Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

"so what?"

"Our army of over ten thousand attacked the city, while the enemy army of three thousand defended it. From morning till night, for four hours straight, they fought almost non-stop. Our army was able to rest and rotate, but what about the enemy army?"

"Ah!" Shichibei suddenly understood.

So that was Hideyoshi's plan. Yoshida Izumo no Kami Takashige of Minosaku Castle only had three thousand men, while Oda's three generals had been fighting non-stop for eight hours from morning till night. Warfare is an activity that consumes physical strength very quickly, but the garrison inside the castle had not been able to rest at all, and should have been extremely exhausted by now.

Hideyoshi attacked the city in the evening and didn't put up much effort. He had to retreat and leave the camp because it got dark.

Night battles not only allow for surprise attacks, but also provide an opportunity to break through the enemy's exhausted state.

The city's defenders may not even have the strength to draw their bows and arrows or raise their swords and spears to fight. What difficulty is there in taking advantage of this situation to charge forward?

Tell me, isn't this a winning opportunity?

Yes, definitely.

"What do you think, Shichibei?" Hideyoshi was quite pleased with himself, feeling that his plan was quite feasible.

Capturing Minasaku Castle would be equivalent to winning the battle of Kannonji. Having secured the title of "Ichiban-shu" (first-rate spear) on the Japanese side, the samurai would undoubtedly receive a share of the spoils in future rewards.

Based on his merit in breaking through Minasaku Castle, Hideyoshi might actually receive a corresponding title of Chigyo, and then surpass Mitsuhide who came after him.

"Hmm..." After Hideyoshi said that, Shichibei really didn't have any good advice to give.

It's their troops, they're willing to go ahead, and their plan seems interesting, so whether or not to try it is Hideyoshi's own decision. As friends, we've already done our duty to remind them; there's no need for us to interfere in the actual military operations.

"So you're planning to have your foot soldiers attack the city with torches?"

"No, haven't you ever thought about why you need torches that are more than three feet long?" Hideyoshi actually found it quite "charming" when he was fighting.

This charm wasn't based on physical good looks, nor was it about physical prowess. Even the towering 1.82-meter-tall Asai Nagamasa couldn't compare. What Hideyoshi exuded was a confidence, an inner confidence that radiated from within, a belief in his ability to win.

what……

Even Hideyoshi could have such a "spirited and vigorous" appearance.

"Stick it in the ground!" Shichibei saw Hideyoshi playing with the torch and immediately understood.

No wonder they lengthened the torches. Nowadays, the average Japanese foot soldiers are only about 1.4 or 1.5 meters tall. A torch over a meter long, stuck in the ground, would be just below their chests. This would allow them to see the ground clearly, and the light would be sufficient, perfectly suited to the soldiers' height.

"Hahahaha..." Hideyoshi patted Shichibei on the shoulder, the meaning of which was naturally, "You understand me."

"Tsk." Shichibei really had nothing to add this time, so he just watched Hideyoshi's siege performance.

Could it be that historically, Hideyoshi captured Minasaku Castle through a night raid? It's possible. Anyway, Shichibei doesn't know the details either; everything is shrouded in mystery right now, and it all depends on Hideyoshi's performance.

Hachisuka Koroku also came over at this moment, and saw that Shichibei nodded as well. The torch, which was more than a meter long, was too short for Koroku, who was more than 1.7 meters tall, but it was just right for Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Shichibei.

Since they were friends, Xiao Liu didn't hold back and used a torch to measure their heights. After measuring, he said, "It's perfect, perfect, just right."

Hideyoshi didn't take it seriously, and Shichibei, of course, didn't think much of it either, only rolling his eyes inwardly.

What did this big, dark-skinned man eat to grow up like that? We ate sardines every day when we were kids, and we didn't lack protein. Why is it that he, a pirate, is 1.72 meters tall, while I, a stable boy, am only 1.42 meters tall?

Give me a round of applause, keep it up!

The troops lit fires and cooked meals, as they were preparing for a night battle and needed to be well-fed before going into battle. Without enough rice to eat, the soldiers would lack energy.

