To be able to do this, Hattori is really indispensable.

Before going to war, I specially called Hattori Masanari to the camp, firstly to praise them for their previous merits, and secondly, to ask him about the situation of the war in Kinai.

Although when I left Kishiwada Castle, the Miyoshi trio and Matsunaga Shu all started their own operations, but this could only be regarded as a skirmish. It was not until Nobunaga officially set up battle at Tennoji Temple on August 26 that the battle between Noda and Fukushima Castle officially began.

The three of them chose the main battlefield in this area, and they had very profound considerations. Nearly 40 years ago, there was also a profound battle here. The battle began when Hosokawa Takakuni attempted to destroy Ashikaga Yoshimu (Ashikaga Yoshiei's father), known as the "Sakai Prince", and the two sides of the war were the 15,000 troops of Miyoshi Motocho, the father of Miyoshi Chokei, and the 20,000 men who were in charge of Hosokawa Takakuni at the time, and the main battlefield was Tennoji Temple, where Nobunaga's main camp is located today. The two sides faced off for more than two months, from mid-March to the end of May. On the 2nd of June, Akamatsu Masasuke, who was a reinforcement of Hosokawa Takakuni, threw himself into Miyoshi and attacked Hosokawa Takakuni's main camp, and the Miyoshi army launched a general attack at the same time, and broke Hosokawa Takakoku's troops in a battle. Hosokawa Takakuni fled the battlefield and hid in the indigo vat of Kyoto in Amagasaki Town, but was still searched and killed, three days later by order of Hosokawa Harumoto (father of Hosokawa Akimoto).

Now that the Oda family is in control of Kinai, similar to the situation of Hosokawa Takakuni, the Miyoshi trio must hope to repeat the story and defeat Oda Nobunaga.

It's a pity they miscalculated. Today's situation is different from today's, and Nobunaga's power and talent are not comparable to Hosokawa Takakuni. From the beginning of the war, Nobunaga was firmly in control of the situation, suppressing the Miyoshi family in the two cities of Noda and Fukushima, and two days later returned to bed with Miyoshi Masakatsu and Kasai Yoshikiyo; On the 3rd of September, General Yoshiaki considered the hatred of the Miyoshi and the three of them for killing Yoshiki and the siege of Honkuji Temple, and at the invitation of Nobunaga, he personally led 2,000 members of the public to the front, which made Hosokawa Akimoto, Miyoshi and Saito Ryuxing lose momentum.

If it weren't for the troubles of Honganji Temple, the three of Miyoshi would be almost finished...... "Is there any movement on the Honganji side?" I asked Hattori Masanori.

"There's no news yet," Hattori replied, "but there seem to be some rumors in Takaoka Prefecture on this side. ”

"What rumors?"

"It is said that Honganji Temple and Genraiji Temple are ready to initiate a follower's battle and deal with the main family together with the three of Miyoshi......"

I stood up all at once. This must have been done by Yuan Qin!

It's just that he simply released the rumors, or did he already know the news in advance? If it is the latter, it means that he is likely to have reached a tacit agreement with the Miyoshi family.

"There are also rumors that Nagashima has taken action and invaded Kita-Ise, and the two prefectures of Asaaki and Mie are greatly threatened." Hattori Masasari continued.

I shook my head, this second thing must be a rumor. Long Island was not moving that fast, and it was impossible to encroach on my territory. In addition to considering my friendly relationship with Ichimune, Nagashima wanted to make a bigger noise, and more forcefully threaten Nobunaga, and it would be much more effective to invade Owari's side.

"Hanzo, what do you think?" I asked rhetorically.

"It's all rumors, and it's impossible for Nagamune to be faster than us," Hattori Masanari analyzed, "especially when it comes to the threat to Mie Prefecture...... It would take about ten days for the news of Nagashima City to reach here, and if something really happened, the main hall in Kinai would definitely deal with it, but now there is no action. ”

"And what was the reaction of the military?"

"The direct military forces of this family trust the lord very much, and there is no wavering. However, the Izumi people and the Saga people seem to have some doubts. ”

"Okay, I see," I nodded, "continue to pay attention to the information in Kinai, and keep an eye on the movements of the Saga people." ”

"Yes." Hattori Masanari was ordered to leave.

I sat back a little irritated. Yuanqin's trick is really disgusting.

