I am practicing in the Nianghua Warring States Period

Honestly, Hachisuka Koroku had long heard that Hokuto Nobuo was young and handsome, but he had never imagined he was such a beautiful boy. No wonder he had captivated the Oda clan's female headmistress.

"My family has been infected with a strange disease, and my mother is my greatest support! Your Highness has been so kind to me, how dare I act rashly?" This is East Asia's strange logic—this person commits murder and arson, a crime spree! But if he's filial, then he's a good person.

The older saying is "A bad person does bad things all his life, but if he does one good thing, people will think he is a good person."

"Well, he is a guy who knows how to repay kindness - Xiaoliu." Beidou Xinwei nodded slightly. He is only 19 years old this year.

"Yes! Your Highness, if you have anything to say, please." He addressed the man, who looked to be in his thirties, by his nickname. The man then thanked him, feeling incredibly honored: "Although I am vastly inferior to you, I ask that you always let me repay your kindness if you can use me."

"What big thing could it be? But... there is indeed a small matter."

Historically, the construction of the city of Sunomata seems to have been done for the benefit of the other party. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the future ruler of the world, begged and pleaded with him, using connections, using backdoors, and even asking Hosuka Koroku to do things for him. He also paid him a salary and promised him huge profits.

Beidou Xinwei was sitting at home, and the other party found that Beidou Xinwei was a little sleepy - he brought his whole family over and begged to be Beidou Xinwei's dog.

"Momata, you know, right?"

"Hayi, the right bank of the Nagara River, a tributary of the Kizue River, is called Sumata. You..." Hosuka Koroku acted as if he was "confused".

"Hmm, that's right." Beidou Xinwei nodded and said, "This place is only half a day's distance from Inabayama Castle, separated by a river. Attacking Inabayama Castle requires a stronghold. This place can be used for both attack and defense. I plan to build a city here as an outpost. I didn't want the news to leak out, so it's my fault for the poor planning. Alas, if the master is not discreet, he will lose his ministers, and if the minister is not discreet, he will lose his dignity."

Hosuga Xiaoliu thought for a moment and said, "When I was young, I traveled the waterways for a few years for trade. To be honest, I was just a river thief who never went on the road. I am grateful for your kindness. Although I am humble, I am willing to repay your kindness. I am familiar with the ups and downs of the Mu Zeng River. I also have some people here, all of whom are agile and brave. They beg for food on the Mu Zeng River all year round. Your army has just set out from Owari. The enemy is well-rested and can go down the river from Inabayama Castle and directly destroy your city-building activities. But we are willing to block their advance by water upstream, and then use our people to ambush in the mountains and forests to come out together to help you build the city!"

At the same time, I have some friends on the road - I can guarantee that all the Saito family members who want to bribe the people around Sunomata to cause trouble for you will be impossible! Do you think this will work?"

Bring capital into the team, bring investors with skills - bring credibility report and capital together to see the boss if you can join.

"Yes." Beidou Xinwei nodded gently and said, "I'll take care of the pursuers from Inabayama Castle. Xiaoliu, you'll be of great use in the future. How long will you remain a bandit? Will you end up like a thief? How about becoming my general?"

"Dong!" Hosuka Koroku knocked his head against the tatami and said in a choked voice, "Your Masaaki Hosuka pays homage to my lord! My lord, I am so grateful for your kindness. I... I... wuwu..."

Oh, I almost forgot. This guy's father was a down-and-out samurai, dismissed from his post and no more than a seventh-rank official. Why is he so arrogant? —Now Beidou Xinwei is recruiting him to restore his family name and become a senior official in a state-owned enterprise—Beidou Xinwei didn't even need to tremble in fear; he instantly knelt on the ground and bowed, saying, "Take me as your little brother."

Chapter 225: The Black Humor of Sunomata One Night Castle

To be an opponent of Beidou Xinwei, first, you need to have good eyesight; second, you need to be active.

The third and most important thing: the horoscope must be strong!

