Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"Where exactly are the Shimazu soldiers?" The Aso army is not a concern, but the Shimazu army is the real threat. Todo Takatora finally started to get a little nervous.

"Neither the Shimazu nor the Sagara have yet crossed the Yatsushiro district."

The messenger who brought the news immediately replied that, at least before he set off, those who had subdued the Shimazu had not yet received support from the Shimazu main force.

That means that Shiga Chikaji's scouts were not at fault. The Shimazu must have only just begun a large-scale mobilization. Including the incidents of sending messages in between, it will take at least another day or two before the entire Shimazu army can reach the Mashiki district.

It's still worth trying!

"Our army should advance quickly and join forces with Otomo Takei-dono." In the end, Kawamura's army only has a little over 10,000 men, but if Shimazu's army really comes, they could send several thousand, and with the addition of the Higo clans, their military strength would surpass that of Kawamura's army.

Regardless of whether he looked down on Yoshitomo Ōtomo, his 10,000 men were real. With the two armies combined, he had over 20,000 men at his disposal, giving him a decisive advantage.

"Advance quickly?" Shichibei hesitated slightly. The battle situation had changed drastically, and Shichibei's mind hadn't quite caught up yet. It wasn't a battle where they had much to lose, so he felt a slight sense of fear.

"To prevent our army from being defeated piecemeal by the Shimazu forces," Takenaka Hanbei immediately chimed in.

The Shimazu clan certainly knew exactly where Ōtomo Yoshitomo was. And Kawamura's army's capture of Iwao Castle was also a grand and ostentatious affair.

The real enemy is in the shadows, while I am in the light.

566. Rushing to Iida to aid Ōtomo (by touching the head)

"Indecisiveness leads to disaster!"

Seeing that Shichibei was still hesitating, Nagayoshi also spoke up. A great battle was imminent, and uniting forces was the safest course of action. Especially in situations where the enemy might outnumber us, we must clench our fists together.

How did Zhang Lingfu meet his end? It was because he charged too fast, thought himself invincible, became separated from other troops, and was eventually surrounded at Menglianggu.

Currently, apart from Iwao Castle and the area behind it, everything else is hostile to Shimazu Aso. The only option is to retreat directly back to Bungo, which would not only betray Ōtomo Yoshitomo but also Kawamura Naokichi, who is now Shichibei's son.

Selling out Ōtomo Yoshitaka would only broaden Shichibei's reputation as a "soldier's henchman," which Shichibei didn't care about at all, since they didn't rely on it for a living anyway. If they sold out Kawamura Naokichi, Shichibei would wake up in the middle of the night in pain.

"strike camp!"

After a brief moment's hesitation, Shichibei immediately decided to break camp and set off. He figured he had to test his skills against his opponent, and besides, he had Iwao Castle as a retreat route. He then left Kiyama...

Keeping a letter with you will be a lifesaver, even if you have to run away later.

The entire army broke camp, with Shichibei leaving only 500 men to guard Iwao Castle. As for Hamano Castle below the castle, they abandoned it. They figured the castle couldn't be defended anyway; the entire area, over 400 meters high, was on Mount Yabe, and 500 men could hold it for several days. If a decisive battle broke out around Mifune Castle, victory would be fine, and even defeat wouldn't leave them with no way to escape.

The conch shells blared, and the Kawamura army, which had only been in the city for half a day, was immediately mobilized again after their brief respite. Fortunately, this army was truly composed entirely of samurai, the lowest of whom were seasoned foot soldiers who had served in the army for many years. They were all full-time soldiers, who normally received the stipend of Shichibei and were subject to the authority of the Kawamura family.

Indeed, the moment the whistle blows, they don their armor and become good soldiers. They had no complaints about being dispatched immediately. Since they were already on the battlefield, instead of complaining, they saved their energy to take a good look around.

They galloped off, reaching Mount Kasa (753m elevation). As darkness fell, Shichibei immediately ordered his men to ascend the mountain to survey the eastern and northeastern sides. Even in darkness, the army would need lights for their encampment.

These days, there's hardly any light pollution. At night, it's so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face. But if there's even a little light, you can see everything clearly.

Not far from the foot of Mount Kosa, at Kenshida Castle, alarms were blaring. Aso Koretoge, the castle's defender, would certainly not betray the Aso family. This was also why Shichibei stopped here; there were always about a thousand men inside the castle.

They probably don't have the capability for open-field combat outside the city, but a night raid on the camp is still possible. Therefore, Shichibei needs to send someone into the city to explain the situation to Aso Korechika, clearly outlining the advantages and disadvantages.

