As Zhou Pu marched smoothly all the way, the good news came one by one, and just after he sent back these wealthy merchants who asked to see him, good news also came from Kyushu - after learning of his request, after a short period of consideration, Zhao Song agreed to transfer the siege artillery in the general to Zhou Pu, so that they could use these heavy weapons to break through the fortress cities along the way. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

By this time, the senator Huang Changguo at his side had already occupied Kojima County, which they planned to occupy when they returned home, and then seized the port in the county, so that the Han navy could transport the cannons to the island of Honshu to meet their needs.

Because these cannons are more or less militaristic weapons and are very important to the army, Zhou Pu and others decided not to let the Japanese come into contact with these cannons, but let the Han soldiers among their subordinates be responsible for the reception and transportation of the cannons.

The cannons were so large that they had to be dismantled before they could be transported to the ship, then reassembled on the shore and transported in special gun wagons, which were better and slower, and took some time before they could be transported to the front.

There were not many Han soldiers in his hands, and even fewer after being divided into a group, Zhou Pu knew that the army in his hands seemed to be huge, but in fact, there were not many elite forces that could be relied on, and now he needed to wait for the artillery to be transported to the front-line army, so he had been standing still during this time, and did not seek to fight with the enemy on the opposite side.

What's more, he also knew that the source and composition of his army were very complex, it was difficult to work together, and he needed strict restraint before he could enter the war, and now was definitely not the time to seek a decisive battle with the enemy.

They did not use this fighter to attack first, but only carried out small-scale attacks, and at the same time seized the time to strengthen the castle defenses and do their best to increase the defense of Himeji Castle.

However, during this period of calm, the region began to fall into chaos. The Shogunate had landed on the island of Honshu, and the Shogunate had been unable to expel them for a long time, but had been defeated one after another—no matter how much the Shogunate explained this, it was a testament to the fact that the Shogunate was no longer able to defeat the Maharaja in the eyes of the people who bore the brunt of the attack.

For historical reasons, the residents did not have much affection for the shogunate, but the precarious situation of the shogunate and the forcible abduction and relocation of civilians further contributed to their antipathy towards the shogunate. According to the shogun's orders, the shogunate army moved a large number of people and materials in, and the officers and soldiers of the shogunate secretly took the opportunity to make a windfall and loot everywhere, and even worse, caused complaints from all over the country.

At this time, the imperial court began to raise its banner in, which made the hearts of the people in these regions even more floating, and in any case, the imperial court was the orthodoxy of the country, and the people were psychologically more willing to go to the imperial court, at least if the imperial court returned, they would not have to be forcibly moved.

Originally, because they were afraid that the Han would burn and loot everywhere, the people in these areas wanted to flee, but these days the Han army marched all the way and did not carry out harsh killings, although there were occasional rumors of looting, but compared to the image promoted by the shogunate army, it was much better.

The fear of the Han gradually subsided, and the imperial court carried out propaganda and endorsements, so the wave of flight of the people gradually stopped, except for some who were forcibly relocated by the shogunate army, most of them were ready to stay in the local area, waiting for the Han army and the imperial court to enter Luo, and even some of the people who were relocated also fled halfway and slipped back.

In such a psychological environment, the wealthy merchants who secretly communicated with Zhou Pu were even more fearless, and after they returned, they quickly fulfilled their promises, and tried their best to raise a large amount of grain and transport it to the seaport controlled by the Han army by sea. At the same time, they also followed Zhou Pu's orders and collected a large amount of information from various regions and told Zhou Pu.

For the sake of the status of the franchised businessmen promised by Zhou Pu, these wealthy businessmen have been mobilized, and they did not hesitate, but rushed to be the first. With their tie-ups, Zhou Pu had a clear understanding of the fact that the people's hearts were fluctuating and the materials were not running smoothly, and even the military deployment and strength of the shogunate were roughly understood.

Relying on the support of these merchants, Zhou Pu's army accumulated a large amount of food, and the originally tight logistics supply began to be eased, and the shogunate's painstaking efforts were also in vain.

At this time, the Japanese court also began to be anxious, and Emperor Masahito sent the right minister Nijo Yasumichi, who had always been good friends with Zhou Pu, to let him come to Zhou Pu to make a strong name and raise the banner, and by the way, secretly urged him to march as soon as possible.

No one wants to return to as soon as possible than these ministers, and since they escaped, they have dreamed of returning to Luojing and ruling the world. After Zhou Pu led the army north, they earnestly hoped that he would be able to march smoothly all the way and enter Jinai as soon as possible. And after Zhou Pu slowed down the pace of his march, they were also more anxious than anyone else, hoping that Zhou Pu could re-enter the army as soon as possible.

Their lack of military common sense was naturally not adopted by Zhou Pu, but because the Japanese imperial court was now of great value to the Han Dynasty, and now it had recruited a military force through the efforts of Hashimoto Minoru, Zhou Pu did not directly refuse their request, but shirked it for various reasons, and resolutely refused to launch an attack before it was ready.

