Chapter 480 39. Kanto's Situation Takes a Sharp Turn for the Worse

Ten days have passed since the defeat at the Battle of Oonoyama.

The Takeda and Hojo coalition forces have the upper hand, and they are stationed at the Tone River. More than 55,000 troops and countless fallen warrior hunters are densely distributed between Matsuyama Castle and the Tone River.

Needless to say, Takeda Harunobu and Oishi Ujiteru are both no rookies in the use of troops. The distribution plan of each section of the camp is flawless, and the siege of the three castles of Matsuyama, Koshihata, and Sugiyama is impenetrable.

But there was a big argument between the two. Takeda Harunobu wanted to continue the siege, and he didn't want anyone to die. And besides the Yamanouchi family, Takeda Harunobu knew the Yamanouchi family's strength best.

Ten thousand people were besieged in Koshihata, and at most they had food for ten or twenty days. Takeda Harunobu himself ate the military rations provided free of charge by his good son-in-law Hojo Ujinao. He felt that the besieged Yamanouchi and Nagano armies would soon run out of food.

And the key point is that there is no army strong enough to shake the Takeda-Hojo coalition. The Kanto forces of the Uesugi faction under Shimotsuma and Shimotsuma were just defeated by them and fled. Satomi Yoshiyasu of Southern Kanto was defeated by Fujita Ujikuni and Hojo Ujinobu at Kokufudai last year. Even Masaki Nobushige died in the battle, and Toki Tameru of Mankijo defected to the Hojo family. The Satomi family is now on its last legs.

Uesugi Terutora can only bring 5,000 more people from Echigo. Not to mention that the Yamanouchi family is still fighting in Mikawa, even if all of them come, there will be more than 10,000. The combined forces of Uesugi Terutora will only have 20,000 people, and at most, even Takanari Masahiro will be brought, and it will not exceed 30,000.

Then why did Takeda Harunobu fight? Anyway, he didn't occupy any territory, so it would be better to wait here for Hosokawa Nainou and Nagano Yoshimasa to starve to death. He didn't spend a single soldier, and his strategic goal was achieved. Using the victorious army to go back and beat the Yamanouchi family, how cool is it.

But Oishi Ujiteru was different. He had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to completely deal with Uesugi Terutora. Now, as long as he killed Nagano Yoshimasa first, Ueno's troops would be reduced by half.

Taking advantage of the victory, he crossed the Tone River and attacked Uesugi Terutora, who had only 8,000 men, surrounded Minowa, Hirai, and Umabashi, and finally took all of Ueno.

One wanted to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, and the other wanted to take advantage of the victory to advance.

Of course, the conflict was not unreconcilable. After all, it was the old father-in-law Takeda Harunobu who helped his son-in-law Hojo Ujinao. As long as the benefits were big enough, the caring old father-in-law could still make sacrifices for his good son-in-law.

Takeda Harunobu's condition was 40,000 kan for half of Nishi Ueno!

The entire Nishi Ueno, including Kuragano, Annaka, Matsui, Minowa, Iwagoki and other castles.

The territory had not yet been occupied, but the spoils had to be divided first. It must be said that Oishi Ujiteru really had the style of his father. He rejected all objections and agreed first, and then discussed whether it would succeed or not. First, kill Nagano Yoshimasa in front of him and expand the results of the war.

Originally, Hojo Ujiyasu was dead at this time in history, and many battles in northern Kanto were led by Oishi Ujiteru. Now he is the commander of Hojo Ujinao, with high prestige and momentum, and has won many victories.

In addition to agreeing to Takeda Harunobu's request, Oishi Ujiteru, who was very good at wisdom and command, also hurriedly united Koyama Hidetsuna and Yuki Harutomo to force the lord of Shimosa Sekijuku Castle, Ryoda Harusuke, who had been fighting against the Hojo clan for more than ten years, to surrender.

Ryoda Harusuke was the ruling family of the Koga Shogunate at this time. Once he fell, the entire Koga Shogunate in northern Shimosa collapsed. Once Oishi Ujiteru's flag arrived, surrenders were everywhere.