According to Hideyoshi's plan, torches were to be placed along the mountain path leading to the castle, up to the vicinity of the castle walls. Placing torches at the foot of the castle was simple, but once they reached a distance of about 30 to 50 meters from inside the castle, where cannons and arrows could be effective, two men were assigned to each position: one carrying a bamboo bundle or wooden shield, and the other carrying a torch.

Dozens of teams took turns advancing towards the city walls. Don't worry about them collapsing or crooked; the key is to strike while the iron is hot. Tonight, the city's soldiers will get some sleep. While they might not be as energetic as before, at least they can resume their arrow and cannon exchanges with Oda's army.

At this time, the Kinoshita Corps was still a vibrant social group. Having recently transitioned from pirates to government troops, they had experienced the life of licking blood from the blade, so they weren't lacking in courage. Hachisuka Koroku donned his tunic, not even wearing a helmet, let out a shout, and was the first to raise a torch and charge down the castle.

Yoshida Izumo no Kami Takashige was a veteran general; otherwise, he wouldn't have earned the trust of the Rokkaku father and son, who gave him three thousand cavalry. Seeing the torches lit outside the castle, he knew it was over, and the Oda army prepared to fight through the night.

The soldiers within their own city were already struggling to hold off more than ten thousand men during the day; now, having just rested, they were expected to get up and fight again—it was simply unbearable. Some might understand that after a considerable period of high-intensity activity, lying down to rest could lead to exhaustion.

Once you're exhausted, you'll feel weak all over, even trying to get up will make you tremble, and you won't be able to continue high-intensity exercise.

The same applies to the soldiers of Minozuki Castle. However, since it is a war, Yoshida Izumo-no-kami also has some reserves that can temporarily fill in, so they are not completely unable to cope. It's just that they can manage to hold their own today, but it's hard to say what will happen tomorrow when Oda's army sends in fresh troops.

Regardless, let's focus on the immediate situation.

Despite the darkness, the burning "dragon" was eventually erected outside the castle walls thanks to Hachisuka Koroku's efforts. It took almost an hour, and five or six people were killed by hidden arquebusiers in the process.

In war, such casualties are to be expected. Hideyoshi simply tied his hood and tightened his armor at the bottom of the slope. Once Koroku led his men down the slope, it would be his turn to charge forward.

Despite being the commander of 2,300 men, it was useless; when it came to charging the city walls, they had to charge. Although Hideyoshi's martial arts skills were rather mediocre, he was still quite courageous, having honed his skills over the years.

With a shout of "Follow me!", two or three hundred men followed him along the narrow, brightly lit road, charging towards Jizuo City.

Such a large-scale operation naturally caught the attention of Takigawa Kazumasu and Niwa Nagahide. They hadn't expected Hideyoshi to prepare for a night battle, and both sent messengers to gather information. As the three were essentially in the same "regional command," they certainly needed to keep in touch.

Just as they were asking questions, a crackling sound of popping beans erupted from the city wall. In the darkness, under the candlelight, only indistinct figures of people could be seen. There was no other way but to listen to the footsteps and fire wildly down at the city walls. Several screams and howls immediately rose from the slope. Since the arquebuses hadn't hit any vital organs, they wouldn't die immediately; for example, Ii Naomasa, who was hit by an arquebus, lived for more than half a year.

Some people were even hit by cannonballs and still survived for eight months.

He didn't die, but he was in pain. Some people even rolled down the hillside in pain, luckily the slope wasn't steep. If it had been steep, they would have rolled down and hit the rocks, killing themselves.

Hideyoshi's initial charge failed, resulting in the loss of over a dozen men, and he eventually retreated. However, he remained resolute, ordering Maeno Nagayasu to lead a hundred men in another charge. The castle garrison was undeniably exhausted; the arquebuses, having fired all day, were nearly bursting from the heat, and the number of shots fired was clearly less than during the day.

If we charge two or three more times, we'll definitely be able to break through the city walls!

Once they stormed into the castle, Oda's massive army of 60,000 could easily overwhelm the Rokkaku army. Minosaku Castle, a small outlying castle, lacked the conditions for street fighting; if the castle walls were breached, it would be finished.

