In July 1991, Geng Biao and his wife Zhao Lanxiang returned to Qingyang City after a 50-year absence, and at qingyang Girls' Primary School, the couple who had witnessed the founding of New China and the rise of diplomacy burst into tears. The teachers' school they used to marry is still reserved for them, and the cave where they lived is still there. That night, Zhao Lanxiang and Geng Biao did not sleep all night, when they left Qingyang, the anti-Japanese resistance was not over, the revolutionary road still had a long way to go, they resolutely left, and implemented the vow at the time of the wedding that "revolution to the end"!
Pictured| Geng Biao and his wife Zhao Lanxiang
At the beginning of 1950, the Party Central Committee decided to transfer Geng Biao to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, becoming one of the first batch of 10 envoys in New China. For the needs of the motherland's diplomatic work, Zhao Lanxiang, the lover he met and fell in love with, took off his military uniform, changed into a cheongsam, and put on a pearl necklace for the needs of the motherland's diplomatic work, from a female soldier who charged into the battlefield, became a follower of China's diplomatic ambassador, and accompanied Geng Biao to the battlefield of diplomacy.
Geng Biao, a famous general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, was mentioned many times in the "Selected Works of Mao Zedong", and the "Geng" of which was Geng Biao.
In the army, comrades-in-arms all called Geng Biao "Geng Mengzi" and called him "a bold artist.". Geng Biao is a rational person, and at the same time, he is also a person with great affection. Comrades-in-arms said that he "can hunt in the mountains, touch fish in the water, negotiate when going out, and cook when he returns home", and his lover Zhao Lanxiang commented that he was "a person with heavy emotions and integrity".
Figure | Geng Biao youth
In 1937, Geng Biao served as deputy brigade commander, deputy political commissar and chief of staff of the 385th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and the headquarters of the 385th Brigade was located in Tianjiacheng outside Qingyang City, while Zhao Lanxiang was a Chinese language and art teacher at Qingyang Girls' Primary School. One day in the summer of 1940, Zhao Lanxiang noticed that there was a leader of the Eighth Route Army in the school, looking tall and thin, but his whole body was full of youthful vitality. His military uniform had been washed white, but he was very neatly dressed, and his speech was gentle and gentle. Principal Zhao Wen hurriedly introduced the two and said, "Zhao Lanxiang, this is Geng Biao, deputy brigade commander of the 385 Brigade. "
Zhao Lanxiang and he had a brief chat about home, and Geng Biao intentionally or unintentionally inquired about her family and work status. Zhao Lanxiang had a good impression of Geng Biao, and felt that he did not have any official shelf at all. Later, I learned that their encounter was not accidental, it was the principal and the political commissar who were matching them.
Picture | wedding photo of Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang
Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang's love affair went very smoothly, but when Zhao Lanxiang's father heard that Geng Biao wanted to marry his daughter, he was always reluctant. Zhao Lanxiang was born into poverty, her parents only had such a daughter, and her father's thinking was very conservative, hoping that after her daughter married, she could take the family out of poverty. Fortunately, Zhao Lanxiang's mother is still very enlightened, and she disregards the prejudices of the world and sends her daughter to the academy to study. In the remote mountainous area where Zhao Lanxiang was born, girls who can go to school are rare.
Figure | Geng Biao
Zhao Lanxiang's father hopes that his daughter can find a family with better conditions in the local area, and the son-in-law is best to have a certain identity. Geng Biao had a good reputation in the military and a high status, but in the era of military chaos, no matter how big the officer was, he could be killed on the battlefield at any time. Love encountered obstacles, Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang can understand Zhao Father's mood, but deep down, they have made up their minds to be together. In order to persuade Zhao's father, Geng Biao asked the president of the Qingyang County Chamber of Commerce, who was quite famous in the local area, to work in Zhao Lanxiang's home. The president patiently persuaded that Mother Zhao was also very supportive, and Father Zhao soon agreed to the marriage between the two.
The wedding of Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang was very simple, on July 5, 1941, they held a wedding ceremony in a classroom of the school, and the commanders of the 385 Brigade, comrades-in-arms, relatives and friends all came to attend.
After getting married, Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang lived in the caves of the 385 Brigade Headquarters, both of them were very busy with work, one was busy with revolution and combat, the other was teaching in school, the two did not spend much time alone, but the relationship between the two was very good.
Tu | Geng Biao, Zhao Lanxiang and his eldest son Geng Zhishen
In 1942, Geng Biao received an order to study at the Central Party School in Yan'an, and the husband and wife had to temporarily separate. A year later, Zhao Lanxiang also came to Yan'an to study at the middle school of Yan'an University. Geng Biao had only studied in private school for two years before, the level of education was not very high, Zhao Lanxiang was born in poverty, nor did he receive systematic higher education, the two helped and learned from each other, and made up for each other's deficiencies.
