Red Wealth Management Expert "and Founder of the Party's Financial Industry
Zheng Yizhai, formerly known as Zheng Shaowen. Born in Xuchang, Henan in 1901. Formerly worked as a printing and railway worker, participated in the Jinghan Railway Workers' Strike in 1923. He joined the CPC in 1927.
In the spring of 1930, according to the instructions of the underground Communist Party organization, Zheng Yizhai came to Shanghai to open the "Yizhai Bank" and, under the leadership of Comrade Zhou Enlai, raised funds for the Party. During the two-year period, with the cooperation and cover of various party organizations, he traveled to Shanghai, Wuhan, Tianjin, Beiping and other places multiple times to purchase and transport military supplies for the Red Army in the Soviet Area.
In 1931, after Gu Shunzhang and Xiang Zhongfa were arrested and rebelled, the leadership of the Shanghai Party Central Committee suffered significant damage. Zheng Yizhai, following the instructions of the Party, carefully handled the aftermath work of the bank,
In the spring of 1932, according to the instructions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Zheng Yizhai left Shanghai and went to work in the Hubei Henan Anhui Soviet Area. He served as the Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Provincial Workers' and Peasants' Democratic Government and the President of the Workers' and Peasants' Bank, as well as the Director of the Management Office of the Fourth Red Army and the Minister of the General Management Department (i.e. the Logistics Department). He actively organized forces and raised supplies such as food, clothing, medicine, and military weapons from various sources, making important contributions to the logistical support of the Fourth Red Army. Due to Zhang Guotao's implementation of incorrect military guidelines, the Fourth Red Army suffered defeat in the Fourth Anti Encirclement Campaign. In December 1932, the Fourth Red Army withdrew from the revolutionary base areas of Hubei, Henan, and Anhui and arrived in northern Sichuan, establishing the Sichuan Shaanxi base area. During this period, Zheng Yizhai proposed many good solutions to solve the food problem and implemented a policy of planned grain supply and frugality within the Soviet area, which led to rapid development of grain, cotton, salt, vegetables, oilseeds, and poultry in the Sichuan Shaanxi Soviet area. In addition, he also established a small arms factory with more than 80 workers in Kucaoba (now Yong'an Town) of Tongjiang County, which not only manufactured hand grenades but also successfully tested flat firing guns. In the future, he expanded the military factory into a machinery factory, a bullet factory, a bomb factory, a pharmaceutical factory, etc., which played an important role in supplementing ammunition and repairing firearms for the Red Army.
At that time, no one understood banking work. Zheng Yizhai worked in Shanghai and Hubei, Henan, and Anhui for several years, and at that time he was the only expert. But he still humbly studied the political economy of Marxism Leninism and understood the theory of currency. He personally conducted investigations and research, and based on the specific situation in the Soviet area, proposed several guidelines for bank work to his superiors, all of which were approved by the leaders. Zheng Yizhai attaches great importance to the publicity work of banks and establishing trust with the people. On the day of the opening of Sichuan Shaanxi Industrial and Agricultural Bank, the comrades in the management department took advantage of the situation to promote and began exchange and deposit business on the spot, expanding their influence.
From February 1933, he served as a member of the Communist Party of China's Sichuan Shaanxi Provincial Committee, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Sichuan Shaanxi Provincial Workers' and Peasants' Democratic Government, President of the Provincial Workers' and Peasants' Bank, Minister of the General Manager's Department of the Red Fourth Army, and Director of the Arsenal and Mint. At that time, the army was short of food and salt, and Zheng Yizhai promptly proposed a plan to the headquarters of the front army to "open up resources and reduce expenses", organize the development of the Soviet economy, and ensure the supply of the Red Army. Zheng Yizhai devoted all his energy and wisdom to consolidating the financial and economic work in the Soviet area. In his busy schedule, he often squeezed time to study Marxist political economy. He published important articles in works such as "Must Read for Cadres" and "The Soviet Union", and wrote works such as "Implementing Centralized and Unified Distribution of Economic Materials, Thoroughly Organizing the Financial System Method" and "Overview of the Organization and Work of the Financial and Economic Committee", which have practical guiding significance for improving the financial and economic system in the Soviet area, strengthening the centralized and unified leadership of economic work, and developing the economic construction of the Soviet area. Due to his familiarity with financial work and his ability to identify and solve practical problems, Zheng Yizhai is hailed as a "red finance expert" by many.
