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Preface
Huang Jinrong was once a legend of Shanghai Tang, nicknamed "Ma Pi Jin Rong", and played a pivotal role in the black and white of old Shanghai, China. Together with Du Yuesheng and Zhang Xiaolin, he was known as the "Three Tycoons", and their influence once permeated China's political, military, and financial circles, and over time, the three eventually went to different destinies. Why did Huang Jinrong decide to stay in Shanghai after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, instead of fleeing to Taiwan with Chiang Kai-shek? What are the considerations and stories behind his choice? Let's take a little history to learn about it.
Huang Jinrong was born in a poor family, and it was because poverty forced him to take on heavy responsibilities since he was a child, his father died of illness at an early age, and his mother died soon after. Helpless, with the meager assistance of relatives and friends, he squeezed out a place in a corner of Shanghai's City God Temple and opened a painting shop, struggling to make ends meet.
The City God Temple is a place where Huang Jinrong not only learns survival skills, but also hones his deep understanding of human nature. Despite his mediocre framing skills, Huang Jinrong's love of communication allowed him to meet a wide variety of characters here. He made friends not out of calculation, but out of a genuine love for relationships, a personality trait that helped him unexpectedly in his later years.
One summer day in 1892, a friend of Huang Jinrong brought fate-changing news: the French Concession Patrol House was recruiting Chinese to patrol the country. In those days, this amounted to a stable and decent career opportunity. So, he decisively closed the store and threw himself into the fierce competition. There were many applicants, but Huang Jinrong luckily met the son of his father's old friend during the interview, and the secret help of this translator made him stand out from the competition and become a patrolman.
As soon as he entered the patrol room, Huang Jinrong showed his diligence and wisdom. He was a diligent executor and knew how to survive in the French Concession, a "country within a country". His work efficiency and ability were gradually recognized and reused by his superiors. Huang Rong is not just a machine that executes orders, he also has a unique ability to solve problems, which has made him quickly rise to prominence in the patrol system.
Huang Jinrong's ability to handle affairs is not limited to official tasks, he can also skillfully use his network of contacts to solve complex cases. For example, there was a mysterious theft of the gold-lettered signboard of a newly opened trading house in the French Concession, which made the shopkeeper anxious.
In fact, this theft is a play directed and acted by Huang Jinrong, in order to show his problem-solving ability. He recovered the signboard "with great difficulty", an act that won the gratitude of the merchants and further cemented his position in the French Concession.
On another occasion, Yang Zhihou, chief of staff of the Fujian Governor, was robbed at the Shanghai dock and all six boxes of jewelry, calligraphy and paintings he was carrying. This incident alarmed the Songhu military envoys and could be called a major case. Huang Jinrong took the initiative to ask Ying and offered to assist in the investigation. He mobilized his subordinates who had been cultivated for many years, and through the forces of black and white, he returned all the looted property intact in less than half a day. As time passed, Huang Jinrong's ties with the authorities also grew closer.
With the support of the French, Huang Jinrong became even more arrogant. He took the opportunity to join the Green Gang and called himself a "Tianzi generation". With his huge power, Huang Jinrong monopolized power in the Qing Gang, and the elders dared to be angry but did not dare to speak, and the gang gradually became his personal tool. Huang Jinrong monopolized Shanghai's gray industry by opening dance halls, selling opium, and setting up casinos, and quickly accumulated a lot of wealth.
After Huang Jinrong gained a foothold in Shanghai, he wantonly exploited and oppressed the local people, so he was called a "hooligan tycoon". Despite this, many big names still had to give him face, such as Sun Yat-sen, who had been sponsored by him during the revolution, and Chiang Kai-shek had worshipped him as a teacher.
Chiang Kai-shek opened the stock exchange "Hengtai" in Shanghai in his early years, and business was prosperous at first. However, in 1921, a "letter and communication storm" broke out in Shanghai, similar to today's mini-financial crisis, and the "Hengtai" was unable to support it and soon collapsed. Chiang Kai-shek's partner was forced to jump to his death in the Huangpu River, and Chiang Kai-shek could only hide in Tibet to escape debt collectors.
In desperation, Chiang Kai-shek fled to the French Concession and sought the help of Huang Jinrong. As early as Huang Jinrong's 52nd birthday, Chiang Kai-shek went to congratulate him respectfully, so Huang Jinrong had a good impression of him. Seeing that he was in trouble, Huang Jinrong did a favor and accepted Chiang Kai-shek as a disciple.
On the day of the apprenticeship, Chiang Kai-shek was respectful, knelt on his knees, and handed over the letter: "In front of the stage of Old Master Huang, Jiang Zhiqing, a protégé." Zhiqing was a common name used by Chiang Kai-shek at that time. After Huang Jinrong nodded, Chiang Kai-shek kowtowed again and again.
