Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Chapter 660 Three-pronged attack to capture Edo

Seeing Yamagata Masamitsu strut into the tent with his head held high, while Sakakibara Yasumasa, his hands bound, slumped outside the tent, was filled with rage.

"Yamagata Masaharu, you listen to me!"

"Kang Zheng was utterly disgusted by your disloyalty. But your betrayal, your beastly behavior, your treachery—such a despicable scoundrel, utterly devoid of any martial virtue, yet you appear here with such a clear conscience? Don't you feel ashamed?!"

As the Western Army generals entered the main tent, some walked by expressionlessly, some wore mocking smiles, and some merely glanced sideways. The outcome was already decided, and Sakakibara Yasumasa was simply venting his frustration at seeing a clown.

What are you so arrogant about, you traitor?

Yamagata Masamitsu, who had originally thought he had defeated the former Nobutada Omakai and even killed "Oda Nobushige," dared not retort after being scolded and could only lower his head and enter the main tent.

Even the severed head of Oda Nobushige that he held in his hands felt heavy, almost too heavy to hold. After all, he had previously publicly expressed his support for Oda Nobushige, but now he had turned against him and attacked and killed Nobushige. This was completely different from someone who had chosen a side before the battle.

The heads of the Eastern Army generals, as well as the captured lords, were continuously sent to the main military tent of Shichibei, located in Kagosho. Military officers were responsible for identifying and confirming them, but Shichibei did not need to personally inspect them.

Only Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu deserve Shichibei's serious attention to avoid any mistakes.

Seeing his brother-in-law hesitate and waver until the war began, refusing to express his opinion or retreat to Kai, Shichibei felt somewhat dissatisfied. But now that his brother-in-law had participated in breaking through the main camp of the Komaki East Army and had killed "Oda Nobushige" in battle, Shichibei didn't say anything more.

First, look at the head.

No, while this head bears a five or six-point resemblance to Oda Nobushige, it is definitely not Oda Nobushige himself. At fifteen, he's still at an age where he might grow a bit, but his appearance is unlikely to have changed much by then. The phrase "his face has matured" refers to the fact that his facial bones have largely settled in the last two years.

The generals of the Western Army on both sides, having seen Oda Nobushige, all craned their necks to carefully examine him. Their consensus was that while the man resembled someone somewhat, he was definitely not him.

In the end, it was Tamaru Naomasa, the military supervisor sent by Nobuo to Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who recognized that this man was none other than Saji Kumanojo, the younger brother of Saji Kazunari.

Upon hearing that he had shamelessly betrayed his ally and attacked the Eastern Army general on the battlefield, only to receive the head of an insignificant person, Yamagata Masamitsu's face darkened rapidly.

Without this achievement, Yamagata Masamitsu would have had a hard time establishing himself in the new post-war government. Even though he was Shichibei's brother-in-law, Shichibei had nearly twenty brothers-in-law and sons-in-law.

The tent was completely silent...

The men Shichibei had repeatedly contacted, including Takayama Shigetomo, Nakagawa Kiyohide, and Tsuda Nobui, fought for the Eastern Army until the very last moment. The battle along the Sunomata line was almost a stalemate, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

In the end, it was Honda Tadakatsu's head that appeared on the battlefield, causing the Eastern Army to waver, especially Kanamori Nagashige, who was the first to retreat, which greatly affected the morale of the Eastern Army on the Sunomata battlefield.

Kanamori Nagashige's retreat implicated Miyoshi Yasutoshi, who was providing support from the sidelines. Afterwards, various units withdrew from the battlefield one after another. To say that the Western Army won through a purely military offensive is not entirely accurate.

After the Eastern Army wavered, the Western Army concentrated its fire on this flank of the Eastern Army's general, Harada Nobumasa. Although Harada Nobumasa was Nobunaga's eldest son by a concubine, his status was only the same as that of adopted brothers like Nagano Nobukatsu, and even lower than that of Nobunaga's eldest brother Nobuhiro's legitimate son, Nobuhisa.

He was naturally a little resentful. Now that he had the opportunity to become one of the three ministers of Oda, perhaps one day his descendants could inherit the main family and become the Grand Chancellor. He would definitely strive for that.

Therefore, among the Eastern Army forces along the Sunomata line, Harada Nobumasa fought the most valiantly. Even after seeing Honda Tadakatsu's head, he did not retreat.

