Ye Gongchao, Yuan Yongxi
"Poetry and wine are proud, and the wind and currents suddenly feel that pengshan is far away." Floating tragedy, sick bed suddenly spring dreams. --Tai Jingnong
Looking at Ye Gongchao's life, he really responded to this picture, half of his life was dashing, and half of his life was sad.
He was a famous critic, writer and calligrapher in our country, as well as a well-known diplomat of his time.
He is full of peach and plum, and there are not a few confidants with red faces. For the first half of his life, people surrounded him, flowers were brocade, and fires were cooking oil. In his lifetime, he only needs a pot of wine to talk about the Tao, and he will not wake up after a long time of drunkenness.
Such a lonely, arrogant, high-minded and pure person was abandoned in the political arena in his later years, and his situation was miserable.
In the last moments of his life, he lay alone in his hospital bed, looking toward the door with his eyes wide open, and repeating a sentence in his mouth:
"My wife and daughter are coming back to see me."
Ye Gongchao
But until he had exhausted the last of his strength, the door was still quiet, and the smooth floor was shining on the door, and lo and behold, it was so clean, it was proof that no one had come.
Yuan Yongxi, Ye Gongchao's wife, who was on his deathbed, had been married to him for 50 years. They are typical representatives of "teacher-student love", a romantic combination of university professors and young female students.
Her first marriage to Ye Gongchao caused heated discussion among everyone, and the mercurial Ye Gongchao actually chose a cold and taciturn woman, and her personality was not a match.
But when their marriage lasted for nearly 10 years and was called a "match made in heaven" by the outside world, Yuan Yongxi went to the United States with a pair of children and never set foot in the country again.
A marriage that lasted more than half a century and spent less than 10 years together. Perhaps, these two seemingly complementary people were wrong from the beginning.
Ye Gongqiu
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="7" > bad tempered literati</h1>
Although Ye Gongchao died when he was young, under the careful upbringing of his uncle Ye Gongqiu, he did not have any sense of inferiority under the fence.
On the contrary, he has a big temper and a proud temperament since he was a child, not to mention his classmates, even the elders have upset him, and he should still be scolded.
But such a straight, unobstructed person has never worried people in reading and learning.
All the way to the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom master's student, after graduation to work as a researcher at the University of Paris in France, he was stunned to give up this excellent job in the eyes of others, and returned to China with his eyes.
As soon as he returned to the country, he went to Peking University to teach, and before and after, he served as a professor of disciplines at Jinan University, Tsinghua University and other well-known universities in China.
When he goes out, he wears a suit in all four seasons of spring and autumn, his head is right, his combing is meticulous, and his whole body is spotless. This is a person who pays a lot of attention to personal image.
But Ye Gongchao's temperament was really not good. In class, he did not often use the traditional way of teaching by teachers, but let the students read the textbooks one by one in the order of seats.
After reading a paragraph, he waved his hand again to show that he stopped, and asked lazily, "Is there anything you don't understand?" ”
If a student doesn't know how to ask questions, he will say out loud, "Look up the dictionary." ”
If the student continues to ask, "These words are not found in the dictionary." ”
He raised an eyebrow and raised his voice: "Your dictionary is useless, change to the Oxford Dictionary." ”
Then the wind and waves calmed down, and the reading continued until the end of the lesson.
Just such a seemingly inconspicuous person, but he is respected as a "literary and artistic talent".
During his tenure, Ye Gongchao taught a number of courses in the school, from English literature to English drama, from novels, modern poetry to drama and so on.
In these courses that looked different from each other, he was at ease and talked about them.
People always tolerate good people, and his behavior is naturally filtered by outsiders, praising him for his eclecticism and celebrity style.
At this time, Ye Gongchao was worthy of a gentle and proud voice. He has never experienced twists and turns, never disdains to be vain with others, and he has always been accustomed to hitting targets directly.
During the lecture, Ye Gongchao looked at Zhao Luorui, who was outstanding in appearance and brilliant in literature, and he did not have any worries, and directly came to her to express his admirations.
