Niwa Nagahide was so calm that he picked up the letter and read it quickly. Then, she sighed to the furious Oda Nobunaga.
"The matter has reached this point. No matter how angry the main hall is, it will not help. Please consider the long term."
Oda Nobunaga took a few deep breaths, took the letter from Niwa Nagahide, put it on the candlestick beside him, and watched blankly as the letter turned into candlelight.
After the paper was completely gone, she slowly sat back down and said.
"Miyoshi's troops landed in Noda Township and occupied the local Noda Castle and Fukushima Castle, not far from Sakai Port.
Although the water transportation in the Seto Inland Sea is under the control of the Anzhai Navy, the national strength of the four countries is not enough to support the Miyoshi military force to launch immediate operations.
The Miyoshi family is expected to launch an offensive after the autumn harvest. I still have enough time to lead my troops to Settsu Country and fight with them.
Mi Wuniang, I'll leave the logistics supplies for the army to you. Don't let me down. "
"Hi!"
The two were talking, and a voice came from outside asking for admission. Oda Nobunaga said coldly.
"Come in."
The sliding door opened, and Mori Ranmaru and Hashiba Hideyoshi approached the room and bowed respectfully. Then she left Hideyoshi Hashiba behind, walked out of the room, and closed the sliding door.
Hashiba Hideyoshi's face was still a little confused and expectant. She didn't know what the master's instructions were when he summoned her late at night.
Niwa Nagahide didn't know why Oda Nobunaga asked Hashiba Hideyoshi to come over. She just smiled at the confused Hashiba Hideyoshi and said nothing, waiting for the master's instructions.
Oda Nobunaga signaled Hashiba Hideyoshi to excuse himself and said.
"When we were retreating from Kanazaki, I told you that I would reward you generously after the battle in Kitaomi, Hideyoshi.
Now, I appoint you as the Lord of Hengshan City! "
Hashiba Hideyoshi was so surprised that he kowtowed to the ground and threw out his good words in piles.
But she still had some doubts in her heart, because during the previous celebration, Oda Nobunaga was still happily discussing with the girls how to attack Otani Castle.
The war in Kitaomi was not over yet, so why did he set a reward for himself first? Isn't this unlike Oda Nobunaga's usual style?
Oda Nobunaga waved his hand and was too lazy to continue listening to Hideyoshi Hideyoshi's compliments. She was troubled now and had no time to enjoy the fun of flattering others.
"I will lead troops to Settsu soon. You are here to hold Hengshan Castle firmly for me. You must not let Asai Nagamasa take it back. Do you understand?"
Hideyoshi Hashiba bowed.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, as long as Hideyoshi is here, Hengshan Castle will be there!"
Oda Nobunaga nodded.
"Don't worry, Nan Omi's military will help you defend. Mi Wuniang will be responsible for the army's logistics and supplies. If you need anything, just tell her."
Hideyoshi Hashiba bowed deeply to Niwa Nagahide and said.
"I'm going to cause trouble to my seniors again!"
Niwa Nagahide smiled in return and said.
"They are all working for the main hall, so you are welcome, Master Yushiba."
Today, Hideyoshi Hashiba has finally become the lord of a city. He is also an important frontier town in Kitaomi and should not be underestimated.
Hideyoshi Niwa Nagahide's voice made Hideyoshi full of emotions. She finally pushed through the invisible ceiling above her head and officially became a general of the Oda family.
Oda Nobunaga said coldly when he saw Hashiba Hideyoshi almost crying with joy.
"Don't be too happy too early. The Miyoshi family is making a comeback, and I'm going to fight in Settsu Country.
Although the Asai family suffered a defeat in Anegawa, they would never be willing to wait for death. Asai Nagamasa will definitely regain her strength and struggle to survive before I can free up my hands to deal with her.
Hengshan Castle in my hands is a sharp blade that cuts off the connection between the north and the south of Asai's territory. Asai Nagamasa is like a knife in his throat, so he will definitely take action.
And what I ask of you is not only to defend this place, but also to find a way to drive a wedge between Asai Nagamasa, Isono Emasa, and Aguki Sadaki, and bring them to my side.
I want Sawayama Castle and Yamamotoyama Castle. "
Niwa Nagahide and Hashiba Hideyoshi were stunned at the same time. Oda Nobunaga's request was too much.
To the north of the Omi Asai family territory with Otani Castle as the core, Yokoyama Castle is the waist, and to the west of Yokoyama Castle is a flat plain, which can directly cut off the connection between the north and south Asai family territories.
Having lost Hengshan City, the Asai family has fallen into strategic passivity. And Sawa Yamashiro and Yamamoto Yamashiro are the other two gates of Otani Castle. How can they be easily separated?
Oda Nobunaga said.
"Sawayama Castle is an important town between the north and south Omi. The lord of the castle, Isoga Masano, is a fierce general of the Asai family. In the battle of Anegawa just now, we suffered a lot, didn't we Hideyoshi?"
