Chinese pay attention to the grace of dripping water when the spring repays each other, and after our party establishes a new China in the midst of suffering, it will certainly not forget those who have made outstanding contributions, but we cannot call it retribution, but call it the search for meritorious people.
So in 1950, at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Security Bureau reported to the central government to find a hero code-named "OX".
The Security Bureau mentioned here is the predecessor of today's National Security Bureau, which is responsible for the secret front, to put it bluntly, it is espionage, and if you know history, you can know the importance of this department.
After the Security Bureau will be reported, a number of senior central leaders will personally take charge of the matter, and the reason why they personally ordered the search for OX is because OX saved his life.
Among these leaders, including Liu Lantao, Yang Xianzhen, and so on, the grace of dripping water should be repaid by the spring, let alone the grace of saving lives?
OX is the code name, the real name is Niu Baozheng, at this time, he is in the prison in Shandong, and the interrogation staff, regarded him as a "historical counter-revolutionary".
The reason why Niu Baozheng was imprisoned was because he was a former Kuomintang prison guard, and now that New China is established, he will naturally be arrested and imprisoned, and everyone does not know that he is a hero.
After Niu Baozheng was imprisoned, he repeatedly said that he had saved many, many Communists, but the rescued people he said could not be found in China.
Therefore, the first reaction of the staff in Shandong Prison is that Niu Bao is lying, you say that you have saved a large number of Communists, why can't you find out?
After the matter was reported to Shandong, the leader of Shandong read the file and said: "Those communists he saved used pseudonyms at that time, and it is strange that they can be found; and those who have used these pseudonyms include Yang Xianzhen, president of the Party School, Liu Lantao of the Central Discipline Inspection Commission, and many other CPC revolutionaries..."
(Revolutionaries group photo)
The person to be introduced today is an ordinary clerk in the old society, who has an ordinary name called Niu Baozheng. But small people can also make great contributions to influencing history at key moments.
Niu Bao was born in the old society, and when he was a teenager, he coincided with the warlord melee, and he and his mother were separated in the chaos of the war, he was a great filial piety, and he fled while looking for his mother.
According to Niu Baozheng's recollections, he remembered that when his family was poor when he was very young, his mother pulled out freshly cooked sweet potatoes from the fire, although her mother was also hungry, she was only willing to smell under her nose, and then gave them to her son.
Niu Baozheng secretly swore in his heart at that time that he must find his mother, otherwise he would not be able to sleep and eat in this life; at that time, There were many rescue associations and rescue centers run by foreigners in Beiping.
When Niu Bao was going to the rescue agency, he saw that there were many refugees inside, dozens of people, old and young, but there was no mother of his own.
(War Refugees)
He took the small amount of money he had, bought a dozen sweet potatoes, and gave them to the refugees; just as Niu Bao was about to leave, a girl came outside.
The girl's name was Liu Lanzhi, eighteen or nineteen years old, and she said to Niu Baozheng: "Over the years, few people have cared about these poor people. ”
Niu Baozheng said: "My mother is lost, I hope that my mother is in other places, and there are people who give her food and drink." ”
Liu Lanzhi was touched and said: "When I was a child, I was sold to Guangzhou by bandits, and the reason why I returned to Beiping was also to find my relatives. ”
It can also be regarded as fate, these two are mothers can not find children, and children can not find mothers, in the era of warlords and warlords, this kind of thing can be said to be countless, tragedies are everywhere.
The two became acquainted with this, and then set up a family, this woman named Liu Lanzhi, because she went through the south and crossed the north, so in the later life, it influenced Niu Baozheng's revolutionary thought, of course, this is the last word.
Niu Bao is in the midst of chaos, and after finding his love, he also successfully found his mother outside the city, and the family was reunited.
As the war subsided slightly, with the help of relatives and friends, he made an errand for Niu Baozheng, that is, the pre-prison guard of Caolanzi Prison.
Other prison guards are vicious towards the "prisoners", but Niu Baozheng takes great care of the "prisoners" because of his kind and friendly personality.
