Ming Zuo

Chapter 1676 Deception succeeded
Saku is just a very small city, located in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides.

In the past, no one cared about this kind of place at all, but now it has become a strategic place.

The Tokugawa shogunate can only guarantee the safety of the Edo Plain if it guards here.

Once the foreign daimyo breaks through here, they can step into the plains and approach the city of Edo.

Everyone knows that if they really want to hit the Edo city, the civil war in Japan will be decided.

Mitsuhiro Mori has long been fanatical.

Last year, Mao Lixiuyuan died of illness, and he officially took over as the lord of the Changzhou Domain, just in need of an opportunity to flex his muscles and prove himself.

If the Tokugawa shogunate is destroyed in his own hands, it will definitely be the pinnacle of his life.

However, the long and narrow terrain of the Saku Valley calmed him down somewhat.

His marching speed was not very fast, and he dispatched a large number of troops to seize the mountains on both sides to prevent falling into an ambush.

Not only that, even the Nagano and Nakano areas on the back road have deployed enough troops to prevent the shogunate troops from outflanking.

What concerned the foreign daimyo the most was whether or not the shogunate troops went to Sendai to suppress the rebellion.

And such information can only be obtained in Edo.

It's a pity that Edo is currently under martial law, and there is no communication between the inside and the outside, and the spies lurking in the city with foreign names can't deliver any news at all.

"Chief General, we conducted a rigorous reconnaissance, but we did not find any trace of the shogunate army. Let's attack and take down Saku, the victory will definitely belong to us."

Kato Tadahiro urged.

According to news from within the domain, this year's food production has plummeted, and it can't even meet the consumption of officials. It must be impossible to support the front line.

If the war cannot be ended in a short period of time, the lack of food alone will be enough to drag down the daimyo's army.

Mao Li Guangguang frowned, hesitating.

Fighting along the way, although many places were occupied, without exception, not a single grain was obtained.

It was not that the shogunate army carried out the fortification and clearing of the fields, but that there was indeed no food in these places.

The men in many villages have been conscripted into the army and have never returned, apparently becoming cannon fodder on the battlefield.

The remaining women, old people and children are not only unable to farm, but even their survival has become a problem.

How far are the folks in Japan today?

Even if a woman wanted to sell herself, she couldn't find a buyer.

Because all are destitute and on the brink of starvation.

Kato Tadahiro, a lunatic, even ordered the army to slaughter three villages during the march, turning all the people in the village into dry food.

Under extreme difficulties, the Dongying people fully showed their beast side.

"Wait another three days for news from the horses."

The narrow and long Saku Valley could not allow all the troops to go together. At the same time, in order to form a flanking effect, another daimyo army under the command of Mitsuhisa Shimadzu attacked the horses from the east.

Once the horses are defeated, they can go out in two directions, making it even more difficult for the shogunate army to defend.

Three days passed quickly, and news from Qunma came.

Mitsuhisa Shimadzu successfully captured the horses.

In front of him, only Mount Chicheng remained.

This is the last commanding height to enter the Edo Plain. After taking this place, the Maebashi is not far away.

After receiving the news, Mitsuhiro Mori's confidence increased greatly, and he immediately ordered a fierce attack on Saku.

Saburo Ogasawara, who guarded Saku, faithfully carried out Toshikatsu Doi's order, and never thought of retreating or escaping.

Death in battle was his only option.

Saburo Ogasawara is one of Tokugawa Iemitsu's surnames, and he is the most loyal to Tokugawa Iemitsu.

For the foundation of the Tokugawa shogunate, let alone death, he doesn't care even if he goes to hell.

Under his ruthless order, everyone in Saku Castle was sent to the city wall, and every grain of food was supervised.

So he had five thousand troops and four thousand civilians in his hands.

The [-] civilians, regardless of gender, age or age, all wanted to take up arms and fight.

Saburo Ogasawara's supervisor team stood behind them. Anyone who escaped or was timid would be killed immediately.

The desperate people had to turn into wild beasts, clumsily and embarrassingly against the city wall.

They are the poorest bunch.

Not to mention being on the most dangerous front line, there is nothing to eat.

Most of the supervised food was distributed to the army, leaving them only leftovers, and only one meal a day.

"General, if this continues, will these untouchables rebel?"

The lieutenant was a little worried.

Saburo Ogasawara's expression did not loosen.

"Do they have the strength to rebel? Will they survive after the daimyo's army enters the city?"

Although these words are ridiculed, they are extremely true.

The first thing the daimyo's army, which was also extremely poor, entered the city, was to loot and kill.

Death is left and right, and there is no possibility for the people of Saku to escape from hell.

Wave after wave of daimyo's troops rushed towards the city wall, how many ladders were erected, and how many were pushed down by the defenders.

Mao Li Guangguang gathered his muskets, regardless of the casualties, pushed them to the bottom of the city, and suppressed the firepower against the attack from above.

Ordinary people would not be able to protect themselves under such firepower, and soon suffered heavy casualties, and gaps appeared in their defenses.

So the army that had recharged its batteries came up to take over, and once again fought inextricably with the daimyo's army.

But the daimyo army has an even greater advantage.

That is artillery.

The bronze artillery bought from the empire was transported up, and regardless of whether there were still people on the city wall, they immediately began to bombard them indiscriminately.

For a small town like Saku, it is difficult to defend against artillery bombardment.

It only took a day and a half to blow up a gap of about ten feet in the north wall.

The morale of the daimyo army was surging, and they rushed towards the city along the gap.

Just when they were about to rush into the city, thunder roared from the gap, and dust and smoke shot up into the sky.

It turned out that Saburo Ogasawara planted nearly a thousand catties of explosives here, sweeping away all the creatures in the nearby Lixu on the spot.

Taking advantage of the opportunity when the daimyo's army was bombed, Saburo Ogasawara launched a counterattack with his soldiers and horses himself.

This battle was extremely bloody.

In the end, the daimyo army captured Saku after paying the price of 300 casualties.

Saburo Ogasawara was cut into pieces, he fulfilled his loyalty to Tokugawa Iemitsu very well, and he also completed his mission.

His desperate resistance deceived Mao Liguangguang and others very well.

The daimyo allied forces agreed that the main force of the shogunate army must have gone to Sendai to suppress the rebellion.

Otherwise, why would Saburo Ogasawara fight to the death without retreating?

"Order all ministries not to stay, and rush to the front bridge at full speed."

Mitsuhiro Mori gave the order to step into hell, which also kicked off the final battle in Japan.

At the same time, on the pier in Edo, a few sneaky people got on a boat and started sailing to the open sea under the cover of night.

Before he had gone far, he was stopped by a ship patrolled by the shogunate.

"Baga, the people of our empire, do you dare to stop them?"

The people on the boat were so imposing that they didn't realize it.

No way, the strength of the empire gave the merchants the most confidence.

Facing the menacing imperial merchants, the Dongying people hesitated.

　Thanks to Weiai Qinger and book friend 101230102909080 for their rewards!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)