During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, a mysterious Honggang boss made great contributions to the country, but his outstanding exploits have been hidden in the clouds of history for a long time. This person is Zhu Yaxiong, the famous leader of the Hong Gang in Nanjing. In the war-torn era, he contributed his own strength to the cause of the Anti-Japanese War in his own unique way. However, after the end of the war, the once radiant head of the "Daya Mountain Justice Hall" encountered an unexpected fate, and even was imprisoned for a time. Until his later years, he was still listed as a target of "pending rehabilitation" for his outstanding military exploits, and was severely interrogated by history along with his superior leaders. It is puzzling why this person has come to this point? What kind of extraordinary act made him win the praise of Su Yu, the founding father? Why does Su Yu attach so much importance to rehabilitating this former Hong gang boss? Where will the answer lead?
The secret force of the anti-Japanese period: Zhu Yaxiong, the boss of the Hong Gang
In the winter of 1937, the huge city of Shanghai finally could not escape the fate of a national catastrophe after suffering the desperate Battle of Songhu. As the most prosperous city in China, Shanghai has since fallen and has been pinned down by the iron heel of the Japanese army. In this once prosperous land, various forces began to make a comeback, trying to get a piece of the turbulent situation.
Among them are the two major gangs in the north and south, the Hongmen and the Qinggang. As a powerful underworld organization that has been entrenched in Shanghai for a long time, they have also begun to turn over and become the boss. At this moment, a behind-the-scenes figure quietly appeared - Zhu Yaxiong, who was born in Wuchang. This young man in his early 30s joined the Wushengshan Gang in Hongmen, Shanghai in 1925, thus opening the prelude to his life in the rivers and lakes.
Zhu Yaxiong was not greedy for power and wealth at first, but out of a family matter. Back then, his girlfriend was forcibly taken by the overlord of the Qing Gang, but as a weak intellectual, Zhu Yaxiong had nothing to do. Helpless and angry, he joined the Hongmen and wanted to solve the problem directly with brute force. Since then, Zhu Yaxiong has embarked on a new path in life.
However, the good times did not last long, and as soon as the eight-year War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression began, Shanghai became a frontline city. Under the baptism of war, Zhu Yaxiong understood a cruel reality: in that era ruled by cannons, no force was immune. Faced with difficult struggles and endless displacement, he had to leave his hometown and travel to Nanjing, hundreds of miles from Shanghai.
Fortunately, the city of Nanjing is also built by the river, so it has a good geographical environment. Here, Zhu Yaxiong and other members of Hongmen joined forces and re-established the banner of Hongmen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. They established the "Daya Mountain Justice Hall" in Nanjing, and began to develop protégés and expand their strength. Soon, Zhu Yaxiong became the infamous "Daya Mountain Gang Leader".
As the leader of an underground organization, Zhu Yaxiong's wisdom and courage are beyond doubt. He not only called on a large number of people with professional expertise to join in, making the Hong Gang unprecedentedly strong, but also made it clear that he would never collude with the Japanese puppets and swear to defend the motherland to the death. This unswerving determination to resist Japan laid the groundwork for the future story.
Xu Chuguang's intervention: the cooperation between the underground party and the Hong Gang
In the spring of 1942, the situation became more severe for the Chinese military and civilians. Although the two sides were still at a stalemate on the frontal battlefield, the Japanese army's sweeping operations intensified, causing heavy casualties in areas behind enemy lines. In order to turn the tide of the war in a relatively short time, the Chinese functionaries came up with a bold idea: to infiltrate the puppet regime apparatus, develop underground forces, cut off the enemy's logistical lines.
At this juncture, Xu Chuguang, a young and heroic underground party member, was assigned to carry out this difficult task. As a commissioner of the Eighth Route Army, Xu Chuguang had an extraordinary mission: he had to infiltrate the enemy with great camouflage skills and find a suitable way to cover it.
It all started from the moment Xu Chuguang set foot in Nanjing. After prior deployment, he quickly got acquainted with a key figure - Jin Longzhang, commander-in-chief of Wang's puppet self-defense army. Jin Longzhang not only has a background as a military commander, but also an underground party spy with a long reputation.
