Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

For example, Takigawa Kazumasu had to lead a force of over 30,000 men, including Utsunomiya, Sano, and Haga, to attack the ninja castle in Kita-Musashi.

Oh right, speaking of which, Shichibei wondered if he should write a letter to Takikawa Kazumasu. Although Oshino Castle is situated in a low-lying area, known as a castle on water, they actually built dams during the May rainy season, attempting a water attack.

That idea is probably not a good one.

After thinking for a while, Shichibei decided to give up. This kind of micromanagement was something for Takigawa Kazumasu to decide. It wasn't our place to teach such an old general; he had his own methods for attacking castles.

After spending over a month in Kyoto, the Western Kingdom's followers, except for Mori Terumoto himself who continued to serve as the "Kyoto God" and remain in Kyoto as the city's resident governor, all set out. A total of over 30,000 people followed Nobuo towards Mino.

Shichibei did not take the land route, but instead went by water to the Anotsu-Tsushima line, and arranged for the transport of food supplies for two large armies, one via the Mino-Nakasendo Road and the other via the Owari-Tokaido Road.

They inspected the granaries one by one, and along the way supplied provisions for the endless stream of troops marching into Kanto. Halfway there, they even spotted the sickly Tsutsui Junkei, leading over four thousand men, ordered into battle. They were truly afraid he wouldn't even finish the battle before passing away.

On the other side, the Hojo clan, after receiving the imperial court's public declaration that they were "Eastern Barbarians" and "enemies of the court," clearly realized that a crisis of survival had arrived. As in history, they ordered all samurai families, aged fifteen to seventy, to don armor and go into battle.

Local peasants, including local officials, servants, and wealthy farmers, were divided into two groups: half remained in the castle, while the other half flocked to Odawara Castle to participate in the defense.

Those locations in Shimosa, Kazusa, Hitachi, and Shimosuke where the foundation was not strong or where the enemy's strength was significantly outnumbered were all abandoned. A large army, nominally numbering 100,000 but actually exceeding 82,000, was assembled. They firmly guarded the main castle, Odawara, and dozens of other branch castles.

Even with an army of 100,000 men, the Hojo clan was divided on whether to wage a siege or to take advantage of the mountainous terrain of western Kanto and launch a defensive counterattack.

Even more outrageous was Fujita Ujikuni's belief that war should not be fought within his own territory. He suggested that an army of over 60,000 men from Odawara Castle and Izu should be mobilized immediately and charged into Suruga Province, all the way to the Fuji River.

Within enemy territory, engage in a large-scale decisive battle with the Oda army. A dignified surrender can be achieved simply by completely annihilating the main Oda forces in the Tokaido region.

This means retaining one million koku of land in the three provinces of Izu, Sagami, and Musashi, while submitting to the Oda clan. It also allows Hojo Ujinao to marry the daughter of Oda Nobunaga or Nobukatsu, making her a quasi-main retainer of the Oda family.

This bold suggestion caused a huge uproar at the Odawara Council meeting. Matsuda Norihide and Hojo Ujinori immediately opposed it, and Oishi Ujiteru also thought it was too risky.

He believed that the natural defenses of Yamanaka, Nirayama, and Ashigara Castle in Izu and Hakone could be used to wear down the morale of the Oda army. After the Oda army failed to capture the castle after a long siege, a sudden attack could be launched to crush the Oda army in one fell swoop.

It was truly a case of each side having their own version of events. The discussion of a proper defensive strategy failed to produce any results and instead turned into a very unpleasant situation. This led to a scene that severely damaged the morale of the Hojo army: Fujita Ujikuni led 5,000 men and withdrew from Odawara, declaring, "I'm not playing with you anymore, I'm going back to my Hachigata Castle!"

The entire Odawara Castle was shocked upon hearing the news. As a key stronghold of the Hojo clan, even if there were grievances, they should have been resolved through debate rather than retreating from the castle.

His retreat from the castle led Daidoji Masashige to retreat as well, heading towards Matsuda Castle. The Odawara followers, who were never truly united, were now in a difficult position to lead.

