The Battle of Moribe on May 14th ended before evening. The Oda family battled against two senior commanders of the Saito family - Nagai Mamoru and Hibino Kiyomi. They were both famous ministers ranked among Saito Rokujuku elders. The Saito family
In this battle, more than 270 people were killed and more than 500 people were captured, most of whom were subordinates of the Hibino family. After this battle, the Hibino family's vitality could be said to be severely damaged. Not only the head of the family died in the battle, but also the troops within the territory.
More than 20% was lost, and the rest was disintegrated. The three wealthy families who signed a no-war contract with Yu Qiuping also took the opportunity to take back their territories.
The troops directly under the Saito family did not suffer much losses. Most of them had already retreated on their own before the death of Nagai Wei'an. Even the troops around Nagai Wei'an were killed because the Oda family gave up the pursuit.
Didn't suffer too many casualties.
But even so, after this battle, it was enough to scare the Mino Saito family. After resting for a night, Oda Nobunaga ordered the troops to build a pontoon bridge in the early morning of May 15, crossed the Nagara River westward, and marched towards Sumamata.
.The reserve forces of Ikeda Tsuneaki and Sasanagi Masa finally set off from Qingzhou City on May 15 and began to build food roads and supply lines.
At the same time, information was also coming in a steady stream.
The wealthy families of Simino, large and small, have already assembled their troops and are in full preparation to prepare for the Oda family's invasion. The total strength of the troops may be close to 7,000 - this is not something that the more than 4,000 people at Oda Nobunaga's side can contend with.
On the contrary, the information coming from Inabayama Castle is promising.
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Inside Inabayama Castle.
"What's going on, young master! Are you still drinking?" As Saito Ryuuki's teacher, Hinano Hiroshi found the guards of the castle tower aggressively for the fourth time, "The Oda family has already invaded the territory with troops!
Why has he refused to meet his retainers for three days! I want to go in and meet His Highness!"
"Reporting to His Highness Hineno," the guard replied casually: "His Highness said that all important officials in the family will not be seen!"
"Young Master!" Hinano Hiro's face was full of anger, "Now is not the time to play around! The front line has been defeated miserably, and Sumamata has been lost! How can you still be here and having fun!"
"Hongjiu, please stop saying a few words," Zhuyao Zhiguang, who came with him, said, "Also, don't call the lord directly as the young lord. Yesterday, one of the attendants was beheaded because of the wrong title. You forgot
What?"
"He dares to kill his teacher?" Hinano Hiroshi shouted angrily: "If this continues, the Saito family will be doomed! I don't know what's wrong with this child! He was fine a few days ago, so why did he immediately become the governor of the family?
Degraded like this!"
Just when Hinano Hiroshi roared angrily, a dissatisfied complaint suddenly came from the stairs on the first and second floors of the castle tower.
"Teacher, you are too noisy."
Hinano Hiroshi and Takeyao looked directly at the stairs, and saw a young man with a samurai bun and a green suit. His face was plain and calm, and he didn't look like he was having fun.
"Young Master?" Hinano Hiro was stunned for a moment, "You didn't drink?"
"Drink, of course I drank. It's just that the drunkard's intention is not to drink." Saito Ryuuki smiled contemptuously, "You are so noisy outside, and it disturbs me from thinking about the situation of the war."
"Young Master? It turns out that you are doing business in there!" Zhuyao Naoguang was also surprised, "Then why did you invite so many singing girls and dancers in and order so much fine wine?"
"Hmph," Saito Ryuuki shook his sleeves and sneered, "Because then everyone in the city will know that I, Saito Ryuuki, am intoxicated and dreaming, playing music every night?"
Seeing the puzzled looks of Hinano Hiro and Takekaya Naomitsu, Saito Ryuuki walked directly between them without any further explanation.
"Follow me, gather the troops, rectify the defeated army, and we will send out troops." Saito Ryuuki turned around and chuckled: "The Saito family has been newly defeated, and the new head of the family is another debauched person."
"Oda Nobunaga must not be able to wait to lead his army northward and drive directly to Inabayama Castle."
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"Hey, this Saito Ryuuki, this nephew of Yu, is really licentious!" Oda Nobunaga laughed after hearing the information from the ninjas in Inabayama Castle, "I think Inabayama Castle is indestructible.
His father's body is still cold, and the remaining soldiers are pressing down on the territory, yet he still dares to play and sing every night."
"Without seeing retainers and ignoring political affairs, Inabayama Castle has become a mess." Oda Nobunaga stood up with a smile, raised his right arm in the direction of Inabayama Castle, and slowly clenched his right hand into a fist.
"Inabayama Castle is already in my hands."
On May 15, the Oda army left Uakihira behind to guard Sumamata. The large army began to march north along the west bank of the Nagara River in the rain, avoiding the territories of the major wealthy families in Nishi Mino and heading straight to Inabayama Castle. Perhaps it was a formality.
Urgent, on May 16, after gathering the defeated troops, Saito Ryuuki dispatched 4,000 troops from Inabayama Castle. Contrary to the Oda family, their army went south along the east bank of the Nagara River in the rain, and fought with the Oda army in the Shijujo area.
Confrontation across the Nagara River.
According to reports from the ninjas of Inabayama Castle, Saito Ryuuki was already drunk and unconscious when he sent out troops. In order to stabilize the morale of the army, two family elders, Hinano Hiroshi and Takekaya Naomitsu, forcibly took him out of the castle tower and placed him in the castle.
