In 1981, a famous Whampoa general finally returned to the embrace of his motherland after years of seclusion overseas. As he stepped off the plane, a lady excitedly greeted him, holding his hand tightly and tears welling up in her eyes. This lady is none other than Deng Yingchao, the wife of the late Premier Zhou Enlai. Why was she so excited? What kind of relationship did this general have with Premier Zhou back then? What did he experience during his years of seclusion overseas? And why did he choose to return to China at this time? The answer to all this must start with the Whampoa Military Academy in 1925......
1. The young man aspires to join the revolution
Li Mo'an, formerly known as Li Zongren, was born in 1904 in a poor peasant family in Xiangxiang County, Hunan Province. Li Mo'an's family was poor since he was a child, but he was very studious. Li Mo'an began to receive private school education at the age of 7 and was admitted to Xiangxiang County Higher Primary School at the age of 13. During his time at the school, Li Mo'an excelled in character and learning, and won many scholarships, which was deeply loved by teachers and students.
In 1922, Li Mo'an was admitted to the first phase of the Whampoa Military Academy with excellent results. During his time at the military academy, Li Mo'an became acquainted with Zhou Enlai. Zhou Enlai was the director of the political department of the Whampoa Military Academy at that time, teaching political and party classes. In Zhou Enlai's class, Li Mo'an came into contact with Marxism for the first time and developed a strong yearning for communist ideals. After class, Li Mo'an often took the initiative to exchange learning experiences with Zhou Enlai and ask questions about revolutionary theory. Zhou Enlai admired this bright and studious student very much, often patiently answered his questions, and encouraged him to contribute to the revolutionary cause.
Under the influence and encouragement of Zhou Enlai, in March 1925, Li Mo'an joined the Communist Party of China and became the first student of the Whampoa Military Academy to join the party. After joining the party, Li Mo'an devoted himself more actively to revolutionary activities, actively participated in various party activities in his spare time, and secretly recruited party members among his classmates.
However, the good times did not last long, and Li Mo'an's revolutionary enthusiasm was soon hit. Chiang Kai-shek, the principal of the Whampoa Military Academy, was furious when he heard the news that Li Mo'an had joined the Communist Party, and repeatedly found someone to persuade Li Mo'an to quit the party. Although it was a period of Kuomintang-Communist cooperation, Chiang Kai-shek saw Kuomintang-Communist cooperation as nothing more than expediency, and he did not want his students to join the Communist Party.
In the face of Chiang Kai-shek's persuasion and coercion, Li Mo'an's heart began to waver. On the one hand, he was unwilling to go against his ideals and beliefs, and on the other hand, he was worried that offending Chiang Kai-shek would affect his future. Li Mo'an fell into a deep ideological contradiction.
Just when Li Mo'an was struggling in his heart, something made him make up his mind. In 1926, Zhou Enlai went out on a mission and handed over the party affairs of the Whampoa Military Academy to Li Mo'an. However, due to his lack of experience, Li Mo'an was repeatedly frustrated in his work and was criticized by some comrades. Li Mo'an felt very aggrieved and frustrated, and couldn't figure out why he had to be treated like this when he worked for the party.
Just when Li Mo'an was disheartened, Chiang Kai-shek's people came to persuade him to quit the party. This time, Li Mo'an did not refuse, and in a fit of anger, he immediately said that he would quit the Communist Party. In this way, Li Mo'an became the first student of the Whampoa Military Academy to join the party, and also became the first student to quit the party.
Li Mo'an's resignation from the party made Zhou Enlai feel very sorry. He approached Li Mo'an and patiently enlightened him, hoping that he would reconsider his decision. However, at this time, Li Mo'an had already made up his mind, and he politely rejected Zhou Enlai's kindness and decided to follow Chiang Kai-shek and develop his military career in the ranks of the Kuomintang.
Although Li Mo'an withdrew from the party organization, the ideal of communism never disappeared in his heart. In the days of following Chiang Kai-shek, whenever he saw the persecution of the party organization and the tragic killing of revolutionary aspirants, Li Mo'an's heart would feel extremely painful. Although he was in the Kuomintang, he never ceased to support the revolutionary cause. Li Mo'an risked his life on many occasions to secretly fund revolutionary activities, provide information to party organizations, and rescue arrested Communist Party members. However, all this is unknown......
2. The struggle of ideals and beliefs
After quitting the Communist Party, Li Mo'an was reused by Chiang Kai-shek. In the Northern Expedition and the Central Plains War, Li Mo'an was known for his bravery and good fighting, and he made many military exploits, and was soon promoted to the commander of the 10th Division of the Kuomintang. However, Li Mo'an, who seems to have a promising future, is full of struggles and contradictions in his heart.
Although he is already in a high position, Li Mo'an has not forgotten his ideals and beliefs. Although he followed Chiang Kai-shek, deep down he was always dissatisfied with the corruption and autocracy of the Kuomintang. Whenever he saw the Kuomintang army bullying the common people, Li Mo'an would feel extremely angry and distressed.
