On December 12, 1936, in order to save the nation from peril, persuade Chiang Kai-shek to change the established national policy of "fighting outside must first secure the interior", stop the civil war and unite to resist Japan, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng resolutely implemented "military advice" to Chiang Kai-shek in Lintong.
Almost at the same time, the troops of the 17th Route Army arrived at the Xijing Guest House and arrested more than a dozen military and political dignitaries belonging to Chiang's family, including the accommodation. What is surprising is that when he learned that there was a specific person among the arrested people, Zhang Xueliang personally hurried to apologize to this person, and specially instructed him to transfer him to General Yang Hucheng's private residence by special car, where he was given high-standard hospitality and protection. The person who enjoyed such special treatment was none other than Mr. Jiang Baili, a military strategist.
Jiang Baili, a talented man born in Haining County, Zhejiang, was born in 1882 into a family with profound cultural heritage. His grandfather, Jiang Guangxu, was a well-known local bibliophile, and his library "Beixiazhai" contained 100,000 books, fully demonstrating the cultural accumulation and wealth strength of the Jiang family. Jiang Baili's father was born with a missing left arm, and was snubbed by his grandfather, and was once sent to the temple to practice, although he later returned to the world and started a family, but because of his previous experience of becoming a monk, he was never able to integrate into the family, and the family was increasingly embarrassed.
After the death of his father, Jiang Baili, who was only 13 years old, had to face more severe life challenges. However, with his natural intelligence and thirst for knowledge, he won the support of his fellow villagers, and in 1901 he went to Japan to study and entered the Tokyo Non-commissioned Officer School for further study. Together with Jiang Boqi, Zhang Xiaohuai and other Zhejiang compatriots, he was known as the "Three Heroes of China" of the Non-commissioned Officer School, showing outstanding talent and strength.
After graduating, he continued to study military knowledge in Germany, and returned to China after completing his studies, serving as the general staff of the Zhejiang Governor's Office, and later became the principal of the Baoding Army Military Academy in 1912. He was committed to reforming military school education and promoting ideological activity in the school, but he encountered obstruction from conservatives such as Duan Qirui. Because the military academy was funded by the Beiyang government, and the army headquarters, under the instruction of Duan Qirui, ignored Jiang Baili's application for funding, resulting in a difficult operation of the military academy.
In desperation, Jiang Baili tried to commit suicide to protest this injustice after convening a lecture to all the teachers and students of the school on June 18, 1913. Fortunately, the orderly rescued him in time, and although the bullet hit his left chest, it did not hurt his heart. During his recuperation, a Japanese female nurse named Yaden Sato took care of him meticulously, and her kindness and patience made Jiang Baili feel unprecedented warmth. The two gradually developed a deep affection for each other during their long time together.
However, when Jiang Baili expressed his love to Sato Yaden, he was rejected by her. Although she is deeply in love with Jiang Baili, the cultural differences between China and Japan and the wishes of her parents make her hesitate. But Jiang Baili never gave up, and under his continuous letter offensive, Sato Yaden's parents were finally moved by his persistence and true affection, and agreed to the marriage of the two.
In 1914, Jiang Baili finally welcomed the woman he loved. They had a grand wedding in Fanding, Germany, Tianjin, and the exotic couple finally came together.
After marriage, Jiang Baili had a soft spot for plum blossoms, and he chose a poetic Chinese name "Zuomei" for his wife, and since then, Sato Yaden has become Jiang Zuomei and has fully integrated into this Chinese family. Since the day of marriage, Jiang Zuomei has severed ties with Japan and poured all her thoughts and love into her husband and her husband's motherland. With the change of Jiang Baili's position, she did not hesitate to follow her husband to the north and south, traversing the mountains and rivers of the motherland.
In 1927, the political situation changed, and Jiang Baili was imprisoned for being implicated in the "overthrow of Chiang" incident. At this time, Jiang Zuomei resolutely took her children to Nanjing and rented a simple house near the prison, just so that she could visit and take care of her husband frequently. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Jiang Zuomei's Japanese identity made her the target of public criticism, but she never defended it, but expressed her deep love for China with practical actions. She generously donated her jewelry to buy fabrics to make military uniforms, and joined the Anti-Japanese Women's Salvation Association to support the country's anti-Japanese war cause with practical actions.
It is worth mentioning that Jiang Zuomei is not only a virtuous wife, but also a brave mother. In the smoke of the Battle of Songhu, she and her daughter did not hesitate to join the stretcher team, braving the rain of bullets to rescue the wounded, showing extraordinary courage and tenacity. She and Jiang have five daughters, but she never teaches her children Japanese, and she always communicates in Beijing dialect at home, hoping that her children will fully integrate into Chinese culture and society.
On November 4, 1938, Jiang Baili, who had just become the acting president of the Army University, died of a heart attack caused by long-term fatigue. In recognition of his contributions, the Nationalist Government posthumously awarded him the rank of Army General. Ten years later, with the assistance of Jiang Baili's former friend Zhu Kezhen and others, Jiang Zuomei moved her husband's coffin from Yishan, Guangxi to Nanshan Cemetery in Wansongling, Hangzhou. After that, she lived with her daughter in Beijing, where she lived peacefully in 1978.
Of Jiang Zuomei's five daughters, except for the eldest daughter, who died young, the rest have achieved extraordinary achievements. One of the most well-known is the famous pianist and singer Jiang Ying. She graduated from the Berlin State Conservatory of Music, was a contracted singer of Telefunken, and has been teaching at the Central Conservatory of Music since returning to China. And her husband is a well-known scientist, Mr. Qian Xuesen, and their combination can be called a perfect match, and they have made great contributions to China's music and science together.