Chapter 195 Completely Wrong
Kaihime's Kai-go did not dock. Instead, it anchored a dozen or so feet from the shore and launched itself onto the dock. Just as it came aboard, it heard the news that Shinobu Castle had been sealed off.
"Reporting to you, Your Excellency, it was sealed off more than ten years ago. The Toyotomi family set up checkpoints on all the roads, and now goods going to Oshi Castle can't get through." When Junji saw several samurai-dressed people bowing to Kaihime, he knew that this beautiful woman was the leader, so he quickly replied.
"Has any other news come in? Have any wounded soldiers returned to Edo?"
Xun Er shook his head. He was just a laborer; how could he possibly know the inside story at that level?
No news is good news. Kaihime regained her composure and said to the three brigade commanders who had gathered around, "Have the soldiers take turns putting on their armor and march to Shinobu Castle on foot."
"Hi!"
After the three brigade commanders bowed their heads in agreement, they quickly returned to their respective ships. Shouts rang out continuously, and several gangplanks were lowered onto the ships. Then, Xun Er witnessed a scene he would never forget.
Groups of heavily armored soldiers disembarked first and lined up on the dock. Their dark iron armor exuded a chilling aura, and their orderly ranks added to their imposing presence, making the laborers tremble with fear and their mouths go dry.
Kaihime's personal guard only has three brigades, so calling it a "brigade" is a bit of a stretch. However, each brigade has two hundred heavily armored soldiers and one hundred lightly armored archers. In terms of equipment, they are among the best in the country. Apart from the lack of firearms and the severe shortage of cultivators, they are no different from Qin Mo's troops.
In the end, Xun Er was still "conscripted". The nearly 1,000-strong team had the belongings of 3,000 people, including tents, food, arrows, etc. The heavy armor worn by the soldiers alone weighed 40 to 50 kilograms. If they did not hire civilians, half of the soldiers would have to push carts.
The long procession passed through the Edo port area, attracting a large crowd of onlookers along the way. The people of Edo were worldly-wise, but none of them had ever seen hundreds of armored warriors before. Even samurai might not have had armor.
"This... is the armor of a high-ranking official, but these people are all from Japan... Has Princess Kai returned?"
Upon seeing these people heading towards Shinobu Castle after leaving the city, the people immediately erupted in chaos. What were they going to do? Was Japan, which had been peaceful for several years, about to go to war again?
Several people quietly slipped away from the crowd, rushing off in different directions. Now, all sides are weighing their options, and every decision could affect their ultimate fate.
Narita Ujigami stood atop his castle, gazing at the Toyotomi warriors outside. Tens of thousands of soldiers had completely surrounded Oshi Castle. Although they hadn't attacked yet, the invisible pressure was tormenting.
"Nomura, still no news?" Narita asked calmly without turning around.
"My lord, we have sent three groups of messengers, but none of them have returned. The Toyotomi clan's sudden siege is really strange. If they really want to launch an attack, why did they choose us? Shouldn't they be attacking the Tokugawa clan?"
"Heh! Because our Narita family is the richest, Toyotomi Hideyoshi is gambling with his life, betting that the Great Xia people won't interfere. Hmph! Didn't he realize that our Narita family is not to be trifled with either?"
The cunning and shrewd Narita clan leader still has some tricks up his sleeve. In the past two years, as other powerful families from Great Xia have sent merchant caravans to Japan, the relationship between the various caravans has become increasingly tense. The Narita family, which started earliest, naturally occupies the most lucrative business. This time, the Toyotomi family's bold siege may not be without the secret support of Great Xia.
A rider galloped over from outside the city, drew his bow and shot an arrow, 'shooting' a letter onto the city wall. This was the third letter already.
"Hehe! Guess what conditions Toyotomi Hideyoshi offered?"
After reading the letter, Narita Ujinaga laughed at everyone. In the past, he would have addressed Toyotomi Hideyoshi as "Lord," but now he called him by his given name, which showed the change in his mindset.
"Let the Narita clan relinquish Oshi Castle, let their retainers be incorporated into the Toyotomi family, and I... enter the court as a junior councilor... Haha! What a prestigious position!"
The position of "Shonagon" was the emperor's official document, and it was indeed a very important position in the past. However, if he lost his fiefdom and retainers, Narita Ujinaga, without any support, would be nothing more than a wooden figure managing the official seal for the emperor.
"Are you... willing to become retainers of the Toyotomi family?"
Narita Ujinaga slowly tore the letter to pieces, then turned to ask his samurai retainers.
"Never... never... never."
The Narita family's warriors began to shout. They were used to the Narita family's generous treatment, so why would they want to go to the Toyotomi family and become second-class subjects?
"Whoosh!"
An arrow grazed the edge of the target and flew freely into the distance.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi dejectedly put down his Japanese bow. Hideyoshi, who once shot an arrow at a target 120 paces away without missing at Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto, could not even hit a target 60 paces away. The two-meter-tall Japanese bow seemed to mock how incompetent Hideyoshi, who was only 1.4 meters tall, was.
"Siege the city tomorrow!"
Toyotomi Hideyoshi calmly issued the order. He had no time left, and the news from Da Xia was true, so he should not hesitate any longer. Only by quickly resolving the war could he catch that person off guard.
“Brother, please don’t make a move this time. I’ve gone out to meet friends with you. If that person takes his anger out on me, it’s fine if only I die. My Toyotomi family must have someone left to support the overall situation.”
Toyotomi Hidenaga did not try to persuade Hideyoshi any further, and silently nodded and left. According to the news from Great Xia, Prince Heng's cultivation level was already at the top of the Profound Realm. If he came in anger, the Toyotomi family would probably have no one to stop him. It would be difficult to know whether those Great Xia civil officials could keep their promise.
Secondly, the soldiers guarding the walls of Oshi Castle were shocked to discover that the Toyotomi army had already completed their siege preparations under cover of darkness and were just waiting for dawn.
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