In that turbulent era, a legendary figure died dramatically, and he was Dai Li, the head of the Kuomintang Military Command Bureau. The cause of the death of this "king of agents" is still a matter of opinion. Some say he died in a plane crash, but others suspect that he didn't die at all, but "faked his death" for some purpose. What's more, accusing him of "fake death" was a hoax made for Chiang Kai-shek. Would this military commander, who had once made the Communist Party so disgraced, really cheat to death in order to escape his fate? Or would Chiang Kai-shek really secretly make a green move in order to get rid of this henchman? All kinds of mysteries surround Dai Li's death, making people extremely curious and suspicious about this past. So, is Dai Li really dead, and what kind of secret is hidden in the cause of his death?
Dai Li's relationship with Chiang Kai-shek was in crisis
In the spring of 1946, Dai Li made a seemingly ordinary decision to fly from Tianjin to Shanghai to meet his lover Hu Die, and then to Chongqing. However, this decision opened an ominous prelude to his life.
The weather was not conducive to flying at that time, and Dai Li was notified by Shanghai Airport to cancel his travel plans. But Dai Lian ignored it and insisted on going to the airport to board the plane. What's even more puzzling is that he also ordered his subordinates to stock up on enough gasoline, as if he expected that he would not be able to fly directly to Shanghai. Everything seems strange and unreasonable.
At 9 o'clock in the morning, Dai Li and his entourage left Tianjin and flew directly to Shanghai. Sure enough, when approaching Shanghai, it was hindered by heavy rain and had to be diverted to Nanjing. Just as Chuanyun was about to land, the plane suddenly "disappeared" over Nanjing.
Three days later, the wreckage of the plane was finally found on a hill near Banqiao, Nanjing, and 13 people died. It was confirmed that it included Dai Li, whose body was mutilated, with only half a charred body, a calf, and an arm.
This seemingly accidental plane crash is actually a hidden mystery. Chiang Kai-shek was deeply suspicious of the cause of Dai Li's death, and not only personally wrote an elegy for him, but also ordered that "people must be seen in life, and corpses must be seen in death". It can be seen that the relationship between Jiang and Dai has long been cracked.
As Chiang Kai-shek's confidant, Dai Li's power in the Military Command Bureau was expanding day by day, and he was regarded as a "country within a state". His hands and eyes were all over Jiang, which made Jiang feel threatened like never before. To make matters worse, Dai Li's military decisions were repeatedly criticized and openly challenged Chiang's authority.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945, Chiang Kai-shek hoped to take the opportunity to sweep away the Communist Party and unify China. However, Dai Li was deeply skeptical of this, believing that the Kuomintang should first rectify its internal situation, otherwise it would be difficult to win. Jiang was furious about this and denounced Dai Li's "ill-intentioned intentions". Since then, the contradiction between the two is like a sharp sword hanging over their heads, which may fall at any time.
What made Jiang even more jealous was Dai Li's special status in the Military Control Bureau. As a close confidant of Chiang, Dai Li controlled the top secrets of the Kuomintang and was familiar with all the secrets of the party. Once the enemy becomes an enemy, Dai Li will be Chiang's most dangerous opponent.
Therefore, there is reason to suspect that Dai Li's death was not an accident, but that Chiang Kai-shek secretly made green in order to get rid of this great trouble. The plane crash was just a cover for people's ears, but the truth was artificially covered up. This may be the reason why Chiang Kai-shek personally arranged for Dai Li's burial as if he were facing the enemy.
There are many doubts about the truth of Dai Li's death
After the news of Dai Li's death spread, various speculations and doubts sprung up. The first is the questioning of Dai Li's body.
At that time, only a mutilated charred corpse was found on Banqiao Mountain in Nanjing, and there was no trace of the rest of the body except for half a piece of coke, a calf and an arm. It was tricky to confirm that the body was Dai Li's remains.
In order to identify them, military commanders could only rely on some of the belongings on the charred corpse, such as gold teeth and other features. However, this approach is clearly flawed and can be easily falsified. Therefore, the outside world has great doubts about whether this is Dai Li's body.
What is even more suspicious is that the day before the burial, Dai Li's adjutant Mao Renfeng suddenly asked that the tomb be sealed, on the grounds that it would prevent someone from opening the tomb and whipping the corpse in retaliation. This undoubtedly deepened suspicion that the Kuomintang authorities deliberately covered up the truth and prevented people from seeing the bodies in the tombs.
In addition, there are many strange details about the details of Dai Li's burial ceremony. The first is the choice of time, Mao Renfeng specially asked Mr. Feng Shui to calculate the day, and finally selected an "auspicious day of the zodiac" in the spring of 1947. This kind of attention is indeed in line with traditional customs, but it also feels a little contrived and unnatural.
What is even more puzzling is that despite Dai Li's prominent status, Chiang Kai-shek did not attend the funeral in person, but only sent a representative. As Dai Li's old superior and close friend, Chiang Kai-shek's absence undoubtedly deepened the suspicion of the outside world.
In addition, Dai Li actually wore a "mask" when he was buried. It is said that because the corpse was unrecognizable, in order to maintain decency, the only way to do it was to have a craftsman make a mask to cover his face according to his appearance. This approach is undoubtedly even more bizarre, giving the impression that the Kuomintang authorities are deliberately covering up the truth.
It is precisely because of this series of strange details that the outside world has raised many doubts about Dai Li's death. Some people suspect that Dai Li's body is not in the tomb at all; others speculate that Dai Li did not die at all, but that the Kuomintang authorities faked the scene of his death; and others believe that Chiang Kai-shek deliberately concealed the true cause of Dai Li's death for some purpose.
