February 1, the twelfth year of Tianwen (1543), Momata.
The town where the group is currently staying is a small village, located northwest of the Kiso River and east to west of the Nagara River. After crossing the Nagara River, you can reach the main town of Sumamata. Not far to the southeast of them, on the banks of the Kiso River, one could already see the Saito Army with their wave-patterned flags and the Oda Army with their papaya-patterned flags confronting each other across the river. Arrows were flying all over the sky, and from time to time they were still firing. There will be several troops trying to cross the river at the bridge, and some small battles will break out.
Climbing high and looking into the distance, looking towards the hinterland of Owari in the southeast, you can see a steady stream of troops and small pack teams coming from the hinterland of Owari to the northwest. It is expected that when the troops arrive, the Oda family will officially cross the Kiso River and launch a general attack.
"3 days, at most there are still 3 days left." Takeda Harunobu estimated the Oda family's baggage and the number of troops, "Within 3 days, we have to leave quickly, at least to cross the Nagara River. Otherwise, we will wait until the Oda family After crossing the river, this is the front line, what will happen if we don't protect it all."
·
So, everyone left the hotel at noon on February 1st and headed west to the Nagara River. However, before reaching the ferry, countless fleeing people could be seen in the distance. They dragged their families, the old and the young, carrying large and small rag bags on their backs, staggering on the muddy river beach, pushing and pushing to cross the river. However, several bridges have been strictly controlled by the Saito family, and the number of bridges allowed is very limited.
The people who had nowhere to go could only resort to ferrying on the Nagara River. Each small boat was filled with people and drifted to the other side of the river. The waterline almost reached the side of the ship, so that from time to time, several ships would capsize in the rapids, throwing the people and their few belongings into the water, swallowed by the rolling current. It is not that there are no ships that want to rescue, but their own load is already approaching the limit. These usually kind and enthusiastic people were really at a critical moment of life and death, and no one dared to risk the boat capsizing to hold the hands of these people struggling in the water for help.
"The war is coming, and the news to the people is faster than the messengers who have been rushing for eight hundred miles." Imagawa Yoshimoto looked at the embarrassing flow of people in front of him, and sighed with some regret, "This is the truth taught to the people in troubled times. Countless military disasters, During the indiscriminate arrests, only those who could escape early could survive. They passed on their experiences orally and taught them to their children and grandchildren. Those who failed to learn this would have long been buried in the war."
"The Inaba family, the Ando family, the Ujia family... are all powerful people from Nishi Mino." Taiyuan Xuezai counted the flags of Saito's army on the other side of the river, "It seems that Inaba Mountain Castle has sent mobilization instructions to these places. There are so many troops rushing to the front line, and there are so many important supplies. The road from Ogaki Castle to Sumama must have been requisitioned by the army. No wonder the people can't make it."
"Then what should we do, take a detour?" Takeda Harunobu waved his riding crop towards the north, "Go north? Go to Inabayama Castle and then cross the river to the west?"
"That's all we can do. We'll be stuck here for who knows how long." Imagawa Yoshimoto pulled the reins of his horse, turned around and glanced at the carriage behind him, "It's going to make Rei Masaru miserable."
"It's nothing, it's time to let those public ladies suffer the hardships of the Wu family." Takeda Harunobu snorted coldly.
·
On the way north, Imagawa Yoshimoto and the others were not able to walk on the spacious and flat official road - because the official road had been requisitioned by the Saito family Hatamoto and the Nakamino wealthy family who were heading south from Inabayama Castle. Therefore, the group of people could only travel on the muddy paths and field ridges in the countryside like the people who fled north.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way, don't block the road." Takeda Harunobu walked at the front, waving his horsewhip to disperse the people walking slowly on the road ahead - they were carrying large and small bags, and they couldn't walk very fast. Seeing these tall and handsome warriors, they did not dare to disobey, and they honestly gave way to the muddy water on both sides of the road. Regardless of the children's crying, they all lowered their heads to pay tribute to Takeda Harunobu, for fear of causing his displeasure.
"Their clothes are all soiled by you." Imagawa Yoshimoto frowned and looked at the muddy ground on both sides of the road and the sewage up to his ankles. "The shoes are full of mud and water. It has been nauseating to walk for a long time, and now I am fleeing. No chance to change clothes.”
"Haha, we are all poor people. How can Goro be so pretentious? It would be good to save his life." Takeda Harunobu immediately dismissed Imagawa Yoshimoto with a smile.
"I heard Kochiro say when he came back from his last mission that you have a very good reputation in Kai. One time when you came back from hunting, the farmer didn't have time to move out of the way of your carriage. He was so frightened that he fell down on the ground to apologize. You even helped him up and let him go first. ." Imagawa Yoshimoto mentioned the interesting story Hayasaka Nao told him, and sighed sarcastically, "Why did it change like this when we arrived in Mino, which is separated by a mountain?"
"Within my territory, dozens of mountains away, I am also a good lord who is close to the people. I protect their human rights, their freedom, and their dignity. How can I treat other people's territories and other people's people well? Use? Don't block my way, or I will kill them." Takeda Harunobu smiled and patted the katana on his waist.
