A tour of Japan's Warring States Period

The situation in the Three Rivers Kingdom has not been stable in the past few decades, especially in the past ten years or so. Several parties have been fighting here, with bad battles and wars almost every year.

The Oda family sent Oda Nobunaga's brother-in-law, Oda Nobhiro, into Anxiang City more than ten years ago to manage the Nishi Mikawa area. Later, Zen Master Taiyuan Xuezai, the generation leader of the Imagawa family, and the Oda family joined forces in Azozaka several times, and Mikawa generally entered the era of the Imagawa family.

In a surprise attack by Okehazama, both father and son of the Imagawa family, Yoshimoto Imagawa, were killed, and Mikawa fell into large-scale chaos and a power vacuum. Finally, when everything settled down, Sanhe became what it is today.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was assisted by Oda Nobunaga, entered Okazaki Castle. At the same time, Oda Nobunaga's good brother Hirate Fanhide entered Anxiang Castle, forming the Tokugawa clan (Oda clan) in Nishi Mikawa Bikai, Nugada, Kamo, and Hatzu. The rule of four counties.

Due to historical reasons, the powerful people of Higashi Mikawa turned to the Yamauchi family under the integration of Uden Nagateru in order to resist the invasion of the aggressive Oda family.

When the Yamauchi clan and the Oda clan were at peace, the two parties made an alliance with each other, one to attack Mino, and the other to conquer Koshinobu. Thanks to the efforts of Yamauchi Yoshiharu, the wealthy Chinese families in Higashi Mikawa have basically completed the externalization of Yamauchi.

The three prefectures of Atsumi, Hohan, and Hachiname basically all surrendered to the Yamauchi clan and became the Yamauchi clan's waishou. They responded to the Yamauchi clan's call and sent troops to fight during the off-season.

Only Shitara County is isolated from other areas of Mikawa due to its geographically undulating mountains. However, the three members of the Shan family are relatively united and self-contained, forming their own independent small kingdom.

If everything evolves according to normal circumstances, Yamauchi Yoshiharu will continue to put pressure on the three parties of the Yamauchi family in Shitara County, and finally force them to become the appearance of the Yamauchi clan like Uden Nagateru.

However, something unexpected happened, and Yamauchi Yoshikatsu was attacked and killed by a group of three Miyoshi in Luoyang. Yamauchi Yoshiharu died of a stroke a year later. The Yamauchi family was in a precarious situation for a while, and they had no time to care about a mere Shitaku County.

However, Tokugawa Ieyasu did not relax his efforts to win over this place at that time. With his continuous efforts, the three parties of the Yama family split. Take the Okudaira clan, the lord of Nagashino Castle, as an example. The father and son of Okudaira Sadano and Okudaira Sadamasa married Tokugawa Ieyasu's daughter Kamehime through marriage. Okudaira Sadamasa became Tokugawa Ieyasu's son-in-law and completely fell in love with the Tokugawa family.

Another small group of members of the Okuhira clan, led by Okuhira Shinkurō Sadatsuna, defected to the Yamauchi clan based on the way of surviving in troubled times by not putting all their eggs in one basket.

It is obvious that the main clan members have turned to the Tokugawa clan, while a small number of side branches have defected to the Yamauchi clan. The three parties of the Yamachi clan have actually made the choice they think is appropriate.

Because Higashikamo County and Shitara County were all under the Tokugawa clan, a relatively stable mountain defense system was formed. With Nagashino Castle as the center, Okuhira Sadamasa as the flag head. Attached to Noda Castle Suganuma Sadei, Shitaku Castle Suganuma Masada, Tamine Castle Suganuma Sadada, Zuotou Castle Okuhira Sadono and other branch castles.

Relying on mountain waterways such as the mountains and Toyokawa, perhaps inadvertently, a deep defense of the Yamauchi clan's Shinano area was formed.

