Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

In the middle of June of the eighteenth year of Tianzheng, it has been eighty days since Hideyoshi stepped here. The Hojo clan stared blankly at the enemy's newly built wall castle on the Ishigaki Mountain to the southwest of Odawara Castle and on the right side of Hayakawaguchi.Toyotomi Hideyoshi called it the One Night Castle.Shi has known for a long time that there are often husbands and wives there, and he once guessed that someone built some kind of house on the opposite side of the forest.However, he never expected that a large-scale city would suddenly appear in the forest. It seemed to be laughing at the Odawara Castle that had been passed down for five generations, as if he heard Hideyoshi laughing: "Well, you understand my power, right?"

The city sits in the mist, proudly overlooking the city walls and streets of Odawara.I am afraid that hundreds of thousands of people will have to be used just to move the huge stones needed for the mountain city.The blockade at sea is getting smaller and smaller, and the enemies from Ueno have gradually entered Musashi, Shimoso, and Sagami, forming a siege on Hojo. Why did Hideyoshi build such a large project?Shi couldn't help the hairs all over his body standing on end, but he also made up his mind: If he wants to show off, let him show off, I won't be fooled. The Hojo defenders, who have been unable to determine the direction of the expeditionary force, have never felt such a strong pressure.On that day, there was no news from the friendly forces at Hayakawakou, Shangshangkou, Shuiweikou and other places.

"The envoy hasn't come yet?" Shi Zhi impatiently walked down the steps of the big archery building, and came to the shooting range where the new city could no longer be seen, waiting for news from Ueda Asohiro.Ueda Asohiro is the lord of Musashi Matsuyama, and he is responsible for consolidating Jiuxikou here, opposing the Tokugawa camp. "I haven't come yet, but I heard some rumors." The personal bodyguard Mizunosuke Sakaguchi said timidly.Shi Naoki turned around: "Speak!" Master Mizunosuke looked around, "The monk named Suifeng and Moto Ami have left here."

"Ami Koetsu has left?" "Exactly. Ueda-sama's retainers have heard a lot of news. It is said that Moto-Ami returned to Kyoto in late April or early May due to illness." "Oh?" Uji Nao's voice trembled slightly, "Isn't he in charge of the communication between Hideyoshi and Tokugawa?" "However, he asked for leave in front of Guan Bai on the grounds of illness. Guan Bai also rewarded him with many things and sent someone to escort him along the way. I heard that he has indeed returned to the capital." Shi couldn't believe it, and stood under the cherry trees and ancient trees. "Then we have to wait! Even if I don't have Ben Ami, I still need to contact you. Go and get the scorpion!" He sat down, closed his eyes and said, "Strictly monitor Mt. Hachiman."

This is a strange war.At first, Shi Zhi planned to fight with all his strength, he considered the time it would take, the military expenditure, and the necessary measures to defend the city. On March 29, Hideyoshi launched an attack on Yamanaka Castle in Hakone and Nirayama Castle in Izu.The city in the mountains has fallen, and although Jiushan City is surrounded, the city has not yet been broken.But Hideyoshi seems to have no intention of attacking the important Odawara Castle. The Hojo family even recruited farmers to transport nearby grain and grass here, bringing every street under control.Odawara has no shortage of merchants, samurai and food.But the sudden appearance of Ishigaki Mountain Castle caused strong uneasiness among the people in the city.Shizhi was also deeply confused.He paid attention to appeasing the soldiers, allowing them to play chess or double six during the day.Except for those with special missions, other people can also feast and dance.Therefore, there are people cooking with stoves, singing, playing flutes and drums everywhere.In the inner ten towns of Matsubara Daimyojin, it is allowed to go to the market every day, and all the old grains that are useless for three to five years and the rice that will be reserved for the next year are sold on the market, which makes rice and wheat pile up like mountains... There is no fighting spirit in Odawara Castle .

Hideyoshi refused to admit defeat, and used thousands of ships to transport supplies every day, and sent various generals to guard Atami to Hayakawaguchi, Yumoto's Shangkou, Mizuoguchi, Kunoguchi, Ihosotaguchi, Shitokukou, Jiuxikou and Chengguo Around, markets were built in various places to surround Odawara.Now, even sea and land merchants and prostitutes have come here one after another. How is it like a war? The iron ring encircling Guan Yashu is constantly advancing from the sea to Odawara.In Izu, only Chirayama Castle remains.On April 20, all the troops of Uesugi, Tokugawa, and Toyotomi launched an attack from Matsuida Castle in Ueno to compete with each other; on April 22, they went to Edo Castle; ;May 30th, Xiatate Forest Castle; June 5th, Xia Ninja Castle; June 14th, Xiabagata Castle...

