On April 25, 1975, Chiang Kai-shek died of a heart attack in Taipei. On the eve of his death, Chiang Kai-shek specially called his son Chiang Ching-kuo to explain to him the major issues that he had not let go of before his death, including how to deal with Zhang Xueliang.
When hearing about the reasons why Zhang Xueliang was not released, Mrs. Song Meiling who was standing by could not help but shed two lines of tears: She still could not change her husband’s will and fulfill the promise made to Han Qing (Zhang Xueliang’s words) ) promise.
So what did Chiang Kai-shek say that made Soong Meiling burst into tears? What promise did Song Meiling make to Zhang Xueliang when he was imprisoned?
In 1928, Zhang Zuolin died, and Zhang Xueliang took over his father's position as commander-in-chief and took charge of the Northeast. The sudden death of his father left the situation in Northeast China in chaos.
Facing the future development of Northeast China, there are only three paths before Zhang Xueliang: 1. Seal yourself and continue to monopolize the Northeast; 2. Accept the Nanjing National Government's "peace talks" and change its banner; 3. Dedicate yourself to the Japanese .
As the saying goes: "The revenge of killing his father will not be punished by the Japanese." Surrendering to the Japanese would not only be a disservice to his father who was still alive, but also a disgrace to the national justice deep in his heart. Zhang Xueliang would never allow himself to compromise with the invaders.
However, Japan's desire to acquire Northeast China is getting stronger and stronger. Although it is currently afraid of sending troops rashly due to the situation, it is still a fledgling junior. If there is any emergency in the future, it will be difficult to resist.
In the end, Zhang Xueliang decided to defect to the Nanjing National Government, and this decision was inseparable from Chiang Kai-shek's encouragement.
As early as when Zhang Xueliang was the young marshal, some people said that he was far away from his father, and even mocked him as the "dog son" of a "tiger father". Therefore, when Zhang Zuolin suddenly passed away, although Zhang Xueliang was the nominal commander-in-chief, the people in the army did not obey him.
Zhang Xueliang’s prestige in the military is not even as good as that of Yang Yuting, a subordinate who has followed his father for many years. When his own regime was in danger, Zhang Xueliang killed Yang Yuting, making the situation in the army even more turbulent.
At that time, Chiang Kai-shek’s troops captured Jinan, and the anti-Chiang alliance showed a trend of decline.
Chiang Kai-shek's confidence in unifying China has greatly increased, but the "Jinan Massacre" that broke out before is still vivid in his mind. Considering that the continued use of force will cause Japanese interference in Northeast China, Chiang Kai-shek is more inclined to use political means to solve the problem. .
So he found Zhang Xueliang, and after much thought and discussion, the two finally reached an agreement.
On December 29, 1928, Zhang Xueliang electrified the whole country as the leader of the Northeast warlords. It said that Northeast China would change its flag and accept the command of the National Government. This news shocked the whole country.
On the one hand, the Northeast Rebellion calmly attacked the Japanese invaders' intention to occupy the Northeast. On the other hand, it also supported the National Government, allowing it to complete the formal unification of the country and enhance its prestige nationwide.
The change of flag in Northeast China was the first major event that Zhang and Jiang promoted together after they met. Later, Chiang Kai-shek's power gradually grew, and he stood out from the followers of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, arousing the fear and dissatisfaction of others.
In 1930, the Central Plains War broke out. The armies of Chiang Kai-shek, Feng Yuxiang, and Li Zongren engaged in melee in the Central Plains area, and they were inseparable from each other. At this time, the position of Zhang Xueliang's army, which has been in a "neutral" attitude, is very important.
Zhang Xueliang, who commanded the Northeast with a large number of troops, became the target of various forces for a while. Zhang Xueliang remained unmoved by the temptations of high officialdom, wealth, and wealth imposed by all parties, but in fact he was partial to Chiang Kai-shek's faction.
Because as early as the first cooperation, Zhang Xueliang saw Chiang Kai-shek's talent. He believed that only by relying on Chiang Kai-shek could the Northeast be preserved. In the end, Zhang Xueliang sent troops to assist Chiang Kai-shek and helped him successfully win the Central Plains War.
The relationship between the two people, who have worked together twice, has taken a further step. Because of Zhang Xueliang's help, Chiang Kai-shek defeated Feng Yuxiang and Li Zongren and aspired to the Central Plains. Feng and Li were severely weakened and completely lost their ability to continue competing with Chiang.
