Green mountains, Tribexen. On the east side of the Martyrs' Cemetery in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, there is a memorial hall built to commemorate the martyr Qian Zhuangfei, one of the "Three Masters of Longtan" on the HIDDEN FRONT of the COMMUNIST Party. This year marks the 86th anniversary of Qian Zhuangfei's sacrifice.
(Qian Zhuangfei life photo.) Courtesy of his family. Xinhua News Agency)
Walking into the Qian Zhuangfei Memorial Hall, you will be greeted by a white jade statue of a tall young man with a combed back, round-rimmed glasses, a suit, and pedal riding boots, who is an outstanding representative of the CCP's early struggle on the hidden front.
Qian Zhuangfei, formerly known as Qian Zhuangqiu, also known as Qian Chao, was born in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, to a silk merchant family. In 1915, he was admitted to the Beijing Medical College and later stayed in Beijing to practice medicine. In 1926, he was introduced by his brother-in-law Zhang Xianzhong and joined the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
Qian Zhuangfei is versatile, in addition to being proficient in medical skills, he is also good at calligraphy and painting, and has starred in China's first black-and-white martial arts film "Yanshan Xiayin". Qian Zhuangfei's son, Qian Jiang, wrote in the article "Remembering My Father Qian Zhuangfei": "Dad often used different professions to cover up revolutionary work, sometimes as a doctor, sometimes as an art school teacher, sometimes as an editor of tabloids, and sometimes in movies. His strengths and career changes have led him to travel widely, which is an advantageous condition for him to engage in underground work. ”
After the defeat of the Revolution in 1927, Qian Zhuangfei was forced to go to Shanghai with his family. In the summer of 1928, he attended a radio training class, was admitted with excellent results, and was appreciated by Xu Enzeng, who was also the head of Huzhou, and then followed him to Nanjing to join the Kuomintang intelligence agency.
In 1929, Qian Zhuangfei was dispatched by the Central Special Branch led by Zhou Enlai to join the Investigation Section of the Organization Department of the Kuomintang Central Committee and served as the confidential secretary of Xu Enzeng, director of the Investigation Section.
Through Qian Zhuangfei's arrangement, Li Kenong and Hu Di successively entered the Kuomintang secret service organs, Li Kenong became the chief of the special agent unit of the Shanghai Radio Administration, and Hu Di became the president of the Tianjin "Great Wall News Agency." Qian Zhuangfei himself was stationed at the "Zhengyuan Industrial Society" in Nanjing and presided over the "Yangtze River News Agency", the Intelligence Agency of the Kuomintang.
In this way, the three Communists formed an iron triangle in the Kuomintang secret service head organ, went deep into the tiger's den to spy on intelligence, and stabbed into the heart of the Kuomintang like a sharp sword. As a result, they were called by Zhou Enlai as the "Three Masters of Longtan" in the intelligence community.
In Qian Zhuangfei's legendary career, there is a miracle that has been praised by the world - risking death to save the Party Central Committee.
On April 24, 1931, Gu Shunzhang, chief of the third section of the Central Special Branch responsible for security work, was arrested and immediately defected. Gu Shunzhang holds almost all the core secrets of the CPC Central Committee and is familiar with the pseudonyms and secret addresses of all leaders in Shanghai, including Qian Zhuangfei. His rebellion will be a disaster for the Party Central Committee.
The ticking telegram rang late at night on April 25, 1931. On the night of this weekend, Xu En, who had gone to Shanghai and left Qian Zhuangfei on the night shift at the "Zhengyuan Industrial Society," found that six extremely urgent top-secret telegrams had been sent from Wuhan to Chen Lifu and Xu Enzeng, and with his professional sensitivity, he felt that there must be something important in them.
Qian Zhuangfei didn't think much of it, decisively opened the secret telegram, and was shocked after deciphering the telegram-"Dawn was arrested and turned himself in." If they can be quickly escorted to Nanjing, all the central organs of the CPC can be eliminated within three days. The "dawn" in the telegram is Gu Shunzhang.
At the critical moment, Qian Zhuangfei sent our party's underground traffic officer and his son-in-law Liu Qifu to Shanghai overnight to inform Li Kenong, who informed Zhou Enlai of the information at the first time. Zhou Enlai made a quick decision to urgently transfer the party organization in Shanghai and cut off all contact with Gu Shunzhang.
In order to buy more time for the party's transfer and not attract the attention of the enemy, Qian Zhuangfei decided to leave his children in Nanjing temporarily. Afterwards, Qian Zhuangfei's daughter and son-in-law were arrested, and later released because Xu Enzeng was weak.
The Kuomintang thought it could sweep away all the organs of the CPC Central Committee, but it did not expect that the bamboo basket would be empty.
Premier Zhou Enlai said on many occasions with great affection that if it were not for Comrade Qian Zhuangfei, all of us would have died at the hands of the Kuomintang reactionaries.
After Qian Zhuangfei's identity was exposed, he evacuated Shanghai to the Central Soviet Region, thus ending his career as a red agent. Later, he served as the director of the Political Protection Bureau of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, the deputy director of the Second Bureau of the General Staff, and the deputy secretary-general of the General Political Department of the Red Army after the Zunyi Conference.
At the end of March 1935, Qian Zhuangfei was bombed by Kuomintang aircraft in the Wujiang area of Guizhou, and lost contact with the troops, and was later identified as a sacrifice.
Pan Weimin, former director of the Huzhou Municipal Party History Office, who has studied Qian Zhuangfei for many years, said: "Intellectuals and elites like Qian Zhuangfei joined the Communist Party precisely because he truly understood that communist ideals and beliefs were right. ”
"Over the years, I have followed in my grandfather's footsteps, studied the heroes of these hidden fronts, and found that the most worthy of our learning in them is the four words - 'loyalty' and 'faith'." Qian Zhuangfei's eldest grandson, Qian Hong, said that he has written book manuscripts and given lectures in various places over the years in the hope that his heroic deeds will be passed on and more people will understand the origin and original intention of communists.
Reporter: Yin Xiaosheng
Editor: Liao Yi