Among the proletarian revolutionaries of the older generation in China, there are many examples of peaceful character and leniency, such as Premier Zhou Enlai, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De, and so on, but there are also some revolutionaries with impatient personalities and fiery tempers. Tao Zhu, who once served as the first secretary of the South China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, is such a comrade with a distinct personality; although he has had some contradictions with the comrades around him, he closely follows Chairman Mao politically, has a firm proletarian belief and excellent work ability, and Chairman Mao understands his character very well, and has been protected and protected by Chairman Mao everywhere.
Pictured: Pottery cast commemorative bronze statue
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="2" > Chairman Mao's evaluation of Tao Zhu's character: a cow in the party</h1>
Chairman Mao once used the phrase "a cow in the party" to describe Tao Zhu's temper. The cow is usually a model of hard work, but if any creature provokes him to be angry, the cow will indiscriminately use its two horns to top people. In Chairman Mao's view, many comrades have suffered the loss of Tao Zhu's character, including Lin Biao, Li Kenong, Ye Jianying, and other major leaders in the party in the future.
As early as the Red Army period, Comrade Mao Zedong had learned Tao Zhu's "cow temper". In the spring of 1932, Mao Zedong led the Red Army's Eastern Route Army to conquer Zhangzhou, Fujian, at this time Tao Zhu was serving as the secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee, and launched a peasant movement in the local area. Not long after, Tao Zhu was ordered to go to Shanghai to report to the Party Central Committee on his work in Fuzhou, and in the course of this report, Tao Zhu reported to Chairman Mao in a loud voice:
Pictured: The Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army during the Jinggangshan period
"After a period of work, I found that the eastern Fujian region is a weak area of the enemy's forces, where there are many mountainous areas and the rural areas are loosely distributed, and there are certain mass conditions for launching peasant struggles here, and we intend to focus our work on the rural areas. The most important task in rural work is to extensively mobilize peasants to resist taxes and donations and to carry out armed struggle among peasants. ”
After hearing this, Mao Zedong replied approvingly: "The right head! The priorities and priorities of your work are especially right! ”
"At present, we have set up guerrilla areas in several counties around eastern Fujian and established a number of base areas like plum blossom piles, but..." Speaking of this, Tao Zhu's eyes flickered slightly, and then he said the main reason for his coming to Shanghai this time: "The main problem in our struggle now is the lack of guns, and I hope that the Red First Army will be able to support the guns and ammunition of our two companies, so that our base area in eastern Fujian can be connected as soon as possible." ”
Pictured: Lin Biao's young age
After hearing these words, Lin Biao, who was beside Mao Zedong, frowned, because Lin Biao was the commander-in-chief of the Red First Army at that time. "Two companies?" Lin Biao didn't speak as loudly as Tao Zhu, and always looked slow and rational. "No, we are also in short supply of guns and ammunition here, and it is very difficult for us to come up with so much."
Mao Zedong still clearly remembered at that time that when Lin Biao spoke out, Tao Zhu's face suddenly became ugly, and there was obvious anger and emotion in his tone: "You only want money and grain from the base areas, why don't you want to help the localities build base areas?" We want to shoot you and say that there is difficulty, so is it difficult for you to ask us for money and food? ”
Mao Zedong explained to him in a serious tone: "I think that after we had just left Jinggangshan and marched to Gannan Province, half of the more than 4,000 people in the whole army were carrying large knives and spears, and each of them was carrying only 1 kilogram of fried rice at that time, and they ate it in two days and two nights." Fortunately, on the third day, we encountered a group of local Kuomintang troops, and only after wiping them all out did we grab the grain, and only then did everyone have food to eat at night..."
Pictured: Proletarian revolutionary Tao Zhu took a photo
But before Mao Zedong could finish telling this story, Tao Zhu's temper went straight like a cow, and he said to the other Red Army chiefs on the spot: "Then you should continue to carry a pound of fried rice each to fight!" ”
Seeing that some chiefs' tempers were about to explode, Mao Zedong hurriedly waved his hand to ease the atmosphere: "Well, don't worry, let's talk slowly, there are still many issues to be discussed in the troops and localities now, we must understand each other and support each other..."
Later, Lin Biao privately lamented to Mao Zedong: "No wonder Chiang Kai-shek said that the Huangpu Fifth Stage Students (Tao Zhu is the Huangpu Fifth Stage Students) have the most troublemakers, and it is really difficult to deal with!" ”
Mao Zedong smiled and commented on Tao Zhu: "He is a cow in our party. ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="61" > Tao Zhu and Li Kenong's "don't fight, don't know each other"</h1>
After the Japanese army launched a full-scale war of aggression against China in 1937, Tao Zhu was sent to Wuhan by the Party Central Committee to serve as the propaganda director of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, and according to the letter of introduction to the relationship between the party organizations, he first looked for Comrades Zhou Enlai and Dong Biwu.
