Chapter 33 persistent

Chen Duxiu said: "I don't know any theory, I am determined not to be scruples about leaning left or right, I absolutely strive to be biased, I absolutely hate the doctrine of the mean, I absolutely don't say what people say, bean curd cabbage, nothing hurts or itches, I am willing to say something that is extremely incorrect , would also like to say extremely wrong things, absolutely unwilling to say both good and wrong things.” After the "August 7th Conference", Qu Qiubai and Li Weihan came to Chen Duxiu's residence, informed him of the meeting and persuaded him to go to Moscow again, but Chen explicitly refused and declared that the Comintern was also responsible for the mistake.Pu Qingquan recalled that Chen Duxiu said: "They asked me to write a letter of repentance. I don't understand where I came from and how I regretted it. I don't understand why they don't want Stalin to repent. I am following his orders. If he repents, I will repent. If he repents, I will repent. It doesn’t make sense for me to be a scapegoat.”

Pu Qingquan recalled that in 1927 the Third International asked Chen Duxiu to go to Moscow and appointed him Minister of the East.Chen said: "You call me a rightist opportunist, and some people call me a traitor to the revolution. Under such circumstances, it is not ridiculous to ask me to go to Moscow to be some kind of oriental minister. I don't want to be an official, let alone a People lead you by the nose. Thank you for your kindness..." He added: "Stubbornness is not in my character. I think it's right, and I want to stick to it...but I know I'm wrong, and I'm not stubborn. Put unreasonable charges on me, even if my head falls, I will not admit it."

Zhang Shizhao said that Chen Duxiu was like "an unruly horse galloping forward with all his strength", and that no difficulties and obstacles could stop him. After Chen Duxiu was arrested in 1932, whether it was Zhang Shizhao's defense statement or the letter jointly signed by Cai Yuanpei, Yang Xingfo, Liu Yazi, and Lin Yutang to the Kuomintang Central Party Headquarters and the Nationalist Government to rescue Chen Duxiu, Chen Duxiu was "anti-communist" and "denounced the Red Army". "Being a bandit", "has been expelled from the Communist Party" and other reasons, but Chen did not agree with this.His friend Bai Wenwei said to his third son Chen Songnian afterwards: "Your father still has the same temper when he is old. He wants to be a hero. Many friends can't help him in court. He has to change his confession. Get it right."

In 1937, the national government decided to release Chen Duxiu in advance, but with an additional condition: "As long as I have a letter of repentance, I will be released immediately." Chen Zhongfan and others told Chen Duxiu the truth and persuaded him to accommodate a little.Chen Duxiu was furious after hearing this, and said, "I'd rather blow up and die in prison. I really have nothing to regret!" Chen Zhongfan once gave a poem to Chen Duxiu, saying: "People hate crazy people, how can the world know the dust? Let Luanfeng pass away, soaring high is untamable!" Chen Duxiu and his poem said: "On the long road, white hair pollutes the world of mortals. Cangming How vast is the dragon's nature, how easy is it to tame."