Yashiro the Blind

Once the recruited leaders and soldiers arrived from all over Iga, and the necessary food and supplies were ready, Yashiro, with the help of Hatsume, changed into the "battle-damaged" armor given to him by Minami. After bidding farewell to the Tenji sisters, Mio, Tsuru, and others, he led the cobbled-together Iga troops straight to Yamato Tsutsui Castle.

This unit has about 800 men, but they claim to have 2,000... Actually, Yashiro initially wanted to report 5,000, but thinking that no one would believe that number, he lowered it to avoid embarrassment.

It's not that Yashiro wasn't concerned about the battle; it's just that the autumn harvest was approaching, and some troops had to be left behind to guard against neighbors robbing their grain. Although the Tsutsui family to the west was now an ally, and the Rokkaku family to the north had also contributed all their resources, almost everyone of note in Koga County had been conscripted, leaving them with no time to raid southwards. The only ones they needed to guard against were a few "old rivals" in Ise Province.

Clans like the Akahori, Sekishige, and Ise-Kobe clans have always considered the eastern Iga region their granary, seizing every opportunity to plunder. Back then, Momochi Tanba fought them to the death, with victories and defeats on both sides. Now, with Yashiro in charge, the morale of the Iga tribes is high, and they've repeatedly defeated these clans, leaving dozens of corpses behind and forcing them to flee in disarray.

But these guys were incredibly persistent. Even after suffering defeat after defeat, they would rush back as soon as they recovered a little strength, only to be beaten up again by Yashiro. They would lose again, come back again, and lose again, just like a piece of chewing gum, which annoyed the blind girl to no end.

Imagine the Hojo family looking at those big and small thugs from the Kanto region; they probably felt much the same way she did...

As for directly leading people into Ise, these families are all powerful clans with long histories and deeply entrenched kinship ties. Some are very close to the Kitabatake family, and some have even married daughters of the Rokkaku family. In name, it is a marriage alliance, but in fact it is equivalent to swearing allegiance to southern Omi.

If they were to attack and try to steal something, and were defeated by Yashiro and beaten badly, that would be understandable and no one would complain. But if Yashiro were to counterattack, he would be facing Rokkaku and Kitabatake, two proper Sengoku daimyo.

So Yashiro could only defend the border like he was playing a tower defense game, waiting for these Ise tycoons to "refresh" periodically like grunts in a game, and then personally lead his men to beat them back to their hometowns. Year after year, month after month, it became a routine...

Anyway, the other side can't cause any trouble.

However, this is the case with the blind girl personally overseeing things. At this time, she has to go on an expedition with the general and will not be able to return for a while. If the autumn harvest is taken advantage of by these few "stubborn" families and they steal a wave of grain, even if potatoes are provided as a safety net next year, people will not starve to death like in the past, but various matters, including the construction of the city, will inevitably be affected.

If possible, Yashiro naturally wanted to ensure the rice harvest as much as possible. Therefore, in addition to Kobe Konan, she also left several veteran leaders, such as Igazaki Michijun and Kosaka Jinnai, in Iga. Even if the Ise clans attacked together, with these people present, they should be able to keep them out of the country's borders...

Shouldn't it be possible?

The more she thought about it, the less confident she became. So, Yashiro simply put aside these distracting thoughts and focused solely on the upcoming battle—to be honest, this was her first time participating in a war with over ten thousand participants.

Rokkaku, Hatakeyama, Tsutsui, Yagyu, and her own Iga troops—the total number of soldiers was over 43,800, some in small groups and others in larger units. In this country, it was certainly a force to be reckoned with. It would be impossible for Yashiro not to be excited at all.

However, she remained calm and composed on the surface, appearing as if she had seen it all before, which earned her the admiration of the hundreds of Iga soldiers who followed her.

They already held the young new ruler in high esteem, and under the blind woman's management over the past few years, Iga had a strong sense of revitalization and prosperity. At least with the unified allocation of resources, daily life and the fight against invading enemy forces were much better than when the three ninjas had divided the country.