At this point, Hojo Ujimasa was forced to choose a siege. With morale already wavering, how could he possibly fight a desperate battle outside the castle?

Uesugi Kagetora from Echigo was able to launch a desperate attack while his citadel still existed. That was because he had eliminated Echigo's main opponents and was now truly facing a life-or-death situation.

Here in Odawara, I always felt there was still a top-tier castle to rely on, and an army of 100,000 men to depend on. There was still time to fight for it, there was still time.

There's time to argue, time to hesitate, time to be suspicious.

As a neighboring lord of the Hojo clan, Takeda Nobufusa sent a final letter of surrender to Odawara Castle. The letter only stated that the castle would be surrendered, Odawara would be abandoned, and the Hojo clan would travel to Kyoto to apologize to Taira no Sōgoku (the Grand Chancellor).

Having fought to this point, the idea of ​​securing 200,000 koku in Sagami is no longer an option. A few years ago, the Hojo clan even had the possibility of subjugating Sagami and Izu provinces, and now those Oda samurai who haven't yet become daimyo are green with envy. To obtain the 10,000 koku reward, they can only cut flesh from the Hojo clan.

At least if they surrender the castle immediately, Hojo Ujimasa still has the chance to shave his head, become a monk, serve as Nobunaga's retainer, and receive a stipend of 5,000 koku. If they don't surrender? Then they can only wait for their entire family to ascend to heaven and join Uesugi Kagetora at the same table.

598. With unstoppable momentum, they entered Guandong.

To be fair, when they attacked the Takeda clan last time, Shichibei only looked at Sunpu Castle and didn't look out over Odawara. This time, he'll probably be able to see what Odawara looks like. As the birthplace of the "sogo" (general structure) of Japanese castles, Odawara is naturally quite impressive.

Before him? Before him was Tokugawa Ieyasu leading his troops in a fierce assault on Yamanaka Castle, with three or four thousand castle soldiers and sixty-seven thousand besieging troops. To save face, Tokugawa Ieyasu made it clear to Oda Nobukatsu that he would take Yamanaka Castle in a single day.

This isn't bragging; back in the day at Kanegasaki Castle, Tokugawa Ieyasu made the same promise to Oda Nobunaga. A thousand cavalrymen were killed or wounded on the spot, and Kanegasaki Castle crumbled, forcing Asakura Kagetsune to retreat. The same thing happened now; Hojo Ujikatsu, Matsuda Yasunaga, Matsuda Yasugō, Yūyama Ujihiro, and Mamiya Yasutoshi, with their three thousand cavalrymen, were routed by Tokugawa Ieyasu after only a short charge.

Of course, the Oda army also suffered more than 3,000 casualties, and Yamanaka Castle was completely destroyed and abandoned during the fierce battle.

But so what? What are the lives of foot soldiers and rabble? What we want is to take the castle in one day and give the Hojo army a good shock.

"What are your orders, Nagato?" Shichibei asked Hatakeyama Nobutaka politely.

"By order of the Grand General, I have come to collect five hundred pieces of gold." Hatakeyama Nobutaka could be said to have barely participated in the Kyushu Campaign.

Because he went from having virtually no retainers to being granted a fief of 60,000 koku in Iwamuro, Ki Province, and later, due to his efforts in persuading Mori Terumoto to open the castle, he was further granted a fief of 130,000 koku in Nagato Province. He had successfully become a proper retainer and the governor of Nagato, achieving both high rank and noble title.

After two years of reorganization, Hatakeyama Nobutaka married Oda Nobukatsu's daughter, becoming inseparable brothers with Nobukatsu. No, they were more like father-in-law and son-in-law. His retainer group was finally largely completed, consisting of upper-class soldiers relocated from Kii Province and lower-class soldiers composed of local Nagato gentry.

This time, he brought two thousand men to support Oda Nobukatsu. Nobukatsu enjoys grand occasions, which is related to the fact that his upbringing coincided with the Oda clan's rapid growth. Moreover, in Japan, if you have power, you must display it. Otherwise, how can you make everyone obedient and subservient, like dogs?

