Chapter 23 Four, each side of the sky

From the mid-1920s to the late 1940s, the three Song sisters were the most famous "sisters" in the world. In 1915, Sun Song married.This has cast a layer of sadness on the Song family, which has always valued family harmony. If the first split of the Song family was caused by a marital crisis, then the second split was entirely a political crisis. Since Song Jiashu's death, Song Ailing has been in charge of the family as the eldest sister, and the internal relationship of the Song family is basically harmonious, harmonious and intimate.Sisters and brothers not only cared for and cared for each other in life, but also reached a political consensus, unanimously approving and participating in the national revolution led by Sun Yat-sen, which was an important basis for forming and maintaining the internal unity of the Song family.However, after the failure of the Great Revolution, splits also appeared within the Kuomintang.

Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei established their own "National Governments" in Nanjing and Wuhan respectively.The opposition between Ning and Han, and the dispute between the left wing and the right wing of the Kuomintang broke the coordination, balance, and friendship that had formed within the Song family. The opposition and division of the Song family is mainly reflected in the tit-for-tat confrontation between Soong Ailing and Soong Ching Ling.Soong Ching Ling represented the left wing of the Kuomintang and stood on the side of the Wuhan National Government. Angrily exposed the face of Chiang Kai-shek’s new warlord and the crime of massacring communists and revolutionary people, and clearly inherited and defended Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary ideas and revolutionary policies; Clearly expressed support for the Nanjing National Government and Chiang Kai-shek's policy of anti-communism and clearing the Communist Party.

In a family deeply involved in the maelstrom of high-level political competition, it is difficult to keep the relationship between siblings spotless. In 1927, Soong Ching Ling published "Talk to Chiang Kai-shek", denouncing Chiang Kai-shek's betrayal and calling for cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. She wrote to Song Ziwen, hoping to get her brother's support at the critical moment of the national revolution. But at this time Song Ziwen had completely fallen for Chiang Kai-shek, and even colluded with his elder sister Ai Ling to encourage his younger sister to marry Chiang Kai-shek.Under the indignation, the sister-brother relationship between Song Qingling and Song Ziwen also broke down.

Soong Meiling and Chiang Kai-shek officially married. Soong Ching Ling did not attend the wedding because of dissatisfaction with the Kuomintang, and went to Moscow in self-exile before.Except for Soong Ching Ling, members of the Soong family turned to the camp of the right wing of the Kuomintang. Chiang Kai-shek's dual identity as an enemy and brother-in-law seemed to build a wall between the Soong sisters. Coupled with the traditional Chinese relationship between husband and wife, the relationship between Soong Ching Ling and Soong Meiling began to become subtle. Political gulfs have alienated them.For a while, the letters written by Soong Meiling to Soong Ching Ling were all handwritten by the secretary.Such a relationship was maintained almost until the eve of the Anti-Japanese War.

Politics separates the sisters, but family love, which is thicker than water, can never separate them. They always miss the brotherhood of the three sisters when they were in the United States. They miss the days when they took care of each other in life, learned from each other in studies, and strengthened each other in the festival. In 1927, if Soong Ching Ling was the political pillar of the Wuhan government, then Soong Ziwen was the financial pillar of the Wuhan government.As early as the end of March 1927, Song Ziwen came to Shanghai to raise funds as the Minister of Finance of the Wuhan Nationalist Government.After the confrontation between Ning and Han, Song Ziwen categorically rejected Chiang Kai-shek's request to cooperate with him.

In order to get this "financial management" expert, Chiang Kai-shek used both soft and hard tactics against Song Ziwen.On the one hand, Jiang ordered the Shanghai Police Force to deploy spies near Song’s house, and ordered people to send anonymous threatening letters to Song Ziwen, and then sent people to seal up Song Ziwen’s office in Shanghai, and set up the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provincial Finance Committees. Song Ziwen's authority to lead the finance of Jiangsu and Zhejiang was removed, Song Ziwen was removed from the position of Minister of Finance, and all property of Song Ziwen in the Guangdong Bank was confiscated.