According to common sense, I should suppress the rumors immediately, and then defeat the forces of the Changzong family as soon as possible. But the first thing I know is more or less the truth, Honganji will soon be hostile, and I have also contacted Mt. Hiei, Neraiji, and Asakura-Asaikata. If the war between me and Motojin lasts for two or three days, or if Motojin simply hides in Kira Castle and then defends the city, it will be perfectly fine to drag on for a few days with five or six thousand men. When the definite news comes, the Saga people will definitely be shaken, and even feel that they have been deceived by me, and then the matter will be bad.

I've also thought about cutting off the messaging channel. However, I can control the sea route, but I can't take the neighboring two countries of Awa and Sanki, which are the territory of the Miyoshi family.

Rather than having turmoil in the army at that time, and retreating in disgrace, so that he lost prestige and face in Tosa, and was even attacked by the Motokin, it is better to hold on to the army now and stabilize the interior first.

Just like a car, instead of risking a breakdown while on the road, it's better to overhaul it in advance.

sighed, although he really wanted to defeat the original parent, but now it seems that he can only give up the opportunity. As a guest army on the labor expedition, there must be no internal problems.

After making up my mind in this way, I recalled the naval forces that were going to blockade the Kumancheon River and used them all to control the area around the Niyodo River. In addition, I sent a standing contingent of 500 men to Usayu Port to strengthen the protection of the shore warehouses and the ships on the shore. The rations and quarters in these warehouses, as well as the ships anchored at the shore, were the key to my continued war and departure from Tosa, and there was absolutely no room for error.

And seeing that I was reluctant to fight, Xiujing, Naotoka, and Wasuka Masakatsu and others found it difficult to understand. What an opportunity! What a shame to miss! They came to see me privately, hoping that I would make up my mind as soon as possible. I can only tell them that I have received definite information that the situation in Kinai has changed, and there is a high possibility that it will affect us.

Less than two days later, chaos really happened.

The cause of the incident was a document that came from Kinai. The text reads as follows:

"Since I was confident that I have grown up in Luo, I have disturbed Jinnai, and I have repeatedly embarrassed my Buddhist sects. Although he repeatedly backed down, Nobunaga became even more greedy, and we must not tolerate it anymore. All of you who are blessed by our Buddha and the sect are now the time to be loyal and return to protect the sect. All the believers of our sect should also respond as one and deal with the Oda family together. This is devotion to my Buddha, and even if you die, you can be directly reborn in bliss. ”

This content quickly spread in the two counties of Gocheon and Takaoka, so the previous rumors were almost recognized as facts. Not only that, but there are also new rumors that Nobunaga was defeated and so on, and there are even noses and eyes that Nobunaga was caught hiding in a dye vat and being caught by the Miyoshi family...... What the hell is this talking about Nobunaga, it's clearly talking about Hosokawa Takakuni, the ruler of nearly forty years ago!

Soon, the news of Hattori Masanari also arrived, and Honganji Xianru had indeed sent out a message. The general content is similar to that of the wind. At this point, I can almost be sure that there has been a certain degree of tacit understanding between the Changzong family and the Miyoshi family.

At this point, I have to do something about the Saka people.

Considering that the leader who summoned them at this time, they might be misunderstood. I decided to visit Shigehide Suzuki and Morishige Tsuchihashi in person.

As soon as I entered the camp of the Saga people, I felt the atmosphere of preparation for battle. Occasionally, a team of people passing by and seeing me and Zhihu and his party were all wary.

"It seems that the situation is already serious." Zhihu whispered.

"yes." I nodded.

But as long as I don't make drastic moves, the Zaga people will not easily rebel. I'm confident in that. It is normal for the people of Saga to be so uneasy and wary because they are far away from this place, but the influence of Ishiyama Honganji Temple has also diminished because of this.

Everyone has the habit of conforming to the herd, and without those fanatical monks taking the lead here, it would be difficult for the Zaga people to start things alone. What's more, I had a very friendly cooperation with the Saga people, and now they have to rely on my sailors if they want to return to Kii Province.

Shigehide Suzuki is not stupid and will not rush into trouble. If I can convince him that he and Shigeji Tsuchihashi are capable of restraining their men, then maybe they can continue to attack Motokin.

Thinking like this, I saw Shigehide Suzuki and Shigeji Tsuchihashi greet me in person.

