Owari Yumeki Golden Day

Perhaps this is exactly the effect Nobunaga wanted. Anyway, he can control it, so there is nothing wrong with letting his subordinates engage in healthy competition.

At this moment, Shibata Katsuie's brother-in-law Yoshida Jibei had also led his men to rush forward. Yoshida Jibei was also a person with a good story in Japan, but his fame was not as great as the other one.

Didn't Shibata Katsuie join the rebellion against Nobunaga in his early years? Although Nobunaga pardoned Shibata Katsuie after the war, Shibata Katsuie only had a few thousand stones of territory and was left on the sidelines for a long time.

At this time, Yoshida Jibei never left him and continued to serve Shibata Katsuie, so Shibata Katsuie betrothed his sister to him and also gave him one tenth of his territory as a reward.

The two men agreed that even if Shibata Katsuie became the lord of a country and a city and had a salary of one million stones, one tenth of it must belong to Yoshida Jibei.

After Katsuie transferred the fief of 750,000 koku to Kitasho, he fulfilled his promise and gave one tenth of the 75,000 koku fief to Yoshida Jibei. He also adopted Yoshida Jibei's son, Shibata Katsutoyo.

If Shibata Katsuie could have been active until the late Azuchi-Momoyama period, or if there was a capable person in the Shibata family who could have revive the Shibata family in the Edo period.

The story of the division of salary between the emperor and his ministers must involve the pair of Shibata Katsuie and Yoshida Jibei.

Having received such a great favor, how could Yoshida Jibei not work hard? He rushed to the city like a fly, even passing Yamanouchi Kazutoyo, shouting his own name, and followed the foot soldiers to knock on the city gate.

Tsk, the seven soldiers who were watching the battle at the foot of the city looked at the Duha people.

As for why Shichibei was at the gates of the castle, it was because Nobunaga had made a major overhaul of the military system, leaving him short of manpower. Therefore, he decided to use 200 of Kawamuraya's servants as arquebusiers to provide firepower support for Shibata Katsuie.

Nobunaga's main force of arquebusiers had to be split into several groups, with some supporting Tokugawa Ieyasu and others preparing to attack Wakasa. Shichibei was from the old Owari clan and was definitely assigned to Shibata Katsuie, who commanded the Owari clan.

Shichibei himself had to raise his cannon and fire at the enemy. Every soldier was precious now. There were 1,300 men inside the city, and only 4,000 to 5,000 outside. If there were ten, he'd surround them; if there were five, he'd attack; if there were twice as many, he'd divide them. Sun Tzu's Art of War says you need five times as many men to attack a city, and now there were only three. He had to bring everyone up.

The resistance within the city was resolute, and they also had ample cannons and bows. The Oda army surged forward like a wave, only to crash into the solid shore and shatter, tumbling down the mountain. The man's death was meaningless, as he tumbled down. Anyone who fell in this situation without timely medical attention was essentially dead.

The beating of drums below was getting more and more intense. The Asakura family had a territory of 750,000 koku. As long as they made meritorious deeds, they could divide the land and become a lord with a territorial sea of ​​1,000 or 10,000 koku. That was all possible.

When a man dies, the bird flies up to the sky, immortal for eternity. As long as you charge hard today and make achievements, you will have gold and knowledge.

In the blink of an eye, the city gate was knocked open, and Yoshida Jibei was the first to rush into the city, with a casualty rate of almost one for one with the people inside, and continued to squeeze into the city.

The castle commander, Terada Kaneko, was going crazy. How long had the battle lasted? An hour at most, and the gates were broken open. He'd only bought Asakura Kagehisa an hour. If anyone knew about this, his reputation would be ruined.

However, facing the superior and more elite Oda army, the Asakura army was still defeated. Even the castle commander Terada Saime Masato was captured. Upon inquiry, it was revealed that it was Yamanouchi Kazutoyo who had taken the man's life. As a result, Yamanouchi Kazutoyo's thigh armor was pierced, and a spear lodged in his leg, leaving him unable to stand.

Immediately, someone rushed towards Kanezaki Castle, carrying Terada Saionomasa's head on a spear. By this time, the siege and defense of Kanezaki Castle had reached a fever pitch. Under the command of the hatamoto generals, the Tokugawa army was surging with a desperate siege. Under such a fierce attack, the castle commander, Asakura Kagetsugu, was also nervous.