Caolanzi Prison, located at No. 19 Caolanzi Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing today.
In 1927, the historical background at that time was that Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei and the like violated Sun Yat-sen's last wishes and had long ago begun to arrest communists.
Violating Sun Yat-sen's last wishes is what we often call counter-revolutionaries, because Dr. Sun Yat-sen was the main promoter of the Great Revolution.
In Beiping and Tianjin, many Communists were also arrested, and in September 1931, they were intensively imprisoned in Caolanzi Prison.
The communists who were unfortunate enough to be imprisoned were all the main leaders of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, including Yin Jian, An Ziwen, Hu Xikui, Liu Lantao, Yang Xianzhen, and so on.
After their unfortunate arrest, the CCP's party organization in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was seriously damaged by counter-revolutionaries.
Of course, in Chiang Kai-shek's eyes, the place where communists are imprisoned should not be called prisons, but should be called military introspection institutes, and its headquarters is in Nanjing, Beiping's Caolanzi Prison, which is called the "Beiping Soldiers' Reflection Branch", but no matter how the name is changed, Caolanzi is undoubtedly an iron prison.
Regarding Niu Baozheng, the important contribution made in prison has been ignored by Masashi for reasons of secrecy.
(Corner of the old prison site)
The history of Zhengshi records that after the September 18 Incident, Zhang Xueliang withdrew from the northeast and came to Beiping.
The Japanese sent Zhang Fu's belongings to Beiping with a whole train, and Zhang Xueliang said on the spot: "If you want to send it, send the whole northeast back, how to pull the things in the train, how to pull it back, otherwise I will burn the railway station." ”
When Zhang Xueliang was in Beiping, he also imprisoned many Communists in Caolanzi Prison, which meant that the revolutionaries in the three eastern provinces and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were all imprisoned in one place.
Among the Communists, led by Yin Jian, they led everyone to actively resist the oppression of the Kuomintang, deal with their various psychological tactics, and set up a party branch in prison.
Later, Zhang Xueliang was transferred away and replaced by He Yingqin in charge of Beiping; He Yingqin's methods were much more fierce than Zhang Xueliang's, and the Communists in Caolanzi Prison were severely tortured, brainwashed, interrogated, mentally tortured, and so on.
Yin Jian led everyone to protest with a hunger strike.
It was not until 1936, with the efforts of Liu Shaoqi, that the 57 Communists were rescued, and Yin Jian was arranged to be treated in the hospital, because of the long-term destruction of his body, he died the following year.
The above is a canonical record, and the reason why Niu Baozheng is not mentioned is because of the need for secrecy for decades.
With the passage of time, especially with the death of many heroes of the hidden front, this secret gradually surfaced...
The real rescue experience is much more exciting than the historical record, first of all, Niu Baozheng, a small jailer, entered the Caolanzi Prison.
He saw the communists in prison and set up a party branch in prison, and wanted to "carry the red flag out of prison", so when Niu Baozheng was working, he listened to Yin Jian talk about revolutionary theory every day.
As if, in the struggle in Caolanzi Prison, the Communists turned the iron prison into a "party school" and many prisoners were reformed.
The prisons of that time were different from those of today; at that time, there were many poor people imprisoned, imprisoned by wrongdoing, framed and imprisoned, or imprisoned by offending a big person, and these people were all inspired by the "party branch in prison" and then absorbed.
Among them, Yang Xianzhen's task is to undertake the work of the student committee, formulate a study plan, and discipline of the party branch. However, whenever he led everyone to study, he was always disturbed by the Prison Guards of the Kuomintang.
At this time, Yang Xianzhen found that Niu Bao was the object that could be won, because most of the prison guards were fierce and vicious, but Niu Baozheng's personality was more generous and sincere.
Therefore, the party branch in prison wanted to reform and win Niu Baozheng, out of the need for internal communication at that time, so he gave Niu Baozheng a code name called OX.
