Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

But because of Gao Gang's strong support, Wang Jianan was appointed commander of the Jinan Military Region.

Now that Gao Gang's situation has happened, it has a direct impact on Wang Jianan. This is especially true since Wang Jianan is the commander of the Jinan Military Region, a region with a very important strategic location. When Gao Gang first went to the region, he also went to Jinan to talk with Wang Jianan.

Wang Jianan is not Marshal Lin.

Although the central leadership knew Gao Gang and Marshal Lin had met privately, and it was a one-on-one meeting, they all tacitly excluded Marshal Lin. Even though they clearly had a relationship and had a private conversation, they insisted that Marshal Lin and Gao Gang had no connection. Even when Peng Zhen and others demanded severe punishment for the "Gao Gang Group," they never considered implicating Marshal Lin. Because if Marshal Lin was involved, no one knew how serious the situation would become.

But Wang Jianan's side said, "Since you met with Gao Gang alone, there must be a connection." Even if Wang Jianan is not punished, he cannot continue to serve as the commander of the Jinan Military Region.

On December 1955, 12, the Chairman entrusted the Premier to preside over a meeting of the Military Commission. At the meeting, the Military Commission decided to transfer Wang Jianan to Beijing to serve as Deputy Minister of the Military Commission's Force Supervision Department, and to transfer Ye Chen, the First Deputy Commander of the Nanjing Military Region, to serve as Commander of the Jinan Military Region.

The Chairman approved the report of the Military Commission meeting.

The Jinan Military Region was adjusted.

The next person to be adjusted was Zhang Xiushan, the first deputy minister of the Propaganda Department.

The Central Committee decided that Zhang Xiushan would leave the Propaganda Department and become the Vice Governor of Yunnan Province. This was a major political setback for Zhang Xiushan. Before his promotion to the Central Committee, Zhang Xiushan had held the positions of Second Secretary of the Northeast Bureau and Chairman of the Northeast People's Government, already high-ranking officials. Had he not been promoted to the Central Committee, Zhang Xiushan's rank at the time would have allowed him to become the top leader of any province or city in China, with the exception of Beijing and Shanghai.

After arriving at the Central Committee as First Deputy Minister of the Propaganda Department, Zhang Xiushan became acting Minister of Propaganda, handling the department's daily operations, due to Xi Zhongxun's busy schedule and numerous responsibilities. If Xi Zhongxun were to advance further after the Ninth National Congress, Zhang Xiushan would be a guaranteed candidate for Minister of Propaganda.

But this time he was demoted to Yunnan and served as vice governor.

Xi Zhongxun did not object to this arrangement. Several central leaders did speak with Xi Zhongxun during the handling of Zhang Xiushan. After all, Xi Zhongxun was Zhang Xiushan's direct supervisor, but his position was also awkward.

Because Gao Gang is a cadre from northern Shaanxi.

Zhang Xiushan was demoted because of his involvement in the Gao Gang incident. Xi Zhongxun didn't dare get involved at this point. After all, they were all cadres from northern Shaanxi. There were already rumors that the northwestern cadres were a faction, a clique, and that the core of Gao Gang's "clique" was composed of cadres from northern Shaanxi.

Within the Party and government, officials from northern Shaanxi, including Gao Gang, Xi Zhongxun, Zhang Xiushan, Jia Tuofu, and Ma Mingfang, currently hold high positions of power within the central government. Therefore, Xi Zhongxun was even more cautious at this time, fearing that the Gao Gang issue would escalate further, making it even more difficult for him to intervene in the Zhang Xiushan issue.

What Xi Zhongxun didn't understand was that Zhang Xiushan's punishment was much lighter than in history.

Historically, Zhang Xiushan, the leader of Gao Gang's "Five Tiger Generals," was arrested at a meeting of high-ranking officials in Northeast China chaired by Lin Feng and Luo Qirong, and then exiled to a farm. He remained there for over twenty years. His current position as Vice Governor of Yunnan is a relatively light punishment.

The reshuffling of officials like Zhang Wentian, He Nianfen, Wang Jianan, and Zhang Xiushan underscored the central government's resolve to address the Gao Gang case. However, the situation at the expanded Politburo meeting was more delicate. Some called for continued investigations into Gao Gang's "group," while others opposed further expansion. Of course, others remained indifferent, observing the situation with indifference.

