Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Chapter 207 A Shout from the People of Jijin Island

However, Kuki Yoshitaka's words are also correct. The two of them together only have about three thousand men. To attack an army of over ten thousand Ikko-ikki, and not even the ordinary Ikko-ikki, is indeed a bit risky.

Shichibei was reluctant to gamble his fate on others at this crucial moment. Sakuma Nobumori and Oda Nobuoki, inside the castle, would immediately come out to attack the Ikko-ikki. What if they were slow to leave?

So what to do?

Ring the bell, shake the people!

Without hesitation, Shichibei rang the bronze bell at the Tsushima Clubhouse, notifying the members of the Tsushima Association to come to the clubhouse for a meeting immediately.

Tsushima was a hub of commerce and wealth, possessing a degree of self-preservation capability in today's competitive world. Although Nobunaga was primarily responsible for military protection, maintaining peace and stability on Tsushima through the Oda army's campaigns, this did not mean that Tsushima lacked its own armed forces.

Back in the Battle of Okehazama, Hattori led several hundred men in a massive attack on Tsushima, attempting to coordinate with Imagawa's army's offensive against Oda. They were directly repelled by the combined forces of the Huiheshu, failing to capture a single hair on Tsushima.

Now, our Tsushima Island is once again at a critical juncture of life and death!

Once the Ikko-ikki have captured Komakie Castle, they will inevitably march south and sweep across Tsushima. Can tens of thousands of Ikko-ikki, relying on Tsushima's palisades and moats, stop them?

Standing before the assembled merchants, Shichibei spoke passionately to the group of wealthy merchants from Tsushima. He spoke the truth, and the matter was indeed as described.

"Therefore, everyone should mobilize the townspeople and their spirits to join me in defeating the Ikko-ikki!"

The words, delivered with the resounding thud of Shichibei's fist slamming onto the table, echoed powerfully in the hearts of the Tsushima contingent. "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold; if the skin is gone, where will the fur attach?"

"The pro-China side is right!" Itō Sojūrō was the first to stand up, facing the assembled crowd, and shouted loudly.

“Yes, yes…” the members echoed.

Firstly, Shichibei was a member of the Tsushima Guild, a trusted fellow townsman and friend. Secondly, Shichibei was the head of the Noo-o Confederation, and was a renowned figure among the wealthy merchants of Noo-o Province and the entire Kinai region, holding a high position and enjoying widespread prestige.

"I don't need all of you big bosses to fight alongside me. Just pretend to be an army, shout and charge in to support my army," Shichibei further requested from the Tsushima contingent.

In war, the best strategy is to combine the orthodox and the unorthodox. We should launch a fierce attack from the front, and then invite these militiamen to attack from the flanks and rear. We don't seek merit or a quick victory, but only that they can shock the Ikko-ikki and make them think that Oda's army has arrived in force, thus instilling a sense of fear in them.

Panic on the battlefield is a great calamity.

"Please understand this: protecting Oda means protecting Tsujima. If Oda survives, Tsujima will survive!" Shichibei concluded with this statement.

The Tsushima contingent on either side rose to their feet, raised their arms, and shouted in response to Shichibei's call. The bell in the meeting place rang again, and the contingent gathered their own townspeople and spirit sticks, and did their best to arm this militia.

Although the organization was somewhat disorganized and lacked formal training, it still numbered over a thousand people and could be considered a team.

Follow me!

There's no time to hesitate here; every second of delay brings more unforeseen complications. Any such unforeseen complication could be a fatal blow to the Oda clan, which is currently in dire straits.

"This Kawamura Shichibei is quite capable." Matsuki Shuji, who had been working quietly on Tsushima with Kuki Yoshitaka for several days, looked at the Tsushima militia who were making great efforts to mobilize them.

“Of course, he’s a capable person.” Kuki Yoshitaka just smiled after hearing his brother-in-law’s words.

He initially joined Nobunaga's forces through Takigawa Kazumasu, and his cooperation with Shichibei was limited to Shichibei building ships for him on orders so that he could return to his pirate ways, fight back in Shima, and provoke Kitabatake Tokunori.

At the time, Kuki Yoshitaka only thought of Shichibei as a capable and efficient businessman with considerable financial acumen. Now, it's clear he's more than that.

"These people are better than nothing." Matsuki glanced at the militiamen; they were certainly not as good as these old pirates who were used to licking blood off the blade.

