In news reports, we often hear that people impersonate ** or relatives to carry out criminal activities, promising bidding for projects, children going to military schools, etc. But do you know who was the first fraudster in China after the founding of the People's Republic of China? Today, we're going to talk about it. Maybe you are no longer familiar with the name "Li Wanming". However, in China in the 50s of the last century, Li Wanming, the country's biggest political fraudster and China's "minister of the imperial mission", was a household name.
Through works such as writer Lao She's drama "Looking West to Chang'an" and Xu Yue's reportage "He Came from Heaven and Hell", we learn how Li Wanming, who had a low level of education, went from a Kuomintang soldier who forged files, boasted about himself, and defrauded himself to the crime of being the head of the administrative department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, as well as the difficult reform process after being sentenced.
In 1997, the book "I Used to Be a **Li Wanming Confession" published by Bai Caogen further revealed Li Wanming's **. In January 1945, Li Wanming decided to leave his hometown and pursue a broader development. Without hesitation, he joined the Kuomintang Youth Army, first in Kunming and then in Shenyang during the War of Liberation, where he became a clerk. He took the opportunity to collect military pay, but was imprisoned in an army prison for three months because of his disadvantage. Fortunately, because of the exoneration of a Kuomintang officer, he escaped and later entered the Nanjing Army Hospital.
After the liberation of Nanjing in 1949, Li Wanming falsified his history, pretended to be a student of Nanjing Zhongyang University, and was successfully admitted to the Second Field Military and Political University of the People's Liberation Army. After graduating, he forged the official seal and infiltrated Changzhou City**, but soon resigned because he was not satisfied with the position of a clerk. Then, he forged the seal letter again, claiming to be the "head of the Party Member Education Section" of the Erye Military and Political University, and pretended to be a disabled soldier to go to the Southern Jiangsu Office to ask for resettlement, but it was exposed and sentenced to three years in prison.
However, Li Wanming's luck improved in January 1951, when he was released on parole due to illness and returned to his hometown of Ankang, Shaanxi. But his ** did not stop, he forged documents again, falsely claiming to be the "deputy chief of the military and political section" of the Erye Military and Political University, and asked for a job assignment in Shaanxi. Surprisingly, he was assigned to the Civil Affairs Section of the Ankang Special Administration, became a "party member", and won the "People's Meritorious Service" medal and the "Revolutionary Military Disability Certificate".
After obtaining these honors, Li Wanming's courage became more and more great. He took the opportunity of his unit to go to the Northwest Agricultural College for further study, and again forged documents, claiming that he had been appointed chief of staff of a certain division and a certain regiment of a certain army, and went to report to the Central and Southern Bureau. In February 1952, he flew from Xi'an to Wuhan, and then privately engraved his resume, falsely claiming that he had joined the Red Army, and successively served as the company commander, battalion commander, and chief of staff of the 359 Brigade. With these fictitious experiences, he successfully blended into the Agriculture and Forestry Department of the Central South Agricultural Affairs Committee and served as the secretary and director.
In 1953, after the dissolution of the Central and Southern Region, personnel were reassigned, and Li Wanming's file was full of glorious history that he had forged and official evidence of his fraud. Due to his visit to the Soviet Union, he was easily transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Beijing and became a department-level cadre.
However, Li Wanming's devilish career is not over yet. At the end of 1954, he forged another document, claiming that the commander of a certain army had appointed him chief of staff and division commander, and wrote a letter asking him to fly to Lanzhou to discuss important military affairs. With the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, he bought a ticket and planned to travel to Lanzhou. However, in January 1955, his disguise was revealed. Because Li Wanming's claimed experience is all false, it cannot be proven, and everything cannot be confirmed. So, Li Wanming was in Beijing**.
is different from the general **, Li Wanming did not deny or conceal it after **, he confessed the entire deception in detail from beginning to end. This detailed confession, which is both heavy and shocking, as if it had been prepared in advance, is more like a summary and public display of his own deception.