Japan's Warring States Period: The Rise of the Wakasa Tiger

After listening to Takeda Motomitsu's brilliant analysis, Kagawa Mitsuki felt ashamed: "Thanks to Your Highness, otherwise, I, the Takeda clan of Aki, would be in great danger."

"Master Guangjing, now you understand why I said you were 'tricked' at the banquet?" Takeda Motomitsu asked back.

Kagawa Mitsui nodded and responded with some resentment in his tone: "I really wanted to make friends with the Ouchi family, but I didn't expect to be treated like a doll and played with at the banquet. It's really hard to accept."

"A doll? Not really," Takeda Motomitsu said with a smile, "but at least you are a chess piece. Through you, he is testing whether the main family has the strength to be his opponent in the chess game of Ouchisuke."

Hearing Takeda Motomitsu's words, Kagawa Mitsuki was also embarrassed: "Thinking back over the years, in order to ease the relationship between the Takeda clan in Aki and the Ouchi clan, I was respectful and cautious to Ouchisuke, although I couldn't say I obeyed his orders. This time, it seems that he still doesn't trust me."

"There is nothing to lose," Takeda Motomitsu consoled him. "If I hadn't used the prestige of the Wakasa Takeda clan to negotiate with them yesterday, he would never have taken the Aki Takeda clan seriously, let alone you, the Takeda clan retainers who are close to him, seriously."

"Your Highness is right," Kagawa Mitsui nodded in agreement, "I have also seen through it. No matter how hard I try to show my favor to the Ouchi clan, there is still a difference between relatives and strangers."

"Of course. As the saying goes, 'A loyal minister does not serve two masters.' After all, you are a retainer of the Takeda clan in Aki. How can Ouchisuke trust you without reservation?" Takeda Motomitsu nodded in response, "Not only you, but also the retainers in the family who seem to be close to the Ouchi clan, or who think they are close to the Ouchi clan, will probably be treated differently in the future."

"To be honest, since Ouchisuke is playing tricks on me in front of everyone, I will not support him as wholeheartedly as I did in the past."

Seeing Kagawa Mitsuki's indignant look, Takeda Motomitsu felt that the time had come, so he took the opportunity to ask:

"Master Guangjing, do you know why I didn't let you tell Ouchisuke in public about the news that the Amago clan was about to mobilize to the south?"

Kagawa Mitsuki shook his head and said in confusion: "To be honest, I am also confused. This news is a 'magic weapon' that can enhance the status of the main family in the heart of Ouchisuke. Why did you tell me before the banquet that I must not reveal a single word of this news without your permission?"

"Lord Guangjing, think about it carefully. If our family announces this matter at the banquet, apart from getting a few words of praise from Ouchisuke, will we get any other benefits?" Takeda Motomitsu asked back.

"This... If you ask this, it seems that there will be no substantial benefit to our family." Kagawa Mitsuki replied after thinking for a moment.

"Then think carefully, what about the Ouchi clan and the Mori clan? Can they benefit from this?" After saying this, Takeda Motomitsu began to analyze:

"For the Ouchi and Mori families, this news undoubtedly provided them with ample time to prepare.

On the one hand, it enabled Mori Umato to quickly mobilize the entire territory, build fortifications, and effectively respond to the invasion of the Amago clan.

On the other hand, it allowed Ouchisuke to transport his troops to the eastern part of Aki in advance, restore the soldiers' physical strength and morale in advance, and facilitate the subsequent fierce battle with the Amago army. "

After listening to Takeda Motomitsu's analysis, Kagawa Mitsuki understood a little: "You mean, this news is good for Ouchi and Mori, but not good for the main family, so there is no need to tell them."

"It's not that it's not necessary, but that it's impossible," Takeda Motomitsu corrected.

"If we tell them that the Niwa clan will most likely fail, the Mori clan will then take advantage of the situation and expand in Aki and Bingo.

The Ouchi clan also achieved a new height of prestige in the Chugoku region because of their victory over the Amago clan. By then, the main clan would be caught between the victorious Mori clan and the Ouchi clan, and life would be even more difficult.

I have analyzed so much with you just now, you should be clear that even if the Takeda clan of Aki surrenders now, their importance and reliability in Ouchisuke's heart are far less than that of the Mori clan.

Rather than letting the two families benefit from it, it would be better to let them suffer a little first, and then the main family can lead troops to support them, to give them a timely help. Isn't this more useful than letting them prepare in advance?"

"What a great move! 'Giving timely assistance!'" Kagawa Mitsuki praised Takeda Motomitsu's plan. "In this way, both the Mori family and the Ouchi family will be grateful to the main family. This will not only enhance the main family's status in Ouchi's heart, but also gain more benefits for the main family in Aki."

