On May 26, 1991, the 87-year-old founding general Lu Zhengcao, accompanied by relatives and friends, came to New York, usa. The old general went to New York for nothing else, just to meet his former teacher, superior, and close friend, and this person was Zhang Xueliang. At that time, Zhang Xueliang had just regained his personal freedom and flew from Taiwan to New York to visit his relatives, and the old general had just recovered from a serious illness.
Speaking of this meeting between Lu Zhengcao and Zhang Xueliang, there is also a rather touching story here.
In March 1991, when Zhang Xueliang and his wife Zhao Yidi flew to the United States by plane, the veteran general Lu Zhengcao was hospitalized. On March 11, Zhang Xueliang's niece Zhang Lu (daughter of Zhang Xueliang's fifth brother Zhang Xuesen) and Yang Hucheng's eldest son Yang Zhengmin came to the hospital to visit Lu Zhengcao. At this time, Zhang Luyu informed Lü Zhengcao of the news that Zhang Xueliang had left Taiwan for the United States, and tentatively asked the old general what his plans were.
Why did Zhang Lu specifically tell Lu Zhengcao the news of Zhang Xueliang's visit to the United States, and ask him what his plans were? That's because Lu Zhengcao and Zhang Xueliang are close friends, even if they haven't seen each other for more than fifty years at this time, their feelings are still undiminished, and they are still the closest friends.
At that time, when Zhang Xueliang was under house arrest in Taiwan, he often said to others: "On the mainland, I miss two subordinates the most, the first of which is Lu Zhengcao." (Another is the founding lieutenant general Wan Yi, who was also Zhang Xueliang's aide-de-camp) After the reform and opening up, with Zhang Xueliang's niece Zhang Luyu coming to the mainland to do business, Lu Zhengcao and Zhang Xueliang, two close friends who have been separated for more than fifty years, have contacted again.
After that, Zhang Xueliang often wrote letters to Lü Zhengcao to pour out his heart, and Lü Zhengcao often comforted and encouraged Zhang Xueliang.
In 1987, Zhang Lu took advantage of the opportunity to come to Beijing for business and brought Lu Zhengcao a letter written by Zhang Xueliang himself. In the letter, Zhang Xueliang wrote a five-word poem to Lü Zhengcao: "Under the eastern fence of picking chrysanthemums, leisurely see the South Mountain." There is a true meaning in this, and there is no word for discernment. Zhang Xueliang expressed to Lu Zhengcao his helplessness in living a life of house arrest in Taiwan and his unwillingness to do nothing at this moment, and also expressed his state of mind that he did not dare to forget the country in the face of adversity.
After receiving Zhang Xueliang's letter, Lü Zhengcao immediately replied, replying: "The heavenly dance is dry, and the fierce zhi is always there." In vain, in the heart of the past, the conscience is just around the corner. Lu Zhengcao gave Zhang Xueliang a high evaluation that although he lived in the countryside but was not depressed, he said that his "fierce ambition is always there", and comforted Zhang Xueliang, the darkness will not always be there, as long as there is confidence, the future will be a bright light, and there will be a day of freedom.
From the correspondence between the two, it can be seen that Zhang Xueliang and Lu Zhengcao have a deep friendship, and both hope to have another day, even if the future is unknown, but still have the hope of reunion. Therefore, when Zhang Xueliang regained his freedom in 1991 and went to the United States to visit his relatives, Zhang Lu asked Lu Zhengcao if he intended to go to the United States to visit Zhang Xueliang.
Because the old general Lü Zhengcao did not know why Zhang Xueliang suddenly went to the United States, and his attitude toward him and the situation in the United States were not clear, the old general did not immediately express his position, but said that he would consider and seek a suitable time to meet him.
After that, the veteran general Lü Zhengcao learned about Zhang Xueliang's attitude and the situation in the United States through various channels. On April 10, Zhang Luyu returned to Beijing from the United States and conveyed Zhang Xueliang's opinion to the Party Central Committee: "I hope that the mainland will quickly send people to the United States to meet Zhang Xueliang." On April 26, Lü Tongyan, the daughter of Lü Zhengcao, who had gone to the United States to visit Zhang Xueliang on behalf of her father, called Lü Zhengcao and said that she had already visited Zhang Xueliang, and Zhang Xueliang warmly welcomed Lü Zhengcao's visit to the United States to see him.