Ryoda Harusuke, who embraced Ashikaga Yoshiuji, was taken to Matsuyama Castle. The Kanto Shogun surrendered to the enemy!

Matsuyama Castle was still okay, but the armies of Hosokawa Saejo in Koshihata Castle and Nagano Yoshimasa in Sugiyama Castle were devastatingly shaken.

The Yamanouchi family has always been under the banner of Ashikaga, and now Ashikaga Yoshiuji is here, what do you think?

Nagano Yoshimasa is even more difficult to deal with. If you unfold the map of Kanto, you will find that a large area of ​​Ueno protrudes and is connected to Shimosa. Although the people in the southern Ueno area generally follow the Kanrei Uesugi family to fight under the Kanrei.

But it is undeniable that the Kanto general of Shimosa Koga Castle has a very strong influence on these people and families. Big people like Ashikaga Nagao, Tatebayashi Akai, and Kiryu Yura have inextricable ties with the Koga Kubo.

In addition, the atmosphere of the military family is quite strong in Kanto, and the powerful families are more willing to accept these old famous families. The name of the Koga Kubo is really useful.

This is just one aspect. Since the end of the Battle of Kamirugawa, the battles in Nishi-Ueno where Nagano Yoshimasa is located have almost never stopped. He does not have much savings at all, and food is a big problem.

This time, he brought 10,000 Minowa people to make a little fortune in Musashi to make up for the deficit. He also brought tens of thousands of mouths to Musashi to eat the Hojo family, saving food consumption in Ueno.

When he broke into Sugiyama Castle, Nagano Yoshimasa only had eight or nine days of food!

Now it has reached the point where food and aid are exhausted!

No matter how powerful, capable, and brave a general Nagano Yoshimasa is, if he has no food, he has no food. Rice will not fall from the sky. The only thing that falls from the world is the surrender documents of the Hojo army.

A large number of surrender letters written in the name of Ashikaga Yoshiuji were thrown into Sugiyama Castle. The city was originally shaken because of the food problem, and now it is even more chaotic.

Everyone knows that the Minowa clan of the Nagano clan is a self-defense alliance of the people, relying on the status of Nagano Yoshimasa himself as the father-in-law of Ueno, commanding more than a dozen sons-in-law, raising sons-in-law, and brothers-in-law.

In the issue of defending West Ueno, everyone listened to Nagano Yoshimasa's instructions, and whoever dared to attack him would fight him desperately. You can't even imagine the fighting power they exerted.

But now they came out to rob, but they didn't get anything and were surrounded. Being surrounded would be fine, as they had to give their father-in-law some face, but not having food would be life-threatening.

Nagao Kentada of the Umabashi Nagao clan had only a hundred or so riders, a small number of people, and was not the main force under Nagano Yoshimasa. But it is often such an insignificant straw that breaks the camel's back.

Nagao Kentada moved the fence and surrendered to the Hojo army collectively.

The last snowflake before the avalanche fell, and the Takeda army of 8,000 and the Hojo army of 10,000 suddenly launched a strong attack on Sugiyama Castle.

All kinds of troops fled, and there were few resistance. Of course, it was not their fault. They only had a bowl of porridge a day, and they were starving to death.

Hosokawa Saijo, who was nearby, saw the fire inside and outside Sugiyama Castle and the sound of weapons. He knew that the Minowa people were probably finished.

But Hosokawa Saijo was a very loyal person, and it was not easy to break the siege and rush out. But he still had a way to rescue Nagano Yoshimasa who was close at hand.

He led more than a thousand core troops directly under the Yamanouchi clan and launched a quick and strong assault. After all, it was a strong army that fought back and forth with the A army, and opened a small gap from the first-hand troops that besieged the city.

Nagano Yoshimasa and other generals, who had no way to go up to heaven and no way to go down to earth, also led a few capable troops that could be gathered and attacked Koshihata Castle.

When the two armies met, the Takeda Hojo army also surrounded them again. After all, there were more than 55,000 people, and the advantage in military strength was too obvious.

Hosokawa Saime, who saved the defeated soldiers of Nagano, was also forced to retreat to Koshihata. After counting, Yamanouchi lost nearly 200 people, and Nagano lost more than 8,000 people!