At the beginning of 1949, the Kuomintang suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Huaihai. Faced with a moment of crisis, Gu Zhutong and Chen Cheng hatched a bold conspiracy -- to release Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, who had been imprisoned for many years, and hand them over to the Communist Party. They believed that Zhang and Yang had captured Chiang Kai-shek during the Xi'an Incident, and that the Communists regarded them as "heroes of the ages," and that now giving them "respectfully" to the Communists would not only exchange them for the captured Kuomintang generals, but also force the Communists to accept the conditions of "demarcation of the Yangtze River and division of the north and south."
However, just as this conspiracy was about to be implemented, He Yingqin suddenly expressed his opposition. He pointed out to Chiang Kai-shek that if Zhang Yang was unwilling to leave Nanking and instead colluded with the Communists, it would bring unbearable disaster to the Kuomintang. He Yingqin's reason made Chiang Kai-shek gasp and scolded Gu Zhutong for coming up with a bad idea.
However, what is the real reason for He Yingqin's opposition? Is he motivated by the desire to safeguard national interests, or does he have ulterior motives? Where will Zhang and Yang end up? How will this internal strife, which has a bearing on the future and destiny of the country, end?
1. The power struggle within the Kuomintang
At the beginning of 1949, the Kuomintang suffered heavy losses in the Huaihai Campaign, and the situation was precarious. At this critical juncture, a power struggle broke out within the Kuomintang over the survival of the party-state.
On one side were the "pacifists" led by Gu Zhutong and Chen Cheng, who realized that the Kuomintang was no longer able to continue its fight against the Communists and advocated an end to the civil war through diplomatic negotiations. In exchange for concessions from the Communists, Gu Zhutong and Chen Cheng hatched a bold conspiracy -- to release Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, who had been imprisoned for many years, and to give them "respectfully" to the Communists.
Their consideration was that Zhang and Yang had detained Chiang Kai-shek during the Xi'an Incident, and in the eyes of the Communist Party, they were "heroes of the ages". If these two "heroes" were given to the Communist Party, they would not only be able to exchange for the captured Kuomintang generals, but would also force the Communist Party to accept the conditions of "demarcation of the Yangtze River and division of the north and south." This was undoubtedly a bold move to seek a way out for the Kuomintang.
However, this conspiracy was strongly opposed by the "war faction" headed by He Yingqin. He Yingqin pointed out to Chiang Kai-shek that if Zhang and Yang were unwilling to leave Nanjing, but instead colluded with the Communists, it would bring unbearable disaster to the Kuomintang. He Yingqin's reason made Chiang Kai-shek gasp and scolded Gu Zhutong for coming up with a bad idea.
Behind this infighting is a long-standing factional struggle within the KMT. Gu Zhutong and Chen Cheng represent the "pacifists" who advocate peaceful negotiations, while He Yingqin represents the "war faction" who insist on armed confrontation. The contradictions between the two factions have been going on for a long time, but they are intensifying at this critical juncture.
Chiang Kai-shek, as the top leader of the Kuomintang, played a key role in this infighting. On the one hand, he was reluctant to give up force, and on the other hand, he had to consider the possibility of peace talks. Under the influence of this ambivalence, Chiang Kai-shek finally chose He Yingqin's suggestion and vetoed Gu Zhutong's conspiracy.
This infighting not only reflected the power struggle within the KMT, but also foreshadowed the irreversible demise of the KMT. In this internal strife, all factions are fighting for their own interests, but no one really thinks about the interests of the country and the people. It was this internal friction that hastened the demise of the Kuomintang.
2. The situation of Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng
On December 12, 1937, after the peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng were detained by Chiang Kai-shek and began a 12-year prison life.
Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned in a small temple in Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province, and lived in a rather simple environment. He can only move in the temple and the small courtyard outside the temple every day, and is closely guarded 24 hours a day. Yang Hucheng's situation was similar, and he was locked up in a temple in Meixian County, Shaanxi Province.
At the beginning of their captivity, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng still had some expectations for their future. Zhang Xueliang once said that if the War of Resistance was won, Chiang Kai-shek would have no reason not to release them. Yang Hucheng also believes that as long as the KMT-CCP peace talks can be reached, they will be released.
However, as time passed, their hopes were dashed. In 1941, Zhang Xueliang was transferred to Xiaoxihu in Tongzi County, Guizhou, while Yang Hucheng was imprisoned in Guangyuan, Sichuan. The environment in these two places is relatively good, but the regulation is equally strong.
