Japan's Sengoku Period: The Sanada Clan's Ambition

Chapter 134 Hideyoshi's Misdeeds, Mino Undergoes a Change of Power
After leaving Rakuten Castle, Sanada Nobuyuki returned to the Sanada family's camp with a heavy heart.

Sanada Nobushige immediately found Sanada Nobuyuki.

"Brother, how was it? What were the topics of today's military meeting?"

"When will we set out to fight the Tokugawa?"

Looking at the expectant Sanada Nobushige, Sanada Nobuyuki shook his head helplessly, "A final battle?"

"It seems unlikely that this war will break out."

"Huh?" Sanada Nobushige looked surprised.

After sitting down, Sanada Nobuyuki took a sip of water. "Lord Hashiba has ordered our main family to go to Ena County to help the Mori family quell the Toyama uprising."

"Aren't we going to stay here and fight?" Sanada Nobushige asked, looking disappointed.

He came here to fight a major battle. He hadn't had a chance to fight since he was a long-time fighter. He thought he could show his skills in Komakiyama, but he was told that he had to go to Ena County.

Sanada Nobushige was immediately deflated.

"Genjiro, I'm entrusting you with an important task!"

"What mission?" Sanada Nobushige sat down with little interest.

"Escort Musashi no Kami's body back to Kaneyama Castle for burial, and send Musashi no Kami's widow and children back to Shinano."

Sanada Nobushige said with a disappointed look, "I want to stay here. This is a battlefield with 100,000 people. A samurai rarely sees such a great battle in his lifetime."

"Are you saying I won't listen to you anymore?" Sanada Nobuyuki said, feigning anger.

Sanada Nobushige shrank back and quickly said he dared not.

"With the defeat at Nagakute, the Hashiba army has lost the initiative."

"With this great victory, the morale of the Tokugawa-Oda alliance is high, and they will not leave Komakiyama Castle. There will be no fighting here."

"It won't be long before Lord Hashiba withdraws his troops," Sanada Nobuyuki patiently explained to Sanada Nobushige.

In fact, this is indeed the case.

At this point, Hideyoshi Hashiba was no longer interested in continuing to waste time in Owari against Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobuo.

In particular, the defeat at Nagakute resulted in a significant loss of combat strength and morale for the Hashiba army.

Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobuo made it clear that they intended to hold the Owari line to the death. Hideyoshi Hashiba had witnessed the defenses of Komakiyama Castle during the siege a couple of days ago; it was simply impossible to take it.

If Toyotomi Hideyoshi continues to waste time in Owari against Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobukatsu, then all the other battlefields will be in a passive position.

Owari, Komakiyama Castle.

In contrast to the somber atmosphere inside Rakuten Castle, the Tokugawa and Oda allied forces at Komakiyama Castle were in a frenzy of celebration.

At this moment, a "head inspection" is underway at Komakiyama's main camp.

One by one, the heads of the Hashiba Army samurai were delivered to the main camp, and Yubi, who was standing next to Oda Nobuo, was so busy writing thank-you notes that his hand was sore.

As Oda Nobuo watched the samurai file in, each carrying a severed head, his face beamed with joy, his mouth agape.

On the contrary, Tokugawa Ieyasu remained calm and even glanced at Oda Nobuo with surprise.

"As the head of the Oda clan, these fallen samurai were also retainers of the Oda clan. How can you be happy about this?" Tokugawa Ieyasu felt somewhat helpless.

But Oda Nobuo still clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Musashi-no-kami and Kii-no-kami are fierce generals, and they have both been killed. This battle is truly fruitful."

"I wonder which samurai defeated Kii no Kami?"

As soon as Oda Nobuo finished speaking, a Tokugawa samurai stepped forward.

"My name is Nagai Denhachiro Naokatsu." After introducing himself, Nagai Naokatsu handed over the wooden bucket containing the head of Ikeda Tsuneoki.

"At the Battle of Nagakute, Ikeda Kii-no-kami led his troops into the battlefield and encountered me."

"After a fierce battle, I was fortunate enough to win. This is the head of Kii no Mori. Please take a look, Lord Oda."

Oda Nobuo excitedly untied the ropes, lifted the white cloth covering the container, and then opened the lid of the wooden bucket.

Tsuneoki Ikeda's head lay there quietly.

"Lord Oda, I believe a memorial ceremony should be held for these fallen Oda clan samurai." Tokugawa Ieyasu could no longer stand by and watch.