"It's good to have something; it will always come in handy. Besides, it's not necessarily much better to always be a leader."

"I hope so." Matsuki put on his armor and began to examine his katana, sharpening it before the battle.

As dawn broke, the Kawamura army, which had been resting all night, was summoned to start fires, eat, and prepare for battle. Meanwhile, the Tsushima troops had already assembled, planting Oda's small banners, making them look quite formidable from a distance.

Ogie Castle is less than ten kilometers from Tsushima, otherwise the entire town wouldn't have been in such a state of panic and paranoia when Shichibei arrived. Of course, it was precisely because the war was so close that the Tsushima gang was willing to rally the townspeople and their spirits to follow Shichibei to rescue Ogie Castle.

In truth, these militiamen mobilized from towns and villages were not much different from the peasant soldiers conscripted by Oda's army in the past. Therefore, when Ikeda Tsuneoki and Hayashi Michimasa learned that Shichibei planned to use them as a diversionary force, they had no objections. Hayashi Michimasa even said that he had seen a few good fighters among the soldiers and could select them to become retainers of his Hayashi family.

Lin Tongzheng lost over a hundred people at the Ochiai Fortress, a devastating blow to his retainers, necessitating a replenishment.

However, the fact that a tough guy like him would take a liking to a certain type of person suggests that the person in question must indeed possess some courage. Only those with courage would engage in hand-to-hand combat; otherwise, they're just cowards who run away at the first sign of trouble.

With the help of Kuki's navy and ships from Tsushima, Shichibei and his men sailed up the Sakumo River and sped toward Okie Castle. Fortunately, although Kuki Yoshitaka had wasted time on Tsushima, he had done all the necessary scouting work on the battlefields of Nagashima and Okie, saving Shichibei's effort and allowing them to set off directly.

Upon reaching the battlefield, Shichibei stopped the ships and ordered his men to search the villages for any survivors to bring in for questioning. The villagers near the Xiaomu River either sought refuge in the city or fled to other places. The people of the Warring States period had a keen sense of smell; they knew the enemy would indiscriminately arrest people, and those who ran slowly would be robbed. Naturally, they were quick on their feet.

There are still a few old men and women left in the village, who stay to look after the houses, and also because they've had enough of life and don't care anymore.

Upon arriving, the old man asked Shichibei, Ikeda Tsuneoki, and others, "Has the lord's army arrived yet?"

Ikeda Tsuneoki was one of Nobunaga's companions, always following him around Shimo-Owari, walking his horses and dogs. Shichibei, on the other hand, was a local small merchant and groom, someone he knew before. Seeing the two arrive, the old man naturally assumed Nobunaga had also arrived.

Arrived!

The lord has returned to Gifu!

Forget about deceiving old men; right now, we need to win over the local people. Nobunaga is extremely popular in Shimo-Owari, but the reason he only had a little over three thousand men when he raised an army in Kiyosu was because very few people in Shimo-Owari supported him. Even with the financial support of Ganshoji Temple, he couldn't recruit a large number of miscellaneous soldiers.

Upon hearing that Nobunaga had returned to the battlefield, the old man was overjoyed and said that his lord had returned, and everything would be alright.

Alright, stop being so excited. Tell me about the situation in Xiaomujiang City. The old man didn't have much experience, so he could only tell me what he knew. The Ikkyu army had been besieging the city for many days. They had also sent men to plunder nearby villages, but because the city had been under siege for so long, they dared not fully deploy their forces.

Shimoji Raidan knew very well that once people were scattered, they might not be able to be gathered back together, so he kept the restrictions quite strict. This saved the villages near Xiaomujiang from suffering.

Furthermore, as the old man said, the Ikko-ikki (Japanese guerrilla forces) had not divided their forces and had been besieging the castle. This news was the most important; not dividing their forces meant there were no other tactical maneuvers, which was the best news for Shichibei.

He came this way, so I'll go that way too.

Surely our fellow countrymen from Owari wouldn't lie to us, right? The generals on either side nodded in agreement. Thus, the plan was finalized: Kuki Yoshitaka would launch a surprise attack on the Ikko-ikki from the water, while Shichibei, Ikeda Tsuneoki, and Hayashi Michimasa would launch a frontal assault on the Ikko-ikki from the south, and the militia mobilized by Tsushima would provide support by launching a feint attack from the east.