For a Xiang Yu-level bug to suddenly appear during the chaotic Warring States period, it was indeed a bit over the top and beyond the scope of the Japanese Warring States period. The surrounding daimyo were all racking their brains to figure out how to deal with such a powerful person, especially whether they could win against an equal number of troops.

In the east, there was a fierce man named Takeda Shingen, known as the strongest of the Warring States period—he had been beaten so badly he couldn't even recognize his mother several times, and had nearly died on the battlefield several times. He was known for his military strategy, but I've never seen or heard that he could even go in and out of the battlefield seven times.

There's also a fierce woman in the east named Uesugi Kenshin, known as the best in the world! - This one really has no trace of failure, and she also likes to charge into the battle alone - whether she can break through or not is another matter.

With so many powerful people serving this small piece of land in Dongguo at the same time, do you think there will be less blessings around Dongguo? Beidou Xinwei also has a bit of black humor -

Hokuto Nobuyoshi's main camp moved to Inuyama Castle. The lord of Inuyama Castle, Niwa Nagahide, knelt on the left, while Hokuto Nobuyoshi sat in the main seat and gave orders - Niwa Nagahide didn't seem to have any intention of objecting.

Within the current Oda clan system, signs of progress were gradually emerging. Outstanding retainers began to be promoted, with Sakuma Nobumori, Takigawa Ikmasu, and Shibata Katsuie all receiving corresponding rewards and fiefs. Niwa Nagahide's transfer to Inuyama Castle on the Mino frontier indicated that his abilities were recognized.

Of course, above all others, there was a man named Hokuto Nobuyoshi—a man who was indispensable in the Oda clan's operations and internal affairs. He was currently Oda Nobuhime's external brain.

"Hidenaga, this mission is up to you." Hokuto Nobuyuki called Kinoshita Hidenaga over and said, "Sumata Castle will be built with the help of Lord Yonegoro and Lord Hochisuka. I also believe in your abilities. Cheer up, you're a great guy, don't lose face."

Unlike his older brother, Kinoshita Hideyoshi, who died in this time and space, Kinoshita Hidenaga was known throughout history as a restless man. His passion was intense, and everyone around him could sense it. He was also incredibly ambitious—and childless.

Kinoshita Hidenaga was different. With the help of Beidou Xinwei, this farmer's child received the care he deserved. After marrying his widowed sister-in-law Ningning, he rose to prominence in the Beidou family. With so many benefits, his loyalty was no longer a concern; it was sufficient.

"Ha!" Kinoshita Hidenaga, clad in simple armor, blushed, much like his brother. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and he cursed and swore through gritted teeth, "Kinoshita Hidenaga has received great favor from my lord, and I have no way to repay it! This time, I will build a fortress in Sumota. If I fail, I will die! If fate does not favor me, I will throw myself into the Muma River and die, so as not to bring shame upon my lord!"

"Yes." After hearing Kinoshita Hidenaga's oath, the surrounding warriors felt that it was not uncommon for such a peasant boy to be recognized by Beidou Xinwei. They nodded one after another, as if acknowledging Kinoshita Hidenaga's loyalty.

"No!" Beidou Xinwei walked up to Kinoshita Hidenaga and said soothingly, "I've met your brother Kinoshita Hideyoshi a few times. He's a good man, but he's too obsessed with military success. Remember, you're my vassal. If you can't succeed, just bring everyone back. Don't act on impulse. Do you understand?"

"Master...Master..." Kinoshita Hidenaga's eyes instantly turned red when he heard his boss treat his family and himself so well. He didn't know whether he secretly swore allegiance to the Beidou family in his heart.

Anyway, this is just a momentary act of kindness, and there's always the possibility of rebellion later. The lyrics say, "For a split second, I just want to grow old with you~"—but "it's all because of the oath," so I can just make another oath when the time comes.

"Well, stop crying and show some manliness." Beidou Xinwei wasn't a demanding leader. As long as you're working for me, I won't worry about your loyalty. "Ningning asked Kikyo's connections to tell you not to take any risks. I have to give you this favor, so please don't let anything happen to me, or I won't be able to go home. Are you moving? Hahaha..."

The leader laughed, and everyone laughed along. It's good for a startup team to have such an atmosphere.

