Mao Yuanxin is the son of Chairman Mao's younger brother Mao Zemin and Chairman Mao's own nephew.
When he was just over a year old, his family was arrested by the enemy and imprisoned.
On September 27, 1943, Mao Zemin was brutally killed by the enemy, and Mao Yuanxin, who was just over two years old, lost his father.
But they were not freed, and he and his mother remained in prison until 1946, when they returned to Yan'an.
Since 1951, Mao Yuanxin has been living and studying beside his uncle.
After 1966, Mao Yuanxin's "career" road became smoother and smoother, and he successively served as deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial Revolutionary Committee, deputy director of the Political Department of the Shenyang Military Region, and political commissar of the Military Region.
He was only 33 years old when he became the political commissar of the Shenyang Military Region.
In the following 10 years, Mao Yuanxin made many mistakes, so much so that in 1976 he was "protected by review" and in 1980 he was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
But his reign was not without merit!
In 1975, if he hadn't issued a "strict order" against public opinion, I am afraid that 100,000 innocent people would have died!
What's going on here?
Since 1974, hundreds of small earthquakes have occurred in Yingkou and Haicheng in Liaoning Province, and by the beginning of 1975, small earthquakes became more frequent and the magnitude gradually increased.
The situation quickly attracted great attention from the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee, and it was decided that Li Boqiu, then secretary of the Standing Committee of the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee, would be responsible for the earthquake relief work.
In the early morning of February 4 of that year, a magnitude 5 earthquake occurred in Yingkou and Haicheng. Liu Boqiu hurriedly rushed to the scene with Mao Yuanxin to check.
At that time, the Provincial Earthquake Office gave a prediction that destructive earthquakes were likely to occur in Yingkou and Haicheng in the near future.
After inquiring about the specific situation, Li Boqiu began to discuss with Mao Yuanxin and issued an earthquake forecast to the people in the area.
However, Mao Yuanxin proposed that it be broadcast directly by Liaoning People's Radio. Mao Yuanxin's suggestion has a certain "risk".
In Li Boqiu's words: As soon as the radio is broadcast, the whole world will know about it! If the earthquake does not come within a few days, then shouldn't it be a joke?
Mao Yuanxin said:
At that time, the temperature outside was minus 10 degrees Celsius, and if the earthquake did not come for several days, it would have caused frostbite.
In addition, if the earthquake forecast is issued through the Liaoning People's Radio, it is likely to cause panic and production will be affected.
You must know that at that time, the homes of many workers in Anshan Iron and Steel were in Haicheng and Yingkou, and if people were panicked because of this incident, it would definitely affect the production of Anshan Iron and Steel, and the consequences would be unimaginable.
The result of the discussion: the earthquake forecast should be issued, but it is still necessary to adopt a more prudent method.
However, Mao Yuanxin still insisted that the people in Haicheng and Yingkou were not allowed to live indoors and must be moved to a safe place outside.
According to Mao Yuanxin's request, the provincial party committee soon issued instructions:
From that night onwards, the people of Haicheng and Yingkou counties were not allowed to live indoors, and all the livestock and agricultural machinery of the production team had to be pulled outside.
In addition, cadres, party members, and militia at all levels went down to mobilize the people from house to house and let them move to safe places.
At 19:36 on the evening of February 4, a strong earthquake struck the area, with a staggering magnitude of 7.3.
After the earthquake, the disaster relief troops quickly rushed to the disaster area, and Mao Yuanxin also went to Haicheng, Yingkou and other places non-stop to continue to organize disaster relief work.
According to statistics after the earthquake, more than 1 million houses collapsed in Liaoning Province, more than 10,000 people were injured and more than 1,300 people died.
It is estimated that if there had been no earthquake forecast, the death toll would have reached 100,000.
Later, when Mao Yuanxin was passing through Beijing, he made a special trip to visit his uncle and reported to him about the Haicheng earthquake.
Chairman Mao said: "It is said that there is a forecast, and the loss is not big!"
Mao Yuanxin, who was supposed to be "proud", was a little nervous, he said:
In addition, Mao Yuanxin also said: After the earthquake, many people touted this successful forecast very highly, but he always felt that it was full of accidents and pure coincidence.
In fact, Mao Yuanxin's worries are very reasonable, not groundless.
You must know that the Northeast at that time was freezing cold, and it was very risky to strictly order the people to leave their warm houses and move outside.
It was not easy for Mao Yuanxin and the leaders of the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee to make such a decision at that time!
In 1976, after Mao Yuanxin was "protected and reviewed", the media stopped mentioning the matter.
During Mao Yuanxin's reign in Liaoning, he did make many mistakes, such as participating in the killing of Zhang Zhixin, a "heroine among women" and advocating the decision of "White Roll Hero".
Of course, he was also involved in the decision-making of Haicheng's earthquake resistance, and was also its main decision-maker.
There are many people who have been harmed by him, and many people who have been saved by him. Sometimes, history is so wonderful and complicated!