In the long history of modern China, General Yang Hucheng is undoubtedly an awe-inspiring figure. Together with Zhang Xueliang, he planned the Xi'an Incident that shocked China and the rest of the world, originally intended to promote the war of resistance against Japanese aggression at home, but was eventually imprisoned by Chiang Kai-shek for a long time. Most people have heard of the second half of Zhang Xueliang's life, but they know little about Yang Hucheng's last 12 years. What kind of tribulations did this former anti-Japanese hero go through during his years in prison? Is his life really "worse than death"? Let us uncover the dust of history and explore this little-known past.
Yang Hucheng, a general who had worked for the welfare of the country and the nation all his life, jointly launched the Xi'an Incident with Zhang Xueliang in 1936, an act that made him famous in history, but also brought endless disasters for the rest of his life. Soon after the incident, Yang Hucheng was placed under house arrest by Chiang Kai-shek and was soon forced to leave Chinese mainland under the name of "European and American military investigation".
In 1937, when the all-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, although Yang Hucheng was overseas, he was always concerned about the war at home. He telegraphed Chiang Kai-shek several times, requesting to return to China to participate in the war, but was coldly refused. Under these circumstances, Yang Hucheng tried to make a detour back home via the Soviet Union, but this plan was soon learned by Chiang Kai-shek and became an excuse for later severe blows to him.
In 1941, on a seemingly ordinary autumn, Yang Hucheng was finally allowed to return to China, but this was an elaborate trap. After meeting with Soong Tzu-wen, a prominent member of the Kuomintang in Hong Kong, he was lured to Nanchang, where he was directly detained. Since then, Yang Hucheng's free body has completely become a prisoner in a dark prison.
Yang Hucheng was held in different locations many times, from Nanchang to Xifeng in Guiyang to Dregs Cave in Chongqing, and his footprints were almost all over China's large prisons and small prisons. Among them, Xifeng's Xuantian Cave was the place where he was imprisoned for the longest time. The environment here is harsh, damp and dark, and there is hardly any daylight. Imprisoned here, Yang Hucheng was not only mentally tortured, but also physically weakened.
During these long and painful years, Yang Hucheng's wife Xie Baozhen and son Yang Zhengzhong were also implicated. The family was originally separated from each other, but later held together, suffering and despair together. Yang Hucheng tried to improve the prison environment, building a hut at the entrance of the cave at his own expense, hoping to provide some comfort for his family. This intention was exploited by Li Jiajie, the person in charge of the detention center, and he embezzled on a large scale, so that the final environment was still difficult.
Yang Hucheng's body gradually collapsed after a long period of captivity and torture. According to the guards at the time, he suffered from repeated illnesses due to lack of proper medical care and was often suffering from mental torture. In this case, Yang Hucheng showed incredible tenacity and noble spirit. While in prison, he insisted on reading and writing, trying to keep a clear head and an indomitable will.
The giant wheel of history is cruel, especially for those heroes who have been forgotten by their time. In 1950, with the end of the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, Yang Hucheng's fate seemed to have a glimmer of change. However, due to the complexity of history and the intensity of the political struggle, he was not given a chance to be released. Instead, in 1951, he was secretly executed, ending his tragic and heroic life.
During this period, Yang Hucheng's family also experienced countless tribulations. His wife, Xie Baozhen, was allowed to visit at one point during her captivity, but such meetings were extremely limited, usually under close surveillance. Her loyalty and support to her husband has become a great comfort for Yang Hucheng's soul. And his son, Yang Zhengzhong, also actively sought to defend his father as an adult, trying to restore his reputation.
Such a story cannot help but make people think about why a person who has made such a huge sacrifice for the country and the nation will end up like this? Where is the justice of history? Although Yang Hucheng's life ended in tragedy, his spirit and sacrifice are the pain and pride in the hearts of every Chinese.
The life of General Yang Hucheng is a poignant and tragic poem in modern Chinese history. He was not only an anti-Japanese hero, but also a man who showed a noble personality and strong will in extreme difficulties. His story reminds us that although history sometimes does injustice to heroes, true heroes are never forgotten by history. Yang Hucheng's life and death are all unrepentant pursuit of beliefs and ideals. His spirit deserves to be remembered and inherited by each and every one of us. When reviewing this period of history, we should not only feel his suffering, but also learn from his persistence and courage, so that this spirit can become a force to inspire future generations.