Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"Well said!" The others had also realized Tokugawa Ieyasu's attitude and immediately expressed their support.

In other words, all the Tokugawa clan elders present unanimously expressed their support for Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was turning his attention to vying for control of the entire country.

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to be so bold." Ieyasu still pretended for a moment, but his expression had already changed to one of encouragement.

"We are willing to follow our lord to pacify the world!" Honda Tadakatsu led the way in bowing to Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Okay, let's start the meeting!

Xiaoshan's assessment!

The messengers, who rushed to various camps overnight, dashed out of the small mountain camp like arrows released from a bow, conveying Tokugawa Ieyasu's decision to hold a meeting and requesting that the generals immediately assemble at the central command tent.

At the same time, Tokugawa Ieyasu rode to Oda Nobushige's camp and opened his heart to Oda Nobushige, revealing his true intentions.

I would gladly support Lieutenant General Matsushiro, return to Osaka, quell the traitors, restore order to the country, and revive the Oda clan.

Upon hearing Tokugawa Ieyasu's heartfelt words, Oda Nobushige was overjoyed. He had actually felt a pang of disappointment after learning that Mori Terumoto, Kawamura Nagayoshi, and others had forcibly passed the resolution to appoint Oda Katsuhoshi as their rector.

He wanted to incite Tokugawa Ieyasu to come out and support him, thereby inciting the generals to launch a counterattack on Osaka. He even believed that as long as he could advance to the gates of Osaka Castle, the people's hearts would surely turn to him, and there would be no obstacle to his succession to the throne.

In the end, it was Dan Tadamasa, who had retreated from Osaka, who stopped him, telling him that there were still two-thirds of the feudal lords in Osaka, and the strength of the two sides might not be equal.

If Tokugawa Ieyasu were to waver, then his invitation to Tokugawa Ieyasu to raise an army would actually ruin things. He might even be sold out to Osaka by Tokugawa Ieyasu, giving Osaka concrete evidence of his rebellion.

Please be patient!

After enduring until today, Tokugawa Ieyasu has finally come to pay his respects, to support him, to enthrone him, and to invite him to the throne and remove the corrupt officials from his court.

Needless to say, the two immediately put on a show of "mutual respect between ruler and subject." But rather than ruler and subject, they were more like allies. Oda Nobushige was also well aware that once the march on Kyoto was successful, he would reward Ieyasu with the title of Kanto Kanrei.

"First published on 705u.com - Book Club"

So what? Success demands reward; failure demands no reward. He dared to offer a million for Fengfei, prioritizing conquering the world above all else. Victory brings all he desires; defeat means meeting his father.

The two, having quickly reached a consensus, awaited the arrival of the assembled generals at the main camp on the hill. One after another, the various lords arrived as ordered, some with only a few attendants, others with a hundred or two cavalrymen. But since it was a military council, no one dared to delay.

Including Sanada Nobuoki, lord of Ueda Castle in Shinano Prefecture, and Yamagata Masamitsu, lord of Kofu Castle in Kai Prefecture, even Nobunaga's eldest son by a concubine, Harada Nobumasa, rushed to the scene.

What came into view were Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu seated on either side of the main seat. Seeing this arrangement, everyone knew that something important was about to be discussed.

"I want you all to know that the traitor Mori Kawamura and his ilk have already amassed an army of 200,000 and are marching on the Tokaido to ambush our rear!"

The moment Honda Masanobu uttered these words on behalf of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the assembled lords erupted in uproar in less than a second.

Their cities, families, and savings were all behind them, while they and their army were in Shimosuke Hill in Kanto. If Honda Masanobu's words were true, then their escape route was indeed doomed.

"Indeed!" Yamagata Masamitsu simply did not believe that his brother-in-law, Kawamura Nagayoshi, would betray him, even though he supported Oda Nobushige.

Logically, Yamagata Masamitsu should have supported Oda Katsuhoshi, but he was situated in the eastern part of the country, flanked by lords affiliated with Oda Nobushige's faction. Furthermore, Tokugawa Ieyasu had previously shown him kindness during a construction project in Osaka. Therefore, Yamagata Masamitsu ultimately sided with Nobushige and Ieyasu, but he hadn't yet gone so far as to support a war between the two sides.

