Japan's Sengoku Period: The Sanada Clan's Ambition

Chapter 127 Hideyoshi's Encirclement
In the twelfth year of the Tianzheng era, the situation in the world changed drastically.

March.

Oda Nobukatsu announced at Nagashima Castle in Ise that he would welcome Tokugawa Ieyasu's visit and invited his retainers to Nagashima Castle to make preparations.

When his retainers gathered at Nagashima Castle, Oda Nobuo immediately ordered the execution of Tsugawa Yoshifuyu, Okada Shigetaka, and Asai Nagatoki.

Oda Nobuo's actions were undoubtedly a slap in the face to Hashiba Hideyoshi. These three men were retainers that Hashiba Hideyoshi had been trying to recruit. If he did not react to their deaths, wouldn't he be showing the world that he, Hashiba Hideyoshi, was afraid of Oda Nobuo?

Soon, Hideyoshi Hashiba began ordering his retainers to mobilize his foot soldiers.

In order to oppose Hideyoshi Hashiba, Oda Nobukatsu extended invitations to Chosokabe Motochika of Shikoku, the Negoro and Saiga factions of Kii, the Mori of western Japan, Sasa Narimasa of Etchu, Tokugawa Ieyasu of the Tokaido, and Hojo Ujimasa of Kanto, openly opposing Hideyoshi Hashiba.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the first to respond, personally leading his army into Owari on March 13.

Once Tokugawa Ieyasu made his move, Chosokabe Motochika, the Negoroku of Kii, and others followed suit.

Chosokabe Motochika, the leader of Shikoku, has always hoped to unify Shikoku. He has now occupied a large part of Shikoku's territory, leaving only the Sogawa family still occupying parts of Sanuki and Awa.

Chosokabe Motochika saw Oda Nobukatsu's invitation as an excellent opportunity to attack the Sogawa clan, so he naturally did not refuse.

Meanwhile, the people of Kii wanted to take advantage of the situation to capture Izumi and began their attack on Kishiwada Castle.

Although the Mori clan in western Japan did not explicitly state that they would join the "Hideyoshi encirclement," they continued to engage in localized battles with Hashiba Hideyoshi.

Faced with threats from the Negoro clan, the Saiga clan, and the Mori clan in the rear, Hideyoshi Hashiba had no choice but to protect his rear first, so he could only send Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi from Owari to fight first.

At the same time, Hojo Ujimasa in the Kanto region also began war mobilization, with only one goal: to destroy the anti-Hojo coalition forces in Kanto.

The frequent troop movements of the Hojo clan in Ueno, Shimotsuke, Shimonoseki, and other places have made the daimyo throughout the Kanto region feel insecure.

Yoshishige Satake of Hitachi followed suit, immediately gathering Kanto daimyo such as Utsunomiya, Sano, and Yuki to form an anti-Hōjō coalition, and extending an invitation to the Kokujin-ikki in Akino Province.

The Sanada family also received a letter from Yoshishige Satake, but Masayuki Sanada did not reply.

On March 16, Tokugawa Ieyasu's general Sakai Tadatsugu suddenly led 5000 troops to launch a surprise attack on Mori Nagayoshi, who was stationed in the Haguro region.

After a fierce battle, Mori Nagayoshi was forced to retreat to Inuyama Castle after suffering more than 300 casualties.

After the initial victory, Tokugawa Ieyasu immediately moved his main camp to the Komakiyama area and began to urgently construct defensive facilities.

Meanwhile, when news of Mori Nagayoshi's defeat in Haguro reached Mino, former retainers of the Toyama clan in the eastern Mino region seized the opportunity to launch a rebellion and attack Meichi Castle.

Upon learning of this, Tokugawa Ieyasu immediately dispatched Toyama Tomotada with troops to provide support.

Toyama Tomotada was originally a vassal of eastern Mino, but after being driven out of Mino by Mori Nagayoshi, he joined Tokugawa Ieyasu. Now that he had the opportunity to reclaim his former territory, he was naturally very eager to do so. He immediately went to eastern Mino and, together with his former retainers, captured Meichi Castle before launching an attack on Iwamura Castle.

Meanwhile, in Inuyama Castle in Owari, Mori Nagayoshi panicked upon learning of the changes behind him.

"Father-in-law, when will Lord Hashiba's army arrive?"

"If this continues, the Mori family's territory will be lost," Mori Nagayoshi said anxiously.

He had taken all of the Mori family's troops out of the country, leaving the territory extremely vulnerable. If Toyama Tomotada were allowed to run rampant within the territory, Mori Nagatoshi would be finished before the Oda-Tokugawa alliance could even be defeated.

Ikeda Tsuneoki was also anxious. His territory was in Owari. If Hashiba Hideyoshi did not come, how could he and Mori Nagatoshi possibly withstand the combined forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobuo?

Moreover, Mori Nagayoshi's territory has now been attacked, and it's his turn next.