"General Miyako is indeed a wise ruler." Shichibei's words were sincere.

The boss isn't particularly capable, but when he puts you in a leading role, he lavishes you with money—that's already considered a very good boss. Of course, this isn't...

That's the best. Nobunaga is two or three levels higher than Nobukatsu, since Nobunaga can still "follow me."

“Naturally, he is a wise ruler within the country, and a successor to the people of the world.” Shichibei still couldn’t understand how Hatakeyama Nobutaka could have such a close relationship with Oda Nobukatsu, who was more than ten years older than him. Their love must have been too deep.

"Do you need me to send someone to deliver it for you?" Five thousand taels of gold is quite heavy.

"I brought packhorses. By the way, I was in a hurry on the way here. How is Mother in Kyoto?" Although Hatakeyama Nobutaka had only lukewarm feelings for Shichibei, he was very close to his mother, Lady Takaya.

During the chaotic Warring States period, his ability to maintain his status as a daimyo was largely due to his mother's initial appeal to Oda Nobunaga to feign sympathy before eventually submitting to Shichibei. Even his earliest territory, the 50,000 koku of Izumi, was secured with Shichibei's help.

"Everything is fine, and your brother is doing well too." With a son, Shichibei and Lady Takaya naturally became even closer.

"Mmm-hmm." Nobutaka Hatakeyama's expression remained lively upon hearing that Mrs. Takaya was well. However, he became somewhat embarrassed upon hearing about his younger brother.

After all, although they share the same mother, they don't have the same father, making it difficult to determine how this relationship should be handled. Just like Nobutaka Hatakeyama never...

Instead of calling Shichibei "father," Kawamura Naokichi has come to call him "father" quite naturally. Of course, he doesn't do it publicly; in public, he calls him "lord."

"Go quickly, the Imperial General is waiting for you." Shichibei could probably understand Hatakeyama Nobutaka's situation and didn't want to make things difficult for his adopted son. He had his own ideas, and they weren't expecting him to support them in their old age anyway.

Look at Dorgon next door, and then look at Lü Buwei, right? Even Zhang Juzheng is depicted in some TV dramas. What happened to them? So, if you're going to raise someone, then raise them; don't expect too much from them. If you expect too much, things might turn out badly.

The Hojo clan relied on the natural defenses of Izu, which Tokugawa Ieyasu used for practice, and he utterly crushed them. What level of skill do you think you are? Lord Ieyasu himself came to deal with you bunch of juniors.

Other fronts are also progressing rapidly. Shichibei even heard in Ejiri Port that Kuki Yoshitaka, Ataka Oyasu (brothers, we didn't forget one, there's still a son-in-law here, no wonder we were missing one when we counted eleven) and Kohama Kagetaka had already captured the ports and fortresses of southern Izu and started to cooperate with the Okamoto navy of the Satomi family to enter the Odawara Pass and block the sea route.

To the north, Takigawa Kazumasu, Oda Nobuhisa, Oda Nobushige, Sanada Nobuoki, and others have already captured Tatebayashi Castle and are now besieging Oshi Castle. (Nakasendo)

Tsuda Nobuuji, Mori Tadamasa, Yamagata Masamitsu, and others also surrounded Hachioji Castle and were launching a fierce attack. The Hojo army and the Oda army had only exchanged a few blows before the Hojo army was almost completely crushed.

The next day, an envoy from the front lines informed Shichibei that he should break camp, as Hojo Ujinori of Nirayama Castle, along with Egawa Tarozaemon, had surrendered and joined Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ashigara Castle, under heavy attack for half a day by Harada Nobumasa, Miyoshi Yasutoshi, Nagano Nobukatsu, and others, finally fell.

The so-called natural barrier of Hakone held off Oda's army for a day and a half.

Oda's army, numbering over 153,000, reached the walls of Odawara Castle and launched an attack on the castle itself. This was why Nobukatsu and Ieyasu sent messengers to inform Shichibei to immediately withdraw his troops and head to the outskirts of Odawara, to oversee the logistics, provisions, and supplies for the more than 153,000-strong army.