In this way, on May 26, two close friends who have been separated for more than fifty years finally met in the United States.
At that time, Zhang Xueliang learned that his former best friend had specially come from Beijing to New York to see him, although because of physical reasons, he could not personally go to the airport to meet him, but he still disregarded his illness and personally walked to the elevator entrance to wait for a long time to welcome the arrival of his best friend.
The moment the elevator door opened, Lu Zhengcao saw Zhang Xueliang standing in front of him, and when he saw the situation, he quickly stepped forward, took the lead in extending his hands, and shook hands with him with excitement. The two young and strong were separated from each other, and the general who had gathered the white prime minister, his hands were clenched, his eyes were facing each other, his eyes were full of tears, neither of them was willing to let go of the other's hands, and the expectation of more than fifty days and nights burst out at this moment.
As soon as the two met, the friendship of the past surged into their hearts, thinking of the time when the wind was flourishing, pointing out the country and mountains, talking about everything, and having endless words. The feelings between the two are still as close as in the past, and they have not become estranged because of the passage of time and the difference in identity, or they are still very close, or they have nothing to say, or no suspicion.
After that, as soon as he entered the house, the old general had not yet taken a seat, Zhang Xueliang took the initiative to talk with him, and did not become strangers because they had not met for 55 years, as if the two had just met yesterday. In the face of his best friend he had not seen for a long time, the old general did not have the slightest sense of strangeness, and soon the two old men laughed loudly in the room, and the atmosphere was very cheerful.
After taking his seat, the old general Lü Zhengcao took the lead in opening his mouth and said with emotion: "Xi'an is parted, today it is exactly fifty-four years, five months and four days, double "May Fourth"! Later, because zhang Xueliang's 91st birthday would not be a few days away, Lu Zhengcao took out the birthday gift prepared in advance and gave it to Zhang Xueliang, including the "Chinese Peking Opera Compendium" and the audio tapes of contemporary Peking Opera masters, the newly harvested Biluochun, the portrait of Zhang Xueliang painted by the famous painter Yuan Xi, and the shou mansion written by the famous calligrapher Qi Gong.
At first, perhaps because the old general was too excited, the old general was always reluctant to talk more, so he quietly listened to Zhang Xueliang. After Zhang Xueliang saw it, in order to let the old general talk more, he took the initiative to talk to him about a light topic, and he humorously said to the old general: "I am superstitious!" I am a Christian and I believe in God. After the old general heard this, he smiled and replied, "I am also superstitious, but I do not believe in God, I believe in Chinese people." ”
Then, Zhang Xueliang smiled and said, "Do you remember?" You had a nickname at that time, called "Ground Mouse" (when Lü Zhengcao was resisting Japan in Jizhong Province, because the base area was mostly plains and there was no danger to defend, he often used the tactics of dao warfare against the Japanese Kou, so that the Japanese Kou suffered a lot). Hearing that Zhang Xueliang still remembered that he had such a nickname, the old general laughed even more: "The ground rat is also created by people, but it is not the credit of me alone, but the credit of the smart and capable Chinese people!" Both Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling believed in God, but in the end they were not defeated by the People's Liberation Army. ”
After Zhang Xueliang listened, he said affectionately: "The people who have won the people are Chang! Lu Zhengcao replied, "We still have to rely on the masses of the people..."
The humorous inquiry and cheerful answer instantly opened the conversation box between the two of them completely, and then the two asked each other what they had experienced in the past 55 years, and what kind of tortuous experiences they had had. At this time, Zhang Xueliang asked Lu Zhengcao a question that he had always wanted to get an answer to.
Zhang Xueliang asked Lu Zhengcao, "Why did you run to Zhou Enlai's side?" ”
Many people may not understand why Zhang Xueliang asked why, the old general Lu Zhengcao is obviously the founding general of New China, and he was originally from my party's side! Why did Zhang Xueliang ask him why he ran to Zhou Enlai's side?