But after Zhao Luorui thought about it, she chose to reject the pursuit of this star professor.
She praised Ye Gongchao's knowledge and his ability: "The books in his room cover the walls and hit the ceiling. He had ten lines at a glance, and there was no book he didn't know. ”
Zhao Luorui (first from the left)
However, Zhao Luorui was far away from this professor's temperament.
In her opinion, even if this man has more ability, he cannot restrain his temper, just like a cannon barrel that will explode at any time next to him, and one day he will hurt others and hurt himself.
Ye Gongchao, who was rejected by Zhao Luorui, did not pester, since the woman had no intention, he could not do anything offensive. And there are so many women in the world, if this doesn't work, then change it.
At this time, another woman, Yuan Yongxi, appeared in front of him.
Yuan Yongxi is the school flower of Yenching University, her eyebrows are cold, she does not apply powder, her body exudes the coldness and cleanliness of alpine snow, and her temperament is introverted.
Looking at Ye Gongchao, he is comfortable in eyebrows, happy to communicate, enthusiastic in dealing with things, and exposed in temperament.
Yuan Yongxi
There is a saying that people with diametrically opposite temperaments are fit together because together they complement each other to form a perfect circle.
As soon as Ye Gongchao met Yuan Yongxi, he was attracted by her cool temperament and unpretentious behavior.
When Yuan Yongxi was with him, he would not say anything more, and deliberately did some kind of measure to attract his attention, just standing naturally, quietly listening to his bold words.
When Ye Gongchao, who was talking loudly on the side, saw Yuan Yongxi's idyllic appearance, the whole person also frowned and couldn't help but laugh.
He thought that this was what he wanted, and the woman who really fit him was the partner he wanted to accompany for the rest of his life.
He inquired about Yuan Yongxi's hobbies and past, threw himself into his favor, and launched a fierce pursuit offensive.
Such a handsome and excellent man pursued himself, and Yuan Yongxi's perennial waveless heart lake also began to ripple.
As the saying goes, the spirited woman is afraid of pestering Lang, especially such a clean and self-righteous, excellent and outstanding Lang Jun.
Yuan Yongxi had just graduated, and on June 30, 1931, the couple who loved each other held a wedding and swore a lifelong commitment.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="14" > couples get along</h1>
Yuan Yongxi agreed to Ye Gongchao's pursuit and married him. When this news came out, many people did not dare to believe it.
It seemed to them to be people of two worlds, one in a noisy and noisy place, one in a cold equipment room; one surrounded and talking, and one cold and alone in experimentation.
They're all excellent, but they don't seem to fit in very well.
But marriage gets along, such as people drinking water, cold and warm self-knowledge. Whether it is good or not, fortunately unhappy, but also the person concerned has to appear to say.
When Ye Gongchao was a university professor, students and disciples often visited his home and asked for advice.
Soon after his new marriage, a disciple went to Ye Gongchao's house.
As soon as I entered the door, I saw only a woman with a clear soup and a plain cloth, sitting at the table and quietly reading. Ye Gongchao introduced that this was his wife Yuan Yongxi.
During the conversation between the disciple and the teacher, Yuan Yongxi brought a cup of tea and sat not far away to continue reading the book, without intervening in their conversation.
She and Ye Gongchao didn't say anything, but they could see that their eyes shifted by chance, their eyes bumped into each other's eyes, and then they looked at each other and smiled.
After the disciple left, he and his companions felt that Teacher Ye and his master and mother were really a natural couple with a deep friendship.
Ye Gongchao (first from the right)
Only a year after their marriage, Yuan Yongxi gave birth to their first child, Xiao Qianjin, and Ye Gongchao named him "Ye Tong".
Within a few years, Yuan Yongxi gave birth to a second child, a young boy, named "Ye Wei".
The names of the two children come from the book of verses: "Jing Nu Qi's wife, Yi I Tong Guan." Tong Guan Youwei said that the woman was beautiful. ”
In the name of the child, Ye Gongchao's admiration for his wife is deeply hidden, and it is his affectionate confession to her.
