Chapter 096 After Sekigahara
Linhai County is only eighty miles from Yuexi Town. If the cavalry is there, it can be reached in one day. Since Gao Chong has made complete preparations, Chen Cao calmed down from the panic: "Send an order to Qi Changguo and ask him to send troops." Please help, these Japanese are very skilled in martial arts, don’t take them lightly.”
"yes..."
Chen Cao led the team to set off within two hours after giving the order. Finding the orphan of the Toyotomi family was more important than anything else now.
Although it is only eighty miles away, Taizhou Prefecture is mountainous, and Ninghai County and even the mountains are surrounded by three mountains. The Yuexi Town under the rule is at the mountain pass. Even in Yuexi Town, if you want to reach Yue'aoping, riding a horse is fine. If there is no way, you can only walk.
Chen Cao arrived in Yuexi Town when he was a child. The high-intensity riding made his hips extremely painful. If there were not many Japanese guards stationed in Yuexi Town at this moment, the town at Yamaguchi would really look a bit desolate.
"Uncle..." An official from one hundred households came to report: "Shortly after Mr. Gao left, the Japanese in Yue'aoping began to take action. After our outside surveillance was discovered, they stopped heading to the only entrance to Yue'aoping village. On a wooden bridge, a small flag unit on the periphery couldn't help but rush in. There is no news yet."
Chen Cao jumped off the horse and rubbed his numb legs vigorously. Although it was already midnight, the excitement of finding the Toyotomi clan made him feel as if he had been pumped: "Is there a way to escape around Yuehua Mountain?"
The hundreds of households left behind clasped their fists: "I have asked the people in the town. The local hunters said that Yuehua Mountain has a radius of thirty miles, and there are many beasts, insects and ants in the mountain. Going west beyond Yuehua Mountain is the Tiantai Mountains, and the road is even more difficult. They With a family and children, I don’t think they would run away.”
Chen Cao frowned. In this era, there were no electric lights or flashlights. It was too dangerous to enter the mountains with torches alone. In addition, if these Japanese were really the Toyotomi clan, with the strength of the Sanada family under his command, it would be very difficult for him to do so. It is possible to suffer a big loss: "Send the order, all the town guards will be dispatched. After arriving at the entrance of Yue'aoping Village, no unauthorized actions are allowed. Wait until dawn at Chenshi before building a bridge into the village."
"yes..."
"Uncle," Zhao Xin approached Chen Cao: "Gao Chong said that there are people from Yue'aoping doing business in Yuexi Town."
Chen Cao relaxed his brows and said, "Lead the way."
The old man was a bit old, and he was engaged in selling mountain goods. The business was good or bad. When he saw the high officials arriving, he knelt on the ground obediently.
"Old man, are the people of the Toyotomi clan satisfied with their lives in the mountains?" Chen Cao asked with a smile.
The old man's body froze for a moment, and Chen Cao, who had vicious eyes, naturally saw it: "Sir... Your Excellency... the common people don't know what you mean by what you said?"
Chen Cao has already determined the harvest this time, and the old god is saying: "My uncle, Ming Ding Wu Bo, Chen Cao, will let you into the mountain. You should know which way to go in. After entering, give a message to the Toyotomi family." , just say that I intend to help the Toyotomi clan return to the Japanese country, and I want to have a discussion with him. If he is not willing, then I will start a large-scale attack at midnight tomorrow to wipe out this "Japanese pirates". If you are willing, let the Sanada family When people come to deliver messages, I will naturally treat them with courtesy."
The old man continued: "The common people really don't know what uncle is talking about..."
Chen Cao shook his head with a smile: "Uncle, I am tired. I need to rest first. I have ordered the guards not to monitor the elderly, and all actions will be facilitated..." Chen Cao said loudly before leaving the house: "Whether the Toyotomi family is alive or dead, Better think it through..."
Three hours later, after receiving the news, Qi Changguo came with his troops. The fighting will and military quality of his Qi army were really different from those of the troops preparing for the Japanese defense station. Chen Cao asked Qi Changguo to lead the troops to the mountain pass of Yue'aoping first. Wait and take action as soon as the hour comes.
Chen Cao really couldn't sleep because what was waiting for him was a grand plan to "conquer the Japanese country"...
At the beginning of the morning, Chen Cao arrived at the village entrance of Yue'aoping. Qi Changguo and Qi Xianzong, father and son in armor, were waiting at the entrance of the village. Qi Xianzong stepped forward and said, "Uncle, last night there were brothers from the Weisuo who wanted to take credit and entered from the side mountain. , but there was no news at all.”
Chen Cao frowned and looked in with the faint light: "Not to mention the Sanada family, the Japanese people's individual combat effectiveness is not generally strong. If I fight alone, I will find it difficult; how about it, an old man came into the mountain last night ?”
"Yes," Xin Zhao rushed over: "I just received the news that the old guy entered the mountain from a small road last night."
"Then wait for another hour. If there is no news, launch a general attack." After Chen Cao said this, he turned around and asked Xin Zhao to prepare a chair.
Chen Cao sat on a chair with a golden sword and waited. Not long after, there was a noise from the forest on the right, and the Jin Yiwei beside him suddenly drew his sword and stood beside Chen Cao.