The Shimazu's influence has already infiltrated Aso territory. If Aso Koretoge holds off Kawamura's army here, not only will the strength of the Kazushida clan be severely damaged, but it will also sow the seeds of future trouble.

Even if they defeat Shichibei and enter Aso territory, will the Shimazu army retreat easily? Last time, because Ryuzoji Ieharu came with 43,000 troops to compete for victory, the Shimazu army didn't dare to make a move.

Where did this army of 43,000 dragons come from?

Rather than trapping Kawamura's army at Kasatake and Kashida Castle, it would be better to let them pass. Letting Kawamura's army fight a fierce battle with the Shimazu army, regardless of who wins or loses, would certainly be a great benefit to the Aso clan.

Oda is a tiger, and so is Shimazu; when two tigers fight, one is bound to be injured. Regardless of who loses, once they withdraw from Higo, the Aso clan will only have to face one fierce tiger.

It's better than facing two tigers at the same time, struggling to defend yourself, and in the blink of an eye...

It was devoured completely by two tigers, leaving not a trace of flesh or blood.

Aso, who lived in the city, wasn't completely stupid. After receiving Shichibei's secret letter that night, he only said that night was a time for sleeping and that he had no idea what had happened that day.

It's easy to say, but Shichibei simply passed through Kenshida Castle at night. If he wanted to pass through openly during the day, he'd have to attack. Passing through at night meant he could not only pretend not to see him, but also comfort himself by saying that Kawamura Nagayoshi was incredibly cunning and had tricked him.

Kashida Castle is only seven or eight kilometers away from Mifune Castle, or two ri in a day. Shichibei did not intend to risk passing through Mifune Castle overnight, so after leading his troops through Kashida Castle, he stopped at Hayakawa Village, which is between the two castles.

The village was small, and because of the Hayakawa River, it was divided into three parts. There were only a few elderly people in the village to look after the houses; all the able-bodied men had been conscripted to guard the city. The women who could run led the elderly and weak into the mountains to avoid being plundered by the enemy.

The Oda army would rob, and so would the Shimazu army; robbery was the nature of feudal armies during Japan's Sengoku period.

Using the village as cover, they hastily set up barricades with short guns and constructed defenses along the river. As dawn broke, Shichibei ordered the ten soldiers to temporarily...

He rested and then ordered his men to search for Yoshitomo Otomo.

When communication was restored yesterday morning, Ōtomo Yoshimune said he was north of Mifune Castle and south of Tsumori Castle. It's impossible for over ten thousand people to be concentrated in just one village; that would require a very large village. It's estimated that they were divided into garrisons of three to five thousand people, scattered across the nearby mountains, with one garrison controlling roads or water sources.

This tactic didn't need to be taught; Shichibei learned it from reading *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, specifically from the story of Ma Su defending Jieting. If the forces were sufficient, fortifications would be established both on and below the mountain, forming a defensive perimeter and threatening the main road below. When the enemy attacked, the troops on the mountain would charge forward if they captured the lower fortifications, and the troops below would flank and ambush if they attacked the upper fortifications.

Shichibei also surrounded Hayakawa and occupied all three separate villages. Only in this way can we be completely secure, and the generals in the army think so too, and they have all entered a tense state before battle.

As dawn broke, four envoys had been sent out to contact Yoshitomo Otomo, but there had been no reply. They really didn't know what was going on. Could it be that Yoshitomo Otomo had run away?

It's unlikely that he would suddenly encounter a rebellion by Aso's retainers, cutting off his escape route, and immediately turn back to Takamori. At least it would be sufficiently necessary and understandable. He has already contacted Shichibei, and Shichibei has even informed him through an envoy that he will come and join forces with him.

If we leave now, we'll be abandoning our allies.

No, it's not abandoning allies, it's abandoning the commander.

As the commander-in-chief of the Higo Army, personally appointed by Oda Nobukatsu, Shichibei was Ōtomo Yoshitomo's superior. Abandoning one's commander-in-chief is a capital offense worldwide. Ōtomo Yoshitomo couldn't have been unaware of this.

So what was Ōtomo Yoshitomo doing? Just as Shichibei had predicted, he had temporarily built a camp on Mount Iida, which is 431 meters high, and was waiting for Shichibei's arrival.

However, because he was the first to be exposed and was surrounded on all sides, he had already been targeted by the Shimazu army. The Shimazu's long-established Qida Academy, the castle academy, was now under attack. The Shimazu army was preparing to launch a surprise attack.

Yoshihiro Shimazu, residing in Yatsushiro Castle, ordered Yoshiie, the governor of Kuma District, to send 2,000 cavalry to Michigami Castle first, while he waited in his domain until all forces were mobilized.