The elder sister, Song Ailing, stood by Chiang Kai-shek, mobilized the old lady Song and Song Meiling to fight against Song Ziwen with group tactics, and helped him "brainwash" him together, urging him to turn against others, so as to protect the interests of the family. Between fear and shake, Song Ziwen stayed in Shanghai. With the rapid changes in the domestic political situation, Song Ziwen began to lean on Chiang Kai-shek's side in order to safeguard his vested interests, and went to Wuhan to persuade his sister Song Qingling. In the face of Chiang Kai-shek's threats and intimidation and the "persuasion" of the Song family, Qingling remained unmoved. She felt deeply ashamed and indignant at the betrayal of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary cause by her elder sister and Ziwen.

At that time, Song Ziwen fell to Chiang Kai-shek, which undoubtedly dealt a big blow to the Wuhan Nationalist Government.When Soong Ching Ling heard about this, she couldn't help crying.The pain in Soong Ching Ling's heart at that time was almost no less than the huge blow that her husband Sun Yat-sen died a few years ago.You know, how much Soong Ching Ling valued her elder brother, and how much hope she placed on her!Since then, Soong Ching Ling has become a lone wild goose of the Soong family. The differences in political stances caused the three sisters to go their separate ways. Ai Ling and Mei Ling formed a united front, while Qing Ling fought alone.

Although the three Song sisters have chosen different paths in life, their brotherhood is still strong. Chiang Kai-shek wanted to try his best to win over Soong Ching Ling, and let Mei Ling talk about it as a sister, and invited Qing Ling to Nanjing to attend the upcoming Second Plenary Session of the Third Central Committee of the Kuomintang, but Qing Ling flatly refused. The International Anti-Imperialist Alliance gathered in Germany, and Soong Ching Ling was re-elected as the honorary chairman. She boarded a French cruise ship and sailed to Marseilles. Song Qingling published the article "The Kuomintang is no longer a political force", and Soong Meiling was very disappointed after reading it.

Now politics have separated their sisters, and only family affection can reunite them. She is going to write a letter to her sister and invite her to a Nanjing apartment. Unexpectedly, Chiang Kai-shek and Du Yuesheng had the evil intention to assassinate Qingling long ago, Song Qingling was hospitalized due to a car accident, and Shanghai was full of riots. And in Nanjing, when Song Meiling learned that her sister was injured and hospitalized, she made a big fuss at Chiang Kai-shek's military meeting, and then rushed to Shanghai. In the hospital, family affection and care permeated the sisters.But when it comes to politics, there is no common discourse between the sisters, and political differences have solidified the sisters' affection...

