Samurai of the Takeda Family

On the meandering Chikuma River, Li Xiao joined Takeda Shinshige's crew after hiking a section of mountain trails. Takeda Xinfan, Li Xiao rushed to the riverside, almost in time for the meal, Xinfan's crew was temporarily stationed on the riverside, and the soldiers were busy fetching water and cooking food.

　　Kafi country has always been barren, and the food is often insufficient for self-sufficiency, so the people in the middle of the country often don't have enough food. The ordinary samurai are in a slightly better situation, but they can barely fill their stomachs.

　　 In the past, when the soldiers of the Takeda family went out, they used their own food. The types of food were all kinds of miscellaneous grains, such as mustard wheat flour and millet flour. So for the Takeda family, it was the dream of everyone from top to bottom to conquer the Shinano country rich in rice and eat fragrant rice.

The Takeda family’s poor faithful tiger, the second generation of the Shingen family governor, took 20 years of work and finally completely controlled Shinano. This action not only meant an expansion of the territory (the area of ​​Shinano is more than double the size of Kai). ), making the Takeda family self-sufficient in food.

　　Because it was on the march, it was impossible to set up pots and bowls to cook rice in a hurry, so the soldiers took out the prepared rice **** from the ‘waist pouches’ that were fastened on their bodies.

　　 Then the soldiers set up a fire, and while they fork the rice **** with branches, they put them on the fire and roast them, and they also boiled some hot water. From Nobuhiro Takeda to the low-level peasants and soldiers, from the commander to the soldiers, they all eat the same food and eat together.

　　 Li Xiao felt quite fresh at the beginning. His chestnut warhorse was taken to feed the grass. After the rice **** were distributed, he followed ordinary soldiers and put the rice **** on the fire for barbecue. Li Xiao saw that many people burned the surface of the rice ball to black, so that it smelled a scorching scent that appealed to people's appetite.

　　 After Li Xiao heated the rice ball, he put it in his mouth and chewed it. There seemed to be plums in the rice ball. When the rice grains were chewed in the mouth, the sour plum juice smelled into it, giving it a unique flavor.

　　 "March."

　　 Chuan Lingbing sent a signal, and Li Xiaoyu swallowed the remaining half of the rice ball like a jujube. This little food was only enough for him to make the bottom, and there was no 50% full, so he went on the road.

　　 But it seems that the other soldiers have only one rice ball, but they all seem to regain their energy, cheer up their morale, and start back on the road.

　　 I have heard that Japanese people in this era are basically malnourished. For the peasants and soldiers, they only eat rice during the war. They usually eat some miscellaneous grains. Therefore, their appetite is basically very small, and they eat less and do more.

　　 In order to consolidate Shinano's rule, Takeda Shingen built a straight road from Kofu to Kawanaka Island. It takes 160 kilometers to travel along the straight road from Kofu to Shinano, which can be reached by cavalry in six hours.

Despite this, Shingen has built many beacon towers along the way to convey the enemy’s feelings in the form of wolf smoke. Once the Uesugi family sends troops to North Shinano, Shingen Takeda of Kofu can learn the news in just two hours and can make quick decisions. Sent troops based on their judgment.

　　 Takeda Nobuhira's troops moved forward in silence. Due to heavy rain not long ago, the road was very muddy, and the small lotus caravan behind the troops was very difficult to walk.

The rugged and long mountain roads and the bad road conditions made Xinfan’s team travel less than 1 kilometer per hour. At this time, the pack truck was stuck in the mud and it was difficult to pull out. A dozen farmers and soldiers on the side exhausted their bodies. You can't pull out the pannier even if you solve the number.

　　 Even though several urging warriors repeatedly yelled, punched and kicked, they still couldn't force the dozens of peasants to explode and pull out the wagon.

　　 So the progress of the Xinfan team was delayed. At this time, the Anayama Shinkun's department of the back team had also caught up and was blocked by the front team on the mountain road, unable to make a single step forward.

　　 How is it good? It's nothing more than missing the place, the problem is delaying the march of the army. Takeda Shinhan is quite embarrassed. At this time, Centipede Chuanqi has brought Shingen's instructions and ordered Shinhan to speed up.

　　 Katsuyori Takeda hurriedly suggested to Takeda Shinobu: "If this goes on, there is no way. The only way to do this is to cut off the ropes on the panniers and unload the weights from the carts to their respective backs. You can definitely drag the wheels out of the mud."

　　 After listening to Takeda Katsuyoshi’s suggestion, Takeda Shinshige shook his head and said, "No, it takes time to cut the ropes and unload the goods. What's more, even if it succeeds, this mountain road is difficult to walk. Is it possible for our soldiers to trek carrying food?"