During the long years of captivity, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng experienced various hardships. They rely on relatives and friends to support their living expenses, and their quality of life can be described as poor. Zhang Xueliang's wife, Miss Zhao Si, had to wear men's clothes and disguise herself as Zhang Xueliang's guards in order to accompany him.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945, Zhang Xueliang sent Chiang Kai-shek a commemorative watch, hoping to be released. But Chiang Kai-shek was indifferent to this, and instead transferred Zhang Xueliang to Taiwan, where he continued to be imprisoned. The same was true of Yang Hucheng, who was imprisoned in a temple in Guangyuan, Sichuan, until his release in 1949.
During their captivity, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng were repeatedly threatened with their lives. During the "228 Incident" in 1947, the agents guarding Zhang Xueliang planned to shoot them. Fortunately, the conspiracy did not succeed.
Despite being imprisoned, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng still maintained a strong will. Zhang Xueliang reads history books and writes and fishes in a small space to relieve loneliness. Yang Hucheng has been waiting for the day he will be released.
It was not until 1949, when the Kuomintang was defeated in the civil war, that Yang Hucheng was released. Zhang Xueliang, on the other hand, remained imprisoned until 1959, during which time his hair was completely white and his eyesight was greatly reduced. This is undoubtedly a great humiliation and torture for the once heroic and fearless warlords of the Northeast.
3. Zhang Xueliang's family background
Zhang Xueliang was born in the famous Zhang family in Northeast China, which is known as the "Zhang Family Dynasty" in Northeast China. The Zhangjia family has been operating the salt industry for generations, and the family has a lot of wealth, and has huge economic strength and influence in the northeast region.
Zhang Xueliang's father, Zhang Zuolin, is the most famous member of the Zhang family. From an early age, he was expected by his family and was groomed to be the future head of the family. In 1916, Zhang Zuolin launched the "918" incident, seized the military and political power of the three eastern provinces, and became the de facto ruler of the northeast.
Under the influence of Zhang Zuolin, Zhang Xueliang received a strict family education since he was a child and was instilled with the family's concept of honor. Zhang Zuolin hopes that Zhang Xueliang can inherit his career and immortalize the dominance of the Zhang family in the Northeast.
In 1928, Zhang Zuolin was assassinated, and Zhang Xueliang inherited the family's power and wealth in the northeast. As the head of the Zhang family, Zhang Xueliang shoulders heavy expectations and responsibilities.
However, Zhang Xueliang is not satisfied with just being a local powerhouse. He has bigger ambitions and wants to play a major role on a national scale. In 1936, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng launched the "Xi'an Incident" that shocked China and the rest of the world, detained Chiang Kai-shek, and tried to force the Kuomintang to resist Japan in an all-round way.
This move not only violated the family's expectations, but also completely damaged the relationship between Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Kai-shek. After the Xi'an Incident, Zhang Xueliang was detained by Chiang Kai-shek and began a 12-year prison life.
During his captivity, Zhang Xueliang had hopes for his future. He believed that as long as the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was victorious, or the peace talks between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party were reached, Chiang Kai-shek would release himself. However, this expectation was ultimately disappointed.
Although Zhang Xueliang's personal fate was suffering, the influence of the Zhang family in the Northeast did not weaken because of this. Zhang Xueliang's younger brothers, Zhang Xuesi and Zhang Xueming, inherited the power and wealth of the family and became the de facto rulers of the Northeast region.
It was not until 1948 that the Kuomintang was defeated in the Northeast Battlefield, and the dominance of the Zhang family finally collapsed. Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned in Taiwan, while his younger brothers fled to Hong Kong, and since then they have completely severed ties with their long-standing family in Northeast China.
Zhang Xueliang has been fighting for the glory of his family all his life, but in the end he has run counter to his family's expectations. His personal fate and his family's fate were hit hard in that turbulent era.
Fourth, the attitude of the Communist Party towards Zhang Xueliang
In December 1936, the Xi'an Incident broke out, and Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng detained Chiang Kai-shek, forcing the Kuomintang government to change its policy toward Japan and fight an all-out war of resistance. This move brought great benefits to the Communist Party and promoted the formation of an anti-Japanese national united front.
During the Xi'an Incident, Communist Party leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai and others had contacts and negotiations with Zhang Xueliang. Mao Zedong spoke highly of Zhang Xueliang's behavior and praised him as a "hero of the ages".