The cities fell one after another, and the coalition forces approached towards the east, with the majestic Ishigaki Mountain Castle on both sides. "It's unreasonable to lose without fighting!" Uji waited anxiously for the contact from Tokugawa. There is silence in Odawara City, but the territories passed down from ancestors have been lost one after another.Odawara was like a sandbar in a flood, losing contact with its surroundings one after another.In the end, even the feet will be eroded by muddy water.Now, the only thing Uji can count on is the Tokugawa clan, and the Tokugawa clan is the last hope for the survival of the Hojo clan.

Shi Zhi regretted his recklessness.Although he arranged his father and the soldiers very carefully, the biggest reason for his dilemma today is a major mistake in the estimation of strength.Enemies sarcastically called this the "Odawara assessment."The day of surrender was delayed by one day, and Odawara became more isolated.If you don't even know this, you are really a fool.Ieyasu had repeatedly persuaded, Suifeng and Honami Koetsu also repeatedly lobbied, and now, Uji Nao also acquiesced in his heart.Although he repeatedly discussed with his father and retainers, no agreement was reached.

"How can we show weakness?" "Yes, we should negotiate peace with them when we have a chance to win." However, such claims are just castles in the air, how could the enemy give them a chance?They have successfully isolated Odawara. After the completion of the Ishigaki Mountain Castle - One Night Castle, the enemy will definitely launch a general attack. If the Tokugawa Clan cannot be contacted by then, isn't Hojo only a dead end? "Is there no one in the Shequkou formation yet?" "Yes. Both the mouth and the wine are returned..." "Hmph! Then send an envoy to Shangtian."

After waiting for a long time, Shizhi had no choice but to send his close ministers to the Ueda court at Jiuxikou, and he couldn't wait any longer.Give the general attack an order, isn't Ieyasu really running for his son-in-law? "What should I do now?" Before the One Night City was completed, Shi Zhi could gather his soldiers and attack in one go.However, most of the morale has already been lost. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, the important minister Matsuda Xianxiu who was in charge of guarding the upper entrance came from the position together with Chaoguang.Shizhi stood up anxiously, and said sternly to the attendant: "We have important matters to discuss, no one is allowed to come near!"

