The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 69

129. People from impoverished and remote rural areas

After dispatching Araki Murashige as an envoy, Shinzaburo's ideal expectation was to persuade Kawakatsuie not to intervene in the war. Victory would then be within his grasp.

If you can't do that, finding out about the other party's background and preparing a response plan in advance is always better than nothing.

Unexpectedly, just seven days later, another messenger arrived, saying that the Kawakatsu family had selected elite soldiers, disguised as laborers, and under the guise of providing supplies and escorting a sick envoy home, had successfully entered the Utsu family's border stronghold, Asukaya Castle. They then launched a night attack and captured all the garrison.

Using the same method, they tricked another Fukami Castle.

In two separate operations, they eliminated and captured over a hundred people, and also cleared out the outer defenses of the Utsu clan.

Then, the head of the Kawakatsu family, Kawakatsu Hirotsugu, personally led eight hundred soldiers south, advancing rapidly and besieging Utsu Castle, the main castle of the Utsu family, which was defended by only two hundred soldiers.

They originally planned to continue their trickery, but unfortunately the guards in the main city were quite wary and didn't fall for it.

Kawakatsu's troops surrounded Utsu Castle but did not attack for the time being, stating that "the decision on the war is left to Lord Kubo Genban."

At first, Shinzaburo thought he was hallucinating.

How could such a good thing happen?

They sent three different "observers" to investigate, and when they returned, they all reported the same conclusion, which finally convinced them to believe it.

I just don't understand what kind of flowery words Araki Murashige used to make Kawakatsu's attitude change so drastically.

Just a few days ago, weren't they trying to do some kind of "mediation"?

Shinzaburo immediately dispatched someone to the besieging forces of Shimokawa Katsuie at Utsu Castle, sending a reply and making contact.

More detailed intelligence was then received.

Kawakatsu Hirotsugu, the head of the Kawakatsu family, wrote a letter in his own hand, saying that he had been foolishly deceived by the Utsu family before, but now he finally understood and volunteered to lead troops to assist in the suppression of the traitors who had seized the imperial court's "forbidden lining materials".

That's pure nonsense.

Meanwhile, Araki Murashige also sent a short note back to Kawakatsu's army.

The language used was rather obscure, but it roughly explained the cause and effect.

Shinzaburo understood it after a little thought and was immediately amazed by Araki Murashige's talent, courage and adventurous spirit.

At the same time, I deeply felt that this guy was indeed very capable, but not suitable to be kept too close by.

After sharing this good news, the morale of the troops soared, and they became more confident of victory.

Then Shinzaburo wrote another letter, ordering Kawakatsu to send out one hundred men, carrying various flags of different sizes, to swagger out from the heart of the Utsu clan's territory and arrive at the rear of Gakuyama Castle, shouting in unison: "Kawakatsu has sent out troops! The Utsu clan has been defeated! Surrender now!"

By this time, through intelligence provided to the Kawakatsu family by prisoners of war, Shinzaburo had confirmed that there were nearly four hundred soldiers garrisoned in Yueshan Castle. They had two to three hundred koku of rations, enough to last for a while. However, the surrounding area was all barren rock, making it impossible to drill wells for water. Although water cellars had been dug, they would only provide enough water for the entire army for thirty to forty days, requiring replenishment every month.

It's easy to imagine that after being surrounded for more than a month, most of the initially stored clean water had been exhausted.

It's the rainy season now, so we can make do with rainwater. However, we drink rainwater every day, eat brown rice cooked with rainwater, and our food rations are not always sufficient, so you can imagine how poor our quality of life is.

Shinzaburo believed that the enemy's ordinary soldiers wouldn't be so determined to die alongside the Utsu family, and wanted to try to persuade them to surrender.

With the Kawakatsu family now out of the picture and the Utsu family on the verge of destruction, will so many people still be willing to risk their lives for them?

From a purely military perspective, not surrendering is not a problem.

Rainfall will decrease significantly starting in August, and the defending troops will inevitably suffer from hunger and thirst. Even if the military rations are reduced to half capacity, they can only last until the end of October at the latest.