At this rate of depletion, Kanezaki Castle would hold out for only three to five days. Not only would the city fall, but the main force of the Tsuruga clan would also be completely annihilated. By then, the Tsuruga and Asakura clans would be completely destroyed, and their chance to establish themselves and revive in the Japanese Warring States period would be lost.

Just at this moment, someone brought the head of Terada Sainomasa, the lord of Tentsuzan Castle, and Asakura Kagetsugu took advantage of the situation and said that they could temporarily cease fighting and hold peace talks.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had been shouting so loudly at the foot of Odani Castle, was actually terrified. The attack on Kanezaki Castle had already cost the Tokugawa army around 400 dead, with an equal number wounded. The Tokugawa army was already on the verge of losing its combat effectiveness, and it would be difficult to mount another siege like today's tomorrow.

Asakura Kagetsugu was afraid that he would die first, so he proposed to Ieyasu that all the soldiers from the castle lord down should withdraw from the city and hand over the city to the Tokugawa army, and the Tokugawa family would guarantee the safety of the Asakura army.

Ieyasu refused on the surface, but only after the other party promised that they would not take away any gold and rice from the warehouse did he "reluctantly" agree. Asakura Kagehisa immediately retreated from the city.

In one day, the Asakura army's defense line in western Echizen was defeated. Nobunaga was so happy that he danced directly in the main camp of Myokenji Temple, and even sang a song with the court officials Hino Terusuke and Askai Masatoshi to commemorate the event.

It is indeed worth celebrating. Tsuruga County was conquered in one day. If the war continues at this pace, Wakasa and Echizen will fall into Nobunaga's pocket within this month.

Nobunaga was in high spirits and ordered Shichibei to complete the sorting and registration of Kanezaki Port Town as soon as possible. The agent would definitely assign Shichibei to do it, but Shichibei had to help Nobunaga collect some money from the local area, as per the old rules.

Nobunaga still owes Shichibei 50,000 kan. Last time, he could only pay the interest by selling junk. Now, if he wants to pay off the debt, he has to find a way to collect the danqian, doubetsuqian, and yaqian from Echizen and Wakasa.

So Shichibei left Nobunaga's main force, entered the port of Kanezaki, began to restore order, and summoned many big merchants and ship captains of the northern trade in the port.

Nobunaga, the leader of the main force, left behind a small number of troops for vigilance and defense, while the main force passed through the mountain road between Tsuruga Kohira and Echizen Fuchu Plain, preparing to attack Ichijodani.

"Boss, boss, something terrible has happened, something terrible has happened!"

Shichibei, who was registering people in Kanazaki Town, suddenly saw Noda Sanbei running in in a panic. He was so scared that he dropped his pen.

"What!" As soon as his hand stopped, Shichibei's heartbeat suddenly accelerated for no reason.

"No one in Jiangnan bought salt. The salt flowed into Jiangbei and into the Kamablade Castle in Jiangbei!" Noda Sanbei's answer was shocking.

193. Rebellion and Treason Are Not Just One Person

Hori Hidemura!

Why does Hori Hidemura do that?

Shichibei didn't even pick up the pen he had dropped. He threw down his notebook and wondered where Hori Hidemura was right now. Was he following Asai Nagamasa, trailing behind Nobunaga?

"Not good!" Takenaka Hanbei, who followed behind Shichibei to join the expedition, and as the "chief secretary" of the rear team in a sense, also thought of Hori Hidemura's location.

Nobunaga's original intention was that Asai Nagamasa was now close to him, and many of Nobunaga's troops were assigned to the command of Sakuma Nobumori, Shibata Katsuie and others, and the iron cannon foot soldiers were also sent out to strengthen the various teams. Therefore, he asked Nagamasa to guard his own retreat to prevent any accidents.

As a result, the accident happened to Asai Nagamasa!

"Who is the castle lord of Kamahara Castle now?" Shichibei immediately pulled up Noda Sanbei. Since they were stockpiling salt and food, they were prepared to defend the city to the death.

Hori Hidemura himself was in Asai Nagamasa's team, and he also had no son.

"Higuchi Saburobei." After investigating in southern Omi and finding no problems, Noda Sanbei went to the north of the river.

After a long visit, they quickly learned that Kamahara Castle was making various preparations for its defense. Since Nobunaga's order to dispatch troops had spread throughout Kinai, the market reaction to large-scale military procurements was muted. However, Shichibei, then in Kyoto, was making large-scale purchases of saltpeter and sulfur, which was truly eye-catching.

