Chapter 8, The Incident

At present, excessive words are of no benefit; Fan Xiu bows his head in silence, listening attentively.

There is no need for thanks. "Hengxing waved his hand casually, then sat up straight, saying, 'However, I have something to discuss with Qingjiao now, and you must not keep anything to yourself!"

It is necessary to say this, even if it is not spoken...

Mr. Wu Wei said that during that perilous encounter, he met a woman from a tavern and was unexpectedly smitten at first sight, unable to forget her. After inquiring, I learned that she was Miss Hezi from the 'Thousand Island Cherry' tavern. I intended to do Mr. Wu Wei a favor by bringing this young lady into the city, but she resolutely refused to serve Mr. Wu Wei, no matter how much money was offered. In the end, when there was no other option, she finally revealed the details of your relationship... After inquiring, I learned that she was Miss Hezi from the 'Thousand Island Cherry' tavern. I intended to do Mr. Wu Wei a favor by bringing this young lady into the city, but she resolutely refused to serve Mr. Wu Wei, no matter how much money was offered. In the end, when there was no other option, she finally revealed the details of your relationship...

After meeting and exchanging a few pleasantries, before the meal had begun, Lijia hurriedly introduced the young man

According to the predetermined plan, Xinxing led Chaitian, Lin, and others on the left wing, while Xinguang led Sakuma, Aoyama, and other units on the right side

What? Fan Xiu was so startled that she almost jumped up. Hezi, who is that? How did this rumor come about?

Three days later, on April 28, the Oda army finally set out from Kodo Castle, heading towards their first objective

Hmm? Hearing someone talking about him, Hanxiu raised his head in surprise. "It's Sheng Sanlang and Teng Ba..." He put down the rice ball and flicked off a few grains of rice that had fallen on his clothes. "I almost forgot, Teng Ba is also a beginner like me... Are you afraid?"

... ...

The one riding the horse... is the vanguard general in front of His Highness Xinguang, who is it? At this moment, Liang was surprisingly calm, seemingly completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation, merely gazing at the general in the front right with a hint of envy.

Yes, understood! Liang nodded heavily, but his body continued to tremble. After all, he was just a teenager, and after a few days of contact, the barriers had diminished significantly.

Indeed, today is also the initial formation, yet you are much calmer than before! Hengxing displayed a rare look of admiration, saying, "You truly live up to being the son of the Monitoring Hall!"

What is this? Hengxing furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment, yet became even more confused. Helplessly shaking his head, he also spurred his horse to catch up.

Hello

The lord of Oda Castle is Oda Tōzaemon, a relative of the Oda clan who once served alongside Nobunaga's father as one of the "Three Administrators of Kiyosu." Now in his fifties, he finds himself in an era where the winds of rebellion are rampant. As he witnesses the decline of his lord's house, this old minister is not without further ambitions and schemes. However, born in the same era as the "Tiger of Owari," Oda Nobuhide, his capabilities are far inferior, and he can only remain in the shadow of Oda Nobutomo, who is of the same generation as his grandson. As the years pass, his ability to lead troops and govern may not have improved much, but his insight has become acutely sharp. Faced with the Oda army of no less than three thousand, the lord of Kiyosu Castle is undoubtedly destined for defeat. With only two hundred soldiers under his command, what other option does he have but to surrender early in hopes of leniency?

On April 17, Sakuma, Sasa, and Shimofune were the first to lead their troops to arrive at Gudu City

I am intoxicated and cannot hear

Oh? Is it the initial formation...

Banqing ... ... Banqing ... ... '' Fan Xiu silently recited it several times, and some fragmented memories suddenly converged together

Very left

Upon seeing the white flag on the city wall and the sword presented by Tōzaemon, Nobunaga did not make things difficult for this elder of the same clan. He casually uttered a few words and "forgave" his transgressions, yet he did not make any promises regarding the security of the territory. It seems that some of the thousands of koku of land would have to be relinquished. Subsequently, Nobunaga ordered the entire army to rest in place and to launch an attack at noon

Under the suppression of the artillery, the soft archers within the city appeared somewhat hesitant. The vanguard led by Sen Kacheng discarded dozens of corpses and later arrived at the foot of the city. Several tall foot soldiers crouched at the base of the city wall to remove the burdens from their clothing

This child! Hengxing shook his head and sighed lightly, then turned to look behind him. He saw Ping Shou Fanxiu silently swallowing the rice ball in his hand, showing no signs of being a person who was on the battlefield for the first time

"You must have forgotten because you drank too much," Ikeda Tsuneoki said, tapping Rika's head. "I should also inform His Highness to include me in the second team. With me around, I guarantee they will only take credit and never suffer losses"

Nature does not deny anything. Thus, Lijia once again raised his glass to toast with this younger brother. This young man was delicate and slender, with a demeanor that was quite shy; at first glance, he resembled more of a young scion from a prominent family.

