Since February 20, the 14th year of Tenmon (1546), when the Imagawa family publicly declared that they wanted to go to Luo, the Oda family has experienced countless discussions and disputes - they agreed to assist in sending troops after the Takeda family, and the Hojo family sent hostages to de facto guarantee After realizing that Imagawa and Takeda's rear areas would not be threatened - it reached its peak.
Last year, in the thirteenth year of Tenmon (1545), since the main force of the Imagawa family had been confronting the Hojo family in the Kadong area, the Oda family also set its sights on Mino in the north. As a result, the Oda family and the Asakura family once again joined forces to attack the Saito family on the grounds that they supported the real Mino to protect the Toki family and return to Mino. Last time, in order to resolve the dilemma of two-pronged attack, the Saito family instigated the Asai family's Taya Meimasa to rebel (that is, the Asai family coup in which Imagawa Yoshimoto intervened). But now, there are no such chess pieces available, and the Saito family has to engage in a two-front battle.
The passive Saito family retreated steadily, and Oda Nobuhide once took over Ogaki Castle, the stronghold of Nishi Mino. However, when the Oda army attacked Inabayama Castle, the home city of the Saito family, they encountered a surprise attack by Saito Dozo in the Battle of Kanaguchi. They were severely defeated and had to withdraw in embarrassment. The Asakura family also withdrew immediately. After several months of rest, Oda Nobuhide was preparing to send troops to the north again after the spring plowing this year. As a result, he heard the bad news that the Imagawa family and the Takeda family had joined forces to attack Luo.
As a result, Oda Nobuhide had to immediately withdraw his troops from Mino, and at the same time sent people to negotiate a truce with the Saito family. Saito Michizan was also uneasy about the westward advance of the Imagawa and Takeda families. He not only accepted the armistice, but also proposed that the Oda and Saito families also form an alliance to compete. In the end, Saito Michizan married his daughter Saito Kaibi to Oda Nobuhide's eldest son, Master Oda Yoshi Nobunaga, and the two families secretly entered into a marriage alliance. At the same time, the Oda family returned the Ogaki Castle and other Mino territories they had previously conquered to the Saito family.
Yamaguchi Ketsugu also revealed: According to the agreement between the two parties at the time, the Saito family will send 7,000 troops south to Owari to meet with Oda Nobuhide’s main force and resist the Kaso-Shun coalition forces in the Yahagi River area on the Mikawa-Owari border. . In other words, if everything goes according to plan, there will actually be nearly 20,000 troops lurking along the Yahagi River, where it seems that only a small force of the Nishimatsudaira clan is active. The head-on confrontation between the Kabuto Jun coalition forces and the Onon coalition forces is about to break out.
"Of course, all this did not happen. Otherwise, if the army gathered and the border was under martial law, I would not have come to inform you." Yamaguchi Kyoutsugi explained to Imagawa Yoshimoto with a smile: "Because just a few days ago, the Oda family Suddenly I changed my mind."
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A few days ago, on the morning of March 4, the 14th year of Astronomy (1546), there was an evaluation meeting in the castle tower of Owari Kuna Furuno Castle.
"What are you talking about, Master Ji? Do you think you can speak at home after you become Yuanfu? Brat, you are still far away!" After hearing Oda Nobunaga's sudden suggestion at the evaluation meeting, Ori Tian Nobuhide himself couldn't help scolding his eldest son in public, "Going up and down with the Imagawa family? Are you kidding? Is the evaluation meeting a place for you to fool around?"
"As you wish." Oda Nobunaga didn't care about Oda Nobuhide's anger. He crossed his legs leisurely and didn't even look at Oda Nobuhide. "As long as you are happy, Dad .”
After the meeting, Oda Nobuhide seemed to feel dissatisfied, so he kept Oda Nobunaga again, intending to scold him again. However, before Oda Nobuhide could speak, Lin Xiuzhen, who was also staying, suddenly interjected: "My lord, you might as well listen to the young master."
"Huh?" Oda Nobuhide was obviously quite surprised by Lin Xiuzhen's statement, "Sado, do you think it's necessary to listen carefully to that whimsical idea?"
"I didn't even listen to it. How did you know it was a ghost idea?" Oda Nobunaga muttered angrily.