Oda Nobuo put the lid back on, then said with a smile, "I'll do as Mikawa-no-kami says."

"The merit of Mikawa no Kami in this battle is immense. After defeating Hideyoshi, I am willing to share the Kinai region with Mikawa no Kami." Oda Nobuo made a promise, as if defeating Hashiba Hideyoshi was already a foregone conclusion.

Tokugawa Ieyasu's face remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "My Tokugawa family is an ally of the Oda family; this is merely our duty. My only wish is to help Lord Oda regain control of our clan."

“Mikawa Morimasa is a truly loyal man,” Oda Nobuo couldn’t help but exclaim. “All of my father’s generals have joined the monkeys’ side. Fortunately, Mikawa Morimasa remembered our long-standing alliance and was willing to lend a helping hand.”

"Our family is extremely grateful."

"Ha!" Tokugawa Ieyasu nodded slightly.

He had no idea what Oda Nobuo was so excited about; it was just that they had won a battle and the enemy had lost two generals.

Hideyoshi Hashiba was a powerful figure, with an army of 60,000 to 70,000 men in Owari alone.

Although the Nagakute army won, the Tokugawa-Oda alliance was unable to continue its advance and was forced to adopt a defensive posture.

Not to mention that Toyotomi Hideyoshi held the advantage in Ise, and the outcome of the war was still uncertain. Oda Nobukatsu had already begun to envision the territorial arrangements for the victory.

You're really overthinking it.

"Mikawa no Kami, should our army go to the rescue of Ise next?" After his initial excitement subsided, Oda Nobuo gradually calmed down and began to worry about the situation in Ise.

Tokugawa Ieyasu shook his head slightly. "Dividing our forces at this time would be tantamount to courting death. Although Matsushima Castle has been lost, Ise is still in our hands."

"If we divide our forces, it will only give Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami an opportunity."

"As long as we can hold off the enemy's main force in Owari, Lord Sasa from Izumi, Shikoku, Mino and even Etsukuni and the Hojo clan from Kanto will join the battle."

“Hideyoshi’s rear is unstable; he won’t hold out against us here.”

"Once he withdraws his troops, we can directly attack Minong."

Listening to Tokugawa Ieyasu's analysis, Oda Nobuo kept thinking, but after a long time he couldn't come up with anything, so he simply said, "I'll do whatever Mikawa no Kami says."

Tokugawa Ieyasu:
I'm just reinforcements; you are the head of the Oda clan and the commander-in-chief of this anti-Hideyoshi encirclement.

Tokugawa Ieyasu is a mess. How could the son of his elder brother Oda Nobunaga be like this?
But Tokugawa Ieyasu had no choice; if he didn't want to be subordinate to Hashiba Hideyoshi, he had to guarantee Oda Nobukatsu's position.

Or rather, he had to ensure that the Oda clan continued to exist and that it could not be completely controlled by Hideyoshi Hashiba.

From the beginning of the Oda-Tokugawa Alliance, the Tokugawa clan fought as an ally of the Oda clan.

Although there was a significant difference in strength between the two sides, the Tokugawa family remained in a relatively "equal" position. They were genuine allies, not vassals or subordinates.

After Oda Nobunaga destroyed the Takeda clan, he did have the idea of ​​making Tokugawa Ieyasu a "corps commander," but before he could implement it, he was killed by the barbecue chef Akechi Mitsuhide.

While Oda Nobunaga's death allowed the Tokugawa clan to maintain its status as an independent daimyo, it also brought them a rather awkward position.

That was when the power structure within the Oda Group was reshuffled, and the Tokugawa family was no longer able to sit at the table or enter the power hierarchy.

Back when Oda Nobunaga was in power, the Tokugawa clan was at least a "subsidiary of a conglomerate." Although they were just working for Oda Nobunaga, people like Hashiba Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuie were too.

The current situation is that the leadership of the Oda Group has changed, and Hideyoshi Hashiba has entered the board of directors and is even vying for the chairmanship.

Tokugawa Ieyasu had his own ideas, but he was not qualified to compete for them and could only support Oda Nobukatsu.

By helping Oda Nobuo retain his status as "Chairman," the Tokugawa family could gain access to the "Board of Directors" of the Oda Group, thereby securing a voice and a favorable environment for survival.

