Scenes 121 to 140

The National Government’s air force attacks the city.

While Jiang Jieshi and Mr. Donald are eating, they can hear the planes in the air. Zhang Xueliang is looking out of the window and comments that He Yingqin sent planes for bomb attacks again. Jiang answers that this is understandable, as he has been kidnapped, but Mr. Donald warns him that if heavy fighting should break out, the Chinese nation will be destroyed and his own life will be endangered as well. Jiang counters that if He Yingqin wants to fight there is nothing he can do about it. But Mr. Donald says that he is the only one who can stop He by one single order. He further suggests to deliver such an order to Nanjing personally, but Jiang says that he will rather send Jiang Dingwen (蒋鼎文) and that he will call for the punitive operations to be stopped only for three days. In this time they will have to set him free.

Wang Yizhe, Ding Li, Tian Wenhao and Adjutant Zhao receive Zhou Enlai and the CCP delegates who arrive in Xi’an.

Zhou Enlai is shaving his beard, while the others are discussing the situation. Ding Li says that at present everyone, the National Government as well as the people, want Jiang Jieshi’s death.

The noise of the planes flying over the city can be heard all the time. Zhang Xueliang's and Yang Hucheng’s men are anxious. Some of them want Jiang to be killed right away, while others suggest to hand him over to the CCP so that they can kill him, but they all agree that they will not let him go back alive.

Zhou Enlai explains to Zhang Xuelaing and Yang Hucheng the CCP’s point of view: They think that there are two possible outcomes to the incident (cf. Mao’s hint in scene 111). One would be that Jiang accepts the eight demands, stops the civil war and fights the Japanese. The other one would be that a disastrous civil war will open the door for the Japanese to invade China. The only way to prevent this will be a peaceful resolution of the incident. Yang remarks that Jiang still does not want to talk, but Zhou is confident that he will change his mind, because he is not only facing pressure from Britain and America, but he will also be concerned about his own safety. In the end, even his wife had sent Mr. Donald to make him change his mind. And keeping Jiang is still better for all than having a He Yingqin who is openly pro-Japanese.

Song Meiling arrives at the airport where she is received by Zhang Xueliang. They greet each other friendly. Meiling asks whether she will be searched, but Zhang denies this. An accompanying guard, though, has to hand over his pistol.

When a soldier enters the room, Jiang Jieshi is startled but he is relieved when the man tells him that he only brings him medicine. Jiang wants to know whether the CCP’s delegation has arrived already. When the soldier answers it has and that it is headed by Zhou Enlai, Jiang is taken aback [He had worked with Zhou Enlai at the Whampoa Military Academy during the mid-1920s]. He shouts at the soldier that he should go to Zhang Xueliang and tell him not to bring Zhou to him. Then Song Meiling comes in. She is deeply moved to see her husband again, who in turn is surprised to see her. Jiang realises that Song Ziwen has come as well, and he tells him with anger that Zhou Enlai is in Xi’an now, too.

Troops of the National Government arrive at the Tong Pass in Shaanxi province, not too far from Xi’an.

Song Meiling and Song Ziwen explain to Jiang that Zhou Enlai’s attitude is very clear: he wants a peaceful solution. If Jiang agrees on Zhang Xueliang’s and Yang Hucheng’s demands, they will let him go, but if he refuses to talk, he will not be able to return to Nanjing.

Zhou Enlai arrives.

When Jiang Jieshi hears that Zhou Enlai has arrived, he immediately says that he will not see him, but his wife asks Zhou in. Jiang Jieshi and Zhou Enlai greet each other politely and joke about how long they have not seen each other. Jiang then asks him whether his party instigated Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng to stage the coup, but Zhou insists that the CCP was not involved in the beginning of the incident at all and that its end depends on Jiang himself. He warns Jiang, who still thinks that He Yingqin will not harm him, not to ignore the situation in Nanjing. Zhou demonstrates to Jiang that he knows well the relationship between Jiang and He Yingqin and all its ups and downs. He goes on to state that He is ready for a deal with Japan, has asked Jiang’s arch-rival Wang Jingwei (汪精卫) back and has already decided the candidates for a new administration under his own leadership! Zhou shows Jiang a document that proves this and Jiang is shocked. Thus Jiang and Zhou sit down to talk.

Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng present Zhou Enlai, Song Meiling and Song Ziwen a document with their eight demands, who sit down to read it.

A man is holding a speech saying that it is impossible to reach their goal to unite the people in the resistance against Japan, only by negotiations. For him the CCP’s policy is wrong and Jiang Jieshi must be killed. But after he has finished his speech, another man from the audience stands up and says that he does not agree, because killing Jiang will only lead to a civil war that is even worse and furthermore would only help the Japanese. They should rather wait what results the negotiations will produce first.

Zhou Enlai has fallen asleep in his chair. He is waken up because a telegram from the Central Committee has arrived. It says that the Central Committee agrees with their opinion and that it does not matter whether Jiang will sign the agreement or not [which obviously is the outcome of the negotiations].

The negotiations are over. Song Meiling and Song Ziwen assure Zhou Enlai that even though Jiang Jieshi will not sign the agreement, he will guarantee for it.

A doctor examines Jiang Jieshi. He says that Jiang’s blood pressure is normal, but he should take a rest. Then the doctor leaves the room.

Song Ziwen says that the only question they have left now is how they are going to leave Xi’an. Song Meiling wants them to leave as soon as possible, because it is the 23rd already and she wants to be back to Nanjing for Christmas. Zhang Xueliang, she says, has expressed as well his wish to let them go as soon as possible. Jiang says that he believes Zhang Xueliang’s words, but he is not sure whether he can trust Yang Hucheng and Zhou Enlai. When they hear the voices of the students who are demonstrating from outside, Song Ziwen assumes that they could be protesting because Jiang refused to sign the agreement.

Then the guard informs them that Zhou Enlai has arrived. Song Ziwen asks Zhou whether Jiang’s refusal to sign the agreement is the reason why people are still not satisfied and Zhou says that some people still do not believe Jiang’s words, but it does not matter whether he signs or not, because even if he did, the could still go back on his word after returning to Nanjing. Jiang assures him again that he will keep his word. When Zhou realizes that Jiang is nervous because of the students who are demonstrating outside, he tells him that this is a misunderstanding: The students are not protesting against Jiang but they are welcoming General Fu Zuoyi who is coming to Shaanxi. Jiang and his wife are relieved to hear this. Zhou says that he has come to him because he and his party are worried about the safety of Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng in the future, but Jiang says that he will guarantee for that!

Some soldiers of Zhang Xueliang’s Northeastern Army come to Commander Gao to tell him that they are against letting Jiang go if he still refuses to sign the agreement. They have written a protest letter, but Gao says that they are all Zhang Xueliang’s men and thus should obey his commands.

Yang Hucheng shows his wife the protest letter. She asks why people are still protesting, as the agreement is settled already, and Yang answers that Jiang Jieshi cannot be trusted. He refused to sign the agreement, so after he has returned to Nanjing it is doubtful whether he will keep his word. His wife wants to know why he agreed on a peaceful solution, if he fears that Jiang could take revenge. Yang answers that the CCP was right in this point since a peaceful solution is the best for the Chinese people. Thus his wife tells him not to be worried because if what he does is right, then even if there will be any negative consequences, he has done what was best for the nation!

previous  next

back to top