Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Ikeda Enters the Set

The sky was gloomy, the rain stopped from time to time, and the mist seemed to be playing hide-and-seek with people. It had just dissipated, and it shrouded in the blink of an eye. As soon as the sky cleared, Tokugawa Ieyasu came out of his tent to carefully observe the changes in the enemy's formation.Every time I observe, I find that the enemy line is busy like an ant's nest, as if preparing for a long-term war.A sneer appeared on the corner of Ieyasu's mouth.According to Hashiba Hideyoshi's temperament, the more he acts like this, the more it shows that he wants to act very much.

Previously, Hideyoshi had thrown bait many times in an attempt to lure Ieyasu.On the second day of April, in order to lure Ieyasu to attack, the enemy even appeared in Grandma's arms.However, Ieyasu was only chased after symbolically, and did not pursue him relentlessly.The father and son Hineno Binakamori of Niebori even blatantly ran to the side of the formation to provoke. Sakai Chuji and Ieyasu understood it, but they still held back their temper and did not fight back. "The enemy is trying to lure us to go deep. It is a trap, and we must not be fooled. If we can persevere, victory is just around the corner."

Tadashi smiled and agreed with Ieyasu: "I never thought that a small hill could play such a big role... Chikuzen Mamoru must be gnashing his teeth with hatred." "That's right. He must be scolding Shengren severely: You bastard, why didn't you take down this hill for me earlier!" Zhongji said: "Nevertheless, it's not a good strategy to continue in such a stalemate. In my opinion, there must be an offensive." "What are you in a hurry for? This competition is about patience. If you don't believe me, just wait and see. It won't be long before Hideyoshi can't bear it, and withdraws from Gifu to Osaka in despair. Think about it, if even the world-famous Chikuzen Mamoru is in despair Withdrawing troops, how interesting it will be."

Zhongji asked again, "When will the winner be determined?" "I don't know. It's best to ask Mamoru Chikuzen." "It's really wonderful. But in this way, when will it end?" "In a war that can be won without fighting, what is needed most is patience. Don't rush to launch an attack, just wait and see. Soon, the enemy will definitely reveal a flaw that is conducive to our attack." "That being said, the enemy is also strengthening the camp around the clock. It seems that they have plans to confront us for a long time." "Hahaha, all the positions will be set up soon. After that, they will be idle. That will be interesting. The most uncomfortable thing is to be idle."

In fact, this kind of dialogue does not only happen between Ieyasu and Chuji.Except for Mr. Kanbara Yasomasa who was calm and smiling, the others, such as Ii Naomasa, Honda Tadakatsu, Okheira Nobumasa, etc., all came to inquire about the war. Ieyasu understood the reason in the same way, and everyone went back convinced. On the morning of the seventh day of April, there was movement in the enemy's camp.A group of infantry came out from the areas of Uikubo, Iwasaki, and Uikubo to the north, and challenged Kanbara Yasomasa's team. Why did the enemy move again?What is the trick behind it?Ieyasu stepped out of the tent, put on the awning and looked towards the enemy camp to the north.

The sun shone brightly, the green of the young leaves shaded the road, and as far as the eye could see, everything was immersed in silence.At this moment, Chaya Shiro Jiro, who was ordered to command the Musketeers to fight, came hurriedly with a farmer, his face was pale and he was out of breath. "Report. According to the news from the detectives, the enemy marched secretly from Chinei to Sanhe, passing through Ergong Village and north of Honzhuang Village, north of Kosong Temple last night." "The enemy is going south?" For a moment, Ieyasu's face flashed a look of embarrassment, "Aren't you talking nonsense, Qingyan? How could Hideyoshi do such a stupid thing?" Saying this, Ieyasu felt a little confused. "Come into the tent and talk."

Ieyasu walked quickly to lead the way, while Chaya Shirojiro, the current valet Matsumoto Shirojiro Kiyonobu, stared behind and urged the farmer.Qing Yan was also deeply surprised.He has already analyzed Hideyoshi's character thoroughly. In his opinion, Hideyoshi will never fight Ieyasu.Hideyoshi first built strong fortifications, made preparations for a protracted war, and then used some political means to propose peace terms to Ieyasu.What conditions will be put forward will depend on the battle of wits and courage between the two parties. Not only Qing Yan had such an idea, but Ishikawa Hoki Shoushusho, who was in charge of guarding Komaki Mountain, also held the same opinion.

