1635 Han style rises again

September 1674, 11, Osaka.

In the morning, seven o'clock.

The Japanese Emperor Shiren stood at the entrance of the main hall, with his hands behind his back, looked up at a tall cypress tree in front of him, and remained silent.

The entire city of Daban has been in a state of hustle and bustle since five o'clock in the morning. All the streets are full of groups of Qi soldiers, fully armed, filing out and marching out of the city.

Four days ago, the shogunate army arrived outside the city of Osaka. It is said that there are [-] troops. The camp stretches for dozens of miles, covering the entire Yamato River, and the momentum is overwhelming.

At noon the next day, the shogunate army sent envoys into the city and issued a letter of war to the Qi army. Three days later, they were invited to fight in the Hirano area outside Osaka City (now Abeno District, Osaka City).

I thought that the small number of the Qi army would not give up the strong defense of Daban City, and would definitely choose to rely on the fortifications to consume the strength of the shogunate army.

However, the generals of the Qi army accepted the shogunate army's request for a decisive battle, and had no objection to the battlefield chosen by the shogunate army.

In the next two days, the two sides each sent more than a hundred people to the Pingye area to inspect the terrain, determine each other's marching route and battlefield layout, and prepare for a Spring and Autumn Gentleman's War.

In fact, from Emperor Shiren's point of view, the Qi people were a little overbearing.Although they attacked Osaka, broke Kyoto, occupied Nara, and rampaged in the Gyeonggi area in the past few months, they did not suffer any defeat, showing their strong combat power.

However, these victories achieved by the Qi army were all won by tricks. They used surprise attacks, gathered superior forces, and selected the weak defenses in the Gyeonggi area to capture the above-mentioned important cities one by one.

But this time the shogunate's army of [-] people came all the way from the Kanto with an overwhelming force, occupying an absolute advantage in strength, which is four or five times that of the Qi army.If they rely on the strong defense of Osaka City and rely on their own firearms, they may be able to cause heavy losses to the shogunate army in the defensive battle.

In addition, the shogunate army came from afar, and the Gyeonggi area was fortified and cleared by the Qi people. It must be extremely difficult to supply, and naturally the advantage lies in a quick battle.Therefore, the shogunate army will take the initiative to invite Qi to go out of the city for a decisive battle.

However, with only [-] troops, the Qi State agreed to the shogunate army's request for a decisive battle. It is not known whether they were too arrogant or had other reasons.

"Have the people of Qi gone out of the city already?" Emperor Shiren asked softly when he saw a court official (a mid-level official who served the emperor) bowing to the side of the courtyard.

"Returning to Your Majesty, the army of the State of Qi almost came out in full force and headed towards the plains outside the city." The man in the palace bowed his knees and saluted: "However, the people of the State of Qi still left nearly two thousand soldiers in the city. At the same time, they announced that the soldiers in the city The curfew will remain in place until early tomorrow morning."

"The curfew will continue until tomorrow morning?" Emperor Shiren was taken aback when he heard the words, and then he couldn't help laughing, "That's right, the decisive battle between the two sides today may be decided in the evening. No matter which side wins this battle, everyone Bancheng will definitely lift the curfew tomorrow morning...Which side do you think will win today's battle?"

"...", the man in the hall was stunned by the emperor's question, "I don't know."

"Hehe..." Emperor Shiren didn't care about the answer of the man in the hall, chuckled twice, turned around and walked towards the hall, "If the Tokugawa clan loses this battle, I'm afraid that Japan's Warring States era will come again."
-
At eight o'clock in the morning, Tennoji Temple.

Masatoshi Hotta, the general of the shogunate army, knelt in a bright hall of Tennoji Temple, with his hands on his knees, his eyes slightly closed, and his face solemn.

Three days ago, Masatoshi Hotta sent a messenger to Osaka City, and issued a letter of war to Qi State, asking him to fight a decisive battle outside the city.At that time, he was very worried that the people of Qi would scoff at this and reject the request.

You must know that although the shogunate army has more than [-] troops and occupies an absolute advantage in strength, it is quite difficult to supply logistics.In order to ensure the needs of the army, the shogunate army mobilized hundreds of thousands of people in the Kansai and Gyeonggi areas, transported countless combat supplies to Kyoto bit by bit, and then transferred them to the city of Osaka, which cost a lot of money.

If the Qi people defended the strong Daban City and refused to fight, then the shogunate army would have to take the initiative to launch an attack on Daban City.With the advantages of many firearms owned by the Qi people, the siege battle will inevitably be very tragic, which will greatly consume the strength of the shogunate army.

From the Sengoku period to the present, Japan has not learned how to make powerful artillery.Although they have a small number of cannons from Europe and have used them in the battles of Guanyuan and Osaka decades ago, their main function is to deter the enemy psychologically.In Japan, therefore, most siege warfare was conducted in a very traditional manner.