Therefore, the admiration of the crowd did not fade with time, but instead grew stronger. One or two of them showed a tendency to transform into a certain little monkey. Recently, she even heard that some people were thinking of building a divine bridge for her, so that when there was a battle, the blind girl could sit upright on it and be clearly seen by everyone near and far. It was said that this would better boost morale.

Upon hearing this news, Yashiro immediately dispatched Saiga Hotaru to stop those guys' wild ideas.

I may not know how to ride a horse, but I don't really want to become a "human shrine" like some Western thunder god. It's not just that I'd be easy to be used as a target for cannons and arrows; the main problem is that it would be too embarrassing!

Looking back, perhaps she should have sent someone else...

But since then, there have been no more related rumors, which means that even if she encounters something related to this, Saiga Hotaru can handle it reliably. She shouldn't have too many prejudices against this girl.

Should... I think so?

But this matter cannot be delayed indefinitely.

Yashiro couldn't ride a horse, but going to the battlefield required a means of transportation. Although she could ride in a palanquin like others, there were several types of palanquins in Japan. The most common type was actually a bamboo pole carrying a large basket, the same thing Hatsume rode in when she was little. Two people could carry it, but it was a painful experience to sit in, and it was also unsightly, so it was never considered by the blind girl in the first place.

If she wanted a traditional Chinese sedan chair carried by four people, technically it shouldn't be a problem. But this thing is actually not much more low-key than a "shrine." Just imagining hundreds or thousands of people staring at her made Yashiro's scalp tingle.

I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into the ground.

I really should find some time to learn horsemanship. It's just that I haven't had the time lately. I'll wait until this war is over... no, until the new castle in Ueno is built.

Anyway, she's not without free "coach" available now—

The weather was fine and the wind was gentle. Hundreds of people, some on horseback and some on foot, walked slowly through the mountains and fields in early July, closing their eyes to feel the breeze on their faces. The blind girl took a breath, but could not smell the so-called scent of war.

There's only one delicious smell...

The scent of the dragon prince.

Unlike the carefree and plain-faced Yashiro, Ryuko-sama actually has a delicate side. She likes to put on makeup and dress up like an ordinary girl, and she often chats with Mai and Naotora about cosmetics.

Last time, she asked someone to buy her a supposedly very good face powder from Sakai City. After trying it on, she even came to Yashiro to show it off.

"How is it? It looks great, right? Oh, I forgot you can't see it."

"You've been using this same joke for ten years, aren't you tired of it yet!"

"What burden?"

The same old burden for ten years, the same old Dragon Prince for ten years.

It is precisely because everything around them is constantly changing that this unchanging quality is all the more precious. However, at this moment, the scent that Yashiro smells is not the perfume from Sakai City, but rather... the aroma of miso soup.

Perhaps because he was preparing for his mission today, Ryuko was in a particularly good mood and had an exceptionally good appetite. He ate and drank half a pot of miso soup all by himself, and now he smelled like a walking block of white miso.

Smelling the aroma, Yashiro, who had just finished eating, couldn't help but feel sleepy again. She sat back on the horse, lazily yawned, and leaned back against the back of the Dragon Prince.

"Yashiro, your hair is getting in my eyes."

"Hoohoo."

"Your hair."

"call……"

"Aww."

Why are you biting my hair? Spit it out, spit it out—

"Chew, chew, chew."

"Stop, stop... no, stop talking!"

……

Chapter 413 The Insightful General

Ashikaga's move startled everyone.

Although he was known as the "Sword Master Shogun," Ashikaga Yoshiteru was more often perceived as a frustrated shogun who had fought wits and courage against Miyoshi Nagayoshi for a long time but had never been able to gain the upper hand.

Lacking sufficient troops—in other words, lacking a strong enough fist—he mainly relied on mediating conflicts between various factions and granting them guard positions cheaply or even for free to cultivate good relations with powerful daimyo, hoping that one day they would come to Kyoto to serve the emperor and help remove the obstacle of the Miyoshi clan…

Unfortunately, this wish was never fulfilled in the end.

Who can blame them when all the heroes of the world are either too busy to help themselves, like Uesugi Kenshin, or too weak and incompetent, like the Rokkaku father and son, or simply have wolfish ambitions, not as good as Miyoshi, but even worse than Nagayoshi, such as Oda Nobunaga from another timeline—how can the Muromachi Shogunate be revived with these “insects”?