Actually! The veteran general Lü Zhengcao was originally from the Northeast Army, and he and Zhang Xueliang also had the friendship of teachers and students, robes, and close friends. In 1922, the 17-year-old Lü Zhengcao, introduced by a distant relative, joined the Northeast Army and served as a soldier in the Ninth Company of the 1st Battalion of Zhang Xueliang's Guard Brigade. Soon, the Guard Brigade Brigade Headquarters recruited clerks for the whole brigade, and Lu Zhengcao, who had once attended primary school, signed up to participate in the selection, and was selected by the examiner as desired, and then was transferred to the deputy officer of the brigade department as a clerk.
During the period of writing, Lu Zhengcao, who behaved steadily, spoke decently, was shrewd and strong, and wrote neatly and beautifully, was appreciated by Zhang Xueliang and gradually relied on as a confidant.
The following year, in order to justifiably promote Lü Zhengcao, Zhang Xueliang, who was also the supervisor (principal) of the Lecture Martial Arts Hall, recommended Lü Zhengcao to apply for the Lecture Martial Arts Hall, and with Zhang Xueliang's recommendation, plus Lü Zhengcao's ability was not bad, so he successfully became the fifth batch of students of the Lecture Martial Arts Hall. In this way, Zhang Xueliang and Lü Zhengcao not only had the friendship of robes, but also had the friendship of teachers and students.
In October 1925, Lü Zhengcao graduated from the Lecture Martial Arts Hall, and after graduation, under the promotion of Zhang Xueliang, he was promoted from a clerk to several levels in a row to become the commander of the new battalion. However, at this time, Lü Zhengcao, who had the heart of serving the country, saw that the top brass of the Northeast Army had abandoned the Japanese Kou who was looking at the tiger and ignored it, and was only concerned about fighting for power and profit, and was deeply disappointed, so he directly hung up his crown and left the army to go home to farm.
Seeing that his carefully cultivated confidants would actually hang up the crown and return home, Zhang Xueliang would willingly let him go! In December, the second month after Lü Zhengcao graduated from the Daowu Hall, Zhang Xueliang established the Headquarters of the Third and Fourth Fronts in Jinzhou. After the establishment of the headquarters, Zhang Xueliang immediately sent someone to find Lü Zhengcao to return, and Zhang Xueliang personally invited him, and Lü Zhengcao did not agree to it, so he quickly packed up and returned to the Northeast Army. After that, Lü Zhengcao was appointed by Zhang Xueliang as a major aide-de-camp and followed Zhang Xueliang.
In 1929, Lü Zhengcao was appointed chief of staff of the 16th Brigade of the 116th Division. After the "918 Incident" in 1931, due to Chiang Kai-shek's policy of non-resistance, the Japanese occupied the three eastern provinces, and Lü Zhengcao was forced to retreat to Guannei with the Northeast Army. At this time, Zhang Xueliang originally wanted to promote Lü Zhengcao to the commander of the division, but he was opposed by too many people inside, believing that he was not qualified enough. In order to promote Lü Zhengcao in a proper manner, Zhang Xueliang sent Lü Zhengcao to the senior class of Nanjing Army University for further study, and prepared to promote him to division commander after he graduated.
However, because of one incident, Lü Zhengcao's study trip to Nanjing Army University soon ended.
At that time, not long after Lü Zhengcao was studying at school, because a Kuomintang agent scolded their students of the Northeast Army as "slaves of the dead province," Lü Zhengcao beat the agent fiercely in a fit of anger. The Northeast Army and the Kuomintang were originally at odds with each other, and as soon as this matter came out, the Kuomintang was in an uproar and threatened to teach the Northeast Army a lesson. The next day, a Kuomintang-controlled newspaper poked the matter out under the headline "Northeast Warlord Lü Zhengcao Beats People Fiercely."
After Zhang Xueliang learned of this, in order to protect his beloved general, he immediately sent an urgent telegram to He Yingqin hoping that this matter would be stopped and not to investigate in depth, and then Lü Zhengcao was urgently transferred back to the Northeast Army and left Nanjing, a place of right and wrong. In the same year, Lü Zhengcao was promoted to the commander of the 647th Regiment of the 116th Division of the Northeast Army, and led his troops to fight against the Japanese at Rehe.