Thus, what appeared before Ōtomo Yoshitomo was an army of eight thousand cavalry, led by Shimazu Toshihisa and including Fukami Nagatomo, Inudo Yoriyasu, Nawa Akitaka, Shiro Hisamoto, Nakamura Korefuyu, and Goshi Chikayuki.

Of course, these 8,000 cavalry were at most the main force of the "puppet army," with the true backbone being only the 3,000 cavalry under Shimazu Toshihisa's command. But these 8,000 men, under a banner, from...

Uto Castle drove all the way to Iidayama, completely blocking Yoshitomo Otomo's path.

This is why Shichibei sent out four envoys in succession, but none of them were able to contact him. The two armies are a day's journey apart, a journey that would take a normal person several hours to cover. In this one-day gap, Shimazu Toshihisa had already brought his troops over.

There are two main reasons why they did not advance towards Iwao Castle.

First, Kawamura's army loudly proclaimed that they had captured Hamanodate and Iwao Castle after a fierce attack, and that sieges inevitably resulted in casualties and exhaustion, requiring a day or two of rest. Thus, Kawamura's army would remain at Iwao Castle for a day or two. With those two days, the Shimazu army would have ample time to act boldly.

Secondly, Ōtomo Yoshitomo was a true "underling" in the Shimazu household. They had never seen Kawamura Chōkichi's underlings, but they had seen Ōtomo Yoshitomo's underlings twice. Compared to unfamiliar opponents, it was definitely easier to kill familiar defeated enemies first.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the two armies were already facing each other on the battlefield. Looking at the camps all the way down from Iida Mountain and the Tochigawa River passing by below the mountain, Shimazu Toshihisa realized that the terrain advantage was greater for the Tomoyuki army.

The Shimazu army had the advantage of both timing and popular support; the timing was due to the fact that the Ōtomo army was only just beginning to gain momentum.

In the chaotic moment after being defeated by Nakamura Yuifu and Shiro Hisamoto, they appeared before the Ōtomo army. To be able to attack a defeated and demoralized army with an army full of vigor is to seize the opportune moment.

As for the people, it's hard to say about those "puppet troops," but the three thousand cavalry under Shimazu Toshihisa are all roaring with righteous indignation.

As I've said before, these Shimazu samurai have bloodshot eyes, all they want is to carve out a fortune for themselves. If they kill Ōtomo Yoshitomo, even if they don't storm into Bungo Province, at least the current Higo Province will have to change hands.

After the surname change, what about Aso? What about Kikuchi? They'll all be dead. The conquered territories will inevitably be rewarded to those who have rendered meritorious service. What merit? The merit of charging up the mountain to kill Ōtomo Yoshitaka.

Standing on the hillside, Ōtomo Yoshitomo looked down at the Shimazu army below and couldn't help but feel irritated. He was the vanguard who had broken away from Shichibei's logistics unit and entered Aso territory first, and he had brought twenty days' worth of rations. So even if he was guarding the mountain now, he wouldn't go hungry for the time being.

Unfortunately, their fierce attack on Michigami Castle not long ago had depleted half of the gunpowder and lead bullets for over a thousand arquebuses in the army. When Seiji arrived, the Ōtomo army was defeated and retreated, leaving behind much of their supplies at Michigami Castle. This left the Ōtomo army's arquebusiers with very little ammunition.

Some soldiers only carried a few rounds of "early-fire" ammunition, while many arquebusiers' arquebuses had become mere fire pokers.

While defending the mountain was easy, how could they fight the Shimazu army without ranged weapons? It should be noted that the most reckless and aggressive samurai in the Ōtomo army, skilled in close combat, had already perished in the Battle of Mimikawa.

After that, the Japanese people in various places rebelled. The Tachibana-Takahashi Second Squad, which is now the most daring and capable fighter, has not yet returned to Bungo, and therefore cannot appear in Yoshitomo Otomo's army.

Once the Shimazu army discovers the true situation on the mountain, they will likely bombard it with continuous arquebus fire, causing the already wavering morale of the Otomo army on the mountain to panic and lose their composure.

Should we launch another attack? The friendly forces probably won't be able to hold out for long.

Why hasn't Kawamura Nagayoshi arrived yet?!

They had actually arrived, but their envoys were intercepted three times in succession by the Shimazu army below the mountain. The fourth group, seeing the two armies facing each other, finally emerged, bypassed the battlefield, and rushed to Mount Iida.

