Owari Yumeki Golden Day

"I understand." Nobunaga nodded, which meant he agreed to the answer.

Originally, he had just whipped his horse whip and set off with his horse and foot soldiers. As for the rest of the people, who would not be able to start an army without mobilization?

With even the Mikawa people here, it was clear they were going to hold a pre-war military meeting. As soon as Ishikawa Ienari had his retainers collect their rice, he sat down inside the shogunate, awaiting Nobunaga's orders.

However, Nobunaga was not in a hurry to attack the castle. Instead, he ordered the generals who had already arrived at Inoguchi to dispatch their troops to occupy the hills and highlands around Inabayama Castle, as well as important buildings, to completely surround the entire castle, so as to prevent Saito Tatsuoki and his core retainers from escaping and leaving behind trouble.

Ishikawa Ienari, who had finally arrived from Mikawa, was quite straightforward. Seeing that Nobunaga had not deployed a reserve force, he thought that Nobunaga was too embarrassed to speak up and wanted him to speak up. However, as soon as he opened his mouth, Nobunaga signaled him not to rush and let the soldiers rest for a day before speaking.

In fact, most of the people present have already guessed who Nobunaga wants to go first. It must be the Nishi Mino Three.

Speak of the devil, and he will appear. Murai Sadakatsu and Shimada Hidemitsu arrived at the camp with fifteen hostages. The hostages from the three families greeted Nobunaga one by one. Nobunaga said nothing, simply telling them to stay in Komakiyama Castle and not to make things difficult for them.

After Murai and Shimada sat down, Nobunaga naturally asked when the Nishimino Trio would arrive. Five thousand five hundred soldiers were enough to launch several full-scale attacks on Inabayama Castle.

After surrendering and switching sides, it would be unacceptable not to pay a tribute.

What's the best token of loyalty? Of course, Inabayama Castle and Saito Tatsuoki's head. There's no particular priority; even if a random soldier cuts off Tatsuoki's head, Nobunaga will definitely reward him with a 500- or 1,000-kan reward.

Killing Long Xing is the only way to eliminate future troubles. The Mino Saito clan has been around for three generations. If they continue to operate for another one or two generations, the country will be in danger and the people will be attached to it. It cannot be taken lightly.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Nobunaga also praised Shichibei, saying that Shichibei was very conscientious in his work at the post station. After all, it doesn't cost money to praise, so why not praise him?

After the meeting, Hideyoshi, who came over from Sunomata, said that Shichibei was very lucky and was appreciated by his lord.

Hey, how can I compare my appreciation to yours? Ever since Hideyoshi took on the role of commander of the Nishi-Minoh factions, his forces have rapidly expanded to 1,200 men. They're all from the Hosuka and Tsubouchi factions, as well as other small-time Nishi-Minoh tycoons.

A few years ago, Hideyoshi was still a peasant without a proper title, but now he is a general commanding 1,200 men. This kind of recognition is unprecedented in the Oda clan.

It’s better to distribute our military rations and rice properly.

The Nishimino Trio were surprised by Nobunaga's speed. They had thought it would take several days for the "proper" troops to be dispatched, but they never expected Nobunaga to not wait even a moment. Shichibei also couldn't quite understand why Nobunaga launched his army as soon as he heard that the three families had sent hostages.

After the 5,500 people from the three families arrived, they met Nobunaga very respectfully and calmly accepted the task of attacking the city first. Nobunaga naturally held a banquet to entertain them.

Then go attack the city!

"Nanabe, how many days' worth of rice have been allocated to the Mikawa troops?" Nobunaga moved his main force to Mount Zuiryuji, and Nanabe had to move with him.

"Five days' supply." They walked in a hurry, as the military rations and rice behind them were being transported forward.

"We can't take Inabayama in five days." Nobunaga looked at Inabayama Castle a little further away and watched the three men from Nishi Mino attacking the city from afar.