As a result, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was humiliated and driven out of the capital, and even nearly lost his life.

Fortunately, he survived in the end... Of course, whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends on each person's perspective. For example, the members of the Miyoshi family, including Yoshitsugu Miyoshi, certainly do not think so.

Although the boy initially intended to follow his adoptive father's example and obediently serve as a "loyal" retainer of the shogunate, he was completely unaware of, or even deeply indignant about, the actions of the Miyoshi Triumvirate. However, the deed was done, and he could not extricate himself from the matter, so he had no choice but to reluctantly follow the path to the bitter end.

As for the other outsiders, they originally held a "let's watch the show" mentality, looking forward to how the Tsutsui family, which had taken in Ashikaga Yoshiteru, would act. Would they continue to cower and be suppressed as they had in previous years, or would Tsutsui Junsho rise up with his former courage and revive his glory?

However, a month passed quickly. Even though Ashikaga Yoshihide had been officially appointed shogun in Kyoto, the situation in Yamato remained calm and peaceful, with no significant action taken. As a result, most people concluded that Ashikaga Yoshihide's power had waned and gradually lost interest, turning their attention elsewhere.

Some far-sighted and intelligent individuals even speculated that for a long time to come, the situation would likely remain one of two generals vying for power, and how to choose sides would become a test of the political acumen of the various daimyo in the Kinai region.

Unexpectedly, the swordsman general, once he made a move, unleashed a thunderous force:

With 10,000 men from Tosa, 10,000 from Hatakeyama, and 20,000 from Rokkaku, plus 5,000 to 6,000 from Yamato and Iga combined, regardless of whether these forces were truly acting on the shogun's orders to rise up and suppress the rebels, or whether they made this decision out of self-interest, as long as their weapons were pointed at Miyoshi, under the current circumstances, it was tantamount to choosing to stand on Ashikaga Yoshiteru's side.

That's enough to know.

With the Tosa Three Heroes far away in Shikoku, and the troops of Rokkaku and his son, along with Hatakeyama Takamasa, unable to be commanded, Ashikaga Yoshiteru only had 4,000 troops at his disposal, 500 in Tsutsui, and 1,000 in Tenfu. The last one wasn't because Yashiro was exaggerating the numbers in front of the shogun, but because she only remembered after arriving at Tsutsui Castle that the two monkeys were still stationed there with more than 300 men. Combining the troops, the total finally reached four figures.

I no longer need to sit at the same table as Yagyu Muneyoshi.

Since they became neighbors, the blind girl would occasionally visit Yagyu Valley when she had time. After all, Yagyu Muneyoshi and Hikita Toyogoro, the two fellow disciples, as well as the abbot Hozoin, were all old acquaintances of hers. Although they might not have a deep friendship, in such a chaotic world where human life was as worthless as grass, any connection was worth cherishing.

To Yashiro, these men were all warriors who would be remembered in history. But to Yagyu and the others, the blind woman not only ruled a country and held a high position of power, but moreover, she did not inherit the position of the ruler from her elders. Instead, she fought her way to the top with her own weapons.

This alone makes her unparalleled. If she were arrogant and unruly, she might look down on them, but now that an opportunity to befriend them is presented to her, how could she possibly miss it?

Even setting aside these practical calculations, if we only consider their personalities, Yagyu Muneyoshi and Yashiro actually get along quite well.

The great swordsman Yagyu was a well-known martial arts fanatic, single-minded and focused. Although the blind girl is now the ruler of a country and a city, her interest in martial arts has not diminished in the slightest. She still seeks out people to spar with whenever she has free time.

As for the choice of the person to spar with, as long as Naotora is present, it will usually fall to her. Back when she was still Jiro, Naotora had already mastered superb spear skills and was evenly matched with Yashiro in their duels. Neither of them was sure of winning.

Even though he neglected his martial arts skills for several years due to his concern for the Ii family's affairs, after coming to Iga, he had more free time. Naotora wasn't the lazy type, and it only took him two or three months to get his muscles and bones back in shape and regain his former form.

