"Report, the Asahina family's troops have moved! The troops outside the West City have left camp! The troops inside the mansion seem to be mobilizing too!"
"I got it." After receiving the news, Imagawa Yoshima said calmly to Fukushima Masashige, who had been waiting for a long time, "The enemy must be 'attacking from the west and attacking in the north'. The Asahina family knew that our Fukushima family's troops were at the north gate, so they thought We would never think of them attacking the North Gate. So they made a big fuss at the West Gate, trying to lure the Fukushima family’s troops there. As soon as our troops move, they will go straight to the North Gate."
"His Royal Highness Echizen (Fukushima Masashige), please lead your troops and pretend to be led away. First, go south from the north gate of Sannomaru into the Honmaru, then detour to the west gate, and attack the Asahina family's mansion." Imagawa Yoshima said to Fukushima. After giving the instructions, Masashige turned to Mizubayashi Kotaro, who was sent by Sugini, "Lord Mizubayashi, please order Hatakemoto, who is under the direct control of the Imagawa family, to be on standby at the Ninomaru North Gate. Once there are signs of an attack on the Asahina family, you will start from there. Fight out later!"
"yes!"
·
At the same time, inside the Asahina family mansion.
"Did the bait succeed?" Asahina Taino asked Asahina Taichang who came back from the outside.
"Successful. The Fukushima family's troops have already moved." Asahina pointed towards the north gate, "We were completely kept in the dark."
"Okay!" Asahina Taino was overjoyed when he heard this. He raised the wine jar and poured a sip of strong wine down his throat to cheer up. "Send a signal to have the troops outside the west gate go north as planned, then turn east and head towards the north gate. !”
·
"Sir, the Asahina family's troops outside the city have moved toward the north gate!"
On the Ninomaru Castle Wall, Imagawa Yoshizhin once again received the latest report.
"Signs of counterattack have appeared, but there is no rush yet." Imagawa Yoshima remained unhurried, "The transfer outside the city can be covered up with excuses such as 'hunting down suspicious persons' and 'driving out bandits.' We can only wait for him inside the city." Only when the troops move can we take action in a legitimate manner. To take action by force will only make other members of the army die in grief."
·
Not long after, outside the north gate of Imagawakan Sannomaru.
"Asahina Bei, isn't your military camp in the castle town of Xicheng? Why are you here in Beicheng?"
The captain of the Imagawa family's soldiers at the head of the North City asked loudly to Asahina Taichi who was leading the troops.
"We found suspicious people moving, and our entire army immediately dispatched to hunt them down, but they still ran away and couldn't be chased!" Asahina Taichi shouted while pointing to the intricate Imagawakan North Gate Castle Town, "Requesting the ninjas and cavalry in the city to come out of the city for assistance. Hunt!”
"Don't the Asahina family understand the current situation? How can the castle soldiers leave the four gates lightly?" the captain of the gate soldiers refused without explanation.
"Then please inform the Odai-den of the situation here, and let the Odai-den make a decision!" Asahina Taichi said to the captain of the gate soldiers, cupping his hands and fists, "The Asahina family will be on standby here first!"
·
After the messenger from the North Gate rushed back to Imagawa Yoshima, he felt confused for the first time in these days.
"Why are the troops outside the north gate in place, but there is still no movement in the Asahina family's mansion?" Imagawa Yoshima looked at the quiet samurai house of the Asahina family with some doubts, "If we don't cooperate inside and outside, it's impossible to rely on people outside the city alone. The one who captured the North Gate? Why didn't he send troops to the North Gate? Did he realize that we were going to ambush him? "
"Sir, do you want to take action?" Mirubayashi Kotaro also looked embarrassed, "Ni Odai sent instructions just now, asking the Imagawa family's direct banners to act with caution. After all, Ni Odai and the Asahina family are also related by marriage. If there is no conclusive evidence, I'm just afraid...it won't be easy to handle."
"Then wait a little longer. You should stay on standby near the north gate." Imagawa Yoshima agreed, but he had other thoughts in his heart - the Asahina family's delay made Shouguini react. Originally, Sugini had entrusted full command to Imagawa Yoshima, but now he probably regrets it and still doesn't want to take action against the Asahina family. If Imagawa Yoshima orders an attack, but Shou Guini signals that the Imagawa family's banner is not allowed to attack - compared to himself who has not yet formally assumed the role of family governor, the Imagawa family's direct banner will definitely take orders from Touhou, who has assisted two generations of family governors. Guinea.
"Move His Majesty Fukushima's troops back from the west gate and get closer to the north gate." After Torataro Mirubayashi took the order and left, Imagawa Yoshizhin whispered to his confidants, "Hatamoto may not be reliable, and the Fukushima family will still be needed when the time comes. Come and fight against the Asahina family."
After his cronies left, Imagawa Yoshima felt nervous for the first time, and his palms were slightly sweaty. If the Imagawa family's flag cannot be completely controlled, he may not be able to cope with the Asahina family's seizure of the door now that he has no soldiers at hand. However, not long after, the Fukushima Army troops hurried back to the vicinity of Honmaru, and Imagawa Yoshima felt relieved.
At this time, news came again from outside the north gate.
"Report, sir! The Asahina family said they couldn't catch the culprit, so they have withdrawn from the north gate."
"Retired?" Imagawa Yoshima sighed with a sense of loss, and glanced at the gradually darkening sky, "Did they give up?"
"So, the Asahina family is about to send Imagawa Ujimoto and Taihara Yuksai?" Fukushima Masashige walked up the stairs and came to Imagawa Yoshima, "Since they have given up, they must find a way Prove your innocence."
