Photo: Premier Zhou and Zhang Zhizhong
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="128" > preface</h1>
On April 6, 1969, Zhang Zhizhong died of illness in Beijing, and due to the special social environment at that time, the leaders of the United Front Work Department hoped not to hold a farewell ceremony, and Premier Zhou put forward his own ideas on this:
"I must hold a ceremony, I will attend, and then inform other old friends inside and outside the party of Zhang Zhizhong."
Premier Zhou and Zhang Zhizhong, true brothers who are also enemies and friends, met at the Whampoa Military Academy, and even fought each other in middle age to safeguard the interests of all parties, but the brotherhood between them has experienced the test of half a century and has never changed.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="129" > Zhang Zhizhong reluctantly shouldered the heavy responsibility for it</h1>
After the three major battles, the Kuomintang was already divided internally, and Chiang Kai-shek was helpless to worry about internal and external troubles, and had to announce his resignation in early 1949. After Li Zongren succeeded him as "acting president," he expressed his willingness to hold peace talks with the Communist Party, and Zhang Zhizhong, the "main peace faction" of the Kuomintang, became a hot figure for a time.
Pictured by Chiang Kai-shek and Li Zongren
When Li Zongren first ascended to the position of "acting president," Bai Chongxi and others proposed to him that because Zhang Zhizhong had traveled to Yan'an three times and had deep contacts with the Communist Party, he was elected to form a peace talks cabinet. Everyone in the Kuomintang has reached a consensus on this, and everyone knows that Zhang Zhizhong has always been "the main peace" in the relations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and that he is loyal to Chiang Kai-shek, which can be said to be an important "pawn" left in the Nanjing government after Chiang Kai-shek left the field.
Although Zhang Zhizhong was a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek, he was still highly valued by Li Zhongren. After Chiang Kai-shek left the field, Zhang Zhizhong felt that Chiang Kai-shek was not sincere about the peace talks, so he flew back to Lanzhou and resigned as a representative of the peace talks by telephone. Li Zongren repeatedly sent a telegram urging him to return to Nanjing, and entrusted Cheng Siyuan to write a letter of persuasion. Under the persuasion of many parties, Zhang Zhizhong returned to Nanjing again, and after careful consideration, he reluctantly accepted the heavy responsibility of peace talks with the Communist Party.
Soon after Zhang Zhizhong returned to Nanjing, he went to Xikou with Wu Zhongxin to pay respects to Chiang Kai-shek, and Chiang Kai-shek saw their intentions and said to them bluntly:
"You're here to persuade me to go abroad, aren't you?"
Pictured: Chiang Kai-shek's family taking a photo at Xikou
After saying this, he picked up the newspaper on the table, told them that it had been published in the newspaper, and said before Zhang Zhizhong could speak, saying that now he was an ordinary citizen, he could live freely anywhere, and although he could be forced into the wilderness, he must not be forced to die. Chiang Kai-shek's words made Zhang Zhizhong gag for a while.
Chiang Kai-shek did guess the purpose of Zhang Zhizhong's visit, and although Li Zongren was the "acting president" at that time, he could not fully grasp Chiang Kai-shek's influence within the Kuomintang, so he entrusted Zhang Zhizhong to persuade Chiang Kai-shek to go abroad, so that it could be conducive to the progress of the peace talks. Zhang Zhizhong saw that Chiang Kai-shek had already made his words clear, and did not dare to say anything more, but could only report to Chiang Kai-shek on some peace talks.
Seeing that his words had worked and his tone was no longer strong, Chiang Kai-shek instructed Zhang Zhizhong to relay to Li Zongren that he would fully support him and that he was willing to grow old in his hometown and no longer meddle in politics. Zhang Zhizhong touched the "soft nail" here with Chiang Kai-shek, but did not achieve his original goal and could only return in vain.
