The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Autumn will arrive in the blink of an eye.

Nobunaga issued a general mobilization order to attack Inabayama Castle.

Inabayama Castle's supply lines had already been cut off by the surrounding powerful clans, and now Nobunaga wasn't even willing to give Ryūō a chance for the autumn harvest.

In the barracks of Iwamura Castle, Nagayoshi looked at the troops assembled before him. After more than half a year of reorganization, this army had begun to take shape.

One hundred regular foot soldiers were equipped with uniform domaru, and two hundred peasant soldiers, after basic training, were also ready to participate in battle at any time.

"My lord, Lord Shibata's messenger has arrived." Hattori Haruyasu appeared silently at the door.

Changqing nodded and accepted the military order.

Most of those involved in the encirclement were powerful clans from Mino. The Oda clan only dispatched Shibata Katsuie as the commander-in-chief, with Mori Nagayoshi, the lord of Iwamura Castle, and Ikeda Tsuneoki, the newly appointed lord of Inuyama Castle, as the vanguard.

"Pass down the order: depart tomorrow morning."

On August 15th, the "Mino Trio" and their subordinate minor clans, with a combined army of 10,000, joined forces with Shibata Katsuie and others at Inabayama Castle.

At that time, the Oda clan only sent three thousand soldiers. It seemed that the grand stage of Mino was almost handed over to the powerful clans of Mino.

Shibata Katsuie's main camp was set up on a small hill, overlooking the entire camp.

"Lord Mori, the military council is about to begin." A messenger led Nagayoshi toward the main camp.

Inside the tent, Shibata Katsuie was discussing military matters with Ikeda Tsuneoki, Inaba Ittetsu, Ujiie Bokuzen, and Ando Morinari.

When the army set out, the powerful clans of Nishimino, Hironori Hineno and Mitsuharu Fuwa, who had been reluctant to surrender, led 2,000 troops to rescue Inabayama Castle.

Upon seeing Changqing enter, Shengjia greeted him gruffly, "Changqing, you've come at the right time. Tell me your thoughts."

The three men of Mino were eager to take away the territory of Hineno and Fuwa, so they strongly advocated eating these 2000 people first.

"Let them into Inabayama Castle."

"Let them go? Wouldn't that make it even harder to attack the city?" Sheng Jia frowned. "Our lord has already imposed a supply ban for half a year. This time, we need a swift victory."

"It is precisely because we need a swift victory that we need to let them into the city. Saito Tatsuoki is already running out of money; can he afford to support two thousand garrison troops?"

Shibata Katsuie immediately understood Nagayoshi's meaning.

"It seems they intend to continue the siege..."

"The siege shouldn't be too monotonous. After winter sets in, I request the three lords of Mino to use fire attacks to assault the fortifications of the three castles! Don't be stingy with oil. Lord Shibata, please arrange for men to build fortifications and completely blockade Inabayama Castle. Lord Ikeda, go and harvest grain to supply the army."

Inabayama Castle, like Iwamura Castle, was a mountain castle. During Saito Dosan's reign, Inabayama Castle was expanded into a three-way castle, which greatly increased its defensive capabilities.

However, the problem of Inabayama Castle's extreme dependence on rainfall for water supply has not been improved.

Inabayama Castle, the highest floor of the castle tower.

Saito Tatsuoki was only fifteen years old, and his still-childish face was full of gloom.

"My lord, Lord Hine and Lord Fuwa's troops have broken through the Oda army's blockade and are entering the city," reported Nagai Michitoshi, a senior retainer of the Nagai clan, kneeling behind him.

For the past six months, these two powerful families have never abandoned the Saito family.

Long Xing exclaimed with delight, "Good! I knew it! Hineno and Fuwa are the true loyal retainers of the Saito family!"

He strode to the map, his finger tapping rapidly: "With two thousand fresh troops entering the castle, we'll have six thousand defenders. Inabayama Castle has three lines of defense; if Nobunaga wants to take it, he'll have to pay the price of at least ten thousand!"

Nagai Michitoshi lowered his head, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

"Daoli, say what you have to say." Long Xing frowned.

