Tao Yong was born on January 21, 1912 in Yejiaji Zhounanzhuang, Huoqiu County, Anhui Province (now part of Yeji District, Lu'an City) to a poor peasant family. His real name was Zhang Daoyong (in 1939, when Zhang Daoyong was the deputy chief of staff of the first detachment of the New Fourth Army, Chen Yi changed his name, omitted Zhang's surname, and took the original name "Daoyong" as "Tao Yong", which was used for life). Tao Yong fought in the north and south of his life, made outstanding achievements, and was a favorite general of Mao Zedong. He has a straight, cheerful personality, is jealous and hateful, and takes a clear stand in the face of major issues of right and wrong that concern principle, and never hides it. On February 24, 1953, Tao Yong met Mao Zedong for the first time in Nanjing, and the first words Mao Zedong said to Tao Yong were: "Are you Comrade Tao Yong?" I have long admired your great name, and you have fought well!" However, this "famous general of the New Fourth Army", who was praised by Mao Zedong, died a mystery and became a mysterious historical suspense.
On the morning of January 15, 1967, Tao Yong convened a meeting of the Standing Committee of the East China Sea Fleet, took a clear-cut stand against the rebels, and issued an urgent notice in the name of the Fleet Party Committee not to engage in the "Four Congresses" in the fleet. From the night of the 17th to the 20th, he led the leading comrades of the fleet to go deep into the cultural and labor corps, the sports team, and the factories and schools affiliated to the fleet to do patient and meticulous persuasion and education work, so that the situation of the troops could be improved.
At more than 10:00 a.m. on January 21, 1967, Tao Yong went to room 105 of the Naval Guest House in the courtyard of the headquarters to rest. At two o'clock in the afternoon, Tao Yong walked out of the guest house. When he was chatting with the florist in the garden next to the building, the director of the guest house came here, so Tao Yong asked the director to call the barber and said that he wanted a haircut. After 15 minutes, when the director and the barber came to the garden, tao yong was missing. The two hurried to look around. When the director walked to a small well used to water the flowers, he suddenly shouted loudly: "Commander Tao jumped into the well!" The barber and florist who heard the shouts hurried over. The three of them worked together to pull Tao Yong up from the well. The doctor who heard the news and Tao Yong's two old secretaries quickly carried Tao Yong into room 105 of the guest house. The three doctors immediately performed artificial respiration for rescue, and the two secretaries examined Tao Yong's clothes. The inspection found that the back part of the silk wool vest was still dry, and a copy of the Shanghai Municipal Government document printed on Dowling paper was taken out of the pocket, only the crease was soaked, and the inside was dry. This shows that Tao Yong did not fall into the well for a long time. At this moment, the ambulance arrived, and the three doctors carried Tao Yong to the ambulance. A few minutes later, the ambulance arrived at the Naval Hospital. However, the battle-hardened vice admiral died after failing to respond to first aid. This general, who has been on the battlefield for a long time, has died nine times, and has made great achievements in battle, did not sacrifice himself to the battlefield of guns and bullets, did not dedicate himself to the blue sea he loved, but died in a small and shallow well of watering flowers.
On the night of General Tao Yong's death, Tao Yong's wife Zhu Lan, after learning the bad news, shouted angrily: "Tao Yong fought a lifelong battle with Chairman Mao from birth to death, and he will never commit suicide!" You killed Tao Yong, and you want to hand over the murderer!" At zhu Lan's strong request, on the evening of the 23rd, Tao Yong's body was pulled to shanghai First Medical College for autopsy. After the autopsy, the forensic doctor made the conclusion that "he drowned before he died" based on the fact that Tao Yong's lungs had water. Explaining his conclusions, the forensic doctor said: "I am inconclusive as to whether the deceased threw himself into the well or was pushed into the well and drowned. To determine whether to commit suicide or homicide, the scene must be surveyed, and after the deceased was pulled out of the well, the scene was destroyed and could not be traced deeply. ”
After Tao Yong's tragic death, he was not only expelled from the party and the military, but also hundreds of his old subordinates in the East China Sea Fleet were subjected to zhulian.
