Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Once is never enough, so it happens again. However, after several battles, Ryūō found the Oda army to be troublesome, and he actually took initiative. Instead of completely defending Kiyosu Castle, he went out of the castle and built a fortress in the area of ​​Kamijō, which connects to the southwest of Nagashima Ganshō-ji Temple. He also ordered Hibino Shimono-no-kami to lead 500 soldiers to garrison the fortress.

Thus, the situation devolved into a drawn-out battle between the two sides over Shangtiao Fortress, located southwest of Qingxu City.

Upon hearing this news, Shichibei was now completely certain that Ryūshō and Nagashima Ganshōji were connected. Although Nagashima Ganshōji did not send a single soldier to Kiyosu Castle, it continuously supplied Kiyosu with various military supplies under the cover of its believers and the incomplete siege of the castle.

You say it was sent by my Yuanzheng Temple? Then I'll say it was sent by the local people of Qingxu who are inclined towards Longxing.

The common people are just ordinary people; apart from believing in Jodo Shinshu, they have absolutely nothing to do with Ganshoji Temple. Unless you have the ability to make that cannon or that spear open and shout, "I believe in Jodo Shinshu!"

Ryūshō is also fighting very resolutely. The Oda clan is now beset on all sides. If Nobunaga makes another mistake, it will be doomed.

Then, news of Nobunaga's defeat of the Asakura clan at Anegawa and his expulsion of Hori Hidemura back to Kamajima Castle, followed by his indiscriminate arrests in Sakata District and the burning of Kamajima Castle, reached Gifu Castle and Kiyosu Castle.

The situation has been barely stabilized!

"My lord has won a great victory! He has killed the fierce general of the Asakura clan, Masatara Tarozaemon!" The messenger rushed into the town below Gifu Castle like a whirlwind, loudly reporting the news of the victory.

Those who remained in Gifu, including Nobunaga's family, breathed a huge sigh of relief. With the crisis at Azai Nagamasa and Odani Castle temporarily resolved, the mess in Kobe could be left for Azai Nagamasa to handle at his own pace, and Nobunaga could finally spare some of his energy to deal with other matters.

"Looks like there's still a chance to go public..." Shichibei muttered to himself.

Oda Myojin, sitting next to Shichibei, was so pleased with his father's great victory that he didn't hear a word Shichibei said. However, Gamo Tsuruchiyo, sitting to the side and behind him, did see Shichibei's lip movements.

Unfortunately, Shichibei said "listing" in Chinese, which didn't match his Japanese lip movements at all. Even if Gamo Tsuruchiyo racked her brains, she absolutely couldn't figure out what Shichibei had said.

"Lord, you should start preparing a victory banquet for our lord." Quickly putting aside his own thoughts, Shichibei turned to Oda Mysterious Maru and suggested.

"Absolutely, absolutely." Oda Mysterious Maru was simply happy, with no other thoughts in mind.

However, Nobunaga did not immediately return to Gifu; he only sent Tokugawa Ieyasu and the three men from Nishi-Mino back first. Oda's main force, on the other hand, went to Odani Castle to deliver a certain amount of money and provisions to Azai Nagamasa.

The Asai clan's retainers suffered heavy losses in the previous conquest of Echizen, which is why Asai Nagamasa could only choose to defend the castle and was unable to even launch a pincer attack on Asakura Yoshikage with Nobunaga.

Despite the deaths of so many junior officers, they managed to muster four or five thousand men to defend the city and maintain stability. The main challenge was how to engage the Asakura army, whose morale was high, when they were forced to fight outside the city.

That's why Nobunaga sent him money and supplies, hoping he could recover quickly and stabilize the situation. He also wanted to protect Nobunaga north of the river, at least preventing Asakura Yoshikage from easily entering and leaving the Kinai region.

Even if Yoshikage enters, with Odani Castle behind him, they can still restrict Yoshikage's supply lines, preventing the Asakura clan from focusing on the battle.

