This sentence reveals three key information: one is two themes, namely, Mao Zedong gave Zhou Enlai a poem, the second is time, the last year of Zhou Enlai's life, that is, 1975, and the third is content. This is a poem containing the common feelings of Mao and Zhou.

Nixon once said in his memoir: " last year of life, he received a word from Mao to express the sadness they shared by both of them."

This sentence reveals three key information:

1 is two themes, that is, Mao Zedong gave Zhou Enlai a poem,

2 is time, Zhou Enlai's last year of life, that is, 1975,

3 is content, this is a word containing the common feelings of Mao and Zhou.

It can be seen that this poem was written to Premier Zhou Enlai a year before his death by 81-year-old Mao Zedong.

Both of them were seriously ill at that time. Mao Zedong was old and weak, and he was lingering in bed, while Zhou Enlai was suffering from cancer and had frequent surgeries.

Obviously, this is a very meaningful word, which is related to national affairs, otherwise it would not contain the same thoughts as the two most important national leaders, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.

So what kind of word is this full of "the sadness shared by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai"?

Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai were seriously ill at the same time

Since June 1974, Zhou Enlai had to undergo surgery almost every 40 days, with more than a dozen major and small surgeries. It is hard to imagine how much pain Zhou Enlai's weak body was suffering.

Mao Zedong has always been very concerned about Zhou Enlai's health. In March 1975, Mao Zedong, who was recuperating from the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, received a report on Zhou Enlai's illness.

This report with more than 700 words was written by Zhou Enlai on his hospital bed, detailing his development over the years.

At this time, Mao Zedong suffered from elderly cataracts, was old and weak, and almost blind. Some documents and reports were read and listened to by staff.

. Once the report on Zhou Enlai's condition was sent, Mao Zedong had to review it himself. When his eyes could still see things, Mao Zedong always looked very seriously. Later, his eyes could not see it. Mao Zedong would ask the staff to read the part of Zhou Enlai's blood loss figures and surgical details several times in the report.

Every time this time, Mao Zedong always looked particularly focused.

After listening to Zhou Enlai's report, Mao Zedong fell into a long silence. In the report

, Zhou Enlai mentioned his old disease 40 years ago, which was during the Long March period. After Zhou Enlai entered the grassland with the main force of the Red Front Army, he suffered from malaria . He had a high fever for several days and was unconscious. Mao Zedong was anxious and instructed the doctor to do his best to rescue him and sent Deng Yingchao to take care of Zhou Enlai.

The mortality rate of this disease is very high. A very small number of survivors can recover by performing pus surgery.

But there was no condition for puncture at that time, so Zhou Enlai had to take medicine and put the ice cubes in the pain place of Zhou Enlai, praying for a turnaround. Finally, a miracle happened. Six or seven hours later, Zhou Enlai woke up with difficulty and discharged several pots of pus.

But in the end, the root of the disease was laid, and the scar left 40 years ago developed tumors.

Zhou Enlai only said that the cause of the disease was an old disease many years ago, but Mao Zedong understood very well that Zhou Enlai's illness is now like this, which is largely due to overwork and too much work pressure.

Zhou Enlai worked at a long time and was under great mental pressure, which led to very little sleep and his body gradually weakening.

The overloaded work eventually completely crushed his body.

In February 1967, Zhou Enlai was diagnosed with heart disease . Since then, every time Zhou Enlai works, doctors and nurses outside the house are guarding them in case of accidents. Zhou Enlai can't live without an oxygen inhaler and needs to inhale oxygen from time to time.

But facing the red card warning raised by the disease, Zhou Enlai still did not stop or even slowed down the pace of work. Struggle has become his habit. Overloaded work clearly overdraws his limited life at all times, but Zhou Enlai did the opposite and regarded it as his "way to keep health."

"We living people need to work harder." Zhou Enlai always said this.

Because in Zhou En's view, countless revolutionary comrades have sacrificed their long revolutionary years, and those who survived by chance have to assume the work and responsibilities that originally belonged to them for the victims, so he devoted himself to his work with such spirit every day.

So Zhou Enlai continued to maintain this tireless work rhythm all night and lasted for several years, but as the staff around him were transferred one after another, Zhou Enlai took on a larger workload.

1968, Zhou Enlai was only two secretaries left by his side. He had to work 12 hours a day. Zhou Enlai has always been polite to his subordinates and couldn't bear to let them not rest. He insisted on letting them go back at night, and he did some work himself.

The workload has not decreased but increased, and Zhou Enlai's body has also weakened sharply. It is logical that the day is in the morning, but around 8 o'clock every morning is Zhou Enlai's worst period of energy, and his hands are always trembling uncontrollably.

