After the spring plowing of this year, Takeda Shingen used the excuse that Oda Nobunaga had humiliated the general and bullied the shogunate, so he mobilized all the troops from Kai, Shinano, and Suruga, mobilized 27,000 people to go to Luo, and marched into the distant river.
After capturing Futama Castle, Takeda Shingen did not attack Hamamatsu Castle where Tokugawa Ieyasu was located. Instead, he marched through the north of Hamamatsu Castle and directed his troops towards Mikawa Kingdom.
Tokugawa Ieyasu, who couldn't bear it anymore, after unifying internal opinions, sent 18,000 troops, together with 3,000 reinforcements from the Oda family, a total of 21,000 troops, to intercept the Takeda army.
The two armies met at Mikatahara, nearly 50,000 people gathered, and a great battle broke out.
———
Takeda Shingen looked at the Ashigaru brigade in the distance who were sorting out the battlefield and collecting corpses, and remained silent.
It had been several days since the original three-party war ended, and the Takeda Army had won a great victory.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was determined to fight, and the Tokugawa army was also desperate. However, the Oda reinforcements brought by Sakuma Nobumori had little fighting spirit and retreated without permission, causing the entire front to waver. Tokugawa Ieyasu was defeated without defeat.
Although Tokugawa Ieyasu was defeated in one battle, Takeda Shingen was not happy.
She pretended to attack Mikawa and finally lured Tokugawa Ieyasu out of the turtle shell of Hamamatsu Castle, but the final result was not satisfactory to her.
Although the Tokugawa army was defeated, the Mikawa Princess samurai was indeed fearless of death. The Tokugawa army fought tooth and nail to block the Takeda army's pursuit of victory, allowing Tokugawa Ieyasu to escape back to Hamamatsu Castle with a large group of troops.
Although Takeda Shingen successfully annihilated the Tokugawa family's imperial army, he also lost the opportunity to break the backbone of the Tokugawa family in a battle, which did not contribute much to the strategy.
It was impossible for her to really bypass Hamamatsu Castle, ignore Tokugawa Ieyasu, and continue to Luo, leaving such a big troublesome thorn in her rear.
However, Tokugawa Ieyasu was not an easy guy to deal with. He would not surrender in despair just because of a single defeat, nor would he rush out impulsively to give Takeda Shingen a chance to annihilate her main force.
This put Takeda Shingen in a very difficult position. Although the three-party war showed the Takeda family's prestige and the morale of the retainers was high, from a strategic point of view, they were caught in a dilemma.
Takeda Shingen had a feeling that Tokugawa Ieyasu was defeated so miserably because of the Oda army's unexplained retreat. Maybe he was used as a weapon.
Just as Takeda Shingen was deep in thought, several war horses came running from a distance, led by Masanobu Kosaka. She quickly jumped over the guard's flag and rode straight in front of Takeda Shingen.
Kosaka Masanobu dismounted and bowed with a solemn expression. Takeda Shingen asked with a smile.
"What happened to make you so panicked? Is there something happening in Hamamatsu Castle again?"
Kosaka Masanobu shook his head, with a solemn expression, and whispered in Takeda Shingen's ear.
"The six directors of the Kanto Palace Standing Council held their first meeting at the imperial palace a few days ago.
At the meeting, Yamanaka Yukimori scolded His Highness for sending troops to Luo, sabotaging the Kwantung peace order issued by the Kwantung general without permission, and demanded that the Standing Council immediately activate the peacekeeping mechanism.
This initiative was unanimously approved by the six directors. Teru Uesugi, Nobushige Sanada, and Ushimasa Hojo, who are adjacent to the territory of the Takeda family, were authorized to use weapons against the Takeda family.
The Standing Council also called on all United Front members of the Grand Council to provide support to peacekeeping operations to the best of their ability and fulfill their obligations.
The authorization for the use of troops had just been approved. Echigo's Uesugi Army invaded Hokushin, Nishi Ueno's Sanada Army invaded Toshin, and Sagami Izu's Hojo Army invaded Shunto, almost at the same time.
Your Highness, they have already colluded and come prepared, so please make a decision soon!"
By the time Kosaka Masanobu finished speaking, he was gnashing his teeth and sweating profusely.
Takeda Shingen was stunned on the spot and did not speak for a long time. For a long time, she laughed dumbly, shook her head helplessly and sighed.
Seeing that she was still laughing at this moment, Kosaka Masanobu couldn't help but urge her.
"Your Highness, this is no time to laugh, think of a solution quickly.
The territory in the rear has been attacked from three sides and has fallen into chaos. The army is unstable outside and in the rear. Once the news leaks out, the morale of the army will immediately be shaken."
Takeda Shingen sighed.
"It was just one move I missed. I didn't expect Terutora Uesugi to be so fast, and that the Kanto Palace and Hojo-kun would cooperate with her so well.
I originally thought that it would take Terutora Uesugi at least a year and a half to find a few allies with their own agendas to attack me.
