Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

One was a report to Nobunaga, and the other was a letter of promise to Numama Echigo Nyūdō; both were written in front of the two men. Nobunaga's copy was put in a bag and sent to Kyoto on the spot.

“In that case, we have not failed your trust.” The two expressed their gratitude again.

Shichibei quickly raised his hand. "We've agreed to the Matsuura family's adoption. On what day will he open the door for us? This needs to be clarified. What's the code? We also need to submit the hostages."

He opened the city gate, and behind it was a vast expanse of pits. Shichibei's army charged in, and dozens or even hundreds of them fell into the traps. None of them died.

His beloved grandson came personally to act as a hostage. Additionally, Numama Iga, the son-in-law of Numama Echigo Nyūdō, will also be coming, but he won't stay; he'll simply make an agreement with Shichibei to facilitate opening the door later.

Row.

In the following two or three days, most of the local people from southern Izumi, including the abbots of Nefuku-ji Temple (the lower temple of Negoro-ji Temple), came to deliver oaths and hostages to Shichibei.

Many of the older citizens, who were initially expected to resist the royal army, surrendered. Manabe Sadashige, Kuwabara Kiyōrin, and others arrived one after another.

surrender.

In reality, those who decided to fight to the bitter end were mainly Matsuura Yasutau and Terada Ikuie, as well as the smaller families that were dependent on the two brothers. Of course, this also included Numama Echigo Nyudo, who had already colluded with Shichibei, and this fellow led his troops into Kishiwada Castle to assist in its defense.

Very good. If we calculate it, we can carve out a territory of tens of thousands of bushels of grain to settle people in.

Numama Iga also arrived in Sakai with the little boy who was supposed to be adopted by Matsuura. Historically, this little boy first became a retainer of the Nakamura clan under Hideyoshi's orders. Later, when the Nakamura family changed, he was taken in as a retainer by Tokugawa Hidetada and eventually survived as a shogunate leader until the end of the Edo period.

Shichibei was completely unaware of all this; it was simply an action following his agreement with Numama Iga. The child was left in the care of Mrs. Takaya, since he would be returned to the Numama family later anyway.

As requested, the Numa clan sent half of its troops, led by Numama Echigo Nyūdō, to reinforce Kishiwada Castle. Numama Iga, on the other hand, led the remaining troops to defend Ayai Castle, a branch castle.

The opening time is yet to be determined, but the code is easy to arrange. Shichibei fires seven stick-fire arrows into the castle during the day, and that night, Numama Echigo Nyudo will find a way to open the Ote Gate.

After that, it would be up to the soldiers of Kawamura's army to fight their way into the city and kill the enemy. Numama Echigo Nyūdō only had the ability to open the gate. He might not be able to assassinate Matsuura Yasutau or Terada Ikuie. The price paid should reflect the scale of the task, and Shichibei only bought the ability to open the gate.

He was quite frank. As a businessman, Shichibei appreciated this kind of open communication. Numama Iga's only request was a feigned siege of Ayai Castle, which he would pretend to defend. This was to avoid him opening the castle and endangering his father-in-law.

The plan has been decided, so let's do it this way.

Kawamura's officers and lieutenants received orders in turn, and those who had surrendered to Shichibei were also required to send reinforcements, both as hostages and to assist in the campaign.

The task of besieging Ayai Castle was entrusted to Kuwayama Shigeharu and Mori Jiroza. Shichibei led his own force of 5,000 men, plus 3,000 men from Izumi Province, to surround Kishiwada Castle.

The Matsuura brothers inside the castle did not immediately launch a counterattack, but instead observed the situation of the Kawamura army below the castle. This was because Kobayakawa Takakage had promised to send two to three thousand cavalry reinforcements to aid Kishiwada Castle.

It is clear that Kobayakawa Takakage still hopes to retain a certain number of ports in the Kinai region to facilitate a future landing offensive.

With the Mori clan's promise of reinforcements, the Matsuura brothers decided to hold their castle. Without a sufficient naval force, it would be difficult for Shichibei to conquer Kishiwada Castle.

[Note 1]: Yankou refers to the "Imperial Ditch" located northeast of the East Hall of the Qingliang Hall in the Forbidden City, which is the entrance and exit point for water to the inner and outer channels. The corridor near this entrance was actually guarded by the warriors who guarded the Qingliang Hall, and they were called Yankou warriors.

