The military discussion did not last long, and there was not much discussion about specific tactics.

After all, they had only come from the Western Front, and they were not familiar with the situation in the Settsu Province on the Eastern Front, and Hideyoshi had not yet arrived at the battlefield, and the Central Army and the Shinkei, Zhou Jing, Jingzheng, Naotoko, Takenaka, Wasuka and others on the right were also absent, so it was impossible to make more detailed and targeted arrangements.

Marching to the sea off Hyogozu outside Huā Limit, Xiujing and the others left the Yong'an and led the convoy behind to continue to Amagasaki, while the naval fleet approached the shore and prepared to attack Huā Castle.

In terms of importance and prosperity, the area around Huā Castle is not inferior to Amagasaki Port, and to some extent it is even better. Fukuhara Jing, which was built by Ping Qingsheng back then, was located here, but unfortunately it didn't take long for it to be burned to the ground by the old rough wood Zeng Yoshizhong, and it was killed like the Qin Dynasty Afang Palace. Despite this, Hyogo-tsu, which is known as the first port in the Kamakura period, and Ikuta Shrine (guardian of Amaterasu), Hirota Shrine (guardian of Amaterasu), and Nagata Shrine (shrine for the main deity) founded when Empress Shinko returned from her expedition to Sanhan, both Minato and Shrine Monmae are very prosperous (each of the three shrines has a number of god seals, so later generations called this place Kobe). In view of this, Ikeda Tsuneko abandoned Arioka Castle in the northern part of Amagasaki Port and chose Huā Castle as its main location.

However, having seen the power of naval artillery, Ikeda had no intention of keeping the seaside city, and as the current lord of the castle and his son-in-law, Hideji Yura, had already been invited by him to serve as the nominal commander of the two kingdoms of Mino and Settsu, leaving less than 1,000 men to garrison, which was almost tantamount to abandoning the castle.

Under the blows of naval guns, naval iron artillery teams, and naval marines, the defenders of the city quickly abandoned the city and ceded the city to us. Before leaving, they also set fire to various parts of the city in an attempt to burn the city, but due to the ferocity of the naval guns and iron artillery team, they did not have time to complete the arson work, nor did they block the wells, so they fled the city in a very hurry. He sent someone to Hyogo to report to me and Yoshikei about the situation in the city.

"Ninomaru is the place where the defenders are stationed, and it is badly damaged; Sannomaru also had some damage: but there was nothing wrong with the main pill, and the two barrels of gunpowder placed on the first floor were still left untouched, apparently failing to ignite in a hurry...... The warehouses were empty, and there were no supplies left, so they should have been transferred to another place in advance. ”

"Since I didn't plan to hold on, that's a matter of course," "I didn't feel too sorry," but fortunately, it wasn't all fruitless. Those two barrels of central medicine are already worth a lot of money! ”

"Not bad." Yijing echoed.

"Then the city will be handed over to you," I said to Yijing, once more instructing him, "Remember, you only need to defend the city, and you don't need to risk attacking." The Yura family is conducive to the decisive battle, and will not spend much time under this city. ”

"Yes," Yijing bowed his head and commanded, "I will definitely obey your orders." ”

I nodded slightly apologetically: "It's really a bit aggrieved that you can't participate in such a critical battle...... However, you've always been in charge of the navy, and you're in charge here. ”

"I understand. And as my second son, once I participate in the war, I will definitely serve as the commander of a certain wing...... Compared to Uncle Xiujing and Brother Zhou Jing, my experience is much worse" Yijing smiled slightly, "Then I wish my father and brother Wu Yun prosperity!" ”

This kid knows it in his heart............ I sighed slightly and turned around to board the flagship of the Yong'an.

After a delay in Huā Castle, it was already the afternoon of the day when the flagship arrived at Amagasaki Port. The Iyo people and the middle Kyushu army under the command of Xiujing have landed, and they are stationed in Otaura outside the port of Amagasaki to rest, looking from the lookout of the port, the most conspicuous is the main camp on the Xiaonanchuan Heights, outside the camp tent is the Tu Jin Tang Broken Wind Horse Seal of Xiujing, the five bone fans of more than one zhang high and the 153 Tong military flag hunting and fluttering, around the highlands, covered with dense large and small camp tents, a team of light and orderly exchanges in the meantime, from time to time there are several dozen samurai emerging from the camp tent, Or it was the crowd of fast horses passing by with two flags on their backs, conveying dispatch orders everywhere, making the whole camp seem extremely busy.