After obtaining a clue from Imahama, Noda Sanbei rushed to Kamaba Castle. As a key point in Sakata County in the north of the river, Kamaba Castle already had a small stable owned by Kawamura. This was convenient for changing horses or feeding them mid-journey. Therefore, Noda Sanbei, under the guise of being ordered by Shichibei to inquire about the number of horses present and the amount of horse feed in the stable, took up residence at the foot of the castle.

Last year, Hori Hidemura and Higuchi Naofusa led their troops to Okouchi Castle to fight as Nobunaga's vanguard. Naturally, there was no strong anti-Oda atmosphere under the castle. The news that salt was being transported into the city was made clear by spending only a hundred or so coins and treating the Hori family warriors in the town to a big drink.

"What a thief!" Shichibei never expected that the trouble would be caused by this guy.

It had actually been predicted long ago that after Asai Nagamasa had gained a legitimate cause, he would begin to reorganize Jiangbei internally and try to achieve unification, which would lead to an uprising throughout Jiangbei.

Seeing that no uprising had occurred, Shichibei was still puzzled as to why the people of Jiangbei were so easy to talk to and were willing to be Asai Nagamasa's lackeys.

Surprisingly, this matter finally exploded, and it was Nobunaga's Echizen strategy that was exposed.

"Hanbei, Katsubei, please reorganize your troops at Kanezaki, abandon all baggage, and only carry cattle and horses. If you encounter our lord's troops, hand over all the healthy horses." Shichibei immediately gave orders to Takenaka Shigeharu and Aochi Shigetsuna.

"What about you?" Aochi Shigetsuna, who had already rushed over, immediately nodded in response.

"I will report this news to the lord. Our mission is about to be accomplished but failed..." At this point, if I send a random soldier to our camp, who knows if it is a false report.

Only if Shichibei, a senior official of the direct military commission, personally went to the main force and informed Oda Nobunaga of this matter, would Nobunaga immediately believe it and make arrangements.

Some people may not understand, so let me repeat it again, Tsuruga County is a small plain by the sea. If you want to enter the Echizen Fuchu Great Plain, you need to pass through the mountain passage between Tsuruga County and Nanjo County.

The highest point of the Hawafu Mountains is 762 meters, and there are peaks of 600 to 700 meters. After leaving Kanezaki Castle and crossing Koshi-no-Saka, there are the natural dangers of Momo-Toge Pass and Yamanaka-daira behind.

Once trapped in such a passage, there would be absolutely no hope. Forget about a brute force attack. Even if a large army were sent to block both the front and back entrances and trapped for three to five days, the trapped Oda army would likely die of thirst and starvation. If they were to set the mountain on fire, the entire Oda clan would be doomed.

By the way, the daimyo such as Tokugawa, Asai, Matsunaga, Ikeda and others will all be killed, and even the court officials will be wiped out.

Until 1925, the 14th year of the Taisho era, Japan had not yet completed the railway across Yamanakadaira to connect with Tsuruga.

This became a persistent problem, leading to a long-standing rivalry between the Hokuriku Shinkansen and the Kinai Shinkansen. This was because the National Railways failed to achieve this when they were a unified team, and then the two companies were dismantled, leaving behind a host of historical issues.

Since they had received the order, Takenaka Hanbei and Aochi Shigetsuna said nothing more and immediately turned to gather the small pack wagons at the rear. Meanwhile, Tsuchida Yoshikiyo and Ota Ushiichi took their horses, along with Noda Sanbei, and with three horses each, they headed towards Oda Nobunaga's main force, which was advancing through the mountains of Hawafushi.

Looking at the sky, it was already around 2 or 3 p.m. Nobunaga must have already stopped his troops and set up camp, right among the mountains. If they stayed around the Kome Pass, it would be a real nuisance.

He whipped the horse repeatedly, but regretted that it wasn't fast enough.

At this time, Nobunaga had indeed set up camp. Because the army could not cross the Yamanaka Pass, break into the Fuchu Plain, and attack Fuchu Castle before dark today, Nobunaga decided to set up camp on a few slopes.

The Oda army captured Tsuruga County within a day. At this time, the Asakura family must have been terrified, and Asakura Yoshikage probably didn't even have the thought of resisting.

