Chen Yi was both civil and military, erudite and talented. He was one of the top ten marshals in the founding of the People's Republic of China and was well-known both at home and abroad. He served in the military throughout his life and had outstanding military exploits, and was

Preface

Pictures Chen Mengxi, Chen Xiuhe, and Chen Yi in Beijing

Chen Yi has both civil and military talents and is erudite. He is one of the top ten marshals in the founding of New China and is well-known at home and abroad. He has served in the military throughout his life, has outstanding military exploits, and is deeply trusted by the party and the people.

However, little is known about his cousin Chen Xiuhe. In that war-torn era, the two of them chose different paths in life, but their connection was never interrupted and their friendship was deep.

Chen Xiuhe was favored by Chiang Kai-shek, and personally protected Chen Yi

Chen Xiuhe and Chen Yi were very smart since they were young. With their own efforts and the encouragement of their elders, they were admitted to Sichuan Higher Technical School and Chengdu Class A. Afterwards, Chen Yi and his brother Chen Mengxi were admitted to a work-study preparatory school in France, and successfully got the opportunity to study in France.

Chen Xiuhe originally planned to go with them, but due to insufficient travel expenses, he had to give up. After that, he found a job in China and worked hard to support his two cousins.

Pictures Chen Xiuhe, Chen Yi, Chen Mengxi

After the outbreak of the New Culture Movement and the May Fourth Movement, many progressive young people resolutely chose to join the revolution and strive to contribute their own strength to the country and the people. Chen Yi, who returned from studying in France, He was one of them and successfully joined the Communist Party of China. Chen Xiuhe and Chen Mengxi also went to Guangzhou together to apply for the Huangpu Military Academy and became the fifth batch of gunnery students.

At that time, because the Whampoa Military Academy had to learn the construction and use of new weapons, it had high requirements for students' basic knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry, but in reality the students' educational levels were uneven.

Under such circumstances, we must pay close attention to tutoring students with low educational levels. Due to the shortage of teachers, the outstanding Chen Xiuhe stood out among many students and was given a new identity as a tutor.

In 1927, the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party collapsed. As a member of the Kuomintang, Chen Xiuhe felt deeply that the current situation was serious and wanted to contribute to the country with his professional skills, so he went to the Shanghai factory to continue working hard.

Chiang Kai-shek, who was the principal of the Whampoa Military Academy at the time, decided to select an outstanding student from each session of Whampoa in order to express his concern for the trainees and to strengthen contact with the trainees of each session. , to serve as his aide-de-camp.

In this way, Chen Xiuhe came to Chiang Kai-shek under the recommendation of everyone, and won Chiang Kai-shek's favor.

Picture Chiang Kai-shek

At that time, the two arsenals in Nanjing and Shanghai had become the main production sites of the Kuomintang’s weapons and equipment. Among the early students of the Whampoa Military Academy, there were not a few talents who both understood military affairs and could go to the battlefield, but they were truly proficient in military technology. There are very few students and management students.

Under such circumstances, Chiang Kai-shek paid more attention to Chen Xiuhe and decided to transfer him out of the army and sent him to work at the Shanghai Arsenal. Unexpectedly, Chen Xiuhe worked there for five full years.

During this period, he inspected and studied the current situation of domestic arsenals many times. After gaining an in-depth understanding of the development of China's ordnance industry, he submitted a proposal to Chiang Kai-shek to systematically improve China's weapons manufacturing and ordnance industry education, which Chiang Kai-shek attached great importance to.

Picture Chiang Kai-shek

In 1932, under the arrangement of Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Xiuhe went to France to study military engineering. He knew that this opportunity was rare. During this period, he not only gained a comprehensive understanding of the situation of European weapons manufacturing, but also made in-depth inspections of famous arsenals in many countries.

Four years later, Chen Xiuhe returned from his studies. At that time, he could be regarded as one of the few senior military industry management talents in the country, so Chiang Kai-shek valued him even more.

Although Chen Xiuhe and his cousin Chen Yi have met only a handful of times over the years, the connection between the two has never been broken, and they have personally protected and helped.

In the midsummer of 1929, Chen Mengxi hurried to Chen Xiuhe's apartment and said excitedly: "Brother, I have good news here. The fifth brother has written a letter. He is coming to Shanghai and asked us to pick him up."

After hearing this, Chen Xiuhe was very happy: "Is it true?", but at the same time there was a trace of worry in his heart. He was naturally very happy to learn that the fifth brother Chen Yi was safe and sound, and the brothers would soon be reunited, but The current situation in Shanghai is serious, and the risk for Chen Yi to come this time is too great.

Picture of Chen Yi

However, since Chen Yi has decided and written to them, Chen Xiuhe will definitely do his best to protect his safety and Chen Mengxi. After some discussion, they agreed that the concession area would be relatively safe, so they changed their names to Wang Gensheng and Wang Genxin, and booked rooms at the Xinsu Hotel on Sanma Road.

