Mao Zedong's "YaLiang" and Liang Shuming's "One Tendon"

For a long time, people relished the "enmity" between Mao Zedong and Liang Shuming, teasing Mao Zedong at the 1953 National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference because of his different views, and severely criticizing Liang Shuming, which seemed to have no "grace". In fact, this is a misreading. Looking back at the scene at that time and putting himself in the shoes of Mao Zedong, we can see that Mao Zedong was still very personable and "elegant".

The relationship between Mao Zedong and Liang Shuming was extraordinary, and there was a deep friendship. The two had known each other before the May Fourth Movement. At that time, Mao Zedong worked as a librarian at Peking University, and often went to the home of Yang Huaizhong, a professor at Peking University and Yang Kaihui's father, where he met Liang Shuming. At that time, Liang Shuming was a member of the League, teaching Indian philosophy at Peking University, and Yang Huaizhong was also a teacher at Peking University, and the two had a very strong relationship. Although Mao Zedong met with Liang Shuming, Liang was not deeply impressed by Mao Zedong.

Thirty years later, in 1938, Liang Shuming, who had progressive ideas, learned that the Communist Party was flourishing in Yan'an, and Liang Shuming was very interested in the construction of rural areas in northern Shaanxi, so he proposed to Chiang Kai-shek to visit Yan'an. At that time, when the Kuomintang and the Communists were cooperating, Mao Zedong expressed a warm welcome. After Liang Shuming arrived in Yan'an, Mao Zedong had many long talks with him on the issue of rural construction in China.

After the founding of New China, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai invited Liang Shuming, who was still in Chongqing, to come to Beijing to join the Communist Party of China and serve as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Since then, Chairman Mao and Liang Shuming have had very frequent exchanges, and there have been meetings almost every one or two months, and the topics discussed have been extensive, and the atmosphere of the conversations has been frank and calm. Of course, due to different identities, one is a cultural reformist and the other is a Marxist; one understands China from a cultural perspective, and the other understands China from a political perspective. The two inevitably argued, and neither could convince the other. But after the argument, it was over, and the relationship between the two was still very good.

Who knew there would be a debate at that conference? This controversy in public has caused the relationship between the two to take a sharp turn for the worse, and they can no longer return to the harmony of the past.

It was September 8, 1953, when the CPPCC Standing Committee was enlarged, Zhou Enlai made a report on the general line for the transitional period, and Liang Shuming attended the meeting as a cppcc member. At the meeting on the 11th, Liang Shuming talked about his views on implementing the general line. When it comes to the question of peasants, he expresses his opinion bluntly: "After entering the city, the focus of work shifted to the city. In recent years, the lives of workers in the cities have improved rapidly, while the peasants in the countryside have remained miserable. Some people say that the living of the workers in nine days and the peasants in nine lands are worthy of attention. It would be inappropriate to engage in construction if it neglected or omitted the peasants. In particular, when the CCP became the leading party, it mainly relied on the peasants in the past, and if you ignore them today, people will say that you have gone to the city and disliked them. ”

When Mao Zedong found out, he was very dissatisfied with Liang Shuming's speech. On the 12th, Mao Zedong made an impromptu speech at the 27th meeting of the central government, saying: "Some people disagree with our general line, think that the peasants' lives are too hard, and demand that the peasants be taken care of. This is probably the meaning of Shi Renzheng, a disciple of Kong Meng! However, it must be known that there are great benevolent governments and small benevolent governments, that taking care of the peasants is a small benevolent government, and that developing heavy industry and fighting us imperialism is a great benevolent government. To administer a small benevolent government without a large benevolent government is to help the Americans. The foundation of our political power today is consistent in the fundamental interests of the workers and peasants, and this foundation cannot be divided or undermined! ”

Liang Shuming, who attended the meeting as an observer, knew in his heart that Mao Zedong was criticizing himself. So he wrote a letter to Chairman Mao, first, pointing out that Chairman Mao's criticism was improper and asking him to retract it; second, he was willing to repeat the contents of his speech to Chairman Mao in person, so as to eliminate misunderstandings.

On September 13, Liang Shuming handed the letter to Chairman Mao. Chairman Mao promised to talk to him at night. It happened that at the Peking Opera gala that night, the two talked for twenty minutes before the performance. Liang Shuming was succinct and asked Chairman Mao to dispel his misunderstanding, while Chairman Mao insisted that Liang Shuming was opposed to the general line.