"I will continue to distribute them." After all, Inabayama is known as an impenetrable fortress.

I don’t know whether the gatekeeper who was bribed by Takenaka Hanbei showed up or not, but he did give him 250 shikan (approximately 250 taels of silver) to Shichibei.

"Come and take a look too." Nobunaga called Shichibei to his side.

"I don't know how to attack a city..." Shichibei took off his hat and tucked it under his arm, unable to understand what was going on.

"Think about it, is there any way to trick them out of the city?" Nobunaga certainly knew that Shichibei was not good at fighting, but it was still possible to ask him about luring tactics.

"Well." He suddenly asked me this, how would I know?

After watching the Seino clan's siege for a day, Nobunaga probably had some idea. Even though Ryūshū's power had completely collapsed, there were still a thousand or so men inside Inabayama Castle.

Consider Nagashino Castle, where 500 men held off Takeda's 10,000-strong assault for nearly two weeks. Inabayama Castle, with more soldiers and a stronger fortress, might have been able to hold off Nobunaga for a month or so.

It is certainly possible to continue attacking, but Nobunaga has just conquered the Seino clan and it is time to flex his muscles, so he still wants to quickly capture Inabayama and intimidate and subdue this group of people.

The sooner we take it down, the easier it will be to make these people obey.

"Think about it carefully. If you figure it out, I'll give you a great achievement." Nobunaga first offered a price. If he could trick Long Xing's five hundred men out and kill them, Inabayama Castle would not even have enough people to guard the gate.

Isn’t it the first merit? The 500 strings of cash reward is reasonable and appropriate.

"Hmm..." He looked at the Xinong people whose shouts were louder than the cries of killing.

Looking at the Oda army distributed on the hills around Inabayama, as well as Nobunaga himself, Shichibei seemed to have grasped a clue.

Nobunaga glanced at the siege area, then at his feet, and saw nothing amiss. The Seino clan had been diligent in their assault, not merely performing a show. Inabayama's construction was truly remarkable, with Dosan and Yoshitatsu managing it for generations. It was no exaggeration.

Nobunaga didn't know what Shichibei wanted him to do.

84. Nobunaga uses himself as bait

What were your thoughts before the surprise attack on Okehazama?

Shichibei knew that when it came to business, Nobunaga wasn't particularly bothered by things like digging up old scores, intruding on hierarchy, or prying into past affairs of his superiors. As long as the conversation got to the point, it was fine.

However, this was only limited to this period. After Nobunaga entered Kyoto and gained the momentum to dominate the world, he was no longer willing to have such "equal" conversations.

For example, during the Oda army's invasion of Echizen, Nobunaga held a military meeting where he criticized Sakuma Nobumori for not putting in enough effort and not fighting as well as others. Sakuma Nobumori burst into tears during the meeting, cursing that Nobunaga, possessing such a first-rate samurai vassal, was still unsatisfied.

Even if you despise us today, you won’t be able to find such hardworking and loyal samurai retainers even if you search all over Japan tomorrow.

After Nobunaga heard Sakuma Nobumori's sobbing, he was about to lose his temper. His retainers, perhaps sympathetic to his feelings, came forward to try to dissuade him.

If Shichibei were there, he'd probably have offered some advice. After all, Nobunaga set very strict KPIs for his work. If you hit them this time, they might increase the pressure even more next time. The pressure was intense, the rewards were generous, but the punishments were also harsh.

In a sense, it was not wrong for Sakuma Nobumori to cry or "scold" Nobunaga.

Of course, Nobunaga hadn't reached that point yet, so he just had to say what he needed to say. After all, he was just a daimyo, not yet so extravagant as to decide the fate of the world. To form an alliance with the Takeda clan, he gave them his daughter and money. Later, to form an alliance with Uesugi Kenshin, he also wrote soft letters, offered horses, eagles, and gold.

