Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 299: Battle of Kofukuji

However, the Buddha did not respond to the prayers of the farmers in the Nara Basin.
Every step that Daoyan secretly planned was just right. He not only took advantage of the divisions within the temple, but also cleverly incited the antagonism between the nobles who believed in different Buddhist sects, which in turn made the political atmosphere in the entire Kyoto increasingly tense.

As tensions escalated, although both sides were ordered to exercise restraint, conflict within Kofuku-ji was on the verge of breaking out.

However, at least on the surface, the two sides did not engage in major hostilities in this late spring.

Until the beginning of the general hunt.

In fact, in this era, even a powerful force like Kofuku-ji doesn’t have much meat to supplement its diet. Oh, by the way, Japanese monks can eat meat, and in principle, the requirement is “three pure meats”, but nowadays, with the collapse of rituals and music, basically no one cares, and they can eat any kind of meat.

After a winter of eating too little, even though it was not appropriate to hunt in spring, the warriors who did not shave their heads and the warriors who shaved their heads all chose to go out hunting. Perhaps they were afraid that the other side would kill all the prey, so they could not just sit there and suffer the consequences? Or maybe they just couldn't hold back any longer.

Anyway, the entire Nara Basin is now truly "full of vitality, with everything flourishing". The spring sunshine gently shines on the dense forests of the Nara Basin, and crystal dewdrops hang on the tips of the tender green buds, like delicate pearls.

The monks of Ichijoin and the warriors of Daijoin set out on the hunting journey at the same time, unaware that the thread of fate was quietly leading them to the same place.

Leading the Ichijoin group was a warrior monk named Kukai, who led his horse and walked through the woods, hunting from north to south.

The hunting team on the Daijoin side was led by the samurai Matsumoto Shingen, who rode a horse and held a large bow in his hand. A fact that goes against the mainstream impression is that Japanese samurai are quite fond of horse riding and archery. In the Mongol-Japanese War, a Mongolian general was shot blind in one eye when he was fighting with Japanese samurai. The Mongols were the kings of horse riding and archery, which shows that the Japanese samurai's horse riding and archery skills are not bad.

After all, Japan is mainly mountainous and hilly, and the plains are relatively scattered. In this case, cavalry can only be afforded by the aristocracy, and the horse archery skills that can kill people at a long distance can only be practiced by elite samurai.

Of course, that was before the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

After the Northern and Southern Dynasties split, the lower-level foot soldiers also began to be equipped with low-quality bows and arrows in large numbers.

Soon, the two teams inadvertently stepped into the depths of the same dense forest. At this time, a fat hare suddenly jumped out from the grass.

Kūkai took the bow from the saddle and shot an arrow at the hare.

"call out!"

Unfortunately, the hare reacted quickly and narrowly avoided the arrow. Frightened, the hare hurriedly ran into the depths of the dense forest.

"Chase!"

The monks of Ichijoin quickly chased in, and just as they broke through the dense forest and reached an area where the trees were slightly open, they found that the enemy warrior was pointing a bow at them, and between the two sides, a rabbit was lying upright.

"We discovered it first!" The voice of a monk soldier pierced through the forest. The monk soldiers were a little impatient because they had been patient for a long time because of the orders from their superiors.

"Hmph, the arrow is on the string, and the prey will belong to the capable one." Matsumoto Shingen responded coldly, his hand already on the hilt of the samurai sword, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The two sides quickly confronted each other, and the tranquility of spring was replaced by this tense atmosphere. A conflict that should not have happened was quietly escalated because of a small rabbit.

"We who practice Buddhism should not fight with each other. I will give you a chance to retreat."

"We are not like you fake monks who shave their heads. The way of samurai is about honor. What happened today is unavoidable." Matsumoto Shingen's tone was resolute, and his eyes seemed to be burning with flames.

Of course he had reason to not back down, because he was originally ordered to commit the scam, and the previous restraint of both sides was just because they didn't want to make the matter too obvious.

The two sides soon started arguing.

