Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"We can send someone to persuade him to surrender." Tōdō Takatora, having just achieved merit, only thought of his wife, who belonged to the most prestigious family in the high-ranking clans. He had nothing else to say, so he remained calm.

Upon arriving at the scene, he discovered a large congestion on the south bank of the Kiso River, where defeated but still entrenched Eastern Army soldiers were blocking the way. The Nobi Plain, with its dense network of paddy fields and ditches, was already somewhat unsuitable for open field warfare. Now, things were even worse; even escaping would require considerable strength.

Since escape is impossible, it's better to persuade them to surrender. Each person is a ransom; Akizuki Tanemi thought Shichibei was a god of wealth, but Todo Takatora knew that the Kawamura family had no surplus grain either.

If we can capture tens of thousands of Eastern soldiers, we can get a hundred thousand or twenty thousand in exchange for their lives, which will provide enough money to reward our generals. We might even make a profit to cover our previous losses.

"Toryou is right," Shichibei naturally agreed.

Aside from the ringleaders, there was no need to completely eliminate the ordinary soldiers. After all, the civil war within the Oda clan was truly absurd, and until the eve of its outbreak, Shichibei believed he had prevented the Oda clan from splitting apart.

To this end, they even abandoned all pretense of decency, detaining Maeda Toshiie and other old comrades from Owari in Osaka. Unexpectedly, the Hashiba clan produced Hashiba Hideie, and Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu happened to have similar ambitions. With various factors combined, Oda Nobushige launched a rebellion and marched on Kyoto.

They used to be teammates fighting side by side, but now they're suddenly fighting each other, which makes Shichibei feel quite helpless.

"Military Advisor! Imperial Horseman!" Takenaka Shigeharu then shouted to his men and women.

They were made to wear crimson robes embroidered with the patterns of the Kawamura family's two vertical pillars and two horizontal pillars, and then go to the battlefield to announce their surrender and exemption from death.

What exactly was the purpose of Japanese-style battle robes? Shichibei believed it was at least to be eye-catching, extremely conspicuous on the battlefield, given their bright colors and large size. These robes were often mounted on horseback, making them even taller. Once they appeared on the battlefield, they were easily spotted.

Dozens of samurai dressed in traditional samurai robes galloped across the river and began to relay Shichibei's orders. It was essentially a stopgap order; in reality, even if the killing continued, as long as it wasn't done openly in front of the samurai, it wouldn't be severely punished.

After all, the heads of some famous samurai were indeed valuable; the reward for subduing them was given to Shichibei. If they were beheaded on the spot, Shichibei would be the one to pay the reward. They could also be captured alive, like Tanaka Yoshimasa who captured Ishida Mitsunari alive and exchanged him for 320,000 koku of rice from Yanagawa in Chikugo.

However, lower-ranking samurai and foot soldiers were not killed, as it would be pointless. After all, their heads were worthless and they weren't even qualified to participate in the head inspection.

Shouts of surrender and non-killing rang out on the battlefield, and the lower-ranking samurai and foot soldiers of the Eastern Army, who were unable to escape, knelt down. The pursuing Western Army soldiers bound them with straw ropes and led them to the riverbank to assemble.

The call reached Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces at the battlefield against Amago and Watanabe. Tokugawa Ieyasu realized that the war was over and continuing the fighting was pointless. He decided it would be better to retreat, control the sea route, and then resist the Kansai forces.

He had no time to grieve for Honda Tadakatsu, because Sakakibara Yasumasa's defeated army was already standing before him.

Having suffered such a defeat, Sakakibara Yasumasa felt he had no face to live any longer, so he snatched Tokugawa Ieyasu's "Shiroito Ichi no Tani-gata Kabuto" and put it on his own head.

Without even offering words of farewell or urging his lord to retreat, he patted Tokugawa Ieyasu's horse and told him to go first. Sakakibara Yasumasa himself shouted, "The young general of Edo is here! Who dares to fight me to the death!" and charged into the battle.