When Song Meiling and her staff left the ward, the sun was sinking in the west, and the dead gray sky gave people a sense of depression.Song Meiling's mood was very chaotic, she came here full of hope, but returned disappointed. At this time, Song Meiling's sympathy turned into anger, and she vowed never to go to the second sister's door again. In 1931, his mother Ni Guizhen died.Soong Ching Ling returned to Shanghai from abroad for the second time, and also met Soong Meiling for the second time in four years. Soong Ching Ling stayed in Shanghai until the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War.Song Meiling lived in Nanjing with Chiang Kai-shek, but returned to Shanghai every weekend to meet with her brothers and sisters. During the Xi'an Incident, Chiang Kai-shek was detained in Xi'an, and people were very happy.Soong Meiling went all out to rescue her husband, and also extended a helping hand to her second sister, Qingling, who had a compatriot of one mother.As a revolutionary, Chiang Kai-shek was detained, which is worthy of celebration; but Meiling's crying made her feel some compassion.Ching Ling fell into perhaps the most intense ideological struggle in her life: the situation in Nanjing changed drastically, and the pro-Japanese faction bombed Xi'an under the guise of rescuing Chiang Kai-shek, in an attempt to make Chiang Kai-shek die under the bombs of her own air force.Chiang Kai-shek's life and death are certainly not to be cherished. I am afraid that if Chiang Kai-shek dies, the pro-Japanese forces in the Nanjing government will rise, and China will perish at the hands of the Japanese. The death of Chiang Kai-shek must not be allowed to bring disaster to the country and the nation. Thinking of the fate of the country and the nation, Soong Ching Ling has strength.After contacting the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in northern Shaanxi, she decided to put the national interest first, put aside the previous grievances for the time being, and mediate on her own to strive for a peaceful settlement, so as to take the opportunity to promote the formation of the anti-Japanese united front of the whole nation. Song Meiling was worried about her husband and fell into extreme pain.At this critical moment, she never expected that Soong Ching Ling, who had almost lost her friendship, extended a helping hand to her, which deeply moved Soong Meiling.The second sister has a deep understanding of righteousness, and she admires her for not caring about honor, disgrace, kindness or resentment. On December 13, Qingling and He Xiangning flew to Xi'an to persuade Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng to put the overall situation first and release Chiang Kai-shek.Qingling's move brought a turning point to the sisterhood that was on the verge of breaking down. In 1937, with the formation of the anti-Japanese national united front, the Song sisters finally cooperated again. In 1938, when people were surprised to find that the three Soong sisters showed up at the Hong Kong Hotel together, the ballroom became "a bit as crowded as the crowd in Wimbledon" in an instant, and only "the newly recovered and radiant Soong Meiling" and " Soong Ching Ling, who was dressed in black, with shiny hair and cheerful eyes," walked towards the crowd hand in hand. Those who have experienced this scene are still unforgettable in their memories of the warm atmosphere. Although the feelings of the Soong sisters have been picked up, they have not changed Soong Ching Ling's view of Chiang Kai-shek at all. Once, when his younger brothers Song Ziliang and Song Zian arrived in Chongqing, Chiang Kai-shek wanted to welcome the two younger brothers-in-law, and suggested that Soong Meiling invite the eldest sister and second sister to have dinner together.Soong Meiling knew that her second sister didn't like her husband, so she said, "Let me ask my sister first." Afterwards, Soong Meiling immediately called Soong Ching Ling, emphasizing again and again that this was a private family banquet without any political color. Soong Ching Ling hesitated for a while after hearing this, but still declined.In this way, a "family banquet" initiated by Chiang Kai-shek fell through under Soong Ching Ling's refusal. Soong Ching Ling's dislike and indifference, especially her political independence, made Chiang Kai-shek develop from anger to hatred towards Soong Ching Ling.Under his suggestion, the spies' intimidation and threats against Soong Ching Ling also gradually escalated.In this regard, Soong Ching Ling showed no fear and still showed up in public places.But the little sister Song Meiling suffers, she has to always pay attention to protect the second sister who is a compatriot of the same mother.In view of this, the spies around Chiang Kai-shek were afraid of anything involving Soong Ching Ling and did not dare to mess around. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945, Song Meiling broke up with her two sisters and went to Nanjing with Chiang Kai-shek.At this time, Soong Ching Ling and Soong Meiling had another rift.In particular, Song Qingling's "Statement on Reorganizing the Coalition Government and Calling on the Americans to Stop Their Government from Aiding the KMT Military" published by Soong Ching Ling on July 23, 1946 made Soong Meiling even more dissatisfied. In this way, under the boundary of Chiang Kai-shek's "wall", the Song brothers and sisters lived in completely different political circles, and on the other hand, regardless of the constraints of political barriers, they always maintained a close and affectionate relationship until the Chiang Dynasty fled to In Taiwan, the clouds and the water are blocked, and the sky is far apart. The sisters have never seen each other again. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Song Ailing, who wanted to make a comeback, suffered a series of blows in front of Chiang Kai-shek. In the second half of 1946, Song Ailing made the final liquidation of the properties of the Kong family, and bought a new villa on Independence Avenue in Riverdale, USA, as her residence in exile. At the beginning of 1947, before Song Ailing finally left China, where she was born and raised, she walked around several places and said her last farewell to her homeland. The first stop was to visit my little sister in Nanjing.In Nanjing, Meiling accompanied her eldest sister, or had long talks at night, recalling the vicissitudes of the Song family's rise and fall over the past few decades;Finally, he toured the north and visited Beiping, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Qingdao and other places. Song Ailing finally left Shanghai and flew to the United States two years before Chiang Kai-shek lost the mainland. Before boarding the plane at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Ai Ling received a telegram from Qing Ling. Qing Ling wished her a smooth journey and a happy life after arriving in the United States. When the white clouds passed by outside the porthole of the plane, Ai Ling suddenly felt regretful and heavy. For the first time, she felt that the person she was most sorry for in most of her life was Qing Ling who was as pure, selfless and upright as the white clouds. Sister... After arriving in the United States, Ai Ling's first telegram was sent to Qing Ling. It was not so much a telegram as it was a confession. From then on, Song Ailing and Kong Xiangxi never set foot in mainland China again in their whole life.Twenty years ago, Ai Ling of the Song family was the first to stand up to support the Chiang Kai-shek government, thus giving birth to the Chiang family dynasty.Now, she is the first one in the Song family to abandon the Jiang family dynasty and cross the ocean to the United States. On October 19, 1973, Song Ailing died at the Columbia Long Island Hospital in New York at the age of 85. After Song Ziwen left mainland China, he became an "apartment" in the United States.At first, he was still concerned about what happened in Taiwan, especially excited about Chiang Kai-shek's "counterattack on the mainland", and asked the United States to increase aid to "strengthen Taiwan's national defense."Unexpectedly, this request was not only rejected by the United States, but also caused a lot of trouble.The American public opinion circle expressed very unkind opinions on the practice of the Kuomintang authorities incessantly begging for aid, and it aroused the topic of "donating to the country" from the Confucian and Song dynasties.A stone stirs up a thousand waves.Taiwan and Hong Kong newspapers have commented on Kong Song's property.The Central Committee of the Kuomintang in Taiwan also telegraphed Kong Song to come to Taiwan to "join the national calamity." In this regard, Kong Song had to pretend to be deaf and dumb, and stopped talking.After that, Song Ziwen lived in seclusion, and his social circle was greatly reduced. Occasionally, he met with some old friends from the mainland era, and they just played cards to pass the time. Although Song Ziwen privately owned hundreds of millions, his life was very boring. Lonely.He didn't want to go to Taiwan, let alone return to the mainland. In February 1963, the Chiang couple invited him to stay in Taiwan for a few days, and asked him to help Chiang Kai-shek in order to win US aid, but Song Ziwen refused in the end. On April 24, 1971, when Song Ziwen was eating, he died suddenly of heart failure due to food entering the respiratory organs at the age of 77. Among the three sisters of the Song family, Song Qingling is the most respected by the world. She chose a revolutionary road. In her early years, she followed the great revolutionary pioneer Mr. Sun Yat-sen and devoted herself to the cause of democratic revolution. She was Sun Yat-sen's close comrade-in-arms and right-hand man, and also the most resolute defender and successor of Sun Yat-sen's new Three People's Principles. , resolutely break with these traitors.Facing the national crisis of national subjugation and genocide, she devoted herself to the anti-Japanese national united front.She devoted her whole life to the cause of the liberation of the Chinese people. On May 29, 1981, Soong Ching Ling unfortunately died of illness.Condolence messages from the United States included the couple of the second brother Song Ziliang, the wife of the younger brother Song Zian, and the eldest daughter of the eldest brother Song Ziwen.Soong Meiling did not make any public reaction. In fact, the 84-year-old Soong Meiling was speechless in grief—politics is ruthless, but the kinship between sisters is eternal.