The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 65

Last year, when Matsunaga Nagayori faced him, although he won the field battle, he could only sweep the outer perimeter and had no intention of penetrating the heartland.

Even when the imperial court issued documents requesting assistance, it received no positive response.

However, after seeing it in person, Shinzaburo realized that his previous understanding was not deep enough.

The terrain in this area is more treacherous than I had imagined.

After losing the territory surrounding Hosono Castle, Utsu now has a very solid base of territory.

The entire southern and eastern sides are bordered by the Daiyan River.

The Daiyegawa River is quite large, with an average width of over 100 meters and a width of about 60 or 70 meters in its narrowest points. It is not difficult to swim across if you are lightly equipped, but it is not so easy if you are carrying equipment and supplies.

For dozens of kilometers along the river, there were few ferrymen and fishermen in sight, and no bridges were built.

This is probably because the banks of the Daiyekawa River are all remote mountainous and forested areas, lacking riverside plains.

If an attack were to be launched across the river, even if the troops successfully reached the other side via pontoon bridges or boats, there would only be four extremely narrow paths that could traverse the mountains and reach the enemy's core territory. The march would be very difficult, and resupply would be even more troublesome. If the enemy were to send a few men to guard the pass, it would be an impregnable fortress.

In another direction, to the west of the Utsu family's residence, lies the steep Kuroo Mountain.

Only one canyon, called "Rinpo Pass," connects the inside and outside of the mountain range, and it is about thirty meters wide. The Utsu family set up a pass here, and at the same time built a stronghold called "Yakuyama Castle" on a nearby high point.

The checkpoint was just a simple wooden structure and not scary at all.

However, the "Yueshan City" located on the mountaintop is a sizable earthen and stone building with numerous arrow slings.

This place will inevitably become a key defensive point for the Utsu family.

For Shinzaburo, although it was a pass that was easy to defend but difficult to attack, at least he could deploy his troops and launch a normal attack.

If we can launch a strong attack and capture "Yueshan City", then we can follow the road into the valley and the rest will be much easier.

However, the Utsu family's maximum mobilization capacity should be around a thousand, which is more than enough to maintain at least three hundred men to defend this key location.

With three hundred men positioned on high ground, firing from within the fortifications, the density and power of their arrows were considerable.

A direct assault is not realistic.

In short, the east and south sides are difficult to pass through, and the west side is a dangerous pass.

Besides that, there's only the north side left.

To the north of the Utsu family lies another powerful local clan in Kuwata County, the Kawakatsu family.

The border between the two countries is also blocked by rivers and mountains, but it is relatively less dangerous.

However, the Kawakatsu family is now nominally a "public servant" under Ashikaga Yoshiteru, and their relationship with the Miyoshi family is delicate. They may not allow you to use their route to attack the Utsu family.

Since the Kawakatsu family did not seize any of the imperial court's "forbidden materials," it is not advisable to launch a rash attack without sufficient grounds for declaring war. Otherwise, it could easily trigger widespread fear among the surrounding powerful clans, and the political risk would be considerable.

Moreover, Shinzaburo's current position is located south of the Utsu family, and it would undoubtedly be time-consuming and laborious to go around to the north to attack.

After much thought, it seems that the only feasible way for anyone to lead troops from the Kinai region to attack the Utsu family, who have seized the "Forbidden Liquor," is to launch an attack from the 30-meter-wide "Human Tail Pass" and forcefully assault the "Yakusan Castle."

No wonder no one has taken care of this.

After the Hatano clan of Taki County suffered a defeat at Motobuyama, they lost a large amount of surrounding land and retreated to their strategically important stronghold. However, the Hatano clan had a deep-seated grudge against the Miyoshi government, so Matsunaga Nagayori, as the Tanba head of the Miyoshi government, would still try his best to eliminate them completely.

The Utsu family of Kuwata County, despite encroaching on the imperial court's "forbidden lining materials," had not offended the Miyoshi family much. If it weren't for being misled by Akai Naomasa and Miyoshi Masayasu last year, Miyoshi Nagayoshi probably wouldn't have bothered with them at all.

Seeing this scene, one can understand why Japan is filled with numerous wealthy Japanese, making it difficult to centralize power.

This campaign against the Utsu family wasn't exactly a particularly good opportunity.