429. Countless people were killed in the chaos after the city fell.

Kishiwada Castle was a famous castle in the Kinai region, originally built by Kishiwada Haruji, a general under Kusunoki Masashige. However, that Kishiwada Castle has been abandoned. This is because it was a mountain castle, not the port city it is today.

At this time, Kishiwada Castle Honmaru was built on Mount Inobushi, with the second mausoleum facing the sea and the third mausoleum protecting the interior and exterior. It was surrounded by stone walls and moats. It was indeed a castle built under the supervision of Miyoshi Yoshikata and Togawa Kazunari, and it was quite impressive.

Measuring 370 meters east to west and 650 meters north to south, it was already considered a large city compared to most Japanese castles. He asked the samurai around him, and they all estimated that the city could only hold a maximum of five thousand men for defense.

Historically, there's a theory about why Ishida Mitsunari didn't defend the fortified Ōgaki Castle but instead retreated to Sekigahara to engage Tokugawa Ieyasu in open battle. One reason given was that Ōgaki Castle could only hold a maximum of 20,000 men. Who would enter the castle? Who would face Ieyasu directly outside? This question sparked debate within the Western Army.

Fortunately, Matsuura Yasutau and his brother did not argue. Instead, they gathered four or five thousand men to defend the city to the death, preparing for a proper battle with Shichibei.

Military council: How should we fight?

How can we fight back? We've already neutralized Numama Echigo Nyūdō, haven't we?

As soon as he opened the door, his brothers rushed in and killed him. Several of Shichibei's brothers-in-law, along with Watanabe Kanbei, Goto Matabei, and others, were all eager to fight for Matsuura Yasutau's head.

It should be at least 500 shi (a unit of dry measure).

"Alright," Shichibei thought, "this shows the army's morale is high, and everyone is of one mind." He decided against holding a military council and ordered seven arrows to be fired from the city walls, pretending to burn down the gates.

While I'm at it, bring over Numama Echigo Nyūdō's grandson. If that old bastard dares to cheat me, I'll tear his grandson to pieces right here and now. This grandson has been confirmed by Konishi Ryūsō and Hibiya Ryōkei; there are no problems with him.

If Numama Echigo Nyūdō were to actually use such a treacherous tactic to trick someone, Shichibei would have no choice but to accept it. If such a self-inflicted injury were to fall into place, it would be understandable.

Who will be the first to charge in? The first one to charge in will certainly suffer the greatest casualties, but will also be the most likely to kill Matsuura Yasutau.

Watanabe Kanbei bluntly stated that during the last Battle of Miki, he had only defended his base and hadn't achieved anything, so this time no one could compete with him. This was indeed true; even Todo Takatora didn't dare to challenge him, thus the first move was decided. As for those who would subsequently storm the castle, everyone would draw lots. Shichibei tore open a slip of paper and wrote down the order.

It's a joke. Those who draw the earlier ones are overjoyed, while those who draw the later ones clap and sigh. It's just bad luck; no one can blame fate or others. Shichibei didn't cheat.

At this moment, the fire arrows outside had already begun to be fired, and shouts and commotion filled the castle. This was typical of Heijo Castle; its defenses relied entirely on sheer numbers, with layers upon layers of zigzag ramparts hindering and delaying the enemy. It was completely different from castles like Miki and Kotani, which utilized the terrain to their advantage, making them difficult to attack.

Upon seeing Miki, Shichibei lost all desire to attack. However, the seemingly unassailable Kishiwada Castle before him seemed like a worthwhile option for Shichibei to attempt.

"boom……"

The lottery draw inside the shogunate had just ended when a tremendous, rumbling sound suddenly erupted outside, as if the earth were collapsing. Had the gates of Kishiwada Castle been blown up? Could it be? Everyone threw back the curtains and hurriedly looked outside. What they saw was truly astonishing.

Kishiwada Castle collapsed.

Specifically, a large section of the outer stone wall collapsed. Along with it, the limestone rampart on one side, which was part of the city wall, also collapsed.

"Such a good thing actually happened?" If I had known that just one blast of the fire arrow would have been enough...

That's enough to destroy Kishiwada Castle, what's the point of adjusting anything else?

"Our lord is truly a lucky general..." Tōdō Takatora glanced at the limestone platform that had collapsed several meters down and couldn't help but sigh.

"How could it have collapsed?" Shichibei took it as a compliment.

"I will go and take a look."

The news came back quickly, and the reason was actually not complicated. Last year, Matsuura Yasutau and others colluded with the Mori clan to rebel, causing turmoil throughout Izumi Province. The Matsuura brothers were unable to completely suppress Izumi, and the Mori clan's offensive was also unsuccessful. The end result was that things got more and more chaotic, a complete mess.