"Then tell me, if you can't explain why, your legs will be broken." Oda Nobhide turned around and glared at Oda Nobunaga fiercely. When he saw the tiger skin draped across his shoulders, And the accessories hanging around the waist make people angry all the time - after all, you are attending an evaluation meeting. You are not required to dress appropriately, but at least you are not allowed to expose your breasts, right? When I was a child, I thought it would be better if he grew up, but now that he is 12 or 3 years old and his wife is married, why is he still like this?
"Dad, do you think you can beat the Oda family here?" Oda Nobunaga asked a very insulting question.
"Can't beat it? What can't be beat? Who won Azukizaka last time?" As expected, Oda Nobuhide immediately got angry and cursed.
"That was because Imagawa Yoshimoto wanted to save the people, and that's why I was forced to a draw by you, dad, and we didn't even win. What's more, the person on the other side this time is Takeda Harunobu, who is not an easy person."
"What are you afraid of? The strength of our troops is almost the same. Are we still on the defensive side?"
"But the Hojo family already has hostages in the Imagawa Gigen formation, so the Imagawa family has nothing to worry about. In other words, they can continue to increase their troops. What if another 5,000 people are brought up from the rear? What should we do? Let's change the perspective. He said that the Imagawa family and the Takeda family have been allies fighting side by side for 10 years. Imagawa Yoshimoto and Takeda Harunobu are also close friends, so they must cooperate tacitly. But we and the Saito family have been at war for many years, and we even said that it was on the battlefield a few months ago. How could the Saito family fight for our Owari territory? Their 7,000 people are unreliable!" Oda Nobunaga changed his usual casual style and told Oda Nobhide very seriously and clearly. analyzed.
The look on Oda Nobuhide's face seemed dismissive, but in fact he listened carefully to his son's views - after all, he still hoped that his son could become a talented person in his heart. After hearing this, he retorted: "You know all this, the problem is that you have Is there a better way? The only way you can do it is to stay here and fight. Are you not going to say that you will go to Luo with the Imagawa family and the Takeda family? Is that such a far-fetched way? Will they agree? Definitely not. . Do you think they really want to go to Luo? They are just attacking Owari under the guise of going to Luo."
"But the Imagawa family has been promoting Luo Luo with such great fanfare. If we also express our intention to go to Luo Luo together, it will always make things difficult for them. Even if they really refuse in the end, they will still continue to fight Owari, and we will make them lose their rightful name. , isn't it?" Oda Nobunaga has already settled the account very clearly, "It won't be a loss. It's the same duel here. Dad, you are the Xiaoxiao who disobeyed the one in Luo, and if you do what I do, they will A sanctimonious traitor."
"Ha, what if the Imagawa family really agrees? What will you do? Really make way for them and let them into Owari? What if they suddenly break out and attack after occupying a favorable position? We set up at the border of Owari and Mikawa Isn’t the line of defense all in vain?” Oda Nobuhide found a fatal flaw in Oda Nobunaga’s plan.
"Imagawa Yoshimoto will definitely not do this. It will destroy the reputation accumulated by countless generations of Imagawa family in one day, and he is unwilling to bear it." Oda Nobunaga made a firm judgment.
"How can you put the life of your family and country on the moral level of your enemy?" Oda Nobuhide laughed dumbly.
"Isn't this how dad took advantage of the last battle at Azukizaka? Then Imagawa Yoshimoto is really such a person." But Oda Nobunaga's retort immediately left Oda Nobuhide speechless.
"I think it's feasible." Lin Xiuzhen said from the side: "Imagawa Harubu is indeed such a person. A country is easy to change, but a person's nature is hard to change."
"Well... the problem is, Monk Yuksai and Takeda Ozen are not fuel-efficient lamps. Even if Imagawa Yoshimoto disagrees, what if the two of them are going to make trouble?" Oda Nobuhide agreed with Oda Nobunaga and Lin Xiuzhen's attitude towards Imagawa. Yoshimoto's judgment, but still doubtful.
