When the army entered the city, they did not show off their power and did not line up to greet them. The remaining townspeople were full of insensitivity towards the occupying army. Their eyes were as cold as ice, and seemed to have a trace of hatred and despair. They did not make any resistance to the interrogation and expulsion of the Hojo army.
They gathered silently at the city gate waiting for the final verdict of the victor.
"I wasted no effort to gain an abandoned city!" Hojo Ujiyasu was very angry. He worked hard to attack the city for a long time and captured an abandoned city. He lost two thousand lives for this abandoned city. He regretted such a desperate attack.
Isn't Cheng too reckless? Maybe it would be better if he tightened the pace.
It was useless to regret the matter at this point. Holding back the anger in his chest, he stopped the warriors from trying to arrest them. He sternly warned all the warriors: "A terrible plague just happened here. If you don't want to die, don't touch anything!"
Not only are we not allowed to touch their things, we also have to eliminate the plague here, tear down all the houses, strengthen the city walls and castles, and burn all dead people and animals, including the things they used!"
How many things can be left by these more than 500 survivors? Most of the houses in the city have been demolished, and there is not much food left. The whole city is in a state of poverty. The warehouses in the city are clean enough to run away mice, and there is no gold in them.
There are no swords, guns, or armor for silver and jewelry. If you insist on plundering anything from these poor townsfolk, you have to hunt them.
Arbitrary arrests are nothing more than raping and plundering these unarmed civilians. They were once subjects of the Hojo family. Now they are on the opposite side of the Hojo family because of the war. Killing these innocent people for the sake of the war waged by the samurai is harmful to the Hojo family.
His benevolence is not conducive to the Hojo family's management of Musashi and Ueno.
Needless to say, hunting people. As an outsider, the Hojo family has to win over the local people if they want to gain a foothold in Kanto. For example, powerful local tycoons and land servants. There are also farmers living in this territory. The public is his.
There is no way to win over people. Now it is too late to do good governance. How dare you engage in human hunting?
The siege battle was destined to be a loss outweighing the gain. To blame, both Hojo Ujiyasu and Nagano Kentada did not follow common sense. Hojo Ujiyasu's day and night onslaught was very different from a normal siege battle. Nagano Kentada would rather die than surrender until the battle.
The death of the last samurai was beyond the samurai's expectations. In short, this war was a lose-lose outcome, and no one was the big winner.
Nagao Kagetora spent a lot of effort to capture Isesaki Castle. He also paid a high price for this. The Ueno Allied Forces complained that the siege was too uncomfortable. Thirty-four thousand troops surrounded a small town for so long.
Nothing was caught, and the voices of the Ueno warriors in the coalition were loud and clear, saying that they were unable to fight anymore and needed to rest. The samurai discussed dividing the first, second, and third efforts to get a reward.
The Ueno coalition forces are not ready to fight another tough battle, or Nagano Industry is waiting for the people of the country to think that it is better to block the Hojo army and take the initiative to defend the enemy from outside the country. This high-end and high-end strategy is obviously not suitable for just calling.
The Chinese Alliance has strength but lacks coercive power.
Of course, they can't afford to go to Musashi, let alone implement this strategy. Opposite them is the 40,000-strong Hojo family. It's not like they are a ragtag coalition of troops. They are guarding at the door of their house and there are still some favorable geographical conditions and people. They can rush to Musashi.
There was nothing left. The allies of Ueno Country were clamoring that they had just captured Isesaki Castle and wanted to rest for a few days. After all, people are not hard-working and they need to rest when they are tired.
The allies of the 15,000-strong army did not move, and the Long Tail Army naturally could not move either. Internal feedback expressed that they were not willing to fight against the Hojo Army now. Mu Yu Jingfeng traveled a long distance to Ueno Country and ran away without much rest. He came to fight a siege battle, and after finally winning the battle, he rushed over to attack the Hojo army. Anyone else would find it inappropriate.
