Warring States Eagle

Miyao Castle was in danger, and Mori Moto had expected it long ago.

As early as the third day after Tao Longfang set off, that is, on September 24, Mao Liyuan left Shido Takashi's family to garrison Yoshida County Yamashiro to guard against Nizi's family, and then he and his three sons - Mao Lilong Yuan, Yoshikawa Motoharu, and Kobayakawa Takakage gathered the troops of the Anyun Kingdom and rushed to Kusatsu for help.Different from the fact that Mao Liyuan only had four or 5000 troops in history, this time, due to the integration of the forces of some wealthy families in Bigo, Beizhong and even Bizen, the strength of Mao Liyuan has reached 1 at this time. many people.

But even so, although the Tao army's attack on Miyao Castle became more and more fierce, Morimoto stopped at Kusatsu Castle and stood still. He just issued an order on the 26th: Kumagai Nobuo direct dozens of ships, Carrying more than [-] people to Miyao Castle for support.

At this time, the defenders of Miyao Castle were hungry and thirsty, and they were looking forward to their reinforcements. When they saw Kumagai's fleet, they cheered loudly.Kumagai Nobunao also took advantage of the small road prepared on the side of Miyao Castle facing the bay to quickly send the reinforcements into Miyao Castle, then circled around Miyao Castle, and finally turned the rudder and slipped away.The morale of the defenders, who received reinforcements and supplies, suddenly increased. Dang even took up weapons again and continued to fight endlessly with the Tao family's siege army.

"Baga!" Tao Longfang was furious when he learned that Miyao City had received reinforcements, and immediately ordered the navy to seal off the sea area near Miyao City to prevent the Maori army from coming to support.

After Mao Liyuan learned that the sea area near Miyao City had been blocked by the Tao family's navy, he immediately thought of the distress of Miyao City, and felt very uncomfortable.But he can't attack rashly now.Since the change of Daning Temple.He kept painstakingly planning.Seize the key points in the southwest of Anyun country, do not fight against Itsukushima, pretend to be a grandson in front of Tao Longfang, constantly win over the people of Anyun country, Bigo country, Bizhong and even Bizen country, secretly train the navy, etc. Wait, all this is for the purpose of a showdown with the Tao family army in Yandao.

But now, it has reached the final step of the decisive battle, which is to wait for a new reinforcement from the sea.That is, "Murakami Water Army".In order to procrastinate the waiting time for reinforcements and continue to deploy, the Miyao Castle as a bait should not only lose its role as a bait due to too many troops, but also have to make huge sacrifices to hold on to the castle when the troops seem to be small. Walled!

In fact, in history, Mao Liyuan had only four or five thousand troops, so he chose this strategy. Now Mao Liyuan already has an army of tens of thousands of people on land, and he can completely fight Tao Longfang head-on. The army is facing the battle head-on.But why did he choose this strategy now?There are two main reasons:

One is that although Mao Liyuan already had tens of thousands of soldiers on land at this time, only two or three thousand of them can be called elite soldiers.The rest of the people just came to make soy sauce.At this time, Tao Longfang has an army of 2 people, and many of them are elites who have followed Tao Longfang for many years. If the two armies really want to fight face to face, it will be Mao Liyuan who will suffer.Therefore, Mao Liyuan definitely would not choose to confront Tao Longfang head-on so soon.

The second is due to the problem of the navy.There are at least five or six hundred warships in the Tao family's navy, and where is Mao Liyuan?Its subordinates consisted of only "Kanouchi Jingguzhong" (this navy was originally a subordinate of the Takeda family in Anyun country, and is now controlled by Maori retainers Kodama Nagata and Iida Yoshitake) with 130 to [-] ships, plus "Numata Jingguzhong" "(Originally belonged to Numata Kobayakawa's family, first it was the property of Mori Motoru's third son Kobayakawa Takakage, but in fact it was commanded by Nomi Sokatsu) There are [-] ships, and there are only about [-] warships in total, which is simply impossible to compete with Tao Compared with the Longfang Navy.Under such circumstances, the Maori family's navy was capable of fighting harassment wars, and it was still capable of transporting the army. It would be tantamount to a dream to directly fight against the Tao family's navy with hundreds of warships.In addition, Mao Liyuan also deeply realized that the reason why Tao Longfang was able to come to Yandao for a decisive battle was entirely due to his powerful navy and his ability to advance and retreat freely.Therefore, in order to annihilate the Tao family's army, the battle on Yandao followed by annihilating the Tao army's water army and cutting off Tao Longfang's retreat is the key to the victory of this battle.But with the power of the navy in the hands of the Maori family, this is an impossible task. The only way out is to ask a powerful neutral force like the Murakami navy to help him.

