Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"Rest assured, after our army finishes its lunchbox, it will head north to provide support." Thus, Nobutaka Miyoshi gave a seemingly accurate answer.

"What! A bento box!" No Nagase Morishige felt dizzy and almost fainted.

What kind of reason is that? It's not a reason at all. Miyoshi Nobutaka is betraying the Western Army, which is fighting on the front lines, and just sitting back to watch the outcome.

"Yes, we'll eat bento boxes."

"Our army will surely be defeated in this way!"

"Listen, rushing into battle without proper preparation is tantamount to deliberately walking into defeat. Therefore, our army will only go into battle after we've finished our lunchboxes." Miyoshi Nobutaka suddenly stood up and directly reprimanded Nonagase Morihide.

"I will remember your words." No Nagase Morihide's face was full of grief and indignation. This man was simply a beast, betraying his teammates to their faces with such righteous indignation.

Without lingering in Ghana, Nogase Morihide immediately returned to the front lines at Sagiyama. At this time, the lines of the Nagato and Tsuda armies were already teetering on the brink of collapse under the onslaught of the Kitano army, clinging to their last breath and awaiting reinforcements.

Upon learning that Miyoshi Nobutaka was eating a bento box, Hatakeyama Nobutaka nearly burst into a tirade. Nobutaka was a key figure in the Oda clan's inner domain, and to betray the Western Army like this was utterly outrageous.

The Nagato clan, who were at a great disadvantage and had not received any effective support, finally collapsed at this moment and were no longer able to fight.

"No retreat! No retreat! Anyone who retreats will be killed without mercy!" Nobutaka Hatakeyama, mounted on his horse, watched the disintegrating army, brandishing his long sword in hopes of inspiring them to continue fighting.

"Your Highness, the army has been defeated, the army has been defeated!" Koyama Takashi grabbed Hatakeyama Nobutaka's arm, indicating that there was no way to salvage the situation.

"I will never forget this crushing defeat!" Nobutaka Hatakeyama said with a look of intense hatred, almost as if he were gritting his teeth.

Then, with the help of his remaining guards, he clung to his horse's neck and retreated in disarray. In the short time it took to turn around, Hatakeyama Nobutaka was already in tears.

How can I face my beloved elder brother Xinxiong, who has shown me such kindness and support, after this defeat?

Hatakeyama Nobutaka, who considered himself unparalleled in the depth of knowledge and gratitude he had received, vowed that if he managed to escape the battlefield and live to see the end of the war, he would expose this shameless act to the world and make it known to all. He even planned to draw his sword and duel with Miyoshi Nobutaka to kill him, in order to prove his resolve.

Behind him, the cries of Tsuda Nobuharu being taken by a samurai rang out. Even the Tsuda army of the Kana Domain had completely collapsed, and Tsuda Nobuharu had even been lost. Where would this battle ultimately lead?

At that time, in the central camp of the Western Army's main force at Kagami-sho, Shichibei received two urgent reports from Hatakeyama Nobutaka. They arrived one after the other. One report informed him that Kitano had risen up in support of the Eastern Army, and the other stated that Kitano's approximately 10,000 troops were rapidly advancing south, and that he had already set up defenses at Sagiyama, north of the Nagara River, and asked Shichibei to take precautions.

"What a scoundrel!" Shichibei was truly surprised that Kitano had actually sent 10,000 cavalrymen to join the battle.

I wonder if it's Maeda Toshinaga, or Sasa Narimasa? Could it be Anegokōji Yoritsuna? It's even possible that the three of them selected elite troops to fight together.

“Our main force has less than nine thousand cavalry. We should immediately order Lieutenant General Miyoshi to engage the enemy,” Takenaka Shigeharu immediately advised.

“Not bad.” Todo Takatora also stood up.

"..." Shichibei did not answer, but paced back and forth in the tent.

Chapter 654 Remaining Unmoved in the Face of a Formidable Enemy

For some reason, Shichibei felt a sense of unease, and the source of this unease was Miyoshi Nobutaka behind him. Was keeping Miyoshi Nobutaka behind him a good thing or a bad thing?

The forces of Kitano number at most ten thousand cavalry, and even the eight or nine thousand cavalry of Kawamura's main force in the Western Army would be enough to counterattack. The problem lies with Miyoshi Nobutaka; if he were betrayed, what would become of the battle?

"Order the Akizuki and Tsukushi Second Squads to be on alert!"

Instead of immediately responding to Takenaka Shigeharu and Todo Takatora's suggestions, Shichibei first issued this order.

