Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

Before you know it, spring is getting stronger.The white plums dotted on both sides of the Yoshida River have spit out yellow shoots and are about to be covered by cherry blossoms. Takeda Katsuyori did not expect that this expedition would be in a stalemate, and he did not expect that this small town would take them so long.He looked up at Noda Castle from the tent. The Noda Castle was backed by Benguan Mountain, and the base of the city was covered with dense bamboo forests. It could be called a jungle city. Even my father, who has always acted cautiously, said: "So this is Noda Castle. If we knew it was so small, we could destroy it on the way."

Changxiao City, which is guarded by the three parties of the Shan family, is strong, tall and fearsome, and it is really a fortress.But the small town of Noda in front of him gave people a small impression, feeling that it could be conquered within a day. The lord of the castle is Shinhachiro Suganuma of the Kanuma Izu family in Nagashino Castle, and there are only more than 900 soldiers guarding the castle.But after launching the attack, Takeda discovered that the town's resistance was far beyond estimate. Ieyasu sent Matsudaira and Ichiro Tadamasa to tell them: "They must not be allowed to pass through. You know, if Noda Castle is lost, Okazaki Castle will be in danger." He told them to stick to Noda Castle.

The Takeda Army launched its first offensive on the eleventh day of the first lunar month, and it is now approaching mid-February.A smile appeared on Katsurai Duanli's face, and he pinched his fingers and said: "It's almost forty days, they really have some tricks." Once they realized that they couldn't take it in one fell swoop, the Takeda army began to make long-term plans.Put the main force in the woods, and the other soldiers are distributed from Ishida Village to Sasarase, Kurosaka, and Sugiyamahara. Ieyasu, of course, did not stand idly by.In the first month, he reorganized the severely damaged Hamamatsu Army, and then led 3,000 elite troops to come for reinforcements, with the main force at Mt. Kasagi.

There were many chances for a decisive battle between the two sides, but both Shingen and Katsuyori gave up. During the stalemate between the two sides, Katsuyori began to plan how to disrupt the interior of Okazaki Castle, the next attack target, hoping to enter Okazaki without bloodshed, while Shingen was considering more far-reaching strategies.On the second day of the Mikatahara Great Victory, Shingen sent the head of the veteran Oda family minister Hirate Kanmonagamasa to Nobunaga, announcing the severance of relations with him.Behind the words of severing friendship, Shingen's incomparable self-confidence is hidden, and there is also a hint of intimidation.The implication is: I have defeated the ungrateful Ieyasu, what good is the alliance between you and Ieyasu?

Nobunaga understood this, so he sent someone to repeatedly declare that he would not send reinforcements to support Ieyasu. And Katsuyori's strategy in Okazaki Castle seems to have worked, and good news comes from time to time.He then sent the last envoy to persuade Noda City to surrender. "It's not a waste of time, Saburobei." Katsuyori said with a smile on his face.Shanxian Changjing behind him laughed. "Ieyasu will have a deep sense of our strength this time." Katsuyori smiled and went back to the bed and sat down, and Yamagata Masamune smiled again. "Saburobei, why are you laughing?"

"It's nothing, people think so much the same, how can we not make people laugh?" "similar?" "While Ieyasu is trying to avoid the decisive battle, he is anxiously waiting for the arrival of Nobunaga's reinforcements, and the lord is also waiting for Nobunaga to give up reinforcements for Ieyasu because of fear... They are all thinking about reinforcements." "Haha...that's how it is." Katsuyai nodded heavily, and took out a thin piece of fragrant wood from his waist pocket, "Saburobei, light this. While smelling the incense, we wait for the return of the envoy."

"Yes." Chang Jing put the incense wood on the dying fire, "What choice will Nobunaga make? How did the young master predict it?" "How did you expect it? I can't understand what you said." "Ieyasu thinks that Nobunaga is his ally, and the Lord thinks that Nobunaga will turn to support him under certain circumstances." "Isn't this a natural thing? We are about to enter Okazaki Castle. If we send an envoy at that time, if we don't follow... Nobunaga is very sensitive to gains and losses. No matter what he thinks, he will give up fighting us .”

"You mean, you want to subdue him with strength?" "This doesn't sound like what you Saburo Bingwei said. In today's troubled times, besides strength, is there anything else that works?" "So, Okazaki Castle was also captured by using strength?" "Haha, Okazaki is an exception. Mrs. Tsukiyama seems to want to remarry. We don't understand women's wishes." "She said that if she could remarry, she would let us into the city?" "Yes. She hopes to marry a well-matched family, and she wants her son with the blood of the Imagawa clan to inherit the old collar of Mikawa. She promised to let us enter the city immediately when Ieyasu led the reinforcements to Noda."