The reason why there is such a code name is because the English pronunciation of "cow", translated into Chinese, is "Oaks Yin", so when everyone communicates with each other, as long as they mention OX, they know who they are talking about.
In the next two months, the leaders of Caolanzi Prison found that in the area that Niu Bao was responsible for, the "introspective prisoners" would be quiet and abide by the rules and regulations of the prison.
So that the prison leaders were very happy and thought that Niu Baozheng's work ability was outstanding, so he was promoted with a big stroke, so Niu Baozheng became the guard squad leader in the prison from a guard or a jailer.
After Niu Baozheng was promoted, he sent his mother back to his hometown in Shandong, but two months later, a letter came from home.
Niu Baozheng was illiterate, so he went to the communists in prison to help read it, saying that the people imprisoned here had college students, international students, professors, and talents, and the academic atmosphere was strong.
The person in charge of reading the letter was Yang Xianzhen, who said: "What is written in the letter is that your old mother in your hometown in Shandong is seriously ill and now has no money to buy medicine, so the family is very anxious and wants you to send some money back to treat the old mother." ”
Niu Bao was worried and said, "This... Well, I'll go think of a way. ”
In that old society at that time, not only niu Baozheng was very poor, but the colleagues around him were not rich, so he borrowed money and borrowed a circle, far from making up enough medical expenses.
Niu Bao was watching the leaders in the prison, spending all day drinking, and the girls outside Shanhaiguan came to Beiping after suffering, and were raised by these leaders.
Therefore, Niu Baozheng went to the leader to borrow money, and instead of borrowing money, he was scolded.
There is a saying that when a man opens his mouth to borrow money, it is the most vulnerable time in his heart, Niu Baozheng did not borrow money, so he was depressed and returned to work, that is, the small squad leader in the prison.
Niu Baozheng found Yang Xianzhen again, and he said: "You are a cultural person, even in foreign languages, can you help me write a letter?" I'm going to send it to my old mother at home. ”
(Inside the prison)
Yang Xianzhen said, "Well, then you take paper and pen." ”
Niu Bao was borrowing a pen and paper, and according to later memoirs, it was the first time in his life that he borrowed paper and borrowed a pen, after all, there was no concept of going to school before.
Yang Xianzhen said: "You talk, I write." ”
At this time, Niu Baozheng said with a guilty face: "Mother, I really can't stand you, my son is not angry, he has no money to treat you... I'm trying to figure out how to try to scrape together as much money as I can buy medicine. ”
Yang Xianzhen's handwriting is very neat, the writing is fast and good, after writing said: "Don't be discouraged first, maybe I can help you think of a way." ”
"You... Can you help me? ”
For Niu Baozheng, who was disappointed, suddenly heard this sentence, even the leaders and colleagues refused to help themselves, and the "enemy" in the leader's mouth would help?
In the following time, Yang Xianzhen, a well-known revolutionary in China's future, began to fight for Niu Baozheng. I have to say that people who can do great things are meticulous in their thinking and are not chaotic.
Yang Xianzhen first went back to report to the party branch, discussed how to deal with this important information with the comrades, he said: "From before to now, Niu Baozheng has been performing very well and excellently, and if he can fight for it, it will definitely become a big help for us." ”
The time came to the next day, Yang Xianzhen was in the middle of the cell, saw Niu Bao was on duty again, he took the initiative to call the other party, came over and asked for warmth.
(Inside the prison)
Niu Baozheng is also really honest in character, because he has a good feeling for Yang Xianzhen, so he chatted with the other party.
From the background point of view, since Niu Baozheng went to prison as an errand boy, he was ideologically hostile to the Communist Party. In particular, every day when I went to work and work, I heard the brainwashing education spread by Chiang Kai-shek and the smear of the Communist Party by the Kuomintang.
However, the first generation of revolutionaries in our country, with wisdom and rationality, gradually attacked Niu Baozheng's psychological defense line.
As a prisoner, Yang Xianzhen made friends with the prison guard squad leader, and learned about the other party's family situation while chatting.