Even if you can withstand Zhou Enlai by gritting your teeth, you are not a person who is still a stunning person and cannot tolerate more and more diseases on your body.

"I am in poor health, and I have become like this after a year. How can I stand it when working for such a long time every day?"

When meeting with the representatives of the masses, Zhou Enlai admitted his work intensity and physical condition.

But he then said: "I just didn't lie down, I hope I won't lie down."

Later, Zhou Enlai had two angina pectoris in a month. After the doctor diagnosed it, it was determined that Zhou Enlai's heart disease was very serious and he must be taken seriously.

But Zhou Enlai couldn't stop. That period was the busiest stage of his work. There were always complex and difficult events that needed to be handled urgently, and he couldn't calm down and rest.

Heart disease is getting worse, but Zhou Enlai was diagnosed with cancer in the same year, and the blood stool is getting worse.

1 In April 1974, Zhou Enlai was already very ill. He insisted on asking Deng Xiaoping to preside over the work of the State Council and personally sent Deng Xiaoping to the United States to attend the Sixth UN General Assembly.

In the existing black and white video data, Deng Xiaoping can be seen climbing to the cabin door, turning around and waveing, while Zhou Enlai stood in front of the crowd, raised his hands high, and applauding Deng Xiaoping constantly.

After pushing Deng Xiaoping to the international stage, Zhou Enlai seemed to have resolved his thoughts, but he still had no rest. During Deng Xiaoping's overseas trip, Zhou Enlai continued to undertake heavy work.

Deng Xiaoping was not here, he was always worried and dragged his sick body to overload his work. He insisted on waiting until Deng Xiaoping returned from the United States before he was hospitalized for treatment on June 1.

No matter how hard or tired Zhou Enlai rarely mentions this aspect and treats it with a normal mind.

Mao Zedong expressed his heartfelt love: Who should I keep in mind the country?

Zhou Enlai was seriously ill, Mao Zedong, who was over 80 years old, was also getting worse and worse.

But like Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong was also holding on to his sick body and insisting on working. Foreign guests were very surprised when they saw him, because Mao Zedong seemed to be seriously ill, but he was still clear-headed and quick-responsive, and knew all kinds of situations at home and abroad. He could talk to guests and scholars on topics in many fields.

Although the surface is normal, Mao Zedong, who is old, has a strange feeling in his heart because of his old age. Zhou Enlai's condition undoubtedly made Mao Zedong, who was already in a depressed mood, even more sad.

So he gave Zhou Enlai a poem to the seriously ill Zhou Enlai.

"I was loyal to the country back then, but I was worried about my head being broken. As if it were all over the world today, who should I defend my country? My career has not yet been fulfilled, my body is tired, and my hair is already autumn. You and I have to endure the long-cherished wish to waste it?"

The poem given to Zhou Enlai by Mao Zedong was called "Talking Love", which is also the last poem in Mao Zedong's life.

A head of state, given to the Prime Minister, the words are full of worries about the future of the country.

"I was loyal to the country back then, so I was worried about my head being killed." This sentence is Mao Zedong's recollection of the years of revolution as an older generation of revolutionaries.

was in his prime, embarked on the revolutionary journey with patriotism and passion. He was loyal to the revolutionary cause and was determined to be self-reliant. He was not afraid of eating silenced. In order to save the fate of the country, he could not hesitate to his life at all.

Now that the country has been successfully built, it is still time to build it well, these older generation proletarian revolutionaries have grown old, and the new generation of baton takers seem to have not grown up yet.

Seeing one old comrades after another leaving, seeing Zhou Enlai struggling with the disease on the sickbed, and then thinking of his old self.

In this way, as a paternalist country creator, how could Mao Zedong be dissatisfied with worries and therefore lamented that "who can defend the country by relying on?"

Starting a business is even more difficult, and staying in business is even more difficult. Mao Ze knows this truth well and still maintains full vigilance in his later years, often talking about the saying "Beware of the restoration of capitalism".

And Zhou Enlai's most well-known saying is also "The revolution has not been successful yet, and comrades still need to work hard." The two old revolutionaries have common thoughts and feelings that have not yet fulfilled their long-cherished wishes.

Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai walked along the way, entered their old age together, and were seriously ill at the same time. It was a great pain for the two who were very enthusiastic about their careers. They appreciate each other and care about each other. Therefore, only Zhou Enlai, an old partner who has been walking side by side with decades of ups and downs, can tell the story of this kind of unfinished worry, and only Zhou Enlai can understand himself.

