Chapter 197: All of This Was Not Easy!
Okabe Motonobu was a veteran retainer of the Imagawa family. His grandfather was even the victor of the previous Imagawa family succession dispute, and the Okabe family contributed significantly to Imagawa Yoshimoto successfully becoming the head of the family.
Okabe Motonobu himself was a seasoned warrior who had earned military merit in the Second Battle of Azukizaka. He also played a part in scaling the walls of Anshō Castle by piling up earth and capturing Oda Nobuhide’s eldest illegitimate son.
Therefore, he was highly trusted by Imagawa Yoshimoto, who ordered him to replace the Yamaguchi family and become the lord of Narumi Castle.
He was now proving his worth. Amidst the panic after Imagawa Yoshimoto’s death, he managed to defend Narumi Castle despite the unstable morale of the troops. The vassal local lords of the Oda family attacked for three days, leaving behind over a thousand corpses without breaching the defenses.
Yuan Ye’s prayers had been answered. He had finally encountered a competent Imagawa samurai and breathed a long sigh of relief. He took the opportunity to vigorously repair the castle defenses, transport provisions and ammunition, build rock fortresses at key locations along the south bank of the Odaka River, and continue to dispatch troops to drive the Chita local lords out of the territory.
Soon, an envoy from Oda Nobunaga arrived, demanding that Yuan Ye withdraw from Odaka Castle and lead his forces to attack Narumi Castle.
Yuan Ye refused without even meeting the envoy.
He was determined to annex the Chita Peninsula and was prepared for a direct confrontation with Oda Nobunaga.
With the Imagawa family in retreat and the Oda family making a comeback, this was a rare window of opportunity on the Chita Peninsula. If he missed this chance, he would not have another opportunity for territorial expansion.
Moreover, Oda Nobunaga had not yet taken Mino, had not formed an alliance with the Tokugawa family or the Azai family, and had not completely subdued the Owari local lords. His strength was not yet at its peak.
If he didn’t seize this opportunity now, it would only become more difficult later, and he would likely be trapped on the Chita Peninsula.
Of course, it was better to avoid fighting if possible. He had only managed to muster two thousand field troops after years of effort. If Oda Nobunaga were to charge in with over ten thousand men, even if he could wear down the Oda family by staying within the castle, he himself would be severely weakened.
Therefore, when Niwa Nagahide, representing Oda Nobunaga, came to demand an explanation, Yuan Ye received him courteously.
Niwa Nagahide had a good personal relationship with him, considering him a friend. He was also Oda Nobunaga’s son-in-law and held a sufficiently high position. Upon meeting him, he directly complained, “Sanlang, what are you up to again? Lord Kazusa-no-suke is very angry. You should go to Ryusenji Castle and apologize immediately!”
Oda Nobunaga was currently stationed at Ryusenji Castle, directing the siege of Narumi Castle.
Yuan Ye smiled, poured him a cup of loose tea （ brewed from loose tea ）, and frankly stated, “I am only expanding my territory and clearing out the remnants of the Imagawa family. There’s no need for an apology, is there?”
Niwa Nagahide was surprised that he spoke so openly. After a moment of silence, he said, “His Highness will not agree with you acting so independently.”
Yuan Ye remained unmoved, pushed the tea towards him, and said calmly, “I have never been a vassal of the Oda family, nor am I a vassal local lord of the Oda family. I do not need anyone’s permission to do what I do.”
Niwa Nagahide was stunned for a moment. During the Owari unification war, Yuan Ye had been very cooperative. He had never refused any task assigned by Oda Nobunaga and had routinely supplied military materials like matchlock guns and gunpowder at low prices, appearing to be a very strong and useful vassal local lord.
After more than two years, he had almost forgotten that Yuan Ye was not a member of the Oda family. As long as he did not attack the Oda family or assist their enemies, he indeed had no obligation to report any situation to them and was entitled to act independently.
Furthermore, Yuan Ye was not attacking the Oda family now. He was merely taking over the territory left behind by the retreating Imagawa forces, and there were no issues with him in terms of morality or legality.
As for the Chita local lords he had driven away, although they would naturally return to the Oda family’s banner after the Imagawa family’s retreat, they were still considered part of the Imagawa family when they were driven out. Niwa Nagahide could not fault Yuan Ye on this point, as it would be too shameless, and he was a person of upright and gentle disposition, incapable of such actions.
