In the long river of history, there are many figures who shine like brilliant stars. Their stories are intertwined with good and evil, honor and disgrace, becoming legends commented by later generations. Du Yuesheng is such a figure who left a deep impression on modern Chinese history. His life is like a magnificent epic, full of drama and complexity, worth savoring.
The Rise of Du Yuesheng: From a Suffering Childhood to a Gang Tycoon
Du Yuesheng was born in 1888 in Gaoqiao Town, Chuansha Hall, Jiangsu Province (now Pudong New Area, Shanghai). His childhood was full of hardships. At the age of 4, his parents died and he was raised by his stepmother and uncle with difficulty. In that turbulent era, fate did not seem to favor this poor child. However, Du Yuesheng, with his own perseverance and opportunities, embarked on an extraordinary journey of life.
He started as a "hooligan" and joined the Qing Gang, thus entering the world of Shanghai's underworld. There, he met another rogue tycoon, Huang Jinrong, who had already gained considerable influence in Shanghai. Du Yuesheng showed extraordinary talent, and with Huang Jinrong's support, he gradually emerged. Over time, his position in the Qing Gang continued to rise, eventually becoming the leading tycoon in Shanghai, with great influence.
Wealth: Du Yuesheng's Money Empire and Its Origin
Du Yuesheng's wealth was well-known in Shanghai and even the whole country at that time. He once told a thought-provoking metaphor to a literary friend: "You used to be a carp, practiced for 500 years, jumped the dragon gate and became a dragon. I used to be a loach, practiced for 1000 years to become a carp, and then practiced for another 500 years before jumping the dragon gate. If we both fail together, you will still be a carp, and I will become a loach. How can I not be cautious in doing things?" This sentence not only reflects his feelings about his own rise to fame, but also reveals the reason why he acted cautiously.
Du Yuesheng spends money like water, and there are countless stories about him spending money like water. His family spent nearly one million yuan on Chinese New Year, which is staggering. However, he has his own unique perspective on spending money: "Others save money, I save friendship." Behind this seemingly noble concept, there is an unknown source of wealth.
The main source of Du Yuesheng's wealth is his "Sanxin Company". This company can be called extremely profitable, with its annual profit even exceeding one-third of the entire Beiyang government's annual national fiscal revenue. So, what business does "Sanxin Company" rely on to obtain such amazing profits? The answer is pornography, gambling, and drug trafficking, among which drug trafficking is the most profitable part. Du Yuesheng, together with Huang Jinrong and Zhang Xiaolin, almost monopolized the entire opium trade in Shanghai, and continuously sold opium throughout the country through the French Concession.
In 1930, the Du Family Ancestral Hall built by Du Yuesheng was completed, which was magnificent and admirable. However, there was another dark purpose behind this ancestral hall - to make and pethidine. Du Yuesheng had 9 cars, a total of 18 drivers and assistants. The annual expenses of Du's residence were at least 2 million yuan, compared to the average Shanghai citizen's annual expenses of only 100 yuan.
Huang Jinrong discovered a characteristic of Du Yuesheng when he first showed his talent: he distributed all the rewards he gave to his subordinates and never kept any money for himself. Huang Jinrong exclaimed that this person would become a great man in the future! However, Du Yuesheng's way of accumulating wealth was full of evil, which was a stain he could not erase. For example, during Zhang Xueliang's stay in Shanghai, Du Yuesheng decorated a casino under his name for him to live in, and provided him with drugs to smoke and inject every day. Although Du Yuesheng later helped Zhang Xueliang quit drugs, this behavior still highlighted the fact that he was involved in drug trafficking.
Du Yuesheng's Moments: Literati and Politicians
Du Yuesheng's original name was Du Yuesheng, which was an ordinary and even rural name. However, his influence in the cultural world was not to be underestimated, thanks to an important figure who helped him change his name - Zhang Taiyan. Zhang Taiyan was a famous master of modern Chinese culture. He renamed Du Yuesheng Du Yong and gave him the nickname Yuesheng. Being favored by a master of Chinese culture shows Du Yuesheng's skill in interpersonal relationships.
Apart from Zhang Taiyan, celebrities at that time such as Yang Du (the main participant in the Qing Dynasty's "preparation for constitutionalism") and Zhang Shizhao were also frequent visitors to Du's residence. Li Yuanhong's secretary once wrote a couplet for Du Yuesheng: "Three thousand guests under the Chunshen family, five feet south of the small Du city." This couplet was hung in the most prominent position in Du's living room, highlighting Du Yuesheng's status in the social circle.
Li Yuanhong, the former president of the Republic of China, was warmly welcomed by Du Yuesheng when he was in trouble in Shanghai. Du Yuesheng often said, "Let others do the things that add icing on the cake, I only do the things that help in times of need." He made a wide range of friends throughout his life and was known as the "Emperor of Shanghai" in Shanghai. It seems that there was nothing he couldn't handle. His delicate thoughts, generous personality, and generous character have indeed won the sincere admiration of many people.
