Chapter 41 chapter Ten

Gao Ming thought that the grievances and resentments with An Zhongliang were over during the time of Beixihe.Later, he and Ling Feng went to Yan'an, and never thought that he would return to Qingpu to be the director of the military control committee, let alone that he would sentence An Zhongliang to death.This seems to be decided by an unknown god of fate in the dark. Qingpu was liberated on October 3, 1949.At that time, he was the political commissar of a certain department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Sanye.Their troops did not participate in the battle to liberate Qingpu, but were ordered to enter Qingpu on the second day after Qingpu was liberated.

It was a night of conquest.The messy horseshoes crushed the stars in the sky, and also crushed the last dream of the old world.Riding on a good-bred Mongolian horse, he moved forward rapidly, as if floating between the dark sky and the earth with a huge turbulent wave.Immediately, the world is erratic, and the poplar trees on both sides of the avenue "hula la" fell all the way backward, as if they had no roots.The remnants of the nearby and distant walls appeared and disappeared in the hazy moonlight, and the land that had just died down looked so dilapidated and small that night.

A sense of pride arises spontaneously, not only proud of the cause that the people have won, but also proud of being the master of this city.This city records his struggles and failures, soaked in his love and hate, and even soaked in the lives and blood of his comrades and friends.Today, he is back. On behalf of the people and those fallen comrades, he is here to settle old scores with those darlings of the old era. The darlings of the old era did not give up their final resistance. That night when Gao Ming and the comrades in the vanguard marched into Qingpu, the gunshots of resistance exploded.When they rode through the sawmill at the foot of Huaying Mountain, a dense cloud of bullets suddenly flew out of the condescending dilapidated factory building.Five or six comrades were shot and fell off their horses, and Gao Ming's military cap was also pierced with a hole.Gao Ming was very angry. He didn't expect that the liberated and conquered cities would welcome him like this. He immediately ordered to stop the advance and suppress the bandits on the spot.After dawn, the follow-up troops arrived, and the more than 50 gangsters entrenched in the sawmill were wiped out under the attack of light and heavy firearms, and the sawmill was also reduced to ruins during the fighting.

This gang of gangsters belonged to the Qingpu Anti-Communist National Salvation Committee.However, during the night of the battle, Gao Ming didn't know, let alone that the bandit leader who presided over the committee would be an old acquaintance, An Zhongliang. The situation of the National Salvation Committee was discovered more than a month after Gao Ming took over Qingpu.At that time, the Military Control Commission ordered the former reactionary military, political and police personnel in Qingpu City to surrender and register. A person named Kang Yiqing from the National Salvation Committee surrendered himself and asked to see the person in charge of the Military Control Commission.The staff asked Kang Yiqing what's the matter, but Kang Yiqing didn't say anything.The staff reacted quickly and reported to Gao Ming by leapfrogging. Gao Ming instinctively felt that something important was going on, so he met Kang Yiqing that day.Kang Yiqing and Pan Duan revealed the organization and inside information of the National Salvation Committee, and revealed An Zhongliang's hiding place.

Gao Ming was shocked when he heard this, and ordered the whole city to search and arrest that night.The manhunt went smoothly, one hundred and eighty criminals were arrested overnight, and the National Salvation Committee basically ceased to exist after dawn. An Zhongliang was arrested miraculously.He was captured alive after being wounded on the head and thigh. According to the fighters who captured him, he was about to commit suicide. As a result, the pistol ran out of bullets, so he had no choice but to become a prisoner. Following Gao Ming's instructions, the interrogation of An Zhongliang began the next day.The place of interrogation is the ward of Guangren Hospital.During the entire interrogation process, An Zhongliang didn't say a word, and he didn't even report his name and age. He was so angry that the cadres and soldiers interrogating him drew out their guns several times to kill him.An Zhongliang was not afraid, when the muzzle of the black gun pointed at his bandaged head, he simply pulled out the blood transfusion needle.The interrogators brought Kang Yiqing, who had surrendered himself, to confront him; taking advantage of his unpreparedness, he grabbed the glass vase on the bedside table and threw it at him. Instead of hitting Kang Yiqing, he smashed a soldier in custody until his face was covered in blood.

Gao Ming had no choice but to order the interrogation to be suspended. The second interrogation was four months later.At that time, An Zhongliang had undergone two operations, and his body was basically recovered. The interrogation place was moved from Guangren Hospital to the meeting room of Qingpu Prison, and Gao Ming came forward in person.The meeting room of the prison made careful arrangements for this interrogation. The dilapidated benches were replaced with comfortable sofas, the eye-catching slogans were temporarily removed, and fruit snacks were placed on the tables and coffee tables. Clothes, casual clothes.

