Chapter 237: Discussion

In the autumn of 2016, at the start of the school year, second‑year high school student Liu Yiming flipped through a brand‑new history textbook, his eyes stopping at the section on the Huangpu Military Academy. The revised material contained a few more details than previous editions; besides the well‑known Mr. Liao and Qiu Tian, there was an unobtrusive footnote: "Li Yuxuan (1890‑1991), a native of Fenghua, Zhejiang, one of the core founders of the Huangpu Military Academy, formerly the academy's office director, who led the drafting of the early military teaching regulations."

"Li Yuxuan?" Liu Yiming furrowed his brow; the name was unfamiliar to him. Instinctively, he searched the name on his phone.

The search engine results page made his eyes widen instantly.

The information that popped up on the screen instantly filled the timeline. At the top was not a dry biographical sketch but a Bilibili video titled "General Contradiction Li Yuxuan: Modern History's 'Strongest Connection Figure'", with over five million views. Next came a Zhihu question "How should Li Yuxuan's life be evaluated?" with more than three thousand answers. On Weibo, topics such as #The big boss hidden in textbooks# and #What kind of feel‑good novel male lead is Li Yuxuan# each amassed over a hundred million reads.

Liu Yiming clicked on the video with the highest view count.

The video opened with a striking black‑and‑white photograph. On the left side of the photo was a young Li Yuxuan posing with several European youths on a Berlin street, and the narration calmly noted: "In 1908, Li Yuxuan (second from the left) studying in Germany; the man in the hat to his right was the then‑student in Vienna, not yet involved in politics, Er Zhan Touzi." In another frame, a middle‑aged Li Yuxuan in a suit stood in the White House garden in Washington, raising a toast and chatting with the wheelchair‑bound United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, both smiling relaxedly.

"WTF…" Liu Yiming couldn't help but exclaim softly. The sense of temporal dislocation was more shocking than any historical documentary. The video kept rolling, showing his photo with that person at the Huangpu Military Academy, pictures of him commanding on the front lines during the War of Resistance, footage of him as a special guest standing on the Tiananmen viewing platform at the 1949 Founding Ceremony, and finally a 1990 color photo of the centenarian Li Yuxuan speaking at a political consultative conference, urging "Fellow Countrymen on both sides of the strait to work together to achieve complete national unification."

The brief ten‑minute video sent the bullet comments and comment section into a total explosion.

"Er Zhan Touzi on the left, Roosevelt on the right—this social circle spans the Axis and the Allies?"

"The textbook's six words 'core founder, one of them' hide a life this overpowered?"

"Isn't this really a 'stitched‑together monster' fabricated by historical nihilism? It's absurd!"

"Trolls, first check the War of Resistance history! In the Third War Zone, the Songhu campaign stubbornly resisted the Japanese for more than seventy days, and the students he trained were the main forces on the front lines!"

"Achievements are achievements, faults are faults. The Anti‑Japanese war heroes can't be blackened, but it's also a fact that he was on the wrong side during the Liberation War."

"The most extreme thing is the Gongde Lin treatment: living in a single room, senior officials visiting monthly, still being able to attend the Founding Ceremony—truly a unique case among War Criminals, right?"

Liu Yiming's pupils trembled. He had only intended a casual lookup, yet it was as if he had unintentionally pushed open a door to another historical dimension. He followed the link and plunged headfirst into an ocean of information about this enigmatic figure.

After the 2014 publication of his diary and the broadcast of a documentary, the name Li Yuxuan sparked a sustained ripple among History Enthusiasts. The 2016 new edition textbook's official inclusion was like a stone tossed into the public discourse arena, generating an unprecedentedly massive ripple.

On Zhihu, beneath the question that already had thousands of answers, new highly‑upvoted replies kept surfacing. A user with the ID "History Archaeology Craftsman" posted a wealth of scholarly details:

"Many people doubt the authenticity of Li Yuxuan's life, calling him a 'stitched‑together monster.' In fact, every step of his has clear historical logic and documentary support."

Experience studying in Germany: In the late Qing and early Republic, Huaxia's military modernization looked to Germany as the mainstream. Going to Germany in 1908 fit the historical trend. At that time Er Zhan Touzi was still a destitute painter; Li Yuxuan met him in Berlin, which was normal social interaction for young overseas students, and cannot be judged by later historical verdicts.

Going to America and meeting Roosevelt: In 1914 he went to the United States, coinciding with Roosevelt's election. As an Eastern youth concerned with Huaxia's fate and with a German‑study background, it was possible that some American political elites took notice. This experience later laid the groundwork for his seeking international aid during the War of Resistance.

Huangpu army building: He was the book‑boy of that person and an absolute confidant; Chiang served as principal, and he handled the actual school affairs as office director, which was natural. Almost all students from the first six classes of Huangpu had heard his lectures; the title "Director" felt more intimate than "principal," hence its usage.

Anti‑Japanese war achievements: This is the least controversial part. He served as the Third War Zone Commander, making significant contributions in the Songhu, Jinling, and Jiangcheng campaigns. His diary and numerous memoirs of participating officers and soldiers confirm his command ability and patriotic stance.

Complex stance: His peculiarity lies in his personal loyalty of "not betraying the Young Master," while simultaneously opposing civil war in his heart and protecting Advance Personnel. This precisely reflects the individual contradictions and struggles within the torrent of history, not a black‑or‑white caricature.

Post‑war treatment: The Republic's senior leadership's respect for him stems partly from his anti‑Japanese merits and past protection of our personnel; additionally, his 1949 decision to lay down arms to avoid greater casualties, and his sincere attitude after reform, are also key reasons. The one who called him "Li Lao," and Qiu Tian called him "Jingxing brother," shared private friendship, which also acknowledges his historical standing.

So this isn't a feel‑good novel, but a highly condensed, tension‑filled real life. The textbook's inclusion of him isn't for sensationalism, but a manifestation of a richer, more three‑dimensional historical narrative.

This answer garnered tens of thousands of up‑votes. Yet the controversy did not cease.

On Weibo, viewpoints clashed fiercely. One netizen posted a photo and recollection of his grandfather—a former Kuomintang Huangpu veteran: "My grandfather was from the fourth class; he said Director Li was the strictest in class, yet the most caring toward students. During the War of Resistance many classmates died in battle, and Director Li personally funded compensation for their families. People like that our family will forever respect."

Others retorted: "No matter how much respect is shown, it cannot change the fact that he was once a War Criminal. Over‑glorifying his personal charisma and 'network of connections' blurs the great historical right and wrong, doesn't it? This 'look at humanity without a stance' rhetoric is very dangerous."