“My son was a villain; he got what he deserved.”
At the dawn of the new republic, the country faced rampant banditry, with remnants of the Kuomintang army often collaborating with local marauders, wreaking havoc on the common people.
On June 18, 1950, Chen Geng was ordered to suppress banditry in the northeastern part of Yunnan. During the operation in Zhaotong city, he ended up killing Long Shengzeng.
Long Shengzeng was the son of Long Yun, a prominent political figure and the Vice Chairman of the Southwest Military and Political Committee.
A few days after hearing about his son's death, Long Yun was infuriated and demanded an explanation from Chairman Mao.
Mao reassured Long Yun, urging him to personally visit Yunnan to investigate the details.
Upon arriving in Yunnan, Long Yun discovered the full extent of his son’s deeds and, in a low voice, muttered the famous words: “My son was a villain; he got what he deserved.”
But what exactly had Long Shengzeng done that warranted such a harsh fate? What was Long Yun’s life like, and how did Chen Geng end up killing Long Shengzeng?
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Long Yun’s Journey
Long Yun was born in 1884 in a landlord family in Songle Village, Zhaotong, Yunnan.
As an ethnic Yi, he began his education at the age of six, learning to read and write. He also trained in martial arts under the famous instructor Ma Desheng.
As an adult, Long Yun moved between Yunnan and Sichuan, dealing in timber to make a living.
When the 1911 Revolution erupted, Long Yun, at the age of 27, joined the Yunnan army, eventually enrolling in the prestigious Yunnan Military Academy for formal military training.
In the fall of 1912, while recovering from an illness, Long Yun heard about a French strongman challenging local martial artists outside the academy. Furious, Long Yun immediately went out in simple straw sandals and confronted the Frenchman. Within a few moves, Long Yun defeated him, earning significant recognition and respect in the Yunnan army.
In the following years, Long Yun’s status within the Yunnan army grew steadily, and by 1929, he unified Yunnan and was appointed Governor by the Nanjing government.
During his rule, Long Yun gained the nickname “The King of Yunnan” due to his effective governance, which included substantial industrial and agricultural reforms.
He also developed transportation infrastructure, such as roads and railways, boosted local education, and advanced the military by modernizing it with French arms.
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A Shrewd Leader, but a Paradoxical Relationship with Chiang Kai-shek
When the Red Army’s Long March entered Yunnan in December 1934, Long Yun, distrustful of Chiang Kai-shek, ordered his troops to follow the Red Army without engaging them.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Long Yun and the people of Yunnan fought bravely against Japanese invaders.
Though Long Yun cooperated with Chiang’s government, he remained wary, carefully balancing alliances with his own interests. However, after the war, Long Yun grew complacent, leading to his downfall.
In October 1945, Chiang’s ally, Du Yuming, used the pretext of disarming Japanese forces to conduct a covert operation in Kunming, secretly gathering intelligence on Long Yun’s forces.
In early 1946, Du Yuming launched a coup, swiftly disbanding Long Yun’s army and isolating him in Wuhu Mountain. Eventually, Long Yun was captured by Chiang’s forces and placed under house arrest in Chongqing, later being moved to Nanjing.
In 1948, after three years of confinement, Long Yun escaped to Hong Kong and soon declared his opposition to Chiang Kai-shek, pledging allegiance to the Communist Party.
With Long Yun’s help, Yunnan peacefully liberated in December 1949. Long Yun was then appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Southwest Military and Political Committee in the newly formed People’s Republic of China.
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Long Yun’s Villainous Son: Long Shengzeng
Long Yun had four children, with his third son, Long Shengzeng, born in 1912. Long Shengzeng’s appearance and temperament closely resembled his father’s, which made him Long Yun’s favorite child.
However, Long Yun’s busy political career meant he had little time to personally raise his children, so he entrusted Long Shengzeng’s upbringing to his sister.
Spoiled by his aunt, Long Shengzeng developed a notorious reputation for indulging in a range of vices, including fighting, visiting brothels, associating with criminal gangs, and using opium.