"Master Yukisai is Ou Sa Ryosuke, and he is by no means a powerful minister. If Imagawa Jibu disagrees, he will not disobey the princes. Besides, Master Yukizai aims at the world, how can he do it just for the advantage of this battle? Abandoning the loyalty of many generations of the Imagawa family? It's not worth it. As long as the Imagawa family refuses to take action, there is nothing we can do about the Takeda Daisen being unable to operate alone." Lin Xiuzhen explained to Oda Nobuhide, "So the most likely scenario is that Jun Kabuta The coalition forces pass through our territory and continue to go up to Luo. However, there will inevitably be some random arrests and intrusions on people's livelihood along the way."
"Of course, this requires a prerequisite -" Oda Nobunaga continued following Lin Xiuzhen's words, "that is, our Oda family and Saito family will both send some troops to follow them to Luo. If neither of our two families are willing to send troops If so, the Imagawa Army and the Takeda Army must be worried that our main force will cut off their retreat, or attack their capabilities while they are working on an expedition. Therefore, we will detach a part of the main force to follow Luo, just like the Hojo family's special force. Acting as a "hostage" can allow the Imagawa Army and the Takeda Army to go to Luo with peace of mind. Otherwise, they would rather stay at the border and fight
battle. "
"Isn't this just unnecessary. You are making things more and more complicated, and in the end you are controlled by others? It is better to fight a war on this border." Oda Nobuhide shook his head repeatedly.
"But as I said just now, we have little chance of winning in a battle here." Oda Nobunaga tirelessly persuaded Oda Nobuhide over and over again, "But if we can trick their main force into going to Kyoto and Kamiro, what we have left behind Couldn’t we take advantage of the military strength to attack their empty territory? Both Imagawa Yoshimoto and Taihara Sekssai led their troops to the expedition, and all the retainers such as Asahina and Okabe, as well as the elite Hatamoto from the Imagawa family, also accompanied the army. Wouldn’t the territory be vulnerable?”
"Then we don't want the hostages? As soon as we take action here, the Imagawa family will execute the hostages we send. How can the family agree? Who will be sent to lead the army as hostages?" Oda Nobuhide asked with a sneer.
"Me." Oda Nobunaga patted his chest boldly.
"Ah?" Oda Nobuhide was surprised when he heard this, but Lin Xiuzhen seemed to have expected it and nodded slightly.
"I led people to follow Imagawa Yoshimoto to Luo, which is enough to show the sincerity of the Oda family. Imagawa Yoshimoto will definitely leave with confidence and boldness. When we arrived in Kyoto, the war was in chaos. I found an opportunity to get rid of the Imagawa army and ran back to Owari with my own people. At that time, dad, you can attack Mikawa with confidence." Oda Nobunaga pointed to his chest with his thumb confidently.
"What if I didn't throw it away?" Oda Nobuhide frowned.
"Then dad, just stay put. We won't suffer any loss anyway. We deceived the Kabuto Shun coalition's attack on Owari into Kyoto."
"I think it's feasible." Lin Xiuzhen raised her hand and remonstrated, "Young Master has made it very clear. We will definitely not suffer any loss."
"It's so crazy... It's almost like a scene that would have happened during the Onin Rebellion decades ago... All the lords abandoned their skills and went to Luo one after another." Oda Nobuhide took a deep breath, still feeling that the situation in front of him was Somewhat absurd, "The starting point of thinking has changed from the central position to one-third of one acre of land... but the actions taken by different circumstances are the same."
"Hurry up and talk to my father-in-law and ask the Saito family if they want to come together." Oda Nobunaga grinned happily when he saw his father relenting.
"The Viper will definitely be happy, don't even think about it." Oda Nobuhide shook his head, and then glanced at Oda Nobunaga, "But you? Why are you so confident? What if the Imagawa family and the Takeda family really agree to come together? Shangluo, you are going to be a hostage. If Imagawa Yoshimoto changes his gender, your life will be in danger."
"What Imagawa Yoshimoto, I never take him seriously." Oda Nobunaga raised his eyebrows indifferently, with a maturity that was inconsistent with his age and clothing: "Troubled times are like a mud pit. A mystical female warrior like him, who doesn't want to let a trace of mud stain her clean court clothes and has no choice but to walk on narrow bars, how can she compete with a wild boy like me who has been rolling in the mud since he was a child?"
