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Chapter 1663 The inevitable battle

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    As Zhou Pu marched smoothly, good news came one by one. Just after he sent back all the wealthy businessmen who asked to see him, good news also came from Kyushu after learning of his request.  Afterwards, after a short period of consideration, Zhao Song agreed to transfer the siege artillery among the generals to Zhou Pu, allowing them to use these heavy weapons to break through the fortress cities along the way.  At this time, Huang Changguo, the counselor beside him, had already occupied Kojima County, which they planned to occupy, and then seized the port in the county, allowing the Han Navy to transport cannons to Honshu Island to meet their needs.  Because these cannons are considered important military weapons and are very important to our army, Zhou Pu and others decided not to let the Japanese come into contact with these cannons. Instead, they asked the Han soldiers among their subordinates to be responsible for receiving and transporting the cannons.  These cannons are huge in size and must be disassembled before they can be transported to the ship. Then they have to be reassembled when they arrive at the shore, and then transported on special artillery carts. The transportation speed is better and slower, and it takes a while before they can be transported to the frontline army.  There were not many Han soldiers in his hands to begin with, and even fewer after they were divided into a group. Zhou Pu knew that the army in his hands seemed to be powerful, but in fact there were not many elite forces that he could rely on. In addition, now there were  He needed to wait for the artillery to be transported to the frontline army, so during this period he remained stationary and did not seek combat with the enemy on the opposite side.  What's more, he also knows that the origin and composition of his army are very complicated and difficult to unite. They need strict restraint before they can join the war. Now is definitely not the time to seek a decisive battle with the enemy.  They reversed their previous state of vigorous advancement and stayed put. However, the shogunate army did not use this opportunity to attack first. They only carried out small-scale harassment. At the same time, they seized the time to consolidate the city defense and did their best to increase Himeji Castle's defense capabilities.  However, during this period of calm, the Kinki region also began to fall into chaos.  The Han have landed on Honshu Island, and the shogunate has been unable to expel them for a long time. Instead, they are retreating steadily. No matter how many explanations the shogunate gives for this, from the perspective of the Kinki people who bear the brunt, it is proof that the shogunate is no longer able to defeat the Han.  Because of historical reasons, the residents here did not have much favorable impression of the shogunate. The precarious situation of the shogunate and the forced abduction and relocation of civilians further fueled their antipathy towards the shogunate.  In accordance with the order of the shogunate, the shogunate's army relocated a large number of people and materials in Kinki, and the shogunate's officers and soldiers secretly took advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune and plunder everywhere, and even worse, caused complaints from all over the place.  At this time, the imperial court began to raise its banner in Kinki, which made people's hearts in these areas even more volatile. No matter what, the imperial court was the country's orthodoxy after all, and people were psychologically more willing to have the imperial court at least return.  Forced removal.  Originally, the people in these areas wanted to flee because they were afraid that the Han would be burning, killing and looting everywhere. However, in the past few days, the Han had marched all the way without any brutal killings. Although there were occasional rumors of looting, compared to what the shogunate army had promoted,  The image has improved a lot.  The fear of the Han Dynasty gradually subsided, and the imperial court carried out propaganda and endorsement. As a result, the fleeing wave of Kinki people gradually stopped. Except for some people who were forcibly moved away by the shogunate army, most people were prepared to stay in the local area and wait.  The Han army and the imperial court entered Luo, and even some people who had been moved escaped halfway and slipped back.  In such a psychological environment, the powerful Kinki merchants who secretly communicated with Zhou Pu were even more confident. After they returned, they quickly fulfilled their promise and tried their best to raise a large amount of food and transport it by sea ship to the seaport controlled by the Han army.  among.  At the same time, they also followed Zhou Pu's order and collected a large amount of intelligence from various regions and reported it to Zhou Pu.  For the status of the franchised businessmen promised by Zhou Pu, these wealthy businessmen have been mobilized, and without any hesitation, they are rushing to be the first.  With their restraints, Zhou Pu had a clear understanding of the fact that people in Kinei were unstable and supplies were not flowing smoothly. He even had a rough idea of ??the military deployment and strength of the shogunate.  Relying on the support of these powerful Kinki merchants, Zhou Pu's army accumulated a large amount of food, and the originally tight logistics supply began to ease, and the shogunate's hard work was in vain at any time.  At this time, the Japanese court also became anxious. Emperor Masahito also sent his right minister Yasudou Nijo, who had always been good with Zhou Pu, intending to let him build momentum and banner for Zhou Pu, and secretly urge him to march as soon as possible.  No one wants to fight back to Kinki as soon as possible than this group of ministers. Ever since they escaped, they have dreamed of fighting back to Luo Jing and then directly ruling the world.  After Zhou Pu led his army northward, they earnestly hoped that he could march smoothly and break into Ji Nei as soon as possible.  ??After Zhou Pu slowed down his advance, they were more anxious than anyone else, hoping that Zhou Pu could re-enter the army as soon as possible.  Their approach, which had no military common sense, was naturally not adopted by Zhou Pu. However, because the Japanese court was of great use to the Han Dynasty after all, and it had already recruited a military force through Hashimoto Mimamura's efforts, so  Zhou Pu did not directly reject their request, but shied away from it with various reasons and refused to launch an attack before it was ready.  Although Nijo Yasudou was anxious, he did not dare to be rude to Zhou Pu, so he had to patiently persuade Zhou Pu and compliment Zhou Pu in various ways to make him feel the sincerity of the court.  Just when the two of them were involved in their own thoughts, as the preparations came to an end, Huang Changguo finally returned to the army with the cannon.  After these long-awaited cannons arrived in the army, Zhou Pu put aside all his previous doubts and began to prepare for a general attack on Himeji Castle and even the Kinki area with the assistance of Huang Changguo.  Under his orders, his generals and daimyo began to redeploy their troops. A large number of troops poured out of the resting camps and pressed towards Himeji Castle dozens of miles away.  At this time, there was also a commotion in Himeji Castle, as if feeling the tense atmosphere brought about by the intensive preparations of the Han army during this period.  The main castle tower in the center of the city, because of its highest location and tightest defense, became the residence of Itakura Jumune, the head of Kyoto. And because he was here, it became the temporary nerve center of the shogunate's army in the entire Kinki region.  .  Since the Han army began to approach the territory of Harimo Kingdom, a large number of people have been coming and going here every day, passing news and documents everywhere, which has also made the atmosphere here more solemn.  Almost as soon as the Han army began to redeploy, the sentries and reconnaissance cavalry walking everywhere had already conveyed the enemy's movements here in detail, and they no longer had any luck.  "Judging from the current situation, the Han Dynasty is about to launch a general attack on us." In the hall of the castle tower, Itakura Shigemune solemnly looked around at the group of kneeling daimyo and samurai in front of him, "Gentlemen  , The time to repay the shogunate's great kindness is coming. " He said very calmly, while others also behaved differently, some were calm, some were excited, and some seemed obviously scared.  Ever since the Han army came to their front, the pressure brought by this army had always made them nervous. Even though they knew they would definitely attack, when the day came, there were still many  One cannot help but be afraid.  Among these fearful people is Honda Masatomo, the lord of Himeji Domain.  He has been pampered since he was a child and his health is not particularly good, so he has always hated killing, and he is even more reluctant to risk his life in such an unnecessary disaster.  "Sir, Sir, is there no problem with Himeji Castle's defense now?" In the silence, he shrank and asked hesitantly.  "Although the defense of Himeji Castle is very strong, we have heard that the Han invaders have sharp artillery fire. If we don't deal with it carefully, we may suffer a big loss." "According to the intelligence sent from the front line, the Han invaders specially transported some cannons from the sea.  And the cannons have been transported to their army." A nearby retainer added to the feudal lord, "These cannons must have been specially prepared for attacking Himeji Castle" Although the retainer stopped talking, everyone said.  Everyone has understood his subtext. The Han army has been very calm these days, obviously waiting for the support of these cannons. And since these cannons are worth their wait, their power can be imagined.  When thinking of the scene of being bombarded by overwhelming artillery fire, everyone seemed to have a heavy stone in their hearts, and the atmosphere became even more depressing.  In this silence, Itakura Shigemune looked at Honda Masatomo calmly.  "I have heard about the news that the Han army is deploying cannons. So, what do the feudal lord think we should do about them?" Because the other party's tone was a little scary, Honda Masamo became even more uneasy, but his desire to survive made him nervous.  He gained courage and raised his head to look at Itakura Shigemune.  "Sir, the Han invaders' artillery fire is sharp. If we are passively beaten, it will definitely cause heavy losses to our army, not to mention that the army is now gathered around the small Himeji Castle, and there is no room for detours. So.  So I think we should take a proactive approach, either attack directly, attack the Han invaders while they are arrogant and arrogant, and destroy their cannons; oror retreat and let our army get  There will be enough room for maneuver, and then we can mobilize more reinforcements from the rear, so that we can fight the Han invaders again in Kinki!" After he finished speaking??I paused intentionally to observe Itakura Shigemune's attitude, but the other party remained unmoved, as if he hadn't heard anything.  His idea seemed to be about progress and retreat, but in fact it was all about planning for retreat. Now that the Han invaders were so arrogant and victorious along the way, how could Itakura Shigemune rashly send an army out of the city to fight the Han invaders?  ?  His real focus was to persuade the other party to let the army retreat, while also providing him with an opportunity to escape Himeji.  Seeing that the other party was not angry, Masato Honda became bolder and continued to speak, "Sir, when I say retreat, I do not mean to abandon Himeji Castle. It means to let a small number of people stay here and the majority of the people to retreat."  , to win space for our army. Himeji Castle is complete. Even if only a few people are left, I believe we can delay the Han invaders for a long time. During this time, we can re-defense within the territory and gain more from Kanto.  