"Then, Lord Yonegoro, please bring this guy back safely. I beg you."

"Yes, I will live up to His Highness Avi's trust." Niwa Nagahide suppressed his smile and respectfully accepted the order as a subordinate. Finally, he smiled again and said, "This fortification will be different from the previous ones. His Highness Shibata and I have failed several times and lacked planning. This time, with His Highness Avi's wisdom, we will surely achieve complete success."

"Well. You can set out once you're ready." Beidou Xinwei took out his Western pocket watch and checked the time. This was something new. "You will secretly go and build the city. When it's completed, I will lead the troops to support and stop the harassing army from Inabayama Castle. We only have one night. Everyone, any questions?"

"Yes!"

It is indeed a bit of black humor that Beidou Xinwei asked Kinoshita Hidenaga to do this job. In history, Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a castle here, and the reputation of Sunomata One-night Castle is loud.

The black humor in history is: 34 years after the construction of Sunomata Castle, in 1600, five kilometers outside Sunomata Castle, at a place called Sekigahara, the decisive battle between the East and West armies completely sounded the death knell for his Toyotomi family.

————————————————————

The problem for Sunomata wasn't time, but fending off the incoming enemy forces from Inabayama Castle. If I can't defeat you, Beidou Xinwei, can't I set fire to the wooden fortress under construction? The so-called Sunomata Castle couldn't have been built of stone. Simply put, the early Sunomata Castle was a wooden fortress.

Time is not important; what is important is the time difference. The wood for building the castle cannot be transported from Inuyama Castle, but must be transported down the Kissing River at night. With the "help" of the local tyrant, Hosuga Koroku, local bandits and thieves joined in. They secretly buried the tools for building the castle, hammers, shovels, ropes, nails, etc. near Sunomata. This was the limit to prevent the Saito family from finding out.

Here, the Kissing and Nagara rivers converge, flowing westward toward Ise. The impact created a small "plain" a hundred feet long and sixty feet wide from north to south. Surrounded by water on the south, north, and west, and bordered by steep cliffs to the east, the terrain is exceptionally difficult. Japan's mountainous terrain is like that, impractical for large-scale military operations. But this particular spot, gourd-shaped and difficult to defend but easy to attack, presents a bottleneck, forcing both sides to engage in face-to-face, bloody melee. Even Beidou Xinwei, even if he arrived, would have to consider whether he would be shot into a hedgehog by the enemy deployed from afar.

Total War combat system activated! - Speed ​​up your advance and use your hunting horn to buff! Advance much faster than historically.

When Beidou Xinwei arrived, it was true.

Arrows rained down, but fortunately, a five-meter-tall wooden fortress, constructed from tightly packed wooden stakes as thick as buckets, had sprung up here! Fierce fighting ensued in several of the fortresses that hadn't been completed yet—thousands of Saito clan troops, each formed into a hundred-man formation, fiercely assaulted these fortresses. If they fell, the enemy would likely capture them.

"Lord! Your reinforcements have arrived!!!" Beidou Xinwei was still quite far away when he heard a louder and hoarse voice faintly coming from the distant roaring sound. Beidou Xinwei had not expected that Kinoshita Hidenaga could actually shout so loudly: "We won! We won! Ahhhhhh!!!"

In an instant, the entire battlefield for the city was in a state of shock.

"Beidou Imperial Guards, show your shining blades and charge with me!" It is impossible to ride horses in the riverbed area. Beidou Xinwei held a huge single-person shield that the Japanese could not hold in one hand and a long-handled knife in the other hand. He roared and led a small group of people to charge.

The enemies of the Saito family in the distance began to fire wildly, but they could not stop Hokuto Nobuyoshi from entering Sunomata Castle - the battle was over when it began.

Chapter 226: Charge, big jump, gods descending to earth, whirlwind slash!

There are various reasons why Japan didn't develop shield-equipped soldiers. In fact, immigrants from China and Korea brought a wave of shield culture, particularly the Shandong people, or the Dongyi people, a significant component of the Huaxia ethnic group. Excavations have shown that 5,000 years ago, the average height was 1.72 meters, with individuals 1.9 meters tall being common, and even higher (@孔丘). It's not surprising that these people, fleeing war, brought a wave of shield culture to Japan.