"Hahaha, it's so strange. She is not a normal woman, she must be crazy. Hahaha!" "Saburobei, don't laugh." "The most ridiculous thing is that the young master has no doubts about this." "What, am I ridiculous?" "Young master, you should be sober. No matter how crazy a woman is, she would never act like this." "I have also considered it. So I asked them to present the lady's autographed letter, otherwise Okazaki Castle will be flattened!" "That's great, but I'm afraid the letter won't be delivered easily."

Just as he was talking, there was a sudden commotion in front of the military tent. It turned out that the envoy sent to Noda Castle had returned. The two stopped talking and welcomed the envoys in. They were Suganuma Izu and Okahira Mowun from Nagashino Castle.The sun was shining on their faces.Seeing their happy faces, Katsuyori finally felt relieved. "How about it, is the persuasion correct?" "He's really hard to deal with." Izu knelt down in front of Katsuyori with an exaggerated expression on his face, "Matsudaira and Ichiro are closely monitoring Shinhachiro Masada from behind, making him speechless."

"But we have captured Erdao City and Sandao City. If he continues to resist in this city, the whole army may be wiped out." "Yes. I have repeatedly stated this ending. But with Ichiro by my side, he couldn't say it clearly. He only said that Oda's reinforcements would definitely come. But..." Izu stopped and exchanged a glance with Dowen, "If Yoichiro wasn't here, Shinhachiro might be looser..." "Where will there be Oda's reinforcements? Nobunaga has sent someone to father to apologize and make peace with us." "I have mentioned this matter many times. Shinhachiro's words are very vague. He said that if Takeda can send back the prisoners in this battle..." Katsuyori and Yamagata Changjing looked at each other and nodded.Although Takeda Fang knew that he could not capture the small city in front of him immediately, he did not slack off.While secretly planning to deal with the conspiracy of Gifu and Okazaki, they planned to order the troops from Sasarase, Kurosaka, Sugiyamahara, and Tomegi to attack in turn after dawn.In this situation, how long can Ieyasu's army last?Therefore, when Suganuma Shinhachiro knew that Oda's reinforcements would never come, he could only surrender. "Saburobei, that's it. How many days do you think it will take?" "Two days are enough." Katsurai smiled and nodded: "Tell him again, we know about the captives. I will go to my father immediately and persuade him to cease fighting." "Great. You guys understand, if you continue to fight, it won't do Noda Castle any good." Hearing what Changjing said, the two fell on the ground and looked at each other.They didn't seem to believe Changjing's statement that Noda Castle could be captured in just two days.But Katsurai disagreed.It is no longer possible for the opponent who was forced to the city to pose a threat to the Takeda family. Katsuyori got out of the tent and got on his horse.Looking at the place where Ieyasu's main force is located, he smiled.Comparing the age difference between himself and Ieyasu, he couldn't help but feel ridiculous. On the gradually warming land, there was no wind, and the battle flag on Mount Kasagi was drooping feebly.Mikatahara experienced a narrow escape, and here he was played in the palm of his hand, but Ieyasu was still daydreaming, naively believing that Oda's reinforcements would come.He didn't even know that his wife had already dug a trap for him in Okazaki Castle.In fact, the war has come to an end here. Katsuyori had never met Mrs. Tsukiyama - the woman who betrayed her husband and wanted to remarry.In Sheng Lai's mind, she was an unclean and ugly woman.On the contrary, Ieyasu makes people feel pity and sympathy. Katsuyori said to himself, "What a crazy woman. She will definitely send a letter." If that's the case, he can enter Okazaki Castle first. What kind of expression will Ieyasu have at that time? In front of Shingen's tent stood two toon trees in full bloom.The cautious Shingen made the entrance and exit of this stronghold face Noda Castle, and set up four fences around the perimeter.Heavy soldiers were deployed at each fence, and shadow warriors were deployed between the second army tent and the main tent.Those shadow samurai are very similar to Shingen, and even Katsuyori can hardly tell the truth from the fake. "I am Katsurai, please inform father." Katsurai straightened his clothes in front of the main tent and said. "Come in." A heavy voice came from inside.Shingen was asking the army doctor to massage his shoulders. "Whenever we play against each other for a long time, when everything is in spring, my shoulders will feel uncomfortable." "Father, Suganuma Shinhachiro is about to surrender." "Oh, it's