Shichibei watched from below the slope, his heart pounding with fear. In the night battles and sieges, some soldiers even slipped and tumbled down the slope. Those near the torches were even blown off their heads—a truly horrific sight.

Well, following Hideyoshi's line of thought, most of the castle soldiers are exhausted, and those currently defending the castle walls are the only ones who can still move.

Shall we use a feint attack?

133. A rapid, large-scale offensive into the city.

Hideyoshi was still charging fiercely ahead, and Shichibei dared not go up to stop him. Besides, if Hideyoshi retreated, his soldiers would also retreat, and the battle would be lost.

We need to find Hachisuka Koroku.

Koroku is now the second core figure in the Kinoshita Squad. It wasn't until Hideyoshi deliberately supported Hidenaga, and Hidenaga demonstrated his strong domestic political skills and mediation abilities, that he gained the authority to govern seven districts in Tajima with a fief of 103,000 koku, surpassing Hachisuka Koroku in territory.

After placing the torch on his arquebus, Hachisuka Koroku didn't sit down to rest but instead nervously observed the battle. He and Hideyoshi were now more like allies than ruler and subject. As the largest shareholder in the entire Kinoshita Corps, Hachisuka Koroku felt the awareness of a shareholder and founder, willing to contribute to this thriving little group.

"Xiao Liu, what do you think of the battle situation?" Hachisuka Xiao Liu is too easy to find. After all, he is such a tall person that he can be seen even in the dark.

"It's unclear." Xiao Liu's answer was brief, because Hideyoshi was still charging, and there was no obvious collapse on the slope.

"The sound of cannons has decreased." Shichibei didn't believe that Hachisuka Koroku hadn't noticed this.

"That's right!" Xiao Liu, who hadn't turned his head at first, slowly turned around and glanced at Shichibei, thinking to himself that Shichibei actually knew a little about warfare.

"Is it possible that everyone in the city who can move is here?" Shichibei didn't dare to be too certain.

"Hmm?" Xiao Liu, who had been facing the battlefield, finally turned around, indicating that Shichibei should continue.

"Are you familiar with the tactic of feinting to the east while attacking in the west?"

"hiss……"

"Fujikichiro is attacking so hard, the castle commander will definitely think this is the main attack direction. What if we send people to attack the other side at this time?" Shichibei's plan actually has a big flaw.

That's a fire!

Sending men to infiltrate Minasaku Castle under cover of darkness without torches is an extremely difficult task. But carrying torches would alert the castle's inhabitants. Unless everyone within the castle is truly on Hideyoshi's side, mobilizing troops for defense would be futile.

"..." Hachisuka Koroku did not answer.

He first glanced in the direction of Hideyoshi, who was besieging the city, and then looked down at the Oda army in other places, secretly considering the feasibility of Shichibei's plan.

Moving in another direction first is not difficult. The small Minosaku Castle is surrounded by Oda's army camp of over ten thousand men, practically encircled on all sides, with numerous campfires burning below. Even if a couple hundred people were to move with torches, they wouldn't be detected by those on the castle walls.

The problem lies in the section between the camp and the city wall and gate. Discovery is inevitable. It's a gamble that the Oda army can move quickly and have already set up bamboo ladders on the city wall before the defensive forces can move over.

Furthermore, Shichibei pointed out that the sound of arquebuses from the castle walls was becoming increasingly sparse, indicating that the defensive strength was actually waning. It wasn't just that the soldiers' physical strength was failing after fighting for more than ten hours; even weapons like arquebuses were becoming inadequate.

"Let's aim for number one..." Xiu Chang's status was currently low, so he only dared to mutter this in a low voice at this moment.

"Koichiro, charge with me!" Hachisuka Koroku finally stopped hesitating, pointing at Kinoshita Hidenaga and telling him to go with him.

"Alright!" Xiu Chang replied quickly, immediately picking up a long spear.

