Yashiro the Blind

Muami repeated it in a low voice.

This time, the only response he received was a very ordinary chant: "Namo Amitabha Buddha".

"..."

The sound still lingered in his ears, but when Mu Ami raised his eyes, the figure outside the door had vanished without a trace. He bit his lip and tapped the wooden fish a few more times; the sound was still crisp, but the once regular rhythm had become utterly chaotic.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha, Namo Amitabha Buddha, Namo..."

Suddenly, with a muffled thud, he threw the small hammer forcefully, knocking over the candle. The light went out, and the room was immediately plunged into complete darkness.

"...Amitabha Buddha."

The voice was unusually low, like a huge shadow covering the sky and earth.

……

In Xingui Mountain Town, good news has been coming one after another recently.

Ashikaga Yoshiteru's dark, old face practically blossomed into a smile, and he laughed heartily three times to everyone he met, his joy genuine and heartfelt. The reason for his happiness was quite simple:

The first matter is Matsunaga Hisahide's letter of surrender.

After discussing it with Yashiro and Naotora, they decided that Ashikaga Yoshiteru would first try to subtly probe Tsutsui Junsei's intentions. The plan itself was good, but unfortunately, the general forgot that he was not very good at probing others—usually Hosokawa Fujitaka was in charge of this aspect. As a result, he confidently took the initiative himself, and before he could even start probing, Tsutsui Junsei had already subtly revealed the main point.

The general was inwardly alarmed, already prepared for the other party to walk away in a huff, but to his surprise, Tsutsui Junsei's attitude was unexpectedly mild. He actually agreed to Matsunaga Hisahide's request for reconciliation, in exchange for a letter of peace from Yamato Province, as well as the two castles, Shigiyama Castle and Tamonyama Castle...

Compared to the role the Tsutsui family played in this war, these two requests were quite reasonable. Moreover, regarding the two castles that followed, Tsutsui Junsei specifically stated that they could be handed over after the shogun returned to the capital.

Forget about making things difficult; judging from his expression, he seemed even more worried about the matter falling through than Ashikaga Yoshiteru.

Afterwards, the general spoke with Naotora and Hachihiro, and the three of them largely shared the same opinion:

"It seems that the Tsutsui family intends to take this opportunity to cease hostilities and negotiate peace with Matsunaga Danjo... They have suffered many defeats in the past six or seven years, and they are probably really afraid of being beaten. Now that His Highness the Grand Master is mediating, there is no need to be too afraid that the Matsunaga family will easily break the agreement."

"In other words, Lord Tsutsui Junzaki is most likely..."

Naotora's low voice caused the other two to fall silent as well.

Although none of them knew the real Tsutsui Junsho, a man who could pacify Yamato Province at the age of twenty-three was certainly no ordinary person. If he were still alive, the struggle between Tsutsui and Matsunaga might have had a completely different outcome.

"It's a pity we never met..."

Ashikaga Yoshiteru slapped his thigh and sighed deeply.

But he quickly perked up and changed the subject with a smile, "Alright, the reason I called you two here today isn't because of Tsutsui Junsei... Although I think Miss Yashiro probably already knows, good news is good, so I'll repeat it a few more times, haha, the Miyoshi family's army in Kyoto suffered a crushing defeat yesterday!"

Upon hearing this, Ashikaga Yoshiteru's face lit up with excitement, looking just like a child. Naotora nodded with a smile, showing no surprise—she had known about it last night.

It must be said that the Iga ninjas are truly unmatched in the Kinki region when it comes to gathering and transmitting intelligence. The battle between the Rokkaku and Miyoshi families began around noon yesterday, and within just one afternoon, a special messenger had already delivered the battle report to Yashiro...

Then Naotora read it to her.

The general, however, had apparently received the news the previous night, and without hesitation, rushed over to share the good news with the two. As for why Naotora was so certain...

Didn't you see that Ashikaga Yoshiteru was only wearing one straw sandal? He clearly ran over barefoot, which shows just how excited he was by the news.

