Warring States Eagle

Outside Kyushu Hyuga Komongawa Castle, shortly after Saeki Yuichi entered Kadogawa Castle, Ito Yuki and Ito Yufan finally arrived at the Ito family's army, but they only saw him lying on a wooden board. Ito Yuan, who was already dying. **Top** Points**|Fiction

"How is this going?"

Seeing Ito Yuan's situation, Ito Yuki and Ito Yufan immediately asked with anger on their faces.Faced with the questioning of the two, all the retainers of Ito Youan were ashamed. In the end, an older retainer told them in detail about Ito Youan's injury and the subsequent events under the auspices of Saeki Yoshinao. The process of being forced to carry Ito Youan and escape with his life.

"hateful!"

Saiki Yuichi's decision to retreat and escape not only made all the efforts of Ito Youan and the Luo family's army in vain, but also made Ito Youan even more exhausted after Ito Youan was seriously injured. Injury, isn't this equal to murder?Ito Yuki and Ito Yufan immediately had the intention of going into Kadokawa Castle to find Yui Saeki and settle the score straight away.

"It's not good, it's not good." Just as Ito Yuki and Ito Yufan were about to act, an ashigaru from Kadokawa hurried over.

"What's the matter?" Ito Yuki asked immediately.

"My lord, it's not good. After Mr. Saeki took some people to the warehouse in the city to get some food, he left directly from the south gate." Ashigaru immediately replied.

"What?" Ito Yuki, Ito Yufan and others were shocked when they heard the words.After a little bit of astonishment, Yuki Ito's complexion changed immediately, and he said with fire in his eyes: "Could it be that Yuichi Saeki is planning to rebel?"

In Ito Yuki's opinion.Saeki Yuichi's actions were really too much.Originally, there was not much food in Menchuan City.Moreover, after escaping here yesterday, his two brothers sent people to send emergency warnings to the various villages in the rear and ask for reinforcements, and on the other hand, they urgently dispatched a few ashigaru from the city to nearby villages to recruit farmers, soldiers and food. After a lot of hard work, it was finally possible to add a little grain to the warehouse of Kadokawa Castle (the grain hoarded in the city was previously transported to Matsuo in order to support the three families and two armies in the Bungo region to attack the Luo family. Going to the city), and now Saiki Yuinao went straight to the warehouse without saying a word to rob the extremely important food. Isn't this treason?

Originally, Yuichi Saeki reached an escape agreement with the Luo family who captured Matsuo Castle and caused serious injuries to Ito Yuan, which already made Ito Yuki very dissatisfied.Now Saeki Yuinao is acting so rudely again.Where can Ito Yuki be patient?Anyway, the two sides are just an alliance relationship, and in his heart he also regards the Saeki family as poor pawns begging from his family, not to mention that with the fall of Matsuo Castle, his lord will inevitably lead the army back from Bungo Country, so Without the protection of the main family, the foundation of the Saiki family in the Bungo country will be taken by the Luo family, so the Saeki family is worthless in his eyes at this time.

Thinking of this, Ito Yuki immediately shouted; "The order..."

"It's not good, it's not good..." Before Ito Yuki finished his order, he was behind the fleeing Ito family's army.An ashigaru yelled and ran over quickly.

Yuki Ito, whose order was suddenly interrupted, almost pulled out the tachi from his waist and cut down the ashigaru who was running up to him panting.

Honobu Ashgaru, who just arrived, also seemed to realize that the atmosphere was wrong at this time, especially after seeing Ito Yuki's cannibalistic eyes.What's more, even the movement of panting has been reduced as much as possible.

"Say. What's the matter?" Seeing that the situation was not right, the younger brother Ito Yufan asked after glancing at Ashgaru who was kneeling on the ground, distracting his attention from the scene.

"My... my lord, the rear... the pursuers in the rear have accelerated their marching pace." At the request of Ito Yufan, Honobu Ashgaru finally replied tremblingly.

"What?" Konobu Ashgaru's words immediately surprised everyone.

"Bastard, why didn't you say it earlier?" Yuki Ito, who was already very angry, even kicked Honobu Ashi to the ground.

"Hurry up, speed up and enter the city, and prepare to meet the enemy." After kicking Honobu Ashari down, Ito Yuki never looked at Honobu Ashari who rolled to the ground, but directly ordered.

"My lord, my lord, the ship... the ship..." Before everyone could move, another ashigaru came out from the Kadogawa city.

"What's the matter?"

"Boats, a lot of warships." The ashigaru who had just arrived immediately replied.

"Boat? What ship?" Yuki Ito asked.

"My lord, there are many warships on the sea, and the Kanjiawen seems to be the navy warship of the Luo family."

