Chapter 23 (4) Struggle against adversity

When I got home, it was already very late at night.The oil lamp was still on in the bedroom, but there was no movement.Zhou Enlai thought that Deng Yingchao had fallen asleep, so he tiptoed into the house.As soon as he walked to the door, he heard his wife coughing violently.She was sitting quietly by the bed alone, looking preoccupied.Seeing her husband come back, she stood up and said, "Enlai, I still want to stay with my mother and not go with you." "Why do you think so?" Zhou Enlai looked at his wife suspiciously. Deng Yingchao coughed twice more, and said, "I'm in such poor health, going with the army will only drag you down!"

The excessive work in the Central Soviet Area, coupled with the dark and humid climate in the south, made her prone to relapse of old diseases.Still in August, she continued to have a high fever and severe cough that caused a lot of vomiting blood. Her mother took her bloody sputum to Yuanyang Red Army Hospital for testing and found tuberculosis.In the case of poor medical conditions, tuberculosis is tantamount to terminal illness.Her mother took her to the Central Red Army Hospital for treatment for half a month. The bleeding was temporarily stopped and the high fever subsided, but her condition was still up and down, and her body was getting weaker and weaker day by day.

Knowing that the Central Red Army was about to undergo a strategic shift, she had asked to stay and, together with Xiang Ying and Chen Yi, insisted on fighting the enemy in the Central Soviet Area. Considering her physical condition and the fact that her mother-in-law was also staying, her husband agreed her request.But when Bogu and the others were discussing the staffing plan, they disagreed with her staying and put her in the recuperation company of the Ministry of Health. Zhou Enlai stared at his wife, shook his head, and said, "Whoever goes, stays. This is the decision of the organization and cannot be changed by individuals."

"A lot of comrades have stayed, why can't I stay? Mom hasn't left either! Besides, you will call back soon, why should I..." "This is the organization's decision, and it is not up to the individual's willingness or unwillingness." Zhou Enlai interrupted his wife. "I have this request, the organization can consider it." "The organization has already made a decision, and the individual should not ask for anything" "Can't we discuss any more?" "I think there's no room for negotiation." "As soon as we leave, mom is alone..."

Seeing his wife swallowing half of what she said, not because she didn't want to say it, but because she couldn't say it because of sadness, Zhou Enlai's heart trembled.At this time, would he feel good about leaving his mother-in-law alone? Seven years ago, when Chiang Kai-shek launched the "April 12" counter-revolutionary incident, he was in Shanghai receiving a reward of 200,000 silver dollars from Chiang Kai-shek for his arrest, while his wife was staying in a German hospital in Guangzhou under the care of her mother-in-law.He didn't know that their second and last child had died because of his wife's dystocia.While he was busy organizing transfers and criticizing the reactionaries, he was always thinking about his wife and mother-in-law who were far away in Guangzhou.

He thought that Chiang Kai-shek's "April 12" counter-revolutionary incident in Shanghai was by no means an isolated incident, and it would definitely affect Guangzhou.Therefore, he sent a confidential telegram to the Guangzhou Military Commission, asking Deng Yingchao and her daughter to leave Guangzhou and come to Shanghai.In Guangzhou under the rule of the warlord Chen Jitang, large-scale raids and massacres of Communists also began at this time. The Military Commission of the Guangdong District Committee of the Communist Party of China located on the second floor of the South China Bank was searched.Fortunately, a comrade was very alert, and just before the search, he handed over the received telegram from Zhou Enlai to Deng Yingchao to a worker, asking him to hand over the telegram to Deng Yingchao.

At dawn on April 15, a large number of military police surrounded Sun Yat-sen University. Chen Tiejun, the head of the Sun Yat-sen University Party Branch and the Women's Committee of the Guangdong District Committee, risked his life and climbed over the wall.At this time, Deng Yingchao had just received a confidential telegram from Zhou Enlai from Shanghai sent by his co-workers.The situation was extremely critical. With the help of hospital doctor Wang Dexin and nurse Han Rixiu, Deng Yingchao's mother and daughter escaped the strict search and arrest of the military and police.Under the ingenious arrangement of Dr. Wang and Nurse Han, the mother and daughter took the small steamer from the hospital to Hong Kong to buy medicines, went to Hong Kong and then came to Shanghai.The mother and daughter searched for someone secretly by publishing newspapers in Shanghai, and did not get in touch with him until May 1.

Now, they have to face another painful parting, and what kind of catastrophe also awaits them.Thinking of these, as a wife and son-in-law, Zhou Enlai really couldn't bear it.However, he is Zhou Enlai, the main person in charge of the Party Central Committee and the General Political Commissar of the Red Army. At the very moment when the Party and the army are facing tests, can he only consider the love of his children, but the overall situation?No.That was by no means his Zhou Enlai character, never was.He gritted his teeth, let out a long breath, and said to his wife, "Mom is a very strong old man. You know this better than me. Don't you?"

"I thought if she could come with us too..." "Let's obey the organization's decision." Seeing her husband being so serious, Deng Yingchao sighed helplessly and stopped arguing.She looked at him, saw that his face was full of tiredness, and said, "You are busy all day long, so go to bed early." Zhou Enlai was about to rest when the guard Xiaowei knocked on the door and reported that Mao Zedong had come to him for something.Without any hesitation, he followed Xiao Wei to the next room.This is the room where he held meetings and received guests. There were only a few wooden stools and a kerosene lamp lit on the table.

