Chapter 140 controversy

At the beginning of the seventh year of the Republic of China (1918), Mr. Liang Shuming went to Mr. Yang Huaizhong's house every night. A tall young man from Hunan often opened the door, looked at each other and nodded, and exchanged greetings without reporting each other's names.Liang Shuming went into the living room to chat with Yang Huaizhong, but the young man never joined in.Liang Shuming thought to himself, this young man must be Mr. Yang Huaizhong's relatives, friends or fellow countrymen in Hunan, and he has never asked.Later, Mr. Yang told him that this young man was a student of his in Hunan No. 1 Normal School. He was talented and had come to Beijing to find a teacher.On Yang's recommendation to Principal Cai Yuanpei, the young man was offered a small job in the library of Peking University with a monthly salary of only 8 yuan.At the same time, Mr. Yang told Liang what the young man's name was, but Liang did not remember it.This young man is Mao Zedong.When Mr. Liang Shuming went to Yan'an alone in early 1938 to meet Mao Zedong, Mao's first sentence was: "Mr. Liang, we have met a long time ago. Do you still remember? Peking University, at that time you were a university lecturer, and I was a little librarian. You often came to Mr. Yang Huaizhong’s house in Tofuchi Hutong, and I always opened the door. Later, when Mr. Yang Huaizhong died of illness, I became the son-in-law of the Yang family. "Mao Zedong's amazing memory evoked Liang Shuming's past 20 years ago that was deeply hidden in his mind.He just nodded frequently to Mao Zedong in surprise, and said repeatedly: "Yes. Good memory, there is such a thing, there is such a thing."

What Liang Shuming still remembers is his debate with Mao Zedong.For a long time, the relationship between Liang Shuming and Mao Zedong was very harmonious. It may be that the friendship between top and bottom made Liang Shuming forget himself for a while, which caused the public case in 1953. Liang Shuming was the same age as Mao Zedong. In 1918, the two first met at the home of Mr. Yang Changji (Yang Kaihui's father), when Liang Shuming was a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Peking University, and Mao Zedong was a librarian at Peking University. Twenty years later, Liang Shuming went to Yan'an and had many conversations with Mao Zedong in 16 days, two of which lasted all night. Liang Shuming recalled: "We are very interested in talking to each other."

When Liang Shuming went to Yan'an in 1938, he had 8 conversations with Mao Zedong, 2 of which lasted all night.Later, Liang recalled: "The conversation Chairman Mao gave me was about the views on protracted war. If China does not compromise, Japan will surely lose.... I admire him very much, and I admire him wholeheartedly." In January 1950, under repeated invitations from Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, Liang Shuming came to Beijing from Chongqing. Mao Zedong invited him to his home as a guest, and even sent a car to pick him up, entertained him for dinner. All vegetarians, because today is the united front!" When Mao Zedong learned that he was still living in a relative's house, he immediately sent someone to arrange for him to live in a small courtyard in the Summer Palace.

At the enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference held in September 1953 (later turned into an enlarged meeting of the Central People's Government Committee), Premier Zhou Enlai made a report on the general line of the transition period. During the group discussion, Liang Shuming's speech set off a huge debate. turmoil. Liang Shuming said: In the nearly 30 years of Chinese revolution in the past, the CCP relied on farmers and used the countryside as its base. However, after entering the cities, the focus of its work has shifted to the cities. Inevitably empty.Especially in recent years, the life of workers in the city has improved rapidly, while the life of peasants in the countryside is still very difficult. Therefore, people from all over the country are running to the city, and the city cannot tolerate them, so they are driven back, causing conflicts.

Mao Zedong was very disapproving of Liang Shuming's speech. In his speech, he said: Some people disagree with our general line, think that the life of farmers is too hard, and demand to take care of farmers.This is probably the meaning of Confucius and Mencius's benevolent government?But it must be known that benevolent government has great benevolent government and small benevolent government. Taking care of farmers is a small benevolent government, developing heavy industry, and benevolent government is a big benevolent government.Doing a small benevolent government instead of a big benevolent government is helping the Americans.Some people are actually playing tricks. It seems that our Communist Party has been engaged in the peasant movement for decades, but we still don't understand the peasants. What a joke!The foundation of our political power today is that workers and peasants share the same fundamental interests, and this foundation cannot be divided or destroyed!

In the next few days, the meeting severely criticized Liang Shuming's remarks.Liang Shuming was shocked.His bullish temper broke out again, he desperately demanded to speak, and quarreled fiercely with Mao Zedong, until someone shouted "Liang Shuming get off the stage!" This thrilling quarrel ended in a hurry. Later, Mao Zedong set the tone for Liang Shuming's question: Although "reactionary", it is not counter-revolutionary; to criticize, but also to give "a way out". Thirty years later, the 90-year-old Liang Shuming talked about this matter, and said meaningfully: "At that time, my attitude was not good, and I spoke regardless of the occasion, which made him (referring to Mao Zedong) very difficult, and I should not have hurt him. Feelings, this is my fault. Some of his words are not in line with the facts, just as my statements are also inconsistent with the facts. These are inevitable, understandable, and nothing. He has passed away, and I feel deeply deep loneliness..."

On the evening of September 30, 1975, Premier Zhou Enlai, who was seriously ill, attended the reception for the 26th anniversary of the National Day for the last time.In order to implement the Party's policies, a group of veteran cadres, democrats, professors, and experts who were impacted during the "Cultural Revolution" were invited to attend the National Day reception.After the National Day reception, the leading group of the Ministry of Philosophy and Social Sciences at that time wrote a briefing to Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, reflecting the excitement of the well-known scholars who attended the National Day reception.Chairman Mao was very happy after reading it, and commented on this briefing: "There is no gold, no one is perfect. The people on the list are very good to attend the reception, but it is a pity that Zhou Yang and Liang Shuming are not there." When someone relayed Mao's words to Liang Shuming, After hearing this, he said to the author with both seriousness and relief: "No one is perfect is a wise saying, and it is equally applicable to ordinary people or great people."