On the thrilling revolutionary road, Chairman Mao was often in danger. Therefore, the selection of security personnel for Chairman Mao is a matter of caution, because this is directly related to Chairman Mao's safety.
Chen Long, known as the "modern Zhao Zilong", is one of these "Great Inner Masters". During the Chongqing negotiations, Chen Long served as Chairman Mao's personal bodyguard for 43 days before returning safely to Yan'an. Chairman Mao gave Chen Long a four-word evaluation: Loyalty and loyalty.
However, when the Central Committee tried to transfer Chen Long to Beijing several times to take charge of Chairman Mao's defense work, Chen Long refused. When Chairman Mao learned of this, he was unhappy in his heart: People don't want to come, so forget it!
What's going on here?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="6" >01 Chen Long, who refused to transfer the center three times</h1>
Chen Long, formerly known as Liu Hanxing, was born in 1910 in Fushun, Liaoning. When he was young, Chen Long loved to read the "Complete Biography of Yue Yue" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and regarded Yue Fei and Zhao Zilong as his idols, determined to be like them.
After graduating from middle school, Chen Long threw himself into the Rong and joined the Northeast Army. However, in the face of the Japanese attack, the Northeast Army's non-resistance behavior made him very chilled. After the September 18 Incident, he and the rest of the northeast army generals who did not want to be slaves to the country revolted and established the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army.
It was during this period that Chen Long's heroic performance in resisting the Japanese Kou attracted the attention of the communists Li Yanlu and Zhou Baozhong. They felt that Chen Long had a strong patriotic atmosphere and did not have that kind of warlord style, so they slowly absorbed Chen Long into the anti-coalition team. Chen Long also successfully transformed his thinking, from a backward old-fashioned soldier to a real Communist Party member.
Later, Chen Long recalled: Zhou Baozhong, secretary of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Resistance League, had a great influence on me, and without his help, there would be no future me.
In 1935, Chen Long led the anti-coalition detachment to Tuanzi Mountain to garrison. When the Japanese troops in nearby Anning County learned of the news, they sent a Japanese puppet army led by Daisaku Fengdao to attack Tuanzi Mountain.
Based on years of experience in dealing with the Japanese puppet army, Chen Long knew that among these puppet armies, there were also some Chinese who still had a conscience, and they did not really want to die for the Japanese, but the situation made them involuntarily. Therefore, Chen Long decided to take psychological warfare and divide and rebel against the puppet army.
Sure enough, as soon as the battle began, the Japanese let these puppet troops serve as cannon fodder and fight in the front, while they themselves hid behind. According to the previous plan, Chen Long ordered his men to shout at the puppet army at the bottom of the mountain with a tin horn:
"Chinese don't fight Chinese, if you still have a conscience, lay down your weapons and fight with us against the Japanese army."
Hearing the shouts of the anti-coalition generals, some people in the puppet army began to waver and no longer actively attacked, while some die-hard elements still rushed up. After entering the firing range, Chen Long ordered the soldiers to shoot back fiercely.
These puppet soldiers, who were opponents of the anti-coalition fighters, were immediately beaten to the point of crying and shouting, and fled backwards. And those puppet armies with conscience did not want to fight, so they simply ran with them, and suddenly the team of hundreds of people hula did birds and beasts scattered. Daisaku Hojima saw that he had lost his offensive advantage at this time and had to order a retreat.
Where would Chen Long let them run so easily, and immediately ordered the troops to pursue, annihilating more than two hundred puppet troops on the spot and taking more than one hundred prisoners.
However, Chen Long was not satisfied with this result, and in order to take advantage of the victory to pursue, he sent people to investigate the movements of Fengdao Dazuo, and finally found the traces of Fengdao Dazuo in Eight Keshutun, 30 miles away.
After learning the news, Chen Long did not hesitate for a moment and immediately led his troops to Eight Keshutun to pursue. In the end, the terrified Fengdao Daisaku was killed, and most of the remaining five hundred Japanese puppet troops were annihilated, and the anti-coalition fighters won a complete victory, which greatly enhanced the confidence of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance in fighting.
Chen Long's military talent was appreciated by Zhou Baozhong, who wrote in the diary of the Anti-Japanese League: Liu Hanxing (Chen Long) had his own ideas for fighting, and in the face of the enemy's heavy encirclement, he could always dial four or two thousand pounds and lead the army to turn the crisis into safety.
