Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen

The fall of Gifu Castle shocked Ishida Mitsunari who was in Ogaki Castle.He selected elites to garrison Ruilong Temple Mountain. In his opinion, no matter how unfavorable the situation was, there would not be much change within three to five days.But what surprised him was that the news of the enemy entering the east bank of the Kiso River, crossing the river, and Gifu's fall came one after another. The rapid changes caught him off guard.He is not a man who lacks ambition, and he will not be at a loss because of shock. The loss in the first battle made him more persistent, and it strengthened his initial determination: Even if there is no one in the world to help, Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu are incompatible!

The Maori family still didn't look like they were going to go to war. Among the Western Army, there were more and more people who followed suit.Sancheng had to tear off the gentle mask and go to the stage in person.The defeat made Misunari learn from the pain, and he firmly understood: from the very beginning, this battle was a fierce battle between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari. Sancheng didn't hesitate anymore, and ordered Shimadzu Yoshihiro from Sueii to come immediately, saying: "Your Excellency, send troops to Sumata immediately. This city is eleven miles away from Ogaki, and it can strangle Mino by the throat."

Yoshihiro was far older than Mitsunari Ishida. During the Korean War, he was already a well-known fierce general. Because of this, Yoshihiro asked in the tone of an experienced fighter: "So what about you, my lord?" "Xiaoxi and I will send troops from Ogaki together, and then we will deploy troops at Zedu River. We will send other troops to guard the Hedu River and guard the Zhongshan Road. Your Excellency will closely monitor the movement on the east bank." San Cheng's tone was very strong. Yoshihiro Shimadzu had long been dissatisfied with Sancheng.When Sancheng spoke to him in an orderly tone, his dissatisfaction intensified, and he said angrily: "My lord thinks that you, me and Xiaoxi alone can defend the Tōkaidō and Zhongshandao?"

"You don't have to worry. More than 10,000 horses from Ise Ukita are about to arrive at Ogaki Castle." Shimadzu Yoshihiro nodded slightly and rushed to Sumata. At this time, Tokugawa Ieyasu was still standing still in Edo, but his command flag was commanding thousands of troops.The ministries of Kuroda Nagamasa, Todo Takatora, and Tanaka Yoshimasa have quietly launched operations.It turned out that on the night of the 22nd, the Kuroda, Fujido, and Tanaka divisions that rushed to Gifu together with the Fukushima division arrived at their destination at dawn and found that the ground was full of grain, grass, weapons and miscellaneous soldiers from the Fukushima and Ikeda divisions. , how can there be a battle to fight?But they were not willing to be left behind, and discussed: "Let's go straight to the river and defeat the enemies who came from Ogaki in one fell swoop." So they turned directly to the left side of Gifu and entered near Hedu, and then they met at the Nagara River. Thirty percent of the people collided with each other.

On the other side of the Hedu River, Ishida Mitsunari's generals Mai Hyogo, Mori Kubei, Sugie Kanbei and others are rushing over.Their strength is only a thousand at most, and the soldiers have heard that the situation in Gifu is unfavorable.On the side of Heduchuan, Kuroda, Fujido, Tanaka and others, because they gave up the credit for attacking Gifu to Ikeda, Fukushima, Hosokawa and others, felt very unwilling.Ieyasu stared at them from behind. Compared with the generals who attacked Gifu and made great achievements in battle, where would they put their face? "It's just in time! Cross the river and knock down Ishida in one fell swoop!" Tanaka Jizheng finished, got on his horse, and went straight upstream, but when he looked back suddenly, there were only eighteen riders behind him.Thick fog filled the river, and the depth of the river was unpredictable.The enemy on the other side can't see this side clearly, nor can they see the enemy's formation here.

As soon as Yoshinori's war horse stepped into the Hedu River, a person suddenly came up and grabbed his horse's bridle: "It's too risky to do this. Please stop first!" This person is Miyagawa Tosa.Tosa blocked: "My lord, we have only followed eighteen cavalry. There are only a dozen people in the area, and they can't fight even if they cross the river. Let's wait for the people behind." "Don't stop me! Anyway, the enemy can't see our numbers clearly. It's best to be surprised at this time." "No, it's too dangerous! I don't even know how deep the river is!"