The Chairman handed over several meetings to Comrade Xiu Yang and the Premier, and did not directly preside over them. This was because the Chairman, in addition to resolving Gao Gang's case, also had to meet with provincial and ministerial leaders.

I am currently refining my political report for the Ninth National Congress.

But the Chairman has been watching how things develop.

Peng Zhen hoped to use this opportunity to strike down Gao Gang and the cadres of his so-called "faction." However, Wei Hongjun, Deng Zhihui, and Li Xiannian wanted to limit the impact of the incident to a specific area, avoiding implicating too many other cadres in the name of the so-called "Gao Gang Group." 1956 was the final year of the First Five-Year Plan, and a successful conclusion was paramount for State Council officials. Therefore, none of them wanted to see unrest in the central government due to Gao Gang's actions.

So a balance is formed.

On January 1956, 1, the Chairman convened an enlarged meeting of the Politburo, this time chaired by the Chairman himself. In addition to Politburo members and alternate members, several key officials from the Secretariat and the State Council also attended. It was considered a small-scale Central Committee meeting.

The meeting had just begun when the Chairman spoke sternly: "With the founding of New China, many comrades believe that the revolution has succeeded and that they can now enjoy the fruits of victory, and their thinking has begun to become lax. Despite the 'Three Antis Movement,' a considerable number of our cadres still forget their mission as Communist Party members."

"Comrade Gao Gang, as an important Party and state cadre, relaxed his standards for himself, was eroded by decadent bourgeois ideology, and lost his revolutionary ideals. He began to care about rank, enjoyment, and pomp, and lost his consciousness as a revolutionary. Ultimately, he forgot the Party's organizational discipline and wanted to use conspiracy to achieve his personal ambitions. He is no longer worthy of being a Communist Party member."

The Chairman's criticism was very harsh.

The tone is also very strong.

Hearing the Chairman's criticism, Gao Gang's face turned pale. He had been living in a state of constant anxiety for some time, unsure of what the final outcome would be. Aside from the severe blow he suffered during the anti-counterrevolutionary campaign, Gao Gang had always had smooth sailing, rising all the way to become a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. But now the Chairman had even said something as serious as "unworthy of being a Communist Party member."

Of course, this is the Chairman’s consistent speaking style.

When faced with the mistakes of some cadres, the Chairman would often criticize them severely first, and even seem to deal with them severely. But then he would offer a way out, which was to "cure the disease and save the patient."

After severely criticizing Gao Gang, the Chairman continued, "Of course, Comrade Gao Gang made such a serious mistake this time. In addition to his relaxation of his own ideological construction, it is also related to the lack of collective leadership in the Secretariat. The Secretariat's work in recent years has been irregular, lacking a clear concept of collective leadership. The power of the Secretariat is concentrated in Comrade Gao Gang, who is in charge of the work of the Secretariat. Many other secretaries of the Secretariat are just figureheads in the Secretariat and do not participate in the work of the Secretariat. As a result, the collective leadership system of the Party Committee of the Secretariat has been undermined. The Secretariat lacks collective leadership and lacks supervision of Comrade Gao Gang, who is in charge of the work, allowing Comrade Gao Gang to ignore the organizational discipline of our Party. As a result, he was unable to stop the growth of Comrade Gao Gang's personal ambitions. If this situation is not changed, Comrade Gao Gang will make the same mistake today, and other comrades will make the same mistake tomorrow. Therefore, I suggest that we take advantage of the problems that have arisen this time to reorganize the Secretariat so that it can truly give play to the advantages of collective leadership and prevent others from making the same mistake as Comrade Gao Gang again."

The Chairman's words cheered up Gao Gang, who was very depressed.

He looked at the chairman with great gratitude.

Because this was the first time in three months since the Gao Gang incident that the Chairman had made such a clear statement on the Gao Gang incident. Although the Chairman's criticism of Gao Gang was very harsh, he later diverted the conflict and reduced Gao Gang's guilt.

This is a new characterization of the Gao Gang issue by the Chairman.

Gao Gang had his own problems, but there were also external factors. The Chairman's statement alone could alleviate a great deal of the pressure on Gao Gang. Many officials at the State Council breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the Chairman's words.

There was endless debate in the Politburo before.

The main issue is Comrade Xiuyang. You must give him an explanation. Gao Gang spread rumors about Comrade Xiuyang's mistakes, saying that he would no longer be in charge of Party affairs, but only of NPC work.

Comrade Xiuyang is a real leader of the Party and the country.