Although Erjo Kangdao was in a hurry, he didn't dare to be rude to Zhou Pu, so he had to be patient and constantly persuade Zhou Pu, and at the same time compliment Zhou Pu in various ways, so as to make him feel the sincerity of the imperial court.

Just when the two of them were thinking about it, as the preparations came to an end, Huang Changguo finally returned to the army with the cannon. After these long-awaited cannons arrived in the army, Zhou Pu put aside all his previous doubts and began to prepare for a general attack on Himeji Castle and even the region with the assistance of Huang Changguo.

At his command, his generals and daimyo began to redeploy their armies, and a large number of troops poured out of the resting camp and pressed down on Himeji Castle, dozens of miles away.

At this time, there was also a commotion in Himeji Castle, as if feeling the tense atmosphere brought by the intensive preparations of the Han army during this time.

The Great Castle Tower, the most central of the city, was the seat of the Kyoto Shoji Itakura Shigemune because of its highest position and the most heavily defended, and because he was here, it became the temporary nerve center of the shogunate army in the entire region.

Since the Han army began to approach the territory of Harima Province, a large number of people have come and gone here every day, passing news and documents around, which has also made the atmosphere here more solemn.

Almost as soon as the entire Han army began to redeploy, the sentries and scouts strolling around had already transmitted the enemy's movements here in great detail, and they no longer had the heart to be lucky.

"Judging from the current situation, the Great Han is about to launch a general attack on us," Itakura Shigemune solemnly looked around at the group of kneeling daimyo and samurai in front of him in the hall of the Great Castle Tower, "Lords, the time to repay the great favor of the shogunate is coming. ”

He spoke very calmly, while others behaved differently, some calm, some excited, and some visibly frightened.

Ever since the Han army came to their front, the pressure brought by this army has always made them nervous, even though they know that they will definitely fight, but when this day really comes, there are still many people who can't help but be afraid.

Among these fearful people was Honda Masato, the lord of the Himeji Domain. He has been pampered since he was a child, and his health is not particularly good, so he has always been very disgusted with killing, and he is even more reluctant to cut himself off in this unjustified disaster.

"Sojidai-sama, there is no problem with the defense of Himeji Castle now, right?" In the silence, he shrank back and asked with some hesitation. "Although the defense of Himeji Castle is very strong, I have heard that the Han Kou artillery fire is sharp, and if we are not careful, I am afraid that we will suffer a big loss."

"According to the information sent from the front, the Han Kou specially brought some cannons from the sea, and the cannons have been transported to their army." A retainer next to him added to the feudal lord, "These cannons must have been specially prepared for the attack on Himeji Castle......"

Although the retainer stopped talking, everyone already understood his subtext - the Han army has been very calm these days, and it is obvious that they are waiting for the support of these cannons, and since these cannons are worth their wait, then the power can be imagined.

The thought of being bombarded by the overwhelming artillery fire made everyone's hearts feel like a heavy boulder, and the atmosphere became even more depressing.

In the midst of this silence, Itakura Shigemune looked at Honda Masatomo quietly.

"I have heard the news that the Han army is calling in artillery, and I have heard it for a long time. So, what do the feudal lords think we should do with them? ”

Because the other party's tone was a little calm, Honda Masatomo was even more uneasy, but the desire to survive emboldened him and raised his head to look at Itakura Shigemune. "My lord, the artillery fire of the Han Kou is sharp, and if we are passively beaten, it will definitely bring heavy losses to our army, not to mention that now that the army is gathered around the small Himeji Castle, there is no room to hide in a roundabout way. So...... Therefore, I feel that we should take the initiative to deal with them, either attack directly, take advantage of the arrogance and arrogance of the Han Kou to attack them, and destroy their artillery; Either...... Either retreat and give our army enough room to make a detour, and then mobilize more reinforcements from the rear, so that we can fight the Han Kou again in! ”

After he finished speaking, he deliberately paused to observe Itakura Shigemune's attitude, but the other party was unmoved, as if he hadn't heard anything.

His idea seems to be advancing and retreating, but in fact, it is all planning for retreat - now that the Han Kou are so arrogant and victorious all the way, how could Itakura Shigemune rashly send a large army out of the city to fight the Han Kou? His real focus was to persuade the other party to let the army retreat, while also providing himself with a chance to escape Himeji.

Seeing that the other party was not angry, Honda Masatomo emboldened himself and continued to speak, "My lord, when I say retreat, I don't mean abandoning Himeji Castle, but I mean letting a small number of people stay here and most of them retreat to win space for our army. Himeji Castle is complete, and even if only a part of the men remains, it is believed that we will be able to delay the Han Kou for a long time, and during this time we will be able to redeploy our defenses in Kinai, and we will be able to get more support from the Kanto region, and we will be more sure of a decisive battle with the Han Kou at that time. ”

"What about you, lord of the domain? If Himeji Castle is lost, what will you do with yourself? Itakura Shigemune suddenly asked coldly, "Do you want to stay in Himeji Castle with a small number of people and live and die with the castle?" ”

Of course, Honda Masato could hear the ridicule in this rhetorical question, but his life was at stake, and he could only hold back the embarrassment in his heart. "My lord, if you adopt the strategy of the next step, you are willing to go to Edo and seek more support for the lord! Our Honke family was the most trusted daimyo of the shogunate, and ...... And my family is quite influential in the shogunate, so if I can say something for my lord, I'm afraid I can even more talk about the shogun! ”

In order to survive, he also disregarded his dignity and begged Itakura Shigemune to let him return to Edo.

