At the end of 1949, after the Kuomintang retreated from the mainland, Li Zongren, who was the "vice president" at the time, knew that Chiang Kai-shek was ruthless and had always had contradictions with him, and if he went to Taiwan, he would definitely be killed by him, so he chose to settle in the United States and part ways with Chiang Kai-shek. In 1954, Li Zongren was dismissed from his "vice president" post by Chiang Kai-shek and became a commoner in a foreign land.
Although Li Zongren lives in the United States, he never forgets that he is a descendant of Yanhuang, and always misses the motherland and pays attention to the development and changes of the motherland. In 1955, when Li Zongren heard Zhou Enlai expound at the Bandung Conference on the issue of principled stance on Taiwan, he felt very much in agreement, so he issued a "Specific Proposal on the Taiwan Issue" in August of the same year, the main contents of which were:
Taiwan is China's territory, and the United States should withdraw its Seventh Fleet, oppose "Taiwan trusteeship" and "Taiwan independence," and advocate that "the KMT and the CPC will hold peace talks again, and the China issue should be resolved by Chinese itself."
The change in Li Zongren's attitude was quickly noticed by the mainland, and at this time, as he grew older, his homesickness became stronger and stronger, and he also had the idea of returning to his roots.
In 1955, during Li Zongren's visit to Beijing with the Hong Kong and Macao delegation, Li Zongren's old subordinate Cheng Siyuan talked about Li Zongren's idea of returning to China during a meeting with Li Kenong, then vice foreign minister. Li Kenong immediately reported to Zhou Enlai, but in view of the international situation at that time, the central government believed that Li Zongren's return to China did not need to be rushed.
Cheng Siyuan
In 1958, when Li Zongren's wife Guo Dejie returned to Hong Kong to visit relatives, she once again mentioned to Cheng Siyuan that Li Zongren wanted to return to China. But Li Zongren also had doubts in his heart, after all, he had been an enemy of the Communist Party and was listed as the second war criminal by the CCP in 1949.
So Li Zongren decided to let Cheng Siyuan convey to the mainland that he kept a number of calligraphy and paintings and other cultural relics, hoping to present them to the mainland of the motherland. He wanted to test the mainland's attitude toward him through this method.
Although Li Zongren came from a military background, he loved art, he once regarded Xu Beihong as a guest, and he had a good relationship with Qi Baishi, so his collection, in addition to the works of contemporary masters, is also full of works by the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Xu Beihong's galloping horse diagram
In October 1959, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Cheng Siyuan came to Beijing from Hong Kong again to participate in the celebration, and he conveyed to Zhou Enlai Li Zongren's idea of donating calligraphy and paintings to the mainland, and Zhou Enlai was very happy and immediately agreed.
Li Zongren's calligraphy and paintings were transferred from the United States to Hong Kong, and then sent to the Forbidden City in Beijing, and Zhou Enlai immediately organized experts to conduct appraisal, and the experts finally came to the conclusion: Most of the calligraphy and paintings in the Republic of China period are authentic works of famous artists in the north and south, while many ancient calligraphy and paintings are fakes, and all calligraphy and paintings are worth up to $3,000.
Li Zongren once told Cheng Siyuan that he had bought the calligraphy and paintings for $110,000, and Zhou Enlai finally decided to keep the matter strictly confidential and not let Li Zongren know the inside story, so as not to embarrass him.
But Zhou Enlai felt that he could not ask for Li Zongren's paintings in vain, and he decided to give Li Zongren $30,000, which was already a large amount at that time.
After Zhou Enlai reported this matter to Mao Zedong, Mao Zedong laughed heartily: "Enlai, our united front work should be strategic. He said 110,000, and he would give him 120,000! This is called 'throwing stones to ask for directions', and it is a political account! ”
Zhou Enlai felt that it was very reasonable, so he withdrew 120,000 US dollars from the state treasury, and in order to avoid leaking wind and attracting the attention of US and Chiang agents, he instructed that the cash must be given to Li Zongren and not through the bank or outsiders.
After receiving this news, Li Zongren was very happy and even praised: "The Communist Party is not simple, it knows the goods. He became more determined to return to the mainland.