time. Our food team has been running back and forth, which has made the people miserable." When Shingen said this, he seemed to remember something and rubbed his stomach. "Then, who should be left to guard Noda Castle?" "Father's idea is..." "After I leave, Ieyasu will grow stronger quickly. Let Saburo Bingwei guard it." "Katsuyori thinks the same way. It's better to let the Yama family and Saburobei stay behind." "Oh, if Ieyasu grows stronger and threatens our rear, it will be very troublesome. That's it." Shingen seemed to think that Noda Castle would be captured in just a day or two, and his complexion was very good.Since sending out the army, Shingen has become fatter and fatter.Probably because of the warmer weather, his face was flushed. "Is there anything else? Ieyasu is cunning by nature. Seeing that Suganuma Shinhachiro has changed, he may come to sneak attack. You go to each formation and order the soldiers not to take it lightly." Katsuyori came to report the battle situation almost every day, and Shingen would say "don't take it lightly" every time.Arrogant soldiers are bound to be defeated. In Shingen's view, Katsuyori still lacks thoroughness and calmness, which makes him worry. After Katsurai left, Shingen closed his eyes slightly, and let the doctor continue to massage him. "Today is the sixteenth of February." He said to himself, "The moon will be beautiful tonight." "What did your lord say?" "It's nothing, I'm just talking to myself." Shingen remained silent.He felt the pain in his shoulder disappear slowly, and his mood gradually eased.The world may think that he will fall into a protracted war with the Sanhe people because of Noda Castle's inability to attack for a long time.But he has easily planned a shining path to victory. The key to the avenue lies in the attitude of Oda Nobunaga. After Mikatahara's great victory, Shingen first sent a secret envoy to Kitabata (zai) Gu sect in Ise.After consolidating the military alliance between Takeda and Kitabata (zai), Shingen immediately listed Nobunaga's five crimes, sent the head of Hirate Fanxiu, and announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Nobunaga. On the twentieth day of the first lunar month, Nobunaga specially sent the Oda Sobe of the same clan to Mikawa.Sobu repeatedly explained to Shingen that Nobunaga had no objection, but Shingen ignored him.Next, he asked General Yoshiaki to raise troops against the Oda clan.General Yi Zhao followed his request and mobilized the army.In this way, the Oda people can't protect themselves, so how can they have spare energy to support Sanhe? Shingen closed his eyes slightly and smiled.The embarrassment and remorse of the young Ieyasu seemed to appear before his eyes. Ieyasu is by no means an ordinary general, he seems to have seen through Shingen's intentions at the end of the first lunar month. According to information from various sources, there are indications that: Ieyasu sent secret envoys to Uesugi Kenshin's office in Echigo three times in early February, and the purpose was clear at a glance.However, the Spring of the North Country has not arrived yet, and Kenshin, who is struggling with the Toyama area's usual riots, is unable to support Ieyasu. "Okay, it's much more comfortable." Shingen happily said to the doctor, and then ordered Yubi to bring the inkstone. He is going to start from Sanhe.Before leaving, he wanted to send a secret letter to Honganji Mitsusashi.Because the followers of the Ichigo sect rebelled in the Kinki area, please ask Asai Nagamasa and General Yoshiaki to do their best to get rid of Nobunaga.He thought of this plan during the massage, and wanted to stab the daring Nobunaga from behind. Xinxuan's pen is like a dragon and a snake, and it is done immediately.A calm smile appeared on his face.At this time, there was another noise in front of the tent: "I am Sanlang Bingwei from Shan County, please inform me." Shingen looked back at the bodyguard and raised his chin.Sanlang Bingwei Changjing staggered in, and before he sat down, he hurriedly said: "After realizing that the victory or defeat is within a day or two, he decided to open the city gate immediately." "Oh, that's great. Where's Shinhachiro Einuma?" Shingen asked blankly while handing the secret letter to Yubi. "Shinhachiro built a fortress around the city, hiding inside and not coming out." Shanxian Changjing saluted. "Don't be rude to the people of Noda Castle." Shingen said softly, "You attack immediately tomorrow morning." "And what about the armistice?" "Tomorrow afternoon. They may still be waiting for Nobunaga." Changjing burst out laughing suddenly: "What a miscalculation." "Who are you calling wrong?" "My lord and Nobunaga." Shingen's expression twisted, and he smiled wryly.When he set off from Kofu, he really