What is history: it is the echo of the past to the future, the reflection of the future on the past. - Hugo
We call Zhang Xueliang "Young Marshal", naturally because his father Zhang Zuolin is called "Great Marshal".
In the Republic of China, "young marshal" specifically refers to Zhang Xueliang. Many people think that calling Zhang Xueliang "young marshal" is an honorific title, but in fact, this is a misunderstanding.
Zhang Xueliang, also spelled Hanqing, alias Yi'an, Zhang Rentang and Zhang Litang, nicknamed Shuangxi, later renamed Xiao Liuzi, was born on June 3, 1901 in ZhanJiawopu Village, Sangshulin, Tai'an County, Fengtian (now part of Liaoning). Zhang Zuolin married his wife Liufang, zhang Xueliang was born to Zhang Zuolin's wife, and was the eldest son.
As soon as Zhang Xueliang was born, he was given the great responsibility of inheriting the family business by his father Zhang Zuolin, and was painstakingly cultivated by his father. At the age of 17, he became the battalion commander of Zhang Zuolin's Guard Brigade. In 1919, he entered the first artillery section of the Liaoning Daowutang of the Northeast Army, and after graduation, he served as the commander of the Fengjun battalion, the regimental commander, and the brigade commander. He was under the age of 20 when he was promoted to major general. After that, he led his troops into the customs several times to fight against warlords such as Wu Peifu and Feng Yuxiang, and was promoted to general of the army in December 1926.
On June 3, 1928, Zhang Zuolin returned to the northeast by train from Guannei at the intersection of the Huanggutun Railway, where he was seriously injured by a bomb planted by the Japanese in advance, and died the next day after being sent home. Zhang Xueliang, who was only 28 years old, with the assistance of Zhang Zuoxiang, the northeast border defense inspector, inherited his father's throne and became the new commander of the Feng army, taking charge of the military and political power of the three northeastern provinces, and announcing that the three eastern provinces were changed and accepted the control of the Nanjing government.
In fact, in the era of the Beiyang warlords, the highest military rank was general, and there was no marshal. For example, Zhang Xueliang's telegram to Zhang Zuolin on June 2, 1926, called "General Jun Jian of Shengjing". In order to respect each other, it is often common for warlords to refer to each other as "Shuai", such as Zhang Xueliang calling Wu Peifu Wu Yushuai, Yan Xishan Yan Baishuai, Sun Chuanfang Sun Xinshuai, and Chu Yupu Chu Yunshuai in telegrams.
Just like the old time called "young master" and "young owner", some "handsome" princes are called "young marshals", which is also a kind of teasing word, most of them are not doing the right thing and rely on the second generation of officials who rely on patriarchal power, such as Ma Bufang, the son of the northwest warlord Ma Lin, and Lu Yuguang, the son of Lu Rongting of the old Gui clan, these "young marshals" have a bit of the meaning of "Ya Nei", so they are rarely used for face-to-face titles.
Lu Muting, Wang Lihuan, and Xie Ke said in "The Situation in Northeast China After Zhang Zuolin's Bombing" that Yang Yuting "still has the qualifications of the former generation of old ministers and does not restrain himself; sometimes when talking to people about Zhang Xueliang, he still calls Zhang a young marshal and has a light tone." Lu Muting, Wang Lihuan, and Xie Ke were all figures close to Zhang Xueliang at that time, and what they said could not be doubted. Zhang Xueliang was quite disgusted by the title of "young marshal", so no one dared to call him "young marshal" in person at that time.
As a soldier, Zhang Xueliang's favorite is to call him a military rank, such as "corps commander", "commander-in-chief" and "deputy commander-in-chief". Yu Fengzhi and Miss Zhao Si called him "Little Master", friends called him "Han Ye", and his father's generations such as Zhang Zuoxiang, Tang Yulin, and Zhang Jinghui could call him "Han Qing". "Little Sixth Son" is only Zhang Zuolin alone can be called. Ren Zuokai said in "Sun Chuanfang in the Northeast" that Sun Chuanfang called Zhang Xueliang "Han Shuai". Zhang Xueliang's character HanQing, so he was called "Han Shuai", which was a more commonly used title at that time.