Eventually, the battle of words gave way to a clash of actions.

As both sides launched the charge almost at the same time, the "whooshing" sound of arrows came one after another, cutting through the air like dense raindrops and shooting towards the other side.

At this time, Kūkai chose a long iron-headed stick for fighting on foot. He nimbly dodged the arrows and commanded the monks to fight back.

They engaged in fierce close combat with the samurai.

Shingen Matsumoto wielded a samurai sword with the blade flashing. He was like a ferocious wild dog, chopping off all obstacles in his way.

The battle became more and more intense, and both sides were caught in a frenzy of killing. The flashes of swords intertwined, and the blood dyed the earth red. The tranquility of spring was replaced by the clamor of war, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood, which was nauseating.

Kukai and Matsumoto Shingen met in the center of the battlefield, both of them with determination in their eyes.

"Hmph, you fake monk who shaved your head, can your Buddhism save you?" Matsumoto Shingen, wearing samurai armor with huge rectangular shoulder pads on both sides, sneered, with the samurai sword in his hand raised high, ready to give Kukai a fatal blow.

This is the classic opening move. If it is in the West, instead of chopping, you can use the two-handed greatsword method jokingly called the "helicopter style". In Japan, it is not just about chopping, but also contains several kinds of sword techniques with different moves.

"Although Buddhism cannot kill people, it can protect my heart. Today, in the name of Buddhism, I will cut off your arrogance!" Kukai shouted angrily, and swung the long stick in his hand violently, colliding with Matsumoto Shingen's samurai sword, making a deafening metal collision sound.

Kong Hai's long stick danced so tightly that every swing was accompanied by a whistling sound.

Finally, in a fierce confrontation, Kukai's long stick was accidentally hit by Matsumoto Shingen's samurai sword and broke into two pieces.

Shingen Matsumoto's left arm was also broken and bleeding from Kukai's heavy blow.

However, none of them chose to back down.

Kukai continued to fight with Matsumoto Shingen holding the "Nunchucks".

Matsumoto Shingen gritted his teeth, gripped the samurai sword in his right hand, and fought a desperate battle with Kukai.

However, Kukai's weapon can still be used, but Matsumoto Shingen only has one hand, so it is basically difficult for him to exert the power of the samurai sword.

The fight between the two men became more and more intense, and finally, Kukai gained the upper hand. He took advantage of an opening, blocked the one-handed sword with the stick in one hand, and stabbed the broken end of the other stick into Matsumoto Shingen's chest, and then twisted it violently backwards.

"Crack~" Matsumoto Shingen's ribs were broken and his internal organs were damaged. He let out a scream, fell on his back and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Matsumoto-kun——"

The warriors nearby cried out in grief and tried to rush forward to support him, but they all had their own opponents.

Kukai put away his nunchaku, looked at Shingen Matsumoto lying on the ground, dying, and said, "Amitabha, benefactor, you have lost."

"Bah~" Matsumoto Shingen wanted to struggle to stand up, but unfortunately he couldn't. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "Don't be too proud too soon. It's still unknown who will win!"

"Donor, you are already at the end of your strength, why bother to resist?"

Shingen Matsumoto shook his head and said, "You don't know the dignity of a samurai at all. Don't waste your breath. I will not admit defeat, even if it costs my life."

Kukai stopped talking, picked up Matsumoto's knife, and ended his life with one stroke.

At this time, the battle between the monks and warriors on both sides became completely tense.

At the moment when Kukai ended Matsumoto Shingen's life, the sounds of battle around him seemed to reach a peak, and every sound of weapons clashing and every shout shook the air of the dense forest.

The sunlight shone through the dense tree canopy, dappled onto the blood-stained land, adding a touch of ironic warmth to this senseless fight.

The figures of the monks and warriors appeared and disappeared in the interweaving of light and shadow. Their movements seemed slow due to fatigue, but the hatred in their eyes had never diminished in the slightest.

This is a manipulated dance of fate, and every person who falls is a footnote to this tragedy.

