On May 29, the eleventh year of Tenmon (1542), the Imagawa family's army left the castle town of Okazaki Castle, crossed the Oto River south, and followed the flow of the Yahagi River all the way downstream. The Oda-Mizuno-Sakurai allied forces on the other side of the river also became vigilant upon seeing this, fearing that the Imagawa family was going to launch an operation across the river downstream of the Yahagi River.
Mizuno Shingen's own camp is at the southernmost edge of the coalition's position, so he is naturally most worried about the Imagawa Army's detour actions. But after all, he had only succeeded as the family governor not long ago, so he was not very skilled in commanding battle formations, and he was also afraid that his subordinates would lack confidence in him. So he decided to behave like a mature and brave house governor. Although he does not have a very good relationship with his father, he still respects his father in his heart and remembers his father's teachings - a good governor will never just stay in the shogunate and the main formation.
So, he took a group of cronies and attendants and rode to the high ground beside the Yahagi River, intending to see clearly what the Imagawa army was going to do from a high position. However, before he could gain a firm foothold on the high ground, he only heard the sound of a sharp arrow leaving the string from the other side. Hundreds of feathered arrows were shot at like locusts. The tribesmen around Mizuno Shingen were shocked when they saw this and hurriedly stepped forward to block. And Mizuno Shingen's nickname also suddenly threw Mizuno Shingen off his horse and fell to the ground, only to avoid the blow. However, under the random arrows, the cronies who followed Mizuno Shingen to inspect suffered heavy casualties.
"Finish the bow." Furunoji Yutaka led the archers away with satisfaction, "The new recruits really like to run to the high ground in a self-righteous way. Even if Mizuno Toshichiro doesn't die, there will be heavy casualties around him. Okay I'm on assignment for Yamaguchi Kensugu."
"Takematsumaru, such a sneak attack is close to assassination. How could anyone act like this?" Imagawa Yoshimoto looked at Furunoji Yutaka who returned home with a full load, and couldn't help but complain, "You will be ridiculed by the martial arts all over the world and will be infamy for thousands of years."
"Then what? Fourth brother doesn't think that both sides need to exchange names and prepare their positions before fighting, right?" Ujiyoshi Furuno was made to laugh by Yoshimoto Imagawa, "Once the war starts, all rules will be invalidated, and the winner will win." Eat, the loser has nothing, who cares about etiquette and demeanor? Fourth brother, please be careful in the future, don't let others sneak attack and assassinate you. I see, the people in the Oda family are also very shady, and they don't play dirty tricks all the time. "
·
At the same time, on the afternoon of May 29, the 11th year of Astronomy (1542), in Shirasuka, 25 miles southeast of Yoshida Castle in Mikawa Province, Himura Hiroyuki, who was on a mission to escort Matsudaira Takechiyo, was galloping with 50 horsemen. On the official road, there was also a carriage in the procession. Looking east, the outline of Hamana Lake is already faintly visible. After passing Shirasuka, we will reach the boundary of Toe. When the time comes, the Iio family will send someone to take over the escort, and Himura Umoha can return to Mikawa.
However, at this moment, an archery team of hundreds of people suddenly appeared in the hills behind the corner of the official road in front, pointing their bows and arrows straight at the queue. Femura Yangha hurriedly ordered the troops to stop, and the cavalrymen also dismounted and hid behind the horses' bellies. After a while, Himura Hiroyuki had time to take a look at the sign that blocked the road - it was the Toda family of Tahara Castle.
Before Himura Hiroyuki and others could take a breath, hundreds more troops appeared around the official road. The leader of the cavalry surrounded a samurai—it was none other than the lord of Tahara Castle, Toda Yasumitsu.
"What do you mean, Mr. Toda Danmasa?" Himura Hiroyuki got on his horse again, and then asked Toda Yasumitsu loudly, "In broad daylight, are you going to do harm to the master's horse? What a great skill. !”
"No, no, I'm here to help escort the hostages of the Matsudaira family in the carriage under the order of His Highness the Family Governor." Toda Yasumitsu also took a few steps forward and pointed to the horses in the queue with a smile. Carriage, "Himura-sama, please hand over the carriage to us."
"What are you talking about?" Himura Hiroyuki frowned, but still pretended not to know what he was talking about and replied, "What are the hostages of the Matsudaira family?"
"There's no need to pretend, Lord Himura." Yasumi Toda patted the katana on his waist, "I am following the order of His Highness the Governor of the Household. Do you want to disobey the order, Lord Himura?"
"How dare you, how dare you?" After regaining his composure, Himura Umoha also rediscovered his skills of flattering people, "I just didn't expect that Mr. Toda Danmasa was so clever and scheming that he could predict the time when we would escort the hostages. , or does it mean that there is an expert’s guidance behind it?”
"Stop talking nonsense." Yasumi Toda laughed ferociously, then raised his hand suddenly, "Leave the vehicle there, and I can let you people leave."
"As expected of Mr. Tanzheng, he said a casual word and his gestures were filled with the aura of a king. I dare not disobey you!" Feimura Yangyu laughed and cupped his hands, and then he actually carried it with him. The horsemen abandoned their carriages, turned around, and prepared to run towards the road they came from.
"There is a ghost." As long as Toda Yasumitsu was not a fool, he would be able to detect the problem inside and immediately sent someone to rush to the official road. Before he could touch Himura Hiroyuki, he saw the hills and woods on the other side of the official road and killed the Imagawa family's ambush troops, whose number was almost twice that of Toda Bei - a new army that has become famous in recent years. ——The banner and the shield are prepared, and the leader is none other than Daze Jiyin.