Help the revolutionary forces understand the importance of finance and fiscal policies
In the early years of the revolutionary war, there were indeed many comrades within the Red Army who did not know the purpose and importance of finance and administration for the revolution.
That was in October 1933, when Chen Xilian led his troops to seize a large amount of property from Sichuan warlord Liu Cunhou. However, Chen Xilian was poor since childhood and had never seen gold bricks before. This time, he saw piles of gold bricks and didn't know what they were. He thought they were yellow earth bricks. When he slept at night, he brought many gold bricks to cushion his bed. He was really a tycoon!
The next day, Li Xiannian, the political commissar of the Red 30th Army, and Zheng Yizhai, the director of the logistics department, came to inspect and stunned Zheng Yizhai. They loudly said, "Chen Xilian, how dare you not hand over such a valuable thing
Chen Xilian was also stunned and said, "Aren't these just some yellow bricks? Why are you handing over these things
Now, even Li Xiannian smiled and said, "Xilian, like me, you've only heard of gold bricks, but you didn't know it was this thing. Today really broadened your horizons
In the revolutionary struggle launched by the Communist Party to "fight against the landlords and divide the land", Zheng Yizhai saw some comrades regard the confiscation of valuable items, high-end furniture, and rare antiques from landlords and gentry as luxury goods, smashing them to pieces and setting them on fire, not allowing them to be used. He felt very sorry and angry. He said at a cadre meeting in Daxian, "All wealth is created by the masses of the people. These good things were exploited and plundered by the old landlords in the past. Now that they have been overthrown, the good things have returned to their owners. Why do we insist on smashing and smashing them? We are the true owners and should cherish them. Only the working people have the right to enjoy them!" (Comrade Zheng Yizhai, "Good Steward" by Yang Wenshu Bureau) After that, wherever the troops fought, he followed them and organized manpower with local party organizations to quickly sort, classify, ship, and store the spoils of war, accumulating a large amount of wealth for the revolution.
In terms of military industry, Zheng Yizhai not only led the transportation of Liu Cunhou's arsenal, but also worked with the Party organization in Daxian to promote the policies of the Party and the Red Army to the workers and technical personnel of the arsenal, mobilize them to participate in the revolutionary forces, and manufacture ammunition for the Red Army. Under the personal leadership of Zheng Yizhai, the Red Army quickly established Red Army textile factories, clothing factories, machinery repair factories, bullet factories, bomb factories, mints, gunpowder factories, bamboo hat factories, shipyards, etc. in Tongjiang Kucaoba, Dehenghan, and Wenchangchang in Cangxi County. Two men's and women's clothing factories have hundreds of sewing machines and four to five hundred workers. They can produce thousands of sets of military uniforms a day, enabling tens of thousands of Red Army soldiers to wear neat and uniform uniforms. The arsenal has 138 machine tools and over 1400 workers, producing large quantities of firearms and ammunition day and night to supply military supplies.
In terms of finance, Zheng Yizhai has published several articles in newspapers such as "Soviet" and "Must Read for Cadres", proposing measures, methods, and constructive opinions to solve problems in financial work. In July 1933, he listed various manifestations and hazards of conservative thinking and decentralization in financial and economic work in his article "On the Problem of Centralized and Unified Control and Thoroughly Organized Economic Materials". He proposed ten solutions, including improving the work of finance committees and management offices at all levels, effectively implementing budgets and final accounts, regularly and accurately counting economic and property resources, resolutely implementing cash concentration, developing trade with the white areas, intensifying publicity on the significance of progressive taxation, and promoting the establishment of various cooperative organizations. His proposals have played a very important and practical guiding role in strengthening the financial work of the base areas, improving the financial system, strengthening the centralized and unified leadership of economic work, and developing the economic construction of the Soviet areas.
