Marshal He Long
On the morning of June 9, 1975, the ceremony for the placement of Comrade He Long's ashes was completed.
In the center of the auditorium hall are the ashes of Comrade He Long, which are covered with the flag of the Communist Party of China. In the center of the front hall hangs the remains of Comrade He Long. The columbarium is surrounded by flowers. Around the hall are wreaths sent by party and state leaders, party, government, and military circles.
Above the hall hung a huge banner with the words "Ceremony for the Placement of Comrade He Long's Ashes" in black and white. The ceremony to place the ashes of Comrade He Long is the first case in the history of our party and our country. Henceforth, all the leading comrades who were persecuted and died, while rehabilitating Zhaoxue, must hold a ceremony to lay down their ashes at Babaoshan Mountain.
At about 10 a.m., the leading comrades who attended the placement ceremony arrived one after another, most of them veterans. The hall was full of more than 300 people, and the auditorium had already prepared seats for the elderly and infirm comrades, who walked into the hall to rest on the chairs under the support of their families or the secretary of the guards. In view of the fact that the prime minister was ill and hospitalized and was physically weak, the central government did not invite the prime minister to attend, fearing that the prime minister would be mentally and physically affected. But before the ceremony began, he was suddenly informed that the Prime Minister had arrived from the hospital with a sick illness and asked him to postpone the ceremony for a while. The news that the prime minister was coming caused a sensation in the crowd. People are talking about it a lot, and they are happy and relieved that the premier can personally come to see off Mr. He; this is the greatest concern of the central authorities and the premier for Mr. He, and it is also the greatest concern for the veteran cadres. But at the same time, people are also worried about the prime minister's health, everyone knows that the prime minister is seriously ill, has rarely gone out to participate in activities, and today he is sick again, and everyone present is touched by the prime minister's spirit of caring for comrades and comrades-in-arms, regardless of personal safety.
Deng Yingchao immediately went to the west gate of the auditorium to wait for the premier, and she stood quietly in the doorway, looking in the direction where the premier came.
He Long (left) with Zhou Enlai
The prime minister came, he got out of the car, wearing a black veil on his left arm, people had not seen the prime minister for a long time, and found that the prime minister had lost weight, had more age spots on his face, and his spirit was not as good as before. Looking at the prime minister who has worked for the people all his life, people silently wish the prime minister from the bottom of their hearts and hope for his early recovery.
The Prime Minister walked over to the check-in table, picked up a brush in his right hand and licked it in the ink pool. People noticed that the prime minister's hands were exposed and skinny, and he raised his broken right arm, supported the table with his left hand, and painstakingly wrote the three words "Zhou Enlai" with difficulty. Due to his weak body and weak pen movement, Zhou Enlai's "come" word dragged down a stroke was somewhat crooked. The prime minister took the pen and shook his head helplessly and said, "It's not well written, it's not well written." Deng Yingchao, who was standing by, comforted the premier: "It doesn't matter, people are old, it doesn't matter if they write well when they are young, or occasionally write badly." ”
Accompanied by Deng Yingchao, the premier walked into the first lounge, and the leading comrades in the room saw the premier and stood up to greet him. Ye Jianying stepped forward and tightly held the premier's hand: "Premier, you are not in good health and have come." ”
The prime minister nodded, and a trace of sadness appeared on his tired and emaciated face: "I am already sorry for Boss He, how can I not come this time?" ”
Ye Jianying took out the eulogy prepared in advance, which was originally prepared by him and handed it to the premier: "Premier, are you here or are you giving a eulogy, please look over." ”
The prime minister took the eulogy and beckoned to the others: "Sit, sit." He sat down on the couch, took out his glasses from his pocket and put them on, and then took out a pen and examined the eulogy word by word, making a few changes to the eulogy from time to time. After reading it, the premier raised his head and asked, "Is Comrade Xue Ming here?" When he heard the staff say that Xue Ming was already waiting in the second room, he got up and said, "I'll go and see Xue Ming." "Just walk quickly toward the second room."
Xue Ming, who was immersed in grief, saw that the premier came to see her, as if he had seen his relatives, and rushed over and tightly held the premier's hand: "Premier..." The prime minister had tears in his eyes, his lips trembled, and he had to endure grief for half a day before he uttered a sentence: "I am late, I am late..." The people present could not help but shed tears. The staff went to the first room to inform, the ceremony began immediately, and the leading comrades were invited to enter.
He Long and his wife Xue Ming
The ceremony was presided over by Deng Xiaoping and the premier delivered a eulogy.
The Prime Minister walked slowly to the microphone, glanced at the old comrades in the hall, slowly took out his eulogy, and said: "Comrades." When people heard the Prime Minister's words, they were shocked and looked up at the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's voice had never been so old and hoarse. The Prime Minister continued with great sorrow.
His voice was choked and full of affection, and from his voice he could hear the prime minister crying. This is the tears of an old man in his 70s, the tears of a prime minister, and people are in tears.
The premier spoke highly of Mr. He's life and praised his great achievements in the Chinese revolution, and the veteran cadres present were happy that Mr. He could be rehabilitated while grieving for Mr. He. Deng Xiaoping announced his farewell to He Long, bowing one time, then bowing again, and bowing three times. When people looked up, they were surprised to find that the premier once again bent down to the portrait of President He, and people brushed and bent down with the prime minister. The Prime Minister bowed seven times in a row with infinite attachment to his comrades-in-arms and the guilt of not being able to share the pain and protect him for his old comrades-in-arms.
After the placement ceremony, the secretary of the Sangzhi County Party Committee of Mr. He's hometown led ten fellow villagers to plant a small sapling of his hometown on the east side of the auditorium, and may the small tree accompany Mr. He day and night.
After the meeting, The urn of Mr. He was placed in the columbarium box no. 81 on the upper right side of the first room of the columbarium. At this time, Luo Ronghuan and Chen Yi, two of the ten marshals of China, had already arrived here first. Together with his comrades-in-arms, Mr. He will be admired by future generations.
——Excerpt from "The Aftermath of the Great Man", published by Shanxi People's Publishing House