In 1936, under the sponsorship of Zhou Baozhong, Chen Long was sent by his superiors to study at the Soviet Military Academy and was assigned to the Eighth Branch of the Oriental University in Moscow. At the end of 1938, after two years of study in the Soviet Union, Chen Long was ordered to go to Yan'an to engage in party security work, and his battlefield was shifted from the front line to the hidden front.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="131" >02 "My bodyguard will choose this "takefu"! ”</h1>
On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender, and the arduous War of Resistance Against Japan finally won victory. However, Chiang Kai-shek never allowed the Communist Party and the Communist army to exist and actively planned a civil war.
At that time, public opinion was yearning for peace, and if a civil war were to be launched at this time, public opinion would be unfavorable to the Kuomintang; moreover, it would take time to transport the army. Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek decided to set up a "Hongmen Banquet" in Chongqing and invited Mao Zedong and others to Chongqing for peace talks.
Of course, Chiang Kai-shek did not want to sincerely negotiate peace; he cleverly believed that Mao Zedong would certainly not dare to come, and when the time came, he would put up the hat of refusing peace talks and destroying peace, so that there would be an excuse to start a civil war.
Chairman Mao certainly knew Chiang Kai-shek's wolf ambitions very well. However, for the sake of the peaceful aspirations of the entire Chinese people and to expose Chiang Kai-shek's conspiracy of fake peace and real civil war, Chairman Mao decided to go to Chongqing for negotiations, whether it was Longtan or the Tiger's Den.
Chairman Mao's decision was opposed by many people in the Party, who unanimously agreed that it was too dangerous. But as long as it is something that Chairman Mao decides, it is useless for others to refute it.
In fact, Chairman Mao also knew the safety of this trip, so he also made the worst plan, allowing Liu Shaoqi to temporarily act as chairman, and at the same time, together with Zhou Enlai, made meticulous arrangements for personnel affairs within the party. The purpose is clear, and if something really happens to him, the revolutionary cause can continue.
Now that Chairman Mao had made the decision to go to Chongqing, the next step was to make careful arrangements for the defense of Chairman Mao and other leaders.
Kang Sheng and Li Kenong, who were in charge of security work, found several people who were highly skilled in martial arts and were absolutely loyal to the party to serve as guards for Chairman Mao, but Chairman Mao was not very satisfied and decided to personally order the generals himself.
Chairman Mao took out a cigarette and smoked it, and when the cigarette was almost exhausted, he suddenly turned around and asked Li Kenong in front of him:
"Is there a man named Chen Long in your troops?"
After listening to Chairman Mao's inquiry, Li Kenong and Kang Sheng looked at each other and tried to recall Chen Long as a person. After a while, Li Kenong told Chairman Mao that he did have such a person under his hands.
Subsequently, Li Kenong briefly introduced Chen Long to Chairman Mao:
Chen Long once served as chief of staff in the Northeast Anti-Japanese Coalition Army, has more than ten years of experience in the army, has excellent command skills and adaptability, and is also very skilled, and now he is serving as the director of the third room of the Central Social Department, which is indeed an excellent candidate.
However, Li Kenong immediately said:
"It's just that this man has a small flaw — his temper is very bad, and I'm afraid of offending the chairman."
After listening to Li Kenong's words, Chairman Mao laughed loudly:
"No one is perfect, no one is perfect, everyone can't be perfect, my bodyguard will choose this "takefu"." ”
In this way, Chen Long was personally ordered by Chairman Mao to become Chairman Mao's personal bodyguard who rushed to Chongqing. Before leaving Yan'an, Li Kenong made a special instruction to Chen Long:
"Although you have 20 years of experience in the military, you are very skilled. But Chairman Mao's safety is of paramount importance, and you must be ready to sacrifice at any time. ”
Chen Long nodded firmly!
Chen Long
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="132" >03 "Three Dragon Escort"</h1>
After accepting the task, Chen Long knew the heavy responsibility, in order to ensure that he would never make any mistakes, Chen Long would get up early every day and practice pistol shooting and aiming at the pumpkin in the ravine. At night, he still did not rest, lit a blazing incense dozens of meters away, and then shot with a double gun in his hand to practice precision.
After a period of practice of sleeping and forgetting to eat, Chen Long's marksmanship had reached the point of being magical, and as long as he fired, he could hit the target.
In addition to practicing marksmanship, Chen Long also took the initiative to grasp the relevant situation in Chongqing. He repeatedly consulted the comrades who had returned from Chongqing and humbly asked them about Chongqing's customs, customs, and enemy conditions, so that when encountering a situation, he would be able to stay in danger and not be chaotic.
