"Climb up from the roof over there. There is a dark window. Kick it open and you can get in!" Kishou Osawa glanced at the Ninomaru Castle Gate where the fierce battle was taking place. Knowing that it must be impossible to get through, he led Imagawa Yoshimoto and others went around to the side. They climbed up to the roof of an inconspicuous house along the pillars, carefully avoiding the rain of arrows and gravel flying around, and slowly approached a stone brick on the city wall.
"There is someone there!" A keen-eyed Asahina warrior noticed the actions of Osawa Kisho and Imagawa Yoshimoto, pointed at the roof and shouted, and in an instant, more than a dozen soldiers surrounded them.
Osawa Jixiang couldn't care so much anymore and kicked the stone bricks hard. A dozen stone bricks were kicked down, revealing a small gap.
"Your Highness, let's go!" Ozawa hurriedly pushed Imagawa Yoshimoto into the gap. Imagawa Yoshimoto jumped up and jumped to the floor inside the city wall, and then helped the following people to climb in one after another. Before they could gain a firm footing, a hail of arrows struck again, shooting Hatamoto, the last member of the Osawa family, onto the roof of the house. But Kisang Osawa no longer had the chance to pull up his loyal subordinates, because Asahinabe's soldiers had already swarmed up the roof and rushed towards the gap.
"Break the rear!" Osawa yelled at the remaining subordinates, telling them to watch the gap, while he led Imagawa Yoshimoto and others to rush towards the Ninomaru gate. Before they arrived, they had already seen many Asahinabei samurai leading the Ashigaru on top of the city, beating the soldiers of Osawabei and Udenbei to retreat. Seeing the Ninomaru Castle gate open, Control is about to be lost.
"Let's go, continue to retreat!" Osawa Motoxiang understood that it was too late at this time, and with a sudden heart, he decisively issued the order to retreat again, asking the remaining subordinates to surround Imagawa Yoshimoto and retreat all the way to the Honmaru of Horie Castle near the lake. . As soon as they left, Ninomaru's gate was knocked open. Asahinabe's pursuers rushed in with great difficulty. Imagawa Yoshimoto and others managed to rush into the Honmaru gate. Osawa Kisho immediately personally Organize defense in the upper city.
Finally, when night fell, Kisang Osawa barely managed to keep the main gate of Honmaru intact. Asahina Chitoku, who was attacking one side, also suspended his offensive after sunset and stationed himself in Ninomaru. Soon after, torches were lit outside the east gate of Horie Castle. Soldiers from Okuhei Bei and Ii Ibei also entered the Ninomaru, while Saigo Bei, Iio Bei and Horikoshi Bei were waiting outside the city to attack all the people in Horie Castle. The path was surrounded by water.
"How is it? How is the situation?" Imagawa Yoshimoto finally found Osawa Kisho and asked in a low voice.
"To be honest, it's very bad, Your Highness." Osawa Moto showed a look of shame on his face, and then he said in a deep voice, very ashamed: "Udenbei may have collapsed and is unable to fight anymore. Osawabei suffered heavy losses, and we can use our troops. With less than a hundred people, the fighting spirit is already in jeopardy. Although Horie Castle is a fortified city, the main defenses are in Sannomaru and Ninomaru. The Main Maru is too small and there is no room to maneuver. If the rebels launch a general attack regardless of everything, tomorrow I’m afraid we’ll fall into the city in the morning.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto fell into silence after hearing this.
"Tomorrow morning, the reinforcements probably won't arrive yet, right? Even if they arrive, the rebels outside the city can rely on the fortifications of Horie Castle Sannomaru to stop them. We won't be able to hold on until we can relieve the siege." Although Osawa Kisho was already ashamed His face was blood red, but he still did not make any excuses for himself, but sincerely suggested: "Your Highness, please take a boat to break out of Lake Hamana tonight. Our sailors are familiar with hydrology and can sail at night. The other party's ships will chase Not available."