It's definitely time to help out Asai Nagamasa; only by doing so can we free up our hands to deal with Saito Tatsuoki. By the time all this was done, it was already the sweltering heat of July.

Almost no one wants to fight at this time of year; this is a universal truth throughout history and across cultures. To start a war in the sweltering heat of July is simply asking for trouble.

However, there are always those who defy common sense. After successfully persuading Kennyo of Honganji Temple, the Miyoshi Triumvirate once again gathered their strength, landed in Settsu and Izumi, and rushed to Noda and Fukushima, where they built temporary camps in preparation for intervening in the Kinai region again.

Although they suffered repeated blows from Nobunaga, the Miyoshi Triumvirate still had the support of Shinohara Nagafusa. For the construction and defense of the castle, they did their best to gather more than 10,000 people, and even Saiga Magoichi of the Saiga clan in Kii Province came to help.

Tsutsui Junkei, based in Yamato, also joined forces with the Miyoshi Triumvirate, launching an attack on Tochi Castle. This tied down Matsunaga Hisahide and his son Matsunaga Hisamichi, forcing them to strengthen the defenses of Shigiyama Castle while simultaneously rescuing Tochi Castle.

Even within the Ikeda territory of Settsu, unrest broke out, with all sorts of rumors circulating. Severely wounded, Ikeda Katsumasa dared not leave Ikeda Castle easily, lest he be attacked by those with malicious intent.

Nobunaga, who had just sat down to catch his breath and was asking Shichibei about the Kiyosu siege, looked grave.

199. I could do that too.

This isn't just a sign of an impending storm; it's already a scene of dark clouds pressing down on the city, threatening to crush it.

There's no other way. Kiyosu can continue to hold them back and suppress them, but Noda and Fukushima's Miyoshi Triumvirate have already gathered their friends and come ashore. Oda Nobunaga has to go and fight.

When things are going well, it seems like Nobunaga has a lot of capable people under his command. But look what happens when trouble comes. Akechi Mitsuhide and Oda Nobuhiro guarded Kyoto; Hayashi Hidesada, Hayashi Michimasa, Ikeda Tsuneoki, Oda Nobuoki, and Mizuno Nobumoto guarded Owari; Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi assisted Oda Kyokomaru in guarding Gifu; and Takigawa Kazumasu and Nagano Nobukatsu guarded Ise.

Mori Yoshinari went to Usayama Castle to build a castle, Shibata Katsuie went to Nagakoji Temple to monitor Rokkaku Yoshikata, and Hanawa Naomasa and Niwa Nagahide became the left and right captains of the Imperial Guard, following Nobunaga to put out fires everywhere.

Kinoshita Hideyoshi, who had already been promoted, moved from Sunomata Castle to Yokoyama Castle, which he had seized from Horihide Village, as a response to suppress Horihide Village and echo Azai Nagamasa's actions.

The once mighty Oda clan now only had the Sakuma Nobumori samurai group left, which could be considered a reserve force that could be deployed as needed.

If you were Oda Nobunaga, what would you do? You wouldn't even have time to curse; you'd immediately rise up and quickly find a way to summon more men, and send the Miyoshi Triumvirate into the sea.

As one tree spirit once said, "Forget it, whoever said that, life is just a series of ups and downs..."

Now that the big stick has been thrown at Nobunaga's head, and things have started, they will not stop easily. Just as Nobunaga was preparing to ask his good son-in-law, Hatakeyama Akitaka, to prepare to mobilize troops to fight alongside Nobunaga's main force, an urgent report was sent to Gifu.

Katsumasa Ikeda, one of the three guardians of Settsu, was exiled by his brother Tomomasa Ikeda and is currently fleeing to Gifu. Senior retainers of the Ikeda clan, such as Murashige Araki and Kiyohide Nakagawa, have all echoed Tomomasa Ikeda's uprising and sided with the Miyoshi Triumvirate. It is precisely because of their assistance that the Miyoshi Triumvirate were able to quickly build castles in Noda and Fukushima.

