Chapter 47 miscellaneous fish

Onlookers cannot understand the composition in Hideyoshi's mind.Should it be grand or complex, or diverse?In short, things that he takes for granted often turn out to be unexpected. It was the summer of the thirteenth year of Tianzheng, and the conquest of Zuo Zuo was one of them. Speaking of July 17th, it was the time when the frontline soldiers of the four countries launched a general attack on Ichinomiyagi and finally broke through the outer city.Moreover, the difficulty of attacking in the Four Kingdoms has not yet been determined, and no one can see through the results. It is said that if Hidecho and Hideji are not strong enough, Hideyoshi will cross the sea himself soon after.

However, no one knew that on July 17, Hideyoshi had already written a letter and sent an envoy Hachiya Lairaka to inform Maeda Toshiie of Hokuriku: "As agreed last year, I will personally go to your land in early August to punish Sasa Naruto, who has been entrusted to you to keep him in check, and establish a clear order with the chaos in a normal year. In view of this, I hope you will make arrangements first and make all preparations, and only wait for the arrival before Zhuqian. " In fact, as soon as August entered, Osaka's actions suddenly turned from south to north.As soon as the fourth or fifth day passed in the first ten days, the vanguard team went to the journey to attack the northern country one after another.

Hideyoshi himself also set off from Osaka on the 6th of that month, and the Yodo River was crowded with marching warships. "What's going on? Put aside the strategy of the Four Kingdoms and ignore it. Where is your lord going so far?" People were speculating on Hideyoshi's intentions, no, even the soldiers in the army were worried about whether this was really feasible.The reason is that although I heard that the current Four Kingdoms Campaign has temporarily ceased fighting at the request of Nagaso and my Ministry, the follow-up matters should not be settled yet.No matter which famous general fights, he must focus on it.People are wondering why a character like Hideyoshi would go out of the trick of dividing troops to the north when the south has not been settled, and leaving Osaka Castle?

However, if Hideyoshi were to speak, he would probably just smile and let others not worry. This move of his is definitely not a battle between two sides, nor is it arbitrarily expanding the situation of the war and dividing the force into two with his own hands.He also has an important point in his heart, but now he is just implementing the overall strategy of breaking this important point first, and then forcing it into the enemy's viscera. So, isn't his enemy the Nagsoga Division of Shikoku?Is Sasa Naruma of the Northern Kingdom not the target enemy? of course not.Sogabe and Zuo Zuo, who are just a mere chief, are not Hideyoshi's opponents, nor are they the focus of his goals.Right now, Tokugawa Ieyasu is the only one Hideyoshi is thinking about.His foresight has seen through the future, and he understands that Ieyasu will become his obstacle.

Those who rely on Ieyasu, those who help Ieyasu, and those who want to use Ieyasu to develop their ambitions are all limbs of Ieyasu. First cut off the lifeline of those who are connected with Ieyasu, and then he will be slaughtered like a fish on a drum. Throw it southward and northward, and slowly bring the key target closer. When the snow melts, the gunpowder smokes, and after the smoke disappears, the snow falls again.The people of the Northland have been looking forward to peace for a long time. The war between Zuo Zuo and Maeda was also the usual practice this year. In April and May, wars ignited in various places. The two sides fought for the city and fortress.

Hideyoshi's Northern Expeditionary Army crossed Hubei and entered Echizen. The so-called 100,000-strong army spanned nine vassal states from the banners of Owari, Mino, Ise, Tango, Wakasa, Inaba, Echizen, Kaga, and Noto.And the subordinate department will have Oda Nobuo, Xinbao of the same surname, Niwa Nagashige, Hosokawa Tadako, Kanamori Kinshige, Hachiya Yoryaka, Ikeda Teruma, Mori Choichi, Gamo Ujigo, Horio Yoshiharu, Yamauchi Kazutoyo, Kato Guangtai, Jiugui Jialong, etc., and Maeda and his son naturally joined them soon after.As usual, Hideyoshi used the quantity and quality of victory without a fight this time to send troops to crusade.