In terms of finance, Zheng Yizhai served as the president of the Sichuan Shaanxi Industrial and Agricultural Bank and the director of the mint. The opening of the Sichuan Shaanxi Soviet Area Bank and the issuance of currency played an important role in activating the circulation of materials in the Soviet area, stabilizing prices, promoting economic development, crushing enemy economic blockades, ensuring the supply of supplies for the Red Army, supporting revolutionary wars, and defending Soviet power.
Made tremendous contributions to the revolution, showed warmth and enthusiasm towards comrades, but was extremely stingy towards oneself
In 1930, he accepted the task assigned by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and opened the "Yizhai Bank" in Shanghai, becoming the owner of a money shop and dealing with foreign markets. This bank serves as both a party funded enterprise and a transportation station. At this time, he was a manager to the outside world and still worked in transportation internally. From then on, he changed his name to Zheng Yizhai. At that time, the Shandong Party organization was preparing to hold an armed uprising, and Zheng Yizhai and a "buddy" from the bank carried a huge sum of money to Jinan to provide funds for the uprising. But in Jinan, shrouded in the White Terror, spies were rampant and local organizations were disrupted. The two of them wandered around the city and couldn't get along for several days. When he ran out of money, his stomach growled with hunger. "Man" licked up the crumbs of Shaobing (Baked cake in griddle) in his palm, looked at Zheng Yizhai's bag on his shoulder, and begged in a low voice, "Boss, do you want to take some of the money out of it?" Zheng Yizhai shook his head. On that occasion, he could not say clearly, so he had to say, "This money can't be moved at all, it's capital, and he is going to do big business." Looking at the depressed look of "Man", Zheng Yizhai comforted: "Take this jacket I wear to the pawnshop, and boil it for a few days. The relationship was finally connected. The money was sent out. Zheng Yizhai finished his clothes, disguised as a coolie, and added coal to the train boiler. It was not easy to return to Shanghai. During his two years of working at the bank, Zheng Yizhai traveled around and went through many hardships in order to raise working capital for the party and purchase and transport important materials for the Soviet area.
In the winter of 1932, the Fourth Red Army crossed the snowy Daba Mountains and entered northern Sichuan, establishing bases in Tongjiang, Nanjiang, and Bazhong. Shortly after the establishment of the bases, they were besieged by Sichuan warlord Tian Songyao on three fronts, during which the enemy cut off the salt road from the south to Tongjiang. Salt is a necessity for the military and civilians in the base area, and cannot be lacking. Zheng Yizhai quickly convened a meeting to mobilize the military and civilians in the base area to open salt wells and obtain brine for emergency military and civilian use.
Once, the underground transportation station transported a batch of salt back through the enemy blockade line. Zheng Yizhai was overjoyed and ordered the staff of the management department to distribute it in a timely manner. During the distribution, Zheng Yizhai took half a pound of salt and put it in a small bag to take home. Then, he called the security guard Xiao Zeng and said, "You take this bag of salt to Commander Xu. He, like everyone else, is also singing the Dan (Dan) role
Zheng Yizhai and Commander Xu Xiangqian are close comrades in arms. Three days ago, the two were studying the logistics support work of the army together. In the evening, Commander Xu left him for supper, and the cook brought two plates of small dishes. The dishes were fresh but tasteless to eat. Without saying anything, Zheng Yizhai couldn't help feeling sad. Commander Xu was carrying such a heavy burden, working day and night, and living a difficult life like the soldiers. Now, with this batch of salt, it is only natural to send some to Commander Xu. After a while, Xiaozeng returned and handed over a note that read: Comrade Yizhai, thank you for your kindness. I already have brine here, so it's better to keep it for comrades to use. Zheng Yizhai stared at the note, tears welling up in his eyes. After thinking for a moment, he ordered Xiao Zeng to take this pack of salt to the field hospital. The director told the wounded about the process of this pack of salt, and everyone was deeply moved. On the spot, a group of wounded demanded to return to the front line and participate in the anti siege battle.
In 1934, Zheng Yizhai was 30 years old and had not been able to solve personal problems during his military career. That year, he and Yang Wenju, the instructor of the Women's Engineer Battalion of the Red Fourth Army, went from knowing each other to falling in love. The two fell in love and became husband and wife.
