The Communists anticipated the Nationalist attack and mobilized 31,000 troops from the Taihang (太行), Taiyue (太岳), and Southern Hebei (冀南) military districts to prepare for the upcoming battles.

Many Chinese communist troops worried about the safety of Mao Zedong, who was in Chongqing negotiating a peace treaty with Chiang Kai-shek.

Deng Xiaoping told the soldiers that the greater the victory for the upcoming battle, the safer Mao Zedong would be, and the stronger the position the communists would have at the negotiations.

The communists also mobilized an additional 50,000 militia to ease logistical concerns associated with the campaign, and to fill vacancies left behind by the regular troops who were on the front lines.

When the attack on Changzhi began on 24 September 1945, but the communists failed to take the city (attributed largely to the superior arms of the Nationalist defenders).

After Yan Xishan learned of the emergency facing Shi Zebo at Changzhi, he sent out reinforcements led by the deputy commander-in-chief of the 2nd Army Group, Peng Yubin (彭毓斌).

After the initial battle, the Nationalist reinforcements were engaged at regions along Laoyeling (老爷岭), Mopannao (磨盘脑), and Yulin (榆林) line.

Learning that his reinforcements were annihilated, the Nationalist commander Shi Zebo at Changzhi planned a breakout from the west on 8 October 1945, under the cover of darkness, hoping to reach Linfen.

Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping immediately ordered the Taiyue column to move to Mabi (马壁) from Siting to intercept the fleeing enemy.