Warring States Eagle

January of the 21st year of Tianwen ([-]), spring.Kokura Castle in Buzen Country is filled with the long-lost fragrance of white and red plums.

After more than three months of integration, the Luo family finally took complete control of the territory newly occupied last year.

Last year's Chikuzen and Buzen Raiders, the Luo family successively mastered the Munakata County, Onga County, Ante County, Kama County, Hoonami County of the Chikuzen Kingdom, the Qijiu County of the Buzen Kingdom, and a part of the Kanmon Strait in the southern part of the Nagato Kingdom. small area.

The so-called capture of new territory is difficult, and it is even more difficult to thoroughly manage and control new territories.Even in an area where the main local wealthy family was destroyed by the Luo family, if the local people suddenly changed their lord, even if you provide them with the best policies at the beginning, they will still be wary of you and need to be slowed down. Slow them down.Otherwise, it will cause tension in the rule of the territory, which is likely to bring unexpected and serious consequences to the Luo family.For example, at the critical moment of the decisive battle with the hostile forces, these territorial residents were instigated by the hostile forces and hindered the Luo family; or they acted as the eyes and ears of the hostile forces, and informed the hostile forces.

And for some territories where there are still many powerful families (such as the Aso family and Qiuyue family that were annexed last year when the governors of the Aso family and Qiuyue family died), it will take even more time to appease and divide these territories.Some people may think that since it is so troublesome, why not adopt the Luo family's usual practice of relocating the citizens of these areas as a whole, it will be fine.

In fact, this process will involve issues such as the organization of the migration of the people, the transportation of property, the consumption of manpower and material resources during the migration process, and the resettlement of the people after the migration. During this period, a lot of manpower and material resources will be consumed.And during this period of time, because the Luo family needs to be prepared to deal with the war at any time, materials such as food cannot be consumed at will.So Zhengliang had to reduce the policy of this large-scale migration.Its scope of targeting was limited to the post-war migration of some Hao family members who were once hostile to the Luo family.

After completely controlling the newly occupied territory.At this time, Zhengliang also began to prepare to deal with the situation in Fengqian country.

In the past few months, the Buzen Sugi family has finally recovered from the fiasco in the Battle of Zichuan last year.During this period of time, he frantically mobilized his troops in his territory to gather in the city of Songshan, reinforced the defenses of Songshan City, and at the same time appealed urgently for help from the powerful families in various places.

Masaragi has also been monitoring the actions of the Buzen Sugi family.Previously, their own military forces had to take a break for a series of rapid marches and a major battle.Then because of accidentally gaining a foothold in the Nagato country, it aroused the vigilance of the Naito family.As a result, part of the troops were restrained; in the end, because of the sudden change of the Akizuki family and the Aso family of the Chikuzen country, they had to turn their energy to the Chikuzen country, thus giving the Fengzen Sugi family a chance to breathe, and now it is time It's time to solve the spiritual pillar of the Sugi family, the rich family of Fengqian, who resisted the Luo family.

At the end of January in Tianwen 21, Masara took Yoshida Shigemasa as the general general, the second standing Ashgaru team as the main force, coupled with the army of the Akizuki family and the Aso family, a total of more than 3000 troops, and killed them in a mighty manner. Songshan Castle, the former residence of the Shan family in Benfeng.

Matsuyama Castle, as the residence of several generations of the Buzen Sugi family, is not only the second most prosperous city in the Buzen Kingdom after Kokura Castle.It is also one of the most fortified cities in the Bungzen Kingdom.And in terms of strategic location, the wharf outside the city is an important foothold for the large navy.Starting from here, the navy can quickly reach the coasts of Zhoufang State and Bungo State, and even enter the waters of the Seto Inland Sea at any time.As for its own geographical location, it even controls the checkpoint from the Bungzen Kokura Plain to the Nogata Plain.

And when more than 3000 Luo's army arrived at the foot of Songshan City and formed a formation, because of the prestige of the Luo's family's forces and their terrifying fighting power in the wild, even though there were thousands of guards in Songshan City, they did not dare to act rashly.In the face of several invitations from the Luo family to fight, the guards in the city still did not come out. It seemed that they had already planned to prepare for the battle in the cage city.

This time it was Shigemasa Yoshida who was the head general of the Luo family, while Masara himself stayed behind in Kokura Castle.Seeing that the opponent could not hold on, Shigemasa Yoshida immediately dispatched vanguard troops to attack the city.It's just that Songshan City is indeed worthy of being a strong city. In addition to the desperate resistance of the defenders, even with siege vehicles, ladders and other siege equipment, after half a day of attacking in the morning, the defenders of Songshan City were very struggling. , but the Otemon Gate of Matsuyama Castle still did not fall.On the contrary, the Qiuyue family and the Aso family who were the vanguard suffered heavy losses. After returning this time, it is estimated that the Luo family will take the opportunity to annex them under the pretext of adjustment.