Liang Shuming, who has a lonely and arrogant personality, feels that he has been wronged and refuses to stop there. On September 16, he again took the podium to defend himself, and was severely criticized by Zhou Enlai and Chairman Mao.

On September 17, Zhou Enlai spoke at the meeting, pointing out that "Liang Shuming's ideological views and viewpoints have always been opposed to the CPC's position," and "Liang said that the lives of workers and peasants are 'very different,' and the difference is 'nine days and nine lands,' as if he represented the peasants, but in fact he spoke on behalf of the landlords and provoked the alliance of workers and peasants." We cannot accept Liang's claim, and we should categorically reject it. ”

Mao Zedong also interjected from time to time, with fierce words: "I think you are a poisoner," "Mr. Liang claims to be a man with backbones, the reactionary newspapers in Hong Kong also say that Mr. Liang is the most backbone person in the mainland, and Taiwan's radio broadcasts also praise you... Where are you Liang Shuminggong? What have you done to the people in your lifetime? Nothing, nothing. "Liang Shuming is an ambitionist, a hypocrite", a "murderer who kills people with a pen".

For the criticism of Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong, Liang Shuming could not stand it. When speaking at the assembly on September 18, he asked to speak on the spot. When the council staff would not let him speak, he turned to Mao Zedong for help.

Liang Shuming said: Now my only request is to give me enough time to speak, and at the same time I also bluntly say that I also want to test the leadership of the party and see if Chairman Mao has grace.

Chairman Mao said: I probably won't have this amount of grace you want.

Leung then said: Chairman, if you have this weight, I will respect you even more; if you do not have this weight, I will lose respect for you.

Chairman Mao said: There is still some grace in this regard, that is, your CPPCC members can continue to be members of the CPPCC National Committee.

General Liang continued: This does not matter, what I mean now is to test the leading party and see if the self-criticism advocated by the party is true or false.

Chairman Mao retorted: Are you self-critical? No, it's criticism.

Liang still insisted: I mean whether the chairman has the grace of self-criticism. ......

The atmosphere in the venue suddenly became tense, and many participants shouted, "Liang Shuming rolled off the stage." ”

Chairman Mao said to Liang Shuming: Mr. Liang, don't you want to go on today, give you ten minutes, okay?

Liang immediately retorted: How can ten minutes be enough, I hope the chairman will give me a fair treatment.

There was another uproar at the venue. Finally, a vote was put forward. At the vote, Chairman Mao and a few others raised their hands in favor of Liang Shuming's speech, while the majority opposed it. Liang wanted to say another word, and someone in the venue immediately shouted: "Obey the decision, Liang Shuming roll down!" Liang Shuming was bombed off the stage.

After the incident, Liang Shuming had offered to think behind closed doors. From September 1953 onwards, Liang Shuming remained a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and his salary was paid, and he was not punished in any way.

Despite such a fierce quarrel, Mao Zedong and Liang Shuming did not remember their revenge, let alone forget each other.

Nineteen years later, on December 26, 1972, Mao Zedong's birthday, Liang Shuming specially sent the unpublished manuscript of "China - The Country of Reason" to Zhongnanhai as a birthday gift to congratulate Chairman Mao on his birthday.

On the evening of September 30, 1975, Premier Zhou Enlai, who was seriously ill, attended the National Day reception for the last time. A group of veteran cadres, professors, experts and democrats who were affected were invited to attend. After that, the staff wrote a briefing note to Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou. Chairman Mao was very happy after reading it, but he did not regret it and instructed: "No one is perfect without gold." The people on the list attended the reception very well, but unfortunately there were no Zhou Yang and Liang Shuming. ”

Mao Zedong's instructions fully show that even after 1953, he and Liang Shuming never met for a long time, but in his heart, he did not forget this old friend with an arrogant personality and outstanding personality.

More than 30 years later, in the mid-1980s, when someone asked about the fierce quarrel with Mao Zedong, Liang Shuming could not help but say sentimentally: "At that time, I had a bad attitude and spoke regardless of the occasion, which made him very embarrassed." I shouldn't have hurt his feelings, it was my fault. It's been 10 years since he died, and I feel deeply lonely. It can be seen from this that although Liang is arrogant and stubborn, he is also a person in temperament.