Lao Qin wrote "At Chen Yi's memorial service the day before yesterday and yesterday, Chairman Mao sadly said to Su Yu: There are not many comrades in arms during the Jinggangshan period, and in 1972, Zhang Boju wrote a deputy to Chen Yi. The two articles are about two small details that occurred at marshal Chen Yi's memorial service.
Some netizens left a message after reading it: Marshal Chen Yi's memorial service, there are videos throughout the whole process, why didn't I see these things you said in the video?
So some netizens said to the post: Literary masters, first-class storytelling.
The implication is that Lao Qin's account of what Chairman Mao said to Su Yu at Marshal Chen Yi's memorial service and his perusal of Zhang Boju's writings were all fabricated.
The whole process of Marshal Chen Yi's memorial service was indeed videotaped, but all you could see was the edited footage, which could not be a complete video.
According to Liu Zhenying, a political reporter of the Central Radio Corporation, there was no arrangement for television reporters to shoot films at the memorial service, but when he heard that Chairman Mao was present, he quickly sent television reporters to follow him. After the video, it was originally intended to be broadcast, but it was not broadcast at the time, taking into account Chairman Mao's wearing of pajamas.
Chen Huan, who is also a current political reporter for China Central Radio, also recalled: Marshal Chen Yi's memorial service was held at 3:30 p.m. on January 10, and Chairman Mao originally did not come to attend, but at about 3 p.m. that day, he suddenly appeared at the Babaoshan venue. His presence greatly improved the standard of news coverage.
Marshal Chen Yi died of illness at 11:55 p.m. on January 6, 1972, and many important figures at home and abroad heard the bad news and were overwhelmed with grief and strongly demanded to attend Marshal Chen Yi's memorial service.
Among them, Song Qingling, Prince Sihanouk, and others repeatedly called Premier Zhou to request.
However, limited by the specifications of the memorial service, Premier Zhou could only raise his heart and refuse their request.
Marshal Chen Yi, a former member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice premier and foreign minister of the State Council, was vice chairman of the Central Military Commission at the time of his death, enjoying high prestige at home and abroad.
It was also because of the special political environment at that time.
At that time, when the central government set the tone for the funeral, no one dared to make a decision easily.
Finally, it was Premier Zhou who spoke and compared the funeral specifications of Marshal Chen Yi with those of Li Tianyou, deputy chief of the general staff who died in September 1970.
Premier Zhou also instructed that the content of the eulogy can also be referred to by Li Tianyou's eulogy.
Wu Qingtong of the State Council Office, who was in charge of marshal Chen Yi's funeral, entrusted the task of writing the eulogy to Liu Yan of the General Political Department.
Liu Yan wrote in 2010 that he did not set the tone for writing a eulogy, as the world rumored. Before writing, he consulted Jin Tao, deputy director in charge of the overall work at the General Office of the Central Military Commission, and Wang Dikang, secretary general of the General Political Department, and wrote the first draft alone, referring to the eulogy of Luo Ronghuan and Li Tianyou, who died in December 1963.
After li desheng and Ye Jianying read it, the first draft was handed over to Premier Zhou.
Liu Yan stressed that he absolutely did not write the words "meritorious deeds" in the first draft, and it is rumored in the world that Premier Zhou changed "meritorious deeds" to "meritorious deeds are greater than excessives", which should be based on the records in the "Zhou Enlai Chronicle": On January 8, 1972, when Premier Zhou reviewed and revised the draft eulogy against Chen Yi, he wrote the content of the evaluation of Chen Yi's life's merits, emphasizing that "merit is greater than excesses." However, after the revised draft was sent to Chairman Mao, Chairman Mao deleted Premier Zhou's supplement and instructed: "Comments on meritorious deeds should not be made at memorial services." ”
Marshal Chen Yi's funeral was lowered to a lower standard, the time for the farewell of the remains was set at two and a half days, the time for the memorial service was set at half a day, and the number of people attending the memorial service was limited to about 500 people.
Chairman Mao's secretary, Zhang Yufeng, recalled: At 12:00 noon on January 10, 1972, Chairman Mao had already finished eating and was lying on the bed taking a nap, but because of something in his heart, he turned over and over, and he couldn't sleep. He later got up to read a book, and the book could not be read. After a long time, he suddenly said restlessly: "Shunting, I am going to attend Comrade Chen Yi's memorial service." She knew that Chairman Mao's decision to do anything could not be dissuaded by others, so she had to inform the captain of the guard, Chen Changjiang, to prepare the clothes that Chairman Mao needed for travel.
Chen Changjiang was selected and transferred to the Beijing Central Guard Regiment in 1950, and entered Zhongnanhai in 1951 to defend Chairman Mao for 27 years, the longest guard captain since the founding of the People's Republic of China. He recalled that when he listened to Zhang Yufeng's words, he was also very surprised, and while informing Wang Dongxing, director of the Central Guard Bureau, and Zhang Yaoci, deputy director of the Central Guard Bureau, on the other hand, he informed the Prime Minister's Office, and then urgently transferred the large and small vehicles needed by the chairman to go out. After everything was ready, Zhang Yufeng, Wu Xujun and others helped Chairman Mao out.