"Who is the one who defends the country?" Mao Zedong's lament was both asking Zhou Enlai and himself.

and the second half seem to have some questions to ask for advice.

Our generation is old, what should we do now? Will the revolutionary cause that has been hard-working forged with blood and tears be lost with us?

The whole poem is not many words, but it makes people feel Mao Zedong's mood at that time. If it is said that "the death before he succeeds in his army" is the most miserable, then "the great cause is still old" is not a blow to those who are ambitious.

Can Zhou Enlai, who is seriously ill, give the answer? Nothing is known.

Now he doesn't have much time to think about problems and goes back and forth on the operating table and hospital bed.

Mao Zedong sent Zhou Enlai to customize the sofa

Zhou Enlai wrote a letter to Mao Zedong to report his condition, and he was preparing to undergo the third major operation after admission to remove the malignant tumor.

Before the operation, the secretary said to Zhou Enlai, I wish you a smooth operation.

Zhou Enlai smiled, but his face was not relaxed. He shook his head and sighed: "Not necessarily, there are two possibilities."

Zhou Enlai had a habit of not finishing the stack of work after piles of work on his hand, and he would not be willing to enter the operating room anyway, because he was afraid that if another possibility happened, he would leave so many things that he had not handled, and he left with regret.

Compared to his own condition, Zhou Enlai cared about other leaders and comrades who were sick.

Li Xiannian recalled: "He cares about other people's illnesses more and more carefully."

During this operation, something happened to Li Bing, who was the director of the Cancer Hospital at the time, remembered it very deeply.

Zhou Enlai was lying on the operating table waiting for surgery. Suddenly he opened his eyes and asked someone to call Li Bing over.

After receiving the message, Li Bing thought something was wrong and rushed into the operating room trotted. He didn't even recover, so he was stunned by Zhou Enlai's words.

Zhou Enlai asked her: " Yunnan Tin Industry Company miners have a high incidence of lung cancer. Do you know?"

Li Bing was stunned and said he knew.

"I know why not go? You have to go quickly!"

The scene made Li Bing never forget the whole life. She cried when she left the operating room. At that time, Zhou Enlai was already in anesthesia. She was lying on the operating table and was unpredictable for her life and death. What she was thinking about was the health problems of the workers.

After this operation, Zhou Enlai's body became weaker and weaker. He was seriously ill and suddenly received a large sofa.

was sent by someone from Mao Zedong and specially customized for Zhou Enlai. Mao Zedong often sat on hard sofas and lie down for a long time. After a long time, he actually developed bedsores, which was really afflicted.

The staff contacted the relevant departments to customize a sponge soft sofa for Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong liked it very much while sitting, and thought of Zhou Enlai who was sick again.

So Mao Zedong immediately sent someone to Zhou Enlai to send one.

Zhou Enlai really likes the customized sofa sent by Mao Zedong. After getting out of bed and walking around, he often sits on the sofa to read books and newspapers.

These two sofas have been with the two old men until the end of their lives.

Late at night on May 3, 1975, Mao Zedong held a Politburo meeting in Zhongnanhai . Zhou Enlai attended with illness, which became the last Politburo meeting the two presided over or attended.

1 At the end of 1975, Zhou Enlai underwent another major operation. So far, Zhou Enlai has undergone 13 surgeries.

13 is a very unlucky number, and after this operation, the doctor was unable to make up for the situation. Zhou Enlai knew that his life had come to an end and made arrangements for his affairs after his death, requiring the ashes to be scattered across the country to be fertilizers, and continue to serve the people .

1976 On January 8, 1976, 78-year-old Zhou Enlai completed his last journey of his life.

The first day of the memorial service, the eulogy was given to Mao Zedong for approval. As the staff read it, they were shocked to find that the Chairman was crying at some point, and finally cried out.

The staff endured the sadness and asked Mao Zedong if he wanted to attend the Prime Minister's memorial service after he returned to peace.

Mao Zedong patted his legs with swollen eyes: "I can't walk anymore."

The country lost a good prime minister, and Mao Zedong lost his lifelong partner. No matter what level it was, it was a huge blow to Mao Zedong.

But fortunately, Mao Zedong had solved the confusion of "who should keep the country by relying on". After they left, new seedlings will grow up, take over the revolutionary cause, realize the lifelong wishes of their older generation revolutionaries, make the people happy, the country independent, and become prosperous and strong, and the country is picturesque. Their loyalty and grand wishes will not be erased.

Reference:

The only poem given by Chairman Mao to Premier Zhou Red Culture Network

Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai's last time China Communist Party News Network