In February 1951, secretary Hu Qiaomu took a letter to Chairman Mao to report, saying that Zhou Zuoren had written a long letter, hoping not to treat him as a traitor and hoping to give him a job.
This made Chairman Mao difficult, if it was a war criminal, he could be locked up in prison for reform, but these cultural traitors did not kill people and set fires, how should they be dealt with?
When Chairman Mao was young, he had an excellent impression of Zhou Zuoren
During the New Culture Movement, Zhou Zuoren was very famous, there is no doubt about this.
Zhou Zuo was born in 1885, that is, the eleventh year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, his grandfather was a jinshi who passed the imperial examination, his father was also a scholar, and his elder brother was the later famous Lu Xun (Zhou Shuren).
Zhou Zuoren, Lu Xun, Lin Yutang and others
It was under the influence of his family that Zhou Zuoren received a classical education at a young age in an old private school, and in 1906 he went to Japan to study with his brother, and also studied English literature and Greek at Rikkyo University, during which he married a Japanese woman, Nobuko Yuta.
After returning to China, he was hired as a professor at Peking University, and together with Hu Shi and others, he advocated vernacular literature, and became the standard-bearer of new culture, with a prominent reputation. Many of his articles have gone viral, such as the publication of "Declaration on the Trend of Beijing Women's Normal University".
In 1918, the young Mao Zedong graduated from Hunan Normal School, and under the recommendation of teacher Yang Changji, he went to work as a librarian in the library of Peking University, with a monthly salary of 8 yuan.
Young Mao Zedong (fourth from left) at Peking University
Although he was not a Peking University student, Mao Zedong loved to read and read all day and night, which attracted the attention of Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu. After talking with Mao Zedong, Li Dazhao learned that he was Mao Runzhi recommended by Yang Changji.
Li Dazhao felt that Mao Zedong was a talent, so he recommended him to learn Xi courses of other teachers, and also helped Mao Zedong get a class certificate.
It was under the recommendation of Li Dazhao and others that Mao Zedong got to know the famous teachers of Peking University, Chen Duxiu, Hu Shi, Shao Piaoping, Zhou Zuoren and others, and in addition to listening to lectures in their classes, he also took time to visit them.
Regarding Mao Zedong's time at Peking University, there has always been a doubt that leads people to discuss. That is, did Mao Zedong meet Lu Xun?
At that time, during the period of the New Culture Movement, Lu Xun, like Zhou Zuoren, was very famous, not only strongly advocating vernacular writing with Hu Shi, but also writing "Diary of a Madman", which was all the rage.
According to the "Memoirs of Zhou Zuo's Life", Zhou Zuoren said: Mao Zedong was introduced by Li Shouchang (author's note: Li Dazhao) and contacted me at Peking University several times, hoping to meet with Lu Xun, but Lu Xun was in Shaoxing and had not yet returned to Beijing, so he did not see him. ...... On the afternoon of April 7, Lu Xun waited at home in the morning, and after the visitor came, the two were like-minded and talked freely for a long time.
But this book was not made by Zhou Zuoren, but was interviewed and relayed by others, and it is not true. And Zhou Zuoren's own "Zhou Zuoren's Diary" only has the words "Mao Zedong's visit recorded on April 7, 1920", and he did not say that he had seen Lu Xun.
Later, according to Chairman Mao himself: "When I was at Peking University, I saw Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu, but I never met Lu Xun." ”
So it can be roughly speculated that Chairman Mao should not have seen Lu Xun, but only visited Zhou Zuoren, and respected Zhou Zuoren very much, calling him a teacher.
In addition, when Li Dazhao's son and daughter went to Yan'an, Zhou Zuoren specially told Li Xinghua: I don't know anyone in Yan'an, I only know Mao Runzhi, please take it with him.
So the question is, a famous literati like Zhou Zuoren has always been the most important thing about integrity, why did he become a cultural traitor?
Why is the professor of Peking University willing to be a traitor?
After the outbreak of the July 7 Incident in 1937, many literati in Beijing began to evacuate Beijing, and many people persuaded Zhou Zuoren to leave Beijing quickly.
But even so, Zhou Zuoren still hasn't left, after all, there are still many old friends here, such as the writer Qian Xuantong, and the historian Meng Sen and others. However, Zhou Zuoren also expressed his determination that he would never bow his head for the Japanese.
However, as the situation developed, he slowly discovered the seriousness of the situation, especially after the Japanese let Zhou Zuoren participate in the "Symposium on Rehabilitated Chinese Culture", people have scolded Zhou Zuoren as a "traitor".