Nobunaga naturally said that he just wanted to win at that time, and then Ida Hiromasa also found out that Imagawa Yoshimoto's main force had only 3,000 to 4,000 men. So he took a gamble, and everyone saw the result.

To put it bluntly, it's just a gamble, all in.

So, would Saito Ryūoki take a gamble now? Would he go all-in? Shichibei sat down next to Nobunaga, questioning him.

"But his troops are weak." Nobunaga was also certain that his good cousin would want to launch a surprise attack, but he was short of troops.

If I had known earlier, I would not have come to burn Inokuchi Town. I should have asked Longxing to bring more people and be braver. Who knows, they might have launched a surprise attack on Nobunaga by now, and then been surrounded and eaten by Nobunaga.

"It would be fine if Your Highness were weaker." Shichibei said very calmly.

"How is it weak?" Nobunaga did not ask about the danger implied by this answer, but only asked how it was done.

Nobunaga is indeed being very reckless at this moment.

"The Seino people have been attacking the city for several days but have not been able to take it. It is reasonable for Your Highness to send the Umakai people and the Ashigaru people to attack the city." Shichibei pointed at the Seino people who were attacking the city.

There are two prerequisites: one is that the Seino clan failed to capture Inabayama Castle, and the other is that Nobunaga hopes to quickly capture the city and show off his muscle in front of the Mino provincial leaders.

So, directly, after the failure of the Seino siege, Nobunaga sent his elite standing army to attack the city. Of course, this would cause losses to Nobunaga's direct forces, but if it could quickly break through Inabayama, it would be worth it.

This is not like Takeda Katsuyori, who, in order to show off his superiority over his father, led the Takeda clan's direct foot soldiers to attack Takatenjin Castle. In the end, Takatenjin Castle was captured, but the Takeda clan's direct forces suffered heavy losses, and the new territory they gained in Totomi was not enough to compensate for the losses.

When it comes to war, it depends on whether it is cost-effective.

Sacrificing hundreds of standing ashigaru for Takatenjin would be sheer madness. But sacrificing two hundred standing ashigaru for Inabayama would be completely worth it. After all, once Inabayama fell, Mino's resistance would completely crumble, making Nobunaga's rule over the entire Mino region inevitable.

After explaining the preconditions, the subsequent inferences are very logical. Nobunaga sent half of his standing army to attack the city, leaving only 1,000 or 2,000 standing troops with him.

If you were Long Xing, would you take a gamble tonight?

At this point, I'm not really discussing the art of war or military strategy. I'm primarily discussing the psychology of a gambler, and whether he'll go all-in.

The point is, the so-called standing siege army was just a hypothesis. Nobunaga picked up someone at random, used his own banner to attack the city, and then reduced the number of his own main camp's banners by half, deliberately luring Long Xing.

As long as Long Xing is a gambler and is willing to take a chance, he may be able to leave the city.

After leaving the city? That's your business, Nobunaga. I, Kawamura Shichibei, will not kill anyone.

This wouldn't harm Nobunaga's elite main force, allowing the rest of the reserve to attack the city under his banner. Whether the battle succeeded or failed, the casualties were all minor soldiers. As we've discussed before, minor soldiers were even less powerful than foot soldiers. The number of these casualties didn't matter; if they died more, they could actually save a lot of post-battle rewards.

As for whether the miscellaneous soldiers can break through Inabayama?

Not to mention that this is almost impossible. If it is possible, it would be the best to break it. If Nobunaga gets Mino Province, can he still lack the territories of a few miscellaneous soldiers?

"So you're using me as bait." Nobunaga's tone didn't sound anxious; he was just considering the feasibility of this idea.

Anyway, for Long Xing, only Nobunaga's main force outside the city was a target worth attacking. With his own military strength, he could not sweep away the others.

This was a truly magnificent battle for Nobunaga. Besides the 20,000 troops from Owari and Nakano, there were also 5,500 from Seino and 2,000 from Mikawa. The total force was approaching 30,000, surrounding Inabayama Castle like an iron barrel.