In 1933, Lü Zhengcao moved to Yi County, that is, in this year, he came into contact with Liu Lanbo, an underground party member of the Northern Bureau of the CPC, and others, and began to accept our party's anti-Japanese propositions and actively participate in anti-Japanese rescue activities.
In 1934, Lü Zhengcao led his troops to move to Beiping to take charge of city defense affairs and strictly guard against the attempt of the Japanese Kou to control the defense of Beiping City; here Lü Zhengcao witnessed the shameless acts of aggression of the Japanese Kou and the patriotic people's heart to serve the country with fists, saw clearly the weakness and incompetence of the Kuomintang reactionaries in the face of Japan's shameless acts of aggression, and also thoroughly understood the determination of the Communist Party to serve the country and the people and defend the country, so Lü Zhengcao's heart was getting closer and closer to our party.
In June 1935, Lü Zhengcao led his troops to block the Japanese Kou's vain plan to unite the rebels in the city to jointly attack and occupy Beiping City, not only eliminating all the rebels and blocking the attack of the Japanese Kou, but also without any casualties, showing his superb military command ability. In the same year, during the "12.9" Movement, Lü Zhengcao vigorously supported the patriotic actions of the Beiping students and sent troops to protect the students in and around the city to carry out anti-Japanese activities.
In September 1936, in view of the increasingly severe anti-Japanese situation, Lü Zhengcao established the Northeast Armed Anti-Japanese Salvation Vanguard in Beiping and appointed himself as the commander-in-chief. In October, Lü Zhengcao was transferred to Xi'an by Zhang Xueliang and returned to Zhang Xueliang's side as an aide-de-camp at Zhang Xueliang's mansion. At this time, Zhang Xueliang was suffering on behalf of Chiang Kai-shek, facing the notoriety of "not resisting the general", being accused by the people of the whole country, and his heart was very painful, and he was not only misunderstood by the people of the whole country, but also needed to be vigilant against Chiang Kai-shek's assassination at all times.
Such a situation makes Zhang Xueliang feel exhausted in his heart, and he urgently needs a trusted person to be by his side, protect his safety, and pour out his various depressions. In this way, Lu Zhengcao was transferred back to Zhang Xueliang's side.
Zhang Xueliang's heart wanted to resist Japan, and even more wanted to recover the three eastern provinces. At that time, the officers and men of the Northeast Army strongly demanded to "fight back to their hometown" and did not want to follow Chiang Kai-shek's own people to beat their own people, and Zhang Xueliang said to them with tears: "I will definitely lead everyone to the anti-Japanese road and return to their hometowns in armor." ”
After that, the development of events also proved that Zhang Xueliang was indeed patriotic, and indeed fulfilled the promise made to the soldiers that he would "lead everyone to the anti-Japanese road". On December 12, 1936, at the time of the nation's survival, in order to force Chiang Kai-shek to agree to stop the civil war and unite against Japan, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng launched the "Xi'an Incident" in Xi'an.
As Zhang Xueliang's confidant and patriotic general, Lü Zhengcao naturally also participated in this incident. During this period, when Zhou Enlai led the Party Central Committee delegation to Xi'an to mediate, it was Lü Zhengcao who was responsible for receiving them, and he was also responsible for protecting the personal safety of Zhou Enlai and other members of the Party Central Committee delegation.
With the longer he had contact with Zhou Enlai and other members of the party Central Committee delegation, Lü Zhengcao also became more and more yearning for and admiring our party, and under Zhou Enlai's words and deeds, Lü Zhengcao also more deeply realized the greatness and correctness of the Communist Party's policy of the anti-Japanese national united front, and strengthened his yearning for the Communist Party.
In this way, this also laid the groundwork for Lü Zhengcao to join the Communist Party of China in advance.
