A samurai who doesn't want to be a daimyo is not a good onmyoji

Chapter 203 Saito civil strife
"Report, your highness, Saito's three armies have been defeated and Daimulus City has been lost. Currently, the three Taoist armies have retreated to the west side of the Nagara River and have begun to set up formations along the river there. It seems that they want to rely on the geographical advantage to delay time."

"What? Father, are you okay?"

A young warrior next to him asked nervously.

Of course he has reason to be nervous, because he is the last son of Saito Dosan, Saito Roshiharu, who is only 14 years old now.

After his second brother and third brother were tricked and killed by his eldest brother Yilong, and after Yilong formally declared war on their father Daosan, he finally had no luck in his heart and was forced to choose to flee, and then was killed. The little female ninja Ning Ning was brought here.

Under the order of Asai Nagamasa, she had already brought the ninjas of the Asai family to stare at each other. If Saito Dosan was really killed in battle, then except for the two guys who were willing to become monks in the temple, all The sixth son of Daosan, Li Yao and the last son Li Zhi, still have the right to inherit.

If Asai Nagamasa really wants to do something, it will make a huge difference whether they are in hand or not. At least he will have a reason to send troops. It can be said that he is responding to the other party's invitation to come to break up the fight. of.

So when the other party just started to flee, Ning Ning appeared in front of him very timely.

Unfortunately, it is said that Li Yao, the sixth son of Dao San, saw something bad happen and disappeared early. He doesn't know where he is hiding now, which makes this a little regretful.

Although Saito Toshioharu and Asai Nagamasa had never met each other before, after Asai Nagamasa promised to save his life, he temporarily chose to stay with Asai Nagamasa. After all, except for his father Dozo Otherwise, he had no better choice.

Although he has a few cronies around him, it would be fanciful to say that he wanted to make peace with his father Dao San.

And even if they really reconcile, it actually doesn't mean much, it's just adding a few more dead souls.

But by staying with Nagamasa Asai, he might be able to do more for the Saito family.

Kato Duanzang nodded upon hearing the words: "Master Dao San is fine for the time being."

Saito Riji then breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good."

In a fight between father and elder brother, it is the sons who are the most difficult to do, because no matter which side wins in the end, it means that he will lose a relative.

Seeing that Kato Danzo still had something to say, Asai Nagamasa said to Saito Toshiharu: "Master Toshiharu has been working hard all the way, why not go down and have a rest first, and then have a full meal."

Although he is still young, one or two years younger than Asai Nagamasa, his father has the title of "Mino Viper", and Saito Toshioharu is certainly not a fool. He knows that the other party must have something to say to him in private. said the retainers.

So he quickly thanked me: "I don't dare, I don't dare, thank you for your kindness. If it weren't for your highness's help, I would have been captured by Yilong's ninjas."

After a slight hesitation, he finally gritted his teeth and said: "If His Highness can help rescue my father, from now on, Toshiji is willing to serve His Highness and will never betray!"

Although he knew that for a truly qualified daimyo, his promise did not mean much, but it was all he had!

Asai Nagamasa was also a little surprised, considering that the other party was not a ronin or an ordinary samurai, it was very difficult to make such a decision.

However, he did not agree immediately. He just comforted him with gentle words: "Lord Riji, please be at ease. My family and the Saito family are in-laws. I should do my best."

"Furthermore, Master Daosan and Master Yilong are father and son. There may be some misunderstandings that led to this dispute. I think it will not reach the final stage. Master Riji should go and take a rest first."

Having said this, even though Saito Toshioharu's face was still full of sorrow, he still sighed helplessly: "Then please Your Highness, no matter what, as long as His Highness is willing to send troops, Toshiji is willing to serve in front of the dragon of Omi. , Although Li Zhi is not talented, he has learned martial arts and military law for ten years."

After watching Saito Toshioharu go away, Asai Nagamasa couldn't help but sigh softly. In fact, when he said the words just now, Saito Toshioharu had vaguely anticipated the outcome of this battle, right?This is the helplessness of being born in the troubled times of the Warring States Period.
But he quickly calmed down and adjusted his emotions: "Duan Zang, what is the specific situation?"