"Only Jiaxin people are considered human beings? Meinong people are not considered human beings?" Ginkgo also said sarcastically.
"Yes, for the sake of your Imagawa family being allies, the Suruga people and the Toe people can also be considered human beings. People in other places are untouchables, why do you care about them? Who will apply the benevolence and righteousness in their own territory? Can morality be applied to other territories?" Takeda Harunobu replied matter-of-factly, without even looking at the people prostrate on the ground on both sides of the road.
"Then you are hypocritical. In essence, it is for the benefit of the Takeda family, not for the common people at all. What you do to the common people is to calm the people and make them love the Takeda family and stop rebelling." Ginkgo turned away. Go and pierce Takeda Harunobu's mask sharply.
"So what?" Takeda Harunobu scratched his neck as he spoke. Out of the corner of his eye, he happened to see a commoner on the roadside getting up, and glared at him so fiercely that he suddenly knelt down in the mud.
"If you have to be merciful, please be merciful." Imagawa Yoshimoto raised his hand slightly to signal Takeda Harunobu to stop bullying the people. Then he turned to the people waiting on the roadside and said, "Stop standing in the mud, hurry up. Let’s go.”
"Thank you, Sir!" After hearing this, several common people felt as if they had been granted amnesty, but they still looked at Takeda Harunobu's back timidly, not daring to get up. After repeatedly confirming that Takeda Harunobu did not intend to continue to embarrass them, he finally stood up. Imagawa Yoshimoto couldn't bear it, so he took out a few broken pieces of silver from his arms with very hidden movements and quietly threw them behind the horse. The common people were stunned when they saw this, and when they were about to kowtow to express their thanks, they found that Imagawa Yoshimoto made a silent gesture, and then they quickly stopped talking and kept bowing in the direction of Imagawa Yoshimoto.
·
On the evening of February 1, the twelfth year of Tenmon (1543), everyone could not find a suitable village or town and pitched tents in the wild beside the Nagara River. In normal times, Imagawa Yoshimoto would definitely complain. But the current situation is not optimistic, and I can’t care about that much. After a simple night's rest, in the early morning of February 2, everyone set out on their way north again.
At noon on February 2, the cavalry arrived outside the ferry south of Inabayama Castle. Here, we finally found a bridge that was not blocked yet. Most of the people who fled came on foot and were left far behind by the cavalry. Only those who had fled several days in advance could reach Inabayama Castle at this time. However, there is no need for most of them to continue moving westward. They are considered safe if they stay here. At the time of spring plowing, many people began to look for wasteland, thinking of ways to plant something to solve the problem of feeding their families while they were in exile.
Therefore, unlike the crowded and chaotic ferry crossing downstream, the ferry crossing upstream of the Nagara River is sparsely populated, and you can cross the river without queuing. However, the bridge guards were a little wary when they saw the cavalry and carriages of more than 30 people. However, after interrogation, they found out that they had a Dongguo accent and let them pass without asking any more questions.
"This is the importance of information and the overall situation." Takeda Hironobu looked southward at the Kiso River, which had disappeared at the end of the field of vision. "The people did not have this awareness, and they just crowded in the downstream ferry in vain and panic. Little did they know that as long as they took a detour, All problems will be solved.”
"Master, isn't it because we have horses?" Ginkgo laughed at the side, "How can there be such a big gap between people? They don't have horses, walking is too slow, and they can't stand the toss and try. Once If we choose the wrong road, we won't have time to leave before the enemy comes, so we have to walk all the way to the dark side. We have horses and can walk fast. We can try whatever we want. If there is a war, we can pull our horses and leave the battlefield. "
On February 3, the twelfth year of Tianwen (1543), a group of people set foot on the official road from the west of Inabayama Castle to Sekigahara. This official road is also an important official road connecting Mino and Omi, and even Kanto and Kansai, so it is quite spacious. Everyone arrived at Sekigahara on February 5th in a light carriage. Further west is the border of Omi Kingdom.
However, just when a group of people were about to enter Omi Country and completely leave Zhan Luan behind - they found that Zhan Luan was slapped on their faces again.
"Misori Papaya, people from the Asakura family..." Takeda Harunobu looked at the mighty army heading toward Mino, and couldn't help but froze on the spot, "This is an appointment with the Oda family, to attack Meino together." Is it strong?"
——Takeda Harunobu guessed right. The Asakura family made an appointment with the Oda family to send troops. The general in charge of this battle was Asakura Sotetsu, the famous military god of the Asakura family. They supported another heir of the Toki family, Toki Yorijun, to return to Mino. They also nominally wanted to expel the Saito family, the thieves of the country. The Asakura family's army set out from Echizen, passed through Kitaomi, their ally, the Asai family, and headed towards Nishi Mino.
In order to deal with the sudden invasion of the Asakura family, the three people of Simino had to immediately return to their headquarters to set up defenses, but it was still a step too late, allowing the Asakura family to set up camp in the mountains around Sekigahara and gain a firm foothold. As soon as the war started, the people of Simeon began to flee again, and in turn fled toward Inabayama Castle in the east.
The group of people was like a powerless boat in the torrent rolling eastward. The way forward has been blocked by the troops of the Saito family and the Asakura family, and there is no way to pass.