The woman paused slightly, then reminded him, "Your Highness, this is certainly something to celebrate, but the Miyoshi Ichimonji and Shinohara Nagafusa's Awa clan, who are gathered in Kyoto, are both elite forces. One defeat is not enough to seriously damage their strength."

"I understand, I understand!"

Ashikaga Yoshiteru tried to keep a straight face as he responded, but he couldn't hide the excitement in his voice.

Actually, it wasn't just him. After hearing the battle report last night, Yashiro couldn't help but high-five Naotora, Ryuko, Minjimaru, and Saiga Hotaru one by one, cheering for quite a while. When he looked back, he was still a little incredulous.

Perhaps it was because in her previous life, Rokkaku and his son were so confident in standing up against Oda, only to be defeated by Nobunaga in ten days, that she always felt that the other party was utterly pathetic.

Even though the Rokkaku family had scraped together 20,000 troops and marched straight towards Kyoto, deep down, Yashiro still didn't believe these people could defeat Miyoshi. He was just hoping they could stall for time... Unexpectedly, that eccentric father and son actually showed some strength this time:

Since she wasn't on-site, she could only learn about the general situation through the ninja's intelligence. According to the spies in Kyoto, Miyoshi Yoshitsugu and Shinohara Nagafusa originally had a similar idea to Miyoshi Nagayoshi: to stall for time and wait for the Rokkaku army to come to their doom near Kyoto.

Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. The Sanyo Trio had just plundered Kyoto, and now they had to prepare provisions and military supplies for 23,000 to 24,000 people. Even if every citizen of Kyoto was a hen, they couldn't lay so many golden eggs in a short time. Discontent arose and conflicts broke out frequently.

Hosokawa Fujitaka, Akechi Mitsuhide, and others who remained near the capital took the opportunity to incite the populace, causing considerable trouble for the Miyoshi faction. But this was not the most serious problem; the real trouble... was that the plague caused by the great fire and the carnage finally arrived as predicted.

In a densely populated place like Kyoto, the devastation of an epidemic would be unimaginable; at the very least, tens of thousands of members of the Miyoshi family could no longer remain there. With logistical shortages and a major epidemic raging in Kyoto, Shinohara Nagafusa had no choice but to grit his teeth and hastily leave the capital, preparing to fight and defeat the plague.

Although the Rokkaku father and son in this timeline have not yet been "quickly defeated" by Nobunaga's army marching to Kyoto, the earlier defeat of their 20,000-strong army by Azai Nagamasa's surprise attack, as well as the Kannonji riot caused by Rokkaku Yoshiharu's murder of a meritorious retainer, have already stripped the Rokkaku family of their authority. In Shinohara Nagafusa's eyes, they are simply a weak and powerless fish.

You have 20,000 men, and I have 20,000 men. My 20,000 men are the elite troops of the four kingdoms, who have been invincible in battles across the north and south. What are your 20,000 men?

With this in mind, Shinohara Nagafusa even considered taking a decisive step to defeat Rokkaku, then marching south to crush the general and Hatakeyama Takamasa's troops, and finally returning to the capital to teach those Tosa bumpkins who caused trouble while he was away a lesson.

What a perfect plan, executed flawlessly in one go!

Unfortunately, underestimating the enemy is always the biggest taboo on the battlefield. Under the dual negative effects of insufficient logistics and plague, the exhausted Miyoshi army hastily set off and made contact with the Rokkaku army near Kurita District in Omi Province. After a stalemate of several hours, Shinohara Nagafusa took the initiative to launch an attack.

As soon as he engaged the enemy, he realized something was wrong... Where was the easy prey he was promised?

Why does this fish still have bones?!

Little did they know that in order to win this battle, the Rokkaku family had specially appointed Gamo Sadahide, the most valiant member of the family, as the vanguard. Although this veteran of the Gamo family was nearly sixty years old, his bravery was undiminished. He charged straight into the enemy ranks and routed the Miyoshi soldiers, who fled in disarray, abandoning their armor and weapons.

