Late at night on March 26, 1975, Taipei Shilin Official Residence was brightly lit.
The reason was that Chiang Kai-shek , who was suffering from pneumonia, suddenly deteriorated. He had a high fever and was accompanied by syncope. Everyone was busy diagnosing and treating him.
A doctor studying in the United States reviewed Chiang Kai-shek's symptoms and suggested Soong Meiling: "The president is not in good condition, and I am afraid he will need puncture and drainage."
Soong Meiling naturally did not understand how to treat diseases and save people, so she could only follow the doctor's advice.
Unexpectedly, the puncture of and actually aggravated the inflammation in Chiang Kai-shek's lungs. The high fever persisted and antibiotics had no effect.
Knowing that Chiang Kai-shek was seriously ill, Chiang Ching-kuo and others hurried home, but Chiang Kai-shek was still groggy.
It was not until the 29th that Chiang Kai-shek's spirit became clearer.
Anticipating that his time was running out, Chiang Kai-shek first called his secretary to leave a will, repeatedly repeating: "Counterattack the mainland...save the compatriots...save China...counterattack the mainland..."
Later, he named his son Chiang Ching-kuo. He came to his side and asked: "Have you remembered everything I said?"
Chiang Kai-shek and his wife and Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo nodded, and Chiang Kai-shek added: "Especially Zhang Hanqing, you must be careful and don't let the tiger go back to the mountain..."
This time Jiang Jingguo did not nod immediately. Instead, he was silent for a long time before comforting Chiang Kai-shek and said: "Father, please take good care of your health. We will talk about these things later."
Chiang Kai-shek and Zhang Xueliang The grievances between Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Kai-shek spanned several years In ten years, the right and wrong have become blurred with the passing of the two people, and it is difficult to explain who is right and who is wrong.
However, looking at the development of the relationship between the two over the years, it can still be seen that Zhang Xueliang was once kind to Chiang Kai-shek, but what he got in exchange was Chiang Kai-shek's "repayment of kindness with hatred."
For example, during the " Central Plains War " in 1930, Chiang Kai-shek was at a disadvantage. It was Zhang Xueliang's step up that gave him a chance to win the final victory.
Zhang Xueliang
At that time, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren and other warlords refused to accept Chiang Kai-shek's leadership and started fierce battles with him in the Central Plains.
At the beginning, Chiang Kai-shek was full of confidence. He believed that he was the "orthodox" and it was natural to eliminate these disloyal warlords. He was bound to receive support and help from the Chinese people.
However, as the war dragged on longer and longer, Chiang Kai-shek gradually fell into a disadvantage. He was very angry when there was no good news for a long time on the battlefield, and people in the rear were still confused and conflicted.
After thinking for a long time, Chiang Kai-shek realized that the only way at this time was to find helpers to help him save his decline.
But analyzing the situation, the warlords with some strength either remain neutral or have conflicts with themselves. No one will help at this critical moment.
Seeing that the situation was getting more and more unfavorable, someone suggested to Chiang Kai-shek: Why don't you try to draw Zhang Xueliang into your own camp?
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek thought for a moment and felt that this method was feasible, so he secretly sent someone to convey the news to Zhang Xueliang.
In fact, Zhang Xueliang did not want to wade into this muddy water from the bottom of his heart. Since the outbreak of the Central Plains War, he has declared "armed neutrality", not favoring any party, and showing no intention to participate in the war.
Although many people were concerned about the power in Zhang Xueliang's hands and were eager to get his help, so they did not hesitate to seduce him with high-ranking officials and generous salaries, but he remained unmoved.
After receiving the invitation from Chiang Kai-shek, Zhang Xueliang acted very indifferently and still had no intention of sending troops.
Zhang Xueliang's idea is very simple. There will always be an outcome in a melee between warlords, and there is a high probability that Chiang Kai-shek will win.
There is no point in wasting people and money by fighting back and forth. It is better to take the opportunity to consolidate his strength and defend the Northeast. After all, the Japanese Kwantung Army is staring at him right under his nose.