"In this situation, everyone knows that once they take the lead in attacking the opponent, they will have to pay a great sacrifice. Hideyoshi will not even think of this." However, Hideyoshi had quietly sent troops south the night before.This is a fact.Everyone knows the details of reporting the farmer.He was from Kashiwai Village, named Nagazaemon, and he was one of the thirty-six people that Nobunaga secretly allocated allowances to keep in the precincts in order to prevent riots and other accidents. Jiakang hurried through the two gates and came to the yard in front of the big tent, but he didn't enter the tent. He just turned his head to look at Qingyan and the farmer, probably because he was impatient and couldn't wait for a moment. "Qing Yan, is this the one who brought the enemy's feelings?"

"Exactly." Qing Yan turned his head to signal the farmer, "This is my lord. Tell me what you have seen and heard." "Yes. But..." For some reason, the farmer hesitated, "I want...I want to meet the master of Qingzhou." "Don't worry, this is Lord Tokugawa who came to help Lieutenant General Kiyosu." "I am the son of a farmer who has been receiving the late Youfu's food salary." "Of course we know! That's why I asked you to tell my lord the general idea first, and then we will pass it on to the lieutenant general in Qingzhou."

"That... seems to be a bit wrong..." Ieyasu didn't speak, just listened carefully.He has an intuition: this person is trustworthy. "Alright then, invite Nobuo here." Ieyasu sat down slowly in front of the big tent, "So, the enemy has already circled behind me, threatening my rear?" "Yes Yes." "Your loyalty seems reliable, but it is not. If you report it late, your information may become worthless." The farmer was taken aback, looked up at Ieyasu in horror, and shouted: "Report! The villain suddenly realized the truth that soldiers are precious and fast. Now report to Lord Tokugawa."

Ieyasu nodded emphatically. "But it doesn't matter. Have you seen the enemy's army?" "Yes, the villain saw it with his own eyes. The flag belongs to the Ikeda family, and it seems to be Mori Musashi next to him." "You should come to report right away?" "No, I was afraid it was a feint attack by the enemy, so I searched around again." "Explore around?" "That's right. Morikawa Gonemon, Murase Sakuemon, and others in Okusa Village are trying to rebel and have been trying to get Mikawa's idea. Therefore, the villain asked their confidantes about the situation." "Morikawa Gonemon, Murase Sakuemon..." "Yes. In the end, a man named Hikoshiro Kitano who was close to Morikawa told the villain what happened." "Are these people ronin?" "Your Excellency is really wise." The thirty-two or three-year-old farmer had a dark face, and he was a loyal and upright person at a glance.His impassioned attitude can not help but make people laugh. "Kitano Hikoshiro told the villain: 'This time Morikawa will recommend all his friends to join Hashiba's party and crusade against Sanhe. These have already been decided. Hashiba Chikuzen was overjoyed to hear that, and immediately wrote a letter, promising to reward Morikawa in Sanhe Fifty thousand stones for a righteous man. I saw it with my own eyes. You’d better tell the villagers when you go back. I’m also going to lobby everywhere...'" "Oh, offering a reward of 50,000 shi for attacking me Sanhe?" "Yes... yes. It's not just that. Kitano also asked me to spread this news among the villagers. He also said: If any villager refuses to join him, he will be shot! If it is inconvenient to do it, report it to him immediately. He went to grab the heads of those people...they threatened the villagers in the nearby villages like this." At this time, Ieyasu seems to have forgotten himself, staring at the farmer intently.If so, the enemy couldn't bear it anymore and came to challenge him, and the method he adopted was also a surprise attack that Ieyasu had expected.If the enemy intends to take a large-scale sneak attack, you only need to take a small-scale sneak attack. At this time, Nobuo hurried over under the guidance of Qing Yan. "The person who reported the news of the enemy going south is you?" Nobuo was very embarrassed.Of course, what he worried about was completely different from Ieyasu.He knew very well that without Ieyasu's great help, he would be vulnerable. What he feared most was that Ieyasu would retreat to Sanhe, so he said to the farmer, "You must not talk nonsense. If you dare to deceive, be careful with your head!" Ieyasu had called Qingyan to him and made arrangements. "Go and call Niwa Jiji and Mizuno Tadashige. Then, send all the men and women on this mountain to the bottom of the mountain." Nagakute's Iwasaki