What bothered Li Mo'an even more was that he found that although he was in the Kuomintang, he still had a red heart in his bones. Li Mo'an often thinks of his days at the Whampoa Military Academy and Zhou Enlai's teaching and encouragement to him. Although he has withdrawn from the party organization, his ideals and beliefs in communism have never wavered.
In order to alleviate the inner contradictions, Li Mo'an began to secretly fund revolutionary activities. He used his position and power to provide convenience to the Communists on many occasions to help them evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang. Li Mo'an also took great risks to rescue a group of Communist Party members arrested by the Kuomintang from prison and send them to a safe place.
However, these actions of Li Mo'an did not escape Chiang Kai-shek's eyes. Chiang Kai-shek became suspicious of Li Mo'an's loyalty and sent people to monitor his movements on several occasions. Li Mo'an felt that his situation was becoming more and more dangerous, but he did not stop supporting the revolutionary cause.
In 1931, the September 18 Incident broke out, and Japanese imperialism began to invade China on a large scale. Faced with the danger of the country, Li Mo'an resolutely decided to put aside his personal grievances and go all out to resist Japan. He repeatedly suggested to Chiang Kai-shek that he should cooperate with the Communist Party to fight against the Japanese invaders. However, Chiang Kai-shek ignored this and still focused on suppressing the Communists.
Li Mo'an felt extremely disappointed and angry. Although he was in the Kuomintang, he could not agree with the Kuomintang's passive anti-Japanese and active anti-communist practices. Li Mo'an began to re-examine his life choices, and he felt that he had betrayed his former ideals and beliefs, and betrayed Zhou Enlai's expectations of himself.
In 1936, the Xi'an Incident broke out, and Chiang Kai-shek was forced to accept the cooperation of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. This incident touched Li Mo'an a lot. He saw that his former comrade-in-arms Zhou Enlai was making unremitting efforts for the cause of national liberation. In contrast, he was lost among the high-ranking officials of the Kuomintang.
Li Mo'an made up his mind to return to the road of revolution. He began to secretly make contact with the Communist Party, provide intelligence to the Party organization, and use his influence to persuade the patriotic generals in the Kuomintang to support the anti-Japanese national united front.
However, these actions of Li Mo'an were eventually discovered by Chiang Kai-shek. In 1937, Chiang Kai-shek dismissed Li Mo'an from his post and investigated him on trumped-up charges. Li Mo'an had to leave the Kuomintang and leave Hong Kong, where he began a decades-long exile.
Despite being in a foreign land, Li Mo'an never stopped supporting the revolutionary cause. He used his influence abroad to raise funds for the party organization, buy weapons, and secretly train a large number of revolutionary cadres. Li Mo'an also risked his life many times to return to China to deliver important information to the party organization.
As the years passed, Li Mo'an's hair gradually turned gray, but his enthusiasm for the revolutionary cause never diminished. He often thinks of Zhou Enlai and the oath he once made. Li Mo'an knew that in his life, he would fight for the revolutionary cause until the last moment of his life.
3. The Beacon of the War of Resistance: Continue the Frontier
In 1937, the all-out war of resistance broke out. Although Li Mo'an is in Hong Kong, his heart is always tied to the battlefield of the motherland. He always followed the development of the war situation, cheered every victory of the Chinese army, and saddened every defeat.
At this moment, an unexpected person found Li Mo'an. This person is Li Mo'an's former comrade-in-arms and mentor Zhou Enlai. It turned out that Zhou Enlai had been paying attention to Li Mo'an's movements, and he knew that although this former student was in the Kuomintang, he still had a sincere heart in his bones.
Zhou Enlai approached Li Mo'an, hoping that he would be able to return to the ranks of the revolution. He told Li Mo'an that now the whole country was fighting against the Japanese invaders, and the Communist Party and the Kuomintang had formed an anti-Japanese national united front. He hoped that Li Mo'an could exert his influence and contribute to the War of Resistance.
Li Mo'an listened to Zhou Enlai's words and felt extremely excited. He realized that although he was in a foreign land, he could still do something for his country. Li Mo'an immediately said that he was willing to contribute everything to the Anti-Japanese War.
With the encouragement of Zhou Enlai, Li Mo'an rejoined the torrent of resistance against Japan. He used his connections in Hong Kong to secretly raise funds for the party organization and buy weapons and ammunition. Li Mo'an also risked his life many times to return to China to transmit important information to the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, and to provide them with all kinds of support.
In 1940, Li Mo'an secretly returned to Chongqing and met with high-ranking Kuomintang generals. He painstakingly persuaded them to resist Japan wholeheartedly and not to suffer internal friction. Li Mo'an also revealed to them some important military deployments of the Japanese army, hoping that the Kuomintang would take the opportunity to counterattack.
However, to Li Mo'an's disappointment, the KMT's top brass ignored his proposal. They still focused on suppressing the Communists and turned a blind eye to the Japanese attack. Li Mo'an felt extremely angry, and he asked those high-ranking officials, have you forgotten that you are Chinese? Have you forgotten that the Japanese invaders are massacring our compatriots?
Li Mo'an's words touched the hearts of some patriotic generals. They began to secretly support the Communist Party and provided various conveniences to the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. However, these actions were eventually discovered by Chiang Kai-shek. Those generals were severely punished, and some were even removed from their posts and investigated.