But then again, why should a good opportunity be given to you?

122 Military assembly, let's have a meeting first.

Shinzaburo, without relying on others, led his entourage to conduct an on-site assessment, personally observing the border terrain of the target, the Utsu family, from the east, south, and west.

Then, he asked Kōfuku-ji Temple for help to search through monks' diaries and literary works that had been passed down in Kuwata-gun over the past few hundred years, and extracted as much useful text as possible.

During this time, they learned by chance that the Kawakatsu family, the Utsu family's neighbor to the north, was also a devout follower of the Rinzai sect. So they asked Master Myoshu to send someone to make connections and see if they could bring them to their side.

The preparations took a full month.

After gathering as much information as possible, Shinzaburo gradually began to have some ideas.

By March, spring planting was basically over. The Tanba region, already on the verge of disaster, was once again plunged into war.

Matsunaga Nagayori of Yagi Castle gained the upper hand and achieved results on the diplomatic front. He asked Hosokawa Ujitsuna of Yodoko Castle to help win over the originally neutral Amada District lords Yakushige, Kirimura Motonatsu, and Shiomi Yorikatsu.

These three local lords were incorporated into the Miyoshi government, but did not directly become retainers of the Miyoshi family.

They couldn't even be retainers of Matsunaga Nagayori.

Legally speaking, they were merely placed under the command of the Naito family, the deputy governor of Tanba, according to the arrangement of the Hosokawa family, the shogunate's regent, and were temporarily subject to the command of the acting head of the family, Matsunaga Nagayori.

In reality, they obey orders but not pronouncements; they follow commands in the military sphere but maintain independence in domestic affairs.

Such a complex structure, resembling a stacked bed, is also a major characteristic of Japan.

"Red Demon" Akai Naomasa, who occupies the entire area of ​​Hikami District and the southern part of Amada District, seems to be less interested in domestic affairs and strategy, and only knows how to speak with swords. His response to this is to mobilize more than 4,000 men, march north, and attack the local lords who have sided with Matsunaga Nagayori.

That night, Hisashige, Kirimura Motonatsu, and Shiomi Yorikatsu together had a force of two thousand men.

The memory of the Adachi and Ashida allied forces being utterly routed by Akai Naomasa just a year ago was still fresh in their minds. These local lords lacked the courage to confront the "Red Demon" and pleaded for help.

Matsunaga Nagayori, of course, could not stand idly by while his newly recruited subordinate was bullied, so he immediately led his troops to the front line.

The Hatano family, which still held 60% of the territory in Taki District, was also making moves at this time, seemingly wanting to take the opportunity to reclaim their lost land. Therefore, Matsunaga Magoroku, as the "Taki District Magistrate," took on the role of protecting the flank.

Meanwhile, "Tanba Zhong Kui" Kubo Shinzaburo Yoshiaki mobilized 450 people in Noguchi Village and Hosono Castle, and joined forces with 750 people from the Settsu Ikeda family and 500 people brought by Nara Nagataka, a close retainer of Miyoshi Yoshioki, to attack the Utsu family of Kuwata District, who had seized the imperial court's "forbidden lining".

He also borrowed a few "fire arrows" from Yagi Castle from Matsunaga Nagayori.

Among this allied forces, the one who contributed the most troops was Ikeda Nagamasa, the head of the Ikeda family, who even brought a month's worth of rations with him; the strongest fighting force was Nara Nagataka, whose troops were all direct subordinates of the Miyoshi family, well-equipped, in high spirits, and had a considerable number of arquebuses.

However, the one who took the position of general was Yoshiaki Kubo Shinzaburo.

Moreover, neither Ikeda Nagamasa nor Nara Nagataka had any objections to this.

Shinzaburo first established his military achievements in Tanba, then discovered a silver mine in Settsu, and after returning from his mission to the Western Regions, he gained the favor of important figures. Although he lacks a solid foundation, he is currently enjoying great success.

On the other hand, the Utsu family, who tried to take advantage of the situation last year but were repelled by Matsunaga Nagayori, is now facing a campaign launched under the banner of the imperial court. Clearly, they are no longer tolerated by the Miyoshi regime.

They were also single-mindedly pursuing their evil schemes, sending small groups of soldiers to bypass the outposts and commit murder and arson in Matsunaga Nagayori's directly controlled territory, burning crops and stealing hundreds of kilograms of sesame seeds that were about to be sown.

