Volume 2: Soaring! The Overlord of the Region Chapter 255: Summer Battle in Osaka (Part 1)
In March 1615, when Cao Sanxi was still planning to build a branch in Taiyuan, Shanxi, Osaka Castle in Settsu Province, Japan, had been filled with all its trenches and diverted all the rivers by Tokugawa Yoshinao, turning it directly into a naked city!
Then Tokugawa Ieyasu once again called out to the Toyotomi family: Although the moat of Osaka Castle was filled in according to the agreement last winter, there are still many ronin in Osaka Castle. So, in order for the two families to get along well in the future, please continue to disband these ronin, and accept my kindness, leave Osaka, and transfer to other places?
After this request was conveyed, the entire Toyotomi family was shocked!
Then Yodohime, who vowed to fight to the end last autumn and was frightened by a few artillery shells in the winter, resolutely demanded peace talks. This time, she was extremely determined to fight the Tokugawa family again!
However, fighting a war, especially a war involving the life and death of a family, is never so easy.
In April 1615, Tokugawa Ieyasu once again issued an order to invade Osaka. However, this time, Ieyasu was really ready to annihilate the Toyotomi family. Therefore, this time, except for Date Masamune and Fujido Takatora who took the initiative to join him, Ieyasu did not call any of the other daimyo.
The main force of this expedition, in addition to the Tokugawa family's own troops, was the soldiers recruited by various vassal states and hereditary daimyo (former retainers of the Tokugawa family). The entire army had more than 17,000 samurai and more than 130,000 recruited farmers. The total number of the entire army was nearly 160,000.
On the Osaka side, due to Yodo-hime's hysterical demands last winter, an agreement was reached quickly. Then Yan Siqi had someone deliberately leak the news. As a result, the originally high morale of the Osaka soldiers instantly became disloyal, and a large number of low-level and middle-level samurai left. Therefore, the Osaka army now has less than 50,000 troops - more than half less than last winter.
As mentioned above, Osaka Castle was the largest city in Japan at that time. After losing the protection of mountains and rivers, such a huge city could not be protected by human power alone with such a long wall.
Therefore, if we defend the city at this time, we will be dead!
The helpless Osaka military commanders had no choice but to seek survival: send out their troops, one troop to occupy some higher hills outside the city to attract the main force of the Tokugawa family to besiege. Then the other troop would take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Ieyasu's main camp...
This is certainly an unreliable battle plan, but it is the most feasible plan under the current circumstances.
However, such a plan is just a child's play for Ieyasu, the greatest field commander of contemporary Japan.
Not to mention, at this time, the Tokugawa family, thanks to the time traveler, already had an epoch-making unit of rifled flintlock soldiers.
The result was that the 20,000 Toyotomi troops who went out to fight were defeated by the 3,000 direct troops of Tokugawa Yoshinao, who had surpassed the Toyotomi army by an entire era. The leading generals Goto Mototsugu and Kitagawa Nobunao died on the spot.
Sanada Yukimura originally thought about dying in battle, but he finally remembered Yan Siqi's request before he set out that he must come back alive no matter what. So he finally returned to Osaka Castle with more than 3,000 defeated soldiers who still retained their organization and did not flee on their own.
There is no doubt that Osaka Castle, which cannot be fought or defended, will fall. However, whether the Toyotomi family will be completely destroyed is still uncertain.
"Yan-san, you predicted everything. The Tokugawa family really invaded Osaka again in April this year, and we were really no match for His Highness Yoshinao."
Hey, flintlock rifles, Minié bullets, etc., we have supported you a lot. But you actually used them as "sniper rifles" and distributed them to the troops with good marksmanship. Sure enough, as His Highness said , epoch-making weapons must be matched with epoch-making tactics, otherwise it is just a firewood stick!