The "peace appeal" launched by Zhang Xueliang at that time effectively calmed the war and accelerated the stability of the situation in the Central Plains. In fact, Feng Yuxiang and Li Zongren were very powerful at that time. Even if Chiang Kai-shek was powerful, it would be difficult to deal with them at the same time.
Zhang Xueliang's timely dispatch of troops was tantamount to saving Chiang Kai-shek's life in time, and paved the way for Chiang's subsequent political career.
Therefore, after the Battle of the Central Plains, Chiang Kai-shek treated Zhang Xueliang very well. Zhang Xueliang's status in the Nanjing military government can be called "one person is less than ten thousand people."
Zhang Xueliang also sincerely admired Chiang Kai-shek and was willing to follow him.
The two naturally became brothers, and even imitated the scene in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and had a "Taoyuan sworn brotherhood".
"But true brothers are not limited to the external relationship, but also the agreement in the heart and mind." The subsequent breakdown of the relationship between the two confirmed the accuracy of this sentence.
Zhang Xueliang has a strong idea of ??"loyalty to the army" and "serving the country" in his thoughts. He is well aware of the national justice. This was reflected when Zhang Xueliang chose to join the Nanjing government for the sake of the overall situation. But Chiang Kai-shek's heart was more about longing for power, longing for victory, and even "scrupulous means before achieving the goal."
After the September 18th Incident in 1931, patriots across the country expressed indignation at the actions of the Japanese army, including Zhang Xueliang.
However, Chiang Kai-shek repeatedly issued instructions to Zhang Xueliang to "wait for disposal" and "avoid armed conflict with the Japanese army." Tell Zhang Xueliang that "we must pacify the domestic situation in order to resist foreign aggression." The top priority is to defeat the Communist Party so that we can continue to resist the Japanese.
At that time, the relationship between Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Kai-shek was still very "iron", and Chiang Kai-shek was his "leader". Driven by his deep loyalty to the emperor, Zhang Xueliang implemented Chiang Kai-shek's "non-resistance doctrine." So in less than three months, the Northeast Army fell into the hands of the Japanese army.
After the fall of Northeast China, there was a wave of abuses against Chiang and Zhang throughout the country. This time, Chiang Kai-shek ordered Zhang Xueliang to die again and asked him to "sacrifice" him as his scapegoat.
Zhang Xueliang, who had lost the Northeast, was still in disrepute and was known as a "shrinking turtle". It can be said that he lost his wife and lost his army.
However, Chiang Kai-shek looked on coldly at Zhang Xueliang's situation and had no intention of standing up and admitting his mistakes. This fully demonstrated that Chiang Kai-shek had no idea of ??using actions to repay Zhang Xueliang's kindness to him.
Perhaps in Chiang Kai-shek's mind, the so-called brothers were just a "paving stone" on his way to achieve reunification.
As the call for anti-Japanese resistance in the country became stronger, the cavalry of Japanese aggression became more and more arrogant and set foot on more lands. The communists who had the courage to fight did not sit still and wait for death. On the one hand, they mobilized the masses to resist the Japanese army, and on the other hand, they actively persuaded Chiang Kai-shek to unite against Japan.
However, Chiang Kai-shek always stubbornly regarded the Communist Party as his enemy as the number one target of confrontation and insisted on "civil war".
After repeated attempts to persuade him to no avail, the Red Army turned its attention to Zhang Xueliang for cooperation, because Zhang Xueliang had repeatedly made requests to Chiang Kai-shek for "united with the Communist Party of China to resist Japan," but Chiang Kai-shek refused to refute them.
They knew that Zhang Xueliang was patriotic. Although he was a loyal supporter of Chiang Kai-shek, he did not lack patriotism.
With the rising anti-Japanese sentiment in the country and the Communists calling for resistance to Japan many times, Chiang Kai-shek instead stepped up military pressure on Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, asking them to "annihilate the Communist Party."
Gradually, Zhang Xueliang understood that Chiang Kai-shek's desire for victory was so strong that he had lost the ability to rationally judge the war situation.
Zhang Xueliang held a discussion with Yang Hucheng, who also had heavy troops, and finally the two decided to launch a mutiny. Only by taking coercive actions could Chiang Kai-shek "awaken".
