Japan's Warring States Period: The Rise of the Wakasa Tiger

Chapter 23: First Visit to Haishan City

Nobushige's plan was now fully revealed to everyone: incite civil strife within the Asakura clan, take the opportunity to capture Tsuruga County, and use the Kirishige Ridge as the boundary to compete with the Asakura clan.

"If this plan succeeds, it will be a great achievement that no previous head of the Takeda clan has ever created." Kumagai Takashige felt a little excited as he thought about it. After all, Mikata County where the Kumagai clan was located was adjacent to Tsuruga County, and they were always the first to bear the brunt of the battles with the Asakura clan. If they could capture Tsuruga County, the situation in Mikata County would be greatly improved.

"But if we fail, none of us can go back." Muto Mitsuyu was somewhat pessimistic. In his opinion, this plan was too risky. It would be safer to follow Yunfeng Longxing's advice and besiege Kuniyoshi Castle with the Asakura army.

"Kanzuke, what do you think?" Nobushige once again asked for Yamamoto Kansuke's opinion.

"My Lord, do you want to hear the truth?"

"Of course, now that we are here, just say whatever you want to say."

"This plan is indeed dangerous," Yamamoto Kansuke rubbed his unshaven chin with a serious expression, "but the benefits are indeed huge. As long as the lord can ensure that the Ōno County Magistrate is indeed rebellious, I think it is worth a try."

"Kanzhu you! Alas..." Muto Mitsuyu sighed, but was helpless. He thought: In this case, I can only sacrifice my life to accompany the gentleman.

"Kanzuke, you are really interesting." Muto Mitsuyu suddenly said.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Yamamoto Kansuke looked at him with a smile.

"You have only been a retainer of the Takeda clan for half a day, but you want to risk your life for it? You are really not an ordinary person."

"Who said we would lose our lives?" Yamamoto Kansuke asked with a smile, "I still say the same thing. As long as the lord confirms the news is true, neither you nor I will be in danger of losing our lives. Kansuke, I am blind in one eye, but I know very well in my heart that our lord is extraordinary."

"I am somewhat flattered to receive such an evaluation from Kansuke." Nobushige smiled and said, "Okay, everyone, have a good rest. Tomorrow morning, follow me into the city to meet that Ono Gunshi!"

The next morning, just after daybreak, Nobushige and his four companions left Hatago (a place for ordinary travelers to stay and provide meals), changed into straight clothes, and under the guidance of Muto Mitsuyuki, came to the hand-shaking gate of Haishan Castle.

The leader of the foot soldiers guarding the city was surprised and happy to see Muto Mitsuyuki, and asked him where he had been all these days. Asakura Kagetaka was almost going crazy because he couldn't find him.

Muto Mitsuyu lied that he had accidentally broken his leg while hunting, but was saved by a kind-hearted person. Now that his injury has almost healed, he returned to the city to apologize to Asakura Kagetaka.

"Who are the three people next to you?" The foot soldiers asked with curiosity and a hint of vigilance.

"Oh, it was these three who saved me. Now, they wanted to see if they could get a job in the city. I couldn't refuse, after all, they are my saviors." Muto Mitsuyu replied with a smile.

"Please wait a moment, I will go and report it. It's just dawn, and I don't know if the lord is awake." The foot soldier leader took the four people to a nearby bansho (similar to a message room) to rest for a while, and then went to the Honmaru to report.

"What a magnificent city." Facing the morning glow, the four of them looked up at the castle tower standing on the stone wall not far away.

"The third level, third order is not much inferior to the third level, fifth order of Ichijodani Castle." Yamamoto Kansuke squinted his eyes and sighed.

"This Haishan Castle has been the residence of successive Ono County deputies and county magistrates since the Northern and Southern Dynasties. However, this castle tower was the product of Asakura Kagetaka mobilizing the entire Ono County. I heard that he was scolded by Asakura Danjo for this matter." said Muto Mitsuyu.

"Seeing this castle tower has made me more resolute." Nobushige sneered, "Do you think he would be willing to be an Ono County Magistrate if he could build a castle tower like this?"

"Except for Sakai County, Ono County ranks second among the Echizen counties with a land area of ​​94,000 koku. If Jirozaemon really wants to rebel, it's not impossible." Yamamoto Kansuke muttered in a low voice.

"Ninety-four thousand koku?! The three counties of Wakasa only have eighty-five thousand koku. Echizen is really rich!" Kumagai Takanao couldn't help but sigh.

As he was speaking, the foot soldier leader returned to the camp and said to Muto Mitsuyoshi and others, "The lord has ordered you to take these three to wait in Hiroma first. He will come quickly."

Then, led by a team of foot soldiers, the four men passed through San-no-maru and Ninomaru, passed through the magnificent Goryeo Gate (a type of city gate) and entered the Honmaru. In the palace next to the castle tower, they waited quietly for an audience with Asakura Kagetaka.

The palace of Inoyama Castle is a typical samurai "Shoin-zukuri" structure. The "Jima no Ma" where Nobushige and the other four were located, was the room where the lord of the castle received his retainers. The main body of the room was made of cypress wood and looked simple, but the metal components between the beams, the gold powder on the screens, and the tiger murals all showed the majesty and ambition of the lord of the castle.

After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, Asakura Kagetaka, dressed in a light blue robe and a folded black hat on his head, slowly walked out from behind the screen accompanied by his attendants.

The five-foot-tall Oono Gunji, with a knife wound at the corner of his eye, had sharp eyes and a hint of murderous intent between his brows. After looking around quietly, he sat down in front of the screen.

"A military commander who has been on many battles has a different temperament indeed." Yamamoto Kansuke said.