Li Zongren (middle)
In November 1963, the CPC Central Committee believed that the time was ripe for Li Zongren to return to China, so it once again conveyed to Li Zongren through Cheng Siyuan the "four mays" and "four mustnots" policies proposed for his return, which can probably be summarized as: You can return to the motherland to settle, you can go out again after you return, and if you are still willing to come back, you can come back again; We will not interfere in the Taiwan issue, will not get involved with a third force, and will not interfere in Sino-US relations.
In December of that year, Cheng Siyuan conveyed the spirit of the CPC to Li Zongren, and Li Zongren immediately said: "I only need 'one yes', return to the motherland to settle down, and spend my old age in peace." ”
But in February 1964, Li Zongren published an article in an American newspaper that misunderstood China's foreign policy, which caused a bad impact internationally, so we had to temporarily postpone his return plan.
In October 1964, China successfully exploded its first atomic bomb, and Li Zongren was very excited, and he was sincerely happy for the strength of the motherland, so he published an open letter in the Herald Tribune in the United States, advising the US government not to continue along the wrong line and to quickly adjust its China policy, which also caused him to be strongly attacked by the Taiwan side.
The continent's first atomic bomb exploded
At the beginning of 1965, Li Zongren made up his mind to return to China, and he sold his real estate in the United States at a low price. Mao Zedong gave instructions to Zhou Enlai on February 3:
Premier:
It seems that Li Zongren should be welcomed back to China. The issue of submitting books to the United States last year is irrelevant to the overall situation and does not criticize. Because he had confessed his mistake.
In July 1965, after a long period of preparation, Li Zongren and his wife came to Switzerland to prepare to return to China by plane; after the Taiwan authorities discovered his intention to return to China, they decided to stop it at all costs.
On July 13, Li Zongren and his wife boarded a plane back to China, and under the careful deployment and arrangement of Zhou Enlai, they finally returned safely to the embrace of the motherland.
When the plane arrived over Guangzhou city, Li Zongren said excitedly to the staff around him: "I came back, I took off from here 16 years ago, I didn't think I could come back again, the world is changeable, beyond everyone's expectations!" ”
Zhou Enlai welcomed Li Zongren
On July 20, Li Zongren arrived in Beijing, and Zhou Enlai held a grand welcome ceremony for him at the airport. Li Zongren was very excited, and he solemnly read out his statement:
Over the past 16 years, I have been guilty of crimes overseas, and I feel that under the wise leadership of the CPC and Chairman Mao, the people of the whole country have held high the red banner of the general line of socialist construction, waged resolute struggle, and enabled the country to prosper with each passing day.
All overseas Chinese, with the exception of a few diehards, are deeply honored by this. I myself am particularly excited, and I resolutely return to China from overseas, hoping to follow the people of my whole country, participate in socialist construction, and devote myself to all anti-imperialist patriotic causes.
On July 26, Mao Zedong received Li Zongren and his wife at the Zhongnanhai swimming pool. Mao Zedong said to Li Zongren in a playful manner: "Haha, Mr. Delin (Li Zongren character Delin), you have been fooled!" When you returned to China this time, you got on a thief ship by mistake! ”
Li Zongren was stunned for a moment, and Mao Zedong continued: "Chiang Kai-shek called us 'bandits' and called the mainland of the motherland a 'bandit area,' didn't you mistakenly get on a thief ship when you came back this time?" ”
Fortunately, Cheng Siyuan next to him reacted quickly, and he said for Li Zongren: "We took this boat and have landed on the other side." ”
Li Zongren also reacted, and he said with a smile: "I am on the other side." ”
Mao Zedong received Li Zongren
Mao Zedong continued: "At the moment, Bai Chongxi is also scolding you, I see him scolding you, first, there is no way, second, helpless, and third, to express regret, he has left a way back, and you have opened a way for them when you come back." ”
Li Zongren's heart was a little heavy: "He has unspeakable secrets. ”
Mao Zedong also said: "The motherland is stronger than in the past, but it is not strong enough, and we will have to build it for at least another twenty or thirty years before we can become truly strong." ”
Li Zongren also said that many people overseas are very eager to return, Mao Zedong said: "Those who go overseas, all who are willing to come back, we welcome them, they come back, we treat each other with courtesy." He also suggested that Li Zongren visit all over the country, walk more, and see more.
At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, Mao Zedong hosted a banquet in his residence Fengze Garden to entertain Li Zongren and his party, which did not end until 3 o'clock.