During the battle, Isono Danmasa defeated several of the Oda family's military formations, including Hashiba Hideyoshi's reserve troops. Oda Nobunaga was really merciless when he spoke, which made Hideyoshi embarrassed.
Oda Nobunaga clapped his hands and said.
"Isono Yumasa is a talented person, Hideyoshi, you go and try to get her to work for me!
The same goes for Aguan Zhengzheng, the lord of Yamamoto Mountain Castle.
Yamamoto Castle is located on the side of Otani Castle. Once Yamamoto Castle is captured, the Asakura family's reinforcements can be blocked, leaving Otani Castle in an isolated and helpless situation.
You want to find a way to drive a wedge between Asai Nagamasa and Aguan Sadaki, do you understand? "
Oda Nobunaga's commanding tone made Hideyoshi's face become increasingly bitter, and he almost cried.
It’s not like Isono Umasagi and Aguki Samasaki are big radishes in the field. You can pull them over if you want. They are both important ministers of Asai Nagamasa!
Oda Nobunaga himself also said that the positions of Sawa Mountain Castle and Yamamoto Mountain Castle are very important. Asai Nagamasa can allow them to sit there, so he can naturally trust them.
Can such important officials turn against each other after just a few casual estrangements?
Niwa Nagahide couldn't stand it anymore and came out to help Hideyoshi Hashiba.
"Main Hall, are these two things too difficult?"
Oda Nobunaga snorted and said.
"Are you trying to say that I am wishful thinking?
The Asai family had only occupied Kitaomi for three generations, and Asai Nagamasa's mother was still a mediocre person who was suppressed by Rokkaku Sadayori and lost her temper.
The samurai families of Kitaomi only regard the Asai family as their co-owners. How much power do you think Asai Nagamasa really has to restrain them?
In the Battle of Anegawa, the strength of the Asai family was severely damaged. Many members of the Asai sect died, and Asai Nagamasa had few people who could suppress the Asai retainers group.
I don't believe that the Kitaomi princesses can still be loyal to the Asai family. Seeing that the building is about to collapse, they will wholeheartedly want to bury the Asai family.
Masamoto Isono is a member of Kitaomi's guardian Kyogoku family. She could abandon her old master and join the Asai family, but now that the situation is not right, she can naturally join my Oda family.
Aguan Sadazaki was born in Ixiang County, and he helped the Kyogoku family defeat the Asai family, but he only defeated and surrendered. She can surrender to the Asai family, but can't she surrender to my Oda family?
Mi Wuniang, you don't have to worry about this monkey, she has capable people under her command.
Hori Hidemura and Higuchi Naofous came to invest, and Kitanomi opened the door. It was her subordinate Takenaka Shigeharu who came up with the plan. "
Oda Nobunaga's words were reasonable and well-founded. Niwa Nagahide was refuted and had nothing to say. Even Hashiba Hideyoshi restrained his wry smile and became thoughtful.
Oda Nobunaga stared at Hideyoshi Hashiba and said.
"Don't you always want a chance? I'm giving you a chance now, just to see if you have the ability to seize it.
Don't think I'm making things difficult for you. If the thing is simple, I can just find a dog to handle it, so why leave it to you.
The situation in Settsu is urgent, and I don't have time to waste time here. The entire retainer group belongs to you who are the most motivated, so don't let me down.
Bring Isono Utamasa and Aguchi Sadaki over, and after the Kitanomi Asai family is pacified, you will be considered the first to do so. I guarantee that you will have a fertile land here, and you will be famous when you enter the palace.
How about it, Hideyoshi, do you want to do it? "
Hideyoshi Hashiba's eyes were focused, he kowtowed to the ground decisively and said.
"I will do my best and will not let the palace down!"
Although Oda Nobunaga said it simply, inciting an enemy general to rebel is never an easy task.
But what she said makes sense. If this matter was easy to handle and could be done by just anyone, would Hashiba Hideyoshi still have a chance to soar into the sky?
In the samurai society where bloodline and family status are valued, superiority and inferiority are emphasized, and the concept of hierarchy is deeply ingrained to the point of despair.
Hideyoshi Hashiba, a low-level samurai warrior who was born as a servant and gained status as a samurai through marriage, is she qualified to follow the steps?
The only way out for her is to seek wealth and honor amidst danger, fight tooth and nail to gain a position, and achieve what ordinary people cannot.
Oda Nobunaga gave her this opportunity, so she should be grateful and work hard to complete it, instead of thinking about the difficulties and obstacles here.
To be honest, if the Settsu matter had not been too urgent, Oda Nobunaga would not have given Hideyoshi Hashiba this opportunity.
Although Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the annoying big tengu, is a fool, he has inadvertently united all the samurai daimyo who are afraid of the outbreak of the Oda family's power in recent weeks.
Oda Nobunaga was trapped by this Nobunaga encirclement network and could not stretch her arms and legs. The successive wars made her exhausted and extremely passive.
She had just confirmed her advantage over the Asai Asakura family in the Anegawa battle, but she had to give up the opportunity to expand the results and ran to Settsu Country to put out the fire.
