Chapter 43 "Leftist" Yao Wenyuan Sensitively Understands Mao Zedong's Meaning

In fact, before He Xiangning, according to the instructions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on May 20, one signal flare after another appeared in Chinese newspapers and periodicals. This is because the "People's Daily" immediately followed through on the instruction that "there were too few positive speeches" a few days ago, and strengthened the reporting of "positive speeches." On May 23, 1957, a striking headline appeared in the "People's Daily": "Lu Dingyi Encourages Youth League Members to Stand Firmly as a Communist in the Storm at the Youth League Congress"

In this report there is this passage: "Lu Dingyi said that the development of a socialist society is not smooth. He hopes that the young people will stand the test of political and ideological storms, withstand the test of difficulties, and stand firm as a communist in the storm. position." What is the "storm" that Lu Dingyi mentioned? Politically sensitive people can draw inspiration from Lu Dingyi's words. Immediately afterwards, on May 25, Xinhua News Agency sent a telegram from Beijing, which was published in almost all newspapers across the country: Chairman Mao Zedong, the leader of the Central Committee, received all the representatives participating in the Third National Congress of the Chinese New Democratic Youth League.

When Chairman Mao Zedong received youth representatives, he addressed them: Your meeting went well.I hope you will unite as the core of youth leadership across the country. The Communist Party of China is the core of the entire Chinese people.Without such a core, the cause of socialism cannot be victorious. This meeting of yours is a meeting of unity and will have a great influence on the youth of all China.I congratulate you all. Comrades, unite and fight resolutely and courageously for the great cause of socialism.All speech and actions that deviate from socialism are completely wrong.

Mao Zedong's remarks, especially the last sentence, revealed extremely important political information. Many "rightists" did not pay attention to Mao Zedong's words, and even "old journalists" like Chu Anping ignored them, thinking that they were just for the youth league members. On the contrary, a "young writer" far away in Shanghai, with his unique political sensitivity, sniffed out that this was a sign of an impending political storm. He is Yao Wenyuan. As mentioned above, in Mao Zedong's speech on February 16, 1957, he mentioned three literary youths, namely Wang Meng, Li Xifan and Yao Wenyuan.

Yao Wenyuan attracted Mao Zedong's attention because Mao Zedong read Yao Wenyuan's essay "Doctrine and Principles—Discussion with Mr. Yao Xueyin" published in Shanghai's "Wen Wei Po" ten days ago—February 6. Mao Zedong appreciated this essay very much, and asked Ke Qingshi, secretary of the Shanghai Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, who Yao Wenyuan was. At that time, Ke Qingshi had just been transferred from Nanjing to work in Shanghai, so he didn't know what kind of person Yao Wenyuan was.After asking his political secretary, he found out that Yao Wenyuan was the son of Yao Pengzi.

Ke Qingshi's political secretary was Zhang Chunqiao, who later became one of the "Gang of Four".Zhang Chunqiao has been the editor-in-chief and president of "Liberation Daily" for many years, so of course he knows the details of Yao Wenyuan very well. Mao Zedong said of Yao Wenyuan on February 16th: Our danger lies in the success of the revolution, the success of the revolution, nothing happens in all directions, and the world is peaceful.One-sided fighting cannot produce truly good literature and art, and the notion that only fragrant flowers are allowed and no poisonous weeds are allowed is wrong.Fragrant flowers come out of fighting against poisonous weeds. There are weeds every year. The weeds turn over and become fertilizer. It is wrong to only grow food and not to grow weeds.Stalinist dogmatism is not a theory of two points, but a theory of one point. Our comrades should view things with two points of view, and at the same time there are two points in one point; our company instructors always talk about two points in their speeches, advantages and disadvantages.Recently, Yao Pengzi's son, Yao Wenyuan, wrote an article ("Wen Wei Po", February 6th, titled "Dogs and Principles").I think it is good.In the past, we advocated a single family, which was determined by historical conditions. Otherwise, we would not be able to overthrow the KMT’s theory of a single family for 20 years...

