In 1994, Zhang Xueliang's only surviving son, Zhang Lulin, embarked on a journey back to China, although he did not understand Chinese, he shouldered his father's instructions and thoughts, and returned to his homeland across the ocean with an infinite yearning for his hometown.
Zhang Lulin's return to China this time is not only a journey to find her roots, but also an emotional baptism and a witness of history.
So, what's the story? Let's talk about it today.
Young Marshal Zhang Xueliang
Zhang Xueliang was born in 1901 and was the eldest son of the Feng warlord Zhang Zuolin. Zhang Zuolin was originally a reckless hero, but with his wisdom and courage, he rose from a civilian to a warlord in the northeast.
Zhang Xueliang received a strict education since he was a child, learning both traditional Chinese culture and modern Western education, and under the influence of his father, he also had a little recklessness, and showed extraordinary intelligence when he was a child.
He learned martial arts from an early age, learning horseback riding and archery with his father's subordinates, showing extraordinary talent, while also receiving a traditional Confucian education, studying the Four Books and Five Classics to cultivate profound cultural literacy.
Zhang Zuolin also invited well-known scholars at that time to teach his son Western science and military knowledge, hoping that he could become a knowledgeable young man.
Zhang Xueliang's youth coincided with a turbulent period in Chinese history, not only witnessing the chaotic situation of the Beiyang warlords, but also witnessing the ups and downs of his father Zhang Zuolin in the power struggle, which profoundly affected his growth and knowledge, and gradually became a qualified military strategist and politician.
In 1920, Zhang Xueliang served as a major in the Fengjun army with the support of his father, and gradually rose to prominence on the battlefield. He was brave and good at war, good at strategy, and led troops with strict discipline and high morale, and was often able to win by surprise in battle.
Unfortunately, the days of "protection" did not last forever, and in 1928, Zhang Zuolin was killed by the Japan Kwantung Army in the Huanggutun Incident, which was a huge blow to Zhang Xueliang.
As the eldest son, he had to assume the responsibility of his father, take over the leadership of the Bong warlords, quickly control the situation within the Bong line, integrate all forces to maintain stability in the northeast, and show extraordinary leadership and political wisdom.
In the face of the complicated domestic and international situation, Zhang Xueliang gradually realized that the reunification and rejuvenation of the country could not be achieved by force alone, and put forward the idea of "peaceful reunification" and that only through peaceful negotiations could civil war be avoided.
Although this proposition was not realized at the time, it laid the foundation for later cooperation between the KMT and the CCP. In December 1936, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng launched the "Xi'an Incident" in Xi'an, which shocked China and the rest of the world, detained Chiang Kai-shek, chairman of the Nationalist Government, and demanded an end to the civil war and the Communist Party to resist Japan.
The Xi'an Incident was an important turning point in the history of China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, creating conditions for cooperation between the KMT and the Communist Party and the joint resistance against Japan. However, after the Xi'an Incident, Zhang Xueliang was placed under house arrest by Chiang Kai-shek, and began a 50-year captive life.
Days of captivity
During the period of Chiang Kai-shek's imprisonment, although Zhang Xueliang was in prison, he always cared about the fate of the country and the future of the motherland.
The most worth mentioning is that he and Miss Zhao Si stayed together and spent this difficult time together, and the two also had a child named Zhang Lulin.
Due to her father's long-term imprisonment, Miss Zhao Si chose to accompany Zhang Xueliang and entrusted her son to United States's friends to raise.
Educated in the United States, Zhang Lulin grew into an excellent aerospace expert, with little exposure to Chinese and little knowledge of Chinese culture and history due to her foreign location.
Despite being separated from her parents, Zhang Lulin always misses her hometown and motherland, and looks forward to reuniting with her parents. In 1956, Zhang Xueliang found his son in United States through the help of friends, but did not recognize him for the sake of his son's safety.
Time passed in a hurry, 20 years later, Chiang Kai-shek died, Chiang Ching-kuo took over Taiwan, and then opened up exchanges between Taiwan and the mainland, Zhang Xueliang, Zhang Lulin, father and son had the opportunity to communicate, and that period of separation became an eternal pain in Zhang Xueliang's conscience.
Although Taiwan opened up exchanges with the mainland, Zhang Xueliang was not released, and it was not until 1990 that he was actually released from house arrest and settled in United States, and the family could finally live together.
There is a saying in the mainland that "the golden nest and the silver nest are not as good as his own poor nest", Zhang Xueliang was free and lived well in the United States, but he still expressed his desire to return to China many times in his heart for the motherland, just to see his hometown.
It is a pity that due to various reasons, Zhang Xueliang was unable to return to his homeland as he wished, and could only learn about the changes and development of the motherland through letters and photos, and he felt some regret in his heart.