“How dare I speak falsely! The son of Lieutenant General Hashiba, Hachiro Hideie, is here.” Honda Masanobu immediately pulled Hashiba Hideie up.

"More than 20,000 Mori soldiers have already gathered at the foot of Osaka Castle." Hideie Hashiba's statement was indeed true; Mori Terumoto had come to oversee Nobuo's funeral.

"hiss……"

The entire audience gasped in disbelief. It was nothing more than a family inheritance dispute; how had it escalated to the point of war? Moreover, Kawamura Nagayoshi was the most honest and kind man in Owari; how could he be so despicable?

But then he thought, "The victor is king, the loser is villain," and Oda Katsufuji's faction had won. He had long regarded Oda Nobushige's generals as a thorn in his side, and was determined to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Putting yourself in their shoes, if Oda Nobushige's faction had won, they would have also attacked the generals of Oda Katsuhoshi's faction. However, the fact that they directly resorted to military force and killed people was unexpected.

"Lieutenant General Matsushiro is the successor to the late Tokugen-in-no-dono. We should follow his example, advance our troops into Osaka, and purge the treacherous officials!" Mori Tadamasa, one of the main forces of the Nobushige faction, immediately jumped out and loudly encouraged the generals.

"I am willing to offer up the two castles of Suruga and Kakegawa and follow the Vice Admiral to defeat the enemy!" To everyone's surprise, Takeda Nobufusa, the fifth son of Oda Nobunaga and the lord of Suruga Province and Kakegawa Province in Tōtōe Province, who usually claimed to be neutral, made a statement that was almost decisive.

"Raise a righteous army and purge the emperor's inner circle!" The men on either side raised their arms and shouted in unison, supporting Oda Nobushige's uprising to march on Kyoto and vehemently explaining the dire consequences.

Chapter 644 The Complete Collapse of the Kanto Kaido

The sudden change of direction of an army of over 100,000 was not something that could be done on a whim. Although the Aizu Rebellion was merely a self-serving uprising, the Kanto region had not yet been completely controlled by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

For example, there were the Satake Yoshishige and his son Yoshinobu, the Utsunomiya Kunitsuna, and the Takigawa Kazutoki. Therefore, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered his generals to pack their bags and prepare to march on Kyoto. At the same time, he widely informed the generals in the Kanto region, ordering them to choose sides, and his words inevitably carried a threatening tone.

At least the current army of over 100,000 taiju, fearing that their rear would be cut off, has temporarily gathered under the command of Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Any lord who dares to block their return to defend their homeland will have to bear their thunderous wrath.

The first to surrender to Tokugawa Ieyasu were the Nasu faction, which had previously been overthrown. Among them, Ōtawara Haruki was taken over by Nobukatsu, while most of the others had their fiefdoms reduced. At this time, Ieyasu did not need them to send troops; he only needed them to guard against the Aizu rebellion in Nasu. They surrendered to him in quick succession.

After a brief period of doubt and hesitation, Utsunomiya Kunitsuna, Minagawa Hiroaki, Haga Takasada, and others chose to split in two. The main force joined Tokugawa Ieyasu's camp, while the collateral branches and minor branches, led by Utsunomiya Asakatsu, retreated into the mountains to wage guerrilla warfare. They also sent messengers to Osaka to inform them that Nobushige Ieyasu was plotting a rebellion.

Utsunomiya Asakatsu was originally adopted into the Yuki family to inherit the Yuki Harutomo family's property. However, after Tokugawa Ieyasu was enfeoffed, the Yuki family, with an annual income of 110,000 koku, changed their surname to Tokugawa. Therefore, his anti-Tokugawa stance is perfectly reasonable. The daimyo of Kanto have been able to maintain this stance for over a century; they certainly possess this kind of wisdom.

Upon receiving the news, Takigawa Masashige, the local lord of Oyama, immediately held a secret meeting with the senior retainers of the Takigawa main family, and the final decision was also to divide the territory in two.

Takigawa Masushige led half of the Takigawa clan's "volunteer army" to "break away from their domain" and join Nobushige Ieyasu's army to quell the rebellion. The other half, relying on the connections of another Takigawa son-in-law, Takigawa Otoshi, also quickly sent someone to Osaka to report.

