Chapter 43 16. Assassination of the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army

In Japan's "History of the Showa era of 100 million people", a photo of a resistance fighter was preserved. In this photo, a Chinese resister in civilian clothes sits cross-legged with a calm expression.According to the explanation, this resister was appointed by General Ma Zhanshan to assassinate the commander of the Japanese Kwantung Army and the Prime Minister of the Puppet Manchukuo, Zheng Xiaoxu. Unfortunately, he failed and was captured on September 8, 1932 because the matter was not confidential.So-called "evidence" such as pistols can also be seen in the photos. Zheng Xiaoxu, a native of Minhou, Fujian Province, was a rare talent. He was a juren in the eighth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1882).After the Revolution of 1911, he regarded himself as an old man and was a "minister" who supported Puyi's restoration.At the same time, because he had a close relationship with the Japanese in the Qing Dynasty, he became a link in the establishment of the Puppet Manchukuo.Therefore, in 1932, he became the prime minister of the puppet Manchukuo and the head of the Ministry of Culture and Education.He and Nobuyoshi Muto, the representative of the Japanese Kwantung Army, signed the "Manchukuo Protocol", recognizing Japan's special status and right to garrison troops in "Manchuria".After he served in the Puppet Manchukuo, he was regarded as a big traitor, and most of his old friends broke up.Speaking of which, Zheng had more backbone than Zhang Jinghui, who later succeeded him, and had made a request to the Japanese side, hoping that "Manchukuo" would gain more autonomy.Therefore, it was not tolerated by the Japanese side, and he resigned "due to illness" on May 21, 1935, and died in 1938.It is doubtful whether Zheng Zhi's death was poisoned by the Japanese, but Zheng's deposits were frozen before his death, and his home was monitored by Japanese military police and his travel was restricted. Obviously, the life of this traitor was not very happy. Before August 1932, the commander-in-chief of the Kwantung Army was Honjo Shigeru, and then Japanese Army General Nobuyoshi Muto took over.

Shigeru Honjo, a general of the Japanese army, once served as Zhang Zuolin's military adviser, and also had a close relationship with Zhang Xueliang. In 1931, he served as the commander of the Kwantung Army, actively planning to invade Northeast China, and put forward the "Manchurian and Mongolian Republic Governance Outline" and "Manchurian and Mongolian Free State Plan". In September 1931, he planned to launch the "September 18th" Incident and occupied the three eastern provinces of China. Later, he was awarded the First Class Order of the Rising Sun and a Baron for his "merit" in invading China.After Japan's unconditional surrender, he committed suicide on November 20, 1945.

Nobuyoshi Muto, Marshal of the Japanese Army, succeeded Shigeru Honjo, who was battered by the Volunteer Army, and suppressed the resistance of the main force of the Northeast Volunteer Army, and led the army to capture Rehe.Known as the "Patron Saint of Manchukuo" by the Japanese.Nobuyoshi Muto was the last general to be promoted in the Taisho era. On May 3, 1933, he was awarded the title of Marshal. On July 27, at the peak of his military career, he got jaundice and died in Changchun. The deputy chief of staff, Okamura Ningji, sent the coffin back to Tokyo.He was posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun Tung Flower, first class, and posthumously made a baron on August 6.

No matter who the target of the assassination was, it was enough to shake the entire Northeast. In history, there have been many incidents of anti-Japanese fighters assassinating the commander-in-chief of the Kwantung Army. The most famous one is the famous "Wuding Mountain" incident in Fujin, Heilongjiang in 1943. Longji had the guts to assassinate the highest military advisor of the Puppet Manchukuo, Lieutenant General Nanmu Shilong of the Japanese Army, and General Xing Shilian, the Minister of the Puppet Manchukuo Military Department, but failed because the bullet hit the pen in Nanmu's pocket Takashi was shot to death, it should be a misrepresentation, Kusuki Shitaka was captured when he was defeated, returned to Japan, and died of illness in 1979).

At the same time, he plotted to assassinate the Prime Minister of the Puppet Manchukuo and the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army. The assassin in the photo can be described as daring, so who is he? There are indeed records of the assassination of the commander-in-chief of the Japanese Kwantung Army in 1932, and the targets included the commander-in-chief of the Kwantung Army and many other high-ranking officials.The person who planned the assassination was Kim Koo, the leader of the South Korean independence movement who was allied with the Chinese Anti-Japanese Forces.Regarding the purpose of the assassination, judging from the documents left today, it is to "severely punish those who destroy the peace in the East, and to make the League of Nations understand that the Korean nation resists the strong Japanese."With such determination, in April 1932, Kim Koo dispatched members of the Korean Patriotic Corps, Yoo Sang-geun, Cui Xingzhi, Li Shengwen, and Li Shengfa, to take advantage of the opportunity of the League of Nations investigation team arriving in Dalian from Shanghai to assassinate the Kwantung Army commander Honjo Shigeru and Yasuya Uchida, the new foreign minister.It is a pity that due to the Japanese side's emphasis on vigilance, this operation failed due to lack of confidentiality.