Perhaps there was no need to attack Fuchu Castle; all they needed to do was to mobilize their entire army and directly surround Ichijodani Castle. Ichijodani was a large castle. According to court nobles who accompanied the army, the entire fortress stretched from the top of the mountain to the foot, encompassing a vast expanse of buildings. Managed by the Asakura clan for five generations, the castle town had a population of tens of thousands. Even with a full mobilization of 20,000 men defending the castle, Nobunaga's limited force wouldn't have been able to completely encircle it.

oh……

Nobunaga had known about this before, but he was not afraid of the siege. Originally, he promised whoever captured the Jodani would receive 100,000 koku of land, including the city, so he would see if anyone would put in a desperate effort to attack the city.

Territory and other things were meant to be used to reward the samurai groups under their command. With the rewards in place, the Oda family's retainers and generals could continuously expand the samurai groups, strengthen their combat effectiveness, and help Nobunaga conquer the world.

But no matter how they moved, no matter how they fought, the normal process had to be followed. Nobunaga summoned the generals of each team and brought them to the main camp headquarters before dark to discuss the subsequent battle plan.

Tokugawa Ieyasu fought hard to capture Kanegasaki Castle, but suffered 900 casualties. For a reserve force of 5,000 men, 900 casualties would basically make them lose their will to fight.

However, this also made Tokugawa Ieyasu show off in the Oda family. The younger brother Mikawa was indeed brave and dared to fight.

By taking down Kanezaki Castle, Tokugawa Ieyasu had repaid Nobunaga for his help in securing an official position and granting him the Yakata name. In this battle, Tokugawa Ieyasu didn't need to put in much effort and could wait a little longer.

More importantly, the Owari clan had to be given some room to perform. Shibata Katsuie had already said that you had to fight for the city and kill people, and only by killing so many people could you achieve great merit and be rewarded by Nobunaga with the title of Zhixing.

Whether attacking Fuchu Castle or Ichijodani Castle, the main force must be the samurai from Owari. The Ichiban spear, Ichiban sho, and Ichiban capital must be obtained by samurai from Owari.

They were all quick-witted, and no one was arguing at this point. Ikeda Katsumasa and Matsunaga Hisahide, who had come to support Nobunaga, seemed more like they were there to bolster Nobunaga's prestige, not to actually charge forward. Everyone bowed, "Shibata Katsuie, please go first, or Niwa Nagahide could go first, or you old Owari, go first."

"My lord, Kawamura Shichibei of the small cargo team requests an audience!"

The meeting was almost over, and it had been decided that the Owari would lead the attack. As it was getting dark, it was time for everyone to disperse. Nobunaga had already spoken the words of disbandment, and even Shichibei, who was outside the shogunate tent, heard them clearly.

"Nanabe?" Nobunaga wondered why Nanabe came to the front line instead of collecting money from Tobetsu for him in Kanezaki Castle.

"My lord, my lord, something terrible has happened. The lord of Jiangbei Scythe Castle, Hori Hidemura, is rebelling!" Shichibei opened the curtain and rushed in, almost sliding to his knees in front of Nobunaga.

"Treason!" Nobunaga's expression suddenly changed.

The generals on both sides were also extremely surprised. Some of them looked directly at Asai Nagamasa, and Nobunaga's two younger brothers even took out Nobunaga's katana.

"That's right, the sickle city secretly stockpiled salt and military supplies." Treason doesn't require 100% certainty. If there is 50% evidence, it must be judged as a real treason.

"Shinkuro..." The person who came to report was Shichibei, but the rebel he reported was a fellow countryman under the command of his brother-in-law. Nobunaga was just suspicious and not very sure.

“…” The news was so shocking that Asai Nagamasa didn’t know how to respond for a moment.

At this moment, everyone, including Tokugawa Ieyasu, Matsunaga Hisahide, and Ikeda Katsumasa, subconsciously stood next to Nobunaga, leaving a large space next to Asai Nagamasa.

"Shinkuro, what do you have to say?" Nobunaga had experienced too much betrayal and rebellion in his life. He had seen all kinds of rebellion, so he quickly calmed down.

"This matter, this matter..." After all, Asai Nagamasa was a little bit inferior and his ability was not as good as Nobunaga.

The news came too suddenly and was too explosive. Asai Nagamasa was really inexperienced, his head was dizzy and he couldn't even organize his words.

"Not good!" At this time, the entire shogunate was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, it was a little scary, and outside the shogunate came the sound of commotion and chaos.