On December 25, after intense consultations and negotiations, with the efforts of the Party Central Committee and Zhou Enlai and others, Chiang Kai-shek accepted six proposals, including "stopping the civil war and uniting with the Communists to resist Japan", which led to the establishment of the anti-Japanese national united front and the formal formation of the second cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.
On the same day, Zhang Xueliang summoned Lü Zhengcao and other aide-de-camps and guards to his residence and told them that he would return to Nanjing with Chiang Kai-shek. At this time, Lü Zhengcao and others understood that with Chiang Kai-shek's personality of being blind and retributionable, Zhang Xueliang and his return to Nanjing would definitely not have a good end, so they all advised him not to go.
However, Zhang Xueliang did not listen, he firmly believed that Chiang Kai-shek would not say anything without faith, and since he promised to resist Japan, he would not embarrass himself, and said that he would return in three days, telling everyone not to worry.
Lü Zhengcao and the others still insisted on persuading him not to go, saying that Chiang Kai-shek would definitely not let him come back, but seeing that Zhang Xueliang was still determined to go, Lü Zhengcao could only say: "Young Marshal, if you don't come back within 3 days, I will go back to the army." The implication is that he will help him control a unit outside, so that even if Chiang Kai-shek wants to do something to Zhang Xueliang, he will have to weigh it.
Sure enough, after Zhang Xueliang followed Chiang Kai-shek back to Nanjing, Chiang Kai-shek betrayed his faith and imprisoned him. Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned, and the Northeast Army was immediately leaderless and in chaos.
In March 1937, Chiang Kai-shek took the opportunity to forcibly reorganize the Northeast Army, disrupt it, and send his own henchmen to control it. At this time, after the Northeast Army was forcibly reorganized, Lü Zhengcao was appointed as the commander of the 691st Regiment of the 130th Division of the 53rd Army of the National Revolutionary Army.
Chiang Kai-shek's treachery, coupled with the weakness and incompetence of the Kuomintang reactionaries in the face of Japanese-Kou aggression, completely disappointed Lü Zhengcao. On the other hand, our party,the armed forces under the leadership of our party have been actively resisting the Japanese communists and leading the revolutionary volunteers and patriotic masses to carry out anti-Japanese activities; this act of serving the country and the people has greatly longed for Lu Zhengcao, who already has the heart to defend his family and defend the country. In this way, in May 1937, Lü Zhengcao secretly joined the Communist Party of China and became an honorable Communist Party member.
On October 10, 1937, Lü Zhengcao led his troops to break away from the Kuomintang, declared an uprising in Xiaoqiao Town on the 14th, and under the leadership of the Communist Party, changed its name to the "People's Self-Defense Army", and erected the first banner of the anti-Japanese armed forces led by the Communist Party on the Jizhong Plain.
After talking about how Lü Zhengcao joined our party, let's go back and talk about Lü Zhengcao when he heard Zhang Xueliang ask, "Why did you run to Zhou Enlai's side?" After that, how to answer.
At that time, the old general Lü Zhengcao replied like this:
When you sent Chiang Kai-shek back to Nanjing, I didn't believe he would let you go. After you leave, the Northeast Army is in chaos. I rushed back to my troops in Jizhong, accepted the instructions of the Communist Party, and took advantage of the opportunity of the Kuomintang army to retreat south, I led my troops to break away from the Fifty-third Army of the Northeast Army, stayed in Jizhong, and began the anti-Japanese struggle behind enemy lines.
The old general's answer made Zhang Xueliang, who was originally a little resentful, convinced.
Lü Zhengcao did not have the slightest hypocrisy, but said bluntly that he led his troops to break away from the Fifty-third Army of the Northeast Army, one of which was that the Northeast Army at this time was no longer the Northeast Army it once was, and had already been "appropriated for oneself" by Chiang Kai-shek when zhang Xueliang was imprisoned.
Such a unit has long deviated from your original intention of "embarking on the road of resistance against Japan" when Zhang Xueliang launched the "Xi'an Incident," and if I still stay in such a unit, I would have violated your original intention of wanting us to resist Japan, and I would not be worthy to be your subordinate.
Second, I came to the Communist Party because the Communist Party was a truly anti-Japanese unit. Under the leadership of the Communist Party, we will not only be able to continue to resist Japan, but also fulfill your long-cherished wish to recover the three eastern provinces.
