In special times, among the many people surrounding Chairman Mao, one person's name always stands out. This person is Chairman Mao's nephew Mao Yuanxin.
Mao Yuanxin and Chairman Mao, Li Min, and Li Ne
During the special period, Chairman Mao elected Mao Yuanxin as the liaison officer, and he served as the liaison officer three times. Especially in 1975, the last and most important time, because Chairman Mao was in very bad health at that time, Chairman Mao's external instructions at that time, including communication with the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, were conveyed by liaison officer Mao Yuanxin.
This not only shows Chairman Mao's deep trust and affection for Mao Yuanxin, his nephew, but also made Mao Yuanxin very popular at the time. Because to a large extent, how he reports in front of Chairman Mao may affect Chairman Mao's decision-making.
Moreover, many extremely critical decisions at that time were also conveyed by Mao Yuanxin. For example, after Zhou Enlai's death, the decision to appoint Hua Guofeng as acting prime minister was personally conveyed to Hua Guofeng by Mao Yuanxin. Including Chen Xilian presiding over the work of the Central Military Commission during Ye Jianying's illness, which was also conveyed by Mao Yuanxin.
It was precisely because of Mao Yuanxin's extremely important role in the special period, including Chairman Mao's unusual trust in Mao Yuanxin, that Mao Yuanxin became very popular at that time. At that time, there was even a saying that Chairman Mao wanted to select Mao Yuanxin as his successor. Is this really the case?
Chairman Mao
Mao Yuanxin is the son of Chairman Mao's younger brother Mao Zemin. During the Anti-Japanese War, Mao Yuanxin was born on February 14, 1941, in Dihua, Xinjiang. The reason why Mao Yuanxin was born in Dihua under the rule of Xinjiang warlord Sheng Shicai is actually very simple.
Because, at that time, due to Sheng Shicai pretending to be a revolution, many communists, including Mao Zemin, were sent to Xinjiang to assist Sheng Shicai in governing Xinjiang and stayed in Xinjiang for several years.
It was precisely because of this that many family members also went to their new homes with them. When he heard about the birth of his son while working in Xinjiang, Mao Zemin named him "Yuanxin", which means that the Chinese revolution has a long way to go, and also means that the child was born in distant Xinjiang.
After Mao Yuanxin reached one and a half years old in Xinjiang, the situation in Xinjiang suddenly changed dramatically. Sheng Shicai tore up his pretense of being a revolutionary and began to vigorously oppose the Communist Party. He put more than a hundred Communist Party members and leading cadres working in Xinjiang, including Chen Tanqiu and Mao Zemin, under house arrest and in prison. Moreover, a considerable number of these Communists were killed by Sheng Shicai.
At that time, the crazy Sheng Shicai did not even spare children and women. Mao Yuanxin, who was more than one year old, was imprisoned in prison together with his mother Zhu Danhua for three and a half years.
It was not until the peace talks between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in 1946 that more than 20 children and more than 100 Communist Party members, including Mao Yuanxin, were released with the vigorous rescue of the Party Central Committee and returned to Yan'an after untold hardships.
It was after arriving in Yan'an that 5-year-old Mao Yuanxin met his uncle Mao Zedong for the first time. Chairman Mao loved his younger brother's only son very much, especially after hearing the news of Mao Zemin's death. It is precisely for this reason that Chairman Mao paid more attention to Mao Yuanxin than even his own children.
On the eve of the founding of new China in 1949, Mao Yuanxin came to Nanchang from Beijing with his mother and stepfather, Fang Zhimin's younger brother Fang Zhichun, and entered a primary school in Nanchang. Not long after
studied in Nanchang, the magnificent War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea broke out. At that time, there was an upsurge across the country to join the army to fight the American devils. Mao Yuanxin, who was studying in Nanchang, heard that his male classmates in Beijing could join the army to fight the American invaders when they grew up. He was very moved and felt that studying alone in Nanchang was not good at all, so he insisted on going to Beijing to study.
Due to his son's persistence, Zhu Danhua had no choice but to take Mao Yuanxin with him when he attended the All-China Women's Federation work conference in September 1951. Also while in Beijing, Mao Yuanxin once again clamored to study in Beijing. After hearing about this, Chairman Mao said: Yaozi wants to study in Beijing, that's great. Express support for Mao Yuanxin’s ideas.