Ieyasu closed his eyes, silently murmured "Koheita," a tear rolled down his cheek, and turned his horse to retreat. His personal guards followed closely behind; there was truly no other way.

With the Western Army sweeping in and the Eastern Army disintegrating in stages, what else is there to fight for?

With the departure of the Tokugawa hatamoto, the army led by Amago Watanabe quickly devoured the remaining Tokugawa troops. Countless people flocked to "Tokugawa Ieyasu," attempting to seize this priceless treasure, which could very well make the slayer the head of a lord of a province and a castle.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, however, fought with increasing ferocity, brandishing his sword and spear with blood and tears streaming down his face, almost risking his life in the process.

Chapter 659 Scattered Escape and Death of Xinzhong

To be fair, Tokugawa Ieyasu was indeed a fierce man. In his early years, he could have been like Oda Nobunaga, leading his guards and charging into battle.

Back when Tokugawa Ieyasu was still known as Matsudaira Motoyasu, he was ordered by Imagawa Yoshimoto to rush to the aid of Owari Ōdaka Castle, supplying military provisions into the castle. Many elderly people from that time still vividly remember his heroic fighting.

Therefore, no one found anything wrong with his heroic figure charging into battle and fighting relentlessly. Besides, even a cornered beast will fight; having been defeated to this extent, he had no choice but to fight to the death to escape.

Since everyone knew that Tokugawa Ieyasu was the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Army, there was some hesitation about whether to kill or capture him. Perhaps General Kawamura Nagayoshi wanted to send Tokugawa Ieyasu to Kyoto to be beheaded as a warning? Killing him now would not deter more people.

However, Sakakibara Yasumasa was exhausted by this point in the battle, and he was pulled off his horse and handed over to Amago Katsuhisa for examination. Only then did Amago Katsuhisa realize that he had been tricked.

Who is this Tokugawa Ieyasu? This is his retainer, Sakakibara Yasumasa. I've encountered him several times during previous battles. Although he was also a general of the Tokugawa clan, Tokugawa Ieyasu managed to escape despite a fierce attack.

Watanabe Kanbei, who had come to see the scene with great excitement, was shocked to find it was not Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was utterly disappointed, but his soldiers were indeed too weak to fight any longer and could only lament their fate. He ordered the routed soldiers to be gathered and prepared for sale.

Where is the real Tokugawa Ieyasu? First, we went to Komakiyama and found battles raging on both the north and south sides, with the sounds of fighting filling the air. More importantly, the Yamagata clan's Hishiba banner also appeared in the ranks besieging Komakiyama.

As expected, Masamitsu Yamagata, that guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, became an inside agent for the Western Army.

What's done is done; what can Tokugawa Ieyasu do about it now? Since Yamagata Masamitsu has rebelled, Nagoya Castle is out of the question. Okazaki Castle, originally belonging to Tamaru Naomasa, was badly damaged and cannot be defended. Yoshida Castle is in slightly better condition, but it was also damaged in the previous major earthquake.

Hamamatsu Castle was utterly destroyed and is now a complete ruin. If they want to retreat, they can only defend Takatenjin Castle and Kakegawa Castle in Tōtōmi Province, but these two castles are not grand castles and cannot accommodate a large army. Ultimately, Tokugawa Ieyasu might even have to retreat to Sunpu Castle.

Masamitsu of Kaiyama Prefecture, north of Junfu, has already rebelled. Given the current situation, it is probably impossible to set up defenses along the sea route.

He had no time for cursing; leaving was the best option. Fleeing to Mikawa would at least secure some support. Although Mikawa was teeming with traitors who desperately wanted to wipe out the Ansei Matsudaira clan, Tokugawa Ieyasu's ancestry, he still had a considerable following due to his long-standing influence there.

With Ieyasu gone, Oda Nobushige, who had been trembling with fear on Mount Komaki, was no longer around. In terms of sheer numbers, the Komaki main camp boasted a formidable 25,000 cavalry. However, in terms of fighting strength, it was only about half that, roughly equivalent to a little over 10,000 men.