Yang Xianzhen said: "I don't have much money here, so you can take it back to your mother to see a doctor." ”
At this moment, Niu Baozheng was touched in an instant, saying that the boy had tears and did not flick, but the corners of his eyes were immediately teardrops rolling down.
Then Yang Xianzhen said: "You also know that my brother is a reader, and I don't like anything in this life, that is, I love to read." However, after being arrested, he could neither see the books nor the newspapers, and his heart was really suffocated, hoping that the cow squad leader could help buy some books and newspapers to see when it was convenient, and the brothers would definitely thank him. ”
Niu Baozheng said, "Brother, rest assured, leave this matter to me." But if we talk ugly about the front, don't be open to the outside world, because if I help you, I will kill you. ”
In Beiping at that time, the trade in old books was very prosperous, or in the era of paper media, a book would be traded back and forth dozens or even hundreds of times. Therefore, Niu Baozheng often bought some broken books and newspapers to give to the communists in prison.
Throughout history, various dynasties have paid attention to ideological education, before the Han Dynasty attached importance to the Zhou Rites, after the Han Dynasty to respect Confucianism, and then to the rise of Buddhism.
But among them, the ideological education of the Communist Party is the real and true, and can save the poor people, so Niu Bao is in prison and gradually accepts the influence of revolutionary ideas.
Education is indiscriminate, although Niu Bao is working in an iron prison, but every day with the Communists, and they are all the leaders of communist ideas, and then gradually become inspired.
Most importantly, after Niu Baozheng returned home, he talked about this matter with his wife Liu Lanzhi, who said that the Communist Party is a good person, and from Guangzhou to Beiping, everyone said that the Communist Party was a good person along the way.
When Niu Bao was at work, especially at the jury, he stood outside the interrogation room and heard the sonorous and powerful revolutionary cry of the Communists in the small iron house of the interrogation room when they were being interrogated and tortured.
Niu Bao was being greatly shaken, so he gradually became a revolutionary with progressive thinking and trustworthiness.
For example, once, Liu Shaoqi of the Northern Bureau arranged for two comrades to enter Caolanzi Prison disguised as prisoners.
Niu Baozheng played an important role, and he took the two "prisoners" and did not imprison them in ordinary cells, but lived with the Communists.
These two so-called "prisoners" betrayed the custody and education for three months, and after being rescued, they were released from prison within ten days, bringing a lot of important information to the party organization.
After Niu Baozheng left work, he sent his wife, Liu Lanzhi, to take a rickshaw to Gulou, Huangchenggen, Cuihua Hutong, and other places to get the letters of the underground party. It was then passed through Niu Baozheng to the hands of the Communists.
At that time, the Communist Party books had been severely cracked down, but Niu Bao was racking his brains to buy them and send them to prison, so that the revolutionary atmosphere in Caolanzi Prison was getting better and better.
In 1936, the pressure brought by the Japanese was increasing, and the whole country was calling for resistance to Japan.
At this time, the Kuomintang decided to release what they saw as "political prisoners", but the release had a condition, that is, it must be published in the newspaper with an anti-communist declaration, and then they could be released from prison.
(Parade in the Rain)
Of course, the Communists in Caolanzi Prison refused to issue an anti-communist manifesto, and Niu Baozheng played an important role in reporting the matter to Liu Shaoqi.
The party organization immediately replied that it was entirely possible to issue such a declaration, guaranteeing that he would return to the ranks after being released from prison and would never be liquidated.
In early September 1936, An Ziwen, Yang Xianzhen, Liu Lantao, Zhao Lin, Feng Le, and other CCP comrades were released from prison.
Niu Baozheng also became the first contact person inside and outside the prison.
However, afterwards, the Kuomintang found out Niu Baozheng's identity, immediately arrested him, and tortured him in various ways, forcing Niu Bao to ask whether he was a Communist Party.
But Niu Bao was gritting his teeth, insisting that he was not and did not admit his identity; later, the underground party in Peiping launched a rescue and rescued Niu Bao from prison and sent him out of the city.