·
Until this moment, Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was standing at the head of Honmaru Castle, looked at the flag of Asahina Beizo Sanba under the dim moonlight and still felt unbelievable.
Ever since the Imagawa clan came to Suruga, the Asahina family has been the lineage of the Imagawa family for generations. They are loyal and have made countless contributions to the Imagawa family's wars in the north and south. When Imagawa Yoshimoto was forced into a desperate situation by Imakawa Yoshima during the Hanakura Rebellion, with no one around to support him, he was trapped in the Imagawa Hall waiting for death. In this desperate situation, Asahina Yakino resolutely stood by Imagawa Yoshimoto. Yuan's side helped him turn danger into safety. This loyalty and friendship is still fresh in the memory of Imagawa Yoshimoto.
If among all the Imagawa family, Imagawa Yoshimoto was asked to pick out a family that would never betray the Imagawa family until the end of the road, then he would definitely not hesitate to choose the Asahina family.
How could the Asahina family rebel?
"Your Highness, Asahina is here to ask for an audience."
The voice of Kentaro Tian Shen interrupted Imagawa Yoshimoto's thoughts.
"Let him come in." Imagawa Yoshimoto let out a long sigh, then walked down the city to the castle tower, "I will see him in person."
·
Soon after, in the Horie Castle Castle Tower, Asahina Chitoku also personally came as an envoy to meet Imagawa Yoshimoto.
"The House Governor's Hall." Asahina bowed to Imagawa Yoshimoto with all the courtesy, as if Asahinabi, who had just defeated Udenbei and Osawa Bei and was chasing Imagawa Yoshimoto in embarrassment not long ago, was commanded by someone else—— Asahina Bima is worthy of being the strongest military force in the Imagawa family.
"That's polite." Even when he was in such embarrassment, Imagawa Yoshimoto still maintained basic etiquette, but he was no longer in the mood for polite greetings, and asked straight to the point: "Please give me a reason."
"Reason?" Asahina Kantoku tilted her head, as if she didn't understand what Imagawa Yoshimoto was saying, "Please give me a clear explanation from the head of the household."
"Why did the Asahina family rebel?" Imagawa Yoshimoto took a deep breath and sighed in disappointment: "Why did Asahina Bichushou (Asahina Taino) issue such an order? Does he even want to kill me? ?”
Imagawa Yoshimoto said something rude - but he really didn't want to believe it, and he didn't want to believe that Asahina Tai could want to murder him. The alcoholic who always smelled of alcohol and seemed to have never sobered up, recognized Yoshimoto Imagawa when he was at his lowest, and determined to follow him with his whole family. No matter whenever I see Yoshimoto Imagawa, he always smiles and encourages himself with expectation. Every time he accompanied Imagawa Yoshimoto on an expedition, he would always be at the forefront and never avoid falling targets. He treated himself like an uncle and nephew, and even sent his two legitimate sons to Imagawa Hall to serve as bodyguards for Imagawa Yoshimoto - how could such a person rebel?
"Ah?" Asahina Chitoku seemed to be speechless by Imagawa Yoshimoto's question, and laughed twice: "What does the decision of our Suruga Asahina clan have to do with Bichu Mamoru?"
"Huh?" This time it was Imagawa Yoshimoto's turn that he didn't understand.
"My noble Suruga Asahina family governor Asahina Tanba Morinori Asahina, do I have to ask the approval of his family governor Enoe Asahina family to do anything?" But Asahina Chentoku thought that Imagawa Yoshimoto's question was looking down on him, and he became furious. Di slapped the case and said: "Stop looking down on others, you guy!"
"Suruga Asahina?" Imagawa Yoshimoto was suddenly confused, "Don't all the Asahina's territories belong to Toe? Are there any branches of the Asahina's family?"