After a fierce battle lasting about an hour and a half, the Miyoshi army was forced to retreat. It is said that the corpses on the ground were piled up like small mountains, and blood flowed like rivers, even staining the land a glaring crimson... This description is probably somewhat exaggerated, but the defeat of the Miyoshi army is an undeniable fact.

Shinohara Nagafusa's defeat affected more than just himself.

"I have just received intelligence that Miyoshi Nagayoshi of Takaya Castle has finally lost his patience. He probably senses that the situation is not good and wants to abandon the castle and head north to join up with the Miyoshi army in Kyoto. The time is ripe. We can take over Kawachi and return to Kyoto in an instant!"

Ashikaga Yoshiteru said cheerfully, then tilted his head back and drank the cold water in the bowl in one gulp. A surge of heroic spirit welled up in his heart, and he pretended to smash it...

However, after seeing Naotora smiling, he obediently put the bowl back on the ground.

"Hahaha... Hahahaha!"

Originally, he was just trying to cover up his embarrassment by laughing a couple of times, but the more he laughed, the more genuine his feelings became. Ashikaga Yoshiteru pushed himself up on his knees and leaped up, looking very spirited. "My two beloved ministers, quickly get ready and follow me on this expedition to punish the traitors... Oh, by the way, I came in a hurry and didn't have time to have breakfast. Miss Hayashi, could you share one of your rice balls with me?"

"..."

If it weren't for that last sentence, it would actually be quite impressive.

……

Chapter 423 The Method of Breaking the City

In war, it's often a case of "a thin stick fighting a wolf"—you're afraid of both sides.

While Ashikaga Yoshiteru was worried that the Tsutsui clan's thousands of soldiers might not put in their full effort, Miyoshi Nagayasu had similar concerns.

He and Matsunaga Hisahide were originally sworn enemies, and he had offended Miyoshi Yoshitsugu because of the previous attack on Nijo Palace. Although everyone is temporarily united because they have a common enemy, it is still a big question mark how much each of them can contribute when the time comes.

Therefore, after Miyoshi Nagayoshi led his army to Kawachi, he remained inactive and ignored the battle at Shigiyama on the east side. In his opinion, even if the Yamato army joined forces with Hatakeyama Takamasa, they would not be able to conquer this fortified castle in a short time.

If they can stall until Shinohara Nagafusa defeats Rokkaku and comes south to reinforce, victory in this war is practically guaranteed. And if they lose Shigiyama Castle then, it's Matsunaga Hisahide who will suffer the loss, not him. Winning the battle while simultaneously humiliating his old rival is a double win for Miyoshi Nagayashiki—a truly delightful outcome.

The only variable was that Shinohara Nagafusa was defeated in one battle, and the defeat was decisive and swift.

Upon hearing this news, Miyoshi Nagayoshi nearly coughed up blood. You must understand, this 20,000-strong army from Awa Province was no ordinary bunch of chickens and dogs. They had followed Miyoshi Motonaga and his son Nagayoshi in their campaigns for many years, earning a renowned reputation in Shikoku and Kinki. Who wouldn't tremble with fear at the sight of them?

Now he's being told that this elite force can't even beat a declining Hexagonal family?

Shinohara Nagafusa, are you even capable of this?!

But regardless of whether Shinohara Ukyosuke was capable or not, Miyoshi Nagayoshi felt he was definitely not up to the task. The Awa reinforcements, on which he had placed high hopes, had now suffered a defeat. If the Rokkaku father and son were to launch a fierce attack, leaving him attacked from both sides, he could simply give up the struggle and concentrate on composing his death verses…

To avoid such a tragic outcome, after confirming the intelligence about the Battle of Kurita County, Miyoshi Nagayoshi did not hesitate and immediately ordered the abandonment of Takaya Castle and the entire army to march north to support Shinohara Nagafusa.