In addition, they also made a special trip for them. Chen Yi tailor-made a new suit and got an arsenal badge. When everything was ready, Chen Xiuhe finally felt relieved.

On the morning of Chen Yi's arrival in Shanghai, Chen Xiuhe and Chen Mengxi were wearing suits and ties. When they arrived at the pier, they thought that Chen Yi would take the first class cabin, because those who took the first class cabin were usually dignitaries, and the search was not strict. Unexpectedly, after searching for a long time, they did not see Chen Yi.

Just when they were about to look for other cabins. , a familiar voice suddenly came from behind. Chen Xiuhe immediately turned around and saw Chen Yi, dressed as a worker, waving and smiling at them. At that time, Chen Xiuhe and Chen Mengxi were very happy, and the three brothers hugged each other tightly. .

Picture of Chen Yi

In fact, Chen Yi came to Shanghai with a mission. After checking into the hotel arranged by his brothers, he immediately sent a safe arrival signal to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and got in touch.

The situation in Shanghai at that time was severe, with plainclothes spies and police detectives densely infiltrated. However, under the protection of his two brothers, Chen Yi moved more freely.

Soon, Chen Yi told Chen Xiu and his plans to meet with Zhou Enlai, and invited Chen Xiu. He tried to cover up, and Chen Xiuhe, who learned of this situation, said seriously: "I can play chess with Meng Xi outside, and you can have a good talk inside. "

After hearing this, Chen Yi directly told Zhou Enlai about this arrangement. Zhou Enlai was a little worried at the time, and then asked: "Is your brother reliable? "

Chen Yi replied decisively: "Absolutely reliable. "

Picture Chen Yi and Zhou Enlai

Unconsciously, a month passed. Chen Yi reported his thoughts to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. At that time, the Central Committee believed that Mao Zedong should still be the leader of the Red Fourth Army, so Zhou Enlai entrusted Chen Yi with Drafted a letter of instructions from the Central Committee to the Fourth Red Army and brought it back to the Fujian Soviet Area in southern Jiangxi. This is the so-called "September Letter". After Chen Yi left Shanghai and returned to the Soviet Area, he immediately held a historic meeting in Gutian Village, Shanghang, Fujian. The impact of the Gutian Conference shows that his trip to Shanghai is very important. Without the cover of Chen Xiuhe and Chen Mengxi, it may not have been so smooth.

Chiang Kai-shek sent an urgent message to Chen Xiuhe: How is your relationship with Chen Yi? ?

In 1946, Chen Xiuhe was at his father-in-law's house in Kunming when he suddenly received an urgent call from Chiang Kai-shek and asked him to go to Nanjing immediately, claiming that he had something important to discuss. Although Chen Xiuhe at the time couldn't figure out why Chiang Kai-shek was in a hurry. See him, but over the years, he has already seen the current situation clearly. No matter what, he cannot be used.

Picture of Chiang Kai-shek

After Chiang Kai-shek saw Chen Xiuhe, he briefly chatted for a while. After a while, he suddenly got into a conversation. Turning around, he said with a smile: "I heard that you have a younger brother who is very capable in both literature and martial arts?

At that time, Chen Xiuhe immediately realized that what Chiang Kai-shek was talking about must be Chen Yi, but he deliberately changed the topic: "Yes, my brother Meng Xi is indeed a promising soldier." "

After Chiang Kai-shek heard this, he immediately asked: "No, I am talking about Chen Yi. Isn't he also your brother? "

Chen Xiuhe replied seriously: "Yes. "

" How is your relationship with Chen Yi? Do you understand his current situation? "Chiang Kai-shek asked.

Chen Xiuhe said without hesitation: "We would communicate occasionally before, but now we haven't contacted him for a long time, so I don't know his current situation."At this time, Chiang Kai-shek could not hold back his anger, and directly stated his main purpose of urgently calling Chen Xiuhe:

"Respecting brothers, respecting brothers, and filial piety, this is very good. You can also communicate with him more and tell him that I, Jiang, also love our country and have always been thirsty for talents who are useful to the country. I admire him very much and admire his extraordinary talents. You can also write to him and tell him that I have long planned to make him chairman of Shandong Province and organize a new corps for him. He will serve as the commander of the corps and the deputy commander of the theater. "

Picture Chen Yi

Chen Xiuhe heard what he said, and immediately replied: "You cherish talents, I will never forget it, but with Chen Yi's personality, writing letters may not have much effect on him. I am willing to go to Linyi in person. Go to him and deliver the news in person, it might work. "

" No, no, it doesn't have to be like this. You fly directly from here to Peiping , where Zheng Jiemin is responsible for mediating relations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. You can discuss it with him. "

After Chen Xiuhe arrived in Peiping, Zheng Jiemin immediately came to visit and said seriously: "We are currently in contact with the Second Appeasement District Commander Wang Yaowu and Chen Yi for talks. You can go with him to attend the Qingdao talks first, so that you You can meet your brother and convey the news. "