With their eyes bloodshot, Shiga Chikaji, Takahashi Shōun, and Tachibana Muneshige, along with Yamagata Masamitsu, who desperately needed a pledge of allegiance to ensure his successful defection, launched a fierce attack on Komakiyama Fortress.

The fighting power they unleashed greatly alarmed Oda Nobunaga on the mountain. He had previously thought, "If we hold firm, there will be a way!" But now he realized it would be better to beat the drums and descend the mountain as soon as possible to fight in the direction from which Yamagata Masamitsu was attacking.

Now trapped on the mountain, they are helpless, with the Western Army surrounding them on all sides, all vying to capture Oda Nobushige's head for a decisive victory.

Some wanted to make a name for themselves, some wanted to show off, some were trying to obtain the 450,000 koku of land in Shinano, and some just wanted not to be looked down upon.

The Owari hereditary leaders might have some reservations about killing Oda Nobushige, after all, he was the eldest son of Oda Nobutada and the grandson of Oda Nobunaga, the Tencho Myōjin. But the other factions didn't care, because Oda Nobutada had three sons, and even if they killed Oda Nobushige here today, Nobutada's bloodline would not be severed.

In a sense, Shichibei's decision to send Shiga Chikaji and the other two to launch a surprise attack on Komakiyama was somewhat suspicious.

It could be argued that this was a subconscious choice, since Nobutada and Shichibei had a past relationship, and Shichibei had even sided with Nobutada. It was only after Nobutada's death that this relationship was covered up.

When Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu chose to march on Kyoto, it was essentially a matter of negotiation, appeasement, and indulgence for others, but Oda Nobushige had to die.

Those who rise up in rebellion to seize power will not be spared, no matter where they are.

Shichibei was well aware of this; if Oda Nobushige won, Oda Katsuhoshi wouldn't fare any better. It wouldn't be surprising if he choked to death while drinking milk at home one day.

Generally speaking, when it comes to the point of armed conflict, everyone from infants to men barely clinging to life is subject to capture and execution. After all, the Japanese also read history books and are well aware of Sima Yi's usurpation of the Wei dynasty at the age of seventy.

Saji Kazunari, who was guarding Oda Nobushige, looked at the Western Army attacking the mountain from all sides and the Eastern Army retreating backward with their flags and weapons hanging upside down. He knew that things were not going to go well and that things were probably going to turn bad.

Right now, their options are either to flee back to Shinano or retreat by sea to Kanto; both are essentially a desperate struggle. But even ants try to survive, so how could they possibly give up now?

How to do?

He knocked down the Yongle Tongbao horse emblem inherited from Oda Nobunaga and Nobutada, removed all items decorated with Oda quiver patterns, put on the ashigaru's goshogi guzu, mingled in the battle, and charged down Komaki Mountain.

Whether they could escape was unknown, but being trapped on the mountain meant certain death, while rushing down the mountain offered a slim chance of escape. Furthermore, Saji Kazunari had his younger brother, Kumanojo, wear Oda Nobushige's armor and be protected by some of Oda Makai's men.

To put it bluntly, it's about having your younger brother die in your place when necessary. George Kumanojo was also a grandson of the Oda clan, and his mother was Nobunaga's sister.

They were all young men in their early teens, and even bore some resemblance in appearance. As a subject, one must be aware of this at such times.

Mixed in with the throng of people rushing about, Kazunari Saji fled without even notifying his other colleagues, including Tadamasa, the chief retainer of the Oda Nobushige family.

The ruler and his subjects are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately.

By this point in the battle, defeat was inevitable. Even Yamagata Masamitsu, who was guarding the rear, had rebelled. What was there left to hold on to? It came quickly, and it was defeated just as quickly.