It is strange; it is one thing for the left side's faith to be ineffective, but what is happening on Prince Xinguang's side? Could it be that...

Not bad! Hengxing nodded with deep feeling, "It was the same for me the first time..."

In the first year of the Hongzhi era, in April, Oda Nobunaga, stationed at the ancient Duzhen City, called upon heroes from all directions to jointly attack Kiyosu under the pretext of the Shiba clan, the guardians of Owari.

Indeed, even when originating from Europe, the quality of the artillery cannot be considered excellent; at least in the context of siege warfare from a bottom-up shooting perspective, achieving precise shots is quite challenging. However, as long as these new weapons can diminish the morale of the defending forces, the elite soldiers at the front can then surge forward en masse

Teng Ba, look at you now! Those who don't know might think you have encountered the snow at Taiyuan in your first battle! Hengxing, seeing Liangzhi at a loss, finally couldn't help but mock him. At this time, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin had not yet become renowned generals across the land; in the eyes of the people of Owari, the most formidable enemy was the strategist from Suruga, the monk of Taiyuan.

In that case, I will speak frankly. Hengxing lowered his voice and pointed to the ground, "Is it that Miss Hezi of this tavern has already succeeded in less than a month since arriving in Gudu City?"

... ...

Uh... do you not know that interrupting a senior is very rude?

So it is like this... Rikiya scratched his head, "Seeing that calm and composed appearance, I thought he had already been in the adult ceremony for several years..."

Oh, I see...

"Are you saying that His Highness Nobukatsu is in contact with Oda Nobutomo? This is impossible!" Hanxiu's mind suddenly became clear; historically, Nobukatsu was a loyal supporter of Nobunaga, and it seemed that there were some obstacles in taking Kiyosu. Even if history has changed, it shouldn't head in a completely opposite direction... However, if that were truly the case, then all of Nobunaga's thousand men would be lost here—under a collapsed nest, how could there be a complete egg?

What else could possibly be wrong with this?" Rikiya instinctively glanced around.

On the 22nd, Lin Zuodu, Maeda, and Oda Nobuyuki arrived

The leisure time was not long; after a brief rest, Nobunaga commanded the entire army to advance towards Kiyosu Castle. This operation took only ten days from the assembly of the troops to the arrival at the castle, which was quite a remarkable speed for that era. Due to the hasty response and the fact that spring plowing had not yet been fully completed, Oda Nobutomo could only muster less than one thousand men. Faced with such a significant numerical disadvantage, it is likely that he would choose to defend the castle.

"Then it's our turn, isn't it?" Han Xiu tightly gripped the gun handle, his voice extremely hoarse.

... ...

"You children!" Hengxing said, glancing around. "Back in my day, when I first joined the ranks, I charged through the Three Rivers alongside the lord! I fought my way in and out among those so-called brave local dogs..." The more Hengxing spoke, the more excited he became, unable to restrain himself from gesturing animatedly. With Li Jia and Cheng Zheng absent, he was the only senior present, naturally seizing the opportunity to boast a little.

My lord! Hattori Koheita saw Xiujing's figure from a distance. Although he was puzzled, he did not hesitate to follow.

"But you promised not to keep anything to yourself." Hengxing glared at Fanxiu in dissatisfaction, "That day you were injured, so His Highness arranged for me to take over your duty of protecting Mr. Wuwei. Then Mr. Wuwei mentioned Miss Hezi..."

In the midst of the march, there was naturally no wine or delicacies; the rice balls that Fan Xiu produced were enough to make most people envious. Beside him were Ikeda Tsuneoki and Sato Yoshiyoshi.

"It can't be that ... ..." Before the words had even left his mouth, Fan Xiu turned over and mounted his horse, galloping straight towards the right army

To the southeast of Nagoya Castle, along the direction of the Tōkaidō, stands the imposing Oda Castle. Since Oda Nobuhide occupied the eastern part of Owari, establishing a formidable presence, this location has served as the southeastern gateway to Nagoya Castle.

On the 24th, Shibata, Hayashi, and others arrived

Oh, you are not afraid..." Fan Xiu stretched lazily, "But I am afraid. I am terrified, so I can only eat desperately to keep myself from thinking about those inexplicable things

With Sen as the commander and Ieyasu as the deputy, two hundred spear-wielding foot soldiers selected from Nobunaga's direct army were positioned at the forefront. Sasaki Narimasa and Hashimoto Ichiba led nearly one hundred arquebusiers, arranged in several rows, concealed behind. At this time, arquebuses were still a rare weapon; even with the wealth of the Oda clan, there were only this hundred available—worth mentioning is that these arquebuses did not come from Kuniyomi Village or Tanegashima, but were directly purchased from Spanish merchants in Sekimach.