On the wedding day, the comrades collected some wildflowers, branches and leaves on the hillside, and decorated the management office courtyard beautifully. The security guard thought to himself that the leader should dress like a certain person when getting married, so he went to the military supply department and got him a set of shirt and underwear. After learning about it, Zheng Yizhai harshly criticized Xiao Zeng and told him to immediately retreat. The meal at the wedding banquet was buckwheat noodle dumplings. After everyone entered the table, Comrade Yizhai told a joke: "The people of Tongjiang composed a song for buckwheat noodles, 'Buckwheat noodles, cold water and harmony, angry to death. My father-in-law starved his mother-in-law.' This means that buckwheat noodles taste full of diamonds, and today I invited everyone to eat 'Xisha'!" The conversation made everyone laugh, and the guests ate 'Xisha' with relish while congratulating them with tea instead of wine.
At this time, although the Red Army still faced many difficulties in material supply, there had been significant changes compared to when they first entered Sichuan. In 1934, agriculture in the Sichuan Shaanxi Soviet Area achieved a good harvest, and the warehouse of the General Manager's Office was filled with meat, poultry eggs, and black and white fungus. It was not a problem to hold a sumptuous wedding banquet. Moreover, Zheng Yizhai guarded the gold and silver treasury for the Red Army, and had the conditions to make his wedding more lively. However, Zheng Yizhai did not think so, let alone do so. He was determined to think what the army and the people wanted, and was anxious about what the army and the people needed. He set an example, strictly demanded of himself, kept his wedding banquet simple, and did not make any special arrangements.
The wedding was held in a simple yet grand manner, with the bride singing "Sending off the Lang as a Red Army" and the groom playing a piece of Henan Bangzi to everyone's applause, creating an even more festive atmosphere.
Send funds to the Red Army, block enemy bullets with your body, and turn gold red with blood
In late October 1936, the weather began to cool down. More than 21800 soldiers of the Red Army, ordered by the Central Military Commission, are crossing the Yellow River in Jingyuan, Gansu. At that time, more than 20000 soldiers accounted for about two fifths of the total number of the Red Army, coming from the headquarters of the Fourth Red Army and its affiliated 30th, 9th, and 5th armies, cavalry divisions, special agents, education groups, and women's groups. They crossed the Yellow River to carry out the Ningxia Campaign Plan aimed at opening up international routes and resolving strategic dependencies.
With the changing situation of the war, in early November 1936, under the order of the Central Military Commission, this unit was renamed the West Route Army and rushed to Hexi. Xu Xiang was the former Vice Chairman of the Military and Political Committee of the West Route Army and the Commander in Chief of the West Route Army, with Chen Changhao as the Political Commissar and Zheng Yizhai as the Minister of Logistics. For the Western Route Army that penetrated deep into the Hexi Corridor, Chiang Kai shek instructed well-equipped cavalry such as Ma Bufang and Ma Buqing to carry out a "encirclement and suppression" campaign.
In the days and nights that followed, the Western Route Army engaged in bloody and arduous battles with more than 100000 fierce enemies, including reactionary northwest warlords Ma Bufang and Ma Buqing, lasting for six months and consisting of over a hundred formations. During this period, although there were achievements in tackling difficulties, seizing passes, establishing political power, and annihilating more than 25000 enemy soldiers, they were ultimately defeated in the Qilian Mountains in March 1937 due to factors such as the deepening of the army alone, lack of food and ammunition, and being outnumbered.
On March 13, 1937, the most brutal battle in the history of the Red Army occurred in the Qilian Mountains of Gansu Province. In the pursuit of the enemy's superior forces, except for the headquarters and the 30th Army, which led more than 2000 people to retreat to the top of Shiwo Mountain, the rest of the army was blocked at the foot of the mountain. Zheng Yizhai, Minister of the General Supply Department and member of the Military and Political Committee of the West Route Army, led a few personnel into a forest. At present, we need to organize personnel transfer and submit funds to headquarters.
