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Volume 1 Chapter 1669 The situation is over

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    After Honda Masato escaped with a group of his vassal officials and vassal troops, Itakura Shigemune, Takagi Kiyoshi and others finally despaired of the situation in Himeji Castle. They knew that Himeji Castle could no longer hold its ground under such a situation.  They couldn't even delay any longer, so they quickly chose to escape that night.  Because the matter was in a hurry, Itakura Shigemune only took a group of his own guards to evacuate the troops, without even informing other troops of his evacuation, and just escaped from the city - he also intended to let these troops stay.  The people continued to resist the Han invaders, giving them time to evacuate smoothly.  But the news of the general's escape quickly spread throughout the city, which also caused the already severely damaged morale of the defenders in the city to fall even further to the bottom.  After Itakura Shigemune escaped from the city, he quickly took away all the remaining shogunate troops outside the city, and there were no more reinforcements in the city.  At this time, a new round of attacks by the siege army also started again. With the help of artillery fire, they launched a carefully prepared general attack, and this time Tachibana Muneshige was personally in charge of the command.  Under the increasingly desperate situation, except for a very small number of die-hard elements, most of the defenders in the city no longer had the will to resist. They either retreated or simply chose to surrender. Moreover, these die-hard elements were quickly wiped out.  All done.  As Itakura Shigemune expected, the resistance in Himeji Castle was quickly quelled, and with the elimination of the last resistance force, Himeji Castle fell into the hands of the Han army.  If it hadn't been for him escaping in advance, I'm afraid neither he nor Gao Muqing would have been able to escape.  After the last sporadic resistance was resolved, Tachibana Muneshige announced the victory to Zhou Pu outside the city, which also plunged the entire army into jubilation.  In the past few days, due to the huge casualties of the siege army, troops from outside the city have been mobilized into the city for reinforcements again and again, which has also brought inexplicable psychological pressure to the entire army. They are afraid that it will be their turn to be transferred into the city and become an inconspicuous corner of the city.  Remains.  But if it weren't for the war team supervising the battle and the help of the big man's cannon, I'm afraid this army would have been unable to support it before.  Now that they heard the news that Himeji Castle had finally fallen, everyone was naturally jubilant.  Zhou Pu was no less excited than them. These days, he had been worried about this city. Although the casualties were all cannon fodder in his eyes, the heavy losses caused by the artillery fire still made him worried.  It felt a little distressing, but fortunately, he suppressed the wavering in the army and unswervingly sent troops for reinforcements, finally suppressing the city.  This was the fiercest battle he had encountered since he attacked north from the Maori family's territory, and it was also the battle where he truly realized the brutality of the battle.  The smooth march of the army before made him feel arrogant, but now that he has witnessed it with his own eyes, he realizes how cruel the war is. In order to commend Tachibana Muneshige for his contribution, he personally ordered to reward the warriors who bravely attacked the city, especially those who fought bravely to attack the city.  In the end, he led his army to make the final decision and finally captured Tachibana Munege of Himeji Castle.  While awarding Tachibana Muneshige and others, he also led his subordinates into Himeji Castle.  The destruction of Himeji Castle along the way was shocking to him, and the piles of corpses scattered all over the place made it even more unbearable for him to read. However, as the commander of an army now, he must set an example for others, so he put it in his heart.  He concealed his discomfort and issued orders one after another, urging the troops in the city to rest and recuperate. At the same time, he began to collect the corpses and clean up the traces of the war.  Led by Tachibana Muneshige and others, he came to the castle tower in the city - this was also the place where Itakura Shigemune commanded his men to fight.  During the previous war, due to artillery fire and thick smoke, the sky above Himeji Castle was always filled with black smoke and dust. Although it gradually faded away now, it was still a bit blurry when you climbed up and looked into the distance. However, Zhou Pu now  He didn't have the heart to sigh from the window, he had more important things to do.  "Itakura Shigemune, was he giving orders here before?" Looking at the furnishings in the castle tower, Zhou Pu frowned slightly, "It seems that he is very anxious these days, things are so messy." "He risked it.  The world is so cruel that it is unfair to fight against the heavenly soldiers and let so many people die in the war. Nijo Yasudou said bitterly, "It's a shame that he was allowed to escape. Otherwise, if he fell into our hands, we would never spare him."  "Life!" "Even if he runs away, we can still pursue them and see if we can intercept them." At this time, Tachibana Munushige suddenly said, "They are fleeing in a hurry, and their speed must not be fast, and they are panic-stricken. As long as we can."  If you intercept them, you can definitely defeat them!" "Pursue?" Upon hearing Tachibana Munashige say this, the other generals hesitated.  During these days of attack, their men?The troops suffered huge losses, and the remaining people were also very tired. Everyone had the idea that they could no longer attack now and wanted to take a good rest and recover. Tachibana Muneshige suddenly proposed to pursue, and everyone else felt very embarrassed.  "Minister of the Ministry of War, our army needs to rest now, so we should not pursue it for now, right?" Yasudou Nijo expressed his objection because he had suffered the greatest loss. "The soldiers are exhausted both physically and mentally now and need some time to recover." "We are physically and mentally exhausted.  If they are exhausted, they must be even more exhausted physically and mentally. They have just been defeated, and now is the time to flee in a hurry. They are more vulnerable than us!" Tachibana Munesege did not change his opinion, "Now is the best time for us to pursue them.  As long as we continue to attack behind them, they will definitely not be able to withstand the blow. Even if they can't capture Itakura Shigemune alive, at least the rest of his troops can be defeated. Sir, please don't delay the opportunity! " At this time, he has already!  I requested it directly from Zhou Pu.  Seeing how sincere he was, Zhou Pu secretly considered his opinion.  Itakura Shigemune and others had already escaped two days in advance, but they certainly couldn't run too far in two days, and they were now a defeated army, and they definitely had no fighting spirit. If they could really be pursued, then they should  Able to deal another heavy blow to the enemy.  In addition, if the enemy troops flee in such a hurry, the local order will definitely be in chaos along the way. At this time, it is the best time for us to expand the occupied area. If we do not use this opportunity to shake people's hearts to expand the results as soon as possible, it will be really difficult.  What a pity.  As they move farther away from the place where troops are dispatched, the distance and difficulty of supplying the front line from the rear are also increasing. Therefore, if a large occupied area can be opened up as soon as possible in the rich Kinki area, these supply problems can definitely be alleviated to a great extent.  However, he also knew the current situation of his subordinates. Most of the troops led by Yasudou Nijo were newly recruited soldiers. They had already suffered heavy casualties during the previous siege and were now exhausted. If they were forced to pursue them again, they might really be in trouble.  is about to collapse.  In this case, let¡¯s just take care of both ends.  After weighing it, he quickly made a decision.  "Okay, let's follow General Tachibana's words and pursue the pursuit immediately. However except for the troops directly under General Tachibana, the troops that participated in the siege before stayed in the city to rest and did not participate in the pursuit. Presumably  Now that the enemy has suffered heavy losses, there is no need for our entire army to pursue them, General Tachibana" He looked at Tachibana Muneshige, "Next, you will be responsible for leading the pursuit army. Be sure to include the Kinki area into our army as soon as possible.  In your hands!" After this period of running-in and understanding, Tachibana Munashige has gained his trust. In terms of ability and obedience, Tachibana Munashige is much better than others, so Zhou Pu simply chooses to delegate power directly.  Let Tachibana Muneshige sweep the surrounding areas for him as soon as possible.  "I will never let you down, sir!" Tachibana Muneshige immediately bowed his head, "I will set off tonight, and I will never give Itakura Shigemune and others a chance to breathe." "Okay! Great! Fortunately, I have the general to help me.  