Even if Long Xing launched a night raid outside the city and defeated any group of 3,000 to 5,000 men, it would be useless. Only by killing Nobunaga, or at least forcing Nobunaga's main force to retreat, would he have a chance of survival.

Except for Nobunaga, no one could mobilize Ryuxing, who had only a thousand soldiers left in the city.

"That's right!" Shichibei responded immediately.

Regarding the plan just mentioned, Nobunaga's main army of 3,000 regular soldiers remained unmoved, which was merely a pause. Honestly, with these 3,000 men, if they were faced with a motley crew of peasant conscripts, miscellaneous soldiers, and ronin, even if you had 10,000 men, it would be useless.

At the time of the meeting at Shotoku-ji Temple, Nobunaga had 500 cannons, and now our army has 1,000. You come with just 300 or 500 men, thinking you can deliver a thundering blow, but once you're bombarded by a thousand cannons, you'll realize how powerful they are.

"Let's do it." Nobunaga hesitated for a moment and then ordered the soldiers in his team to take down the flags and prepare to give them to other soldiers for use.

The only possible flaw is that the troops sent to attack the city are not strong enough to be Nobunaga's regular army. This requires finding someone who is willing to sacrifice himself to drive the soldiers under his command to fight hard.

Who is suitable to go?

Shichibei subconsciously said that Hideyoshi was suitable.

Upon hearing this, Nobunaga smiled, a meaningful smile, then came over and patted Shichibei on the shoulder, saying that Shichibei and Hideyoshi were truly a pair of "good friends."

Yes, Shichibei and Hideyoshi are real relatives, and their relationship is indeed pretty good. What does Nobunaga mean by this?

Without giving it much thought, Nobunaga sent for Hideyoshi. It's unnecessary to elaborate on Hideyoshi's zeal. Upon hearing the order, he rushed over like a flash. Following him, many other generals arrived. Nobunaga explained Shichibei's idea. Since Nobunaga's own troops hadn't moved, there was no objection.

Just give it a try. If you can get Longxing out, you will be successful.

Hideyoshi, however, had a different plan. He explained that he had recently met a samurai who was originally from the Horio family, a retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan. After the Iwakura clan fell, they fled to Mino and lived near Inabayama. Having lived there for a long time, he learned that there seemed to be a small trail on the back of Inabayama that could be climbed.

Therefore, Hideyoshi asked Nobunaga to allow him to immediately attack Inabayama from behind if Ryūshū was transferred out of the city and fighting began at Zuiryujiyama's main camp. Regardless of the situation at the main camp, he would send troops to attack Inabayama head-on to reduce the pressure on him to steal the city from the back mountain path.

At that time, we can attack Inabayama from both sides and it will not be difficult to break the city.

Oh! Nobunaga highly praised this strategy and said Hideyoshi had done a great job. If this strategy could be implemented, Hideyoshi would be the first to achieve success in the Battle of Inabayama.

After all, Inabayama Castle and Long Xing's heads were tied for first place. Whoever could obtain either of them would be the first merit of this time.

The meeting is over, let’s start preparing immediately.

"Brother, who is that samurai?" After the meeting, Shichibei immediately went to ask Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi was incredibly lucky to have met someone who knew the path to the back of Inabayama, and he even hired him. Otherwise, what about the Son of the Planes? There was also a great gift package of talent.

"Horio Yoshiharu, his father is Horio Yasuharu, the samurai general of the Iwakura family. Do you know him?" Hideyoshi directly announced the name.

"Oh... I don't know him." It turned out to be "Buddha's Heart Maozhu". If I had known this, I would have taken action first.

Why didn't I think of this when I accepted Takenaka Hanbei? What a pity. Horio Yoshiharu was also a figure. Among Hideyoshi's early retainers, there were not many who could reach the level of 120,000 koku.

