Time goes back to last night, midnight on September 29, the 9th year of Astronomy (1540).
The Imagawa army was holding torches along the Yahagi River and looking for a place to cross the river, but Tsuchi Atonsune suddenly rushed back as if facing a formidable enemy:
"Your Highness, there is an army approaching from the north!"
"Are you from the Matsudaira family?" Imagawa Yoshimoto looked at the squirming army in the darkness, and his expression became serious. "Instead of rescuing Anxiang City, you came to chase me? So cruel? There is really no way... …Only by fighting.”
However, before Imagawa Yoshimoto could order the archers to attack, the team on the opposite side lit up their torches. Under the light of the fire, it could be vaguely seen that the flag behind them was not Matsudaira Mitsuba, but instead the family crest of the Yamaguchi clan of Narumi Castle - that was a member of the Oda family.
Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't know what was going on, but he still signaled to his subordinates not to worry. Not long after, one person and one horse from Yamaguchi's army were seen crossing the line and arriving in front of Imagawa Yoshimoto's formation.
"I, Yamaguchi Kyoutsugi, have the audacity to meet with His Highness Imagawa. I wonder if I can give you a favor?" Yamaguchi Kyoutsugi held a torch and whispered in a very humble voice, as if a waiter was entertaining guests.
"I'm here." Imagawa Yoshimoto responded from behind the formation, "What's going on?"
"There are many people, and I would like to talk to His Highness alone." Yamaguchi Kotsugi asked again, "Your Excellency has a large amount. Is it possible for you to do it conveniently?"
"Then you come to our army." Imagawa Yoshimoto responded cautiously.
"Then it's natural. Your Highness Imagawa is of noble birth. How can you be a guest in this unknown low-class army?" Yamaguchi Kotsugi replied with a smile on his face, "You are willing to honor me." Entering the Imagawa family's army is already a great favor from me!"
Afterwards, Yamaguchi Kagetsugi did not hesitate and immediately rode alone to the Imagawa Yoshimoto army, turning a blind eye to the Imagawa family's sword. It's hard to imagine that a sycophant could display such courage.
"I wonder what His Highness Yamaguchi wants to talk about?" After setting up an area in the army, Imagawa Yoshimoto asked Yamaguchi Kotsugi in a low voice.
"Talk about business." Yamaguchi Kotsugi smiled and rubbed his palms, "I am a businessman, so naturally I only talk about business."
"What kind of business are we talking about?" Imagawa Yoshimoto thought that the person in front of him was a bit amusing. "The war is fierce and the war is dangerous. Now I am in danger of being destroyed. How can I have time to talk about business?"
"His Majesty Imagawa Mingjian, this is what we are talking about." Yamaguchi Kotsugi lightly presented him with a tall hat, and then continued, "His Majesty Imagawa is also pressed for time, and I don't think I have time to chat with you here. How about we be direct?"
"Say it." Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded.
"To be honest, according to the information from the Oda family, the Matsudaira army did not come to Anxiang City at all. His Highness Imagawa's plan of chasing tigers and devouring wolves and fishing in troubled waters seems to have been seen through by Matsudaira Izumo (Matsudaira Nagauchi)." He calmly stated what Imagawa Yoshimoto was thinking, and also told him an astonishing piece of information, "If what I have predicted is correct, the main force of the Matsudaira family has already set up an ambush on the other side of the Yahagi River, and is waiting for you, Your Highness, to fall into your trap."
Imagawa Yoshimoto fell into silence.
"But I am here just to help His Highness Imagawa solve his problems!" Yamaguchi Kotsugi smiled and bowed, "The Yamaguchi family has no enmity with the Imagawa family, so naturally I have no intention of becoming an enemy of the Imagawa family. If His Highness Imagawa doesn't If you dislike it, the Yamaguchi family is willing to exchange flags with the Imagawa family. Yamaguchi will cross the river here to deceive the Matsudaira family's ambush, and His Highness Imagawa can run upstream and cross the river directly. However, I will not fight with the Matsudaira family, I will only take responsibility. Delay them for a while and then withdraw."
"Oh? Is there such a good thing?" Imagawa Yoshimoto shook his head in disbelief, "The Yamaguchi family wants to help us escape from danger for no reason?"
"As I said, I'm here to do business, so of course I need to be paid!" Yamaguchi Sect's smile did not change, "After His Highness Imagawa returns and takes control of Okazaki Castle, please make it easier for me! I expect to be here Anxiang Castle will be captured within 3 days, but my lord’s reinforcements are estimated to arrive in 10 days. Before then, Imagawa-sama, please restrain the Matsudaira family’s troops and do not come to take back Anxiang City.”