Upon learning that Shichibei's army was only two and a half days' journey away, or about ten kilometers, at Hayakawa, Ōtomo Yoshitomo finally breathed a sigh of relief. He ordered his messenger to break through no matter what, and requested that Prince Kawamura Kyōjō immediately lead his troops to provide support, so that they could jointly defeat Shimazu Toshihisa's army.

Knowing the military situation was urgent, the envoy disregarded his fatigue and followed one of Yoshitomo Otomo's close aides, starting to run back.

"Gentlemen, can you hear anything?" Shichibei picked at his ears and heard some noise from the north.

For a moment, it was hard to hear clearly; it sounded like the booming of a cannon, but not quite. There were other whistling sounds mixed in with the wind, making it impossible for Shichibei to understand.

"Is it just a rumor?" Sanada Masaki, the head of the squires standing next to Shichibei, also picked at his ear.

"Could it be that the Ōtomo Ōe-no-Tō has already started a war to the north?" Takenaka Hanbei tried to look into the distance, but he could not see anything except for Mifune Castle.

"Hmm..." That shouldn't be the case. Could the Shimazu army have completed all preparations from mobilization to entering the battlefield in just three or four days?

"My lord, my lord, an envoy has returned." A servant lifted the curtain, revealing that it was indeed an envoy from Kawamura's own army.

"We've made contact with Ōtomo Takee!" Shichibei immediately asked.

"The Imperial Guard is currently at Iida Mountain, two and a half miles to the northeast, and has already engaged in battle with the Shimazu rebels." The messenger's reply immediately confirmed what Takenaka Hanbei had just said.

"The war has already begun." Shichibei hadn't expected that even though he had rushed from Iwao Castle to the battlefield almost without hesitation, he was still a step too late. Fortunately, he could still make up for it.

Furthermore, the Shimazu army was truly a fierce and cunning force. No wonder even the neighboring Joseon Dynasty of Korea called Shimazu Yoshihiro, who commanded the Shimazu army, "Oni Ishimanko".

They actually ran that fast? Although Yatsushiro Castle is not far from Mifune Castle, such a marching speed, and their immediate engagement in battle after arriving at the battlefield, makes them a formidable enemy.

What else is there to say? Send troops to aid Ōtomo Yoshitomo immediately. Only by defeating the Shimazu can we stop his reach towards Higo. If we stand idly by and watch the Shimazu defeat Ōtomo Yoshitomo, then Shichibei will certainly not survive alone.

You ask about Mifune Castle? We can only bypass it, just like Takeda Shingen bypassed Hamamatsu Castle in history. Tokugawa Ieyasu had the courage to fight to the death outside the castle, but Aso Koremasa probably didn't. If he were such a powerful ruler, his retainers wouldn't have rebelled, and the nation's power wouldn't have declined day by day.

"Whoo-whoo-whoo..." The conch shell blew again.

567. Yi Tong abandoned his post and fled alone.

"Takei! Shiga Taro is only ten cho from here. If he leaves now, how will he explain it to his countrymen!"

Takamori Koreyuki grabbed Ōtomo Yoshitomo, who was about to flee. Since Shiga Chikaji's vanguard had already arrived, it meant that Kawamura Nagayoshi's main force wouldn't be too far away. If they were to break camp and leave directly, wouldn't that be tantamount to selling Shiga Chikaji, and even Kawamura Nagayoshi, to Shimazu Toshihisa?

“With everything crumbling, how can we not move?” Ōtomo Yoshitomo did not mount his horse, as they were still on a slope and it was difficult to ride.

Therefore, the left and right flag bearers led their horses, discarded their horse badges and flags, and even left behind the silver money boxes used to reward merits, intending to run away while the Shimazu army slowed down its offensive after discovering Kawamura's reinforcements.

As Ōtomo Yoshitomo had anticipated, the Ōtomo army on Mount Iida was already somewhat weakened due to their recent defeat and wavering morale. However, the Shimazu army below, with over two thousand arquebuses, surrounded them and unleashed a fierce barrage, overwhelming the Ōtomo army on the mountain with no chance to retaliate.

As the sounds of cannon fire on the mountain gradually subsided, Shimazu Toshihisa knew his opportunity had arrived. He had witnessed the battlefield at Michigami Castle earlier, and...

The friendly forces abandoned a lot of supplies, money, and food, including a considerable amount of ammunition.

Having already used up most of their ammunition in the siege, another round of attacks would leave them with almost nothing. A brief probe revealed the true state of affairs on the mountain.

On the mountain, Yoshitomo Otomo was out of ammunition, and at the base camp in Tochigawa, the Otomo army was almost out of arrows. Clearly, they were a weakened and exhausted force, unable to mount a proper counterattack.