At the time of the founding of New China, the chairman of the Central People's Government was Mao Zedong, and there were six vice chairmen: Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Song Qingling, Li Jishen, Zhang Lan, and Gao Gang.
These six vice chairmen have had very deep contacts with Chairman Mao, and the earliest contact with Chairman Mao is Zhang Lan, a person outside the party.
In August 1918, the 25-year-old Mao Zedong came to Beijing, and through the introduction of his mentor Yang Changji, he entered Peking University and served as a librarian at Peking University.
The director of the Peking University Library at that time was Li Dazhao, who was influenced by Li Dazhao, had a better understanding of communism, and joined the Young Chinese Society founded by Li Dazhao and others.
At that time, Li Dazhao also had another identity, that is, the first editor-in-chief of the "Morning News", one of the four major newspapers in the country, and the chairman of the "Morning News" was Zhang Lan, and the two had a close friendship.
In the small talk between the two, Li Dazhao often mentioned Mao Zedong's name, and also showed Zhang Lan the articles he wrote, and after Zhang Lan read them, he praised the knot, saying that this Hunan youth was a rare wizard and would become a great instrument in the future!
Mao Zedong's visit to Beijing this time had an important task, that is, to raise funds for Hunan students to study in France. After Zhang Lan heard about it, he felt that this matter was very meaningful, so he went to Fu Zengxiang, the chief of education, and asked Fu Zengxiang to give him financial support.
Zhang Lan's face could not be left behind, and Fu Zengxiang allocated 60,000 yuan to sponsor young people to study in France, including Hunan students.
Mao Zedong was very touched and told people that with such a patriotic and benevolent person as Zhang Biaofang (Zhang Lanzi Biaofang), the country was not happy!
However, the two had not yet met at this time, and their first meeting was not until the Chongqing negotiations in 1945.
Before the Chongqing talks, Chiang Kai-shek did not want to alarm too many people for the purpose of not telling people, and our party did not have much propaganda for security reasons, so there were not many people who knew that Chairman Mao was going to Chongqing. However, Zhang Lan did not know where he learned the news, and on the day Chairman Mao arrived in Chongqing, Zhang Lan, Shen Junru, Huang Yanpei, Guo Moruo, and others personally rushed to the airport to greet him.
Chairman Mao had never seen Zhang Lan before, but knew that he was a famous hairdresser, so as soon as he saw an old man with flowing hair standing in the front row, he knew who he was.
At that time, Qiao Guanhua, the representative in Chongqing, wanted to introduce Zhang Lan to Chairman Mao, and Chairman Mao smiled and said, "No need to introduce, I know." Then, two steps in front of Zhang Lan, he clasped Zhang Lan's hand and said, "Elder Zhang Biao, on such a hot day, you still came in person, I really don't dare to be!" ”
Zhang Lan looked chairman Mao up and down, nodded his head, and said, "You are harder than me!" You have to work hard for the affairs of the country, live up to the expectations of the people, and greet you as you deserve! ”
Zhang Lan personally greeted Chairman Mao, which made Chiang Kai-shek very unhappy, you know, when Chiang Kai-shek moved the capital to Chongqing, Zhang Lan, who was extremely prestigious in Sichuan, did not come to greet him, which made him very faceless.
Chairman Mao knew that Zhang Lan was highly respected in Sichuan, so two days after arriving in Chongqing, Chairman Mao, accompanied by Zhou Enlai, made a special trip to visit Zhang Lan in the Special Garden.
In addition to Zhang Lan himself, there were also staff members of the special park and even workers who burned the fire. These people were looked down upon in the old society, they all did "inferior work", and some of them were dirty, but Chairman Mao was very kind to everyone, shook hands with them one by one, talked to these people in an equal posture, and encouraged them to work well.
