During the period of the Republic of China, the situation was changing, and all forces competed, among which the combination of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling became a good story of that era.
Song Meiling, the "first lady" from a famous family, has left a strong mark on the international stage with her elegant demeanor, fluent English and excellent diplomatic skills.
But under the glamorous appearance, Song Meiling's private life is little known. What kind of life did she live, and how luxurious did she go?
Becoming the "First Lady"
In 1922, in Sun Yat-sen's apartment, Chiang Kai-shek met for the first time the young and beautiful Miss Song Jiasan.
Chiang Kai-shek fell in love with Soong Meiling at first sight and launched a passionate pursuit. But Song Meiling's sister Song Qingling strongly opposed this marriage. She thought that Chiang Kai-shek already had a family and was much older than Song Meiling, so the two were not suitable.
It's just that Song Meiling didn't listen to her sister's advice. She was attracted to Chiang Kai-shek's talent and ambition, believing him to be a man to whom she could be entrusted with his life.
In order to pursue Soong Meiling, Chiang Kai-shek can be said to have tried his best. He often wrote to Song Meiling to express his admiration. He also often invited Song Meiling to watch movies, dance, chat and walk with her.
Under Chiang Kai-shek's fierce offensive, Soong Meiling was finally moved. She agreed to Chiang Kai-shek's marriage proposal, and on December 1, 1927, she and Chiang Kai-shek were married in Shanghai.
This wedding caused a sensation throughout Shanghai. The union of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling is not only a love story between two people, but also a political marriage between two families.
Chiang Kai-shek, through his association with Soong Meiling, gained the support of the Soong family, which laid a solid foundation for his later political career.
And Soong Meiling also won the title of "First Lady" through her union with Chiang Kai-shek, and began to play an important role in the political arena.
Private life is extravagant
It's just that after this "first lady" came to power, she did not focus on politics, but relied on her title to satisfy her selfish desires.
Song Meiling is extremely particular about dressing up. In her wardrobe, there are all kinds of cheongsam, each of which is finely made and made of exquisite materials. It is said that Song Meiling's cheongsams are so large that they even need a special room to store them.
In addition to cheongsam, Song Meiling also loves fur. Mink, fox skin, otter skin and other precious furs are her favorites. In that era of scarcity of materials, it is really amazing that Song Meiling can have such luxurious clothes.
Do you think this is the end? No, Song Meiling's shoes are also a highlight. It is said that she owns more than a thousand pairs of shoes, and each pair is custom-made from abroad. Not only are these shoes stylish, but they are also expensive, and each pair is worth a lot of money.
In addition to buying clothes, Song Meiling loves to hold banquets and sings almost every night. Her banquet invited not only political dignitaries, business tycoons, but also celebrities and foreign envoys. At banquets, Song Meiling is always gorgeously dressed and radiant.
The dishes at the banquet are even more dazzling, and there are all kinds of delicacies from the mountains and seas. It is said that Song Meiling's team of chefs are hired from all over the world with high salaries, and they are good at cooking a variety of Chinese and Western dishes, which can meet the needs of various tastes.
In addition to the delicious food, the dessert at the banquet was also a highlight. Song Meiling loves sweets, all kinds of cakes, chocolates, and candies are her favorites.
However, at that time, people's livelihood withered and the economy collapsed. Hundreds of people have been displaced, their families have been destroyed, some have not even had a full meal, and countless others have starved to death on the streets.
But Song Meiling turned a blind eye to all this. She still lives her life in luxury, as if living in a secluded world.
When Song Meiling wore a priceless cheongsam to the banquet, hundreds of people didn't even have a decent dress.
When Song Meiling tasted the delicacies of the mountains and seas, hundreds of people couldn't even eat a mouthful of hot rice.
Song Meiling's extravagant life was in stark contrast to the suffering of the Chinese people at that time. This contrast has made people see the corruption and incompetence of the national government, and it has also made people lose confidence in the national government.
Embezzlement of public funds only to satisfy selfish desires?
During the Anti-Japanese War, she also fought for international aid for China and devoted herself to the development of the air force, so she was known as the "mother of the Chinese air force".
However, few people know how much public money this "mother of aviation" has embezzled under the pretext of taking advantage of the beginning.
At that time, China was in the difficult period of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, with a shortage of materials and a difficult life for the people. In order to resist the Japanese invasion, the Nationalist Government called on the whole people to donate money to buy fighter jets.
The people responded one after another, cut back on food and clothing, and donated their meager savings, just to be able to contribute to the anti-Japanese war.
Unbelievably, at this critical juncture of the All-People's War of Resistance, Song Meiling started the crooked brains of the Air Force funds. She used the power in her hands to embezzle a part of the Air Force funds and use them to buy various luxury goods.
Song Meiling is a lover of jewelry, and the amount of jewelry she owns is staggering.
Diamonds, jadeite, sapphires and other precious gemstones are all in her pocket. Each of these jewels is worth a fortune enough to buy several fighter jets.
Song Meiling's behavior is undoubtedly a betrayal of the war army and people. When the soldiers fought bloody battles on the front line, and when the people were frugal in the rear, she lived a luxurious life and squandered the hard-earned money of the soldiers and civilians of the Anti-Japanese War.
This kind of behavior has also aroused the dissatisfaction of some people within the Kuomintang. They believed that Soong Meiling's behavior had damaged the image of the Nationalist Government and was not conducive to the progress of the War of Resistance.
But due to Soong Meiling's special status and Chiang Kai-shek's cover-up, these dissatisfied voices were eventually suppressed.
It's just that Song Meiling's selfish behavior, although it did not directly lead to the defeat of the Anti-Japanese War, reflected the corruption within the Nationalist Government at that time. This kind of corruption eventually led to the loss of popular support and hastened the collapse of the Nationalist Government.
In that turbulent era, Soong Meiling's extravagant life was undoubtedly a harm to the Chinese people. Her actions not only damaged the image of the Nationalist Government, but also exacerbated social contradictions and hastened the collapse of the Nationalist Government.
Soong Meiling's story also reminds us that power and wealth are a double-edged sword. If not used correctly, it can become a breeding ground for corruption and depravity.
Today, we look back on history, not to judge right and wrong, but to learn from it and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.