Create a Battlefield East of the River, and
Strengthen the Work on Major Roads
(March 25, 1936, 1:00 P.M.)
Ye [Jianying] and Li [Fuchun]:
1. In vigorously expanding the Red Army and creating a battlefield east of
the river, if certain difficulties are met, you must resolve to overcome them. You
should lay stress first of all on turning the entire xian of Shilou Red, as well as
the area north of Yonghe and Xixian, and the area south of Zhongyang and
Liulin.


2. In particular, work along the following major roads should be strengthened:
(1) Shilou to Shuitou. (2) Shilou to Shikouzhen. (3) Shilou to Xixian. (4) Shilou to
Yonghe. (5) Shilou to Pingdi and Liuyu. Along these five routes, the masses
should be fully mobilized, guerrilla work and cadre leadership should be
strengthened, preparations should be made to create a mass blockade against the
enemy in Shilou after they have penetrated deeply so that all the enemy's supplies are cut off, and the enemy should be worn down by relying on the strength
of the masses, and strengthening the walls and clearing the fields.¹


3. Destroy the White army's slogans and leaflets, and first arrange things
along the abovementioned major roads.


4. As for specific arrangements, it is hoped that you will send a report to
Sijiangcun.


Peng [Dehuai]
Mao [Zedong]


We have translated this telegram from Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 496-97,
where it is reproduced from a copy in the Central Archives.

--- Notes

1. "Strengthening the walls and clearing the fields" (jianbi qingye) was a traditional
expression meaning to prepare for combat by strengthening town walls, evacuating
noncombatants, and hiding provisions and livestock. Originally used by imperial officials
to describe preparations to resist rural rebels, its meaning had been inverted by Mao
during the Jiangxi period to refer to efforts to prepare the rural populace for the incursion
of government armies. For an instance of such usage and a more detailed note about the
term, see the text dated July 4, 1931, in Volume IV of our edition.