The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Chapter 127 Storming Shenzhi City

The first day of the eleventh month of the second year of Yuangui (1571).

Tokugawa Ieyasu led his troops from Hamamatsu and invaded Suruga.

Ogasawara Nagatoki and Hineno Hiroyuki, as accomplices of Niwa Nagahide, led 7,000 Mori troops into Shinano ahead of others and besieged Kiso Fukushima Castle.

Historically, Kiso Yoshimasa, dissatisfied with the corvée labor imposed by Takeda Katsuyori, colluded with Nobunaga to rebel against Takeda Katsuyori, leading to the downfall of the Takeda clan.

The Kiso clan claimed to be descendants of Kiso Yoshinaka, whose wife, Tomoe Gozen, came from a powerful family in Kiso-dani. Nagayoshi himself accepted the Kiso clan's claim.

Although Yoshimasa Kiso was called a traitor, it would be detrimental to his future rule in Shinano if such a prestigious family were to be easily severed.

After Takeda Shingen unified Shinano, he married his daughter, Princess Mariya, to Kiso Yoshimasa, and the Kiso clan handed over hostages to Shingen.

Nagatoki and the Kiso clan had fought together against the Takeda clan in their early years. Therefore, after Nagayoshi made a request to Nobunaga for "safety in his own domain", he ordered Niwa Nagahide to lead 8000 men to surround Kiso Valley and persuade the Kiso clan.

Nagayoshi continued to penetrate deeper into the Shinano region, with Nobutada's 28,000-strong army following closely behind.

Less than a year after Takeda Shingen's death, most of Shinano's generals were killed in battle or captured, leaving only Kousaka Masanobu in Shinano.

The three generals, Nobuyuki Akiyama and Nobutaka Sanada, struggled to support him.

Two of these three were captured by the Mori clan, and Sanada Yukitaka's second son is still imprisoned in Iwamura Castle.

Although Shinano was nominally defended by 10,000 men, Takeda could actually only control about 4,000 troops.

On the fourth day of the tenth month, Kiso Yoshimasa surrendered, and Ogasawara Nagatoki once again rallied his former troops, causing unrest in the two districts of Shinano.

In Kofu Tsubasakikan.

Masato Naito walked through the corridor.

He served the tyrannical Takeda Nobutora in his youth, rose to prominence alongside the wise Shingen in his prime, and now, in middle age, as Takeda's chief retainer, he feels an unbearable weight on his shoulders.

The Takeda clan still possesses the territory it enjoyed at its peak, but he can still smell the bloodshed of his childhood.

Less than a year after Lord Shingen's death, Oda immediately came to take revenge.

When Takeda Katsuyori met Masatoyo, he made no attempt to hide his anger.

"The Kiso clan has surrendered; the hostages must be dealt with as soon as possible!"

"Kiso Yoshimasa was forced by circumstances, and his true attitude is still difficult to judge. I think it is not necessary to kill the hostages for now."

"No!"

Katsuyori's belief in Sakuma's defection led to the Takeda clan's crushing defeat, and even though he became the head of the clan, he had no authority within the family.

"If we don't kill the hostages, how can we deter the powerful clans of Shinano! Sanada Yukitaka is a vassal state official, and Akiyama Nobutomo was once treated well by Oda. If they surrender, Shinano is finished!"

Nobutomo had visited the Oda clan regarding a marriage alliance, and Nobunaga held him in high regard.

When Mori Nagayoshi killed the other Takeda retainers, he showed no mercy. Why did he spare these two?

At this moment, Katsuyori found it difficult to trust either of these two important ministers.

"My lord, please do not act rashly. Lord Kosaka and Lord Sanada have been in charge of Shinano for many years; you must trust their judgment!"

Katsuyori whirled around, glared at him, and said, "Are you trying to make me a laughingstock? If traitors aren't punished, who will respect the laws of the Takeda clan in the future?"

"That's not what I meant." Masahiro lowered his head. "Kiso Yoshimasa's wife and daughters are innocent. Killing them will only make the Kiso clan completely side with Oda, leaving no room for maneuver."

"Have room to maneuver?" Katsuyori sneered. "Matsutoyo, you're too naive. Do you think Kiso Yoshimasa will turn back?"

The kind of person he can only be intimidated with blood!

"What about Sanada Yukitaka? What about Akiyama Nobutomo? My lord, when Lord Shingen subdued Shinano, he relied on a combination of kindness and severity, not just indiscriminate slaughter!"