As soon as Hideyoshi arrived in Echizen, Maeda Toshiie came to Matsuno from Kanazawa to wait for his arrival. The streets were swept clean, roads and bridges were repaired, and the hot August became cooler, comforting the 100,000 marching travelers. Zaemon Toshiie, who was wearing a yellow kimono haori and a Qiyao helmet, tied the horses to a tree with his son Toshinaga and his nephews, and stood side by side by the roadside. Not long after, the sound of Hideyoshi Hatakemoto's horses' hooves gradually approached from the sound of cicadas.Rulin's spears and iron cannons streamed, among the horse marks, the gorgeous Xiaoxing group, and the Huangmuyi team, a smiling and flushed face appeared.

"Ah, it's Master Ape!" Keijiro, the nephew behind Toshiie, pointed and shouted suddenly. "Disrespectful!" Li Jia turned around and patted his hand off. When they were about thirty rooms away, Hideyoshi dismounted and handed the reins to the warrior, and walked towards this side in a big way. In the distance, Toshiya and Hideyoshi have exchanged smiles, and their eyes are constantly talking about hundreds of thousands of testimonials since the fall of Kitanosho. Lijia also walked forward dozens of steps quickly. "Oh, left again." Hideyoshi held out his hand.

"Oh, you finally came from a long way!" The two shook hands. "I'm here to fulfill the promise made last year." "I have been waiting for you for a long time. It's all due to Lijia's inability to do so. It's a shame to bother you when the Four Kingdoms are busy!" "What are you talking about." Hideyoshi shook his head, and patted Toshika's shoulder with his parted hands, "Even if nothing happens for a year, we should meet to catch up on old relationships, right? This visit just happens to be a rare trip." "Hahaha! My wife also said that if you are an adult, you will definitely come with this mentality this time."

"Is your wife? Hehe, Youzuo's wife is a person who knows Hideyoshi's temperament very well. Is she in good health?" "Nothing has changed." "Speaking of which, today's yellow tweed haori is very suitable for you. Did your wife choose it?" "No, this is a haori that I received from His Highness Nobunaga after the Battle of Nagashino, full of memories..." In this way, the conversation between the two did not mention the topic of war at all, just like two friends who met on the side of the road. The Toshi family led the way from Matsuto to Oyama Castle, followed by Hideyoshi and his army.When the leading team arrived in Kanazawa, the rear team at the end had not yet left Kitanosho.

