Chapter 25 Chapter 24 Ignition at Peking University

On the evening of July 18, when Liu Shaoqi learned that Mao Zedong was back, he rushed there, but Chen Boda and Kang Sheng had already arrived first, and a car was parked outside Mao Zedong's gate. Liu Shaoqi, as the vice chairman of the CPC Central Committee and the chairman of the People's Republic of China, asked to see Mao Zedong, but was stopped by the secretary and asked him to come back tomorrow. The next day, Liu Shaoqi came to Mao Zedong again, and Mao Zedong had already heard reports from Chen Boda and Kang Sheng.After a few words, Mao Zedong said to Liu Shaoqi in a very serious tone: "It was wrong to send a work team. After returning to Beijing, I felt very sad. It was deserted. Some schools closed their doors. Some schools even suppressed student movements. .Who is going to suppress the student movement? Only the Beiyang warlords. Anyone who suppresses the student movement will end badly! The movement made a wrong direction and route. Turn it around quickly and smash everything into pieces.”

Mao Zedong's words were like pouring a basin of cold water on Liu Shaoqi's head! Liu Shaoqi looked very embarrassed...Chen Boda was overjoyed to pass the note "Don't set up a working group".On the third day after Mao Zedong returned to Beijing, Chen Boda responded quickly and publicly: he sent people to Tsinghua University to visit Kuai Dafu, who had been detained by the working group. Kuai Dafu, a third-year student in the Chemical Engineering Department of Tsinghua University, 21 years old.He was born in a farmer's family in Binhai County, Jiangsu Province. His grandfather was a soldier of the New Fourth Army, and his parents were members of the Communist Party of China in the 1940s.He is the eldest, with five younger brothers and one younger sister in his family. At the age of 18, when he was admitted to Tsinghua University, he made a little limelight——

"People's Pictorial" published his photo with the headline "Farmer's Children Go to College".From then on, his political "sense of superiority" became even more "fearless". On the evening of June 1, 1966, he had just listened to the big-character posters of Nie Yuanzi and others broadcast by the Central People's Broadcasting Station, and as if he had taken a stimulant, he wrote a letter of support to Nie Yuanzi.The next day, he put up a big-character poster in Tsinghua Garden, displaying the banner of "rebellion". Liu Shaoqi sent a working team to Tsinghua University, the team leader Ye Lin, and the deputy team leader is Liu Shaoqi's wife Wang Guangmei.Kuai Dafu rebelled against the school party committee and the working group, and became the leader of the rebel faction in Tsinghua University.The working group designated him as a "rightist".In order to express his resistance, Kuai Dafu went on a "hunger strike", which caused a sensation in Tsinghua University...

Chen Boda sent people to express "condolences" to Kuai Dafu, which immediately "multiplied his strength" and intensified the struggle against the working group and Wang Guangmei. The day after Chen Boda lost his wink at Kuai Dafu, the "Central Cultural Revolution" "appeared" at Peking University for the first time.Team leader Chen Boda and deputy team leader Jiang Qing drove to Peking University, saying they were "investigating the situation of the Cultural Revolution Movement".In Jiang Qing's view, Tsinghua became Wang Guangmei's "point" and Liu Shaoqi's "point", and she wanted Peking University to be her "point".Jiang Qing returned to Beijing two days later than Mao Zedong—July 21.

The first time they went back to Peking University, Jiang Qing and Chen Boda didn't talk much (although before that, Chen Boda went to Peking University twice on June 2nd and 3rd, but it was different from this time to focus on "points").There is an original record of the speeches of Jiang Qing and Chen Boda at Peking University in the archives. It is very brief, and the full text is reproduced below: Comrade Jiang Qing: "Long live the Party Central Committee! Long live the revolutionary classmates of Peking University!" "I don't have much to say, because I don't understand the situation. On behalf of Chairman Mao, I came to see you, listen to your opinions, and read your big-character posters. Because the situation is unclear, I have nothing to say. May I invite Comrade Chen Boda to talk about it?"

Comrade Chen Boda: "We don't know the situation, so we need to investigate and study. We will listen to everyone's opinions based on Chairman Mao's investigation and research methods. Have you read the editorial "From the Masses to the Masses" in the People's Daily yesterday?" (Students answered: Read it!) You have to take a good look at it, we have that kind of attitude, and the working group must follow the mass line.” "Chairman Mao said: Come from the masses, go to the masses. You must listen more, read more, and think more. You have raised many different opinions. It doesn't matter if you have different opinions, it is a good phenomenon." (Comrade Jiang Qing at this time nod and smile)

"We must use the method of debate to explain the truth clearly. We still need to understand the situation and study it when we go back. Comrades and students, let us swear: Swear to defend the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao! Swear to carry the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution to the end! " From the original records above, it can be seen that Jiang Qing and Chen Boda "appeared" among the "mass" for the first time.However, in these few words, Jiang Qing showed the sign of "First Lady" --- "I come to see you on behalf of Chairman Mao", while Chen Boda led the students to "swear" --- "Swear to die Defend Chairman Mao".The two "actors" cooperated very well when they first appeared on stage.Jiang Qing called himself a "primary student", while Chen Boda called himself a "little commoner".

The day after the "appearance", Jiang Qing and Chen Boda came to Peking University again to give speeches.The speech is also short, but quite thought-provoking.Here is the original transcript from July 23: Comrade Jiang Qing's speech—— Students of the Revolution: Comrade Chen Boda and I came to be elementary school students, and I came with him to listen to the opinions of comrades and take a look at your big-character posters.In this way, we can learn more about things and make fewer mistakes... Whenever you have an opinion and call us, we will come immediately. Now we don't know enough about it, so we can't put forward any specific opinions.In short, the situation is very good, your revolutionary enthusiasm is good, your drive is good, and we are all on the side of your revolutionaries.

We must bring the revolutionary enthusiasm and revolutionary energy of our comrades to Chairman Mao. Comrade Chen Boda's speech—— What Comrade Jiang Qing said just now is also what he wants to say on behalf of the Cultural Revolution Group.I totally agree with her.We are here to learn from you, to learn from your struggle experience.In the struggle of the cultural revolution, Peking University was at the forefront. I believe that under the leadership of the party and the guidance of Mao Zedong Thought, we will be able to continue to advance. We must listen to different opinions. Our opinion is that it is wrong and wrong to say that "June 18th" was a counter-revolutionary incident.

Two "modesty gentlemen" --- a "little commoner" and a "primary school student" are here to "learn".Jiang Qing and Chen Boda's second "joint performance" was also "humble" enough. However, this time—that is, after a day of "investigation", Chen Boda said a key sentence, that is, "It is wrong and wrong to say that 'June 18th' was a counter-revolutionary incident."It should be noted that just a month ago, it was also Chen Boda who said that the "June 18th" incident was "a counter-revolutionary incident, and there must be an underground headquarters".It can be said that turning hands into clouds and turning hands into rain, Chen Boda's tune changed so quickly!

Chen Boda's words set off a storm in Peking University.Chen Boda denied that the "June 18th Incident" was a "counter-revolutionary incident", which immediately put the Peking University working group into a passive position, and the rebel students attacked the working group headed by Zhang Chengxian.The working group was sent by Liu Shaoqi, and the anti-working group is for anti-Liu Shaoqi. The wave of anti-working groups set off by Peking University soon spread to all colleges and universities in Beijing... On July 21, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China notified that Tao Zhu was appointed as the head of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Chen Boda was an advisor (he also served as the deputy minister).