Standing on the sea and looking at Odawara Castle, one can indeed see the endless earthen ramparts and fortifications, and the magnificent castle built on Mount Hachiman. Towers, watchtowers, and long walls are layered upon each other, resembling a dense, orderly array. Attacking such a castle would truly require courage. Moreover, it houses 100,000 soldiers and civilians; its high walls and fortified moats make it incredibly difficult to conquer.

As he disembarked, Shichibei was still thinking that it was no wonder that Hideyoshi in history had adopted the strategy of "winning hearts and minds is the best strategy, and attacking cities is the second best strategy," eliminating branch castles and besieging the main castle.

When Shichibei saw that the Oda army had been surrounded by iron walls on all sides and had begun to set up ten or twenty layers of horse-drawn palisades and barricades to completely block the Hojo army, he felt that Odawara Castle could be used to trap and kill them.

It was an unprecedentedly grand scene. As soon as they entered the tent, they heard Oda Nobukatsu issue an order, commanding the lords of Oshu, Ushu, and northern Kanto to either raise an army to attack the territory of the Hojo clan, or for the lord himself to lead his troops to Odawara to join the battle.

Even if, like last year's Tozawa Moriyasu, he only brought six retainers and three foot soldiers, that was still considered as coming to participate in the battle. Therefore, he could live peacefully without question. The deadline was June 30th; anyone who failed to arrive would have all their possessions confiscated.

It is now April 16th, which is plenty of time, enough to get the message across and for the Lord himself to arrive quickly.

Speaking of this, Shichibei added a reminder. States like Nanbu and Tsugaru, or Soma and Date, are already locked in fierce fighting. Each is wary, and it will likely be difficult for them to cross their territories to reach the battlefield. Therefore, Nobukatsu needs to issue a peace decree for Oshu, ordering all feudal lords and powerful figures not to attack those coming to Odawara to participate in the battle.

Those who commit offenses will have their possessions confiscated and their entire family forced to change their status. Those who attack or kill feudal lords passing through their territory will have their entire family killed without exception.

"Oh dear," Nobuo nodded slightly after hearing Shichibei's words. Immediately...

He then gave the order to his right hand, to supplement the work according to Shichibei's request. Ideally, a few disputes would arise, and he could even acquire two hiding places in Oshu.

Killing the entire Hojo family now would only yield about a million koku of grain, and whether that would be enough to settle the currently enthusiastic Oda army samurai is still unknown.

Contrary to expectations of a "sit-in war," both sides had low- to mid-level samurai, and even high-ranking samurai, who would roam alone. Roaming alone was a very distinctive behavior in Japan, reflecting the era and aligning with the prevailing mindset within a group.

Hirozawa Masanobu of the Hojo clan led a mere eighty men in a night raid on Oda Nobukatsu's main camp. Without any advance party or follow-up, these eighty men charged towards Oda Nobukatsu's main camp under the cover of darkness.

Meanwhile, Honda Tadakatsu of the Tokugawa clan took advantage of the rain that night, which made it difficult to launch an attack under normal circumstances. He led several hundred men to attack a corner of the earthen rampart and managed to take it down.

The main forces of both sides, numbering over 200,000, were locked in a stalemate, without any large-scale or fierce clashes. However, the warriors on both sides genuinely hoped to gain fame and glory in such a grand spectacle.

Even the slightest achievement is tantamount to becoming famous throughout Japan. Who told...

At this time, almost all the daimyo of the western and eastern provinces were stationed at the Odawara camp. Like Hirozawa Masanobu, he was originally a completely unknown samurai, with no historical record whatsoever. However, he gained recognition for his surprise attack on Oda's main camp and the subsequent annihilation of his entire force.

Moreover, he was the kind of person who had no other deeds besides this incident, whose birth date, parents, and hometown were unknown, but who did indeed leave his name in history.

It just goes to show that people's minds are still unsettled!

