Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

It makes sense, considering Oda Nobuhiro was already wounded by three arrows, and then he was hit in the right eye by another arrow, his life hanging in the balance. But it was better to be sent back to Kiyosu Castle intact than to bring back only the heads of the seriously wounded.

I hope he's doing well. As Nobunaga's elder brother, he was the head of the Oda clan's inner circle. If he's gone, this position might be passed on to Oda Nobukatsu.

Or let's say it's Kitabatake Nobuo. If it were passed on to this guy, then...

Sigh, utterly incompetent and foolish. Oda Nobunaga was a brilliant ruler, and Oda Nobutada was equally capable of maintaining the status quo. With such powerful fathers and the same mother, their genes should be identical. How could they be so different? It's simply a case of "like father, like son," each unique in their own way.

"Master, Lord Sasa sent someone to ask if there are any..." Before the two could finish their conversation, Okazaki's men came over.

"No, really no." Shichibei only found out when he arrived in Okazaki that Sasa Narimasa's only son, Matsuchiyomaru, seemed to have gone missing.

Some say it was captured by the Takeda army, and the scene was chaotic, with shouts everywhere that Sassa Narimasa had been captured. This then affected Oda Nobuhiro's forces fighting nearby, causing a large-scale wavering in Nobunaga's left wing.

But Sassa Narimasa is alive and well now, and even left the battlefield before Nobunaga. What exactly happened during that battle is probably something no one can ever truly say for sure anymore.

"The Sasa family has no legitimate sons..." Todo Takatora muttered to himself.

For a samurai family, the loss of an heir means the extinction of the family name. The importance that the Japanese, especially samurai families, place on their family name is well-known. Even in 2025, tens of thousands of adoptions in Japan are still for the purpose of ensuring the continuation of the family name.

In Japan, there are even some online celebrities who specialize in teaching poor, worthless individuals to pose as ordinary male college students or regular office workers, then find elderly people with some money but no sons to inherit their family names. They pretend to be adopted into these families, paying off millions of yen in college loans, or claiming to own an apartment in Tokyo.

Once the old man dies, he will immediately revert to his original surname, living a carefree and happy life, indulging in food, drink, gambling, and prostitution—a true winner in life.

"This battle will surely wipe out countless families." Shichibei couldn't feel too much sympathy for Sassa Narimasa; if he really wanted to, there were too many Owari samurai to sympathize with.

"The Kai army is so brave." Tōdō Takatora, who had always been in the Kinai region, had never seen such a valiant and skilled army.

You're out of touch. In the first half of the war, a force of 12,000 from another dimension attacked a fortified position defended by 38,000 soldiers and 3,000 arquebusiers, and the exchange ratio was 1:2.

Yes, it was Army A 1, while the Oda-Tokugawa allied forces 2. The attacking side lost one person, while the defending side, with its back to the palisade, moat, and arquebuses, actually lost two.

By the second half of the battle, the Kai army had lost more than three thousand men in each battle, finally collapsing. At this point, the Oda-Tokugawa army had lost more than six thousand men (including those who fled and went missing). Of course, with the Kai army's collapse, more than six thousand more were killed, fell to their deaths in the mountains, starved to death, drowned, or trampled to death.

In the end, Army A killed 6,000 enemy soldiers but lost 10,000 of their own, thus losing their entire investment.

This event is recorded in the Tokugawa Chronicle (Toshogu Mimi-ki, Tokugawa Ieyasu Chronicle - Volume 10 / (Appendix 25) Tenbun 19 - Koji 1), which is similar to the Twenty-Four Histories of China and is an officially compiled national history.

By the way, if this world still has the Edo Shogunate, you've recorded quite a bit about it in the Chronicles of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In the early days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, among the outlying daimyo, Todo Takatora was quite favored.

"Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. So what if we lose for a time?" Shichibei didn't seem particularly discouraged or disappointed.

Nobunaga suffered many defeats in his life, including early struggles with Mino and battles at Shin-Kana and Konojima. But it wasn't a big deal; as long as Nobunaga lived, he could always rise again.