After meeting, Jin Longzhang gave Xu Chuguang a thumbs up and was full of praise. After all, as an elite of the military command, he knows best about the excellence of this junior. In order to give Xu Chuguang the greatest cover, Jin Longzhang directly introduced him to his "big brother" in Nanjing, Zhu Yaxiong, the leader of the Hong Gang.
As soon as the word "big brother" came out, Xu Chuguang couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart. The tall and burly man in front of him is the ancestor of the ruffians and hooligans in the rivers and lakes, how easy is it to blend in with him? But the arrangement of fate is often unexpected, and as soon as Zhu Yaxiong spoke, Xu Chuguang immediately dispelled his doubts.
"Little brother, you look like a well-behaved scholar, I don't think you are an ordinary person! Zhu Yaxiong looked at the young man in front of him with a smile. Next, he said even more bluntly: "You are clearly a 'reluctant to live with the tiger' Liu Bei, with great ambitions!" ＂
Xu Chuguang was almost speechless by Zhu Yaxiong's praise, and secretly glad that he did not despise the "old-timer" with extraordinary insight in front of him. In the face of Zhu Yaxiong's questioning, Xu Chuguang improvised and said that he came here for "fame and fortune and returning to his hometown". Although Zhu Yaxiong was skeptical, his intuition told him that this young man was by no means an idle person, but a righteous man.
In this way, under the matchmaking of Jin Longzhang, Xu Chuguang joined the "Daya Mountain Justice Hall" in Nanjing, and Zhu Yaxiong also officially accepted this "righteous son". Since then, a subtle alliance has been formed between the underground party and the Hong Gang.
With Zhu Yaxiong's cover, Xu Chuguang is like a fish in water within Wang's puppet regime. He not only infiltrated the military academy run by Wang Puppet as a tactical instructor, but also got acquainted with a large number of military and political dignitaries. Taking advantage of these "friend" relationships, Xu Chuguang successfully completed a number of important tasks such as plotting rebellion and stealing intelligence, and provided important information for the Eighth Route Army to fight against the enemy.
On the side of the Hong Gang, Zhu Yaxiong is also secretly contributing his strength to the great cause of resisting Japan. They not only transported a large amount of ammunition and materials for the underground party, but also used the underground industry under their control to send a large amount of funds to the Eighth Route Army, directly helping the Chinese army to resist stubbornly. It can be said that it was precisely under Zhu Yaxiong's maneuvering operation that this special "internal and external collusion" was able to proceed smoothly and win more time for China's anti-Japanese war cause.
Central China Railway Road Protection Corps: A hidden anti-Japanese channel
In 1943, the anti-Japanese battlefield entered a critical new stage. Under the infiltration and control of the Eighth Route Army, the Chinese army finally mastered a large amount of information behind enemy lines, which provided strong support for the formulation of a new operational policy. And in order to truly implement these strategic deployments, an unimpeded transportation channel is needed.
At this juncture, a mysterious team came into being - the Central China Railway Road Protection Corps. As the name suggests, the team's role seems to be to escort rail transport, but in reality it plays an extremely important and covert role.
The entire road protection corps is composed of two parts: the underground party of the Communist Party of China and the Hong Gang. Of these, the former is responsible for overall command and operational deployment, while the latter acts as a cover force and transport. The two sides hit it off and quickly formed a large secret transport team.
As the supreme commander of the road protection corps, Zhu Yaxiong has taken precautions for this important task. He selected a large number of loyal and reliable Hung Gang brothers to serve as transportation guards, using their extensive network of underground industries as a cover, and carefully arranged secret transportation routes.
When everything was ready, the road protection corps began their first transport mission. The destination was Kunming, Yunnan Province, carrying large quantities of gasoline, ammunition and medical supplies. When the transport convoy slowly drove out of Nanjing, Zhu Yaxiong personally pressed the bell of the superintendent and marched for them.
