Li Yuyang and his son Jie Jun

Yaoting Lee and his son and the Revolution of 1911

Author/Ms. Cheng Zhongcheng (the wife of Mr. Li Zhiyang)

I am particularly pleased to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Revolution of 1911 this year. Although it has been 70 years since the Revolution of 1911, many things at that time seem to be yesterday and still fresh in my memory. The Revolution of 1911 ushered in a new era in the ancient history of China. How many people with lofty ideals gathered together to give their lives for a prosperous tomorrow in China? Today, this is admirable. I have been through several dynasties, and I am 93 years old this year. I was very happy in the 1980s. Under the leadership of the * * * production party, I saw the motherland thriving and heard that the reunification of the motherland is promising. All this can comfort the martyrs. This is really a happy time, and the old age is blessed. I am very happy to write down and express my heart: in the 70 years of 1911, revolutionary entrepreneurship was difficult, and martyrs should feel at ease.

Speaking of the Revolution of 1911, there are four people in my family who are related to it. My father-in-law Yaoting Lee was the first president of Chongqing General Chamber of Commerce in the late Qing Dynasty. Li Zhanyang, the second brother, served as finance minister after the establishment of the Shu military government. After the success of the Revolution of 1911, the mother's brother Cheng successively served as the president of the courts in Chengdu and Chongqing. In addition, my late husband Li Zhiyang, named Pei Zhi, strongly supported Dr. Sun Yat-sen and established the Shu military government.

Yaoting Lee, 1836, is a native of En 'an County, Zhaotong, Yunnan. His ancestors were Han farmers and lived with Yi people. When I was a child, my family was very poor. I was a flexible and clever worker and didn't read much. As a teenager, forced by life, he left home to join the army. He was awarded the title of Doctor Xiaoyi for his bravery and meritorious service. Later, he abandoned the army and went to sea, which was highly valued by the boss of Yunnan Tianshunxiang Bank. He was sent to Chongqing to run Tianshunxiang Bank, and his business was very successful, earning huge profits every year, with branches in Hankou, Shanghai, Jiangxi, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming and other places. Yaoting Lee saved up the money, besides having equity in Tianshunxiang, he also donated an "alternate road" to his second brother Zhanyang. Later, Zhanyang and Cen Chunxuan, Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, became best friends, and Yaoting Lee and Cen Can Cen became old friends. As a result, they have become more famous in the business world. In Yunnan and Chongqing, the name "Tianshunxiang" is closely related to the name of Yaoting Lee. Yaoting Lee supported and supported the Revolution of 1911 and made some contributions.

Li Zhanyang is very popular with his father. He served as an admonition platform under Cen Chunxuan, and was sent to Japan to study police affairs. After returning home, he was appointed governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, entrusted with a heavy responsibility. In memory of his father Yao Ting's move to Chongqing, Li Zhanyang kept in touch with the upper government, welcomed the new and sent the old, and sent away the "Shili Pavilion"-Ai Yi Temple, which was then in East Xiaozhi, Chongqing. Duan Fang led the Hubei army across Chongqing, appointed Li Zhanyang, an old acquaintance, as the commander of scouts, and recruited new soldiers to enrich the team. Yang Shukan, a revolutionary member of the League, is very familiar with Li Zhanyang. He often analyzes the situation of local officials in Qing Dynasty in detail. In order to win over and disintegrate the armed forces stationed in Chongqing, he was invited to recruit and train new troops in Chongqing. While recruiting new troops, Li Zhanyang introduced a group of young league members to infiltrate the scouts. At that time, the main scouts were stationed in Chongqing, and they had a better chance to control this team as the basic armed force of the uprising and prepare for overthrowing the Qing dynasty. Sure enough, when Chongqing declared independence in the Revolution of 1911, Li Zhanyang immediately hinted that the new army had turned to revolution and lost its sincerity. After the establishment of the Shu military government, he was elected as the finance minister of the Shu military government.

My late husband Li Zhiyang (that is, Pei Zhi) ranked third. During the Guangxu period of the former Qing Dynasty, I went to Japan to study with Hu Shousheng and met Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Under the influence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary thought, he joined the League in Japan. At that time, Dr. Sun Yat-sen gave Pei a party card. I still remember that the party card was folded with a thick and hard paper, and all the participants pressed their fingerprints. The cover reads "Expulsion of Tatars, Restoration of China, Establishment of the Republic of China, Equal Land Ownership", with four words 16. There are several articles with similar descriptions printed on the back cover, including "Holding this card can enjoy all the rights stipulated in the general chapter of our party;" You don't need to use this certificate to introduce yourself to the party's senior organs.

Before the Revolution of 1911, our family was a bank (Tianshunxiang), and from then on, it went from bank to local industry. He has invested in Jinhe Silk Factory (renamed Jinlun Silk Factory after the Revolution of 1911), Chuanjiang Shipping Company, Water Supply Company, Zhuchuan Electric Company and Xinji Qianzhuang Bank. Pei Zhi tried his best to support Dr. Sun Yat-sen's revolution. After returning to Shanghai from Japan, he donated 30,000 silver dollars to support Dr. Sun Yat-sen's "Zhao He Ship Uprising" and hired a soldier to assist Chen Shaokuan, then commander-in-chief of the navy in the revolutionary camp, in blasting the Qing warship Zhao He. For this purpose, Dr. Sun Yat-sen presented Pei Zhi with a four-character banner of "foresight" as a reward. Our family felt extremely honored and left it to future generations as a family heirloom.