Later, Huang Jinrong announced that Chiang Kai-shek was his apprentice, and Chiang Kai-shek's debts would be borne by him. The creditors knew Huang Jinrong's methods well and did not dare to ask him for money, and Chiang Kai-shek's problem was solved. Because of this, Chiang Kai-shek and Huang Jinrong have always maintained a good relationship. In 1927, Chiang Kai-shek launched the "April 12 counter-revolutionary coup", and Huang Jinrong acted as a thug in Shanghai, arresting and killing a large number of Communist Party members, and committing many crimes.
In order to thank the "master" for his help, Chiang Kai-shek specially inscribed "Wenxing Faithful" to give Huang Jinrong, but the irony is that Huang Jinrong has nothing to do with these virtues, and the relationship between him and Chiang Kai-shek is only a treacherous affair, and has nothing to do with loyalty.
After many years of fighting with the Kuomintang reactionaries, when the liberation was carried out in 1949, Huang Rongcheng was terrified. Du Yuesheng and others had already left, and Huang Jinrong's daughter-in-law also fled to Hong Kong with her property. He stayed at home all day smoking marijuana and playing mahjong to get by.
At the beginning of 1949, Chen Yi arrived as the new mayor of Shanghai, facing a devastated city. Shanghai is now in a gloomy mood due to soaring prices and chaotic social order. The opium epidemic and brothels have made the city almost lose its former glory.
At that time, the situation was complex and sensitive, and Mao Zedong's instructions were clear - the strategy against Shanghai must be solved by civilian attack, not by force, because Shanghai is not only an economic powerhouse, but also a barometer of social atmosphere. Chen Yi understands the peculiarities of the city, and he knows that any drastic change can have unpredictable consequences.
In Chiang Kai-shek's eyes, Shanghai was a "fat" that could not be lost. He ordered the Kuomintang to hold on to the land, while Chen Yi managed to take over the city with minimal friction. Chen Yi took a series of carefully planned actions, first understanding and assessing the economic and political situation in Shanghai and the living conditions of ordinary citizens, and then in-depth understanding of the actual situation in the local area before starting to implement further plans.
Chen Yi's decision-making is prudent. He ordered his troops to operate on the outskirts of the city as much as possible without alarming the citizens, so as to avoid direct clashes in the center of the city. This strategy succeeded in luring the Kuomintang forces away from the city center, avoiding possible large-scale fighting and civilian casualties.
Chen Yi also issued strict disciplinary directives, prohibiting the PLA from entering or borrowing people's homes, as well as prohibiting the use of any civilian supplies. He stressed that the relationship between the troops and the citizens must be based on respect and understanding to ensure the image of the PLA and the legitimacy of the liberation cause. The actions of the PLA have won the trust and respect of the citizens. On icy nights, PLA soldiers can only endure the bitter cold outdoors, and many soldiers lie on the streets, using the sky as their bed.
The next morning, when the citizens saw the perseverance of these young soldiers in the cold wind, they could not help but respect them, and they spontaneously took out food and water from their homes to support these liberators from afar. This mutual understanding and support made Chen Yi full of confidence in Shanghai's future reform. He firmly believes that through moderate policies and pro-people actions, Shanghai can gradually be transformed into a more just and prosperous city.
When Huang Jinrong learned that Chen Yi was the mayor of Shanghai, Huang Jinrong took the initiative to extend an olive branch to the new government. He not only submitted a detailed list of the 400 backbone members of the Green Gang, but also attached a detailed financial report showing his loyalty and repentance to the new regime.
At the same time, Huang Jinrong issued a strict order within the Green Gang, prohibiting all gambling, drug dealing, and prostitution activities, and ordered the gang members to keep a low profile to avoid attracting the attention of the Communist Party. Chen Yi saw Huang Jinrong's efforts and decided to give him a chance and adopted a lenient policy.
Du Xuan was entrusted by Chen Yi to go to Huang Jinrong's residence to convey the government's intentions. He candidly pointed out Huang Jinrong's past crimes, but also stressed that the premise of the government's willingness to tolerate him was that he must completely obey the leadership of the people's government. Huang Jinrong was grateful, and repeatedly agreed and returned the gold watch that Chiang Kai-shek had given him to the government as a symbol of loyalty.
Since then, Huang Jinrong has kept his promise and tried his best to avoid public exposure. The various industries he controlled, such as the "Great World", were still in operation, but he had completely handed over the day-to-day management to his protégé Ding Yongchang, who was the leader of the younger generation, but his actions began to deviate from Huang Jinrong's original intentions and resumed some illegal businesses, leading to public resentment.
When thousands of Shanghai citizens complained about Ding's actions, Chen Yi was faced with a difficult choice: harsh measures against Huang Rong and his disciples could anger other old gangs and lead to social instability; However, if it is not dealt with, it will not be able to maintain the authority and justice of the government. After much deliberation, Chen Yi decided that he had to take action to demonstrate the government's determination and justice to the community.
So early one morning, Deng came to Huang Jinrong's residence according to Chen Yi's instructions. Although Huang Jinrong is old and frail, when he heard that he will be punished by the public, he showed a rare perseverance and accepting attitude. Chen Yi's decision to let Huang Jinrong sweep the streets at the gate of the "big world" is not only a personal punishment for him, but also a signal to the public that any illegal behavior must suffer consequences.