However, Zhang Xueliang's "cold treatment" did not dishearten Chiang Kai-shek. On the contrary, he was unbearable to be disturbed by the waves of telegrams and lobbyists. Coupled with the trend of the situation on the battlefield, he was shaken.
The war between Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Kai-shek
the major warlords continues to escalate, and the war continues to spread. Seeing that the attack was about to end, Zhang Xueliang had no choice but to send troops to assist Chiang Kai-shek.
One hundred thousand troops marched into the pass to take over Pingjin, and the war in the Central Plains ended quickly. With the help of Zhang Xueliang, Chiang Kai-shek became the final winner of this war.
It can be said that without Zhang Xueliang, Chiang Kai-shek's rule would not be so stable, and might have been disintegrated by other local warlords. Chiang Kai-shek was able to have a smooth journey on the political stage, and Zhang Xueliang was indispensable.
However, how did Chiang Kai-shek repay Zhang Xueliang? The "September 18th" incident is a living example.
Because Zhang Xueliang sent troops to assist Chiang Kai-shek, the troops did not withdraw to the Northeast in time after the war, resulting in an empty defense in the Northeast, which was exploited by the Japanese invaders.
On September 18, 1931, the Japanese army brazenly launched the "September 18th Incident" and led its troops to invade Northeast China.
Northeast is Zhang Xueliang’s hometown. He naturally wants to defend the tranquility of his hometown while keeping his base camp. In troubled times, having troops and territory in hand is the way to go.
He wanted to compete with the invaders and drive them out of the Northeast, but Chiang Kai-shek did not allow it and ordered him many times not to act rashly.
In order to pursue the so-called "reconciling foreign affairs, we must first pacify the domestic situation", Chiang Kai-shek would rather let Zhang Xueliang bear the infamy than let him save the people of Northeast China and defend the country's territorial sovereignty.
At that time, Zhang Xueliang failed to see Chiang Kai-shek's face clearly. He had unconditional trust in him and obeyed his non-resistance policy , which resulted in the Northeast completely falling under the iron heel of the Japanese.
This incident caused Zhang Xueliang to suffer a lot. Not only did he lose his hometown, he was also insulted as a "general who did not resist". His reputation was completely ruined. In the end, he had to step down to save Chiang Kai-shek.
Zhang Xueliang
Zhang Xueliang spared no effort to help Chiang Kai-shek, but what he got in return was that he repaid his kindness with hatred and turned his "beneficiary" into a scapegoat. This shows that Chiang Kai-shek was cold-hearted and vicious.
After Zhang Xueliang was forced to step down, he went abroad to study. After returning to China, he still obeyed Chiang Kai-shek's orders.
Even though he was very unwilling to go to war with his compatriots, he still followed Chiang Kai-shek's arrangement and served as the deputy commander-in-chief of "bandit suppression" in Hubei, Henan, and Anhui.
Many people can’t figure out why Zhang Xueliang had to choose Chiang Kai-shek? Why would you fall for him again after being fooled once?
In fact, his blind trust in Chiang Kai-shek can be seen from Northeast Yizi .
In 1928, the Huanggutun incident occurred. Fengzhi warlord Zhang Zuolin was killed by the Japanese Kwantung Army. Zhang Xueliang was forced to step onto the political stage in advance.
At that time, the situation in Northeast China was severe, especially after Zhang Zuolin's death, the situation became even more turbulent. Many people within Fengjun were eyeing the position of the leader.
Zhang Xueliang had only three choices before him: surrender to the Japanese Kwantung Army, seclusion, or change his banner and obey the Nanjing National Government .
Surrendering to the Japanese and being a traitor was naturally shamed by Zhang Xueliang. The Japanese invaders were eyeing him, and it was impossible for Zhang Xueliang to be alone, so he could only try to surrender to the Nanjing government.
The Kuomintang was not as peaceful and united as it seemed. Warlords such as Yan Xishan were self-respecting and surrendered to Chiang Kai-shek on the surface, but in fact they had their own Xiao Jiujiu in their hearts.