“That’s natural.” Takatora Todo turned around and looked back.

At this moment, Nobunaga was observing the terrain on the left and right from the well tower of Okazaki Castle. The three sides were originally defended by Takeda Shingen, who was waiting in ambush, and Okazaki Castle was defended by him, who was waiting in ambush.

This defeat might be for the best; at least Nobunaga won't be too arrogant for three years. Historically, the Kanesaki retreat was orchestrated because he became so overconfident, neglecting all strategic planning and believing he could easily kill Asakura Yoshikage with a single punch. Both Tokugawa Ieyasu and Sakuma Nobumori tried to dissuade him, but to no avail.

He only learned his lesson after taking a heavy blow, and became less arrogant, properly dealing with Nobunaga's encirclement.

At this moment, Nobunaga was issuing a series of orders, deploying troops in strategic locations and outpost castles while simultaneously strengthening the defenses of Okazaki Castle itself. To put it simply, this guy was getting serious.

Takeda Shingen wasn't idle either. Capitalizing on his victory, he advanced rapidly, occupying Yoshida Castle. He then issued an edict to the various districts and villages of eastern Mikawa. Previously, the eastern Mikawa forces, led by Sakai Tadatsugu and others, had scattered and fled in a very typical Sengoku period manner after learning of the defeat at Mikatagahara and the fall of Hamamatsu Castle. Now, Takeda Shingen demanded that they immediately report to the Takeda army; those who failed to do so would have their territories threatened.

On the other hand, Takeda Shingen also sent someone to Okazaki Castle to publicly express to Nobunaga his willingness to return the heads of the soldiers captured in the Battle of Mikatagahara.

It's not about negotiating peace with Oda Nobunaga or persuading him to surrender; it's purely about expressing goodwill. Oda Nobutada is Takeda Shingen's good son-in-law, so perhaps, being superior or inferior is an option.

For example, Oda Nobutada became the head of the Oda clan and then became a member of the Takeda clan's elite retinue.

Chapter 278 The Old Guard Can't Be Moved

Many people were missing from the pre-battle meeting, although Owari generals such as Hayashi Hidesada, Mizuno Nobumoto, Niwa Ujikatsu, and Ikeda Tsuneoki were still present, and Takigawa Kazumasu had managed to bring 2,000 soldiers to help.

Therefore, Takigawa Kazumasu temporarily replaced Sakuma Nobumori as the garrison commander, while Ikeda Tsuneoki became the substitute shadow warrior. However, having suffered a major defeat, morale was inevitably low.

Unable to win in open battle, they retreated to defend the castle, using the military facilities of Okazaki Castle and its branch castles to contend with Takeda Shingen. Even if Takeda Shingen captured Hamamatsu Castle, what could he do? He couldn't quickly mobilize the eight thousand men of Tōtōmi and turn them into his own fighting force.

By now, Takeda Shingen had only gathered a little over two thousand of the Totomi Senkaku troops from Iio to Sane. These people were fighting very hard, after all, Shingen had promised to help them restore their old territories, and in fact, they had already basically restored their old territories.

Although Hamamatsu Castle, or rather the former Ejiri Castle, was the seat of the Totomi provincial government and could not be returned to the Iio family, it would be easy to take 20,000 or 30,000 koku of land from the surrounding area.

The Takeda clan had a long-standing practice of employing so-called "vassals from other provinces." They would first conquer the neighboring provinces, turning them into vassals of other provinces. Once assimilated, they would arrange marriages with the Takeda clan. Guess what? One could become a member of their own clan. Of course, the more likely outcome was that they would become ordinary hereditary retainers.

Returning to the topic of defending the city, Takeda Shingen was also relatively weak in attacking it.

Or, generally speaking, the siege tactics of Japanese daimyo were rather mediocre. Otherwise, Hideyoshi would have been able to seize opportunities, observe carefully, and make bold maneuvers, thus becoming known as the greatest siege master of the Sengoku period.

