Chapter 109 Dragon and Tiger Move Together
Chapter 109 Dragon and Tiger Move Together
After Xinzhong finished writing the letter, he blew on the ink to dry it, folded it up, and looked up at Changqing.
"Lord Mori, this letter—I will personally send someone to deliver it."
"it is good."
"And—" the boy's eyes gleamed, "I want to learn how to conquer a city."
Changqing smiled.
"Alright. I'll teach you! The first man to stand atop the city wall is the most heroic!"
July 5th, Azuchi Castle.
Nobunaga was listening to a report from Takigawa Kazumasu's ninja about trivial matters in Gifu.
With Nobutada alone in Gifu, how could Nobunaga not be keeping an eye on his successor?
Nobutada had his letter to Takeda Shingen copied word for word.
He was already aware of Mori Nagayoshi's daily dedication to teaching.
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Seeing this master and apprentice, one teaching earnestly and the other learning earnestly.
Nobunaga was finally relieved.
"This Mori—I thought he'd been neglecting his duties all along. He's done a good job teaching! I was just worried that Nobutada was sometimes too weak!"
On the sixth day of the seventh month, in Kofu, at the Tsutsuzaki residence.
Takeda Shingen's injured arm has healed, but it still aches slightly on rainy days.
"Father."
Katsuyori Takeda walked out from the corridor, holding a letter in his hand. "From Gifu."
The Takeda clan's annexation of Suruga Province angered Shingen's eldest son, Takeda Nobuyoshi. Nobuyoshi was executed for plotting a rebellion, and in the years that followed, Takeda Katsuyori's position as the future head of the clan was confirmed.
He is 25 years old now, and his mother is Mrs. Suwa.
"A letter from Oda Nobunaga?" Shingen coughed.
"It's Oda Nobutada."
Shingen took the letter, opened it expressionlessly, and thought to himself: What kind of letter could Nobutada, a mere boy who hasn't even grown up yet, possibly write to me?
He glanced at the contents and raised his eyebrows.
As he continued reading, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"I, Oda Nobutada, will definitely marry Matsuhime as my principal wife! Interesting! She is indeed Nobunaga's son, still acting like a fool!"
Shingen's laughter left Katsuyori looking confused.
"Father?"
Shingen handed him the letter, his smile still lingering.
Katsuyori took the letter, and his expression grew increasingly grim as he read it.
"Insolence! How dare a junior speak disrespectfully to Father! He has the audacity to boast of crushing Jiaxin! I have never seen such an impudent letter!"
His voice echoed in the courtyard.
"Father, please raise your troops and march on Kyoto immediately! Let them know the might of the Takeda clan! I will personally exterminate the Oda clan!"
"What's the rush! Sit down!"
Katsurai sat down defiantly, the floor making a dull thud.
"What did you just say?" Shingen asked.
"I said he was arrogant and rude!"
Shingen laughed, "When you were sixteen, would you have dared to write to Kenshin saying you wanted to conquer Echigo?"
Katsurai remained silent.
Shingen stood up, walked to the center of the courtyard, and turned his back to his son.
"This letter is not addressed to me."
"Wasn't it written for your father?"
"It was written for himself."
Shingen broke off a maple leaf and played with it in his hand.
Katsura frowned, seemingly understanding but not quite.
"Even though it's for a woman—it's still true to a man's nature!"
Shingen, still smiling, wrote a reply: "Oda, Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Mino Governor, Nobutada-dono."
"I have read your letter and couldn't help but smile."
"If you wish to marry Matsuhime, you must traverse the Eight Mountains, pass through Suwa, cross Kiso, and descend Suruga. The journey is fraught with peril, making it difficult to complete. It would be better for me to personally visit Mino and renew our father-in-law/son-in-law relationship—"
The implication was that taking down Koshin was too difficult for you, and it would be much easier for me to take down Mino.
"Send someone to Gifu."
Katsuyori took the letter, still somewhat unwilling.
"Shiro, tell Matsuhime that the person she's been waiting for hasn't made her wait in vain."
The Ikko-ikki uprising broke out again in Settsu, Izumi, and Echizen. The Mori clan continued to support Ishiyama Honganji Temple, and Matsunaga Hisahide once again betrayed the Saiga party, which was in support of Kii.
This was his third betrayal of Nobunaga, more than once in history.
Kitada Tomonori of Ise also launched a rebellion at this time.