Kukai stood there, looking at the chaotic battlefield around him, with an inexplicable sadness in his heart. The samurai sword in his hand was still dripping with blood. That was the end of Matsumoto Shingen's life, and also the collapse of a certain belief in his heart.

The conspiracy behind this fight is obviously much deeper and more complicated than the conflict caused by a rabbit.

"Enough!" Kukai suddenly shouted, holding Matsumoto's head in his hand. His voice pierced through the noise, shocking the people around him to move away slightly, and then they stopped what they were doing involuntarily and looked at him.

He raised his hands high, signaling both sides to stop fighting, his face full of regret and determination: "We are all from Xingfu Temple. We fought side by side in the past to build the Xingfu Temple today! We should have protected the peace of this land instead of killing each other. Today's battle is really a great misfortune!"

The monks and warriors looked at each other, and gradually, they put down their weapons.

Kukai walked towards the Ichijoin team with a firm look in his eyes: "Let's go back and report this to the elders and ask them to thoroughly investigate the conspiracy behind it - the real enemy is not each other, but those who use us."

Following Kukai's orders, the monks of Ichijoin-in began to clean up the mess, and the warriors of Daijoin-in slowly retreated in silence. Although they were unwilling, they also understood that what Kukai said might be true.

The Nara Basin should have been full of life in the spring, but it became devastated by a man-made conflict.

But with the decisions of both sides, a ray of hope for peace seems to be quietly penetrating the clouds and shining on this war-torn land.

Kukai looked at the samurai's back as he walked away, and silently said in his heart: "May the Buddha have mercy and guide us out of this fog, so that true peace can come to Nara."

However, things soon went against Kukai's wishes.

All this was within Daoyan's expectations. No matter how hard both sides tried, they could not stop this war that he had carefully planned.

Because behind this war was the profound influence of the Ming Dynasty on the situation in Japan, the long-term accumulation of internal contradictions among the major forces in Japan, and the inevitable result of the division between the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Just when the Muromachi shogunate and the Southern Dynasty were on the verge of a war, Daoyan quietly left Kyoto and went to Nara. The real battle was about to begin in the Nara Basin, and he would be the driving force behind this battle.

It was a night in Nara, the moonlight was hazy, and Daoyan was standing outside the gate of Kofuku-ji Temple.

Soon, Daoyan began a secret conversation with Xiaoyuan.

"Don't think so." Daoyan's voice was a little hoarse, "Our plan is progressing steadily, but we must escalate this conflict faster and more violently to create the best opportunity for the Ming Dynasty to intervene."

Master Xiaoyuan frowned, with a trace of worry and determination in his eyes: "Master, I understand the pros and cons of this, but how can we ensure that we can control the situation and prevent it from getting completely out of control?"

Daoyan smiled slightly, his eyes gleaming with wisdom: "Don't worry, I have a comprehensive plan."

"How do we do it specifically?" Xiao Yuan asked. At this time, every step must be taken with caution.

"First, we can use the old grudge between Daijoin and Ichijoin to spread some false information, such as forged letters or secret orders, to imply that the other party has the ambition to annex the entire Kofuku-ji Temple." Daoyan said slowly, "At the same time, we need to further incite emotions among the nobles and samurai in Kyoto, making them believe that this conflict is not only about Kofuku-ji Temple, but also about the balance of the entire Northern and Southern Dynasties."

Xiao Yuan pondered for a moment and nodded: "What about the Ming Dynasty? When will they intervene?"

"The Ming Dynasty will not rush into anything," Daoyan explained. "They will wait for the best opportunity. When the two sides are in a stalemate, the Southern Dynasty seems powerless to turn the tide, and the Northern Dynasty is unable to quell the civil unrest on its own, then it will be the best time for the Ming Dynasty to take action."

Xiao Yuan took a deep breath.

"I understand. Then, I'll ask you to coordinate with the Ming Dynasty for the next move."