Last summer and autumn, Japan was naturally hit by several typhoons, which happens every year. One typhoon lingered in Osaka Bay for half a day and eroded the stone walls of Kishiwada Castle.

In normal times, the castle lord would have initiated a general labor service for large-scale repairs and maintenance. However, Matsuura Yasutau lacked the ability and prestige for this, and since the stone walls hadn't collapsed, he decided to leave it at that for now and not rush things.

The stone walls of Kishiwada were constructed using fragile sandstone from Izumi, a type of stone that, theoretically, should never have been used for castle construction. However, the Miyoshi brothers were building the castle when they were engaged in conflict with various powerful factions within the Kinai region.

The project was hampered by tight deadlines and the inability to obtain high-quality stone, so they had to make do with what they had.

The result of making do is that it needs to be repaired every year; if it's not repaired, it will be ruined.

It wasn't repaired last year, and this year it was blasted by stray fire arrows, causing it to collapse immediately, which also affected the limestone steps on the stone wall.

The collapsed limestone steps startled the Matsuura brothers inside the castle, who immediately dispatched men to set up fences and wooden shields at the site. They were well aware that the Kawamura army would definitely attack this spot with all their might, as it was a ready-made breach.

However, Numama Echigo Nyudo, hidden in the shadows, saw it clearly. Good, good, the Matsuura brothers' attention was all on the breach, and the obstacle to opening the gate had almost completely disappeared. The most steadfast defenders of the castle, the core retainers of the Matsuura brothers, were now mostly engaged in repairing and defending the breach.

Upon seeing this, Shichibei outside the city immediately ordered his soldiers to throw firewood and straw into the moat where the stone wall had collapsed, using wooden shields and bamboo bundles as a gesture of attacking the area.

It's not a matter of being perceptive or not; Shichibei is certainly capable of this kind of feint. By making the people inside the castle think that he is about to attack and mobilize his main force, there will be less resistance when he attacks the city gates.

Furthermore, filling in the moat by binding torches wouldn't arouse any suspicion within the city. Even if they saw it, they would only assume that Shichibei was planning a night attack on the moat with torches.

It was just filling in the trenches; there was no need for an actual attack. Shichibei simply sent Tsuchida Chikakiyo with a group of men to make a token effort. Tsuchida Chikakiyo and Ikoma Chikamasa were cousins, both belonging to the "Chika" generation. Now in their forties, he could no longer bravely charge into battle for Shichibei with his spear, and gradually retreated to the second line.

Kuwayama Shigeharu was even better off, retiring directly to seclusion and handing over the headship of the family to his son, Kuwayama Kazuharu, while he himself served as a guard for Shichibei. Ota Gyuichi had already devoted himself to writing military chronicles and novels, and under the title of Yu Taisho, he served as a bodyguard for Shichibei's main camp for a long time.

Talented people emerge in every generation.

As soon as the conch shell rang out, the smaller arquebusiers, carrying wooden shields and firewood, followed by dozens of arquebusiers carrying their cannons, and they marched out into battle. To make the performance complete, suppressive fire was essential.

As the sound of arquebuses rang out, the Matsuura brothers inside the castle became even more certain that Kawamura's army was about to launch a fierce attack on the collapsed area, and they were extremely anxious. They not only transferred elite troops, but also brought in a large number of archers and arquebusiers, in an attempt to interrupt Kawamura's army's filling of the trenches.

"Kannei, where is your father?" Shichibei asked, noticing Watari donning his armor.

He then asked his father, Watanabe no Nikolai.

"My father didn't participate in the battle." He said he wasn't in good health last year, so it's no wonder.

"Be careful when you come in, your father is getting old." Watanabe Rin was actually Watanabe Ryo's great-uncle, so he was indeed old, already approaching sixty.

At sixty years old, in Japan's Sengoku period, this was considered a long life. Even if he were to die tomorrow, Shichibei would still praise him, saying he was blessed to die a peaceful death.

"Don't worry." Watanabe Kanbei pointed to the house where they were binding long spears.

They would tie a few sections of bamboo between two spears to make a makeshift ladder, and have someone carry it on their back. If it was useful, it would be. If not, a slash with a knife would turn it back into a spear.

Even if there were pitfalls inside the city, only the first few who jumped in would die. Those who followed would put up the ladders, and although there would certainly be more casualties, they wouldn't just be killed.