Tanaka Yoshimasa gritted his teeth anxiously. He pouted at Saburoemon, who was leading the horse, "Saburoemon, go to the river to test the depth." Saburoemon shook his head lightly, "If it's an ordinary small river, you can cross it by wading, but for such a big river, I'm afraid..." "Hmph! Are you afraid too? It's your duty to find the way, go!" Ji Zheng seems to be possessed.Saburoemon showed a wry smile: "The villain just thinks that we are not familiar with this river. If we rashly ford and fail to cross the river, wouldn't we be laughed at? Besides, the battle is tight, and once our army's spirit is frustrated, it's not good. Hesitant. Since the adults insisted again and again, the villains will go through fire and water!" After speaking, he jumped into the water.

"Well said! As a servant, you have such insight, good! Ji Zheng will also follow you into the water." At this time, important minister Sakamoto Izumi and Liuqi rushed to stop Miyagawa Tosa and said: "Miyagawa, don't worry. Don't dampen your attack spirit at this time. If you don't cross the river immediately, Kuroda will take the first shot. " Sakamoto dissuaded Tosa with a wave of his long knife: "Destroy the enemy camp!" More than twenty riders jumped into the river mist together.A clear band of blue mist wafts across the mountains, beckoning the dawn...

Knowing that Yoshimasa had crossed the river on horseback, Kuroda Nagamasa could not be willing to bow down, so he led his troops straight to the upper reaches of the village near the enemy camp. "The one who forcibly crosses this river is none other than Kuroda Nagamasa!" In the middle of the river, the young Nagamasa let out a loud roar.Not to be outdone, the samurai who crossed the river upstream shouted, "Today's credit goes to Kuroda's retainer, Goto Matabei Kiji!" One side is defeated like a mountain, and the other side is like a tiger going down the mountain.On the other side of the river, Ishidabe Mai Hyogo's camp suddenly became chaotic.

Tanaka Yoshimasabu quickly crossed the river and arrived at Kihara, where Zhuyu was.Jizheng said loudly: "Look, let's cross the river first. Saburoyou, you did a good job. From now on, you will be called Hedu Sanlangemon." "Thank you for giving me the name, my lord, I'm honored." Saburoemon excitedly grabbed Yoshimasa's horse's bridle, and was about to march, Kurodabe and Todo Takatora, who came riding from the lower reaches, also patted their horses and went straight to the enemy camp. As a result, Ishida's ministries have already lost the opportunity. Although they are all brave and good at fighting, they still have bad luck.Needless to say, Mai Hyogo, even Inaba Kazutetsu's former minister, Sugie Kanhei who became famous in the battle of Anegawa, was also concerned about one thing and neglected another.

The three teams of the Eastern Army advanced side by side and broke through the defense line in one fell swoop. The Ishida Department had less than a thousand people at most, and the number of the Eastern Army was still increasing.In order to attack Gifu, who knows how many troops they dispatched?The uneasiness of the defender and the vigor of the attacker immediately formed a sharp contrast.Ishida's various ministries retreated steadily, and the more they fought, the more confident they became.The number of the Eastern Army continued to increase, while that of the Western Army decreased. The most prestigious Shanjiang Kanbingwei has died in battle.As long as the nine-foot red spear of Shanjiang Kanbingwei stands upright, the morale of the army will be much stronger.Earlier, when Kan Bingwei's gun handle was dyed red, he was stopped by one of Tanaka's subordinates: "You are also a famous man, run for your life!" On the battlefield, how can both sides of the fight tolerate being pitied?And retreating under the intimidation of the enemy is a shame that a dignified general cannot bear.Kan Bingwei shouted: "I am Shan Jiang Kan Bingwei. Who are you?" "Tanaka Yoshimasa's retainer, Nishimura Gohei." "Look at the gun!" If it was normal, Kan Bingwei would have killed him long ago.Because he knew that he was exhausted, he took advantage of his unpreparedness and threw his proud red spear at the five soldiers. "Hey!" With a loud shout, Wubingwei lowered his head and flashed past.This flash was literally life and death.The roaring red gun flew away from Wubingwei's helmet, pierced