The Grandson of the Ming Dynasty is really a god. Although he is thousands of miles away, he knows everything about the development of the situation here: If it weren't for the stupidity of the Osaka side, especially the woman Yodohime. Even if the Tokugawa family on the opposite side used the trench siege method, with the defenders who are high-spirited and not lacking in courage and good generals, I am confident that the Toyotomi family and the Tokugawa family can fight for at least one or two years!
What a pity!
Yan Siqi secretly complained in his heart, but always showed a warm smile on the surface and said: "Sanada-kun, what are you going to do next?"
"Uh... When I was outside the city, I was thinking about dying in battle with Goto, Mori and the others. But when I thought about Yan Sang, who was as foresighted as a god, still being in the city..."
"Hahaha~~" Yan Siqi stood up and said, "Sanada-kun, let me confirm with you once again, is your ambition to destroy the Tokugawa family? In order to achieve this goal, are you willing to endure any suffering and humiliation?"
"Yes! Apart from pretending to surrender to Tokugawa and waiting for the future, I am willing to endure all other suffering and humiliation."
"Okay." Yan Siqi clapped his hands, and two ninjas suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Sanada-kun, my fleet, Li Guozhu's fleet, and Yu Zigao's fleet are already nearby. Of course, the Ming navy will not land to fight, but it is entirely possible to control the sea power of Osaka Bay and take the Toyotomi family away."
"Ah? Yan Sang means to bring Lord Hideyori to Daming?"
"Yeah, what do you think, Sanada-kun?"
"In this case, it would be great to leave descendants for the Taiko-sama. But... Lord Hideyori is Japanese."
"Hahaha, Sanada-kun, our Ming Dynasty is prosperous, with strong soldiers and horses. It's just that my grandson needs to sort out some trivial matters in the country recently, so he has no time to take care of Japan for the time being. If Lord Hideyori goes to my Ming Dynasty, he can study in my Ming Dynasty and accumulate strength at the same time. When my grandson is free, hehe..."
"This is a solution for the Toyotomi family. After Taiko, the glory of their family has slowly dissipated. But Yan Sang, do you want me to go to Ming Dynasty with you?"
"Yes, this stupid woman Yodohime is useless except for being a hindrance. If I take them away by myself and Lord Hideyori has no one to help him, it will really not work."
"Although what Yan-san said was not pleasant to hear, it was indeed thoughtful. But as for Lord Hideyori's assistant, I think Oono Harunaga is enough. As for me, as a military commander, it would be better for me to die in the upcoming siege battle."
"Sanada-kun. " Yan Siqi gently placed his hand on Sanada Yukimura's shoulder and said in a bewitching voice, "There is a saying in the Ming Dynasty, 'As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no firewood to burn.' If you die in battle like this, you will have nothing. What if Tokugawa Yoshinao's cartoons portray you as a ferocious devil with huge sores all over your face?"
"......! I understand what Yan Sang said! I am willing to follow Yan Sang to Ming Dynasty."
"Hahaha, that's right." With a big stone put down in his heart, Yan Siqi gave an order to the two ninjas who had been kneeling beside them for a long time: "Hurry up and find a way to climb to the top of the Osaka Castle Tower, fire a signal flare, pass the message, and let our fleet come over."
"Hi Yi!"
After watching the two ninjas leave, Yan Siqi said to Yukimura Sanada: "Sanada-kun, Osaka Bay has been blocked by the Tokugawa navy. Even if we use the beacon tower relay method to send the signal out, it will still take some time for our navy to defeat the Tokugawa navy. So during this period of time, you have to organize the soldiers in the city and fight with the Tokugawa family in the streets!"
"I understand. I will go to the castle tower right now to ask for an audience with Lord Hideyori. Lord Hideyori must be allowed to personally go into battle. We do not require him to personally wield a sword and kill the enemy, but as long as he can appear on the castle tower bridge in full armor, it will be enough. In this way, as long as the Toyotomi family crest and Taiko's golden horse seal can appear on the battlefield, it will surely greatly boost morale! We will definitely be able to hold out until the arrival of the Ming navy!"