Huang Jinrong dragged his weakened body in full view of everyone, sweeping the ground with a broom, which shocked passers-by. Some are whispering, others are satisfied with the verdict. Reporters flocked to record the moment, and the next day, the newspapers in Shanghai were overwhelmed with photos of Huang Jinrong sweeping the streets, which became a landmark event of that era.
After Huang Jinrong's "Book of Repentance" was announced, Chen Yi felt a glimmer of breathing space. Huang Jinrong's public confession did reduce the people's complaints against the government, and Huang Jinrong, who seemed to have reformed himself, won a certain positive image among the people. However, a new problem unfolded in front of Chen Yi, although Huang Jinrong superficially complied with the rules, he still exerted pressure on employees behind his back, deducting wages and squeezing labor.
Although Huang Rong has retired into the background and his day-to-day business is managed by his children and grandchildren, many employees and citizens still report to the government that there is still serious exploitation of the Huang family's business. This is a thorny issue for Chen Yi, and he cannot directly rely on harsh means to solve Huang Rong's problem, because this could cause greater social unrest.
After pondering for a long time, Chen Yi came up with an ingenious solution. He decided to use the power of law and public opinion to indirectly restrain Huang Jinrong and at the same time protect the rights and interests of workers. One day, Chen Yi sent several trusted men to Huang Jinrong's residence to conduct a raid on the pretext of checking for illegal weapons. Huang Jinrong was shocked by the sudden search, and he immediately stated that he had not been involved in the world for many years, let alone knew that there were prohibited items hidden in his home.
During the search, a large number of military guns were found in a hidden place in Huang Jinrong's home. Although it was eventually found out that these guns were hidden by Huang Jinrong's son, and Huang Huang Rong himself did not know about it, this incident was enough to deal a heavy blow to Huang Jinrong.
In response to this incident, Chen Yi decided to have Huang Jinrong undergo public labor reform again, as a warning and warning of other possible illegal acts. He told Huang Rong that labor is the way to transform the soul and educate the people, and Huang Rong will sweep the streets in front of the door of his former industry, the "big world".
The news of the second street sweep quickly spread throughout Shanghai, and many citizens watched. Some people sympathize with Huang Rong's situation, while many more see it as a deserved punishment for his past actions. Huang Jinrong was dressed in simple overalls and swept the streets in front of the Great World with a broom in hand, a scene that was recorded by many photographers and reporters and once again made headlines in the newspapers.
This measure made Huang Jinrong feel deeply ashamed, and also made him realize that no matter how old he is, he cannot escape fair scrutiny, and Chen Yi effectively improved the morale of workers, strengthened the government's image of supporting workers' rights, and ensured the stable development of society.
And after Chiang Kai-shek learned the news that Huang Jinrong swept the streets again in Taiwan, he couldn't help but sigh at Chen Yi's political skills. He recognized that despite his intersection with Huang Jinrong, Chen Yi had shown extraordinary fairness and decisiveness in dealing with public figures. Chiang Kai-shek had to admit that the handling of Huang Jinrong was not only strict and effective, but also politically achieved the expected educational and warning effect.
Under Chen's guidance, government workers adopted a strategy that was both gentle and firm, encouraging Huang Rong to become a model for rehabilitation. Under the dual influence of emotion and reason, Huang Jinrong experienced a profound spiritual awakening. In the same year, he wrote "Confessions of Huang Jinrong", an open letter that reviewed his criminal history in detail and openly admitted his guilt to society.
In this confession, Huang Rong candidly enumerated the crimes of his followers, from opening casinos and selling opium in his youth to conniving at the oppression of the people by his followers. He admitted the mistakes of the past, praised the order and progress of Shanghai after the liberation, and expressed his deep gratitude and support for the policies of the people's government.
Huang Jinrong wrote: "Now I am 84 years old and have retired from the rivers and lakes for more than 20 years. Seeing the great changes brought about by the new government, I felt that I was sorry for the people for my early actions. I am grateful for the leniency of the government and the forgiveness of the people, and I hope that by making my past public, I can set an example for the transformation of other remnants of the old society.
After the publication of this confession, it had a wide social repercussion. Inspired by Huang Jinrong's change, other gang members in Shanghai also began to consciously rein in, and the social order was further strengthened. In 1953, as the anti-rebellion campaign deepened, Huang Jinrong was advised to submit a detailed confession again to put an end to his past.
Su Yu personally met with Huang Jinrong, and although Huang Jinrong was nervous and uneasy, he still handed in a confession. However, the gravity of the crimes listed in this document made him feel deep anxiety and fear, fearing for his fate.
This stress eventually affected his health. On June 20, 1953, Huang Jinrong died at home, ending his legendary and complicated life. His death marked the transition of Shanghai, and indeed of Chinese society, from the old order to the new era.