did not expect today's ending, and it is not too much to say "miscalculation".No matter what Nobunaga thinks in his heart, he will not break the covenant and send additional reinforcements to Ieyasu.Nobunaga's bug has been corrected.Now, it is not Shingen who is in a dilemma, but Nobunaga. After Yamagata Saburobei and Shingen finished discussing the acquisition of Noda Castle and dealing with Kasagiyama's Ieyasu, it was almost evening. Shingen finished his meal, put on his armor and went straight outside the tent.The sixteenth moon has risen into the sky, and the surroundings are as clear as a river.The mountains in front of me blocked the night sky, and Noda Castle was pitch black in the night, without a single star. Xinxuan turned his head and looked at the bodyguard who was following with a sword in his hand, and asked, "Can you hear the flute tonight?" "En." The guard only responded without saying yes or no. Xinxuan suddenly raised his head and looked at the night sky, the stars were twinkling, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.After the moon came out, the stars gradually disappeared.The poor star, though desperately fighting for the light, disappeared after all. Now, in front of the bright moon of Shingen, stars like Ieyasu and Nobunaga have also been robbed of their light.The owner of Yeyong City can't even be classified among these stars.How many miscellaneous soldiers and servants, with tiny hopes, are struggling and panting in the world, this is the world. In Noda City right now, after a hasty dinner, those people are probably arguing sadly and fiercely.Just when Shingen was sobbing, there was the sound of a flute that was near and far away. "It seems that the flute can be heard tonight." "Yes, it's the usual flute." The servant replied. "What's the name of that master flute player?" "That man studied under the master's family in Ise Yamada, and his name is Yoshiyuki." "Oh, the sound of the flute dedicated to the gods, did it turn into a mournful cry before the fall of the city tonight? Move the bed, I want to listen quietly for a while." "Yes." The servant responded and gestured to the bodyguard who followed. Behind Shingen's military tent is an open mound.From time to time the dark shadows of the trees fell.The spring breeze blew past Noda Castle and blew onto this mound.Faintly, the sound of the wind is often mixed with the voices of people in the city. When the wind stopped, there were no human voices.Only the mournful sound of the flute under the moonlight drifted over leisurely.Not only tonight, the sound of the flute has lasted for nearly twenty days.When the two sides are deadlocked, the sound of the flute will sound every night in the night. At dawn, people fight to the death; after sunset, people put away their weapons.The whistler and the listener all fell into a kind of loneliness of life, savoring the sorrow of the war brigade. At some point, even Shingen was attracted by the sound of the flute. "...There seem to be elegant people in the city. They are really masters." Hearing Shingen's praise, a personal guard shot an arrow and asked the flute player's name, and finally learned that he was the direct descendant of Ise Yamada, named Muramatsu Yoshiyuki. Shingen thought that the sound of the flute might not be heard tonight, but he didn't expect it to come from the same place at the same time.Now that the fall is a foregone conclusion, the hearts of the people in the city are probably gradually calming down.The bodyguard moved the bed table to that familiar place. "People in the city thought they were crying when they heard the sound of the pipe." Shingen sat down in the shade of Shiigi where he could hear the sound of the flute most clearly, but soon stood up again. "Move the bed to the left." "what?" "People in the city may know that we listen to the flute here every night and move the bed a little." "Yes." The bodyguard responded, and obediently moved the bed to a young fir tree. "Carelessness is the most taboo in war. If someone knows where I listen to the flute, they may attack with muskets in daylight, and I may lose my life. There is only one night left, and you must be careful." There was only one servant waiting on him, and in order not to disturb Shingen's elegant mood, the rest hid in the left, right, and rear directions respectively.Shingen gently shook his military fan and closed his eyes slightly.The moonlight became colder and colder, and the valleys, trees, and cities seemed to be immersed in the wonderful flute sound of the last night.Perhaps Fangxiu himself was also crying while playing the moving flute. The moon hid behind the clouds.Fifty-two years of life, Shingen vividly.When he was sixteen years old, he played for the first time, and thirty-six spring and autumn have passed before he knew it, and the years are like songs. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, as if the valley, the earth, and the river were about to be shattered.Shingen heard a few noises coming from the position where the bed table was placed just now, and jumped up suddenly. At that moment, Shingen suddenly felt extremely angry.The Taishan Mountain collapses in front without being depressed, and the Yellow River is determined to the side without being shocked.In order to cultivate this kind of mentality, Shingen has worked hard, and he believes that he has indeed reached such a state. Even though Kenshin entered the main battle at Kawanakajima, he didn't jump up from the bed.But tonight, even though he had anticipated and prepared for the possibility of someone shooting at him, he could not help but panic. Still haven't practiced enough!After blaming himself, Shingen was about to sit back on the bed when his huge body swayed.A strong numbness went from his right waist to his feet, his knees softened and he fell to the ground. Xinxuan suddenly felt embarrassed.When he was about to support his body with his right hand, he was suddenly taken aback—his right hand had lost feeling.He felt a strange pain in the back of his head, and the right side of his face fell straight to the ground. The servant drew his sword and ran towards Shingen with a loud cry. "My lord has been shot by a musket." "Bastard, what are you yelling about? It wasn't me who was hit by the musket. It was the guard, go quickly..." Shingen yelled, but his teeth rattled, and his voice finally became lower and lower.His lips twitched and he felt saliva dripping out.He tried to push himself up with his left hand, but the right half of his body seemed to be rooted on the ground and was very heavy.With a panic in his heart, he suddenly felt his chest was blocked by something and wanted to spit it out. "Wow!" Shingen finally spat out.The thing seemed to be food, and it seemed to be a black blood clot, and there was a sticky feeling on the left side of his face.Shingen had to admit that his old illness had relapsed. This visit to Beijing can be described as careful consideration.With the lessons learned from Yoshimoto Imagawa, he was calm, cautious, and won the first battle. Seeing that his ambition was about to be realized, everything disappeared in an instant.Could it be that the stars whose light was robbed by the moonlight were not Ieyasu and Nobunaga, but himself?Must survive!How can you die? "Don't call—" Shingen wanted to shout angrily, but he still couldn't speak. "Don't scream, don't let the enemy notice. Don't even talk." The weak voice made the personal guards running over even more frightened and embarrassed. "My lord has been hit! Report to the young lord quickly." "Call the doctor! Quick." "Quickly move the lord to the military tent." Under the moonlight, black shadows come and go, making a mess. The sound of the flute was still floating in the night sky, as if it was about to melt into the night air, but no one here heard it anymore. "My lord has been hit." "The sound of the flute is the enemy's conspiracy." Amidst the chaos, the envoy ran crazily between the military tents of Shiro Katsuyori and the important ministers. Kasagiyama's Ieyasu has been clasping his fists for a long time.Torii Mototada and Kanbara Yasomasa who were behind the bed asked questions from time to time, but Ieyasu just responded with "Oh, um" without answering.The two also closed their mouths unknowingly, and fell silent under the moonlight.Seen from here, Takeda's camp surrounded Noda Castle, which was blurred in the faint moonlight.Enemies under the moonlight force Ieyasu to make a decision. Okubo Tadashi said: "Noda Castle can only be tomorrow..." When Ieyasu heard the report, he admired their sacrifices in his heart, but he scolded them, "What a bunch of useless guys!" When Noda Castle fell, it was the day when Takeda's army launched an attack.Sakaizaemon Yuchuji has been sent to Yoshida Castle, and Ishikawa Kazumasa has been sent to Okazaki Castle Nobuyasu. But in the face of Shingen's army, Ieyasu himself was powerless, and Yoshida and Okazaki were nothing more than a single-plank bridge in front of the torrent.There are various indications that it is impossible for Oda's reinforcements, which made Ieyasu hopeless, to come; even the reinforcements of Uesugi Kenshin, the last hope, have not been seen for a long time.But Ieyasu was neither wavering nor flustered, and he had gradually matured. According to his judgment, the person who stayed behind at Noda Castle should be Sanlang Bingwei Changjing from Yamagata.Jun Changjing will definitely keep a close eye on Ieyasu's main force here.Once he sees that Ieyasu shows signs of pursuing Shingen, he will