Grass!

Shichibei, who was sitting to Nobunaga's left, clearly saw Nobunaga utter a curse, though it wasn't as concise as it seemed; it should have been "Baka yarou!" (meaning "idiot!").

Fortunately, Nobunaga had a strong enough mentality and immediately instructed Shichibei to prepare a spacious residence for Ikeda Katsumasa. Although the Ikeda family had switched sides, Ikeda Katsumasa did not flee alone, but with two or three hundred men.

This was probably the last bit of capital that Ikeda Katsumasa, the half-governor, had left. He had lost too much capital in Echizen, which led to his downfall and forced him to temporarily serve under Nobunaga as a "major shu" (a type of military officer).

The term "Ōjin-shū" doesn't have many fancy explanations; it simply means "daimyo." During the Edo period, its meaning expanded to include the higher-ranking hatamoto (banner master) class, also known as Ōjin-hōmoto. In short, it was a title for high-ranking samurai with substantial stipends.

Where there are large bodies, there are naturally small bodies. Nobunaga now had a special "small body troop" by his side, a force distinct from the hanai troop and the foot soldiers.

The entire Moku-shu (Hall of Nobunaga's followers) were from Nobi, serving as a crucial pathway for their advancement. They not only learned warfare from Nobunaga but also protected him. Given Nobunaga's love for being on the battlefield and even leading charges, rapid promotion within the Moku-shu was quite normal.

The foot soldiers need little introduction; they were generally divided into archer and arquebusier groups, and Nobunaga's side might have also had a polearm group. This is the same polearm group that, in the later game *Shogun 2: Total War*, can engage katana-wielding samurai head-on when deployed in a spear formation.

Besides these standing armies, the later-established "Kojinshu" were samurai from various countries who had joined Nobunaga's ranks. They had legitimate family names and masters to serve, but their former territories were insignificant, and now they had either lost their masters or been driven away and had nowhere to go.

By joining Nobunaga's forces, they were given stipends and supported by him, thus gaining an additional fighting force and having a guide when conquering other territories.

"Great Generals" refers to figures like Ikeda Katsumasa, who once held the high-ranking position of governor, possessing a stipend of 100,000 koku and commanding 5,000 to 8,000 men—a powerful regional lord. Unfortunately, his power collapsed, he fled, and had nowhere to go. Nobunaga was willing to take in these people and keep them by his side; any daimyo with a slight conflict of interest would be willing to support such powerful figures.

If one day I stand up for myself, I will be able to lead an army under the name of "a large force" to attack a certain territory.

If the Imagawa clan had truly come to join Nobunaga, they could have been listed among Nobunaga's "Great Bodyguards." Historically, Yoshiaki, who was supported by Nobunaga and fought his way back to Wakasa, could also have been called a Great Bodyguard.

With the downfall of the loyal Ikeda Katsumasa, Settsu was thrown into turmoil, and the 5,000 reinforcements that could have been summoned from the Ikeda clan were gone. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the younger brother of Mikawa, had just finished fighting in Anegawa and was also unable to raise reinforcements.

Matsunaga Hisahide, in his defense against Tsutsui Junkei, seemed to have run out of options and could only try to win over Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, the governor of half of Kawachi Province.

Oda's main force had just retreated from Anegawa, but Nobunaga hadn't taken his men with him when he went into battle, leaving 4,000 as a defensive force to protect Gifu Castle. Now, 3,000 men should be drawn from those 4,000 and mobilized immediately to prepare for an attack on Noda and Fukushima castles.

In addition, we should also invite Wada Koremasa and Hosokawa Fujitaka, the lords of Akutagawa Castle and Katsuryuji Castle respectively. They should each bring two or three thousand men to join us.