After experiencing the War of Liberation, the War of Resistance Against Japan, and the founding of New China, the Defense Bureau began to look for OX, and the CCP leaders personally participated in finding this meritorious person.
So after Beijing's instructions were issued to Shandong, it was found that Niu Bao was a person near Shandong, Wudi County, and Chengguan.
The Shandong Provincial Party Committee immediately went to Wudi County to find someone, and soon found out where Niu Baozheng was, and a staff member rode a bicycle and went straight to chengguan, but after asking for half a day, they all said that they did not know Niu Baozheng.
At this time, there was a prison worker who said, "Niu Baozheng? Sounds familiar to the name. ”
Upon investigation, it was learned that there was a man named Niu Baozheng who had previously worked as a police captain in the county because of the war, and had gone to other places because of the war, and had served as a guard squad leader in the Kuomintang Caolanzi Prison.
With such an experience, it is natural to be classified as a counter-revolutionary ... When I checked the information in the prison, I couldn't find out that Niu Baozheng had any meritorious performance.
So in the middle of the prison, Niu Baozheng was interrogated again, and Niu Baozheng said: "When I was working in Beiping Caolanzi Prison, I saved many communists..."
As for the prison, he immediately reported the matter, because niu promised that the names of the communists he had saved could not be found at all.
Before, it was also because it could not be found, so Niu Baozheng would always be detained; now he wants to find OX, so the matter is reported to the provincial party committee.
(RTL Control)
As a result, when the province looked at it, it would certainly not be found, because the Communists who were imprisoned in Caolanzi Prison at that time used all pseudonyms; therefore, the cadres at the grass-roots level did not have the authority to contact these pseudonyms.
So everyone went back to Wudi County and asked Niu Baozheng about this matter, and Niu Baozheng accurately said what kind of physical characteristics those who had been saved, tall, fat, thin, wearing glasses, suffering from what disease, where there was a mole, detailed and clear.
Totally compliant and confirmed!
Because the person in charge of coming to Wudi County, there was the leader of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee, who personally took Niu Baozheng out of the place of discipline and brought Niu Baozheng to Jinan.
The leader of the provincial party committee said: "Those you saved are all big people, and now they hold important positions in Beijing and lead the development of the Chinese revolution in the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation." ”
Niu Baozheng burst into tears and said, "I can't think of anything, I can't think of anything." ”
The reason why I can't imagine it is because those who have been saved are often seen in the newspaper. At that time, the newspapers naturally often appeared in the names of Yang Xianzhen and others, and from the War of Resistance Against Japan, they saw the War of Liberation and the founding of New China.
Of course, he did not read the newspaper, but listened to his wife Liu Lanzhi read the newspaper, although he could not read, but his wife was literate.
These central leaders who are so familiar with them, because they use pseudonyms, it turns out that Niu Baozheng has been for more than ten years, and he is stunned that he does not know that the big people in the newspaper have all been saved by themselves.
Since Niu Bao was about to be sent to Beijing, he summed up three points: First, he had done no great service to the party and was ashamed to be treated favorably; second, it was difficult for the poor family to leave and the countryside was difficult to leave; third, the children had gone to other places to engage in water conservancy, and they could not go to Beijing alone.
The leaders of Shandong immediately made arrangements for Niu Baozheng to go to Beijing first, and they would definitely handle the rest of the matter properly, and the child would definitely be sent to Beijing.
(Train to Beijing)
Niu Baozheng was only willing to set off, and after he arrived in Beijing, he was naturally received by Liu Lantao, Yang Xianzhen, and other central cadres.
Niu Baozheng enjoyed the treatment of an 18th-level cadre and returned to Caolanzi Prison to work, the task was to undertake "pre-trial work", in November 1954, Niu Baozheng, a hero, left this world due to ineffective medical treatment.
Niu Baozheng died at the age of 68, his son was named Niu Jianzhong, and following his father's will, the coffin returned to his hometown and was buried in the ancestral tomb of Niu surname.