undoubtedly attack Hamamatsu Castle to contain Ieyasu.Facing the enemy's front and rear attacks, how can the weak Tokugawa army resist?To establish a pure land world in the world, or to choose the way of death of the samurai?Ieyasu's mind was full of these thoughts. In fact, Ieyasu has long since lost his confusion about life and death. The only thing he needs to consider now is how to die to realize his ambition.Under the silent moonlight, the ghosts of those dead retainers surrounded him, making him have to rethink. Natsume Masakichi who died in his place, Torii Tadahiro who died bravely to show that he was not a coward, Honda Tadama who was killed in the snow after the defeat, and the young Matsudaira Yasujun and Mi Masanobu Sawa, Masayoshi Naruse... appeared in front of Ieyasu one by one, as if talking about something, and then left quietly.Ieyasu understood what they wanted to say. "My lord, don't think too much." Being able to face Shingen, who is known as the world's number one general, alone is by no means a misfortune. "Please understand that Shingen is the touchstone used by the heavens to temper the Lord." At this moment, there was a sudden sound of cannon, which almost shattered the night sky.Without waiting for Ieyasu to ask questions, Kanbara Yasumasa stood up first. "Is it the enemy or one of our own?" Torii Mototada stood under the moonlight and looked up. "Strange, the city is still quiet." Kang Zheng said. Okubo Tadayo walked into the tent with his head tilted, puzzled: "The sound just now sounded like a musket." Jiakang didn't answer him, but said softly: "Don't talk." "Only one shot, no more sound. Probably nothing." "Maybe it's some kind of secret signal. Did you suddenly launch a night attack because you knew the city was about to fall..." Kang Zheng hurried outside, wanting to inquire about it.I don't know what Kang Zheng said, but in the end, I only heard him ordering his servants, "...go and have a look."Someone responded and hurried down the mountain. Nothing happened overnight. Early the next morning, Tanma came to report first, saying that Changjing in Shan County had entered the city.Then, Torii Motochu came to report that Shingen had sent an envoy. "Messenger?" Ieyasu thought for a while before asking Yuan Zhongdao, "Who is it?" "A retainer of Nagashino Suganuma's Izu family, are you repelling him?" When Yuan Zhong said this, he obviously thought that it was not good for Xinxuan to bully the Dezhou Army, so he sent envoys to persuade him to surrender.Ieyasu did not answer immediately, but stared at the sky for a long time.Now that this is the case, what is the purpose of sending an envoy? "It's all right to see you. Let him in." "I hope my lord will not be angry." "We can kill him anytime. Let him in." After a while, the emissary came in with an unexpectedly respectful expression.It was Mitsunobu Mae, a veteran of the Izu family in Suganuma, who was over sixty years old. "The following is the envoy who was recommended by the three parties of the Shan family to Lord Xinxuan and then sent here." Ieyasu changed the subject on purpose, and said casually, "I heard that Lord Xinxuan is ill." The other party's face changed slightly. "I heard that he has tightness in his chest and often vomits blood. Is it because of the long-term battle that he has become so weak?" "I'm not by his side, so I don't know the details. But I saw him before coming here, and he looks good." "What are you doing here this time?" "My lord has no contact with Noda Castle, so I probably don't know the details. Please allow me to explain in detail." "You mean to say that Suganuma Shinhachiro has surrendered the entire city?" "That's right. Lord Shingen sent a skilled craftsman from Kofu, so that all the wells in the city can't produce water, and he has no choice but to surrender." "Keep the water out of the well?" Ieyasu couldn't help but glanced at the messenger again.When attacking Futamata Castle, the Takeda Army had sent rafts down the Tenryu River Dam to cut off the water source, and this time they sent people to dig people underground to cut off the water vein... Ieyasu's hair stood on end when he thought of the endlessly unique tactics in Xinxuan County. "Duke Xinxuan's tactics are really varied." "Yes. Therefore, the soldiers guarding the castle pleaded with Lord Shingen through the monks of Nomanji Temple, hoping to save the lives of Shinpachiro Suganuma and Yoichiro Matsudaira." "When did this happen?" "Eleventh." "how is the progress?" "Duke Xinxuan agreed to their request, forced the two into Erdao City, and repeatedly persuaded them to follow Kofu." "So they defected to Takeda?" The messenger raised his half-white eyebrows and smiled slightly: "No. They would rather die than submit. My master Suganuma Izu, Okuhei inspector