"Evacuate quickly, your position is exposed! There are bombers !"
In the early 1950s, there was a two-story building on a small island south of Panyu, Guangdong.
The people living inside are the Vice Chairman of the Northwest Military and Political Commission of New China, Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission, and member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Zhang Zhizhong, who is known as the "Peace General" and his family.
He came here in the name of picking up his daughter to carry out an important task assigned to him by the party: secretly meeting Chiang Ching-kuo to discuss the Taiwan issue.
What people didn’t expect was that at two o’clock in the morning, the phone in the small building rang.
Zhang Zhizhong answered the phone, and Ye Jianying's voice came from the other side, which was the opening sentence.
Ye Jianying asked Zhang Zhizhong’s family to evacuate quickly, because bombers were coming to attack!
Zhang Zhizhong, who was preparing to have a secret meeting with Chiang Ching-kuo, heard this and quickly fled with his family.
Before they could run far, the plane arrived, and the house they lived in instantly turned into a sea of flames.
So, why did Zhang Zhizhong, one of Chiang Kai-shek 's " Eight Great Vajras ", stay in the mainland, why was he bombed by reactionary planes, and who sent the fighter planes?
General Zhang Zhizhong
Let us first understand the relationship between General Zhang Zhizhong and the senior leaders of our party.
·Friends of the Communist Party
Zhang Zhizhong is one of Chiang Kai-shek's Eight Diamonds, and can be regarded as one of Chiang Kai-shek's right-hand men.
He is enthusiastic and loyal. Moreover, he was an honest and upright official, making him one of the few people around Chiang Kai-shek who was upright.
At the same time, he was also one of the few "pro-communist" people around Chiang Kai-shek. He had visited Yan'an three times, and the Communist Party also called him a friend.
Then how can he become a friend of the Communist Party? This must start from Zhang Zhizhong’s experience:
In August 1914, he was admitted to the Baoding Army Officer School, where he was a classmate of the same period as the famous anti-Japanese generals Cai Tingkai, Xiao Shanling, and Xu Zuyi.
Later, Sun Yat-sen launched the Dharma Protector Movement , and Zhang Zhizhong immediately went south to respond, making outstanding achievements along the way! From a guard captain in the 8th Brigade, he rose straight to the commander of the 2nd Battalion.
Later, he temporarily left the military circles and entered Shanghai University to study in 1922. This school was jointly founded by the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. The principal is Yu Youren, a veteran of the Kuomintang, Deng Zhongxia is the dean of the school, and Qu Qiubai is the provost and head of the sociology department.
It was here that Zhang Zhizhong first came into contact with the Communists.
In December two years later, due to the extremely rapid development of the revolutionary situation in Guangdong, Zhang Zhizhong came to Huangpu Military Academy! This started a ten-year relationship between him and Huangpu !
During his stay in Huangpu, Zhang Zhizhong became friends with Zhou Enlai, director of the Political Department of Huangpu. A large number of Huangpu students such as Chen Geng and Jiang Xianyun also had a good relationship with him. Later, he also met Communist Party friends such as Nie Rongzhen and Yun Daiying.
After the failure of the Northern Expedition , the two parties split, and the Kuomintang began a ten-year pursuit of the Communist Party.
But Zhang Zhizhong, who was beside Chiang Kai-shek, was able to keep himself clean and his hands were not stained with the blood of the Communist Party.
Whampoa Military Academy
The time has arrived in 1945. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Zhang Zhizhong was sent to Yan'an by Chiang Kai-shek and invited Mao Zedong to Chongqing for peace negotiations.
Of course, Chiang Kai-shek's purpose was not real peace, but to delay military deployment and prepare for the civil war .
But Zhang Zhizhong himself did not think so. He really did not want another civil war to break out and hoped to seek peace, so he resolutely went to Yan'an to invite Mao Zedong to Chongqing to negotiate .
Although the Communist Party also hoped for peace, Zhou Enlai was still worried about Mao Zedong's safety.
ultimately relied on Zhang Zhizhong’s constant guarantees and the commitments of the ambassadors of the United States and the Soviet Union.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China felt relieved and agreed that Chairman Mao should go to Chongqing.
During his stay in Chongqing, Zhang Zhizhong accompanied Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai almost the entire time.