his scalp and flew away.At the same time, the spear in Wubingwei's hand also pierced deeply into Kanbingwei's flank. Sugijiang Kanbingwei actually bet his life on this gun. If Nishimura Wubingwei was really shot, he would be killed on the spot before he even had time to shout.Just because of his flash of life and death, the situation of both sides changed immediately. Kan Bingwei, who was empty-handed, was picked up by Wu Bingwei with a spear, and his body flew out. "Kan Bingwei was killed." "Even a famous general like Kanbingwei was killed?" The death of Kanbingwei accelerated the defeat of Ishida's ministries, but it greatly inspired the fighting spirit of Tanaka, Kuroda and other ministries, and also prompted Todo Takatora, who crossed the river in the lower reaches of the Hedu River, to attack Akasaka in one fell swoop.Akasaka and Ogaki are within easy reach. Once the Eastern Army attacks here, whether it is Yoshihiro Shimadzu who rushed from Ogaki Castle to Sunomata to form an army, or the main force of Ishida Mitsunari who sent troops to Sawatari, they must retreat to Ogaki Castle urgently.Once someone cut off the escape route and the brigade was cut into two, the situation became serious.Ishidabe was very disturbed, and Fujido Takatora had expected the enemy to retreat. "Hedu let Tanaka and Kuroda take the lead. This Akasaka should fall into my hands." Fujido decisively cut off the escape route of Ishida's various departments who wanted to escape, and rushed to Akasaka.At this time, Matsunari of Sawatari and Yoshihiro of Sumata knew that it would be useless to fight here, and both planned to retreat. The news of the Western Army's retreat further accelerated the pace of the Eastern Army's advance.War is always intertwined with personal destiny, and it is constantly changing, and its momentum is as unstoppable as a storm.But no matter the retreater or the advancer, there is no time to think about these.The situation changed dramatically, and the two sides confronted each other. "Todo is heading towards Akasaka." "We must not fall behind. She is Akasaka in today's camp!" When the Tanaka and Kuroda Divisions approached Lu Jiuchuan and then diverted to attack Akasaka, the Ishida Division 1 in front of them receded like a tide.In this way, the Fukushima, Asano, Ikeda, and Hosokawa ministries that captured Gifu City could easily follow them. On the 24th, the Eastern Army assembled at Akasaka, right in front of Ogaki, and reported the news of victory to Edo. Once in action, the old general Toyotomi has a strong attack power.But just five days ago, they were still stuck in the confusion that if Ieyasu did not move, they would not be able to go to war, and they were still arguing endlessly about whether Ieyasu would go to war. In fact, they launched the operation under the command of an invisible command flag.Fighting all the way here, they already have unwavering confidence: only us, can we still be invincible? Where is the magic of this invisible command flag?If you regard this as Ieyasu's calculation, then Ieyasu's technique of borrowing power is simply superb-without losing a single soldier, but by cleverly using Toyotomi's old ministers, the Tokugawa clan easily pushed into Ogaki Castle.Most of Owari and Mino's possessions fell into the hands of Ieyasu. Ishida could no longer talk leisurely about the "Battle of Ise".Toyotomi's former generals, who hated Sancheng to the bone, all grimaced and approached him.Even if Sancheng is extremely reluctant, he must gather all his troops to Ogaki.But gathering forces will take time. How can we attract Mori Terumoto from Osaka?When will the soldiers and horses of Yoshitsugu Otani from Echizen arrive?More importantly, even if the 30,000 troops of Yoshikawa Hiroka, Anguoji Huiqiong, Nagatsu Masaka, Nagasogabu Mori and others with Mori Hidemoto as the general are all withdrawn from Ise, how will the food supply be resolved? ?Confronting the Eastern Army in Akasaka, but failing to dispatch troops in time, the decisive battle will be a crushing defeat. If this continues, the decisive battle that will determine the fate of the two armies will start in mid-September. Ieyasu seemed to have figured all this out long ago, so he set off from Edo on the first day of September. There is no one more shrewd than Ieyasu in this world.He arranged all the important Tokugawa ministers under Xiuzhong's tent, and