 If Chen Yi still had to follow the order by deploying the majority of the troops in the north, then the Communist 2nd Column under commander Wei Guoqing (韦国清) must be retained in the region to check the Nationalist southward advance.Otherwise, Su Yu and Tan Zhenlin could not be responsible for the situation (when it turned for the worse).The pleas from Su Yu and Tan Zhenlin were rejected by Chen Yi, who telegraphed back on August 9, 1946, claiming that the situation has changed and the Nationalist 7th Army had moved southward to regions including Lingbi (灵壁), Siyang, Suqian and Suining and its original defense perimeter was filled by other Nationalist units.