After all the preparations, Chairman Mao and his party were about to set off. In addition to Chen Long, the core guards of this trip also have Yan Tailong and Long Feihu, so this trip to Chongqing is also known as the escort of the three dragons.
At three o'clock in the afternoon of August 28, 1945, Chairman Mao's plane slowly landed at Chongqing Airport. After the hatch opened, Chairman Mao, wearing a Panama helmet hat, walked out of the hatch, and suddenly, the people waiting at the scene gave a cheer, and a large group of Chinese and foreign reporters poured in to interview Chairman Mao.
The scene was so crowded that Chairman Mao could not see Shen Junru, a Kuomintang deputy who had come to pick him up, and could only hear his voice.
At this time, Chen Long was a little nervous in his heart, and he clung to Chairman Mao's side, afraid of a little accident. After a brief period of confusion, the guards took Chairman Mao to Chiang Kai-shek's official residence in the forest garden to attend the banquet prepared by Chiang Kai-shek.
At the banquet, Chairman Mao and Chiang Kai-shek sat side by side, Chairman Mao called Chiang Kai-shek "Mr. Chiang Kai-shek," Chiang Kai-shek called Chairman Mao "Runzhi," and the leaders of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party had a lively conversation.
However, Chen Long and the others in charge of security had a serious face and kept scanning all corners of the venue, which was incompatible with the warm atmosphere of the venue.
At this time, there was a small episode at the table where Chen Long was sitting. It may be that seeing Chen Long and others dressed too shabbily, a Kuomintang officer deliberately displayed his gold watch in front of Chen Long in order to gain a sense of superiority. But Chen Long's face was calm and he didn't pay attention.
Seeing that Chen Long did not respond, the Kuomintang officer asked in a thick Zhejiang accent:
"Mr. Chen is very special, I don't know where the person is?"
"Northeasterners!"
Chen Long answered slowly.
The Kuomintang officer was surprised:
"Unbelievable, your Chairman Mao is from Hunan, why is Mr. Chen from northeast China?" You're kidding. ”
Chen Long did not smile and asked very seriously. ：
"Listening to the accent, you must be from Zhejiang, right?"
The Kuomintang officer replied:
"Yes, we are all devoted."
Chen Long nodded:
"That's right, Chairman Jiang is Fenghua."
Chen Long continued:
"Our Party members will not be nepotistic, our principle is to contribute to the people. None of us here are from Xiangtan, Hunan. For example, Lieutenant Long is from Jiangxi. ”
The Kuomintang officer asked provocatively:
"What Mr. Chen said may not be correct."
Chen Long calmly replied:
"None of us have a Xiangtan accent, and what I say is true."
At the banquet, the Kuomintang guards poured Chen Long a lot of wine and tried to ask many questions related to Chairman Mao, hoping to get something useful from Chen Long's mouth.
However, Chen Long is a northeasterner and has spent two years in the Soviet Union, and the amount of alcohol he drinks is comparable to that of these southerners from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. After a few rounds, the Kuomintang guards were all drunk, but Chen Long remained sober.
After the banquet, the Kuomintang placed Chairman Mao and his party in the garden villa to rest, and Chen Long and other guards thoroughly checked the safety of the room before allowing Chairman Mao to enter the room.
During the break, Chen Long and other guards pretended to sleep soundly, but they held pistols tightly in their hands. At midnight, there were slight footsteps outside the corridor, and Chen Long immediately became alert, quietly snoring, squinting out the window. It turned out that a few gendarmes had sneaked over and left after a while, and Chen Long was finally relieved.
Throughout the night, the Kuomintang gendarmes probed the window, and Chen Long had not slept all night, pretending to sleep on the surface, but secretly monitoring the wind and grass around him. In this way, under the escort of Chen Long and others, Chairman Mao spent his first night in Chongqing.
On the 29th, negotiations officially began. The two sides were very different, especially on some major issues, such as the establishment of the army, it was difficult to reach a unity of opinion, and the Kuomintang had no sincerity in negotiations, the negotiations once reached an impasse, and the sky over Chongqing was full of gunpowder.
At this time, Chen Long intercepted the intelligence, and the Kuomintang military unification was eager to move, and even said that he wanted to exchange his life for Mao Zedong's life. Chen Long hurriedly reported this information to Zhou Enlai, who attached great importance to it, making careful arrangements on the one hand to ensure that nothing was wrong; on the other hand, to exert pressure on the Kuomintang. Under the pressure of Zhou Enlai, the secret service led by Dai Kasa finally did not dare to act rashly.