Ueda Asohiro stood on the east side and was in charge of letting the wind pass, while Matsuda Kenhide walked up to Uji Nao alone.Seeing the half-white-haired Xianxiu's forehead dripping with sweat, he suddenly felt that something was wrong, and said anxiously, "Xianxiu! Is there someone plotting to rebel?" "This..." Xianxiu didn't deny it, she just fell on the ground, her shoulders trembling with excitement. The person the young warriors in the city disliked the most was Kenhide Matsuda.In the face of the already retired main combat faction, Xianxiu always delays the war. "That bastard!" "The Odawara Council was slandered by the enemy because of Matsuda." "Perhaps he's even conspiring with the enemy!" Shizhi had also heard these rumors, but he still entrusted Xianxiu with a heavy responsibility, and he would never show his temper for a while.It doesn't matter if the Hojo family is only a small feudal lord of 50,000 koku or 100,000 koku, but they are daimyos who have been guarding Guanbashu since the Five Dynasties, and they must not act rashly. But Xianxiu didn't talk about the matter of treason, which made Shi feel startled, and said: "You came to me, what is the matter? Tell me quickly!" "My lord, everything is over!" "It's over? We haven't started a decisive battle yet, isn't it you who have delayed the war until now?" Xianxiu raised his head, looked at Shi Zhi, and seemed to want to say something. "What on earth do you have to say?" "My lord, Jiushan's clan regulations have already surrendered." "Niu Mountain?" "It was said by Naomasa Tokugawa Ujii who attacked Shinoen." "Damn it! Could it be that there is an internal response in the Yi army?" "I don't know the details. But even Ii's army has been dispatched, which means that the Tokugawa clan has abandoned us. The decision of the lord is too late." "It's too late to decide? Isn't it because of you?" Shi Zhi clenched his fists angrily, his lips trembling.He wanted to say that, but it didn't seem right here and now.If you decide to fight against the city, everyone will live and die with the city.But this old minister must think that this is really unwise, and advised his family to surrender early. Now is not the time to scold, the haze has already enveloped the city.Shi remained silent for a long while, crying, "Xianxiu, what do you think should be done? Could it be that Lord Tokugawa really let go of it?" "Yes, Hachioji Castle has fallen, and now Niyama... can't see that Tokugawa has any intention of supporting. We veterans are all angry at Tokugawa." Shi Nao quietly closed his eyes and remained silent. It seemed that Ieyasu was about to change from being a mediator to one who persuaded him to surrender.What disappointed him even more was that his uncle Shigui, who was in charge of guarding Jiushan City, had already surrendered.Shigui, like his elder brothers Shizheng and Shihui, is a tough faction.At the beginning of the month, Jizheng heard that Hideyoshi had sent Asahina Yasakatsu to urge Shigui to surrender, but Jigui vowed that the city was alive and the city was dead.These words were still vaguely heard, but within 20 days, he made Kaesong surrender!No wonder Matsuda Kenhide sighed again and again. "Tokugawa abandoned me, and Nirayama Castle has fallen. In addition," Xianxiu continued tremblingly with pale lips, "I heard news from Ihosotaguchi last night that Takigawa Yuri and the black group in the Ujibo-sama's formation Xiaogao and Xiaogao have accepted Guan Bai's offer to surrender." "what?" "Shifang didn't report this matter to the lord, what's his plan?" Shi Zhi almost couldn't stand still, and hurriedly leaned against the trunk of the cherry tree.Now, even the younger brother surrendered! Ota's family is the lord of Musashi's Iwaki City, and he is also the younger brother of Shizhi.He was in charge of consolidating between Ihosotaguchi and Kunoguchi leading to Odawara Castle. "According to my inference, Guanbai must have persuaded Shigui, Shifang and other clansmen to isolate the lord and then fight a decisive battle. According to credible secret reports, Hideyoshi has recently left Odawara to inspect the Kanto and ordered Hidemasa Go to Kamakura to promote the might of the army." Shi felt that there was darkness in front of his eyes: Jiushan fell, and even his younger brother fell... In this way, it is equivalent to cutting off the Hojo clan's siblings.Although food and grass are still plentiful, and the enemy has not yet launched a strong attack, everyone originally wanted to wait for work and wait for the enemy who had traveled a long distance to throw themselves into the trap, but they did not expect to fall into the trap like this. "Xianxiu... what do you think?" "I think that even if the 60,000 people in the city fight to the death...it won't help." "So, what do you suggest?" "If the lord surrenders to Hideyoshi, I'm afraid that the old castellan and Master Shihui will not obey, so let's leave this kind of matter to the next generation." "what's your plan?" Xianxiu opened his blood-red eyes and timidly looked around.Cicadas buzzing overhead.The sun shone down on the earth, and the heat made the heavily armed soldiers sweat drenched in their clothes. Kenhide Matsuda wiped his sweat, and said in a low voice: "We plan to return to the Shangkou and Jiuxikou immediately, and then send secret envoys to the Yoseo, Hosokawa, Ikeda, Hori and other positions at the Hayakawaguchi." "Secret envoy for fraudulent surrender?" "Yes. Apart from bitter tricks, there is really no way to stop the enemy's general attack." "So, the enemy is really going to launch a general attack?" Shizhi coughed violently, "If we do this now, can we still recover from the decline?" Matsuda shook his