Shinano Kanzan Castle.
As the northern important town of Shinano Kingdom, it has always been an important transportation town for Shinano Kingdom to go north to resist Echigo Kingdom, or for Echigo Kingdom to go south to invade Shinano Kingdom.
In the previous wars that broke out between Echigo Kingdom and Shinano Kingdom, Iiyama Castle was repeatedly fought over as an extremely important strategic location, and the bones left by both sides were spread all over the mountains and fields.
Today, the northern part of Shinano Province, north of Iiyama Castle, is occupied by the Tamanashi family, a powerful daimyo in the north.
The Takanashi family occupies the northern part of Shinano Province. The family territory is traversed by the Chikuma River, an important river in Echigo and Shinano Provinces, and the land is irrigated and is very fertile.
However, although the land is fertile and the food is produced in large quantities, due to the war, many fertile fields have been laid waste, and many of the people under the rule have been displaced.
Therefore, although the Takanashi family sits on a large area in the northeastern part of Shinano country, it connects the exchanges between Echigo country and Shinano country. It was originally a prosperous area with prosperous business travel and developed agriculture.
However, the total population under the rule of the Takanashi family can only mobilize an army of only 20,000 people, and only 4,000 people.
Among them, there are only 150 warriors with second-level strength and above, and their strength is quite weak.
However, now that the entire Shinano Kingdom has formed an alliance, a large number of local tycoons in the country have led their family's armed forces to Iiyama Castle of the Takanashi family, intending to block the enemy from the country in the northernmost region of Shinano Kingdom. .
Until now, Tomita Yoshinari, who led an army of 50,000 people, had just arrived in the Iiyama Castle area, facing this small city across the river from the Chikuma River.
At the foot of Iiyama Castle, a total of 50,000 Shinano troops had gathered and were waiting there.
"Jun Yanxiu, now the military force of Lingtian Dojo has come forward. There are a total of 50,000 troops. I don't know how to resist it."
Murakami Yoshikiyo, the largest wealthy family in the Shinano Kingdom, looked across at Takanashi Hikohide, the governor of the Takanashi family and now the owner of Miyama Castle.
"Lord Yoshikiyo, Iiyama Castle is built along the river, and with the natural danger of the Chikuma River, we can deploy heavy troops on the river bank and block all the ferries that can cross the river. This will be enough to make it difficult for the enemy to cross the river. Even if they cross by force, they will inevitably lose money. heavy."
Takanashi Hikohide didn't think for long before he answered directly.
However, Murakami Yoshikiyo opposite him was not satisfied. He frowned and looked at Takanashi Hikohide with an extremely dissatisfied expression.
The method Takanashi Hikohide just said is not unique, even people from other countries present know it.
Because this was a very common method used by Shinano Kingdom to resist the invasion of Echigo Kingdom in the past.
Of course, this method is also quite useful. In the past several wars, the corpses of countless Echigo soldiers were buried within this natural barrier.
"Yan Xiujun, this method is certainly useful, but even if relying on the river can cause some damage to the enemy, it is still of little use to the entire battle situation."
"Haha, Lord Yiqing is too impatient. The enemy has 50,000 people, which is an extremely huge force. Even if we have no disadvantage in terms of numbers, the real balance of power is still at a disadvantage. .With such a huge gap, it would be too natural for Lord Yiqing to want to defeat the enemy in one battle."
The speaker was another powerful daimyo from Shinano Doi, Suwa Yorishige, the governor of the Suwa family.
As a wealthy family in Shinano, second only to the Murakami family, there have been countless battles in the past to compete for hegemony and unify the entire Shinano country.
The Takanashi family, a wealthy family located to the north of the Murakami family, is an important figure that the Suwa family has attracted. If the Takanashi family can join the Suwa family's camp, it will be able to form a north-south pincer attack on the Murakami family, which will have great strategic advantages. The advantages.
So now it seems that he has rushed forward, and it is obvious that after embarrassing the Takanashi family, Suwa Yorishige directly expressed his support.
"Lai Chongjun is right. Although I also hope to defeat the enemy on the opposite side quickly, fighting with large armies is never a child's play. Especially this kind of battle with 100,000 people cannot be solved in one or two battles. This It will be a long war."
Another wealthy family in Shinano, the governor of the Ogasawara family, the Chief Minister Ogasawara spoke in support.
"you… "
Murakami Yoshikiyo pointed to a few people and did not continue. The reason why he made things difficult for Takanashi Hikohide just now was just because he saw him getting too close to the Suwa family and wanted to beat him up.
As for really expecting him to come up with some useful strategy to defeat the 50,000-strong army on the opposite side, then there is no such extravagant hope.
A meeting on how to deal with the enemy was interrupted.
In the dojo military camp on the other side of the river, large armies were gathering. Each ashigaru kept running out of the tents under the shouts of the samurai master.
Not long after, an army of about 20,000 people had already left the military camp and lined up densely along the river bank.
Looking from afar, the dojo troops in blue military uniforms are connected to each other, and it is difficult to see the edge at a glance.
"What a mighty force! The army moves in an orderly manner. Every soldier walks silently and without any panic. At first glance, he is a master who is good at fighting."
In the coalition forces on the opposite side, Murakami Yoshikiyo and others looked at it and couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.
These small local tycoons in Shinano usually fight with thousands or hundreds of troops, and even those with a scale of over 10,000 are rare to see once every few years.
Now seeing the rigorous training of the troops present and the scale being so large, these little rich people who had not seen much of the world couldn't help but feel horrified.
"Give me strict orders to the garrison on the river bank to strengthen their vigilance. In addition, send me an additional 10,000 reserve troops to be ready for reinforcements at any time."
Murakami Yoshikiyo, who was temporarily elected as the leader of the alliance, said to a military commander next to him.
Ten thousand soldiers were left on this river bank to guard the dangerous shoals of the important roads and firmly blockade all the shoals that could be crossed to prevent the Taoist army from crossing the river.
Originally, they expected that due to the danger of the Qianqu River and the so-called strictness of the coalition forces, it would be impossible for the enemy forces on the opposite side to attack in a short time.
But now seeing the majesty of the dojo army, I couldn't help but feel terrified, and my original confidence had completely disappeared.
To be on the safe side, I couldn't help but send in an additional 10,000 troops, so that I could barely feel at ease.
Soon, not far from the river bank, another 10,000 soldiers came out of the military camp where 50,000 coalition troops were stationed, and slowly rushed towards the river bank.
"They are just a bunch of cowards. Order to cross the river by force."
The commander of the dojo army, Tomita Yoshinari, saw the cowardly performance of the opposing coalition forces and couldn't help but sneer a few times with extreme contempt.
Following the commander's order, the 20,000 troops from the dojo camp quickly pressed to the river bank, where there were bamboo rafts that had been continuously set up overnight in the past few days. This was the main tool for the 50,000 troops to cross the river.
(End of chapter)