"Don't worry, everything is under control." Daoyan clasped his hands together and said, "I will start preparing immediately. At the same time, please make arrangements inside Xingfu Temple to make this scene more realistic."

As the plan progressed, Daoyan began to secretly contact the nobles in Kyoto, spreading false information through them to create a tense atmosphere. Soon, rumors that the split of Kofuku-ji would trigger a full-scale war between the Northern and Southern Dynasties caused panic in Kyoto and even all over Japan.

On the other hand, envoys from the Southern Dynasty and the Northern Dynasty were also in urgent consultations, but both sides were misled by their own intelligence and firmly believed that the other side had ill intentions and was preparing to launch a full-scale war.

All of this was done under Daoyan's careful planning, quietly pushing the situation in the direction that the Ming Dynasty expected.

Finally, on a dark and windy night, a large-scale attack secretly promoted by Daoyan broke out in the Nara Basin.

This attack was seen by both sides as a deliberate provocation by the other side, which completely ignited the war between the North and the South.

Soon the Muromachi shogunate received a letter claiming that armed forces in the south were secretly gathering to launch a surprise attack on the territories under their control, and that fighting had already begun between the two sides.

Upon hearing the news, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was furious. This was not just a fight between temples, but also a challenge to the authority of the Muromachi shogunate.

He immediately assembled his army and prepared to order it to Nara to quell the conflict and demonstrate the strength of the shogunate to the Southern Dynasty.

After all, Nara is not far from Kyoto.

Moreover, for the Northern Dynasties, there were no narrow passes in the north of the Nara Basin, so it was not difficult for the army to march straight in.

Previously, this place could be used as a buffer zone because Kofuku-ji was a whole, but now this premise no longer exists.

The Southern Dynasty was not unaware of this at this time.

After learning that the conflict at Kofuku-ji Temple might trigger a large-scale war, Emperor Go-Kameyama urgently summoned his important ministers and samurai leaders to discuss response strategies.

They knew that if the Muromachi shogunate launched a war using the Kofuku-ji incident as an excuse, the Southern Dynasty would be unable to resist.

Therefore, the Southern Dynasty decided to send envoys to Jeju Island controlled by the Ming Dynasty, and secretly mobilize troops to prevent any accidents.

Not long after, the Muromachi shogunate, which had long planned to destroy the Southern Dynasty and completely end the division between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, marched into the Nara Basin with three armies led by Sasaki Yoshimasa, Hosokawa Mitsunori, and Akamatsu Yoshinori respectively.

They passed through rice fields and villages, heading straight for the complex of Kofuku-ji Temple.

The Southern Dynasty army led by the famous Southern Dynasty general Kitabatake Manmasa followed closely behind, and the two forces formed a confrontation in the Nara Basin.

Kitabatake Manmasa was the great-grandson of Kitabatake Chikafusa, a famous loyal retainer of the Southern Court. The Ise Kitabatake clan was the center of power of the Southern Court and the actual military support of Emperor Go-Kameyama.

To be honest, it was precisely because the Southern Dynasty had loyal ministers like Kitabatake Manmasa that it was able to hold on until now.

The armies of both sides were ready for battle in the Nara Basin, and soon the Northern Dynasty's attack began.

The army of the Southern Dynasty and the samurai of Kofuku-ji Temple lined up against the Kofuku-ji complex.

The sky gradually darkened, and the sunlight shone on the cold weapons, reflecting a faint cold light, adding a bit of solemnity to the upcoming war.

Yoshimasa Sasaki, the commander-in-chief of the Muromachi shogunate army, rode on a tall horse and glanced at the Southern Dynasty army in front of him.

He was wearing armor inlaid with gold edges and holding a gorgeously decorated sword.

"Pass the order down, the entire army prepare!" Yoshimasa Sasaki's order was quickly spread throughout the army through messengers.

The foot soldiers, whose lives were extremely cheap, immediately became nervous, adjusting their equipment, checking their weapons, and preparing for the upcoming battle.

In fact, in the Heian period, Ashigaru were not the lowest-level infantry, but were positioned as retainers similar to the Western knight class.

