Decipher the fierce conflict between Zhou Yang and Feng Xuefeng in 1952

　In February 1952, Feng Xuefeng concurrently served as the editor-in-chief of the "Literature and Art Daily", and Zhou Yang subsequently concurrently served as the deputy director of the Central Propaganda Department, in charge of literary and artistic work. However, as with the work of the People's Literature Publishing House, Zhou Yang also paid little attention to the "Literature and Art Newspaper" - in the 1954 "Literature and Art Newspaper" incident to be described later, Zhou Yang had to write a review for this, in jiejing's words, Zhou Yang's "concession and avoidance practice, originally intended to avoid possible contradictions, but also from this showed the weak side of his character." However, the contradiction between him and Xuefeng did not dissolve because of this, and they never talked to each other, so they were frozen."

　　Judging from the situation at that time, Zhou Yang's reasons for doing so existed for clean analysis, and another reason was that in the early years of the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were many wastes to be rebuilt, and administrative subordination and business guidance relations needed to be strengthened in all walks of life, and the same was true of the Ministry of Culture. At the same time, Zhou Yang's position in the literary and art circles is also very delicate. For example, in the rectification movement carried out in the literary and art circles at that time, "Qiao Mu, with the cooperation of Ding Ling, directly presided over the rectification of the literary and art circles, leaving Zhou Yang in a situation of doing nothing." (5) Another example is that in preparing for the second WenDai, Zhou Yang also stood on the sidelines at the beginning. All this shows that Zhou Yang's deeds in the literary and art circles are very limited.

　　(1) Hu Yuzhi: "The Feng Xuefeng I Know", in Remembering Xuefeng, China Literature and History Publishing House, 1986, p. 74.

　　(2) This statement was learned by Wang Renshu, who was transferred to the People's Literature Publishing House as vice president in 1954, from the mouth of vice president Lou Shiyi. In the 1957 meeting to criticize Ding Ling, Chen Qixia and Feng Xuefeng, which will be mentioned several times below, Wang Renshu mentioned it in his speech at the 15th meeting on August 9.

　　(3) Shu Wu Dictated by Xu Fulu: "Shu Wu Oral Autobiography", China Social Sciences Press, 2002 edition, page 256.

　　(4) JieJing: "Heart Song Thousands of Memories of Zhou Yang", in "Remembering Zhou Yang", Inner Mongolia People's Publishing House, 1998 edition, page 254.

　　(5) Zhang Guangnian: "Remembering Zhou Yang", in "Remembering Zhou Yang", Inner Mongolia People's Publishing House, 1998 edition, page 4.

　　

Intense clash of ideas

　　In fact, no matter how Zhou Yang and Feng Xuefeng avoid direct conflict, they are under the "eaves" of the literary and art circles, and they enter and exit a courtyard at the same time, not only to take pictures, but also because of their different positions and differences in understanding of the literary and artistic situation, conflicts are inevitable.

　　In the process of preparing for the second session of the Literary Congress, Zhou Yang and Feng Xuefeng had a relatively serious conflict over the current situation in the literary and art circles.

　　The Second Literary Congress was originally scheduled to be held in 1952, and the preparatory work began to be decided that Hu Qiaomu, deputy director of the Central Propaganda Department, would be in charge. Zhou Yang, secretary of the party group of the Ministry of Culture and vice chairman of the China Writers Association, who had successfully planned to take charge of the first WenDai meeting, did not expect to be participating in land reform in the countryside. Under the presidency of Hu Qiaomu, it was decided that Feng Xuefeng would draft the report of the congress on behalf of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Hu Qiaomu would make the main report on behalf of the Central Committee. However, in the process of planning and preparation, a small accident caused Zhou Yang to take over the preparatory work.

　　At that time, Hu Qiaomu advocated copying the Experience of the Soviet Union and abolishing the Literary Association. The news reached Mao Zedong, who was dissatisfied with Hu Qiaomu's practice, and in a fit of anger, he would not let Hu Qiaomu take care of this matter any longer, and sent a telegram to ask Zhou Yang to return to preside over the preparatory work. After Zhou Yang returned, the report drafted by Feng Xuefeng was not accepted, and he reorganized the report drafting team. For this reason, the WenDai meeting was postponed until 1953.

　　Why didn't Zhou Yang accept the draft report drafted by Feng Xuefeng? The reason for this is not because the relationship between the two is not harmonious, but because the two have irreconcilable differences on how to view the literary and artistic situation after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

　　The draft of Feng Xuefeng's report was later published in the "Literature and Art Newspaper" edited by him. This is the article "On Creation and Criticism" that we see today in the Xuefeng Anthology. Zhou Yang's report is entitled "Striving to Create More Excellent Literary and Artistic Works", which is included in the "Zhou Yang Anthology", Volume 2.

　　Zhou Yang and Feng Xuefeng were both well-known literary and art theorists, but at this time, the positions of the two people were different, and there were great differences in their views on current literature and art. Judging from these two reports, the main differences between the two men are concentrated on three issues: First, how to evaluate the literary and artistic work after the founding of New China, which is the premise for determining whether and to what extent the party's literary and artistic guidelines should be adjusted; second, the main reason for the backwardness of literary and artistic creation is whether it is in the party's leadership or in the writers' field; third, how to understand the relationship between literature and art and realpolitik, and how to evaluate the slogan of "writing policies."