Rendou, and Tianfeng's Suganuma Xingbu three pleaded for them." "Oh." "But after exhausting their tongues, they refused to give in. Therefore, the three parties of the Yama family decided to exchange them for the Takeda hostages held in Hamamatsu." Ieyasu couldn't help laughing.He had already decided that the hostages would be useful in this battle, so he secretly sent them out of Hamamatsu. "Did Shinxuan agree with the proposal of the three parties of the Shan family, and sent you here to discuss the hostage exchange?" "Exactly." "What if I don't agree?" The opponent changed color.Something must have happened!Ieyasu thought. "If that's the case, I can only laugh it off and commit suicide by harakiri." "Suicide doesn't accomplish your mission. Who are you apologizing to?" "I was deeply moved by the two imprisoned generals." "Have you seen those two?" "Yes. Both of you were deeply moved by Lord Shinxuan's broad mind. Are you going to abandon those two generals who even moved Lord Shinxuan?" "I didn't say to abandon them." "I would also like to ask your lord for them. Please understand the righteousness. Especially Matsudaira and Ichiro, who have been by your side since your lord was sent to Atsuta as a hostage when you were six years old." Hearing this, Ieyasu deliberately sullen his face : "What you said is wrong. If Lord Shingen really keeps his promise, I will lead the people and escort the hostages to Hirose River. As long as Lord Shingen can do it, I will be fine." The envoy lowered his head weakly: "I will convey to Lord Xinxuan the meaning of your lord." "Okay, let's prepare separately. Yuan Zhong, see off the guests for me." After the two left, Jiakang bowed his head and slowly paced around the bed.This matter is really strange... The hostage exchange begins soon. Under the escort of more than 2,000 horsemen, the hostages on both sides came to the banks of the Hirose River.Changjing Yamagata has already entered Noda Castle. If Shingen is playing tricks, the main force of Takeda will come to attack immediately.Just in case, Ieyasu ordered the Iga people hired in the Hamamatsu area to spread around to defend against enemy raids.However, shortly after the hostage exchange, Ieyasu received a report that a sedan chair had set off from Shingen's main camp and was rushing towards Nagashino Castle.Soon, a more accurate detection came: there were three sedan chairs.But they did not enter Changxiao City, but headed towards Fenglai Temple in the north... If Shingen was sitting in the sedan chair, wouldn't it be obvious to retreat?Why did he retreat? "Don't take it lightly." Ieyasu ordered everyone under his banner.The Takeda army may have pretended to retreat, tricking Ieyasu into retreating to Hamamatsu Castle, and they turned their spearheads to attack Yoshida.As expected by Ieyasu, Yamagata Masake, who was staying at Noda Castle, seemed to be busy preparing to attack. The day after the hostage exchange. "I have a secret to report to my lord." Matsudaira and Ichiro Tadamasa's subordinate Torii Sanzaemon, who was trapped in Noda Castle, came to visit his fellow Torii Mototada. "San Zuo, do you want to talk to the lord about defending the city?" "Don't tell anyone except adults." "Can't you tell me too?" "Yes. Please go and inform your lord secretly." "Stupidity. Well then, I'll report it to you." Ieyasu slept in his uniform while in the army, so he often had itches all over his body.He was soaking in hot water at the moment, wiping his back while asking his servants to look for lice in his clothes. "Report. The third left of Noda City wants to meet the lord alone." Yuanzhong looked over the servant's shoulder, saw Ieyasu's dirty underwear, and said loudly. "Let him wait." Ieyasu's voice came from behind the door, "I'm rubbing my back." "Sanzuo won't even tell me, but I must see you." "Even you can't say it?" Jiakang said in surprise, "San Zuo came in." Sanzaemon walked carefully behind the door panel. "What's the matter with you?" "This..." Sanzaemon looked away from Ieyasu's body and said, "There are rumors that Takeda General Shingen was shot and killed in the battle." "What?" Ieyasu cried out. Shingen almost plunged Ieyasu's life into darkness. Ieyasu had tasted all the ups and downs for thirty years, but when he was finally about to usher in the light, the biggest obstacle he encountered - this huge stumbling block, unexpectedly died in the battle , this rumor almost makes people's eyeballs drop! "Three Zuos!" Ieyasu was naked, his eyes widened angrily, and he raised his voice, "Where did you hear this rumor? Tell me!" "Yes. Because the matter is so important, the villain decided to only tell the adults." "Shingen, who is good at conspiracies, probably wants to use this to confuse my army, or to lure Oda into the bait. In