Castle Master Niwa Jiji and Kariya Castle Master Mizuno Tadashige are very familiar with the geography and human relations in this area. .The dismissal of all the husbands on the mountain is of course for the sake of confidentiality. Just when Qingyan was going to call the generals, a warrior-looking man in his thirties passed by the husbands who were going down the mountain, and hurried to Jiakang's tent. "I'm from Iga, and my name is Heiroku Hattori. I have something urgent and I need to meet Lord Tokugawa immediately." Ishikawa Shuzheng's subordinates at the Yuanmen reported to Shuzheng.As soon as he heard it, he immediately brought this person to Ieyasu himself. "This is Heiroku Hattori who broke into Mori Musashi's interior before. I have something urgent to report, so I came here overnight to meet my lord." Before the number was finished, Ieyasu, who had already prepared for the meeting, shouted excitedly: "I've been waiting for you for a long time, come in quickly! The tactics of winning people have been roughly clarified, and now it's time to act." "My lord, it's clear. Katsuto just got the approval of the Chikuzen guard yesterday, and he went south secretly after nightfall. It seems that he wants to cut off the passage of Mikawa." "What is Shengren's first goal?" "Their operation is very confidential, so the details are unknown. According to my humble opinion, they are aiming at Iwasaki Castle at the front. It is estimated that after capturing Iwasaki Castle, they will break into Mikawa from Nagakute." "Is the general general Katsuto or Hidemasa Hori?" "I heard it's Miyoshi Son Qiro Hideji." "Miyoshi Hideji? That nephew that Hideyoshi loves so much?" "Yes. As the commander-in-chief, Sun Qilang is at the end of the team." "Huh?" Ieyasu glanced at Ishikawa Shumasa who was standing beside him, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth unconsciously, "From what you said, there is no doubt about it. Your report is very good, go down and rest." However, Hattori Heiroku did not get up immediately. "The citizens are all toward us in their hearts. However, those ronin who are greedy for Chikuzen's rewards and turned to the enemy use force to force the people to support Chikuzen. The people are filled with righteous indignation." "Understood." Ieyasu nodded, "That Morikawa Gonemon's accomplice Kitano Hikoshiro is also a ronin?" "Oh, so the adults know everything." "If I don't even know these things, how will I fight in the future? After I go back, I will continue to work hard and inquire carefully." After Hattori Heiraku left in surprise, Ieyasu winked at Suzumasa again and laughed. "This doesn't seem like an ordinary feint, right?" "My lord is wise. If the general is really Hideji, no matter what the battle situation is, Hideyoshi will definitely go out in person." "In this way, Ieyasu and Chikuzen Mamoru will finally meet." "I hope that the lord is cautious, and you must not act rashly." "Hmph! On the battlefield, how could Ieyasu follow your orders?" "Having said that, please be more careful and think twice before acting." At this time, Mizuno Tadashige was at the front, followed by Niwa Jiji, Sakai Tadashi, Ii Naomasa, Osuga Yasutaka, Honda Heihachiro and others.Although Ieyasu smiled nonchalantly at the cautious Ishikawa Suzuma, he was also worried about this battle in his heart.He even felt that the formation of troops in this battle was far more nerve-wracking than the previous three-party battle, and that victory or defeat had a lot to do with it. Ieyasu has passed the age of forty years, and he has always been steady and steady, showing an attitude of absorbing opinions from all, but in fact, he had already made a decision before this meeting was held.Ieyasu calmly swept around the generals sitting side by side with excited expressions. "It seems that they have finally taken action. How should we respond? The enemy's vanguard must have seen Niwa's absence and attempted to attack Iwasaki Castle. Should we immediately go to rescue Iwasaki Castle, Uji?" Before Niwa could speak again, Mizuno Tadashige said immediately: "This will delay the opportunity of the battle. Although it is indeed cruel to Niwa-sama, I think it is better to abandon Iwasaki Castle and pursue the enemy's tail instead, and hit Miyoshi Hideji Best policy." Ieyasu ignored Mizuno Tadashige's proposal and continued to ask Niwa Jiji, "How many people are left in the city?" "About three hundred... Ikeda's vanguard numbered at least six thousand. Three hundred versus six thousand... My lord!" "I will never refuse to save you, otherwise how can I face the world?" "My lord, I am satisfied with just your words." Niwa Shiji was very excited, "What is a mere small town? If