But unlike when Takeda Shingen went to Luo in history, because Tōe is now completely in the hands of the Yamauchi clan, and the lord of Yoshida Castle, Uden Nagateru, also belongs to the Yamauchi clan, under the current circumstances of Yamauchi's majesty, Uden Nagateru's There is absolutely no doubt about loyalty.

In essence, Tokugawa Ieyasu's hometown, Okazaki Castle, was surrounded by enemies on both sides. On one side was the Shinano area directly opposite Kamo County and Shitara County, and on the other side was bounded by the remnants of the Chubu Mountains and the external forces of the Yamauchi clan in Higashi Mikawa.

Therefore, in the early years, Tokugawa Ieyasu built Nagasawa Mountain Castle in order to guard against the Higashi Mikawa people's influence in Hoihi County. Together with Kaminogo Castle and Tojo Castle on the remaining lines of the mountain road, they formed another line of defense against Higashi Mikawa.

Those who understand the geography of Mikawa Province should know that Mikawa is actually divided into two parts by the continuous mountain system in central Japan. West Mikawa is centered on the plain formed by the Yahagi River, and Higashi Mikawa is centered on the Toyohashi Plain formed by Toyokawa.

The remaining veins of the central mountain range go all the way to the sea until Sanhe Bay. Objectively, the geographical factors that have formed the current division of the East and West Three Rivers, and the West Three Rivers plain is larger and the farmland water conservancy conditions are more favorable.

Now the Yamauchi army is moving south along Inanachida Street, and must destroy either of the two lines of defense deployed by Tokugawa Ieyasu on both sides of Okazaki in order to attack Mikawa Okazaki Castle and Anjo Castle.

"What happened to Tokugawa Mikawa Mamoru of Okazaki and the peaceful Hirakazu?" Ashikaga Yoshiaki in the shogunate sat on the main seat and asked about the enemy's movements.

"Tokugawa Mikawa Mamoru has asked His Highness Gifu Dansho for help four times. At the same time, the powerful people of Nishi Mikawa are slowly gathering towards Okazaki." It was Okuhira Sadatsuna who knelt down and answered.

With his Mikawa-accented Japanese, he had sneaked into Nishi Mikawa Tokugawa territory before the war. Now that the army had crossed the Aobeng Wall and entered Higamo and Nishi Shitara counties, he naturally had to rush back to report the details.

"Yoshida-don, you know a lot about the people of Shitara County." Koheta held up his bamboo stick, pointed at the map with Nagashino Castle as the center, and roughly drew a circle.

The meaning of this question is naturally very clear. These small mountain towns on the mountains are too disgusting. Even though there are hundreds of people in one castle, there are really no good means of attack.

The mountain roads are rugged, and many castles only have a narrow path in front of the door. If we really send troops to fight, it is just a tactic to add fuel to the fire. Too many people will die, and it’s not cost-effective.

The best way, needless to say, is for Uden Changshou to use your influence on the local people and persuade them to surrender with courtesy. The Yamauchi family will guarantee the safety of their leaders, as long as they serve as cannon fodder conscientiously.

If you really can't persuade them to surrender, it would be good to get two 25 boys to respond internally. If the Yamauchi family is attacked, they should set a fire in the city or open a door, which is also a pleasure.

"The lord of Shitara Castle, Hyogo Suganuma, has an old relationship with me." Uden Nagateru came with his son Uden Clan this time, and he was trying to get Uden Clan sent to Ashikaga Yoshiaki's side. Approach sideways.

If the Yamauchi family succeeds in going to Luo, then the Uden family will skyrocket as soon as they become generals. Even if it doesn't work out, he still has a son, Udonojiji, who is not afraid of the family being cut off.

The abacus is also crackling loudly!

"Report! Noshu Iwamura is here to report!" Just as he was about to tell Udono Chotera to try and see if he could get Masada Suganuma to surrender and surrender as a courtesy, an envoy outside knelt down outside the tent. .

"Pass!" Hosokawa Saime shouted.

The envoy stood up and walked to the tent, knelt down on one knee again, and presented a letter.

"Iwamura Kaicheng!"