Takeda Motomitsu nodded:

"Not only that, there is another important point. If you inform the Mori and Ouchi families in advance, whether they are mobilizing their territory or mobilizing their troops, all the major actions they make will definitely be known to the Amago family. At that time, the Amago family may not only suspend the expedition plan, but also investigate the spies planted in their homes. This will not be a good thing for you and the Takeda clan in Aki."

"You are right," Kagawa Mitsukage nodded in agreement, "Your Highness is indeed very thoughtful. If the spies of our family are exposed, it will be a loss."

"If the spies are exposed, the reconciliation between the Takeda clan and the Ouchi clan will also be exposed. This will not only be disadvantageous to the Takeda clan in Aki, but also in Wakasa. At that time, it is not ruled out that the Amago clan will use troops against Wakasa first to stabilize the situation on the eastern front. This will be troublesome." Takeda Motomitsu analyzed.

"So, Your Highness means that for the time being, we should not let the Amago family know that our main family and the Ouchi clan have reconciled?" asked Mitsukage Kagawa.

"Of course, now that we realize this, it will do more harm than good to Aki and Wakasa." Takeda Motomitsu replied, "This is also the reason why I did not promise Ouchisuke last night to immediately cut off contact with the Amago family."

"So, the so-called handling of Sakyo Ryo is just a cover?" Kagawa Mitsuki finally reacted.

Takeda Motomitsu nodded and said, "Just find a reason to hold back Ouchisuke first, and wait until the Amago army goes south to officially fight the Mori army, then capture Sakyo Ryo and announce the severance of diplomatic relations with the Amago clan. It won't be too late."

"I understand." Kagawa Mitsuki looked at the thin old man in front of him and felt a sense of respect.

At the same time, Shinagawa Nobumasa was still in Tsukiyama Tomita Castle, enjoying the warm hospitality of the Amago family.

As the most staunch supporter of the Amago family in Ginzan Castle, Shinagawa Nobumasa's arrival was highly valued by Amago Akihisa.

The two consecutive days of banquets made Shinagawa Nobumasa feel relaxed and satisfied, which was rare in Ginzan Castle. This also made him willing to open his heart to Akihisa Niko and tell him everything. "Sakyo Ryo, what do you think of the new head of the Takeda family?" Seeing that Shinagawa Nobumasa was already drunk, Akihisa Niko took the opportunity to inquire.

"Haha, what can a kid who just returned to secular life from a temple do?" Shinagawa Nobumasa said disdainfully.

As a senior official who had served the Takeda clan since the time of Takeda Motoshige, he had experienced many ups and downs. He was proud of his achievements and looked down on both the previous head of the family, Takeda Mitsukazu, and the current head of the family, Takeda Nobumasa.

"After all, he is still young. After all, he is from the Wakasa Takeda family. Think about his father and brother, who are both wise and brave. He will not be bad either. He will be able to take on important responsibilities in the future." Akihisa Niwa responded with a smile, but he felt even more contempt for Takeda Nobumasa in his heart.

"So what if he comes from the Wakasa Takeda family?" Shinagawa Nobumasa said disapprovingly, "Your Highness should have seen the Hoshinji-den, but he is just an old man, and there is nothing special about him.

As for the Wueden in Wakasa, I don't know how he got lucky, but he was able to defeat Asakura, Isshiki and Yamana and reach out to Tajima. Maybe he really has some ability, but compared to you, Your Highness, he is a million miles away. "

"After all, he is the guardian of two countries, so we must not underestimate him." Niko Akihisa kindly reminded, "Although that Hoshinji-den has retired, I can see from our conversation a few days ago that he is not an ordinary person. This time he brought 500 elite soldiers to Yinshan City, so you should still give him full respect."

"After all, he is the biological father of the current head of our family. I will still respect him. Please rest assured, Your Highness." Shinagawa Nobumasa replied.

"By the way, with the arrival of Wakasa's 500 elite troops, the situation in Ginzan Castle should be much more stable, right?" asked Akihisa Niwa.

"After all, there are 500 troops. The external pressure has been relieved a lot. But internally, Your Highness, you should know that there are still many people who support Zhou Fang."

At this time, Shinagawa Nobuaki put on an awkward face and sighed softly:
"Since Lord Mitsurugi passed away, some people couldn't sit still and started to contact the Ouchi clan frequently. Many of them are elders of the clan. Sometimes I really feel helpless about this."

"Are you referring to Goro Kagawa? I did hear that he was too close to Ouchisuke." asked Akihisa Niwa.

Shinagawa Nobumasa nodded first, then immediately shook his head: "He is one, but he is not the only one. I recently discovered that Mifaki Toyotomi's attitude is also unclear. I am not exaggerating. If this continues, I am afraid that Ginzan Castle will change."

"As long as Hoshinji-dono and Nobumasa-dono support you, those guys will not be able to cause any trouble." Niko Akihisa said confidently, "I made it very clear to them the last time they visited Tsukiyama Tomita Castle, and they also promised me, so you can rest assured."

