Chapter 490 49. The Southern Barbarians’ Great Cannon Performs Miraculous Functions
Takeda Harunobu was like Yamanouchi Yoshiharu. Whenever he went to war, he would always ride a horse to visit the battlefield, see everything clearly, and remember the terrain in his mind.
He would not be like a fool and make a fuss about a hand-drawn map from the 16th century. Using such a map to fight a war was no different from sending soldiers to their deaths.
After the military meeting, he took his six-member attendant guards to approach the battlefield to check it out, and the generals of the A army followed in twos and threes. Since he was not going to the battle, he naturally did not bring a horse mark, and walked and looked casually.
It happened that Xiao Pingtai on the other side asked William to fire another cannon. Takeda Harunobu was far away and only saw a large copper pipe on the cannon platform built with straw bags firing. The explosion sound was indeed several times stronger than that of the cannon, no wonder it could be fired so far.
"This may be the Nanban cannon!" Yamamoto Kansuke was next to him, thinking.
"Nanban cannon?" Takeda Nobuharu and his brother were observing Xiao Pingtai's artillery formation together, a little confused.
"More than two years ago, when Prime Minister Yamanouchi was in office, he allowed Hamamatsu to open the port, build a Nanman trading house, and allow Nanman missionaries to preach."
"I also know about this. Hamamatsu has already built a Nanman Temple, and it is said that there are thousands of believers?" Takeda Harunobu naturally has his intelligence network, and he is very concerned about the news of the Yamanouchi family.
"I'm afraid this is not the Nanman big barrel placed on the Nanman merchant ship, borrowed by Fujiwara Danjo." Yamamoto Kansuke and Kobayata sympathize with each other, and they can't help but always think of the same thing.
"Borrowed? The Nanman people are greedy for profit, Kansuke, you go to Sakai later and ask about the price of this Nanman big barrel." Takeda Harunobu thought.
"Father, why do we have to buy it? If we defeat Fujiwara Danjo on the opposite side, this Nanman big barrel will be ours!" Suwa Katsuyori was eager to try, looking at the Yamanouchi army on the opposite side.
"It's not that easy to defeat Danzheng. You are so aggressive and too reckless." Although Takeda Harunobu was teaching him a lesson, he was still satisfied with his son's bravery.
"Father taught me a lesson." Suwa Katsuyori saw the look Yamamoto Kansuke gave him and immediately admitted his weakness.
"Fourth brother is too impatient. You should be more cautious when leading troops in the future." Takeda Yoshinobu interrupted at the right time.
With a "bang", the Portuguese fired another cannon, and the lead bullets hit the mud on the river beach, puffing deep into the mud, and bursts of green smoke came out.
After experiencing so many rounds of artillery, the Takeda army was no longer surprised. They didn't even exclaim, but lined up steadily and watched Kanai Aigoro build a pontoon bridge.
"It's really sharp!" Takeda Harunobu couldn't help but sigh.
"Our army must also have this kind of weapon!" Takeda Nobuharu is now the number one "worshipping foreigners" in the Takeda family. This smells good, and that is what he wants. It just so happens that these firearms are indeed useful, so the Takeda family has also gained a group of "worshipping foreigners".
"It is indeed possible to attack or defend!" Takeda Yoshinobu echoed.
"Okay, go back to the main camp!" Takeda Harunobu pulled his horse's head, whipped his horse and returned to the main camp.
Takeda Yoshinobu, Iitomi Toramasa and Sone Suho fell behind. The two knew that Takeda Yoshinobu had something to say, so they slowed down their horses and followed beside him.
At this moment, the Takeda family, due to its rapid expansion in just over ten years, faced the same internal factional division as the Yamanouchi family. Yamanouchi Yoshiharu adopted the joint discussion of the important ministers and reluctantly gathered everyone on the table to have a good talk.
Takeda Harunobu could not and was unwilling to share power, so naturally, the new and old retainers began to clash in his family.
Due to the relationship with Imagawa Hikogoro and the efforts of Iitomi Toramasa in recent years, the Suruga clan has basically sided with Takeda Yoshinobu.
The Shinano clan was originally extremely dissatisfied with the rule of the Takeda clan, but Suwa Katsuyori was indeed the biological son of Suwa Gosho, and he was also the son of Takeda Harunobu. Under the dual identity, the Shinano clan gradually approached Suwa Katsuyori and sided with him.
Although Kosaka Danjo, Naito Shuu, Iitomi Saburobei, Saegusa Kankaiyu, who were close to Takeda Harunobu, and Sanada Danjo and Baba Tamebe among the retainers did not stand on the side, it was difficult to hide the trend of division among the retainers.
"Military, the Suruga people collapsed before the battle, which is really useless. Now that many people in Shinano are devoted to others, we can't let them steal the limelight. If possible, it would be best to take the head of Kanai Aigoro who rushed across the river to boost the morale of the Suruga people."
As Takeda Yoshinobu's tutor, Iitomi Toramasa and the two had a very close relationship, like father and son. He certainly knew what Takeda Yoshinobu was worried about. If the Shinano people shined here and the Suruga people collapsed before the battle. Then Takeda Yoshinobu's dignity at home would decline, and the momentum of the Shinano people would rise.
"I understand what the young master means. As long as the time is right, I will personally lead the Red Guards to fight."
"Please!" Takeda Yoshinobu had no choice. In the Warring States period, even brothers had to compete for their own strengths.
Sone Shugo escorted Takeda Yoshinobu away, while Iitomi Toramasa transferred the small fish Suruga people on the flank and replaced them with the 700 Red Guards he trained himself. He personally led the invading army to give a head-on blow to Kanai Aigoro who was crossing the river.
…………
Having missed the chance to kill Takeda Harunobu and Takeda's 24 generals with one shot, Kobayata was still happily sorting out the troops on the other side.
"Danzheng, the Suruga people on the right wing of the other side have evacuated?" Aki reminded.
"Huh? Which team has come to fill in?"
"It's the Iitomi Red Guards!" The people around Kobayata looked over.
Compared to the other reserve troops, which were colorful, had all kinds of armor, and had a variety of flags and horse emblems, and the soldiers provided their own armor. The red-armored troops were all supported by the Takeda family, and the armor of the seven hundred soldiers was red, exactly the same.
Whether it was the front row of the foot soldiers or the horse-riding samurai in the back row, they were all wearing bright red armor, and the armor was painted with Takeda diamonds without exception.
"Quick, quick, quick! Father, readjust the shooting angle and aim at the troops with bright red armor!"
"Is there anything special about the troops over there?"
"That's the team of Prime Minister Takeda (the elder of the family of Bitou). Do you see the long-flowing Takeda diamond-shaped flag flying in the middle? Shoot there and concentrate your fire!"
William thought about it, as if he was thinking about something, as if he was surprised that the prime minister could only do the odd job of flank defense when he led the troops himself.
Seeing that the temporary floating bridge of Kanai Aigoro was almost completed, Kobayata aimed the green bamboo stick in his hand at the red-armored troops of Iitomi Toramasa on the south bank and shouted.
"Target: Takeda Red Guards!"
The six Portuguese guns shook like thunder, all of them were furious. As expected, the long-standing Takeda Kare-Ryobi horse flag in the Red Guards was destroyed with one shot.
"Excellent! Excellent!" Xiao Pingtai laughed loudly.
"Takeda clan's scribe, Iitomi, the junior assistant of the military department, Toramasa, has been killed!" The troops shouted, cheering.