different warring states of japan

Chapter 2179: The Reason for the Garrison in Toba
A council meeting where reinforcements from all sides gathered was supposed to be a unity meeting where everyone would be happy, but Uesugi Yoshikage forced a representative of one of the reinforcements to death.

However, under the crushing of the unlimited and excessive resources of the Sōma family, the female warriors of each family looked at Kuchiki's head happily, without any grief for the loss of the rabbit.

There is no way. The Sasaki family has given too much, so whatever Uesugi Yoshikage does is right.

After the military council meeting was over, Yuigahama Yoshinao was so excited that he followed behind Uesugi Yoshikage on the way back, shouting all the way.

"So cool! Second sister is so cool! We should punish those guys severely and see if they dare to look down on us again!"

Although Yuigahama Yoshinao is young, he is not stupid. He naturally understands that Kuchiki, the obstacle, is actually the vanguard sent by various families to test the three sisters of the Sasaki clan.

Everyone used their own family assets to support the saint of the Sōma family, but they wanted to retain their strength. They were not here to take care of the saint's children or act as a babysitter.

First give the three children a warning so that they won’t be held back on the battlefield in the future.

Although Yuigahama Yoshinao was young and didn't understand the whole thing, she clearly felt the contempt in the eyes of the princesses.

Uesugi Yoshikage turned the tables and directly cut off the tentacles that were stretched out to test, which also gave the reinforcements a little shock.

The second generation heir of the Sōma family doesn't seem to be as easy to talk to as the saint. Besides, he is the real second generation of the saint and you can't afford to mess with him when he gets angry.

Uesugi Yoshikage looked at Yuigahama Yoshinao's excitement with a smile, exchanged glances with Takeda Yoshinobu beside him, and nodded slightly to each other.

At this time, Takeda Yoshinobu had already understood Kousaka Masanobu's intention.

The limelight can only be taken by Uesugi Yoshikage.

The Takeda family is here to help this time. Takeda Yoshinobu only needs to be a good sister who obeys her younger sister. It is unacceptable to take over the reins.

Yuigahama Yoshinao is young, and his nonsense will only make Uesugi Yoshikage feel close to him.

But if Takeda Yoshinobu stood up and accused the princesses, it would be a bad thing if the princesses were willing to listen to the advice of the older Takeda Yoshinobu.

There can't be two tigers in one mountain. There can only be one second generation of Sasaki, and only one person in charge, and that is Uesugi Yoshikage.

Takeda Yoshinobu couldn't help feeling a little sad.

Although they are siblings who grew up together, they still need to be cautious in front of the highest authority. Even if she subjectively wants to protect her sister, she cannot cross the line in her behavior.

Otherwise, it will not be good for either party.

Both the Uesugi and Takeda families have a large group of people under their command. The communication between Uesugi Yoshikage and Takeda Yoshinobu is no longer a simple sisterly bond, but a union of two female samurai groups.

For Yoshinobu Takeda, a 14-year-old boy, this feeling was a bit too heavy.

But the two sisters have no time to feel sad now, because this time the challenge for the sisters of God to stand on their own has just begun.

Although Yuigahama Yoshinao was noisy, she also knew the rules. She waited until she returned to the Mukaishima camp on the south shore and had a private conversation with the three sisters before she asked out the questions that had been lingering in her mind all the way.

"Second sister, those people were obviously afraid of you just now, why didn't you take the opportunity to seize the initiative of the Fushimi defense line, but instead asked to defend the edge of Toba?

Fushimi is obviously more important, so we can achieve great success only if we stay on the front line."

Uesugi Yoshikage shook his head and said.

“It’s not that simple.

Do you know why land in Kyoto is cheap in the south and expensive in the north, and cheap in the west and expensive in the east?
Due to the geographical location of the basin, the west bank of the Katsura River is low-lying and full of swamps, making it very difficult for the army to attack Kyoto from there.

Although the water network in the south is conducive to water transportation, the natural barrier formed by Yokooji Swamp and Kogen Pond on both sides of the Uji River is difficult to cross.

