In 1991, after gaining personal freedom, Zhang Xueliang expressed his desire to visit relatives in the United States, and the Taiwan authorities approved his request. Before boarding the plane, Zhang Xueliang publicly said that he had the idea of going back to the mainland to have a look.
**After learning about it, he instructed the relevant departments to study this issue and put forward a specific welcome plan, including holding a celebration of Zhang Xueliang's 91st birthday in Beijing, activities to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the September 18 Incident, repairing the Marshal's Mansion and Marshal Forest, and personally visiting the United States and inviting Zhang Xueliang back to the mainland.
I'm going to Nanjing soon, and now I have Song Ziwen and Song Meiling guarantees, no problem, and I'll be back in about three days. However, his decision was met with opposition from everyone.
The deep friendship between Lu Zhengcao and Zhang Xueliang is deeply admired. Lü Zhengcao firmly fulfilled his promise to Zhang Xueliang, who was trapped in Nanjing, and Lü Zhengcao returned to Hebei to stabilize his troops.
Their relationship has influenced not only each other's lives, but also the course of history. During the Anti-Japanese War, Lu Zhengcao led his troops to persist in the Anti-Japanese War and made great contributions to the establishment of the Anti-Japanese Base Area behind the enemy line by the Eighth Route Army.
Therefore, everyone believes that the best person to go to the United States to see Zhang Xueliang is none other than Lu Zhengcao. And their friendship continued through letters half a century after they were separated.
The poems of the two are full of deep emotions and hope for the future.
Zhang Xueliang was freed at the end of January 1990, and after Lu Zhengcao learned the news from Taiwan, he immediately sent an invitation to Zhang Xueliang, hoping that he could come to the colorful world to have a look.
Zhang Xueliang gave back to Lu Zhengcao with an old poem to express his feelings of righteousness and resistance to Hu. Now, Lu Zhengcao has received an arrangement from the CCP, and although he is in poor health, he is still hospitalized in the hospital.
On the evening of the second day after Zhang Xueliang went to the United States to visit relatives, Zhang Xueliang's son and General Yang Hucheng's son went to the hospital to see Lu Zhengcao and informed Zhang Xueliang of the news of his visit to the United States.
At the news conference, the spokesman officially extended an invitation to Zhang Xueliang on behalf of the CPC, expressing his concern for him and saying that he was very welcome to return to the mainland to have a look.
In his later years, Zhang Xueliang was in the United States, and Lu Zhengcao's daughter Lu Tongyan called**, saying that she had seen Zhang Xueliang at Jiang Shiyun's house in New York. Zhang Xueliang said happily that he welcomed Lu Zhengcao to come.
At this time, some veteran comrades in the party also proposed that Lu Zhengcao go to the United States as soon as possible. Lu Zhengcao knows that this is an important task, but he knows that this matter must be coordinated by **.
On the other hand, Zhang Xueliang, although he welcomed it, he still had some concerns. Under these circumstances, the CCP decided to send Lu Zhengcao to the United States to visit Zhang Xueliang on behalf of the party and the people.
Deng Yingchao made an appointment with Lu Zhengcao in the West Flower Hall of Zhongnanhai, and asked him to bring a handwritten letter to Zhang Xueliang in his personal name, inviting him to visit the mainland to see his hometown and homeland, or to sweep the tombs, or to save relatives, or to sightsee, or to reminisce about the past, or to settle down.
Before Lu Zhengcao set off, he also brought some gifts to Zhang Xueliang, including his favorite audio tape of "The Complete Collection of Peking Opera in China", freshly picked and made Biluochun tea leaves, as well as a portrait painted for Zhang Xueliang by painter Yuan Xikun and a handwritten greeting banner by the famous calligrapher Mr. Qi Gong.
On May 23, 1991, Lu Zhengcao and his entourage of five people began their trip to the United States, first came to San Francisco, where they met with Zhao Yidi and others, and arrived in New York on May 29 after a short rest.
That morning, Lu Zhengcao came to Jiang Shiyun's house on Park Avenue in Manhattan, and when he stepped out of the elevator, he found that Zhang Xueliang was already waiting at the elevator door, the two stared at each other and clasped their hands, as if they had turned back time, and everything seemed to happen yesterday.