This is a very provocative act.

At this time, Matsunaga Nagayori was fighting Akai Naomasa elsewhere and could not return. Upon receiving the news, Shinzaburo immediately led his men to the rescue, repelled the enemy, and beheaded more than twenty people.

They then pressed their advantage and deployed their forces near the Hiyoshi Shrine.

Three kilometers to the east lies the only main road connecting the Utsu family to the outside world: Hitoo Pass, and the castle guarding Hitoo Pass, Gakusan Castle.

Next, we will proceed with the military council.

……

In a feudal system where the separation of powers was the dominant system, holding meetings was an indispensable part of warfare.

In contemporary terms, it's called "evaluation".

Shinzaburo, as the general, occupied the main position, and several important samurai under his command were also present to support the group.

The two officers on the left and right sides are the commanders of the two reinforcements.

Nara Nagataka was accompanied by his son Nara Takanobu and his deputy Yamamoto Hisamasa; Ikeda Nagamasa also brought his son Ikeda Katsumasa and a retainer named Araki Murashige.

At the beginning, Shinzaburo first introduced the basic situation, and then let everyone present speak freely.

Of course, while it's called "speaking freely," everyone knows in their hearts that the first round of speeches will definitely be in order of identity before the free discussion can begin later.

After exchanging glances several times, Nara Nagataka, a confidant of Miyoshi Yoshioki, spoke first: "The enemy's territory is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the only connection between the inside and outside is the Hitoo Pass, which is guarded by the high ground of Gakuyama Castle. It seems that we must break through the castle first. But a direct attack is not wise. I wonder if any of you have any clever methods to take it out?"

This is basically a meaningless statement.

Then, Ikeda Nagamasa, the head of the Ikeda family, said, "The Utsu family has no roads for the army to pass through to the south and east, and as mentioned earlier, there is only one passage to the west, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. In this regard, it may be necessary to try to win over the Kawakatsu family to the north of the enemy."

It's still just empty talk.

But Shinzaburo could only offer empty platitudes, concluding, "A direct assault on Yueshan Castle would be unwise, and winning over the Kawakatsu family would also be quite difficult."

As mentioned earlier when explaining the basic situation, the Utsu family has always maintained a close relationship with Hosokawa Harumoto, while the Kawakatsu family has had considerable dealings with Ashikaga Yoshiteru.

Hosokawa Harumoto and Ashikaga Yoshiteru are now banding together for mutual support, establishing a government-in-exile in Kuchiki-dani, Omi Province. Therefore, the Utsu family and the Kawakatsu family have a fairly good relationship.

Miyoshi Nagayoshi, who supported Hosokawa Ujitsuna, was not one of them.

This single difference makes diplomatic work difficult.

Even though Shinzaburo tried to contact Kawakatsuie through the connections of the Rinzai sect monks, he never received a positive response.

The statements of the two commanders before them were nonsense, but they weren't deliberately trying to cause trouble; they genuinely had no good solutions.

Next, Nara Takanobu, Nara Takayoshi's son, said, "Attacks ultimately require firearms. If Lord Kubo Genban could gather a batch of fire arrows or large cannons, then Gakuyama Castle might not be so impregnable."

However, Ikeda Katsumasa, the young master of the Ikeda family, immediately retorted: "You are probably not very familiar with firearms. Yueshan Castle is built on a mountain, hundreds of feet above the ground. Moreover, the slope is very steep, making it difficult to shoot fire arrows or cannons into the castle. Unless the firearms are transported to a high platform of similar height."

Shigenori Inato, one of Shinzaburo's close associates, stroked his thick beard and said, "Such a high platform might not be easy to find. I see that the enemy is isolated on a high mountain, surrounded by barren rocks, making it difficult to obtain water and food. Could we try cutting off their water and food supplies?"

Ikeda Katsumasa immediately shook his head: "From the front, it does look like an isolated mountain, but when I climbed to the top of Mount Chitose to the south and looked out, I saw two branch castles in the valley at the foot of Mount Gakusan behind the castle. They can be used to secure water and supply lines, and also to prevent our army from crossing the Daii River and landing."

Nara Takanobu, who had been refuted once before, said impatiently again, "Then let's ignore Yueshan Castle for now and attack these two branch castles instead?"