With the support of Chairman Mao, Mao Yuanxin's wish came true. Therefore, 10-year-old Mao Yuanxin began to leave his mother and study in Beijing. While studying in Beijing, Mao Yuanxin lived in Chairman Mao's home. Chairman Mao also regarded his nephew as his own. Whatever Li Min and Li Na had, Mao Yuanxin must have a share. Whenever Chairman Mao went out, he would always take Mao Yuanxin with him as long as conditions allowed.
From then on, Mao Yuanxin studied with his uncle for 9 years. In other words, the most critical period of time in Mao Yuanxin's growth process was completed by Chairman Mao's side.
Chairman Mao has always been very concerned about Mao Yuanxin. After Mao Yuanxin completed his studies at Beijing Yuying Primary School and Beijing 101 Middle School, in 1960, he was recommended to the Harbin Institute of Technology, also known as the famous Harbin Military Industry Institute.
Mao Yuanxin, who was originally very proud of this, went home and told Chairman Mao, but he did not expect that Chairman Mao would be very disapproving: You went to Kazakhstan for military industry and were recommended by the state. What kind of skills do you think you have? If you have the ability, take the exam yourself. After hearing Chairman Mao's words, Mao Yuanxin secretly made up his mind and took the college entrance examination, and was admitted to the Radio Department of Tsinghua University with excellent results.
However, he did not attend Tsinghua for long. Since most of his classmates were studying in the Kazakh Military Industry, and in addition to the needs of the national scientific undertaking, Mao Yuanxin, with Chairman Mao's consent, transferred to the Department of Missile Radio Control of the Kazakh Military Industry.
In December 1965, Mao Yuanxin graduated early from Kazakhstan Military Industry. Originally, top students who received higher education in this way were assigned to research institutes and other scientific research units. However, after Chairman Mao learned about the distribution destination, he shook his head and said:
How can young people do without hardship? How can I do this when I just left school and went to a place where there are many intellectuals? I don’t understand the workers, the peasants, and the soldiers? If you graduate from the military academy , you should join the army.
Therefore, after graduation, Mao Yuanxin was assigned to the Air Force according to Chairman Mao's wishes. At that time, the commander of the Air Force assigned him to the Air Force Command as a staff officer.
In this regard, Chairman Mao once again said to Mao Yuanxin: How can you be a soldier without suffering hardship? Being a staff officer is not a hardship. After hearing Chairman Mao's words, the Air Force Commander decided to send Mao Yuanxin to a certain Air Force anti-aircraft artillery division to become an ordinary soldier.
Starting from February 1966, Mao Yuanxin served in an anti-aircraft artillery division of the Guangxi Air Force for more than half a year. After that, due to changes in the domestic situation, Mao Yuanxin has been very active. He returned to Kazakhstan's military industry and took the lead in organizing a red rebel group in the college. He also became the leader of the Heilongjiang Red Rebel Revolutionary Committee.
In May 1967, after Mao Yuanxin returned to Beijing and reported to Chairman Mao the situation in Northeast China, Chairman Mao issued a series of instructions. This conversation was compiled into "Conversations between Chairman Mao and His Nephew Mao Yuanxin" and was widely distributed.
As a result, Mao Yuanxin's political influence became even greater. Soon after, the 27-year-old Mao Yuanxin also served as deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial Revolutionary Committee, deputy director of the Political Department of the Shenyang Military Region, and political commissar of the Liaoning Military Region and Liaoning Province.
Mao Yuanxin has been very active during the special period and has also concocted some incidents. For example, the famous "White Paper Hero" Zhang Tiesheng is a typical example set by Mao Yuanxin.
After the Spring Festival in 1975, due to Chairman Mao's deteriorating health and being unable to go out for activities or chair meetings and listen to reports, Mao Yuanxin was appointed by Chairman Mao as the liaison between himself and the Political Bureau of the Central Committee.
Due to Mao Yuanxin's kinship with Chairman Mao, including Chairman Mao's trust in him, Mao Yuanxin did have considerable influence during the special period and was also very active in the political arena.
However, this was never the reason why Mao Yuanxin was designated as the successor. In fact, from beginning to end, Chairman Mao never said that he would designate Mao Yuanxin as his successor, let alone any similar actions.
Although Chairman Mao has changed his successor several times, Mao Yuanxin's name has never been among the candidates. Mao Yuanxin himself is very clear about this.
Moreover, the so-called statement circulating on the Internet that "Mao Yuanxin himself uttered the truth at a class reunion after being drunk, saying that he was the successor appointed by the chairman" is completely made up.
Mao Yuanxin personally responded to this: I never drink. I didn’t drink when I was in the army. I don’t drink. How can I talk nonsense after being drunk?