Ohara-tai, let alone a shield soldier, could have easily served as an honor guard. The problem, however, was that the Japanese people later "sanctified" and "ritualized" war, especially during the later Heian period, when class structures solidified. How could ordinary, lowly peasant soldiers have the right to participate in the sacred duels between samurai and nobles? Two-handed weapons are naturally easier to use than one-handed ones. Trying to solve the problem of a group of 5'10" or 5'10" tall men holding shields in one hand and weapons in the other, and getting them to do so en masse, with their sallow, malnourished 5'10" men, was a bit of a challenge.

After its sanctification, the katana became both a sharp weapon and a ceremonial object, a weapon more suited to the height of Japanese children and overly regionalized. The decisive battle at Xifengkou indirectly demonstrated that, when used on a large scale, the katana might not be well-suited to a clash with a broadsword. All sword masters and master swordsmen would conventionally and subconsciously avoid katana clashes during duels—the blade would simply break. The clanking, forging-like sound of Sekiro is unlikely in real life unless it involves aerospace materials.

To sum up, it would be easier to develop super spearmen!

Beidou Xinwei was carrying a large, flexible shield that could be carried by one person. The first thing that struck the Japanese was that they had never seen it before!

Japan's current so-called "shields" are small defensive structures that require several people to carry together to block rain of arrows.

The newly erected wooden fence wasn't a completely impermeable wall. Instead, it was a fence with tiny holes. Huge mallets for tamping the foundation, shovels for digging, and sledgehammers for smashing wood were scattered across the ground. A samurai, standing at the highest point, had several people around him hold up a large wooden sign to shield him from the rain of arrows. Who else could it be but Kinoshita Hidenaga?

"The Lord is here! The Lord is here! --The end of the Saito family has come! Our army has won! Our army has won! Hold on, hold on! Last breath!!!"

Kinoshita Hidenaga's voice was almost frantic. He was usually such a gentle and refined man—but it seemed he and his brother were truly cut from the same cloth. Niwa Nagahide and his men were at the forefront, directing the battle. Some people attempted to sneak attack, pour oil, or burn the gaps in the wooden fence, so they had to act like fire captains, leading their super-long spearmen to engage the enemy.

When Hokuto Nobuyoshi, shield in hand, charged directly at the group of samurai armed with spears and katanas, a small commotion erupted. The Oda and Saito clans were engaged in a fierce battle near a narrow, unenclosed wooden wall, only about four or five meters wide. In such a focused offensive and defensive battle, the Japanese typically engaged in stabbing with spears. During the clashing of spears, Hokuto Nobuyoshi, braving a hail of arrows from afar, rushed directly into the enemy's path, knocking over a number of Saito foot soldiers head-on.

"Crack! Crack!" After the crisp sound of a spear more than three meters long breaking, there was a series of muffled "bang, bang" sounds of bodies colliding with hard objects, followed by screams one after another.

"Om!—"

"Wow!"

Charge, Jump, Support——Avatar, Fatal Blow, Whirlwind——

Happy New Year swordsmanship!

The long machete chopped off the heads of several unlucky guys in front of him. Some of the unlucky guys in the range had their heads and bones cut off in half. Some were red and white, some had their lower bodies cut off, and some were green and yellow. Half of them were killed in an instant.

"Don't retreat! Don't retreat!—He's alone!!—Kill him quickly! Anyone who kills Beidou Xinwei will be promoted to family elder! He will be rewarded with 10,000 stones of territory!! 10,000 stones!!!"

Suddenly, a familiar roar was heard from the rear of the Saito clan. Then, shouts echoed from the rear of the entire Saito clan, "Kill Hokuto Nobuyoshi, promote him to family elder, and reward him with 10,000 koku."

"Swoosh! - Swoosh! -" Beidou Xinwei responded with javelins, picked up several cross-shaped spears from the ground, and threw them dozens of meters away, accurately killing several unlucky guys who shouted the loudest.