Tao Yong's old comrade-in-arms, Xu Shiyou, then commander of the Nanjing Military Region, extended a helping hand, and he took several homeless children of the Tao family to his side to take care of him, and said: "What traitors and spies are nonsense!" I know your dad best, he's good!" He also sent Tao Yong's children to the troops under his jurisdiction to serve as soldiers and protect them.
Chen Yi, who was also in a difficult situation at that time, as Tao Yong's old superior, after receiving the report of "Tao Yong's suicide," said with great emotion: "Comrade Tao Yong is not 'suicide,' and there is a big problem with his death, and one day I will face Chairman Chen and explain this issue clearly!" In late January, when Mao Zedong summoned the veteran marshals at the Great Hall of the People, Chen Yi reported to Mao about Tao Yong's murder, expulsion from the party and the military, and condemnation as a traitor. He said to Mao Zedong, "Chairman, do you know about Tao Yong?" Mao Zedong stood up alertly and asked, "What happened to Tao Yong?" Chen Yi replied, "Expelled from the party and the military, and set up a traitor!" After hearing this, Mao Zedong slammed the pencil in his hand on the coffee table, and after saying a "nonsense," he excitedly "ordered" Chen Yi: "You immediately call Shanghai and say that Mao Zedong is Tao Yong's royalist, and see which one dares to overthrow him!" Listening to Mao Zedong's words, Chen Yi choked up and said: "Chairman, it is late..." Mao Zedong immediately understood and said, "Well, don't say it, I know!" Then he turned around and walked heavily toward the sofa. After a while, he said to the veteran marshals present: "You don't have to report, I know everything you want to say..." A few days later, Mao Zedong signed the "Eight-Point Order" of the Central Military Commission, promulgated the immediate implementation of the whole army, and explicitly ordered the army not to engage in the "four majors" and maintain the stability of the army.
On January 5, 1975, the comeback Deng Xiaoping became vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. On 15 October of the same year, Deng Xiaoping reviewed the report of the Navy Party Committee on the examination of Tao Yong's case and immediately issued an instruction: "Comrade Tao Yong has made meritorious achievements in battle, and he must show comrade Tao Yong a lesson." Unfortunately, as Deng Xiaoping was overthrown again, the matter of rehabilitating Tao Yong against Zhaoxue was dragged down again.
On July 18, 1977, the ceremony for the placement of Tao Yong's ashes was solemnly held at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing. Li Xiannian, Xu Shiyou, Su Yu, leaders of the central party, government, and army, as well as naval commanders and fighters, attended the ceremony on behalf of hundreds of people. On July 29, the Party Committee of the Navy issued the "Notice on Restoring the Reputation of Comrade Tao Yong zhaoxue" to the troops.
Although Tao Yong, a generation of generals, was finally completely rehabilitated, did he commit suicide or kill him? In February 1979, as soon as the new naval commissar Ye Fei arrived, some people raised the question. Ye Fei is Tao Yong's old comrade-in-arms, and Tao Yong's persecution to death and the unknown cause of death are problems that he cannot let go. After arriving at his post, Ye Fei personally deployed and organized forces to conduct a comprehensive and meticulous investigation. Unfortunately, due to the lack of direct evidence, the so-called "Tao Yong suicide" problem has still not made a breakthrough. General Su Yu always regarded the failure to find out the truth about Tao Yong's murder as a major regret for life, and repeatedly instructed relevant personnel to write a book for Tao Yong in order to commemorate his exploits, publicize his moral character, and let future generations learn. In 1984, in his last days, General Su Yu repeatedly mentioned his old comrade-in-arms Tao Yong, and said with regret: "I have a great regret in my life, that is, I have not been able to find out the case of Tao Yong's murder in my lifetime."
——Excerpted from the Tenth Issue of Party History, No. 10, 2017
Author: Wang Shuren
Editor: Jiang Chuting
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