"Why?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was confused by the conditions proposed by Yamaguchi Kotsugi. "Anxiang City is a strategic location. How could the Oda family hand it over to a foreigner like you? Even if it is defeated, it will not be yours."
"Yes, yes, His Highness Imagawa is right. I am naturally self-aware. How can a small place in Narumi City be worthy of a major town like Anxiang City?" Yamaguchi Kotsugi immediately agreed upon hearing this, Every word is flattering, "So I just want to use the city to claim credit, so that my lord can give me some territory on the Chita Peninsula south of Narumi Castle in exchange. The Chita Peninsula is a barbaric land, and my lord has to deal with many things every day, so naturally If you can’t take care of it, leave it to a little person like me to take care of it, that’s perfect!”
"As far as the conditions are concerned, I cannot refuse. The interests of the Matsudaira family are sacrificed, but the exchange is my own life." Imagawa Yoshimoto also agreed very honestly, but there is still a question, " It’s just that several branches of the Matsudaira family still have territories to the west of the Yahagi River. If Anxiang Castle is lost, the territories of these branches will be in danger. After all, I am an outsider of the Imagawa family. How can I restrain them from taking back Anxiang City? "
"Haha, what His Highness Imagawa said is true, but I have been prepared for it." No matter what Imagawa Yoshimoto said, Yamaguchi Kyotsugu could always maintain the businessman-like professional smile on his face, "Internal news, Your Highness Imagawa Don’t tell others. Mizuno Shimono Mamoru (Mizuno Tadamasa), the governor of the Mizuno family, has been having a lot of trouble with the Oda family recently, and it’s all because of his stinky son Mizuno Toshichiro (Mizuno Nobumoto).”
"Although Toshichiro is not old, he is not a gas-efficient lamp. He has a bad relationship with his father on weekdays, and the retainers have begun to take sides in batches. One side supports the governor and the other side supports the young master, but generally speaking, he still supports Mizuno Shimono He was more guarded. But when Toshichiro saw that he couldn't compete with his father, he secretly got into a relationship with the owner of the Oda family, and they had an affair. Even the word "xin" in his name was given by Oda Nobuhide. Toshichiro also relied on his master’s foreign aid to fight against his father, making Mizuno Shimomomo very angry.”
"Mizuno Shimono Mori was originally a minister of the Oda family, but after being teased like this, he began to suspect that he was from the Oda family, and worried that Oda Danmasa (Oda Nobuhide) would support his son to usurp the throne. I have some friendship with Mizuno Shimono Mamoru on weekdays. He came to me in private to complain. I am kind and helpful and helped him come up with a good idea."
"Taking advantage of the Oda Dansho army's personal visit to Anxiang Castle - the current plan of the Matsudaira family's archenemy, he came to the aid of the Matsudaira family. He married his daughter to the unmarried Matsudaira family governor Hirotada, and the Mizuno family also turned against them. Return to the Matsudaira family. With this help in times of need, the Matsudaira family will not pursue the past betrayal of the Mizuno family. And with Kariya Castle as a support, the Matsudaira branch territory west of the Yahagi River is also protected. The Oda bomb is in a dilemma. We had no choice but to leave some people to garrison Anxiang City and retreat."
"Great idea." Imagawa Yoshimoto said sincerely.
"Don't dare, it's just some cleverness of a businessman, how can it compare to His Highness Imakawa's great wisdom?" Yamaguchi taught him shaking his head repeatedly, and then thanked him, "After His Highness Imakawa controls the situation in Okazaki Castle and wins back His Highness Hirotada, I will arrange for the Mizuno family to send my daughter. Your Highness, please be sure to restrain the troops before then, so that I can safely control Anxiang City and dedicate it to the lord. Isn’t it beautiful for everyone to get what they need?"
"As you wish." Imagawa Yoshimoto naturally had no room to refuse.
"Deal!" Yamaguchi Kyouji laughed with satisfaction and extended his hand to Imagawa Yoshimoto. After shaking hands with Imagawa Yoshimoto, he turned around and left to arrange the exchange of flags between Yamaguchi Bei and the Imagawa family.
Then Imagawa Yoshimoto raised his hand and smelled it. The strong smell of copper on his hand almost made him breathless.
·
The plan was executed smoothly. On the morning of September 30, the 9th year of Tenmon (1540), the Imagawa army had successfully crossed the Yahagi River to the north of the Matsudaira family's ambush, blocking the Matsudaira family's army on its way back to Okazaki Castle. Yamaguchi Gaotsugu also left with his army and rushed to besiege Anxiang City.