Pictured zhang zhizhong and Chiang Kai-shek
After the Nanjing government and the delegation received the decision from the Communist Party on peace talks, Zhang Zhizhong went to Xikou again on the eve of his departure to "request instructions" from Chiang Kai-shek and instructed qu Wu, who was accompanying him, to talk with Chiang Ching-kuo after he arrived in Fenghua, hoping that Chiang Ching-kuo would have some influence on his father.
After arriving at Xikou, Lieutenant General Zhang Zhizhong handed Chiang Kai-shek the draft of the peace talks, and Chiang Kai-shek read the draft from beginning to end, and after listening to Zhang Zhizhong's specific statement, he smiled and said:
"Wen Bai, I don't have any opinions, you are undertaking a difficult task this time, you must be careful!"
Subsequently, Chiang Kai-shek took Zhang Zhizhong to his mother's tomb to pay homage, and on the way Chiang Kai-shek once again expressed to Zhang Zhizhong that he was willing to make peace and return to his hometown at the end of his life. Zhang Zhizhong believed chiang kai-shek's remarks, because they were very important for peace talks, so he asked Chiang Kai-shek if he could publish them, and Chiang Kai-shek only said a little:
"You think about it!"
Picture 丨Zhang Zhizhong old photo
Before Zhang Zhizhong and the others left Xikou, Chiang Ching-kuo sent them to the airport, and before parting, Chiang Ching-kuo told Qu Wu that Mr. Wen Bai was too naïve and was still talking about peace, and there would be no good results in the future. On the plane, Qu Wu told Zhang Zhizhong what Chiang Ching-kuo had said, which made Zhang Zhizhong furious:
"Why didn't you tell me earlier that I was going to confront him and teach him a lesson!" Ask him what he said! ”
After returning to Nanjing, Zhang Zhizhong wrote a press release on his trip to Xikou and was invited to speak in the Legislative Yuan. Zhang Zhizhong's enthusiasm on the stage won bursts of applause, and the next day Zhang Zhizhong led the delegation to Beiping to participate in peace talks.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="130" Premier Zhou questioned Zhang Zhizhong sternly ></h1>
On April 1, Zhang Zhizhong and his party arrived in Beiping, and as soon as they got off the plane, Zhang Zhizhong's eyes swept over the crowd greeted him at the airport, and he did not see Premier Zhou, the chief representative of the Communist Party's peace talks, and muttered in his heart. Premier Zhou has always been courteous to others, and at this time he was not in the welcoming crowd, which must be for some reason.
The group photo of the Kuomintang delegation before going to Beiping
When they arrived at the Six Nations Hotel, a very eye-catching slogan hung in the lobby: Welcome to True Peace, Oppose False Peace! After Zhang Zhizhong saw this, he told Qu Wu, who was beside him, that it seemed that the Communists still had doubts about the sincerity of their peace talks. At the same time, Zhang Zhizhong also realized that Premier Zhou did not personally go to the airport to greet him, which may have something to do with this.
In the evening, Premier Zhou led the CPC delegation to visit Zhang Zhizhong and his entourage, and as soon as they met Premier Zhou, he shook Zhang Zhizhong's hand and said:
"Mr. Wenbai, I'm sorry I didn't get to the airport to meet you."
After saying that, he beckoned Zhang Zhizhong to another room to talk, the two had just sat down on the sofa, and Premier Zhou stared at Zhang Zhizhong and said straight to the point:
"Mr. Wen Bai, let me ask you, since you came to Beiping for peace talks, why did you go to Fenghua beforehand and ask Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the war criminals, for instructions?"
For Premier Zhou's blunt and stern questioning, Zhang Zhizhong did not expect it, and for a while he looked embarrassed and did not know how to answer. As Chiang Kai-shek's "lower field" president who brazenly launched a civil war in disregard of the Chinese people, Zhang Zhizhong also respectfully went to pay respects and ask Chiang Kai-shek's views on the peace talks, which naturally aroused great dissatisfaction among the CPC deputies.