This was the same in both the East and the West, because the landlords owned horses, which guaranteed them officer status in the recruited troops, and the warriors rarely fought alone on the battlefield; each of them needed dozens of lower-level soldiers to assist him in fulfilling his military duties.

However, as time went by, "Ashigaru" became a synonym for low-level infantry.

Unlike the impression, the term "Ashigaru" does not mean that the soldiers referred to were originally farmers, especially during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Due to long-term wars, the boundary between poor samurai and rich farmers was not clear. There was a gray area composed of "jisamurai". They were soldiers in wartime and farmers in peacetime. The jisamurai often had to choose between continuing to farm or joining the daimyo's army. Many people chose the latter and moved from the countryside to the military camps in the city. Most of them began their military careers as Ashigaru.

Therefore, although they are all the lowest-level infantry, there are great differences between "Ashigaru" and "Ashigaru" due to factors such as economic strength, physical fitness, and degree of training. It is not like the Chinese army, where the soldiers in a certain unit are generally at a similar level in terms of physical strength, training, and equipment.

Moreover, there is an important difference between the Ashigaru during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Ashigaru during the Heian period, and that is the popularity of bows and arrows among the Ashigaru. Because many battles in the Northern and Southern Dynasties took place in defensive areas in mountainous areas, a new type of bow and arrow combat method was developed. That is, instead of upper-level mounted warriors firing single arrows at targets, infantry would pour arrows on the enemy. This was a tactic that the Mongols once used against the Japanese army. The Taiheiki called this type of low-level archers "shooter Ashigaru". In the Battle of Shijonawate, 800 of the 2,000 soldiers in Sasaki's army were this type of "lightly armed archers".

At this time, there were also a large number of "archers and foot soldiers" armed with bamboo bows and iron-headed arrows in the military formations of the North and the South.

On the other hand, on the Southern Dynasty side, Kitabatake Manmasa was also not idle.

He stood on a high ground and looked at the Muromachi shogunate army opposite.

As a loyal minister of the Southern Dynasty, he was well aware of the weakness of the Southern Dynasty's military strength and the difficulty of this battle, but he was even more aware that for the survival of the Southern Dynasty, he must lead his soldiers to fight to the last moment.

Because if we cannot defend the Nara Basin, it will be difficult to hold on to the Yoshino region for long.

This principle is the same as that of the Southern Dynasties in China, which required that in order to defend the Yangtze River, one must also defend the Huai River.

"Soldiers!"

Kitabatake Mangiya's voice was loud and clear: "Yoshino is behind us, we have nowhere to retreat!"

As the generals on both sides completed their mobilization, the atmosphere between the two armies became increasingly tense.

The Muromachi shogunate army and the Southern Court army formed their own battle arrays, forming a standoff.

The flags of the two armies fluttered in the wind, as if cheering for the upcoming war.

Suddenly, a burst of rapid drum beats broke the silence.

This is the signal for the battle to begin!

The Muromachi shogunate army, which was large in number and powerful, took the lead in launching the charge. The soldiers, armed with spears, bows and arrows, rushed towards the Southern Dynasty army like a tide.

The Southern Dynasty army was not to be outdone. They quickly organized a defense line and used spear and shield formations to resist the offensive of the Muromachi shogunate army.

During the battle, the generals on both sides performed decisively.

Akamatsu Yoshinori on the left wing constantly adjusted his tactics, using the mobility of the cavalry to attack the Southern Dynasty army from the flank. Although the shogunate did not have many cavalry, it was much more than that of the Southern Dynasty.

Of course, the force with the largest number of cavalry in Japan would have to be the Kamakura Shogunate in Kanto.

Although the Kamakura Shogunate was also from the Ashikaga clan, it had been separated from the shogunate for a long time and was too lazy to even put in the superficial efforts. If the shogunate was in danger of defeat, the Kamakura Shogunate would definitely be the first to "rush into Kyoto and seize the throne."