Picture Chen Yi

In this way, Chen Xiuhe came to Jinan, but just as they were preparing to fly to Qingdao , they suddenly received a notice that the CCP did not approve of Chen Yi going to Qingdao for talks. In June 1949, Chen Yi reported to Deng Xiaoping in Shanghai When introducing Chen Xiuhe, he once said:

"This eldest brother of mine graduated from the Mechanical Department of Sichuan Industrial Vocational School and the Artillery Department of the Fifth Phase of Huangpu Military Academy. Chiang Kai-shek thought highly of him and served as Chiang Kai-shek's aide-de-camp. , was sent to France to study military industry and inspect the arsenals of Western European countries. During the Anti-Japanese War and after the victory, he was responsible for military transportation in Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Kunming, and supported Ho Chi Minh in many aspects. Hey, when the War of Liberation started, Chiang Kai-shek sent him to instigate rebellion against me and asked me to be chairman of Shandong Province and commander of the Corps. My eldest brother asked to come to Linyi in person to interview me. How dare Chiang Kai-shek let him come? He is really a patriotic military expert! "

Protect Shenyang Arsenal and propose the construction of Chengdu-Chongqing Railway

In October 1946, Chen Xiuhe went to Shenyang under the arrangement of the Ordnance Industry Administration to establish the 90th Arsenal and served as the general director of the arsenal, taking charge of the Northeast. All the arsenals in the Kuomintang-controlled areas were also the largest arsenal in China at the time. However, they were greatly damaged during the Anti-Japanese War. During the two years when Chen Xiuhe was in charge, he not only carried out large-scale restoration of the factories. , and also renovated the equipment, purchased a lot of new equipment from external factories, and conducted training for all employees. By 1948, the factory had nearly 8,000 pieces of equipment and more than 12,000 employees, and became a large-scale factory in China. The largest and most technologically advanced arsenal.

Pictures of Chen Xiuhe

In fact, on the eve of the liberation of Shenyang, Chiang Kai-shek arranged for Chen Xiuhe to return to Nanjing as director of the Ordnance Department, and cooperated with the commander-in-chief of the Joint Logistics Department to destroy the factory and relocate employees and machines. , but Chen Xiuhe directly chose to refuse at the time: "My job is to build factories, not to destroy them. "

In order to stabilize the employees' emotions as soon as possible, Chen Xiuhe made it clear during the meeting that he would stay and tide over the difficulties with everyone. He twice refused to board the plane to take him to Taiwan. Under such circumstances, he finally This led to the failure of Chiang Kai-shek's plan to destroy the factory and successfully preserved China's largest arsenal.

After the liberation of Shenyang, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De arranged for Chen Xiuhe to continue to serve as the director of the factory and asked him to actively participate in the supply of weapons for the Liberation War. The Shenyang factory was restored. The good 155 heavy artillery, with the title of "God of War", not only played an important role in the Battle of Tianjin and Taiyuan, but it is also displayed in the Beijing Military Museum.

Picture Zhu De

Deng Xiaoping once said of Chen Xiuhe: "You protected the Shenyang Arsenal and returned the entire factory intact to the people's hands. This is a great contribution."

In July 1949, Chen Xiuhe paid a speech to Chen Xiuhe in Shanghai. Deng Xiaoping proposed to build the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway as soon as possible. This was not only the wish of generations of Sichuan people, but also his wish. In addition, Chen Xiuhe also said that building the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway would be self-reliant and would be rolled out by Hanyang Iron and Steel Works. Just make it.

Deng Xiaoping nodded after hearing this, and then said: "The Chengdu-Chongqing Railway must be built as soon as possible."

Picture Deng Xiaoping

In September 1949, Chen Xiuhe was elected to the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Specially invited representatives went to Beijing to attend a meeting to discuss plans for the founding of the country.

After the founding of New China, Chen Xiuhe served as deputy director of the Central Technology Administration under the Financial and Economic Committee of the Government Affairs Council under the arrangement of Zhou Enlai, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the recovery of China's economy. After several years of hard work, he achieved Many objective achievements have been achieved.

In June 1950, the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway officially started construction and was completed in July 1952, becoming the first railway built in China.

Later, Chen Xiuhe personally wrote the "Outline of the Preliminary Plan for the Construction of West China" at the request of Deng Xiaoping, and pointed out the development potential of the southwest region. In addition to diverse agricultural products, it is also very rich in water resources. Chen Xiuhe's opinion, Deng Xiaoping attached great importance to it.

In August 1952, Chen Xiuhe was transferred to the Government Affairs Council Counselor (later changed to the State Council Counselor) to continue working. In the following decades, he personally participated in many research works and put forward many ideas and opinions. was adopted.

In 1991, the 94-year-old Chen Xiuhe still cared about the country and proposed the construction of four southwest railways. He devoted his life to the motherland and made suggestions for the motherland's economy.

In 1998, Chen Xiuhe passed away at the age of 101. Although he and Chen Yi had their own ambitions and took different paths, fortunately they were both contributing to the country and reaching the same goal.