In other words, he had to ensure the continued existence of the Tokugawa alliance, which was the foundation of the Tokugawa family's existence.

"Have Hanzo send more men to scout the movements of the Hashiba army. Report back immediately if they find any signs that Hashiba Hideyoshi is withdrawing his troops." Tokugawa Ieyasu didn't believe that Hashiba Hideyoshi could really hold on.

The 13th day of the fourth month of the 12th year of the Tianzheng era.

After resting for a few days at Rakuda Castle, Sanada Nobuyuki began to withdraw from the Komakiyama battlefield and head to Mino. At the same time, Yamagami Michiki, Kana Saizo, and others led foot soldiers to Iwamura Castle in Mino.

At this point, the situation in Higashimino was already very dire.

After Mori Nagayoshi withdrew from Shinano to Mino, he began to conquer eastern Mino. Many places were newly controlled, and the Mori family's control over these territories was very weak.

In the Battle of Nagakute, in addition to Mori Nagayoshi's death, a large number of Mori family retainers also died in battle. These people were the foundation for the family's rule over the region.

So when the news of Nagakute's defeat and Mori Nagayoshi's death reached back, the eastern Mino region, including Ena, Kana, and Toki districts, was in an uproar.

Many samurai who had previously been forced to submit to Mori Nagayoshi joined the Toyama clan, and the Tokugawa clan also sent the Suganuma clan, a powerful family in Mikawa, to provide support to the Toyama clan.

Many castles, including Naegi Castle and Meichi Castle, were captured by the Toyama clan, leaving only Iwamura Castle standing strong thanks to the support of Kagami Motonari and the Sanada clan's reinforcements.

The officials hurriedly requested reinforcements from Jinshan City, but Jinshan City had no soldiers to send. They could only urgently mobilize 200 miscellaneous soldiers and have their elder, Lin Weizhong, lead them to garrison Qimu City.

Tsumagi Castle was originally the residence of the Tsumagi clan, and Akechi Mitsuhide's wife was from the Tsumagi clan.

After Akechi Mitsuhide's defeat and death, the Tsumagi clan was also implicated. However, since Tsumagi Sadatoku, the lord of Tsumagi Castle at the time, did not participate in the war, he was only ordered to go into seclusion and hand over the headship of the clan to his son, Tsumagi Yoritada.

Tsumaki Castle is located in Toki District, a very important location. If Tsumaki Castle is captured, the Toyama Ikki can directly advance into the heart of Mino.

Sanada Nobuyuki arrived at Kanayama Castle on April 15th.

At this time, the entire Mori family was in a state of panic, and many retainers were very pessimistic about the situation within their domain.

The arrival of Nobuyuki Sanada was a great boost to the Mori family, and the new head of the family, Tadamasa Mori, personally received Nobuyuki Sanada.

"I wonder if Musashi no Kami has been buried yet?" Upon meeting, Sanada Nobuyuki first inquired about Mori Nagayoshi's funeral.

With a sorrowful expression, Mori Tadamasa said, "My brother has been buried, and his grave is located at Kasei-ji Temple outside the city."

“After my father died fighting at Usayama Castle in Omi Province, my elder brother built this temple as a Bodhi Temple for him. I will also bury my elder brother here.”

Nobuyuki Sanada nodded. "Please allow me to proceed to the memorial service."

"Lord Sanada Hyogo, please feel free to go ahead." Mori Tadamasa immediately arranged for someone to lead the way.

Kesei-ji Temple is located not far from Kinsan Castle. The temple is not large in scale and belongs to the Myoshin-ji school of the Rinzai sect, which is prevalent in Mino.

At that time, Kaikawa Shōki of the Toki clan of Mino was a high-ranking monk of the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai sect. He was also invited by Takeda Shingen to Kai to serve as the abbot of the Takeda family's Bodhi-ji, Eirin-ji.

After the Takeda clan was destroyed, Kaikawa Shōki refused to hand over the Takeda clan members because he was protecting them. As a result, the Oda clan burned down Keirin-ji Temple, and Kaikawa Shōki was burned to death in the temple.

Oshu Date Masamune's teacher, Toraya Muneo, was also a disciple of Kaikawa Shokichi.

Upon entering Kasei-ji Temple, Sanada Nobuyuki found Mori Nagayoshi's offering tower without much difficulty.

