Chapter 191: Going to Sneak Attack Imagawa Yoshimoto
Everyone in this world has selfish desires, hence a thousand people have a thousand faces.
Imagawa Yoshimoto led a “hundred thousand strong army” straight to Owari. The Oda family’s senior retainers, important retainers, and heads of vassal local lords gathered, discussing how to respond, which truly opened Yuan Ye’s eyes.
Some spoke passionately, showing great fervor, declaring they would fight the Imagawa family to the death, refusing to surrender even if they had to hold the castle for three years;
Some advised tactfully, believing the Imagawa family’s family status was extremely high and their strength immense, so it wouldn’t matter to bow their heads for a while. It would be better to take a step back and choose to surrender, for as long as the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn;
Some shifted their gaze, wavering left and right, occasionally speaking to probe others;
Some stood dumbfounded, remaining silent, as if resigned to fate;
Some looked worried, reluctant to part with the bottles and jars at home, fearing battle but not daring to speak directly;
Some had strange expressions, constantly whispering to those around them, their intentions unknown.
The meeting began at dusk and continued noisily, with the pro-war and pro-surrender factions refusing to yield to each other, but the argument never stopped, like someone walking at night, always needing to make some noise to bolster their courage.
Oda Nobunaga sat there the entire time, slowly drinking wine, saying nothing.
By a little past nine in the evening, the great hall finally quieted down, and all eyes were on him. Oda Nobunaga was still drinking wine, showing no reaction.
After a while, Shibata Katsuie, the most respected senior retainer of the Oda family, couldn’t help but ask softly, “My Lord?”
Oda Nobunaga then swept his hawk-like gaze over those below and said indifferently, “Why ask me? Whether to fight or surrender, you continue to discuss until you reach a conclusion.”
With that, he placed his wine cup on the table and, ignoring everyone else, rose and went to the back amidst stunned silence, as if he also couldn’t make up his mind, or perhaps he had given up, intending to leave it to fate.
The whispers among the vassal local lords grew louder. Niwa Nagahide, Sawaki Yoshizane, and other attendant vassals quickly followed Oda Nobunaga to the back, seemingly intending to persuade him privately to make a decision soon.
Yuan Ye didn’t join the commotion, but his backside had gone numb after sitting for a long time. He also got up and left the great hall to stretch his limbs.
A Man quickly approached, leaning on her sword and looking up, asking with concern, “My Lord, how is the Oda family’s discussion going? What do they plan to do?”
Yuan Ye breathed in the fresh air and casually replied, “They’ve been arguing all night to no avail. Oda Nobunaga’s young retainers want to fight, while the older retainers and local lords want to surrender. Neither side can convince the other, and Oda Nobunaga told them to keep arguing.”
A Man was not surprised. With Imagawa Yoshimoto charging with twenty to thirty thousand men, if Wanjin had been blocking the way, she would also be flustered right now. She lowered her head and pondered for a moment before saying, “The enemy is at their doorstep, and their hearts are not united. I think they are in trouble. What should we do then?”
“No rush, let’s see,” Yuan Ye couldn’t reveal historical events, so he casually brushed it off, waiting for Oda Nobunaga’s performance. Only after Oda Nobunaga’s performance and the Imagawa family’s complete rout back to Suruga would he have fulfilled the oath of alliance and could he freely seize territory on the Chita Peninsula.
A Man opened her mouth to say a few more words to him, but immediately noticed several figures emerging from the great hall. They walked hurriedly and soon disappeared into the darkness through the courtyard.
Her eyes were sharp, and she instinctively said, “It’s the heads of the Hiragane family, the Konhashi family, and the Aota family from Kasugai District.”
Yuan Ye turned to look, and then another person emerged from the hall, also walking hurriedly, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
A Man raised her Dou Dou eyebrows and continued to introduce him, “It’s the head of the Kōjiji family from Aichi District.”
As soon as she finished speaking, more people left the hall, a total of over ten people, one after another.
Yuan Ye watched these people without a word, while A Man had already realized that some local lords could no longer wait and were considering defecting to a new master, leaving Oda Nobunaga’s residence for various reasons, not wanting to die with the Oda family.
