The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Inaba Ittetsu understood: "Lord Shibata, rest assured. We have prepared ample oil and firewood. When the first north wind of winter blows, that will be the time for the fire attack."

"Not only must we burn them," Ujiie Bokuzen added, "we must keep them awake at night. Night raids, feints, and clamor—we can't stop for a moment. We must break their spirits before they starve to death."

Ando Morinari slowly began, "After Hineno and Fuwa enter the castle, the factions within the castle will inevitably split. Perhaps... we can make use of them."

Once a person betrays their former master, they become exceptionally zealous in attacking him.

Changqing offered another suggestion.

"The biggest threat to a besieged city is communication between the inside and outside. But we can give them a chance. Let our spies in the city go and ask for help."

Ikeda Tsuneoki asked in confusion, "Why didn't you intercept them?"

Changqing laughed, "Let them go to Rokkaku, to Takeda, and then return empty-handed. Every time hope is dashed, despair accumulates within the castle. When Saito Tatsuoki discovers that all potential reinforcements have abandoned him, his will will collapse."

Both Rokkaku and Takeda have their own rivals, and Hida and Ise are not much of a threat, so how could anyone possibly come to their aid?

In particular, the Takeda clan is currently engaged in their fifth standoff with the Uesugi clan over Kawanakajima.

There was a moment of silence in the tent. Ando Morinari frowned even more deeply.

Ever since he fought Changqing, he had found this man to be exceptionally terrifying.

Shibata Katsuie wasn't sure about the idea; he had never liked such schemes and tricks. So he looked at Ikeda Tsuneoki beside him.

Ikeda Tsuneoki was the son of Nobunaga's wet nurse and had a close relationship with Nobunaga. He supported Nagayoshi's proposal.

Only then did the Sheng family issue an order not to prevent the envoys from breaking out of the city.

……

On the seventh day of the tenth lunar month, the cold wind was like a knife.

The soldiers guarding the city wall huddled behind the ramparts, their breath quickly dissipating in the wind.

Their clothes were greasy and sticky because they hadn't been washed.

Inside the castle tower, Saito Tatsuoki, despite wearing a thick haori (a type of traditional Japanese haori), still felt the biting cold.

The charcoal brazier was plentiful; it could be easily found in the scorched earth of Sandao City.

"My lord, Oda's army is making a move."

Hiroshi Hineno entered the pavilion. This powerful man from the western Mino clan had only been in the city for a little over a month, yet his cheeks were already noticeably sunken. Behind him followed Mitsuharu Fuwa, both of them looking quite unwell.

Long Xing walked to the window and looked out of the city through the glass window.

He saw the firelight.

Hundreds of Oda soldiers, carrying torches, were approaching the outermost defensive line of Sando Castle.

"They're launching another fire attack!" Long Xing exclaimed in a panic.

Before the words were even finished, the first rocket had already pierced the night sky.

The fire reignited the scorched earth of Sandao City, causing panic.

"Put out the fire! Put out the fire quickly!" came a desperate cry from the city wall.

But the north wind was fierce, fanning the flames. The flames climbed up the defensive fortifications of the third city like living things, and the heat even reached the second city.

"Why aren't we using water? Where's the water in the reservoir?!" Long Xing roared.

Nagai Michitoshi knelt to the side, his voice trembling: "My lord... the water level in the reservoir is less than 20%, it needs to be kept for drinking... Moreover, Sandao Castle is already a ruin, there's no point in putting out the fire..."

Long Xing stared blankly at Sandao City.

A watchtower collapsed amidst the flames, making a piercing cracking sound... It crashed down, scattering sparks everywhere.

"Traitors from Ximinong..." Long Xing gritted his teeth, "Only they know the defenses here best. These traitors!"

Hiroshi Hineno and Mitsuji Fuwa exchanged a glance, both seeing the resentment in each other's eyes.

The fire attack lasted all night.

By daybreak, the outer defenses of Sandao City had completely collapsed.