Everyone anticipated a protracted war involving probing, conflict, and infiltration between the two sides, lasting at least one or two months. However, the Eastern Army lost most of its resources after just one large-scale offensive, which is truly baffling.

The Great Ming God had suffered such crushing defeats before, losing everything at Kanesaki, suffering a major defeat at Mikatagahara, and failing to conquer Ishiyama after ten years of effort. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers died with each casualty.

During the Battle of Tennoji, Oda Nobunaga nearly lost three of his generals: Kawamura Nagayoshi, Mori Yoshinari, and Akechi Mitsuhide. However, he miraculously recovered and continued his conquests.

But the battle before us is not like that. It looks like we're about to collapse after a single defeat. Times have really changed.

The western army, attacking Komakiyama from both the north and south, could now see the enemy troops on Komakiyama running around like headless flies. In later generations, Komakiyama would be a park filled with lush pines and cypresses; at that time, it was a completely barren fortress.

The entire mountain was previously developed by Nobunaga into Komakiyama Castle, but it was later abandoned, and its materials were sent to Gifu Castle. The mountain was beginning to show signs of recovery. It was used as pasture for Kawamura-ya, where farmhouses and stables were built. The vegetation, which hadn't grown for many years, was all cut down and used to make wooden fences when the Eastern Army arrived.

That's exactly what it means to see things clearly from top to bottom.

When the Yongle Tongbao horse emblem at the main camp on the mountaintop was felled, the generals of the Western Army knew that Oda Nobushige was about to flee. They even worried that all their previous efforts would be in vain, and they would end up with nothing. The generals of Nobushige's army lamented that the great cause was lost, and that their commander had actually run away first.

There was no other way. Surrounded on all sides, and with more and more Western troops pouring in, the defeat of the Eastern army was inevitable. If they didn't leave now, they wouldn't be able to escape later.

However, once Oda Nobushige left, the Eastern Army forces fighting the Western Army on and around the mountain immediately lost all morale. Once their spirits were broken, even if they had ten parts of courage and strength, they could only use one or two parts of it.

With the generals of the Eastern Army collapsing one after another, the Western Army, having no interest in taking the heads of these ordinary military commanders, blindly charged up the mountain, attempting to behead Oda Nobushige. The large horse emblem bearing the Yongle Tongbao coin had just fallen on the mountain, so Oda Nobushige must not have gone far.

Shouts of battle rose from all sides. Oda Nobushige, who had just reached the foot of the mountain, looked at the vast and densely packed Western Army, unable to break through to the left or right.

There was no other way but to have Saji Kumagawa reveal his identity and raise the quince-patterned banner to concentrate their firepower. This tactic proved to be very effective. Upon seeing "Oda Nobushige" dressed in Nanban tunic, the Western Army generals were overjoyed, abandoning their routed troops and rushing off.

There was no time to grieve for George Kumanojo, as Oda Nobushige finally broke through the encirclement and stormed into the plains.

The scene before them resembled the depths of hell. The disintegrating Eastern Army fled in disarray, most heading towards Nagoya Castle, while others, disoriented, ran wildly about.

The Western Army soldiers cheered and jumped for joy, either capturing prisoners or looting military supplies, while the elite warriors and public servants surrounded Komakiyama, trying to achieve a great feat.

Saji Kumanojo led a portion of Oda Gomakai's troops, charging left and right through the enemy lines, repeatedly harassing and attacking, greatly drawing the attention of the Western Army. To confirm ownership of the heads, the Western Army generals unanimously forbade the use of arquebuses and bows and arrows, and instead charged forward with their spears.

After a moment of silence, Oda Nobushige hugged his horse tightly and charged in the opposite direction towards Kiso Valley. This was also the advice Saji Kazunari had given him; returning to Shinano might not guarantee a comeback, but at least it would give him leverage in negotiations.

Perhaps this will save my life.

Out of respect for his former lord Oda Nobutada, even Kawamura Nagayoshi wouldn't dare to directly sentence Oda Nobushige to beheading, would he? If he did, Kawamura Nagayoshi's good reputation among the Owari hereditary officials would be severely damaged.