Walking into the tent, he and Tsuchihashi relinquished me on the main seat, and I sat down unceremoniously, and then asked directly, "You have already seen the text of Honganji, right?" ”

"That's right," Shigehide Suzuki nodded, "Actually, Dr. Wakaka, and I are trying to ask His Highness Mie for verification!" ”

"So I'll come and tell you both," I replied with a smile and a very normal tone, "that there is such a thing. ”

"Yes......" Shigehide Suzuki replied, and then fell silent.

"What does the Tsuchibashi Leader think?" I asked Tsuchihashi again. He is a member of the Shingon sect of Neraiji Temple, and unlike the Suzuki family, who believe in the Ichijo sect, he does not have to pay too much attention to the inscriptions of Honganji.

Shigeji Tsuchihashi thought about it and pushed all the matter to Shigehide Suzuki: "Listen to the opinion of the head of Suzuki...... Thank you, Your Highness Mie for coming to inform us personally. ”

"So, Chief Suzuki, what are you going to do?" I turned to Shigehide Suzuki.

“…… The heart of the subordinates is unwilling to be hostile to His Royal Highness the Threefold; However, there are times when you have to think about the boss and the ideas below. After some thought, Shigehide Suzuki replied to me.

I nodded, "I don't want to make more enemies, the Suzuki leader should understand my style...... Moreover, in the more than a year since we got along, I haven't done anything to embarrass everyone, right? ”

"His Royal Highness Mie has always taken great care of my Zaga people." Tsuchihashi Shigeji said. The last time I came to Tosa, he gained a lot from the Tsuchihashi family.

"So, would you like to listen to my advice?"

This time, it was Suzuki Shigehide who answered: "Your Highness Mie, please speak." ”

"Just now, the Suzuki leader said that the opinions of Ling Zun Zaga Sun City and his subordinates should be considered, right? …… As for the people under the leader, I'm sure that their biggest idea now is to get a commission and return to Kii Province safely. I can make sure of that, and I believe the Suzuki boss has the ability to restrain them. ”

Shigehide Suzuki nodded: "His Royal Highness Mie's assurance, I can trust." ”

"As for Ling Zun, I can't guarantee anything. Moreover, I also don't have the ability to influence the thoughts of His Highness Oda Danmasa...... Therefore, after crossing Murodo-Chong, I will send the 1,000 sailors stationed in Kumano to return to Kii Province with you, and I will return to Kishiwada Castle. How about leaving things to the gods and Buddhas in the future? I said solemnly.

"It was a thousand sailors from Kumano who sent us back to Kii?" Shigehide Suzuki asked.

"Yes, I was originally stationed in Kumanda, Mulou County. When the time comes, they will go straight back to the station...... I also hope that the leader will not be embarrassed. ”

"That's guaranteed below." Shigehide Suzuki also said solemnly.

I laughed, "Then it's fine." Right? ”

"Yes, that's fine." Shigeji Tsuchihashi also agreed.

"Before that, how about let's fight off the forces of our clan of Changzong together?" I asked further.

Shigehide Suzuki looked at me in amazement: "Can't you leave right away?" ”

"Of course. It took a long time for more than 10,000 people to board the ship, along with the supplies and booty. However, Motokin's army is on the east bank of the Niyodo River, and it only takes an hour to lead the army to Usayu Port, so how can you board the ship without defeating it first? Moreover, being forced to retreat by Ashigaru who is less than his own side will also greatly damage the reputation of the Saga people and the two leaders! "I was very considerate in my persuasion.

“…… Then according to the meaning of His Highness Mie! "Shigehide Suzuki was convinced by me again. Afraid that I would delay for too long, he hurriedly added: "How about also asking His Royal Highness Triple to stop in moderation?" ”

"Don't worry." I also assured him.

……，…… In view of the agreement with the Saga people, I gave up the idea of cutting off the rear route and destroying the forces of the Chozong clan as much as possible, and instead formulated a plan to quickly defeat them, and then quickly mobilized the army and prepared for the attack.

In the early morning of the 10th of September, before dawn, I divided the army into two groups, one was mainly a pikemen, and prepared to forcibly go ashore from the seashore in the territory of Wuchuan County in the east, and join forces with the samurai of the first party who had been contacted in advance, and quickly destroy the people arranged by the Chozong family in the east, and attack the main force of the Chozong family from the back; Later, another army, dominated by iron artillery, feigned a frontal breakthrough from the Niyodo River.

