On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Liu Xiang's body was transported back to Sichuan.
On the sixth day of the lunar month, important military and political officials from the central government and Sichuan held a public memorial ceremony for Liu Xiang in Chengdu.
Zhou Hexuan also took his wife there and presented a handwritten elegiac couplet to express his deepest condolences to Liu Xiang's family.
The atmosphere of the public memorial ceremony was solemn and sad. Especially the Sichuan military and political officials all cried bitterly. Wang Zanxu, who had a deep conflict with Liu Xiang, also shed a few tears. When these Sichuan officials returned home, they immediately began to discuss the matter in private.
Rumors about the mystery of Liu Xiang's death spread everywhere.
The content of the rumor is roughly as follows: Chiang Kai-shek wanted to use the resistance against Japan to weaken the Sichuan army and eliminate local forces in Sichuan. Liu Xiang felt bad, so he conspired with Han Fuqu to rebel against Chiang. When Han Fuqu was trapped by Chiang Kai-shek, Liu Xiang was so frightened that he planned to fake his death.
He returned to Sichuan, but was discovered by Chiang Kai-shek. On the pretext of offering solemn condolences, Chiang ordered the coffin to be repainted and suffocated Liu Xiang to death in the coffin.
After this word spread to the people, various versions were immediately derived. Even the details of Chiang Kai-shek suffocating Liu Xiang to death were completed by good people. That is: Liu Xiang took Western medicine and faked his death and was buried in the coffin. Chiang Kai-shek pretended to be confused and pretended to understand.
He went to pay his respects with a sad face. Seeing that there was still a gap in the coffin for breathing, Lao Jiang immediately threw himself on the coffin and cried bitterly, blocking the gap. After crying for two hours, Lao Jiang finally suffocated Liu Xiang to death.
Already.
Not only that, the rumors have become more diverse. For example, Liu Xiang was not sick at all, but was pretending to be sick and wanted to go back to Sichuan. However, Chiang Kai-shek sent Dai Li to bribe the nurse and replace the life-saving medicine with poison, leaving Liu Xiang confused and choked to death.
.
Anyway, everything remains the same. The core of these rumors is: Chiang Kai-shek killed Liu Xiang!
Sichuan people believed these rumors nine times out of ten. After all, there is always a market for conspiracy theories. Chiang Kai-shek was so passive that he specifically called Wang Lingji, the general of the Sichuan Army, saying that "the traitor took advantage of the opportunity to create rumors to confuse the facts" and hoped that Wang Lingji could help.
Explain and dispel the Sichuan Army’s misunderstanding of the Central Committee.
Whether Liu Xiang was killed or not is a mystery and no one can tell for sure.
Judging from the secret documents released by later generations, Chang Kaishen and Dai Li did conspire. The original text of Dai Li's telegram is as follows: "I must go to Secretary Mao of the Nanjing Military Commission (head of the old Chiang Kai-shek's Office) Qingxiang for personal translation. Please forward it confidentially."
Submitted to Chairman Jun Jian. He came to Han from Changsha yesterday to wait for Yang (Yang Hucheng). It was reported that Liu Xiang will arrive in Han today and return to Sichuan due to illness. If Liu Xiang returns to Sichuan, it will be detrimental to the central government's long-term resistance war in the future.
, what should be done to Liu Ying? I beg you to send a telegram immediately... please send the telegram to Director Jian of the Inspection Division of the Hankou Security Headquarters."
This telegram was sent by Dai Li to Mao Qingxiang, leader of the fourth group of Chang Kaishen's attendant's office. He said that while he was waiting in Changsha to transfer Yang Hucheng, he received news that Liu Xiang wanted to return to Sichuan on the pretext of illness. Liu Xiang's return to Sichuan would not be conducive to the Anti-Japanese War.
, please give Chang Kaishen early instructions.
On the third day after the telegram was sent, Chang Kaishen convened a staff discussion and decided on a strategy to solve the problem of Liu Xiang and Sichuan. As for the specific content of the strategy, it is still a mystery and has not been announced for decades.
Therefore, it is possible that Chang Kaishen killed Liu Xiang.
But Liu Xiang was indeed seriously ill and vomited blood at that time. According to Liu Xiang's confidant Liu Hangchen, Liu Xiang already had "stomach troubles and severe vomiting of blood" when he was in Nanjing. Therefore, Liu Xiang himself was very likely to die of illness.
Regardless of the cause of Liu Xiang's death, he must be suspicious in the eyes of the Sichuan warlords so that they have an excuse to resist the central government's control of Sichuan affairs.
Even, these guys came to find Zhou Hexuan, such as Chongqing Mayor Li Hongkun...
When Li Hongkun met, he said: "Mr. Zhou, Commander Liu died unjustly! You and Commander Liu are old friends. You have to stand up and speak for him. You cannot let Commander Liu die in an unknown manner... Please also ask Mr. Zhou to write
This article seeks justice for Commander Liu!"
Zhou Hexuan could only shake his head and smile bitterly, and said some perfunctory words to send Li Hongkun away.
Chang Kaishen still had a way to silence the Sichuan warlords with various official appointments and wishes. For example, Li Hongkun was appointed chief of staff of the 21st Army by Chiang Kai-shek. He was actually promoted, equivalent to the third rank in the main force of the Sichuan Army.