First from left: Zhang Zhizhong Second from left: Mao Zedong Middle: Hurley Second from right: Zhou Enlai First from right: Wang Ruofei
At that time, Chiang Kai-shek arranged a residence for Mao Zedong, but Zhou Enlai said to Zhang Zhizhong: "We are not used to living in such a luxurious house. "
Zhang Zhizhong immediately understood the meaning of Zhou Enlai's words. He was worried about Mao Zedong's safety, so he simply offered to let Mao Zedong use his own property as an office space.
In this way, during the more than forty days of negotiations in Chongqing, Mao Zedong lived at No. 52, Hongyan Village, , during the day, and worked and met with democrats at the Zhang Mansion in Guiyuan, Chongqing, even during the negotiations between the two parties. The " Double Ten Agreement " was also signed here.
Double Ten Agreement
After the signing of the "Double Ten Agreement", Zhang Zhizhong also took a special plane with Mao Zedong on Chiang Kai-shek's special plane and sent him back to Yan'an.
After returning to Yan'an, Chairman Mao smiled and said to Zhang Zhizhong: "It seems that you are sincere about peace."
Zhang Zhizhong smiled and asked the reason. Chairman Mao explained: "I have investigated this, and there are two reasons. The first is that you changed the name of " Mopping Newspaper " to "Peace Daily". The second is that you dismantled a concentration camp run by Kangze and released many revolutionary youths. This is a great thing. "
Zhang Zhizhong was very moved when he heard this. He did not expect that he, a hostile officer, could be so praised by the leader of the other side. These two things were not big, but they made Chairman Mao pay so much attention to them, and a warm current surged through his heart for a while.
Before leaving, Zhang Zhizhong held Mao Zedong's hand tightly and was very reluctant to leave.
Unfortunately, as soon as Zhang Zhizhong returned to Chongqing, Chiang Kai-shek "sent" him to Xinjiang.
And with his efforts, the "Double Ten Agreement" that was finally brokered quickly became like a piece of waste paper.
Chiang Kai-shek secretly deployed military operations, and frictions between the two sides continued.
Zhang Zhizhong was worried and wrote a letter to Chiang Kai-shek - "After eight years of long-term resistance war in our country... the people are exhausted and have no money, and they are in dire straits every day.... If the war breaks out again, it will increase the suffering of the people and violate the law." The people's wishes."
In this way, Zhang Zhizhong became closer to the Communist Party and became a true friend, so much so that when the Kuomintang retreated, he simply stayed on the mainland.
Zhang Zhizhong and his wife Hong Xihou
Even on June 26, 1949, Zhang Zhizhong issued the famous "Statement on the Current Situation", which wrote:
I live in Peking...I feel that a new change is everywhere, The new trend symbolizes that the future of our country and nation has revealed new hope... We must take a longer view, enlarge our mind, and do everything for the benefit of the country and the nation, and everything for the happiness of future generations.
This statement is consistent with Zhang Zhizhong’s consistent views, and is also consistent with his consistent advocacy of democratic politics and the use of peaceful means to resolve domestic disputes.
·Running for Peace
In 1950, Premier Zhou suddenly came to meet with Zhang Zhizhong and asked him if he would like to go to Guangdong.
Zhang Zhizhong didn’t understand the reason, so he asked Premier Zhou why.
Premier Zhou explained that this time he was going to secretly meet with representatives of the Kuomintang to discuss peace negotiations.
And the representative coming to negotiate this time is most likely Chen Cheng or Chiang Ching-kuo.
Chen Cheng and Zhang Zhizhong were both one of Chiang Kai-shek's "Eight Diamonds", and both had served as teachers in Huangpu.
Xiao Jiang and Zhang Zhizhong also had contacts in Chongqing. Therefore, it is very appropriate for Zhang Zhizhong to negotiate as a representative.
Zhang Zhizhong immediately agreed and expressed his approval immediately.
But Premier Zhou still reminded him that this negotiation would be very dangerous. Because on the one hand, they don't know whether the Kuomintang is really sincere in negotiating; on the other hand, the Kuomintang is not monolithic, and the forces within Taiwan are complicated.
Even though Chiang Kai-shek himself does not advocate Taiwan independence, he does not want peace talks, so there is no guarantee that other forces will not take the opportunity to take advantage of it.