Oda elders such as Sakuma Nobumori, Sasa Josei, Maeda Toshiie, and Ikeda Tsuneoki were successively dispatched to the Kinki region to serve as castle lords.
The once vast Norio was now only occupied by two former retainers of Owari: Hayashi Hideyoshi and Mori Nagayoshi.
In August, Uesugi Kenshin rallied the powerful clans of Etsuchu and, with the help of Takeda, invaded Hibiku Province, bringing his combined forces to 18000.
people.
Takeda Shingen left Baba Nobuharu and 6000 men of the "Senka-shu" to guard Kiso Valley, while he himself led 30000 men to Kyoto again along the Tokaido.
Most of the troops in Mino and Owari were taken to the Kinki region by the lords of the various castles, leaving only 18000 troops available for mobilization.
Anegokōji Yoritsuna and Tokugawa Ieyasu successively sought help from Oda Nobunaga.
Nobunaga readily agreed to their request, allocating the Mino clans to Nobutada as his subordinates.
Even so, Nobi's forces numbered less than 30,000.
Changqing then formulated a strategy of defending the north and advancing eastward.
Kenshin was fierce in field battles, but his performance in sieges was lackluster.
He ordered the three men of Nishimino to lead eight thousand men into Hiei to establish a fortress, and together with Anekoji Yoritsuna, to hold the line at Sakurado Castle. In this way, it would be almost impossible for Kenshin to capture Hiei before the heavy snow blocked the mountains.
Nagayoshi then dispatched Hattori Haruyasu, Takenaka Shigeharu, Toyama Naohiro, Sato Tadayoshi, and others, totaling two thousand men, to jointly defend Iwamura. He himself, along with the commander-in-chief Oda Nobutada, led twenty thousand men into Mikawa to support Tokugawa Ieyasu.
This time, Takeda Shingen had already set up his battle formation at Mikatagahara, waiting for Nagayoshi to come to the rescue.
On the 23rd day of the eighth month of the first year of Genki (1570), in Hamamatsu Castle, Tōtōmi Province.
Takeda Shingen's 30,000-strong army has already crossed the Oi River, and the vanguard, Yamagata Masakage's Red Cavalry, rode swiftly and unchallenged the area around Kakegawa Castle yesterday.
"Your Highness, the Oda clan's reinforcements have arrived. Lord Nobutada and Lord Mori have reached the outskirts of the castle."
"I didn't expect Lord Mori to arrive so quickly!"
However, Ieyasu's tone did not sound happy at all.
The last Battle of Mikatagahara was such a devastating defeat that he was still somewhat apprehensive when he learned that the Oda clan's war god was coming to his aid.
Outside the city, Oda Nobutada's horse seal stood out prominently in the twilight.
Both Takeda and Oda could see the smoke rising from each other's camps.
Ieyasu spotted Nagayoshi in black armor at a glance. He nodded slightly to Nagayoshi and then strode towards Nobutada.
"Ieyasu was truly flattered by the swift arrival of Mino-no-kami's reinforcements."
Nobutada dismounted and bowed to Ieyasu, saying, "Lord Ieyasu is my father's friend, there's no need for such formalities."
"Minister of Justice, how have you been?"
"Mikawa-no-kami, you're too kind. The battle is urgent; let's get down to business first."
Ieyasu nodded. He liked this straightforward personality.
The military council was held at the Sando Castle in Hamamatsu Castle, where both sides agreed on their respective battle formations.
Xinzhong sat in the main seat without uttering a word.
This was his first time participating in a real battle as the commander-in-chief, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous.
After Changqing made the arrangements last night, Xinzhong simply expressed his approval with a stern expression.
Just then, the sound of sobbing came from outside.
"Princess Deok-hime?"
Nobutada and Deok-hee were born of the same mother, so their bond was naturally special. Now, the siblings have been separated for more than four years, and Nobutada often misses his sister.
"Lord Ieyasu, may I see Princess Tokuhime?"
Ieyasu looked troubled and had no choice but to send his retainers away and let Nobuyasu bring in Tokuhime.
Wu De was only 12 years old at the time. Xin Zhong thought that she might be missing her family, and it was okay for her to cry a little.
"Dokuhime, are you homesick?"
Deji ran and jumped into Xinzhong's arms.
"Brother, I want to go back—the Zhushan Palace doesn't like me!"
Tsukiyama-dono was Sena-hime, the birth mother of Tokugawa Nobuyasu.