During his meeting with Gu Zhutong, Xi Yi requested that Gu instruct Chiang Kai-shek to halt the eastward advance of Tang Enbo’s and Qin Lianfang’s forces; otherwise, should hostilities break out, the responsibility would lie with the other side. Two divisions of Qin’s army have already reached Shangcheng and Gushi, and Qin himself, together with the division commanders, has assembled in Lihuang, formulating plans to launch an offensive into eastern Anhui. Meanwhile, nine divisions under Tang are massing in Nanyang, poised to move east, placing the situation in a critical state. It is imperative to demand of Gu an explanation: on the one hand, there are talks of peace in northern Jiangsu and orders from southern Anhui directing our forces to withdraw northward, while on the other, a large force of some 110,000 men is being dispatched to advance eastward. What, then, is the purpose behind this? Could it be that the other side is already preparing to sever all ties? In the course of the negotiations, Xi Yi should make this overarching issue the primary concern; all other matters must take a back seat.