you want to take it back, you can succeed at any time. Just like Mizuno-sama said just now, the current urgent need , is to immediately pursue Miyoshi Hideji, who is not yet familiar with warfare, and beat Miyoshi's troops to prevent the enemy from advancing." "That's a good point. If you attack Hideji's troops from behind, Katsuto and Musashi will naturally be unable to move forward, and they will definitely turn around and come to reinforce Miyoshi." "Exactly. Let's block Katsuto and Musashi's reinforcements and defeat them in one fell swoop. That's the best policy." "Oh. That makes sense. Kang Zheng, what do you think?" "Leader, I want to lead!" "What's the front line? Are you rushing?" "It's chasing Hideji, please allow Kodaira to take the lead!" Yasumasa has seen through Ieyasu's mind, and wants to change the topic away from Iwasaki Castle as soon as possible.Osuga Kosaka also leaned forward: "My lord, leave this battle to me." "How can this be done? I, Xiao Pingtai, asked for my life first!" "Okay, okay, you two are going to stop arguing. In my opinion, I will leave the task of leading the battle to me, Tadashige Mizuno. I am most familiar with the local terrain." Ieyasu closed his eyes on purpose: "Everyone, don't be so impatient, I'm at a loss." Honda Tadakatsu on the side interjected, "If we pursue Hideji, Chikuzen will come to pursue them again. These must be carefully considered, please make a decision, my lord." Ieyasu nodded.These retainers are very clear about his thoughts, it is really helpless. "Well, I understand everyone's opinions." After pondering for a while, Ieyasu finally spoke.No one goes against his will, and he is considered one of the lucky generals in the world. "Since everyone has no objection, let's act immediately. The situation is at hand. There are nearly 20,000 enemies, but our army is less than half of them. Therefore, the matter of rescuing Iwasaki Castle must be postponed for a while. The most urgent task is to immediately Chase Xiuci!" The crowd was so silent that even the sound of breathing could be heard. "This pursuit must not be delayed. Otherwise, once Chikuzen learns that we are attacking Shuji, he will immediately launch an offensive and oppress our army from the rear." "..." "Therefore, in this pursuit battle, we must adapt to the situation and make full use of the field fighting style that the Samurai warriors are best at. Then..." Jia Kang paused and looked around again, "Osuga Kosaka, the pioneer's right backup The army will be handed over to you." "Leave the vanguard to me? Thank you, my lord." "Hey, the right side army is already yours. The vanguard of the left side army is Kanbara Xiaoping Tai Yasuzheng." "yes!" "Mizuno Tadashige and his son Tojuro Katsunari, served as the general of the detachment before the vanguard. The detachment is led by Niwa Shiji. You have to be cautious and appease the leaders." Mizuno Tadashige was puzzled by this incredible arrangement, and couldn't help but "ahh". "I set off one step ahead of the vanguard...Is that so?" "That's right! Your father and son and Niwa Shiji led 4,500 people to set off first, followed by Kang Zheng and Kang Gao." "My lord!" Honda Tadakatsu seemed a little anxious, "Who is the general of this pursuit?" "Then there's no need to ask? Of course I, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobuo!" "Ah? My lord, are you going to do it yourself this time?" In fact, Ieyasu did not intend to serve as the chief general.He originally wanted to give this position to Sakai Chuji or Honda Tadakatsu, but suddenly changed his mind.If Hideyoshi knew that Ieyasu was still on Xiaomu Mountain, he would not dare to leave Letian.Therefore, he wanted to tempt Hideyoshi to fight in the field together, and compare his ability to dispatch troops with Hideyoshi, who is known for his quick actions. "My followers include Matsudaira Iechu, Honda Yasushige, Oka Chomori, and the Anayamabe from Koshu." "What about the base camp on Mount Xiaomu?" "Tadakatsu, you and Chuji, Shuzheng, Dingying and others are here to closely monitor Hideyoshi's every move. This is also a test of your ability to adapt. Once the Chikuzen Ward starts to move, no one should give orders to pursue it. Remember everything ?” The whole house fell into silence again, and everyone was stunned: Ieyasu will personally lead the army to pursue it! Ieyasu smiled. "In this battle, either the fish died or the net was broken. I haven't felt this way for a long time. Once Mamoru Chikuzen knows that I am going out, how can he stay? He likes ostentation so much." Shuzheng breathed a sigh of relief.Among the whole audience, he seemed to be the only one who understood Ieyasu's thoughts.Seeing Ieyasu