She gained the favor of Amanuma Dokkura, who imparted to her the Amanuma spear and all her skills. At Naotora's level, many moves and techniques didn't actually require much guidance or prompting. As long as Amanuma Dokkura demonstrated them to her once and gave her a little pointers, she could use them with ease.

The latter exclaimed in admiration, "This old fellow has been mediocre with me for most of his life, but now he's finally met a wise master! Hahaha!"

Perhaps reflecting on his life experiences, his spirited laughter was tinged with a hint of melancholy. However, Amano Dokkaku was not the type to give up easily, and he immediately rallied, treating Yoshioka Naoki's wife, Aya, while continuing to teach her skills.

Although the old monk Nanxi was also a master in his field, when it comes to learning, one should always seek a master who is inclusive, insightful, and truly skilled. There is never too much of a master. The guidance from Tianzhao Dule was more about broadening Zhihu's horizons and changing his thinking, so that he could make further progress.

The news of Amanuma's instruction naturally reached Yashiro's ears. Previously, she had been busy rescuing the general and arranging various matters and had not had time to ask for details. Now, after arriving at Tsutsui Castle and settling her troops, she didn't say a word and directly picked up her staff sword and had a private fight with Naotora, who was holding Amanuma's spear.

As for the final outcome...

"Sigh, I still can't compare to you."

Naotora's tone seemed calm, but after spending time with him, Yashiro could easily detect a hint of resentment hidden within it.

She asked with a smile, "The truth?"

"You want to hear the truth?"

"Of course, there's no need to hide our relationship."

“Then I’ll say it—” Naotora paused, “It’s daytime now, so I’ll let you win once.”

Yashiro's smile vanished instantly.

As it turns out, it's best not to listen to some of the truth.

……

Putting aside the "victory or defeat" between the two, let's only talk about the general trend of the world, which is vast and unstoppable.

On the Tsutsui Castle side, after Yashiro and Tsutsui Junsei arrived, Ashikaga Yoshiteru summoned everyone into the castle for a brief assessment.

It must be said that, no matter what, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was a leader after all. He presided over the meeting in a very serious and methodical manner. He first analyzed the current situation and severely condemned the Miyoshi family's evil deeds. The main point of attack was not the attack on him, the shogun, but the denunciation of the other party for burning down Kyoto, causing damage to the centuries-old capital and heavy casualties among the people.

Compared to the attack on Nijō Palace, the tragedy that befell Kyoto undoubtedly stirred up more outrage.

Once everyone's emotions were stirred up, Ashikaga Yoshiteru changed the subject and began to talk about more practical topics:

First, they made some guesses and contingency plans for the various possible situations that might occur next. Then, they assigned and arranged tasks one by one. Finally, after drinking a farewell drink and eating chestnuts, kelp, and abalone, the necessary ceremonies were completed. They smashed the bowl, stepped over the knife's edge, and headed straight for Xingui Mountain City in the west with great momentum!

Incidentally, considering financial and other reasons, the general specially brought a wooden bowl and deliberately held back when smashing it, so no innocent wine bowl was damaged during the departure ceremony.

This is truly something to celebrate.

As for choosing Shigiyama Castle as the first target, it is only natural given the current situation. When Matsunaga Hisahide was ordered to conquer Yamato, he used this castle as a bridgehead. Later, it underwent several renovations and expansions, making it like a nail deeply driven into the western border of Yamato.

Whether it's attacking Yamato from Izumi Province or marching westward from Yamato to Izumi, they can't bypass Shigiyama Castle. At this moment, Izumi Province, where Matsunaga Hisahide's base is located, is about to face Hatakeyama Takamasa's 10,000-strong army. Matsunaga Danjo himself is far away in Kyoto and has no time to take care of himself, let alone send troops to help.

If the general can seize this opportunity to capture Shigiyama Castle, which is essentially an isolated island, then even if the war goes badly, at worst, it will keep the enemy to the west out of Yamato Province. This alone is enough to make Ashikaga Yoshiteru determined to take this castle.