Immediately, a thrilling transportation journey began. Along the way, in addition to the enemy's resistance and natural disasters, there are also other gangs from time to time to attack. In the face of such many dangers and obstacles, the brothers of the road protection corps sacrificed their lives and forgot their lives to fight fiercely with the Japanese army, and some even died heroically.
In these bloody battles, Zhu Yaxiong gradually recognized his mission. As a gang leader from the bottom, he has long hated the ferocious Japanese army, and the Chinese army is the only hope to save the nation from danger. With this belief, Zhu Yaxiong worked harder and harder, and did whatever it took to ensure that every transportation was foolproof.
In the spring of 1944, the Road Guard Corps again carried out a dazzling large-scale transport operation. This time, the destination was Yan'an, northern Shaanxi, and it was carrying part of the troops mobilized by the CCP leadership, which was of great significance.
On the way, the Japanese learned of the whereabouts of the road protection corps. Hundreds of puppet troops gathered in an important town along the way, intending to completely annihilate them. After learning this information, Zhu Yaxiong immediately made a decision and personally led the Shaolin boxing master of the Hong Gang to escort the transport team.
In the end, on the narrow road called "Iron Lock Pass" in the Kunlun Mountains, a tragic encounter occurred between the two sides. Zhu Yaxiong was not chaotic in the face of danger, and successively commanded the brothers of the Hong Gang to carry out tactics such as grenades, throwing stones, and sniping on mountain roads, and attacked the enemy head-on. After nearly two days and nights of difficult collisions, both sides suffered heavy casualties, but the road protection corps proudly broke through successfully under the command of Zhu Yaxiong and finally arrived in Yan'an safely.
For Zhu Yaxiong, this was not only the most thrilling battle of the road protection corps, but also marked their close alliance with the underground work of the Communist Party. Since then, they have successively transported a large number of precious manpower and material resources to the rear of China's anti-Japanese war, which has become an indispensable and important part of this bloody battle.
Reversal of fate: The heroes of the Anti-Japanese War were imprisoned
August 15, 1945, was the Victory Day that the Chinese people were looking forward to. Over Tokyo Bay, Japan dropped the world's last atomic bomb. Subsequently, the once tyrannical Tojo cabinet announced its unconditional surrender, marking the end of the eight-year war of resistance.
On this day, Zhu Yaxiong, the leader of the Hong Gang, led his subordinates to celebrate with a parade along the streets of Nanjing. They held high the national flag and vigorously shouted the slogan "Down with Japanese imperialism." Beside him, many Hong Gang brothers held flowers, and their faces were filled with the joy of victory.
For Zhu Yaxiong, this moment is so exciting. As the first person to stand on the front line of resistance against Japan, he witnessed almost the entire course of the war with his own hands. From the Battle of Songhu in 1937, to the Battle of Pingjin in 1944, and now to the ultimate victory, Zhu Yaxiong and his brothers in the Hong Gang have paid a heavy price.
What is even more touching is that during the entire Anti-Japanese War, Zhu Yaxiong and the Hong Gang spared no effort to provide a large amount of ammunition, materials and military support for the Chinese army. They set up a road protection corps and opened up one life transportation line after another for the people's army in the situation of dying and dying. In the rear, Zhu Yaxiong used his own Honggang forces as a cover to provide great help for the Eighth Route Army to infiltrate Shanghai, Nanjing and other important towns.
It can be said that it was precisely with the help of Zhu Yaxiong and the Hong Gang that the underground party work was carried out smoothly and laid the foundation for the victory of many key battles. At that time, Zhu Yaxiong was not only well-known among the underground party members and anti-Japanese people in Shanghai, but also admired Su Yu and other generals on the frontal battlefield.
But who would have expected that fate would be so capricious. At the moment of victory, Zhu Yaxiong fell into a whirlpool.
It happened in the spring of 1946, when the Chinese Civil War broke out, and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party launched a life-and-death struggle. In this frenzy, Zhu Yaxiong and the entire Hong Gang were listed as "pro-communist" organizations by the Nationalist government authorities, and were completely suppressed, encircled, and suppressed.
