Fu Lianqing, the trusted doctor of Mao Zedong

Author: Zhong Zhaoyun, Wang Shengze
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Fu Lianqing was a renowned doctor in the region at that time. Driven by humanitarianism and Christian doctrine, he accepted all patients without discrimination. Although he felt disappointed about the old society and sympathized with the uprising army, he dared not offend Guo Fengming, the "local warlord," and devoted himself to treating him with all his efforts. Thus, he became a figure who could work on both sides. When treating Guo Fengming and his family, as well as his troops, Guo Fengming saw Fu Lianqing as useful and began to favor him, wanting to recruit him for his own service. Upon learning that Fu Lianqing had treated the uprising army, Guo Fengming scolded him sharply, saying, "God's subjects treating the Communists—how could you have been fooled!" Then, he tried to coax him, saying, "As long as you don’t get fooled again, you can work as a famous doctor in Tingzhou under my command." Guo Fengming showed Fu Lianqing a kind of self-proclaimed "brotherhood" and made this gesture to let others see, so they would know how well he knew and utilized people, boosting his prestige. Fu Lianqing used this opportunity and regarded Guo Fengming as his "protective umbrella." After accepting the task from the Longding Special Branch of the Communist Party, he used the chance to treat Guo Fengming to persuade him with great difficulty.
"Chairman, recently, the surrounding counties have been quite unstable, so it’s better to prepare early." Fu Lianqing didn’t directly get to the point. He knew Guo Fengming, this "local emperor," was naturally suspicious and couldn’t be approached directly. He had to take a roundabout approach to achieve his goal.
"Yes, I’ve been struggling to think of a solution. What do you suggest?" The issue struck Guo Fengming where it hurt, forcing him to take it seriously. In desperation, he even turned to Fu Lianqing, the doctor, for advice.
"To achieve great things, the key lies in utilizing talent. At the current time, finding talent is the biggest challenge. Don’t you agree?" Fu Lianqing deliberately led Guo Fengming on.
"Yes, it’s a pity that people are scarce when needed." Guo Fengming scratched his bald head, looking helpless.
"No, there are plenty of people, but those who are truly useful and can be relied on by you are few," Fu Lianqing said slowly.
"You’ve hit the nail on the head. It seems Dr. Fu isn’t simple either. What tricks do you have up your sleeve?" Guo Fengming’s eyes showed caution.
"Please don’t laugh. I’m just speculating. I have an unrefined idea, but I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to say it." Fu Lianqing said cautiously.
"Go ahead and tell me." Guo Fengming was genuinely interested.
"Couldn’t you train your own personnel? That way, they could be of use to you."
"This method is worth considering. Let me think about it." Fu Lianqing’s suggestion made Guo Fengming somewhat tempted.
Fu Lianqing knew he couldn’t rush it, so he kept quiet. After a while, he went to see Guo Fengming again, casually bringing up the topic again: "How have you been considering it, Chairman?"
"The method is good, but where can we find ready-made personnel to help?" Guo Fengming seemed to be wavering but hadn’t made a final decision. He had to push harder, Fu Lianqing thought.
"That’s easy. There are some young intellectuals in Tingzhou who can be utilized. As long as we capture them, there won’t be any problems, and they can be of use to the Chairman. Chiang Kai-shek’s Whampoa Military Academy also played this role."
When Guo Fengming heard Fu Lianqing compare him to Chiang Kai-shek, he grew even more confident. Rubbing his bald head, he clapped his thigh and said in a deep voice, "Alright, let’s do it. I’ll have someone start it immediately."
Thus, Guo Fengming ordered the to raise funds and selected Liu Family Ancestral Hall in Wangyuanqian, Tingzhou, as the location. In November 1928, the "Personnel Training Institute" officially opened. It recruited over sixty progressive young farmers from Longding, Liancheng, Shanghang, Ninghua, Qingliu, and Guihu with a certain level of education. The Special Branch sent Communist Party members such as Duan Fenfu, Wang Yangyan, Huang Yaguang, and Huang Jili to work at the institute. Wang Yangyan served as the Education Director, Huang Jili as the Administrative Director, and Duan Fenfu, Huang Yaguang, and others as instructors. They taught the students about land revolution policies,, organizing peasants' unions, armed uprisings, and establishing workers' and peasants' governments, spreading revolutionary ideas.