Oda Nobunaga knew that Asai Nagamasa would not miss this opportunity to breathe, so she must leave a person who is resilient and enterprising enough in Kitaomi to prevent Asai Nagamasa from having an easy time.
Hashiba Hideyoshi has stood out among Oda's retainers in recent years. He has been self-improving and climbing up through his humble life. Oda Nobunaga has always watched him.
From the time Oda Nobunaga first used her to win over the tribe, to getting unexpected rewards from her again and again, he was also impressed by this servant who once warmed his shoes.
In the end, moved by Hideyoshi's ruthlessness after risking his life in the Battle of Kanazaki, Oda Nobunaga decided to grant Hideyoshi the Lord of Yokoyama Castle and entrust him with the task of alienating the two Asai ministers.
Oda Nobunaga looked at Hashiba Hideyoshi's eyes. She didn't know whether Hashiba Hideyoshi could complete this mission and whether he could surprise herself like every time before.
But if Hideyoshi Hideyoshi could really complete his mission, Oda Nobunaga would not hesitate to reward him heavily and lift up this little catfish that he had personally put into the Oda retainers group and let her jump into the sky.
———
Nobunaga's siege network gradually tightened, and enemies jumped out from all directions, making Oda Nobunaga gradually feel powerless.
She had to put her hope in Hashiba Hideyoshi, hoping that Hashiba Hideyoshi could create another miracle in Kitaomi during his battle in Settsu.
Oda Nobunaga did not know that her idea coincided with the future planned by Takenaka Shigeharu for Hashiba Hideyoshi.
Hashiba Hideyoshi was not from a good family background and could not make a difference among the two samurai families of Owari and Mino.
But the Omi samurai family, which was conquered by the Oda family, was an exception. If Hashiba Hideyoshi wanted to become bigger and stronger, he could only develop towards Omi country.
Oda Nobunaga's dilemma was Hashiba Hideyoshi's opportunity. Takenaka Shigeharu's plan that he had worked hard for many years could finally be put to full use.
She wanted to use the connections run by the Takenaka family in Kita Omi, Nishi Mino, to drive a wedge between Asai Nagamasa, Isono Umasa, and Aguki Sadaki, so that these two important ministers would defect to the Oda family.
As long as this is accomplished, Hashiba Hideyoshi will truly soar into the sky and become a trustworthy and available general in Oda Nobunaga's heart.
The recent chaos has allowed Yu Chai to realize his ambition. But Kanto has entered a period of peace unprecedented in a century.
Although everyone knows that this tranquility is not stable and may be overturned at any time, it at least gives everyone a hope.
Yoshigan Shiba, who created this peace and tranquility, has returned from Oda Castle in Hitachi Province, accepted the invitation of the Narita family, and is visiting Ninja Castle.
Ninja Castle is located between the Tone River and the Arakawa River. It is defended by natural waterways and embankments. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It is the residence of the Narita family.
The Narita family was originally a retainer of Yamauchi Uesugi and lived in Iwasuke Castle, an important town in the Musashi Kingdom. As a result, the two Uesugi fought, and Iwatsuke Castle was taken away by the ancestor of Ota, the head of the Uesugi family in Ogidani.
Later, both the Yamauchi-Uesugi family and the Ogitani-Uesugi family were swept into the dustbin of history by the Hojo family, and the Narita family also surrendered to the Hojo family.
However, Terutora Uesugi once again raised the banner of the Uesugi family in the mountains and returned to Kanhachishu, defeating the elite of the Hojo family in Sano.
Tai, the governor of the Narita family of this generation, simply returned to the Yamauchi Uesugi family and participated in Uesugi Teruhora's siege of Odawara Castle.
Originally, this was a good story about the relationship between the king and his ministers.
It's a pity that Uesugi Terutora succeeded the Kanto governor at Tsuruoka Hachimangu Shrine. Narita Nagata didn't kneel as usual, but he offended the unsuspecting Uesugi Teruhora and received a slap in the face.
The Narita family is a descendant of a famous Fujiwara family. Their ancestors fought side by side with Hachiman Tai Ni, and they have always had the privilege of greeting them on horseback without having to kneel down.
This rude move by Terutora Uesugi made Narita Nagata disgraced, and he simply took the lead in withdrawing the troops, causing most of the Kanto Allied Forces that besieged Odawara Castle to disperse overnight.
Had it not been for the miracle performed by Shiba Yoshigan at Hachimangu Shrine and the apparition of Hachiman Taimu to hand over the Royal White Flag, the negotiations between Uesugi Teruhu and Hojo Ujiyasu would never have passed so easily.
Afterwards, Narita Chotai was afraid of causing trouble for his family, so he went to Yubaiqi in person to plead guilty, which was considered to have revealed the fault.
Uesugi Teruhu himself doesn't understand the rules, so it's hard to hold Narita Choyasu accountable. Sibo Yiyin is a kind-hearted person and doesn't care about it.
Going around and around, the Narita family in Ninja City became a neutral force between the Uesugi and Hojo families. They teamed up with the Yura family and other local powerful forces and sat on the fence between the two powerful forces.