The Kuomintang delegation arrived in Beiping
Of course, Zhang Zhizhong himself also had unspeakable secrets, and he eased his mood a little, explaining to Premier Zhou that he wanted to avoid the premature death of the peace talks, eliminate all hidden dangers in the peace talks in advance, and had to touch the bottom of Chiang Kai-shek first. Premier Zhou listened to Zhang Zhizhong's explanation even more severely:
"No matter what you say, your doing so can only show that Chiang Kai-shek is still giving orders, and we cannot accept this kind of fake peace talks directed by Chiang Kai-shek!"
Zhang Zhizhong's mood also became agitated, and he repeatedly explained to Premier Zhou his reasons for going to Xikou to find Chiang Kai-shek, and the two argued for a long time over this. After that, the representatives of the Kuomintang and the Communists exchanged views on the issues involved in the "Eight Conditions," and differences mainly arose on the two items of "war criminals" and "crossing the river."
At that time, Li Zongren implemented Chiang Kai-shek's thinking in a vain attempt to "rule by crossing the river" and preserving half of the country in the south of the jiangnan, while the Chinese communists resolutely demanded that "no matter whether there is peace or war, it is necessary to cross the river." The two sides were at loggerheads and had to postpone formal peace talks scheduled for April 5. Subsequently, Chairman Mao met with Zhang Zhizhong's Kuomintang peace talks representatives in Xiangshan.
Chairman Mao participated in the Chongqing negotiations, and Zhang Zhizhong was on the left
When Premier Zhou accompanied Zhang Zhizhong to the Shuangqing Villa, Chairman Mao personally went out to greet him, shook Zhang Zhizhong's hand and warmly welcomed him, and thanked Zhang Zhizhong for taking care of him during the chongqing negotiations. Chairman Mao's remarks relaxed Zhang Zhizhong's nervous mood, and during the four-hour conversation that followed, Zhang Zhizhong raised some questions and opinions to Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, especially on the issue of "war criminals." Zhang Zhizhong tried his best to win leniency for Chiang Kai-shek, and Chairman Mao also said that he could be lenient, but he must be held accountable.
After the two sides entered the formal stage of peace talks, Chairman Mao sent a letter instructing Premier Zhou that, in addition to explaining the main points of the draft at the formal meeting and soliciting the opinions of the other side, he should also make it clear to Zhang Zhizhong that the problem must be solved on April 17, and that after the 18th, regardless of whether the peace talks are successful or not, the PLA must cross the river. At the same time, it is also necessary to obtain the signatures of all six members of the delegation, and after signing, let them stay in Beiping collectively and cannot return to Nanjing.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="131" > the Whampoa Brothers' negotiating table</h1>
On the evening of 13 April, the first meeting of the Kuomintang-Republican peace talks was officially held, and premier Zhou, in accordance with Chairman Mao's opinions, gave a detailed explanation of the draft peace talks to clarify the issue of historical responsibility in the war; on the issue of punishing war criminals, Premier Zhou put forward two principles: The first is that the main war criminals in the war must be punished and can be treated leniently under the principle; the second is that the Kuomintang government released 260 Japanese war criminals who invaded China and tried them again after signing the agreement.
Picture 丨Beiping Peace Talks Venue
After Premier Zhou's speech, Zhang Zhizhong, speaking as a representative of the Kuomintang for the peace talks, first thanked the CPC side for its warm hospitality, and secondly made a statement on the parts of the draft that the KUOMINTang could not accept.
"At present, we sincerely hope that the CPC will be able to lead the country, build the country, and achieve the goals of independence, freedom, and democracy.
In the course of discussing the draft, the Kuomintang delegation put forward more than 40 opinions, while the Chinese Communists accepted more than 20. After that, Premier Zhou and Zhang Zhizhong exchanged views again on the main points in the draft. Two days later, the CCP delegation sent the final draft to the Kuomintang delegation.