He followed the army in the sedan chair all the way. After he sobered up, Saito Ryuuki showed off loudly along the way that he was the commander of an army of 4,000, and threatened to go to Shijujo and fight to the death with Oda Nobunaga's main force.
But not long after, he got drunk again. Precisely because the head of the family was unconscious and unable to make any decisions, the Saito family's troops had not made any moves since they arrived at Shijujo. After hearing this, Ori
There was a burst of joy in the Tian family's tent, and everyone was full of confidence in the battle that was about to break out.
"Leaving the army in the hands of such a person is simply suicide!" Maeda Toshiie mocked disdainfully at the time. "Want to fight to the death with our main force in Shijujo? Then come!"
"Old Master Dosan once said that his son is only worthy of Yu Qianma," Oda Nobunaga laughed and said: "Yi Yu, Saito Yoshiryu can actually serve as Yu's general. This Saito Ryuuki
, I really can only give Yu a horse!"
"Sure up your energy tonight, and tomorrow morning, I will cross the river and destroy the Saito family!"
·
In the early morning of May 17, Oda Nobunaga was woken up by Ikoma Chisho.
"Your Highness, there is something strange happening in the Saito family. It seems that they are going to march." Ikoma reported.
"What abnormal movement? What kind of abnormal movement could it be caused by?" Oda Nobunaga laughed disdainfully, "Is Saito Ryuuki trying to escape back to Inabayama Castle?"
"I...I don't know." Ikoma said honestly.
"Has it stopped raining?" Oda Nobunaga asked as soon as he asked, and the sound of rain pattering outside the tent answered him. "It hasn't stopped raining yet. It's really bad luck."
"It's been raining for three days, and the Nagara River has swollen a lot. It's even more difficult to cross the river." Oda Nobunaga complained again, "Just tell the sentry to pay attention. Sanzaemon in the vanguard is on heightened alert."
"Don't you need to mobilize the entire army, Your Highness?" Ikoma confirmed correctly.
"No need," Oda Nobunaga yawned and lay back on the new army bed. "After the water rises, there are no suitable ferries in the Shijujo area. How easy is it to cross the Nagara River?"
"Besides, the person opposite is Saito Ryuuki," Oda Nobunaga sneered, "What kind of skills can he have? He doesn't have any tricks."
However, Oda Nobunaga hadn't slept long before Ikoma Oikasa came again—along with Mori Katsunari, who served as the vanguard.
"Sanzaemon, what's the matter? Saito's army went north and returned to Inabayama Castle?" Seeing Moriko Chengdu coming in person, Oda Nobunaga also cheered up.
"Your Highness," Mori Kacheng said in a deep voice, "The Saito army went south. I suspect that their target is the Nineteen Villages."
Oda Nobunaga was stunned for a moment, then immediately jumped up from the bed and ran barefoot to the table with the map.
The Nagara River is in the west and the Kiso River is in the east. After the two meet in Mino, they merge and flow southward, cutting the entire area into three parts. The Owari in the southeast of the Kiso River, the part between the Nagara River and the Kiso River, and the Nagara River The western part.
The original march route of the Oda army was to cross the Kiso River from Haguri County and enter the middle area. It was there that Oda Nobuyoshi built the Nineteenth Village as a retreat and foothold for the Oda family. After that, Oda In order to conquer Sumamata, Nobunaga crossed the Nagara River to the west, which was equivalent to reaching the westernmost part of the three regions.
Inabayama Castle is located in the middle of the two rivers, and the Saito Army moving south along the east bank of the Nagara River is also in the middle area - the area where the Oda family's retreat route is located.
At this moment, the Saito family will directly cross the flat plain and rush towards the Nineteen Villages, the retreat route of the Oda family. However, the Oda family's army wants to reinforce, but they have to cross the Nagara River first.
Because of their success all the way, and because they looked down upon the 15-year-old Saito Ryuuki too much, the Oda family never considered that the Saito family's army came to confront the main force of the Oda family, and Saito Ryuuki declared that he would fight with Oda Nobunaga in ten years. The four-and-one battle to the death was actually a cover-up. Its real target was the Nineteenth Village in the south. Who could have thought that the licentious Saito Ryuuki would suddenly issue such a bold order! If the escape route was cut off, The entire Oda family army would be trapped in Mino! And Oda Nobuyoshi, who was guarding the back road, only had 500 people.
"You're careless!" Oda Nobunaga suddenly slapped his head and immediately shouted: "Gather the entire army immediately! Cross the river immediately!"
·
However, it is not that easy to cross the river. Due to heavy rain for many days, the Nagara River has seriously swollen. Several bridges in the Shijujo area have been submerged, and there are no suitable ferries. The Oda family cannot cross the river at all. Nobu Oda In desperation, the commander had no choice but to order the entire army to immediately go south along the Nagara River, return the same way, and cross the river back via the pontoon bridge where they came from.
"Send the order! Let the nearest Amaki Momiji set off from Sumamata immediately and cross the river via the floating bridge!" Oda Nobunaga shouted, "Support the Nineteen Villages!"
However, when Amakihei received the order, he did not act immediately according to Oda Nobunaga's order.
"Your Majesty Momiji! What are you doing standing there in a daze? It's such an urgent situation!" Hoshiya Yorotaka, who came to deliver the order, urged anxiously.
"Master Fengwu..." Yu Qiuping pretended to be in disbelief and fell to the ground, "I just discovered this morning. The pontoon... was washed away last night because of the strong flow of water. I was about to send someone to inform the lord.
, and at the same time send people to repair it...how could something like this happen?"