They knew that Zhang Xueliang had plans to change the flag, and they all wanted to win over him to enhance their own strength.
Zhang Xueliang assessed the situation and still chose Chiang Kai-shek. Because he has always believed that among the major warlords, "only Chiang Kai-shek has the ability to unify China."
From that time on, Zhang Xueliang believed that "only Chiang Kai-shek could unify China." Even if Chiang Kai-shek later deceived him, used him, and even repaid kindness with hatred, he never changed his mind.
Therefore, Zhang Xueliang was "foolishly loyal" to Chiang Kai-shek. Even the only time he defied Chiang Kai-shek's order and launched the " Xi'an Incident" was to allow Chiang Kai-shek to concentrate on resisting Japan and unify China as soon as possible.
Chiang Kai-shek could accept Zhang Xueliang's surrender, but he could not bear the slightest betrayal by him.
When Zhang Xueliang served as the deputy commander of the bandit suppression, he and General Yang Hucheng had to face pressure from the soldiers, bear the defeat of the war with the Communist Party, and bear Chiang Kai-shek's blame and criticism. They were under great pressure.
As time went by, Zhang Xueliang no longer wanted to dance on the tip of the knife like this. After repeated remonstrances to no avail, Zhang Xueliang had no choice but to join forces with Yang Hucheng to launch the Xi'an Incident, forcing Chiang Kai-shek to join forces with the Communist Party to resist Japan.
The Xi'an Incident was finally resolved peacefully, and Zhang Xueliang took the initiative to escort Chiang Kai-shek back to Nanjing. However, the incident still caused a rift in the relationship between the two, which became increasingly intense.
As we all know, Chiang Kai-shek is a man who is determined to retaliate. Anything that goes against his will will cause him dissatisfaction and trigger his revenge.
Zhang Xueliang is no exception.
Chiang Kai-shek: Don't let the tiger go
Shortly after the Xi'an Incident, in order to show his goodwill to Chiang Kai-shek and to win over Chiang Kai-shek again, Zhang Xueliang personally escorted him back to Nanjing.
Before making this decision, Zhang Xueliang was mentally prepared for what was about to happen, so he entrusted the army to Yang Hucheng and others.
After the two arrived in Nanjing, Zhang Xueliang did a series of things that damaged his honor in accordance with Chiang Kai-shek's request, but they still failed to win back Chiang Kai-shek's heart. Chiang Kai-shek had always intended to use the most insidious means to punish him.
The first revenge Zhang Xueliang experienced was losing power and losing face.
For example, Chiang Kai-shek openly and covertly excluded Zhang Xueliang within the Kuomintang. He is the leader of the Kuomintang and the leader of the Kuomintang's military and political affairs. His attitude will directly affect the emotions of other people in the Kuomintang, and then affect Zhang Xueliang's treatment within the Kuomintang.
For example, Chiang Kai-shek asked Zhang Xueliang to write and publish something of a "review" nature and admit his "crimes". also asked him to write a series of insulting works such as "Reflections on the Xi'an Incident" and "Miscellaneous Memories", Give him both physical and mental torture.
Then, Chiang Kai-shek used this opportunity to deprive Zhang Xueliang of his power.
Chiang Kai-shek used the Nanjing Military Court to sentence Zhang Xueliang to ten years in prison and deprivation of public rights for five years.
However, Zhang Xueliang still had strength and merit after all. Many people felt that his punishment was inappropriate, so they did not send him to prison, but handed him over to the military commission for control.
Chiang Kai-shek didn't think so. He even felt that these punishments were far from enough. He wanted to imprison Zhang Xueliang forever to vent his hatred.
During the first ten years of his imprisonment, Zhang Xueliang was forced to move around Guizhou, Chongqing and other places.
After the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation, Zhang Xueliang was secretly transferred to Taiwan Province and was guarded in the sparsely populated mountains of Hsinchu.
Even if others wanted to save Zhang Xueliang, Chiang Kai-shek would not release him. In January 1949, Chiang Kai-shek resigned and Li Zongren became the acting president.
