Naitokan in the south of Nishiyama Castle is the residence of the Naito family, a wealthy family in Toshiki County.
The Wakasa Takeda family is a branch of the Kai Takeda family, so the retainer structure is roughly similar to the Kai Takeda family. Family names such as Yamagata and Naito that are famous within the Kai Takeda family also exist within the Wakasa Takeda family.
However, compared with the Naito family and the Yamagata family, who are more well-known in history, those of the Wakasa Takeda family are almost nothing.
At this time, outside the city of Naitokan, a defeated army of about a hundred people was moving towards Naitokan in embarrassment.
The leader, a young warrior, had blood on his face, and a blood-stained cloth strip tied to his right arm. His ferocious face looked slightly sad.
The samurai is none other than Yoshida Kanright, the son of Yoshida Kanaga!
"Father, don't worry, even if I shed the last drop of my blood, I will definitely protect my family!" Yoshida Kensei tightly held the famous family sword "Yoshida Kunimitsu" in his hand, thinking silently in his heart.
Just yesterday, Yoshida Kanaga and his son and others faced the heavy siege of the Kuriya family. Although they broke through the siege of the Kuriya family with the hard work of everyone, they were quickly surrounded again by the Kuriya family who had the numerical advantage.
As morale collapsed, only a few hundred of the more than a thousand people under Yoshida Kanaga's command remained.
In desperation, Yoshida Kaneg decided to lead some of his kin samurai and elite ashigaru to stay as palace troops, and then officially passed on the position of governor of the Yoshida family to Yoshida Kaneshit, and finally ordered Yoshida Kaneshit to break out in the direction of Naitokan.
Kuriya Mototaka's team went to Takeda Nobutoyo's main formation, so it was definitely unrealistic to retreat towards Gozeyama Castle. There were too many enemy troops in front.
So Yoshida Kanaga asked Yoshida Kanyou to retreat in the opposite direction. At least this direction was the territory of the Naito family, and the Naito family were also retainers loyal to the Takeda family!
Yoshida Kanaga, with the remaining 40 diehards around him, relied on his familiarity with the surrounding terrain to hold off the Kuriya family's thousands of pursuers for half an hour. During this period, Yoshida Kanaga's fierce fighting once made the pursuing Kuriya family ashigaru dare not step forward.
However, the number of Yoshida Kaneaga is still too small after all, and coupled with his old age and lack of physical strength, when more Kuriya family ashigaru are killed, no matter how brave Yoshida Kanega and others are not afraid of death, everything will be It's all in vain.
The samurai warriors of the family fought hard to protect Kanagawa Yoshida, and vowed to defend the last dignity of the governor of the Yoshida family to the death.
When there was only one final name banner left beside Yoshida Kanaga, Yoshida Kanaga looked up to the sky and screamed in pain, then saluted in the direction of Gozeyama Castle, and then committed seppuku.
Kaneyoshi Yoshida's efforts were not in vain. It was precisely because of his fighting that the Yoshida family was continued - Kaneyoshi Yoshida survived and successfully broke through.
...........
Although he could no longer learn the intelligence on the battlefield, Yoshida Kaney certainly knew that under such circumstances, it would be impossible for Yoshida Kaneaga, who stayed as the imperial army, to come back alive. Although he has always been unwilling to believe that his father who has always loved and cared for him has disappeared so suddenly, when he thinks of the heavy responsibility he is shouldering at this time, Yoshida Kaneaga has to put aside other thoughts.
"The Naito Hall is ahead of us. As long as we retreat here, we will be safe for the time being! Everyone, speed up and rest after entering the city!" Yoshida Kanaga mustered up the last strength in his body and shouted loudly at the ashigaru behind him. road.
"Ha!" Yoshida Kanyou's response was the feeble voice of the ashigaru.
However, Yoshida Kanesuke, who was also exhausted, did not have the strength to scold the equally exhausted Ashigaru.
Just when Yoshida Kanesuke and others were about to arrive at Naito Hall, a fast horse suddenly came to Yoshida Kenshou and stopped next to him.
"Who are you?" The man on the horse looked at Yoshida Kanyou with a wary expression.
Looking at the Naito family crest on the man on the horse, Yoshida Kanue quickly said loudly: "I am Takeda retainer Yoshida Saemon, captain. The lord is defeated on the battlefield ahead. I am leading the remaining troops to prepare to go to Naito Pavilion to defend the Naito building. Ask for help!”
"Your Excellency, are you from the Naito family?"
"What?!" Unexpectedly, after hearing Yoshida Kanesuke's words, the mounted samurai was shocked.
"What did you just say? The lord was defeated?"
"That's right!" Yoshida Kensei nodded, "Just an hour ago, my family and the Kuriya family fought together. Although they gained an advantage for a while, they were defeated in the end!"
"How could this happen?" The knight on horseback murmured in despair.
Seeing that the samurai's expression was wrong, Yoshida Kenue quickly asked: "Did something happen to Naito Hall as well?"
"This family is in big trouble now!" The samurai raised his head and looked at Yoshida Kanyou and said, "I also went to Gozeyama Castle to ask for help on my lord's order!"
"I heard the news about the Kuriya family raising troops before, so my lord immediately mobilized troops to lead the army to support the main hall! But I didn't expect that an hour ago, the troops of the Omi Kyogoku family suddenly passed through Kumagawa Township and reached Naitokan. The general was preparing to lead the army out of the city. Our troops directly surrounded the city!"
"If we hadn't mobilized our troops in advance, I'm afraid the Naito Hall would have been captured by the Kyogoku family by now!"
Kensei Yoshida opened his mouth and said in disbelief: "How is that possible?"
"Why did the Kyogoku family's troops appear in Wakasa? Aren't they at war with the people of Takashima County?"
"It is reported that the allied forces of Takashima County were defeated by the Kyogoku family a few days ago. The Takashima family, Kuchiki family and other national armies were all wiped out!"
Hearing the samurai's words, Yoshida Kanesuke suddenly felt the sky and earth darkening for a while, and then fell heavily to the ground.
At this moment, Yoshida Kanesuke could no longer see any hope.
The Kyogoku family is a more powerful existence than the Kuriya family!
.........
On the street leading from Hakoyama Castle to Gozeyama Castle, Takeda Nobuntoyo and Takeda Samayun rode their war horses towards Gozeyama Castle as fast as possible.
Just halfway through, a troop suddenly appeared in front.
Takeda Nobutoyo, who was already frightened, almost fainted when he saw the ashigaru in front of him. Fortunately, Takeda Zomayun on the side had quick eyes and quick hands, and he supported Takeda Nobutoyo who almost fell off his horse.
"Lord, look, that seems to be the military strength of Muto Uenosuke-den!"
As soon as Takeda Zumayun finished speaking, several mounted warriors quickly ran out from the troops ahead.
"Lord, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Hakoyama Castle?!" Looking at the embarrassed Takeda Nobutoyo, Muto Tomoe looked confused. Yesterday, he also received news from Takeda Nobutoyo, claiming that he had set up a battle array near Hakoyama Castle and hoped that Muto Tomoe would come to support as soon as possible.
Why did Takeda Nobuyo look like this when I saw him today?
Seeing Muto Tomoe, Nobuto Takeda, who was frightened along the way, finally found a place to vent his anger, and immediately burst into tears, saying like a mourning heir, "It's over! It's over!!"
"Thousands of troops are completely destroyed!!"
Tomoe Muto:? ? ? ?