Mao Zedong suffered from malaria, which could not be cured for a long time. His face was pale and his hair was disheveled.When planning the strategic transfer, Bogu, who was in charge of personnel arrangements, originally wanted to keep him, but after Zhou Enlai and Zhu De fought hard, Bogu changed his mind. "Chairman Mao, it's so late, why don't you rest?" Zhou Enlai walked over, took Mao Zedong's hand and said. "Enlai, I'm sorry to bother you at such a late hour." Mao Zedong said with a wry smile, "But I can only come at this time, otherwise, how could I find you?"

"You can ask me to talk about something." Zhou Enlai didn't mind at all. "Are you feeling better?" "I asked Dr. Fu to see it a few times, but there is no obvious improvement." Mao Zedong let out a long breath. "Let's ask Dr. Fu for a diagnosis and treatment." Zhou Enlai said with concern, "I'm going to travel a long distance soon, so don't take your health lightly!" Speaking of transferring, Mao Zedong's face sank.He took out a draft telegram from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Enlai.Zhou Enlai took the telegram and read it. It was an order issued by Bogu to the members of the Politburo who were not serving in the army. They were assigned to the various legions as representatives of the Central Committee and acted with the field troops.After reading the telegram, Zhou Enlai thought for a while and said, "Comrade Bogu has never discussed this matter with me." "Did he decide it alone?" "The arrangement of personnel is decided by him alone." "This is simply playing the piano!" Zhou Enlai stared at Mao Zedong and said: "Chairman Mao, if you have any opinions, just talk to me!" "Well, it's very dangerous to send all the comrades from the Politburo to the field troops!" Mao Zedong looked worried, and his tone was anxious and rushed. "The troops are on the march, and the situation is changing rapidly. This requires the comrades of the Politburo to hold a meeting to make decisions. If they are all sent to the various troops, how do they usually hold meetings? This will not delay the opportunity of the war!" Zhou Enlai nodded. Mao Zedong went on to say: "Scattering the members of the Politburo to various units to follow the army, this means that all major issues in the future will be decided by Bo Gu and Li De. Isn't the Politburo useless?" Zhou Enlai thought for a while and said: "Chairman Mao, your opinion is very good! I will go to Comrade Bogu tomorrow and ask him to change this decision." While the two were talking, Xiang Ying came.When Mao Zedong saw that Xiang Ying came to Zhou Enlai, he had something else he wanted to talk to Zhou Enlai, so he hurriedly got up and said goodbye.He and Xiang Ying had disagreements on strategy and tactics, and had had a heated argument about it.Besides, at this time Xiang Ying and Zhou Enlai were both the secretariat of the Party Central Committee's leadership core, and he had been idle for many years, so it was impossible for him to talk between them.Zhou Enlai sent him out the door. Mao Zedong took two steps, then turned back with a heavy heart, and said to Zhou Enlai: "Enlai, you can talk to Bogu about Qu Qiubai's stay, and try to let him go too! Qiubai used to be an important member of the Central Committee. Leader, now you are sick and have high myopia, so you should not go up to the mountains to fight guerrillas!" Mao Zedong talked to Zhou Enlai about this a few days ago, and Zhou Enlai also talked to Bo Gu about it.Because Bo Gu had a prejudice against Qu Qiubai, and because he alone held the power to transfer personnel to and from the strategic transfer, he insisted on keeping Qu Qiubai, and Zhou Enlai had no choice but to do so.At this time, when Mao Zedong mentioned this matter again, he took a deep breath and said: "Comrade Bogu has already made a plan for the personnel's departure and retention. However, I can talk to him again and try to take Comrade Qiubai away." .” "If you don't take Qu Qiubai away, it's against the law of heaven!" Mao Zedong looked furious. Zhou Enlai nodded and said sincerely: "I will try my best to convince Comrade Bogu!" That being said, he was actually very distressed.He knew that on issues like this, Bo Gu would not make any concessions to him. Zhou Enlai bowed his head and entered the room. Xiang Yingwu sat on the long bench and smoked a cigarette. Seeing Zhou Enlai coming in, he immediately asked, "Why didn't you discuss with me beforehand if you didn't let me participate in the strategic transfer?" Bo Gu decided to keep Xiang Ying, and led 30,000 local troops with Chen Yi and others to stick to the Soviet area. He did not ask for his opinion in advance, so he was very worried about it.Zhou Enlai also felt that Bogu's actions were too hasty and rude, at least he disrespected Xiang Ying and sympathized with Xiang Ying.But the matter has come to this point, and he feels that Xiang Ying still adopts a resistant attitude, which is not only useless, but also detrimental to the overall strategic deployment of the central government. "Comrade Xiang Ying, Comrade Bogu's approach is wrong, but you shouldn't be confused about this joint." Zhou Enlai said in a persuasive tone, "Someone must stay, there is no doubt. The secretariat is four Personally, Bo Gu is in charge, so it is impossible to stay; Luo Fu is not familiar with the military, and he is not the candidate to stay; then you and I are left, if you stay, then it is me." "If you choose between me, of course I will stay. You are in charge of the work of the Military Commission, how can I ask you to stay?" Xiang Ying's tone softened. "What annoys me is, how can Bogu be so arbitrary, such a big matter, and exclude me from the decision-making circle! I have become an ordinary officer, and I can only act according to his orders?" Zhou Enlai said patiently: "If Comrade Bogu has done something wrong, we will have the opportunity to criticize in the future. When is it now, we are still entangled in these insignificant details? Doesn't this affect the overall situation? " Xiang Ying lowered her head and let out a long sigh.