"Ah?" This time it was not as simple as exclaiming, some people even sat on the ground in fright.

"No, it must be the navy of the Luo family. We were attacked by the other party on the coast last night." A retainer of the Ito family in the fleeing team said immediately.

"Quickly, enter the city immediately and prepare to meet the pursuers from behind. The rest of the people will follow and check up and down the city." After confirming that the person who came was the navy of the Luo family, Ito Yuki gritted his teeth and immediately ordered.

So after the injured Ito Yuan was settled, and enough manpower was left to arrange for the defeated army that arrived one after another, Ito Yuki and Ito Yuban immediately boarded Kadogawa Castle with some of their retainers. the head of the city.

Just now, because there are mountains and forests blocking the line of sight on both sides of the north city gate, Ito Yuki, Ito Yufan and others naturally cannot see the situation at sea, but now after climbing to the highest point of the city, , everyone finally saw the situation on the sea in the distance.

I saw that the shadows of sails really overlapped on the sea at this time, especially the three giant ships among them, which caused a great impact on everyone.Of the three huge ships, the largest one is naturally the large blessing ship that Li Huamei brought from the Ming Dynasty, while the two smaller ones are the command ships of the Luo family's various navy divisions, and are manufactured by the Luo family's shipbuilding workshop. The small Fuchuan came out.Since the speed on the water is obviously much faster than that on land at this time, Li Huamei's water army, which was marching at the same time, rushed ahead of Masanobu Kosaka's army marching on land.

"Such a large navy?" After seeing the situation at sea, Ito Yuki and Ito Yufan looked at each other, and they both saw a trace of fear in each other's eyes.Even more hateful.Yesterday, the two of them saw with their own eyes that their naval forces in Matsuo City directly passed through the nearby waters.It seems that these naval forces are going to the coastal area of ​​the largest plain in central Hyuga.In this way.There is really no navy nearby that can stop the Luo family's navy at sea. Once the opponent lands from the south coast, then even if you defend Menchuan City to death, you will be besieged to death by the opponent sooner or later under the condition of limited food. .

Thinking of this, Ito Yuki couldn't help but look at the expressions of other people on the city wall, and what made him feel even more helpless was from the eyes of these retainers and warriors.He only saw fear, and had no intention of fighting to the death at all.It can be said to be defeated before fighting.

"Hmph, no wonder Yui Saeki walked straight through the city in such a panic. However, what should we do if this continues?"

"It's not good, it's not good..." At this moment, a retainer who stayed in the city to take care of Ito Youan ran up in a panic.

"Ok?"

"My lord, my lord...my lord..."

"What?" Although the vassal hadn't spoken clearly, Ito Yuki and Ito Yufan had already seen the result from the expression on his face, so they immediately exclaimed and walked quickly Go down to the city.

When the two came to the hut where Ito Youan was placed.However, he only saw the dead body of Ito Youan lying on the tatami mat with wide-eyed eyes and a face full of unwillingness.

In fact, as early as Ito Yuki and Ito Yufan met the fleeing Ito family members under the city gate.Ito Youan regained consciousness slightly.Although he was unable to open his eyes or move his hands at that time, he could barely hear the movement around him.So he heard all the previous conversations about Yui Saeki abandoning the city and fleeing, the constant pursuit of soldiers behind him, and the appearance of hostile naval forces at sea.

Ito Youan, who suddenly heard the news, was really angry.He tried his best to defend the city, but finally lost it.At this time, he felt that Yoshisuke Ito, the governor of the family, protected the Saeki family and arranged the Saeki family members in Matsuo Castle. It was an act of death.Ordinary retainers did not see the impact on the Ito family after the loss of Matsuo Castle, but in Ito Yuan's view, this was almost the beginning of the Ito family's demise.

As the important town of the Ito family in the northern Hyuga country, after the support army of the Ito family and the Shimadzu family went to Bungo country to support the Saeki family to resist the invasion of the Luo family army, it became the center of the two expeditionary troops of the Ito family and the Shimadzu family. We must go through the back road.In order to ensure the safety of the back road, in addition to placing the three coalition forces of more than [-] people in the city (the Ito family's army with more than [-] people is the main force), the governor of the house, Ito Yoshisuke, also set up a military force in Nagao near Matsuo Castle. A total of more than [-] land and water troops were deployed in the villages, Aiyan Village, and coastal areas.If the Luo family attacked Matsuo Castle from the coast, the joint defense system composed of these strongholds would be able to withstand the attack of the Luo family, so that the expeditionary army of the Bungo Kingdom could return in time.