Many overlapping reasons forced Nagao Kagetora to take the lead in attacking Isesaki Castle and did not rescue Ontake Castle. He could only watch it being captured. Nagano Yasumasa only expressed his sadness at the military council for the deaths of Ichimen. , but the veteran never made any attempt to rescue him from the beginning to the end.
It's not a big deal if a brother from the clan dies. The samurai profession is just a profession of licking blood from the edge of a knife. He can't help his children crying for love. The Ueno Allied Forces have more than 15,000 men and they still expect him to protect him. It's worse to pity a dead clan. To care about the living people, Nagano Kentada's children are all staying in Minawa City. Giving them a decent status in the future will be worthy of the incense and love.
Nagao Kagetora had many things on his mind. The prolongation of the war would be extremely detrimental to Echigo. The cruel facts were before him and he could not make a choice. For several days, he had to worry about rewards and treat the wounded. He finally finished the work and relaxed. After coming down, he took a few personal guards and walked out of the camp.
The main camp is stationed on a high mountain near the southern border of Ueno Country. To the north is Hirai Castle, where the Uesugi family has lived for generations. The name of this mountain of more than 100 meters is called Takayama. There is also a Takayama Castle at the northern foot of the mountain. It is a satellite branch city that defends Hirai Castle. Thirty-three thousand allied troops from Echigo Ueno are stationed at the southern foot of the mountain.
The military camp is divided into two large areas. To the west is the Ueno Japanese Allied Forces, and to the east is the Echigo Nagao Army. There is a row of fences between the camps of both sides. Only the pass guarded by a few guards allows special passage, and it is not Nagao Kagetora. Being stingy and discriminating against the people of Ueno is a method proposed by Nagano Yamasa.
There will always be all kinds of troubles in a camp with 33,000 people gathered in two states. When there are more people, there will be more things to do. The eldest son and the youngest son in the family are still close to each other. Which restaurant can eat well when the army is out? The accommodation is comfortable, and there is always the unavoidable question of which hotel will give out more reward money.
As we all know, the lords of Ueno Kingdom are poor after years of disasters, and the land servants are still struggling in abject poverty. On the other hand, the land of Echigo Kingdom is fertile and the people are rich. This is reflected in the fact that the Echigo Army has well-equipped soldiers and abundant supplies, including pickled salted fish and delicious food. Cornmeal soup cakes, snow-white fluffy big steamed buns, and udon noodles made with fragrant chicken soup as the base. Then I looked at the cold and hard rice balls I was eating, and the brown rice bento embellished with a prune. Imbalance and provoking troubles are inevitable.
This is even more obvious when it comes to rewards. Although Isesaki Castle was captured by the Nagao Legion, the Nagano Allied Forces believed that they had also made a lot of efforts. The result of the Nagao family's reward was one thousand Kan Yongle coins, and the samurai leader The level of 1st level kusen, ashigaru head level ranges from 20 sen to 200 sen according to the level. The first level of power is 200 ken. The second level of power is 150 ken. The third level of power is the same as the first level of 1st level and the first level of spear. Reward one hundred coins.
The Ueno Allied Forces did not receive a penny in reward. They did not capture the city. When they broke the city, the Ueno Allied Forces were still waving flags and shouting at the foot of the mountain. The Nagao family would not reward them and could not reward them. Accepting the reward from Nagao Kagetora was equivalent to admitting that he was Nagao. The retainers of the family, the proud Ueno natives, do not allow this. Since they do not allow it, they can only stare at the Nagao family's samurai happily receiving their rewards.
Military discipline when camping in the wild is stricter than when garrisoning in the city. You can't go to Hirai Castle Town to walk around the streets to drink and buy sex. A group of energetic samurai have to find something to do in the military camp. There are three or five fights every day, sometimes from time to time.
There will also be some people who are not clear-headed and use swords and big guns to settle their grievances.
