Tokugawa Mitsuki and Tokugawa Tsunashige reunited in the camp of the Datong Army.

One commanded the land battle and the other commanded the naval battle. When they met at this time, they were speechless, only their faces were full of sadness and loneliness.

Huang Fei took the letter sent from Kyoto, pretended to look at it for a long time, and handed it out with a smile: "You two, take a look at it too." ”

Tokugawa Mitsuki was of a higher rank and took the letter with both hands. His Chinese character literacy level is so high that he can see ten lines at a glance, and his face changes greatly after two glances.

Han Shouxin's autograph letter is vulgar, and at a glance, he knows that he has not read the book for a few days, but this makes Tokugawa Mitsuki feel even more afraid.

He was afraid that the Chinese generals were all big and coarse and did not understand politics at all, just because Han Shouxin said in the letter: "I have captured Kyoto and captured two Japanese kings. A monk is a king, a female king. The monk king was quite sensible and obedient, and simply killed the Tokugawa family and let the monk king rule Japan and count the ball. ”

"What is written in the letter?" Tokugawa Tsunashige asked in a low voice.

Tokugawa Mitsuki said with a deep face: "See for yourself." ”

Tokugawa Tsunshige took the letter, his expression also solemn. If the Chinese army really supports the emperor, Japan will inevitably start a civil war again, and the daimyo who do not submit to the rule of the Tokugawa family will rely on the tiger power of the Chinese army to take refuge in the emperor's side.

This was not the end of the Edo period, when even the Choshu Domain was loyal to the Shogunate, and the Choshu Domain at this time still remembered hatred.

Huang Fei smiled and said, "You two, take the letter and go into the city." Tell the shogun that if I don't surrender to Kaiseong, I will set foot in Edo, kill all the children and grandchildren of the Tokugawa family, and support the monk king to rule Japan! ”

The two were surprised and delighted, surprised that the emperor was in the hands of the Chinese army, and happy that they were actually released.

Regardless of their image, the two Tokugawa clansmen strode towards the castle walls, and after registering their names, they were immediately welcomed into the castle.

Sakai Tadashi rushed to hear the news, and before he could speak, Tokugawa Mitsuki handed the letter over.

"This ...... How could this be? Damn it! After reading the letter, Sakai Tadashi suddenly felt a little lost.

Although Tokugawa Mitsuki could not fight, he also understood politics, and he said, "This matter should not be publicized, and the daimyo and samurai in the castle should not be made known." ”

The three of them immediately went to meet the shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna, and Sakai Tadashiyo also named his cronies.

Tokugawa Ietsuna was frightened, and he was trembling when he spoke: "No...... It's better to surrender and agree to the conditions proposed by the Tang Army. No matter how much the indemnity is, it can be paid off slowly, and if the Tang Army supports the emperor, everything I have been waiting for will be over. ”

Inaba Masanori asked, "How is the combat strength of the Tang Army?" ”

Tokugawa Mitsuki replied truthfully: "I came to the aid with tens of thousands of Kwantung troops, and in the afternoon I met the scouts of the Tang army. The Tang army returned to Edo in the middle of the afternoon to report the news, marched more than 30 miles at night, and raided the camp and caused the whole army to be scattered. Half an afternoon, one evening, seventy miles back and forth, can our flag be able to do it? ”

The crowd shook their heads.

Sakai Tadashi is still unwilling to give up, once he surrenders, the shogunate will definitely be able to survive, but he, the elder, will become a scapegoat. He had too many political enemies in the past, and he would inevitably attack them en masse, and it would be light to commit suicide, and maybe his family fiefdom would be reduced.

"Edo Castle is strong, as long as we work together, the Tang army will definitely not be able to defeat it." Sakai Tadashi said.

Several old middle schools who were attached to Sakai Tadashi's position were also afraid of being besieged by political enemies. But they are divided into two factions, and the daimyo of the genealogy have a bottom in their hearts, they belong to the basic plate of the Tokugawa family, and even if they are held accountable, they will definitely be punished lightly. Instead of the daimyo of the spectrum, he wanted to follow Sakai Tadashi to the black.

Tokugawa Ietsuna was already too scared, he was a shogun, he just wanted to enjoy it in peace, and it didn't matter how much the indemnity was. Seeing that Sakai Tadashi was going to defend the city, he hurriedly said: "Surrender quickly, I order surrender!" ”

Sakai Tadashi is already crazy, and he will definitely die if he surrenders anyway, not a fight.

If he can keep Edo, his great disrespect at this time can be treated as if it never happened, and he can gain unprecedented prestige. Sakai Tadashi shouted, "The general is tired, please go in and rest." ”

Sakai Tadashi's confidants, who were present, instantly understood, and stepped forward to surround Tokugawa Ietsuna.

The daimyo were stunned, although they were also daimyos, their ancestors were retainers of the Tokugawa family. At the same time, they are attached to Sakai Tadashi, how should they choose now?

Inaba Masanori still chose to be loyal to the shogunate, he pushed an old middle school away, and scolded: "Don't disturb the shogun!" ”

"Someone's coming!"

Sakai Tadashi shouted an order, and suddenly rushed in more than a dozen flag warriors.

Tokugawa Ietsuna, Tokugawa Mitsuku, and Tokugawa Tsunadashige, as well as the daimyo of the spectrum, were all stunned by this battle.

Tokugawa Mitsuki angrily rebuked: "Do you want to rebel? ”

Sakai Tadakiyo said: "I am protecting the foundation of the shogunate, the fortified city is still there, and the army is still there, how can I surrender lightly?" ”

This group of people are all under house arrest.

Since Inaba Masanori was also imprisoned, Sakai Tadashi was re-appointed as a general. It was claimed that the shogun's illness had worsened, and the daimyo who had been placed under house arrest was guarding his sickbed, and at the same time he gave money to the three armies, clamoring for an oath to live and die with Edo Castle.