However, since it took so long, a lot of resources had to be used to appease the soldiers who had been fighting for so long.

On the other hand, the garrison of Yueshan Castle could not possibly be professional soldiers. Apart from a few samurai who had left their jobs, most of them would certainly be self-sufficient farmers from the surrounding area with meager land holdings. If they all starved or died of thirst, and by the time Shinzaburo defeated the Utsu clan and became the lord himself, the territory would be filled with orphans and widows, lacking able-bodied men, which would not be a good prospect.

After shouting for a long time, they finally got a response.

On the walls of Yueshan, someone ran up and shouted, "If we surrender, will we be spared death?"

Shinzaburo was very pleased to hear this, and immediately ordered the loudest soldiers to come closer and respond: "If you surrender, Tanba Zhongkui will spare your lives and even exempt you from paying the penalty for your lives!"

It was thought that the garrison would surrender after this.

However, after waiting for half an hour, they did not see the other side open the gates to surrender the city. Instead, they heard a commotion of shouting, cursing, and the sounds of weapons clashing.

Upon closer inspection, it appears that a fight has broken out inside Yueshan City!

Not knowing what was going on, Shinzaburo ordered his troops to remain still and wait to see how things would develop.

Not long after, the main gate of Yueshan City slowly opened, and a group of surrendered soldiers came out.

They all looked exhausted, both physically and mentally, their fighting spirit long since extinguished. Their equipment was decent, though, with more than half wearing basic foot soldier uniforms. Unfortunately, everyone was filthy and disheveled, lacking any distinguishing presence.

These soldiers didn't have any scheming intentions; they obediently dropped their weapons and surrendered.

However, the dozen or so strong men at the head of the group, who seemed to be leaders, each carried a head.

How is this going?

They learned that the samurai lords in the city were guarding the citadel's own water cellars and granaries, enjoying clean water and ample rations, while the ordinary soldiers below struggled to survive, and refused to surrender. Hundreds of peasant soldiers, who were drinking rainwater collected in their straw hats and still couldn't get enough to eat, were enraged and rushed forward, sending them to meet their maker.

Shinzaburo couldn't help but sigh, "Tanba is a remote and harsh place, but the people there are full of martial spirit and are definitely not lambs to be slaughtered."

This is something that needs to be kept in mind.

After this incident, all the named warriors in Yueshan City were killed, and some were killed during the peasant "uprising." Currently, those who have surrendered after descending the mountain number over 320.

At a glance, it was clear that there were about one or two dozen people among them who possessed a certain prestige and were in leadership positions.

This is probably what people call a "local worthy" among the common people, just like Old Man Jinbingwei in Kubo Village.

So Shinzaburo gathered all these people together and told them that as long as they served the Kubo family loyally, they could be given samurai status.

However, the dozen or so local notables did not show any excitement on their faces.

A bald, middle-aged man chuckled and said, "Sir, shouldn't we confirm the Utsu family's defeat before saying these things? It would be bad if they turned the tables on us."

A burly young man came up and asked, "Sir, do you plan to survey the land after you arrive? Is it only those who support land surveying who can become samurai? Won't those who don't support it be beheaded?"

Another bearded man shook his head and said in a deep voice, "How about we have a good meal of white rice? That would be more practical. Isn't the point of being a samurai to eat white rice?"

In recent months, Shinzaburo, as the commander-in-chief, had been issuing orders in the army and had long been accustomed to being surrounded by flattery. Suddenly seeing a bunch of ill-mannered country bumpkins, he couldn't help but feel angry and even wanted to rip the tongues out of these bastards.

But then he thought again, he had already promised that those who surrendered would be spared, and to take action again would break his promise.

Moreover, these "local worthies" will be useful in governing the new territory in the future.

So instead of speaking, he ordered that rice be cooked quickly so that the more than three hundred peasant soldiers who had surrendered the city could have a good meal.

After all, questions like whether or not to conduct a land survey are not easy to answer. It's better to shut these people up first.

