Chapter 139: Mother

In the spring of 1936, Li Yuxuan received that telegram in his residence in Jinling; when he read the four characters "mother critically ill," the teacup in his hand fell to the ground.

"Prepare the car! Go to Xikou immediately!" His voice carried a panic he had never known.

The Special Train raced through the mountains of eastern Zhejiang, Li Yuxuan stood at the carriage junction, watching the scenery flash by outside the window. This familiar landscape, his native homeland, might now become a place of permanent farewell.

"Chairman, you've been standing for six hours," the attendant gently urged.

Li Yuxuan seemed not to hear. He recalled two years ago when he went to the Southwest, his mother personally packed his belongings and reminded him to take care of his health while away. At that time her figure was already stooped, yet her spirit was fine. Who could have imagined that would be their last meeting.

In the Li Family Old Residence at Xikou, the air was thick with herbal medicine and sorrow. Li Yuxuan knelt beside his mother's bed, gripping tightly the hands covered with old calluses.

"Xuan…" his mother's faint voice, like a wisp, said, "you've returned…"

"Mother, I'm back," Li Yuxuan forced back tears, "you must hold on; I've hired the best doctor."

The mother shook her head, a kindly smile on her face: "In my whole life, I'm most proud to have a son like you. It's just… it's just that I haven't seen you drive the Japanese out of Huaxia…"

The words cut his heart like a sharp blade. He knew his mother had always been proud of his military merit and even prouder of his resolve to defend the nation.

For the next seven days, Li Yuxuan never left his mother's bedside. He personally administered medicine and cleaned her, just as his mother had cared for him when he was a child. Yet the candle of life eventually went out.

That morning, when the first ray of sunlight entered the room, his mother closed her eyes forever.

When the news reached Jinling, the Chairman was presiding over a military meeting. He immediately adjourned it and stayed alone in his office for a long time.

"Prepare ink," he told the attendant.

The Chairman personally wrote the elegiac couplet and condolence words. Each stroke was especially heavy, as if inscribing the more than forty years of friendship between them.

"In the past, I followed the compassionate teachings; today I send distant mourning…" he whispered, and the scene of his mother visiting him at Huangpu years ago rose before his eyes. That kindly and strong woman had once cooked hometown dishes for them herself.

"Chairman, shall we send someone to deliver it?" Chen Bulei asked cautiously.

"No," the Chairman stood, "I will go myself."

The decision shocked everyone. For the Chairman to go personally to mourn a subordinate's mother was unprecedented.

In the Yaodong of Northern Shaanxi, Yongzhi, upon learning the news, remained silent for a long time.

"Write a letter to Old Li," he said to the elder, "though our positions differ, we should all mourn his mother's passing."

The elder nodded: "Jingxing, over these years, though he is in the Kuomintang, his heart has always been with the national cause. His mother raised such a son; he deserves everyone's respect."

Yongzhi personally drafted the elegiac couplet: "A mother nurtures a virtuous son linking KMT-CCP, ten thousand troops inherit teachings to face national calamity…" His handwriting was vigorous, each line revealing his respect for the mother.

"Send it as soon as possible," Yongzhi handed the finished couplet to the messenger, "make sure it reaches Mr. Li."

The elder even went personally to Xikou. This decision sparked controversy within the Party.

"Elder, this is too dangerous," someone warned.

The elder persisted: "Jingxing and I have been friends for years; now he faces this great disaster, how could my heart be at ease if I do not go?"

He traveled day and night, crossing multiple blockade lines, and finally arrived at Xikou before the funeral.

When the dust‑covered elder appeared before the Spirit Hall, Li Yuxuan was stunned.

"Brother Xiangyu… you…"

"Jingxing, my condolences," the elder tightly grasped his hand, "the old aunt is also my elder, I am here to see her off for the last journey."

This scene moved everyone present.

Even more shocking, students from Huangpu across the nation, whether now in the Kuomintang or the Republic, rushed here.

Outside the Spirit Hall, generals and stars gathered. Former classmates who once met on the battlefield now assembled to commemorate the teacher's grandmother.

"Mentor!" a General in Kuomintang uniform knelt, "the students are late!"

Beside him, a General in Red Army uniform also knelt: "Sir, my condolences!"

These two men, though in different uniforms and beliefs, shared the same grief at that moment.

Li Yuxuan watched the students, his heart a swirl of emotions. Many of them had once slain each other on battlefields, yet now, because of an old woman's death, they temporarily set aside their hatred.

On the funeral day, Xikou's streets were empty of crowds. The townsfolk spontaneously stood on both sides of the road to see off the mother who had raised a Kuomintang General.

The most striking sight was the funeral procession. At the front marched the Chairman's Special Envoy, followed by the elder, then the Huangpu students of the KMT and CCP. This odd combination was unprecedented in Huaxia.

As the Coffin passed, an elder sighed, "If Old Lady Li were in Heaven, she would be comforted to see this."

When the coffin was lowered, Li Yuxuan finally could not hold back tears. He knelt before the Tombstone, refusing to rise for a long time.

"Mother, you can rest assured," he thought, "I will make this land return to peace."

After the funeral ended, people from all sides left one after another. Yet before departing, each had a brief conversation with Li Yuxuan.

The elder, as he left, said, "Jingxing, take care of yourself. The nation still needs you."

The Huangpu students collectively swore, "Mentor, rest assured; we will work together to repel foreign aggression!"

Li Yuxuan stood alone before his mother's Tombstone until the sunset.

This funeral was not only a mother's farewell but also a unique political stage. On this stage, the KMT and CCP unusually displayed shared emotions and a yearning for national unity.

As night fell, Li Yuxuan cast one last glance at his mother's Tombstone and turned away.