On September 10, the tenth year of Tenmon (1541), three days after the massive plunder, Takeda Harunobu prepared to conquer the Kiso family that had not yet surrendered in Minami Shinano. However, at the military meeting before the expedition, a quarrel broke out among the Takeda army.
"My lord, it's almost time to stop. Now that Minami Shinano has mostly surrendered, there is no need to fight again." At the beginning of the meeting, Amari Huyasu was the first to come out to refute Takeda Harunobu's proposition, "It's almost the time of autumn harvest, and the fields The crops cannot be left alone.”
"You call this level of surrender?" Takeda Harunobu obviously sneered at Amari Koyasu's optimism. "They all surrendered without firing a single blow. They may also turn around and rebel. We must take all Minami Shinano's possessions. We have to defeat all the opposition forces, and then carry out a large-scale transfer of seals here to ensure our control of Minami-Shinano. How can we withdraw now? When the powerful people of Minami-Shinano rebel, the land we have worked so hard to conquer will be lost. Spit out most of it."
"My lord, we are in a corner of Kai. How can it be easy to swallow up Minami Shinano in one go? We still need to think long term and cannot expect to accomplish all our efforts in one battle." Itagaki Nobukata also stood on the side of Amari Koyasu and advised Takeda Harunobu. He said, "If the autumn harvest in the collar is delayed, it will be a real injury."
"Which one is more important, the banker within the territory or the 200,000 koku territory of Minami Shinano?" Takeda Harunobu retorted coldly.
"Lord, please listen to our veteran's advice and eat the food one bite at a time. There is no need to rush." Amari Hutai showed his identity as a senior family elder and advised earnestly, "With the strength of our Takeda family, we can eat it all at once." The Shimosuwa family's territory is already at its limit, how dare we expect to bring the entire Minami-Shinano under our control? Just let them submit to us in name only."
"Yes, my lord, the top priority is the autumn harvest in our own territory, and it is better to disband the troops and return to the country." Itagaki Nobukata and Amari Koyasu sang together and once again put forward the suggestion of returning to the country. Many senior retainers in the account also One after another spoke out in support.
Takeda Harunobu looked coldly at the opponents. After being silent for a long time, he spoke again: "It's just that the soldiers just carried out a large plunder. The army was very excited and wanted to plunder the Kiso family territory again. At this time, we retreated. , It is detrimental to morale and the prestige of the Takeda family. I wonder, sir, how do you plan to explain it to the tribe?"
Takeda Harunobu's words touched the pain of Itagaki Nobukata and Amari Koyasu. They were naturally aware of the surging wave of petitions for war in the past few days. If you ask to withdraw troops at this time, you will inevitably be resented by the soldiers behind your back.
"That's right, we need to retreat." Seeing that Itagaki Nobukata and Amari Koyasu didn't speak, Iito Toramasa came out to help and said, "Go and plunder the Kiso family territory. Even if you can't capture Kiso Fukushima Castle, you can still do it." Get back the lost autumn harvest."
"Support." Nobuharu Baba spoke angrily, expressing his position as briefly as ever.
After these two people spoke, the younger members of the family and Takeda Harunobu's cronies also came together to express their stance, and for a while they were on the same level as the veterans headed by Itagaki Nobukata, Amari Koyasu and others. After Itagaki Nobukata and Amari Koyasu looked at each other, they nodded slightly, and Itagaki Nobukata gave way: "Since the lord supports it, these ministers have no choice but to obey. But it is not good to delay for too long. Give my lord another half month, and on September 25th, no matter what the outcome of the battle is, please return to Shijiafi."
"Who is the lord? How come it is the retainer's turn to set a time limit for the lord?" Takeda Harunobu's expression became even worse.
"My lord, there is nothing wrong with being young and energetic, but leading a family is different from when you commanded an army. You can't let you act like this." Ganli Hutai sighed, and spoke in the thick elder tone again. Takeda Harunobu advised, "We are all veterans who have been with the old lord for half our lives, and we eat more salt than you eat. It is not a bad thing to listen to the opinions of your retainers."
"I got it." Takeda Harunobu snorted coldly, then walked away, just in time to meet Imagawa Yoshimoto coming.
"What's wrong? You look so bad?" Imagawa Yoshimoto glanced at Takeda Harunobu and the samurai in the tent behind him, "Did you have a quarrel at the military meeting?"
"The old guys at home are clamoring to go back for the autumn harvest and refuse to stay in Minami Shinano to stabilize the results." Takeda Harunobu cursed angrily.
"The autumn harvest is also a very important thing, and the people are all thinking about it." Imagawa Yoshimoto smiled and explained, "The warriors of the Takeda family love the people as their own children, isn't it wonderful?"
"What the hell, do they love a citizen of the Hammer? They have clearly calculated their calculations in their minds. They know that if I stabilize Minami Shinano, they will definitely transfer my cronies here, and they will also expand the territory and power of my Takeda clan. They won’t get much benefit, but will lose their right to speak due to the decline in relative strength. So everyone is clamoring to go back, because the lost harvest belongs to them.”