The bushes near the mountain road began to shake. Just when Chen Cao narrowed his eyes and was about to issue an order, Lou Xingye pulled a middle-aged man and jumped out of the bushes. He said with excitement, "Uncle," Lou Xingye pulled the middle-aged man to The man pulled him over and said, "This guy's kung fu is so good that he almost hit me with a knife."
Only then did Chen Cao see Lou Xingye still holding a long knife in his hand: "Did you take other people's knives too?"
"Uncle, what Lou Xingye is holding is Qi Dao..." Zhao Xin lowered his head and whispered.
"Qi Dao?" Chen Cao then remembered that Qi Jiguang had made a long sword similar to the Japanese pirates after fighting with them: "It was passed down from his ancestors?"
Lou Xingye stepped forward and knelt down: "Uncle, the young general will follow my uncle. This should be regarded as a pledge of honor."
"Where did you learn this from?" Chen Cao frowned angrily and laughed.
Lou Xingye smiled and touched his head: "My father taught me before I left."
"Get up and talk."
Lou Xingye stood up and pointed at the middle-aged man behind him with his head hanging down: "I wanted to go in and see their details so that my uncle could go in and explore the way, so I went in all the way through the old man's road into the mountain. Who knows? As soon as I got close to the village, this guy jumped down from the tree and struck at me with a Japanese sword in his hand. I was cautious and brought my family's Qi sword with me, so I started fighting with him and finally subdued him. .”
"Okay," Chen Cao clapped his hands: "From now on, you can stay with me and be my bodyguard."
"Yes..." Lou Xingye excitedly handed over his hand.
"Do we have a translator?" Chen Cao turned to look at Xin Zhao.
"Yes."
"Get ready," Chen Cao stood up and shouted: "Musketeers cover..."
Zhang Fengnian immediately led his team of servants forward, and all took off their flintlock rifles and aimed them at the entrance of the village.
"Build a bridge."
The guardsmen had already carried the felled logs one by one in preparation for building a bridge.
"Uncle, there is something going on..."
Chen Cao took a closer look and saw that the old man and two middle-aged men from last night were slowly walking towards the entrance of the village. When he got closer, the old man said: "Uncle Dingwu, my master has invited me, but he only wants to I don’t know if my uncle has the courage to meet him alone.”
"Presumptuous..." Zhao Xin shouted: "If you are wise, ask your master to come out to greet us in person. If not, the army will rush in and leave no trace behind."
The two people next to the old man had unkind expressions. Chen Cao thought for a moment, then stopped Zhao Xin, and then said: "I can meet your master alone and lead the way." After saying that, he turned to look at Xin Zhao: "I Now go in, act according to the situation, and don’t act without authorization.”
"Uncle..." Zhao Xin still wanted to dissuade him.
Chen Cao waved his hand: "Don't worry, I have my own plans. Xingye, come in with me."
"okay..."
Seeing that Chen Cao dared to go in with only one person, the old man became more respectful and saluted Chen Cao: "Uncle Dingwu, please..."
Yue'aoping is narrow on the outside and wide on the inside. The whole village is built in the middle surrounded by mountains. It feels like a paradise. Chen Cao looked at it while walking and thought that these people's checkpoint skills were pretty good.
There is a big house in the middle of the village, with thatch on top, but the entire building is made of wood, which is much more structured than the surrounding houses.
As expected by Chen Cao, the opening method and layout of this room are exactly the same as those of Japanese architecture.
The main door of the house was opened from the inside, and Chen Cao saw a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged on the main seat, with many people kneeling on both sides.
"Uncle Dingwu, please..." The old man raised his hand towards Chen Cao.
When Chen Cao saw this, he politely took off his shoes, then asked Lou Xingye to wait by the door and not go in, and walked in with a smile.
A middle-aged and elderly man in the first seat on the right cupped his hands towards Chen Cao and spoke fluently in Ming dialect: "Uncle Dingwu, please take a seat."
Naturally, it is impossible for Chen Cao to kneel down. He is the earl of the Ming Dynasty. Even if the opponent is Toyotomi Hideyori, Chen Cao is higher than him in rank: "I am the Ming Dynasty Dingwu Bo Bo Chen Cao. Even if you are the general who conquered the barbarians, according to the According to the rules, you must salute me when you see me, what do you think?"
The person at the main seat stared at Chen Cao without changing his expression. A middle-aged man with a mustache on the left was already making a gesture to stand up. Only then did the person at the main seat reach out to stop his movement.
Seeing this, Chen Cao was able to confirm that the person in front of him was indeed Toyotomi Hideyori, so he started his own performance: "On September 15th, the fifth year of Keicho, during the battle of Sekigahara, if it weren't for Kobayakawa Hideaki who was affiliated with the Western Army, Rebellion on the battlefield, I would like to think that your Toyotomi family will be victorious in this battle, but history has never been kind to such traitors, and there will be no good results for that guy..."
As soon as these words came out, the expressions of everyone in the hall showed indignation, of course, not against Chen Cao.
"After this battle, your Toyotomi family has reached the edge of death. It is a pity that you have lost the loyalty of veterans like Ishida Mitsunari." Chen Cao sighed rather: "What you call the Osaka Winter Formation battle is actually Okay, thanks to the great help of the Sanada family, it's just a pity that there will be no more Toyotomi after Keicho's 20th year. In my opinion, it is undesirable to have no Toyotomi after Osaka. It should be after Sekigahara. No Toyotomi can respond to the situation, but for Qian Guanbai, this must be a sad thing."