These doubts were widely circulated among the people for a while, and some people even began to wonder whether Dai Li's "fake death" had some kind of connection and insider trading with Chiang Kai-shek. For a while, the truth of Dai Li's death seemed to be shrouded in a layer of fog, which made people extremely curious and suspicious about this past.
A conspiracy version of Dai Li's death
Since the news of Dai Li's death spread, various speculations and doubts have sprung up. One of the most striking is the conspiracy theories that may have existed behind Dai Li's death.
The first is the theory that Chiang Kai-shek assassinated Dai Li. As the supreme leader of the Kuomintang, Chiang Kai-shek had long been wary of Dai Li's growing power. Once Dai Lian strikes back, he will be Chiang Kai-shek's most dangerous opponent. Therefore, there is reason to suspect that Chiang Kai-shek deliberately assassinated Dai Li in order to get rid of this great trouble.
Some people even believe that the reason why Dai Li "faked his death" was to escape Chiang Kai-shek's purge. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Chiang Kai-shek hoped to sweep away the Communist Party and unify China. But Dai Li, who was deeply suspicious of this, openly challenged Chiang's authority, and was dissatisfied with Chiang. In order to protect himself, Dai Li had to choose to back down, but Chiang Kai-shek might not let him go. Therefore, Dai Li could only escape by swindling his death.
In addition, there is also a theory that Dai Li's death is inextricably linked to Ma Hansan. Ma Hansan was arrested and betrayed by the Japanese, revealing a large number of military secrets. Dai Li is obsessed with this and has always wanted to find an opportunity to get rid of Ma Hansan. In order to protect himself, Ma Hansan could only strike first and assassinate Dai Li.
It is not difficult to see that these conspiracy theories have one thing in common: Dai Li's death was not an accident, but an elaborate conspiracy. Whether it is Chiang Kai-shek, Dai Li, or Ma Hansan, it is possible that they are the masterminds of this conspiracy.
These claims are supported by some strange details about Dai Li's burial. For example, the mutilated corpses, the mutilated burials, and the permanent closure of the tombs all give the impression that the Kuomintang authorities are deliberately covering up the truth. There is even a suspicion that the tomb is not Dai Li's body at all.
These various signs have undoubtedly deepened the outside world's doubts about Dai Li's death. For a time, rumors spread about Dai Li's "fake death", and even accused him of "fake death" as a hoax made for Chiang Kai-shek.
However, there are also significant questions about the credibility of these conspiracy theories. If it is said that Dai Li wanted to save his life and deliberately created this accident, it is really a bit far-fetched. As Chiang Kai-shek's confidant, Chiang Kai-shek could have put him under house arrest, rather than killing him.
What's more, Chiang Kai-shek personally arranged the funeral for Dai Li, wrote an elegy, and showed great mourning. If it was really Chiang Kai-shek who assassinated Dai Li, this approach would have been too contrived.
So, while there are many questions about Dai Li's death, the credibility of these conspiracy theories is also debatable. The truth of Dai Li's death may never be completely solved.
Deciphering the history of Dai Li's death
Time flies, and the truth of Dai Li's death seems to be shrouded in the fog of history. But as time passed, some new clues and evidence gradually surfaced, giving people a new understanding of this past.
First, the claim that Dai Li was indeed killed in a plane crash seems more credible. On March 20, 1946, Dai Li's plane crashed on Banqiao Mountain in Nanjing, killing people. At that time, the Kuomintang military conducted a thorough survey of the scene and found the remains of Dai Li's body and belongings, such as gold teeth.
Although the corpse was mutilated, these features, together with other physical evidence found at the scene, such as the Nine Dragons Sword, were enough to prove that the charred corpse was Dai Li. Therefore, the argument that Dai Li did die in this plane crash and not "fake death" seems untenable.
So, what was the cause of this air crash? There is a theory that Ma Hansan deliberately planted a time bomb on the plane in order to take revenge on Dai Li, which eventually led to the plane crash.
This argument is not unfounded. Ma Hansan was arrested and betrayed by the Japanese, revealing a large number of military secrets, which Dai Li was angry about. To make matters worse, Ma Hansan also left the Nine Dragons Sword privately, which was severely reprimanded by Dai Li. It can be seen that Ma Hansan does have a deep resentment towards Dai Li.
In 1948, the Kuomintang Military Command Bureau submitted a top-secret document to Chiang Kai-shek, revealing the inside story of Ma Hansan and others' assassination of Dai Li. Subsequently, Ma Hansan and others were also secretly executed by the Kuomintang authorities, which seems to confirm the credibility of this statement.
However, there are also doubts about this. Although Ma Hansan held a grudge against Dai Li, it was too risky to assassinate Dai Li, Chiang Kai-shek's confidant. Moreover, even if Ma Hansan really made a move, Chiang Kai-shek might not let him go easily.
Therefore, another theory is that Chiang Kai-shek deliberately concealed the real cause of Dai Li's death in order to cover up internal contradictions. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the contradictions between Chiang and Dai deepened, and Chiang Kai-shek intended to weaken Dai Li's power. In order to avoid the exposure of internal strife, Chiang Kai-shek had to fabricate the account of Ma Hansan's assassination to cover up the truth.
Although this statement seems to have some truth, there are also great doubts. As Chiang Kai-shek's confidant, Dai Li's death was undoubtedly a great loss for Chiang. Why did Chiang Kai-shek assassinate his cronies and cover them up like this? Moreover, Chiang Kai-shek organized a grand funeral ceremony for Dai Li, wrote an elegy, and showed great mourning, and it did not seem to be like a murderer's style.
It can be seen that the truth of Dai Li's death is still confusing, and there are different opinions. Perhaps this past is destined to be unsolvable, and can only be shrouded forever by the fog of history. But in any case, Dai Li, a legendary figure who was once heard-of-the-eye, has left this world forever, and can only be remembered and guessed by future generations forever.