He was momentarily stumped, while Yuan Ye spoke directly and asked again, “So, what is Lord Kazusa-no-suke’s intention now? To stand up for the remnants of the Imagawa family and actively break the alliance to attack an ally?”
Niwa Nagahide looked at Yuan Ye speechlessly for a moment. The Chita Peninsula belonged to Owari, and Owari implicitly belonged to the Oda family. Now Yuan Ye had seized a province from them and was trying to pin the blame of breaking the alliance on them…
However, as before, from a moral and legal perspective, this still did not constitute Yuan Ye initiating an attack first. It could only be said that his luck was extremely good, and his reaction was extremely fast, allowing him to seize the Imagawa family’s “inheritance” first.
He had come to demand an explanation, but Yuan Ye was slippery and had not violated the alliance in any way.
He gave up, feeling that such matters could not be resolved by “diplomacy” alone. Shaking his head, he sighed, “Forget it, I can’t argue with you. I’ll let His Highness speak with you later!”
Such a major dispute involving an entire province could not be settled by mere words; it would depend on the strength of both sides and a careful consideration of the gains and losses.
Yuan Ye was well aware of this, which was why he had put Xin Wanjin on a war footing long ago and was now mobilizing all able-bodied and strong men for defensive preparations. Over four thousand men represented all the resources he could muster, apart from the necessary defense force for Xin Wanjin. Xin Wanjin had ceased all production and was now living off its reserves.
He did not dwell on the issue of who broke the alliance and instead inquired about the situation of the Niwa family: “I heard that Lord Niwa Uemon has died in battle?”
Niwa Uemon’s full name was Niwa Uemon Genpei, and he was Niwa Nagahide’s paternal uncle. Before the Battle of Okehazama, Oda Nobunaga had ordered him to lead several hundred men from Iwasaku Castle in a desperate attack on Narumi Castle to cover Oda Nobunaga’s main force as it stealthily advanced towards Mount Bu Road.
Niwa Nagahide had no reason to hide such a matter, as Yuan Ye would send someone to contribute to the funeral expenses later.
He sighed and said, “Yes, not only my uncle, but Lord Sassa Hayato-no-shō （ Masatsugu) and Lord Maeno Ko-bei also died in battle.”
The “special detachment” sent to cover Oda Nobunaga’s surprise attack on Imagawa Yoshimoto was almost wiped out. After all, over a thousand men divided into three groups, actively attacking four to five thousand, was indeed a suicide mission.
Yuan Ye shook his head, feeling a sense of “one general’s success is built on ten thousand bones.” But he immediately asked with concern, “What about Lord Sassa Narimasa?”
“Lord Sassa Narimasa was severely wounded and is currently recuperating in Atsuta,” Niwa Nagahide said, assuming he had a good relationship with the Sassa family. He quickly added, “But don’t worry, he is the only male heir of the Sassa family left. His Highness has ordered that he be properly cared for, and he should be fine.”
Yuan Ye nodded slightly. The Sassa family was also unlucky. Their fief was near Atsuta Shrine, but their entire family was forced onto the battlefield by Oda Nobunaga and assigned a most unfortunate mission. As a result, almost all the adult males of the Sassa family were killed, leaving only Sassa Narimasa as the sole survivor.
This was probably the main reason why Sassa Narimasa would later become the lord of a province and a castle. After all, the Sassa family had shed blood and sweat at a crucial turning point in Oda Nobunaga’s life, achieving great merit. Regardless of whether the Sassa family volunteered or was forced by Oda Nobunaga, the Sassa family was nearly annihilated, and Oda Nobunaga would surely reward them in some way.
As Yuan Ye’s thoughts raced, he inquired about the well-being of familiar faces like Maeda Toshiie and Sawaki Yoshizane. He learned that Maeda Toshiie’s undercover mission seemed to be going smoothly. He had participated in the Battle of Okehazama with Shibata Katsuie and had captured three enemy general’s heads, one of which belonged to a senior Imagawa retainer, earning considerable merit.
However, after presenting them to Oda Nobunaga in public, Oda Nobunaga completely ignored him, not even glancing at him. Shibata Katsuie, on the other hand, spoke a few words of justice for him. Now, Maeda Toshiie had started following Shibata Katsuie, likely successfully infiltrating the “enemy” ranks.
Sawaki Yoshizane also seized the opportunity to achieve considerable military merit, filling the position previously held by Maeda Toshiie and becoming a rising star around Oda Nobunaga.