When he was in Ichijodani Castle, he had seen Asakura Takakage returning from a trip in the castle town. With his fair skin and broad body, he looked like a nobleman from Kyoto instead of a daimyo from the Warring States Period. But the Asakura Kagetaka in front of him was lean and dark-skinned, more like a traditional samurai.

"Shinjiurang, I heard that you were injured?" Asakura Kagetaka asked in a calm tone.

Muto Mitsuyu bowed and said, "That's right. That's why I have been missing for a few days. Please forgive me, my lord." "Where were you injured?" Asakura Kagetaka's tone was still calm.

"Near Mount Arashima." Muto Mitsuyu said with forced calmness.

"If I remember correctly, Mount Huangdao is southeast of Haishan City."

"Exactly."

"Then why did our family's scouts see you near Nogo Hakusan a few days ago?!"

"This..." Muto Mitsuyu was choked for a moment, lowered his head, and beads of sweat the size of beans began to slide from his forehead unconsciously.

"Shinjiurang, do you really think I'm a fool? I've been running Ono County for more than ten years. Whatever you do and whatever you want to do is under my control." Asakura Kagetaka's face suddenly changed: "I think I've treated you well, but you've disappointed me so much!"

After saying that, Asakura Keigao raised his hand and waved, and the shoji doors on both sides of the room opened instantly. More than a dozen samurai holding katana filed in and directly surrounded Nobushige and the other four.

"My lord, please listen to my explanation!" Muto Mitsuyu suddenly stood up and tried to approach Asakura Kagetaka, but was stopped by his attendants on both sides.

"Lord? Haha, who is your lord?" Asakura Kagetaka didn't want to hear him say even one more word. He would never show mercy to those who betrayed him, and then ordered his men to take the four men away.

"Your Highness Jinggao, I think you should listen to Shinjiurō's explanation." At this moment, Nobushige stretched out his hand to stop the samurai who was about to step forward to arrest him.

"Asshole, who the hell are you to call my lord by his name!" said the attendant beside Asakura Kagetaka as he drew out his katana and slashed at Nobushige.

"Don't be rash, little boy!" It happened in an instant. At the moment when the blade was about to fall, Yamamoto Kansuke suddenly stood up, stepped forward quickly, raised his hand as a blade, and hit the attendant's wrist with lightning speed. With a cry of "Ah", the katana fell to the ground. The attendant staggered back a few steps and finally fell to the ground.

"Damn it!" Seeing this, another attendant became furious and prepared to attack Xinzhong again.

"Wait." At this time, Asakura Kagetaka spoke up: "Isn't it embarrassing enough? You're operating on a person with leg and eye problems. What's the use of that even if you win?"

"Your Highness, if he had a knife, it would not be as simple as just falling down." Yamamoto Kansuke said without showing any weakness.

"It can be seen that you do have some skills, but with just a few of you, I'm afraid you can't get out of this room even with knives, right?"

"Your Highness, since I dare to come, I am already prepared." Nobushige waved his hand, and Yamamoto Kansuke immediately returned to his seat.

Asakura Kagetaka looked up and down at the young man in front of him. He always felt that he was calm and steady, more mature than his peers, and the temperament he exuded was completely unlike that of an ordinary samurai.

"Who are you?" Asakura Kagetaka asked, his tone returning to its previous calmness.

"Before I introduce myself, Your Highness, could you please ask the others to leave? It doesn't seem like we can have a good conversation in this situation."

"You guys go down." Asakura Kagetaka hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand to let the samurai in the hall leave. Although the samurai had doubts, seeing his firm attitude, they had to leave the room tactfully.

"What about these two?" Nobushige pointed at the two attendants behind Asakura Kagetaka.

"These two people have followed me for many years and can be completely trusted. Please rest assured." Asakura Kagetaka said.

"In that case, I will get straight to the point." Xin Zhong said calmly: "Just now, Your Highness asked Xin Jiulang who his master was. The humble one is me."

When Asakura Kagetaka heard this, he was stunned for a moment. This young man in front of him could actually make Muto Mitsuyu betray him.

"Your Highness, which city are you the lord of? Or which family are you the elder of?" At this moment, Asakura Kagetaka's way of addressing Nobushige also changed. Although he knew that Muto Mitsuyu left Ono County without telling him, he did not know where he ended up.

"Lord of the Castle? Elder of the family?" Nobushige showed a sly smile on his face, "Your Highness, it's okay if you understand me that way. I am the Lord of Gozeyama Castle and the Deputy Governor of Obama."

"The lord of Gozeyama Castle? Then Gozeyama Castle is not..." Gozeyama Castle is the main castle of the Wakasa Takeda clan. As for Obamaminato (seaport), after Awaya Mototaka's death, it was directly governed by Nobushige.

"You are the head of the Wakasa Takeda clan?!" Asakura Kagetaka, who had been quite calm just now, suddenly widened his eyes and opened his mouth and said, "Takeda Nobushige!"

"It is me." Xin smiled again and said, "Your Highness now addresses me by my first name. We are now even now."

First of all, I would like to apologize to everyone. I have always regarded Ono Castle as the residence of Ono Gunshi. Later I checked and found that Ono Castle had not been built at that time. It should be Haishan Castle (also called Tsuchihashi Castle). I would like to correct it here. I am sorry.

Today, I would like to thank Madam Yanku for the generous reward, and thank Zhongtian Dushu, Background Board, We Are Not Playing a Game, Inevitable Separation Pain, and Bofeng Gan for their monthly tickets; thank Qingdi 321, Prajna Miaoxin, Da Jun Ge and other friends for their recommendation votes; thank Chu Guo Wuan Jun, Dayiyi, Shifang Bingzhu and other friends for their wonderful comments!
Tuesday passed in a flash. Regardless of whether we can advance to the third round, thank you all for your support and encouragement!
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(End of this chapter)