In order to avoid unhealthy trends in the military camp, and because the Ueno people were worried that a confrontation between the two sides would draw the hearts of Ueno people to Echigo, Nagano Yasumasa led a group of Ueno people to find Nagao Kagetora to discuss countermeasures. Both parties were allies and could not
Complete isolation would seem a bit too alienating.
So this fence isolation came in handy. The Ueno warriors were allowed to enter the Echigo camp through the pass. Whether it was simple communication or enjoying delicious food, it was not affected. The Ashigaru class was blocked from outside, which could also effectively prevent the grassroots from being Echigo.
sugar-coated bullets to win over.
Nagao Kagetora walked to the military camp, and the young samurai who came face to face were all smiling. These young people were the fresh blood who had just joined the Nagao Legion, and they did not know the hooded Nagao Kagetora.
Their conversation still revolved around the siege that had just ended.
A small siege would cost almost thousands of Yongle coins. Although the money was finally distributed in the form of rice and food, such a large amount of money shocked these young warriors, who were very active in thinking.
They were very excited, just a moment ago they were praising the generosity, and the next moment they were walking to the open space in the distance talking and laughing, someone took out a leather ball, and soon a football match started.
Sports have always been valued in the Middle Ages. In the era when there was a lack of entertainment, in addition to playing board and card games, there were also outdoor activities such as horseback riding, archery, and hiking. So many young people chose to practice swordsmanship. Spearmanship was also a way to vent their energy.
Echigo has developed so fast in the past few years, the food is better than before, and the young samurai are much taller.
There are two crucial growth periods in a person's life. One is the few years after birth, when growing from a small toddler to a three-foot-tall child. The second growth period is at the age of twelve or thirteen.
During the pubertal development period between the ages of sixteen and seventeen, there is a saying that a young man can eat me to death. It means that young people in adolescence are particularly good at eating. The more they eat, the better they will grow.
In medieval Japan, agriculture was extremely underdeveloped, and the diet was still at the same level as a thousand years ago. You could not eat meat or add condiments, and there was no other flavor except the miso soup called miso soup. Therefore, the Kankai trade in the Muromachi period was a lucrative one.
Every time I go to the Ming Dynasty’s Envoy Fortress, it’s always packed with people.
So many people went to the Ming Dynasty firstly to make money, and secondly to enjoy the exquisite food of the Ming Dynasty. After a few days of good life, even monks were happy to go to the Ming Dynasty. They came to the Buddhist holy land of Jiangnan for a few years to study for a few years and still taste the exquisite food.
The vegetarian meal is a feast for the eyes.
Nowadays, Echigo can basically meet this demand. The abundant Echigo people in Kurari are also pursuing more enjoyment. The better the life, the higher the physical fitness of the younger generation. These young samurai are only fifteen or sixteen years old, and they are generally one meter tall.
He was around six years old, and occasionally he could see a tall man close to 1.7 meters tall. In the early years, this figure was cultivated as a young warrior.
The old injury on Nagao Kagetora's leg has basically recovered. Nagata Tokumoto deserves to be regarded as a generation of medical saints. This stubborn disease was cured in only three years. He no longer needs a bamboo stick for walking. It is no problem to take small steps and jump lightly.
It’s just that I still go to hot springs every winter to consolidate the therapeutic effects. This is not a problem for Nagao Kagetora.
All the way to the small gap between two rows of fences, a wooden door blocked the way on both sides. This is the pass. There are more than a dozen samurai guarding here. The samurai guarding do not know Nagao Kagetora, but it does not prevent them from recognizing a group of
The young samurai in the center of the crowd was of unusual status, so he was allowed to pass after only a brief interrogation.
Not far after passing the pass, I saw some injured samurai walking with difficulty on crutches. They were usually accompanied by some relatives. It seemed that some of the wounded were undergoing rehabilitation. Nagao Kagetora hesitated for a moment and walked toward the group of people.
The wounded man walked over.