"Yo! Aibo!!! You bastard! (Brothers! Attack together!)" Suddenly, seven or eight Saito clan strongmen, in this narrow space, collectively raised a massive mallet scattered nearby, used to tamp down the foundation. They howled and charged towards Hokuto Nobuyoshi. For some reason, this Saito army was so fierce and determined. Their fighting spirit was also incredibly high. Hokuto Nobuyoshi felt somewhat immobilized, trapped by the ragtag group of soldiers and the terrain.

Along the way, it even knocked over a few unlucky Saito family members who had no time to dodge. This giant hammer, which was comparable to the power of a siege, hit Beidou Xinwei's body.

"Bang!" However, something unexpected still happened - such a huge impact force, seven or eight 1.5-meter or even 1.6-meter-tall strong men exerted their strength together - but they only collided with the shield held by Beidou Xinwei, and the two sides started to wrestle.

First, increase your health to 40, then your strength to 40! Then increase the rest gradually! This is the power of the Bucket!

"Ahhh-"

After wrestling for perhaps two or three seconds, accompanied by screams, Hokuto Nobuyoshi single-handedly pushed seven or eight of the enemy back—a scene that completely shocked everyone caught in the tight melee. Finally, as the Saito clan's stalwarts, unable to hold on, stumbled and collapsed, the offensive and defensive battle came to a complete end. The Hokuto clan's guards finally caught up with their lord's long legs, leaving them at a distance of over a minute. Finally, the Saito clan's attacking force retreated like a tide—collapse.

"Our army won!!!"

"Long live the Lord!"

Waves of cheers erupted from the Beidou Xinwei board for unknown reasons. In fact, during the Warring States Period, the people of District 11 rarely used the phrase "Long live!" Shouting it out essentially meant "Long live!"

"Our army has captured Momata." Beidou Xinwei looked at the retreating enemy troops and did not pursue them.

Because I really lost a lot of blood just now, I was wasting it.

Just because he doesn't chase after her doesn't mean he won't let others chase after her: "Kenshin, where are the people?"

"Yes, Master." See? I am the one my master cares about the most! The one he respects the most!

"Pursue. Upon contact with the enemy, retreat immediately upon hearing the horn sound. Don't take a single step more."

"Yes!" Jian Jiang swung the sword in his hand vigorously. Such a small body could actually shout so loudly: "Beidou Family Imperial Guards, follow me!!!"

Sunamata Castle was finally taken.

Beidou Xinwei glanced at Kinoshita Hidenaga, who was trembling as he came down from the heights, and then at Niwa Nagahide and Hosuka Koroku, who had already knelt before him at the front line. "You've all worked hard, Niwa-sama. I've asked you to take a risk this time."

"It is a samurai's blessing to have the honor of fighting alongside His Highness Avi." Niwa Nagahide sighed deeply and wiped the dust and sweat from his face. "Collect the bodies to prevent the plague from flowing down the Mumasu River, and treat the wounded. Koichiro-sama has made the greatest contribution."

"Yes." As expected of a prominent figure in the Oda clan, he didn't take credit for himself at such a crucial moment. Hokuto Nobuyoshi patted him lightly on the chest. Since he was considered a close friend, he didn't say much. "I'll personally commend you to the lord when I return. All the deceased will receive compensation. This time, I'll make the final call - a total of 2,000 kan will be awarded to all the first batch of warriors and workers who come to Sunomata to build the city."

Chapter 227 When the stars are in the right place.

Construction began on the site of Sunamata Castle, and the progress was quite fast - the Oda family began to station troops here.

May 1555 in this time and space.

Kenshin Uesugi led a campaign to Kanto—and failed. Despite achieving a resounding military victory, she pushed all the way to Odawara Castle, the last stronghold of the Hojo clan. However, due to her incompetence, Sailor Moon possessed no talent beyond warfare, and her diplomatic career was a chaotic mess. The Kanto lords, lacking in talent, were unable to experience the thrill of a beautiful girl's rule.