"Musashi no Kami, why don't you immediately notify the Sanada clan and ask them to send troops to rescue Iwamura Castle?"

"I've heard that you have a close relationship with the head of the Sanada Hyogo clan. I suppose the Sanada family won't refuse you." Since Hideyoshi Hashiba can't be relied on for the time being, Tsuneoki Ikeda has to think of another way.

Upon hearing this, Mori Nagayoshi immediately understood, "That's right!"

"How could I forget about Genzaburo?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a samurai from the Ikeda clan entered. “Father, there is an envoy outside claiming to be from the Sanada clan of Shinano Province requesting an audience.”

"Sanada?"

"You've come at the perfect time!" Mori Nagayoshi exclaimed excitedly. "Please come in quickly."

Soon, Sasuke, a man as swift as the wind, walked in.

"I was sent by Lord Genzaburo. Here is a letter from Lord Genzaburo. Which one of you is Lord Musashi-no-kami?"

Mori Nagayoshi quickly stepped forward to take the letter, first confirming the handwriting and monogram before continuing to read it.

The letter was very simple, summed up in one sentence: I heard that Musashi-no-kami has recently encountered some trouble. If you need any help, just let me know, and the Sanada family is willing to provide assistance.

"As expected of the loyal and righteous Sanada Genzaburo!" Mori Nagayoshi immediately handed the letter to Ikeda Tsuneoki, and then hurriedly asked Sasuke, "When will the Sanada clan's reinforcements be able to enter Mino?"

"At most 10 days, Lord Genzaburo will be able to enter Mino with his cavalry, and the reinforcements will arrive within 20 days."

The road from Shinano to Mino is difficult to travel; only horseback riding is fast enough. Other foot soldiers and small pack animals are naturally very slow.

Mori Nagayoshi mentally calculated the time; with the defenses of Iwamura Castle, blocking Toyama Kage for the first ten days shouldn't be a problem.

"In that case, please convey to Lord Sanada that Mino is in the care of the Sanada family."

"Ha!" Sasuke responded and stood up, then quickly left.

Upon learning that the Sanada family would be sending reinforcements, Mori Nagayoshi finally felt relieved.

In this way, he could safely set up camp at Inuyama Castle and wait for Hideyoshi Hashiba's army to arrive.

Shinano, Ueda Castle.

Caravans loaded with grain were passing through the castle town and entering Ueda Castle in an orderly fashion. Kawahara Tsunaie and Takanashi Naiki were in charge of loading all the grain into the Nishiki-go wheel.

Inside the judging room of Ueda Castle, Sanada Masayuki and Sanada Nobuyuki sat facing each other, both with solemn expressions.

"Genzaburo, have you decided to send troops?"

“Yes! Although Lord Hashiba has not extended an invitation to our clan to advance, if we were to take the initiative to participate in the war, it would be a good opportunity for our clan to demonstrate our loyalty to Lord Hashiba,” Sanada Nobuyuki replied with certainty. Sanada Masayuki pondered for a moment, then said, “Tokugawa general Torii Mototada is stationed in Kai Province, and the Hojo clan also intends to attack Kozuke Province. I need to mobilize troops for defense, and I certainly do not have any extra troops to send to you.”

"If you are to lead your troops to fight in Mino, you can only take your own troops with you."

The Sanada family is also in a bad situation right now.

Although Tokugawa Ieyasu went to Owari, he placed Torii Mototada in Kai. Although he did not show hostility towards the Sanada family, he was still eyeing them covetously.

Sanada Nobuyoshi visited Sanada Masayuki some time ago, subtly inquiring whether the Sanada family would join Hashiba Hideyoshi's side.

In other words, when Tokugawa Ieyasu went to Owari, would the Sanada clan attack Kai?

Sanada Masayuki had absolutely no idea about Tokugawa Ieyasu's concerns.

Shinano is currently unable to muster even a decent army. Shinano has just promulgated new laws, and the Sanada family's focus remains on appeasing the people.

If a large-scale foreign war were launched at this time, the people of Shinano Province who had finally submitted to the Sanada family might very well defect to the Tokugawa.

Moreover, the Hojo clan in Kanto has amassed nearly 7 troops and distributed them along the Kozuke and Shimotsuke lines, ready to launch an attack at any time. At this point, sending Sanada Masayuki to fight Tokugawa Ieyasu would be suicidal.

Even Hideyoshi Hashiba didn't send anyone to issue an order to attack the Sanada clan, indicating that he also knew that he couldn't help the Sanada clan in their current situation.

"Our team is enough!"

"It's just to show the main family's attitude to the Hashiba family. The Hashiba family doesn't need these few people from the main family," Sanada Nobuyuki quickly said.

Sanada Nobuyuki's decision to send troops to Mino to participate in the war was simply to show his loyalty to Hashiba Hideyoshi.