As the commander of the army, Sakuma Nobumori, who could supervise the entire army on behalf of Nobunaga when necessary, was more careful. When he heard the noise, he immediately grabbed Nobunaga.

"Where is it?" Nobunaga's heart started beating again, and he immediately looked around.

When the troops stopped camping in the afternoon, each unit's campsite was clearly divided. Sakuma Nobumori, acting as the commander of the camp, had assigned the positions to the generals. Although it was dark, campfires were still visible everywhere.

"There are two places! No, three!" Sakuma Nobumori immediately checked and was horrified.

It wasn't just Hori Hidemura who rebelled, there were others as well!

"There is one in the Kodani team, one outside the pass, and one by Kiyosu Nagai Hayato..." When Sakuma Nobumori said this, his voice trembled unconsciously.

Who the hell could have thought that Saito Ryuoki would also rebel!

"..." Shichibei only heard Nobunaga mumbling angrily.

"Brother, go first. Even if I die in the wild, I will sacrifice my life to stop the enemy." At this moment, Asai Nagamasa finally reacted and immediately knelt on one knee to express his loyalty to Nobunaga.

"I am also willing to be the rear guard!" Hideyoshi reacted quickly and immediately expressed his willingness to stay behind to cover the rear.

At this time, the two groups of troops scattered within the Oda army, Nagai Michitoshi, seemed to be leading a fierce attack on Nobunaga's main camp, while Hori Hidemura did not immediately attack Nobunaga's main camp, and seemed to be attacking Asai Nagamasa's main force. As for the troops outside the pass, they must be the Asakura army, trying to break into the Oda army.

"We can't hesitate any longer, my lord." Shichibei quickly grabbed Nobunaga's hand and was about to drag him away.

He must not be blocked in this mountain road. If he is blocked in the mountains, Nobunaga will not only be in a narrow escape from death, but will be dead for sure.

"Shinkuro, I'll leave it to you then." Nobunaga, holding Shichibei's hand, looked back at Asai Nagamasa and finally chose to trust his good brother.

Nobunaga then ordered Asai Nagamasa to defend the main camp, Ikeda Katsumasa to block the front of the Asakura army, and Hideyoshi to serve as the second intercepting force. All of Nobunaga's main force's iron cannons and foot soldiers were given to Hideyoshi. Akechi Mitsuhide was to serve as Nobunaga's shadowmusha, as he was tall and handsome, and could wear Nobunaga's armor.

There's no need to stay in the main camp. Instead, take the road north of the river and head towards Xiaogu Castle. Lure out any pursuers and chase them towards Xiaogu Castle.

As for Nobunaga himself, he chose to take the route from Tsuruga to Kuchikidani, returning to Kyoto first, and then trying to return to Gifu Castle after the situation stabilized.

Hideyoshi ran out after Nobunaga and helped him onto his horse. Shichibei patted him and urged him to return to Gifu Castle alive. Hideyoshi pursed his lips, looked at Nobunaga who had already run out, and nodded solemnly.

The Oda army teams immediately disbanded and rushed out of the mountain in order to avoid being stuck on the mountain road.

In addition to Shichibei saying goodbye to Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu also stopped and offered to give all his cannons and ammunition to Hideyoshi, and told Hideyoshi to take care.

Mitsuhide, with the help of his attendants, immediately put on the armor that Nobunaga had just taken off and left behind in the main camp. As expected, the two men had the same build, and the armor fit them perfectly.

Nobunaga's horse emblem, flag, and even his chariot were all left to Mitsuhide. True to his loyalty, Mitsuhide allowed Nobunaga to run for a bit. He then led a few dozen followers and, under Nobunaga's banner, launched a counterattack in the direction of Nagai Michiri's attack. This served to stabilize the fighting army and to inform Nagai Michiri that Nobunaga was there.

In order to buy time for Nobunaga, the enemy must at least see Nobunaga's figure so as to lure the enemy to chase him.

Shichibei, however, didn't see what happened to Asai Nagamasa. After saying goodbye to Hideyoshi, Shichibei mounted his horse and rushed out. The mountain path was becoming chaotic, and if he didn't leave now, he might not be able to escape.

The shouts and cries of killing were endless behind them. People were waiting until dark. The Oda army teams were either making fires to cook or lying down to rest after eating. The situation was unclear. In the chaos, no one knew how many people would die.

194. It’s really hard to escape from the tiger’s mouth