let them advance along the Nakasendo, while he himself proceeded through the Tōkaidō.He seems to want to use Toyotomi's old ministers to remove Sancheng. That's how the battle was planned. The Zhongshan Road is treacherous and the march will take time, Jiakang is naturally very aware of it.Therefore, although he arrived in Akasaka, he had no way of knowing whether Hidetada would arrive in time.Therefore, he first let Toyotomi's old generals go to fight hard, and after they won the first battle and their morale was high, he went out in person to use their strength to control the world. Jiakang is not ashamed of his illness.He was originally entrusted by Hideyoshi to manage the world.It is of course better to decide the male and female before the personal soldiers arrive. If it cannot be completely resolved, then wait for Xiuzhong to arrive, and the two sides will start a decisive battle, so as to achieve peace in the world.So foolproof. The opponent is not a human being, but a god, a god.Because of Ieyasu's self-confidence, he planned to set up camp in Minamigocho and Okayama Mountain in Akasaka in early September. The morale of the Eastern Army was rising day by day. Hearing that Ieyasu was going to set off on the first day of September, Ishikawa Hinata Mamoru hurriedly came to Ieyasu with the almanac in hand, "My lord, please cancel today's plan to send troops." "Why is that?" "I've read the almanac, and the place I'm going to is Xisai. I'm afraid it's unlucky to meet Xisai when I go out in this Western Expedition. Please think twice, my lord." Ieyasu smiled and said, "It's a good sign. Then I will get through the blocked west." Everything has been arranged.For Date Masamune, Ieyasu sternly warned him not to act rashly; for the Maori clan, Ieyasu continued to negotiate with them secretly through Kuroda Nagamasa.Kato Kiyomasa of Kyushu also keeps in touch, and Maeda Toshinaga of Kaga has raised troops to capture Daishoji City.Moreover, the Kanto daimyos were still stationed in Edo, and if Uesugi Kekatsu really went to battle, he would attack them himself and wipe them out in one fell swoop.Ieyasu made all the preparations, and even Maeda Toshiie's widow Hoshunin was sent to Edo as a hostage.Ieyasu wrote a letter in his own handwriting to Hoshunin's personal attendant, Byomori Murai: 〖Glad to hear that Hizen Shou sent troops to conquer Daishoji City this time, with outstanding feats and loyalty, Ieyasu is extremely pleased.I will also send him to quell the chaos in the northern kingdom.I beg Fangchunyuan to rest assured.Jiakang is well aware of his wife's pain, and will be pacified in a few days, and he will welcome you back to the country immediately.In addition, I haven't picked up a pen for a long time, but now I am so grateful that I wrote this in my own handwriting. Sincerely, Ieyasu Tokugawa August 26th of the fifth year of Qingchang〗 This letter is to appease Fangchunyuan and take advantage of Lichang, but it can also be regarded as a natural expression of Ieyasu's friendship with Fangchunyuan. Ieyasu wrote the following letter to Terumasa Ikeda, who had captured Gifu Castle and approached Ogaki Castle, and was now seeking instructions from him: 〖Gifu City was broken, and your contribution is so high that it is hard to describe it.I have ordered Nayan (Xiuzhong) to enter Zhongshan Road.I will attack along the Tokaido.Don't be careless in everything, and be sure to wait for me to go. August 27th of the fifth year of Qingchang〗 Ieyasu notified Fujido, Kuroda, Tanaka, and Ichiyanagi in letters of his departure from Edo on the first day of September, and asked them to control their emotions and stand still before he arrived.In the past, Ieyasu had already ordered them to attack.But the closer it was to the decisive battle, the calmer he became.He knew in his heart that relying on them alone would not be able to wipe out the entire Western Army. On the first day of September in the fifth year of Qingchang, Ieyasu led more than 32,700 people from Edo. That night, staying in Kanagawa, Ieyasu sent letters to the generals Fujido, Kuroda, Tanaka, and Ichiyanagi. On the second day, stay in Fujisawa. For three days, stay in Odawara.On that day, an envoy sent by Kobayakawa Hideaki visited Nagai Naokatsu. Hideaki Kobayakawa has admired Ieyasu for a long time, and he was not so much out of his own will as he was instructed by his aunt