However, his words did not move Itakura Shigemune, but instead made his smile even colder.

"Honda Masato, you're right, your Hondai family is one of the closest daimyo of the shogunate, far above our Itakura family......" He sneered as he stood up gently, and then suddenly shouted at Honda Masato, "But the Tokugawa family is so kind to your family and you, why don't you think about reciprocating at such a moment, but only think about running away!" ”

His loud shout made Honda Masato's face even paler, and even his body trembled slightly, while the others were also full of horror, and they didn't dare to come out.

"Himeji Castle is the gateway to Kinai, and as long as you go out of Himeji Castle, it will be a smooth road to Kinai, and there will be no fortress that can compare to Himeji Castle along the way......" Itakura Shigemune glanced at the group of people in front of him and said sharply, "If we have to retreat and hand over Himeji Castle to others because of the Han Kou, then what next?" When we encounter the Han Ko cannons in other castles, do we have to retreat all the way to Kanto, and even give Edo to the Han Ko?! ”

Honda Masato wanted to defend himself, but because Lord Sojidai looked angry, he didn't dare to speak again for a while.

"I know that you are afraid of the Han Kou, and you do not want to fight them, let alone receive their artillery fire here...... But I want to tell you, we must not retreat now, even if there is a cannon in front of us, we must stand up here, let the Hanko see the will of the samurai! Itakura Shigemune continued to cheer them up, "Besides, Himeji Castle is built on a mountain, and there are many high-rise buildings and moats in the city, which can not be easily leveled by just artillery fire, even if the Han Kou artillery fire is fierce, they will still send troops to fight us after all, and at that time, we can fight them house by house and let them shed blood!" ”

Itakura Shigemune knew that the task given to him by the shogunate was to consume the power of the Han Kou here, to make them understand that the shogunate was by no means easy to defeat, and then use this situation to force them to negotiate peace with the shogunate. And he, who had made major mistakes before, no longer had the capital to continue to make mistakes, so he could only make meritorious contributions.

Therefore, although the proposal of the Honda Masato is not unreasonable, he must not take it, and can only lead the army here to fight with the Han Kou, even if it is to exchange his life for his life, he must satisfy the general.

And in order to achieve this, he must show unflinching willpower so that no one can be shaken.

Under everyone's fearful gaze, Itakura Shigemune suddenly pulled out his saber from his waist, and then slashed down on the desk next to him, and the sharp blade slashed the case table cleanly, which also brought a loud bang.

"The shogunate has nurtured us for so many years, and now it's time for us to repay, and we samurai can only repay the kindness of the lord with our lives, and we can't hesitate at all. I think everyone already knows the deeds of Naito, right? He tried his best to resist the Han Kou on the island of Kyushu, and after exhausting himself, he was killed by disembowelment, repaying the kindness of the Shogun! Itakura Shigemune took the knife and looked at the group of subordinates fiercely, and then pointed to the desk that had been cut in two.

"What Naito Gong did is a model for us, if anyone dares to say anything to retreat in the future, if anyone dares to slack off and not fight with Han Ko, then he will end up like this!"

Honda Masato, who had turned pale, did not dare to speak anymore, he fell to the ground tremblingly, and the others were also frightened by Itakura Shigemune, and no longer dared to mention the idea of retreating, but expressed that they would fight to the death with Han Ko to the end, and would never disappoint the great grace of the shogun.

After everyone had been called away to prepare for battle, Itakura Shigemune withdrew the knife into the scabbard at his waist, and his anger disappeared, leaving only a calm.

"Your Excellency is really impassioned, worthy of being a pillar of the shogunate!" The messenger Takagi Kiyoshi sent by Toshikatsu Doi complimented him. "If everyone in the shogunate is like an adult, how can it be today's disaster!"

"How's the conversation with Han Ko?" Itakura Shigemune ignored his compliment and asked directly.

After the failure of the initial contact, during this time, Takagi Kiyoshi made contact with Dahan again, carefully testing the bottom line of the negotiation.

"Han Kou still won't budge." Takagi Kiyoshi shook his head, and also cut off the last trace of Itakura Shigemune's luck. "This battle is inevitable."

Itakura Shigemune sighed and looked heavily into the distance.

Under his gaze, the sky and cumulus clouds in the distance seemed to vaguely appear as a behemoth, and this hideous monster was pressing towards him little by little. (To be continued.) )