Thinking that if the troops were combined and 40,000 fought against 40,000, there would still be a chance to fight back... In any case, it would be better than staying in Takaya Castle and being defeated one by one.

Before leaving, he generously sent someone to Izumi next door to inform Matsunaga Hisahide so that he could prepare to flee together. Although Miyoshi Nagayoshi thought that old fox must have already gotten wind of it, they were still comrades-in-arms, so it was necessary to inform him in order to avoid being gossiped about for being heartless.

"Has Matsunaga Danjo not replied yet?"

"No! Or should we wait a little longer?"

With a "whoosh," Miyoshi Masayasu slung the spiked club over his shoulder and asked in a gruff voice.

“…No need.” While leaning back to dodge the spikes of the mace, Miyoshi Nagayoshi shook his head and said calmly, “With Tanjo’s abilities, he will only react a step earlier than us, and he may already be on his way.”

"That makes sense. But why do I feel like Hinata, that's not actually what you wanted to say?"

"You want to hear what's on your mind?"

"of course."

“Then I’ll be frank…” Miyoshi Nagayoshi paused, “It would be best if that old thief was still kept in the dark and helped us cover the rear, so that Hatakeyama’s army wouldn’t catch up too early.”

"Hahaha!"

The burly man carrying a spiked club laughed loudly, "That's right, I knew that with your personality, Hyuga, you would never take such good care of Matsunaga. This is more like it, this is more like it!"

The hearty laughter made Miyoshi Nagayoshi chuckle as well. But he quickly sighed, "It's a pity that Danjo couldn't be that stupid, otherwise we would have saved ourselves a lot of trouble... Masayasu."

"Ok?"

Normally, the two addressed each other by their official titles, so when he suddenly heard the other call him by his name, Miyoshi Masayasu was taken aback. Then he saw Hyuga no Kami Nagayoshi take a few steps, come up to him, and gently pat him on the shoulder: "The matter of holding the rear... I'll leave it to you."

"Don't worry! With my iron rod here, neither Hatakeyama nor Tsutsui will let a single one of them catch up with you! Hyuga, you can take your men back to Kyoto with peace of mind!" The burly man laughed heartily upon hearing this, his face full of confidence, showing no sign of fear whatsoever.

If it were anyone else, Miyoshi Nagayoshi might have doubted whether they would surrender at the last minute, but he had absolute trust in Miyoshi Masayasu. However, it was precisely because of this trust between them that a faint sadness welled up in his heart as they were about to part.

With the army retreating, someone naturally needed to cover the rear to prevent the enemy from pursuing them. Such an important task could only be entrusted to Miyoshi Nagayoshi's most trusted general, namely Miyoshi Masayasu.

This could very well be a final farewell...

Thinking of this, even this veteran who had weathered decades of storms was speechless. In the end, he could only take a deep look at the other person, turn around and leave, with Miyoshi Masayasu following closely behind.

A moment later, the soldiers of Miyoshi, both inside and outside Takaya Castle, heard the summoning bell ringing from within the castle:

Ding, ding, ding, ding—

Deafening!

……

For some time afterward, Hanoi was filled with such sounds symbolizing war, both near and far. People were on the move, horses were galloping, and the sounds of drums and conch shells commanding the army never ceased from morning till night.

Under the command of their general, thousands of soldiers went up the mountain to cut down timber and build their own camps. Meanwhile, cartloads of rice, salt, and miso were continuously transported from the rear and delivered to each soldier in the prescribed quantities.

If someone were to look down from a high vantage point, this scene would resemble countless mushrooms gradually blooming across the mountains and plains. And the most magnificent central command tent among them would naturally be the residence of the army's commander-in-chief, Ashikaga Yoshiteru's shogunate.

Even before the formal engagement with the enemy had begun, people were coming and going almost every moment, either to report intelligence or to discuss matters.