"But, forgive me for being blunt, the atmosphere in Ginzan Castle is indeed a bit off. Especially not long ago, Mori Umakoto first captured Tousaki Castle and then defeated Kii-no-kami, causing the people in Aki to panic. Some retainers in Ginzan Castle are also secretly looking for a way out. It is difficult for me to curb this trend."

Shinagawa Nobumasa's words undoubtedly hurt Akihisa Niwa, especially the fact that the Shingu Party of Akihisa Niwa (Kimi no Kami) was defeated by Inukai Taira, which made him even more angry:
"I didn't expect that Kii-no-kami would fail in that battle, but don't worry, the Mori clan won't be able to remain arrogant for many days. The trend you mentioned will soon be reversed, and those people who defected to the Ouchi clan will definitely pay the price for their actions."

"Your Highness, do you mean... that we are going to use force against the Mori family in the near future?" Shinagawa Nobumasa said in surprise and joy.

Having said that, Akihisa Niwa simply told the truth about his plan to go to Aki:
"Your Excellency may as well tell me that I have decided to mobilize the people of Izumo, Iwami, Oki, Hoki, Inaba, Mimasaka, Bitchu and the Shingu Party to attack Aki. The first battle will be to capture Yoshida-gunyama Castle and destroy Mori Ubato, the Ouchi family's biggest ally in Aki."

"Your Highness is going to use all his strength to capture Amaki in one fell swoop!" Shinagawa Nobumasa exclaimed, "If you count them, there must be at least 30,000 troops, right?"

"At least 30,000, at most 35,000." Nizi Akihisa replied rather proudly, "So, are you still worried that those guys in Yinshan City will cause trouble again?"

"If that's the case, I'll be relieved!" Shinagawa Nobumasa's expression was much more relaxed, with a smile on his face: "With 35,000 troops, plus the support of the main family and the Ishikawa family, it won't be easy to capture the small Yoshida-gunyama Castle? Hahahaha!"

"However, I am still worried about one thing." Shinagawa Nobuaki said worriedly, "You have mobilized all the troops to attack Aki, so won't the rear be empty? Especially in Harima and Bizen in the east, you just conquered them not long ago, don't you need to send troops to garrison? Of course, this is your internal affairs, and as an outsider, I shouldn't interfere."

"Sakyou Ryo, what are you talking about?" Niko Akihisa said politely with a smile, "You have known our family for many years, and I no longer regard you as an outsider."

"Thank you for your appreciation, Your Highness. I am truly flattered." Shinagawa Nobumasa said gratefully.

"I also left more than 2,000 troops in the Harima area. What's more, Samasuke of Inaba and Muedo of Wakasa are all allies of the main family. With them around, I can rest assured on the eastern front." explained Akihisa Amago.

"It seems that you have already made all the arrangements. I was just worrying about nothing." Shinagawa Nobuaki breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have already sent the mobilization order to the people in various places. Since you are here, go back and inform the Lord of Hoshinji and His Highness Nobumasa so that they can make preparations early." Niko Akihisa thought for a moment and gave additional instructions:

"If, and I mean 'if', we fail to capture Yoshida-gunyama Castle in one fell swoop, the Ouchi clan will definitely send troops to support us. At that time, Ginzan Castle will be the only obstacle for the Ouchi army to advance eastward. Please go back and tell the two of you that we must pin the Ouchi army down at Ginzan Castle. As long as I can do this, I will definitely wipe out the Mori clan from Aki."

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will do my best!" Shinagawa Nobumasa promised confidently, "I will go back to the Hoshinji Temple and the lord and tell them the good news!"

"Please, sir." Nizi Akihisa bowed and said, "After all, the mobilization has not yet been completed. We still have to keep this matter confidential. We must not let Goro Kagawa, Bungo Kami, and other people who are secretly in contact with the Ouchi clan or are wavering know about it."

"I understand!" Shinagawa Nobumasa hurriedly nodded in agreement, his eyes full of excitement and anticipation: "As long as the Mori family can be eliminated, the people of Aki will definitely switch to your side. Then it won't be a dream to lead the troops westward and capture Suo in one fell swoop!"

"Hahaha, thanks for your good words." Nizi Akihisa said confidently: "No matter what, I will definitely pull out this thorn in Yoshida-gunyama Castle!"

Just as Akihisa Amago and Nobumasa Shinagawa were fantasizing about a "bright future", at the urging of Yoshishige, the construction of Ikuno Castle was basically completed and the expansion work of Konsumiyama Castle was also in full swing.

With the help of Yoshishige, Yamana Yufeng also speeded up the repair of Tsurumine Castle and expanded the fortifications of Yagi Castle, making final preparations for the upcoming war. (End of this chapter)