Regardless of victory or defeat, the Takikawa family's estate of 468,000 koku in Ueno-Mabushibashi must be preserved. Takikawa could then reasonably claim that because half of his soldiers had deserted to follow Takikawa Masushige, he was unable to mobilize a large army for the campaign and could only lead the remaining soldiers to defend Mabushibashi Castle.

The two officials, Yoshikawa Motonaga of Kazusa and Sakuma Nobue of Shimosa, were genuinely dissatisfied with Oda Nobukatsu. Furthermore, since Yoshikawa Hiroie was a close associate of Oda Nobukatsu and had the Chikō territory in northern Ise, he was clearly a member of Oda Katsuhoshi's faction. Therefore, he joined Ieyasu's army after only a slight hesitation.

Sakuma Nobuege was a staunch supporter of Oda Nobutada and Nobushige. He had carried Oda Nobushige out of Gifu Castle through a hail of bullets, and the two shared a deep bond. When Nobushige beckoned, Sakuma Nobuege chose to follow him and march on Kyoto.

Satomi Yoshiyori was seriously ill, and his son, Satomi Yoshiyasu, was too young to participate in the campaign. Therefore, he ordered his senior retainer, Okamoto Suienzai and Masaki Tameharu, to lead two thousand naval troops to participate in the campaign and serve as the Satomi clan's vassal.

If something goes wrong, Satomi Yoshiyori will be completely wiped out. If nothing goes wrong, his current territory of Awa Province and Kazusa District might even increase further.

However, the attitude of Satake Yoshishige and his son Yoshinobu was quite ambiguous. They had no connections with the military commanders of Oda Katsuhoshi's faction, nor with Oda Nobushige. Their vast fortune of 540,000 koku in Hitachi was not something they could easily squander on such a major event.

Seeing that he had basically gathered all the forces in the Kanto region, Ieyasu figured that the Satake clan wouldn't make a difference. He immediately ordered his second son, Yuki Yoshimaru, along with his son's associates, senior retainers, and over ten thousand men including Utsunomiya, Minagawa, Haga, and Mibu, to gather at Yuki to block the Satake.

Among all the Kanto factions, only Ashikaga Yorijun and his son clearly and completely opposed Ieyasu. They fled to Tone River, then to Kasumigaura, and hid in a large lake, taking their wives, children, and trusted followers with them. They decided to hide if they couldn't win and wait for the royal army to launch a counterattack.

Of course, Ashikaga Yorijun also sent a messenger to Osaka urgently. Ashikaga Nobuyoshi, who was of the same clan as him, was truly worlds apart.

Furthermore, the entire Heirai army was not entirely obedient to Ieyasu Nobushige. Tamaru Naomasa, the military supervisor dispatched by Oda Nobukatsu and lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa, upon hearing of Nobushige's rebellion, led his troops away from the main force as if fleeing in terror. They abandoned all their supplies and provisions, and dismissed the laborers and servants on the spot.

As Tamaru Naomasa fled, he roared inwardly. Harada Nobumasa's retainers were a contingent of Owari samurai, inherited from Hanawa Naomasa. Although they had absorbed many ronin, the high-ranking officials were still mostly from Owari. Emotionally supporting Oda Nobushige was fine with him; he'd concede.

What's the deal with Takeda Nobufusa?!

Oda Nobukatsu had granted him an additional 50,000 koku of land in the Higashi-Tōtō River region, yet this kid showed no gratitude whatsoever for his brother's kindness. As soon as Ieyasu opened his mouth, he couldn't wait to step forward and fawn over him.

It's despicable, utterly despicable. Such audacity! They revel in profiting from chaos and seeking advancement and wealth. When the Takeda clan fell, he led only his personal guards from Tsutsuzaki Castle to Sunpu Castle, killing three Takeda heirs—how audacious!

Now, seeing that Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu were determined to raise an army, they were filled with courage and directly pledged their loyalty to the strategically important Suruga and Kakegawa rivers on the Tokaido. This immediately left the Tokaido wide open and the natural barrier of the Oi River lost.

If you really want to cut open his heart and see if he's as bold as a bear.