Kodaiin.Ieyasu knew this very well, but he did not receive Xiuqiu's envoy. "Can I trust him? It's inconvenient to meet him." Ieyasu showed a rather indifferent look.In fact, once they meet in person, the news is very likely to be leaked to the Western Army, and Xiuqiu may be secretly poisoned by Sancheng. Then, Kato Yoshiaki also sent an envoy.This time, Ieyasu met him personally.Jiaming was guarding Inuyama Castle, he came to ask Ieyasu for instructions, whether to defend the castle, or continue to move forward. "Take action after I arrive." After Ieyasu gave such an instruction, he sent the envoy back. On the fifth day, Jiakang stayed at Qingjian Temple. On the 6th, stay in Shimada. On the seventh day, stay in Zhongquan. On the eighth day, stay in Baixuhe.On that day, Todo Takatora came here on purpose, and talked with Ie Yasumi in the middle of the night, and returned to camp before dawn.On the same day, Hideaki Kobayakawa sent another envoy, but Ieyasu had Nagai Naakatsu send him back, but he still did not receive him. On the 9th, stay in Okazaki. On the tenth day, stay in Retian.On this day, four or five flames ignited on the western seashore. It is said that the fires were set off by the Kuki Osumi of the Saijun Navy.There is a large ship moored in the coastal area of ​​Wuliu Town, which is far from Atsuta Beach. There is a curtain on the boat, and purple and white sycamore leaves are printed on the curtain.Just when Ieyasu was going to the west, Kuki Osumi Mamoru wanted to take the opportunity to change his flag.But Ieyasu just met the soldiers who came with Ma Yin, and then went straight past the big ship without saying a word. On the 11th, Ieyasu arrived in Qingzhou. On the 12th, they still stayed in Qingzhou.In the evening of the same day, Fujido Takatora came flying from the front line again. The first time Ieyasu and Gao Hu met was when Ieyasu came to Beijing at the invitation of Hideyoshi.At that time, Todo Takatora was ordered by Hideyoshi to build a residence for Ieyasu in Juraku in Uchino.Since then, the relationship between the two has become increasingly close, even surpassing respect and inferiority.Regarding the movements of Toyotomi's former general, Gao Hu probably knows better than the supervisor Honda Tadakatsu and Ii Naomasa. On that day, Gao Hu also stayed until midnight before going back, after which Honda and Jing Yi were called.Ie Naomasa and Honda Tadakatsu were a little dissatisfied because Ieyasu and Gao Hu had been talking in secret for too long.When the two were called in front of Jiakang, the night was so quiet that even the city walls seemed to be fast asleep. "The night is long." "That's right. It's unbearable to rush all the way without stopping, but you have to drive away your drowsiness." Honda Tadakatsu sat cross-legged in front of Ieyasu without any scruples, "Does Sado Tomorrow want the generals of the Western Army to defect?" Ieyasu smiled wryly and told Nagai Naakatsu who was seated at the same table: "Don't let anyone get close." As he spoke, he lit up the candlestick next to him, "It's best if all the people in the world fall to us. However, I don't have enough virtue, so I still do it." I can't." "My lord!" Zhong Sheng seemed to interpret Ieyasu's words as a retort, and said, "When will Zhong Nayan arrive?" "It will probably take some time." Ieyasu tilted his head slightly, and asked Jingyi Naomasa in a gentle voice, "Naozheng, what do you think?" Before Zhizheng could speak, Zhongsheng could not bear it any longer, and interjected involuntarily: "My lord, before Zhongnayan arrived, you wanted to attack the enemy? Once Zhongnanyan arrives, our army will weaken the enemy's fighting spirit." Most of them. But if they launch an attack before then, the enemy will see an opportunity to take advantage of it, and I am afraid that their morale will skyrocket." "Zhongsheng, I'm asking Naomasa. Naomasa, do you think we're going to wait for Hidetada?" "My lord," Ii Naomasa leaned forward in some embarrassment, "I do not agree with Mr. Honda's opinion. I finally expected you to come, but you can't launch an attack immediately. If this happens, it will disturb the morale of the army. Therefore, I think that you should Act now." "But, wouldn't that mean increasing the enemy's prestige..." Zhong Sheng interjected. "Naozheng believes that it's not the enemy's morale that is burning, but our army. Because