On September 10, the Shangluo army, like a huge beast, raised its troops under the city of Guanyin Temple and slowly marched to the west. The 75,000-strong army stretched very long on the land of Nan Omi, and the vanguard troops had already When they arrived at Shibu, the train behind them had not yet left Guanyin Temple City. Along the way, thousands of people were hiding far away in the mountains or beside the fields, looking at them with complex eyes containing countless emotions such as expectation, admiration, and fear. Looking at this dragon-like team from a distance.
On September 11, the coalition vanguard set up camp in Kusatsu, 13 miles east of Seta (where the Miyoshi family's 55,000 troops were stationed). On September 13, the entire coalition army arrived in Kusatsu and expanded a Guanyin Temple in Kusatsu. There was a huge camp like the camp under Temple City. Not far to the west of them, the Miyoshi family's camp was also overwhelming. A large number of small towns, rock forts, and fortifications had already been built. And they wanted to march into Kyoto from Minami Omi. , you must pass through Seta.
Yamashiro Province, where Kyoto and Nijo Castle are located, got its name because it is surrounded by mountains. The dividing line between Yamashiro Province and Omi Province is the two huge mountainous areas of the Hirara Mountains and Kasagi Mountains to the east. Between Yamashiro Province and Omi Province The official roads between Kyoto and Kyoto are all made up of valleys between these mountains. Several valleys connecting Omi and Yamashiro provinces all pass through Seta. If you want to bypass Seta and enter Kyoto, you have to go over mountains and wading through mountains and rivers. Only then did we have a chance - and this might be a road that two or three businessmen could pass through, but it was not a road that a large army could pass through at all.
If the Kasagi Mountains and the Hira Mountains are the east gate of Yamashiro Country, then Seta is the lock on the door. If you can't open the lock, everything is out of the question. The Miyoshi family's 55,000 troops are enough to keep Seta airtight and let the army of Kamiro Feeling excited and sighing.
The confrontation lasted for more than half a month. Even though the Oda family repeatedly launched challenges, the Miyoshi family was determined to hold on and refused to fight. The Miyoshi family's granary is in the Miyoshi family's hometown, Iimoriyama Castle, about 30 kilometers away from Seta. The front line is only about 80 miles away. However, the supply line of the coalition forces is almost 200 miles away. What's more, the number of coalition forces is 30% more than that of the Sanhao family, which makes their consumption of food and grass far exceed that of the Sanhao family.
Moreover, having been stationed abroad for a long time but unable to win a single battle, the morale of the coalition forces was also gradually declining. In addition to the samurai who were always excited because they longed to be remembered in history, many lower-level ashigaru were already war-weary and homesick. In order to reverse the decline, the coalition forces passed through After a day of discussion, we decided to take the initiative.
On October 1, the coalition forces left the auxiliary troops in the camp, but pulled all 75,000 combat soldiers and auxiliary troops out of the camp and lined up on the plain. The 50,000 auxiliary troops built countless siege equipment, from siege oars, We have everything from observation decks to cloud ladders and battering rams, just waiting to greet you on the copper and iron walls of Sanhao's house.
The Sanhao family was not to be outdone. The 55,000-strong army guarded the camp and remained unmoved no matter how the coalition attacked. The coalition fought hard for a day but failed to make a major breakthrough. In desperation, they had to withdraw their troops and return to the camp.
That night, a violent quarrel broke out at the coalition's assessment meeting.
"The matter is already very clear. If the Miyoshi family sticks to Seta, there is nothing we can do." Asakura Yoshikage has always had a high self-esteem, believing that the Asakura family is a famous family and should be the commander-in-chief of the Shangluo coalition. However, he was This country bumpkin Tian Nobunaga stole the limelight, so he was very dissatisfied with Oda Nobunaga's command. Since Oda Nobunaga took command, he first spent half a month in Kusatsu, and rarely achieved anything after a rare attack, which made him even more dissatisfied with Oda Nobunaga. Tian Nobunaga's distrust completely broke out. Originally, Asakura's family was farthest from his hometown Echizen, and the food and grass supply line was also the longest and consumed the most food and grass. The combination of many contradictions made him feel very irritable. They were shouting: "Retreat the troops! Retreat the troops!"