"His Highness believes that Lieutenant General Miyoshi is plotting a rebellion!" Todo Takatora's reaction was extremely fast, almost instantaneous.

In theory, with Miyoshi Nobutaka's 20,000 cavalry blocking the way, it was impossible for the Kitano army to launch a surprise attack, defeat their army, and reach Shichibei after the Miyoshi army had already obtained intelligence.

But now Shichibei has ordered the Akizuki and Tsukushi squads to be on guard, which means he suspects Miyoshi Nobutaka. If Miyoshi Nobutaka chooses to side with the Eastern Army, then the Western and Central Armies will be in danger.

"That's not necessarily true. Lord Miyoshi might be waiting for a better price." When Shichibei was in the central government, Oda Nobunaga asked him very bluntly who would succeed Nobutada.

Shichibei wasn't sure if Nobunaga hesitated at the time. But one thing Shichibei was certain of was that even Kagawa Nobusumi had considered vying for the throne, let alone the sons of Miyoshi Nobutaka, Harada Nobumasa, and Takeda Nobufusa, who had already been granted fiefdoms.

Undercurrents were inevitable, and Nobunaga consulted more than just Shichibei at that time; Hideyoshi must have also been summoned for a private consultation. The foundation of the Oda clan's rule over the country lay in the Owari no Fudai samurai corps, so Nobunaga had to consider the opinions of the senior retainers of Owari no Fudai.

However, the wisdom or folly of his sons was also an important factor to consider. At the time, Shichibei hinted that Oda Nobuo was not intelligent enough, Miyoshi Nobutaka was too reckless, and Takeda Nobufusa was too audacious. None of these sons were perfect, and they were not even up to par as rulers.

In the end, Nobunaga chose Nobukatsu, who had the greatest common denominator, to succeed him.

This actually caused resentment among his other sons, though they didn't show it too obviously. Because Nobunaga's authority was so strong, virtually no one dared to disobey him.

At this point, Miyoshi Nobutaka's demand for the ministers of the second rank alerted Shichibei.

"Then..." Takenaka Shigeharu frowned.

"Immovable as a mountain!" Shichibei gave an answer that neither of them had expected.

"This...this..." Both of them were stunned.

"If I don't move, then Lieutenant General Miyoshi will definitely not move either." Shichibei was now gambling, determined to take a chance.

Previously, Kobayakawa Takakage and his son Nobuhira were in charge of the Sunomata direction, while Nobuo's troops, Omi-shu, and Mima-kai-shu were in charge of Ogaki, and Shichibei personally kept watch on Inuyama. In effect, this surrounded Miyoshi Nobutaka, who was stationed in Kano, on three sides, placing him in the heart of the Western Army's battle group.

Before a major change occurs in the battle situation, that is, before the main force of the Eastern Army breaks through the gap in the Kiso River defense line and penetrates into the Western Army's interior, Miyoshi Nobutaka will certainly not make any rash moves.

His orders were to remain in Ghana to protect this key supply depot behind Ōgaki. The Western Army, facing the Inuyama-Kinzan line, relied on Ghana for supplies.

To be honest, he stood there like a turtle in Ghana, completely still, which was exactly the order Shichibei gave him before he left.

It was precisely because he was surrounded by the Western Army that even the reckless Nobutaka could not openly defect under such circumstances. The risk was too great; after all, even if he defected to the Eastern Army, he could not become Oda's Grand Chancellor, at most reaching the rank of one of the Three Ministers.

Then Shichibei could take a gamble. Even if the Kitano army broke into the western army's central camp, as long as Shichibei's main camp remained unmoved and the eastern army did not break through in the surrounding battle directions, he could coordinate with the Miyoshi army, and Miyoshi Nobutaka would not move.

Miyoshi Nobutaka would only choose to defect if Oda Nobushige or Tokugawa Ieyasu's cannons hit Kano!

It's even possible that, in order to maintain "neutrality," Miyoshi Nobutaka might even prohibit the Kitano forces from passing through Ghana. If that happens, the central army wouldn't actually face too much danger.

"This is too risky. We should immediately mobilize the troops and others to reinforce our main force." Takenaka Shigeharu was still a conservative.

"Since my lord has a plan, then I will lead two thousand cavalry to reinforce Qiuyue and ensure that not a single soldier reaches our camp." Tōdō Takatora thought for a moment and then spoke.

"I'm counting on you!" Shichibei didn't waste any words. Since he had taken the risk, he had to see it through to the end and absolutely could not change his mind at the last minute.