The Sanada army continued to follow Oda Nobushige, including their lord Sanada Nobuoki and senior retainers such as Sanada Nobuyoshi. Only Sanada Masayuki and a few dozen cavalrymen were missing, as Sanada Masayuki's two eldest sons, the Sanada brothers Nobuyuki and Nobushige, were both sent by Oda Katsuhoshi.

Father and son are father and son, and propriety is propriety. The propriety at hand is that the father must follow the son's example.

The Kanto army rushed to Edo, where Tokugawa Ieyasu personally rewarded the troops and inspired them. At the same time, he sent troops to seize the territories of Takigawa Otoshi and Hijikata Okuhisa in Sagami Province. The two were embroiled in a power struggle in Osaka, and their territories had only a small number of personnel left to defend them. The Tokugawa army surrendered as soon as they arrived.

However, Yamauchi Kazutoyo and Kanamori Nagachika, the governors of Izu and the western frontier, showed signs of preparing for war by besieging the castle. But after Oda Nobushige sent envoys into the castle to persuade them, Yamauchi Kazutoyo was the first to defect, joining the army marching on Kyoto. Kanamori Nagachika, after much deliberation, did not openly take sides.

He himself chose to shave his head and become a monk, taking the Buddhist name Xuan Su. His adopted son, Kanamori Yoshishige, led a portion of his men to join the army heading to Kyoto. Thus, the journey from Edo to Hamamatsu was smooth and without any further obstacles.

In just four days, the army arrived at Hamamatsu Castle.

At this time, Nogizuki Tomomasa, the lord of the Hamamatsu Domain with a fief of 100,000 koku in Tōtōmi Province, was one of Oda Nobukatsu's fathers-in-law, and his daughter had even given birth to a daughter for Nobukatsu. As someone who had contributed to Nobukatsu's succession to the Kitabatake clan, he was gradually granted the fief of 100,000 koku in Hamamatsu.

With over 100,000 troops suddenly closing in, Mu Zaoju was terrified. He never imagined the situation would deteriorate to this extent, and his household was instantly divided into two factions.

One faction believed that the city should be surrendered immediately and its inhabitants should be preserved. The other faction believed that troops should be gathered, the city besieged, and the city held out for the death, awaiting reinforcements from Osaka.

The reasons for the surrender faction were very simple: Hamamatsu Castle was personally renovated and built by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and he knew its strengths and weaknesses perfectly. In the event of a siege, the four or five thousand men inside the castle would be no match for the more than one hundred thousand troops outside.

It's possible that Tokugawa Ieyasu sent men to find a weakness and breach the castle as soon as the war began. In that case, the entire Mokuzo family would be wiped out, and they would gain nothing.

Furthermore, Mizuno Tadashige, the lord of Yoshida Castle in Mikawa Province to the west, was already in the likeness of Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is said that he had already cooked rice and was wholeheartedly waiting for Tokugawa Ieyasu to lead his army.

In other words, Hamamatsu Castle is now facing a pincer attack. Forget about defense; a large number of ships from the Awa and Suruga navies have appeared at sea, making it difficult to even transport supplies for the defending forces into the castle by water.

The idea of ​​the die-hard faction is not hard to understand. The Kanto people launched a sudden attack, which is why there was a scene of collapse on all sides and flags being lowered everywhere along the sea route.

Because he had gathered over a hundred thousand men, he was truly invincible for a time. However, as long as Hamamatsu Castle held firm, delaying the advance of the Kanto forces to Kyoto and buying time for Osaka to mobilize its troops, then a mere hundred thousand men would be insignificant compared to the army under the command of the Grand Chancellor.

The Kanto forces only number around 100,000, while the Daisō Kingdom has at least three 100,000-strong forces each, the Kinai region has 100,000, the western and Shikoku regions have 100,000, and Kyushu has 100,000. The Kanto forces are going all in; if Osaka reacts quickly enough, it'll be a crushing defeat.

While the carpenters will suffer heavy casualties in defending the castle, if they can delay the Kanto forces by holding the castle, they will surely be able to quell this rebellion in the future.

Let alone 100,000 koku in Hamamatsu, it wouldn't be impossible for them to reach 200,000 or even 300,000 koku in Minami-Ise. It's even possible they could directly take over the name of the Kitabatake clan, a branch of the samurai family.

You have to hold on!