"My lord... the city's grain reserves, at the current rations, should have lasted three months. But with the sudden addition of two thousand men..." The old minister's voice trailed off, "If the Oda army continues the siege, I'm afraid..."

Long Xing's smile froze on his face.

"Enough!" Long Xing suddenly roared in fury, kicking over the low table in front of him. "You're spouting pessimistic talk before the battle even starts! It's a good thing that Hineno and Fuwa are coming to our aid! Are we going to shut them out?!"

Nagai Michiri lay prone on the ground, unable to rise.

Longxing's chest heaved, and it took him a while to calm his breathing. He walked to the window and looked again at the enemy camp in the distance, muttering to himself, "The Takeda clan won't stand idly by and let Nobunaga grow stronger... As long as we hold on, reinforcements will surely come..."

Unbeknownst to him, Uesugi Kenshin was still entangled with Takeda Shingen at that moment.

The only person who could secretly communicate with Takeda, Toyama, had long been dealt with by Nagayoshi.

At that moment, a foot soldier general hurriedly climbed the tower and knelt on one knee: "My lord! The Oda army... the Oda army is harvesting crops outside the castle!"

Long Xing lunged at the railing.

It was harvest season, and the once golden rice paddies below Inabayama Castle were now being harvested in large numbers by Oda's peasant soldiers. They worked with practiced skill, quickly bundling the cut rice ears and loading them onto oxcarts for transport to the rear.

"That's...that's our food!" Long Xing's fingers gripped the wooden railing tightly.

"Send troops! Go out of the city and repel them!" Long Xing roared as he turned around.

"My lord, you mustn't!" Nagai Michitoshi hurriedly dissuaded him. "This must be a trap to lure the enemy out! The Oda army is eager for us to leave the city and engage in open battle!"

"Are we just going to stand by and watch them steal our food?!" Long Xing's eyes were bloodshot. "Without a harvest, what will we eat after the city's food reserves run out?!"

The foot soldier general lowered his head: "The Oda army is building fortifications and watchtowers outside the castle. Scouts report at least three layers of defense. If we rashly leave the castle, I'm afraid..."

Long Xing slumped down on the mat, utterly dejected.

He finally realized that this was not a battle that could be won by brute force. From the moment he decided to defend the isolated city, the initiative had already been lost to him.

The siege lasted for ten days.

Mori Nagayoshi stood on the newly built watchtower of the fortress.

This fortress was built on a hill, perfectly guarding the mountain road leading to the west side of the city. He had already directed the construction of twelve similar fortresses, which complemented each other, forming an impenetrable network.

"Lord Chōkei." Hattori Haruyasu appeared silently behind him. "The smoke from the chimneys in the city has decreased by 30% compared to three days ago."

"Rations have started to be reduced."

"After the troops of Hineno and Fuwa entered the city, three small-scale conflicts occurred. These conflicts were all over the struggle for food rations." Haruyasu reported the intelligence gathered by the ninjas. "Saito Tatsuoki ordered that the rations for samurai be halved, and for foot soldiers, they be reduced by another 30%. Commoners will only receive a handful of rice per day."

"Where's the rain?"

"There was a light rain the day before yesterday, and the city should have collected some water. But according to our inside sources, the city's reservoirs are already half full. If there is no more rain, the reservoirs will run dry in a month at most."

"Report!" Marume Nagayoshi suddenly approached. "Lord Shibata is calling a military council and requests that Your Majesty come over."

……

Inside Shibata Katsuie's main camp tent.

"The smoke from the chimneys in the city is getting less and less every day," Ikeda Kokoro said with a smile. "I harvested 80% of the crops outside the city, and the remaining 20% ​​was too close to the city, so I simply burned it all, leaving them not a single grain."

Shibata Katsuie looked at Nagayoshi: "How is the fortification layout?"

"All twelve fortresses have been completed, each garrisoned by one hundred soldiers, equipped with twenty bows and arrows and five arquebuses. There are thirty watchtowers, manned by ten men day and night. Inabayama Castle is now a dead end."

"Good!" Shengjia nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the three from Mino, "The three of you, it's up to you now. The lord's intention is to add fuel to the fire of Longxing before winter."