laughing, everyone whispered like waking up from a dream.Everyone is tired of the confrontation in the past few days, and improving morale is the best strategy at present. "Everyone, hurry back and prepare. Set off at Xu time and go down the mountain quietly. Before dawn, you must cross the Shonai River and enter Xiaoba Castle." After speaking, Ieyasu called Zhongsheng and asked him to inform Nobuo of the arrangement. Ieyasu did not allow Nobuo to attend the meeting, firstly because he was sympathetic to him, and secondly because he was wary of him.He felt that even having Nobuo go with him would not be of much help.However, he did not leave Nobuo in Komaki Mountain to avoid Nobuo's worries and doubts, and he might act recklessly in case of a major accident. When everyone else left the big tent with high spirits, Ieyasu once again issued a secret order to Chuji, Tadakatsu, and Susho to carefully monitor Hideyoshi's movements: "Although this war began with Katsuto's sneak attack, after that, Hashiba Hideyoshi and Tokusho It's a contest between Kawane Yasushi's strength and luck. I will leave it to you three here, thanks for your hard work!" From the evening onwards, there was a drizzle like fog, and the vision was blurred.In order to cover up the whereabouts of Katsuto going south, Hideyoshi's army, who had been pretending to challenge during the day, also stopped harassing.As night fell, everything seemed hazy in the mist, even the bonfires lit by both sides were so erratic. Departures are completely secret.The people on the mountain have been sent down the mountain long ago. Except for the generals, not even the soldiers know where the army is and where it is marching. However, this army is the most people Ieyasu can mobilize here.The remaining troops in Xiaomushan and its surrounding areas were only 6,500 people, and the remaining 13,000 people were all transferred to participate in the pursuit battle.Once Hideyoshi succeeds in this battle, Ieyasu will lose most of the results of his painstaking efforts in the past half of his life. The enemy continued to move south. Mizuno Tadashige and Niwa Jiji, who set out first, took Kasugaihara and pointed directly at Obata Castle.If you meet people on the way, don't let them go away at will, but let them walk with the army in the name of leading the way, so as not to leak the news.They passed Nangai Mountain and Katsugawa, crossed Shonaigawa, entered Obata Castle from Kawamura, and waited for Ieyasu's arrival there. Ieyasu and Nobuo led 9,000 troops, with Naomasa Meii as the vanguard, crossed the city's Kuta, Aoyama, Toyoba, Ruyi and other places, and continued to advance after a short rest at Ryugenji Temple. From Katsukawa, via Niumu, they also entered Obata Castle . On the other hand, the West Route Army of Katsuto Ikeda, who secretly attacked Shinogi and Kashiwai, launched another operation around 12:00 on the evening of the 8th, and the forwards approached Mikawa.In front of the Shonai River, they divided into three groups and crossed the river from the upper, middle and lower positions.Among them, Ikeda and his son and Mori Musashi crossed the ferry of Dairu Village, entered the Southern Inba and Arai, and went straight to Sanhe Road; Hori Hidemasa crossed the Noda Ferry and headed for Nagakute; stationed in Baishan Forest. Of course, they were totally unaware that Ieyasu entered Obata Castle at almost the same time. Although it was already the ninth day of April, for Ikeda's troops, who traveled both starry and night, it was still a continuation of the eighth day.Katsuto Ikeda, who was pushing his horse forward in the fog and rain, sneezed several times in succession. "Father, did you catch the wind and cold?" the second son Huizheng, who was walking on the bridle, hurriedly asked. Shengren smiled: "What nonsense are you talking about? Sneezing during the march at night means that it will be dawn soon." "I have long heard that people are most likely to catch cold at dawn, father must take care of his health." "Okay, don't be so long-winded. People are different. This area is the village where I have been running around and playing at night with the late Lord Youfu since I was a child. Hehehe." "Father, why are you smiling so strangely?" "Oh... I remembered something. In the past, I used to go here with Lord Youfu and Lord Chikuzen to go from village to house and participate in the folk dances of the people." Katsuto sneezed again. "It's been rumored everywhere." "Who... what rumor?" Huizheng asked. "Of course it's a villager. It's really interesting..." Shengren was in a very good mood, "I will definitely be an unprecedented good lord." "Hey, father, what did you just say?" "I said just now