Although Zhou Zuoren realized that something was wrong, the Japanese who had been planning for a long time directly pulled Zhou Zuoren into the water and made him the "pseudo" dean of literature of Peking University, and even served as the "superintendent of the General Administration of Education" of the puppet government.
The well-known Peking University professor did not leave Beijing, but began to work for the Japanese, and the official became bigger and bigger? Zhou Zuoren's label of "traitor" could no longer be torn off.
So why Zhou Zuoren was willing to become a "traitor" is actually his own sin, and there are three reasons.
First, he himself was "pro-Japanese" and believed that China could not win.
Zheng Zhenduo met with Zhou Zuoren before going to Shanghai, and persuaded Zhou Zuoren to leave Beiping quickly, after all, we were unarmed, but Zhou Zuoren didn't think so. According to Zheng Zhenduo's recollections, Zhou Zuoren thought that China could not defeat Japan, and he said: "People still have a navy, and you have landed before you can fight others." ”
It may be that Zhou Zuoren studied in Japan in his early years and was familiar with the navy, so it is very likely that he will make such remarks.
Second, he has a good impression of Japan.
In fact, Zhou Zuoren has studied in Japan for many years and has great feelings for Japan, plus he married a Japanese woman, so he regards Japan as his second hometown.
It is precisely because of family reasons that he said that he could not help himself, for example, he wrote in a letter to a friend:
"At that time, my family had my wife and one child, and although my mother and Lu Xun's ex-wife lived elsewhere, they also wanted me to take care of them, leaving nine people behind, so I had to 'live hard' in Beiping. ”
According to his own words, in order to support this big family, Zhou Zuoren had to obediently listen to the Japanese, and there seemed to be no other way to choose.
But he didn't know that it was safe for him personally, but for the country, it was a naked traitor.
Third, Zhou Zuoren's own weakness.
Before the outbreak of the July 7 Incident, Zhou Zuoren wrote articles such as "On Japanese Culture" and "Huai Tokyo", which shows that he himself has been "pro-Japanese", plus he later did things for the Japanese, and was blinded by the small profits given by the Japanese, which is enough to see his weakness.
It is worth mentioning that in 1939, Zhou Zuoren was attacked by unknown assassins at his home, and according to later speculation, he must have been a patriot who wanted to get rid of this "traitor", but Zhou Zuoren always thought that the Japanese did it, so that he could obey him.
In fact, it can be seen that Zhou Zuoren has been avoiding his "traitor" hat, but whether he is a "traitor" or not depends on the people of the whole country to judge, and in the end, his traitorous behavior was sanctioned.
How to deal with "cultural traitors"?
After Japan's defeat in 1945, many "traitors" were captured, such as the last emperor Pu Yi, who planned to flee to Japan by plane in Shenyang, but was caught red-handed by the Soviet Red Army.
In December 1945, Zhou Zuoren was arrested and detained by the Nationalist Government and taken to Nanjing, accused of "traitor".
According to the data, during the Anti-Japanese War, Zhou Zuoren held at least 13 positions when he was working for the Japanese:
Member of the textbook editing and review committee of the pseudo-Ministry of Education, and member of the Academic System Research Association
Pseudo director of the Peking University Library
Pseudo professor and dean of literature of Peking University, member of the Standing Committee of the North China Political Affairs Committee and supervisor of the General Administration of Education
President of the puppet East Asian Cultural Council, member of the Xinmin Association
Puppet Advisory Committee of North China Political Affairs Committee
Pseudo director of the Peking Library
Puppet member of the North China Political Affairs Committee
Member of the puppet national government
Deputy Director of the Pseudo-North China Comprehensive Research Institute
Pseudo director of "North China News" and director of the Reporting Association
Chairman of the North China Branch of the Pseudo-Sino-Japanese Cultural Association
Any of these large and small positions can put Zhou Zuoren in prison, and in the end, the national government sentenced Zhou Zuoren to 14 years in prison according to the "Regulations on the Handling of Traitor Cases".
At the second trial, it was determined that Zhou Zuoren was guilty of "traitor", rejected his application for "retrial", and sentenced him to 10 years in prison, deprivation of public power for 10 years, and confiscation of all property.
In January 1949, after Li Zongren came to power, the atmosphere of the negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party was relatively peaceful, and Zhou Zuoren was released, when he returned to live in a student family in Shanghai, and after the liberation of Shanghai, Zhou Zuoren returned to the old house in Beiping.
