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On a turbulent night in 1942, an unexpected mutiny is quietly taking place in the shadows of Taean. Song Qitian and Yu Weichen surrendered to the Japanese army, and what was hidden behind them was not only the desire to survive, but also a "letter of surrender" that allowed them to gain a foothold in the enemy camp.
On this list are not only the names of ordinary soldiers, but the most important is the name of a pseudo-district chief - Ma Dong. Ma Dong, an undercover agent who was ostensibly loyal to the Japanese army, was actually lurking inside the enemy of the Eighth Route Army. However, things did not go as the traitors had hoped.
Ma Dong had long been alert, and he used the accusations of traitors to do the opposite, creating a fake receipt and the testimony of two squires, which pointed to Song Qitian and Yu Weichen. When the Japanese caught this "evidence", their trust immediately turned to suspicion and anger. However, who would have thought that this spy war, which seemed to be about to collapse, would be reversed at the last moment?
Defection and Betrayal: The Story of Song Qitian and Yu Weichen
One night in the summer of 1942, the sky was full of stars, and the Taean area was silent. Song Qitian and Yu Weichen, two officers of the Eighth Route Army, quietly converged in the woods on the outskirts of the camp after making sure that no one was paying attention. They wore the standard uniforms of the Eighth Route Army, wore slightly worn belts, and each carried a full-fledged rifle.
After confirming each other in the woods, the two quickly left their original station and made a quick move in the pre-planned direction. They avoided the main roads and villages, opting for a lesser-used mountain trail to reduce the risk of being spotted by their own patrols. In the moonlight, the shadows of the two moved quickly along the rugged path, occasionally stopping to observe their surroundings to make sure there were no trackers.
After marching for about two hours, they approached the border with the Japanese-controlled zone. It is a narrow strip cut by a small river, and the river flows quietly at night. Song Qitian and Yu Weichen carefully searched the riverside for a place to cross the river, and finally found an area with a slower current. They checked their gear and, when they were sure everything was in place, quickly waded through the water.
After crossing the river, the two entered an area covered with sparse shrubs and low trees, closer to the Japanese outposts. As they approached enemy territory, they slowed down and looked down at the ground every few steps to avoid triggering mines or traps that might be laid. Under the moonlight, the details of the surroundings began to become clearer.
Eventually, they arrived at a pre-understood Japanese outpost. The outpost was guarded by several Japanese soldiers and was surrounded by a small guard wooden tower. Song Qitian and Yu Weichen hid in the bushes not far away, observing the activities of the outpost, waiting for the right time to make contact. After confirming the timing of the shift change for the soldiers at the outpost, the two decided to act.
They came out of their bunkers, holding white cloths in their hands, and slowly walked towards the Japanese outpost. A Japanese sentry was the first to notice their movements, quickly aimed his rifle at them, and shouted in Japanese to stop. Song Qitian and Yu Weichen maintained a posture of raising their hands and did not make any sudden movements.
Later, a Japanese squad leader walked out of the outpost, carefully observed the two comers, and asked them in stiff Chinese about their intentions.
Song Qitian replied simply, indicating their willingness to surrender and requesting to speak with a high-ranking official. After some scrutiny, the Japanese squad leader ordered the soldiers to disarm them and took the two to a deeper station for further interrogation and processing.
A fatal "petition for nomination"
After being taken into a simple interrogation room by Japanese soldiers, Song Qitian and Yu Weichen were asked to sit on a wooden bench facing a Japanese officer. The officer was dressed in a neat military uniform, with a shabby military cap, and some documents and maps on the table, apparently improvised for this sudden "surrender".
Japanese officers began interrogations, asking about the military backgrounds of the two men and their motives for surrendering. Song Qitian and Yu Weichen replied alternately, stating that they were originally a member of the Eighth Route Army, and now they are determined to join the Japanese army, hoping to be reused.