that I want to dance with the villagers after the war as usual. The lord and the people are like a family and have fun. How happy it would be! This dream will soon come true." "This is something after the victory, it's still too early!" "Hahaha, since we have come here, we are not far from our goal. Look, isn't my steed galloping towards Sanhe?" Katsuto seemed to suddenly recall something, "Fortunately, Mr. Chikuzen obeyed. I've followed my advice. Ieyasu is probably still in the dark. Before we attack Okazaki, how will he know?" Huizheng didn't reply.Indeed, as my father said, now that I have set foot on the land of Sanhe, and my father is rarely so happy, he doesn't want to disappoint.The father and son walked in silence in silence.True, the dawn is coming.The icy sky above has turned pale. "The rain has stopped..." Shengren stretched out his hand to see if the rain had stopped.Suddenly, a war horse galloped towards Shengren against the direction of the team. "Report!" "What is it?" "It's already dawn. Niwa's Iwasaki Castle is very close. How about it?" Although he couldn't see his face clearly, but he heard the voice, and he knew it was the old Katagiri Hanemon. "What happened, Hanemon?" "I think it will be beneficial to wash Iwasaki Castle bloody at dawn and then advance with the victory." "Hmph... what we want to attack is not Iwasaki, but Okazaki. Take care of Iwasaki. Do you also care about a small city?" Katsuto smiled and did not stop his horse. "Report!" Seeing Katsuto continue to move forward, Iki Chuji shouted again. "Qingbei, do you also want to bloodbath Iwasaki Castle?" "That's not what I meant. But didn't you hear what Katagiri said just now?" "What do you mean, I'm not deaf yet!" After finishing speaking, Shengren stopped his horse, "The rain has stopped, which is a good omen." Iki Chuji seemed to be supplementing Katagiemon. "My lord, although we don't take them seriously, if they come forward on their own initiative, it may cause some trouble. I think Katagiri's words are not unreasonable." "Come forward on your own initiative?" "Yes. According to the local Baiwa, Niwa Shiji is in Xiaomu, and his younger brother Shizhong is staying in the city. I heard that Shizhong is a proud person." "How many troops does he have?" "About three hundred..." "Hahaha, there are only three hundred people, no matter how high-minded he is, he dare not stand in front of me. Just ignore him!" "Since you ordered it like this, of course I have nothing to say. But if we want our large army to continue to move forward safely, it will definitely help to divide a small number of troops." Hearing what Iki Chuji said, Katagiri Hanemon, who had been silent just now, came over again. "Yes, I got a message from the people I captured, saying that Shige Niwa has noticed our movement, do you think, how could someone as high-spirited as him let us pass without fighting to the death? " "Oh? Is this person so arrogant? But..." Shengren immediately pondered. The most important thing in this battle is the marching speed.Katsuto should do his best to get close to Okazaki before Ieyasu notices, and quickly cut off the connection between Honda Zuakuzaemon and Ieyasu in the castle.Before setting off, Hideyoshi repeatedly entrusted him not to delay on the road. "You mean the army in the castle won't let us pass easily, Hanemon?" "Yes, we should make some preparations in advance, just in case. What do you think, Katagiri?" "Yes, as Yimu said, if we want to move forward according to the established plan, we should be fully prepared. Even if the enemy launches an attack first, it will not be affected. In my opinion, we must allocate a team to deal with them... " "Oh? If we just disperse them instead of killing them all, will Shi Zhong report to Xiaomu immediately?" Time flies, the sky above the head is already white and shiny, and the scenery that was hidden in the thick fog just now has now become a faint ink painting.Shengren suddenly discovered that there were two or three trees about eight rooms away in front of him, and there was a relatively spacious open space under the tree. "Well, if the other side attacks first..." Shengren couldn't help becoming irritable, and he urged his horse to gallop towards the open space. No matter how weak the enemy is, if they pounce viciously, they should not be underestimated.Should we simply flatten this small town before moving on, or send out a small group of people to deal with them?This made him very irritable. "I see, I see the city." "Oh, it's getting closer." A soldier said. "Hmph, can that be considered a city? It can't even keep up with the houses of rich peasants! Well, let's take the horses to the open space first, and then