At this time, in order to break the Kuomintang blockade of Yan'an, Chairman Mao called for "self-reliance and abundant food and clothing," and all the ministries in Yan'an were carrying out large-scale production campaigns. Yan'an University assigned indicators to each student, and Geng Biao made a hand-cranked spinning wheel for Zhao Lanxiang.
Every time on the weekend, Geng Biao went to Yan'an University to pick up Zhao Lanxiang, and the young couple walked on campus one after the other. Geng Biao walked in front carrying a spinning wheel, while Zhao Lanxiang followed closely behind. The weekend is a time for the two to be alone in the dormitory of the Central Party School, and Geng Biao will help Zhao Lanxiang spin cotton thread and knit socks. Zhao Lanxiang often praised her husband for spinning more evenly and more efficiently than himself.
Figure | Geng Biao's inscription to his eldest son Geng Zhishen
In the war years, this tranquility is short-lived, no one knows when the battle will break out, and every parting may become a farewell.
Unwilling to stay in the rear for a long time, Geng Biao proposed to Comrade Mao Zedong his determination to go to the battlefield and kill the enemy. In 1944, the Central Committee approved his request and appointed him deputy chief of staff of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region. After hearing the news, Geng Biao immediately set off to the front line to kill the enemy. Although Zhao Lanxiang did not give up her husband, they came together because of the revolution, and they naturally sacrificed their small family for the revolution.
After that, the couple gathered less and more, and it was not until near the end of the War of Resistance that Zhao Lanxiang was transferred from Yan'an to Jin-Cha-Ji and worked with Geng Biao in a unit. Even if they are very close, the time for the two to meet is very short, and only in the interval between battles can they have the opportunity to get together once.
Every time Geng Biao went to the battlefield, Zhao Lanxiang was always worried about his situation on the battlefield, and Geng Biao also had his own methods. Geng Biao once confiscated a military dog at the hands of Kuomintang prisoners of war, this military dog is not small, during the War of Resistance, it was a Communication Dog of the Japanese, and later adopted by the Kuomintang officers, and when it reached Geng Biao's hands, it became a "transmission dog" on the battlefield. During the battle in Daming, in order to be able to keep in touch, Zhao Lanxiang hung the letter around the neck of the military dog, which would deliver the letter intact to the battlefield and find Geng Biao through the smell. Later, a Prince of the Mongols took a fancy to Geng Biao's military dog, and Geng Biao was very reluctant, but for the sake of the national united front, he still gave the military dog to the Mongol Prince. The Mongol princes felt their sincerity and told Geng Biao about the radio station buried in the ground when the general command bureau fled.
Figure| 1945, farewell to the US military observation group back to China (front left three Cheng Zihua, front left fourth Tang Yanjie, rear left second Geng Biao)
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang gave birth to a son and a daughter, and Zhao Lanxiang gave birth to Geng Biao twice. In order to better participate in the revolutionary work, Zhao Lanxiang underwent birth control after giving birth to her daughter. She sent a pair of children to her hometown in Longdong and devoted herself to the cause of liberation.
Geng Biao was brave and resourceful when commanding battles, and in his many years of military career, he served as the chief of staff of command organs at all levels such as regiments, brigades, divisions, armies, and corps. Among the senior generals, only Geng Biao was the chief of staff of so many levels of command organs. On the battlefield, Geng Biao was an invincible general, and after the founding of New China, he took off the general's uniform and began a diplomatic career.
After the founding of New China, diplomatic relations were established with many countries, and a large number of diplomats were needed. The central authorities decided to recruit a number of senior cadres from the army to become ambassadors, and Geng Biao was one of them. Premier Zhou once personally solicited Geng Biao's opinion on the transfer work, and Geng said bluntly: "Resolutely obey the order, but I don't know anything!" Premier Zhou smiled: "You can learn while doing." Thus, Geng Biao became the first ambassador sent by New China to the West, and soon geng Biao was also the ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the Minister of the Republic of Finland.
After a short period of study, Geng Biao embarked on a diplomatic career and began a 20-year diplomatic career. Zhao Lanxiang was also very young at that time, but he was 26 years old and was also arranged by the new government to do diplomatic work.
Pictured| Geng Biao's family portrait
After surviving the war, they finally came to Beijing from the mountains. Already accustomed to the hard life, they were not used to living in the hotel at all, sleeping on the high-end spring bed, Geng Biao and his wife felt as if their whole body was trapped in the pit, and the bed was shaking up and down. The new identity change, the new living environment, Geng Biao and his wife spent a long time to slowly adapt. This is why the revolutionaries of our older generation have laid the foundation for the world and have not enjoyed happiness for the first time, but have continued to work hard to build and study continuously, and have always continued the spirit of the people's army to bear hardships and stand hard work.
