Prepare Conscientiously for the Northward Move[1]

(November 21, 1940)

Ye and Xiang:

You may delay for one to two months (demanding moving expenses and the cessation of the offensive north of the Yangtze), but you must conscientiously prepare for the northward move. We are determined to trade concessions in southern Anhui for political influence over the middle factions.

Secretariat of the Central Committee

November 21

[1] This was a directive drafted by Mao Zedong for the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, addressed to Ye Ting and Xiang Ying, on conscientiously preparing for the northward move.