The offering towers of Mori Nagayoshi and his son Mori Yoshinari stand side by side, while the brothers Sanada Nobuyuki and Sanada Nobushige stand side by side.

No matter how brave you were in life, you'll be nothing more than a pile of dust after you die.

"Brother, did Musashi-no-Kami really give me his beloved horse, Hyakudan-kuro?"

Nobuyuki Sanada patted his younger brother on the shoulder, "Do you know why that horse is called Hyakudan?"

Nobushige Sanada shook his head.

"Because there are a hundred steps leading up to Jinshan City from the foot of the mountain, riding a hundred-step horse can take you straight up to the top. This is a famous horse of Kai, and it is a rare find."

"Giving you this horse will be like adding wings to a tiger."

"Then why didn't you give me the Boneless Human Sword?"

Nobuyuki Sanada kicked Nobushige Sanada in the shin and said irritably, "I've given you everything, what am I supposed to use?"

"I bought your cross-shaped gun for 20 kan, it's enough for you."

Sanada Nobushige quickly backed down and dared not mention the matter of bonesless humans again.

"Lord Sanada, you've arrived."

At that moment, the door to a room inside Kaseiji Temple was pushed open, and Chika Ikeda walked out.

"What brings you here, Madam?"

"Since Senchiyo has become the lord of the castle, I naturally have to move out." Ikeda Chi said this seemingly calmly, but only she knew the disappointment in her heart.

Sanada Nobuyuki remained silent, but Sanada Nobushige, who was standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer.

"Musashi-no-kami has only just left, and that Senchiyo-sama is already so ungrateful?"

"When Musashi was mentioned earlier, he seemed so heartbroken. Was he just faking it?"

Nobuyuki Sanada quickly told Nobushige Sanada to shut up, and Chihiro Ikeda's body began to tremble after hearing Nobushige Sanada's words.

Just then, a slightly weak child's voice rang out, and a four- or five-year-old boy timidly hid behind the door.

"Mother, who are they?"

Hearing her son's voice, Chiaki Ikeda quickly regained her composure, then forced a smile and turned around, "Come here, come quickly."

"This is Lord Sanada, a close friend of your father."

"From now on, Lord Sanada will take care of us."

After saying that, Ikeda Chi led the boy to Sanada Nobuyuki's side. "Lord Sanada, this is Genban."

Looking at Genban's haggard face, Sanada Nobuyuki tentatively asked, "What happened?"

“Xuanfan has been physically weak since childhood, and he hasn’t eaten for two days. I’m sorry to have troubled you, Lord Sanada.” A hint of unease flashed across Ikeda Chi’s face.

boom!
Sanada Nobushige slapped the pillar next to him, "Such a small child, and you don't even give him food?"

"This is outrageous!" As someone who only takes a job, Sanada Nobushige simply couldn't tolerate this behavior.

"No, I have to go find Mori Tadamasa and demand an explanation!"

"Wait a minute." Ikeda Chika quickly grabbed Sanada Nobushige, then explained, "They did send food from the castle, but..."

“But you don’t dare to eat it, right?” Sanada Nobuyuki said the second half of the sentence for Ikeda Chi.

Ikeda Qian was silent.

Sanada Nobuyuki looked at Sanada Nobushige, "Genjiro, did you bring any food?"

“Of course!” Sanada Nobushige pulled out a bunch of things as if by magic. How could a person who only eats rice not bring food? “Here, rice balls that I just made this morning. They have pickled plums in them. They’re so fragrant.”

Xuan Fan's eyes revealed a look of longing, and then he looked up at Ikeda Chi.

Chiaki Ikeda quickly squatted down and patted her son's head. "Lord Sanada wouldn't harm us, please eat."

"Ok!"

With Ikeda Sen's permission, Genban took the rice ball from Sanada Nobushige and began to wolf it down.

Seeing the scene before him, Nobuyuki Sanada sighed helplessly.

Hideyoshi, you will have to pay for the sins you commit now.

　Regarding Komaki Nagakute: In fact, on the main battlefield, Tokugawa Ieyasu had always been in the upper hand, while Hashiba Hideyoshi, who had superior forces, was slow to make a breakthrough.

　　In addition, Hideyoshi's rear was unstable, making it impossible for him to confront the Tokugawa-Oda alliance for an extended period of time, leaving him in a passive position for a long time.

　　However, Hideyoshi reversed the decline through other means, which we will leave aside for now.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)