After finalizing the specific plan, Zhang Xueliang was silent for a long time, seeming to have made some determination.
He took a deep breath from the cigarette in his hand, sighed and said: "Brother Zhongzheng, I'm sorry. For the sake of the country's peril, I have to be a villain again. I don't ask you to understand me, I just hope you can blame me less when the time comes." After that, he took another puff of the cigarette and casually put it out in the ashtray.
In the confused and misty smoke, Zhang Xueliang's face was blurred, and from a distance it seemed to be full of helplessness and sadness. It's like saying goodbye to the scenes of deep brotherhood in the past.
He had a premonition: After this action, his relationship with Chiang Kai-shek would never be as close as before. Later facts also showed that his hunch was correct.
On December 12, 1936, Zhang Xueliang decided to launch a "military remonstrance". According to the plan discussed earlier, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng mobilized troops to surround Huaqingchi where Chiang Kai-shek lived and forcibly detained Chiang Kai-shek.
Under coercion, Chiang Kai-shek was forced to agree to end the policy of "fighting against foreign forces and pacifying domestic affairs" to end the civil war. The Nationalist Government was forced to start resisting Japan and began the second Kuomintang cooperation with the Communist Party, which promoted the establishment of the Anti-Japanese National United Front.
The unity of the entire nation in China to resist Japan was hard-won.
Chiang Kai-shek's compromise can be said to have been obtained by Zhang Xueliang at the cost of his freedom for the rest of his life.
Later, with the mediation of various forces, the Xi'an Incident was peacefully resolved. After achieving his goal, Zhang Xueliang accompanied Soong Meiling to personally escort Chiang Kai-shek back to Nanjing to safeguard Chiang Kai-shek's authority.
As early as the moment he was detained, Chiang Kai-shek planted the seeds of resentment in his heart. After arriving in Nanjing, Chiang Kai-shek regained power, and this seed took the opportunity to break through the soil and take root.
He immediately imprisoned Zhang Xueliang. Chiang Kai-shek's actions were within Zhang Xueliang's expectation. Having been his brother for so long, he knew very well Chiang Kai-shek's character of "retribution must be meted out".
What he didn't expect was that he would be imprisoned for more than half a century, and even until his death, Chiang Kai-shek never thought of letting him go.
On December 31, 1936, Zhang Xueliang officially began his imprisonment. Perhaps Chiang Kai-shek still had a trace of past affection for Zhang Xueliang, or perhaps someone was there to persuade him.
While in prison, Chiang Kai-shek allowed Zhang Xueliang’s wife to accompany him, and his living standard was not bad. As the entire nation's war of resistance continues to advance, the location where Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned is also constantly changing.
From Nanjing to Hunan to Hebei, Guizhou, and Anhui, the places Zhang Xueliang visited were inaccessible, deep and secluded, in order to prevent Zhang Xueliang from getting in touch with the outside world and thus "making a comeback."
In 1946, Zhang Xueliang was sent to Taiwan. When he arrived in Taiwan, Zhang Xueliang's desire for freedom was unprecedentedly strong. He felt that he had been imprisoned long enough, so he hinted to Chiang Kai-shek many times: The time has come. I'm no longer a threat to you. But Chiang Kai-shek kept pretending to be confused and ignored his request.
Soon it was 1975. This year, Chiang Kai-shek's body had reached its limit and he spent most of his time in bed. Perhaps he knew that he had reached the end of his life. On the Qingming Festival, Chiang Kai-shek wiped away all his previous illness and was particularly energetic.
He called his eldest son, Chiang Ching-kuo, and the father and son began to have a long talk. He gave his son many instructions on political affairs. When Chiang Ching-kuo thought that his father had finished his instructions and was about to turn around and leave, Chiang Kai-shek again Stopped him.
Chiang Kai-shek said earnestly: "Never release Zhang Xueliang. Although he has been imprisoned by me for many years, his influence is always there. Remember! Remember! Don't 'let the tiger go back to the mountain'!" Soong Meiling, who was accompanying her, listened. , his eyes gradually changed, and his eyes gradually filled with tears.
At this moment, she realized that her years of persuasion had no effect at all. Her husband had never forgiven Zhang Xueliang from beginning to end, and was always brooding about the Xi'an Incident.