With a simple clap of hands, the Hachisuka gang members, who had been sitting or lying down, all stood up. Although the Hachisuka gang had more than two thousand members, they were a mix of the old and the weak, and only a few hundred could carry guns. Two hundred of the strongest were selected, all dressed in foot soldiers, carrying bamboo ladders and holding swords and spears. At the sound of the whistle, they rushed out like a whirlwind.

Being a pirate has its advantages; at least they are willing to die for their cause. In battle, as long as the leader is willing to lead them, they will charge forward at the risk of their lives.

Now the camp was left with only the old, weak, sick, and disabled, but there was still Maeno Nagayasu of the Tsubouchi Party, as well as Horio Yoshiharu and Ikoma Chikamasa, who were in charge of the camp. Ikoma Chikamasa even greeted Tsuchida Chikakiyo, a subordinate of Shichibei; the two were cousins.

The surroundings were still noisy. Although the sound of cannons from the city walls had become less frequent, they were still firing outwards. Even a blind shot could hit someone; it was all down to luck.

I hope Hachisuka Koroku succeeds; if he doesn't, he'll just be wasting several more lives.

Clenching his fists, Shichibei's palms were unconsciously sweating due to the heat. Just as he was feeling anxious, he noticed that dozens of torches had suddenly been lit at the castle gate that Takigawa Kazumasu had attacked during the day. Then, with a loud shout, about a hundred men rushed forward with their heads down.

Since we've already lit the fire, and we're going to be discovered anyway, we might as well let out a shout; it might give us some courage.

The few remaining at the camp turned their attention to Hachisuka Koroku on the other side. Unfortunately, they were too far away and could only see the torches rapidly moving towards the gate of Minozaki Castle. Then, a couple of cannon shots rang out from the gate, followed by a violent ramming of the gate.

If Shichibei were Yoshida Izumo no Kami, he would never have imagined that Hideyoshi's desperate attack on the castle walls was actually a detachment, a feint attack.

Originally, Hideyoshi himself did not know that he was a "flanking force".

Hideyoshi is probably still fighting the castle guards for control of the palisade, and he certainly hasn't noticed Hachisuka Koroku rushing towards the other gate. If he did, he might attack the castle even more fiercely, holding back the castle guards defending there.

Without thinking, Shichibei led his team to the side of the castle gate and began to observe Hachisuka Koroku's siege. In the darkness, they could vaguely see ladders propped up on the castle wall, but they couldn't make out the details.

In that short while, Takigawa Kazumasu even appeared beside Shichibei. He had also come to watch the battle after realizing that Hideyoshi had actually sent another force to attack Minosaku Castle from two sides.

Before the two could even greet each other, a loud shout rang out, "I, Hachisuka Shichinai, am the first to scale the castle!" The shout carried for over a hundred meters, reaching even Shichibei and Takigawa Kazumasu, who were quite far away.

The Hachisuka faction, thronging the castle gates, pressed their advantage and charged forward, shouting, "We have captured the castle lord, Takebe Hyuga no Kami!" Amidst the shouts and roars, one of the gates of Minosaku Castle actually smashed to the ground.

not good!

Shichibei, who had been full of enthusiasm, suddenly remembered something: Hachisuka Koroku had only taken two hundred men to attack the castle and had not set up any reinforcements. Perhaps he hadn't initially thought the castle troops would be so easily defeated, and was just trying his luck.

But now that he has broken through the city gates, he will inevitably advance rapidly and charge straight into the city. If we divide our forces to guard the city gates, we won't be able to enter the city, let alone expand our gains.

The important thing is that Kinoshita Hidenaga is still in the squad!

Aji has been married to Kinoshita Hidenaga for almost two years, and there hasn't been a sound. If Hidenaga were to die in Minosaku Castle, she would be a widow. Even if she remarried, she might not be able to find a decent man.

"go!"

Before he could even greet Takigawa Kazumasu, Shichibei gathered his few dozen men and immediately set off to support Hachisuka Koroku. It was just guarding the gate; it wasn't really a battle.

The Kawamura retainers behind him had no intention of fighting, although most of them were wearing armor because they had entered the war zone. But like Kotaro So, they were trying their best to avoid combat. Wearing armor was only to protect against stray bullets and arrows; their lives were more valuable than armor.