In this way, Zhu Yaxiong, who once defended the Chinese army to the death, was not only swept out of Hongmen, but also arrested by the authorities along with other leaders of the Hong gang and sentenced to a heavy sentence of life imprisonment. In addition, some of the younger brothers of the Hong Gang who committed theft due to war poverty were also arrested and imprisoned as "remnants of the Communist Party".
Thus, a farcical tragedy began. The heroes who fought hard and fought on the battlefield were regarded as "sinners". What's even more ironic is that the main crime of being convicted is "banditry", how could Zhu Yaxiong and others have thought that they had fought side by side with the Eighth Route Army, but now they have been treated like this.
In the first few years of his life behind bars, Zhu Yaxiong was tortured. Not only were they subjected to harsh corporal punishment, but they were often teased as prisoners. Yet, even in the most difficult times, he was never discouraged. Zhu Yaxiong knew that he was only serving the country to serve the motherland, and had no other intentions.
In this way, this once brilliant Hong Gang boss suffered unfair treatment. He died in prison depressed, unable to get his wish, waiting for the judgment of his dreams...
A heavy blow to history: redress and redress of grievances
The years have been long, and Zhu Yaxiong has spent more than ten years in prison. During this period, he witnessed the bloody civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and also experienced the dawn moment of the founding of New China. However, even in that earth-shaking era, Zhu Yaxiong has never wavered in his innocence.
With the passage of time, more and more ironclad evidence surfaced, confirming that Zhu Yaxiong and others had indeed made indelible contributions to the anti-Japanese cause. Finally, in 1959, this unjust case was officially rehabilitated by the Wuxi Intermediate People's Court.
In the course of the rehabilitation, there were many famous people who appeared in court to testify. Among them, the most moving is the testimony of Peng Dehuai, the general of the Eighth Route Army. Peng Dehuai personally commanded the Battle of Transition River, and Zhu Yaxiong and others provided a large amount of arms supplies for this battle. Therefore, Peng Dehuai is well aware of the heroic feats of the Hong Gang.
"They were unarmed, but they bravely stepped forward to carve out a lifeline for our army in areas heavily guarded by the enemy. Peng Dehuai slowly recounted the scene of that year, "At that time, our army was at a critical juncture when it ran out of ammunition and food. Without the great sacrifices and merits of Zhu Yaxiong and others, crossing the river would have fallen into a desperate situation. ＂
In addition to Peng Dehuai, the witnesses who appeared in court also included Wei Guoqing, a cadre of the People's Liberation Army, and Shi Liang, then director of the Information Department of the Central Propaganda Department. They witnessed with their own eyes how the Hong Gang worked closely with the underground party and contributed to the promotion of the War of Resistance Against Japan.
In the face of such a large number of heavyweight witnesses, coupled with powerful written and physical evidence, the court finally made a final decision, not only rehabilitating Zhu Yaxiong and others on the charge of "gangsters", but also restoring their due reputation.
Despite this, Zhu Yaxiong was over the age of sixteen at the time, and he was also greatly devastated in prison. After hearing the news, he only said lightly: "It's too late." From this short sentence, we can see the pain and injustice of going through the life of a prisoner back then.
In fact, until a few years before his rehabilitation, Zhu Yaxiong was even forbidden to meet with people outside the prison for a time. Once, when relatives and friends came to visit, they were stopped by prison guards. It can be seen that even after years in prison, he has never been able to get rid of the shadow of those stigmas.
But it is precisely all these tribulations and ups and downs that highlight the high style of Zhu Yaxiong and others. During the trial, they never harbored resentment against the country and the people, but sincerely hoped that justice would be done for their past deeds.
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In the end, history upheld justice, and the unjust case of Zhu Yaxiong and others was not only revealed, but also remembered for their outstanding exploits during the anti-Japanese war. For Zhu Yaxiong, this is undoubtedly the best footnote. Although he suffered injustice during his lifetime, his indomitable character and heroic deeds will surely remain in the annals of history forever and shine brightly.