"Yes, Your Highness, I have experienced the battle of Daisang Castle. Although Daosan lured the enemy deep, he first killed the Ashigaru general Lin Zhusui of the Yilong Army with an ambush, and then killed Senshi Yatichi with a rain of arrows. It is considered a small feat. We won one battle, but currently the Yilong Army still has [-] people, while the Daoist Army only has less than [-], so the Yilong Army can be said to have an overwhelming advantage."

"In addition, the Yilong Army has blocked several directions. Even if there are still people in Meinong who want to support Dao San, it may be difficult to actually get there."

Asai Nagamasa turned to look at his military advisor: "Yuguang, what do you think?"

Numata Yumitsu's face was slightly solemn: "Your Highness, after the three people of Mino stood firmly behind Yilong, and after Daosan lost Daosang City, how much courage can the other retainers of Mino have to stand up? I'm afraid it won't be allowed. optimism."

Although Saito Michizan ruled Mino for nearly 20 years, in the final analysis, his rise to power was full of shameful little tricks, including assassinations, poisoning and other dark means, so he was called "Merong Viper".

When he was a daimyo, he held great power and everyone respected him. But after he retired, there were probably not many people who truly believed in him.

The tea has cooled, now Saito Yoshiryu is the real master of Mino. Dao San can make up for the three thousand people now, which is considered to be very skillful for him.

In comparison, Asai Hisamasa, who only knows how to fish all day long, is a loser. Apart from a member of the clan who has followed him for more than ten years, where else is there anyone else around him?No one even wanted to take a second look at him!
"So, if Nagaragawa is defeated again, Dosan will have no choice but to retreat to Sagiyama Castle?"

"Yes, exactly."

Asai Nagamasa felt that he was in a little trouble. He was also outnumbered, and Dou San's current situation was much more severe than when he fought in Noragada. Not only was the gap in military strength even greater, but Dou San's ashigaru were definitely more powerful than when he fought in Noragada. My own professionally trained infantrymen are much weaker.

Of course, he didn't need to solve this trouble, so his mood wasn't affected at all, anyway, he was here to pick up the bargain.

And judging from the personalities of these two big and small venomous snakes, no matter which side wins in the end and completely secures the position of family governor, there will be no big difference for the Asai family. They will all maintain a high degree of vigilance against the Asai family. , even hostility.

So the key lies in whether the family can grab the greatest benefits in this civil strife, such as land, money, and even talents.

"How is Chuan Bingzhong doing?"

"The Chuan Bingzhong has responded. They are several miles away from where Dao San has set up his formation. If His Highness requests anything, they can join the battlefield as soon as possible to provide support."

While speaking, Kato Danzo also had a faint smile on his face, because his meeting with Hachisuka Koryu was very smooth and pleasant, and the other party still remembered the friendship they had fought side by side with him.

Asai Nagamasa nodded. This was a matter of course. After all, the Kawami clan would originally be active in the Nagara River.

"Is there any response from Dao San?" Although he already has the other party's son in his hands, it would be more convenient if he could get Dao San's autographed letter. However, Asai Nagamasa himself also knew that this possibility I'm afraid the sex will be low.

No matter who wins or loses in the internal fight of the Saito family, Mino still belongs to the Saito family, but if Nagamasa Asai is brought in as a foreign aid, the Dragon of Omi will not be so easy to dispatch.

"Still silent."

Asai Nagamasa couldn't help but shake his head and laugh: "Haha, although the viper is old, it should not be underestimated."

"But since he doesn't speak, let Shima Sakon, Asai Ryochika and others lead the team to rest temporarily and be ready to march at any time."

Numata Yumitsu immediately understood what he meant, which was to wait.

When Saito Douzan dies, they can naturally accept the "request" of Douzan's last son Toshiharu and go to fight against the villain Yoshitsune who killed his father with his son.

"Also, Saito Rizo, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Takenaka Hanbei, are there any news about them?"

In the current Mino Saito family, excluding the father and son duo of Dozo and Yoshitsuru, the above-mentioned three samurai are probably the most talented and powerful.

However, except for Asai Nagamasa himself, no one else present could really understand, because none of them had much fame at this time.

"Saito Rizo is active in the Dosan Army, and the flag of the Takenaka family appeared in the Yilong Army, but the flag of the Akechi family was not found."

Asai Nagamasa frowned slightly, he did not expect such an answer.