In addition to the iron artillery team, the Inyodo River was assisted by 2,000 naval troops, which were divided into three routes and crossed the river at the same time, and the momentum was extremely huge. Changzong's army was really deceived, and all the main forces were placed on the bank of the river.

The so-called feint troops on the river are actually extremely high in attack power. Under the command of Kira Shukei, Iwamatsu Keitari, and Tsubouchi Toshita, the flotilla anchored more than 20 meters offshore, then spread out to the flanks, forming a one-line firing position, and launched an attack on the shore. For a moment the cannon roared loudly, and the rising smoke swirled over the river, blending with the light mist of the September morning. It didn't disperse for a long time.

In the first round, they were caught off guard by the iron cannons, leaving behind many corpses, and the ashigaru people gathered by the family of Chozong and my family fled the river one after another. On the middle front, the generals who led the team immediately organized a counterattack, and more than a dozen war horses jumped down the river first, leading nearly 300 people to charge the warship.

I sat high on the shore and vaguely saw this scene, and I felt a little funny. This is near the mouth of the river, not to mention the wide surface of the river, and the water depth is basically more than three meters from the shore 20 meters offshore. This point has been confirmed by the navy, otherwise how could there be a fearless formation? The samurai who led the team of the Chozong family were obviously in a hurry, and they were not very familiar with this area, and they had not done their homework beforehand.

Sure enough, after walking ten meters, they could not continue to move forward, and the river had already flooded their shoulders and necks. Even in this area, people standing in the water can only attack with spears, which is not only inconvenient, but also unstable, and there is no combat power at all.

The horseback generals at the head realized this. Hurriedly shouted and ordered everyone to retreat. At this time, the sound of iron cannons sounded at the right time, and they fired at close range, killing and wounding nearly 100 people.

In fact, according to the rate of fire of our flintlock iron cannons, it would have been possible to attack again a long time ago. However, since it is a feint, it is natural not to be too fierce, and to leave the other party with some illusions that "it seems to be able to deal with". The middle conductor of the Iwamatsu Jingding, a good grasp of the appropriate rhythm.

The strange thing is that the generals who rushed to the front were miraculously unharmed. After he fled back to the shore with his men and horses, he shouted and cursed loudly with his horse's bridles, and challenged the iron artillery team on the river, but he did not dare to take people into the water again. And the answer to him was also a burst of iron cannons later.

"Looking at the appearance of Gu Zu and Toutou, it should be the Furu pro-government of the Chozong and my family, known as the fierce general of the 'Tosa Yongwu No. 1'." Katsugano Motonobu, who was holding a clairvoyant mirror beside him, explained.

"Oh, is it? …… It seems that the surname is very impatient. I replied casually. Fierce generals, it seems that they are all like this.

"Indeed," Motonobu Katsugano continued to observe, "a horse has come galloping over...... Wearing a mother's robe on the back, it seems to be the envoy of this camp! ”

I hurriedly raised the clairvoyant mirror as well, and found that it was indeed as he said. After listening to the words of the envoy (herald), Fukuru immediately yelled a few words to the stables around him, and then the stables scattered left and right, and went down to give orders. After a while, the entire middle force slowly retreated.

Was it seen through the feint by the Yuan family? Or did Masakatsu Wasuka and Naotoro Ii start attacking? I thought to myself.

However, it shouldn't be a big problem, they have 3,000 elite pikemen, as well as more than 1,000 elite sailors who are good at chaotic warfare, even if they fight head-on, there is no problem.

Compared with Yuanqin, our side not only has an overall advantage in terms of discipline, training, and equipment, but also has an advantage that surpasses the times, that is, the cooperation of various reserve units.

The military situation of this era is generally based on reserves. Each wealthy family with more than 10,000 koku organized his ashigaru into a reserve team, the number of which generally ranged from three hundred to eight hundred, and there were also as many as one thousand and five, among which the spear team, the horse team, and the iron cannon team were all available. In the event of a battle, each reserve is defended in order or attacked in turn.

In this way, the coordination within the reserve team is naturally very skillful, but the various reserve units cannot be mixed, otherwise they will not be able to command at all. Even a large battle array of hundreds of thousands of people like the Battle of Sekigahara was fought separately by each reserve.

If we apply the modern military system, the "reserve" is equivalent to a wing, and it is the smallest combat unit of the army, and the emperor himself will give the military flag to all newly formed combat wings, and once the military flag is lost, even if the structure is complete, the wing must be abolished immediately.

(To be continued)