$ Chapter 616 22. Kaiyi Strikes Fiercely

Xiao Pingtai is determined to give more stimulation to the beings surging under the undercurrent!

Since spring has begun, the original Kai lord Takeda clan will hold a ceremony to pray for a good harvest to Suwa Shangxia Daimyojin as usual. This is not only a ceremony worshipped by the people of Kai, but also Shinano. After all, Suwa Shangxia Taisha is the common belief of the two countries of Kai and Shinano.

Then not only Takeda Katsunobu and Shaoyan will attend this ceremony, but Yamauchi Taro will also go to Suwa Taisha with the Yamauchi clan's hatamoto.

This year's ceremony will naturally be presided over by Yamauchi Taro to prove that he has replaced Takeda Shingen and become the common supreme ruler of the two countries of Kai and Shinano. Think about it, the power of religious beliefs is still very strong these days. The lords need to use various ways to prove the legitimacy of their rule, and mastering the right to worship the gods is also a good way.

This is a ceremony that will inevitably be held. Suwa Taisha has followed the custom for hundreds of years.

But for those beings under the undercurrent, it means something different. This is a great opportunity!

Not only will the last remaining branch of the Takeda clan attend the ceremony, but the daimyo of the Yamanouchi clan will also attend. And because of the wars in Kanto and Kinai, as well as supporting Hachioji and staying in Kofu, a large number of the Yamanouchi clan's troops will definitely be occupied.

So in fact, there may only be three to five thousand troops guarding Suwa Taisha!

After staying in Kofu Castle for half a month, I don't know whether it was because of Kobayata's reputation in the East, or because those people were too cautious. Even though Kobayata had released the false news that there were less than two thousand people in the city, and sent a thousand farmers with flags to Hachioji to help defend.

Maybe he was too strong, and people might really be suspicious.

There are many brave generals in Kai Province who are advancing rapidly, such as Akiyama Hoki no Kami Nobutomo, who is called "Takeda's fierce bull", "Koyama's fierce tiger" Iitomi Hyobu Toramasa, "Yaksha Sanhachi" Tada Awaji no Kami Mitsuyori, and others. They are all brave generals who fight bravely and rush to war. In terms of tactical ability, they are all top-notch.

But if we talk about deep wisdom and good decision-making, this may be a bit difficult for the mountain monkey of Kai. Although there are also talented people like Komai Kohakusai, Itagaki Nobukata, Takeda Nobuharu and even Takeda Shingen himself, they are still a minority.

Who among this group of people is so cautious and never takes action?

This is also a point that Xiao Pingtai can't figure out. After all, the elite of the Takeda samurai group experienced the Battle of Toishi Castle and the Battle of Uehara Ariga, basically seven or eight out of ten died, and all those with names and surnames basically died.

It is easy to understand that there must be a loyal and faithful person in a town of ten households. The Takeda family has been operating for more than 20 generations, so there must be many diehards. It is normal to lurk and plan to launch an uprising. Only this patience of waiting is really puzzling.

"Saemon-sama, stay in Kofu. I expect some twists and turns. I will take 1,000 hatamotos with me, which is enough for comprehensive protection. The rest depends on whether the fish will bite the bait."

Kobayata led the Takeda clan to Suwa with great fanfare. The news was spread early, and the escort force was deliberately arranged to be only 1,000 people. If such bait does not bite, then there is really no way.

"Don't worry, as long as I am here, Kofu will not be lost. But this time, Danzheng is using himself as bait. If you encounter a crisis, you must protect yourself first!"

"Yamauchi's 15,000 people are in Uehara, close at hand, and there is nothing to worry about!"

"Then I wish Danzheng to capture the bandit leader in one battle and defeat the remnants of Takeda."

"Kofu is critical, and please be extremely careful, Saemon-sama."

After that, Kobayata stepped on the bench to get on the horse. This time, for safety, he even included Anayama Baiyuki in the team. If something really happens, no one can escape, and everyone will be the scapegoat.

In addition, notify the remaining generals in the original camp to be ready to mobilize troops at any time. If Kobayata is attacked by the Kai Ikki on the way to Suwa Taisha, then all three armies must be mobilized to catch them all in one fell swoop.

As for the possible ambush site, it is the Sasao area at the junction of Irikasama and Yatsugatake!

On the first day, the team entered Nirasaki to rest. The original castle commander Yamamoto Kanzo had long been replaced by a Yamanouchi clan hatamoto. As for Yamamoto Kanzo, he was probably exiled to a distant country. Anyway, Kobayata did not see this person in the list of Yamanouchi clan hatamoto samurai. Without the reputation of his father, I don’t know how capable this man is.

After arranging the guards and guards, Kobayata still had the leisure to take a look at the monk Shaoyan.

This monk Shaoyan, who is actually the legitimate descendant of the Takeda clan, has lived most of his life as the head of the Suruga Imagawa clan for more than ten years. It is undeniable that due to his long-term status as an Imagawa clan, his feelings towards the Takeda clan are much more indifferent.

But after all, he is the direct descendant of the Takeda clan, and he must be dissatisfied with the strategy of Kobayata using him to try to catch all the unstable elements in Kai.

But what can he do even if he is dissatisfied?

At this moment, he is controlled by others! In addition, his great-uncle Kawaguchi Nobumasa and uncle Katsurayama Nobumasa both advised him to swallow his anger for the time being, as long as he is alive, there is still hope.

However, Anayama Baiyuki still looks so calm, as if everything around him has nothing to do with him. He seems to be just going to Suwa Taisha to worship Suwa Daimyojin like in previous years, praying for good weather and good harvests in the mountain territory this year.

His son Takeda Katsunobu, who is now under the name of the Takeda clan. From Kobayata's point of view, the young man is quite nervous, but I don't know what he is nervous about?

He left the city the next day and went to Sasao. Whether the truth can be seen depends on this day!

Although he was in a state of panic, on the outside, Kobayata looked like nothing had happened. Apart from ordering people to keep an eye on Shaoyan, he spent the rest of his time chatting with Anayama Baiyuki.

The conversation was all irrelevant, except for a few things like how Takeda Shingen arranged the desk duties of Suwa Taisha when he was in power [Note 1], and the rest was about what to pay attention to during the ceremony.

In the middle of the day, when he reached Sasao, Kobayata looked around at the mountains on both sides. It was indeed a strategic place that could hide tens of thousands of soldiers. If the Kai uprising did not take action, they would not have another chance to do so.

Just as he was thinking, the early spring forest seemed to shake, and the mountains on both sides resonated.

"Tanzheng, look! It's Takeda Hishi!"

Following the direction of Nanaki's finger, countless uprisings swarmed out from between the two mountains, and a Takeda Hishi waving on the slope was particularly conspicuous.

The Takeda clan was wiped out, who was this person?

[Note 1]: In order to ensure the smooth conduct of the annual ceremony at Suwa Taisha Shrine, Takeda Shingen designated local lords in Suwa, Chikuma, Azumi and other counties in order to fund and host the ceremony. This is also a type of tax, but it is not an annual levy.