On June 2, Harima's Akamatsu Masasuke led the Akamatsu family's troops to the Jinjuji Temple in Settsu. And just when Hosokawa Takakuni and Urakami Muramune were excited for the arrival of Akamatsu Masasuke, Akamatsu Masasuke sent troops, but the target was indeed Nakajima Castle where Hosokawa Takakuni and Urakami Muramune were located!
June 3rd, night.
Inside the Main Formation of Hosokawa Takakuni, Nakajima Castle.
Urakami Muramune tiredly took off his clothes, changed into his hunting clothes and entered the formation. Although Takakuni Hosokawa was the nominal general, it was Urakami Muramune who actually commanded the battle.
After fighting in Settsu for so many days, in fact both sides were like "college students in military training". Although the scale of the battle was large, it was not intense.
Neither side would fight a "serious" war.
"According to the speed of the Akamatsu family's advance, we will be able to reach the battlefield the day after tomorrow! With the Akamatsu family's assistance by then, our army will be able to break through Hosokawa Rokuro's defense line, right?" Hosokawa Takakuni is actually confident about his own side. The situation is very optimistic, and it looks like victory is within reach.
Although Urakami Muramune was not optimistic about the current war situation, he would not say anything depressing at this time and would just drink in silence.
Seeing that Urakami Muramune didn't seem to be very interested, Hosokawa Takakuni turned his attention to another person in the formation, "Musashi Shouden, although the Kyogoku family did not send many troops this time, I also watched yesterday's battle. In my eyes!”
"Although it was only a hundred cavalry charging into the formation, it easily defeated the enemy's front line. The combat effectiveness is not bad!" Hosokawa Takakuni's words are not a compliment. It is indeed Kyogoku Takahiro who brought him this time. The combat effectiveness of the one hundred cavalry is astonishing.
In fact, these one hundred knights are the flagship team that Kyogoku Takamasa trained for Kyogoku Takahiro in his spare time. Of course, there are not a hundred cavalry. There are only a dozen or twenty warriors on horseback, and the rest are warriors on foot.
War horses are a scarce resource in Omi Kingdom, and with the strength of the Kyogoku family, they cannot afford to form a riding team.
These one hundred riders undergo "devil-like" training every day, and after more than a year of sweating, they are considered well-trained. Moreover, the equipment on his body is all sophisticated equipment obtained by selling iron and steel from the Kyogoku family. At first glance, it can indeed be called an elite.
If someone who didn't know the strength of the Kyogoku family saw the one hundred banners under Kyogoku Takahiro, he would probably think that the Kyogoku family was some million-koku guardian daimyo.
"This is the military strength trained by my eldest son, Saburo, but it made the palace commander laugh!" Kyogoku Takahiro didn't have any city government, and he didn't know what hiding was, so he subconsciously "sold" Kyogoku Gaozheng.
"Oh? Could it be that Kyogoku Sakyo, known as Yasha Saburo, entered the palace?" Hosokawa Takakuni suddenly became interested, and even Urakami Muramune, who was drinking sullenly at the side, showed curious eyes.
Kyogoku Takahiro nodded, "I didn't expect that even the head of the palace would know about Saburo's false reputation! I'm really flattered!"
"Kinai is such a big place, how can you hide any troubles from me?" Hosokawa Takakuni said with a smile. "It is said that during the Battle of Anegawa, Kyogoku Sakyo could not enter the Yuanfu. I didn't expect that he could do it." With such achievements, you are truly worthy of being a member of the Kyogoku family!"
"The Guanling Palace received the award!"
"Speaking of which, why didn't Kyogoku Sakyo-shin go out with Musashi Shouden this time?" Urakami Muramune on the side suddenly asked.
Well, Kyogoku Takahiro was stunned for a moment, and then replied with an embarrassed look, "I have led the army out into battle, so Saburo still needs to take care of the family affairs."
"I see!" Hosokawa Takakuni nodded, "But I don't know if Sakyo Shin has ever been married?"
"Well, that's not the case yet!"
