"For Chinese people under the age of fifty, Zhang Xueliang is like a living shadow. No one does not know him, but no one has seen him."
In 1986, the Hong Kong magazine "Wide Angle Lens" published An article about Zhang Xueliang, for people at the time, 50 years ago was the time when Zhang Xueliang launched the Xi'an Incident, and no one under the age of 50 had ever seen Zhang Xueliang in person.
Everyone knows that Zhang Xueliang did not live in seclusion, but was under house arrest since the end of the "military remonstrance" that shocked China and the world in 1936.
For so many years, there was not a day when Zhang Xueliang did not live under strict supervision, and old things were brought up again. Especially at the 50th anniversary, even if Hong Kong has not yet returned to the motherland, the people of Hong Kong are indignant and running for Zhang Xueliang to escape from the prison.
But Zhang Xueliang, who was at the center of this storm of public opinion, was not affected in any way and was still in jail. It was not until 1990, when Chiang Ching-kuo passed away, that Zhang Xueliang gained freedom in life.
From the glory of youth to the vicissitudes of life, it took 54 years. Things have changed and people have changed. Zhang Xueliang seemed to have slept for a long time, looking up at a loss.
In 1946, Zhang Xueliang, who traveled to many places during his imprisonment, met Chiang Kai-shek in Qianlingshan Park, Guiyang City, and was transferred to the famous Bai Gongguan in Chongqing. Zhang Xueliang thought that he was going to die here, but he did not want to In October, he was put on a plane to Taiwan.
Zhang Xueliang did something that was good for the world but not good for Chiang Kai-shek. Chiang Kai-shek wanted to kill him but didn't dare to kill him. He wanted to kill him but couldn't swallow it. He could only endure it and locked him up and watched. , trying to imprison Zhang Xueliang until death.
Zhang Xueliang had long felt something was wrong on the plane. The long-distance flight and crossing an ocean all indicated that they were probably far away from mainland China.
After getting off the plane, the air that was as humid as Chongqing and the completely different temperature all reminded Zhang Xueliang that they had arrived in a very strange place.
For the next 44 years, Zhang Xueliang was trapped on the island of Taiwan. In the first few years, Zhang Xueliang was trapped in a small apartment just like he was on the mainland. Later, with the mediation of many parties, Zhang Xueliang was Zhang Xueliang was allowed to expand the scope of his activities, but he could never escape the fate of being monitored.
Fortunately, in such difficult years, Zhang Xueliang has always been accompanied by his confidante- Zhao Yidi, otherwise it would be difficult for Zhang Xueliang to persevere.
Zhang Xueliang had many confidantes in his life, but there were only two most important ones in his life, One was Yu Fengzhi , and the other was Zhao Yidi, "Miss Zhao Si" .
Yu Fengzhi is Zhang Zuolin 's carefully selected daughter-in-law for his son Zhang Xueliang. She is virtuous and generous. She and Zhang Xueliang had three sons and one daughter in their early years, but their relationship was not as deep as imagined. They can only be regarded as respectful to each other, or She said that Yu Fengzhi was a competent daughter-in-law and her whole heart was focused on Zhang Xueliang.
However, the young and romantic Zhang Xueliang likes to flirt with women everywhere, and is quite indifferent to the hardworking Yu Fengzhi.
The relationship between Zhang Xueliang and Miss Zhao Si is different. Miss Zhao Si and Zhang Xueliang not only fell in love at first sight, but also fell in love with each other.
When Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned, Yu Fengzhi abandoned the child he had been taking care of and returned to China to share the joys and sorrows with Zhang Xueliang. Miss Zhao Si has always claimed to be Zhang Xueliang's personal secretary and has never been separated.
Yu Fengzhi, as the head wife, never expressed rejection when facing Zhang Xueliang's beloved Miss Zhao Si. She was a very competent old-style daughter-in-law, hardworking and uncomplaining, and she also "caringly" tolerated Zhang Xueliang who had no status and was just a lover. Miss Zhao Si who accompanies Zhang Xueliang.
But this "generosity" did not lead to Zhang Xueliang's "prodigal son turning back".
In 1940, Yu Fengzhi suffered from breast cancer and had to leave Zhang Xueliang and go to the United States for surgical treatment. But this farewell was actually a forever .
Yu Fengzhi, who was receiving treatment in the United States, never had the chance to return to Zhang Xueliang due to current situation and to take care of his children.
She had always believed that Zhang Xueliang would regain his freedom in the United States, and invested all her family property in real estate and stocks. She was full of longing for Zhang Xueliang to have a prosperous life when they came to the United States to live together.
But the first thing she waited for was not Zhang Xueliang, but a letter from Zhang Xueliang asking her to help make a decision.