After the second formal meeting on April 15, Premier Zhou explained the main points of the final draft and stressed to the Kuomintang delegation that the draft not only adopted their opinions, but also solicited the constructive opinions of many democrats, and finally the draft was finalized by the CHINESE delegation and could not be changed:
"We expect the Nanjing delegation to agree to and accept this agreement and sign it."
Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou and Zhang Zhizhong take photos at Beiping Station
Premier Zhou then announced to the Kuomintang delegation that whether they agreed to sign the agreement or not, they must make their position before April 20, and if they could not sign, the PLA would have to cross the river and could not delay until after the 20th. Subsequently, in Zhang Zhizhong's speech, he disagreed with Premier Zhou's statement, believing that if the "final document" was interpreted in this way, then they would have no reason and need to express their opinions.
After Explaining His Reasons, Zhang Zhizhong glanced at Premier Zhou, and then expressed his own opinions and impressions, stressing that his subsequent remarks were not the views of the delegation. Zhang Zhizhong compared the dispute between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party to a brotherly struggle, and whoever took advantage of it did not have to skip the seriousness, in the past the brother had mistakes, if the younger brother could take on this family, the older brother would also feel honored.
As a close friend of Zhang Zhizhong, Premier Zhou has great respect for Zhang Zhizhong's just and generous character and spirit of running for the peace of the motherland, but despite this, Premier Zhou has never shyed away from expressing his opinions on major issues of right and wrong. After listening to all of Zhang Zhizhong's speeches, Premier Zhou launched a serious criticism of Zhang Zhizhong on the spot:
"Mr. Wen Bai just said a few words, I have to defend. I say I can't agree with this "brother" metaphor. For what the Kuomintang has done in the past 20 years, especially for the government ruled by Chiang Kai-shek in the past two years, this is not a brotherly struggle, but a struggle between revolution and counter-revolution. ”
Pictured yuan shikai taking a group photo with the ministers of various countries
Premier Zhou then explained from the struggle between Sun Yat-sen and the Qing court and the struggle with Yuan Shikai why the struggle between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party could not be compared to a "brotherly struggle", and if the Chiang Kai-shek court was also counted as a brotherly struggle, then it lost its seriousness.
Premier Zhou's remarks once again greatly touched Zhang Zhizhong, and Zhang Zhizhong was both in awe and impressed by Premier Zhou's attitude of adhering to principles, and it was precisely because of this that the two of them were able to argue at the meeting, and they still talked and laughed when they left the negotiating table, and they were unrestrained.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="132" > "The family is arranged by me, rest assured!" </h1>
Immediately after the meeting, the Kuomintang delegation studied the agreement and discussed revising some of its contents again. On April 16, Qu Wu and another representative returned to Nanjing with documents and advised Li Zongren and He Yingqin to accept the agreement, but there was no news after they returned to Nanjing for several days.
Photo by Premier Zhou with Zhang Zhizhong, Qu Wu and others
After several urgings by the delegation, Li Zongren and He Yingqin jointly signed a reply telegram on the 20th, categorically rejecting the peace agreement proposed by the Chinese Communists. On April 21, the news of the People's Liberation Army crossing the Yangtze River spread throughout the streets and alleys, and the Kuomintang delegation read the newspapers to learn that when the Nanjing government refused to accept the signing of the agreement, the millions of heroic divisions of the People's Liberation Army had successfully crossed the river overnight under the command of Chairman Mao, the Yangtze River graben that the Kuomintang had always relied on was broken, and the Kuomintang's delusion of "ruling by drawing the river" was completely shattered.
After the breakdown of the Peiping peace talks, in view of the fact that the People's Liberation Army had already crossed the Yangtze River and considering the safety of the Kuomintang delegation, the Chinese communists sincerely kept them in Beiping, and most of them basically expressed their willingness to stay.