Jiang Shiyun guided Lu Zhengcao and his entourage into the house and sat down, looking at Zhang Xueliang, who had not been seen for more than half a century, Lu Zhengcao burst into tears. Lu Zhengcao said: "Since the farewell of Xi'an, it has been exactly 54 years, 5 months and 4 days to today, and it happens to be a double 'May Fourth'. ”
Jiang Shiyun, who was on the side, said that General Zhang heard that his old subordinates were coming to visit him, and he didn't sleep well all night last night. Lu Zhengcao gave a full account of the process of participating in the anti-Japanese resistance and joining the Communist Party of China behind enemy lines after Zhang Xueliang left.
Lu Zhengcao said in a regretful tone: "When you sent Chiang Kai-shek back to Nanjing, I didn't believe that he could let you back. After you leave, the Northeast Army will be in chaos. I rushed back to the troops, accepted the instructions of the Communist Party, and took advantage of the southward withdrawal of the Kuomintang troops to break away from the 53rd Army and stay behind enemy lines to fight Japan. ”
This story is full of emotion, showing the heroic performance and indomitable spirit of two heroic soldiers in the War of Resistance Against Japan.
During the meeting between Zhang Xueliang and Lü Zhengcao, Lü Zhengcao recounted the heroic sacrifices of the Northeast Army during the Anti-Japanese War, but Chiang Kai-shek treated them unfairly, canceled their numbers and dismissed the troops.
Zhang Xueliang deeply regretted this and said that it was his greatest regret that he could not directly participate in the anti-Japanese resistance. The next day, the two had an in-depth conversation in Manhattan, and Lu Zhengcao handed over Deng Yingchao's handwritten letter, hoping that Zhang Xueliang could go back to the mainland to have a look, but Zhang Xueliang said that the time had not yet come, and he did not want to complicate politics because of personal matters.
Yan Mingguang, who was on the side, suggested that he go to Shanghai to see an eye disease.
The talks between Zhang Xueliang and Lu Zhengcao unfolded in a relaxed and happy atmosphere. Zhang Xueliang expressed his hope to go to Shanghai for ** eye disease, and expressed his attention and gratitude to the mainland.
Lu Zhengcao readily agreed and asked him what he wanted. Zhang Xueliang put forward three demands: no privileges, no welcome ceremony, no reporters to interview. Lu Zhengcao responded humorously, saying that if Zhang Xueliang got off the plane, the people would definitely recognize him.
Zhang Xueliang smiled and said that he was not afraid of the common people and was very willing to meet them. The talks lasted more than three hours, and Zhang Xueliang inquired about the situation of *** and others, and said that he would go to Beijing to visit them in person.
He was very concerned about the issue of the reunification of the motherland and believed that cross-strait reunification was inevitable. On the eve of Lu Zhengcao's return to China, Zhang Xueliang asked him to bring a reply letter to Deng Yingchao, expressing his deep nostalgia for the mainland and his expectation for the reunification of the motherland.
In their later years, Zhang Xueliang and Zhao Yidi returned to Taiwan at the end of June 1991 after visiting relatives and friends in the United States. Soon, Zhang Xueliang asked someone to bring a message to Lu Zhengcao: "Because of the improvement of his eye disease, he will not return to the mainland for treatment in the near future." ”
At the end of November 1992, Zhang Xueliang entrusted his niece Zhang Lulu to bring a letter to Lu Zhengcao: "Brother Huijian: Returning to Taiwan from the United States, everything is fine, but the ear sense and eyesight have deteriorated greatly.
Please greet the central princes on your behalf. Zhang Xueliang Pays Homage to Taipei on November 30 "Due to various reasons, Zhang Xueliang did not return to the mainland in the end, but chose to die in Hawaii, USA.
In 1994, his son Zhang Lulin was invited by the mainland to go back to the Northeast to see, Zhang Xueliang was very excited, and he specially explained to his son: "After you arrive in Beijing, you will go to the Northeast and go to see our old residence in Shenyang for me, and your grandfather's empty tomb outside Fushun City." ”
Zhang Xueliang's longing for his homeland can be seen. In 2000, when Zhang Xueliang was 100 years old, he received a congratulatory letter from the mainland again. Zhang Xueliang was full of emotion, at that moment he was extremely eager to return to his roots, but he did not realize it after all.
On October 14, 2001, Zhang Xueliang died in Hawaii at the age of 101.
Zhang Xueliang and Zhao Yidi's love was buried in Hawaii, and their cemetery witnessed the eternity of their love. According to Zhang Xueliang's niece Zhang Luxuan, Zhang Xueliang still loved his hometown mainland deeply before his death, but due to various reasons, he failed to realize his desire to return to the mainland in his lifetime, which was the deepest regret in his life.
Their stories make us feel the power of love and a deep longing for our homeland.