Unlike Chiang Kai-shek, Li Zongren did not have such deep hatred for the Communist Party. After he came to power, he began to actively negotiate with our party.
To show his sincerity, Li Zongren put forward eight proposals, one of which was the release of political prisoners, including Zhang Xueliang, the main leader of the Xi'an Incident.
After Li Zongren's idea was made public, Zhang Xueliang was immediately taken away from Qingquan, Hsinchu by Chiang Kai-shek and hid in the military barracks of Shoushan Fortress. After the limelight passed, he was sent back to Qingquan, Hsinchu.
Chiang Kai-shek insisted on not letting Zhang Xueliang free, mainly for the following reasons:
First of all, because of the grievances between Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Kai-shek.
The Xi'an Incident jointly launched by Zhang Xueliang and General Yang Hucheng disgraced Chiang Kai-shek and became a topic of conversation after dinner.
Chiang Kai-shek, who had always been petty, would not let Zhang Xueliang off easily. He told people more than once: "Zhang Hanqing is really hateful!"
It can be seen that Zhang Xueliang's "disobedience" and "betrayal" really made Chiang Kai-shek very unhappy. Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned for revenge and to scare the monkeys.
Chiang Kai-shek has always regarded the Communist Party as the number one enemy, and the Nationalist Government has always targeted our party in accordance with Chiang Kai-shek's request.
But Zhang Xueliang actually forced himself to cooperate with the enemy through mutiny, which greatly insulted Chiang Kai-shek's self-esteem.
From some perspectives, Chiang Kai-shek needed to punish Zhang Xueliang to re-establish his prestige, restore his "leadership personality", and maintain the majesty of the Nanjing government.
Furthermore, it is Zhang Xueliang’s own strength and character.
After Zhang Xueliang defected to Chiang Kai-shek, although his status in the Kuomintang was not as good as when he was "king" in the Northeast, his status was unshakable.
Zhang Xueliang has long been "one person below ten thousand people" in the Kuomintang. He has a high political status and the Northeastern Army he leads is brave and good at fighting.
In addition, Zhang Xueliang had a charming personality and dared to directly confront Chiang Kai-shek. Many generals of the Kuomintang admired him and even yearned for him.
All this made Chiang Kai-shek regard Zhang Xueliang as a serious problem.
In his opinion, Zhang Xueliang has seriously endangered his status and rule, but he needs his support, and there is nothing he can do about him at the moment.
Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek valued him and feared him. The occurrence of the Xi'an Incident strengthened his determination to weaken Zhang Xueliang's power.
In summary, it is not surprising that Chiang Kai-shek used the Xi'an Incident to imprison Zhang Xueliang.
Chiang Kai-shek's hatred and fear of Zhang Xueliang was so deep that before his death, he did not forget to tell his son Chiang Ching-kuo: Don't let the tiger go.
The main reason is that he is worried that his son will not be able to control Zhang Xueliang after he comes out, thus posing a threat to the Jiang family's "kingdom", and even being retaliated by Zhang Xueliang.
Finally, many people within the Kuomintang did not like Zhang Xueliang's youthful vigor, and they did not want him to join in the internal fighting and give themselves a strong competitor.
They added insult to injury, making Zhang Xueliang's hope of regaining his freedom even slimmer.
For various reasons, Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned by Chiang Kai-shek for many years and lived a life of a walking zombie. Even Zhang Xueliang himself lamented: "My affairs only happened when I was 36 years old, and there will be no more after that."
Zhang Xueliang's situation when Chiang Ching-kuo was in power
From that time on, Zhang Xueliang's mentality changed. The majestic and high-spirited general in the past has turned into a frustrated and depressed middle-aged man, and wrote: "I live in a secluded situation in the mountains, and the old rain makes my heart chill.
I can't sleep from night to night, and I can't shed tears on my pillow." to express one's mood.
In October 1957, Zhang Xueliang was taken to live in Kaohsiung, , and on April 8, 1960, he was sent to Beitou, a suburb of Taipei.
Where and when he goes is beyond Zhang Xueliang's control. Just like a leaf of duckweed in the world, it will be difficult for him to reconcile with Chiang Kai-shek.
