In July 1975, the summer in Beijing was hot and humid, but the atmosphere was unusually solemn in a quiet operating room at the Capital Hospital.
Chairman Mao, a leader who has experienced half a century of vicissitudes, is lying on the operating table undergoing cataract surgery.
This is a critical surgery as it allows the old man to regain a clear vision of the world.
The light in the operating room is soft and even, and the noise outside seems to be cut off from here. After the successful operation, the doctors and accompanying assistants breathed a sigh of relief, and Chairman Mao also seemed unusually relaxed.
During the postoperative recovery period, Chairman Mao recuperated in the ward, the willows outside the window, and the sunlight sprinkled on the simple ward wall through the thin curtains.
As his eyesight gradually recovered, so did the old man's mood. He began to re-read the newspaper, watch the news on television, and every scene he saw stirred up memories of the bygone years.
Among these memories, there is one character who always makes him feel heartache and guilt - Gao Jingting. Gao Jingting was a brave general of the New Fourth Army, whose life was bumpy and heroic, and he was finally wrongly executed due to a misunderstanding, which is a past that Chairman Mao has always been difficult to let go.
Gao Jingting was born into a poor farming family in Xinxian County, Henan Province, and his childhood was full of hardships and challenges.
Due to his family's poverty, he did not have the opportunity to go to school until he was a teenager, but after only six years of schooling, he had to drop out and return home to help with farming.
However, the flame of revolution had been ignited in his heart. In 1928, the Jute Uprising broke out, bringing the flames of revolution to the Hubei-Henan border.
The movement eventually attracted the young Ko Kyung-jeong, who joined the rebel army without hesitation and threw himself into a fate-changing battle.
In the following years, Gao Jingting played an important role in the establishment and defense of the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Soviet Region.
In 1935, the Red Army merged with the Eastern and Western Hubei Independent Regiment in the western Anhui region to form the new Red 28th Army, and Gao Jingting was appointed political commissar.
Under the conditions of lack of resources and the presence of enemies, he not only led his troops in a series of successful guerrilla warfare, but also worked hard to expand and consolidate his ranks, showing outstanding military leadership and firm revolutionary will.
During the second period of cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, Gao Jingting strictly implemented the party's line and policies, and effectively resisted the enemy's co-optation and temptation.
Under the personal attention and guidance of Chairman Mao, Gao Jingting successfully reorganized his unit as part of the New Fourth Army, specifically the 4th Detachment.
This contingent soon became one of the most combat-ready units in the New Fourth Army under the leadership of Gao Jingting, rapidly increasing its number from 3,000 to more than 8,000.
However, as the strength of the troops grew, Gao Jingting began to show some pride and conceit, he was repulsive towards the cadres sent from Yan'an, and passively carried out orders at some critical moments. These acts gradually aroused the concern and dissatisfaction of the Party Central Committee.
Although the Party Central Committee initially intended to correct Gao Jingting's mistakes through help and education, due to a series of misunderstandings and a complicated situation, Gao Jingting was eventually wrongfully executed.
On November 30, 1975, shortly after his eyesight was restored, Chairman Mao personally instructed Gao Jingting's case to be re-examined.
This directive gave birth to the process of rehabilitating Gao Jingting. After a long period of examination and investigation, on April 27, 1977, the General Political Department officially issued a notice of rehabilitation for Gao Jingting. This notice objectively evaluated Gao Jingting's merits and demerits, and officially announced the restoration of his reputation.
This historical event is not only a personal rehabilitation of Gao Jingting, but also a manifestation of Chairman Mao's deep affection and sense of responsibility for his former comrades-in-arms, as well as his respect for and correction of historical truth.
Chairman Mao's decision not only restored the reputation of Gao Jingting's family and descendants, but also left a fair evaluation for history, showing the complexity of history and the human concern of the leaders.