Next, Shinzaburo ordered Inatomi Shigenobu to take fifty men to take over Yueshan Castle, while the monk Jingcheng was in charge of taking stock of the remaining supplies. The rest of the men marched east and arrived at the main castle of the Utsu clan—Utsu Castle—to join forces with the Kawakatsu clan, who were besieging it.

If we can capture Utsu Castle, we will have won this battle completely.

130 The enemy chieftain is an insect.

As a powerful clan in southern Kuwata County, the Utsu family has four strongholds.

The most strategically important castle in the west, Yueshan Castle, along with its associated checkpoints and branch castles, have already been captured by Shinzaburo. Asukaya Castle and Fukami Castle in the north were taken by Kawakatsu Hirotsugu through trickery.

Now, the only remaining main city is Utsu Castle.

Although the city is also built on a mountain, its height and slope are quite ordinary, and it is not a particularly dangerous terrain.

The main keep of Yueshan Castle is nearly a thousand feet above the ground, and the castle gate is six or seven hundred feet above the ground, making it extremely high up. The main keep of Utsu Castle is only four hundred and fifty feet above the ground, and the castle gate is less than fifty feet above the ground, which can be climbed by going up a gentle slope.

In addition, according to intelligence provided by prisoners of war, there were only about two hundred soldiers left in the city, many of whom were old and weak, and they did not have much resistance.

Victory seems to be a logical outcome.

The only problem is that Utsu Castle is the last stronghold of the Utsu clan, and it's filled with members of the same clan or trusted retainers, so they probably won't surrender easily.

Their chieftain's younger brother went to negotiate with the Kawakatsu family and died under mysterious circumstances; this is a very serious matter. Even if they tell the city that they can surrender and be spared death, they probably won't believe them.

Of course, this doesn't mean that it was wrong for Araki Murashige to kill Utsumura Shige with a bronze vessel.

If he hadn't taken the most decisive strategy, the Kawakatsu family might have sent troops to aid the Utsu family, and the course of the war would have been unpredictable.

After the two armies joined forces, Shinzaburo finally met the head of the Kawakatsu family, Kawakatsu Hirotsugu, and also saw Araki Murashige, whom he had not seen for more than ten days.

Shinzaburo immediately made a statement, setting the tone for the past events.

He first looked Araki Murashige up and down, then said slowly and deliberately, "Truly admirable! When I first chose the name 'Araki Jujuro,' I never imagined it would develop so brilliantly!"

Then, composing himself, he bowed to Kawakatsu Hirotsugu and said, "Our envoy acted rashly and was truly impolite! But since things have come to this, he will only be rewarded, not punished. Please forgive him, Lord Kawakatsu!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the listener reacted immediately.

Araki Murashige immediately bowed down, saying with trepidation, "I acted impulsively and lost my way. Fortunately, I was protected by the gods and Buddhas and did not cause any trouble for Lord Kubo Genban!"

Kawakatsu Hirotsugu glanced to the side and smiled, "I was almost misled by the Utsu family and became an accomplice in the embezzlement of the imperial court's 'forbidden ingredients.' It was only thanks to Lord Araki's reminder that I was able to pull back from the brink. I don't know how to thank you enough."

They smiled at each other, as if they got along very well.

Next, Shinzaburo introduced his generals to the other party.

Kawakatsu Hirotsugu also introduced the people around him: his second younger brother Mitsutaka, his third younger brother Asamasa, his fourth younger brother Asamichi, and his second son, Tomoji, who had just come of age. Except for his eldest son, Tsuguji, and several underage sons who stayed at home, all the close relatives had come.

Clearly, their family, being from a humble background with limited influence, lacked capable allies. Essentially, the direct descendants inherited the throne, while members of the commoner family served as subjects.

After exchanging greetings and recognizing familiar faces, they returned to their respective camps. Then, Shinzaburo had Araki Murashige personally recount to the generals the process of "persuading" Kawakatsuie to abandon his allegiance to the Ming.

Everyone was amazed.

As for whether there were any other thoughts besides being amazed, we don't know.