"Ah?" Asahina Chitoku was stunned for a moment. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly realized it. Then he laughed loudly, laughing so hard that he fell back and forth. Then he pointed at Imagawa Yoshimoto and said: "You bastard family governor, you don't even know the genealogy of the first servant under your command." I don’t know. If we don’t oppose you, who should we oppose? Are you worthy of being the governor of the Sichuan family?"
Yes, Imagawa Yoshimoto, who usually neglects government affairs, really doesn't know the details of these relationships, so he was stunned when he was asked. He didn't know how to answer the question, and he didn't know what Asahina Chitoku and Asahina Yasuno were like. relationship, let alone what the so-called Toe Asahina and Suruga Asahina mean.
"Forget it, there's nothing to worry about now. For the sake of master and slave, I'll save some face for you." Asahina Chitoku snorted twice, took out a document from his arms, and threw it to In front of Imagawa Yoshimoto, "See for yourself, the Governor's Hall."
Imagawa Yoshimoto opened the document and found that it was a letter jointly signed by the wealthy families of Toe and Mikawa. In addition to Asahina Chitoku in front of him, the signatures also included Okuhira Sadakatsu, Kannuma Sadari and many other wealthy families who rebelled in this battle. In the document, these wealthy families retained their last dignity. They did not bluntly say that they were subduing military admonitions. Instead, they asked Imagawa Yoshimoto to become a monk in seclusion and give up the position of family governor to his son Imagawa Uzuma, and then exiled Taiyuan Xue Zhai, and everything else It will be handed over to the Joint Meeting of Ministers.
"What, you're not convinced? Do you still have the nerve?" Seeing that Yoshimoto Imagawa didn't reply, Asahina Chitoku shook his head disdainfully, and then began to list Yoshimoto Imagawa's crimes:
"Master of the Household, please tell me how many evaluation meetings have been held since you succeeded to the throne? You can count them on one hand!" Asahina Chitoku stretched out her right hand somewhat exaggeratedly, in front of Imagawa Yoshimoto He fiddled with his face, and then spat: "Entrust all government and military affairs to that old monk in Taiyuan Xuezhai, or to Ni Yutai and your cronies. Aren't we retainers unworthy? Not only are we unworthy, discuss politics with you
I don't even deserve to see you! Only when it's time to go on an expedition and you recruit us into the army, can we be "lucky" to see our true appearance. "
"But have you achieved anything famous after so many years of fighting? Two bloody battles with the Hojo family, and being entangled in Mikawa for so long. How much land have you conquered? Is even one acre of land allocated to our retainers? If so, should it be allocated to you? Directly under the direct control of Asahina Binaka and Okabe Sakyo's cronies, let alone eating meat, we can't even share the soup! Over the past few years, the Imagawa clan's flag has been trained more and more, Asahina Binchu, Okabe Sakyo and others Our territory is also rising, so what about us? Huh?"
"The Taiyuan Xuezhai is arbitrary and monopolistic. Everything has to go through his hands. We retainers are being stared at to death. I don't know how many people in the whole family have been infiltrated by him. He knows how long he has been up and down at night. , even if you quietly open a few acres of wasteland, you will be warned that we will inspect the land next time. We wanted to appeal to you, but you didn't even see it, so you changed hands and gave all the complaints to Taiyuan Xuezhai. Okay, Do you really not regard our retainers as human beings? As dogs?"
"And your ridiculous and pitiful womanly kindness, rescuing enemy civilians on the battlefield, going all the way to Shinano to retrieve a group of refugees, and ordering tax reductions and exemptions again and again... Haha, those blind people The Ashigaru and others are just like you, but do you think our samurai's vision is that low? Your "benevolence" is of no use in this troubled world. Sooner or later, the Imagawa family will be ruined, and the family will be destroyed. We retainers will be buried with him! Anyway, the life and death of the dog is not important. What is important is your reputation as an adult! It is your monk’s feathers! I can’t bear the slightest bit of dirt! You have been a secular man for several years, and you are still guarding it. The commandment is not to kill, how can there be a warrior like you?"