head, "My thoughts are different from the Lord's. If we surrender here, the other party will definitely not let us go. Wouldn't it be a terrible defeat?" "Go ahead, what's your plan?" Xianxiu licked his parched lips, and said: "I plan to pretend to be in collusion with the enemy army, and lead Ikeda, Hosokawa, and Hori's troops into the city from Hayakawaguchi." "Bringing them in will inevitably start a war, and it won't save the lives of 60,000 people!" "This... this is a bitter trick." "If you go into detail, I still don't understand." "I want to pretend to be a traitor, and then ask the lord to take me down on the charge of 'fornication with the enemy'." "Taking you down? Just before the enemy attacks?" "Yes..." Xianxiu's voice was still trembling. It seems that he is really a coward. He decided to do this because he must have made a lot of determination. No wonder he was trembling nervously, "If the enemy launches an attack, Everything is over. Therefore, I plan to send secret envoys to ease the enemy's offensive, and then you will take me down. But when the time comes, I will ask my lord to take charge of the defense of Hayakawaguchi." "Oh." "Perhaps people inside and outside the city will ask for a discussion because of someone like me, Kenhide Matsuda. Before that, even though Jirui of Jiushan has decided to surrender, he should come to the city." "So what?" "In this way, after all, there are two more people who advocate peace talks, Shigui and Shifang. In addition, the subordinates have secretly colluded with the enemy. There is really no other way but to open the city and surrender. Thinking about it, the old city owner and Shifang Master Hui will also understand. To save the lives of 60,000 people in the city, Matsuda Kenxiu would rather die." Speaking of this, Xianxiu couldn't help covering his face and crying. Shizhi finally understood what Xianxiu meant.Although Xianxiu said it this way, it seemed that it was far from being exhausting.The Hojo clan who waited for an opportunity was not for war, but for surrender.Previously, the Hojo family painstakingly delayed the discussion, repeatedly discussed peace and war, but was unable to make a decision for a long time, and missed the opportunity!Father Shizheng and uncle Shihui are stubborn people that are rare in the world.But since the situation has deteriorated, how can he, as the head of the family, get away with it! "Ah!" Shi sighed, his forehead was already full of sweat.At that time, the main battle faction's father Shizheng and uncle Jihui might compromise, and there were other clan regulations, younger brother's house, and Ueda Asohiro and Naito Toyokage who did not object to the peace, and Matsuda Kenhide was taken down again... so As a result, the main combatant is obviously at a disadvantage. Shi Zhi was deeply saddened, and cold sweat flowed from his forehead and underarms. "What kind of patriarch am I?" Shizhi advocated peace from the very beginning.However, under the pressure of his father and uncles, he finally dared not speak his mind.Perhaps Kenhide Matsuda, who was trembling in front of him at the moment, also had the same weakness as him, but was just trying to calm down. "Hey! I am as guilty as you. Well, just do as you want, and I will never ignore you. After taking you down and deciding to surrender in Kaesong, Shizhi will also commit suicide by harakiri to save 60,000 people. The lives of the soldiers, father and uncle!" "My lord! Let's leave now." "The next time we meet again, I will whip and scold you. Perhaps this is the price a cowardly person should pay." "If not, there will be a greater price." "Okay, let's go." "My lord, take care." Xianxiu quietly looked around again, and fled to the west. In this world, there are many incredible forces that dominate life.Using Gao Lu to support the retainers is nothing more than to let them go through life and death one day.However, the result was completely opposite. Once the incident happened, there were very few people who were really willing to do their best.The Hojo family finally embarked on the road to extinction.What if everyone is cowardly and cowardly?When Hideyoshi ordered to go to Beijing, everyone in Hojo didn't dare to resist, at most they cut off the territory of one and a half countries, and now they are still the overlord of the Kanto.Ieyasu promoted the peace talks, and Oda Nobuo also frequently sent envoys. Even folks like Motoami Koetsu and Suifeng also expressed their favor and advice to Hojo.However, the Hojo family missed the opportunity and died. "When the One Night Castle is completed, Hideyoshi will definitely launch a general attack within two or three days." Kensuke was right, it was impossible to shoot at the top of Ishigaki Mountain from here.But once the opponent fires, more than half of the city will be bombed.Shizhi said loudly to the personal guard: "Pass it to Shangtian!" "Master." Ueda Chaohiro came over and knelt down on the ground with a serious face. "What do you think of Xianxiu?" Shi asked directly. "What does my lord mean?" "Don't you think he lacks caution in his words and deeds?" "This……" "He's a bit weird. You send people to monitor the people who interact with him, and then find two or three people to join the formation." "This……" "Perhaps that guy has an affair with the enemy. I have long seen the fear on his face. If he informs the enemy, you must report it to me immediately. If you can win the blood sacrifice, it may boost morale. Do you understand? If you make a mistake, you will be guilty of the same crime as Xianxiu!" After finishing speaking, a strong disgust surged in Shizhi's heart, and he turned and walked towards the city without waiting for Ueda's answer.