Takeda Harunobu cursed and spat on the ground: "Still putting on a show, acting like an older generation, recruiting a group of people to hinder me and delaying the great cause of the Takeda family. If you don't want to make progress, you are a frog in the well. Just rely on it. I am a local gangster in Kai, but I don’t take the Takeda family’s governor seriously, and you still think I am the young master from before? Just wait and see.”
·
As a result, Takeda Harunobu left 1,200 people from Itagaki Nobukata and Amari Koyasu who opposed sending troops to defend Takato Castle, while he led 5,500 Takeda Army and 5,200 Imagawa Army troops to join forces and go west. On the evening of September 10, they passed through the Ina Basin and entered the Kiso Mountains.
However, I don’t know if God couldn’t stand Takeda Harunobu’s perverse behavior, so it rained heavily on the Kiso Mountains. The mountain road in the wind and rain became extremely dangerous and impassable. The coalition forces had no choice but to set up camp on relatively flat high ground, planning to wait until the rain stopped before continuing their advance. But the rain lasted for three days, and it gradually cleared up in the early morning of September 14th.
However, the three-day delay consumed most of the rations carried by the troops, so the coalition forces had to continue to wait for supplies at the same place - the auxiliary soldiers and civilians were delivering the food along the food road from the direction of Gaoyuan City. Heavy rain also hampered their progress, causing a significant slowdown in supplies.
On September 15th, the autumn harvest began in various places in Kai and Shinano. Seeing that the agreed withdrawal time was getting closer, Takeda Harunobu couldn't help but become anxious. As soon as the rations were accumulated for two days, the troops could not wait to urge the troops to set foot on the westward mountain road again.
However, on the morning of September 15, something unexpected happened. A messenger from the Takeda family galloped on the mountain road and rushed towards Takeda Harunobu's horse seal.
"Lord, enemy troops have been spotted in the direction of Huangshen Mountain! They are 40 miles away from our army's food route!"
"Where are the flags? Where are the troops?" Takeda Harunobu asked calmly while raising his hand to signal the entire army to stop.
"Replying to my lord! The Third Level Hishibi is the Ogasawara family! We can't see clearly the strength of the troops. There is too much smoke and dust in the valley! The horse seal of Ogasawara Daisen is also there!"
"Oh? Ogasawara Daisen (Ogasawara Nagatō)? You dragged your sick body and came here in person?" Takeda Harunobu frowned when he heard this, showing a rare solemn look, "What are you here for? The autumn harvest in your own territory Even if you don’t care, do you still want to come to Minami Shinano to mix things up? What’s the point of this?”
No wonder Takeda Harunobu is so cautious - Ogasawara Nagatoshi is not a simple character. He was born in the Ogasawara family in the palace. He was proficient in bow and horse since childhood, and was both wise and brave. He also went to Luo to teach the shogun the martial arts. Ogasawara Nagatoshi was also very talented in martial arts. He spent half his life fighting to unify the fragmented famous Ogasawara clan, and used his title of guardian of Shinano to intimidate Shinano in the north and south. In the original history, the wise and capable Ogasawara Nagatoshi died of illness in the 11th year of Tenmon (1542), and passed the family governor to his son Ogasawara Nagatoki. Relying on the strong family background left by his father, Ogasawara resisted Takeda Harunobu for eight years before being defeated.
"After all, it is Shinano who protects the country, and it is the duty to defend the territory. Is it justified to expel Kai's 'invaders' for Minami Shinano?" Imagawa Yoshimoto joked with a smile.
"Come on, the Takato family and the Ogasawara family are sworn enemies, and their relationship is extremely bad. You said that the Ogasawara family would send troops for the sake of the Takato family. How could you believe it?" Takeda Harunobu was amused by Imagawa Yoshimoto's joke, "If we really want to send troops to rescue, why? Didn't you come earlier? Now that Gao Yuan's family has surrendered, why is he here to save us? It's just to take advantage of the opportunity to expand his territory."
"But he made a wrong calculation and dared to steal food from the tiger's mouth?" Takeda Harunobu's expression changed instantly, and he turned around and ordered in a deep voice, "Our troops will return immediately, cover the grain road, and attack the Ogasawara army in the spring!"
·
On the morning of September 15, the Tenth Year of Astronomy (1541), at early noon, the Takeda-Imagawa coalition forces rushed eastward one after another. While the Imagawa Army was still on the mountain road, the Takeda Army had already marched 5 miles west of Kasuga. To Takeda Harunobu's surprise, although smoke and dust were still faintly rising in the direction of Mount Arakami to the north, the Ogasawara army did not fight southward. Instead, they had already crossed the Tenryu River and were heading toward Takato Castle in the southeast. Around 3,000.
"Are you pretending to be a suspect?" Takeda Harunobu glanced in the direction of Arakami Mountain, and then at the military strength of the Ogasawara family. The total territory of the Ogasawara family is about 100,000 koku, and mobilizing these 3,000 people is already the limit. "I just want to rely on these 3,000 people to seize the fortified city of Gaoyuan City half an hour before I return for reinforcements - this is a bit too much, right?"
"Send the order, let Itagaki Suruga and Amari Bizen stand guard at Takato Castle and wait for reinforcements. I will immediately lead the army back to the crossing, cooperate with them internally and externally, and annihilate the Ogasawara army under Takato Castle!"
