I. According to the report from the Third Corps, an enemy brigade under Gao Shuxun is stationed at Zhongcun. Its vanguard made contact with our Sixth Division’s outposts in the afternoon of today. It appears that this force is covering the movement of the main body behind it.

II. The Front Army has decided to attack this enemy force tomorrow, the 22nd, taking advantage of the Southern Group’s advance to annihilate Gao’s main force.

III. The Third Corps will serve as the left wing and, on the second day, will also act as the left wing, attacking the northeastern end of Zhongcun along the three routes of Dipanyuan, Zhangjialing, and Xiyuanlong, pressing northward into Zhongcun. They are to reach their pre-attack assembly positions by 6:30 a.m. The Fourth Army will be the right wing, advancing southward along the line from Sijiu’nao toward Jiaokeng, Luohuashan, Niukeng, and Longshang to strike at the southern end of Zhongcun. The Fourth Army must depart from the Longfang area at 3:00 a.m. tomorrow and arrive at its assembly positions by 6:30 a.m. (The First Army, which will lead the attack against the Southern Group on the first day, will serve as the general reserve. It should set out from its present location at 3:00 a.m. tomorrow, moving via Longkeng, Dajiangkou, Puhua’an, Muzinao, Sanzipeng, Haoyuan, and Qiaoxiakeng to support the Fourth Army and, when the opportunity arises, enter Yuantou to bivouac, preparing for the second attack against the Southern Group on the 23rd, where it will again function as the right wing. It must maintain close vigilance over the Southern Group and conduct thorough reconnaissance of enemy dispositions.) The Eleventh Army will serve as the general reserve. It should begin marching behind the Third Army at 3:30 a.m. tomorrow, positioning itself near Haoyuan and Qiaoxiakeng, to the rear of the Fourth Army’s positions. On the first day of the attack against the Southern Group, following the Third Army, it will assume the role of the right wing, with the line running from Depolai, Lai Zhuting, and Zhongcun to Songshuyan serving as the operational boundary. Areas north of this line will be assigned to the Third Corps, while those south of the line, including the area within it, will fall under the Fourth Army’s responsibility.

IV. Should the enemy at Zhongcun withdraw toward the Southern Group or YuanTou, the Third Corps is to penetrate as far as Tongnanguan to establish a bivouac there. Meanwhile, the Third, Eleventh, and Fourth Armies are all to move into the YuanTou area to bivouac, preparing for the subsequent attack against the Southern Group.

V. The General Headquarters and its directly subordinate units will advance with the Military Commission to near Dongkeng to direct operations. Tomorrow evening, reports will be received on the streets of Zhongcun. On the day after tomorrow, the command post for the attack against the Southern Group will be located in Shangchao and Xiachao.

Issued by Commander-in-Chief Zhu De and Political Commissar Mao Zedong.