Photo| Geng Biao visited Malta in 1978
In order to enable Zhao Lanxiang and the ladies of the ambassadors to quickly adapt to diplomatic work, Premier Zhou specially invited teachers to teach them basic diplomatic etiquette. These former military sisters-in-law, who are doing the hardest work in the rear area, are female soldiers from the army, they are daughters from the workers' and peasants' class, but in order not to lose to the ambassadors' wives of other countries, they learn little by little how to wear high heels, how to wear cheongsam, and how to do their hair.
At that time, Zhao Lanxiang was the first woman in the small village of Qingyang to go out to work alone, she once rode a horse to the battlefield and walked to her husband; now, she is still the most determined support and the greatest help behind Geng Biao.
Picture| Geng Biao, then Chinese Ambassador to Sweden (1950)
In the summer of 1950, Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang took a train to Moscow and later to Sweden. After coming to Sweden, they had a headache. At that time, the Swedish king could not bring an interpreter to meet the ambassador, Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang only knew a little bit of English, how to communicate with the Swedish king? Geng Biao immediately found a Swedish teacher at his own expense to learn English, Geng Biao in Yongkou Mountain when Mao Zedong once taught him 200 words, even if there is a little foundation, Zhao Lanxiang has no foundation at all, but she is willing to learn, the two are like a classmate in English, correct each other's pronunciation.
Zhao Lanxiang is a more traditional and introverted woman, and does not like to be in the diplomatic world, but in order to work she must transform herself, manage the free time of the archives, she is desperately studying, participating in diplomatic activities, and using all the trivial time to improve herself.
Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang both came out of the war years, when there was only one driver in the Swedish Embassy, not only to send people, but also to transport supplies, it was too busy, Geng Biao went out to drive himself. He learned to drive during the Red Army, and in order to be able to drive in Sweden, he also went to get a Swedish driver's license. Some people felt that he had lost his identity, some people were afraid that he was in danger, causing a lot of discussion, but Geng Biao won not ridicule among the ambassadors of other countries, but a good story, officials of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ambassadors of some countries in Sweden have said: "Your Excellency the ambassador himself, it is remarkable!" Swedish newspapers reported that Geng Biao's former crown was also: "ambassador who drives his own car", "ambassador who is also a driver" and other titles, which actually increased Geng Biao's popularity.
Pictured| In 1950, Geng Biao, who was China's ambassador to Sweden, talked to foreign friends
Zhao Lanxiang talked about her husband's diplomatic activities in Sweden, and she was as proud as she talked about her achievements on the battlefield. At a reception in Sweden, a Swedish officer once asked Geng Biao: "I heard that the ambassador is a general, but I don't know how many soldiers you have brought?" Geng Biao replied, "Probably a hundred thousand." When the officer heard this, he immediately saluted him solemnly: "The number of troops you command is greater than the army of our entire country!" "
Someone joked with Zhao Lanxiang and asked her how she suddenly changed from an ordinary person in the countryside to a noble angel lady, what is the trick to such a rapid transformation? Zhao Lanxiang only replied with three words: self-confidence. Because of her self-confidence, her confidence in her husband's ability to work, and her confidence in new China, she has her own aura, and she has always remembered that her words and deeds represent the image of new China.
Pictured| On November 19, 1960, Geng Biao (second from left) and Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and others received the economic delegation of the Cuban revolutionary government
On June 23, 2000, Geng Biao, 91, died in Beijing. Zhao Lanxiang began to sort out her husband's relics, and fulfilled his last wish before his death, donating funds to Qingyang Poverty to fund education. Geng Biao, who had been clean all his life, did not leave much of an inheritance, and there was nothing valuable in his home. Zhao Lanxiang auctioned off her husband's treasured painting "Hundred Birds" by The Qing Dynasty painter Shen Quan, and all the proceeds of the auction were donated to poor children.
In 2001, Zhao Lanxiang wrote an article in honor of Geng Biao, "Remembering My Husband Geng Biao", and she wrote this passage with deep affection: "He is a responsible person, whether it is to me or to the people of the country, he is always loyal." It is precisely because of this pure loyalty and affection that Zhao Lanxiang's epitaph of Geng Biao has only four short words- General Geng Biao.
Pictured| General Geng Biao and Liu Huaqing visited the United States in 1980
From the battlefield of constant smoke and smoke to the stage of diplomacy, Geng Biao and Zhao Lanxiang, for the sake of the revolution and the interests of the country, had to endure the pain of separation from their families, this couple struggled for the new China all their lives, they came together because of the revolution, and they had to give up their small families for the revolution and take care of the whole country. The love story of their mutual assistance has become a classic legend in people's minds today.