It was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue when this urgent report reached the ears of Narumasa Sasasa of Toyama Castle. On this day, August 18th, Sasakata's movement was clearly reported to Hideyoshi early. Judging from the comprehensive information, Zuo Zuo regards this time as a major event in his life, and uses the power of Vietnam and China to consolidate the fortress.He dispatched additional manpower to the left and right sides of Mt. Kurigara, the danger of Togoshi, Ohara, Songzhigen and other thirty-six cities, and piled up large wooden mountains and rocks in more than ten places including Gencheng, Muzhou, Morishan and Yishan, and built Protective fences and archery towers, and built defenses at the borders of the country, sent troops to guard them, and added various city gates, etc., quickly built up to 58 waiting points for the enemy. "This battle is a battle of ten thousand deaths for those who follow me to become a politician!" Under the terrifying appeal, the people of the whole country were driven to work. However, soon, the low-level soldiers and common people who were forced by Chengzheng to consolidate their defenses arose such complaints: "If you can say, 'We Wumen people will never let your common people die, they will definitely stand up Protect you, especially women and children, don't get hurt' or something like that, since we were born in the same land, we are willing to take the initiative to fight against the enemy. But it is only at this time that we are called followers of Chengzheng. It’s too much to bear. The so-called followers are only those who share the glory and show off their might.” The human heart is very subtle. Chengzheng also noticed this immediately, and suddenly abandoned all the small fortresses on the national border, and concentrated his troops in front of the Shentong River. "If you expand the front, the morale and strength of the front will become weak. On the front line of Sichuan, assemble into an undefeated defense line!" In order to suppress the dissatisfied elements internally, he issued orders like crazy, asking women and children to stick to the defense, and made active preparations hastily. Hideyoshi appointed 8,000 soldiers of the Toshi family as the vanguard, and marched the army to Yuezhong. On the way, all the small enemies came and surrendered. On the 20th, crossing Kurikara, stepping on Mt. Toba, and climbing up Hachiman Peak to have a bird's-eye view of the Etchu area. Hideyoshi ordered whoever went here and who went there like snapping fingers, and directed the deployment of the troops. Sitting on the Mazha, he looked at the magnificence of the Beiyue Mountains and the scenery of the Inland Sea of ​​Japan, which were rare for him. After ordering people to build a temporary castle in Wufu Mountain, the entire August army was stranded here. Seasonal torrential rains have been incessant.Landslides are reported everywhere and all rivers are flooded.On such a night, three traveling monks came to the camp of Oda Nobuo at the foot of Wufu Mountain and asked for an audience through Fanbing. "We hope to meet Nobuo-sama secretly..." When asked for his name, the other party only said that he would understand as long as he saw it, and refused to disclose it. "We are definitely not suspicious people..." One of the monks took out the inkstone box, wrote something on a small piece of paper, folded it and handed it to Fan Bing.Fanbing handed it over to the general, who in turn handed it over to Nobuo. On the piece of paper were written the names of Echizen's retainer Sasahirasa, Yozaemon with the same surname, and Nonomura Mizu. "Oh, this is it?" In short, Nobuo met three people first, and it turned out that these three people proposed to surrender on behalf of the master Chengzheng. "Originally, the master Naruzheng and his subordinates planned to turn the whole country into scorched earth as long as they were alive. However, we finally realized that we are no match for Master Chikuzen. The master Nezosuke Narima and his subordinates, including us, made it possible for us to sit in the same temple under the castle. "The three of them first told the truth, and then said, "I hope His Highness will intercede with Mr. Zhuqian no matter what, and save my master's life. It is precisely for this reason that I waited to bear the humiliation at night and came to beg Your Highness..." Saying, One after another, they put their shaved heads on the ground and begged Nobuo. Being entrusted by others, Nobuo felt both benefited and sympathetic.He thought that as long as he said a word, even Hideyoshi would have no objection, so he agreed. "Okay, I'll help you first. Even Chengzheng is not a complete villain. In particular, he was promoted by his father Nobunaga from Huang Muyi's emissary, and has always been valued." "Master Cheng Zheng only maintains the old principle of kindness in his heart, and hopes to carry out integrity to the end at all times." "I understand...so, where is Zuo Zuo now?" "It is hiding in a nearby monastery. If His Highness promises to spare his life, we will bring you here immediately." "Let's wait. Anyway, I'll go see Chikuzen first and discuss it carefully. Before that, please wait for my news." Nobuo immediately set off to visit Hideyoshi's camp. When Hideyoshi saw Nobuo, he smiled and didn't know what he was laughing at.Toshika was also there, and Nobuo became a little difficult to speak for a while.At this time, Hideyoshi took the initiative to say: "Your Highness Nobuo, the results of this war can already be seen." "Oh, why?" "According to the report from the spies who returned from Jinzugawa in the evening, the day before yesterday, Chikuzen had people spread rumors that a hundred military ships were preparing to land in Etchu from the Noto Nanao Port. Sasa's retainers seemed to believe it, and they were in a panic right now. .” "Haha, so it's because of this." "Did something happen?" "Actually..." Nobuo looked at Toshika and closed his lips. Li Jia was keenly aware of it, and immediately found an excuse to leave. "As a matter of fact, Sasanai Chosuke has shaved his head and sent someone to my camp to offer his surrender." "Hmph..." Hideyoshi was not happy when he heard this, "Shaving his hair first before surrendering must be a pity for his life. Your Highness Nobuo, how did you handle this matter?" "I said I would intercede with Lord Chikuzen and let them go back." "Have you promised to come down?" "There is nothing to do..." "It's a headache." Hideyoshi pursed his lips tightly, deliberately putting on a distressed expression.