On the battlefield, swords have no eyes; once someone is killed, they are killed—there's nothing that can be done about it. Sentencing someone to beheading after they surrender might elicit a sense of shared loss from some.

"How is Yoshikawa's retainer?" The group had only run a kilometer or two north when they were scattered and lost, leaving only seven or eight people.

Just then, I saw a samurai with the Yoshikawa family crest on his body, leaning on his spear and looking around, trying to determine the direction. There were four or five men with him, who were obviously soldiers of the Yoshikawa family.

"My lord has gone south." Yoshikawa Motonaga had originally planned to regroup and launch a counterattack with Tokugawa Ieyasu, but he didn't expect Amago Katsuhisa to attack.

To be fair, when fighting the Tokugawa army, the Amago army might have been hesitant and timid after their seven or eight-kilometer march. But once they saw that it was Yoshikawa Motonaga, they launched a truly powerful attack.

Mori Kobayakawa and Yoshikawa, once they fell into the hands of the Amago family, were all doomed. Therefore, Kobayakawa Takakage and his son Nobuhira could only go along the Sunomata route, while Amago Katsuhisa was assigned by Shichibei to the Kanesan route.

"Ha..." George Kazunari could only sigh. Yoshikawa Motonaga had clearly given up on rebuilding and was running for his life.

"May I ask who Your Highness is?" The Yoshikawa samurai glanced at Saji Kazunari.

"I am Saji Ozura, Junior Assistant." Saji Kazunari no longer needed to pretend in front of Yoshikawa Jun.

"..." Yoshikawa mumbled something and bowed.

Since they're not going to run into Yoshikawa Motonaga, they might as well keep going. Oda Nobushige and Saji Kazunari don't need to drag these Yoshikawa samurai along; they'll definitely head back to their own territory in the Kanto region.

As Oda Nobushige cracked his whip and attempted to escape, the Yoshikawa samurai suddenly attacked, thrusting his spear straight at him on horseback. Caught off guard, Oda Nobushige was struck in the abdomen; although armor plates provided some protection, the spear still pierced through the armor.

The attack was so sudden that the seven or eight Oda soldiers on either side were completely dumbfounded. Meanwhile, the four or five samurai surrounding the Yoshikawa samurai each thrust their spears forward, instantly knocking the four or five men in front of them off their horses.

Before Saji Kazunari could even cry out or swing his sword, the Yoshikawa samurai had already sheathed his spear and thrust again. One thrust to the brow, a second to the heart, a third to the brow, a fourth to the heart—the Yoshikawa samurai's grip on the spear was incredibly steady, the spear moving with lightning speed. It pierced Saji Kazunari's neck, and despite the armor plates protecting him, it instantly struck Saji Kazunari's throat with a powerful blow.

Sachi Kazunari, writhing in excruciating pain and temporarily losing control of his throat, fainted on the spot and fell to the ground before he could even utter a sound.

The seven or eight elite horsemen turned back, and in a short time, the five Yoshikawa samurai had wiped them all out. After removing Oda Nobushige's mask, the Yoshikawa samurai confirmed that the man bore at least five or six points of resemblance to Oda Nobutada, and he was certain that his guess was correct.

After all, what foot soldier could ride such a tall horse? The simple and shabby Gokakujutsu and the brightly armored Oda Umawari on either side were completely out of place.

Who doesn't know that Kazunari Saji is one of Oda Nobutada's senior retainers and now Oda Nobushige's senior retainer? Who else could be guarding him but Oda Nobushige?

Oda Nobushige was still alive at this moment, and he tried to cover the blood gushing from his abdominal wound. He was terrified when he saw the Yoshikawa samurai approaching with a dagger.

However, the pain ended quickly. The knife pierced the neck, twisted the blood vessels, and within ten or twenty seconds at most, the bleeding body lost consciousness.

Oda Nobushige must be executed!