……

On the watchtower of Oda's main camp.

Shibata Katsuie grinned as he looked at the black smoke in the distance: "Good job! Inaba Ittetsu, that guy, really went all out."

Mori Nagayoshi, standing beside him, laughed and said, "The outer perimeter of the three castles has been destroyed, but the core Ninomaru and Honmaru are still mainly stone walls, so fire attacks will have limited effect."

"Then stay sleepy."

Nagayoshi nodded in agreement and suggested, "Lord Shibata, please divide your forces into six groups and harass them day and night."

The order was conveyed swiftly.

That night, the defenders of Inabayama Castle endured even more horrific torture.

The Oda army took turns approaching the castle walls, beating drums, blowing conch shells, and shouting deafening battle cries.

The defending troops, thinking it was a night attack by the enemy, hurriedly prepared for battle, only to find that the enemy was just bluffing and retreated after a brief provocation.

But just as they breathed a sigh of relief, drums and shouts rang out from the other side.

This was repeated seven times a night.

The second night, eight times.

On the third night, the defenders were exhausted; many could fall asleep standing up. But when the drums sounded again, they still had to struggle to pick up their weapons.

Who knows if Oda's army will actually come this time?

---

The siege has lasted for three months.

Inside Inabayama Castle, food rations were reduced again.

The daily ration for commoners was reduced from a handful of mixed grains to half a handful, which was then mixed with wild vegetables and tree roots and boiled into a thin porridge. Foot soldiers and peasant soldiers received only one-third of the normal ration, which consisted mostly of stale rice and mixed grains. The ration for samurai was reduced to 40%, but at least they could still eat some rice.

The conflict finally erupted.

That morning, outside the granary of Ninomaru, a dozen foot soldiers surrounded the granary magistrate.

"Why are the samurai rations twice as much as ours?!" roared a bearded foot soldier captain. "We defend the castle just as much! We risk our lives just as much!"

The granary official was a middle-aged samurai with a sallow complexion, but he still stood tall: "Samurai are the backbone of the city's defenses, so naturally they should be allocated more. This is the lord's order!"

"What a load of rubbish!" another foot soldier shouted, his eyes red. "I heard that Lord Ryusei gets dried fish and pickled vegetables every day in the castle tower!"

"Insolence!" the magistrate roared. "Any further criticism of our lord will be punished according to military law!"

"Military law?" The foot soldier captain gave a bitter laugh. "We're all going to starve to death anyway, what's the point of fearing military law!"

He suddenly drew his knife: "Brothers! Loot the granary! At least we can die with full bellies!"

"Grab the grain!"

A dozen men rushed forward. The magistrate and several guards drew their swords to stop them, but they were outnumbered. In the chaos, the magistrate was cut down, and the granary door was smashed open.

But when they rushed in, they were all stunned.

In the granary, only a thin layer of grain remained in the grain sacks. An estimate suggested a total quantity of no more than fifty shi (a unit of dry measure), enough to feed the entire city for only five or six days under the current rationing system.

"How come... so few?" the foot soldier captain murmured.

"Because we really ran out of food."

A cold voice came from behind. Hiroki Hine arrived with twenty personal guards and blocked the entrance to the granary. He glanced at the magistrate lying in a pool of blood, then looked at the foot soldiers standing there dumbfounded.

"Put down your weapons, and I will spare your lives," Hineno said.

The foot soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment. Some lowered their swords, but the captain still gripped the hilt, his hand trembling.

"Lord Hineno...we...we're just hungry..."

"I know," Hinano's voice softened a bit, "but looting won't solve the problem. There's only so much food; if you eat one more bite, someone else will have one less. It could be your comrades, or it could be your wife and children."

The captain's knife clattered to the ground. He knelt down, burying his face in his hands and weeping bitterly.

Hiroshi Hine ordered his personal guards to confiscate their weapons and temporarily detain the men. He walked deep into the granary, opened several rice sacks to inspect them, and his expression grew increasingly grim.