The comrades on the jury were puzzled and asked Gao Ming why he was so polite to An Zhongliang? Gao Ming said meaningfully: "Now we are the hosts, so we must talk about hospitality!" The comrades on the jury said: "We invited this guest with guns!" Gao Ming smiled and said: "Yes, today is not what it used to be. Now that the gun is in our hands, we have to be more polite. Don't let people say that we are not generous after victory! Besides, this Mr. An Zhongliang is also a He is a veteran, and he was the head of the strike committee of the Qingpu General League in 1925. During the Anti-Japanese War, he was also my immediate boss—the county magistrate of the four counties and the commander of the seventh brigade. I have to admit these accounts, yes no?"

When he said this, Gao Ming wasn't entirely making political essays, he was indeed a little sad in his heart.In any case, twenty or thirty years of ups and downs have passed. During these twenty or thirty years, he and An Zhongliang have formed a sworn hatred and an inextricable grievance. Not without the slightest friendship.Just as old enmities are unforgettable, so are old friendships. Sitting on the sofa in the meeting room of the prison waiting for An Zhongliang to be arrested, Gao Ming thought more about friendship than hatred.He remembered very clearly that morning when he hid on the ceiling of No. 125 William Street, and remembered An Zhongliang's roar at the gunpoint of warlords and bandits.That day his fate was in An Zhongliang's hands, as long as An Zhongliang's mouth pushed towards the ceiling, today he would not be able to carry out this just trial as a conqueror.Sometimes life is like a dream.

Now that their common dream has come to fruition, he is about to decide An Zhongliang's fate, and the conflict in his heart is self-evident.For a moment, Gao Ming even had a very outrageous thought: Why is An Zhongliang crazy?Why not flee to Taiwan or Hong Kong early?Why do you have to stay here and insist on some kind of underground struggle, so as to accept this embarrassing trial for both of them?what is this? After thinking about it carefully, he figured it out again. An Zhongliang was doing it for his so-called cause of the party and the country, just like he was doing it for the cause of the party.If he is a cog and a cog in the machine of the Communist Party, then An Zhongliang is a cog and a cog in the machine of the Kuomintang.The difference between them does not lie in the quality of personal qualities, but in the justice and injustice of the cause to which they belong.People here do not exist in the form of individuals, but in the form of groups.The value of the individual and the merit and demerit of each individual depend entirely on the value and demerit of the group cause he chooses.

Ordinarily, An Zhongliang had a choice.When the Qing Dynasty began, he could choose revolution like Ling Feng, and Ling Feng made such a choice, changing from a member of the Kuomintang to a member of the Communist Party.When the Anti-Japanese War broke out and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party cooperated again, An Zhongliang could choose to cooperate with him sincerely.Even when An Zhongliang fled to the liberated area alone when the Seventh Brigade joined the enemy, he could still choose to stay in the liberated area like Yue Yusheng.However, no, An Zhongliang did not make such a choice.He clings to his Three Principles of the People and his Chairman Chiang until he dies.