Due to his father’s influence as the “King of Yunnan,” and his mother’s background as a tribal chieftain, Long Shengzeng’s misdeeds were often overlooked by the general public.
In 1930, Long Yun learned about his son’s unruly behavior and decided to send him to the Yunnan Military Officer Training Corps to discipline him.
However, by the time Long Shengzeng entered the military, he was already an adult, and correcting his behavior proved difficult.
After graduation, Long Shengzeng used his father’s political clout to secure a position in the army.
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Long Shengzeng’s Reckless Actions
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Long Yun appointed his son as Deputy Commander of a new unit to gain experience. Unfortunately, Long Shengzeng’s lack of discipline became apparent.
While leading his troops to a designated location, Long Shengzeng delayed the journey for several days simply to watch a performance by a singer.
When the unit finally arrived at its destination, they were over a month late. In military operations, such delays were unforgivable, and Long Shengzeng should have faced severe punishment, even execution.
However, because Long Shengzeng was Long Yun’s son and had family connections, the commanding officer, Lu Han, chose not to punish him.
Long Shengzeng’s reckless behavior continued to escalate. He bought a jeep and began bullying anyone who crossed his path in Kunming, using his status to intimidate civilians and officials alike.
In late 1943, Chiang Kai-shek’s deputy, Chen Cheng, passed through Kunming on official business and was on his way to visit the Anning Hot Springs.
At that time, Long Shengzeng’s jeep was driving behind Chen Cheng’s car on a narrow mountain road. Long Shengzeng impatiently honked his horn, and when the car didn’t pull over, he shot out the rear tires of Chen Cheng’s car.
Though the driver skillfully avoided a crash, Long Shengzeng’s reckless actions nearly caused a serious accident.
As Long Shengzeng got out of the jeep to confront the occupants, he was stunned to discover that they were high-ranking military officers, including a general. Realizing he had misjudged the situation, Long Shengzeng quickly fled.
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A Path of Self-Destruction
By 1947, Long Shengzeng had achieved the rank of Major General. He continued to act with impunity, never learning from past mistakes.
During his time at the military academy, Long Shengzeng encountered Kong Lingwei, a notorious figure from one of China’s four prominent families. Kong had a violent temper and was infamous for her reckless actions.
One day, while on a walk in Chongqing’s Central Park, Long Shengzeng made an insulting remark about Kong’s androgynous appearance. Kong, furious, pulled out a gun and fired at him.
Long Shengzeng dodged the shots, and in retaliation, he drew his own weapon, and the two exchanged gunfire. Despite their close range, neither was injured, though several bystanders were hit.
This event caused a scandal in Nanjing, and Long Yun, still under house arrest, had to personally apologize to Kong’s family and compensate the injured civilians to calm the situation.
Long Yun’s influence had greatly waned by this point, and his son’s actions only worsened his already difficult situation.
Though many looked down on Long Shengzeng’s behavior, Chiang Kai-shek saw potential in him. He had learned that Long Shengzeng had been involved in shady dealings during the war, including corrupt practices and connections to criminal organizations.
In early 1949, Chiang sent Long Shengzeng to Yunnan, hoping to use his father’s influence to strengthen the Kuomintang’s military presence there.
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The End of Long Shengzeng’s Reign
In 1950, as per the Communist Party’s instructions, Long Shengzeng’s forces were to be disbanded and reorganized. However, Long Shengzeng resisted, secretly hoarding weapons and wealth.
By April, Long Shengzeng reluctantly accepted the reorganization and was appointed as Deputy Commander of Zhaotong’s security district.
However, he secretly allied with remnants of the Kuomintang and local bandits, eventually raising a force of over 80,000 men.
Encouraged by Chiang’s agents, Long Shengzeng launched an attack on the government of Huize County, killing several officials and committing further atrocities.
Chen Geng, who had been aware of Long Shengzeng’s true intentions, attempted to reason with him multiple times but was met with resistance.
In May 1950, Long Shengzeng ambushed a supply convoy, killing all but four soldiers, and seized the military supplies.
Finally, on June 18, 1950, Long Shengzeng led