So much so that in the later Taiga drama "Aoi and Tokugawa Sandai," it was said that when it came to conquering castles, the best was undoubtedly Toyotomi Hideyoshi. And when it came to unparalleled field battles, the best in the land was Ieyasu.

Whether the battle was fought by Ieyasu is debatable, since Ieyasu was the male lead in that drama, and deserves some praise.

Shichibei of Okazaki Castle visited; it's Hirayama Castle built on Ryutō-zan (Dragon Head Mountain). Ryutō-zan is called a mountain, but its elevation is only 24 meters. That's just enough to build a small main castle for Okazaki Castle. However, since Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, with the continuous expansion by the Imagawa and Tokugawa clans, although there haven't been any large stone walls, there are quite a few curved ramparts.

In addition, as a further defensive measure for Okazaki Castle, the Tokugawa family's Bodhi-ji Temple, Daiju-ji Temple, was built on the north side of the castle. This is one of the reasons why the future Shogun of Japan was honored as "Daiki" (Great Tree).

Kozan-ji Temple was built on the northeast side of the castle, and Ryukai-in Temple was built on the south bank of the Sugao River. Although these were nominally temples, they were actually surrounded by moats and fortified walls.

Given the impossibility of constructing large, traditional Chinese cities, the strategy of establishing core cities and building small, sturdy fortresses in key locations to contain and attack enemy forces from all sides became a highly suitable tactic for Japan's Sengoku period.

Unless the enemy sends in 100,000 or 200,000 troops at once, and they are not afraid of dividing their forces, with each wave of troops capable of contending with all of your city's defenders, then this defensive method seems rather ridiculous and is almost ineffective.

However, the Oda-Tokugawa allied forces numbered 20,000, while the Takeda army numbered only 20,000 to 30,000. When Takeda Shingen arrived at Yoshida Castle and set up his main camp there, he knew he was doomed.

Because he couldn't quickly conquer such a dense cluster of Japanese-style castles, combining main and branch castles. The last person to arrange things like this was famous, nicknamed "Kōshū Yellow Spot."

Nagano Narimasa!

With roughly equal forces, the only way to break through such a tight defense was through treachery. Just as the Takeda clan had previously lured Obata Norishige and his son Obata Nobusada, and later the Annaka clan, this immediately destroyed the previously strong alliance of the "Hinoki clan and the Ogi clan" in western Ueno, captured Minowa Castle, and severed the direct line of the Nagano clan.

Of course, this is also related to the death of Nagano Narimasa himself. After all, Nagano Narimasa had twelve sons-in-law in Nishi-Ueno. If the father-in-law called, which son-in-law wouldn't come to the rescue? With the father-in-law around, it was as if everyone had a core.

If we switch to Nagano Yesheng, he's just a teenager. Although he's the brother-in-law, his influence isn't as strong as his father's.

This is different for Okazaki Castle. First, Oda Nobunaga won't suddenly die. Second, Takeda Shingen knows he doesn't have enough time to maneuver the 20,000 troops defending the castle.

His army left Kai and Shinano, spending a thousand gold coins a day. If they could capture Luoyang, they would have everything they wanted. But if they failed to capture it, the cost of this one round alone would be enough to leave the Takeda clan in debt for several years.

Unlike the Oda clan, the Takeda family lacked a reliable source of funds for revolving loans. Did they rely solely on the gold of Kai? While that gold mine was indeed exploited until the later Edo period, it still required continuous mining.

We're too late!

If Takeda Shingen hadn't seized Oda's mountain of logistical supplies at Ōyamasaka, he would have had to halt his troops at Mikatagahara and try to "gather" some provisions in Tōtōmi.

At this point, Takeda Shingen realized the biggest difference between himself and Oda Nobunaga. It wasn't the superiority of his military command, nor the bravery of his samurai foot soldiers. It was the foundation for his resurgence. Nobunaga controlled the Nobi Plain, a densely populated area with ample supplies, making him stronger than the Takeda clan.