Mao Zedong and Li Zongren (right)
In late December, Li Zongren discussed with Yin Bingyan, who was in charge of taking care of the couple's living: "The 26th is Chairman Mao's birthday, and you prepare a birthday gift for me." Originally, my family had a set of bone china for the Eight Immortals Birthday, but some of them were damaged and it was difficult to take them out as gifts. You think about what to buy, it doesn't matter if you spend a few hundred dollars! ”
Yin Bingyan replied with a smile: "The CPC Central Committee has a rule that Chairman Mao will not accept birthday gifts if he does not hold personal birthday wishes." ”
When Li Zongren listened, he couldn't help but sigh that if this were in the Kuomintang, it would be simply an incredible thing, and he would respect Mao Zedong even more in his heart.
After returning to China, Li Zongren was deeply shocked and happy by the development made by New China, and he felt that his choice to return to China was very correct. But unfortunately, in 1966, Li Zongren's wife Guo Dejie suffered from breast cancer, and despite the subsequent rescue, she still died.
After the death of his beloved wife, Li Zongren has been depressed, Cheng Siyuan very much wanted to find a close confidant of the opposite sex for him, and told him this idea, Li Zongren also agreed, he said: "Although I am over seventy, I don't want to be widowed for the rest of my life." However, ten thousand taels of gold are easy to get, and red pink confidants are hard to find! ”
Cheng Siyuan immediately said: "Duke De, there is no need to be pessimistic. As the saying goes, a thousand miles have a chance to meet. Comrades are here to help, and it will be done. ”
Soon after, through a friend's introduction, Cheng Siyuan quickly found a 27-year-old single female nurse Hu Yousong for Li Zongren.
Hu Yousong
Hu Yousong's mother is the famous movie star Hu Die, Hu Die gave birth to her in 1939 and took the breast name "Ruomei", hoping that she could stand the test of wind and frost like plum blossoms. But Hu Yousong never knew who his father was, and his mother kept telling her: "Only mother, no father." ”
Hu Yousong used to live with his mother in Shanghai when she was a child, but she contracted eczema when she was 6 years old, and the treatment was ineffective. The doctor said to Hu Die: "The climate in the south is humid, if you can live in the arid areas of the north for a few years, the child's disease will not heal itself. ”
At this time, the warlord Zhang Zongchang's aunt Shen Wenzhi was living in Beijing, and she was also a friend of Hu Die, and she had no children and no daughters, so Hu Die asked Hu Yousong to recognize her as a righteous mother and entrusted her daughter.
Hu Die
On the eve of the liberation of Shanghai in May 1949, Hu Die went to Hong Kong alone. Since then, Hu Die and Hu Yousong have been separated from each other and have never seen each other again.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shen Wenzhi quickly squandered her family property, and her life was unsettled, and she often beat and scolded Hu Yousong to discourage her. Hu Yousong could not bear Shen Wenzhi's abuse, so after graduating from middle school, she went to Beijing Jishuitan Hospital to work as a nurse, and she officially changed her name to "Yousong", hoping that she could be as strong as Songbai.
As an adult, Hu Yousong, like his mother Hu Die, is not only very beautiful, but also has a good figure. She quickly fell in love with a doctor in the hospital, who is also from Shanghai, handsome and dashing, and is very compatible with her.
However, the hospital leaders believed that both were Shanghainese and had petty-bourgeois ideas, especially Hu Yousong, and that they still had problems with their origins, so they were resolutely opposed to them being together. In the end, Hu Yousong had to break up with her boyfriend, and she vowed never to find a partner again.
Hu Yousong
After Li Zongren saw Hu Yousong, he felt very satisfied, and he praised: "Looking at the photos, I think you are very beautiful, I saw people today, and they are even more Peugeot, water spirit, and have a good figure, so good!" ”
Hu Yousong's face turned red all of a sudden, and he found that Li Zongren was also very military temperament, and his voice was very loud. On the same day, Li Zongren invited Hu Yousong to eat and kept giving her food, and he said to Hu Yousong during the banquet: "Because my wife, Ms. Guo Dejie, passed away not long ago, there is no one around me to take care of me." Of course, after returning to China, because she was sick, she couldn't take care of me while she was alive. So, I want to invite you to my side, even if it is my life care, the salary is 100 yuan per month, okay? ”
Hu Yousong had already vaguely understood what Li Zongren meant, and she said to Li Zongren: "Please let me think about it for a few more days!" ”
After Zhou Enlai knew about this, he immediately understood Li Zongren's thoughts, and he asked the staff to convey to Li Zongren: "Our country is different from the United States, there is no private secretary, even if the nursing is according to the commute system, you must leave after work, you can't stay here." Therefore, if Mr. Li likes her, he must be justified and marry. ”
Li Zongren
Of course, Li Zongren wanted to marry Hu Yousong, but he was 75 years old at the time, and Hu Yousong was only 27 years old, and the age gap between the two was too large, and he was also worried that others would gossip. But after a fierce ideological struggle, he still formally confessed his heart to Hu Yousong.
