The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Chapter 111 Immovable as a Mountain

"The Takeda army has retreated! They really have retreated! They've even taken down their tents!"

The generals of the allied forces became restless again.

"Lord Mori, this time it's really a withdrawal!"

"Pursue them!"

"This is a golden opportunity!"

Chasing my ass! Anyone who's even read a bit of Romance of the Three Kingdoms wouldn't chase an enemy into the mountains.

Changqing stood up and dusted himself off.

"Keijiro! Take some men and burn down all the fortifications outside Futamata Castle!"

Half an hour later, the scout returned.

It turned out that after the fire started, the Takeda soldiers who were hiding in the fortress began to fight the fire, and Maeda Keiji retreated when he saw that the situation was not good.

The generals gasped in shock.

Changqing nodded, showing no surprise whatsoever.

"Now, we can move."

The generals were completely baffled.

How come it can move again?

Changqing pointed to the Sanfangyuan to the west.

"With Takeda Shingen gone, that area is now empty. Please, Lord Ieyasu, move your main camp there."

When Yamagata Masakage saw the fire, he mistakenly thought that the garrison of Futamata Castle had been ambushed.

When he emerged from the valley, he saw not the pursuing Oda army, but the Tokugawa army already arrayed on Mikatagahara.

Masakage Yamagata couldn't help but scratch his neck.

No matter how hard they try, the war won't start. It's been almost a month since the troops were deployed, and he still hasn't achieved anything.

When Takeda Shingen received the news, he couldn't help but cough, and Katsuyori, who was standing next to him, quickly patted his back.

"Tokugawa... has occupied Mikatagahara?"

"Yes." Yamagata Masakage's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

-

"What a shrewd Mouri Nagayoshi. When I feigned a move, he didn't pursue; when I feigned a retreat, he didn't pursue; when I set up an ambush, he didn't pursue. When I retreated, he came up and took my position."

Katsuyori, who was listening nearby, turned ashen-faced.

"Father, their forces are outnumbered; we'll fight them to the death!"

"Attack?" Shingen glanced at his son. "He has the high ground, and you're attacking from below. How many people will die? And what good will it do even if you take it?"

Katsurai remained silent.

"Let's call it a day."

"Father!"

Shingen's tone left no room for argument: "This attempt to march on Kyoto has failed."

On the fifth day of the ninth month, Takeda Shingen ordered a retreat.

Because the Mori army occupied the main road to Suruga, the 30,000-strong army could only retreat back to Kai along the Nakasendo Road.

The Oda army watched the Takeda army depart into the distance.

"Lord Mori, the Takeda have really retreated. Shouldn't we retreat as well?" Nobutada asked.

He felt a little guilty for having eaten a lot of Tokugawa's food for nothing.

"Yes, come with me to block the mountain pass! Let the Tokugawa army plunder Suruga; the autumn harvest is almost here anyway."

On the tenth day of the ninth month, the Tokugawa army returned to Tōtōmi after completing their looting.

Before the Oda army left, Tokugawa Ieyasu personally escorted Nobutada and Nagayoshi to the outskirts of the castle.

"Lord Mori, Ieyasu is completely convinced of the victory."

"Lord Ieyasu is too kind. Takeda Shingen has retreated this time, but he won't let it go. Next time he comes, we'll fight like this again."

.

Ieyasu nodded, then looked at Nobutada.

"Lord Mino's composure impressed Ieyasu."

Nobutada blushed slightly, but still returned the greeting with composure: "Take care, Lord Ieyasu."

"Wait a minute, here is 5000 kan as a token of our gratitude. The expedition to Suruga was very fruitful, thanks in large part to Jibu for holding off the enemy."

After some polite refusals, Changqing finally persuaded Xinzhong to accept 5000 strings of cash.

In mid-September, Oda Nobutada led his army back to Gifu.

On the same day, news came from Fei Kingdom: Uesugi Kenshin was unable to conquer Nanfei and led his army back to Echigo.

Changqing looked at the battle report, chuckled, and said, "Your Highness, it's our turn to make a move."

"How do I move?"