As for other matters, Oda Nobunaga had also promoted a retainer who had performed a miraculous feat. It was said that the plan to lure Imagawa Yoshimoto to Mount Okehazama to rest was devised by him and Shinshu Maru. This person was Yaguro.
After clarifying this point, Yuan Ye was momentarily lost in thought. History was not so easily changed. He had secretly killed Hiyoshi Maru, but another person, Yaguro, had emerged to fill the position. It seemed that heroes were always made by circumstances; as long as the general trend remained unchanged, someone would always step in to fill the void.
In this world, there was never a shortage of talented and ambitious people; many simply lacked opportunity.
…………
After chatting with Niwa Nagahide for a long time, Yuan Ye sent him away and waited for Oda Nobunaga’s reaction. If this were a novel, he should now replicate the miracle of Okehazama, take two thousand men and risk everything in a surprise attack on Oda Nobunaga, kill him directly, and then swallow Owari whole, becoming a powerful daimyo that commanded the attention of the world.
Unfortunately, this was not a novel. With his two thousand combat troops, even if he could surprise and kill Oda Nobunaga, he would not be able to swallow Owari. Even the single province of Chita Peninsula, with his limited internal affairs personnel, could not be digested in a short period. Killing Oda Nobunaga would only benefit the Matsudaira family, the Saito family, or others within the Oda family.
After all, there were precedents for such events. For example, Akechi Mitsuhide inexplicably killed Oda Nobunaga at Honnō-ji Temple. Lacking a solid foundation, he gained nothing and instead became a target of siege, ultimately only ruling for “three days” and becoming a notorious clown in history.
Therefore, Yuan Ye could only continue to reinforce his defenses, stockpile ammunition and provisions, and prepare defensive plans for a fierce battle.
A few more days quickly passed, and Narumi Castle finally surrendered. The Imagawa family was now in full retreat, and Okabe Motonobu was isolated and without support. He could no longer hold on as the lord of Narumi Castle. After enduring a few more days of bombardment, he voluntarily relinquished Narumi Castle on the condition that his entire force be allowed to retreat safely to Suruga and that Imagawa Yoshimoto’s head be returned.
Oda Nobunaga agreed, not only returning the head but also showing considerable respect to his great enemy, Imagawa Yoshimoto. He arranged for monks to chant scriptures to guide his soul and ordered the construction of a “Yoshimoto Mound” in Atsuta.
Then, Oda Nobunaga led his army of ten thousand men past Narumi Castle and headed directly for Odaka Castle. However, he did not launch an attack, merely circled around the north of Odaka Castle, observed the defensive situation along the Odaka River line, and then returned the way he came.
Yuan Ye stood on the battlements of Odaka Castle and breathed a huge sigh of relief. When people numbered over ten thousand, they were like an endless sea. If such a large force had charged at him, he would have trembled even with all his preparations. Now that Oda Nobunaga was unwilling to resume hostilities, it was naturally for the best. If he believed in gods and buddhas, he would have gone to burn incense to express his gratitude.
A Man, fully armored and prepared for a major battle, felt a hint of regret when Oda Nobunaga retreated. She hesitated, “He just left like that? Without even trying?”
She had prepared her excrement, ready to boil it and pour it down from the castle walls. Now that no one was attacking, wasn’t all the excrement she had collected wasted?
“To the north, there is Saito Yoshitatsu, and to the east, there is the Matsudaira family. After two consecutive battles, the Oda family has also suffered considerable losses. If they were to fight us again, it’s uncertain what would happen to the Matsudaira family, but Saito Yoshitatsu would definitely make a move. He hasn’t lost his reason.”
Yuan Ye had thought this before. He felt that given Oda Nobunaga’s personality, he would not easily break the alliance and attack, and his subordinates might not be able to withstand consecutive major battles. However, he could not be entirely sure, especially since Oda Nobunaga had just performed a miracle at Okehazama and was currently at the peak of his confidence. The possibility of him impulsively attacking him was not low.
However, if Oda Nobunaga still retained his reason, that would be for the best. He was completely relieved and turned his gaze southward.
To the south lay the entire Chita Peninsula, now completely under his control. His plan finally had a solid foundation.
Moreover, from now on, he would be a legitimate minor daimyo. With time to nurture it and digest the land and population, he would have his role on the historical stage.
All of this was not easy!
It was truly not easy!