There are still countless people who yearn to establish fame and achieve great things. Everyone hopes that this chaotic world will not end, because only in the midst of chaos can these lower-ranking warriors find a way to rise and become the best of the best.

Historically, both Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, after achieving their goals, tried every means to solidify class distinctions and close off upward mobility. Ideally, everyone would be content with their lot and do their job; farmers would simply cultivate the land, and samurai would only need to carry their swords and serve the country, without any independent thought or ideology—mere puppets.

It's not as easy as pressing it.

Oda Nobukatsu, however, didn't seem to have much of an opinion on these solo operations. He simply directed his various generals to attack and capture the outposts of Odawara Castle.

Castles. I heard the other day that Sakura Castle had been opened to the public, and today I heard that Iwatsuki Castle had fallen. Anyway, it's all good news.

Since he didn't ask, Shichibei naturally had no grounds to inquire, but he was still very curious about Takigawa Kazumasu's attack on Oshi Castle. Furthermore, he wondered if Kaihime, the daughter of Narita Uchinaga, the lord of Oshi Castle, was truly so beautiful that Toyotomi Hideyoshi in history coveted her and wanted to take her as a concubine.

As it turned out, Takigawa Kazumasu was also a ruthless individual. After obtaining 10,000 reinforcements from Oda Nobuo, he demanded another 10,000, along with Satake Yoshishige, Yuki Harutomo, Mizutani Katsutoshi, and others. All soldiers who advanced to the walls of Oshi Castle, including the commander himself, were required to prepare a bundle of firewood.

Of course, bringing a bundle of soil would suffice, as long as there was a package containing something. In just four days, the Oda army that had gathered outside Oshi Castle numbered over 40,000. This also meant that 40,000 bundles of firewood or mounds of earth had appeared beneath the walls of Oshi Castle.

One force can overcome ten techniques!

You call yourself a turtle-like castle? Fine, then I'll fill in all your ponds and teach you how to swim around in the water. In the blink of an eye, Shinobu Castle, with its dense network of swamps, rivers, and paddy fields forming a natural defensive network, and also known as an impregnable castle, was utterly defeated by Takikawa Kazumasu.

Half of the area was filled in.

One day!

Just one day!

The armies launched a fierce attack on Ren City. The city's garrison numbered only 500 men, and with the addition of peasant soldiers, the total strength was only 3,000. Under the relentless assault of an army of 40,000, the city could only hold out for one day.

Although the vast waters and swamps held off the Oda army for more than ten days, once the Oda army was fully prepared and made use of its advantages in numbers and logistics, all resistance proved futile.

More than 1,200 of the castle's soldiers were killed in the attack, and most of the rest were captured. The castle's lord, Narita Yasutsugu, committed seppuku, while Narita Nagachika and his clan were captured alive and taken to Odawara to be dealt with by Nobuo.

After receiving the report of the fall of Oshi Castle, Nobukatsu raised his hand, signaling that the messenger could leave. The implication was clear: what Oshi Castle Narita clan? A nobody family from the countryside, never even heard of them. Why bother reporting to them? Just take them all out and behead them.

"It is said that the daughter of Narita Shimosa no Kami is extremely beautiful." Shichibei thought to himself, "We haven't even met her yet, and you're already going to kill her?" He subconsciously opened his mouth to offer a word of advice.

"Hmm?" All the generals in the formation, including Oda Nobuo, turned to look at Shichibei.

Don't you love widows?

"Ah..." Shichibei immediately realized that he had misspoke. Even if he was curious, he shouldn't have said it publicly at this moment.

Indeed, the battle lacked any sense of tension; Shichibei almost forgot he was fighting. This led him to utter such absurd words, causing misunderstandings.

"Oh dear, since the King of the Capital is pleased with himself, then send them all to the King of the Capital Camp." Oda Nobuo rarely had the opportunity to show favor to Shichibei, and he was actually very happy to hear this.

What beauty? Compared to the power of the entire world, a beauty is no different from dirt. If I could use this to win over Shichibei, that would be wonderful.