The establishment of the Shu military government was the victory of the Revolution of 1911 in Chongqing. At that time, I had frequent contacts with Yang Shukan (that is, Yang Cangbai), Zhang Peijue (Zhang Liewu), (Zhu) and Dan. 1911165438+1October 22nd, that is, the day when the Shu military government was founded, the weather was fine and sunny, everyone was full of energy, everyone was smiling, the streets nearby were crowded with people, and the people in the city. "independence!" Long live the Republic of China! The grand occasion was unprecedented, and * * * celebrated the brilliant victory of overthrowing the independence of the Qing Dynasty. On the same day, Yang Shukan, Zhang Peijue, etc. Electrified, declared Chongqing independence, established the first provincial revolutionary regime in Sichuan, "Chongqing Shu Army Government", announced the abolition of insurance and announced the year number, thus ending the feudal autocracy of the Qing Dynasty in Chongqing. The good news came, and when I gave birth to my first boy, the whole family was even happier. In order to congratulate the success of the Revolution of 1911, the two families named their children "Guangfu". Seventy years have passed, and I will never forget the happy scene of that year.

After the establishment of the Shu military government, everyone unanimously elected Mr. Yang Shukan as commander-in-chief of the Shu military government in Chongqing. He resigned and lived up to the good name of the government. Later, everyone elected Zhang Peijue as viceroy and Xia Zhishi as viceroy. Yang Shukan once said in his poem: "I also revealed the Han nationality from Zhanggong and Yuzhou." Fully express his noble sentiment towards the revolution. At that time, Li Zhanyang and Li Peizhi were elected as Vice Ministers of Finance, but Pei Zhijian insisted on resigning. It was suggested that the post of Deputy Minister of Finance should be held by Li's cousin, and Li ranked fifth. However, Pei Zhi actively supported Mr. Yang Cangbai to raise money for military and political expenses.

Li Peizhi (Li Zhiyang) was diligent and simple all his life, unwilling to be an official, and focused on practicing and doing good things for the people. Now eling park is the villa of my father-in-law, Yaoting Lee, formerly known as "Liyuan", and the "cable bridge" in the garden was built under his guidance. Pei Zhihui likes to make friends with famous sociologists, such as Tao, Wen Bolu and Lai Lizhuang in Chongqing. He also paid his own pocket, personally supervised the design, and supported Tao's to build a yard in Mihua Street (now Bayi Road). The inner courtyard of "Shoushuang Pharmacy" built by Wen Bolu at the assembly point (now opposite to the downtown catering service company of May 4th Road) was also designed and manufactured by Li Peizhi, personally supervised the manufacture and personally funded the repair. He also personally built the pier in Renhe Bay. The words "man and pier" were written by my eldest son Li Tianqiao. There are 12 children in my family. Pei Zhichang often teaches children not to sit in sedan chairs, not to ride horses, to walk in sandals, to eat rice and to wear coarse clothes. He gave away all the mahogany and marble tables and chairs at home and made some wooden tables and chairs himself. Children should learn carpentry and bricklaying, learn a trade, and become people with real talents and practical knowledge.

In the first year of the Republic of China, my father-in-law Yaoting Lee died. In 9 years, my second brother Li Zhanyang passed away. Li Peizhi handed over the management right of "Liyuan" to He, who was already the "district head" of two intersections before liberation, and entrusted the Shanghai branch of Xinji Qianzhuang to Shao, a native of Yibin. Pei Zhi died in 19.

I married Li Peizhi at the age of 23, after his ex-wife Yang died of lung disease. I am the daughter of Cheng Haimen, a famous family in Chengdu. Grandpa Cheng Zurun once wrote Miao Xiangxuan's poems. Due to the shackles of feudal ethics, women can't go out to study and participate in social activities. Although I haven't been to school, my brother is tutoring me to study. My brother Cheng studied in Japan in his early years and graduated from Waseda University. My younger brother Cheng is also studying in Peking University. And my sister Cheng Bozhen, a good friend of Qiu Jin, has a great influence on my thoughts. Usually learn to read, study with a Kangxi Dictionary, and write some old poems. Later, I went to Shanghai, Wuhan and other places with my late husband Pei Zhi. In Shanghai, I have heard the speeches of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and Mr. Zhang Taiyan. At that time, most people in China only knew that there was an emperor, but Dr. Sun Yat-sen put forward the order of the Qing Dynasty to establish a * * * Republic and share land rights equally. What a great man! I often listen to Pei Zhi telling me about the Revolution of 1911. Whenever Pei Zhi supported Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the revolution, I actively supported him. Today, they all passed away. The unfinished task of the Revolution of 1911 has been successfully completed under the leadership of the China * * * Production Party. If they were alive today, they would be as happy as me.

(Selected from Yaoting Lee and His Son and the Revolution of 1911, published in Chongqing Daily in June 198 1 month 1 1).