Zheng Yizhai quickly gathered the gold stored in his department in the forest, personally divided it into many small bags, put them into two cloth bags, and had Yang Wenju sew them up. Yang Wenju knew that this batch of gold was discarded during Liu Cunhou's escape in October 1933 when the Red Army attacked Liu Cunhou's troops in Daxian, Sichuan. In mid June 1935, after the merger of the First and Fourth Red Armies, Zheng Yizhai distributed most of his gold to the Red First Army, which was struggling with supplies. On the eve of crossing the Yellow River in October 1936, half of the gold was sent to the central part of northern Shaanxi. To protect the remaining gold, there were several fierce battles during the westward advance, and many soldiers shed blood on the battlefield. At present, the troops need this funding urgently for dispersed breakout. No matter how difficult it is, it must be sent to Shiwo Mountain and handed over to the headquarters. Under the cover of darkness, the team split into two groups. Zheng Yizhai led a security team to escort Jin Jin up the mountain, while the rest of the personnel moved southward. Zheng Yizhai and more than ten soldiers, pulling horses carrying gold, crossed the enemy's blocked pass, but unexpectedly encountered an enemy patrol team. After the exchange of fire, the enemy recognized Zheng Yizhai. Zheng Yizhai now understands that he cannot survive with Gold. He decides to hand over the Gold to the organization and keep it for cover, using his body to block enemy bullets. Zheng Yizhai ordered Xiao Zhang, who was carrying gold, to quickly rush up the mountain and be responsible for transporting the gold to the headquarters. He retreated down the mountain while fighting with the security guards, responsible for attracting the enemy. The enemy surrounded more and more, and the soldiers suffered casualties one after another. Guard officer Zeng Shaozhang pulled the warhorse and urged Zheng Yizhai to get on the horse and rush out. Zheng Yizhai firmly said, 'No, we must die together!' The bullet hit his right arm, and within a few seconds, he was hit continuously in his lower left hand. At this point, only Zheng Yizhai and Zeng Shaozhang remained. I command you to shoot and kill me, for the glory of the party! "After shooting Zheng Yizhai, Zeng Shaozhang killed the enemy who rushed towards him and then committed suicide.
Zheng Yizhai and his guards fulfilled their sacred historical mission with their own lives. It was precisely with these gold that Xu Xiangqian, Chen Changhao, Wang Shusheng and other headquarters leaders safely returned to northern Shaanxi, while Li Xiannian, Li Zhuoran, Li Te, Cheng Shicai and others led the remaining troops of the Western Route Army to advance westward into Xinjiang.
The heroic spirit regrets the world, and the younger generation in finance should inherit it
Zheng Yizhai was upright and upright before his death, with clean sleeves. The military and civilians in the Sichuan Shaanxi Soviet Area affectionately referred to him as the "Red God of Wealth".
Zheng Yizhai is a person of high moral character and pure character. He is extremely conscientious and responsible in his work, fulfilling his duties with utmost diligence. He is as close as a brother to his comrades and provides enthusiastic assistance. He selflessly dedicates himself to the organization and is extremely loyal. He has sacrificed his youth, blood, and life for the establishment of the new China. His name will be forever engraved on the monument of the Republic.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Party and the People's Government erected a monument at the Gaotai Martyrs Cemetery to commemorate the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Western Route Army. The inscription on Marshal Xu Xiangqian's monument reads: "Martyrs who sacrificed their lives in Zhentang, Haisong, Houfa, Qihua, Yizhai, and the Western Route Army: Your unwavering perseverance, self sacrifice spirit, and heroic spirit for the liberation of the Chinese nation and the interests of the working people are the supreme glory of our army
Today, under the conditions of reform and opening up and socialist market economy, we are carrying out socialist modernization construction. The working and living environment and material conditions are tens of millions of times better than during the revolutionary war era. However, the sacrifice and dedication spirit of the red finance martyrs represented by Zheng Yizhai will always be an example for us to learn from, and is worthy of being inherited, carried forward, and developed by future generations in the financial industry.
Author: Wang Guoqi (former Executive Vice President of Bazhong Municipal Party School)
Wu Guangxin (former President of Bazhong Central Sub branch of the People's Bank of China)
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