In the end, none of the Four Heavenly Kings of Hashiba survived the Battle of Sekigahara. Among those who had a close relationship with Hideyoshi in the early days and were relatively loyal, only a handful of them lived long and had a good end.

"Okay, I'll get busy if you don't mind." Hideyoshi was indeed busy these two days because he had to disguise his troops as Nobunaga's regular foot soldiers.

And most likely it wasn't the Hosuka or Tsubouchi factions that killed them, but his own foot soldiers and retainers, who at most provided him with support. With just his few retainers and the thirty or so foot soldiers Nobunaga had assigned to him, they were bound to die.

Well, if you want to climb up, you have to step on the flesh and blood of others.

After two days of covert maneuvering, the Seino troops did contribute, but suffered over a hundred casualties, barely enough to justify their loyalty. Finally, their offensive power weakened, and they were replaced by the enraged Nobunaga.

Nobunaga's "standing foot soldiers" also came to the front of the city in preparation for the siege. In order to make it look more realistic, Nobunaga still provided support, 200 iron cannon foot soldiers.

They fired bullets at Inabayama Castle like they were free, until the barrels burned and they had to rest. Otherwise, the people in the castle might not believe that the attackers were Nobunaga's personal soldiers.

After being bombarded by 200 cannons, Long Xing finally confirmed that this was half of Nobunaga's main force.

From inside the city, he observed Nobunaga's main camp on Zuiryuji Mountain and noticed that half of Nobunaga's troops and flags were missing. That half was obviously just below the city walls. Although Nagai Michiri urged him to observe further, Long Xing could not wait any longer.

Because some people had already escaped from the city last night, and it was unknown whether they had surrendered to Nobunaga.

After being attacked so fiercely, the samurai knew that Inabayama Castle had no reinforcements. It would take a few days for the morale of the soldiers to waver, and they would eventually start to flee on a large scale.

Historically, after the Battle of Yamazaki, Akechi Mitsuhide originally planned to use Katsuryuji Castle to resist Hideyoshi's coalition forces for three to five days, so that he could escape back to Sakamoto Castle, recruit soldiers, and make a comeback.

As a result, the 700 soldiers of Katsuryuji Castle didn't defend the castle at all. Upon hearing that Mitsuhide had lost, they opened the gates and fled. Mitsuhide was even worried that if he entered the castle, his possessions would be taken and presented to Hideyoshi. So, he fled to Sakamoto with only three or five followers.

Since Long Xing had made up his mind, Nagai Michiri and Hineno Hiroshi didn't say anything more. They took a gamble and bet that they could replicate the Okehazama surprise attack.

The Oda clan's 28,000-man army was spread out across numerous isolated hills and strategic routes. For the Oda army, this might have been a very tight encirclement. But for the native Long Xing and his men, every one of them was a gap, a chance for him to slip through.

At night, Nobunaga sat upright in the main camp, closing his eyes to rest.

Seeing how calm he was, Shichibei didn't feel comfortable asking him if Long Xing would come tonight. However, Sasa Narimasa and Maeda Toshiie knelt beside Nobunaga like Dharma protectors, their spears polished to a gleam that afternoon beside them.

It wasn't a spear, but rather two sharp blades mounted on a wooden handle. The spear itself was nearly half the length of the spear shaft, and only a powerful warrior like Maeda Toshiie could wield such a weapon on the battlefield.

But after waiting for a long time, it was already past midnight, and Long Xing still hadn't appeared. Everything was extremely quiet, and the birds and animals were scared away by the army, so they couldn't call out even if they wanted to.

Just as he was half asleep, Shichibei suddenly heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. It was a gentle, yet slightly harsh sound. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw Sasa Narimasa and Maeda Toshiie, both fully armed and holding spears. Dozens of samurai foot soldiers stood on either side, ready for battle.

At the same time, his ears, having regained consciousness, heard a faint rustling noise. Then came the explosive command to fire. Hundreds of cannons exploded, and suddenly many figures appeared on the hillside.