A little farther away, there is Amagasaki Castle at the confluence of the Zuomondengawa River and the Shoshita River, and the castle is currently garrisoned by Nobuyi, who arrived the night before, and the Kitakyushu army under his command is stationed around Amagasaki Castle, taking over the camp left by Zhou Jing. Zhou Jing had already captured Arioka Castle, which Ikeda Hengxing had abandoned, and had crossed the Muko River to the west of the castle and laid out a defensive line on the west bank, only a few hundred meters from Kozan. The area around Koyoen Garden (one of the Seven Gardens of the Nishinomiya and a modern high-class residence street) and the central part of Sukugawa River in the southern part of Kosan were also captured by the Ise people led by Naoto, which was the naval gun position that Zhou Jing had prescribed, and must have been completely arranged two nights earlier.

That's a good situation. By the early hours of tomorrow, the various divisions will be able to enter the predetermined positions nearby and meet Hideyoshi's army with ease and work.

My eyes looked northwest in the direction of Mt. Jia. It was Hideyoshi's most likely honjin, about ten kilometers from Amagasaki Port. Due to the fine weather, the altitude of Mt. Jia, which is more than 300 meters, and the north mountain in the southwest of Mt. Jia, are clearly visible under the Nanban Qianlijing, and the top of the mountain is dark green, and there seems to be gray-blue smoke steaming. Of course, the people and movements in it are invisible.

Listening to Zhou Jing's report, Jing Zheng once suggested that an attack be launched in advance, or that the arranged artillery array be used, so that Ikeda Hengxing could not build the fortifications smoothly, but Zhou Jing vetoed it. Zhou Jing believes that at present, relying on the two cities of Arioka and Amagasaki, the situation is very good, and it only needs to rest the military strength and defeat the main force of the other side in a dignified manner; As for the artillery array, it is likely to be used at a critical moment to establish a victory in one fell swoop, which is more advantageous than harassing the other side now.

Zhou Jing thought about it very reasonably, and he was the main general, Jing Zheng was only a deputy general, and Zhihu, who was the military officer, also supported him. As a result, there was no attack on Ikeda Hengxing, and both sides maintained their current position and awaited the upcoming decisive battle.

In the evening, the main force of the Yura family finally arrived. They were in a hurry, it could almost be said that they were traveling day and night, but their two legs could not compare with the fleet of the sailors after all, although the distance was shorter than Xiujing's, they still lagged behind for more than half a day before they arrived. After arriving, they did not go directly to the position, but stayed near Huā Castle, relying on the northern mountains and seongyama to set up defenses, apparently to rest for the night. Considering that their side was unfamiliar with the terrain and did not have many troops, Yoshikage and Iwamatsu Jingding gave up the rare opportunity to sneak attack, but only ordered the naval guns outside the harbor to fire a few shells into the mountains from time to time to harass the enemy's rest.

The next day, Hideyoshi left Tajima's Kode-Masato to monitor Huā Castle and "led the remaining 70,000 troops to the main battlefield." His main camp was indeed set up on Mt. Ko", while Ikeda's Hengxing Division was transferred to Baohao and Incheondae at the northern foot of Mt. Kosan as the left flank of the main camp; On the right flank, unsurprisingly, Tokugawa Ieyasu was stationed at Wakarinji Temple and Kurakuen Garden (the most mountainous garden of the Seven Gardens of the Nishinomiya) southwest of Kozan. In addition, Oda Nobuo and Yura Keihide also remained in Hideyoshi's Chinese army, with Nobuo as the military chief and Keihide as the deputy general, and led the Northern Omi and Southern Omi armies as the vanguard.

Our actions were a little earlier than Hideyoshi's. In the early hours of the morning, Xinjing and Xiujing rose up one after another, overwhelmingly marching to the west. They crossed the Muko River and continued westward until they reached the north entrance of the Nishinomiya, about a kilometer from Kozan. Later, Xinjing set up a position here, and ordered Xiujing to go to the direction of Suchuan and Jiayangyuan to take over the defense line of Jingyi Naotohu; Naotora Ii handed over the artillery array to Yoshitomo Otomo, who had operated the cannon under Hidekei, and led the Isekan back to the right-wing front. As for the pioneers, Shimazu Iehisa and Ii Nobu fell behind, "because they were going to escort me to the battlefield."

At midnight (about six o'clock), I left Amagasaki Port in my regular clothes and a piece of feather weaving, escorted by my attendants. On the side of the road outside the port, Jing Yi Xuanzhi's cavalry, Tsushima Bei, Xiejiang Bei, Sanchong Bei, and Chaoming Bei had been waiting for a while, and they formed a cavalry army of more than 2,000 people, an iron artillery army of more than 1,500 people, and a pikeman army of more than 3,500 people.

"Retribution! The whole army has been assembled! Shimazu Iehisa and Ii reported loudly.

"Hmm" I nodded, "Then let's go,"

"Obey!" Shimazu Iehisa waved his hand, and the pikemen army was divided into two, with the front half of the well as the lead, and marched westward in two columns.