During siege battles, warriors usually could only hide behind wooden barriers or bamboo rafts, and shoot bows and arrows or iron guns at the defenders through the small gaps in the top.The defenders on the city also shot back with bows and arrows and iron guns through the gun holes and crenels of the city wall.

For the besiegers, the enemy's city was set on fire, the garrison soldiers surrendered, traitors appeared in the city, or the walls fell, all of which meant victory.The defenders in the city could only rely on the arrival of outside reinforcements, or inflicting enough damage on the siege forces to force them to retreat.

At the cost of huge casualties, attacking Osaka Castle was the last choice Hotta Masatoshi wanted to face, because this method would greatly damage the strength of the shogunate and weaken the suppression of the domestic vassals.Those foreign daimyos who are rebellious and not weak will inevitably have different thoughts once they find that the power of the shogunate is not enough to control the world.

After receiving the news of Qi's challenge, Masatoshi Hotta and many generals of the shogunate army and daimyos of the vassal states began to discuss how to arrange troops, how to use the terrain of the plains, and how to give full play to the strength of the shogunate army. .Everyone brainstormed, and also referred to the Battle of Osaka that year and the Battle of Nagashino, which was the first large-scale use of firearms during the Warring States Period.

Since yesterday afternoon, the [-] troops have successively entered the battlefield and set up positions according to the military deployment after the meeting.During this period, the main force of the army was spearmen. Whether it was infantry warriors equipped with iron spearheads or ashigaru soldiers with a large number of bamboo spears, they all occupied the vast majority of the army.

On the front line of the shogunate army's position, there are as many as [-] spearmen.And behind these spearmen, there are more than [-] iron cannon ashigaru troops that the shogunate army relied on as a decisive force.Under the cover of spearmen, they will calmly load, load, line up, and fire.

If the enemy's formation can be disrupted with iron cannon ashigaru troops, the spearmen in the front row and the elite samurai army behind the formation will rush out of the position in time to charge the Qi army and fight hand-to-hand with them.In the end, more than [-] cavalry will carry out the final harvest on the fleeing enemy army, establishing the victory in one fell swoop.

"Your Excellency General, the army of the Qi State has entered the Hirano area." Mito Domain General Tokugawa Tsunajo (the adopted son of the domain lord Tokugawa Mitsuki) entered the Ming Hall and said softly.

"How big is the Qi army?" Masatoshi Hotta opened his eyes and asked in a deep voice.

"Probably between 6000 and 8000."

"Oh?" Masatoshi Hotta frowned, "According to the feedback from various sources, the number of Qi troops is close to 2. So, they still have about 2000 people in Osaka City."

"Your Excellency, are you worried that our more than [-] troops ambushing near the Daoming Temple will not be able to conquer Daban City?"

"If the Qi army hears that Daban City has been destroyed by our army when we are fighting fiercely, they will definitely be in a state of confusion." Masatoshi Hotta nodded and said: "Unexpectedly, they will still leave 2000 people when they are short of troops. Stationed in Daban City to prevent us from taking the opportunity to attack."

"Your Excellency, even if our ambush army fails to conquer Osaka City, as long as the news of the siege reaches the ears of the Qi army, it will inevitably cause confusion in their army." Tokugawa Tsunajo said: "Furthermore, our army's strength It is several times larger than the Qi army, as long as the opponent's main force is wiped out in the decisive battle later, Daban City will be defeated without a fight!"

"What Tokugawa-kun said is exactly what I want!" Masatoshi Horita stood tall, his face full of high-spirited confidence, "Let's go, let's meet the Qi army from Nanban!"
-
At ten o'clock in the morning, Hirano River.

"Your Excellency, General." A member of the Sendai clan rushed to the front of the formation, dismounted from his horse, bowed and saluted, "Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, ordered my Sendai clan's troops to attack the enemy first!"

After hearing the words, General Ishikawa Zongjing of the Sendai Clan was astonished, and asked in surprise, "According to the pre-war deployment, isn't our army going to wait for the enemy to set up the battlefield and fight a dignified battle with them?"

"Your Excellency the Chief General declared that the Qi State is a country transformed from the southern barbarians, and if you invade rashly, you will not follow the dignified battle of a gentleman."

"Huh?..." Ishikawa Zongjing couldn't help but frowned, and subconsciously turned his head to look in the direction of the shogunate's main formation.

As the largest vassal state in the northeastern region of Japan, the Sendai vassal sent more than [-] vassal troops under the shogunate’s military conscript this time, which is the second largest vassal state after the Tokugawa clan of the Owari clan.

Although the Sendai Clan contributed a lot, they were still treated differently by the Tokugawa Clan. During the march, they were arranged as vanguards to build bridges and pave the way for the army, and when they rested and set up camp at night, they were placed outside the army as a warning.When they arrived on the battlefield, they were assigned to the front line to face the enemy's front line.

