In the early morning of March 5, before dawn, Naomasa Akai was suddenly awakened from his sleep by his guards.
"Your Highness, go out and take a look!" The guard's words made Akai Naomasa suddenly sleepless. "The Red Leaf Army has withdrawn!"
Akai Naomasa casually put on a piece of clothing and quickly ran to the observation tower in the camp. After a while, Adachi Motosuke, Ashida Kunizumi, Araki Jitsuna and other important officials of the Hatano family arrived one after another. After a while,
, even Yamana Yutaka and Isshiki Yoshimichi also came to the watchtower in person.
"The Red Leaf Army has really withdrawn." Akai Naozheng looked at the Red Leaf Army who had broken camp and retreated outside Inai Castle, but Akechi Army's Mizuro Platycodon was still staying at the foot of Inai Castle and seemed to have no intention of leaving.
"Won't the Akechi army withdraw?" Adachi Kisuke said with a surprised smile, "Before, we were worried that they were running too fast and we couldn't catch up. Now it's better, Akechi Mitsuhide doesn't want to leave at all? The Momiji army has already left, so why don't we?
Are you still afraid of him? Our Highness Akai and His Highness Renjing can take care of him, and now there are reinforcements from His Highness Yamana and His Highness Isshiki. Beating him is not just cutting melons and vegetables?"
"Don't underestimate the enemy, there may be a deception." Akai Naomasa saw the reaction of the Akechi Army, but he was not so optimistic. "Maybe Yuqiu Hongye is not dead at all... Now it is just a false defeat because we chased and then came back to beat us again."
Caught off guard?"
"Your Highness Akai, you must be worrying too much." Yamana Yutoyo shook his head disapprovingly.
"No matter what, it's better to be careful." Akai Naomasa responded to Yamana Yutaka, and at the same time told Adachi Motosuke, "Take 1,000 people and go to the Sonobe Castle area in the northeast to hold on to prevent the Red Leaf Army from retreating.
Take a detour and attack our army."
"Your Highness... this..." Adachi Kisuke was a little embarrassed when he heard this, "This is a mountainous area. If the Red Leaf Army withdraws to the east now... If you want to get to Sonobe Castle, you must first walk the 35-mile mountain road back to Ryuyama Castle, and then walk 35 miles
It will take them two days to get there via the mountain road to Sonobe. In these two days, the Mingzhi army would have been killed by us."
"The Red Leaf Army is famous for its speed, so don't be careless." Akai Naomasa still insisted on his safe opinion, "Go ahead."
"Yes." Adachi Moisuke naturally would not disobey the wishes of Akai Naomasa, who was quite prestigious in Tamba.
"What about the south, why didn't His Highness Akai send someone there?" Yamana Yutoyo seemed to be a little dissatisfied with Akai Naomasa's conservatism, and said arrogantly, "Don't we also need a mountain road through the Yuye of Settsu Province in the south, which can bypass us?
From the side?"
Although he heard the sarcasm in Yamana Yutaka's words, Akai Naomasa still replied in a neither humble nor condescending manner, "Your Highness, the mountain road to the south is too narrow. The mountain road near Daoi Castle can only accommodate fifty people at most.
Attack. If we find someone coming at that time, we will send people at the entrance of the valley to block it."
·
At three quarters on the morning of March 5, the fifth year of Tianzheng (1577), the Hongye Army had all evacuated from the surroundings of Daojing City and disappeared into the mountains southeast of Daojing City. The reinforcements that had been waiting outside the city for many days also immediately
Drive towards the castle town of Inai Castle, trying to relieve the siege of Inai Castle.
After seeing the ferocious approach of the Shanin Allied Forces, the Mingzhi Army quickly left the city. The Renjing Jiaye in the city seemed to understand the intention of the reinforcements outside the city, and immediately went out of the city to counterattack, clinging to the Mingzhi Army. The Mingzhi Army could not get rid of it for a while.
Renjing Jiaye had no choice but to fight and retreat in embarrassment, retreating towards Longshan City.
After the Sanin Allied Forces left 2,000 people from Ashida Kunizumi and Araki Ujitsuna to guard Inai Castle, they quickly pursued them and followed closely behind the Akechi Army. The Akechi Army fled all the way, and the Allied Forces pursued them all the way.
The casualties of the Akechi Army are gradually increasing. If the pursuit continues like this, the general collapse will soon occur due to morale.
It was getting late, so Akechi Mitsuhide set up camp on the mountain road and defended it. The Sanin Allied Forces had nothing to do for the time being. However, at dawn on March 6, the Sanin Allied Forces once again launched a fierce attack on the camp of the Akechi Army.
The army could not resist and continued to withdraw eastward. By the afternoon of March 6, the coalition forces had pursued them 20 miles away from Daojing City.
However, the smoother the progress on the front line, the more worried Akai Naomasa became. He repeatedly sent messengers to Sonobe Castle in the north to confirm the situation, and learned that Adachi Kisuke had sent a large number of ninjas to investigate, but there were no ninjas on the mountain road to the north.
The shadow of the Red Leaf Army was found. However, there were a lot of ninjas in the Military Intelligence Department of the Red Leaf Army. Most of the ninjas sent by the coalition forces to the east to investigate were blocked and found nothing. Naomasa Akai then sent people to the Ashida Kingdom where Inai Castle was left behind.
Sumitomo and Araki Tsuna sent an order, telling them to be alert to their surroundings in order to be on guard against a surprise attack by the Hongye Army.