Kitabatake Manmasa took advantage of the favorable terrain and cleverly arranged defenses to weaken the offensive of the Muromachi shogunate army.

As the battle progressed, casualties on both sides gradually increased.

However, the tenacity of the Southern Dynasty soldiers surprised the Northern Dynasty generals. These people were able to withstand the attack of the Muromachi shogunate army without any fear of death.

"What a bunch of troublesome guys," Akamatsu Yoshinori thought to himself as he looked at the Southern Dynasty army fighting bloody battles in front of him and frowned slightly.

However, in Akamatsu Yoshinori's view, the number of Southern Dynasty troops was far less than that of the Muromachi shogunate army, and it should be easy to win according to the plan. However, the outcome of a war is often unexpected. It is like playing cards. You think everything is under control, but in the end you find that your opponent does not play according to the routine at all. When you find something wrong and want to change your strategy, it is often too late.

"Maybe he wants to delay time!"

Akamatsu Yoshinori guessed that he thought the enemy had been unwilling to take the initiative to attack because there might be reinforcements behind them and they planned to wait for the reinforcements to arrive.

Thinking of this, Akamatsu Yoshinori decided to speed up the battle and wipe out the Southern Dynasty army!
"All troops, listen up! Attack with all your might!"

"Kill!"

Following Akamatsu Yoshinori's roar, the Muromachi shogunate army on the left wing increased its attack intensity again.

Under such a fierce attack, the Southern Dynasty army's defense was suppressed and they soon fell into a disadvantage.

Seeing this, the Southern Dynasty army immediately gathered its forces and prepared to retreat.

And how could Akamatsu Yoshinori give them a chance to escape?
He immediately ordered his cavalry to pursue them. For a moment, the Southern Dynasty army was even more defeated and fled into the forest on the side of Xingfu Temple.

"The enemy has retreated into the mountains and forests!"

"Keep chasing!"

However, the situation on the battlefield soon took a turn for the worse. The Southern Dynasty troops ambushed in the mountains and forests rushed out in a rush. Along with the shouts and screams, countless arrows were shot intensively. Then a large number of Southern Dynasty troops rushed out of the dense forest, forming a pocket formation, and annihilated the pursuing cavalry in one fell swoop!
Yoshinori Akamatsu never expected that the cavalry he was so proud of would suffer such a devastating defeat!
Seeing this scene, Yoshimasa Sōma in the middle suddenly became extremely gloomy. He didn't expect that at this critical juncture, the opponent still had a trick up his sleeve!

On the left wing, the morale of the Southern Dynasty army was high, while the losses of the Muromachi shogunate army were extremely heavy.

"hateful!"

Akamatsu Yoshinori, who was in charge of commanding the left wing, cursed with gritted teeth, and then he immediately sent a messenger to contact other legions.

However, as expected, after hearing that the left-wing army had suffered a defeat and fled, leaving behind thousands of corpses, the other parts of the Muromachi shogunate army refused or simply refused to provide support. Even when Akamatsu Yoshinori's trusted samurai personally rushed to their camp to ask for help, they were unwilling to send a single soldier. Obviously, this situation made Akamatsu Yoshinori's situation very embarrassing.

——The biggest weakness of the shogunate army is that the generals in charge of command are all of the same rank, and they are all powerful daimyo, and there are serious conflicts of interest.

This conflict of interest may not lead to them stabbing each other, but on the battlefield, they basically will not support friendly forces and will choose to preserve their strength.

Because of this, the Southern Dynasty army, under the command of Kitabatake Manmasa, persisted despite being outnumbered.

As for the Muromachi shogunate army, due to conflicts of interest among generals and lack of unified command, their offensive gradually lost its edge and fell into chaos.

Seeing the left wing defeated, the commander of the central army, Yoshimasa Sasaki, was furious, but he also knew that if he could not stabilize the morale of the army at this time, the entire battle would be in vain.

He finally separated troops from the center to provide support to the left wing.

The battle has entered a white-hot stage.

(End of this chapter)