The pre-battle military deployment remains unchanged. Each reserve unit should just charge forward and must not adjust the entire army because of a small change in Bei Nong, which could affect the whole battle.

"..." Takenaka Shigeharu watched Shichibei and Todo Takatora singing in unison and had nothing to say.

At this time, Sanada Masaki, Hara Nagayori, and others had already joined the battle on the front lines, and Watanabe Ryo and Goto Mototsugu had long since separated to become feudal lords. Takenaka Shigeharu wanted to persuade them but there was nothing he could do.

"The great war has begun, and mobilizing troops in all directions is definitely not a good thing." Although Shichibei hadn't eaten much pork, he had seen Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, those pigs, running around.

Throughout history, the tactics employed by pigs have been successfully utilized by people in warfare.

Today, I'll lean against the thick walls of the Western Army deployed on the front of Inuyama and see what other tricks the Eastern Army has up its sleeve.

"That's right!" That's absolutely true. Otherwise, why would General Chang's micro-management skills be ridiculed for his entire life?

The fighting has already begun, especially in this era of poor communication. Making large-scale adjustments to the planned deployment would be a major disaster for the entire army. The battlefield is constantly changing, and the situation isn't limited to North Nong; there could be situations elsewhere as well.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul is tantamount to suicide on the battlefield.

"That's settled then." Shichibei had made his own decision.

The sounds of battle were now deafening from all directions, especially at the Inuyama front. The Kiso River, or rather, Japanese rivers in general, have a very distinctive characteristic: their flow surges dramatically during the summer and autumn typhoon season, while at other times many are so shallow that they only reach ankle height.

The Kiso River is certainly not a small river like this, but after emerging from the Kiso Mountains, that is, the section of the river below Kanayama Castle, it enters the Nobi Plain. The river channel becomes extremely wide, and after widening, the center of the river channel on the plain may only be about one meter deep, and the flow is slow.

Of course, one cannot simply wade across a river that is about a meter deep. Otherwise, Shichibei wouldn't have considered setting up a defensive formation along the river, and Tokugawa Ieyasu wouldn't have ordered the Nagoya troops to advance and capture Sunomata and Inuyama, both hoping to control the natural barrier of the Kiso River.

The river was shallower on the Sunomata side, only reaching knee-deep, so neither army built a pontoon bridge, and they fought by wading. The river was slightly deeper on the Inuyama side, and the Inuyama castle lord, Nakagawa Kiyohide, had already built two pontoon bridges.

Speaking of which, Oda Nobukiyo, the former lord of Inuyama Castle, also known as Inuyama Tessai, the chief retainer of Takeda Nobufusa, is still alive and has been invited by Tokugawa Ieyasu to lead troops into battle. He is currently serving as an advisor on the front lines in Inuyama.

The Kanto forces dispatched by Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu were led by Kikkawa Motonaga as the vanguard and Sakuma Nobuege as the follow-up. Kikkawa's troops were neither Ieyasu's nor Nobushige's direct subordinates, and were the first to be driven forward. Sakuma Nobuege, being a local strongman with relatively superior forces, could provide support.

Twenty thousand men pressed forward and ran headlong into the Western Army's strongest battalion. The two sides fought fiercely, with the battle progressing back and forth.

The battle along the Nagara River and the northern Sagiyama line had ended. Tsuda Nobuharu had been killed in action, and Hatakeyama Nobutaka had been defeated and fled. The Sagiyama-Gifu line was wide open, and Tsuda Nobuharu organized the families of the Kano Domain to flee, thus exposing Kano Castle to the eight thousand men of Kitano.

Toyama Tomotada, Anegokōji Yoritsuna, and others rushed to the walls of Kana Castle without even cleaning up the battlefield, only to discover a situation completely different from their pre-battle reconnaissance.

Why is it the three-tiered rhomboid pattern of the Miyoshi clan? Shouldn't it be the vertical two-line pattern of Kawamura Nagayoshi?

Everyone around looked towards Toyama Tomotada, because Toyama Tomotada had come from Oda Nobushige's side and knew the situation firsthand.

Recalling the words of Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu before their departure, Toyama Tomotada was somewhat uncertain. Oda Nobushige had only told him that Miyoshi Nobutaka might be a potential collaborator, but he didn't necessarily agree to such a thing. Furthermore, Hori Hidemasa of the Western Army, originally a close retainer of Nobunaga, had some dealings with Oda Nobutada and was also being courted and wooed.

Both sides were constantly trying to win people over, and this effort continued right up until the start of the war. Whether it would succeed or not, how could Tomotada Toyama know?