"I've heard for a long time that His Highness Akai is known as Tanba's 'Red Oni'. When I saw him today, he was just a timid child." Yamana Yutoyo looked coldly at Akai Naomasa who kept looking forward and backward, and whispered to Isshiki next to him.
Yi Dao sneered.
"I really don't know how someone who is so hesitant can become a general. That Akechi Mitsuhide was repelled by such a coward must be even more unbearable." Isshiki Yoshitoshi couldn't help but chuckled in a low voice, "The famous one
It’s really hard to match up.”
"Look." Yamana Yutoyo pointed at the Hatano family messenger who hurried back from outside the camp, "Another one has come, and he must still say 'Your Highness, there is nothing unusual'."
"Then His Highness Akai will say: 'Be sure not to be careless before exploring again.'" Isshiki Yoshimichi imitated Akai Naomasa's tone and whispered vividly, making Yamana Yutoyo burst into laughter.
"Where's the 70-mile mountain road? The Red Leaf Army won't arrive until tomorrow no matter what. Why is he so nervous today? Why didn't he concentrate on the battlefield and quickly put away the Akechi Army?" Isshiki Yoshimichi couldn't stand it anymore, so he
Walking towards Akai Naomasa's camp, I planned to have a good talk with him and quickly launch a general attack with the entire army.
However, as soon as he and Yamana Yutoyo entered the camp, they heard the sweaty envoy who had just arrived, saying in a panic with a trembling voice: "Your Majesty Akai, something is wrong! The Red Leaf Army has appeared in the south.
Direction to Yuye!"
"What?" Yamana Yutoyo and Isshiki Yoshimichi immediately exclaimed, and hurriedly walked forward to ask the orderer loudly. However, although Akai Naomasa also looked solemn, he did not panic at all, and asked calmly and solemnly.
:"how many people?"
"I don't know. I rushed over to report to His Highness as soon as I found out. My companions went to inform Daojing City." The messenger panted heavily and responded at the same time, "Your Highness, please come back quickly for reinforcements!"
"How many miles are the Red Leaf Army from Daijing City?" Akai Naomasa asked the second question, minding his own business.
"About 15 miles, it will happen soon." The messenger wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied hastily.
"Is it so fast... If we take the southern road, it is an 80-mile mountain road, and it also passes through the mountainous area in the northern part of Settsu... They actually walked it in a day and a half..." Isshiki Yoshidao said in a low voice with an earthy face, "The autumn leaves of the rain are...
Are you really not dead? Why did the Red Leaf Army come back instead of retreating? Are we being plotted?"
"Withdraw the troops." Akai Naomasa glanced at Yamana Yutoyo and Isshiki Yoshimichi, who had been clamoring to attack, and immediately ordered after getting their approval, "Let Adachi-sama of Sonobe Castle lead the troops to withdraw to Inai immediately.
At the same time, let Araki-sama and Ashida-sama in Inai Castle lead their troops south, and block the Red Leaf Army on the mountain road between Yuye and Inai Plain! Never let them enter the plain to form an array!"
·
Not long after, inside Daojing City.
"His Majesty Akai asked us to leave the city, Araki-sama, please hurry up! If we are dillydallying like this, the Red Leaf Army will come out of the mountain road!" Ashida Kunizumi had already organized his troops and was waiting to leave the city, but Araki Utsuna's
His movements were always slow.
"If you ask me, we shouldn't go out of the city. We only have these 2,000 people, and we don't have 700 soldiers. If we go out of the city to fight with two red leaf troops in reserve, we have no chance of victory no matter what." Araki Utsuna
Still repeating what he had been saying for a long time, "Don't go out! Just stay in Daojing City. The Hongye Army has no siege equipment and there is nothing we can do!"
"How is that possible? Then we will be fine, but if Uaki Momiji's army is sent from the mountain road into the Inai Plain, our army's retreat back to Yakami Castle will be cut off!" Ashida Kunizumi anxiously rushed to the Inai Plain.
Araki Utsuna growled, "Stop dawdling!"
"But what will happen if you go out? With just 2,000 of us, can we stop Yuqiu Momiji from coming in?" Araki Utsuna also became angry, spread his hands and shouted at Ashida Kunizumi.
"We don't need to win against him, we just need to block them in the mountain road! At most, forty or fifty people can cross such a narrow mountain road together. If 2,000 of us go to the valley entrance, even gods can't get through.
Come in!" Kunizumi Ashida was still trying to persuade Araki Tsuna and kept gesticulating in front of him, but Araki kept shaking his head indifferently.
"If you want to go, Ashida-sama should go by yourself. If you go out, you will definitely lose. Instead of thinking that the Hongye Army may cut off the retreat of the army if it enters the Inai Plain, it is better to think about what will happen if all 2,000 of our troops are wiped out and Inai Castle changes hands.
The army has no way out, let alone retreat, and no way out." Araki Utsusuna said resolutely and solemnly, "Anyway, our troops will never leave the city."
"This is His Highness Akai's order!" Ashida Kunizumi couldn't help but said anxiously when he saw this, "Are you going to disobey?"
"His Majesty Akai is not here, so he doesn't know the current situation. The general has not accepted your life, not to mention that this is not an order from the lord." Araki Utsuna slammed the table hard and shouted to Ashida Kunizhu, "
Don't be stupid! Guard this Daojing City and you still have a chance! Why go out and kill the Red Leaf Army!"
"If you don't go, I will go by myself! Then I will impeach you in front of His Majesty Akai and the lord!" Ashida Kunizumi slapped the table with more force than Araki Jitsuna, and the lid of the teacup on the table was removed.
Chapter completed!