In the letter, Zhang Xueliang asked Yu Fengzhi to help him make up his mind to sever the marriage relationship with one of her and Miss Zhao Si. Yu Fengzhi had been with Zhang Xueliang for half his life. He did not understand what Zhang Xueliang meant and was heartbroken. But he still endured it. Out of grief, he sent a divorce application to Zhang Xueliang.
Later, with the permission of the Taiwan authorities, Zhang Xueliang and Miss Zhao Si published an official marriage announcement in the newspaper, and hosted a banquet for a group of celebrities to witness their union.
Relying on the company of his lover, Zhang Xueliang spent the most difficult years, but still fell into confusion at the moment he learned about freedom in 1990.
After being imprisoned for most of his life, Zhang Xueliang suddenly didn’t know the difference between freedom and the past. After a long pause, he remembered that during the days when he was restricted, he had thought about where he wanted to go, what he wanted to do, and who he wanted to see after regaining his freedom. .
In fact, there was no need for him to respond. There were only a few old friends, relatives and friends left in the world. After learning that he had regained his freedom, they called Taiwan one after another, hoping to meet Zhang Xueliang as soon as possible.
But the person Zhang Xueliang wanted to meet the most was Yu Fengzhi, who owed him the most in his life.
Yu Fengzhi did not wait for Zhang Xueliang, and they almost met, but fate played a trick on him, and Yu Fengzhi died on March 17, 1990. In just three months, Zhang Xueliang regained his freedom.
During Yu Fengzhi's lifetime, on the one hand, he was restricted by the Taiwan authorities' restrictions on Zhang Xueliang, and on the other hand, he was worried that the two were divorced and it would not be appropriate to see each other again, so he never returned to Taiwan.
Everyone thought that she gave up on Zhang Xueliang because he remarried Miss Zhao Si, but her tombstone, written "Zhang Yufengzhi" according to her last wish, exposed her true thoughts.
As soon as he was released, Zhang Xueliang expressed his desire to go to the United States to the Taiwan authorities, and received a "please do it" reply as quickly as possible.
On the 17th day of the fourth lunar month in 1990, Zhang Xueliang celebrated his 90th birthday. Before leaving Taiwan, relatives and friends made great arrangements for him to celebrate his double happiness. The venue was set at the most distinguished Grand Hotel in Taipei, the top hotel in Taiwan. Layer Kunlun Hall .
On this day, not only more than 90 dignitaries including Song Changzhi, Qin Xiaoyi, etc. attended the birthday banquet, they sent congratulatory messages. Even Zhou Enlai's wife Deng Yingchao also sent a congratulatory message.
What is different from others is that Deng Yingchao's congratulatory message not only congratulates Zhang Xueliang on his birthday, also sends an invitation to return home in a private capacity to Zhang Xueliang, who has regained his freedom.
Of course, Deng Yingchao’s small gesture also contains the mainland’s goodwill towards this old man who has experienced many vicissitudes of life. On the day of the
feast, reporters inevitably came to interview this old man who had witnessed the changes of the past century. One of them asked whether he would choose to return to his hometown in mainland China.
Seeing the light of day again after half a century, Zhang Xueliang did not show any stage fright when facing reporters, and replied with sincere emotion: "That is my home, how could a wanderer not go home?"
The reporter also seized the opportunity and continued When asked whether he wanted to settle down in his hometown in the Northeast, Zhang Xueliang's answer was the same as before, "The Northeast is my home, and I am free to go back." However, when facing the American media, Zhang Xueliang admitted that he was willing to return to his hometown and settle down.
After receiving Zhang Xueliang's expressed wishes, the mainland actively and actively helped Zhang Xueliang return home to negotiate specific matters.
In 1991, Zhang Xueliang left Taiwan and went to the United States to visit relatives.
The news that Zhang Xueliang embarked on a trip to visit relatives soon spread to the mainland. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued instructions to sincerely invite Zhang Xueliang to hold a 91st birthday party in the mainland. At the same time, he sincerely hoped that Zhang Xueliang could attend the "September 18th Incident"The 60th anniversary Commemorative events.
In order to show sincerity, the Central Committee also issued instructions to repair the Northeast Marshal's Mansion and the Marshal's Mausoleum to facilitate Zhang Xueliang's return to the country at any time to pay homage..
arranged everything. General Lu Zhengcao, Zhang Xueliang's old friend, went to the United States to visit Zhang Xueliang in person, regardless of his advanced age, with heavy sincerity and a personal invitation letter written by Deng Yingchao.
Lu Zhengcao is only three years younger than Zhang Xueliang. He joined the Northeast Army at the age of 18. In the same year, he entered Zhang Xueliang's Guard Brigade. At the age of 19, he was favored by Zhang Xueliang and entered the Northeastern Martial Arts Hall to study. After graduation, he has been Zhang Xueliang's adjutant and secretary. fellow cadet and alumnus , the friendship between Lu Zhengcao and Zhang Xueliang is extraordinary.