When the time came to 1994, his son Zhang Lulin was invited by the Space Bureau to return to his hometown to visit the motherland's aerospace industry......
Soon after, a plane took off from the United States to Beijing, China, and passengers on the flight chatted excitedly, sharing their stories and expectations.
The atmosphere in the cabin is full of warmth and expectation, and one of the 64-year-old people is particularly eye-catching, he is Zhang Xueliang's Zhang Lulin.
Although he is a Chinese, because he has lived in United States for a long time, he can't say a word Chinese, and he needs to be taken care of on the plane.
As a son, Zhang Lulin knew his father's longing for the motherland and hometown, and despite not knowing Chinese and the difficult journey, he still chose to agree to his father's request.
Zhang Lulin's trip back to China
More than a dozen hours later, the plane landed at the Beijing airport, and the director of the Mainland's Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs and his staff had been waiting for a long time and had made all the arrangements.
At that time, Zhang Lulin first visited the mainland's space bureau and saw that the motherland's space technology had caught up with the developed countries of the West, and he felt extremely proud, knowing very well that the achievements made by New China in just a few decades were the result of the joint efforts of countless scientific researchers and workers.
Later, he visited many historical places and modern buildings, walked through Tiananmen Square and visited the Forbidden City, and felt the long history and cultural heritage of Chinese civilization.
With the high-rise buildings and the busy traffic on the streets, you feel like you are in a modern city, and you are amazed by the degree of modernity of Beijing.
During her few days in Beijing, Zhang Lulin also met a person, Yang Zhengmin, the son of General Yang Hucheng. Although the two didn't have much intersection before, they hit it off at first sight and recalled the experiences of their fathers with passion.
Yang Hucheng has a deep friendship with Zhang Xueliang, after the Xi'an Incident, he has complained about Zhang Xueliang many times, hoping to see this old friend as soon as possible, but unfortunately not only did not save him, but also "put himself in".
At the end of the trip to Beijing, Zhang Lulin and his wife came to the northeast, the hometown that his father thought about day and night, and the first stop was the old house of the Zhang family in Shenyang.
In the following days, Zhang Lulin also visited Northeastern University, because this school was once headed by his father Zhang Xueliang, and he devoted a lot of effort to the development of this school, almost exhausting the legacy left by his grandfather Zhang Zuolin.
He listened carefully to the introduction of the school staff, explained the development of the school in detail, and knew that this information was precious to his father, and he would be very happy to return to the United States to tell his father.
During their stay in Shenyang, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Lulin also visited other large and small places, from food stalls in the streets and alleys to modern shopping malls, saw the great changes and development of their hometown, and felt the deep friendship of the people in their hometown for him and his father.
On the last day of Shenyang, Zhang Lulin and his wife walked in the courtyard of the Dashuai Mansion, reminiscing about the past of their father and family.
Even though Zhang Lulin has lived abroad for a long time, she can still feel the warmth of her hometown and the deep friendship of the people after returning to her hometown, and her love for the motherland and hometown has never diminished.
After Zhang Lulin and his wife returned to United States, they immediately told their father in detail what they had seen and heard when they returned to China, and the elderly Zhang Xueliang listened to his son talk about the changes in his hometown over and over again.
Although he could not return to China in person, his son's return made Zhang Xueliang feel the warmth of the motherland and some comfort from homesickness.
Zhang Lulin also brought back many hometown people's greetings and gifts, although these gifts are simple but full of deep friendship, each gift carries the hearts and blessings of the hometown people, Zhang Xueliang cherished these gifts and felt a strong nostalgia.
Of course, what touched Zhang Xueliang the most was one sentence, which was that the mainland government functionaries said that "if Mr. Zhang Xueliang is willing to come back, the government will arrange everything for him."
If Zhang Xueliang had not made a desperate effort to control Chiang Kai-shek in 1936, perhaps it would have been difficult to form an anti-Japanese national united front, and the victory of the war of aggression against China would have been delayed, and the losses caused would have been much greater than today.
However, it was Zhang Xueliang who launched the Xi'an Incident desperately, and as a result, he was retaliated against by Chiang Kai-shek afterwards, and suffered many hardships in the Kuomintang and Taiwan over the years.
In general, Zhang Lulin's return trip connects the emotional bond between his father Zhang Xueliang and the motherland, showing the love of three generations of the Zhang family for their hometown.
Zhang Xueliang has been imprisoned for decades, but his heart has never left this land, and his descendants have also inherited this deep family and country feelings.
This family story that transcends time and space is not only engraved in the long river of history, but also inspires every one of our Chinese sons and daughters to strive for the prosperity and strength of the country. What do you think differently about this?
Reference: Why didn't the young marshal return - Experts interpret the mystery of Zhang Xueliang's failure to return to the mainland in his later years - CNKI (cnki.net)
Zhang Xueliang and his hometown in his later years - CNKI (cnki.net)