The natural barrier of Kogen Pond is impregnable, so the important town of Fushimi Castle was built to the north of Kogen Pond to guard this line of defense. When an army of 50,000 to 60,000 people went to Kyoto, the first place they had to cross was Yodo Castle at the confluence of the Yodo River and the Uji River, and the second place was Fushimi Castle at the end of the Uji River, sandwiched between Yoko-oji Swamp and Kogen Pond.

In particular, the Fushimi line was impregnable. Even if a legion broke through Yodo Castle, it would be difficult to find a breakthrough in other directions.

So before the main force of an army arrives, the first place where a conflict might occur is in Toba, heading north downstream.

It is impossible for the vanguard of an Ichijo Legion to attack the Fushimi Defense Line head-on, but before Ichijo Hideyoshi leads the main force to arrive, the vanguard will inevitably look for other directions and try to cross the river.

Shimotoba is where the Katsura River and the Kamogawa River meet. If you continue walking northwards towards the Kamogawa River, you will reach Kamitoba. The water bed between Upper and Lower Toba is wide and the current is slow, making it easy to wade across. There is also a bridge.

We are going to Toba and get our first win."

Uesugi Yoshikage spoke eloquently and Takeda Yoshinobu nodded slightly.

It was obvious that Yoshikage Uesugi had already done his homework and studied the geography of Kyoto carefully.

The reason why Toba-Fushimi became the key to the defense of Kyoto was because of the Uji River, Yoko-oji Swamp, and Ogura Pond.

After the Uji River was managed in later generations, there was no longer any water diversion into the two swamps of Yokooji Swamp and Koruruike.

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After the Uji River was regulated, Yokooji Swamp disappeared, Kogen Pond gradually shrank year by year, and the southern part of Kyoto gradually changed from a swamp to a plain.

But in this era, the southern natural barrier formed by Yokooji Swamp and Kogen Pond is the most advantageous geographical defense line for Kyoto and also a key point that Kyoto must defend.

In comparison, it was easier for the Eastern Army to enter Kyoto. As long as they took over Minami-Omi, it would be easy to enter the Kyoto Basin.

Oda Nobunaga entered the Kyoto Basin from the east. He used Sakamoto Castle at the mouth of Lake Biwa to land his army at Otsu. The logistics could also be transported directly to Fushimi by water, with no obstruction all the way.

However, the situation of the Western Army entering Kyoto was complicated. There were three areas, Yodo, Toba, and Fushimi, and the water network extended from the Yodo River to the Uji River, and then to the Katsura River, the Kamogawa River, and the Korai River.

The dense water network created mature water transportation, which brought wealth to the Osaka Plain and allowed the defenders to use the water network to snipe at the invading enemies.

Therefore, even though Sanyo Nagayoshi was extremely powerful at that time, it was still very difficult for him to go to Luoyang. It is unknown how much effort he put in.

On the contrary, Oda Nobunaga was lucky. When he went to Kyoto, the Rokkaku family was in the midst of internal strife and weakening, and had the support of the local tyrant Asai family of Omi.

Therefore, the Oda family swept the Rokkaku family into the dustbin of history without much effort, opening the way to Kyoto.

After looking at the terrain of Kyoto, Uesugi Yoshikage understood one thing.

In the Battle of Kyoto, where the Sasaki and Ichijo families completely broke off relations, the first battle must have taken place between the Upper and Lower Toba families.

Therefore, Uesugi Yoshikage insisted on garrisoning in Shimotoba.

She never thought that she could steal the limelight from her cheap father, Yoshigane Sasaki, because she was still too young.

Although her performance in the military review just now impressed the military families, in fact, her strength was still based on the huge prestige of Yoshikane Sasaki.

The battle to decide the fate of the world must be between Sasaki Yoshikin and Ichijo Hideyoshi. If Uesugi Yoshikage insists on stealing the limelight, he will only become a clown in the eyes of the samurai of the world.

What Uesugi Yoshikage needs to do now is to use me in the first battle, and I will definitely win!
Find the direction that the army will inevitably test when going to Kyoto, fight a great victory seriously, then abdicate and wait for his cheap father to come to Kyoto to finish off Ichijo Hideyoshi.

Sasaki Yoshikane has been invincible for 18 years and has never been defeated. All the samurai in the world are eager to see his final battle, to see the chaos end and the world return to order.

Uesugi Yoshikage's heart was also filled with excitement and anticipation.

That man... I must show him what I am capable of.