Although Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Kai-shek had occasional contacts during the decades in Taiwan, they were not as close as they were during the Central Plains War.
It was not until Chiang Kai-shek died of illness on Qingming Festival on April 5, 1975 that the feud between the two officially ended.
Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned for more than forty years, but when he heard the news that Chiang Kai-shek had died of illness, he was not very happy. Instead, he stood silently for a long time.
After thinking about it, Zhang Xueliang wrote a 16-character elegiac couplet and sent it to Chiang Kai-shek's funeral. It reads: "Caring for Yin is the same as flesh and blood; political opinions are just like hatred."
In just 16 words, they summarized the decades of grudges between the two, and "flesh and blood" became "hatred". ", just like the changes in the relationship between Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Kai-shek.
What Zhang Xueliang didn't know was that in Chiang Kai-shek's heart, he was still heinous. During the last period of his sanity during his lifetime, Chiang Kai-shek did not forget to tell his son not to let him go.
At that time, Chiang Ching-kuo did not directly reject Chiang Kai-shek. Judging from his subsequent actions, he did not agree with Chiang Kai-shek's idea of imprisoning Zhang Xueliang until his death.
The relationship between Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Ching-kuo was much simpler than the relationship with Chiang Kai-shek. At the end of 1936, he launched the Xi'an Incident, which was an opportunity for Chiang Ching-kuo to return from the Soviet Union.
Zhang Xueliang mentioned this experience when writing his memoirs: "When I was in He was a very hardworking person at that time, whether he was walking or... going to the mountain to study every day. "
The two of them had never met each other, and their paths were completely different. Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned and moved around various places. With the help of his father, Chiang Ching-kuo officially entered the political stage and flexed his muscles.
As the son of Chiang Kai-shek, Chiang Ching-kuo naturally sided with his father and was somewhat hostile to Zhang Xueliang.
Regardless of his identity, Jiang Jingguo still admired Zhang Xueliang very much spiritually, admired his courage and perseverance, and recognized his abilities and achievements.
Because of this, although Jiang Jingguo did not dare to blatantly release Zhang Xueliang, he was still willing to do some small things for Zhang Xueliang.
For example, Zhang Xueliang's wife Zhao Yidi had been suffering from toothache for a long time. With the secret help of Jiang Jingguo, she was able to go out for treatment.
When Chiang Kai-shek was seriously ill and Chiang Ching-kuo actually came to power, he implemented a policy of tolerance towards Zhang Xueliang.
The two of them started to get in touch, and they talked like friends. It didn't involve politics or interests. The two of them just "just talk nonsense, talk about other things, and the world is bright."
After Chiang Kai-shek's death, Chiang Ching-kuo tried to create opportunities for Zhang Xueliang to return to society.
For example, on October 5, 1979, which happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival , Chiang Ching-kuo invited Zhang Xueliang to the Presidential Palace for a banquet and reunion with a high profile. He Jingzhi, Zhang Qun and other "big names" were also present, and they introduced Zhang Xueliang. To everyone.
On October 10 of the same year, Chiang Ching-kuo invited Zhang Xueliang to participate in the "Double Tenth Day Military Parade" in Taiwan, China.
Such a formal exposure brought Zhang Xueliang back to the public eye, and indirectly proved to people that the grievances between the Chiang family and Zhang Xueliang have faded over the years, and now the two parties have shaken hands and made peace.
On January 13, 1988, Chiang Ching-kuo died of illness. Zhang Xueliang specially went to Chiang Ching-kuo's mourning hall to salute, saying: "I was very sad when Chiang Ching-kuo died."
With Chiang Ching-kuo's paving the way and various efforts, Zhang Xueliang regained his freedom in 1991.
With almost no hesitation, he left the prison that had imprisoned him for nearly fifty years and went to settle in the United States.
Chiang Ching-kuo did not imprison Zhang Xueliang as requested by Chiang Kai-shek and restored his freedom. allowed the young marshal to enjoy a free life for a while in his later years.