At that time, all the people who knew them admired the feelings between the couple, praised Yuan Yongxi, and thought that she was a standard virtuous wife and mother.
But feelings have never been smooth. Just as the friendship of many lovers can withstand the fierce wind and waves, but it is consumed by chai rice oil and salt.
The feelings between Ye Gongchao and Yuan Yongxi are inevitably troubled by the trivialities of life. And Ye Gongchao's undisguised temper has further increased the rift in this marriage.
Wu Mi
One night, Wu Mi went to Ye's house for dinner, and the meal did not meet Ye Gongchao's taste.
Ye Gongchao was like a barrel of explosives that had ignited the lead and exploded.
He threw his chopsticks to the ground and pointed at Yuan Yongxi in front of the guests. The situation is like poking a honeycomb and looking out of control.
But in the face of her husband's accusations, Yuan Yongxi did not refute them, she stood on the sidelines and quietly listened to these hurtful words, without saying a word.
After Ye Gongchao finished venting, she argued according to reason:
"As a housewife, the meals were not to taste and I was responsible. But it is also inappropriate for you to lose your temper in front of your guests. ”
As soon as this remark came out, the scene was suddenly silent, and Ye Gongchao's anger disappeared in an instant, and he felt even more ashamed and apologized to Yuan Yongxi.
What might have been a big quarrel did not appear, and everything was suppressed by Yuan Yongxi's three words and two words.
Wu Mi even praised Yuan Yongxi, and he even praised in the "Diary of Wu Mi": "Deeply admire Xi as a superb woman." ”
But has this really passed? Ye Gongchao's words were really like a white colt crossing the gap, not paying attention?
No, it's not. Every so-called "blunt and quick talk" of Ye Gongchao is a hurtful sentence and a nail nailed in people's hearts.
He apologized, and the nail was removed, but the marks of the nail were still there.
The crack had been caused, the wall had been destroyed, and it only took an accident, like a pusher, and with a gentle push, the wall fell.
"Accidents" soon appeared.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="20" > change</h1>
Due to the war and the fall of the country, Ye Gongchao sent his wife and children abroad for refuge, and the feelings between the husband and wife were only maintained by letters.
Mao Gongding
And because Yuan Yongxi has an introverted personality and can't say those words of love, love, and thoughts, Ye Gongchao thought that his wife's feelings for him had changed and he didn't like himself.
This provoked his rebellious mentality, and for a time, he did not believe much abroad. The couple's relationship is at an impasse.
At this time, Ye Gongchao received a letter from his uncle Ye Gongqi, asking him to help protect Mao Gongding, and he suspected that his concubine Pan Clan would betray the news of China's cultural relics and disclose it to the Japanese.
Mao Gongding was a heavy vessel from the time of King Xuanwang (827-781 BC) in the late Western Zhou Dynasty of China, and there are 3 lines of inscriptions cast in his abdomen, which is the longest inscription in the bronze vessels excavated so far, with a total of 497 characters (another said to be 499 characters). In the ranks of Chinese bronzes, it has irreplaceable precious value.
Mao Gongding inscription
Since Mao Gongding was unearthed in the last years of the Qing Dynasty, it has attracted the attention of forces from all sides, and no one or country does not want to take it for themselves. Under the wrong yin and yang, Mao Gongding fell into Ye Gong's hands.
But the arrival of Mao Gongding, for Ye Gongcheng, the disaster was greater than the blessing. How can a country's heavy weapon be protected by an individual?
Seeing that Mao Gongding was in danger, out of gratitude to his uncle and a patriotic heart, Ye Gongchao resolutely rushed to Shanghai.
He transferred Mao Gongding before the Japanese gendarmerie searched Yefu, but he himself was arrested.
In order to vent his anger, the Japanese army imposed cruel criminal punishments such as flogging and waterboarding on him, and this Zhengzheng boy all endured it and kept silent, waiting for the opportunity.
During this period, his cousin Ye Chongfan went to visit him, and Ye Gongchao sent a message to his friends through Ye Chongfan.
When the Japanese offensive eased, Ye Gongchao immediately contacted his cousin and asked the Ye family to find someone to forge the fake Mao Gongding.