Anyone willing to fight for fame on the battlefield and earn a prestigious title should go to Lin Tongzheng to sign up, and he would organize a special team. Lin Tongzheng would send two of his retainers to command the team, and all the survivors would be recruited as warriors.

As for the people who were to inform Sakuma Nobumori about entering the city, two of them were selected to see if they could take advantage of the situation and sneak into the city.

As soon as the conch shell rang, Shichibei tightened his armor and followed behind Ota Gyuichi and Tsuchida Chikakiyo into the battlefield.

Shimoma Raitan, who was besieging the city, wasn't blind. He spotted a force approaching from the south. When the conch shell sounded, he knew something was wrong; Oda's army had come to the rescue.

He ordered the attacking troops to retreat while simultaneously directing the able-bodied monks and ronin who were charging below the city walls to run back and come to the south to block the enemy.

Immediately, the entire Ikko-ikki was thrown into considerable chaos. After all, they were not a regular army, and Shimoma Raidan was not a famous general in the country. He was just a ward official who had been hastily pushed up to be a general.

This move immediately caused an uproar among the KMT followers.

Before he could even realize the wavering of his men, the Kuki pirates, who had launched a fierce attack from the Kiso River, also leaped and charged towards him from the west.

A pincer attack!

In such a situation, even a renowned general like Oda Nobunaga would have to stand up, observe carefully, and make thorough arrangements. As for Shimoma Raitan, the fact that he didn't flee on the spot is already a testament to his devotion to his Buddha.

Takenaka Hanbei and Ikeda Tsuneoki of Kawamura's vanguard were the first to kill the hastily assembled monks of the Ikko-ikki, without even being hit by a single volley of arquebus fire. Hayashi Michimasa also arrived with over a hundred men, immediately throwing the rear of the Ikko-ikki into chaos. Shimoma Raitan, who was not far away, even tried to put away his Amida Buddha flag.

Chapter 208 Can a Siege on All Sides Lead to Victory?

Which force is at the city gates?

Sakuma Nobumori and Oda Nobuoki, who were guarding the castle, immediately climbed onto the small castle tower to observe the outside world. Was this a disguise by the Ikko-ikki to lure them out of the castle?

The tactic of feigning reinforcements to lure the defenders out, then attacking and killing them, has occurred before in Japan. This military strategy isn't exactly a closely guarded secret.

It mainly depends on the level of organization.

Seeing the horse emblems of Ikeda Tsuneoki and Hayashi Michimasa appear one after another below the castle, whose family has that vertical two-pointed star? Sakuma Nobumori served as Oda Nobunaga's military advisor for many years, arranging troops for Nobunaga, and knew the flags and family crests of the entire Oda family best.

Oh my! Clapping hands, it's Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi!

"Huh? Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi? Isn't that my brother's wallet?" Oda Nobuoki looked puzzled, completely unable to understand. More than three months ago, Nobunaga had sent him to build Ogie Castle, specifically to ask Shichibei for money. At that time, the Oda family's treasury was empty, completely depleted, and they relied entirely on loans from Shichibei to survive.

Therefore, Oda Nobuoki naturally assumed that Shichibei was Nobunaga's money bag, primarily serving the purpose of storing money in peacetime and lending it out in wartime. How could this money bag be leading troops into battle?

The key question is: why would Shichibei have soldiers?

You know nothing. Sakuma Nobumori is still Nobunaga's trusted retainer. Nobunaga consults with Nobumori on almost everything, both domestic and foreign. He knows very well that Shichibei was someone Nobunaga specifically cultivated and supported. Let alone raising a few soldiers or giving him some money, he could easily transform him into a temporary legion of three to five thousand men.

Oda Nobuoki was a junior among juniors, even younger than Nagano Nobukatsu, only a teenager. How could he possibly know so much?

With a soft snort, Sakuma Nobumori began to observe the situation. The Ikko-ikki under the castle were suddenly attacked by Kawamura's army. Although it was broad daylight, chaos was inevitable. The Ikko-ikki, even though they had been reinforced by monks and ronin, could not change the fact that they were composed of believers.

At this time, Kuki Yoshitaka's band of pirates had also invaded the flank of the Ikko-ikki, and Shimoma Raidan could only rely on his numerical advantage to support them from both sides.

Fortunately, there were a lot of people, and many were unaware of the attack, so they were mostly just observing blindly in place without much panic or fear.