And in order to invite the Murakami Mishima navy to help, Mori Moto also shed a lot of blood.

Murakami Suigun is actually a gang of pirates in the Seto Inland Sea.Moreover, they are actually of the same clan as "General Shinano" Yoshiki Murakami!The pillar "Qinghe Genji", who is known as the descendant of Qinghe Emperor, has the origin of his family like this. The first generation is called Yuan Jingji, the second generation is called Yuan Manzhong, and the third generation is called Yuan Manshin. Minamoto's eldest son, Minamoto Yoshimitsu, and his sons are the famous "Hachimantaro" Minamoto Yoshika, "Ga Mojiro" Minamoto Yoshitsuna, and "Silla Saburo" Minamoto Yoshimitsu. Ashikaga Takashi is of this lineage, which is the most noble of the samurai family; Manshin's second son is Minamoto Laiqing, and Laiqing's son is Minamoto Nakamune. The sons were exiled to various parts of the Wa country, and one of them, Xianqing, was exiled to the town of Cunshang Township, Genglevel County, Shinano, and he was the direct ancestor of "Xinano Murakami".As for Minamoto Nakamune himself, he was exiled to Zhoufang in the Western Kingdom. Later, he built a city on Noh Island opposite Iyo Imabari, and attracted a large number of pirates to join him. This was the source of "Setouchi Murakami" (also called Iyo Murakami). This noble species of the samurai family became a pirate.

Pirates like the Murakami family are descendants of the emperor, and many of the pirates under him were originally officers of the emperor's government.In the ancient Heian Dynasty, in order to show their prestige to the small countries around them, the Wa Kingdom conscripted many local tyrants from the Seto Inland Sea, Osaka Bay, Kii Waterway, etc., and arranged them to stand guard in Kyoto, called "Weifu Sheren", but the court fell later. The "Weifu Sheren" who were laid off were very sad and indignant, and after returning to their hometown, they relied on their familiarity with maritime geography.He started to rob "Jingchuan" (ships transporting rice and silk from all over the country to Kyoto).Became a pirate.It's been a long time.The pirates mixed with the big temples and shrines (such as the Kumano water army in Kii, which is under the command of the Kumano Sanzan Shrine), and the great samurai lords (such as this Iyo Murakami), and evolved into "pirates" who each dominate one side of the waters.

Later, the pirates became more powerful, and they wanted to cleanse themselves. They no longer engaged in the petty business of robbery and murder. After all, they really wanted to rob and burn all the passing ships, and the trade withered.They're going to drink the northwest wind.In addition, after entering the Muromachi period, the power of the daimyo gradually extended to the coast, and many pirates began to retreat to the islands and build docks and castles in order to protect themselves.At this time, the pirates’ way of earning money also quietly changed. They named themselves "Jingguzhong", just like bandits would call themselves "Jing'an Army" and "Protecting the People's Army". Or the local daimyo reached an agreement, you don't hide from me and suppress me, I will help you.

How to help?There are several ways: for example, "officials deliver police solids" and "officials transport police solids".It is to help you escort the bodyguards at sea, and the guards or guards are welcome; there is also "difficult road support".When your fleet encounters complicated and rough water conditions, we pirates will help you navigate; there is also a "tow boat", if your ship is stranded, we will tow it for you, and if your ship sinks, we will help you salvage it, the price Just children and old people do not deceive.

The reason why the pirates do this is because they require the daimyo to recognize their "sea area autonomy". As long as they have this power, they have the right to collect protection fees from the passing fleet in various names, such as "Police solid material", "Fan Bie Qian", "Pack Bie Qian", "Superior Material" and so on.In this way, the pirates have transformed from a simple pirate road tyrant into a "middle-level force" that extracts money from maritime trade.

In fact, for the powerful and famous everywhere, this group of pirates will hinder the middle layer of maximizing their own interests and power, and they should be completely wiped out (think about it, businessmen from your leading country go to sea and spend all their money) Hand it over to the pirates, how much can be left to you), but the powerful and famous people of the Japanese country are often limited in strength.Many daimyos even set aside a part of their farms as food places for pirates in exchange for their "police".In fact, this is not bad, the sea trade of the daimyo is protected by someone, and in case of war, they can also rely on the water power of the pirates under the umbrella.

In order to ask for the support of the Murakami Mishima navy, this time Mao Liyuan not only paid a lot of money, food and weapons, but also promised them the right to control the sea over half of the Seto Inland Sea, and reminded them, If Yandao is occupied by Tao Longfang again in the future, you will not have a good life.

