ghosts forgot one thing, and now I'm dealing with the affairs of the Nine Ghosts." I reminded.

"Then ......," he gritted his teeth, "stay in Crab River City!" ”;