Chapter 382 41. The Inn Heads North to Save the People
The more than 300 people under Xiaopingtai's command replenished some local formations along the way, and also replenished a batch of baggage from Gaoyuan City, which greatly affected the speed of the team.
It was already two days later when we arrived outside Iida Castle. In addition, Koheta wanted to talk about it. There are two Iida Castles in Minami Shinano and one in Northern Shinano. There are two Kasuga Castles in Shinano, one of which is also called Kasugayama Castle.
Not to mention Fuchu Castle, there are thirty or forty in Japan. It’s not that you think there’s something wrong with the geographical information in your mind, it’s that the rate of duplicate names is too high and there are too many large and small castles.
The road leading to Iida Castle is full of Shimosuwa and Ina people supporting the old and the young, bringing their families with them. With an expression of fear on everyone's face, they spread the news that tens of thousands of Takeda troops were burning and killing along the way and were coming to conquer.
Terrified, miserable, and running for their lives.
Xiao Pingtai rode on his horse and walked against the flow of people, heading north. When the local elders saw Xiao Pingtai's flag and horse mark, they rushed forward and cried incessantly.
"His Royal Highness the Prime Minister has sent reinforcements to rescue everyone! Everyone, retreat south quickly. The Yamauchi family will never abandon everyone."
Standing under the golden bamboo leaf horse logo, Xiaoping Tai loudly comforted the people who were fleeing southward in an endless stream, and ordered the soldiers to take out military rations and cook porridge for the people to eat.
"His Royal Highness's 30,000 troops will arrive in two days. Don't worry, everyone, don't be anxious!"
The people who drank the porridge felt much more settled. When they heard that Yamauchi Yoshiharu's army was about to arrive, they showed a slightly calm expression. Following Koheita's orders, he left his hometown and retreated south.
Turning around and entering the castle, we found Konishiharazaemon, a senior general who was experienced in the army. Immediately prepare to arrange this precious long-range force that Xiaoping came here with great difficulty to enter the city to defend the city, and entrust it with the important task of guarding the outer pill.
Seeing the turmoil in the city and the common people being frightened three times a day, Xiaoheita realized that the Takeda Army had actually attacked once.
Two days ago, more than a thousand Suwa soldiers from the Takeda Army swarmed in. Caught off guard, there were only two to three hundred soldiers in the city, and it was almost critical.
Thanks to Ogasawara Nagamasa, the Kiso supervisor, who arrived on Pegasus, he frightened the Takeda army with his unique skill of flying and shooting. Then groups of Kiso soldiers and horses arrived, scaring the Takeda army back.
However, the Kiso soldiers came with more than 800 soldiers in total, and the Takeda army could pull out 3,000 people in just one Suwa. There was a huge disparity in the strength of the troops. Konishiharazaemon urgently mobilized local peasant soldiers and local servants to enter the city. Now there are only 1,500 people in the city, which is very unsafe.
In addition, in the past two days, small units of the Takeda Army have continued to enter the vicinity of Iida and looted along the way, which has greatly damaged the hearts of the local people. The people fled to Ina one after another, or took refuge in the city.
Konishiharazaemon's first task was to guard Iida. He could not control the people under the city, and he was really powerless to do so.
Even though they had started fleeing two days ago, not all nearby people evacuated into the city or fled south. In fact, the valley south of Lake Suwa is one of the largest agricultural areas in Shinano Country, with a dense population of tens of thousands. The four-meter-wide dirt road was congested, and the refugees had a lot of stuff and were disorganized.
"Xiaoheita, please make arrangements to enter the city immediately. Iida's true and false Takeda army has been discovered in the past two days. They may send troops to attack the city at any time. Your iron cannons can come here and help a lot!"
"But what about the tens of thousands of people below the city? Once the Takeda Army arrives, they will surely be plundered, sold into slavery, or even slaughtered." Koheita pointed at the fleeing people below the city that could not be seen at a glance.
"At this moment, I can't care about so much!" Konishiharazaemon slapped the railing bitterly.
"If you save people and lose land, everyone will gain; if you save people and lose people, everyone will lose!" Koheita looked at Konishiharazaemon.
"If I don't save the people fleeing south, what's the point of me coming to rescue Iida Castle!"
"I am determined to leave the city, take advantage of the mountains, and go down to camp to stop the Takeda army!"
Xiaopingtai said this sentence solemnly, and his words were full of momentum that could not be doubted and argued.
"But there are tens of thousands of troops in Kai's army. It's a big deal for you to help with three hundred people!" How could Konishiharazaemon be willing to let Koheita die?
"If I don't go, I will abandon thousands of people in the rice fields and ignore them!"
After saying that, Heita turned around and went down to the city. Nagamasa Ogasawara, who came in a hurry, didn't even say a word to Heita, and saw the back of Heita walking away decisively.
"If Danzheng doesn't enter the city to defend, where will he go?" "Oppei Tai left the city and went to the stronghold to stop the Takeda army!"
Konishiharazaemon couldn't tell what the expression was, but Ogasawara Nagamasa was anxious.
"Isn't this just going to die! Three hundred people went to stop the Takeda army! How could Danmasa be so rash!" Ogasawara Nagamasa jumped anxiously and immediately went to drag Koheita back.
"Let him go!" Konishiharazaemon pulled Ogasawara Nagamasa and looked at the tens of thousands of people crying and shouting under the city.
…
"Meigoro, I want to go out of the city for a mile and go down to the stronghold to stop the Takeda army. Are you willing to go with me? I won't force you." Koheita returned to the team.
Imai Minggoro was stunned for a moment, apparently unable to react. Koheita actually wanted to use about 300 men to stop Takeda Harunobu's tens of thousands of troops. It was simply a dream.
But looking at Xiao Pingtai's expression, it didn't look like he was joking, and no one would joke about such a thing.
"Why are you here?" "For these tens of thousands of innocent people!" Xiao Pingtai pointed with his hand, and his eyes were full of people who were forced to flee due to the war.
"...!" Imai Minggoro fell into deep thought.
"The family of Yamauchi's vanguard general, Zi Xiaolu Danzheng and Shao Bi Gang, have arrived at Iida Castle! Prime Minister Yamauchi's 30,000-strong army will arrive soon!"
"The Yamanouchi clan's vanguard general Zixiaoji Danzheng Shaobi Tsuna has arrived at Iida Castle! Prime Minister Yamanouchi's 30,000 troops will arrive soon!"
"The Yamanouchi clan's vanguard general Zixiaoji Danzheng Shaobi Tsuna has arrived at Iida Castle! Prime Minister Yamanouchi's 30,000 troops will arrive soon!"
Aki and Nanaki held Kobayata's horse flag and drove north against the flow of people, shouting loudly along the way.
Countless people on and off the city saw the conspicuous Qianchengjin bamboo leaf horse flag and heard the news that the Yamanouchi clan's army's vanguard had arrived. There was a commotion and boiling.
I don't know who took the lead, and the crowd broke away from the tragic atmosphere of escape. The whole thing changed, and everyone was excited.
"I wish Tanzheng a long military fortune!" The soldiers on the city shouted in unison, holding up flags and weapons.
The people knelt on the ground, bent over, and watched Kobayata's troops and flags move forward.
Xiao Pingtai mounted his horse, smiled faintly at Imai Meigoro, and left without looking back.
"Tanzheng! How can such a heroic battle be without me, Imai Meigoro!"
After that, Imai Meigoro also mounted his warhorse, waved his whip, shouted to his foot soldiers, and chased after him.
"Good brother! Let's go!"