But for Zhou Zuoren, there is a challenge ahead, he was sentenced in Chongqing before, and now he is in Beiping, facing the upcoming establishment of New China, will he be sentenced again?
Thinking of those war criminals being escorted to prison, Zhou Zuoren was terrified, and he immediately wrote a long letter of more than 6,000 words to Chairman Mao, in which he wrote his own review.
According to Guo Yuyi's article, Zhou Enlai asked Chairman Mao how to deal with such a "cultural traitor"? Chairman Mao said: "People don't kill people and set fires, I think they can be raised, doesn't he know Greek, let's do translation work." ”
However, this is a record of other people's articles, as for whether Chairman Mao said such a thing remains to be verified, but it is certain that Chairman Mao knew Zhou Zuoren when he was young, and he was commensurate with his teacher, and Chairman Mao, who has always respected teachers, said such things.
Until after the founding of New China, Hu Qiaomu handed over a letter to Chairman Mao, which was a request written by Zhou Zuoren.
First, Zhou Zuoren hopes that the government will not treat him as a traitor.
Second, Zhou Zuoren hopes that his old house will not be confiscated.
After Chairman Mao learned about it, he gave instructions on the word "do it" according to the secretary's suggestion of "translating European classical literature and receiving manuscript fees for a living".
This also shows that Chairman Mao took some care of Zhou Zuoren.
First: After Chairman Mao's instructions, from August 1952, Zhou Zuoren began to work in the publishing house, submitting translations on a monthly basis and receiving a salary, from 1952 to the 60s, his monthly salary was about 200 yuan. Later, because Zhou Zuoren proposed a low salary, with the consent of Zhou Yang and others, Zhou Zuoren's salary rose to 400 yuan.
Second, in October 1956, the 20th anniversary of Lu Xun's death was commemorated, and Zhou Zuoren was allowed to attend the commemorative meeting.
Third, the Lu Xun Museum bought Zhou Zuoren's diary for 8,000 yuan and kept it as a "cultural relic".
Fourth, Zhou Zuoren was given the right to contribute, that is, Zhou Zuoren could contribute to newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong, and the manuscript fees obtained were his own.
In fact, it can be seen that Chairman Mao's care is very appropriate, especially around 1951 and 1952, "Lu Xun's Hometown" and "Characters in Lu Xun's Novels" were serialized in Shanghai's "Yi Pao" and published in a single line, which is none other than Zhou Zuoren's work.
Moreover, as a provider of information about Lu Xun, this assigned role is effectively combined with the stories of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, or the characters and customs of Shaoxing, Tokyo, Beijing, etc., which is his last concern, and has also been a very successful work.
At that time, this decent income made Zhou Zuoren very comfortable, he said when he met people, thank Chairman Mao for letting him "reborn", if someone said that he was a "traitor", his eyes were moist, fortunately he is living a decent life now, otherwise how to explain to future generations.
There is no doubt that the new China, which has gone through a long period of time and great sacrifices, has not come easily, and the party and the state have given Zhou Zuoren room in life and work, and it is a very wise practice to give full play to the political self-confidence of building ideals in his role rather than killing people.
Of course, it is also necessary to mobilize the existing intellectuals to the maximum extent possible. In such a situation, it is in itself a clever approach to consider the whole personality who is decidively responsible for the crime in terms of ideology and national feelings, and to separate his talents and past achievements from his reputation through administrative non-prosecution measures.
Although Zhou Zuoren could receive some manuscript fees in his later years, his family had a large population and his health was not good, so his life was very poor, but every time he talked about his current days, he said that he was grateful to Chairman Mao when he met people.
On weekdays, because of historical reasons, he didn't dare to go out, for fear of being recognized and scolded as a "traitor", so even if he endured poverty and pain, he was content with his current life.
On May 6, 1967, Zhou Zuoren died of illness at home at the age of 82.
epilogue
Zhou Zuoren, as the younger brother of the famous writer Lu Xun, his former "traitor" is the pain of Chinese culture, if he did not become a traitor, maybe he could be as famous as Lu Xun, recognized and remembered by future generations.
But fortunately, Chairman Mao knew how to make good use of people, let him continue to work in a suitable position, and let him realize that his "ugly behavior" was wrong.
This not only gives an explanation to future generations, but also shows the mind of the Communist Party. Now how many years have passed, when we look at this matter again, we can still feel the greatness of Chairman Mao and the personality charm of the great man.