In 1947, when the Liberation War was in full swing, Yan Xishan took a group photo with his family at the Taiyuan mansion. ** He was dressed in the uniform of a "first-class general of the army", sitting on a wicker chair, his eyes were firm and full of confidence.
Next to him stood his wife Xu Lansen, the burly man on the right was the fourth son Yan Zhimin, the fifth son Yan Zhihui in a straight suit on the left, and the granddaughter Yan Shurong in the middle.
Although Yan Xishan was 64 years old, he was in a very good mental state, and perhaps his military command ability was not outstanding, but in the Shanxi region, his influence far exceeded that of other warlords, so he was known locally as the "Emperor of the Soil".
Yan Xishan's emotional experience in his life is relatively simple, he only has two wives in his life: his original wife Xu Zhuqing and his aunt Xu Lansen. Xu Zhuqing had no children, but Xu Lansen brought five sons and one girl to the Yan family, namely the eldest son Yan Zhigong, the second son Yan Zhikuan, the third son Yan Zhixin, the fourth son Yan Zhimin and the fifth son Yan Zhihui.
Although there are many children, it is a pity that the eldest son Yan Zhigong and the second son Yan Zhikuan died early.
Not long after the shooting, the People's Liberation Army won one after another, the Jinsui Army collapsed, and Yuncheng, Linfen and other places were soon liberated, and it was early 1949 in a blink of an eye. Yan Xishan had a premonition that his rule was about to collapse, so he and his family fled Taiyuan by plane under the banner of "discussing the state of the country", first entering Shanghai, then moving to Guangzhou, and finally settling in Taiwan.
Yan Xishan's life in Taiwan was not satisfactory. He lost his military power, and his children moved to the United States, without the company of their loved ones. In his later years, he spent a quiet decade in the suburbs of Taipei, living a quiet life away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
He eventually died in May 1960. Looking back on his life, despite the ups and downs, he was safe and sound, and although he made contributions in the War of Resistance, he also made some unforgivable mistakes.
Isn't it a blessing for him that his descendants have not been rich, but they have also kept their peace?