Seeing that his own army was not able to attack the city, Yoshida Shigemasa, as the general general, was also very anxious. In the past, there was a governor Zhengliang sitting here, and he only had to follow the orders. I don't know what to do.Immediately, he thought of Kansuke Yamamoto, the military strategist who was with the army, so he immediately asked the other party for advice.

After hearing Yoshida Shigemasa's distress, Yamamoto Kansuke said with a smile: "Master General, please don't be anxious. Didn't your lord hand over a letter bag to Lord General before leaving? Why don't Lord General open it now?" come and see?"

When Kansuke Yamamoto mentioned this, Shigemasa Yoshida immediately remembered that there was indeed such a thing, so he opened the letter bag that Masara gave him, and then read the letter in it carefully, and then his expression changed, extremely Surprised exclaimed: "There is such a thing?"

Just when Yoshida Shigemasa was surprised, on the wall of Matsuyama Castle, several people headed by Sugi Shigema were checking the strength of the Luo family's army lying on the ground below the city.

"Hmph! The Luo family's army is nothing more than that!" One of the generals said disdainfully after seeing that the Luo's family's army was repulsed by the city guards and left a lot of corpses.

"After all, this family occupies the advantage of a strong city, and with everyone coming to help, naturally it can greatly teach the Luo family a lesson." Shan Zhongji said with a smile.This time, in addition to the nearly 2000 defenders mobilized by the Sugi family themselves, there are also more than 2000 military forces from the Zhou Fangtao family, the Fengmae Joi family, the Shangmo Yamada family, and the Usa Omiya Shi family.In addition, the Ouchi family's navy that has been taken over by Tao Longfang also joined forces with the Shan family's navy to station on the outskirts of Songshan City.It played the role of defending Songshan City.So for the result of being able to beat the Luo family's army this time.He naturally thought it was normal.certainly.You can't underestimate the enemy because of this, so he immediately reminded:

"It's just, everyone, the Luo family's army's field combat ability has long been famous all over the world. I hope you will not be fooled by the Luo family's provocation and go out of the city to fight with it. Besides, I don't know if you have noticed that the army attacking the city today Most of them carried the flags of the Qiuyue family and the Aso family, so the real attacking force of the Luo family has not yet appeared."

When it comes to Qiuyue's family and Aso's family.Shan Zhongju immediately felt a dull pain in his heart.Last year, his son-in-law asked for orders to cross Yuxu Mountain and enter Chikuzen Kingdom, in order to delay the speed of the Luo family's invasion of Fengqian Kingdom.Only shortly after his son-in-law Sugi Shigesuke entered Yuxu Mountain, there was a fire in Yuxu Mountain that continued to burn for several months. Since then, he has never received any news about his son's return. Even the more than 100 retainers who followed the son-in-law into Yuxu Mountain have never heard of it.The cruel reality tells Sugi Shigemo that his son-in-law is likely to have been buried in the fire on Yuxu Mountain.So whenever he mentions things related to the Chikuzen Kingdom, he will automatically think of his own son, and feel heartbroken.

It was also because of the need to deal with the Luo's family that the death of the son-in-law was caused, so Sugi Shigemo hated the Luo's family very much.This time he has made up his mind, even if he dies.He will never bow to the Luo family.

In this way, the Luo family stormed Songshan City during the day.In the evening, five days passed slowly during the harassment campaign against Matsuyama Castle.On the night of the sixth day, the army of the Luo family continued to harass outside the city as scheduled.The guards who had been exhausted by the Luo family for the past few days, and who were familiar with the harassment routines of the Luo family, had already begun to relax.No matter how the soldiers of the Luo family outside the city harassed them, they did not raise their vigilance too much.

But on this night, the Otemon Gate of Matsuyama Castle was suddenly opened.Under the arrangement of Shigemasa Yoshida, the Luo family's army, who had been prepared for a long time, rushed in at once, and directly attacked Honmaru in Matsuyama Castle from here.

Shigemasa Yoshida, wearing a Roshi armor and carrying a big gun, rushed into the Otemon gate of Matsuyama Castle, while the three retainers, Ie Tada Ando, ​​Settsu Shishi and Yufu Yuiji, were guarding Yoshida with samurai swords. around heavy politics.

Anton Jiazhong, he is known as one of the four heavenly kings of the Tachibana family in history.The Ando family to which he belonged was a branch that moved from Shimono country to Bungo, Kyushu since the Kamakura period, and served in the Toji family of the Bungo family since the Warring States period.He was recommended by Tachibana Doxue to his friend Yoshida Shigemasa as a retainer last year.