At that time, we would be more confident in fighting the Han invaders with this kind of tactics, and it would be more in line with the general's purpose of keeping the country clear and waiting for work. " "What about you, Lord? If Himeji Castle is lost, how will you deal with it?"  Itakura Shigemune suddenly asked coldly, "Do you want to stay in Himeji Castle with a small number of people and coexist with the feudal castle?" Honda Masato could certainly hear the sarcasm in this rhetorical question, but  His life was at stake, and he could only hold back the embarrassment in his heart.  "Sir, if you adopt my strategy, I am willing to go to Edo to seek more support for you! Our family is the most trusted daimyo of the shogunate, and and our family is quite influential in the shogunate, if we can  If I were to speak for you, I would be more able to persuade the general!" In order to survive, he ignored his dignity and begged Itakura Shigemune to let him return to Edo.  However, his words did not move Itakura Shigemune, but instead made his smile become even colder.  "Masato Honda, you are right. Your Honda family is one of the closest daimyo to the shogunate, far above our Itakura family" He sneered, stood up gently, and then  Suddenly he shouted at Masato Honda, "But the Tokugawa family is so kind to your family and you, why at this moment, you don't want to repay, but just want to escape!" He said this  He shouted loudly, which made Masamoto Honda's face paler in shock, and even his body trembled slightly. Others also looked shocked and did not dare to express their anger.  "Himeji Castle is the gateway to Kinai. As long as you leave Himeji Castle, it is a smooth road to Kinai. There is no fortress that can compare with Himeji Castle along the way" Itakura Shigemune glanced at the group of people in front of him.  He continued speaking sternly, "If we have to retreat because the Han invaders sent cannons, and hand over Himeji Castle, what will happen next? When other cities encounter Han invaders' cannons, will we?  Do you want to retreat all the way to Kanto, and even give up Edo to the Han invaders? "Honda Masato wanted to defend himself, but because Lord Toshidai seemed angry, he didn't dare for a moment.  Talk again.  "I know that you are afraid of the Han invaders and don't want to fight them, let alone accept their artillery fire here But I want to tell you that we must not retreat now. Even if there are Han invaders' cannons in front of us, we must resist them.  Here, let the Han invaders see the will of the samurai!" Itakura Shigemune continued to encourage them, "Besides, Himeji Castle is built on a mountain, and there are many high-rise buildings and trenches in the city. It cannot be easily leveled by just artillery fire.  No matter how fierce the Han invaders' artillery fire is, they will eventually send troops to fight with us, and then we can fight them house by house and let them shed their blood! " Itakura Shigemune knew that the task given to him by the shogunate was to do this!  Consume the strength of the Han invaders here to let them understand that the shogunate will never be easily defeated, and then use this situation to force them to negotiate peace with the shogunate.  And he, who had made serious mistakes before, no longer had the capital to continue making mistakes, and could only make meritorious deeds.  Therefore, although Honda Masato's suggestion is not unreasonable, he absolutely cannot adopt it. He can only lead his army to fight against the Han invaders here. Even if he exchanges his life for his life, he still has to satisfy the general.  And in order to achieve this goal, he must show unflinching willpower so that no one can waver.  Under everyone's fearful gaze, Itakura Shigemune suddenly pulled out his sword from his waist, and then slashed it hard at the table next to him. The sharp blade cut off the table neatly, and also brought a sound.  There was a loud bang.  "The shogunate has favored us people for so many years, and now it's time for us to repay the favor. We samurai can only repay the lord's kindness with our lives, without any hesitation. Everyone must already know the deeds of Mr. Naito, right? He is here  He tried his best to resist the Han invaders on Kyushu Island, and after exhaustion, he died by caesarean section and repaid the shogun's kindness." Shigemune Itakura held it!Knife, looked at the group of subordinates fiercely, and then pointed at the table that had been chopped into two pieces.  "What Mr. Naito did is a role model for us. From now on, if anyone dares to say anything about retreating, if anyone dares to slack off and not fight against the Han invaders, then this is what he will end up with!" Ben, who has turned pale!  Tamasaki no longer dared to speak. He lay trembling on the ground. Others were frightened by Itakura Shigemune and no longer dared to think about retreating. Instead, they all stated that they would fight to the death with the Han invaders.  In the end, I will never let down the kindness of the General.  After everyone was called away to prepare for the battle, Itakura Shigemune put the sword back into the scabbard on his waist. His anger also disappeared, leaving only calm.  "Your Excellency is really impassioned, and you are worthy of being a pillar of the shogunate!" Takagi Qing, the envoy sent by Lao Zhongbi Doi Toshikatsu, complimented him.  "If everyone in the shogunate was like an adult, how could today's disaster happen again!" "How was the conversation with the Han invaders?" Itakura Shigemune ignored his compliment and asked directly.  After the failure of the initial contact, Gao Muqing contacted Dahan again during this period, carefully testing the bottom line of the negotiation.  "The Han invaders still refused to give in." Takagi Qing shook his head, which also cut off Itakura Shigemune's last trace of luck.  "This battle is inevitable." Itakura Shigemune sighed and looked seriously into the distance.  Under his sight, the distant sky and cumulus clouds seemed to vaguely resemble a huge creature, and this ferocious monster was pressing towards him bit by bit.
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