"The Toda family conspired to rebel, attacked the family's horse, and tried to take hostages. The evidence of the crime is conclusive. On the order of Master Xuezai, destroy the rebels!" Osawa Jiyin shouted from the top, and the soldiers who were guarding the shield roared out. At the same time, Himura Hiroyuki also led the horsemen to fight back, blocking the Toda family's retreat to the Atsumi Peninsula.
"Didn't the Imagawa family only mobilize their retainers and people from the Toe River? Why did they even come here with the Shounbi garrison stationed in Suruga?" Toda Yasumitsu was so angry at this moment that he had clearly sent the transfer order from Imagawa Yoshimoto before. Tahara Castle showed it to him. He was worried that Imagawa Yoshimoto had forged the transfer order to deceive him. He also specifically asked the Saigo family, Okuhira family and other wealthy families to find out if they all gave the same order. He originally thought that all the Imagawa family troops in Yuanjiang had been transferred to the Sanhe front line. There must be no soldiers in the hinterland at the junction of Sanhe and Yuanjiang, so he dared to take action brazenly.
"Retreat quickly, retreat quickly!" At this moment, Yasumi Toda couldn't care less and frantically directed the troops to retreat toward the Atsumi Peninsula. The Oda family had made an agreement before. If he could intercept the hostages and transfer them to the Matsuda family, then the Oda family could use this as a pretext to break into the hinterland of Mikawa, support Takechiyo Matsudaira as the family governor and control the Matsudaira family, and completely remove the Imagawa family from Mikawa. If they are driven out, Toda Yasumitsu can also take back territories such as Yoshida Castle. Even if the plan fails, the Oda family has promised to accept Toda Yasumitsu's exile - so the first priority is to escape to the port and take a boat to Owari.
Toda Yasumitsu himself wanted to withdraw, and his men naturally had no intention of fighting, and were hastily defeated by the shields. But Toda Yasumitsu himself had already led the banner cavalry away and fled straight to the west.
"Master Xuesai has ordered that Yasumi Toda and the Toda family must be killed on the battlefield this time, so that His Highness will not be kind-hearted when dealing with it after the war." Amano Keitoku, who came with the army, played the role of Taiyuan Xuezhai on the front line. Mufu, instructed Osawa Jiyin. Osawa Kiyin was not hesitant. He abandoned the defeated troops all over the mountains and did not pursue them, and just rushed directly in the direction of Tahara Castle.
But the infantry could not catch up with the cavalry no matter what, so Amano Keitoku rode his horse to the horse troop led by Himura Hiroyuki and conveyed the same instructions to him.
"Master Yukisai is far away in Suruga, and he actually saw at a glance that the Toda family was going to send someone to take hostages?" After receiving the instruction, Himura Umoha was stunned for a moment, and while arranging his cavalry to pursue him, he said to Amano Keitoku, " I thought Xiudunbei just happened to change defense and passed by."
"Has the House Governor noticed this?" Amano Keide was stunned when he heard this, "Then why didn't you report it to Imagawa Hall? Master Xuezai thought that His Highness the House Governor had missed this possibility. He heard that His Highness the House Governor and Yamaguchi After Zuomasuke made the agreement, he immediately sent people to prepare for the westward march to prevent the Toda family from taking the opportunity to take passing hostages."
"I've paid you back. Maybe the messenger hasn't arrived yet and just passed you by." Feicun Yangyu frowned.
"Since His Majesty the Governor has long guessed that the Toda family would rob the road, why did he still put the hostages in danger?" Amano Kyoutori raised his whip and pointed at the carriage thrown in the middle of the official road, "The sword has no eyes, in case something goes wrong What should I do if something goes wrong?"
"Haha, your highness is so wise and powerful, how could you make such a mistake? There is nothing in the carriage, just a few pillows." Himura Hiroyuki proudly praised Imagawa Yoshimoto, "The real Matsudaira Takechiyo is escorted by Lord Akai , still in the southeast of Okazaki Castle and haven’t set off yet.”
·
At this time, in the castle town southeast of Okazaki Castle, Akai Kurotaka, who was dressed in plain clothes, took a dozen horses, also dressed in casual clothes, to rest in a restaurant next to the downtown area. The wet nurse holding Matsudaira Takechiyo was following them. around.
"I don't know if Mr. Himura has solved it." The impatient Akai Kuroko was a little impatient while waiting. He kept shaking his legs under the table, "I'm so annoyed. This bird Mikawa is full of pickles and even pieces of bird meat. None, if we don’t get started, there won’t be any meat for dinner.”
Indeed, compared with the prosperous Suruga, Mikawa is indeed relatively desolate, even the most populous castle town of Okazaki Castle is the same. However, even in this poor and desolate dilapidated neighborhood, children are still growing tenaciously like weeds. They play various games in the neighborhood, as if they are not affected by the bitter life at all.
Just next to the restaurant where Akai Heigao stayed, there were more than a dozen children shouting and chasing each other with weird local accents. As for the content - anyway, Akai Kuroko, a Northeasterner, and Ma Zhongzhong, a Suruga native, would definitely not be able to understand it. If they understand, they will definitely be shocked by what the children are saying:
"Sure enough... the people of the Imagawa family really noticed that we sent people to rob the Toda family. It turns out that the real hostages were escorted by plainclothes... I finally found them."