Ikeda Katsumasa sighed helplessly and shook his head, saying, "Are you saying that we have to brave the arrows from Yueshan Castle, break through the pass of Renwei Pass, or climb over the steep mountain slope, or forcibly cross the two- or three-hundred-foot-deep Daiyan River, and then muster all our strength to attack the city? I'm afraid our soldiers are not that capable."

Nara Takanobu's face immediately turned red, and he lowered his head, looking rather displeased.

Given that his father, Nara Takashi, was appointed as a confidant of Miyoshi Yoshioki, he must have some skills. But seeing his foolish son make a fool of himself and doing nothing about it, it seems like he was deliberately taking him out to experience "adversity education."

After a moment, Ōi Shigeie from Shinano frowned and asked, "The only way for a large army to enter and exit is through this western pass. But could a small number of elite troops cross the Ōi River from the south or east and penetrate deep into enemy territory?"

Katsumasa Ikeda once again expressed his opposition: "The point is not the Oi River. It's that after crossing the river, you have to go through a long stretch of uninhabited mountainous terrain to reach the heart of the Utsu family's territory. People who are unfamiliar with the terrain may even get lost."

Several proposals were quickly rejected, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

In particular, it was rejected by the same person.

What Katsumasa Ikeda said made perfect sense. This shows that he truly understood military strategy and had made ample preparations beforehand.

However, the way he spoke seemed a bit too blunt.

If anyone here is petty, they might already be holding a grudge.

At this point, others would not dare to speak unless they had a well-thought-out plan.

After a long silence, seeing that no one else would speak, Shinzaburo had no choice but to reveal his idea: "Since the Utsu clan's territory is surrounded by the Oi River to the south and east, have you all considered a water attack?"

123 An unheard-of water attack

As Shinzaburo finished speaking, all the soldiers present showed confused expressions.

This is quite normal.

For the people of Tang China, examples of water attacks had already appeared on battlefields as early as before the Common Era.

But the situation in Japan is different.

Due to factors such as geographical environment and the scale of the war, the Japanese only vaguely had the idea and behavior of flooding the city during the Onin Rebellion.

In documents compiled by Hikone Domain samurai during the Kansei era of the Edo period, it was even considered that the Battle of Hida Castle in 1559 was "the earliest instance of a naval attack in Japan".

Therefore, when Shinzaburo proposed this concept in the second year of the Hongzhi era (1556), it was very novel to others.

Fortunately, everyone present was a samurai with a basic education and none of them were illiterate. They quickly understood the general meaning from the words "water attack".

Then another problem arises...

After a moment, it was Ikeda Katsumasa who spoke again: "The so-called water attack should mean building dikes, changing the course of the river, and diverting water to flood the city, right? Yueshan Castle is nearly a thousand feet above the ground, how can water rush up there?"

Shinsaburo smiled and shook his head: "The target of the water attack may not necessarily be Yueshan City itself."

Upon hearing this, a few people immediately realized the truth.

Nara Nagataka's eyes lit up: "Yakuyama Castle is on a high peak, but the two small branch castles that ensure the water supply and food supply are located at the foot of the mountain, only slightly higher than the current water level of the Oi River. The pass that blocks the Hitoo Pass is also a low valley entrance."

His explanation made everyone understand.

Ikeda Nagamasa leaned forward, squinting at the map: "Because of these two strategically located branch castles, Yueshan Castle won't have many supplies stored there. If the water attack succeeds, the garrison will have to go down the mountain to get water and food, and won't be able to hold out."

Shinzaburo nodded in satisfaction and said slowly, "I have consulted many ancient books and documents and learned that the upper reaches of the Oi River may receive a lot of rain from April onwards, and in some years, floods may even occur."

Nara Takanobu, who had just lost face, couldn't help but chime in, "It's already March. We can build the dam within a month and divert the water from the Oi River to flood the branch castles at the foot of the two mountains."

Shinzaburo smiled, pointed to a location on the map, and continued to explain: "This place is called Kakiki Gorge. It is the narrowest point of the lower reaches of the Daii River and has a series of bends, making it suitable for building a dam. I have already calculated that as long as we build an earthen wall that is 160 feet long and 80 feet high, we can complete the water attack plan."