If the Central Committee doesn't give Comrade Xiuyang an explanation for this incident, then where will his prestige be? If a leader loses his prestige, how can he continue to work? How can the cadres below him be convinced? This isn't just Comrade Xiuyang's problem.

It's not like Comrade Xiuyang can just be generous and say it doesn't matter, because this involves Comrade Xiuyang's future work.

However, the extent to which this would be considered an explanation to Comrade Xiuyang was a key point of contention. Peng Zhen believed that the Gao Gang incident could not simply be dealt with by Gao Gang and a few officials. Gao Gang was so bold in attacking Comrade Xiuyang in the local area because there was a large "camp" surrounding him. This faction must be eradicated. However, officials at the State Council believed that there were not so many members of the so-called "Gao Gang Clique" behind this incident. They only needed to deal with Comrade Gao Gang and a few officials close to him.

The two sides have not reached an agreement.

If the chairman comes out to make the final decision at this time, things will be much easier.

Unlike historical events, Gao Gang had offended so many people that there was an almost unanimous demand for severe punishment. With the Prime Minister silent, no one spoke up for Gao Gang, and even the Chairman couldn't stop the outcry within the Party. Furthermore, Gao Gang's choice to commit suicide in protest ultimately led to a tragic outcome.

The situation is more balanced now.

There are also many people in the party who do not want this matter to escalate, which gives the chairman ample room for choice.

After the chairman set the tone for this meeting, the subsequent meetings became much simpler.

Of course, there was no point in holding an enlarged Politburo meeting now. The handling of Politburo Standing Committee members like Gao Gang and the reorganization of the Secretariat were all decisions to be made at the Fifth Session of the Eighth Central Committee. Three days after the meeting, the Chairman and Wei Hongjun had a private conversation.

"Comrade Gao Gang's mistakes are serious, and the Central Committee will certainly deal with them severely. I have discussed this with Comrade Xiu Yang, Comrade Wu Hao, General Zhu, Comrade Rong Zhen, and Comrade Chen Yun. Everyone agrees that Comrade Gao Gang is not suitable to remain in the Politburo, but can retain his seat on the Central Committee. However, there are different opinions on how to proceed with Comrade Gao Gang. So today I would like to ask you: what are your thoughts?"

Although the Chairman gave a simple characterization of Comrade Gao Gang's problem, it was only preliminary.

Gao Gang's position is too high and his influence is too great.

Next, the central leadership will need to exchange opinions and reach a consensus. Then, at the Fifth Session of the Eighth Central Committee, all members and alternate members of the Central Committee will reach a consensus and issue a final decision on the Gao Gang incident.

During this period, the Chairman and several members of the Standing Committee exchanged views on this matter.

One aspect they had already agreed on was Gao Gang's political treatment. He would definitely lose his position as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. Even his membership of the Politburo could no longer be retained.

The Chairman's characterization this time gave Gao Gang a way out.

The Gao Gang incident was not allowed to become a so-called "anti-Party usurpation of power" incident. This was to leave Gao Gang a political backdoor, rather than to kill him with one blow. If Gao Gang was really labeled "anti-Party usurpation of power," his political career would be completely over.

But since Gao Gang was given a way out, the Chairman must also give an explanation to Comrades Xiu Yang and Wu Hao. Although he is the Party Chairman, he cannot completely ignore Comrade Xiu Yang and the Premier, two powerful figures in the Party. So, while the Chairman gave Gao Gang a way out, he could not allow Gao Gang to continue to retain the political status of a Politburo member.

Of course this is political treatment.

Another headache is the arrangement regarding Gao Gang.

After all, Gao Gang had previously been a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, General Secretary of the Central Committee, and First Secretary of the Secretariat. Before that, he had also been Secretary of the Northeast Bureau, Chairman of the Northeast People's Government, and Commander of the Northeast Military Region.

How to deal with such an absurdly high-ranking cadre?

Should he be completely laid off at home, or like Zhang Xiushan, be transferred to a local cadre position? On this point, the Standing Committee members could not reach a consensus and their opinions were inconsistent.

Now the Chairman also wants to hear the opinions of Politburo members such as Wei Hongjun.

"Chairman, Comrade Gao Gang is a capable cadre. We should allow him to participate in the work."

Regarding Gao Gang's question, Wei Hongjun really tried to figure out the Chairman's thoughts.