Finally, relying on the fakes handed in and the huge bail money, Ye Gongchao finally walked out of prison after 49 days of detention and torture, and saw the light of day.
The Mao Gongding incident caused Ye Gongchao to suffer to the end, and between the tribulations, Ye Gongchao inevitably had a good feeling for his cousin Ye Chongfan.
At the lowest point, when life and death are unpredictable, there is a gentle woman around, running around for herself. Ye Gongchao was undoubtedly very moved, and he even mistook this feeling for love.
Ye Chongfan had long admired his multi-learned cousin, and his heart was secretly relaxed. Lang has affection, concubines have intentions. The two began to go in and out of pairs together, ambiguous.
At the beginning, Ye Gongchao also warned himself that no matter what, they were nominal cousins and could not do such "beast" things.
Moreover, if you have a wife and children, you must not betray your family.
But Ye Gongchao looked at his cousin's admiring and dependent eyes, felt her delicacy and beauty, and he seemed to be out of his soul, enjoying everything he shouldn't enjoy.
Before long, he was completely immersed in the tight net that the young girl had woven with tenderness, and he could not extricate himself.
This nearly 40-year-old man and the young woman are caught in a whirlpool called "love", and Ye Gongchao also believes that he has returned to his youth, with the unique restlessness and expectations of teenagers.
There is a situation between a man and a woman, every move is flawed, and the relationship between the cousins has begun to spread secretly.
Yuan Yongxi, who was far away in the United States, was unaware of the many changes that had taken place in the country, and she only heard ominous news from other people, and Ye Gong had derailed his cousin.
Yuan Yongxi couldn't even believe the news, she never thought that Ye Gongchao would betray their feelings and betray the marriage.
This Yuan Yongxi, who seems not to look at everything in his eyes, has long been deeply rooted in Ye Gongchao's feelings, she is just not good at expressing herself, which does not mean that she does not have her own demands and persistence.
Ye Gongchao (second from right in the second row)
She quickly rushed back to China, found Ye Gongchao, who was still immersed in the love between her and her cousin, and forced him to ask him if he really wanted to give up this marriage and choose her.
Ye Gongchao, the dream woke up.
He was panicked. He was grateful to his cousin for his dedication to him and for her gentleness. But he never wanted to be separated from Yuan Yongxi.
This macho man was humbled as never before.
He lied to Yuan Yongxi, the rumors that he and his cousin had been false before, she was his cousin, how could the two be together.
Yuan Yongxi chose to believe her husband's words.
Unexpectedly, it wasn't long before she learned the truth, Ye Chongfan was Ye Gongqiu's adopted daughter, and she and Ye Gongchao did not have any blood relationship at all.
This is undoubtedly another huge blow, and Yuan Yongxi must make a decision on her husband's "betrayal".
She remembered that when she was a child, her father died, and only a few young children were left to huddle together for warmth, yuan Yongxi and his siblings had no elders to watch over, no one to love, and even no financial resources.
But they still supported each other, stood up, and survived by relying on the antique calligraphy and paintings in the sellers to continue to study.
This is her sad past, but this unfortunate experience has also created this woman's iron bones that are not bent.
She would not be spoiled, she would not say those nice thoughts, but she did her best to tolerate Ye Gongchao's naivety and anger, and run this small family well little by little.
She is indifferent to the outside and still restrained internally.
Looking absolutely rational, it is only because she knows that crying is useless, the truth is that you are right, the human heart is not on you, and it is useless to forcibly retain.
Ye Gongchao visits Vietnam
Maybe it was wrong in the beginning, how can a fire and a piece of ice coexist?
Yuan Yongxi still did not cry in the end, she just remained silent, cleaned up the family, and led her children on the road away from home.
As for her husband, who was thrown behind her, listening to his confession, there were no longer waves in her heart, and the pain had accumulated to a certain extent, and she had long been numb.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="30" > lonely old age</h1>
The departure of his lover made Ye Gongchao a bit decadent, and the Mao Gongding incident also changed his previous thinking, he did not want to stay in the original place anymore, sleep alone, and no longer feared the political turmoil.
