Echigo, Arakawa River.
Early in the morning on June 20th of the fourth year of Qing'an, two armies facing each other across the river spontaneously opened their camps, set up battle formations on the beaches on both sides of the Arakawa River, and began a confrontation.
The number of men and horses on both sides seemed to be similar, more than 10,000. Among them, the army located on the south bank of the Arakawa River was under the banner of the Tokugawa family Mitsuha Aoi, led by the official shogunate veteran, Bangata Army Chief, and the lord of the Aizu Domain, Gon Dai Nagon Yasukina Masaki.
The army located on the north bank of the Arakawa River mainly used the Uesugi Sasamon banner of the Uesugi clan, and the leader should be Uesugi Tsusakatsu, "the poorest in Japan".
Hoshina Masayuki's main formation was placed on a high slope, and the sight line was pretty good. He could overlook the river beach where the two armies were deployed. However, there was a forest behind the Uesugi Army, blocking Hoshina's view. Hoshina is also a battle-hardened veteran and has seen a lot. So at first glance, I can tell that there is something strange behind the woods... there are probably elite soldiers ambushed!
If the Uesugi army is at a disadvantage in the river battle, they will most likely try to lure the shogunate's army into the woods and use the woods to disrupt the shogunate's formation so that the Uesugi army on the other side of the forest can counterattack.
However, this kind of trivial skill is not difficult for Masayuki Hoshina. Later, he will ask the artillery team of the Shogunate Banfang Army to bombard the woods with 6-pound bronze cannons...the shells will pass through the woods (the woods are not very big) and hit in the woods. In the middle of the Uesugi family's bandit army. Just wait until the Uesugi rebels can no longer withstand the bombardment, and then release the cavalry of Takada Domain and Kameoka Domain to kill people.
Just when Hoshina Masayuki was complacent about his military commanding abilities, there was a disturbance in the woods opposite, and then he saw a group of cavalry wearing bright red formations coming out of the woods.
Just when this group of cavalry passed through the woods and appeared on the beach on the north bank of the Arakawa River, the Uesugi army suddenly burst out with the loudest cheers.
"The Emperor is on board! The Emperor is on board..."
"This is..." Masayuki Hoshina immediately became nervous. He quickly got up from his horse and took a monocular telescope from a stranger next to him. He pulled it to the longest position and used it to observe the water on the other side. The red cavalry. It's okay not to look at it, but after looking at it, his face turned blue.
Because the first thing he saw was a sixteen-petal chrysanthemum pattern flag!
This is the mark of the Imperial Family!
In addition to the emperor, emperor, and prince, those who can use the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum flag are the direct troops loyal to them. Tsusakatsu Uesugi, the poorest man in Japan, actually raised a flag with a sixteen-petal chrysanthemum pattern. Who did he think he was? As soon as Masayuki Hoshina thought of this, he saw a "Ji Military General" under the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum pattern! This "Ji Wushang" rides an unusually splendid war horse. He wears gorgeous plate armor and a jinhaori embroidered with sixteen petal chrysanthemum patterns. He does not wear a face armor, and the exposed face looks very much like the Emperor of Kobuin. !
"It's really the Supreme Emperor..." Masayuki Hoshina's eyes almost fell out of his head in shock. This "Historical Commander" is the Supreme Emperor himself!
The Emperor is on the battlefield...not hiding behind and strategizing, but really on the front line! This kind of thing seems to only happen in legends, right?
But something even more surprising to Masayuki Hosuka happened next!
Emperor Kobuin Taijo, who led a group of cavalry to the battle, did not stop behind the Uesugi army's formation, but continued forward until he reached the edge of the Arakawa River, and then galloped along the front of the Uesugi army's formation.
Now the "poor samurai" of the Uesugi family were even more excited. Emperor Kobuin was so brave, so why worry about not being able to succeed in overthrowing the curtain?
At this moment, a samurai following the emperor of Kobuin suddenly waved a white flag with the words "House Proclamation" written on it, left the team, then found a ford, crossed the river, and headed towards the south bank of the Arakawa River. The shogunate army rushed in front of the formation.
"Do not harm the emperor's envoy!" Masayuki Hoshina was afraid that his samurai would kill the samurai crossing the river with bows and arrows or iron cannons, which would make him infamous for killing the envoy, so he quickly ordered.