Unexpectedly, they could be so united. I was besieged by three parties from the Uesugi Hojo Kanto Palace without even getting any information in advance.
They can even ignore Tsutado-don's peace proposal and use the Standing Council to force the process through. This is a slap in Tsutado-don's face.
They didn't even care about Tsutado-don's anger, they were determined to kill me. My Takeda family is now under attack from both sides, with Oda Tokugawa in front of me, and the hatred of the entire Kanto samurai family behind me.
You ask me to think of a solution, what can I do?
Changxin, I am not a god or a Buddha, but I have boundless magical power, and my human power will eventually be exhausted. Now that things have come to this, can I still change my destiny against heaven?"
Kosaka Masanobu said sadly and bitterly.
"I really didn't expect that Terutora Uesugi would be so capable of dragging down the Kanto Palace and the Hojo family so quickly, forcing you into a desperate situation."
Takeda Shingen smiled slightly, as if she had seen through everything, she shook her head and said.
"You're wrong. Who is Teruhora Uesugi? How can she have the ability to combine vertical and horizontal forces?
I used to think that Lan Yan's misfortune was just a joke. The Wu family valued the family business more than their own lives. Who would do such stupid things as loving a beauty but not the country for the sake of love and hatred?
Now it seems that I am not the only stupid person in this world, there are many people who are not as stupid as me. I really don’t know whether to lament his boundless charm or my bad luck.”
Kosaka Masanobu was stunned and subconsciously understood who Takeda Shingen was talking about.
Takeda Shingen did not wait for Kosaka Masanobu to speak again, and turned back to his own formation.
"Let's go, we'll talk about it when we get back."
After saying that, Takeda Shingen ignored the still confused Kosaka Masanobu and walked freely, with a winner's smile on his lips.
Kosaka Masanobu looked at his master, who was striding forward with his head held high and his chest raised, and he just listened to her singing.
"There is a beautiful woman in the north, peerless and independent. She can captivate a city with a smile, and captivate a country with a second glance.
A group of losers and scumbags, plotting without telling their real master, only dare to use despicable means to stab people in the back, and it’s really ugly to see how angry they are.”
———
Hamamatsu Castle, Assembly Hall.
Everyone had no intention of talking. Tokugawa Ieyasu sat in the main seat blankly, not knowing what he was thinking.
The defeat was not unexpected, but it really broke her heart to lose so miserably.
It had been known that Takeda Shingen was scheming and that Kai's people were good at fighting, but Tokugawa Ieyasu boasted that he had Mikawahime samurai who was loyal and willing to die, so he was not too worried about the outcome of the joint battle.
For Tokugawa Ieyasu, the tripartite war was a political battle that had to be fought.
She doesn't expect to win, but as long as she shows that the Tokugawa family is not afraid of the Takeda family, she can stabilize the minds of the Tokugawa people and ensure that the Tokugawa family's rule over the Tokugawa country remains unshakable.
But she never expected that the Oda reinforcements led by Sakuma Nobumori would leave without permission on the battlefield, exposing a huge flaw to the Takeda army.
Although Tokugawa Ieyasu desperately sent people to block the gap, Takeda Shingen finally seized the opportunity, concentrated the elite red equipment, and defeated the battle line in one fell swoop, resulting in the complete defeat of the Tokugawa army.
Tokugawa Ieyasu could still withstand the loss of military power in this battle, but the political loss made Tokugawa Ieyasu very depressed.
Even Tokugawa Ieyasu could not imagine that if the results of the three-party war were known, the people of Toeji who were already heartbroken by the Takeda army would defect to the enemy and switch to the Ming Dynasty.
As for Sakuma Nobumori who caused the current situation, Tokugawa Ieyasu was angry, but he did not dare to hold her responsible for the unauthorized retreat.
If the battle of Mikatahara had not been so tragic, Tokugawa Ieyasu would have dared to straighten his back and have a serious talk with Oda Nobunaga about what it means to cheat a pig teammate, and ask Oda Nobunaga to give him an explanation.
But after Mikatahara's defeat, Tokugawa Ieyasu became embarrassed, and she was not sure whether Sakuma Nobumori's behavior was her personal behavior or whether it was secretly instructed by Oda Nobunaga.
The more difficult the situation was, and the more he relied on the support of the Oda family, the less Tokugawa Ieyasu could show any dissatisfaction. He could only break his teeth and swallow it, and continue to the end.
Because Sakuma Nobumori could not be held accountable, the military discussions within the Tokugawa family were also deadlocked and could not be fully explained, and everyone felt very aggrieved.
Just when the mood was gloomy, two people hurriedly walked into the meeting hall and bowed to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Tokugawa Ieyasu came back to his senses amidst the respectful greetings and looked at the two people. It was Hattori Bouchou, the leader of the Tokugawa Ninja clan, and her daughter Hattori Masashige.
She managed to pull herself together and asked.
"Hattori-hime, what are the trends of the Takeda Army?"
Hattori Bouchou looked a little strange and didn't speak for a while.
Tokugawa Ieyasu said with a wry smile.