Li Mo'an knew that he was no longer safe in Chongqing. He had to embark on the path of exile again. However, even in a foreign land, Li Mo'an never stopped supporting the war. He continued to raise funds for the party organization and secretly cultivated a group of patriotic youths, sending them to Yan'an to join the ranks of the revolution.
In 1945, the War of Resistance was finally won. However, to Li Mo'an's heartache, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party broke out again into a civil war. The Kuomintang, on which he had high hopes, eventually betrayed the interests of the nation and turned its guns on its own compatriots.
Li Mo'an felt extremely sad and angry. Although he was in the Kuomintang, he could not agree with the Kuomintang's approach. Li Mo'an finally chose to leave, and he left for the United States, where he began a decades-long exile.
Although he is in a foreign land, Li Mo'an's heart is always tied to the motherland. He always paid close attention to the domestic situation and cheered for the founding of New China. Li Mo'an also passed on the Kuomintang's intelligence in Taiwan to Zhou Enlai through secret channels many times, and offered advice for the liberation of Taiwan.
As the years passed, Li Mo'an gradually grew old. However, his enthusiasm for the revolutionary cause never waned. Li Mo'an often thinks of Zhou Enlai and his former comrades-in-arms. He knew that although he had not been able to witness the founding of New China with his own eyes, he had contributed to the cause of national liberation in his own way.
4. Seclusion overseas: wandering in a foreign land
In 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded. Although Li Mo'an is in the United States, his heart is always tied to the motherland. He always paid close attention to the domestic situation and cheered for the founding of New China. However, Li Mo'an regretted that he was unable to witness this historical moment with his own eyes.
Li Mo'an, who was far away in a foreign land, did not forget his former comrades-in-arms. He repeatedly passed on the Kuomintang's intelligence in Taiwan to Zhou Enlai through secret channels and offered advice for the liberation of Taiwan. Li Mo'an also used his influence in the United States to win international support for New China and refute all kinds of slander and smears against New China by Western countries.
However, the good times did not last long, and in the 50s of the 20th century, there was an anti-communist wave in the United States. Because of his support for New China, Li Mo'an was regarded by the US government as a thorn in the side and a thorn in the flesh. He has been repeatedly harassed and monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies, and has even been threatened with deportation.
In order to escape the persecution of the U.S. government, Li Mo'an had to leave the United States, traveled to many countries, and finally settled in Argentina. In Argentina, Li Mo'an lived a simple life, and he established a deep friendship with the local Chinese and overseas Chinese, and provided them with all kinds of help.
Although he is in a foreign land, Li Mo'an's heart is always tied to the motherland. He always paid close attention to the domestic situation and was sincerely happy for the construction of new China. Whenever he heard that the motherland had made new achievements, Li Mo'an would be so excited that he burst into tears.
However, Li Mo'an regretted that he was never able to return to his motherland. Due to various reasons, Li Mo'an's application to return to China was rejected many times. Although he is in a foreign land, his heart is always in the motherland.
As the years passed, Li Mo'an gradually grew old. He often thinks of his former comrades-in-arms and Zhou Enlai. Li Mo'an knew that Zhou Enlai had been looking for him, but for various reasons, the two had never been able to see each other.
Until 1976, Zhou Enlai died. When Li Mo'an heard the news, he was overwhelmed with grief. He felt that the last trace of contact between himself and his hometown had been severed forever with the departure of Zhou Enlai.
However, what Li Mo'an didn't expect was that although Zhou Enlai left, his wife Deng Yingchao had been looking for him. In 1981, Deng Yingchao finally found Li Mo'an's whereabouts through many inquiries.
Deng Yingchao wrote a letter to Li Mo'an, inviting him to return to China to participate in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Seeing Deng Yingchao's letter, Li Mo'an was so excited that she burst into tears. Although he was in his seventies, he felt rejuvenated.
In October 1981, Li Mo'an embarked on a flight back to China. The plane landed at Beijing Capital Airport, and Li Mo'an trembled with excitement. As he walked down the gangway, he was greeted by familiar and friendly faces.
Deng Yingchao stood in the crowd, she held Li Mo'an's hand tightly, and tears couldn't stop flowing. Deng Yingchao said: "Mo'an, you are finally back." Enlai has been looking for you all my life, and after he is gone, I will continue to look for you. Now, you're finally back. ＂
Li Mo'an also shed tears. He held Deng Yingchao's hand tightly and was speechless. He knew that although he had experienced a lot of hardships in his life, he had never regretted his choice.
After returning to the motherland, Li Mo'an did not choose to enjoy his old age in peace. He actively participated in the construction of his hometown and contributed his own strength to the development of Hunan. Li Mo'an also called on Taiwan on many occasions to return to the motherland and make unremitting efforts for the great cause of the motherland's reunification.
On October 27, 2001, Li Mo'an passed away in Beijing at the age of 97. According to his last wishes, Li Mo'an's ashes were scattered on the Xiangjiang River in Hunan. This river has witnessed his youth and struggle, and his life has also been integrated into this river and into the long history of the Chinese nation.