Our journey will be so smooth" Zhou Pu couldn't help but laugh, "Okay, now it's time to reward based on merit" With these meaningful words, he turned to look  Nijo Yasudou said, "Master Youfu, I said before that whoever can capture Himeji Castle and seize the castle tower into the hands of our army will be given a land of 200,000 stone General Tachibana led his men to attack the castle tower.  Pavilion, he captured this city for our army, and he deserves the 200,000 stone seal, right?" Nijo Yasudou looked a little ugly, but he still nodded.  "General Tachibana is brave and resourceful, and has led his men to achieve extraordinary feats many times. He is truly a pillar of the imperial court, so a reward is naturally indispensable. The fiefdom mentioned by your Excellency will definitely be reported to the monarch for recognition. In addition, I will also let the imperial court recognize it.  I will never fail to give him a title. "During the siege, the troops that suffered the most casualties were his subordinates. Now that the huge reward has been directly snatched away by Tachibana Muneshige, he must be feeling a little unhappy.  However, it was already a fait accompli that he would be rewarded with Tachibana Muneshige, and there was nothing he could do to change it. The Han envoy was willing to inform him before granting the reward, and doing so in the name of the imperial court had already given him face.  Now it is very important for him to maintain a rightful name to the court, and Tachibana Muneshige is also worthy of the court's win over.  "Thank you, sir!" Tachibana Muneshige thanked them both again.  Although he was still calm on the surface, he was very happy inside.  When he took refuge with the envoys of the Han Dynasty before, he had already received the promise from the envoys of the Han Dynasty to grant him a territory of 500,000 shi after the war, and now he has received an additional 200,000 shi, which means that now he will be rewarded with 500,000 shi after the war.There will be a territory of 700,000 shi - and judging from the Han envoy's previous behavior, as long as he continues to perform well in the future, he will definitely be granted another title.  ¡°Perhaps, I can become a million-koku daimyo after the war¡ªsuch an idea suddenly crossed his mind.  Before, he was under Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Although he was highly appreciated, he was only given a territory of more than 100,000 koku at most. After so many ups and downs, he had seen through the world and had a deep understanding of the Yanagawa Domain.  He was very satisfied with his territory and planned to live here for the rest of his life. Unexpectedly, when he was dying in his old age, he actually got great use because of the envoys sent by the Han Dynasty, and he might even become one of the biggest daimyo in Japan.  ¡° Life is impermanent, Tachibana Muneshige has painfully realized it.  The generous rewards from the Han envoys also gave Tachibana Muneshige the feeling that a scholar would die for his confidant. He hoped to use his own efforts to repay the other party's respect for him.  After awarding Tachibana Muneshige, Zhou Pu also began to award large-scale awards to useful soldiers in the castle tower.  In order to appease the mood of Nijo Yasuchi and others, he deliberately awarded many soldiers of the Japanese imperial army.  However, considering the Japanese court's strict requirements on territory, he only rewarded these soldiers in gold and silver, not territory.  At this time, Togo Shigekata also came to the castle tower to accept the reward from Zhou Pu.  When he saw Dongxiang Shigefang, an old acquaintance, Zhou Pu's eyes lit up, then he left the others behind and walked straight to Dongxiang Shigefang.  "Dongxiang, long time no see!" He smiled and greeted the other party.  But in the face of his enthusiasm, Togo Shigekata was slightly at a loss.  ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????OUT out outright, he came to the side of the Han envoy as a guard, but at that time the other party was in danger, and the two became friends.  But now everything is different from what it used to be. He is now the master of all armies. The envoys of the Han Dynasty who speak the truth, even the ministers of the court and the lords of various places must obey him respectfully. He, Dongxiang Shifang, is just an intermediary.  He was just a feudal lord, so how could he be so friendly to him?  "Greetings, sir!" With this thought, he bowed down respectfully.  He was so solemn that Zhou Pu was stunned for a moment, and then he couldn't help but laugh again.  "Don't be so solemn! We were friends before, and you helped me so much. Now that you are so angry, aren't you making things difficult for me?" "Sir" Togo Shigekata hesitated, not knowing what to do.  .  "Okay, don't be so reserved, just treat me like you did before." Zhou Pu smiled and patted his shoulder, "I have heard about your deeds during the siege before. I admire you very much. You are indeed a hero."  It¡¯s great that the lord of the noble domain did not misjudge the person.¡± Zhou Pu¡¯s words brought back Togo Shigekata¡¯s memories, and the tragic scenes in the city came to his eyes again.  How can the hard work and sacrifices at that time be summed up by just "what a hero"?  "Now that you are a hero of our army, you must be rewarded for your military exploits." While he was still recalling, Zhou Pu continued, "I plan to make you a famous person. Are you willing to do it?" Because  In the past, Togo Shigekata followed him wholeheartedly, but now Zhou Pu also plans to repay him heavily. With his military exploits in the city, he will be given a territory of 10,000 to 20,000 koku, so that he can break away from Satsuma Domain and become an independent daimyo.  My own way of giving back to him.  Zhou Pu feels that as a samurai, becoming a daimyo should be a lifelong wish. Now that it has come true because of his words, he should be very grateful to himself.  However, after waiting for a while, he did not get any expression of gratitude from Togo Shigekata. Instead, he still opened his eyes in confusion, as if he was in a daze.  ??I¡¯m afraid that you haven¡¯t turned around yet after fighting in the city for days and nights, right?  Zhou Pu thought to himself.  "What do you think of this reward?" he asked again.  "Sir, can you agree to the next request?" At this time, Dongxiang Shigefang suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhou Pu.  "Please tell me?" Zhou Pu was slightly surprised.  He has given him generously enough, and if he asks for more, it would be a bit dishonest.  "Sir our army suffered great losses during this attack on the city. Many of these dead soldiers were more courageous than me. It was they who sacrificed their lives so that our army could attack this city so we  Compared with their achievements, Dongxiang Shigefang looked at Zhou Pu and said sincerely, "So, I would like to ask you to order a memorial hall to be built in the city.?, pay homage to these dead soldiers so that their heroic spirits can rest in peace.  " Zhou Pu was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that the other party would actually make such a request in front of him. However, he quickly nodded. "Okay, thank you for reminding me. I will order a monument to be erected in this city.  " Then, he sighed slightly, and then patted Togo Shigekata on the shoulder again, as if to tell him, "When you become a daimyo, you must also remember to care for the people you lead" Togo Shigekata knelt down directly.  On the ground, he kowtowed heavily to Zhou Pu, "Thank you, sir!"  Your kindness will never be forgotten!  " " Let's continue to fight well in the future.  "Zhou Pu waved his hand, indicating that he should leave first. Under Zhou Pu's order, the restoration work in the city quickly began, and Tachibana Munemo also led troops out of the city to advance towards Kinai, and began to pursue the defeated soldiers of the shogunate. " Just like Tachibana.  Muneshige expected that the shogunate troops that Itakura Shigemune took away from Himeji Castle had no intention of fighting while fleeing, and their marching speed was extremely slow, so he quickly pursued them all the way and quickly defeated these troops again. Most of them were defeated.  They were killed and captured, and the few surviving officers and soldiers were scattered into the mountains and forests. They could no longer compete with the Han army and fled all the way. In the end, they simply abandoned their troops and fled back to Kyoto with Takagi Qing.  After the defeat of the shogunate army in the Himeji Domain, the situation began to become even worse for them. Bei Chu and Bei Hou fell, and the Iwami Kingdom and Izumo Kingdom in the mountains also gradually fell. The Western Kingdom had all fallen into the hands of the enemy.  Now that Harima Kingdom has fallen, Kinei has opened its doors. The Han army has advanced all the way to Tango Kingdom and Settsu Kingdom, and its troops are directed towards Kyoto. The fact that the Han army has broken into Kinki has also made the people of Kinei even more unstable.  Kinki wealthy merchants began to turn to the Han Dynasty more and more, and supplies were continuously sent to them. Osaka and Sakai City themselves had been out of the control of the shogunate due to the lack of military strength, and they were waiting for the Han army to come to take over.  Everyone can see that the situation of the shogunate is over.
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