And these were only the local lords relatively close to the Shirakawa Entrance defense line. Those further away, who were not in immediate danger, likely also had many wavering, they were just not in such a hurry.
She couldn’t help but widen her eyes and exclaim softly, “The Oda family isn’t in trouble, they’re finished…”
If the vassal local lords scattered, with the Oda family’s own strength, they could only muster three to five thousand men, and wouldn’t be able to stop Imagawa Yoshimoto’s army. It’s possible the Owari local lords would even help Imagawa Yoshimoto deal with the Oda family, then… Xin Wanjin would also need to be prepared.
Her mind raced. She recalled that Imagawa family’s senior retainer Toba Hirotsugu seemed to admire Yuan Ye and had expressed a desire for a marriage alliance. Perhaps she should send Inu-hime to become a young nun, allowing the Yuan Ye family to get a new matriarch—such things were normal in the Warring States period; which daimyo or local lord hadn’t changed three to five wives?
If the Oda family perished, Inu-hime would be worthless. At most, they would be considered considerate if they could ensure she had enough to eat in a temple.
Yuan Ye hadn’t expected A Man’s mind to work so fast, nor had he expected her moral compass to be so low, already contemplating changing his wife. He merely said indifferently, “It’s too early to say they’re finished. I said to wait and see.”
Oda Nobunaga definitely had a plan and likely wouldn’t need these fair-weather local lords, which was why he let them leave. It might even be intentional—Oda Nobunaga had wanted to purge the Owari local lords for a long time. After the Battle of Okehazama, these local lords would surely be held accountable for their past actions. With the excuse of deserting during battle, even if Oda Nobunaga slaughtered them all, no one would be able to say much.
He watched for a while, then lost patience to return to the great hall to listen to everyone argue. He found a side hall to rest in.
The Battle of Okehazama was either tomorrow or the day after. He needed to be well-rested to watch it properly.
…
Yuan Ye felt confident and wasn’t worried about the Oda family’s downfall dragging him down with them. He went to sleep with A Qing and A Man, but was woken up by A Man halfway through the night.
A Man, on the other hand, hadn’t slept at all. After waking him, she directly reported, “The front line has engaged.”
Yuan Ye took the hot towel handed by A Qing and asked, “Is it along the Shirakawa Entrance?”
“Yes, and Odaka Castle. Both sides have engaged,” A Man replied, relaying the urgent message she had just received. “Imagawa’s vanguard, Ii Naomori, is attacking Wazutsu Fort, and Matsudaira Motoyasu of the Matsudaira family is attacking Marune Fortress. One side has about three to four thousand men, the other over a thousand.”
Yuan Ye vigorously wiped his face with the hot towel to wake himself up, and then heard A Man continue, “Kaishi District has also been attacked. The Imagawa family’s navy captured Kanie Castle during the day.”
Yuan Ye’s hand, which was about to discard the towel, paused. He asked in surprise, “The Imagawa family’s navy?”
“That’s right, the Imagawa family’s navy,” A Man confidently stated that the intelligence from the “Life Preservation Style” within Owari would never be wrong. She affirmed, “There are about forty or so ships of various sizes, with over two thousand men, but it’s unclear if it’s the Imagawa family’s own navy or hired water bandits.”
Yuan Ye nodded slowly. It was normal for Ii Naomori to lead five thousand men as the vanguard to attack the Shirakawa Entrance and Odaka Castle line. He could understand Matsudaira Motoyasu actively paving the way for Imagawa Yoshimoto, but he truly hadn’t expected Imagawa Yoshimoto to send a navy so early to flank Oda Nobunaga’s rear—the Shimazu also had a navy, and since it was a bay, it was easy to defend and difficult to attack. The Imagawa navy might not be able to take it by force, but Kanie Castle was not far from the Shimazu. From here, they could quickly attack the Shimazu by land.
Imagawa Yoshimoto intended to completely destroy Oda Nobunaga, directly striking at his vital point.