"Your Highness, Asakura, please be patient." Ashikaga Yoshiki was very dissatisfied after a day of fighting. The reason why he had endured the rudeness of Oda Nobunaga and his subordinates was because he believed that they could help him.
Back in Kyoto. But now it seems that the coalition forces are helpless with the iron barrels of the Miyoshi family to defend, which makes Ashikaga Yoshiteru very angry. If he retreats now, won't all the grievances he suffered before have been in vain? So, he
He could only endure his anger and forcefully appease Asakura Yoshikage.
"This is a battle that the whole world is paying attention to, but the Miyoshi family just shuts up like cowards. It is really a shame for the samurai family." Asai Nagamasa seemed very dissatisfied with the Miyoshi family's strategy, "Why are you not willing to fight openly and openly?
What about field battles? Can defense change anything? All disadvantages can only be reversed by joint battles!"
In the face of such huge interests, how many samurai would be like you, Nagamasa? Yu Qiuping, who was sitting in the subordinate position, looked at Asai Nagamasa and said in his heart: The Miyoshi family knows very well that the coalition supply line is too
Long, the people are not united. As long as it drags on, the alliance will collapse without a fight. When Dong Zhuo faced the fierce pursuit of the eighteen princes in the Kanto region, he just burned Luoyang and retreated. Wouldn't the alliance collapse on its own?
"In any case, retreat is impossible." Oda Nobunaga glanced at everyone present with an extremely determined look, "This time going to Luo is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Matsunaga family has been defeated by our Oda family in the previous battle.
Defeating them will not help the Miyoshi family. If the Matsunaga family is allowed to breathe, they will still have more than 70,000 people. Do you think there is still a chance of winning? Isn’t it just that we haven’t defeated them in a day, so why are you like this?”
"Anyone who dares to speak out about retreating again——" Oda Nobunaga said in a threatening tone and drawled his voice.
"Exactly." Asakura Yoshikage snorted coldly when he saw this, "Today the coalition forces suffered nearly 2,000 casualties in one day. A force attack is simply not an option. Your Highness Oda is not allowed to retreat, but you want to find a way out?"
Asakura Yoshikage's rhetorical question made Oda Nobunaga hesitate for a while. After all, he couldn't come up with a good solution. He coughed and turned his attention to his subordinates - the elders and important ministers of the Oda family, and signaled
They quickly thought of a way out. Shibata Katsuie, Sakuma Nobumori, Niwa Nagahide, and Yu Qiupei all looked at each other in shock and were helpless.
The assessment room suddenly became quiet, and the atmosphere in the air was a little awkward. At this delicate moment, a weak "Lord, please" came from the distant door. Everyone looked around and found that it was the person sitting at the door.
What Kinoshita Hideyoshi said. He was one of the lowest status samurai who could participate in this meeting, so he was arranged to sit at the door.
"Who are you, Your Excellency? Is it your turn to speak here? Are all the samurai of the Oda family so ignorant of etiquette?" Asakura Yoshikage glanced at where Kinoshita Hideyoshi was sitting, and realized that this was at most a subordinate.
The general asked with great disdain.
"This monkey is really neither big nor small." Sakuma Nobumori snorted coldly when he saw this, "Don't act recklessly on such an occasion and disgrace the Oda family."
However, Oda Nobunaga did not mean to blame Kinoshita Hideyoshi, but nodded to him, indicating that he would express his opinion. Kinoshita Hideyoshi took a deep breath, looked at the big people in the room, and mustered up the courage to speak.
: "I suggest a surprise attack!"
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"Surprise attack?" Oda Nobunaga was stunned when he heard this, and asked in confusion: "Seda has been strangled, and all the roads pass through Seta. Where do you make a surprise attack?"
"From Lake Biwa!" Kinoshita Hideyoshi was frightened by the tone of this rhetorical question, and said loudly and tremblingly.
"Lake Biwa?" Oda Nobunaga's eyes flashed, and he strode to the place where the map hung in the tent with his hands behind his back, "Tell me about it."
"Your Majesty!" Upon seeing this, Kinoshita Hideyoshi straightened up and quickly moved to the map with small steps. He traced on the map with his fingers and said: "We can send out a special force and go back to the map.