Seeing that the smell of gunpowder over Chongqing was getting stronger and stronger, and the negotiations could not reach any results, Zhou Enlai proposed to the Kuomintang deputies:
"Chairman Mao Zedong has been in Chongqing for more than a month, and it is difficult for the KMT and the CPC to reach an agreement on certain issues in the short term, so we have decided to let Chairman Mao return to Yan'an first."
It is difficult to see the results of the negotiations, and the Kuomintang side has to agree.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="158" >04 "I may not be a good fit to work with Chairman Mao</h1>."
On October 11, 1945, under the escort of Chen Long and others, Chairman Mao returned safely to Yan'an, ending the 43-day Chongqing negotiations. When the plane stopped on the runway, Chen Long felt that the thousand-pound burden on his body had finally been unloaded, and the nerves that had been tense could finally be relaxed.
Chen Long's outstanding performance in the Chongqing negotiations was praised by the leaders and comrades, and also affirmed by Chairman Mao. When Li Kenong asked Chairman Mao how well Chen Long's defense work was being done, Chairman Mao said:
"Faithful!"
Later, at a work report of the Central Ministry of Social Affairs, Chairman Mao mentioned Chen Long again, and revealed the idea of wanting Chen Long to be a guard at his side. Therefore, the Ministry of Social Affairs sent Wang Taojiang, who was in charge of personnel work, to talk to Chen Long.
When Wang Taojiang clarified his intentions, Chen Long shouted excitedly:
"Really?"
During his visit to Chongqing, Chen Long gained a deeper understanding of Chairman Mao's mind, temperament, and boldness, and added to his admiration for Chairman Mao.
However, after calming down, Chen Long thought again that he was impatient and had a temper, and he might not be suitable for working next to Chairman Mao. Moreover, the chairman had a lady who was not very good at his side. Thinking of this, Chen Long was a little undecided, so he told Wang Taojiang that he would first go back to consider it and make a reply.
After a night of consideration, early the next morning, Chen Long found Wang Taojiang and said:
"Tao Jiang, I don't think I'm suitable to work next to the chairman."
"Why?"
Wang Taojiang was surprised.
Chen Long replied:
"To tell the truth, I also want to go to Chairman Mao's side, throw my head for him, and spill my blood, but you also know that I have a bad temper, I am afraid that it will affect my work, and besides, the northeast is about to start a war, and I want to go back to the northeast, where there are my former comrades-in-arms,,,."
After Wang Taojiang left, Chen Long stood where he was and thought for a long time. He asked himself from the bottom of his heart: Am I living up to Chairman Mao's trust and respect in doing so? He felt that he should go to see Chairman Mao and explain it clearly to his face.
After the guards' briefing, Chen Long walked into Chairman Mao's cave. Chairman Mao was reviewing documents, and the table was piled up with documents and books. Chen Long did not want to delay the chairman's precious time, and said straight to the point:
"Chairman, the current northeast urgently needs people, I am also a northeasterner, I have fought guerrillas there, familiar with the environment there, you see if it is ..."
Chairman Mao's request surprised Chairman Mao a little; ordinary people wanted to stay with the leaders and work, and it was rare for someone who was so willing to go to the front. To tell the truth, during the dozens of days spent together in Chongqing, Chairman Mao liked this loyal, shrewd and capable "secretary" from the heart, but what Chen Long said was also very reasonable.
Chairman Mao replied:
"Well, I agree, I hope you go to the northeast and do well."
After speaking, Chairman Mao took out a photograph from a bookcase, which was a group photo of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Wang Ruofei and others at the Jiulongpo airport in Chongqing, and Chen Long was also inside. Chairman Mao handed the photo to Chen Long:
"We're going to break up, the photo is for you, leave a souvenir!"
Chen Long took the photo, tried his best to control his feelings, and said in a trembling voice:
"I hope the chairman takes care of his body."
On the way back, Chen Long's heart was obviously much more relaxed, but he was also a little more reluctant.
