In 2009, the founding general Lü Zhengcao died at the age of 106, he was the longest-lived of the founding generals, who had served as vice minister of railways, minister, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, etc. People who knew General Lü Zhengcao also knew that when he was young, he had a good friendship with Zhang Xueliang, and in his later years, Lü Zhengcao also invited Zhang Xueliang to return to China to see, but Zhang Xueliang refused.
Lü Zhengcao is a native of Haicheng County, Liaoning Province, since he was a child he has witnessed the evil deeds of the Japanese in the northeast, he is determined to learn the ability to serve the motherland when he grows up, at the age of 18, Lü Zhengcao joined Zhang Xueliang's guard, and the following year was admitted to the Northeast Lecture Wutang for further study, when Zhang Xueliang was in the Northeast Wutang, he collected a group of young zhuang faction soldiers, Lü Zhengcao was one of them, after graduating from the Daowutang, he once served as Zhang Xueliang's secretary, adjutant, and so on.
In 1929, Lü Zhengcao officially served in the Northeast Army, led the troops to fight the Japanese army in Rehe, in 1936, Lü Zhengcao personally participated in the "Xi'an Incident" launched by Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, here, he was also impressed by Zhou Enlai's style, in 1937, Lü Zhengcao officially joined the Communist Party, and has been serving the party organization ever since, after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he served as deputy commander-in-chief of the Northeast Democratic Coalition Army, minister of the Railway Department of the Northeast People's Government, and other positions, in 1955, Lü Zhengcao was awarded the rank of general.
In 1990, Zhang Xueliang was released, because of Lü Zhengcao's special relationship with Zhang Xueliang, the central authorities asked him to be the contact between the central authorities and Zhang Xueliang; when cross-strait relations eased up in the late 1980s, Lü Zhengcao often corresponded with Zhang Xueliang.
Seeing the first side of General Lü Zhengcao, Zhang Xueliang said, "Your name is a ground mouse," which refers to the tunnel warfare that Lü Zhengcao advocated and carried forward in Jizhong during the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Deng Yingchao sincerely invited Zhang Xueliang in the letter, if there is a chance, he is very welcome to come to the mainland to see, go back to his hometown to see, Zhang Xueliang also wants to go back, but he said, "I want to go back, but now the time is not up." As soon as I move, I will be involved in both the mainland and Taiwan, and I am not willing to make politics very complicated for my personal affairs." However, Zhang Xueliang finally said that if I have the opportunity, I will definitely go back to the mainland and go back to my hometown to see.
As we all know, after Zhang Xueliang, he did not return to the northeast and return to his hometown, after Zhang Xueliang's death in 2001, Lü Zhengcao sent him a condolence telegram: "General Zhang Xueliang was born to cover the motherland, and when he died, he was heavier than Mount Tai, worthy of the great title that the people of the motherland called a hero and a national hero throughout the ages." ”
From today's point of view, Because the "918 Incident" did not resist, Zhang Xueliang was pointed out by thousands of people, but from the perspective of the future, the "Xi'an Incident" he launched was worthy of his title of national hero, which was very conducive to the second cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, to resist the war together, and to look at things with the perspective of development.