The result was that they were attacked from both sides by forces four or five times their size, and the entire army suffered more than half its casualties, with Harada himself barely escaping with his life. After the collapse of Harada's army, both the Eastern Army that had retreated earlier and the Eastern Army that was still fighting on the battlefield were declared disintegrated, and they tried to return to their former territory in Ise and Owari.

The fighting along the Sunomata line ended with the capture of Komakiyama by the Western Army. What remained was simply the pursuit of the fleeing enemy, and there's not much more to say.

"This victory is all thanks to you all." Shichibei tossed aside Saji Kumanosuke's head and bowed to the generals in goodwill.

I am neither talented nor virtuous, nor am I a man of superior military strategy. It was entirely thanks to your valiant efforts that we were able to achieve such a great victory.

"We dare not take credit." Everyone returned the greeting, but no one dared to actually stand up and say, "This battle was won entirely because of me, you should step aside."

If it weren't for Shichibei, who was also the brother-in-law, father-in-law, creditor, and fellow townsman of the Western Army, becoming the greatest common denominator, it would be uncertain whether the Western Army could have been brought to the Kiso River battlefield intact.

In terms of merit, every single victory, beheading, and charge into battle could be attributed to an individual. However, the one who truly commanded the entire army was Shichibei.

clothes!

Previously, people might not have been convinced of Shichibei's authority; their relationship was more of a friendly one. They were relatives, fellow townsmen, and likely shared common interests. Now, it's not just that; there's also deep respect and admiration.

Indeed, leading soldiers to a brilliant victory on the battlefield is the best and most direct way to accumulate prestige.

No wonder the old saying goes, "The most important matters of a nation are agriculture and war." If you can ensure that the people have enough to eat and win wars to maintain social order, then you are bound to be an emperor.

"I will reward you for your merits in this battle!" Shichibei declared, reassuring everyone.

Anyone who performs meritorious service will be richly rewarded; they will receive everything they are entitled to. This statement is also a prelude to the next sentence.

"Many daimyo of the Eastern Army have fled. We must advance immediately to prevent them from rising again," Takenaka Shigeharu said, continuing Shichibei's words.

Now we're advancing in three directions: one route through the Ise Road to take Ise, another through the Kiso Road to take Shinano, and the third through the Tokaido to take Edo.

The two core figures of the Eastern Army, Oda Nobushige and Tokugawa Ieyasu, must be killed or captured alive, otherwise this chaos will never end.

Time is of the essence; troops must be dispatched immediately and advanced swiftly to retake the various locations. This is to prevent anyone from fleeing back to their own city and raising an army to resist the royal army.

Winning without fighting is definitely the best option. Trying to take down city after city is simply too troublesome.

"Urgent report! Someone outside the camp claims to be an old acquaintance of General Yu and has come to offer a remarkable achievement!" A royal guard knelt on one knee outside the camp and shouted.

"An old acquaintance?" Shichibei had countless old acquaintances; after all, these days, there were at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, of those who owed him money.

"A miraculous feat?" Takenaka Hanbei's preparations were interrupted, and he was also a little curious.

"Alright then, summon him for an audience." Shichibei felt that someone who could say such a thing, having risked crossing the battlefield, must truly know him.

To brazenly traverse a battlefield teeming with 300,000 men is something most people wouldn't dare do. A single misstep could result in someone using one's head as a military achievement.

When the others were brought up, Shichibei was genuinely surprised, because this person was indeed an old acquaintance of his, and Shichibei had saved his life.

Ke'er can hide Ji Chang.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Koji Yoshino bowed deeply to Shichibei; it had indeed been many years since they last met.

"It's Saizo." Shichibei gestured for Kaji Yoshinaga to get up quickly, there was no need to keep kowtowing, just say what you have to say.

"Please take a look."

Having said that, Koji Yoshinaga untied a bundle from behind his back, inside which was clearly a severed head. It had already been briefly washed with river water.

Oda Nobushige!

Who else could it be but Oda Nobushige? Truly a feat of unparalleled merit. Shichibei abruptly rose and immediately walked to Kako Yoshinaga, who was holding the severed head, to examine it closely. Some of the other generals also approached to look.

After confirming it repeatedly, it was indeed Oda Nobushige. Then, Saji Kazunari, who had been captured by Koji Yoshinobu, was also brought up. The living Saji Kazunari was easy to recognize.

This is truly an immense achievement! If we follow the historical precedent of Tanaka Yoshimasa capturing Ishida Mitsunari, Kako Yoshinaga should have been granted a province with a fief of 320,000 koku. However, Kako Yoshinaga has only ever held a few thousand koku in his lifetime, and suddenly being granted a large province would likely leave him with no way to govern it.