After three rounds of drinks, they finally began to discuss the matter of the recent battle. It seemed that Sōkō Yoshiyuki was accustomed to being taciturn, and Narimasa also had a tendency to be self-important, so the conversation was entirely taken over by Ieyasu and Kōshō. After a round of idle chatter, although it was mostly boasting, it nonetheless allowed the newly-initiated Hanxiu to gain an understanding of many common knowledge regarding warfare during this period

Upon finishing his words, he looked up and clearly saw the four characters "I do not believe" written on the faces of Li Jia and Heng Xing, while Cheng Zheng wore an amused smile and remained silent. Even Zuo Xie Liang Zhi curiously raised his head

It is like this... However, it seems a bit inconsiderate to have me take care of Tōhachi. " Hanxiu stared at Zōkyōryō, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth

The imperial decree summoned the assembly and formation, and the oath-taking ceremony took place. After more than ten consecutive days, Fanxiu's injuries had largely healed. Meanwhile, Zuo Zuo conducted an investigation for several days and uncovered the background of Hattori Koheita, confirming that he was indeed expelled from Tsushima Hattori. Naturally, Fanxiu had to express his sentiments regarding this matter, so a banquet was unavoidable, with the venue still being the tavern called "Thousand Island Cherry".

Unable to explain clearly... Han Xiu looked around and suddenly came up with an idea. He raised the jar of wine on the table and poured it vigorously into his throat.

Thank you very much! Fan Xiushun bowed gracefully, but began to ponder in his heart, to what extent was the private relationship between Hengxing and Nobunaga? Could the arrangements for battle be changed simply at his word?

"That is gunpowder." Hengxing, who did not know when he had arrived behind Fanxiu, was indeed a man from a prestigious martial family, remaining calm even on the battlefield. "Although the gates of Qingzhou City are solid, they are made of wood, so they should be able to be blown open now..."

"How dare I, how dare I?" Fan Xiu chuckled, yet could not help but feel puzzled in his heart—what exactly did he want to ask?

Take it easy! Hengxing surprisingly refrained from sarcasm and gently patted Fanxiu on the shoulder. He then looked around and introduced the situation of the formation to Fanxiu and Liangzhi

Fan Xiu was taken aback, realizing that the girl he encountered during the "attack" on that moonlit night was indeed Hezi. It could be considered a certain kind of fate, but...

Currently, during the Hongzhi period, such rare items can still play a significant role in deterring enemy forces. At the very least, the opposing Oda Yamato no Kami family could not possibly have any experience in countering artillery.

What a surprise! It seems that Li Jia suddenly thought of something, turned his head, and patted Fan Xiu's shoulder, saying, "I have already seen the list of participants for this time. Both Neizang and I are in the vanguard, while you and Teng Ba are in the second line. Sheng Sanlang will be following His Highness. As your younger brother is still in the initial formation, I will have to rely on you to take care of him this time"

Brother Sheng Sanlang was truly extraordinary in his martial prowess back in the day Listening to Hengxing's nonsensical storytelling, Liangzhi felt somewhat calmer, yet there remained a look of unease on his face

Of course... of course I am not afraid! Facing the gaze of Fan Xiu, Liang Zhi suddenly trembled, and immediately straightened his back.

In addition to these two individuals, the affable Maeda Toshiie was certainly indispensable, and he also brought along Ikeda Yoshihiro, who had a personality most similar to his own, as well as a boy who appeared to be younger than Hanashu.

This is my younger brother, Tōhachirō, whose name is Yoshiyuki! Although he has been adopted by the Sakei family, he is still a brother of the Ri family. From now on, he will also be your colleague, so I kindly ask for your support and guidance.

Having just reached the age of maturity at the beginning of this year, being only thirteen years old (in nominal age), this battle... also marks the first battlefield for Shen Zuo.

Indeed, Teng Ba is newly arrived in Gu Du City

I have nothing to do with her at all; I only just learned her name!

Xiaotianyi Castle is less of a castle and more of a checkpoint with the nature of a branch fortress, barely accommodating two to three hundred people, while still needing to leave ample space for several princes. Warriors like Fanxiu, who are of lower status, can only rest on the ground outside the castle and must hurry to fill their stomachs.

Li Jia probably sensed that the expressions of the distinguished guests were not quite right, so he added that although this younger brother did not appear to be a fierce warrior, he had been practicing spear techniques since childhood and was skilled in martial arts. The listeners responded in agreement, yet remained half-convinced.

On the 25th, Oda Nobumitsu, the last powerful retainer of the Oda family and the foremost among the clan, also departed from Moriyama Castle. At this time, the Oda army had already exceeded 3,000 in strength

Hengxing glanced and said: "That is the general of Shoushan City, Banqing Sun Balarong!"

Fan Xiu stood at the back, watching the battle situation of Sen Kecheng and the others, his face devoid of any expression, yet the hand gripping the hilt of his knife had already left marks of blood. As he watched the once vibrant lives fall one by one, the shock in his heart was something that a person who had lived in peaceful times for a long time could not bear, even if they were merely strangers.

Oh? Did someone not just say that they went in and out seven times on their first attempt