After arriving at the meeting place, Tao Zhu involuntarily walked upstairs with a healthy step and happened to meet Comrade Li Kenong, vice minister of the Central Social Department, who had just walked out of Zhou Enlai's room. Since the two had never met before, Li Kenong was naturally vigilant against the "uninvited guests" who rushed in, and his body was blocked in front of Tao Zhu: "Wait, what are you doing?" ”
Photo: Tao Zhu was arrested (illustration)
Before being sent to Hubei to work, Tao Zhu had just been rescued from the Kuomintang prison by the party organization, and he had just taken up his post here, eager to contribute his strength to the party organization, so for Li Kenong's question, he only lightly responded to the word "Tao Zhu" and hurriedly wanted to come up the stairs.
However, it just so happened that Li Kenong did not know Tao Zhu, and in his memory he never knew what this "Tao Zhu" was for, in order to protect Zhou Enlai's safety, he blocked Tao Zhu: "Stop, don't come up!" ”
Li Kenong's words made Tao Zhu's heart ignite a fierce fire. You know, Tao Zhu once participated in the Nanchang Uprising, and he can also be regarded as an old party member during the Great Revolution, after being arrested in 1933, he still insisted on fighting in prison for several years, even Vice Chairman Zhou Enlai knew his name, and at this time, Li Kenong in front of him did not even hear his name, which was really intolerable.
Pictured: Tao Zhu with his comrades-in-arms after he was released from prison (front row, first from the left)
Tao Zhu shouted, "You bureaucracy! "After saying that, I insisted on squeezing sideways upstairs."
Li Kenong has been the head of the Political Protection Department since the time of the Red Army, in other words, he is a special manager, and now Tao Zhu is so "wanton" that he wants to break into it, what if Zhou Enlai is in any danger? Out of determination to protect Premier Zhou, Li Kenong was the first to act, and a slap was slapped on Tao Zhu's face.
Speaking of the similar personalities of the two, at this time, the collision was really a needle tip against Mai Mang, and after Tao Zhu was strong and solid, after being slapped by Li Kenong, he was suddenly furious, and he punched back and broke Li Kenong's glasses. Then the two immediately wrestled together and rolled down the stairs, and the roar and writhing between the two suddenly resounded throughout the room.
After Zhou Enlai heard the noise outside, he hurried out of the house, and after seeing this situation, he was shocked and hurried downstairs to pull the frame, but the two hugged each other tightly and neither of them was willing to let go. Zhou Enlai, who had always been gentle, suddenly yelled angrily at the two people: "Stop, what kind of system is this?" ”
Pictured: Pottery casting in middle age
The two also gave each other another heavy punch before letting go, which slowly stood up and walked away from each other, and in order to prevent them from wrestling together again, Zhou Enlai stood in the middle.
"What are you doing?" yes? Zhou Enlai questioned Tao Zhu and Li Kenong sternly.
Li Kenong first "complained" to Zhou Enlai: "I don't know who this person is, so I insist on breaking upstairs!" ”
Tao Zhu was not willing to show weakness, gritted his teeth and gasped for breath and said, "Why did he hit people?" It makes perfect sense! ”
For this matter, Zhou Enlai specially held a life forum to let the two people admit their mistakes to each other. At first, neither of them was willing to admit their mistakes, and later under the guidance of Zhou Enlai's criticism, they apologized to each other, and the life of that day would be open until 2 a.m. It seems that zhou Enlai spent a lot of thought trying to make the two admit their mistakes.
Photo: Li Kenong
But fortunately, Tao Zhu and Li Kenong "did not fight and did not know each other", and after Tao Zhu arrived in Yan'an in 1940, when Tao Zhu and Li Kenong recalled the first meeting between the two, Li Kenong first said: "I once said to Chairman Mao: 'Tao Zhu is really bold, dare to do something with me. The chairman smiled and replied, "What's this, we have also quarreled, this man is a cow." ’”
Tao Zhu smiled: "Just as the so-called 'no fight, no acquaintance', if I don't act out of line, you still don't know me." Since then, the comrades around him have deepened their understanding of Tao Zhu's "cow temper" personality by a few points.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="62" > Ye Jianying complained to Chairman Mao, and Chairman Mao lamented: This kind of cattle is still needed in our party</h1>
Since Tao Zhu came to Yan'an in 1940, many comrades had some opinions on him, large and small, and Chairman Mao initially did not care about this situation, but as more and more people complained, Chairman Mao finally had to consider talking to Tao Zhu for a good time, because among these people was Ye Jianying, who was highly respected and respected.