However, in the face of danger, Zhang Zhizhong still accepted it without hesitation. He said: Even if there is a little hope, I will fight for it. My biggest wish is to see the reunification of the country.
Zhang Zhizhong’s family portrait
In this way, Zhang Zhizhong took his entire family to Guangdong, in the name of picking up his youngest daughter.
Then Zhang Zhizhong and his family secretly landed on a small island, waiting to meet with Chiang Ching-kuo and others.
Unexpectedly, Ye Jianying's phone call came at two o'clock in the morning that day, and the opening scene appeared.
So who was it that bombed Zhang Zhizhong?
There are no relevant historical records on this point, but we can also speculate:
Taiwan's internal forces are also complicated. Although Chiang Kai-shek occupies an absolute leadership position, he is accustomed to letting his subordinates divide factions to fight for power and profit, while he reaps the benefits.
Chiang Ching-kuo and Chen Cheng both formed their own factions; the CC faction lost power, but the faction still existed; and the original local warlords who had lost their strength also united together. Unfortunately, the "traitor" Yan Xishan appeared and was quickly disintegrated by Chiang Kai-shek.
Even these factional disputes eventually evolved into Sun Liren's mutiny.
Among so many factions, many are unwilling to negotiate with the mainland, so it is inevitable that someone will take action against Zhang Zhizhong.
Under such circumstances, Chiang Kai-shek would most likely acquiesce or indulge.
In addition, he also remembered Zhang Zhizhong's sudden "defection" when he was defeated, and it was inevitable that he would feel resentful.
If someone wants to kill Zhang Zhizhong, he will not stop him.
Zhang Zhizhong and Chiang Kai-shek
So what happened that made Chiang Kai-shek forget his loyalty to Zhang Zhizhong for so many years?
Let us take the time back to before liberation and look back at the many conflicts between the two.
·Hard Choices
In January 1949, the three major battles of were completely victorious, and more than 1.5 million troops of the Kuomintang were wiped out. It can be said that the military foundation of Chiang Kai-shek's reactionary rule has been eliminated.
Chiang Kai-shek still fantasized about retreating in order to advance under such circumstances, so he announced his "step down" and pushed Li Zongren to the front desk.
fantasizes about easing the conflict with Li Zongren, using negotiations to delay time, actively preparing for war behind the scenes, and then taking advantage of the natural dangers of the Yangtze River to rule across the river.
Li Zongren also took a fancy to the good relationship between Zhang Zhizhong and the Communist Party, so he sent Zhang Zhizhong as a negotiator.
However, Zhang Zhizhong still had illusions about Chiang Kai-shek.
Before setting off for Peiping, Zhang Zhizhong rushed to Xikou to ask Chiang Kai-shek, who had "left the country", for instructions on the negotiation strategy.
This move aroused dissatisfaction from the Communist Party. Zhou Enlai did not even go to the airport to greet Zhang Zhizhong.
At the entrance of the Liuguo Hotel where the delegation stayed, a slogan was even put up - "Welcome true peace and oppose false peace."
The Liuguo Hotel where Zhang Zhizhong and others stayed
This negotiation was very important to Zhang Zhizhong Difficult, the eight conditions proposed by the CCP are acceptable in his opinion for the sake of peace. However, neither Chiang Kai-shek in Xikou nor Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi in Nanjing expressed their rejection.
The Nanjing government's condition is to divide the river and divide the country, which is absolutely unacceptable to the Communist Party of China and the people across the country.
Zhang Zhizhong's negotiation path was stumbling, which also made him completely disappointed with the Nanjing government and Chiang Kai-shek.
During the negotiations, Mao Zedong personally invited Zhang Zhizhong to his residence, Shuangqing Villa , and held a grand welcome banquet.
Chairman Mao said to him cordially: When I arrived in Chongqing in 1945, in response to your warm hospitality, my whole family moved and gave us the Guiyuan Garden. We also held a grand welcome banquet. I am very grateful!
After the banquet, Mao Zedong asked about the negotiations and asked Zhang Zhizhong if he had any difficulties in the negotiations.
Zhang Zhizhong also raised several controversial points in the negotiations, such as the issue of war criminals and the formation of a coalition government.
Mao Zedong generously made concessions for this "friend who came to Yan'an three times" and expressed his understanding of the situation of the Nanjing delegation.