of this, we might as well strike while the iron is hot, and take advantage of the arrival of the Lord and the morale is like a rainbow, and make a quick decision." Ieyasu nodded silently.It seems that no one can see through his sincerity.Although the Tokugawa clan alone can win, but conquering the world by force is nothing but a reckless act. "Okay, let's make a quick decision." Ieyasu said softly.You can win without Xiuzhong's support, why wait?The gods and Buddhas have handed over the world to themselves... "If this is an adult's decision, I have nothing to say. But if it is a decision made under the suggestion of Fujido Takatora, please think twice." Zhong Sheng still could not accept it. Fujido Takatora is joining forces with Kuroda Nagamasa, keeping in touch with the Western Army quietly.If you are careless at this time, something big may happen.This is what Zhong Sheng is worried about.Ieyasu also knows this truth well: "Don't worry, Zhongsheng. I don't hope that the enemy will defect." "Since that's the case, wouldn't it be better to launch a general attack after Zhong Nayan arrives and everything is ready?" Hearing that Zhongsheng still stubbornly insisted on his own opinion, Ieyasu felt that he had to enlighten him.They are too short-sighted, if even they cannot be persuaded, what is the point of wholeheartedly fighting against the enemy? "Zhongsheng, who do you think is more important, me or Zhongnayan?" "Needless to say, there would be no Tokugawa clan without my lord. How could my lord ask such a strange question?" "Hey. I'm over sixty years old, and Zhongnayan is in his prime. Therefore, even if I die in battle, I must ensure Zhongnayan's safety so as to build a peaceful and prosperous future. It is God's will that I fight first." "but……" "Listen first. Do you understand, if only I play, even if it is unfavorable, it will not destroy the Tokugawa Clan." "However, if my lord..." "In the event of a disadvantage, we still have room for maneuver. Moreover, if this move can win, Tokugawa's main force will be unscathed. Have you considered these benefits? The world says I am treacherous, that I intend to preserve my strength, and only let Toyotomi The old general is going to work his life. I dismiss these comments." As he spoke, Ieyasu turned his attention to Ii Naomasa, "Your thoughts just now are also somewhat different from Ieyasu's thoughts. This war is not won by force alone. Can." "Isn't it enough to win?" "Yes." Ieyasu nodded heavily, "After victory, it depends on whether we have the ability to deter troublemakers. If we have this ability, both Ieyasu and Zhongnayan must firmly control the situation, otherwise, The situation after this war will be even more severe than after the Korean War.” "Oh..." Zhong Sheng let out a long sigh. "After the Korean War, the late Taige old general was torn apart. Fortunately, I was still there. But despite this, the world is still in chaos. If you start a war rashly, if the world falls into chaos, it is a great crime! The painstaking efforts of the late Youfu, The hard work of the late Taiko, as well as my long-cherished wish, the plenum failed. Ieyasu really prayed for peace in the world, so he had to leave enough strength for Zhong Nayan to fight to the death! Otherwise, God will not forgive me .In short, everything is for the peace of the world.” Zhongsheng and Naomasa couldn't say a word.Yes, this battle is by no means an ordinary war.During the Korean War, Ieyasu was left behind in the country, but this time it is the decisive battle that will determine the general situation of the world.If both sides are hurt, and the princes from all walks of life withdraw their leading countries and separate one side, wouldn't the world return to troubled times?At this critical moment, Ieyasu came to the front line in person, wanting to save Xiuzhong. "My lord, please forgive me for being stupid. Since this is the case, Zhong Sheng is so heartbroken that he will not hesitate to do so. Let's go immediately!" Before the words fell, Ii Naomasa also stood up, "I will convey this meaning to the three armies first." "Okay. Don't forget to tell Todo Sado Mamoru as well. You inform everyone that I am ill today, so you can simply let people rest for a day. You will enter Gifu on the 13th and Akasaka on the 14th." According to the plan, we arrived in Gifu from Qingzhou on the second day.After arriving in