At the invitation of Dong Xianguang, he went to the Commissioner of the International Propaganda Department of the Central Propaganda Department of the National Government in Malaya, and randomly left this sad place.
Dong Xianguang
With excellent English proficiency, Ye Gongchao showed his diplomatic ability that few people matched, he did not prepare a manuscript, and only improvised his speech with solid language proficiency and intellectual ability, surprising the audience.
Known as a "diplomatic prodigy", he rose through the ranks from commissioner to permanent secretary of foreign affairs to minister of foreign affairs.
He had infinite scenery outside, wild bees and butterflies, but he refused with a gentle smile. Back at home, turn on the lights, there was only a lonely room, and even the air was silent.
Yuan Yongxi, a physics researcher at the University of California, immersed herself in the lab all day and looked at the numbers on the instrument table.
Occasionally idle, or can't help but think of that person, think of his laughter, his anger, his ambitions, his helplessness.
Ye Gongchao brought Yuan Yongxi and his son Ye Wei to the United States
They are still not divorced, one in the United States, one in Taipei, tacitly maintaining this relationship between husband and wife in name only.
Sometimes Ye Gongchao needed a female companion to attend the banquet, and Yuan Yongxi would deliberately rush over.
She took him by the arm and accompanied him into the ballroom, listening to his conversations with other politicians, smiling quietly and silently, as ever.
When the banquet was over and she walked out the door, she would unceremoniously shake off his arm and turn around and set foot on the way back to California, without saying a word to him.
This state of affairs has been going on for many years.
Until 1961, because of Mongolia's accession to the United Nations, Ye Gongchao was caught between the United States and the old Chiang Kai-shek, became a tool for the old Chiang Kai-shek to get angry, and was urgently recalled to Taiwan and relieved of his post.
The scene of guests in the past is no longer there. This man, whose wife and children were not around and who had no power, began to paint.
Ye Gongchao ink bamboo diagram
Paint orchids, paint bamboo. Because Mozhu can best express his depression, he also paints more bamboo.
Occasionally, I chatted with a few old friends and talked about my family. He also insisted that his wife and children could not understand his pursuit and career.
In the face of the teasing laughter of others, Ye Gongchao still insisted: "It was originally." ”
But sometimes with a sigh: "It is difficult to return home." ”
Just like this, living alone, reminiscing. In his old age, Ye Gongchao's health became worse and worse.
He was admitted to the hospital, and while he was sick, he wrote "Trivia in Illness", which contained the following passage:
"Looking back on this life, I actually feel that I am the protagonist of the tragedy, I have a big temper all my life, and I have eaten this loss, but I can't change it, and I can't help but lose my temper."
Ye Gongchao in diplomatic occasions
Yes, looking back at this life, he has missed too much because of this temperament, and love and affection have also left him.
He already understood the mistakes he had made when he was young and vigorous, but time would not come again, and Yuan Yongxi would not give himself the opportunity to make up for it.
She has always enjoyed herself, and she can live well alone, not to mention that her children are also by her side and with her. My husband and father really didn't care.
Ye Gongchao's illness is getting more and more serious, and occasionally old friends come to visit him, but they also have their own lives, and they will leave after some greetings.
He had been thinking about his family, and the news of his serious illness had spread, but why had his wife and children not come to see him.
Ye Gongchao was lying on the hospital bed, his eyes were looking at the door in a daze, he longed for a scene, his wife and children pushed the door open and walked in and told him that they had forgiven him. Then he will be satisfied.
But he didn't wait for anything.
Until Ye Gong died of overweight illness, Yuan Yongxi and his two sons and daughters did not return to Taipei, only a pair of ties sent by Yuan Yongxi's trustees:
"Beacon Fire has formed an alliance, and the family has a weak heart and a light farewell." Danqing left historical relics, and the tear stains of Youlan Xiuzhu were deep and shallow. ”
Not seeing in this life, those close to her are separated from the body, which is her greatest revenge against Ye Gongchao.