Between Chen Geng and Chairman Mao, there have been many interesting stories, and we have introduced them several times before.
In fact, Chen Geng and Premier Zhou have a closer relationship and have known each other earlier, and the stories that have happened between them are also very exciting.
After the establishment of the Whampoa Military Academy that year, Chen Geng was admitted to the first period and met Zhou Enlai, director of the Political Department, for the first time.
The acquaintance of Chen Geng and Zhou Enlai is very "dramatic", and the reason why they put quotation marks is because when they met, Chen Geng was indeed acting.
Once, when Zhou Enlai inspected the dormitories of recruits and walked to a dormitory, he heard the chatter inside, and from time to time there was laughter. Zhou Enlai went in to see, good fellow, Chen Geng was performing a scene of a hungry and crazy short man trying to eat noodles, all kinds of exaggerated expressions, making everyone lean forward and backward, even Zhou Enlai couldn't help but laugh out loud.
As soon as everyone saw that Director Zhou was coming, they hurriedly saluted Director Zhou. Zhou Enlai looked up and down at Chen Geng with a look of liking in his eyes, and said with a smile: "Your performance is very kung fu, I also acted in a play when I was studying at Tianjin Nantian Middle School, but it is still not as good as you, I see your level of Chen Geng, you can enter the drama team!" ”
Not to mention, later Zhou Enlai and others established the Blood Flower Drama Society, and Chen Geng was an important backbone of the drama club, rehearsing many excellent programs and receiving warm welcome from everyone.
Although Chen Geng was born as a shogun, he had an air of Confucianism and elegance, and Zhou Enlai once said: "I like two Confucian intellectual generals the most." "Who? One was Peng Xuefeng, commander of the New Fourth Army Division, and the other was Chen Geng.
Chen Geng had a very high emotional intelligence, a talent for acting, and a bold and careful way to do things, and after long-term observation, Zhou Enlai thought that Chen Geng could be competent in political defense work, so he sent Chen Geng to study secretly in the Soviet Union.
In November 1927, Zhou Enlai established the Central Special Section in Shanghai, which consisted of three sections: General Affairs, Intelligence, and Security, of which the chief of the Intelligence Section was Chen Geng.
Therefore, Zhou Enlai and Chen Geng are both teacher-student relations and superior-subordinate relations, and the relationship is very close, and Chen Geng has also made very rapid progress under the guidance of Zhou Enlai.
After the Central Red Army began the Long March, Chen Geng was appointed head of the cadre regiment, tasked with defending the central organs, under the direct leadership of Zhou Enlai.
After the Central Red Army met with the Red Fourth Front, the Central Committee sent Chen Geng to see Zhang Guotao, but unexpectedly, Zhang Guotao still remembered Chen Geng's "hatred" of opposing his own implementation of the wrong line, and Coupled with Chen Geng's blunt speech, Zhang Guotao was so angry that Zhang Guotao wanted to harm Chen Geng.
After Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai discovered Zhang Guotao's plot, Zhou Enlai immediately wrote a letter to Chen Geng, suggesting that he was too dangerous with Zhang Guotao and immediately went to Mao'ergai.
Chen Geng understood Zhou Enlai's meaning and immediately set off for Mao Ergai.
There is also a more thrilling theory, zhou Enlai learned that Zhang Guotao was going to kill Chen Geng and immediately called Chen Geng and said: "Chen Geng is running fast, Zhang Guotao is going to arrest you!" Chen Geng immediately grabbed the door and came out.
When Zhou Enlai was crossing the meadow, he suddenly launched a high fever, and he could not eat tea and rice, and he was delirious. At that time, there were stretcher teams, but many of the team members were sick and could not carry Zhou Enlai. After Chen Geng learned the news, he immediately rushed over and said that if I came to be the stretcher captain, I would die of exhaustion, and I would also carry Vice Chairman Zhou out of the meadow!
At that time, Chen Geng's leg was also injured, and in the treacherous grassland environment, he gritted his teeth and carried Zhou Enlai out of the grass, saving Zhou Enlai's life.
Another time, Zhou Enlai suffered from liver abscess, because the medical conditions were too poor, the doctor could not come up with any treatment plan, and finally Chen Geng came up with an idea, saying: "Find ice cubes, cool down Vice Chairman Zhou's room, the temperature is down, it is better." ”
Sure enough, after putting ice cubes in the room, Zhou Enlai's condition was much better.
After the end of the Long March, Zhou Enlai said to Chen Geng with emotion: "You are Chiang Kai-shek's savior and my savior." ”
However, Chen Geng said indignantly: "I already knew that Chiang Kai-shek was such a person, so I did not save him at that time, and this is the biggest regret of my life!" ”
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the central government decided to set up a senior engineering and technical college in Harbin, under the responsibility of Chen Geng. After Chen Geng was appointed, the first task was to pull up a team of qualified teachers, and Chen Geng wanted to find several famous professors to teach at the school.
This matter needed Premier Zhou's approval, so Chen Geng ran to find Premier Zhou, but Premier Zhou was too busy, and Chen Geng went to look for it several times and did not find it, what to do? Chen Geng thought of a way, he ran to Premier Zhou's door and waited before Premier Zhou went to work.
However, when Premier Zhou came out, many people soon gathered around, all of whom came to ask Premier Zhou for instructions, and Chen Geng could not interject at all. In the end, Chen Geng actually followed Premier Zhou into the bathroom.
When Premier Zhou saw Chen Geng, he was stunned and said what are you doing when you come in? Chen Geng smiled bitterly and hurriedly handed the list to Premier Zhou.
Premier Zhou said helplessly: "No matter how urgent you are, you have to wait a while!" ”
Chen Geng smiled slyly, "Wait a minute? After a while, the prime minister will be gone, where can I find you? ”
Premier Zhou also smiled, took the list, looked at it, and signed it.
Chen Geng has a humorous and open-minded personality, and it is reasonable to say that such a person should live a long life, but Chen Geng was too busy at work to get rest, and eventually suffered from a serious illness, and died on March 16, 1961, at the age of 58.
At that time, Premier Zhou was holding a meeting in Guangzhou, and when he learned of this news, he was very sad and immediately called the central authorities, saying that he hoped to hold a memorial service for Chen Geng when he returned to Beijing.
On March 25, 1961, Chen Geng's memorial service was officially held in Zhongshan Park in Beijing, and Premier Zhou personally rushed to participate in it despite the fatigue of the journey, bowing deeply to this old subordinate, old comrade-in-arms, and old friend.
Premier Zhou also wrote down three "Ashes of Comrade Chen Geng" in his own handwriting and handed them to Chen Geng's wife, Fu Ya, for her to choose.
(References: "Records of Zhou Enlai's True Feelings", "Biography of Chen Geng", "Anecdotes of the Founding General")
——To learn more about the story of the founding generals, you can check out the column of the history inn, a total of 100 founding generals.