Mao Zedong praised Yao Wenyuan so much, and of course he was favored by Ke Qingshi.Soon thereafter, Yao Wenyuan went to Beijing to attend the National Propaganda Work Conference of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China as a member of the Shanghai delegation. On March 10, when Mao Zedong received the Shanghai delegation in Zhongnanhai, he once again talked about the three young writers and Yao Wenyuan: Don't be afraid of one-sidedness, one-sidedness is always inevitable!Learn more about Marxism-Leninism.Just learning, you will not learn it, you will spit it out, this is called conditioned reflex, after you have learned it, you will learn it slowly, like filling oil in a bottle and pouring it out, there will always be a little bit left.Learned slowly.Lu Xun's study of Marxism-Leninism was forced by Guo Moruo of the Creation Society. He originally believed in the theory of evolution. His early essays were very one-sided.Later, when I studied Marxism-Leninism, my one-sidedness became less so.In my opinion, one-sidedness is unavoidable for anyone, and young people also have it. Li Xifan has one-sidedness, Wang Meng has one-sidedness. Among young writers, I think Yao Wenyuan has less one-sidedness...

This time, instead of listening to the message, Yao Wenyuan heard Mao Zedong praise him face to face, so he was naturally greatly encouraged. Since then, Yao Wenyuan paid more attention to Mao Zedong's remarks and figured out the political trend of China. Yao Wenyuan noticed not only very keenly the Xinhua News Agency cable of May 25 about Mao Zedong's speech, but also the different handling of the news by the People's Daily, Jiefang Daily, and Wen Wei Po. For this reason, Yao Wenyuan wrote the article "Recording for Examination - Occasionally Feelings After Reading the Newspaper", which was published in "Wen Wei Po" on June 10.Yao Wenyuan wrote:

The value of the same piece of news can vary by hundreds of thousands of miles after being edited by different editors and comrades. I recently learned this wonderful secret from newspapers. A few days ago, Chairman Mao delivered a speech when receiving representatives of the Communist Youth League.Although the speech is short, the meaning is profound.The Jiefang Daily placed the first news with particularly large typefaces and eye-catching headlines. The People's Daily was ranked in the middle, and the title was smaller than that of the Jiefang Daily. Struggle, all words and actions that deviate from socialism are wrong.”But Wen Wei Po is so narrowed that it is almost impossible for careless people to find it, or even read it and think it is an insignificant piece of news.Its full position is only about the size of two typefaces used for the headline of the Jiefang Daily.

What is it that makes the editorial boards of the three newspapers so differently value a piece of news?Is it because the Jiefang Daily thinks this news is particularly important, or is it because the editors of the Wenhui Po feel that this talk is about socialism, party leadership... and other old sayings that have been "familiarly heard" and have nothing new, so they are insignificant Woolen cloth?Or was it because the editor thought that Wen Wei Po's readers were intellectuals and had nothing to do with youth?Or did the editor think that highlighting this news would affect "Zhengming", because "Zhengming" seems to be inappropriate to say more about the party's leadership and socialism. Because I said a few words, some people objected .

Thus, Yao Wenyuan came to a conclusion: Some people want to ask: Do you have no insights yourself?Answer: yes.But don't want to say.Why don't you want to say it?Answer: I don't want to say either.This is not, as Comrade Tang Tao said, "I want to talk about it," but another reason.However, this disproves at least one theory: "News programming is not political."Arrangement is also political, that is, "everyone takes what he wants". After Yao Wenyuan's article was published, it immediately attracted Mao Zedong's attention.Mao Zedong greatly praised Yao Wenyuan, which is a later story. Unfortunately, China's "rightists" are far less politically sensitive than "leftists" Yao Wenyuan.They are still indulging in Da Ming Da Fang... On May 30, 1957, "People's Daily" once again issued a "signal bomb" and published this report: "Marshal Peng Dehuai said at the meeting of representatives of advanced ordnance workers to stand firm in the period of great social change" The report said: "Marshal Peng Dehuai asked the representatives to stand firm during the period of great social change in China, distinguish right from wrong, and correctly treat and handle conflicts among the people." On June 5, 1957, Ke Qingshi, the first secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China issued this warning at the Shanghai Advanced Workers Congress: "Always remember Chairman Mao's words, unite, and resolutely and bravely fight for the great cause of socialism. All speech and actions that deviate from socialism are completely wrong." "People's Daily" has published these "positive remarks" by Lu Dingyi, Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai, He Xiangning, and Ke Qingshi since May 23rd, which means that the "big counterattack" is not far away!