Guard the mountain, look for a boat from there, cross Lake Biwa, and arrive at the west bank of Lake Biwa, where Anatai and Kenta are! Then, go around the mountainous area to the north, pass Enryakuji Temple, and then go around from the mountainous area north of Kyoto, straight to
Drive Kyoto!"
"Tch!" "What nonsense are you talking about?" "Where did this despicable samurai come from?" "This monkey really embarrasses the Oda family." "How can such a fantasy work?"
As soon as Kinoshita Hideyoshi finished speaking, huge taunts and ridicules rang out in the big tent. His face suddenly turned red, veins popped out on his forehead, and he glared angrily at those who looked down on him.
"Your plan is too risky." Oda Nobunaga was still holding the mustache on his chin and was thinking deeply. Akechi Mitsuhide first spoke and reminded: "I have walked the path you mentioned, and it is only the path of Enryakuji Temple.
No army has ever passed through the trail used by monks to practice, and it cannot be passed by large armies at all."
"I don't need a large army." Kinoshita Hideyoshi bowed to Akechi Mitsuhide, and then explained: "I don't bring any auxiliary troops. I only need 500 soldiers, carrying five days' rations with me, and go for a surprise attack."
"Five days? This is just enough food for the trip! And if you can't carry that much food, you will definitely be hungry and full." Hearing this, Yu Qiuping couldn't help but remind him: "Then basically you have to come.
There is no way back! If the surprise attack fails, your entire army will starve to death there! And this road is rarely used by people, so it’s hard to say whether 500 people can pass it! Calm down, it’s too dangerous!”
"Wealth is sought at risk!" Kinoshita Hideyoshi glanced at Yu Qiuping gratefully, while he rubbed his hands uneasily, "If it succeeds, Kyoto will be taken! This risk is still worth taking!"
"Even if you succeed, you won't be able to capture Kyoto." Shibata Katsuie said angrily: "The Miyoshi family must have someone staying behind in Kyoto. How can you defeat Kyoto if your 500 men without siege equipment are exhausted?"
"Besides, Yoshihide Miyoshi has densely populated ninjas in the Kinki area, and the whereabouts of your 500 people are very likely to be exposed." Takigawa Kazumasu, a ninja, also poured cold water on him: "It is very likely that they will be discovered, and then troops will be mobilized to exterminate you.
, we won’t be able to save you even if we want to.”
"Your Highnesses have good intentions, but it doesn't matter if you can't defeat me or are discovered." Kinoshita Hideyoshi took another deep breath and explained: "As long as we can attract the attention of the Miyoshi family and force him to send troops to attack me, the main force of the coalition forces
Isn’t there an opportunity to take advantage of it? It’s better than standing here and wasting food and grass!”
Now that Kinoshita Hideyoshi has talked about this, Yu Qiupei and others can't persuade him any more. But the samurai of the family all scoffed at this crazy suggestion, waiting to see the grumpy Oda Nobunaga scold him.
What a show. However, to everyone's surprise, Oda Nobunaga nodded thoughtfully and said in a deep voice: "Okay, monkey, I've approved your plan."
"What?" There was an uproar in the big tent for a moment. Everyone felt that Kinoshita Hideyoshi was crazy, and even Oda Nobunaga was crazy. However, these crazy masters and servants seemed to have similar interests and looked at each other in tacit understanding.
"It's just my lord, I only have more than a hundred soldiers at my disposal. Isn't that enough? Can you borrow more than 300 soldiers from someone else's house?" Kinoshita Hideyoshi cautiously made another request.
"Okay, you can borrow it. As long as the person is willing, you can borrow as much as you want." Oda Nobunaga agreed casually.
"Who would lend someone to accompany you to die?" Sasaki Naimasa, who was standing beside Oda Nobunaga, snorted disdainfully, and he also expressed the thoughts of everyone present. Kinoshita Hideyoshi's surprise attack was almost
A narrow escape from death. More than 300 soldiers are not a lot, and no one is willing to give up casually.
"Is there no one there?" Oda Nobunaga glanced around, spread his hands helplessly and said, "Then I will lend you some of the troops of the wealthy Minami Omi family. The Kamao family seems to be good."