In the first week of April 1941, Ye reported: “Zhang Chong informed Chiang by telephone yesterday of our protest against the encirclement and attack on the New Fourth Army. Chiang said: ‘(1) The Central authorities will certainly not obstruct the New Fourth Army’s northward advance; I have heard that it was the New Fourth Army that fired first in this clash. (2) I hope the New Fourth Army will continue to move north. (3) If that route proves impassable, it may instead head toward northern Anhui; I have instructed Li Pinxian not to impede them. (4) I have already ordered that, upon crossing the Yangtze, the New Fourth Army be supplied with 100,000 rounds of ammunition and pay. (5) Please convey these instructions to Zhou and Ye, and have them relay them to the front-line units, so as to prevent any further escalation of the incident.’ I have now written directly to Chiang to lodge a formal protest, firmly insisting that the army must cross the river via southern Jiangsu. I request that the Central Committee inquire of both Ye and Xiang exactly which route they intend to take to enter southern Jiangsu, so that we may engage in more concrete negotiations.” He concluded by urging his colleagues to hold firm for a few days, asserting that a solution would then emerge.