The Takeda clan was indeed a top-tier powerful lord with 1.2 million koku of rice. If they were to recruit soldiers with all their might, they could easily amass 50,000 to 60,000 men without having to travel far. But they truly only had 50,000 to 60,000 men, and now, on this expedition, they could only take less than 30,000 men along the Tokaido route.

But what about Oda Nobunaga? He was defeated in the Three Kingdoms period, a complete and utter defeat. Dozens of his generals and eight hundred to a thousand samurai died. Yet, in just four days, he rallied 20,000 men in Okazaki and held the castle to the death.

If it were the Takeda clan, and they lost 7,000 men in a single battle, they would have to go home and lick their wounds for at least a year, and their fighting strength would also drop by a level.

But Nobunaga seems completely unaffected. He just sent 30,000 men, and now another 20,000 have arrived. It is said that he has also mobilized tens of thousands of men in the Kinai region to besiege Nijō Palace and Makishima Castle.

Why is it that the Oda clan's army is endless?

That's right, you're absolutely right.

In a few years, Shibata Katsuie will be able to take on Uesugi Kenshin one-on-one, Hashiba Hideyoshi will be able to take on Mori Terumoto one-on-one, and even the less capable Kobe Nobutaka will be preparing to arm wrestle with Chosokabe Motochika, the lord of Shikoku Island.

They're powerful and well-off; that's just how they are. They don't waste time with small talk. They just get to work.

As for your point about the people of Owari being greatly shaken and beginning to waver, that's perfectly fine; such a thing is bound to happen. The prerequisite is that Takeda Shingen must lead his army to Owari territory.

When Imagawa Yoshimoto's army swore an oath at Sunpu Castle before setting off, his vanguard entered Owari Province, causing widespread unrest among the local people. Village chiefs and territories near Imagawa's side were already carrying rice balls and sake to Imagawa's army to reward the soldiers and ask them not to hunt and plunder in Owari.

If you can't break in, how can they turn against you?

If your Suwa Daimyojin banner appears on the border of Owari, even members of the Oda clan will jump out and pledge allegiance to Takeda Shingen to ensure the survival of the Oda clan name.

How badly did the Amago and Mori clans fight each other? They were killing each other for almost thirty years. And what happened in the end? In the end, the Amago Katsuhisa branch was wiped out, but the Amago Yoshihisa branch survived very well.

That's a stipend of 1292 koku, which within the Choshu Domain makes one a top-ranking samurai. Consider Yoshida Shōin below the castle; he, his father, and his uncle each received a separate stipend, totaling only a hundred koku.

"The Kai army is stuck in the Yoshida area and is not advancing?" Takigawa Kazumasu is now a junior, which means he is Nobunaga's chief of staff in deploying troops. He needs to know all the military intelligence.

"Yes, the Yoshida Umaya staff just returned." Shichibei thought to himself that Takeda Shingen was quite polite to him.

Whether they were from Tsutsuzaki-kan in Kofu, or from Hamamatsu and Yoshida, the local Kawamura-ya shopkeepers were all allowed to leave on their own. Of course, shops, houses, and packhorses were out of the question; they were all requisitioned by the Takeda army. Previously, a grain ship bound for Lake Hamana had been seized by the Takeda navy, but only the grain and the ship were confiscated; the people were released.

Given the Takeda army's usual practice, they would typically release people, but would demand a ransom, or even offer their bodies in exchange for money. The fact that they didn't ask Shichibei for a single coin was truly courteous.

"Has the envoy from Kai arrived at the National Palace?" Takigawa Kazumasu had finally found someone to ask, so he was determined to get more details.

Japan has 66 provinces, and theoretically, each province had a Fuchu Castle. Of course, Fuchu Castle in Mikawa has long been abandoned, and the government office was moved to Okazaki Castle. However, the place name Fuchu, or rather, the capital city, still exists.

After passing Yoshida Castle and Toyokawa, you'll reach Ushikubo-sho, and the next stop is Kokufu. There was a ukiyo-e print series that depicted the various post stations along the Tokaido Road; Kokufu and Ushikubo were both post stations, about four kilometers apart.