Besides Tsutsui Junsei, Yashiro, Naotora, and others who came with the general, Hatakeyama Takamasa's army also arrived here earlier today. This down-on-his-luck Kawachi governor, without taking a break, rushed over to pay his respects to the general.

He adopted this submissive posture, and Ashikaga Yoshiteru naturally returned the favor by taking a few steps over to help him up. He showered him with concern and asked about his well-being. They felt like they had known each other for a long time, and although it was their first meeting, they were as close as sworn brothers.

Meanwhile, Yashiro was busy catching up with Suzuki Shigehide. The Hatakeyama family's power was primarily in Kawachi, but they had cultivated relationships with various local strongmen in Kii province for many years. Several years ago, Hatakeyama Takamasa had mobilized an army of 40,000 to attack the Miyoshi region, and many members of the Negoro and Saiga clans were among them.

At the time, they even claimed to have a full four thousand arquebuses, although this number was certainly exaggerated, it shows how actively these two mercenary groups were involved. Unfortunately, the weather turned against them, with torrential rains lasting for several days, rendering the Kii group's arquebuses useless. Taking advantage of this, Miyoshi Nagayoshi launched a general offensive, establishing his dominance in the Kinai region in one battle.

Even years later, and even after Miyoshi Nagayoshi himself had died, Suzuki Shigehide still held a grudge about it: "Hmph, if it weren't for that damn rain, how could the Miyoshi family have won! Heaven really has no eyes!"

"Little Lord."

"You can't."

"Nonsense!" The three young attendants chimed in again, "What if..." "If God gets angry, he'll send another downpour." "That would be just as bad." "We'll be crying and wailing." "Alas, what a tragedy!"

"You three shut up! Why do you have to break a sentence into three sentences to show that you're on the same wavelength?" Suzuki Shigehide glared at the three of them fiercely.

But the three remained unfazed, still laughing and joking: "Young Master is angry." "How scary, how scary!" "Lord Ying, help me!"

As they spoke, they hid behind Saiga Hotaru.

Although the latter had a blank expression, he still shifted his body slightly to protect the three of them behind him.

Seeing this, Suzuki Shigehide shook his head: "You always know how to find someone to back you up. Fine, fine, I'm magnanimous and won't hold it against you. Honestly, it's one thing to make a fuss at home, but you can't stay quiet when you're out here. You've made a fool of yourself in front of Miss Tianfeng."

"It's alright, it's good for young people to be lively." Hearing the topic turn to her, the blind woman smiled slightly, "After not seeing you for several years, I'm relieved to hear that Lord Chongxiu and these three are still as close as ever."

"What are you saying? We're not like Miss Tianfeng. In just a few years, how could anything have changed!" Suzuki Shigehide waved his hand.

"Oh, do I look very different from how I looked a few years ago?"

"They may look the same, but their statuses are worlds apart... Thinking back, when we first met, Miss Tianfeng, you were just a wandering swordsman. In just a few months, you transformed into the lord of a city... And now you have taken over the entire Iga region and become the rightful guardian of Iga. Such a meteoric rise is something that others can only dream of."

Suzuki Shigehide said cheerfully, then glanced at Saiga Hotaru kneeling behind Yashiro, "When it comes to luck, I still can't beat this guy."

“It has nothing to do with luck, it’s a matter of perspective,” Saiga Hotaru replied matter-of-factly.

Suzuki Shigehide was expected to offer some rebuttal, but instead, he burst into laughter: "Haha, that makes sense. I'm not as decisive as you, willing to give up the opportunity to inherit the title of Saiga Magoichi and become the leader of the Saiga clan, just to follow Tenfu-san. There's no denying it, I'm indeed inferior to you in this respect!"

"If Lady Shigehide is willing to come to Iga, I would welcome you at any time," Yashiro said suddenly with a smile, seizing the opportunity.

Upon hearing this, Suzuki Shigehide's brow twitched, and he stroked his beard, seemingly deep in thought for a moment. However, after a few seconds, he laughed again: "Let me think about it."

"Not urgent."