Without giving Mokuzoku any time to hesitate, Tokugawa Ieyasu himself arrived at Hamamatsu Castle and immediately ordered the use of fire arrows and large cannons on the warships to bombard the castle, urging Mokuzoku to surrender.

In addition, Tokugawa Ieyasu immediately contacted Mizuno Tadashige of Yoshida Castle, as well as Saji Kazunari, Gamo Fusuke, and Toyama Tomotada of Nagoya Castle, asking them to raise troops immediately in support of Oda Nobushige's march on Kyoto.

This group of people were originally Oda Nobutada's retainers and men, but they were first incorporated into Nobunaga's forces and later dispatched by Nobukatsu. During the previous Tensho earthquake, when the walls of Nagoya Castle collapsed, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the local lords of Higashi-Mikawa and Totomi, who were not affected by the disaster, to transport grain to aid them.

Now that Oda Nobushige's secret envoy has arrived, and Tokugawa Ieyasu's letter has also come, everyone immediately chose to raise an army and support Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu's march to Kyoto without hesitation.

Besides the severe damage to Nagoya Castle in Owari Province, Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province also suffered heavy losses. The lord of Okazaki Castle, Naomasa Tamaru, did not even enter the castle. Instead, he evacuated his family and then led his confidants straight to Osaka.

In fact, once Hamamatsu Castle was breached, the subsequent castles of Nagoya, Inuyama, Kano, Ogaki, Sawayama, and Azuchi were all severely damaged by the earthquake and had not yet been repaired, leaving almost no castles that could be defended.

Hurry, we must be fast. Once we break through Hamamatsu, we can advance unimpeded.

When the news reached Osaka, Shichibei smashed his rice bowl on the tatami mat. How had Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu managed to persuade their generals to join them in this rebellion? It was unbelievable. Did they really think they could defeat the Oda army, which had the entire western province backing them up?

The messages that came in a steady stream from Utsunomiya Asakatsu, Takikawa Kazutoki, Satake Yoshishige, Yamagata Masamitsu, and others were so numerous and complex that it was impossible to discern their truth for a time. Some said it was a rebellion, some said it was to purge the court of corrupt officials, some said it was to go to Kyoto to attend Oda Nobukatsu's funeral, and some said it was Nobushige acting as Nobukatsu's successor to assist in governing Kyoto.

Amidst a flurry of rumors, the only confirmed fact is that Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu have launched a campaign against Kyoto, and that their armies have already entered the Tokaido region and are rapidly advancing towards the Kyoto-Osaka line.

This is terrible, a real disaster.

Before the rice bowls on the tatami mats could be picked up, a servant reported that Tamaru Naomasa and Sanada Masayuki had arrived one after the other, requesting an audience. Mori Terumoto was currently mobilizing troops to serve as Oda Nobuo's entourage and was not at Osaka Castle.

Shichibei had originally gone to Kyoto to handle the matter of Oda Katsuhoshi's successor becoming Mori Komatsu's legitimate son, and had only just returned to Osaka. He had barely taken a few bites of his meal when he heard about this major event.

Seeing Tamaru Naomasa and Sanada Masayuki rushing in, Shichibei hurriedly asked what had happened that led Nobushige and Ieyasu to choose to raise an army immediately.

What else could it be? Because Hashiba Hideie also rebelled, ran to Shimotsuke Hill, and told the generals that you and Mori Terumoto had mobilized 200,000 troops to cut off their retreat and kill the entire families of these lords who supported Oda Nobushige.

Depend on!

Ukita Hachiro, you with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, you've actually turned against us!

“As I travel along the way, I have found that the cities in Nobi and Koho are incomplete and their defenses are inadequate. Once the Eastern Army arrives, they will surely collapse!” Sanada Masayuki said anxiously, loudly reminding Shichibei.

“That’s right. My Okazaki Castle is in ruins and cannot be defended.” Tamaru Naomasa echoed this sentiment, stating that the situation was critical.

"Go! Come with me to see Mori Kingo immediately." Shichibei knew that the matter could not be delayed and had to be dealt with immediately.

They rode their horses all the way to Takatsuki Castle in Settsu Province, where a large army from the western provinces was arriving in droves. After Tamaru Naomasa and Sanada Masayuki recounted what Shichibei had said, Mori Terumoto was no less surprised than Shichibei.