Chen Changjiang particularly noticed that Chairman Mao's face was haggard, his face was pale, his face was hazy, his beard on his lips had not been shaved for many days, he was wearing the pajamas he usually wore, he was wearing a pair of fluffy pants on his lower body, he was not wearing a hat, and he was about to get on the bus in the face of the bitter cold wind.
Therefore, Chen Changjiang blamed Zhang Yufeng in his heart for not fulfilling their responsibilities.
However, the instructor Li Lianqing brought a cotton coat and tried to put it on Chairman Mao, but Chairman Mao stopped him.
When the car arrived at the door of the small auditorium of Babaoshan Cemetery, Premier Zhou led Song Qingling, Ye Jianying, Deng Yingchao, Li Xiannian, Kang Keqing, Xu Xiangqian, Nie Rongzhen, Li Xiannian, Li Fuchun, Li Desheng, Guo Moruo and others to greet them.
Chen Changjiang said that many of these people were outside the list of people who had planned to attend. Therefore, he admired the work efficiency and excellent organizational ability of Premier Zhou's office.
When Premier Zhou received Chen Changjiang's report that Chairman Mao was going to attend the memorial service, he immediately began his work non-stop, directing the Premier's Office to call the people who had proposed to attend Comrade Chen Yi's memorial service to attend; at the same time, the commander-in-chief of the telephone remote control memorial service site expanded the scale of the memorial service, and then personally went to the scene to inspect it.
Kang Maozhao, who served as ambassador to the Royal Government of National Unity in Cambodia, later wrote an article recalling: At about 1:00 p.m. on January 10, 1972, he was working in the Cambodia Office when he suddenly received a call from Premier Zhou inviting Prince Sihanouk and his wife to attend the memorial service as the only foreign guest. He put down the phone and informed Prince Sihanouk. After a long period of busyness, he and the prince and his wife rushed to the scene. By the time they reached the door of the VIP room of the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou were already standing side by side. The prince and his wife then helped Chairman Mao into the lounge, left and right.
Chairman Mao was more than half an hour ahead of schedule.
Chairman Mao's arrival surprised Chen Yi's family members.
According to Chen Yi's secretary, Du Yi, Chairman Mao only attended two memorial services after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The first time was in 1950, when he personally rushed to the scene of Ren Bishi's memorial service, and the second time was to attend Chen Yi's memorial service in 1972.
Chen Yi's youngest son, Chen Xiaolu, said that his father's memorial service was originally scheduled to be held at 3:30 p.m. on January 10 in Babaoshan, and leading comrades usually arrived 15 minutes ago, but Chairman Mao arrived half an hour earlier.
Chen Xiaolu recalled: "Premier Zhou arrived 5 minutes before Chairman Mao, and he brought us unexpected news to our family. He told my mother that the chairman was coming, and that he must be calm when he saw him. ”
Du Xiuxian, a photographer in Zhongnanhai, recalled that Chairman Mao entered the third lounge, when Marshal Chen Yi's wife, Zhang Qian, and the children were in the second lounge.
Zhang Qian heard that Chairman Mao had arrived and rushed over to meet him.
Chairman Mao sat on the sofa, saw Zhang Qian enter, and wanted to stand up to greet him and shake Zhang Qian's hand, but his illness was too serious, his body was too weak, and he tried several times without success.
Zhang Qian walked over with an arrow, shook Chairman Mao's hand, and asked in a trembling voice, "Chairman, why did you come?" ”
Chairman Mao's eyes were sad, and his voice was also trembling, saying, "I have also come to mourn Comrade Chen Yi!" Comrade Chen Yi is a good man and a good comrade. ”
Listening to Chairman Mao's words, Zhang Qian felt great comfort, wiped a handful of tears, and murmured: "When Chen Yi was critically ill, he was still thinking about the chairman's birthday. He has a hard time eating, and he also ate a little shou noodles, wishing you a long and healthy life in the elderly. ”
Chairman Mao listened, his lips trembled, he wanted to say something, but he did not say anything in the end, and a pair of tears could not stop flowing down his cheeks.
After a while, his mood calmed down slightly, and he said to Zhang Qian: "What about the children? I want to meet the children. ”
As a result, Chen Yi's four children were passed into the second lounge.
Chen Haosu, the eldest son of Marshal Chen Yi, will never forget in his lifetime what Chairman Mao said to the four brothers and sisters at that time- "You must work hard!" Comrade Chen Yi is a good man and has made meritorious contributions. ”
Chairman Mao later said many words of relief and condolence to Zhang Qian.
The memorial service began, Zhang Qian considered Chairman Mao's poor health, and advised Chairman Mao to sit in the lounge for a while and then return, but Chairman Mao insisted on crossing a black veil, and slowly walked towards the venue with the support of the staff.
After the memorial service, Chen Changjiang said that Chairman Mao struggled to lift his legs to the car, but he could not lift them several times, and in the end, it was he and Zhang Yufeng who helped Chairman Mao to the car with half lifting and half support.