"Alright, alright." As long as you're prepared, that's fine. This Watanabe Kanbei is clearly not just a war fanatic; he actually has a brain when he goes into battle.

"Don't worry, I will definitely cut off Matsuura Yasudao's head." Watanabe Kanbei blinked, put on his armor, and began to eat rice balls with gusto.

They're better off eating their fill than killing people; it was already dark, and the city walls were collapsing.

The two armies were firing cannons with torches. All attention was focused on that side, where only a flickering light could be seen at the city gate.

Under the faint light of the crescent moon, the main gate of Kishiwada Castle slowly opened. There wasn't even a shout or a cry of battle; the Matsuura brothers were incredibly bold, entrusting the gate to a single person with such confidence.

Upon seeing a small, fiery dragon of Kawamura's army rushing towards the city gate, the Matsuura brothers, who were directing the operation, were immediately alarmed, realizing that someone had opened the gate. Why were they so at ease? Because Numama Yoshikiyo, the eldest son of Numama Echigo Nyūdō, was with Terada Ikue, acting as both a guard and, in effect, a hostage.

We all lived during the Warring States period, so we all actually knew a lot about it, but knowing it didn't really help.

Numama Echigo Nyūdō's decision to have his great-grandson inherit the Matsuura clan was actually premeditated. Numama Yoshikiyo, as a hostage, remained with the Matsuura brothers, while his grandson was sent to Shichibei's side.

and then?

Then, as soon as the fire dragon appeared, Numama Yoshikiyo and several attendants drew their swords and attacked Terada Isaie, killing him on the spot. Holding up his head, they shouted that the Oda army had entered the city and that the Otemon Gate had been breached.

Fortune favors the bold; the bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish.

After Numama Echigo Nyudo opened the castle gates, he immediately withdrew from the castle, handing the gates over to Saegusa Morinao, who had just entered the castle after Watanabe. He calmly awaited the final outcome of Kishiwada Castle; after all, the game was already decided, and the cards were clear, so there was no point in rushing.

Shichibei offered him a few words of comfort before continuing to observe the battle. The performance at the collapsed section of the city wall was no longer necessary; the troops could be withdrawn. However, the advancing forces still needed to move in in columns, with the aim of capturing the city as quickly as possible.

Moments later, smoke and fire erupted within Kishiwada Castle, and shouts of battle filled the air. The screams and screams were like thunder, even drowning out the previous sounds of cannon fire exchanged between the two sides.

In the firelight, everyone looked like a blood-soaked demon, their faces splattered with blood. Due to Numama Yoshikiyo's attack, the defenses of the Third Maru quickly crumbled. He still harbored thoughts of killing Matsuura Yasutau, hoping to secure a bright future for his family. After donning the small banner of the Kawamura army, he led Watanabe Kanbei swiftly towards the Second Maru and the Honmaru.

Unfortunately, fate doesn't favor gamblers.

Numama Yoshikiyo, who was following the fleeing soldiers into the Ninomaru, soon ran into Matsuura Yasutau, who had come to set up defenses. He noticed the two vertical pillars and two side pillars behind him.

Without saying a word, the flag fired a dozen or so arquebuses simultaneously, riddling Numama Yoshikiyo with holes all over his body, piercing through him countless times.

He's still too young, unlike his father who understood the principle of moderation. Thanks to his family's success in opening the door to wealth, he remained humble and cautious, always enjoying a comfortable and modest life. But if he wanted to achieve greater wealth, he would have to take on greater risks.

With his body shielding him from the barrage of cannon fire, Watanabe Kanbei charged forward without hesitation, brandishing his spear and hacking away enemy soldiers. He quickly routed the crowd. While others would catch their breath after a couple of blows, he was different. He was young, his seventeen-year-old body in its prime. He shook his arm, jumped up, and continued thrusting forward.

Upon seeing such a killing god, the Matsuura army was already filled with fear and no longer dared to resist. They dragged Matsuura Yasutau along and retreated towards the main keep.

Seeing that Sanegori Morinaka was also catching up behind him, Watanabe Kanbei refused to rest. He ordered his men to guard the city gate, set up large lanterns, and ran quickly up Mount Inobushi.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Matsuura Yasutau still wanted to take a boat to flee into the Mori territory, but the samurai on his left and right were all locals from Izumi, and their families and businesses were all in Izumi. Their first thought was to hold on to the death, not to run away.

They were stuck inside and outside the main building, unable to move forward or backward.