Setjin at ten o'clock, his family was also a member of the Bungo Kingdom of Kyushu, and served in the Huji family, which was relatively powerful.He has an unborn son named Shishi Lianzhen, who is also one of the four heavenly kings of the Tachibana family in history.Settsu at ten o'clock was also recommended by Tachibana Doxue to Yoshida Shigemasa as a retainer.

Yufu Weiji, whose father is Yufu Weixin, the elder of the Tachibana family and one of the Four Heavenly Kings.At the beginning, Tachibana Doxue recommended Yubu Weixin to Yoshida Shigemasa as a retainer, but Yubu Weixin voluntarily stayed with Tachibana Doxue, and instead sent his own son Yubu Weiji to Yoshida Shigemasa as a retainer.

With the continuous expansion of the power of the Luo family, retainers such as Yoshida Shigemasa have enough financial resources to recruit their own retainers in accordance with the territorial laws. Fan team) stayed with the retainers of the Luo family.And this time was the first time Yoshida Shigemasa brought his retainers to battle.

In the bright moonlight, looking from the top of Otemon Castle, Matsuyama Castle is indeed a large castle, Ninomaru Honmaru, with a double curved wheel structure.Such a structure can be called a big city in this period of the Warring States Period.

After the Luo family entered Matsuyama Castle from the Otemon Gate, they followed the path and headed straight for Honmaru.Seeing that the Otemon gate fell, the defenders of Honmaru hurriedly shot arrows at the marching Luo family soldiers from the Honmaru keep or standing beside the curved wheel, but no casualties were caused.From time to time, a few soldiers loyal to the Sugi family rushed out from all over the place like a desperate, trying to delay the time for the Luo family's army to invade the Honmaru.

But none of these people caused any obstacles to Shigemasa Yoshida and the others, and along the way, the iron artillery team and archery team of the Roche family in the periphery.Also stand in rows.At the base of the castle, they began to shoot intensively at the defenders of Matsuyama Castle Honmaru.Immediately there were several Shan family soldiers who were shot or shot.It tumbled and fell down from the Honmaru mound.

By the time Yoshida Shigemasa and the others reached the gate of Honmaru, the gate was already on fire and black smoke was billowing.The gate was just breached by the forward of Luo's family, but the remaining troops of the defenders still resisted tenaciously near the gate and did not give an inch.

When Yoshida Shigemasa arrived, the defenders of Matsuyama Castle made a last-ditch effort, and more than 20 Sugi family warriors were finally stationed at Honmaru.Wielding a samurai sword with both hands, he yelled loudly and rushed out of the gate, fighting with the soldiers of the Luo family.

In the narrow city road, the samurai of the two armies fought together. Although the samurai of the Sugi family were ready to exchange their lives for their lives, the Luo family's army rushed here were Yoshida Shigemasa, Takeuchi Hisamori, Jindai Victory, Ueda Shinji, Kuroki Miren, Ando Ietada, Toki Settsu, and Yufu Yuiji, how can the opponent be able to attack?

The Luo family's army continued to swarm in, and finally the Shan family warriors were outnumbered, despite the most heroic resistance.But these people were submerged in the sea of ​​people by the Luo family's troops with an absolute superiority in numbers after a while.

The bodies of more than 20 people lay dead in front of the gate of Honmaru.The Luo family soldiers stepped forward and dragged these people's feet with both hands, moved the corpses away, and cleared the open space in front of the door.

"Break the door."

Looking at a piece of black armor, the soldiers of the Luo family gathered in front of the gate with the Luo family's eagle flag on their backs. Yoshida Shigemasa shouted and gave the order to hit the door.

Immediately, six burly and sturdy soldiers of the Luo family, who were shirtless, embraced a log and slammed into the crown wooden door that Honmaru had little defense.

After a few knocks on the fragile crown wooden door, it was smashed by the soldiers of the Luo family. The soldiers of the Luo family cheered collectively and rushed into the main pill in one breath.After Honmaru was breached, generally speaking, the cage city battle had reached this point, the defenders could basically wash their necks clean, and were ready to draw their necks.

Inside the open main gate of Honmaru, on the stone stairs of more than 20 steps, the gate of the castle tower is tightly closed.Yoshida Shigemasa still asked people to break open the gate with wood and entered the castle tower.

After Shigemasa Yoshida entered the castle with a spear, he saw seven or eight old men holding samurai swords and wearing official uniforms as the last resistance. They should be the descendants of the Sugi family for generations.Although these old men are getting old, they are skilled in swordsmanship, but they are still getting old in the end, and their legs and feet are not smooth, so they can't cause any trouble.And above their heads, behind the stairs leading to the tower of the tower, there was a faint cry of a woman.