The occurrence of the "Xi'an Incident" shocked the whole of China. No one expected that such a situation would arise for Chiang and Zhang, who had always been brothers and sisters.
After Song Meiling, Chiang Kai-shek's wife, learned the news, she immediately flew people from Shanghai to Xi'an to rescue Chiang Kai-shek. With the efforts of Soong Ching Ling and others and the efforts of the Communist Party of China, the Xi'an Incident was finally resolved peacefully.
When Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned, Soong Meiling once promised him: "Han Qing, just wait. I will persuade Zhongzheng well, and I will definitely keep you safe and let you return to China again." Xi'an! ”
From these few words, it can be seen that the relationship between the two is extraordinary.
Song Meiling and Zhang Xueliang met in Shanghai when they were in their twenties. The two were similar in age and both were talented and learned. They soon had similar interests and often appeared together in various social places in Shanghai. People at the time once praised them as "a talented man and a beautiful woman".
Later, Chiang Kai-shek and Zhang Xueliang became brothers, which made this relationship even better.
Song Meiling even went out of her way to understand Zhang Xueliang’s wife Yu Fengzhi’s preferences because of Zhang Xueliang, and she became an inseparable good sister with her.
According to Chiang Kai-shek's personality, after Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned during the Xi'an Incident, Chiang Kai-shek would definitely not just imprison him. The reason why Zhang Xueliang was still safe after being imprisoned for many years was indispensable for Song Meiling's "protection".
Chiang Kai-shek once had "murderous intentions" towards Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng when the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan.
It was Song Meiling who defended Zhang Xueliang and repeatedly assured her husband: Han Qing would never have the intention to rebel. Only then did Zhang Xueliang escape the disaster and be able to live a peaceful life of "isolation from the world."
Over the years, Song Meiling never gave up rescuing Zhang Xueliang. She explained Zhang Xueliang's situation to Chiang Kai-shek many times, proving to him that Zhang Xueliang could not make a comeback, and even tried to play the "emotional card" to mention in front of Chiang Kai-shek how Zhang Xueliang had been kind to him in the past.
It stands to reason that under such persuasion with emotion and reason, even a stubborn person should be influenced. But Chiang Kai-shek didn't. He always stubbornly held Zhang Xueliang.
On the other hand, Song Meiling also wrote to Zhang Xueliang to comfort Zhang Xueliang and ensure Zhang Xueliang's quality of life when he was imprisoned. She was deeply affectionate and loyal to Zhang Xueliang.
Song Meiling thought that as time went by, her husband would slowly let go of the resentment and suspicion in his heart and decide to settle the feud with his former brother, so she was also waiting. But he didn't want to let go of his resentment until the last day of his husband's life.
The moment she heard Chiang Kai-shek's last words, Song Meiling was first shocked, and then felt guilty. Her years of hard work were all in vain in the eyes of her stubborn husband, but she promised Zhang Xueliang many times that she would give him his freedom.
The two emotions were intertwined and stirred in her heart. Song Meiling couldn't help but shed tears, and she couldn't let go for a long time.
After Chiang Kai-shek's death, with the permission of Chiang Ching-kuo, Zhang Xueliang and his wife went to visit the body.
Looking at Chiang Kai-shek's peaceful face after his death, Zhang Xueliang couldn't explain how he felt in his heart. The grievances between the two people for many years were wiped out with Chiang Kai-shek's death and became a cloud of the past.
In the end, Zhang Xueliang wrote the elegiac couplet "Caring for Yin is like flesh and blood; political opinions are like hatred for women.", which concluded the half-life feud between the two.
In 1990, Zhang Xueliang finally regained his freedom. At that time, he was nearly ninety years old and no longer wanted to participate in the conflicts of the world. The following year, he and his wife went to the United States to spend the remaining free life.
From being imprisoned to being officially released, Zhang Xueliang went from being in his prime to being gray-haired. Zhang Xueliang was criticized throughout his life. When he was young, he was ridiculed as "a son is not as good as his father". Later, he was imprisoned and lost both his prestige and his freedom.
The Xi'an Incident was a turning point in the Chinese nation's struggle to resist Japan and a turning point in Zhang Xueliang's life.
Zhang Xueliang always had national justice in mind, and he even sacrificed the rest of his life for this. He is a true national hero! Zhang Xueliang's spirit of sacrificing himself for the peril of the nation is always worth remembering and admiring!