"The three from Nishimino are still in Hida. Tell Inaba Ittetsu and the others not to come back, but to go and surround those powerful clans who have sided with Takeda and Uesugi."

"Surrounding without attacking?"

"No, we'll retreat as soon as Kenshin comes to our rescue. Once the heavy snow closes the mountain passes, we can deal with Kita-Hida."

Anekōji Yoritsuna sided with Oda early on, but he was never able to win over the Kitabi Ema clan, who were supported by Takeda.

At the end of September, the three leaders of Nishimino led 8,000 men to surround the powerful clans in Hikuni who supported Takeda and Uesugi.

"Surrender and all past transgressions will be forgiven. Refuse to surrender and your entire clan will be exterminated."

The same letter of surrender was sent to every powerful clan.

At first, Ema gritted her teeth and endured it. But reinforcements from Takeda and Uesugi never arrived.

In November, heavy snow blocked the mountains, and the remaining powerful clans finally could not hold on any longer.

In early December, all the powerful clans in Hida Province who had sided with Takeda and Uesugi surrendered to Oda.

In Azuchi Castle, Nobunaga looked at the battle report sent by air and suddenly laughed.

"Although Nagayoshi did not defeat Takeda, Tokugawa and Anagokoji sent me their heartfelt thanks."

Xinzhong, as the supreme commander, has also achieved merit.

Kazumasu Takikawa chimed in, "Lord Nobutada must have grown a lot through this experience."

"Yiyi, this child has become tight-lipped. He hasn't mentioned a word about Deji to me. Do you think Changqing taught him that?"

"Lord Mori must have been considering the alliance as well—"

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the snow scene in the distance.

"Tell Nobutaka that all the territory I have in Meinong belongs to him."

In the province of Tōtōmi, at Hamamatsu Castle.

Ieyasu was always worried that Takeda would return and retaliate against him for plundering Suruga.

Ishikawa Kazumasa, holding a secret report high, ran excitedly to Ieyasu.

"My lord, there's news from Takeda."

"Stop bowing, just speak!"

"After Takeda Shingen retreated to Kai, he reportedly fell ill."

""

"Are you sick?"

"Yes. I heard it's because of a relapse of an old injury, coupled with the failure to advance to Luoyang this time, which has left him depressed and quite ill."

"Takeda Shingen—could he be playing a trick?"

In Tokugawa Ieyasu's eyes, Takeda Shingen was almost a monster.

"Pass down the order to strengthen defenses. Even if Takeda Shingen is ill, he is still Takeda Shingen."

"Yes."

However, in the Tsutsuzaki residence.

Takeda Shingen lay on his sickbed, his face pale.

"Father----"

"Why are you crying? You're not going to die."

"

He looked out the window and suddenly laughed.

"That Changqing—he's quite a character."

They can use both aboveboard and underhanded methods.

Shingen closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, and said, "Tell the generals to train the troops well. Next year—next year we will fight again."

Outside the window, the snow in Kai fell silently.

In December of the first year of Genki, Oda Nobutada, at the age of sixteen, successfully resisted Takeda Shingen's army marching to Kyoto, stabilized the situation on the eastern front, and re-established the authority of the Oda family in Hikuni.

The news spread, and the world was shaken.

"That brat from the Oda clan actually blocked Lord Shingen's way?"

"I heard that he has a powerful man named Mori Nagayoshi by his side."

"Immovable as a mountain—this battle was fought brilliantly."

In Kyoto's teahouses and taverns, people were talking animatedly.

The most interesting one is Uesugi Kenshin.

After retreating to Kasugayama Castle, he immediately wrote a letter to Takeda Shingen.

The gist is: Back when Takeda and Uesugi faced off at Kawanakajima, even Lord Shingen divided his forces to launch an attack. Yet now you are fighting a mere child, and you show no fear or hesitation—this is truly incomprehensible. Does Lord Shingen believe that I, Kenshin, am inferior to a mere Oda child?

As for whether the child was Changqing or Xinzhong, Kenshin did not specify.

Unusually, Shingen did not reply to Kenshin.