At first, the daimyo believed it.

But after two or three days, everyone gradually came back to their senses, and one after another, they asked to meet and serve Tokugawa Tsunashige on the pretext of visiting the sick.

Sakai Tadakiyo said, "The shogun is seriously ill, so he should not be disturbed, and he only needs to defend the castle with a good life." ”

The more this happened, the more suspicious the daimyo became, and even speculated that the shogun had been killed.

"Boom, boom!"

The inside of the city was grinding, but outside the city couldn't wait, Huang Fei had already ordered a general attack.

Several loud noises were heard, and the outermost walls of Edo Castle were directly blown down by the explosives in the tunnel.

Dozens of artillery pieces and twelve hot air balloons bombarded the city walls in the southeast. The walls to the southeast are very high and belong to the third wall, which can be used to attack the incoming army from a high position.

Countless shells and 10,000 enemies fell on the southeastern city wall, and the fierce and sudden fire beat the defenders there into a panic.

The Datong sergeant took the opportunity to push the improvised cart and rushed to the gap in the outer city wall.

Rushing into the outer city, it was immediately covered with a rain of arrows.

It was the defenders on the west side of the third wall hidden in the city shooting, but fortunately the Japanese craftsmen made the chariots, otherwise the Datong army would have suffered heavy losses.

The defenders were too close to each other to use muskets and bows and arrows, and could not use artillery to bombard the Datong army. With the defensive power of the chariot, muskets and bows and arrows were effectively blocked, and the Datong army that entered the city quickly gained a foothold.

Some Datong sergeants, under the cover of friendly troops, climbed the outer city wall from the ramp inside the city.

Then on the outer wall, fire at the defenders' muskets on the third wall opposite. The shogunate army did not have a large number of muskets, and the Daido soldiers had a musket in their hands, and they quickly formed a fire suppression.

The hot air balloon floating outside was quickly taken away.

Taking advantage of the suppression of the defenders' firepower, the hot air balloon was dropped into the air on the outer city walls. Unfortunately, the wind direction is a little wrong, the defenders of the third city wall are in the east, and the southeast wind is blowing at this time, so it can only rise at the blocked passage of the inner and outer city walls.

And it can't rise too high, otherwise it's farther from the target.

"Hit it!"

A shogunate officer, pointing to a hot air balloon in the sky above, said.

Countless arrows and muskets, shot at hot air balloons. Bows and arrows certainly won't shoot, but muskets can, and the hot air balloon has been punched several holes.

The balloons were full of grenadiers, tall and large, carrying 10,000 enemies and throwing them to the east.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Tens of thousands of enemies were thrown, half on the city walls, half on the walls, and half outside the walls.

One of the grenadiers was hit by a musket and pushed the 10,000 enemies out of the way before he fell, avoiding exploding in the rattan basket of the hot air balloon.

More and more Datong soldiers and soldiers pushed carts and ladders into the city.

The artillery also came in, using the Japanese artillery on the outer wall, turning the muzzle and bombarding the defenders.

"Boom, boom!"

Not only were the gunners of the Datong Army firing, but the Japanese gunners in the inner city were also reacting. It was the commanding height of the whole city, and the artillery fired at the outer city wall occupied by the Datong army.

It's too difficult, a standard fortress-type castle has four walls, and you have to pay a price if you don't break through one of them.

Huang Fei besieged the city for more than a month, and only launched it after making sufficient preparations, but at this time there were still "huge casualties", and the Datong army had already suffered more than 40 casualties.

The shogunate defenders of the third wall were attacked by muskets, artillery, and 10,000 enemies, and there was already a gap in defense. Hong Lei, the division commander who personally climbed the outer city wall, immediately ordered: "Blow the trumpet and attack the city!" ”

The Datong sergeants, who had already entered the city and were on standby, hid behind the chariot and ladder baffle at this time, and immediately pushed the siege equipment under the wall when they heard the sound of the trumpet. The hot air balloons and artillery also stopped to prevent accidental damage to the besieging allies, and only the soldiers on the outer walls were still covering the fire.

"Go over there and hold on!" The Japanese officer shouted in a hurry.

There were no more defenders left at the city wall that was blown out of the defensive gap, and most of them were not killed, but they couldn't bear the artillery and 10,000 enemies, and took the initiative to withdraw towards the city wall next to it.

Taking advantage of the gap between the shogunate army's return to defense, more than a dozen Datong troops successfully landed in the city. The shogunate army rushed over to defend, and muskets and bows and arrows were fired at the Datong army, and half of the Datong army that ascended first fell in an instant.

It was enough, the muskets of the shogunate army were still being loaded, and the second group of Daido soldiers had already come up and fired at the enemy on both sides with arrows.

"Kill!"

A bullet was fired, and the bayonet was immediately drawn, and the bayonet was placed on the muzzle of the gun as he charged.

Obviously, there were only thirty or forty Datong troops, but the formation of rushing with bayonets seemed to be galloping thousands of horses, and the bannermen on both sides were so frightened that they turned around and fled. They had been besieged for more than a month, suffered repeated setbacks, and their morale had long since hit rock bottom.

After some pursuit, the third city wall was occupied by the Datong army.

Then, there is the second and first walls, each more dangerous than the other.

So far, the Datong army has killed and wounded more than 80 people!

Thanks to the hot air balloon bombing, otherwise the number of casualties would have multiplied.

It was at this time that civil strife broke out in Edo Castle.

Tadaaki Abe led a group of daimyo and banners to rush towards the shogun's Otamoro. They suspected that Tokugawa Ietsuna had been murdered or placed under house arrest, so they had to rush in to see why.

82 Chinese Net