Afterwards, Zhang Lan said with emotion: "I was also from a poor background, but I have been high for decades and have been infected with the temperament of a scholar. Chairman Mao's equal treatment of the hired workers in the family made me ashamed of myself. ”
Later, Zhang Lan also said to people: "The one who wins the world must be Mao Zedong!" ”
In this conversation, Zhang Lan said that Chairman Mao should not come to Chongqing, "This is Chiang Kai-shek playing a fake play, he really wants to negotiate, as in the past, he can ask Enlai to talk with Ruofei, why do you have to work hard to run the big car." ”
Chairman Mao smiled and said: "Now the situation has changed, Chiang Kai-shek did not like democracy in the past, and now he has become a fashionable commodity for him." He wants to play a fake play of democracy, so we will fake the play and sing it, so that the people of the whole country can distinguish between right and wrong, and my trip will not be in vain! ”
On September 15, Chairman Mao came to Zhang Lan's house again and said that Chiang Kai-shek wanted to force us to hand over the army. Zhang Lan said: "When I was in northern Sichuan, I knew the importance of the army, so Runzhi must not hand over the army, but must persist to the end and reserve some pure land for China." ”
Subsequently, Zhang Lan added: "Runzhi must make this matter public, so as not to make Chiang Kai-shek not admit it at that time." In this way, I will come forward and write an open letter to both of you, so that the people of the whole country can supervise Chiang Kai-shek. ”
Chairman Mao was very touched, shook Zhang Lan's hand and said, "The cousin is really an old man who has plotted against the country!" ”
In addition, Chairman Mao also made a request to Zhang Lan, hoping that he would use his fame to persuade those powerful factions in the southwest to oppose Chiang Kai-shek and help the underground organizations to carry out guerrilla warfare. Zhang Lan said, "No problem! If the Kuomintang really fights, I will certainly help you! ”
When Chairman Mao returned to Yan'an, Zhang Lan began to do the work of those powerful factions in the southwest. Later, when the People's Liberation Army entered the southwest, many people chose to revolt, which was the foundation laid by Zhang Lan at that time.
Chiang Kai-shek regarded him as a dangerous figure and tried several times to ban the NLD, but under Zhang Lan's struggle, he never succeeded, and the contradictions between the two were increasing day by day.
However, at the beginning of 1949, the three major battles ended in a comprehensive victory for our army, and Chiang Kai-shek was also at the end of the road, at this time he thought of Zhang Lan and wanted to use Zhang Lan's huge influence to mediate the dispute between the Kuomintang and the Communists.
However, Zhang Lan clearly refused, saying: "Now that there is a dispute between revolution and counter-revolution, I am on the side of the Communist Party and will no longer be a mediator." ”
Soon, Chairman Mao sent a telegram inviting Zhang Lan to Beiping to discuss state affairs, and Chiang Kai-shek was furious, saying that if Zhang Lan and these people could not be used by me, nor could they be used by the people over there, he sent Mao Renfeng to assassinate Zhang Lan.
Chairman Mao also knew Zhang Lan's situation and immediately sent a telegram to the underground organizations in Shanghai to ensure the safety of Zhang Lan, Luo Longji, and others!
In the movie "The Great Cause of The Founding of the People's Republic", there is a wonderful interpretation of this paragraph, Yan Jinwen, played by Chen Daoming, was originally a Kuomintang agent, but his heart was towards the Communist Party, so he undertook the task of rescuing Zhang Lan.
In order not to attract Mao Renfeng's attention, Yan Jinwen forcibly took Zhang Lan away with real knives and guns, and along the way he also used the same set of Kuomintang agents, which freed Zhang Lan from the tiger's mouth and sent him safely to Beiping.
After Zhang Lan arrived in Beijing, Chairman Mao invited him to his home to eat, there was no taste of mountains and treasures, and all he ate was home-cooked food, and when Zhang Lan returned home, he said to his family: "These meals that Chairman Mao invited me to eat could not be eaten by Chiang Kai-shek. I see the future of China, the Communist Party is truly a party for the country and the people, and China has great hope! ”
In 1950, the Korean War broke out, and Chairman Mao decided to send troops to Korea to resist the United States and aid Korea. At first, Zhang Lan did not agree to send troops, because now that the country has just been established, it is necessary to resume construction and recuperate, but when he saw that the central government's determination had been timed, Zhang Lan also expressed unconditional support, saying: "Since the central authorities have decided, I resolutely support the central authorities on behalf of the Democratic League." ”
During the period of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the life of the frontline volunteers was difficult, so Zhang Lan stipulated that the whole family would no longer eat meat, and the grain would be reduced by half, saving money to support the front.
On April 2, 1951, when Zhang Lan was 80 years old, Chairman Mao personally wrote a congratulatory birthday speech: "Mr. Table Fang, I am glad that Mr. Zhangfeng is eighty years old, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations!" On his behalf, it was Liu Shaoqi who went to pay homage to Shou, and subsequently, Liu Shaoqi also set up a banquet at the Purple Light Pavilion to wish Zhang Lan a birthday.
On February 9, 1955, Zhang Lan died of illness at the age of 84.
At the memorial service, Chairman Mao led almost all the leaders in Beijing to attend, and personally guarded Zhang Lan's spirit for an hour, expressing high respect for this old revolutionary man.
(References: Zhang Lan Memorial Hall, Mao Zedong Chronology, Chengdu Evening News, Chongqing Negotiations, The Great Cause of Founding of the People's Republic of China)