Gifu, Ieyasu lived in the mansion of the Oda family who had surrendered.Then, he wrote letters to Niwa Nagashige and Hijikata Yuhisa of Hokuriku, ordering Nagashige and Yanki Kazuki to discuss peace with Maeda Toshinaga.Hijikata Yuhisa had been exiled to Ota in Hitachi earlier, and this time he went to the North Country under the secret instruction of Ieyasu. On the second day, Ieyasu took a detour to avoid the ferry that was closer to Ogaki Castle, crossed Nagara Ferry, and arrived at Okayama in the south of Akasaka Station.Looking from this point, Ogaki Castle is just around fifty towns away. "Ukita Nagano Hideka, President Konishi Settsu Mori, and Ishida Harabe Shosuke are all in Ogaki Castle. Fukuhara Umasuke is with you." Ieyasu listened carefully to Naomasa's report, nodded frequently, and then ordered people to plant a golden fan horse seal, seven large flags with family crests, and twenty small flags in the direction of Ogaki Castle. The Musketeer Battalion and messengers, who had already set off in the middle of the night, arrived here one step earlier than Ieyasu, and strictly guarded around the camp. How much impact did Ieyasu's arrival have on the two armies?From the side of Ogaki Castle, you should be able to see the movement of Okayama.Needless to say, before Ieyasu arrived, they had already found out the situation of the surrounding Dongjun. Kato Yoshiaki, Kanamori Nagahito, Kuroda Nagamasa, Fujido Takatora, and Tsutsui Joji are stationed on the hilltop in the north. Hosokawa Tadakashi is stationed in Hirai Village, and Fukushima Masanori is stationed in the tomb east of Hirai Village. To the north of Katsuyama There are Ii Naomasa, Honda Tadakatsu, and Kyokochi; Nishimaki is Horio Tadashi, Yamauchi Kazutoyo, Asano Yukinaga; Arao Village has Ikeda Teruma and Ikeda Nagayoshi; Nagamatsu Village is Ichiyanagi Naomori; Higashi Muno is Nakamura Kazu Tadashi, Nakamura Kazuei, Arima Noryori, Isobe Miyahano Tanaka Yoshimasa... In this endless camp, the commander of the Eastern Army suddenly appeared, and the movement it brought shook the mountains freely. When starting from Osaka, Ishida Misachi once uttered bold words: "Even if ten Ieyasu come, I will not be afraid!" Of course, he meant to spur himself, but he was by no means just playing lip service. Sancheng tried his best to prevent Ieyasu from showing up.As long as Uesugi Kagekatsu, Satake Yoshinobu, Sanada Masayuki and others launched an offensive in the east, Ieyasu would never dare to go west.During this period, as long as Mori Terumoto is drawn out and attacked from both sides, the Eastern Army will naturally fall into chaos.This is his hope and his strategy.Therefore, when the Eastern Army launched a partial attack, captured Gifu and pressed Akasaka, although he was very flustered, he did not expect that it was the result of Ieyasu hiding behind the scenes and waving the command flag. Entering Akasaka and its surrounding areas, the Eastern Army actually stopped. From August 24th to September 14th, there was no war in these 20 days, and the two sides lived in peace.This undoubtedly convinced Sancheng that Ieyasu would not go west.The generals of the Eastern Army knew that the war with Uesugi, Satake, Sanada and others had already begun, and Ieyasu could not leave Edo. In order to deceive others, he deliberately appeared unpredictable. The "invisible flag" waved by Ieyasu obediently fell for Sancheng. But today, Ieyasu, who was supposed to be in Edo, suddenly appeared on Okayama, and Ogaki Castle was naturally in chaos. "That must be deceptive." "So, Kanemori Hoin's white flag seems to be very similar to Ieyasu's." "Let's send scouts to find out the truth first." The Eastern Army had clearly advanced to the Akasaka area, but stopped abruptly.The reason is by no means simple.And the Western Army's lack of morale made the sensitive Sancheng hesitate. "It's Ieyasu himself." When the spies reported the news to Sancheng, the generals, whose faces changed greatly, gathered one after another.Whether you like it or not, the decisive battle is imminent. Should you stick to it, attack at night, or take the initiative to fight the enemy? Needless to say, Ito Moromasa, the lord of Ogaki Castle, even Shimadzu Yoshihiro was behind Ukita Hideo's house and Konishi Yukyo-chan, his mouth was tightly shut, and he didn't say a word. Ieyasu's arrival immediately disrupted the Western Army.