After the Xi'an Incident, the two never met again. Lu Zhengcao's trip to the United States was also the first time the two met in nearly 50 years.
Unfortunately, because Zhang Xueliang arrived in the United States for the first year, his children and grandchildren all wanted Zhang Xueliang to spend the birthday by their side, so this year's birthday was not held in the mainland as expected.
When Lu Zhengcao arrived in the United States, he was catching up with Zhang Xueliang's birthday party. After giving him a carefully selected birthday gift, he met the old chief .
When the two octogenarians met, they didn't show much emotion, but the trembling hands held tightly together and the moist eyes said a lot.
After persuading the two old people not to be too excited, everyone quietly retreated and let them talk about the past half a century apart.
I don’t know how long we chatted. After thoroughly expressing his personal feelings, Lu Zhengcao took out the letter written by Deng Yingchao to Zhang Xueliang:
Mr. Hanqing is like this:
The years pass by, the seasons flow, and decades of sea and sky separate us. The feeling of hope has become stronger over time. Every time I thought about my husband during Enlai's lifetime, I often sighed with sadness. Now that my husband is in good health and everything is going well, he is ready to travel thousands of miles. My old friend is deeply comforted when I hear this. Mr.
has been away from his hometown for many years, and his relatives and friends are eagerly waiting for him. It is difficult to express his words. Fortunately, in recent years, the barriers between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have gradually been removed, and exchanges between the two sides have increased. Winter is turning to spring again, and the weather is mild and warm, making it a perfect time to visit the motherland. Today, Yingchao accepts the commission from Mr. Deng Xiaoping and would like to sincerely invite Mr. and Mrs. Wang to return to the mainland at a convenient time. Visit your hometown, visit tombs, visit relatives, go sightseeing, or settle down. He specially introduced Comrade Lu Zhengcao, the special envoy of our party, to pay a visit and explain all matters. I hope that Mr. Wang will show his respect so that proper arrangements can be made. Greetings to your wife, Ms. Zhao. That is to say Chunqi.
The text of the letter is very simple. The full text of is only about 200 words, but every word is sincere, formal yet warm.
Zhang Xueliang sighed for a long time after reading it.
His hometown, the family that gave birth to him and raised him, the family that even sacrificed himself in his early years could not be saved from the invaders. The world said that he served the country with "military admonishment", but how could he not be unbearable when his family was ravaged under the iron heel of the invaders? html More than 250 years have passed, and he has never regretted sacrificing himself for the country. His feelings have not changed, how can he not miss his hometown?
Thinking of this, Zhang Xueliang wrote a reply:
Mrs. Zhou Yingchao and elder sister Huijian:
It's a great pleasure to come to the United States to meet you. I also conveyed the profound concern for Liang from all the central officials, and I am deeply grateful. Liang lives in Taiwan, soaring in the sky, and feels nostalgic every day. As soon as I have the opportunity, I will definitely set foot on my hometown. I respectfully ask you to pay tribute to all the central officials on your behalf.
According to historical data, Premier Zhou Enlai maintained correspondence with Zhang Xueliang with varying frequency during the more than 20 years that Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned, and did not stop until Premier Zhou's death.
It is impossible for Zhang Xueliang not to feel such feelings.
Accompanied by the increasingly profound homesickness, Zhang Xueliang agreed to Deng Yingchao's invitation without hesitation. However, things are unpredictable. In mid-to-late June of the same year, after Zhang Xueliang returned to Taiwan from the United States, the current situation changed and Zhang Xueliang's return home trip We encountered obstacles many times, and our plans failed many times.
Fortunately, in 1994, the son of Zhang Xueliang and Miss Zhao Si once visited his hometown with his family on behalf of his father. After returning, he relayed his experiences of his hometown to Zhang Xueliang, and returned to the mainland again a year later. The son returned to his hometown twice. Bring infinite comfort to Zhang Xueliang.
With the arrival of the new century, cross-strait relations have been restored, but the departure of Miss Zhao Si has dealt a major blow to Zhang Xueliang, and his health has plummeted, making traveling far a luxury.
On his deathbed in 2001, Zhang Xueliang passed away with infinite regrets. The most regretful thing during his lifetime was that he hated that his body was decaying and he could not return.
Especially in the last few years, he often said with resentment: "I really want to go back, but my body cannot bear the emotional impact."
Poor Zhang Xueliang endured humiliation and heavy burdens for his country and nation for half his life, and in his later years he still suffered from two The separation of the two countries ended with regrets. I believe that at countless moments, Zhang Xueliang, like countless Taiwanese wanderers, longed for the return of Taiwan.