"Using both kindness and severity? That was during Shingen's time. Now I, Takeda Katsuyori, am in charge. If I cannot even severely punish traitors, who in my household will obey me?"

Masahiro understood. Katsuyori wanted to kill not only Kiso Yoshimasa's wife and daughters, but also the person he himself was trying to avenge.

After the crushing defeat in Gifu, undercurrents were brewing within his household, and Katsuyori needed to prove his authority was still intact with bloodshed.

He lowered his head. "But that's precisely why we must reassure them. Kosaka Masanobu and Sanada Yukitaka have been in charge of Shinano for many years and know the local lords inside and out. My lord should trust their response, not try to intimidate them!"

"Enough! Changfeng, you are a veteran minister whom my father appointed for me, and I respect you to some extent. But what are your true intentions today, as you keep defending the traitors?"

Katsuyori stared at him for a moment, took a deep breath, and suppressed his anger.

"Kiso Yoshimasa's wife and daughters will be beheaded tomorrow at noon. This matter need not be discussed further."

There was nothing wrong with killing a hostage, and Changfeng didn't want to persuade him any further, so he agreed with Katsuyori's opinion.

As an unpopular high-ranking official, he planned to use his influence in more crucial areas.

He knew that Takeda's current predicament was not entirely Katsuyori's fault.

Only he and Yamagata Masakage knew that the failure back then was Shingen's fault.

Lord Shingen knew his life was nearing its end, which is why he took such a desperate gamble; the Takeda clan didn't have to pay such a heavy price.

Since Katsuyori succeeded as head of the family, he has been diligent, brave, and not fond of pleasure. He is determined to protect the foundation of the Takeda family.

Perhaps without Shingen, he would have been a wise and capable ruler.

On November 5th, Mori Nagayoshi's vanguard surrounded Fukashi Castle, which was defended by Akiyama Nobutomo, a key point in Shinano.

Kiso Yoshimasa was sent to Azuchi to meet Nobunaga.

Nobutada left 10,000 troops to surround the other forces, large and small, in Shinano, while he personally led Niwa Nagahide into the Kai district to deal with the reinforcements from Kai.

Mori Nagayoshi did not intend to drag the war into the following spring, when Uesugi Kenshin's arrival would plunge Shinano into a protracted war.

Once Akiyama Nobuyuki, Sanada Yukitaka, and Kosaka Masanobu are defeated, the remaining powerful clans will have no will to resist.

Fukashi Castle was a flatland castle built by Ogasawara Sadao, the governor of Shinano. Ogasawara Nagatoki had always wanted to reclaim the castle, and Nagayoshi specially borrowed Nagatoki from Niwa Nagahide in order to fulfill the old general's wish.

This castle is located on the alluvial fan plain between the Toba River and the Susukawa River. After being expanded by Shingen, the highest point of the stone wall reached seven meters. Its outer perimeter was dug with three layers of water. Although it was a flat castle, it was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

However, the force defending the city, led by Akiyama Nobuyuki, numbered only a thousand men.

This is quite normal, as almost none of the twenty-four retainers of Takeda could muster a force of a thousand men without the support of powerful clans and gentry.

Changqing and Changshi arrived outside the city.

"Does Lord Nagatoshi wish to personally reclaim Fukashi Castle?"

He gazed at his homeland for a long time, his mouth twitching, but he couldn't utter a word.

He wanted it, he dreamed about it.

He dreamed of this place countless nights.

"Lord Nobunaga values ​​your status and has achieved such merit in battle. I can't guarantee anything else, but I'm certain that Fukashi will be able to return to the hands of the Ogasawara clan."

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His throat bobbed for a long time, and his white beard trembled with his heavy breathing.

"Quickly prepare for the earth attack; I will surely take this city within a month!" Changqing said with a smile as he left.

He simply stared at the city and nodded vigorously.

Having fought several battles, the Mori army had become well-versed in the art of earth-based warfare.

In summer, the water flow upstream of Shenzhi City is abundant, and changing the waterway and diverting the flow is a major project.

However, during the dry winter, the Maori army diverted the water source from upstream and dug three water channels to divert the accumulated water.

The defenders of Shenzhi City watched helplessly as the water level of the moat dropped day by day, inevitably causing widespread panic.

Pingcheng, defended by a thousand men, had no water diversion dikes on the outside, so it could only rely on earthen ramparts and stone walls.

But so what if the stone walls are high? Are the stone walls of Sawayama Castle low?