Nobunao Ii and I were closer. He looked at my pretending to be happy, and then looked at the horsewhip in my hand, and frowned slightly: "Why didn't you wear enough gear, and didn't bring it, five carcass?" ”

I laughed, "That's it!" Do you still expect me to go into battle myself? With you fighting in front, what else do I have to worry about? ”

Such a sentence made the ears of all the generals excited, and they were also extremely moved.

"The ministers will definitely not disappoint His Highness Zuofu's expectations!" The crowd shouted.

"I'm about to borrow your bravery." I nodded approvingly.

Crossing the Muko River, Shinkage, Shigeharu Takenaka, Masakatsu Wasuka and others of the Chinese army all came up and gathered under my white banner. Perhaps it was the first time they saw the white military flag representing Genji Sōliang, and the generals of Kitakyushu were stunned for a moment, and then let out a burst of cheers at the military flag. The samurai and ashigaru under their command naturally cheered along with the main general: Then there are the various reserves directly under the family, they are my most loyal and elite troops, and they also enjoy the best treatment and the highest honors, so their cheers are particularly eager and neat.

Although I haven't been in the field for a long time, and there have been a lot of changes in the reserve team, and many of them have not been with me, my prestige in the reserve team has never dissipated, but has increased with time. The sense of distance that failed to follow was not alienation, but regret and awe from the heart, as if a mortal believer treats the gods of heaven.

In the midst of this cheer, the "snow cloud" I was riding felt the atmosphere of the battle that had not been seen for a long time, raised his hair and let out a long hiss, and then happily carried me forward. Shinkage, who was half a position behind, and behind him, Shigeharu Takenaka, Masakatsu Wasuka, Shimazu Iehisa, Ii Nobunao, Satake Nobuhide, Maeda Toshinaga, Honda Masamune and others also drove their horses to follow and galloped along the front of the battle line. Wherever the procession went, it split its way and was greeted with cheers, unwilling to stop for a long time. Gradually, the "snow cloud" ran faster and faster, and the cheers spread farther and farther, spreading throughout the entire Chinese army, and then to the left and right flanks, and to the entire position within a radius of several kilometers, shaking the entire battlefield.

I stationed in the snow clouds and rushed to the main formation of the Chinese army on the Okada Mountain in the north, looking at the flags like forests around me, enjoying the salute of more than 100,000 troops under my command, and suddenly giving birth to a heroic spirit that I have in the world, so I waved my horsewhip high and shouted loudly: "This battle!" Win! ”

"Victory! Win! Xinjing shouted.

"Victory! Win! Shigeharu Takenaka, Masakatsu Wasuka, Nobuhide Satake, Shimazu Iehisa, Nobunao Ii and others, as well as Maeda Toshinaga, Honda Masasumi and other close attendants shouted.

"Victory! Win! The entire Chinese army roared along.

"Victory! Win! More than 100,000 troops roared.

This roar, like a continuous thunderbolt, pressed towards the opponent's position, and the military spirit and momentum of this side reached its peak at once.

"Blow the conch! Raise the flag! Order the armies to take position! "I turned around and commanded Xinjing.

Jing replied solemnly, called the envoy of the formation, and went down as he was told. A moment later, a terrible sound of conch sounded outside the main formation, and the command flag was also raised on the watchtowers around it, transmitting the order to the surrounding troops. Realizing that the battle was about to begin, the troops under his command stopped calling and began to adjust their arrays. This also includes the vanguard. Despite the absence of Shimazu Ihisa and Ii Nobunao, Wasuka Keikatsu, Miyata Mitsuji, Joto Kazuki, Tsubouchi Toshita, and others still moved forward according to the order, and soon reached the frontline of the battle position.

"Jiajiu and Xuanzhi go down to prepare, and follow the instructions of Lingqitai to attack!" I went back and commanded.

"Yes!" Shimazu Iehisa and Ii Nobunao saluted on their horses, and left the main camp.

I jumped off my horse and climbed to the middle lookout to observe the situation of both sides of the enemy. Xinjing also followed, and asked in a whisper in my ear, "Father, don't you hold a military meeting first?" ”

"No need, the current situation is very good" I pointed to the left and right wings, "Zhou Jing and Hu Yuqian were stationed on both sides before, which is equivalent to choosing positions for the left and right flanks in advance, and the middle is naturally left to the Chinese army, and even this Okadayama main formation is ready-made (where the Kobe Women's College University was located in later generations). This was done after two days of exploration, and in fact they were in a confrontation with the enemy, and it was up to them to see which side would be the first to break through............ Now that the momentum of this side is like a rainbow, the enemy's rear formation is still adjusting, and it is the opportunity to seize the first! ”！ ~！