To be honest, the spirit of the Kanto lords seems to be much more normal than that of the British lords.

During the Uesugi family's retreat, Takeda Shingen staged a military demonstration at Hyakupo Pass - this was to fulfill his military promise to the Hojo family, which was considered a military deployment.

But as a large cat, Uesugi-san had a beast-like instinct and felt that this was a demonstration against her. In May 1555, she raised an army in Shinano, led 5 soldiers, and attacked Takeda.

Takeda Shingen was probably confused, but no matter what, Takeda Shingen raised an army of 35,000 and fought on the home front. He fought fiercely with Uesugi sister in Kawanakajima, and the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima broke out between the two sides in this time and space.

The final result was that the Ryuu-nü suffered over 3,000 killed and 6,000 wounded. The casualty rate was said to be over 70%. The Takeda clan suffered 4,500 killed and 12,000 wounded, a casualty rate said to be around 80%. Both sides claimed victory after the battle, but anyone with a discerning eye could see it was a horrific loss. Was it a good thing that no Uesugi generals were killed? Murakami Yoshikiyo, acting as a government-in-exile in Echigo, established his own Petofi Club, which theoretically wasn't a good thing either.

Six of the Takeda clan's generals were killed in the battle, as were Takeda Shingen's favorite brother, his military advisor, Yamamoto Kansuke, and others. This had an indelible impact on his future rule—fortunately, both sides had money: the Uesugi clan had the Sado Island gold mine, while the Takeda clan had a total of 10 gold mines in Kai—and both sides began to buy lives.

Just as Hokuto Nobuyoshi was killing people all over the place, the Uesugi and Takeda families gave their friends from the Warring States period a hard time.

The buyback actions of both sides specifically affected the Oda family - that is, looting with tears in their eyes, thanks to the old friend for the golden rocket!

In July 1555, Oda Nobuhime and his external brain were in Kiyosu Castle looking at the half-year financial report prepared by Hokuto Nobuoshi.

"Um... well..." Oda Nobuhime looked at the quantitative data report made by Beidou Xinwei in her hand, one data line after another, one data graph after another, one comparative reference graph after another and one fan chart after another.

"Although I'm not as knowledgeable about internal affairs as you, I really don't know much about it." Oda Nobuhime looked at the report in her hand and asked, "The transaction volume increases so much every month, how come I didn't know that merchants are making so much money?"

In those days, feudal regimes didn't have budgets or final accounts. Financial reports were mostly simple calculations and reports, and feudal lords had their own tricks and treasuries. It was often impossible to calculate them, let alone understand the various financial budgets.

"Well, the crazy operation of the finances is because there are suckers who spend money like crazy. This thing can't last long." Beidou Xinwei shook his head slightly, indicating that this deal really can't last long.

"How many years can it last? Why?" Oda Nobuhime was a little nervous: "Three years? Five years? It can't be just this year, right?"

"Um..." Beidou Xinwei counted on his fingers and said, "Probably another ten or twenty years, right? Mainly because I'm considering how long the Takeda family's gold mine can last. Um... I told you, right? The family's profit model?"

Takeda Shingen was sent to the capital in 1572, and the Takeda family fell into decline. The gold mine was almost completely mined out by then. Takeda Shingen was a great man, or rather, a man who could mine the gold dry. This was absolutely destructive mining.

After the Takeda family's big money-spending behavior ended, the Oda family needed to enter its own internal circulation.

"? That's enough." Oda Nobuhime looked at Beidou Nobuyuki in disbelief. "Good times don't last forever, but we can enjoy them one day at a time. I don't quite understand... Do you really know everything? Do you even know how long the Takeda family's gold mine can be mined?"

"Oh, this is mainly based on the amount of gold the Takeda family is currently mining. The Takeda family's trading problems are very serious right now. So I..."

"Alright, alright, stop talking. I don't want to hear it." Oda Nobuhime glanced at Hokuto Nobuyuki and said, "Sunomata Castle has been under construction for so long, and the strategy of wearing out the troops in Mino is also underway. I think, I think—it's time for a decisive battle. If you don't think it's possible, we can just wait."