Wake up（316）

 

Chapter 55 The Coup

 

316

 

The 75-year-old Pantou, who is sitting in a wheelchair, has changed his view of Zhou Enlai under the influence of his son Pan Tianliang. Old Pan chatted with Nanyang Sheng, who came to visit him, about Zhou Enlai's behavior and behavior, as well as the relationship between Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlai.

At 9:57 am on January 8, 1976, Zhou Enlai passed away. From 3 p.m. on January 15, a memorial service will be held in the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square. First Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping delivered a eulogy speech at Zhou Enlai's memorial service, his last appearance on television before being brought down again. But after the memorial service closed, Mao Zedong's bodyguard Wang Dongxing led the "8341" troops to detain Deng Xiaoping and put him under house arrest in his residence in Zhongnanhai. Deng Xiaoping was isolated from the outside world and could only contact his little grandson.

Lao Pantou said: Since then, a larger-scale "criticize Deng and fight back against the rightist style of overturning the verdict" campaign began.

After Deng Xiaoping's two "reviews" on December 20, 1975 and January 3, 1976, Mao Zedong instructed the Politburo to conduct "discussions" on Deng Xiaoping's "review". Because of Zhou Enlai's death and funeral activities, the "discussion" meeting was postponed. Zhou Enlai's funeral had just ended, and the "criticism of Deng" was immediately rekindled. The Political Bureau of the Central Committee held a meeting on January 20, and Deng Xiaoping made another "review speech" and held a "discussion" at the meeting.

Since Deng Xiaoping resumed work, he has made up his mind not to be afraid of being defeated again. He knew that Mao Zedong let the "discussion" continue, which means that this criticism will continue, and it will definitely become more and more severe. For this "criticism", Deng Xiaoping made full mental preparations. At the beginning, Mao Zedong asked Mao Yuanxin to persuade him, and he did not compromise; today, facing the danger of being knocked down, he still does not compromise.

As Deng Xiaoping expected, at the Politburo meeting, the "Gang of Four" launched a fierce attack on him. Because he asked to make a statement to Mao Zedong in the first two letters to Mao Zedong, the "Gang of Four" asked why he asked to see the chairman.

In response to the "Gang of Four" making things difficult and asking questions, Deng Xiaoping said calmly that he would state his understanding of the mistakes to the chairman face to face, and at the same time raise his own work issues. He said: "I think such a request is normal, and there is still such a hope." He said that not talking about class struggle is his "old problem." In other words, it is his consistent thinking. He said more bluntly that if he "made mistakes", he "wronged his fundamental standpoint, and his specific work would be wrong". No wonder the "Gang of Four" was dissatisfied. Deng Xiaoping was not conducting a "criticism" at all. He was using this opportunity to state his position.

In response to the "Gang of Four" saying that he had made a self-criticism in his own "Self-Report", and whether he denied it, he said: "I read the "My Self-Report" again, and I still believe the entire content of my self-criticism." The Politburo said: "I am a person who is not suitable for the main responsible job." This is actually a formal request to the Politburo for the removal of the post. Deng Xiaoping understood that he had done "review" again and again, and he would not have any "new" understanding if he did it again. Mao Zedong will not be satisfied with his "review", and the "Gang of Four" will not let it go. It is only a matter of time before he is defeated again. Since he could no longer continue to work, he frankly offered to terminate his job.

After Deng Xiaoping finished speaking, the "Gang of Four" saw that Deng Xiaoping's attitude was still so tough, so they took turns to criticize and criticize Deng Xiaoping. Deng Xiaoping was famously deaf. He couldn't hear those harsh noises, and he didn't want to hear them. He stopped talking, just picked up his cup and drank tea from time to time. If I drank too much water, I walked out of the smoky venue to go to the bathroom. The "Gang of Four" was also too domineering, even accusing Deng Xiaoping of not listening to criticism on the pretext of going to the toilet.

On the night after the meeting, Deng Xiaoping picked up his pen and wrote a letter to Mao Zedong despite the darkness of the night. He wrote in the letter: "Chairman: I reviewed twice on December 20 and January 3, and the chairman instructed the Politburo to discuss. At the last meeting, comrades asked me to talk about it before discussing it. Chairman said something. Therefore, I made a brief speech at the meeting tonight (20). Please submit it for review.” Deng Xiaoping attached the letter with the record of his speech at this meeting.

Deng Xiaoping continued to write in the letter: "I asked to meet the chairman twice. In addition to talking about my mistakes and the chairman's teachings, I really wanted to talk about my work problems. I was very hesitant to mention my work problems when criticizing I mentioned it, because I’m afraid I can’t stand criticism. If I don’t mention it, I’m also suspected of being a power lover. After thinking about it again, I’d better discuss this issue face to face. If I don’t bring it up again, it will affect the work of the central government and increase my own fault. Therefore, I first proposed to the chairman I am relieved of the responsibility of presiding over the daily work of the Central Committee. Please approve it. I am a person who is not suitable for important tasks. I really feel ashamed if I don’t raise it again. As for myself, I will follow the decisions of the Chairman and the Central Committee. At the end of the letter, Deng Xiaoping solemnly signed his name, and the date was "Night of January 20th".