After the peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng were detained by Chiang Kai-shek and began a 12-year prison life. During this period, the Communist Party's attitude towards Zhang Xueliang also underwent some changes.
On the one hand, the Communist Party expressed strong dissatisfaction and condemnation of Zhang Xueliang's detention. At the 1946 Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Zhou Enlai, on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, publicly demanded the immediate release of Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng. He pointed out that although Zhang and Yang's Xi'an actions were motivated by personal motives, they did objectively promote the arrival of the all-people war of resistance, so they should be regarded as heroes, not sinners.
On the other hand, the Communist Party also realized that Zhang Xueliang was, after all, a powerful local faction, and that there was a certain gap between his political views and ideals and that of the Communist Party. Therefore, the Communist Party also has reservations about whether it really wants to "save" Zhang Xueliang.
In 1949, the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party entered the decisive stage, and the communist army quickly occupied most of China. In this situation, the Communist Party's attitude towards Zhang Xueliang has also changed.
Some Communist Party leaders believed that Zhang Xueliang's influence in the northeast should be used to absorb him into the Communist camp. Mao Zedong once said that if Zhang Xueliang was willing to join the Communist Party, he could be given a heavy use.
Others, however, are skeptical. They believed that, after all, Zhang Xueliang was a warlord from the landlord class, and even if he temporarily defected to the Communist Party, it would be difficult for him to truly support the Communist Party's ideas. Therefore, there are also differences within the Communist Party about Zhang Xueliang's future.
Finally, in October 1949, after the Communist People's Liberation Army captured Beiping, Zhang Xueliang was forced to leave Beiping and go to Hong Kong. Since then, he has completely parted ways with the Communist Party and has nothing to do with it.
Despite this, Zhang Xueliang's achievements in the Xi'an Incident were still recognized and affirmed by the Communist Party. Mao Zedong has repeatedly praised Zhang Xueliang as a "hero of the ages" and an important figure in promoting the formation of the anti-Japanese national united front.
It can be said that the Communist Party's attitude towards Zhang Xueliang has both a side of exploitation and a side of suspicion. This attitude has also changed in different historical periods. But in any case, Zhang Xueliang's historical achievements in the Xi'an Incident were recognized and affirmed by the Communist Party.
5. The influence of international factors
At the beginning of 1949, the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party entered a white-hot stage, and the two sides launched a decisive battle across the country. In this civil war, which is related to China's future and destiny, international forces will inevitably intervene in it and try to influence the course of the war.
At that time, the United States was the main force supporting the Kuomintang. The U.S. government not only provided the Kuomintang with a large amount of arms and economic aid, but also sent a large number of military advisers to China to guide the Kuomintang's combat operations.
On the issue of Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, the US Government has also shown great interest. The U.S. government believes that if Zhang and Yang can be released and absorbed into the Kuomintang camp, it may be able to bring a ray of life to the Kuomintang in the northeast.
In April 1949, U.S. Ambassador to China Stuart Leiden held talks with Chiang Kai-shek on this matter. Situ Leiden advised Chiang Kai-shek to release Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng and let them lead their troops to the northeast to fight against the Communist forces.
However, Chiang Kai-shek did not buy it. He believes that Zhang Yang and the others have long lost their influence in the Northeast, and even if they are released, they will not be able to change the situation in the Northeast. More importantly, Chiang Kai-shek was very jealous of Zhang Xueliang's personal ambitions, fearing that he would start anew once he was released.
At the same time, the Soviet Union was also closely watching the whereabouts of Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng. The Soviet government believed that if Zhang and Yang were released, they would likely defect to the Kuomintang camp, thus exacerbating the brutality of the civil war.
Therefore, the Soviet government repeatedly put pressure on the CCP leaders to arrest Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng immediately after the liberation of the northeast region, so that they would not be used by the Kuomintang.
In October 1949, after the Chinese People's Liberation Army conquered Beiping, Zhang Xueliang was forced to leave Beiping for Hong Kong. This decision was also influenced by the Soviet side.
In terms of international public opinion, the fate of Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng has also attracted widespread attention. Some Western media condemned Chiang Kai-shek's long imprisonment of them, believing that it was contrary to the spirit of humanitarianism.
However, there are also some media who hold the opposite view, believing that Zhang and Yang have defected to the KMT and should be punished. They believed that Chiang Kai-shek's imprisonment of Zhang and Yang was motivated by the need to maintain national unity.