Scenes 81 to 100

Several cars drive off from the train station and towards the city centre: many high officials of the GMD are to gather in Xi’an.

Jiang Jieshi is angry with Zhang Xueliang and asks him whether he has read a book that explains why one must first eliminate the inner enemies. Comparing the situation with the end of the Ming, Jiang argues that the Ming dynasty failed against the Qing due to its not fighting against the inner enemies. But Zhang argues the Ming rather failed because they did not fight strongly against the foreign Qing. When Jiang asks him what books he read recently instead, Zhang answers that he profited from reading on “dialectic materialism” and “political economy” which angers Jiang even more. According to him, Zhang has been infested by Communist thought. Zhang, though, tries to convince Jiang that is necessary to stop the civil war and resist Japan now to prevent China from falling into Japanese hands, but Jiang shouts at him saying he was misguided by Communist thought. Since Zhang’s reasoning has not changed Jiang’s opinion, Zhang tries another, more emotional approach and takes the telegram in which Jiang gave him the order not to fight back the Japanese troops after the September 18th incident (the “Manchurian Incident” of 1931) out of his pocket and shows it to Jiang. He says that he had to shoulder the humiliation of not resisting Japan for saving Jiang’s face and asks Jiang not to ignore the grief of the people who have lost their home.

Some thousand students are demonstrating. They demand the end of the civil war and resistance against Japan.

Yang Hucheng’s soldiers close the city gate and build barricades to stop the demonstration. As the students come closer they take up their guns. They have been asked to do so by Yang for the students’ safety, since they would run into the guns of Jiang Jieshi’s men, should they proceed.

Jiang Jieshi impatiently walks back and forth in the room, pondering at Zhang’s emotional argument about his role in 1931. Then he turns to Zhang and comes forward with a suggestion: Zhang’s Northeastern Army may move to Fujian for reorganization and Yang Hucheng’s 17th Route Army to Anhui, while Jiang Jieshi himself will eliminate the Communists in Northern Shaanxi. He gives Zhang three days to think it over.

Qian Dajun enters to report that a demonstration of more then ten thousand students is on the way to Lintong. Jiang Jieshi is enraged and gives the order that whoever dares to approach Lintong to make trouble shall be executed. When Zhang witnesses this uncompromising reaction, he is shocked.

The demonstration [obviously having succeeded to go beyond the barricades of Yang Hucheng’s men] is advancing towards Lintong. When the students arrive at the strictly guarded gate to Huaqing Pool, they are stopped by the guards who tell them that Jiang Jieshi had said that students should be studying; politics is not their business; whoever should resist will be shot. The leaders of the demonstration come forward to explain their reasons, since even Sun Yat-sen had said that study and national affairs must be linked. Furthermore, when the country will be lost, there will also be no place anymore for studying. But the head of the guards orders his men to point their guns at the students. The students decide to press forward nonetheless, but in this moment Zhang Xueliang’s car arrives from within at the gate. He gets off and tries to persuade the students not to sacrifice their lives. He tells them that he is on their side and sympathizes with their demands. He promises that within one week he will follow up his words with actions.

Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng are discussing what they should do now. Zhang has lost his hope that he can persuade Jiang Jieshi. He has said everything he could possibly say to convince him, but still Jiang refuses to listen and even set him a three days’ ultimatum. They come to the conclusion that the only measure they have left is to force Jiang. Yang, referring to the last evil ruler of the Xia dynasty, argues that in case of a stubborn ruler, the subordinates are practically forced to take strong measures. Thus they decide to kidnap Jiang.

Yang Hucheng and Zhang Xueliang have invited the party and military heads of the GMD that have assembled in Xi’an, to attend a Shaanxi Opera performance. Zhang looks at his watch, but his expression is still rather calm.

Soldiers are lining up at the East Gate Tower.

The opera performance has come to its end; all spectators move to the exit. Outside, the invited military and officials say good bye to Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, who then get in the car and drive back to the New City Building.

Meanwhile the soldiers swarm out.

High generals of Zhang Xueliang’s Northeastern and Yang Hucheng’s 17th Route Army have assembled, ready to take orders. Zhang Xueliang explains the situation to them again, saying that he has already wronged the nation and his men once by not fighting back the Japanese in Manchuria in 1931; now even though he had tried to persuade Jiang Jieshi many times, he turned a deaf ear unto him. Thus, kidnapping him is the only alternative they have left. What they will do with Jiang then will be decided later. Zhang sets the time for the operation at 4 a.m.

The soldiers storm the whole area of the Huaqing Pool. Jiang Jieshi’s men are unprepared and many of them die during the attack. When the soldiers reach Jiang’s room, they find it empty and the window open.

Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng hear via phone that Jiang Jieshi has disappeared, but his false teeth and his car are still there. Zhang gives the order to block every crossing and to search the hills.

Zheng Guangqing and Director Li talk to each other over the phone to find out what has happened, but none of them knows.

Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng are waiting for news about Jiang, but their men still have not found him. They are worried because his death would cause even worth fighting and chaos in the country. Zhang offers that in case the whole thing went wrong, Yang should cut off his head and send it to Nanjing as a sign of repentance. When Director Li calls to ask why his house is surrounded by soldiers of Yang’s Northwestern Army and why there is gunfire outside, Zhang says he does not know what has happened and that he was not free either!

Director Li calls Zheng Guangqing and tells him what Zhang Xueliang said. Zheng adds he saw Yang Hucheng’s men robbing Zhang’s bank, so now they both erroneously think Zhang’s and Yang’s men were fighting against each other.

The high officials of the GMD and the military have all assembled in the lobby of the hotel under the surveillance of Yang Hucheng’s soldiers. Some of them are still in their pyjamas. Director Li and Zheng Guangqing are brought in as well.

The soldiers are searching the hills. Finally they find one of Jiang Jieshi’s men. When they shout that whoever is hiding there should come out, Jiang slowly steps out from a crevice between the rocks. He is wearing his dressing gown.

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