"Are you still alerting the enemy? I clearly ordered the gate guards at the west gate not to interrogate the ninjas and messengers of the Asahina family." Imagawa Yoshima shook his head with regret, "It's a pity that I couldn't take advantage of this best opportunity to arrest Asahina. After the family is eradicated, if there is a conflict with Ni Yutai later, they will be in serious trouble!"
etc…
Imakawa Yoshizhin suddenly realized something was wrong.
"Retreat, where are they retreating to?" Imagawa Yoshizhin, who suddenly understood, called out to the messenger who had just reported the message, "Is it to retreat to the west gate?"
"Exactly." The messenger replied truthfully.
"Oops, I fell into a trap." Imagawa Yoshima's face instantly darkened, and he immediately said to Fukushima Masashige, "Your Highness, please lead the troops back to the west gate as soon as possible! It's such a 'sound to the west to attack the west', it turns out that the north gate is a cover. They want to deceive both the Imagawa family's Hatamoto and the Fukushima family's troops...the location is in their hands, and the Asahina family's target has always been Ximen!"
·
Imagawa Yoshizhin and Fukushima Masashige worked hard and personally led the Fukushima family's troops towards the west gate. Imagawa Yoshima seems to have already had a picture in his mind: the troops left by the Asahina family in the mansion rose up and launched an attack, cooperating with the reinforcements marching from the north gate back to the west gate, seizing the west gate, surrounded by Imagawa Ujimoto and Taiyuan Xuezai. And go.
But this did not happen. When the Fukushima family's troops ran to their positions with great difficulty, they found that it was quiet outside the west gate, and there was no sign of war at all.
Imagawa Yoshizhin hurriedly climbed to the top of the city and found that there were not many soldiers in the Asahina family camp outside the west gate. He turned his head and looked to the north, only to see the Asahina family's troops returning from outside the north gate walking leisurely and just rounding the northwest corner of Imagawa Hall, showing no signs of hurry.
"What do you mean? Have you really given up?" Imagawa Yoshima's eyes became complicated as he looked at the Asahina family's Zuo Sanba flag. "If you gave up, why didn't you hand over the people? Our soldiers are here. It’s next to their mansion.”
"Master, now is another opportunity." Fukushima Masashige on the side stroked the white beard on his chin and suggested in a low voice, "Now we are going straight to the Asahina family's residence with our soldiers, surrounding them and not allowing anyone to come in or out. As long as Searching out Taiyuan Yuksai and Imagawa Ujimoto can punish the Asahina family for the crime of "secretly hiding a criminal". Although they cannot be uprooted for treason, it is not a problem to reduce 30 to 40% of their territory, and other retainers must also be able to do so. There will be no objections.”
"Okay, His Highness Echizen is right."
·
"What does Your Highness Fukushima mean by this? What does the Third Young Master mean by coming here?"
At the door of the Asahina family's residence, Asahina Yasumasa greeted the aggressive Fukushima Masashige and Imagawa Yoshima with a surprised look on his face, "We, the Asahina family, have always believed in the Imagawa clan's decision. We have expressed our support for the third son at the evaluation meeting just now, and the oath has been signed." If you hand it over, how can you have an affair with the rebel party?"
"It's useless to say more. Our ninjas saw someone entering and leaving your residence. Just let us search. After the search is completed, we can naturally prove their innocence." Imagawa Yoshizhin waved his hand involuntarily. The Fukushima family's troops relied on their large numbers. , immediately filed in, and Asahina Taicho and a few guards could not stop them. However, before they could enter the central hall, a large wine vat suddenly fell from the sky, making a loud noise and splashing wine and debris, startling the Fukushima family samurai and ashigaru.
I saw Asahina Taino, his face flushed from drinking, and even his steps were a little unsteady. He staggered to the front of the court, leaned against a pillar, raised his finger and pointed at Fukushima Masashige, and drunkenly said, "Echizen, you old immortal , I tell you, you can search. If you can’t find it, kneel down here and kowtow to our Asahina family to apologize and wash away the humiliation of our innocent being wrongly accused.”
"I'm afraid that after the search, the ones who have to kneel down to apologize are you idiots like you." Masashige Fukushima was so angry that his beard stood out, pointing at Asahina Tenno and yelling, "Search me!"
The Fukushima family's troops poured into the mansion one after another. In front of the bewildered Asahina family samurai, they turned the mansion upside down, but still found nothing. As one team after another of soldiers returned to the central hall in disgrace, Fukushima Masashige's face became increasingly uglier, until the search ended completely in vain.
"Knock it off." Asahina Taino took a few steps forward, rubbed his feet on the ground, and rubbed away the dust, "That's it."
"You bastard, don't get in trouble with your nose." Fukushima Masashira was too old to bear such humiliation. With bulging veins, he drew a knife in his hand and was about to step forward. He was beaten by everyone in the Fukushima family. People hurriedly stopped.
"Your Highness, it doesn't have to be like this." Imagawa Yoshima raised his hand to signal Fukushima Masashige not to be angry. At the same time, he bent down slightly to help Asahina Yasuno, "The situation is urgent, and the matter is urgent. Beizhong Your Highness, I hope you will forgive me."
"How dare you ask the future governor to bow to me in person? Please get up quickly." Asahina Tai grinned with a smile, and watched with satisfaction as Imagawa Yoshima clenched her fists. The latter was gnashing his teeth and cursed viciously in a low voice:
"Imagawa Ujimoto...Taiyuan Xuezhai...where on earth have you been hiding?"