As for why Kaji Yoshinaga was able to obtain Oda Nobushige's head, well, it's a long story. To make a long story short, after Shichibei released him from the battlefield at Akutagawa-Takatsuki, he wandered in western Japan for a few days.

Later, under the pseudonym Sasayama Shigemasa, he entered the service of Yoshikawa Motoharu, who was recruiting warriors at the time, with a salary of 250 koku, thanks to his excellent gun skills.

Half of the Yoshikawa clan's troops were handed over by Yoshikawa Motoharu to Yoshikawa Hiroie to attack Harima and Tajima. In the end, they were defeated by Hideyoshi and barely escaped with their lives, suffering heavy losses among their samurai.

Although the Mori clan secretly subjugated Oda later, the Yoshikawa clan still needed to recruit some lower-ranking samurai with a salary of one or two hundred koku to ensure the army's fighting strength.

Thus, Yoshinobu entered the Yoshikawa army, was transferred to the Kanto region, and eventually appeared on the battlefield of Kiso River.

Just now, the Yoshikawa clan suffered a crushing defeat. He and a few of his fellow villagers and foot soldiers were fetching water by the roadside, preparing to continue their escape. That's when they spotted Oda Nobushige and his party heading north. It was because of his boldness, meticulousness, and keen observation that he was able to achieve such a great victory.

"Excellent, excellent, wonderful!" Shichibei exclaimed with delight.

The best outcome would be if someone could take down Oda Nobushige on the battlefield. It would conform to the established order of the samurai class and prevent Shichibei from facing further difficulties later. His single spear thrust that killed Oda Nobushige truly saved Shichibei countless troubles.

Brother, you can step back for now. Shichibei needs to arrange three routes to pursue the Eastern Army. We can discuss the rewards after we've entered Edo Castle.

With everything under control, Koji Yoshinaga gracefully withdrew. He was certain that as long as the credit was handed over to Shichibei, his position would be secure. Whatever rewards Shichibei might bestow upon him, he would inevitably receive a share.

Some might ask, "He was a Yoshikawa samurai, yet he betrayed his country and sought refuge with Oda Nobushige. Shouldn't he be condemned?" Yes, he should be, he certainly would be condemned, but he did gain Oda Nobushige's support. This is completely different from Yamagata Masamitsu, whose merits are universally acknowledged.

The severed head was placed on the wooden box, which was quite obvious. If you're so capable, why don't you go and cut off Oda Nobushige's head yourself?

Turning back to the matter of dividing the army into three routes, the central route, which is the Tokaido route, will definitely be personally supervised by Shichibei as the army advances into Edo.

The Kiso route in the Hokuriku region was handed over to Amago Katsuhisa and others, while the Ise route in the South was handed over to Kagawa Nobusumi and others. Both flanks were equipped with about 30,000 men each, while the central army of Shichibei had 60,000 men.

Some people will definitely ask why this number is wrong. Even if we include the more than 10,000 people from Yamagata Masaharu, and deduct those who died in battle, it still doesn't add up.

That's right, Shichibei abandoned Miyoshi Nobutaka. You can stay in Ghana if you want, or go back to Osaka if you want. Anyway, I'm not playing with you anymore, and I don't want to hear your explanations.

As for the reason? Shiga Chikaji, who broke through the main camp of the Komaki Eastern Army, brought back a small box. Inside were several letters from Ieyasu Nobushige and the generals of the Western Army. One of them, Miyoshi Nobutaka, promised to bestow rewards, which echoed the reply from the Eastern Army, making it quite obvious.

Shichibei doesn't care about him now; he just wants to see if he comes to explain immediately or flees back to Awa. If he comes to explain, he might only get a reduced title. If he flees out of fear of punishment, he'll be completely reformed.

You're saying he'll escape back to Osaka Castle, seize Osaka, and take Oda Katsufumi hostage? Shichibei has already sent a messenger back to Osaka. Surely Mori Terumoto, this "otaku god," can't possibly not even defend a castle.

Moreover, Kyoto and Osaka are not only occupied by Terumoto Mori; Yoritaka Hachiya is also there, and he has five or six thousand riders by his side.

Most of the other people's letters were ambiguous in tone and attitude, and even if they were presented, they could not necessarily be confirmed. Only Miyoshi Nobutaka's letters clearly involved an exchange of benefits and promises.

Sanhao Xinxiao is a district!