After walking a few steps, I saw a middle-aged samurai with an injured right leg in the distance. He suddenly threw away his crutch and forced himself to stand up and walk around. The two young men serving beside him were so frightened by the middle-aged samurai that they were at a loss. They quickly walked over and thought about it.
He wanted to help, but the middle-aged samurai pushed him away recklessly. As a result, he stumbled and fell after taking only a few steps.
Nagao Kagetora stopped to watch, and the accompanying samurai echoed: "That is the lord of Takayama Castle, Takayama Sadashige, the leader of Takayama. These two young men are his nephew Takayama Yukishige, and Takayama Jiro Saburo Anshige."
The older Gao Shanxing was more stable, and he hurriedly helped the injured Gao Shan to regain his balance, and persuaded him in a low voice: "Uncle, please don't do this! The doctor told you to practice more, and you will definitely be cured within three months, so now
Throwing away the crutches is too much! Please trust the doctor’s advice and don’t do such a dangerous move again!”
"Shut up! If I listen to that quack doctor and take three months of self-cultivation, will it be our Gao Shan family's turn to participate in this year's war? I don't believe what that quack doctor says, let alone three months, even a Yue can't wait. I must recover as soon as possible
The sooner the better!" Gao Shan Dingzhong pushed the two juniors away as if he was possessed and insisted on standing up to continue. This time the two young men did not dare to go far. Seeing him swaying, they hurriedly helped him.
"Uncle! You were really in danger just now. Let's take a rest and try again!" The younger Gao Shan Anzhong said anxiously: "If you fall and the wound breaks, it will be in trouble!"
Gao Shan Dingzhong pushed the two people away again. He staggered and almost fell down. This time he gave up the useless struggle and still refused to admit defeat: "Scars are the highest honor of a warrior. The mission of us warriors is to win meritorious service with our lives. Just get injured."
Why do you need to be a warrior if you are willing to live and die? If you are afraid, just go home and farm!"
Gao Shan Dingzhong's loud voice attracted the surrounding injured family members to look sideways. The two teenagers blushed with shame and hurriedly said: "We are really not afraid! We will never embarrass the Gao Shan family!"
"Young people still lack experience." Nagao Kagetora shook his head and saw that it was already getting late, so he turned around and retraced his steps. Halfway through, he saw a group of old and young people in black mourning clothes walking out of a tent in the distance. After listening carefully, he learned that
They turned out to be Nagano Kentada and the widows of one of his clan, the Genedai family.
Seeing the sobbing and sentimental faces and wailing voices, the samurai who maintained order bowed their heads in silence. Nagano Kentada's wife died young, his eldest son Nagano Michioyasu is twenty-six years old this year, and his second son Nagano Hikokurō is twenty-three.
Years old, the two of them stood aside with sad faces, and there were two little children following the procession, the eldest grandson who was five years old, and the granddaughter who was two years old. The youngest granddaughter was still unaware that her grandfather had passed away.
Nagao Kagetora said calmly: "Parting between life and death is unavoidable. This may be absolute calmness and reason, but I hate the calmness of accepting the helpless facts, and the reason of sitting back and watching the death of my companions. Yoshitoki is right, ending this troubled world is The only way is for us to put an end to all this!"
In early autumn, the floods gradually subsided, and the still warm climate was very suitable for launching a war. On the third day after the capture of Ontake Castle, the Hojo Army launched a tentative attack. In the next three days, they invested 3,000 and 5,000 troops respectively. , the 10,000-strong army encountered the pursuit of the Nagao Army many times near Takayama Castle. The cunning Hojo Army turned around and retreated within two quarters of an hour at most after engaging in battle. Nagao Kagetora was worried about deceiving defeat and did not pursue it, so he chased for only a few kilometers and then reined in the troops. Return to camp.