Four kilometers from the National Government Building is Hozoji Temple. During the Edo period, the town in front of the temple was called Honjuku-cho, which means it was a post town on the Tokai Road. Of course, it doesn't exist now.

From Hozo-ji Temple, walk about three kilometers to Fujikawa Village, where the Fujikawa Domain was once located during the Edo period. Continue walking four kilometers, passing through Otogawa Village, and you will reach Okazaki Castle.

Okazaki Castle is located on the east bank of the Yahagi River. Attacking Okazaki from Owari is quite troublesome as it requires crossing the river, while attacking from Yoshida is much easier, as it can be reached directly via existing streets. There is no need to build pontoon bridges or repair existing bridges along the way.

"They've probably already entered the town in front of Hozoji Temple." Shichibei calculated the time; the Takeda army's envoy was quite fast, especially since they had a base in Mikawa.

The people of Okumikawa are now closely following the Takeda clan. Okudaira Nobumasa's family also judged from within that Takeda Shingen was dead and that the Takeda clan could not defeat the Oda-Tokugawa alliance, which is why they chose to split into two families, each choosing to stand on one side.

To secure the allegiance of the Okudaira clan, Tokugawa Ieyasu even sacrificed one of his daughters. And this biological daughter, Okudaira Nobumasa, proved to be quite worthwhile. At Nagashino Castle, he withstood a siege by Takeda Katsuyori's 15,000 men, only to be met with Nobunaga's 3,000 arquebuses.

“We must send out inspectors to search all directions and understand the situation of the enemy forces, lest they bypass Okazaki.” Takigawa Kazumasu quickly got into position.

Actually, this possibility is quite small, because the Yahagi River is located west of Okazaki Castle. This river is quite long, and its upper reaches are in Ena District, Mino Province. Moreover, the middle and upper reaches are all high mountains and deep valleys, making it almost impossible to cross.

Another route is downstream, to the area where the Mikawa-Nishio Domain was established during the Edo period. Now, with the assistance of the navy, the Takeda army can cross the river from Nishio. However, this coastal area is currently less developed because it is mostly saline land facing the Pacific Ocean.

In those days, there was no technology for growing saltwater rice, so the land could only be left fallow. In fact, even by the late Qing Dynasty, this kind of land could only be left fallow; for example, many people know about it.

Li Kaifang of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fought his way to the Jinghai area of ​​Tianjin. As a result, Xie Zicheng, the magistrate of Tianjin, organized the goose households along the Tianjin coast who used bird guns to hunt wild ducks and geese to use matchlock guns, commonly known as "duck rafts," for defensive operations.

This indicates that at that time, the coastal area around Tianjin was definitely a wasteland of reeds, inhabited entirely by wild ducks and geese, making it impossible to develop and grow food crops.

Without villages and people, there are no roads. For an army of over 20,000 to march through a roadless area, especially on coastal mudflats, is nothing short of a disaster.

"Kawamura's team can send out their members." Without even looking around, Kawamura Shichibei immediately responded.

The main reason is that Shichibei has horses under his command. All the grain and other supplies were left on the mountain slope, but the mules and horses just followed along, and they were all in good condition.

“Okazaki can also send someone.” Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was attending the military conference, immediately agreed.

He was from Sanhe. Although he lost half his capital in one battle, now that he was at the table, he had no choice but to fight with all his might. This wasn't a casino; it was a battlefield. On the battlefield, if you try to run away halfway, you'll most likely end up with your entire army wiped out.

"Send them out immediately, and recruit villagers from the surrounding area to dig up all the roads east of Otokogawa." Nobunaga looked at the map, which was as simple as it could be.

He didn't mean to completely tear down the road, but rather to dig up sections at intervals, or to dig pits everywhere along the road. The pits didn't need to be very big or deep; half a meter deep would be perfectly sufficient.

The main concern is hindering the army's advance. There are no ready-made roads in the East Sea; are they all muddy paddy fields? Or should we risk walking on the beach? The longer we can delay the Takeda army's movements, the more preparations Nobunaga can make in Okazaki.