In the course of their conversation, the two observed that the Japanese officers seemed to be skeptical of their background, and decided to use stronger evidence to ensure the trust of the Japanese troops. They offered to prove their loyalty and worth by providing important intelligence – pointing out that Ma Dong, the head of the Tai'an Puppet 2nd District, was an undercover agent of the Eighth Route Army.
Song Qitian and Yu Weichen described in detail Ma Dong's position and activities in the puppet government, emphasizing that his dual identity posed a serious threat to the Japanese army. They added that Ma Dong has won the trust and respect of the local community, and revealing his true identity would greatly weaken the Eighth Route Army's influence in the region.
After hearing this, the Japanese officers began to carefully record the information they provided, and at the same time sent people to verify the statements of Song Qitian and Yu Weichen. While waiting for verification, the two were taken to a makeshift detention area with several rudimentary tents and some wooden fences.
In fact, they didn't know if Ma Dong was really an undercover agent of the Eighth Route Army, which was a selfish act of venting their anger, which was caused by a dispute at the beginning of the mutiny.
The fate of the defectors
After defecting to the Japanese-controlled area, Song Qitian and Yu Weichen were arranged by the Japanese army in a temporary camp in the puppet second district. As they gradually settle into their new environment, the two begin to seek a more stable and powerful position, hoping to gain an official position in the Pseudo-2nd District Squadron. Through the network of the Japanese army, they put forward their wishes and requests to Ma Dong.
Ma Dong, as the head of the puppet second district, considered the request. At an official meeting, Song Qitian and Yu Weichen were arranged to meet with Ma Dong officially, expressing their desire to serve as the captain and deputy captain of the district squadron. Ma Dong politely listened to their request, but ultimately decided not to approve it.
He succinctly explained that there were suitable candidates for the relevant positions and that there were no more vacancies. The meeting was held in a modest office, surrounded by makeshift wooden planks, with a large table and chairs, and a few papers and maps stacked in the corner.
Song Qitian and Yu Weichen stood in front of Ma Dong, and although they remained calm on the outside, they were dissatisfied with this refusal in their hearts. Although Ma Dong's refusal did not publicly explain the reasons, it planted doubts in the hearts of the two. This decision made them begin to doubt Ma Dong's true position and background.
They didn't know that Ma Dong was actually an undercover agent arranged by the Eighth Route Army inside the puppet government, and had been secretly collecting intelligence and serving the Eighth Route Army. In Ma Dong's role, he not only has to face threats from traitors, but also has to maintain his trust in the Japanese army.
Ma Dong showed great dedication and efficiency in his daily communication with the Japanese army, and showed ease in handling various administrative and military tasks. His performance was appreciated by Jiro Takasawa, a high-ranking official of the Japanese army.
Jiro Takazawa, a senior commander in the Japanese army, often inspected the area administered by Ma Dong, and spoke highly of his efficiency and loyalty to Japan. During one of his visits, Mr. Takasawa personally praised Mr. Ma's contribution to maintaining order and efficiency in the region, which further cemented his position and influence.
Assassination and counterattack in the shadows
After learning that Song Qitian and Yu Weichen had defected and tried to reveal their identities, Ma Dong quickly communicated with Cui Ziming, the contact of the Eighth Route Army. Cui Ziming is an important cadre of the Sixth Detachment of the Xiaohua Column of the Eighth Route Army, and has a deep understanding of the situation and dynamics in the region. After learning of the situation, he immediately instructed Ma Dong to take measures to ensure that the internal security of the Eighth Route Army would not be affected.
Ma Dong acted quickly, and he began to plot how to frame Song Qitian and Yu Weichen by fabricating false evidence so that they could no longer threaten the safety of the Eighth Route Army. To this end, he chose to forge a receipt, which was ostensibly proof that Song Qitian and Yu Weichen had forced villagers to raise funds for the Eighth Route Army in the Tai'an area.