The reason why Zhang Xueliang risked his life to launch the "Xi'an Incident" was to let the Northeast Army embark on the road of resisting Japan, rather than beating his own people. Lü Zhengcao joined the Communist Party to fulfill Zhang Xueliang's wish to lead the Northeast Army to participate in the Anti-Japanese Resistance. In this way, Zhang Xueliang heard Lu Zhengcao's explanation, and the previous little unhappiness disappeared at this time.
After that, Zhang Xueliang said guiltily: "My biggest regret is that I was not able to directly participate in the anti-Japanese resistance, and the troops you led insisted on fighting Japan, which is also a comfort to me!" At this time, Zhang Xueliang, who was relieved, even changed his mouth and shouted the word Lu Zhengcao, calling it "must": "Must, you are on the right path!" ”
Then, Lü Zhengcao told Zhang Xueliang: "The Northeast Army participated in the War of Resistance, and most of chiang kai-shek's followers died heroically. The Fifty-third Army laid down its arms in the Liaoshen Campaign and finally revolted when Shenyang was liberated. ”
Later, Zhang Xueliang asked Lü Zhengcao how the Northeast Army had performed on the anti-Japanese battlefield. Lü Zhengcao said with tears in his eyes and moved: "None of the officers and men of the Northeast Army are of the same breed, and on the battlefield of the Anti-Japanese War, they are all very heroic, they are not afraid of death, and they are worthy of the country and the people." After Zhang Xueliang listened, he was also very sad, with tears in his eyes, and he did not want to say a word for a long time, but his eyes were facing forward, as if he was thinking about the robes of the past.
After a long silence, Zhang Xueliang suddenly sighed: "I was not able to personally participate in the anti-Japanese resistance, I regret it for life, I have not contributed anything to the country." After the veteran general Lü Zhengcao heard this, he was relieved: "It is enough for you to do the "Xi'an Incident" in your life, I fought for you in fighting the Japanese Kou, and the Northeast Army fought for you, and you have made great contributions to the country and the people. ”
Because of the relationship of time, coupled with Zhang Xueliang's health is not very good, this conversation ended quickly. Before the breakup, Zhang Xueliang and Lu Zhengcao made an appointment to find a quiet place outside the next day and continue to talk in detail.
The next day, the two met at the bank office of Zhang Lu's brother-in-law. As soon as they met, Lu Zhengcao handed Over a letter written by Deng Yingchao himself to Zhang Xueliang, in which Deng Yingchao, on behalf of the Party Central Committee, sincerely invited Zhang Xueliang to return to the motherland to have a look.
After reading the letter, at first Zhang Xueliang was a little hesitant, because his identity was really too special, and he moved his whole body with one hair, but when he heard that there was a famous doctor in Shanghai who could treat his eye disease, he immediately said: "I want to go back to the mainland to see the eyes." Hearing Zhang Xueliang's affirmative statement, Lu Zhengcao was very happy and hurriedly asked, "When will you come back?" We respect your wishes and can provide you with all your convenience. ”
At this time, Zhang Xueliang smiled and said, "Don't be privileged, I'm just a commoner." After that, he told Lu Zhengcao that he would return to the mainland to "make three chapters of the law": first, do not hold a welcome ceremony; second, do not have reporters; and third, do not have any preferential treatment.
However, due to various reasons, Zhang Xueliang did not wait for the realization of his wish to return to the mainland, and he passed away, leaving behind eternal regrets. The failure to welcome Zhang Xueliang back to China has also become the regret of Lu Zhengcao and other old people in the former Northeast Army.
Talking about Zhang Xueliang's life, the veteran general Lu Zhengcao said: "His strong patriotic thinking has always been the same! Throughout his life, he proceeded from the great national righteousness and aimed to revitalize the Chinese nation and realize the reunification of the motherland. And when it comes to what Zhang Xueliang left for the Chinese nation, the old general Lü Zhengcao was quite moved and summed it up in 12 words: "Wear liver and guts, endure humiliation and burden, and be proud and upright." ”