"Hurry up and send someone to contact Kotobei in Tojo Castle!" Imagawa Yoshimoto quickly formed a formation on a hillock on the east bank of the Yahagi River and the south bank of the Oto River, preparing to meet the Matsudaira army returning to aid Okazaki Castle. The locals sent Okabe Mototsuna and Asahina Taito with people to convey the order, "Have them come over immediately and attack the Matsudaira Army from the north and south with us. Then notify Takeohmaru and rush back from Yoshida Castle. But he is too far away, so he is probably That's too late."
Imagawa Yoshimoto's arrangement was right. Although he successfully crossed the Yahagi River, he only had 1,200 troops. In contrast to him, Nagasaki Matsudaira had nearly 3,000 people at his disposal. Crossing the river was not to choose a battlefield, but to quickly contact reinforcements.
At the same time, Matsudaira Nagauchi was leading the army towards the northeast, and saw the Imagawa army arrayed on the high ground from a distance.
"You didn't run away? Do you think you still have a chance of winning?" Matsudaira Nagauchi, who was riding a horse, thought that Imagawa Yoshimoto had escaped long ago and fled back to Yuanjiang. After seeing that Imagawa Yoshimoto had not left, he immediately turned from worry to joy. He laughed and said sarcastically, "The cooked duck flew away? No, it just flew onto the dinner plate and saved me a lot of effort. Did he Do you think you will have reinforcements?"
Matsudaira Nagauchi commanded the Matsudaira army to press forward in full force and rush towards the defense position. Osawa Jiyin relied on the terrain to defend vigorously, and for a while he withstood the enemy's offensive. However, as more and more Songping troops entered the battle line, the outnumbered Xidianbei gradually fell into decline.
"Aren't you going to leave any reserve team?" Imagawa Yoshimoto looked at the almost empty main formation of Matsudaira Nagachichi, who was determined, and he was already confident of victory. When Kotobi arrived later, Matsudaira Nagachichi would have to collapse under the attack from both sides.
Soon after, smoke and dust could be seen faintly rising in the southwest direction. Upon seeing this, the soldiers of the Imagawa Army cheered and celebrated the upcoming victory. But what surprised them was that the Songping Army was not at all confused, and did not even have the intention to adjust its formation and return to support the main formation.
When the distant reinforcements came into view, everyone was dumbfounded - they were not under the banner of the Imagawa Army, but the troops of the Saijo Kira family - the reinforcements of the Matsudaira family!
"What is going on... where is Kotobi?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was shocked, and at this moment, Okabe Motsuna and the group of messengers could be seen escaping towards the main formation through a long detour - Behind him were more than a dozen pursuers from the Songping Army. Imagawa Yoshimoto quickly sent a cavalry platoon to respond and brought Okabe Motsuna back.
"What's going on?" Imagawa Yoshimoto asked anxiously.
"Tell me a joke, Your Highness, there are no reinforcements as promised, but there are quite a few enemy troops." Okabe Motsuna was hit by an arrow in his right leg. While breaking the arrow shaft, he said to Imagawa Yoshimoto, "East There is no sign of Kotobi in or around the castle. According to Mr. Tominaga who stayed behind, they left for Yoshida Castle two days ago."
With Kirabe joining the battle, the Imagawa army's strength disadvantage reached an astonishing 1:3. Even the Xiedunbei, who was good at defending, could not maintain the front line with such a weak strength. Osawa Jiyin had to command the troops to slowly retreat into a circular formation to avoid being outflanked. Upon seeing this, the Matsudaira Army immediately bypassed both sides of the mountain, trying to make dumplings for all the Imagawa Army.
"Your Highness, I will hold your position to buy you time. You can withdraw with the cavalry first! Before we are surrounded!" Seeing that the situation had become extremely bad, Osawa Motoyin yelled at Imagawa Yoshi. Yuan shouted, "When you come back with reinforcements from Yoshida Castle, you can help me relieve the siege!"
"Without a city and a stronghold, how can you defend it?" Imagawa Yoshimoto moved his injured shoulder and took out Ryumaru in his hand, ready to go into battle himself.
"Your Highness will hold on for as long as you want!" Daze Jiyin shouted for orders, "Your Highness, withdraw first!"
"If you want to withdraw together, I will lead the horses to clear the way." Imagawa Yoshimoto dismissed the opinion without explanation. Just when he got on his horse and prepared to charge into the battle himself, the situation changed again.
