Ieyasu is now thirty years old and in its heyday. His province was filled with the hope of prosperity and the desire to expand the region, so great that the followers, both old and young, the peasants, the townspeople were very excited. Mikawa (Ieyasu Tokugawa Province) may not be a match for Kai (Takeda Shingen Province) in terms of wealth but in terms of determination, the province is not in the slightest.
Shingen “The Legs Long” yesterday still fought against the Uesugi clan of Echigo provincial ruler on the northern border of Kai, today he threatens Mikawa. When Kai and Echigo’s borders are covered with snow, his 30,000-strong force is urged to immediately embody his dream of entering the capital. The easiest way is to grind Mikawa.
As threats drew closer. The Tokugawa ally, the head of the Oda family sent a letter to Ieyasu:
“It would be better if you did not have a frontal confrontation with Kai’s army. I hope you are still strong if the situation is critical and you are forced to withdraw from Hamamatsu to Okazaki. Even if we have to wait another day, I’m sure the day will not be long.”
Ieyasu replied, “before leaving Hamamatsu fort, we better break our bow and get out of the samurai group!” Receiving Oda Nobunaga’s courier response and Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s advisory muttering about Ieyasu’s stubbornness. One of the three unknowable friends. In the view of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, Ieyasu province is a line of defense territory. He can be retaken in the future, or adventure trying to reach a new territory. But for Ieyasu, Mikawa is home. Home matters are a matter of the heart, and the heart, especially Ieyasu’s heart, can not be changed as easily as the cloth re-coloring. Ieyasu challenged! Despite the disagreed alliance, Ieyasu does not expect help, no compassion even by a companion!
Ieyasu continued his preparations and set out for the battlefield, without back-line support. “Sometimes I feel too hard on myself, to get rid of guilt for what I do. And this is the saddest of this story.” Ieyasu thought.
One by one, as a comb is broken, reports of defeat come. The Shingen had attacked Totomi, while at the same time the fortresses in Tadaki and Lida had no choice but to surrender, at the forefront of the battle, there was not a piece of land that the Kai troops did not trample on. Things got worse, when Ieyasu’s Heihachiro Honda troop was caught by enemies around the Senryu River, the Tokugawa troops suffered a total defeat and forcibly retreated to Hamamatsu. Reports that make everyone pale in the castle, but not Tokugawa. In the wake of misfortune and suffering at a young age, he becomes a man who does not exaggerate the trivial defeat, (even) assumes it is nothing.
Ieyasu led troops out of Hamamatsu fortress, advanced up to Kanmashi village on the banks of the Tenryu River, and found Kai’s troop camp. Each position corresponds to Shingen’s headquarters, as the fingers surround the nap. Ieyasu stood on the hill with his arms folded and let out a sigh of admiration. Even from the distance, the banners at Shingen’s main camp were clearly visible, the famous words of Sun Tzu’s utterance, known to friends and foes.
“Fast as the wind, the silence of a forest, as passionate as fire, silent as a mountain”
Silent as a mountain, neither Shingen nor Ieyasu took action for several days. With the Tenryu River between the camps, the winter of the twelfth month is getting colder.
To be Continues...
Visit https://tengkuputeh.com/2017/06/10/gate-without-gate-the-military-strategy-of-ieyasu-tokugawa/ for full story
and visit us at https://tengkuputeh.com