Including Hatakeyama Akitaka and Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, that makes 15,000 men. Add Sakuma Nobumori's reserve troops, and we've got a total of 20,000 troops ready.

For most of Japan's Sengoku period, the so-called tens of thousands of troops were assembled in this way. You brought a little, I brought a little, and when we finally counted them on the battlefield, the number of men and horses exceeded ten thousand, seemingly endless.

"Shichibei, I'm going to Settsu. You must be careful around Nagashima and do a good job assisting Kyokumaru!" Nobunaga hadn't had much sleep in Gifu, and as soon as the war started, he had to set off immediately.

"Ikeda-dono's hospitality?" Shichibei needed to find out. Ikeda Katsumasa hadn't even fled to Gifu yet, and Nobunaga had already set off.

"Follow the rules of Mikawa." Nobunaga did not hesitate. Ikeda Katsumasa had brought more than 7,000 Oda soldiers back to Kyoto intact from Kanegasaki, which was a meritorious deed.

Nobunaga would not be stingy with those who were loyal and capable. Ikeda Katsumasa's hospitality was certainly no less than that of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Mikawa.

"Understood." Once this was clarified, Shichibei had nothing more to say.

In the end, Nobunaga only led three thousand men, including the Moi-shu, to attack Settsu. Most of his troops had only been home for a few days. Even regular soldiers could not fight every day. How could a general not understand the principle that the army is old and the soldiers are tired?

And after a ten-day to half-month rest, we will consider replacing the player.

"The encirclement of Kiyosu must be expedited!" Nobunaga waved his battle staff, giving this final instruction.

"Yes!" Shichibei bowed his head, his mouth full of dust.

Whether it's faster or not, that depends on Ikeda Tsuneoki and Hayashi Michimasa to speed things up. What's the use of telling me?

I already said that Shichibei is a novice soldier and has no chance of fighting with a gun. With our physiques, let alone running into Honda Tadakatsu or Yamagata Masakage, we'd be killed by Yamauchi Kazutoyo with a single spear thrust.

Saito Tatsuoki had long ago made up his mind to raise an army in Kiyosu, and his only support came from Nagashima Ganshoji Temple. This struggle of encirclement and counter-encirclement is going to be quite a game.

Two days later, the defeated Ikeda Katsumasa fled to Gifu in disgrace. Historically, he fled to Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, because the Miyoshi Triumvirate were considered traitors to the Miyoshi family, and Miyoshi Yoshitsugu was the head of the family. Ikeda Katsumasa probably wanted to rely on Miyoshi Yoshitsugu's righteous cause and Kawachi's proximity to Settsu, which would make it easier for him to react, so he did not come to Gifu.

Nobunaga currently holds him in high regard, having bestowed upon him 5,000 kan with a single wave of his hand last time. Putting aside other matters, Ikeda Katsumasa still highly regards Nobunaga's "strength".

After hesitating, he chose to seek refuge with Nobunaga.

Sigh, these days, flowers bloom and fade, tides rise and fall, who knows?

You've struck gold by joining Lord Nobunaga. As long as you fight hard for him, Lord Nobunaga will definitely reward you handsomely. Look at the two hundred or so samurai following behind; that's your capital for future success.

After settling the troops in, news from Nobunaga's front lines arrived daily in a steady stream. Oda's main force reached Yokoyama Castle in the north of the river in one day, Choko-ji Temple in the south of the river on the second day, and Kyoto on the third. After resting in Kyoto for one day, Oda Nobunaga arrived at the Settsu front on the fifth day (historical fact).

This speed alone astonished the feudal lords of the time. Nobunaga was truly fast; how could anyone compare to his reaction speed?

Nobunaga, who had set up his camp at Nakajima in Settsu, summoned a large number of feudal lords. Meanwhile, the Miyoshi Triumvirate didn't stop either, constructing castles and recruiting men from Shikoku.