Imagawa Yoshimoto was indeed not to be trifled with. In history, he was killed by Oda Nobunaga as a joke, making him seem like a clown and the Imagawa family like a weakling. But this was a rigid stereotype akin to “Zhao Kuo.” Imagawa Yoshimoto was not foolish, and the Imagawa family was not weak.
Yuan Ye actually didn’t know how the Battle of Okehazama was fought. At least, he didn’t know that the Imagawa family had deployed a navy for amphibious operations and launched such a fierce attack. He immediately asked with concern, “Has Oda Nobunaga received the news? What’s his reaction?”
“He should have received the news too. It was all rapid horse dispatches, the timing should be about the same,” A Man replied. “But as for his reaction, it’s unclear. He hasn’t appeared yet, but I see many Owari local lords have secretly slipped away again, looking like they all believe the Oda family is finished.”
Yuan Ye turned and glanced in the direction of Oda Nobunaga’s inner residence, wondering if Oda Nobunaga was currently dancing the *Atsumori* with a folding fan, singing “Fifty years of human life, the world’s affairs are like a dream. Since there is birth, how can there be no end”—he couldn’t see, and as a brother-in-law, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to sneak into Oda Nobunaga’s inner residence in the middle of the night.
He stood up directly and said, “Get ready, and prepare the horses. We’re going with Oda Nobunaga.”
A Man was stunned and asked strangely, “Going with Oda Nobunaga? Where are we going?”
“To sneak attack Imagawa Yoshimoto.”
Yuan Ye was certain. The Battle of Okehazama was today. The enemy’s vanguard had arrived and was clearing out the obstacles along the way. Imagawa Yoshimoto was likely within a day’s journey, and Oda Nobunaga could no longer wait.
…
A Man found Yuan Ye’s idea strange, but Yuan Ye’s mind was often kicked by a donkey, coming up with ideas one after another and acting erratically. She was already used to it and didn’t bother to question him this time. She really ordered people to prepare horses and provisions.
Yuan Ye also put on a dōmaru and then a haori, ready to depart at any moment. He then ordered chazuke to be prepared and ate three large bowls himself. As soon as he put down his chopsticks, he faintly heard the sound of a conch shell trumpet.
A Man was also diligently eating. She never fell behind when it came to eating. Hearing the conch shell trumpet, she tilted her ear slightly to identify it and exclaimed in surprise, “Two long, one short. Is he really going to march out?”
Yuan Ye didn’t pick up her thread. He stood up and said, “Let’s go too!”
“Oda Nobunaga is really going to sneak attack Imagawa Yoshimoto?!” A Man still couldn’t believe it. “To directly target the enemy’s Commander-in-Chief amidst tens of thousands of men? Is he, a country bumpkin, going to kill a relative of the Great General of the Pacification of the East?”
Yuan Ye, with A Qing, walked straight out and said indifferently, “He won’t be a country bumpkin anymore.”
A Man was stunned and quickly dropped her bowl, following him, but still muttering, “Has he gone mad? Can this really be done? And we have to go along. Isn’t this a bit too dangerous…”
Yuan Ye didn’t reply. He had no time for nonsense now. He took A Qing and A Man on horseback and went directly to the entrance of his residence. Along the way, Oda family followers and family retainers, startled by the conch shell trumpet, were scurrying about in a panic, completely unaware of what was happening. Many of Oda’s important retainers and overnight guests were also mixed in, looking equally bewildered by the sound of the marching trumpet.
Yuan Ye ignored these people, not even responding when someone greeted him. He galloped to the entrance of his residence. Just as he arrived, Oda Nobunaga, clad in vermilion armor, arrived on horseback with Sawaki Yoshizane, Hasegawa Hashisuke, Kato Yasaburo, and five other attendant vassals.
At this time, the sky was just beginning to show a fish-white hue, and the light was still dim. Oda Nobunaga, riding his horse, approached and only then saw him. He was momentarily stunned but soon disregarded it—it didn’t matter how Yuan Ye had figured it out; there was no longer any need for secrecy.
His horse didn’t stop. He simply waved and said, “Follow,” before continuing to gallop forward.
He had prepared for a long time. The planning phase was over. Now, there was only the path of desperate struggle!
Today, either he dies, or Imagawa Yoshimoto dies!