The Chairman gave Gao Gang a way out, partly because he was worried about internal party divisions and partly because he couldn't bear to see a capable cadre like Gao Gang disappear completely. So the Chairman must still want to use Gao Gang.

"Tell me, where would be a more suitable place to arrange it?"

Gao Gang’s level was too high before.

There's no suitable place to put it.

If Gao Gang were made vice-governor, which governor would be able to command him? Besides, Gao Gang's temper meant he wouldn't tolerate any bullying. Conflicts would inevitably arise at work.

"Chairman, during the First and Second Five-Year Plans, state investment focused on Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, Henan, Jiangxi, and a few cities in the central provinces. These areas primarily developed state-funded heavy industry. These areas either had pre-existing industrial bases or were well-endowed with resources. In recent years, light industry in the coastal provinces has developed very well. However, the vast majority of the central and southwestern provinces lack both state-funded heavy industry and the light industry of the coastal areas."

"One major reason is that transportation in the central and southwestern provinces is very poor, and their industrial base is even weaker. When national finances are insufficient, investment cannot be diverted to these areas. Therefore, investment in these areas during the First and Second Five-Year Plans was very small. But this situation must change in the future. If these provinces fail to develop transportation and industry, they will continue to be poor, and the gap between them and other provinces will continue to widen. We are a socialist country, and the goal of development is to achieve common prosperity. Therefore, during the Third and Fourth Five-Year Plans, the state should gradually increase investment in these areas. We should develop transportation, develop a number of industries, and boost their economies."

"This is true between provinces, and also between regions within a province."

The chairman nodded.

"Currently, some provinces are concentrating their investment on a few large cities. All industries are concentrated in a few large cities within the province, while other areas have almost no industrial development. This unbalanced development is unsustainable."

"Yes. But precisely because these areas have poor transportation and a weak industrial base, the country needs to be more cautious when developing in these areas. We must conduct comprehensive investigations, understand the local conditions, and formulate detailed development plans. For example, if we want to develop the steel industry in Sichuan, we must first investigate which areas are suitable for this development. The most taboo in developing industry in such areas is inadequate investigation and blind investment. Only comprehensive development plans based on thorough investigation and scientific research can ensure smooth development and reduce waste."

At this time, the Chairman already understood what Wei Hongjun meant.

This means that Gao Gang will be responsible for preliminary investigations and formulating development plans.

"Chairman, Comrade Gao Gang is a capable cadre who can make great strides. He was in charge of the overall development of industry and agriculture in Northeast China and is very experienced in this area. He can conduct investigations and formulate plans in this area. Furthermore, Comrade Gao Gang has a strong personality. If he were to work in a lower-level province or a ministry under the State Council, it would not be easy to manage the relationships between comrades."

Gao Gang is a hot potato.

No one, whether it is the local provincial party committee and government or the central ministries, wants such a big Buddha.

After coming here, how to handle the relationship.

Just like in the 1970s, a large number of veteran cadres returned to the military, but many military regions refused to accept them. This was because many of the veteran cadres were former leaders, and the commanders and political commissars of the military regions were unwilling to accept these bigwigs.

How to arrange work after arriving?

If you really treat them like lower-level cadres, then people will say you are arrogant and don't know how to respect senior leaders. But if you support them, how can you get the work done?

This is Gao Gang’s current situation.

How would you use a former Party and state leader now under your command? Even if a large Buddha like this were to arrive in your territory, it would attract even more attention, which in itself is not a good thing.

Therefore, the best solution is to set up a department and let Gao Gang take charge. In fact, Wei Hongjun's proposal is a pity for Gao Gang's ability. He is a capable cadre.

In the future, the country will definitely carry out the Third Front Construction.

If Gao Gang had done his research and planning well in advance, he could have been fully responsible for the Third Front construction after his return. Even if he couldn't return, his early research and planning would have made the Third Front construction much smoother and less wasteful than in the past. Historically, many of China's Third Front construction projects were rushed, resulting in significant waste.

The chairman nodded slightly.

Wei Hongjun's arrangement for Gao Gang is the best and most practical suggestion the Chairman has ever heard.

"I will discuss this matter with other comrades. If everyone agrees, we will pass it at the Fifth Session of the Eighth Central Committee."

980 The th Congress of the CPSU

As the enlarged Politburo meeting reached a conclusion on Gao Gang, things in Beijing gradually calmed down.

This is true for many things.

I am not afraid of the final conclusion, what I fear most is uncertainty.