However, this confusion wouldn't last long, as the Tsushima troops had already circled around and attacked from the rear. The ranks were somewhat disorganized, and the men were rather weak. You can usually tell if a unit is up to par by sending it out for a three-kilometer run.

It's obvious that the Tsushima clan isn't up to par, but even so, they still have over a thousand men. What's your reaction if a thousand armed men suddenly appear on your flank?

Not to mention the hundreds of dedicated fighters willing to risk their lives for a better future, who had already picked up knives and guns and, led by several Lin family warriors, launched an attack on the flank of the Ikko-ikki.

A hundred or so daredevils charged ahead with batons, while the Tsushima soldiers waved flags and shouted from behind, creating an atmosphere of earth-shaking activity and a large army clearing the way.

Three-sided attack!

What kind of army can remain unshaken when attacked from three sides? Virtually none. Unless morale is incredibly high and they are certain they have reinforcements on the outside.

What else is there to say? Break out of the city and come to our aid! Given the level of the Ko-ikki (Kō-ikki) forces, it's understandable that they could fabricate a fake reinforcement of Ikeda Tsuneoki, but how could they fabricate a reinforcement of Kawamura Nagayoshi? Even some members of the Oda army didn't recognize the Kawamura clan's steeds.

Shichibei, who was in the midst of the battle watching Tsuchida Chikakiyo and Ota Gyuichi shooting arrows at people everywhere, learned a trick. In later games, or rather, novels, it was written that archers aimed for the head and shot people in the head with one arrow.

In reality, these archers were shooting at moving targets on the battlefield, and they also had to draw their bows, aim, and defend against attacks from others, so they simply didn't have that much time.

Therefore, the target is often the enemy's torso, because the torso is a large target, and once hit by an arrow, it is equivalent to inflicting a continuous blood loss effect on the enemy.

Even if it doesn't cost you your life, it will eventually force you to leave the battlefield.

Even a skilled archer like Ota Gyuichi rarely aimed for the head. He only targeted extremely valuable targets, such as the enemy commander-in-chief or the vanguard general. Such individuals had few opportunities to be aimed at; a missed shot would likely result in their escape, in which case aiming for the head would be a gamble.

Although he was in the midst of the battle, Shichibei was merely following the ranks, leaning on his sword; he didn't actually need to cut anyone down. Fortunately, Nobunaga had provided Shichibei with several respectable samurai, allowing him to lead the charge. And as long as Shichibei was paid and present in the ranks, he was essentially participating in the army's charge.

With a thought, he saw the Tsushima troops charging into the Ikko-ikki's ranks on the east side. The enemy formation was thrown into disarray, and chaos finally broke out. However, the Amitabha flag, representing the Ikko-ikki's commander, remained standing. As long as the flag stood, the army had not collapsed.

Some might wonder why such a flag would appear on the battlefield. But it's not unusual. Kato Kiyomasa's large horse emblem was a flag that read "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" (Homage to the Lotus Sutra), and Ieyasu's was a flag that read "Seeking the Pure Land, Abandoning the Defiled Land."

It's somewhat acceptable for Shimoma Raidan to raise an Amitabha Buddha flag, since reciting "Namo Amitabha Buddha" can lead to liberation from suffering in the next life, which was a major reason why the Jodo Shinshu sect eventually spread.

Suddenly, the city gates of Xiaomujiang City burst open.

Sakuma Nobumori led several hundred men and asked Oda Nobuoki to continue defending the castle. He then bravely went out of the castle to launch a strong attack on the Ikko-ikki and attacked Shimoma Yoridan from all sides.

The army was routed.

Shichibei, who was advancing into battle, suddenly felt his vision disappear. The enemy's defenses, which he had been peeling away layer by layer, vanished, and the Ikko-ikki who had been blocking Oda's army fled in panic.

We won!

It turned out that Sakuma Nobumori had also come out of the castle to challenge the enemy. Sakuma's Marunouchi Michi led two large horse steeds and charged ahead, indicating that Nobumori was taking the lead in the battle to defeat the rebels.

It was like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves; troops attacked from all sides in unison, their battle cries thundering. On the walls of Xiaomujiang City, drums beat incessantly, urging the army onward.

Perhaps some Ikko-ikki members who wanted to resist were also caught up in the chaos of their own ranks and headed towards collapse. You ask what happened to Shimoma Raidan? Shimoma Raidan wrapped a cloth around his head, and under the protection of a group of monks, he left his banner behind to attract Oda's army, and then ran away.