decide who will stay." Shengren fell into distress again: how much troops should be allocated? okay? Katsuto knew that Honda Saemon, who stayed behind in Okazaki, was brave and good at fighting, so he didn't want to leave a single soldier here.If the opponent has 300 people, he must leave twice or three times the strength of the opponent to be more sure. Katsuto was distracted by these trivial matters, but forgot one important thing: when the enemy's city entered the other side's field of vision, they also entered the enemy's field of vision. "Okay, let's discuss how many troops to leave now. Hanemon, Kiyobei, come here." At this moment, the foot of the guard leading the horse suddenly slipped, and the horse's front legs suddenly fell to the ground. Big thing is bad! "Bang bang bang" a clear gunshot broke the dawn. "Ah, the horse has been shot!" "The enemy is firing!" "Protect the adults..." Suddenly, a thick human wall formed around Shengren. "Bang bang bang" seven or eight guns sprayed out tongues of flame, which was deafening. "Damn it!" Shengren couldn't help being furious.He dismounted from the horse and kicked the fallen horse vigorously. "He actually came to plot against me. This horse has been shot through the chest by a bullet, and it cannot survive." The shot horse fell to the ground, looking sadly at its owner, still wanting to stand up. "Hanemon! Qingbei! We must not stop here, otherwise it will bring bad luck and seriously affect morale. Now I order: Trample Iwasaki Castle! Bloodbath Iwasaki Castle!" "Shall we fight now?" "It's not a challenge, it's a bloodbath on Iwasaki! Don't leave even one alive, kill me!" "Father..." Sanzaemon Terimasa moved his mouth, not knowing what to say.The extremely angry Katsuto could no longer listen to anything.After a while, Katsuto's musketeers all aimed at the gun tower that was shooting at him, and fired back fiercely. bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang The night completely receded, and the surroundings became brighter.Flocks of frightened birds flew from the woods, desperately fleeing to the distant sky.Before the change horse was brought over, Katsu stood there angrily, staring at the increasingly clear Iwasaki Castle. Katagiri Hanemon and Iki Chuji beside him have long since disappeared, and Teruma also rushed to the enemy's castle by his father's order. It is far easier for the whole army to go into battle, flatten Iwasaki City, and then move on, than to leave a part of the troops to deal with the enemy.From the very beginning, the two family elders had this opinion.Huizheng also immediately obeyed his father's order. However, when the new horse was brought in, Shengren regretted it again.Master Zhuqian has already told you many times, don't delay on the road, now... Alas!There is no other choice. In the morning light, Katsuto's army rushed towards Iwasaki Castle like a flood that broke a bank.The sound of drums shook the sky, and the flags fluttered. "It would be great if we can win quickly." Shengren comforted himself, and was about to fly on the horse when he suddenly felt a pain in his right ankle.At this time, the war horse has already galloped up.Endo Fujita, who was leading the horse, handed Katsuto's spear to Ishisaka Hankuro, and also galloped. "The vanguard of our army has arrived at the city gate. Fujita, hurry up and drive the horse into the woods near the small river ahead." There are only three hundred enemies, and Niwa Kansuke, the castle guard, is still not there.Therefore, without firing a shot, the enemy will immediately surrender in fright, what a sight!In fact, Shengren is not the only one who holds this idea, but also the two elders who have been encouraging Shengren to attack the city.Cui Ma came to the front line to have a look, but Shengren unexpectedly found that the opponent had opened the gate of the city and killed him. "This kid Shizhong really doesn't know the heights of heaven and earth, and dares to come to die!" Shengren gritted his teeth and said, "Hankuro, get the gun!" He snatched the gun from the attendant's hand and waved it a few times at the horse. He felt a sharp pain in his heel again.As soon as the foot stepped on the stirrup hard, the ankle stabbed like a knife. The attendant was about to move on, but was stopped by Shengren. "Wait a minute! We don't need to rush over. Let's wait first." There is no need for Shengren to rush over.The Niwa family is young, energetic and inexperienced, leading the whole army to fight out of the city, it is like hitting a stone with an egg.As a result, under Ikedabe's fierce counterattack, they had to retreat to the city.However, there was no time to close the city gate at this time, and Ikeda's