Hanbei lives in the Yoshiryu army. He can understand it very well. After all, the Takenaka family is now very weak. It can be said that as long as Yoshiryu is willing, he can destroy the Bodhi Mountain Castle of the Takenaka family at any time.

But Akechi Mitsuhide didn't help Dosan, which he didn't quite understand. After all, according to Tokichiro, Akechi Mitsuhide and Saito Rizo were both direct disciples of Dosan. They learned the art of yin and yang there, and Dao San also promoted them a lot when he was in power.

Now that Saito Rizo is fighting in Dosan's army, Mitsuhide Akechi, who is more valued and loved by Dosan, has disappeared, which really makes him a little strange.

Or is it that, in order to avoid affecting the Akechi family, he did not raise any banners, but hid in the Taosan Army and fought as an ordinary samurai?

However, those are not important now. If he is really invisible, as long as the Yilong Army continues to attack, he will appear sooner or later.

"So, is there any movement between the Oda family and the Imagawa family?"

"The Imagawa family has no movement, but the Oda family has started mobilizing a few days ago, but the current movement is unknown. They also have some elite ninjas."

Asai Nagamasa frowned, but he could only endure it.

If Ning Ning and Kato Danzo took action on their own, then of course they would be able to find out clearly, but they both have more important tasks and are unable to do anything at the same time.

In this case, relying on the few ninjas obtained from Iga, what they could do was actually very limited, because their number was too small, but they had to worry about many places at the same time.

"Is there any news about Axiu?"

To be honest, he still felt a little uneasy in his heart, because on the day of the Noragada battle, he had witnessed meteors falling on Mino. It was very likely that they were all collected by Dao San in the end.

Although so far, Saito Douzan has never been heard of using magic in public, but when his son's long knife is swung at his neck, can he continue not to use it?

With so many spirit stones, if Dao San really wanted to launch a Jedi counterattack, he would probably use some forbidden methods.

This has to make Asai Nagamasa a little uneasy, because beside Dao San, it is almost certain that there is a snake guardian spirit, Yatogami!

If Axiu was by his side at this time, Asai Nagamasa felt that he would feel much more at ease, because Axiu was a comrade worthy of being entrusted with his support.

Of course, after being separated for a long time, he missed the other party a little bit. He was afraid that the other party would be deceived or simply abducted outside.

Danzo Kato shook his head: "Hidechiyo's movements are unknown for the time being, but there are still monsters who are often hunted down in Owari and Mino territory. It should be Hideshiyo's work, and there seem to be other people around her."

His Highness can affectionately call the other person Axiu, but of course he cannot do this.

Asai Nagamasa couldn't help but think thoughtfully: "Is there anyone traveling with me? Could it be ignorance?"

Since they met at Pingdong Temple that day, he certainly sent ninjas to investigate the other party and the details of Chu Ye Yazhong behind him.

However, they are better at hiding than ordinary ninjas. With both Ning Ning and Kato Danzo unable to do anything, Xiao Nai and her men could only confirm that Chu Ye Yazhong seemed to be hiding in the Kanazaki area.

Kanazaki is located between the Asakura family's Echizen country and the Asai family's Omi country. There are towering mountains and dense woods. The terrain is very complicated and secretive. If you want to find the deliberately hidden place without alerting the other party, It is still very difficult for Chu Ye to target the public.

Therefore, Asai Nagamasa asked Xiao Nai and others to postpone their actions to avoid arousing the hostility of the other party.

However, after reading Abe Seimei's inheritance, and adding some information from Momochi Santafu, Asai Nagamasa can be completely sure: Chuha Yazhong is a special force that specializes in conquering monsters, and it already exists It has existed for a long time, even before Abe Seimei was born.

For him, the existence of this force is still beneficial and harmless.

But at the same time, Momochi Santafu also said that it seems that since more than ten or twenty years ago, the strength of Chuye Yazhong has become weaker and weaker. Now, even the Iga ninjas who have always been very concerned about this can find it difficult to find out. their traces.

Not only because they were really well hidden, but also because the number of people active outside has been greatly reduced, and it is not known what major changes they have encountered.

It was not until the past two years that the third husband of Baidi discovered that a person named "ignorance" began to show up again, but there were almost no followers around him.

Based on his guess, it was either Chu Ye's internal struggle for power, which led to an internal struggle, or they encountered a powerful enemy that they could not resist.
(End of this chapter)