After hearing this, Premier Zhou went to the Six Nations Hotel where the delegation was staying again, and after seeing Zhang Zhizhong, he affectionately persuaded him that no matter where he was now, the Kuomintang agents would not let him go:
"'Xi'an Incident' We are already sorry for a friend surnamed Zhang (referring to Zhang Xueliang), and today we can no longer be sorry for your friend surnamed Zhang." I see that you are still a feudal person, why do you only have illusions about certain people, and do not think about the Chinese revolution and the broad masses of the people? Your stay is useful for the peaceful liberation of other places, and as for the family, it is up to me to arrange it, though rest assured. ”
Picture 丨 Millions of heroes across the river
After Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou's sincere retention, Zhang Zhizhong thought twice, gave up the idea of returning to Nanjing to resume his life, and decided to stay in Beiping. Later, the Nanjing government sent a special plane to pick up the delegation, and when it flew over Peiping, Premier Zhou instructed the airport to notify the plane, saying that the runway renovation could not land, and it would come back in two days. The Special Plane of the Nanjing Government circled in the air for a while and had to return.
After a few days, Premier Zhou found Zhang Zhizhong again and invited him to the airport to meet the guests, Zhang Zhizhong was very puzzled, and asked Premier Zhou if he knew these guests, and Premier Zhou replied slightly mysteriously:
"Of course you know, and they're all people you know well."
Along the way, Zhang Zhizhong was constantly thinking, counting all the people he knew, and he couldn't think of who could fly to Beiping at this time. After arriving at the airport, Zhang Zhizhong never expected that it was his wife and children who got off the plane, and there were some of his relatives behind him. When the children cried and threw themselves into their arms, Zhang Zhizhong couldn't help but blush, and he looked at Premier Zhou affectionately and said:
"Mr. Enlai, thank you for your thoughtfulness, our whole family will never forget you."
Picture 丨 Zhang Zhizhong family portrait
It turned out that as early as when Zhang Zhizhong arrived in Beiping, Premier Zhou arranged for the underground party in Nanjing to find Zhang Zhizhong's brother and asked him to try to send Zhang Zhizhong's family and his family to Shanghai together. Coincidentally, at that time, Jiang Weiguo also informed Zhang Zhizhong's wife to take his own plane to Shanghai, and also deceived her that if the peace talks failed, the delegation would fly directly to Shanghai.
Zhang Zhizhong's wife hurriedly took her daughter home, boarded Jiang Weiguo's plane, and Jiang Weiguo sent a special car to take them to Zhang Zhizhong's nephew's house. Subsequently, Zhang Zhizhong's sister-in-law and children also arrived in Shanghai in batches. After the Peiping peace talks broke down, shanghai underground party members found Mrs. Zhang Zhizhong's residence and negotiated with her arrangements for going to Beiping. When she learned that the operation was specially arranged by Premier Zhou, she did not hesitate to agree to the arrangement of the underground party.
Early the next morning, Zhang Zhizhong's wife and sister-in-law arrived at the airport with their children, and on the way, Zhang Zhizhong's wife repeatedly explained that if others asked about it, they said that they were going to Lanzhou, and they must not say that they were going to Beiping. At that time, the aircraft hall was crowded with Kuomintang magnates who were ready to escape, and Zhang Zhizhong's wife greeted them generously and said that she was going to Lanzhou, and the underground party comrades in charge of the reception led them to the other side of the airport channel and boarded the plane to Beiping.
Picture 丨 Group photo of the Standing Committee of the Preparatory Committee of the New Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in 1949
The Kuomintang side was very angry about the fact that the delegation remained in Peiping and repeatedly sent telegrams to slander Zhang Zhizhong, and Zhang Zhizhong had to issue a statement to state his position. Just when Chiang Kai-shek instructed the Central News Agency to send a false message to slander Zhang Zhi, preparations were being made for the new CPPCC session, and Chairman Mao, in the presence of some central leaders, said that he wanted to ask Zhang Zhizhong to take up a post in the people's government.
"The past stage is equivalent to passing Chinese New Year's Eve, and in the future, we should start from the first day of the New Year!"