Fortunately, General Hotta Masatoshi wanted to let the Sendai Fan attack while the opposing Qi army was setting up the battlefield. Apart from wanting to catch the opponent by surprise, he also wanted the Sendai Fan to test the opponent's combat power.

If it can disrupt the deployment of the Qi army and cause chaos in the opponent's position, then the main force of the shogunate army will naturally take advantage of the situation to launch a full-scale attack and defeat the Qi army in one fell swoop.

If, when the Qi army is about to fight, it keeps the army in order and repels the surprise attack of the Sendai Fan, then the entire shogunate army will not suffer much loss. Through this test, we can find out the actual combat power of the Qi army. .

This Tokugawa family clearly wants to consume the strength of my Sendai Clan on the battlefield!

Although, the public salary of the Sendai domain is 62 koku, which is lower than that of the Kaga domain and Satsuma domain, and comparable to that of the Owari domain.However, the actual salary of the Sendai clan is as high as 100 million shi. In addition to the rich mineral resources, smelting and animal husbandry, the income from the fishing grounds in Sanlu Bay, and the port revenue, the actual financial scale of the Sendai clan has exceeded 200 million shi. .

Under such circumstances, the Tokugawa clan naturally became deeply jealous, and regarded the Sendai clan as a serious problem, always thinking of taking the opportunity to weaken the Date clan's strength.

In addition, during the summer battle in Osaka decades ago, Tokugawa Ieyasu's Jinbo Shomo troops were defeated after being attacked and attacked the Sendai clan. The first generation of the clan lord Date Masamune ordered the iron artillery troops to cover and shoot regardless of the enemy or us. , causing Jinbao Shomo's army to collapse, and Jinbo Shomo himself died in battle.This move was met with suspicion from many parties by the Tokugawa clan, who believed that the Sendai Fan's heart was towards the Toyotomi clan.

Unexpectedly, decades later, the Date family of the Sendai domain was recruited by the shogunate again, and accompanied the shogunate army to attack Osaka for the second time. In the dark, there may be some kind of fate waiting for them.

"All armies, under the command of the general, all attack!" Ishikawa Zongjing showed an inexplicable sternness on his face, drew out his samurai sword, and swung forward vigorously.
-
Before noon, eleven o'clock.

The sky is full of haze, heavy, as if a lead-colored gray curtain is hung on the boundless sky, which makes people feel an unspeakable suffocation.In the vast Hirano River, there were bursts of gunfire, and the choking smoke continued to rise, linger, and permeate.

In the rear of the coalition forces, on a temporary watchtower, the commander of the coalition forces, General Guangwei (Major General) of the Qi Army, Su Zhongfu put down his binoculars, and looked at the chief of staff, Lieutenant Zhaoxin (Colonel) with a surprised expression on his face. ) Ren Maoyong, asked softly: "What's the meaning of the shogunate's way of fighting? I suddenly launched an attack when my formation was not stable. But when I attacked the front of the formation, I just fired muskets from a distance and stopped advancing. Moreover, although the shooting was lively, it was 300 meters away from us, and it was not within the shooting range at all!"

"Uh..., to consume our... patience?" Ren Maoyong said with some uncertainty: "Or, are you going to lure the enemy to go deep?...Or, let the Luzon Musketeer Battalion go out in front of the army and try to fight back. "

"Well, it's good to try to fight back." Su Zhongfu nodded.

With the sound of drums and trumpets, more than a thousand officers and soldiers of the Luzon Musketeer Battalion lined up in three rows, marching in orderly steps, and pressed towards the Xiantai Fan army.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..." After a few breaths, a burst of gunfire rang out, cutting off a thin layer of the array of the Sendai Army on the opposite side.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..." Before the Sendai army could react, the second round of gunfire came back in an instant, and more than 100 iron cannons fell to the ground lightly.

"Shoot!...Shoot!" After a moment of astonishment, an iron cannon head of the Sendai clan immediately waved a samurai sword and ordered loudly.

With the old matchlock guns currently possessed by Japan, the effective killing distance is 30-50 meters, but the iron artillery of the opposing Qi army is obviously at a distance of more than 50 meters, and they can kill hundreds of people on their own side with two consecutive rounds of shooting.This made the Sendai Fan iron cannon ashigaru queue suddenly a little panicked, and under the command of the iron cannon head and the iron cannon head, they pulled the trigger one after another.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

Although there are more than 300 iron artillerymen in the front line of the Sendai Domain, after two consecutive rounds of attacks, the ashigaru artillerymen were obviously deformed. The effect of the Luzon Musket Battalion's shooting, coupled with the lack of effective range, only brought down more than a dozen opponents.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

The third round of volleys from the Luzon Musket Battalion started, causing more than 100 casualties in the Sendai Fan Iron Pao Ashgaru Unit, making the entire formation faintly showing signs of instability.

"Withdraw!" Seeing this, the general of the Sendai Clan, Zongjing Ishikawa, who was in the rear, immediately ordered loudly.