After arriving in the northeast, Chen Long, as vice minister of the northeast ministry of social affairs and director of the Harbin Public Security Bureau, led the cracking of one counter-revolutionary conspiracy after another of Chiang Kai-shek and Japanese agents, effectively maintained the stability of the northeast rear base areas, and was repeatedly praised by the central authorities.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="162" >05 "People don't want to come, just forget it."</h1>
In September 1949, the founding ceremony was about to be held, and Chen Long received a letter from the leaders of the Central Ministry of Social Affairs:
"The founding of the country is imminent, the internal and external affairs of the party and the state are busier, in order to protect the absolute safety of the central leaders, it was decided to strengthen the security work, Chairman Mao mentioned you again at a meeting..."
Chairman Mao still remembered himself, and Chen Long felt warm in his heart. However, he still felt that he was not suitable for work in the central government, and he believed that in the past few years of dealing with the enemy in the northeast, he had accumulated a lot of experience, and he was convinced that he had a way to deal with the enemy elements, which was much more effective than answering the phone and listening to reports in the central office.
Moreover, he also felt that his personality was not suitable for working in the office, but preferred to fight with the enemy in the battlefield behind the enemy lines, which he felt was more enjoyable.
Thinking of this, Chen Long picked up a pen and wrote a letter to Chairman Mao, expounding his idea of staying in the northeast to work and hoping that Chairman Mao would understand.
However, after the letter was handed over, Chen Long was worried in his heart again, what would Chairman Mao think?
Shortly after the founding ceremony, Chen Long received an urgent appointment notice from the new minister of public security, Luo Ruiqing, and transferred him to Nanjing to serve as the director of the public security bureau. After receiving the appointment, Chen Long immediately set off, taking the route to Beijing and going to Nanjing to take office.
In Beijing, Chen Long stayed for a few days, visited his old superior, Minister Li Kenong, and inquired about the letter. Li Kenong told Chen Long that Chairman Mao was a little upset when he saw the letter, saying, "If people don't want to come, forget it." Li Kenong suggested that we go and meet Chairman Mao and explain.
After bidding farewell to Li Kenong and returning to his residence, Chen Long tossed and turned, and it was difficult to sleep. Chairman Mao's words struck his heart like a hammer, and he pondered repeatedly: Is it really wrong for him to do so?
The next day, he called Wang Dongxing, an old comrade-in-arms and now in charge of the defense of Zhongnanhai, and asked him to convey to Chairman Mao his wish to meet him. Wang Dongxing immediately went to seek Chairman Mao's opinion and immediately arranged for Chen Long to come to Zhongnanhai that afternoon.
Along the way, Chen Long's heart was still up and down, rejecting Chairman Mao twice, not knowing what Chairman Mao would think. However, as soon as they met, Chen Long's previous worries were eliminated, and Chairman Mao was still so enthusiastic, cheerful, and cordial that he inquired about Chen Long's work in the northeast, and Chen Long made a report one by one.
Then, Chen Long said: At present, the enemies at home and abroad are colluding in a vain attempt to crack conspiracies, and the foundation of the current investigation work is still very weak.
Chairman Mao listened carefully and nodded his head from time to time. Through this conversation, Chairman Mao understood Chen Long's wish, and the previous slight unhappiness had disappeared. Chairman Mao also encouraged Chen Long to cooperate with Luo Ruiqing, minister of public security, to spread the experience of investigation work in the northeast to other regions.
Chairman Mao's understanding and support relieved Chen Long, and he has since devoted himself more wholeheartedly to his new post.
One day in the late spring of 1954, Luo Ruiqing came to Chen Long's home and conveyed an important thing to Chen Long.
It turned out that it was Zhou Enlaigang and Luo Ruiqing who said by telephone that the central foreign affairs work is becoming more and more frequent nowadays, that Wang Dongxing alone cannot be busy, that the central authorities believe that it is necessary to strengthen security work, and that Chairman Mao believes that it is appropriate to transfer Chen Long to preside over this work.
However, at this time, Chen Long's body was not as good as before, and the heart attack caused by gas poisoning in the early years was worse than ever, and he walked from the bedroom to the living room and was out of breath.
This was the third time that Chairman Mao had transferred him to work around him, and he knew how much Chairman Mao was worried about himself, and he really wanted to go, but his physical condition really did not allow him to take on this heavy responsibility any longer. In 1958, Chen Long died of a heart attack at the age of 48.
Chen Long's three refusals to be transferred show his noble character of being consistent in appearance, open-minded, and seeking truth from facts, as well as his pure heart for the party, the leader, and himself; And Chairman Mao's trust and understanding of Chen Long also reflects his broad-minded character of not heeding his previous suspicions. This quality of the older generation of revolutionaries is exactly what our generation needs to learn!