On the receipt, Ma Dong cleverly forged the handstamp of Fan Jingyun of the guerrilla detachment of the Eighth Route Army to make it look like it was genuine. In order to enhance the credibility of this forged document, Ma Dong also contacted two squires, who had a certain amount of local influence and credibility.
He explained the situation to the two squires and asked them to make some sacrifices for the safety of the anti-Japanese cause, and testified that it was Song Qitian and Yu Weichen who asked them for money and received this receipt. Having understood the importance of the whole operation, the two squires agreed to cooperate, ready to come forward to prove it if necessary.
With these preparations, Ma Dong began to spread the word about Song Qitian and Yu Weichen's disloyalty through the channels of the Japanese army. He submitted this forged receipt to the Japanese army as evidence through some puppet government officials who colluded with the Japanese army. At the same time, he also hinted at the Japanese that the two men might be double agents arranged by the Eighth Route Army to confuse the public.
After receiving these so-called "evidence", the Japanese army became suspicious of Song Qitian and Yu Weichen. They decided to put the two men under more scrutiny. During a rigorous investigation, the Japanese army found two squires, and the squires confirmed that Song Qitian and Yu Weichen had asked them for money and presented forged receipts.
This receipt and the squire's testimony quickly became important accusations against Song Qitian and Yu Weichen. The Japanese were extremely sensitive to this internal betrayal, and they began to have serious doubts about the loyalty of the two men. In an atmosphere of tension and suspicion, the situation of Song Qitian and Yu Weichen became more and more dangerous.
They were closely monitored by the Japanese army, all their activities were restricted, and any hopes of any official positions they had previously sought were dashed.
The end of heroes and traitors
Before the fates of Song Qitian and Yu Weichen were sealed, a series of investigations and interrogations continued. As the suspicions of the Japanese military leaders deepened about the two, in the end, the high-ranking Japanese military official Takasawa Jiro issued an execution order. He instructed that the two men be taken to an execution site set up for such matters—an open field outside the camp that was commonly used to carry out executions against Japanese forces.
On the day of the execution, the sky was overcast, and gusts of cold wind blew through the empty field, adding to the bleak and tense atmosphere. Song Qitian and Yu Weichen were escorted by heavy soldiers and taken to this temporarily fenced execution site. The site was surrounded by barbed wire, and several Japanese soldiers stood around, armed with rifles, with indifferent expressions.
After arriving at the execution site, Song Qitian and Yu Weichen were forced to stand by the shallow pit that had been dug, which was their last place to stand. Among the Japanese officers and soldiers who observed the surroundings, some were daily guards, and a few were officers who specialized in supervising the execution from the headquarters. Jiro Takasawa was not physically present, but he sent his own lieutenant to ensure the execution of the order.
Song Qitian and Yu Weichen faced the grim reality and tried to make a final justification. They loudly declared that they had only been misled by the sophisticated tactics of the Eighth Route Army, trying to show that their true intentions were not betrayal, but that they had made the wrong choice in extreme circumstances.
However, the Japanese officers and soldiers present at the scene sounded nothing more than a desperate struggle, for whom the traitor was already convicted, and no amount of justification could change the outcome. As time passed, the air around me became more and more heavy. The executive officer gave the order to shoot, and several Japanese soldiers took a few steps forward, adjusting the position of the muzzle.
At this moment, the entire venue fell into a brief silence, leaving only the sound of the wind and the occasional daily noise in the distance. Subsequently, the executive raised the white handkerchief in his hand as a final signal. He jerked off his white handkerchief, followed by two clear gunshots that pierced the silence and echoed across the empty execution grounds.
Song Qitian and Yu Weichen's bodies leaned forward suddenly, and then fell to the cold and hard ground. Blood slowly flowed from their bodies, staining the ground red. In the sound of gunfire and the silence that followed, the lives of the two traitors, who were once comrades in the Eighth Route Army, came to an end.
#长文创作激励计划#
Resources:
From The Galloping Yellow River: Selected Party History Materials of Hebei, Shandong, and Henan Province No. 6[M].