short, he has ulterior motives. But since you came to tell me this news on purpose, there must be a reason. Tell me where the rumors come from. " "Yes..." Sanzaemon moved his eyes away from Ieyasu's body again, "During the time I was trapped in Noda Castle, I have been thinking hard about whether there is a way to hit Shingen." "Oh." "Although the Kai army is strong, it is only because of Shingen. If you kill him, it is equivalent to breaking Kai's pillar..." "It's so long-winded! No need to talk about such bullshit! I'm asking you where the rumor came from." "Oh, forgive me. What Sanzuo said is exactly this. In the trapped Noda Castle, there is a master flute player, born in the Ise Yamada family, Namura Matsuyoshiu." "That master piper—you fart!" "My lord, please be patient and listen to the little man. The master flute player plays the flute every night after the battle, and both sides can be immersed in the sound of the flute. Sanzuo has noticed this. The little man heard that Lord Xinxuan likes to play the flute , lure Fangxiu to a place where Takeda Honjin can hear the sound of the flute, and let him play the flute there every night." "Interesting, interesting." "The so-called goodness of people, presumably Lord Shingen will be fascinated by it. Where will he listen to the flute... That is what the villain cares about. The day before Shingen's sedan chair went to Horai Temple, it was on the mound behind Takeda Honjin There is a bamboo pole with a piece of paper attached to it—" Ieyasu forgot to put on his clothes and stared at Sanzuo closely. "The bamboo pole immediately attracted the villain's attention. I believed that it was the place where Shingen listened to the flute, so I used the cover of the pine branch to aim the musket at that place." "..." "Fangxiu is also a witness to this matter. That night, the villain asked him to play the flute as usual, and when his flute sounded superbly, I shot." "..." "Then, I found that Takeda's formation was in chaos, and there was a sound of running and shouting from time to time. The next day, Shingen's sedan chair headed towards Horaiji Temple." Ieyasu, who had been silently listening to all this, suddenly yelled: "You bastard, shut up!" Torii Sanzaemon suddenly fell silent in horror. "So, it's not a rumor at all, but your favorite work?" Ieyasu yelled angrily, "Bring the clothes quickly, I almost got a cold because of this boring topic. Sanzuo, you always like to be fooled by others, don't you realize that the bamboo pole is just a trick of the enemy?" Sanzaemon looked bewildered.He watched Ieyasu put on the clothes sent by his subordinates, and said nothing. "You're such an idiot, Sanzuo. You managed to set up a trap, but it was used by the other party... Well, I, Ieyasu, will tell you. You all stand back." After putting on his battle uniform, Ieyasu roughly repelled him. People, "Come here, San Zuo. There are no outsiders here. Is the sedan chair really heading towards Fenglai Temple? You should know what they are doing, so tell me in detail." Sanzaemon was taken aback when he heard this, and soon understood Ieyasu's intentions. "Yes, yes. The villain has been paying attention to them." He leaned over, "After I shot, the other party immediately fell into noise and chaos. Next, I heard warriors on horseback running wildly in the formation, people getting more and more more." "Oh. After dawn, they come to exchange hostages..." "No, after dawn, Sanlang Bingwei from Shan County rushed into the city angrily." "I see. What you see is different from what I see. So, what do you do next?" "The villain didn't think that shot would kill Shingen, but he must have been injured." "Don't jump to conclusions. Where did you get the rumor that he died in the battle?" "When the team from Shan County entered the city, the people who delivered the grain and grass said it." "Tell me the exact words of the people." "Yes...the man was carrying the chicken rice specially for Shingen to the formation, and suddenly heard a loud noise, and he was scared out of his wits..." “等等，三左！我听说信玄自参禅以来，十余年一直坚持吃素食。他为何要吃鸡肉？这个你可问过？” “问了。信玄胸部有病，这也是他在出征时召集医士在身边的理由。医士劝说信玄在军旅期间不宜再吃素食，而是将鱼肉之类作为药饵。” “哦。”家康双手抱肩，“接下来呢？” “他说，在一片混乱声中，的确听到有人大喊主公被击中了……被火枪击中了……两个侍卫抬起了一动不动的信玄，随后，两个医士匆匆被传进了军帐。信玄好像的确死了。” 三左卫门一口气说完，家康两眼放光，陷入了沉思。三左卫门所说也并非没有可能，但他怎敢轻信。正如战有胜败，人有生死，就在家康对命运绝望的时候，对手信玄却突然倒下了……这难道真是偶然？ “三左。”家康叫了一声，又陷入了沉默。一种难以抗拒的充奋刺激着他的四肢，他的声音都走样了。如果这是事实，基于礼法，他当低头凭吊……阴霾渐渐散去，可以看得到蓝色的晴空。如果此时掉以轻心，那么又有可能转眼乌云密布，甚至下起瓢泼大雨。不可性急！不可性急！ “大人。”看到家康沉默不语，三左卫门小心翼翼道，“即使信玄公真死了，小人认为，武田方也会将这个消息封锁起来……” "rational." “果真那样，武田会在民间散布什么消息呢？” “他们肯定会说，要在凤来寺休养一段时间。” “那么，小人到凤来寺探个究竟吧。” 家康摇了摇头。他并不是反对，单是觉得，即使去了风来寺，也打听不到事情的真相。身边总是带着影武士的信玄就算死了，也定会让某个替身躺在病床上，并让佑笔模仿他的笔迹。家康想到这里，站起身来。 “听好了，休要对任何人提及此事。” "clear." “你马上回去，为慎重起见，注意寻查武田究竟会散布什么消息。” "yes." 三左卫门出去后，家康盯着虚空，禁不住哈哈大笑，但马上自责：尔岂可幸灾乐祸！