Pictured: Chairman Mao and Ye Jianying together
The cause of the incident is this: In 1943, Tao Zhu was transferred to the post of secretary general of the Central Military Commission and later concurrently served as the head of political propaganda, during which time some unpleasant things arose between him and Ye Jianying, who was then the chief of the general staff. Once, Tao Zhu approached Ye Jianying to discuss the rectification of the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army in Wangjiaping, and Ye Jianying's face darkened after hearing this, because he was opposed to expanding this matter.
Ye Jianying's opinion was: "I don't approve of rectifying it and lighting it up everywhere, don't go too deep." ”
Tao Zhu was also not very satisfied with this conversation, and as a result, when he left, he said a sentence: "What I just said is Comrade Wang Jiaxiang's opinion. ”
Photo: Wang Jiaxiang
At that time, Wang Jiaxiang served as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and director of the General Political Department, and his qualifications were very old, and he was one of the three core figures during the Long March of the Red Army. Obviously, the meaning of Tao Zhu's words made Ye Jianying very uncomfortable, so he had to reluctantly open his mouth: "Since it is his opinion, you can implement it." ”
Originally, Ye Jianying endured this matter, and it may have passed, but after a few months, when Tao Zhu was discussing a military training plan, his straight-forward speech deeply hurt Ye Jianying. In the midst of this discussion, Tao Zhu picked up Lin Biao's draft plan and praised: "Look at how good these things written by Comrade Lin Biao are!" Tao Zhu shook his head and suddenly said a word: "You can't write these things." ”
Ye Jianying was red in the face at that time, and a fire was held in his stomach. Soon after, he found Chairman Mao to complain and brought together the grievances in his heart.
Pictured: Chairman Mao and Ye Jianying in Yan'an in 1944
After hearing this, Chairman Mao lit a cigarette, smiled and replied: "I said Ye Sanzao, Tao Zhu, this comrade, I once told Lin Biao when I was in Zhangzhou that he was a cow and had a great 'cow temper.'" He's a good guy, but he just has horns on his head, or he has thorns all over his body, if only the thorns could be less. ”
Ye Jianying said: "It is difficult for me to deal with him well. ”
"But this kind of cattle is still very much needed in our party." Chairman Mao pressed the cigarette butt into the ashtray and then waved at Ye Jianying. "Then I'll talk to Tao Zhu alone."
Pictured: Tao Zhu's full-body commemorative statue
Subsequently, Tao Zhu was called to Chairman Mao's cave, and in the conversation with him, Chairman Mao called it "criticism", but there was no lack of love in his words: "I said Comrade Tao Zhu, why did you do it?" Even Comrade Shaoqi and Comrade Boda were on top. You stand by the truth and do not hide the problem, and we are interconnected. However, in the daily relationship between comrades, we cannot always quarrel with comrades, if so, how can we carry out our work? Cows, is it better to have horns, or is it better to be sleek? If I want to see it, it is better to have horns, but I can't top people everywhere..."
From these remarks, we can understand that although the merits of many revolutionaries are admirable, the "shortcomings" of Tao Zhu are more loved by Chairman Mao, and Chairman Mao has done everything possible to safeguard Tao Zhu and refuses to hurt his edges and corners.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="63" After the liberation of >, Guangxi was seriously plagued by bandits, and Chairman Mao personally ordered Tao Zhu to set a deadline of half a year to clean up the bandits</h1>
Although Tao Zhu had such "shortcomings", Chairman Mao still had to boldly use him, because Tao Zhu acted vigorously and vigorously, never cheated, and the efficiency of Tao Zhu's work can be seen from the incident of guangxi's suppression of bandits. In the early days of liberation, the bandit plague in Guangxi was very serious, and after the liberation of Guangxi, the policy toward bandits was also relaxed, which led to bandits having no fear, and more than 6,000 cadres and fighters of our army were killed tragically.
Pictured: Tao Zhu and his wife Zeng Zhi
Under these circumstances, in November 1950, Chairman Mao personally drafted a telegram appointing Tao Zhu to go to Guangxi to suppress bandits.