"Listen to the order. Women and children are not allowed to be killed. As for men, no matter how old or young, all beheaded." Yoshida Shigemasa immediately ordered.

"Yes!" Capturing the enemy's women, children and family members alive is also a great achievement, more effective than killing them.So the generals are naturally very happy to do so.

"Kill!" Immediately Yoshida Shigemasa yelled, and led the members of the Luo family to kill the warriors of the Sugi family who were still resisting in the castle tower.

And when the people below the Tenshou Pavilion were fighting fiercely, in the large room above the Tenshou Pavilion, Sugi Shigemo, the governor of the Toyozen Sugi family, had just inserted a fistful of ribs into his abdomen.A large amount of blood was continuously flowing out from its abdomen, gradually forming a small blood pool on the ground.

At the moment when the body involuntarily fell to the front due to the pain, and the eyes gradually blurred, Shan Zhongji suddenly shouted: "Tao Longfang, you must die!"

That's right, the moment he learned that the Otemon Gate was breached by the Luo family, he knew that this time he was betrayed by Tao Longfang.Because in order to guard against the siege of the Roche family, Sugi Shigemo specially repaired and strengthened the Otemon gate some time ago. With the attack power shown by the Roche family these days, even if they are attacked by those who can emit thick smoke and pass it on. Even with a loud siege weapon attack, it can still hold on for more than a year.And just in case, the Otemon Gate is actually composed of three gates in total.Therefore, the only way to open the city gates in such a short time is to open the city gates one by one in the city.And tonight happened to be the army of the Tao family who was in charge of guarding the area around the city gate.

After learning that the Otemon Gate had fallen, Sugi Shigemo hurriedly sent someone to summon the reinforcement generals from the Tao family who had come to support the Sugi family this time, but he was rewarded by going to the house alone.At this time, Sugi Shigemo has fully confirmed that the Otemon Gate was really opened by Tao family members after they killed the Sugi family guards stationed there in the dark.It's just that he couldn't figure out why Tao Longfang, who was also in the same camp, would harm him so much.

Naturally, Sugi Shigemo, who never dies in peace, does not know that Tao Longfang has already regarded him as an accomplice to Sagara Taketoshi after obtaining some letters about Tao Longfang from Sugi Shigemo and Ouchi Yoshitaka. up.Therefore, in the previous letter to Zhengliang, he set out the conditions for assisting the Luo family to deal with the Shan family (this is also the condition that most moved Zhengliang).Tao Longfang was also killing people with a borrowed knife.But he will also give the Shan family a hard push at the critical moment.

This time, when Yoshida Shigemasa dismantled the tricks that Zheng Liang had given him, he naturally also knew the secret agreement between the main family and the Tao family, so he immediately got in touch with the generals of the Tao family defenders in the city in secret according to the method in the letter.And finally agreed to launch an attack on Matsuyama Castle this night.After the generals of the Tao family secretly killed the soldiers of the Sugi family guarding the Otemon gate and opened the city gate, they also directly withdrew from Matsuyama Castle from the Otemon gate as agreed with the Luo family, and then rushed to the seaside overnight to wait. The navy ships there are ready to return to Zhou Fangguo by boat at dawn the next day.As for what will happen to Fengqian Kingdom after tonight, it is no longer the Tao family's concern.In the terms of the negotiation between Tao Longfang and the Luo family, Tao Longfang had already given up the ownership of Fengqian Kingdom.

Of course, after learning that he was severely bullied by Tao Longfang, Shan Shigemo also reacted immediately. He immediately summoned the only remaining second son, Shan Zhengshige, to the front of the Tao family and the Luo family. Shan Zhengzhong was told about the secret joint murder of the Shan family, and knowing that the other reinforcements in the city might have retreated in a hurry, Shan Zhengzhong was asked to escape from Songshan City overnight and rush to the Shan family in Fengqian. In the other cities of the country, in the name of the governor of the Shan family, the rich families of Fengqian were once again called together to resist the invasion of the Luo family.But he himself chose to stay in Songshan City, and live and die with this walled city that has raised several generations of the Shan family.

Sugi Shigemo's choice was correct, the Luo family indeed captured various places in Matsuyama Castle very quickly, but those Buzen rich families who had vowed to fully support the Sugi family at the beginning learned that the Otemon Gate of Matsuyama Castle had been breached At that moment, they began to retreat from the back door of Matsuyama Castle.

When the last recalcitrant Shan family retainer in Tianshou Pavilion died on the stairwell covered in arrows all over his body, Shan Shigemo also took his last breath. (To be continued..)