Without experiencing it firsthand, one can't truly grasp the depth of this aversion. Anyway, that's how things are settled. Shichibei agreed with the other two groups to meet in Edo. They then began their advance, not lingering at the Kiso River.

After the entire army crossed the river, they learned that Nakagawa Kiyohide, the lord of Inuyama Castle, had fought valiantly and retreated back into the castle, severely wounded, and had already passed away. His death was no loss; the Nakagawa Inuyama Domain was reorganized, and after Nakagawa Kiyohide's remains were documented, cremation or burial was permitted.

The next target was Nagoya Castle, whose lord, Takayama Shigetomo, was Oda Nobunaga's son-in-law. There was no fierce resistance; he handed over his family and associates to Shichibei, sent them to Osaka, shaved his head, and placed himself under the care of Tsuda Nobuuji. Nagoya's 300,000 koku of rice was similarly confiscated, not a single koku remaining.

Narumi's 10,000 koku Sakuma Nobumori was peacefully defending Osaka Castle. Now that it has been liberated, nothing happened to him, and he was safe and sound as before.

Joining forces of ten thousand men led by Ataka Takeyasu, Shichibei marched triumphantly into Mikawa Province along the sea route. He ordered the capture of Tokugawa Ieyasu while simultaneously seizing Okazaki Yoshida and the mountain castles of Oku-Mikawa and other locations.

There was no uprising in Mikawa, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was nowhere to be found. His feet are really sharp; he runs incredibly fast.

Chapter 661 Japan is Now in My Hands

Even after Shichibei met with the escaped Mokuzoku Tomomasa and his son, Miyoshi Nobutaka didn't come to apologize. However, I heard that he fled quickly, retreating his troops back to Osaka and then sending the army back to Awa to disband. He himself remained in Osaka, refusing visitors.

Hmph, playing dead won't work, little brother.

Unlike his feigned death, the Kizuki father and son were overjoyed. Their eight days of desperate defense of Hamamatsu Castle had not been in vain. The royal army had returned, and not only that, but it brought a large army and news of victory.

Upon seeing the father and son, Shichibei immediately agreed that they could send men to take over Ōkawachi Castle in southern Ise. Kagawa Nobusumi had almost pacified Ise by this time. Since there were still many Western Army territories in northern Ise, they could not be handed over to the Kizuki father and son for the time being, but the 200,000 koku of southern Ise could be given to them immediately.

Hamamatsu has been destroyed; the entire city is in ruins, and there's no point in leaving it in place.

Upon learning that he was indeed to be transferred back to his hometown of Minami-Ise, the Kizuki father and son were overjoyed and kowtowed to Shichibei repeatedly. They practically called Shichibei their father, and Kizuki Tomomasa, despite his advanced age, had his forehead turned red from kowtowing.

Shichibei helped the two up, saying it was only right. If it weren't for the Kizuki father and son, with a mere 5,000 men, holding off the Eastern Army's more than 100,000 troops for eight days, Shichibei wouldn't even have had time to reach the Kiso River to set up his troops.

It is highly likely that they will have to stop the advancing Eastern Army at Azuchi Castle, or even at Setabashi Bridge, outside of Yamashiro and Kyoto. What the scene would be like, and what the battle would be like, is truly unimaginable.

As to who deserves the most credit in this battle, there will certainly be debate and evaluation, but the great contributions of the Muzuki father and son are definitely on the list. Moreover, they are absolutely among the top, a point that is recognized by generals both at home and abroad.

Five thousand men resisting over a hundred thousand—such a tough battle impressed all the generals present. Even though the Kizuki father and son eventually surrendered, it was only after receiving news of Shichibei's arrival in the Ogaki camp that they were ordered to open the gates; there was nothing wrong with that.

Putting that aside, we must mention Takeda Nobufusa, the lord of Kakegawa in Suruga and Tōtōmi provinces. This guy was the first to step forward in the Koyama Assessment, echoing Tokugawa Ieyasu.

On the battlefields of Kiso River and Inuyama, they fought valiantly against the attack of the Ukita Nagaie, greatly hindering the Western Army. Now, this kid has actually set up defenses at Kakegawa and is doing everything in his power to mobilize troops at Oi River and Sunpu, trying to prevent the Western Army from entering.

Good lad, really good lad.

As expected of Oda Nobunaga's son, even in defeat, he continues to fight to the death. But with such a spirit, things won't change afterward. Once the two sides actually clash, he will either be directly defeated or beheaded, which is to be expected.