After Tao Zhuma rushed to Guangxi without stopping, he held three meetings of senior cadres in a row, and after the meeting, he planned to leave the company to inspect the situation on the front line of the suppression of bandits. As a result, on the same day, the headquarters wanted to send a car to pick up Tao Zhu, and the result was that it was 8 o'clock, but I didn't know why it took an hour to grind and rub before it arrived, and Tao Zhu was furious: "Can such a troop style suppress bandits?" ”
Shortly after the inspection, he asked the then propaganda minister of Guangxi Province to write an editorial and publish it in the newspaper, and Tao Zhu gave it three days. Just after three days, Tao Zhu visited the propaganda minister and asked him how the manuscript was written, and the minister replied, "I'm sorry, I haven't started writing yet." ”
Pictured: Our army is studying the plan to suppress bandits
Tao Zhu suddenly turned his face with him after listening: "The last time I obviously made a decision at the meeting, why didn't I write it?" How can someone like you who doesn't follow through on the decisions of the meeting be put in a leadership position? In the future, we will miss a big thing! As a result, Tao Zhu gave an order, and the provincial-level leading cadre was dismissed on the spot, and the officials of Guangxi and large and small were silent.
After some vigorous investigation, Tao Zhu sent a telegram directly to Chairman Mao, saying: "Guangxi's methods and methods of suppressing bandits are backward, and there are many erroneous practices: failing to pay all the guns of the people, showing the public not to kill the bandits, learning from Zhuge Liang's 'seven captures and seven verticals', and the methods of suppression are relaxed..."
Chairman Mao immediately gave instructions: "Guangxi's achievements in suppressing bandits are among the worst in the whole country, and there must be serious errors in their leadership methods." ”
Pictured: In 1958, Tao Zhu and Chairman Mao inspected the work in Guangdong
Therefore, Tao Zhu came to Guangxi to solve two major problems, summed up in his own words, that is, "Guangxi is not clear, and Vietnam's access is not clear." The latter incident refers to the railway that was built to aid Vietnam at that time, and for various reasons it was also impossible. In order to resist France and aid Vietnam, China had to use 500 large cars every day to transport materials from Zhennanguan to Ho Chi Minh, but then someone calculated an account and found that the cost of transporting 500 trucks for a year was enough to repair the railway to Vietnam.
Pictured: Tao Zhu accompanies Chairman Mao on an inspection of the outskirts of Guangzhou
Chairman Mao's vision cannot be wrong. In the process of suppressing bandits in Guangxi, Tao Zhu was not only personally responsible for commanding the bandits' troops, but also personally responsible for interrogation after capturing the bandit leader. After half a year, Tao Zhu finally completed the goal of suppressing 450,000 bandits and killing 40,000 bandits, and completely quelled the bandit plague in Guangxi.
Afterwards, Tao Zhu wrote a telegram to Chairman Mao, saying: "Guangxi suppressed 450,000 bandits and killed 40,000 bandits, of which one-third belonged to the category of killing and not killing..."
Pictured: Chairman Mao, Zeng Zhi and Tao Zhu took a group photo in 1960
Chairman Mao replied: "Guangxi (bandits) should be killed!" ”
After the bandit plague in Guangxi was calmed down, Chairman Mao transferred Tao Zhu to Guangdong. In August 1952, Chairman Mao personally said to Tao Zhu: "There are now three 'tortoise' provinces in the country, Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian. Now, the other two provinces are getting better, but the 'turtle' in Guangdong still needs your help. In this way, Tao Zhu came to Guangdong again and stayed for 15 years.
A few years later, Tao Zhu went to Beijing for a meeting, and Chairman Mao asked him: "How many of the 110 counties in your Guangdong Province have you been to?" Tao Zhu replied with a serious face: "Report Chairman Mao, I went to 104 counties. Then Chairman Mao asked the secretary of the county party committee of Lechang County, Guangdong Province: "Have you been to that sanitary village on the top of your mountain?" ”
Pictured: Comrade Tao Zhu is conducting a survey in rural Guangdong
The county party secretary replied, "Before I even went, Secretary Tao had already been there." ”
In the eyes of many veteran cadres in Guangdong, Tao Zhu attaches great importance to conducting investigation and research, and as long as he has time, he will go to the countryside to conduct investigation and research, so he can be seen in all counties in Guangdong. According to the recollection of his daughter Tao Siliang, Tao Zhu has been in power in Guangdong for fifteen years and has made three major contributions to Guangdong: First, he has dared to develop agriculture; second, he has the courage to explore the road for reform and opening up; and third, he has vigorously developed Guangdong's cultural and educational undertakings. These merits that Tao Zhu has made for the people of Guangdong have laid a solid foundation for Guangdong's future economic take-off, and the people of Guangdong will never forget his great contribution to the development of Guangdong.