"It's now time. If there's anything else you can't say, don't hide it, just tell it."
Hattori Baochang first kowtowed to the ground and then said hesitantly.
"The Takeda family was recuperating for several days after the three-party war, and the army stood still.
However, the ninja members of the Takeda family are spreading rumors, saying that Your Highness escaped in embarrassment when Mikatahara was defeated, and was so frightened by the Takeda family's pursuit... that you were so frightened that you urinated and fecesed everywhere, and the stench filled the sky."
Tokugawa Ieyasu smiled slightly and said.
"I thought it was some bad news, but it turned out to be just rumors. You don't have to be taboo.
This is Takeda Shingen's method of provoking generals, trying to induce me to fight.
Hamamatsu Castle has high walls and thick walls, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. She was not sure of the capture, and she did not dare to abandon me. She went straight to Luo, and then spread rumors to provoke me.
Shit and urine flowed all over the place, oh, it's a shame she figured it out. No matter how bad I am, I, Tokugawa Ieyasu, am still a noble samurai. How could I be afraid of dying in battle?
Only a fool would believe this kind of rumor, right?"
Seeing Tokugawa Ieyasu's pleasant face, Hattori Chief saw that he really didn't seem to take the unpleasant rumors to heart, so he breathed a sigh of relief and bowed.
"Your Highness is wise."
Just as Hattori Warden relaxed, Hattori Masashige, who was following behind her, suddenly spoke, making her nervous again.
"Your Highness, I feel that His Highness Takeda is not trying to provoke you into fighting, but has other motives."
Hattori Chief turned back and yelled angrily.
"Bageya Road! How dare you talk nonsense in front of His Highness!"
The Tokugawa family looked contemplative and coughed.
"I just said that it's now, and there's nothing else I can't say freely."
Hattori Chief did not dare to say anything. Tokugawa Ieyasu looked at the young and heroic Hattori Masashige and asked softly.
"You said His Highness Takeda has other agendas. Do you have any basis for that?"
Hattori Masashige said solemnly.
"Your Highness, in the past few days, in order to find out the direction of the Takeda family's subsequent advance, I have spied on the Takeda camp several times, personally sneaked in and captured a person alive and came back for questioning.
I accidentally discovered that the Takeda Army has no plans to continue to Luo, and they are preparing for withdrawal."
Before Hattori Masashige finished speaking, the entire meeting hall was boiling with excitement. The Ji warriors whispered among themselves, and everyone was shocked by Hattori Masashige's bold speculation.
Takeda Shingen had just won a decisive victory at Mikatahara, and Tokugawa Ieyasu's rule in Toe Country was already in danger.
At this moment when the Takeda family had an absolute advantage, Hattori Masashige made bold claims that the Takeda family would withdraw its troops. Who could believe it?
Hattori Chief was sweating profusely, but under the pressure from Tokugawa Ieyasu, he did not dare to interrupt.
Tokugawa Ieyasu scolded a few times to calm down the noise in the meeting hall. In fact, she herself couldn't believe it, but she still asked patiently.
"Hattori Masashige, are you sure this is not a trick of the Takeda family?
Perhaps His Highness Takeda wants to make us think that they are retreating, but actually wants to induce me to send troops to pursue them again."
Hattori Masashige said calmly.
"I dare not speak nonsense in front of His Highness.
Indeed, I have no conclusive evidence and I don’t know the reason why the Takeda family withdrew their troops, but my intuition tells me that this matter cannot be false.
Therefore, please allow me, Your Highness, to personally take people to the Takeda territory to find out the truth."
Tokugawa Ieyasu muttered.
"Intuition?"
She glanced at the panicked and uneasy Hattori security guard, and then at the confident and expectant Hattori Masashige, who was a little hesitant.
Hattori Yasunaga has served his family for three generations. He is old and has lost his vigor, but he is more mature and reliable in doing things. Hattori is still young, full of vigor and courageous in doing things.
Tokugawa Ieyasu had some ideas in his mind.
Of course she hoped that Hattori Masashige was right and that the plague gods of the Takeda family could get out of their own way. It was simply the blessing of their ancestors.
But now she has no capital to lose again, so she can only choose to be cautious and not take risks.
The Takeda Army had just won the three-party war, and its morale was greatly boosted. There was no reason to retreat, but Tokugawa Ieyasu suddenly remembered the incident in which Terutora Uesugi leaked information about Takeda Joro to him.
The Takeda family withdrew its troops for no reason. Could it be that some changes occurred in Kanto, which forced Takeda Shingen to retreat and go back to put out the fire?
Tokugawa Ieyasu was full of expectations, but he couldn't believe that his luck would be so good, so he could only nod.
"Hattori Masashige, you bring the capable ninjas and you must find out this matter for me!"
"Hi!"
Looking at Hattori Masashige who took over the task without flinching, Tokugawa Ieyasu nodded slightly.
Hattori Chief is getting older, and it is time to put the replacement of old and new ninja leaders on the agenda.