men took advantage of the situation to swarm in. The mist gradually dispersed, and after a fierce battle, the land was trampled into mud by the armies of both sides.The rising sun sprinkled warm sunlight on the earth, and on the corpses of those soldiers who died in battle—there was no living person in the city anymore. The battle started at Mao hour and ended before Chen hour. Ikeda's men won a brilliant victory and their morale was at an all-time high.As expected before the war, Iwasaki Castle was leveled before breakfast time. "That way there's no worries." "My lord must be very satisfied with this victory. It didn't affect the speed of the march at all." "Okay, let's simply have some breakfast here and leave immediately." Katagiri Hanemon and Iki Chuji carefully inspected the city, and after confirming that there were indeed no remnants, they hurried back to Katsuto.Shengren looked very happy. "Good sign! You two have worked hard!" Shengren didn't dismount, but immediately expressed his condolences to the two elders, and suddenly asked, "Have you found Shi Zhong's head? Although he is our enemy, he is also an indomitable warrior. We It should be done with courtesy.” The two were a little puzzled. "I'm paying respects to you..." "Examination of the head. There is a suitable place nearby, the two of you hurry up and prepare." "You want to test Shizhong's head?" The two were deeply surprised and looked at each other, but Shengren looked away: "What is the name of the mountain in the north of the city?" "Report to my lord, that is Liufang Mountain." "Okay, let's test it on Liufang Mountain. Although he is our mortal enemy, he is also a brave warrior. Therefore, you should be more careful, and..." Shengren felt a little dizzy, "During the test of the head, the soldiers Rest in the city as much as possible, and be on strict alert, without any slack." "grown ups!" "What is it?" "I think we should hurry on our way. There is nothing wrong with not doing things like inspecting the head..." Katagiri Hanemon stepped forward and said. "Why, do you want to disobey the order?" Shengren interrupted him, "We traveled all night and didn't close our eyes all night. We fought another battle just now. The soldiers are exhausted to the extreme. They should take a rest. The most important courtesy to Shi is also As warriors, we should do our best. Resting here will kill two birds with one stone. I am waiting for you on Liufang Mountain. Bring the horses!" "Father!" At this moment, Huizheng, who couldn't bear it anymore, finally spoke.Shengren left without looking back.This may come as a surprise to everyone.Sheng Ren, who has always cherished time like gold and cannot wait without delay, now wants to spend time here to test the head of the not-so-famous Shi Zhong... Some people think that Shengren deliberately let the soldiers rest in the name of inspection.Some people mistakenly believe that Katsuto relaxed after taking Iwasaki Castle.Actually, there are other reasons. Just after dawn, the horse was shot by the enemy, and when Katsuto jumped off the horse, he accidentally broke his ankle.Although it seemed to be fine at the time, it is gradually hurting now.Having just won the first battle, the morale is at an all-time high, Shengren couldn't bear to tell his subordinates about the ominous thing.So, he came up with an idea—to use Wei Shi to re-examine and heal himself. "Father!" It was Katsuto's eldest son Kiimori Motosuke who spoke, his voice was a little hoarse.Katsuto glanced back at Yuansuke, didn't say anything, but continued to ride his horse forward. "Father!" Yuanzhu was deeply surprised and urged his horse to catch up.Only then did he realize that the corners of his father's mouth were twitching, and there was a faint look of pain on his face. "Father, your complexion is not good, are you injured?" "Hush—" Shengren quickly winked, telling him not to make a sound. “先把这个消息报告给筑前大人。至于我，你休要担心，只是扭了一下脚。”胜人压低了声音，拍了拍右脚。也不知元助是否明白，他点了点头，扭转马头向后面奔去。 清晨的阳光洒遍了六坊山，树叶上的露珠像一颗颗明珠，熠熠闪光。胜人让人搭好营帐，开始了他所谓的检验。现在可不该在这里浪费时间……胜人不住地担心随他赶来的森武藏守和堀秀政的部队。 此时的堀秀政却正在岩崎城北山脚下的金萩原歇息，等待池田攻城结束。秀次则已经渡过松户渡口，安营于猪子石的白山林。这些人竟也学了自己，停止了前进……想到这些，胜人就气不打一处来。 一下马，胜人忍着疼痛走了三四步，想看一看自己伤得是否严重。结果，每次右脚跟着地，一阵刺痛就袭遍全身，连头发稍都似疼痛不已。看来，这次不是扭伤，脚后跟的骨头恐是折断了。 “今天运气不错，好兆头。看一看，敌人的首级有多少？……我的脚怎么有些热乎乎的，有没有烧酒？”胜人还是装作没事的样子，让人从行李囊中取来烧酒，若无其事地脱下鞋子，擦了几下。烧酒凉凉的，迅速渗入脚踝，但伤处已经开始发热，肿得有些发紫了。 弄点醋和芋头，和成糊敷在上面，疼痛就会减半……胜人这样想，为了不让大家知道他负伤，又立刻穿戴整齐。 “大人，您怎么了？”途中，伊木忠次感觉有些不大对劲，问了一句。 胜人仍然做出一副若无其事的样子，道：“没什么。看来我们这次的胜利很是利索真是老天相助，你说呢，清兵卫？”他轻描淡写地就把伊木忠次瞒过去了。“这次战斗，最重要的是鼓舞士气，要仔细清点。” 未几，胜人就有些傻眼。供他检验的敌人的首级远远超过了三百。片桐半右卫门甚至来报告说，大家竟相来献人头，请胜人亲自检验。 这样一来，要验到何时？一股无名怒火涌起，胜人首先把目光转向了丹羽氏重的头颅。 二十二岁的氏重的首级已经被仔细地整理过了，头发梳得很整齐，血污也已洗净，看上去微睁双目，似在嘲笑胜人…… “嗯，真是……好兆头。”胜人忍着疼痛，强笑道。