With Hideyoshi Hashiba's strength, mobilizing tens of thousands of troops would be easy, and whether the Sanada clan sends a thousand or ten thousand men would not have much impact.

As long as you have the right attitude, you can make a good impression on Hideyoshi Hashiba.

To put it bluntly, Nobuyuki Sanada was just going through the motions this time.

“I also think you are right. Since we have decided to join the Hashiba family, we should stand firmly with Lord Hashiba.”

"However, you must also avoid direct combat with the Tokugawa clan, as we still have a truce agreement," Sanada Masayuki specifically instructed.

Who knows when the great battle between the Oda-Tokugawa alliance and Hashiba Hideyoshi will end? Moreover, the Hashiba clan is also being held back by Chosokabe and others in the west. What if the war goes against them and Hashiba Hideyoshi leads his army away? What if Tokugawa Ieyasu turns around and joins the Hojo clan to deal with the Sanada clan?
Sanada Masayuki's concerns are not unfounded.

Having already been sold out by Hideyoshi Hashiba once, Masayuki Sanada didn't want to be fooled a second time.

"I have also had your uncle convey the Tokugawa family's attitude: this great war is ultimately nothing more than an internal conflict within the Oda clan. The real life-or-death rivals are Hashiba Hideyoshi and Oda Nobukatsu."

"Whether it's Tokugawa or the main family, they're just reinforcements; there's no conflict between us."

As expected of a shrewd and calculating man, Sanada Masayuki immediately grasped the essence of this great battle.

As expected, as long as Sanada Masayuki isn't forced to take sides, he's absolutely reliable. Sanada Nobuyuki thought to himself.

"Understood. I will definitely avoid direct combat with the Tokugawa clan this time."

“But if the governor of Chikuzen gives orders, they must not be disobeyed.” Sanada Masayuki added again, “If battle is unavoidable, the scale must be controlled. The governor of Mikawa in Tokugawa is not a fool; he can understand the difficulties of our clan.”

"what!"

With Sanada Masayuki's permission, Sanada Nobuyuki immediately set off to return to Takai District.

Soon, Nobuyuki Sanada summoned Teruhisa Yamagami, Yorichika Takanashi, Tadanao Shimazu, Chikamasa Imokawa, Saizo Kana, Nobushige Sanada, Mototada Kasuga, Masatane Hirabayashi, Mitsumori Obata, and others.

Because war preparations had been made in advance, Nobuyuki Sanada issued the orders directly.

"Genjiro, Shimono no Mamoru, you two gather the mounted troops and follow me into battle first."

Sanada Nobushige and Obata Mitsumori quickly accepted the order and turned to leave the city to assemble their troops.

Then, Sanada Nobuyuki looked at Shimazu Tadanao and said, "Awaji no Kami, as the junior magistrate, you must ensure the supply of provisions for the army."

“I have already sent people to Kiso Valley. The Kiso family will provide us with laborers and horses to help transport the grain.”

"Ha!" Shimazu Tadanao nodded immediately.

The small pack animal team was responsible for logistical support, and sufficient personnel and livestock were essential to ensure a adequate supply of military provisions. With the Kiso family's help, things became much easier.

"Yojuro, you will temporarily serve as the castle magistrate of Nakano Castle. I will entrust the task of allocating supplies to you."

“Ha!” Kasuga no Yotada replied.

Sanada Nobuyuki then looked at the anxious Kazuya Saizo and Yamagami Teruhisa, "Saizo, you and Michiki will lead the foot soldiers to set off with the small pack animal team."

"After arriving at Fukushima Castle, we will rest for two days and continue our march toward Mino."

"what!"

"The rest of you shall proceed according to the pre-arranged plan. The army will set out in two days!"

"Oh!"

On March 20th, Sanada Nobuyuki led 200 cavalrymen out to the front, heading straight for Mino.

Subsequently, 500 foot soldiers, 300 arquebusiers, 50 archers, and 150 small pack animals, led by Kana Saizo, Yamagami Michiki, and others, left Takai County two days later.

With the addition of 300 temporary laborers to help transport supplies, Sanada Nobuyuki mobilized a total of 1500 troops.

At the same time, Sanada Masayuki also dispatched Hoshina Masamitsu with 500 men to garrison Uehara Castle to assist Suwa Yoritada, while he himself led 2000 men to garrison Komoro Castle, ready to go to Ueno at any time to deal with the Hojo clan's attack.

Meanwhile, in the Kinki region, the Saiga and Negoro forces of Kii attacked Kishiwada Castle in Izumi.

Hideyoshi Hashiba's advance into Owari was halted.

　Regarding the Mori clan: The Mori clan's actions after the Honnoji Incident have remained shrouded in mystery. Logically, given the circumstances surrounding the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute, the Mori clan should have seized the opportunity to launch an attack, but they remained silent and did not join the encirclement. I simply cannot understand it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)