different warring states of japan

Chapter 2160 The Last Chance to Show Up
Sakai Port, Customs Office.

Since Sakai Port fell into the control of the Sasaki family, the saint ordered the Izumi Hosokawa family to be responsible for the management of the checkpoint.

Although in recent years, the Sōma financial system represented by Daizo Changan and the Sōma foreign trade system represented by Lilu have gradually risen and taken away many benefits from Sakai Port.

However, Hosokawa Fujitaka still firmly grasped the tariff issue and got a share of the fat from the rapid development of the Shiba family.

Although it was a hot summer day, the room in the customs office was cool at this moment. Some merchants had already offered their home ice to flatter Hosokawa Fujitaka.

Akechi Mitsuhide used an ice pick to poke a large block of ice, and broken ice kept splashing out of the basin. Hosokawa Fujitaka, who was reading documents at the desk, said unhappily.

"Okay, you didn't come to my place just to play with ice, did you?"

Akechi Mitsuhide shook the ice cone and laughed.

"No wonder it's not easy to use. It turns out it's made of gold mixed in. The tip of the needle is too soft."

Akechi Mitsuhide avoided the question, but Hosokawa Fujitaka was too lazy to beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"You want me to give up Sakai Port?"

Akechi Mitsuhide shook his head.

“That’s not what I meant.

Sakai Port is the property entrusted by the saint to the Izumi Hosokawa family.

If we give up easily in the face of war, even if the saint does not want to pursue it, there will be people with ulterior motives who will exaggerate after the war and try every means to deprive the Izumi-Hosokawa family of their duty to occupy the checkpoints."

Hosokawa Fujitaka nodded.

"As long as you know."

Everyone knew that the Sasaki and Ichijo families would inevitably go to war, and Hosokawa Fujitaka naturally knew it as well.

The area around Sakai Port and Ishiyama is collectively called Osaka. It has a special status and is the core area where the two companies intersect. The Tobita Shinchi that made Hosokawa Fujitaka look embarrassed a while ago is also here.

The sage Xiang Zhuang danced with a sword, aiming at Pei Gong, but Hosokawa Fujitaka was just like a fire in the city gate, affecting innocent people.

Something happened in Tobita Shinchi, which she was in charge of. The saint took this opportunity to deal with dissidents. People who had long been jealous of the profits of Sakai Port Customs were also complaining behind her back.

If Hosokawa Fujitaka dared to easily withdraw from Sakai Port when the Ichijo Army was invading, it would give people a chance to talk about it, and there would be disputes over the jurisdiction of Sakai Port after the war, and he was afraid that it would fall into the hands of others.

Therefore, although Hosokawa Fujitaka knew that this place was dangerous, he could not retreat. At least the Izumi Hosokawa family had to kill a few important officials and hundreds of elite soldiers here, so that they could give an explanation to the Sasaki family.

Although he must die politically, it does not mean that Hosokawa Fujitaka is willing to lose his own direct line, she said unhappily.

"Since you know I can't retreat, why are you still wasting your breath here?"

Akechi Mitsuhide put down the ice cone and said solemnly.

“Osaka Bay, where Ishiyama Sakai Port is located, is the best port area in the Western Seto Inland Sea.

Ishiyama is in the hands of the Ichijo family, and Sakai Port is guarded by you. As long as Sakai Port is not lost, Hideyoshi's main logistics line will not dare to land easily in Osaka Bay and can only take a detour through Harima. "

The corner of Hosokawa Fujitaka's mouth twitched.

"You want the Izumi-Hosokawa family to defend Sakai Port to the death?"

If an army wanted to attack Kinki, it would most likely follow the old path of the Miyoshi family, starting from Harima Settsu, controlling the Ishiyama landing at Sakai Port, and then attacking Kyoto in Yamashiro Province along the Yodo River.

However, Hideyoshi Ichijo was much more powerful than Miyoshi Nagayoshi.

The Izumi Hosokawa clan was unable to defend Izumi Province when it was attacked by a small force of the Miyoshi clan. Even though it now has the support of the Sasaki clan, it will not be possible for it to successfully defend Sakai Port.

The sage obviously wanted to let Ichijo Hideyoshi take the first step to destroy the peace and lose the support of the people, so on the surface the Sasaki family had not mobilized and all preparations were kept underground.

However, Hideyoshi Ichijo was fighting on the peninsula, and her regime was always under mobilization. She could suddenly turn around and attack us one day.

Hosokawa Fujitaka knew that the Izumi Hosokawa family could not withstand the desperate attack of an army, and the saint had never thought of letting the Izumi Hosokawa family fight to the death.

Trading territory for time was the inevitable choice for the Sōma side. They gave up the Settsu line and lured the enemy into Kyoto, or even Omi, for a decisive battle.

But from what Akechi Mitsuhide said, she wanted Hosokawa Fujitaka to defend Sakai Port to the death, making it a thorn in the side of the army's march to Kyoto.

Hosokawa Fujitaka thought she was crazy. How could the Izumi Hosokawa family withstand the full-scale attack of an army of more than 100,000 people who had fought in the peninsula and seen blood?

Hosokawa Fujitaka sighed and said.