Number one.
The Sichuan warlords' complaints against Chiang Kai-shek became much lighter, and they began to target Wang Zanxu, a high-ranking official on behalf of the government, allowing Chiang Kai-shek to reap the benefits in vain.
As for our head of state, Chairman Lin, since he visited Zhou Hexuan that day, he has been coming to Zhou's residence every now and then to sit down. He likes Zhou's tea very much, and also likes Blind A Bing's erhu. In the afternoon, he sits under the tree and drinks tea and listens to the piano.
Lin Sen enjoys this kind of life very much.
Of course, Zhou Hexuan's private collection room was often visited by Lin Sen. The "Han Xizai Night Banquet", which was identified as an authentic work from the early Northern Song Dynasty, was turned over and over by Lin Sen to appreciate it. The little old man couldn't wait to take the painting home.
.
The sun was shining brightly on this day, sweeping away the humidity brought by the continuous spring rain.
Lin Sen volunteered to be a coolie and helped bring Zhou Hexuan's collection to the courtyard to dry. He carefully spread out the calligraphy and paintings, admiring them while drying, and suddenly said in surprise: "Mingcheng, you actually have Su Dongpo's "Han Shi Tie"
"!"
"It's just a copy from the Ming Dynasty, the real thing is in Japan." Zhou Hexuan shook his head and said.
Su Dongpo's "Han Shi Tie", together with Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface" and Yan Zhenqing's "Manuscript of Sacrifice to My Nephew", are also known as "the three major running scripts in the world". Hearing that the authentic "Han Shi Tie" was actually in Japan, Lin Sen suddenly said depressedly: "
How could it fall into the hands of the Japanese invaders?"
Zhou Hexuan was very clear about this, saying: "When the Old Summer Palace burned down, "Han Shi Tie" was lost among the people and was acquired by Feng Zhanyun. Later, it changed three collectors."
Lin Sen nodded and said, "I know about this. In the sixth year of the Republic of China, "Han Shi Tie" was exhibited at a calligraphy and painting exhibition. How could it have traveled across the ocean to Japan?"
Zhou Hexuan sarcastically said: "Because the Japanese paid a high price, Yan Yunbo sold "Han Shi Tie" to the Japanese."
"Yan is so confused!" Lin Sen lamented this.
Zhou Hexuan didn't care. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, "Han Shi Tie" would be bought back by the Chinese people and eventually be treasured in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
Lin Sen admired the antiques, sat down and asked, "Mingcheng, you are leaving tomorrow. How confident are you that you are going to the United States to seek loans?"
Zhou Hexuan shook his head and said: "If I go to the United States, I will get nothing. If I go to the Soviet Union, I will be 100% sure to get funds for the Anti-Japanese War."
"Then you go to the Soviet Union!" Lin Sen said happily.
"It doesn't matter whoever goes to the Soviet Union, I don't need to worry about it." Zhou Hexuan refused.
In fact, in the early days of China’s Anti-Japanese War, the Soviet Union not only sent volunteers to participate in the war, but also successively provided large amounts of financial support. A few days after the July 7th Incident broke out, the Soviet Union provided China with a loan of 50 million U.S. dollars, and provided two more in the following three years.
A large-scale loan was issued, and the total amount of loans to aid China reached US$250 million.
The Soviet Union's move had only one purpose, which was to let China hold back Japan so that Japan would have no energy to attack the Soviet Union.
Lin Sen nodded and said with emotion: "Ten years ago, I thought the Soviet Union was China's number one enemy and strongly opposed the first cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. Who would have thought that now the Soviet Union has become China's number one ally. Things are unpredictable and fickle.
!”
"It's just profit." Zhou Hexuan said.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
As soon as Zhou Hexuan finished speaking, he heard a series of explosions suddenly coming from the north.
Lin Sen stood up suddenly and asked in shock: "It looks like an airplane bomb!"
Zhou Hexuan added: "In the direction of Jiangbei County (later Yubei District)."
"What's wrong, the Japanese are blowing up the factory!"
Lin Sen was very anxious and said to Zhou Hexuan: "Mingcheng, I'm going to take my leave first. Please send a ship to take me to Chongqing to camp."
This was the first time the Japanese invaders bombed Chongqing. They not only bombed the factories in Jiangbei County, but also bombed the airport in Guangyangba. However, Guangyangba was too far away from Zhou's residence and no sound could be heard. The next day
You can only find out by reading the newspaper.
There were not many casualties in this bombing, but the losses were huge. Guangyangba Airport was completely destroyed.
As early as a month ago, Zhou Hexuan had told Li Gengu to beware of bombings, and the airport was a top priority. However, Li Gengu was busy with the political struggle after Liu Xiang's death and did not implement it seriously at all. As a result, the Sichuan Army's plane was bombed.
More than half destroyed.
Well, it doesn't really matter, those planes are just outdated junk...
It is a pity that there are two factories in Jiangbei, both of which produce civilian supplies. They have been bombed into ruins by the Japanese invaders.
For the time being, Japanese planes will not bomb the main urban area of Chongqing. After all, the flight range is too far, and it is not cost-effective to drop bombs on the heads of civilians.