However, the coldness of the world was also vividly displayed in Du Yuesheng's life. In 1945, after the unconditional surrender of the Japanese, Du Yuesheng eagerly returned to Shanghai, where he had worked hard, from Chongqing. He thought that his friends from all walks of life and the disciples of his gang would warmly welcome him back to his hometown at the Shanghai North Station. But reality dealt him a heavy blow. A disciple who arrived at the station first received news that the North Station was indeed full of slogans, but the content was: "Down with the evil forces of society, Du Yuesheng!" The mastermind behind this was his former disciple Wu Shaoshu. Du Yuesheng felt chest tightness and got off the train one stop early, but no one greeted him. This cold treatment made him deeply feel the coldness of the world, and also made people see how fragile so-called friendship is in the face of power and interests. Du Yuesheng once said that there are three bowls of noodles that taste the worst in life: face, scene, and emotion. This sentence can be regarded as a profound summary of his life experience.
The complex relationship between Du Yuesheng and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party
The relationship between Du Yuesheng and the Communist Party and the Kuomintang is complex and full of historical vicissitudes and helplessness.
After the fall of Shanghai, Du Yuesheng did some seemingly just things. He spent a huge sum of money to find people to print the books "Journey to the West" and "The Complete Works of Lu Xun" that the Communist Party hoped to spread, and printed his own hot stamped words "Du Yuesheng's gift", and then sent these books to libraries in various concessions in Shanghai for borrowing. In addition, during the War of Resistance Against Japan, he also purchased a lot of communication equipment for the Communist army. Due to the Japanese army's use of poison gas warfare, he specifically spent money to buy 1000 Dutch imported gas masks, which were passed on to the Eighth Route Army through Pan Hannian. However, these actions could not completely cover up the crimes he had committed.
In 1927, the Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai-shek launched the "April 12th Counter-revolutionary Coup" in Shanghai, which was a bloody and violent disaster. In this coup, Du Yuesheng was Chiang Kai-shek's main partner and played an extremely cruel role. On the evening of April 11th, the night before the coup, Du Yuesheng invited Wang Shouhua, the chairperson of the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions and worker leader (a member of the Communist Party of China), to a banquet, and then instructed his disciples to knock Wang Shouhua unconscious, put him in a sack, and cruelly buried him alive under the Xifenglin Bridge in Shanghai. Du Yuesheng always wears a long green cloth gown, giving people a refined impression. Even in hot weather, he never unbuttons his first button (legend has it that he has tattoos on his body. As a gang boss trying to disguise himself as a cultured person, he doesn't want people to see him). But in this bloody massacre, his cruelty and cruelty are exposed.
In the relationship with the Kuomintang, Du Yuesheng had long been responsive to the Kuomintang's requests, and the Kuomintang also showed him considerable "respect" for a considerable period of time. At the drinking table, Chiang Kai-shek usually sat down when toasting others, but when Du Yuesheng came to toast, Chiang Kai-shek would stand up and respectfully address him as "Mr. Du." In 1931, Du Yuesheng spent 500,000 to build the "Du Family Ancestral Hall" at Pudong Gaoqiao, with a grand scene and crowds of people. What made Du Yuesheng feel even more honored was that important figures from the Kuomintang, including He Yingqin, Hu Hanmin, Kong Xiangxi, the commander of the Songhu garrison, Xiong Shihui, and Shanghai Mayor Zhang Qun, all sent congratulatory plaques.
However, this "respect" is based on interests and changes with the situation. After Japan surrendered in 1945, the concession no longer existed, and Shanghai no longer needed the "mediation" of the black forces. Du Yuesheng's use value for Chiang Kai-shek gradually decreased. Wu Shaoshu, as the deputy mayor of Shanghai, dared to put up the slogan "Down with Du Yuesheng" because of Chiang Kai-shek's support. In July 1949, the Kuomintang's Central Daily published an editorial calling Du Yuesheng a "waste of the times". Although Chiang Kai-shek later sent someone to apologize, Du Yuesheng already understood his position in the eyes of the Kuomintang. He sighed to his disciples, "Those political officials actually treat us as chamber pots." I had to pee urgently at night and thought of using us. After using us, I kicked him under the bed, complaining that we were dirty and smelly. "
National righteousness: Du Yuesheng's performance in the Anti-Japanese War
In Du Yuesheng's complex and multi-faceted life, one thing is worthy of recognition, which is his choice in the face of national righteousness. During the Anti-Japanese War, Du Yuesheng served as the Vice President of the International Committee of the Red Cross in China. He did not treat this position perfunctorily, but fulfilled his duties earnestly. He actively established hospitals and assisted a large number of wounded. When funds were insufficient, he actively mobilized donations. If the donations were still insufficient, he would subsidize them out of his own pocket.
During the Sino-Japanese War in Songhu, Xie Jinyuan led 800 brave men to defend the Sihang Warehouse in Shanghai. At that time, all kinds of passages were basically blocked. After hearing this, Du Yuesheng quickly took action, raised five truckloads of supplies, and risked great danger to deliver the supplies to the Sihang Warehouse, providing strong support for the defenders.
