Chapter 202 6. The Lives of People Before the Owari War

On the other side, facing the aggressive Imagawa army of more than 40,000, various retainers with ulterior motives or loyal and reliable groups sat in the large hall in Kiyosu Castle.

What is puzzling is that the entire Kiyosu Castle did not plunder rice and store supplies. There was no alarm bell ringing to call on the people to help in the war. Although the border between Owari and Mikawa a few miles away was already in flames, Kiyosu showed unusual quietness and peace.

The castle town had lost its former prosperity and bustle. Any common people living in the chaotic Warring States period had a keen sense of war. When Yoshimoto sent only two or three kittens at the beginning of the year, many people felt something was wrong. Now Yoshimoto has already reached Narumi, and the war in Aichi County is spreading. Everyone has already prepared to flee. Even if the house may be burned down, there is still a chance to start over if the floating wealth and people are fine.

Of course, this is only for the common people. If Oda Nobunaga loses this time, then there is no need to talk about just starting over. If he fails, his life will definitely not be saved, and his family business will definitely be ruined. Although there may be some side branches of the Oda clan that will continue, the main branch of the Oda Danmata family will definitely be ruined.

As Lu Su advised Sun Quan, others can surrender to Cao Cao, but they just change their lord. In the future, they will still have to be high officials and ride horses. But Sun Quan cannot surrender to Cao Cao. It's either win or die, that's all.

Looking back at Oda Nobunaga, at this moment he is sitting expressionlessly on the main seat at the top, with one elbow resting on a small table. In the other hand, he rhythmically slaps his thigh with a folding fan, but the force is very light and there is no loud sound. Mori Nagayoshi (about seven or eight years old) holds a katana as tall as him, and Maeda Toshiie kneels behind him holding a spear.

The seated Oda retainers were having a very fierce dispute. The focus of everyone's argument was on whether to bow down and ask for help from Saito Yoshitatsu, the elder brother-in-law of Mino, or to ask for help from Rokkaku Yoshitaka, the shogunate companion whose power extended to northern Ise. In short, the suggestions were nothing more than ceding land, paying tribute, and exchanging for reinforcements.

As for the two methods of the Oda family facing it independently and surrendering quickly in exchange for the survival of the family name, no one has proposed it. Anyway, Imagawa Yoshimoto has more than 40,000 people, and the Oda family will definitely not be able to defeat them. Four thousand people against 40,000 people, what a dream? It's better to go home and take a shower.

As for surrender, maybe Imagawa Yoshimoto is really as the legend says, a generous and kind person, and he even adopted Hojo Ujiki, and couldn't bear to see the Hojo bloodline cut off. In this case, Oda Nobunaga probably had to commit seppuku. But Oda Qimyoumaru (Oda Nobutada) should be able to keep his life. In the future, the Oda family can survive as a small countryman, and even rise again.

These people looked uncertain on the surface, but it can be predicted that most of them are ready to surrender and become Imagawa's retainers, but the time has not come yet, so they cannot show it. They are holding back for the time being and lurking.

Kinoshita Tokichiro, who was at the end of the seat, had little influence. He wanted to suggest fighting hard and facing Imagawa directly, maybe there was still a glimmer of hope. But the big guys hadn't finished speaking yet, so how could he speak? As for his younger brother Kinoshita Koichiro, he didn't even have the qualifications to attend the meeting. He was anxiously turning around outside, waiting for the final result of the retainers' discussion.

It seemed that he didn't want to watch these people argue anymore, and the general of the Oda clan's hereditary retainer, the attendant general Ryoda Dewa-no-kami Hiromasa, suddenly stepped out.

"You are the retainers of the Oda clan, eating the emperor's salary, but you are all cowards who ask Your Highness to compromise and seek help from foreign countries!"

"When the previous Bigo-no-kami was in power, the foreign invasion was more serious, but we could still unite and maintain our family business. Now the Suruga branch is coming aggressively, and you want to destroy the name of our Oda family. What is your intention instead of fighting bravely and pinning your hopes on foreign countries?"

"Your subject, Ryoda Hiromasa, is willing to lead a group of men as the pioneers of Your Highness and attack the Suruga branch!"

Ryoda Hiromasa, as the only senior samurai of the Oda family who asked to directly resist the Imagawa army and launch a surprise attack, suddenly became glorious and great at this moment.

Although he scolded a number of big men including Niwa Nagahide, Shibata Katsuie, Mori Yoshinari, Hirate Hanhide, Maeda Toshimasa and others by name, others were not too angry, and loyal ministers are always respected.

Liang Tian Guangzheng knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and asked Oda Nobunaga for his life, willing to risk his life for the Oda family to gain a glimmer of hope.

Those who suggested asking for help and the samurai retainers who had already thought of surrendering and defecting looked at Liang Tian Guangzheng who was passionate in front of them. No matter what their position was, such a loyal and brave person should always be praised and admired accordingly. Everyone gave a thumbs up to this samurai who had a very low sense of existence in history and had never appeared in later games and film and television works.

Nobunaga, the first seat, seemed to be touched. He looked at Liang Tian Guangzheng, then stood up and walked out of the big hall without saying a word.

The samurai, including Liang Tian Guangzheng who was kneeling in the center, looked at each other. What was Oda Nobunaga thinking? Fight or not fight, peace or not peace. Without saying a word, without saying a word. He just left on his own, leaving a group of retainers who had no clue.

But Nobunaga had already left, and everyone was sitting here for no reason, so they had to get up and leave the Great Hall.

At the end, Kinoshita Tokichiro sat far away, but his eyes were sharp. He had been Nobunaga's attendant for two years, and he knew many of Nobunaga's habits and hobbies.

Just now, when Liang Tian Guangzheng spoke and asked to risk his life and launch a surprise attack, Nobunaga's expression was obviously changed. Although Nobunaga's actions are often unpredictable, since he has this idea, as a minister, he should be fully prepared.

So others sighed and walked out of the big hall, but Fujiyoshiro was full of fighting spirit. He first sent someone to tell more than 100 foot soldiers under his command to put their spears under their feet when they sleep, wear the domaru armor, and be ready to go to war at any time.

When he returned home, he asked his younger brother Xiaoyilang to dress up and feed the horses they used for walking. He also asked his family and mother to make rice balls overnight, and told them to put more salt, at least to meet the consumption of hundreds of people for one meal. This made Ah Zhong very anxious. There was rice, but there was no way to make hundreds of rice balls with just a few people at home.

Fujiyoshiro had to mobilize the families of his foot soldiers to prepare rice balls for the march. At the same time, he borrowed a few pots and set up a clay stove in the yard to speed up the process.

He looked at the house in the city, the lights flickered, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, and he didn't know what Oda Nobunaga was doing.