In mid-July, just as the rice in the paddy fields was gradually ripening and awaiting harvest, the surrounding areas of Kinki were engulfed in continuous warfare.

The Rokkaku father and son in southern Omi seemed to be determined to gamble everything, mobilizing almost all available troops, even at the cost of abandoning the autumn harvest, with an army of 20,000 heading straight for Kyoto, wanting to use a victory to consolidate their increasingly shaky rule.

However, their opponents were not to be underestimated. If it were only the Miyoshi Triumvirate, they might not be a match, but the 20,000 Awa soldiers of Shinohara Nagafusa were seasoned veterans. They had been the main force of the Miyoshi family since the Nagayoshi era, and they also had the noble title of protecting the shogun. From samurai to foot soldiers, their morale was in no way inferior. No matter what bad things the Miyoshi family had done in the past, just tell me, isn't the shogun on their side now?

"Once we've defeated these overconfident enemies, seized their crops, and burned down their houses, we'll return to Shikoku and take Tosa in one fell swoop. We'll let Aki and Chosokabe know that the people of Awa Province are not to be trifled with!"

Shinohara Nagafusa made this loud announcement in front of everyone. With his prestige in the family, these words transformed the panic and fear he had felt about the attack on his hometown into a surge of fighting spirit. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he set up his forces east of Kyoto, ready to confront the Rokkaku family head-on.

As for Miyoshi Yoshitsugu and the three leaders, Matsunaga Hisahide, whose roots were originally in the Kinki region, after some discussion, they all rushed back to their respective territories and hastily gathered their troops to fight.

Matsunaga Hisahide even used emotional appeals and coercion to "borrow" a large sum of money from a wealthy merchant in Sakai Port with whom he had a good relationship. He then set up signs in the town and spent money like water. In just a few days, he attracted hundreds or even thousands of ronin who brought their own weapons and provisions.

Along with the armies of Izumi, Kawachi, and Settsu provinces, a total of more than 10,000 to nearly 20,000 men were hastily assembled. Among them, Miyoshi Yoshitsugu personally led 4,000 men north to support Shinohara Nagafusa, while Miyoshi Nagayoshi led the remaining soldiers south to assist Matsunaga Hisahide in defending Izumi Province.

Although the two of them often schemed and plotted against each other, in the face of crisis, Miyoshi Nagayoshi finally understood the importance of prioritizing and did not continue to trip up his old rival at this time. After all, once Izumi Province fell, their territory would be next to suffer.

As the saying goes, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold; saving Matsunaga is also saving himself, so he has no choice but to do his part—if he didn't even have such a simple strategic vision, he would not have achieved what he has today.

Of course, while it's important to put in effort, the specific amount of effort required and the method of exertion depend on the specific circumstances.

Anyway, it's impossible to go all out.

……

Human nature is subtle and complex, existing outside the vast chessboard, while on the chessboard, only pieces from all sides fiercely fight each other.

Around mid-July, Ashikaga Yoshiteru personally led the Yamato-Iga allied forces to Shigiyama Castle. As for the number of people inside Shigiyama Castle, later generations have various opinions, and there is a lack of a sufficiently reliable record.

Some say there were two hundred, others say there were five hundred or even a thousand defenders, but regardless of the truth, the defenders of Nobukiyama Castle were clearly at a disadvantage against Ashikaga Yoshiteru's six thousand troops.

This commander, named Yuki Tadamasa, who called himself the governor of Echigo, was over fifty years old and had fought countless battles, both large and small, throughout his life, making him incredibly experienced.

Knowing that it was unlikely that reinforcements would come to his rescue in this battle, he sent people early on to help the surrounding people harvest as much grain as possible. The rest that could not be harvested in time was trampled and destroyed to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy later.

Once this matter was settled, Yuki Tadamasa drove all the able-bodied civilians into the city to assist in the defense. As for the women and the elderly who could not help, they were driven to the surrounding mountains to fend for themselves.

When Ashikaga Yoshiteru's army arrived, they saw Nobukiyama Castle standing tall, the surrounding villages deserted, the fields in ruins, and people scattered inside the castle, but outside the castle, only crows flew about. There was not a single person, not even a ghost.