Du Yuesheng once made a bold statement: "If the Japanese dare to use the concession to attack the Chinese army, I, Du Yuesheng, will destroy the concession within two hours!" Although this sentence sounds a bit arrogant, he did have the determination to take action. He first donated 5,000 "fast and slow machines" (pistols) himself, and then under the instigation of Dai Li, he formed a 1500-person special forces team with his disciples as the main force, and engaged in fierce battles with the Japanese army. This team, composed of ruffians and hooligans, although the battle was fierce and miserable when fighting against the well-equipped Japanese army, their tragic and courageous display was touching.
After the Sino-Japanese War in Songhu, in order to hinder the Japanese army's pursuit of the Chinese army, Du Yuesheng took the lead in ordering his Dada Shipping Company to sail several ships to the Yangtze River and then scuttle them. Under his leadership, other shipping companies also responded one after another, and a large number of ships were scuttled in the Yangtze River waterway, effectively blocking the waterway and delaying the Japanese army's attack.
After the fall of Shanghai, the Japanese tried to bribe the "three giants of Shanghai's underworld" at that time. Zhang Xiaolin directly betrayed his country and became a traitor. Huang Jinrong, who was reluctant to give up his property, could only be hypocritical with the Japanese. Du Yuesheng, on the other hand, chose to leave Shanghai and seek refuge in Hong Kong without hesitation. After the fall of Hong Kong, the Japanese once again tempted him, but he remained unmoved and resolutely set off for Chongqing. In the face of national righteousness, Du Yuesheng made the right choice, which was particularly valuable in his complex life.
The ending of Du Yuesheng: the end of life and the handling of inheritance
In 1949, for Du Yuesheng, it was a critical moment when he had to choose his fate. On the one hand, Chiang Kai-shek repeatedly invited him to Taiwan, but the Kuomintang's cold treatment of him after 1945 made him disheartened. On the other hand, the Communist Party persuaded him to stay in Shanghai through Huang Yanpei and others, and promised to forgive the past. However, Du Yuesheng knew well that he had committed an unforgivable crime in the "April 12th Counter-Revolutionary Coup", and his hands were stained with the blood of the Communists. He had doubts about whether he could be forgiven. In the end, he chose to go to Hong Kong with his whole family, believing that it was relatively free there.
After spending two years in Hong Kong, on August 16th, 1951, Du Yuesheng, who suffered from severe asthma, came to the end of his life. On his deathbed, he accomplished two things that reflected his complex state of mind and contemplation of life.
The first thing is to divide the inheritance. The Du family used to have a large estate, but the money finally distributed was only 110,000 US dollars, of which 100,000 US dollars were originally deposited by Du Yuesheng with Song Ziwen, and the other 10,000 US dollars were the surplus that Song Ziwen helped him manage. It should be noted that when he was in Shanghai, he casually sold a house under his name for 600,000 US dollars. However, he was no longer rich at this time. His arrangement for the inheritance was: each wife had 10,000 US dollars, the eldest son had 10,000 US dollars, the unmarried daughter had 6,000 US dollars, and the married daughter had 4,000 US dollars. Although the inheritance distribution seemed a bit embarrassing, he did not forget the second thing.
He asked his children to burn all the IOUs that others had written for his family, including the IOUs written by Wang Xinheng, the head of the Shanghai station of the Kuomintang's Secrecy Bureau, with 500 gold bars written on them. He explained, "I don't want my descendants to keep chasing after others to collect debts." From this action, it can be seen that Du Yuesheng showed a kind of detachment and magnanimity in the last moments of his life.
According to his daughter Du Meiru's recollection, Du Yuesheng's last words before his death were: "I have no hope, but you have hope, and China still has hope." This sentence contains his expectations for his family and blessings for the future of the country, and also draws a meaningful end to his legendary life.
Comprehensive evaluation of Du Yuesheng
Du Yuesheng's life is a legendary historical picture, with both bright and dark sides. He is undoubtedly a charismatic and capable figure, with a quick mind, wise vision, and moments of profound righteousness. He rose in a complex social environment and became a prominent figure in Shanghai, with amazing abilities in socializing, wealth accumulation, and dealing with complex situations.
However, we cannot ignore the cruelty, greed, and bloodshed behind him. He made a fortune through pornography, gambling, and drugs, and committed unforgivable crimes in the "April 12th Counter-Revolutionary Coup", which are stains that cannot be erased from his life. Despite his efforts to "whitewash" himself in the later period, making friends with cultural celebrities, pleasing the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and contributing to the country and the nation in the War of Resistance Against Japan, his past actions have left a deep mark in history.
As the saying goes, "If you go out to make a living, you will have to pay it back sooner or later." Du Yuesheng, as a boss of the underworld, wandered between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in the historical torrent of the Anti-Japanese War and the Civil War, and finally had a good ending, which was rare. However, even so, he spent his whole life paying for his past, and his last wish-to be buried in his hometown of Gaoqiao in Pudong, Shanghai-has not been fulfilled to this day. Perhaps this is a judgment of his complex life by history, which makes us deeply reflect on human nature, history, and fate when reviewing his story.