Why would Mao Liyuan say this?The reason is this. When Ouchi Yoshitaka was alive, although he occupied Itsukushima, he still sent envoys to negotiate with Murakami Mishima, in order to continue to allow Murakami Mishima to collect "police materials" and "superior materials" from passing ships. Conditions, in exchange for a no-war agreement with the Murakami Mishima navy, ensuring the safety of Itsukushima and the entire Seto Inland Sea route.But everything changed after Tao Longfang came to power. Half a year after the change in Daning Temple, he released a special "Tao Longfang Yandao 掟" (掟, which means regulations), which contains seven articles, of which The first four are:

First, residents outside the island are strictly prohibited from opening shops and building houses on Yandao; second, unidentified ships are strictly prohibited from berthing and mooring; , Gambling is strictly prohibited on the island.

Among them, the first one is to protect the property of the local tyrants in Itsukushima and win the hearts of the locals. The fourth one is for the consideration of local public security, which is justifiable. Annoyed: "What unidentified ship? Doesn't it mean our navy! Don't charge us with police solid materials, let us go to the northwest wind!"

In fact, Tao Longfang’s purpose is very simple. He prohibited Mishima Murakami from collecting police solid materials, in order to omit the intermediate process of extracting profits from Murakami’s trolls, and attract more pilgrims to come to Yandao, and monopolize the Seto Inland Sea and Yandao. The benefit of the island shrine.But Tao Longfang's policy naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of Mishima Murakami's navy.Therefore, Morimoto said that if the Mori family fails in this battle, once Tao Longfang controls Itsukushima and the Seto Inland Sea, then the Murakami navy will also be unlucky, so the Mishima navy agreed to Morimoto's request for help .

However, although the Mishima Navy did agree to Mori Motozuru's request, they are of noble blood after all, so the delay in arriving is justifiable.And Mao Liyuan was in a hurry on this side.Because even with reinforcements, Miyao City might not be able to sustain it. Under the onslaught of the overwhelmingly superior Tao family army that lasted for several days, all the fortifications in the city were destroyed and the water source was cut off.If Miyao Castle, the last nail on Itsukushima, is pulled out, Tao Longfang can rely on Itsukushima and Mao Liyuan to fight a frontal battle, and even divide his troops to land in various places in the southwestern part of Anyun Country. An army of tens of thousands of people can't resist it.

Miyao Castle must not be lost!But even if the Murakami navy arrives later, they have to prepare for the surprise attack before they can dispatch the army!Mao Liyuan set the attack time on the evening of September's dark day (that is, the last day of September, the [-]th), so how can the time before the surprise attack allow Miyao Castle to hold on?

Fortunately, the Maori Yuan has already been arranged. On the night of the 28th, Tao Longfang of Tonoka received a secret letter from Gui Yuancheng, the guard of Yingwei Castle, and the content of the letter was: "The failure of the Mori family is inevitable. On October [-]st (October [-]st), I donated Yingwei Castle, and cooperated with the masters of the Zen School to completely wipe out the Maori army in the Kusatsu area." Tao Long Fangxian was overjoyed after reading the letter. Yuan Cheng defected, then Mao Liyuan's army would only end up being dumped.

Moreover, in the eyes of Tao Longfang, there is a good reason for Gui Yuancheng to defect. It is normal for Gui Yuancheng to wish to make contributions to the Tao family for the time being before the family's army preserves his family's name!

And Gui Yuancheng did make meritorious service, but for Mao Liyuan.Gui Yuancheng is Huang Gai, and Tao Longfang is Cao Cao. Tao Longfang is intoxicated in a dream, unaware that this is just Gui Yuancheng's scheming by Huang Gai.

As a result, on the 29th, Tao Longfang actually ordered that the whole army rest for a day on the [-]th, and then attack the city with all their strength on October [-]st.Hongzhong Longbao was shocked when he heard the order, and hurried to question. Tao Longfang was very vague: "The dark day is the day when the three corpses are upper body, and it is not good to fight." The confident Tao Longfang flatly refused.No one can explain clearly why Tao Longfang, who was praised as the "Peerless General of the Western Kingdom" at the beginning, did this.

But because of this, the Tao family's army lost a day of life and death, because on the morning of the [-]th, Mao Liyuan finally waited for the water army in Sandao Village, and in the evening of the same day, Mao Liyuan set sail with all his troops, cutting through the waves, facing the strict Kill from the direction of the island! (To be continued..)