Old Pantou said: The next day, that is, January 21, Mao Zedong listened to Mao Yuanxin report to him on the situation of the Politburo meeting on the 20th. Mao Zedong said: "(Deng Xiaoping) is still a problem among the people. If it is well guided, it may not go to the side of confrontation, just like Liu Shaoqi and Lin Biao." Mao Zedong said: "Deng still has some differences with Liu (Shaoqi) and Lin (Biao). The difference is that Deng is willing to criticize himself, but Liu and Lin are not willing at all.”

Mao Yuanxin reported that Deng Xiaoping asked to explain his mistakes to the chairman face to face. Apart from listening to the teachings, he also wanted to talk about his own work problems. Mao Zedong said: "Xiaoping's work issue will be discussed later. I think the work can be reduced, but it should not be separated from work, that is, it should not be beaten to death with a stick."

Mao Yuanxin tentatively asked Mao Zedong: "Or learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones, and cure diseases to save lives?" Mao Zedong said affirmatively: "Yes."

Things have developed to this extent, it is obvious that Deng Xiaoping can no longer continue to preside over the work of the central government. So, who will replace Deng Xiaoping and preside over the daily work of the central government? Mao Yuanxin asked Mao Zedong for instructions and said that Hua Guofeng, Ji Dengkui, and Chen Xilian, the three vice-premiers, proposed to ask the chairman to identify a comrade who is mainly responsible for handling the work of the State Council, and the three of them will do specific work. Mao Zedong instructed: "Let Hua Guofeng take the lead. He thinks he is not a high-level political person, and Xiaoping is in charge of foreign affairs."

Old Pantou said: Mao Zedong criticized Deng Xiaoping, and the "Gang of Four" was of course rejoicing. However, after listening to Mao Zedong's speech, they were puzzled. Why at this time, Mao Zedong still said that Deng Xiaoping was a contradiction among the people, that he should not be beaten to death with a stick, and let Deng Xiaoping "specialize in foreign affairs"? What was Mao Zedong's "mercy" towards Deng Xiaoping? According to the practice of the "Cultural Revolution", people like Deng Xiaoping who obviously wanted to overturn the "Cultural Revolution" case would have been defeated long ago. However, it seems that Mao Zedong still does not seem to want to overthrow Deng Xiaoping. Mao Zedong's attitude is really confusing!

Old Pantou said: There is one more thing that makes the "Gang of Four" dissatisfied. Their original intention was to let Wang Hongwen take charge of the daily work of the Central Committee and Zhang Chunqiao take charge of the work of the State Council after the defeat of Deng Xiaoping. Feng "take the lead". This was beyond their expectations. People like Jiang Qing who are "defiant to everything" have never seen Hua Guofeng in their eyes. The "Gang of Four" believed that Hua Guofeng easily picked the "fruits of victory" they had worked so hard to obtain.

Mao Zedong's decision really disappointed the "Gang of Four". The goal of the "Gang of Four" is far from being achieved, and they will never stop there. They believe that after Mao Zedong, the country and the world should belong to them.

On January 21, 1976, Mao Zedong proposed that Hua Guofeng be the acting premier of the State Council and succeed Deng Xiaoping in presiding over the daily work of the CPC Central Committee.

In order to achieve the goal of completely overthrowing Deng Xiaoping, on January 24, Wang Hongwen wrote to Mao Zedong to expose Deng Xiaoping. Wang Hongwen sent Mao Zedong a copy of his Shanghai pawn Ma Tianshui's exposure materials. The material said that Deng Xiaoping had a conversation with Ma Tianshui on June 12, 1975, and warned Ma Tianshui not to associate with the "Gang of Four", and also named Zhang Chunqiao. Wang Hongwen revealed insidiously: "I think Comrade Xiaoping's talk this time was wrong politically and organizationally. It was not just and aboveboard, but a solicitation and instigation of rebellion."

On January 31, the central government decided to convene a greeting meeting to "criticize Deng and counteract the rightist trend of overturning verdicts." Wang Hongwen also privately drafted a long speech at the greeting meeting as the host of the central work.

On February 1, Jiang Qing and Zhang Chunqiao personally arranged for Yu Huiyong, an aide of the "Gang of Four" in the Ministry of Culture, to write a work about "struggling against capitalist roaders". And framed Deng Xiaoping and "capitalist roaders" large and small in various departments across the country.

On February 2, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued a notice, which is the "No. 1 Document" of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1976. The notice said: "As proposed by the great leader Chairman Mao and unanimously approved by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, Comrade Hua Guofeng will be the acting premier of the State Council. Proposed by the great leader Chairman Mao and unanimously approved by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, Comrade Chen Xilian will be in charge during Comrade Ye Jianying's illness. Preside over the work of the Central Military Commission."

Old Pantou said: By February 1976, Mao Zedong's health had deteriorated considerably. US President Nixon, who came to China for a visit at the end of February, described it after meeting Mao Zedong: "Mao's condition has seriously deteriorated. His speech sounds like a series of monosyllables, which are ambiguous. However, his thinking is still quick and clear." Clear. He understands everything I say, but when he wants to answer, he can't say the words. If he thinks the interpreter doesn't understand him, he will impatiently grab a note and put his words Write it out. It's painful for him to be in this situation."

Nan Yangsheng pondered: At a moment when the political situation is extremely critical, the future and destiny of China still have to be controlled and decided by Mao Zedong, such a dying man whose body is extremely weak and who may have accidents at any time. This situation, for China, for the Chinese Communist Party, and even for Mao Zedong himself, should be said to be a kind of misfortune.