In this way, the two sides finally signed the " Domestic Peace Agreement " after stumbling and stumbling. Zhang Zhizhong sent the contents of the agreement back to Chongqing, while he waited for the final signature in Peiping.
(Li Zongren)
Unfortunately, Li Zongren’s reply was that he could not sign, and Chiang Kai-shek simply gave him an eight-character evaluation of “a white man who is incompetent and has lost his power and humiliated the country.”
This is really chilling.
The Nanjing government ordered Zhang Zhizhong’s delegation to return to Nanjing, but the delegation headed by Zhang Zhizhong hesitated.
Because Zhang Zhizhong also understood that he might have lost Chiang Kai-shek's trust, and Li Zongren did not regard him as one of his own at all.
No one knows what he will face after he returns.
At this critical moment, Zhou Enlai stood up and had a long talk with Zhang Zhizhong.
earnestly persuaded Zhang Zhizhong to stay, and finally even told him: We have already sorry for a friend named Zhang, and we can no longer sorry for you today.
The "friend named Zhang" mentioned by Zhou Enlai refers to Zhang Xueliang. In the past, the Xi'an Incident was resolved peacefully, but Zhang Xueliang was placed under house arrest by Chiang Kai-shek for a long time.
Every time he thought of this, Zhou Enlai was heartbroken.
These words finally moved Zhang Zhizhong and made him determined to stay.
However, Zhang Zhizhong is still a little worried. His family is still in Nanjing. If they are all kept in public, it will inevitably have a negative impact on them.
But what Zhang Zhizhong didn't know was that Zhou Enlai had already ordered the Nanjing underground party to take Zhang Zhizhong's family out.
arrived in Beijing via Shanghai and Qingdao . When Zhang Zhizhong went to Beijing Airport to pick up his family, he couldn't help but tell Zhou Enlai: You are really good at keeping guests.
In this way, Zhang Zhizhong stayed in the mainland.
From the day he stayed, Zhang Zhizhong never stopped running for peace.
At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Zhang Zhizhong went to the northwest again.
He once served as the northwest camp director and Xinjiang Provincial Chairman, and is very knowledgeable about Xinjiang affairs.
Before setting off, he called Xinjiang Security Commander-in-Chief Tao Zhiyue and Xinjiang Provincial Chairman Bao Erhan to promote their peaceful uprising. After
arrived in the northwest, Zhang Zhizhong helped Peng Dehuai quell the Kuomintang diehards who were plotting rebellion in Xinjiang.
In the end, Xinjiang was able to be liberated peacefully, and Zhang Zhizhong was indispensable.
It was this series of actions of caring for the people of the country that aroused the dissatisfaction of Chiang Kai-shek and other Kuomintang insiders. In their eyes, with the sentence "an incompetent man is an incompetent man who has humiliated the country by losing power", Zhang Zhizhong had become their enemy.
The incident of Zhang Zhizhong being attacked by bombers in Guangdong is also something that can be explained.
Even after what happened in Guangdong, Zhang Zhizhong never lost heart.
Whenever he had the opportunity, he broadcast to Taiwan via the radio, calling for peaceful reunification across the Taiwan Strait.
In 1969, General Zhang Zhizhong passed away at the age of seventy-nine.
Actually, strictly speaking, he has not served a certain political party in his life.
He has been committed to China's democracy and peace throughout his life, and he is helping this country in his own way!
References:
1, Han Guangfu, Mao Zedong and Zhang Zhizhong Party History 2002.2
2, Zhang Changhua, Peace General, Zhang Zhizhong Zongheng, Issue 006, 2009
3, Zhang Zhizhong’s Chongqing Negotiations: Zhang Zhizhong Picking Up Mao Zedong, Issue 7, 2010
4, Zhang Zhizhong’s Changes in Jia Ying and Han Han Choice of the Communist Party of China News Network October 15, 2019
5, Cheng Yuan Gong’s peace talks between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party: Zhou Enlai took the opportunity to retain Zhang Zhizhong and secretly rescued his family People’s Network - Communist Party of China News Network December 31, 2020
6, Rao Zhongyuan Chongqing “Guiyuan” The owner of the article talks 2013-11-01
Editor: Zhang Mo
Editor: Lin Hua