As for the rugged mountain road from Zhongshan Castle to Matsuo Castle in the west, the governor, Ito Yoshisuke, did not take it lightly. Instead, he sent an army of more than [-] people to Zhongshan Castle, preparing to join forces with the defenders of the Mitian family there. Guard the border together. In addition, the governor Ito Yoshisuke also set up several checkpoints and villages along the mountain roads. Once the direction of Zhongshan City is lost, these checkpoints and villages will get news in time and report to them in time. Early warning for Matsuo City.After getting the early warning, Matsuo Castle can completely set up a blocking position in the mountain road along the way in time. With the help of the rugged and narrow terrain of the mountain road, it can resist the invasion of the Luo family with a single hand, and get the support of the Bungo country. The timely return of the expeditionary army.

But after all calculations, in the end Matsuo Castle was suddenly attacked by Luo's family.When he was attacked at the beginning, Ito Yuan hadn't figured out how such a large-scale army suddenly appeared outside Matsuo Castle. Later, when Matsuo Castle fell and was forced to retreat, he figured it out. .Since the other party suddenly appeared from the west gate, it is natural that something happened to the mountain road in Zhongshan City, and all the arrangements of the Yidong family in the mountain road ended in failure.

Although until now he hadn't figured out how the Luo family's army broke through the arrangement of the main family in the mountain road in Zhongshan City, but after the fall of Matsuo City, he knew that the Ito family's crisis was coming.If Matsuo Castle cannot be recaptured, the retreat of the Bungo Kingdom Expeditionary Force where the Governor is located will be blocked.The army led by the governor included a large number of elite members of the Ito family.Once the governor and the elite of the Ito family are besieged in the Bungo country, the strength of the Ito family's army remaining in the Hyuga country will be greatly reduced.

What's even more frightening is that, because a large number of troops of the family have been concentrated on the borders of various places before, the territory of the Higashi family of Hyuga Kuni is empty at this time.After learning of this situation, the Luo family's army, which had made a breakthrough from Matsuo Castle, would definitely invade the Ito family's territory.

As for the people staying at home, will anyone stand up and preside over the overall situation at this critical moment?This is basically impossible. After all, the son of the governor Ito Yoshisuke died of illness before, and the second son is only five or six years old now. ) was just born this year.At this time, the person who was designated as the host was injured again. So, where to find a new host of the overall situation?

It was also with this in mind that Ito Yuan decided to stick to the Aiyanzhai on the south bank of Matsuo Castle. On the one hand, he was trying to defend the bridgehead from the northern part of Hyuga Country into the empty central part of Hyuga Country, so that the rear could do it in time. Good preparation for being invaded by the Luo family. On the other hand, there is also a plan to jointly retake the lost Matsuo Castle after the family governor who has withdrawn from the Bungo Kingdom leads an expeditionary army to return.

It's just that the Hachiman Bodhisattva didn't care about the Ito family at all. When Ito Yuan himself was inspecting the defensive preparations of Aiyanzhai, he was unfortunately shot in the abdomen by a stray arrow shot from the Luo family outside the city, and he was seriously injured and unconscious.

And when he finally woke up from the coma today, he suddenly heard that the Aiyan village that he had determined to defend to the death had been directly donated to the Luo family by Yuichi Zuoki.What made him even more desperate was that the Luo family unexpectedly increased reinforcements from the coast in time. In this way, the opportunity to recapture Matsuo Castle to rescue the home governor's army of Bungo Kingdom and to stop the Luo family from invading the empty territory in the middle of Hyuga Kingdom All lost.

In the end, he even learned that the navy of the Luo family had marched to the central region along the waterway. He was really worried and angry about this.Originally, due to the injury, he had accumulated a lot of blood in his body, so when he was so angry, he just swallowed his breath and belched.

The sudden death of Ito Youan became the last straw that broke the hearts of everyone in Kadokawa City.In grief, after discussing with everyone, Ito Yuki and Ito Yufan finally decided to abandon the city and flee.

It’s impossible not to escape. Originally, there were only less than a hundred defenders in the city, and the food was limited. Among the defeated troops who had just arrived, not only were all exhausted, but also due to the rush to facilitate the retreat yesterday, most of them The food carried by most people is limited, and when they arrive at Menchuan City, most people have very little food left.As a result, it naturally caused great pressure on the food reserves in Menchuan City.With such food reserves, if they were besieged by the Luo family's army for a period of time, before the opponents attacked the city, the defenders in the city would be unable to fight due to insufficient food.

What's even more damning is that Yuichi Saiki had not only snatched part of the food reserves from the city before, but also fled directly with more than 1000 soldiers of the Saeki family, which led to the defeat of the Ito family with only more than [-] people left. Staying behind, even if combined with the defenders in the city, there are less than [-] people in total.In such a situation, how to deal with the front and back attack of the menacing Luo family army?

(Thanks to "sky1991" for the support.) (To be continued..)