A tour of Japan's Warring States Period

The more than 300 people under Xiaopingtai's command replenished some local formations along the way, and also replenished a batch of baggage from Gaoyuan City, which greatly affected the speed of the team.

It was already two days later when we arrived outside Iida Castle. In addition, Koheta wanted to talk about it. There are two Iida Castles in Minami Shinano and one in Northern Shinano. There are two Kasuga Castles in Shinano, one of which is also called Kasugayama Castle.

Not to mention Fuchu Castle, there are thirty or forty in Japan. It’s not that you think there’s something wrong with the geographical information in your mind, it’s that the rate of duplicate names is too high and there are too many large and small castles.

The road leading to Iida Castle is full of Shimosuwa and Ina people supporting the old and the young, bringing their families with them. With an expression of fear on everyone's face, they spread the news that tens of thousands of Takeda troops were burning and killing along the way and coming to conquer.

Terrified, miserable, and running for their lives.

Xiaopingtai rode on his horse and walked north against the flow of people. When the local elders saw Xiao Pingtai's flag and horse mark, they rushed forward and cried incessantly.

"His Royal Highness the Prime Minister has sent reinforcements to save everyone! Everyone, retreat south quickly. The Yamauchi family will never abandon everyone."

Standing under the golden bamboo leaf horse logo, Xiaoping Tai loudly comforted the people who were fleeing southward in an endless stream, and ordered the soldiers to take out military rations and cook porridge for the people to eat.

"His Royal Highness's 30,000 troops will arrive in two days. Don't worry, don't be anxious!"

The people who drank the porridge felt much more settled. When they heard that Yamauchi Yoshiharu's army was about to arrive, they showed a slightly calm expression. Following Koheita's orders, he left his hometown and retreated south.

Turning around and entering the castle, we found Konishiharazaemon, a senior general who was experienced in the army. Immediately, preparations were made to arrange this precious long-range force that Xiaoping had so much trouble to rush into the city to defend the city, and entrusted it with the important task of guarding the outer pill.

Xiaoheita saw the turmoil in the city and how the soldiers and people were frightened three times a day, and then he realized that the Takeda Army had actually attacked once.

Two days ago, more than a thousand Suwa soldiers from the Takeda Army swarmed in. Caught off guard, there were only two to three hundred soldiers in the city, and it was almost critical.

Thanks to Ogasawara Nagamasa, the Kiso supervisor, who arrived on Pegasus, he frightened the Takeda army with his unique skill of flying and shooting. Then groups of Kiso soldiers and horses arrived, scaring the Takeda army back.

However, more than 800 Kiso soldiers came in total, and the Takeda army could pull out 3,000 people in just one Suwa. There was a huge disparity in the strength of the troops. Konishiharazaemon urgently mobilized local peasant soldiers and local servants to enter the city. Now there are only 1,500 people in the city, which is very unsafe.

In addition, in the past two days, small units of the Takeda Army have continued to enter the vicinity of Iida and looted along the way, which has greatly damaged the hearts of the local people. The people fled to Ina one after another, or took refuge in the city.

Konishiharazaemon's first task was to guard Iida. He could not control the people under the city, and he was really powerless to do so.

Even though they had started fleeing two days ago, not all nearby people evacuated into the city or fled south. In fact, the valley south of Lake Suwa is one of the largest agricultural areas in Shinano Province, with a dense population of tens of thousands. The four-meter-wide dirt road was congested, and the refugees had a lot of stuff and were disorganized.

"Xiaoheita, please make arrangements to enter the city immediately. Iida's true and false Takeda army has been clearly detected in the past two days. They may send troops to attack the city at any time. Your iron cannons are here and are of great help!"

"But what about the tens of thousands of people below the city? As soon as the Takeda Army arrives, they will be plundered, sold into slavery, or even slaughtered." Koheita pointed at the fleeing people below the city that could not be seen at a glance.

"At this moment, I can't care about so much!" Konishiharazaemon slapped the railing bitterly.

"If you save people and lose land, everyone will gain; if you save people and lose people, everyone will lose!" Koheita looked at Konishiharazaemon.

"If I don't save the people fleeing south, what's the point of me coming to rescue Iida Castle!"

"I am determined to leave the city, take advantage of the mountains, and go down to camp to stop the Takeda army!"

Xiaopingtai said this sentence solemnly, and his words were full of momentum that could not be doubted and argued.

"But there are tens of thousands of troops in Kai's army. It's a big deal for you to help with three hundred people!" How could Konishiharazaemon be willing to let Koheita die?

"If I don't go, I will abandon thousands of people in the rice fields and ignore them!"

After saying that, Heita turned around and went down to the city. Nagamasa Ogasawara, who came in a hurry, didn't even say a word to Heita, and saw the back of Heita walking away decisively.

"If Danzheng doesn't enter the city to defend, where will he go?" "Oppei Tai left the city and went to the stronghold to stop the Takeda army!"

Konishiharazaemon couldn't tell what the expression was, but Ogasawara Nagamasa was anxious.

"Isn't this just going to die! Three hundred people went to stop the Takeda army! How could Danmasa be so rash!" Ogasawara Nagamasa jumped anxiously and immediately went to drag Koheita back.

"Let him go!" Konishiharazaemon pulled Ogasawara Nagamasa and looked at the tens of thousands of people crying and shouting under the city.

…

"Meigoro, I want to go out of the city for a mile and go down to the stronghold to stop the Takeda army. Are you willing to go with me? I won't force you." Koheita returned to the team.

Imai Minggoro was stunned for a moment, apparently unable to react. Koheita actually wanted to use about 300 men to stop Takeda Harunobu's tens of thousands of troops. It was simply a dream.

But looking at Xiao Pingtai's expression, it didn't look like he was joking, and no one would joke about such a thing.

"Why are you here?" "For these tens of thousands of innocent people!" Xiao Pingtai pointed with his hand, and his eyes were full of people who were forced to flee due to the war.

"...!" Imai Minggoro fell into deep thought.

"The family of Yamauchi's vanguard general, Zi Xiaolu Danzheng and Shao Bi Gang, have arrived at Iida Castle! Prime Minister Yamauchi's 30,000-strong army will arrive soon!"

"The family of Yamauchi's vanguard general, Zi Xiaolu Danzheng and Shao Bi Gang, have arrived at Iida Castle! Prime Minister Yamauchi's 30,000-strong army will arrive soon!"

"The family of Yamauchi's vanguard general, Zi Xiaolu Danzheng and Shao Bi Gang, have arrived at Iida Castle! Prime Minister Yamauchi's 30,000-strong army will arrive soon!"

Aji and Qigui held Xiao Pingtai's horse tag and drove north against the flow of people, shouting loudly along the way.

Countless people both above and below the city saw the conspicuous gold and bamboo leaf horse logo and heard the news that the vanguard of the Yamauchi clan's army had arrived. There was a commotion and a boil.

I don’t know who took the lead first, and the crowd broke away from the tragic atmosphere of escape. The whole thing was changed and everyone was inspired.

"Wish Danzheng a long-lasting military success!" the soldiers on the city shouted in unison, holding high flags and weapons.

The common people knelt down and bent over, watching Xiao Pingtai's men, horses and flags advance.

Kodaira mounted the horse, smiled faintly at Imai Meigoro, and left without looking back.

"Tasama! How could such a heroic battle be without me, Imai Meigoro!"

After that, Imai Meigoro also mounted his horse, waved his whip, shouted to his ashigaru, and chased after him.

"Good brother! Let's go!"