After careful consideration, Hu Yousong finally agreed to Li Zongren. When she talked about this in her later years, she said that she agreed mainly for two reasons: first, her background was not good, and after marrying Li Zongren, she no longer had to bear political pressure, and she no longer had to go back to her adoptive mother's house to see her face; Second, Li Zongren is a patriotic general, and he is also very attractive, and he admires him very much.
On July 26, 1966, 27-year-old Hu Yousong and 75-year-old Li Zongren held a wedding at the Li Zongren Mansion in Beijing, after which they were arranged to recuperate in Beidaihe. Because Hu Yousong was not completely reluctant when she first married Li Zongren, she often felt regret after marriage, and she often asked herself: "How did I get to this point?" Is this where I belong? What will I do? ”
Hu Yousong
After marriage, Hu Yousong has been sleeping in separate rooms with Li Zongren, and Li Zongren always goes to Hu Yousong's bedroom every night to take a look, cover her with a quilt, and chat a few words, but Hu Yousong quickly got bored, and she asked Li Zongren not to wake her up in the middle of the night in the future.
Soon after, Hu Yousong had a cold stomach, and the doctor prescribed her to eat 4 taels of pumpkin seeds, so Li Zongren snorted melon seeds all night and snorted all the melon seeds into melon seeds. After Hu Yousong woke up the next day, Li Zongren brought the melon seeds to her and said to her: "I snorted all the melon seeds for you, you can eat them like this!" ”
In the face of such a caring husband, Hu Yousong was moved to tears, she felt that she really shouldn't have snubbed him before, and she decided to live with Li Zongren in the future and take good care of him.
After that, Li Zongren and Hu Yousong did not sleep in separate beds, Li Zongren slept less, got up early every day, got up before dawn, he was afraid of waking Hu Yousong, so he walked around on the floor barefoot. Later, when Hu Yousong found out, he teased him and said: "I really can't imagine that you big people care about women like this, this is really heroic sadness and beauty Guan!" ”
Li Zongren and Hu Yousong
Li Zongren replied with a smile: "Heroes love beauty since ancient times!" ”
After marriage, Li Zongren printed many photos of himself and Hu Yousong, and sent them to relatives and friends at home and abroad, each of which was written by hand: This is my wife Hu Yousong!
But there are also a lot of gossip in society, saying that Hu Yousong and Li Zongren got married, completely greedy for his property. Hu Yousong was very strong, so she said to the staff: "I don't care about money, all passbooks and keys, and I don't inherit property, I only take care of Mr. Li's living." ”
Li Zongren and Hu Yousong
But Hu Yousong and Li Zongren's happy marriage lasted only two years, and one day in early August 1968, Li Zongren suddenly had a bleeding from his stool. At first he thought it was bleeding hemorrhoids and didn't take it seriously. But who knew that the bleeding in the morning had just stopped, and in the evening there was heavy bleeding, accompanied by fever.
Hu Yousong then hurriedly sent Li Zongren to the hospital, and after examination, it was found to be rectal cancer. Hu Yousong took good care of Li Zongren in the hospital and took care of him meticulously, which made him feel great comfort and satisfaction.
Despite this, Li Zongren died on January 30, 1969, at the age of 78. Before his death, Li Zongren wrote a letter to Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, in which he said:
"I took the right path when I resolutely returned to my country from overseas in 1965. The potential of our motherland is unparalleled in the world, and the future of our motherland is infinitely bright! ”
About author:Brother Di, a post-90s office worker, has been writing full-time for 2 years and has published a number of 100,000+ explosive articles on major self-media platforms. If you are interested in self-media, writing, and making money, and want to be able to do side jobs and part-time jobs every month after work, you can search and follow my public account "Di Ge Says History" to discuss progress together.