……

On June 12, after observing the specific terrain, Shinzaburo ordered an attack.

Utsu Castle was built against a small mountain about 500 feet high. The main castle was at the top of the mountain, the second castle was on the mountainside, and the third and fourth castles were at the foot of the mountain.

In other words, the outer perimeter is relatively easy to breach, while the center still has some defensive capabilities.

However, the biggest weakness of the defending forces was their insufficient numbers.

In response, Shinzaburo concentrated arquebuses and bows and arrows, positioning them on higher ground on both sides. He then had his infantry feign a strong attack on the main gate of the fourth tier and the side walls of the third tier, drawing enemy resistance. However, his aim was not to achieve a breakthrough, but rather to inflict casualties.

Meanwhile, at a distance of 900 feet to the northwest, a mountain peak with an elevation almost the same as that of Utsu Castle Honmaru was found. After a simple excavation, it became the launch platform for the "Boku-Hō-Ya".

Just two days later, the garrison lost sixty or seventy men in the third and fourth garrisons. Finally realizing something was wrong, they all retreated into the main garrison, which was less than fifty paces in circumference.

There is nothing more to say next.

The Utsu clan's garrison had very few combat-ready soldiers left. Four fire arrows were used for continuous bombardment, while bows and arquebuses were deployed in the Ninomaru to suppress the enemy with their numerical superiority.

By the morning of the fourth day, when the battle resumed, women and children could be seen inside the walls shooting with simple wooden bows.

Most of the attackers felt no pity, only excitement – ​​this indicated that the enemy was severely undermanned and victory was just around the corner!

Shinzaburo felt a pang of pity and sent someone to persuade him to surrender.

Of course, the Utsu family, as "traitors" who seized the imperial "forbidden provisions," could not expect to be spared death upon surrender. The most lenient promise they could offer was to spare the female relatives of the guards and the infants who were still too young to understand.

Not all male members would necessarily be executed. Only the direct descendants were unlikely to escape, while members of the collateral branches, if they behaved obediently and pragmatically enough, might be spared and allowed to continue the family name.

The defenders completely ignored this and unhesitatingly fired arrows at the soldiers who were shouting.

There was no other way but to keep fighting.

This time, there was no scene of peasant soldiers fighting back to kill samurai lords in order to save their lives. Although the garrison in Utsu Castle was small in number and weak in combat, they were full of fighting spirit and unafraid of sacrifice.

However, willpower alone is not enough to defend a fortress.

The weak arrows shot by women and children posed little threat to well-dressed soldiers, even from a high vantage point.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, Shinzaburo climbed to a high place and looked out, concluding that the enemy had reached their limit and that a general offensive would be launched the next day to achieve victory in one fell swoop.

However, that very night, a fierce fire broke out in the citadel.

It is estimated that the fire was deliberately spread with firewood or other flammable materials, and the fire started very quickly, consuming the entire citadel before anyone could react.

After Shinzaburo was awakened, he had only been out of the military tent for a short while when he vaguely heard screams coming from the air.

They would rather perish in the flames along with the city than even consider surrendering; their plight was both tragic and fierce.

Shinzaburo sighed, thinking that he couldn't order the soldiers to put out the fire at night, and it might spread to the Ninomaru, Sanomaru, and Shinomiya, burning down the entire castle. He could only instruct everyone to retreat to a safe distance and avoid being caught in the flames.

However, after a while, someone reported that the soldiers on night duty had caught a suspicious young man, who was suspected to be a member of the Utsu family who had secretly escaped from the city under the cover of the fire.

Judging from this, not all the defenders perished in the fire.

Once it happened, it happened again. Before long, Shinzaburo kept receiving news of captured or killed fleeing enemies. In the end, the soldiers captured more than ten people in total.

Surprisingly, after some interrogation, those people confessed that their plan was to set fire to all the elderly, women, children, and wounded soldiers to make the attackers believe that they had all committed suicide, and then the remaining able-bodied men could escape in the chaos.

It is worth noting that Utsu Nagashige, the head of the Utsu family, is said to have also escaped but was not caught.