Chapter 27 - 16 The Defeated Dog of Owari_3

Words : 1213 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 27 - 16 The Defeated Dog of Owari_3Um, I forgot to mention, Imagawa Shitoyama was also a wastrel who loved renku sake parties, often getting drunk, living a very extravagant life. Anyway, Oda Nobuhide catered to his tastes and frequently attended Imagawa Shitoyama's renku sake parties, becoming close friends with him. Then, about eighteen or nineteen years ago, while attending a renku sake party, Oda Nobuhide had a stroke and was on the verge of death. He begged Imagawa Shitoyama to call in his household retainers so he could handle his last affairs. That fool Imagawa Shitoyama agreed out of softness, but Oda Nobuhide was pretending to be sick. That night he led his household retainers in a surprise arson and murder spree in the castle, also sending people to attack the gates, letting in the outside Lang Faction and Ashigaru. Without much effort, they breached Imagawa Shitoyama's residence, and finally, after being captured alive, Imagawa Shitoyama was thrown out of the castle. It's said that he didn't have the face to return to Jumogawa, and he seemed to have gone to Kyoto, where he's probably dead by now." "And then?" Harano was captivated, "Didn't the Imagawa family try to retake Nagano Castle?" "No, Imagawa Shishin died, and his sons were fighting over succession rights, so the Imagawa family couldn't spare attention for Owari matters, not even for Sankei Province. Then Matsudaira Qingkang of Sankei Province seized the opportunity to take power. This person was quite formidable, starting to expand his territory westward and clashing with Oda Nobuhide. Initially, Oda Nobuhide didn't seem to have the advantage, but for some reason, internal strife suddenly broke out within the Matsudaira family. Matsudaira Qingkang was ridiculously stabbed from behind during the chaos and died. Oda Nobuhide seized the opportunity to invade Sankei, occupying Anxiang City in Western Sankei." Amaru babbled on, mentioning how Oda Nobuhide dominated Western Sankei, taking advantage of his enemies' misfortunes, launching yearly attacks to reduce the Matsudaira family to a state of turtle-like retreat, before continuing: "Once Oda Nobuhide subdued the powerful families of Western Sankei, he pressed ahead, preparing to capture the Matsudaira family's Okazaki Castle to completely take over Sankei. But then the inheritance disputes within the Imagawa family ended, and the Matsudaira family, being cornered, was on the verge of collapse. To gain support from the Imagawa family, they even humbly lowered themselves before their old enemy, trying the tactic of sending their heirs as hostages. Although they failed to send them due to an abduction en route, they still succeeded in gaining favor. With the support of the Imagawa family, the Matsudaira family fought Oda Nobuhide intermittently in Eastern Sankei for about five or six years, but Oda Nobuhide was ultimately unable to capture Okazaki Castle, leading to both sides retreating and entering a stalemate. During this time, the Saito family of Minoh was also in internal turmoil. Oda Nobuhide took the opportunity to expand northward, invading Minoh several times and capturing Ogaki Castle, seizing a large piece of land, almost reaching the Saito family's Inaba Castle, with great potential to completely conquer Minoh. Ah, let me think, I was around at that time, but very young, probably... It was likely the sixteenth year of Tenbun, that's right, it was September in the sixteenth year of Tenbun, the month I first tasted alcohol. Oda Nobuhide mobilized all his followers, local elites, and in-country aristocrats, totaling eight thousand, and also combined forces with some local Minoh aristocrats, totaling over ten thousand, to attack Inaba Castle city. However, Saito Dosan wasn't an easy opponent. He first played turtle, staying defensive, then suddenly launched a counterattack when the Oda army was looting and setting fires in the castle town. The Oda army had no defense, was caught off guard, and crumpled completely when faced with a direct clash. Oda Nobuhide's brother Oda Nobukane, the family head of the Oda Imbushi守 clan... I forget his name, Oda Nobuhide's family elder Aoyama Yusan Uemon, senior official Chiaki Kii no Kami, Owari noble Maeda Heibachiro, Sasaki Yoneemon, anyway, many Oda household retainers and local aristocrats died, so many they were uncountable, not a single family in Owari was without a lost member. It's said there were over a thousand dead on the battlefield, and another thousand drowned in the Kisogawa River while fleeing, and over two thousand were captured or surrendered. Less than three thousand were able to escape back to Owari. There's still a burial mound (Capital) at Kanazawa Pass filled with heads cut from Oda family members, visible to anyone passing by." After Amaru finished speaking, he kindly marked Kanazawa Pass on the map, a few li south of Inaba Castle, seemingly planning for Harano to see this eerie sight someday. In conclusion, he summarized: "That's what Oda Nobuhide was like, pretty sly and ambitious, loved to start wars everywhere, had his glorious days but also took beatings, stirring up quite a few events in his life." Harano had no interest in seeing severed heads, thinking back to Amaru's earlier mention that Oda Nobuhide was about to die, he pursued the question: "So, that failure dealt a significant blow to Oda Nobuhide, and now he's unable to rise again?" "Of course, it was significant. He was forced to make peace, engaged his legitimate eldest son Oda Saburo Nobunaga to a Saito family daughter, publicly swearing never to step into Minoh again and was forced to relinquish previously occupied territories." Amaru said with some schadenfreude, "Not only that, but he also suffered severe losses to his followers and retainer groups. The Qingzhou main family of the Lower Four Prefectures, and the Iwakura family of the Upper Four Provinces, who had previously bowed, began to outwardly comply and inwardly resist, in reality, he could no longer control the Eight Provinces of Owari. The local elites and samurai suffered heavy casualties, held deep resentment against him, and were all cursing for his quick demise behind his back. It must have been the seventeenth year of Tenbun, probably was, when the Matsudaira-Imagawa allied forces gathered troops at Okazaki to reclaim Western Sankei, and he called upon his followers, aristocrats, and retainers to confront them, but few responded at all. In the end, he gathered less than four thousand men and suffered another devastating defeat. Not only was Western Sankei lost, but even the Imagawa family invaded the Owari territory, biting off parts of Niwa County and Kasugai County, and now the Matsudaira-Imagawa family frequently raids the central part of Aichi County, nearly reaching Atsuta Port, which is the lifeline for that old codger Oda Danjo Chonosuke's family. If lost, the Oda Danjo family would be finished." S~eaʀᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At this point, Amaru confidently asserted: "So now the Tiger of Owari is already crippled. I heard he spends his days drinking and playing in Mosen Castle (one of Oda Nobuhide's residences), so decadent he's unrecognizable, having become the defeat hound of Owari. There's no need for you to be so concerned about him!"

Chapter 27 - 16 The Defeated Dog of Owari_3

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