The current situation is quite difficult. Their orders were to launch a surprise attack on the main camp of the Western Army in Ghana, which was also where Kawamura Nagayoshi was located. However, the main camp in Ghana was commanded by Miyoshi Nobutaka, so the attack was futile.

Without information about Kawamura's main camp, what good are their eight thousand men?

So the army was forced to halt and began capturing prisoners. As for capturing prisoners of war, Hatakeyama Nobutaka was the adopted son of Kawamura Nagayoshi, and perhaps some of the Nagato followers would know the whereabouts of Kawamura's army.

Anxiously awaiting the capture of prisoners, Toyama Tomotada discovered a situation that favored him. Miyoshi Nobutaka within Kano Castle seemed lifeless, neither sending anyone to inquire about their group nor suddenly launching an attack.

They were so focused on guarding the fortifications in Ghana that they were blind and deaf, completely ignoring the eight thousand people there.

They've really gotten to the inside?

Should we send someone to knock on the door?

"Send one," Tomotada Toyama immediately ordered Ichimawari to go to Ghana and knock on the door, claiming that he was acting on the orders of Lieutenant General Matsushiro and requesting Lieutenant General Miyoshi to send troops to assist in attacking the thugs from both sides.

As a result, Makai shouted and yelled at the gates of Ghana City for quite a while, but the people on the city walls remained silent. At this point, Toyama Tomotada realized that this guy was just waiting to see what would happen.

Well, at least it didn't cause any trouble. At this moment, they also captured a prisoner. From the prisoner, Toyama Tomotada learned that the Hatakeyama army was ordered to be transferred to Kagabu-sho to reinforce the central army of the Western Army.

good good!

It turns out that the Western Army's central force had already moved forward to Kagami-sho, which is the same idea behind Tokugawa Ieyasu's departure from Komakiyama and his move to the main camp to take command from the front.

"Let's go! Immediately head to the villages to search for the enemy and try to attack Kawamura's army." Anekokōji Yoritsuna also said to leave a few dozen men in Kana to prevent Miyoshi Nobutaka from suddenly changing his mind and attacking them from behind.

They've already advanced straight into the Western Army's main camp, why are they still thinking about this? Toyama Tomotada really looked down on Miyoshi Nobutaka at this moment.

With a flick of his whip, Toyama Tomotada abandoned Kano Castle and charged straight towards Kagami-sho. In fact, his strategy of launching a surprise attack on the Western Army's main camp had already failed. Due to Hatakeyama Nobutaka's on-the-spot defense, the element of surprise had completely disappeared, and Shichibei already knew of his arrival.

Although Miyoshi Nobutaka had no effect whatsoever, the 4,500 men of Todo Takatora, Akizuki Tanemi, and Tsukushi Hiromon were already waiting in their path.

It must be said that Hatakeyama Nobutaka's delay was the key factor in disrupting this surprise attack.

The tug-of-war between advancing and retreating forces has not fundamentally changed. Both Kawamura Nagayoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu are closely watching the situation at the Inuyama front.

The battles on other battlefields were also intense, but they seemed less important in the face of Inuyama, who had committed the most elite forces and the strongest troops from both sides.

Looking at Tokugawa Ieyasu, he originally advanced his troops to the area between Sunomata and Inuyama, but once the two armies clashed, he discovered that Shichibei had committed his elite troops to the Inuyama line, clearly intending to win at Inuyama.

After all, the Shimazu army, known for its fierce charges and fearless fighting spirit, managed to cause the Yoshikawa army, which outnumbered them by almost double, to stumble. The Shimazu had 6,000 cavalry and the Yoshikawa had 10,000. If it weren't for their superior numbers and the ability to replenish their ranks, the Yoshikawa army might have been easily breached by the Shimazu army in a single encounter.

The sight of the scene made the military officer dispatched by Tokugawa Ieyasu's army pound with fear. The Shimazu troops of the Western Army had fought against the Tokugawa army in the past, and the Tokugawa army knew their level very well.

If the Shimazu army hadn't been bogged down beneath Takagi Castle, unable to capture it after a prolonged siege, and then caught up by Oda Nobukatsu's rapid advance with his light troops, they might not have been defeated. Even if they couldn't take Takagi Castle, they could have retreated slowly.

Although only 6,000 Shimazu "volunteer soldiers" have arrived, their fighting strength should not be underestimated. They charged at the Yoshikawa army with fierce shouts. The Yoshikawa army, which was transferred from Iwami Oki to Kazusa, had only been stationed there for a year. Many of their foot soldiers were newly recruited, and their fighting strength was relatively average.