"If you keep talking nonsense, go back early." Akechi Mitsuhide said with a smile.

"Let me guess, you have prepared several hundred elite soldiers and a few loyal retainers, and you want them to die in Sakai Port so that you can give an explanation to the Shiba family?
In this case, why not try to gather a thousand men and hold out for a while longer?
If they can really be nailed down in Sakai Port, your contribution will be no small one when they are rewarded after the war.

As far as I know, the port area under the jurisdiction of the Nanman Fengshi Lilu was built in the Nanman style, with fortifications and cannons installed at the port.

When the war comes, with the support of the Nanban ships at sea and the fortress cannons at the port, Hideyoshi may not be able to defeat them.

Even if she can take it down, it will take her a long time and the cost will outweigh the gain.

You are already prepared to lose people, so why not let them die in a more valuable way? Maybe they can survive and hold on, which will be a great achievement for both you and them after the war. There is no reason not to take a chance."

Hosokawa Fujitaka's eyes drifted over and asked.

"What on earth are you planning?"

Akechi Mitsuhide smiled, knowing that his adopted sister had run out of patience, and simply told her all his plans.

“From now on, you will stockpile a large amount of military supplies in the port area for the use of the thousand elite troops, and try to hold out for as long as possible.

I have been training the locals in Tamba Province for a while. The Akai and other families were implicated in the Tobita Shinchi incident, and they also want a chance to prove their loyalty to the saint.

Tamba Province is in a dominant position and intimidates an army from the rear. You plant a nail in Sakai Port and retreat back to Izumi River to hold on and wait for help.

There was unrest on both sides of the Yodo River, so a single army could not quickly invade Yamashiro Province.

As the garrison commander of Kyoto, Otani Yoshitsugu had already strengthened the defenses of Yodo Castle, Fushimi Castle and other places along the way.

The saint wanted to let Ichijo Hideyoshi take action first for political reasons, but we should also do our best to stop Ichijo's army and buy time for the saint to transfer troops to Kanto. "

Hosokawa Fujitaka narrowed his eyes, looked at Akechi Mitsuhide and said.

"No wonder you have been training the locals in Tamba for half a year, just to prepare for this?"

Hosokawa Fujitaka finally understood what Akechi Mitsuhide meant.

Tamba Province is the gateway for the west to enter Kinki, and it is also a highland that leads directly to Kyoto. Its strategic position is extremely important.

During the Tobita Shinchi incident, the Saint discovered that the Tamba samurai were in collusion with the Ichijo family, which led to the local samurai in Tamba Province being severely punished and purged by the Saint.

While Akechi Mitsuhide was carrying out severe punishment, he was also feeding people sweet dates to raise their hopes and repeatedly using PUA in order to recreate the strategic obstruction role that Tamba Province played against the Miyoshi and Oda families.

Hosokawa Fujitaka listened very carefully. Akechi Mitsuhide first mentioned Otani Yoshitsugu, and then deliberately talked about Kanto, which was very meaningful.

Kyoto is the political center of the world and has a special status that cannot be lost. Otani Yoshitsugu must defend it to the death and live and die with Kyoto.

She is a close friend of Maeda Yoshiyuki, a direct descendant of the saint, and a general of the Kinki faction of the Sasaki family.

If Akechi and Hosokawa could hinder the advance of an army and keep the enemy on the Osaka Plain, it would be a great help to Otani Yoshitsugu, and Maeda Yoshitsugu would have to remember this favor.

Therefore, defending Sakai Port and Tamba would only benefit Akechi and Hosokawa, and they would gain a lot in terms of military merit and favors.

Among the Sasaki clan, the Kanto families are the strongest. If Ichijo Hideyoshi were to invade this time, the Kanto army would definitely be the main force to fight against the Ichijo family.

For this reason, the Kinki descendants of gods cannot be cowardly, otherwise they will be completely trampled under the feet of the Kanto descendants of gods when it comes to rewards and honors after the war.

The saint has already appointed Miyuki of the Uesugi family as the heir. The descendants of gods from Kanto have already gained the upper hand. If the descendants of gods in Kinki do nothing, they may be trampled on for hundreds of years.

So this time, whether it was Akechi Mitsuhide, Maeda Toshiie, or Maeda Yoshitsu, they were all actively active.

On the contrary, Amago Yukimori was not in a hurry at all. The Amago family and the Mori family had a mortal blood feud. After the war, the Amago family would definitely return to the west and was too lazy to get involved in the rivalry between Kanto and Kinki.

As for Yuigahama Yui, let’s not mention her.

The battle between the Sōba and Ichijo families will be a decisive battle to determine who will rule the world. If they don't make an effort now, they will have no chance to do so in the future.

When the world is at peace, how can one achieve great deeds to change the world? So in this final battle, everyone wants to win glory and show off.

Hosokawa Fujitaka was immediately moved by Akechi Mitsuhide's words, nodded and said.

"I understand. I will arrange for the elite troops led by capable generals to defend the port area of ​​Sakai Port.

Life or death, success or failure, all depends on their fate."

Akechi Mitsuhide sighed.

"We have to encourage them. As long as they can hold on, with their merits of fighting to the death for the Izumi-Hosokawa family, their family will surely prosper for generations."