Thinking about it this way, Gao Ming felt that An Zhongliang was seeking his own death, and he could neither blame fate nor him.However, even at that moment, Gao Ming still did not expect to kill An Zhongliang.When recalling this old event in his later years, Gao Ming also said: He wanted to save An Zhongliang's life, and it was not his original intention to sentence An Zhongliang to death. It was not he who decided the death penalty, but An Zhongliang himself. An Zhongliang was too tough and insisted on hitting the gun.That day, he treated An Zhongliang so politely and friendlyly, but An Zhongliang remained unmoved. His stubborn and bad attitude made him intolerable. Gao Ming remembered that scene very clearly. When An Zhongliang walked into the interview room under the escort of two prison guards, he stood up and greeted him like an old friend and said, "Brother Zhongliang, are you all right?" An Zhongliang gave him a cold look, and stood still in the meeting room. Then, he twisted his neck, stared at the roof, and said nothing. Gao Ming smiled, patted An Zhongliang on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and sighed, "Sit down and talk!" An Zhongliang sat down. Gao Ming picked up an apple and peeled it in his hand, said while peeling: "Man, seeing you is not easy! We broke up in Beixihe in 1944, and it will be six years in a blink of an eye! The changes in these six years are too great To be honest, six years ago, I never expected to meet your brother in this way, but history has made such an arrangement! You and I can’t avoid it even if we want to, can’t we?” An Zhongliang remained silent, he handed the peeled apple to An Zhongliang, but An Zhongliang refused to eat it. Gao Ming still said to himself: "I don't know if you have thought about it, why did we meet in such an unpleasant way for both parties? Why did history make such an arrangement? I'm afraid you have thought about it! I just thought about it! I think the reason is very simple, that is, the cause led by our Communist Party represents the justice of the world, the progress of the times, and the direction of prosperity of the country and the nation! The people cast aside you and chose us, Our cause wins, your struggle loses, it's that simple!" An Zhongliang squinted his eyes and leaned on the sofa, as if falling asleep. Gao Ming got a little angry now, raised his voice and said, "Since we have met like this, I think we should have a good talk! It is useless to pretend to be deaf and dumb! If you, An Zhongliang, are a good man, you should have Have the courage to face reality, break with the past, and draw closer to the people!" An Zhongliang was unmoved at all, as if he hadn't heard it at all. Only then did Gao Ming understand that persuasion was useless to An Zhongliang, so he put on a straight face and stood up: "An Zhongliang, I warn you: it's pointless to persevere. The criminal history is clear, if you don’t confess yourself, the people’s court can still punish you according to the facts! Now I want you to confess, it is to give you an opportunity, as an old opponent and old acquaintance, I advise you to cherish this opportunity! " An Zhongliang opened his swollen eyes, and began to pluck his beard, one by one, very seriously. Gao Ming held back his anger, and walked up to An Zhongliang: "Tell me, man, what actions did your Anti-Communist National Salvation Committee plan? Who are the secret contacts? Besides Qingpu, where else are you in contact?" An Zhongliang stuck the plucked yellow beards to the edge of the coffee table one by one, seeming to be full of interest. Looking at An Zhongliang's actions, Gao Ming was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly, and said sincerely: "Brother Zhongliang, you are getting old..." An Zhongliang then looked up at him. An Zhongliang's gaze collided with his in an instant. Gao Ming suddenly noticed that An Zhongliang's eyes were red, so he regained his confidence and continued, "I know you're listening, that's good. Now, I swear on that morning in 1925, as long as you confess thoroughly and realize that you are anti-Communist Crimes against the people, I guarantee that the Communist Party will not kill you! Speak up, tell what you know!" Gao Ming's earnestness did not impress An Zhongliang, An Zhongliang flicked off the beard sticking to his hands, put his hands on his sleeves, and closed his eyes again. Gao Ming smiled bitterly: "If you don't tell me, we can still find out! The main members of your Anti-Communist National Salvation Committee have all been arrested! However, the nature of our investigation and your explanation is different! Our Communist Party does not advocate repaying evil with evil." We don’t want to kill more people. We caught so many war criminals and didn’t kill them! So, don’t be afraid, don’t think that falling into our hands is a dead end, the opposite is true, this is the beginning of a new life!” An Zhongliang still didn't respond. Endured to the limit, Gao Ming couldn't take it anymore, his voice raised an octave, he slapped the table, and said sternly: "... If you are so obsessed with obsession, and wholeheartedly sacrificed for the Chiang gang There is no way, whether as an old Communist Party member or as an old friend, I have done my best to you, you should know this! We don’t want to kill more people, but you insist on sticking your neck to the knife edge of our people’s democratic dictatorship Come on, if you want to compete with us, we have no choice but to accompany you to the end!" An Zhongliang seemed to be awakened by the noise, slowly opened his swollen eyelids, stared at Gao Ming for a long time, and then said calmly: "Brother, that's right, you should say such cruel words earlier! I did the same thing when I judged you communist bandits! Now, since you have spoken out all the cruel words, I can tell you: I will not confess anything to someone! You are so cruel to me! Ming should know. I have experienced the methods of the warlord to supervise Butcher Zhao, and today you must be no better than him in any way, right?" Gao Ming heard the words from An Zhongliang's words, and the scene he saw on the ceiling of No. 125 William Street in 1925 appeared before Gao Ming's eyes in time, as if it happened yesterday.However, even if it happened yesterday, it was still in the past, and he didn't have to and must not dwell on yesterday to forget the serious struggle he was facing today.As long as An Zhongliang doesn't confess today, yesterday should never be remembered again! Gao Ming looked directly at An Zhongliang and said: "Back then, you cooperated with our Communist Party. You did not bow your head in front of the reactionary warlords, and you did not betray your comrades. You were good and progressive. Today, you died in front of the Chinese Communists who represent the people. Not pleading guilty, not confessing, is stupid, reactionary, and completely different in nature!" An Zhongliang pulled his withered face, and smiled coldly: "I think it's the same thing! You are a bunch of new warlords who started out as bandits, but I'm still me! I can tell you clearly, Gao Ming, it's up to you In the hands of the Communists, I have no hope of surviving!" At this point, An Zhongliang closed his mouth and did not speak again, and he did not utter a word in the subsequent three consecutive interrogations.The final outcome is conceivable. An Zhongliang was first handcuffed with heavy shackles and thrown into death row. I don't know if it was three or four months later, he was suppressed. Gao Ming signed the suppression list and personally presided over the public trial held at the foot of Huaying Mountain.