Within a few days, the ruins of Ontake Castle were cleared away. Thousands of jinmen gathered outside the city to clean up the earthen wall blocked by the soil used in the siege. The castle was hastily repaired and barely used as a military headquarters. Hojo Ujiyasu I just came back from inspecting the camp under the city and saw Matsuda Morihide leading several samurai waiting in the broad room for a long time.
These people were of various ages. The oldest one had a gray beard and a face full of wrinkles, and he looked like he was over sixty years old. The youngest one had not yet shed the fuzz on his beard. Hojo Ujiyasu seemed a little at a loss when he saw the large group of people surrounding him. Matsuda Morihide Pointing at a few people, he said: "My lord, these are Kuragano, Shirakura's relatives. They are willing to serve as internal advisors to our Hojo family and clear the way for our Hojo family."
Hojo Ujiyasu's eyes lit up and he said with a smile: "Very good, I have a plan, please come here."
A few days later, the Hojo family announced their deployment to Ueno. The 40,000-strong army was divided into three groups and set off in a mighty manner, aiming directly at the 33,000 allied troops on the border of Ueno.
Nagao Kagetora's reaction was very fast. With the intelligence support of Kira Ninja Army, he got the exact information at the first time. He immediately summoned the retainers group and issued the general order to attack. The reaction of Ueno Allied Forces was very slow. Nagano Yap's name was not clear enough and he lacked coercive force. and the intensity of supervision, it is necessary to hold a military meeting before the war to do a unified persuasion work.
Nagano Yasumasa is also very anxious. The Nagano family's headquarters army only has 1,800 people. If they don't convince the people of the country, what if they are unwilling to send troops, or if they don't agree with it, they will drag their feet and work as foreigners. This military meeting will be held. It took an hour to decide. By this time, the Hojo army had entered Ueno territory and was only a few kilometers away from Takayama Castle.
When the Ueno Allied Forces slowly walked out of the camp, the Hojo Army closed the distance between the two sides to less than one kilometer. As soon as they saw 40,000 troops charging over the mountains and plains, the morale of the Ueno Allied Forces was shaken, and some people showed signs of weakness before fighting. , obviously they were very reluctant to fight to the death with the Hojo Army.
After learning about the current situation of the Ueno coalition forces, Nagao Kagetora was so angry that he had nothing to say. Last year, when he attacked the Hojo family, he was trying to catch up. This time, some people's mentality changed when they attacked the Hojo family. They always thought that they were the masters of Ueno country. , putting the Nagao family and the Hojo family on the same level, especially their expressions and actions made him sneer.
"They were shaken because they were unwilling to fight against the Hojo family. They felt that this war had nothing to do with the Ueno people. This was not the predicament of last year's shortage of supplies, and the Ueno people were no longer a powerful military force that shared the same enemy. The Hojo army They are not villains trying to take advantage of the situation. Maybe some people are still thinking of driving away the family so that they can negotiate peace with Hojo Ujiyasu!"
Nagao Kagetora looks down on the people of Ueno. These greedy people always only care about their own interests. Today, he can use this reason to unite under the Nagao family to fight against the Hojo army. Tomorrow, he may change his identity and join the Hojo family to take charge of the counterattack against Echigo. The vanguard.
For example, the three thousand gangsters of Higashi Ueno Country are simply too much. They have not moved much since the war started. They have set up their own camp at the southern foot of Takayama, near Takayama Castle, and are not integrated with the two armies at all. At this time, when the army came out, they were the slowest in movement, trailing behind as if they were planning to escape at any moment. This kind of top quality is simply worse than scum.
Nagano Yamasa is not an upright samurai. He also has his own selfish motives. So far, he, the leader of the Minawa clan, has been working hard to maintain his power. Twelve sons-in-law are not enough to protect him. He wants to control the entire Nishi Ueno. People's hearts are drawn to it, so his reaction is so slow, and he has to persuade with sincerity every time he sends troops, which is completely different from his previous temperament. (To be continued, please search Piao Tian Literature, the novel is better and updated faster!