"Hey, I don't know which family's daughter has the honor to marry a samurai like Sakyou Susumu!" Hosokawa Takakuni said jokingly.
Urakami Muramune on the side also spoke up, "Don't you have a princess of the right age for the governor of the palace? I think it's better to choose a day than to hit the sun. I might as well act as a matchmaker today. What do you think of Musashi as the guardian of the palace and the steward of the palace?"
Kyogoku Takahiro now came to his senses, this is what Takakuni Hosokawa wants to marry with the Kyogoku family!
Speaking of what he said before, Kyogoku Takahiro must be very willing. If Kyogoku Takamasa can marry the daughter of Hosokawa Takakuni, it will be equivalent to the Kyogoku family embracing the Hosokawa family, and the Kyogoku family can go sideways in the Kinai area.
However, Kyogoku Takahiro, as the "internal response", knew in his heart that this battle with Hosokawa Takano was bound to be defeated. Therefore, Kyogoku Takahiro will naturally not jump into the fire pit.
"This matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with my retainers!" Although Kyogoku Takahiro's words are not convincing, they are also common sense.
Kyogoku Takamasa, as the eldest son of Kyogoku Takahiro, will undoubtedly be the future heir to the Kyogoku family. The main wife of Kyogoku Takahiro will be the future mistress of the Kyogoku family. Under normal circumstances, this matter does need to be discussed with the retainers.
Hosokawa Takakuni was not in a hurry. Anyway, he was about to defeat Hosokawa Harumoto and regain control of Kinai. Sooner or later, a Kyogoku family will fall into the trap. If it weren't for the fact that the Kyogoku family is known as the "Four Jobs Family", Hosokawa Takakuni would not look down on the Kyogoku family's strength.
The main reason is that Hosokawa Harumoto's troubles this time have shaken the foundation of Hosokawa Takakuni, so even if Hosokawa Takakuni defeats Hosokawa Harumoto, he still needs to re-establish his prestige and authority. And to win over a Kyogoku family, Hosokawa Takakuni doesn't have to pay anything, so why not do it?
"It's getting late. Let's have a good rest tonight! When the Akamatsu family's troops arrive, there will be a big battle!" After saying that, Hosokawa Takakuni put down the wine glass in his hand and prepared to rest.
Urakami Muramune and others also left the formation one after another and returned to their respective camps.
After Kyogoku Takahiro returned to the camp, he quickly called a close man and said, "Go ahead and order the whole army to retreat to the southwest tomorrow morning. Everything will be done as ordered!"
"ha!"
The night is long, but there will be a moment of dawn.
When a touch of fish belly white appears in the eastern sky, a new day begins.
"Report! The troops of the Miyoshi family suddenly launched a fierce attack on our front line!" Hosokawa Takakuni had just gotten up from the tatami when he received a letter asking for help from the front line.
"What's going on? Haven't the Miyoshi family always been on the defensive before? Why did they take the initiative to attack uncharacteristically today?" Hosokawa Takakuni asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Where's Mimasakushu?"
"Lord Urakami has led his troops to support!"
"Well, I can rest assured that Mimasaku is there!" Hosokawa Takakuni nodded, preparing to go back and take a nap.
At this time, Kyogoku Takahiro suddenly said, "Guan Lingden, this time the Miyoshi family launched the attack, they must have realized that the Akamatsu family's troops will affect the situation of the battle after they arrive!"
"In this case, the enemy will definitely attack our army without sparing any effort, hoping to repel our army before the Akamatsu family arrives!"
"There is a battle ahead right now. If the commander-in-chief can go out into battle, it will definitely boost the morale of our army. In this way, our army will definitely be overwhelming and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!"
After Kyogoku Takahiro finished speaking, Hosokawa Takakuni thought about it carefully, "What Musashi Shou said makes sense. If that's the case, then I'll go out into battle too!"
Anyway, it's just a walk up there, shouting 666 or something like that, and you don't have to go into battle in person, so Hosokawa Takakuni has no worries. It's just that Hosokawa Takakuni didn't notice the sweat on Kyogoku Takahiro's forehead due to nervousness, and the trembling hands behind his back.