Soon after, Miyoshi Yasunaga, Kosai Naganobu, and others arrived with troops from Shikoku across the sea to reinforce the defenses of Noda and Fukushima castles. Their total force had reached 13,000 men.

Siege warfare is indeed difficult without three to five times the manpower.

Noda Castle and Fukushima Castle were situated in a shallow, swampy area near Osaka Bay. Except for the ocean to the west, the east, south, and north sides were all waterways. The Miyoshi Triumvirate quickly built their fortresses by taking advantage of these natural waterways.

With the fortified city as a stronghold, and 13,000 troops still defending it, the city is directly connected to Awa by sea. Shinohara Nagafusa can continuously supply the city with military equipment and provisions from the rear. This city is truly disgusting.

Nobunaga's first thought was to send Ataka Nobuyasu to try and cut off the Awa Province navy's support for Noda-Fukushima Castle. However, Ataka Nobuyasu's strength was insufficient to completely suppress Osaka Bay, since Awa Province also had its own navy. The only way would be to bring Kuki Yoshitaka's navy to Osaka Bay and station it in Sakai.

Only by attacking from both sides can we possibly gain complete control of the entire waterway.

Should we wait for Kuki Yoshitaka to arrive?

Having anticipated this somewhat, Nobunaga was reluctant to bring Kuki Yoshitaka, having already guessed that Nagashima might be in turmoil. Nobunaga hoped that Kuki Yoshitaka's navy would remain on the outskirts of his homeland, Owari.

If anything happens to Nagashima, Kuki Yoshitaka can be ordered to raid the coast of Nagashima. This would not only damage the morale of the Nagashima guerrillas, but also cut off the waterway from Nagashima to the Owari mainland.

This caused the matter to be delayed.

His delay also delayed Kiyosu in Owari. Because Nobunaga had repeatedly instructed him, and because Owari, as Nobunaga's stronghold, held an unshakeable position within the entire Oda clan, Shichibei eventually arrived at Iwakura Jinya to check on the progress of the siege.

Not ideal.

Lin Xiuzhen was not a samurai skilled in combat, so he was only left behind at Iwakura Jinya to transport materials and provisions to the five fortresses at the front as a successor to Ikeda Tsuneoki and Lin Tongzheng.

Asking him? It's better not to ask. His skill level is probably about the same as Shichibei's, and considering his past record, he might not even have fought as many battles as Shichibei.

To fulfill Nobunaga's request, Shichibei had no choice but to head towards Ochiai Fortress again. Ikeda Tsuneoki, with several hundred men, was stationed at Ochiai Fortress, constantly trying to completely encircle Kiyosu Castle. Unfortunately, Saito Tatsuoki was extremely tenacious, engaging in repeated and fierce battles, with the battle lines shifting back and forth. Both sides were in a state where neither could completely destroy the other, but they were still enough to annoy him.

Upon seeing Shichibei arrive, Ikeda Tsuneoki asked Shichibei if he could ask Nobunaga to send another two thousand soldiers, no, fifteen hundred soldiers.

Heh, you practically grew up with him, don't you know Nobunaga's character? If he could have gathered more troops, he would have done so long ago. Look how difficult it was for him; when he went to war against Noda and Fukushima, he only brought three thousand men.

You, young man, are stationed in Ochiai with nearly a thousand men of your own, plus several hundred men under Lin Tongzheng's command. We don't need you to break through Qingxu; we're just building fortifications and encircling the area.

Tsk, what a poor performance.

No wonder that although he became the lord of Inuyama Castle with a fortune of over 10,000 koku at a very early stage in the history of the Oda clan, by the time Nobunaga died, several of his colleagues (including Yori) had 1 million koku, while he only had 140,000 koku.

If it weren't for sharing a drink with Nobunaga, even obtaining this 140,000 koku would have been difficult.

"Don't you know what the situation is now?" Shichibei wasn't in a hurry, but he felt that Ikeda Tsuneoki was being a bit unreasonable.