According to etiquette, Zheng Xiaoxu, then Prime Minister of the Puppet Manchukuo, went to Dalian to attend the event to welcome Li Tun.Therefore, he also became one of the targets of this assassination, which is a reasonable speculation.Therefore, at first Sa had suspected that the resister in the photo was one of the four including Yoo Sang-geun.But investigations have since overturned that.This is because Liu Xianggeun and others have nothing to do with General Ma Zhanshan.At the same time, the Japanese army quickly carried out a trial and suppression after solving the case. On September 8, when the photo in the title picture was taken, the four members of the Korean Patriotic League who assassinated had already been killed, and it was impossible to appear in the photo.

Therefore, the assassin in the photo should have been arrested while planning another assassination.Judging from the time when the incident occurred, he may indeed be dispatched by General Ma Zhanshan. In September 1932, General Ma Zhanshan was making his last stand at Hulun Buir in western Heilongjiang Province.As the enemy is strong and we are weak, there is little hope of victory by relying solely on the remaining troops, and Ma Zhanshan has deep connections in the enemy-occupied areas in the three eastern provinces (from his ability to break through layers of blockades and complete direct contact with the Litton investigation team). Out), therefore, using this extraordinary method to attack the Japanese army and the high-level puppet Manchukuo is a tactic with feasible value.

However, from the historical clues at that time, it is very likely that this "assassin" has no deep relationship with Ma Zhanshan, but Zhang Fengqi, the former Shenyang County Public Security Bureau Chief who had a close relationship with General Huang Xiansheng. Zhang Fengqi, whose ancestral home is Changyi, Shandong, studied at Fengtian Higher Police Academy. After graduation, he met General Huang Xiansheng, the founder of the Volunteer Army, and soon became irresistible. In the spring of 1930, Huang Xiansheng was appointed as the director of the Liaoning Provincial Police Department, and Zhang Fengqi was then transferred to serve as the director of the Shenyang County Public Security Bureau and the head of the public security team.

On the eve of the "September 18th" Incident, the situation in Shenyang became increasingly tense. According to Huang Xiansheng's instructions, Zhang Fengqi organized a cavalry team in the north of Shenyang City, ready to fight against the Japanese invaders at all times.On the night of the incident, Zhang Fengqi sent an order to the public security bureaus and police forces in Shenyang: "Stay where you are, don't retreat, and refuse to attack the Japanese army." With great disparity in strength, they withdrew outside the city.After that, under the arrangement of Huang Xiansheng, Zhang Fengqi returned to Shenyang and served as the police chief. He became an important leader of the underground forces of the Volunteer Army in Shenyang City.At this time, Zhang Fengqi secretly sent his family out of Shenyang, and said to his two younger brothers: "On the day of national calamity, my elder brother died for the country. We can't shrink back, and we should each do our part. My second brother and I beat devils together. Third brother takes good care of mother at home."

Unfortunately, at this moment, his bodyguard Meng Xianchen was arrested by the Japanese Gendarmerie for drinking and making trouble in the hotel. Our bureau chief said, you can't grow..." This drunken remark aroused the vigilance of the Japanese.After the sudden trial of Meng Xianchen, the Japanese military police immediately went into investigation and finally arrested Zhang Fengqi and others. As the mastermind, Zhang Fengqi was tortured in turn in the detention center all day long. He was tortured until he was not a human being, but he still refused to give in.According to Hu Mou, a member of the Japanese Gendarmerie Corps, “I went to the torture room to deliver hot water to the chief of operations, Takeo Yamano, just as they were interrogating Zhang Fengqi. Difficult but powerful said: "As a county police chief, I, Zhang, have the responsibility to protect the safety of the people. You Japanese invaded Shenyang, and it is my responsibility to organize the police to fight against you." It doesn't exist in the body, it is natural to assassinate Zhuang Fan, but I didn't find the opportunity.'”

Zhang Fengqi's sacrifice was heroic. He was tied to a tree in the wasteland behind the Shenyang Imperial Palace by the Japanese army and burned alive.People say that "the Forbidden City is bathed in fire and the world knows". Only a few months later, on February 3, 1933, members of the Anti-Japanese Death Squad, Park Minhang and Li Changguo, launched another assassination in Changchun. This time their target was Zheng Xiaoxu, who was then Prime Minister of the Puppet Manchukuo.In the explosion they created, Zheng Xiaoxu was seriously injured, and the commander-in-chief of the Kwantung Army Nobuyoshi Muto was almost killed.This incident aroused great repercussions at the time, and "Ta Kung Pao" published a special comment, saying: "An Changhao bombed Shigemitsu and Ueda (On April 29, 1932, China and North Korea jointly carried out an assassination operation in Shanghai, killing the Japanese dispatched from Shanghai. Shirakawa Yoshinori, commander-in-chief of the army, severely wounded Mitsukui, Ueda Kenkichi and other important ministers), Park Minhang, Li Changguo bombed Muto, and Zheng Xiaoxu, all of which were enough to decimate the soul of the enemy and express the pain of subjugation. There are still people in North Korea (Park, Li is a Korean, so it is said), the Japanese cannot rest in peace." The so-called servants succeed one after another, which is roughly the case.