However, he soon regretted his gentlemanly demeanor, because the samurai actually shouted in front of the shogunate's army: "The Kobuin Emperor's announcement, I want to ride with the Tokugawa rebel general, Aizu Dainagon." Decisive victory!"
After hearing the report from his subordinates, Masayuki Hoshina, who was still watching the formation on the slope, was so shocked that he couldn't even speak!
An emperor, or a woman, actually wanted to challenge him, the most powerful general of the Tokugawa shogunate... Should he agree or not?
If he agrees, he will challenge the emperor in a duel as a minister. If he loses, he will lose his life in vain and become the laughing stock of the world. If he wins, he will be infamous for regicide and treason!
If you don't agree... the top general of the Tokugawa family, the leader of the samurai family, is actually afraid of even the emperor! So how can the cowardly general suppress the rebellion of Emperor Xingwuyuan?
For a moment, Hoshina Masayuki didn't know how to respond to the other party. In the end, Matsudaira Naomi, who lost the Murakami Domain and was the best at moving, was smarter. He immediately said to Hoshina: "Aizu Dainagon, you can inform His Majesty the Emperor that now the two armies are facing each other across the river and it is impossible to carry out a one-horse attack. So, You can't rise to the challenge.
If Emperor Kobuin insists on fighting, he can order Uesugi's army to retreat 200 steps and let our army cross the river to fight with him. "
These words sound familiar! Masayuki Hoshina thought for a while, then glared at Naomi Matsudaira, and said: "Do you think this is Feishui? Standing on the other side of the river are the samurai of the Yonezawa Uesugi family, the poorest feudal clan in the world... They hope It has taken 50 years to wait for the opportunity to turn around, but I will not give up!
If Emperor Xingwuyuan attacks me while I'm halfway across the river, wouldn't we be defeated? "
The samurai of the Uesugi family are extremely vicious, so they won't collapse because of fear of the Tokugawa family's army! Treating this place as Feishui is courting death!
"Aizu Dainanagon," Matsudaira Naomi thought for a moment and then said, "Then let's retreat two hundred steps and let the Emperor of Kobuin cross the river."
"Do you think she will agree?" Masayuki Hoshina frowned, "Our Tokugawa warriors are not the Qin army in the Battle of Feishui... let alone two hundred steps back, just two thousand steps back. There will be no chaos!”
Matsudaira Naoki smiled and said: "Since she won't agree, then let's just give up on the decisive battle."
yes! This is a good idea!
Hoshina was stunned, and finally nodded, "Okay! Just do whatever you want!"
...
"Yasi!" Emperor Kobuin actually nodded after listening to the conditions put forward by the military envoy sent by Hoshina Masayuki, "Since Aizu Dainagon wants to fight me on the south bank of the Arakawa River... then I will Let's cross the river! But he only retreated 200 steps, which is too little. Is he trying to attack halfway across the river? Go and tell Aizu Danagon that he must retreat 500 steps. If he doesn't want to retreat, then I can retreat. 500 steps, let him cross the river, and then fight to the death!"
The envoy heard Xingwuyuan's words and went back, and a group of generals who were protecting Xingwuyuan were frightened by the female emperor's decision.
Why do we really need to cross the river to fight!
"Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Ning has said, let us attract the main force of Masayuki Hoshina. When he successfully lands in Uojin, Masayuki Hoshina will naturally withdraw his troops. Then we can cover up and kill him, and we will win a complete victory."
The one who spoke was Masaki Kusunoki, who was the strategist sent by Zhu Cijiong to Ningwuyuan. The big plan to win over Yonezawa, a poor feudal lord, to rebel and seize Echigo, Echichu, and Sado as rebel bases was also formulated by him, the great strategist, together with Zhu Cijiong. of.
According to the plan, the coalition forces of Kobuin and the Uesugi family did not have to face a decisive battle with Masayuki Hoshina, and could just attract them to the front line of the Arakawa River for confrontation.
"Zhengxue, I know that Prince Ning's strategy can lead to victory...but victory achieved through trickery will not be as deterrent as victory achieved with a majestic formation!" The Emperor of Xingwuyuan shook his head and said, "Now Our army's morale is high and its numbers are greater than those of the enemy. We are sure to win the decisive battle.
Moreover, King Ning should seize Uojin Port within these two days. Maybe Masayuki Hoshina will soon get the report of Echigo's defeat. By then the two armies are in a stalemate, and he will not be able to withdraw much troops at all, and will only be defeated miserably, and Echigo , Yuezhong, can also be decided in one battle! "