　　 Seeing that the sky is getting darker, Xinfan and the others are very sad, and they have delayed the military order, which is a serious crime.

　　 At this time, Li Xiao jumped off the horse and came to the truck in the mud, and said loudly: "Tie the rope to the horse, and pull the cart up with animal power."

　　 Seeing the people around him look blank, Li Xiao only realized that his speech was impassable. So Li Xiao personally untied the rope from a soldier's shoulder and tied it to his chestnut horse.

　　 There were no horse-drawn carriages in Japan until the Meiji era. Because horses were too scarce and precious, no one used them as animal power. The so-called panniers use manpower.

　　 No one in the Takeda family thought of using a horse to trailer. This idea is too extravagant. The samurai on horseback cherishes his horse, even if he thinks of it, he would not use it in a trailer.

　　 Seeing that as a samurai, Li Xiao took the lead and contributed all his horses, how could the peasants and soldiers dared not work hard, for a while, everyone fought bravely and worked hard to drag the pack wagon.

　　 The moment the car was pulled out, the army burst into cheers, as if they had won the battle. Li Xiao could feel the admiration of everyone on their faces.

　　 "Li Xiao, it's really hard work for you." Xinfan was also full of joy.

Li Xiao replied: "How dare it, but I see that the road below is also difficult to walk. I saw a bamboo forest on the mountain on the left. It is better to chop some bamboo and plan it into bamboo slices and place them in front of the wheels in turn, so you don't have to worry about getting stuck in the mud again. inside."

"I see."

　　 Xinfan touched his beard with a look of sudden realization, and then Li Xiao's suggestion was executed as an order.

　　 At night, Xinfan’s team set up a camp, and their own soldiers took the initiative to set up a tent for Li Xiao. Today, Li Xiao's deeds have been admired by all the soldiers, and Xinfan is also very respectful of him, but Sheng Lai is still aside, and he is not very convinced to say that this level of matter can easily be done by himself.

　　 Li Xiao is now lying comfortably on the straw in the tent, with the grass roots in his mouth, looking up at the stars in the sky. At this time, Nobuhiro Takeda and his eldest son Nobuyoshi Takeda suddenly visited.

　　 Takeda Nobuyoshi is about the same age as Takeda Katsuyoshi. He looks quite easy-going, and his temperament is quite like his father with a kind of honest feeling.

　　 Li Xiao hurriedly paid his respects, and Takeda Nobuhiro smiled and said, "Li Xiao doesn’t need to be polite. If it weren’t for you today, our team wouldn’t be able to pass through the valley quickly. Thanks to you."

Li Xiao smiled and said: "This is a matter within our subordinates. In our Ming Dynasty, there were countless war horses. The rich farmers in the countryside would also ride horses and trailers. But it seems that you don’t have any. This habit." Li Xiao never begrudges his praise for his hometown.

Nobuhiro Takeda heard Mingguo's really powerful expression, and then said: "Yes, Japanese war horses are scarce, and the cost of raising a war horse is enough to cover the expenses of five warriors. The average warrior can't ride horses at all, so even if we are rich in Kai The horses were backed by Jinshan, so they formed a five-hundred-man Red Cavalry."

　　 Li Xiao was shocked when he heard that, it turned out that his chestnut warhorse had to pay for it himself, which was a lot of expense. With his current set of top-ranked warriors, he earns five consecutive salaries a month, and he can't afford it for a long time, so he must quickly increase his salaries. If you can be made a direct minister by the Takeda family, or even a fief, it would be great.

　　 Takeda Nobuhira didn't know what Li Xiao thought in his heart, he laughed, and then said: "Li Xiao, since you are already a samurai of our Takeda family, then I will directly appoint you as the foot general of my army."

　　 Li Xiao was taken aback. During the Warring States period, the low-level samurai started from the Zuqing team. .

　　 Li Xiao didn't expect Nobuhiro Takeda to appoint himself as an Admiral at once, giving such high expectations.

　　Because the Takeda family did not implement the separation of soldiers and farmers, the fighting relied on farmers and soldiers recruited at zero hour. Peasant soldiers are slightly less effective on the battlefield, so low-level warriors are just like grassroots officers in the army, and they are also the middle and main force in combat.

　　 To use an inappropriate analogy, a low-level warrior is equivalent to an army sergeant, a low-level officer at the level of a squad leader. As we all know, in modern wars, how great a force's combat effectiveness is is largely determined by the quality of low-level officers.

　　 Li Xiao said immediately: "Thank you, Xin Fan Gong."