Zhang Xueliang sent Jiang back to Nanjing.

1936 Christmas afternoon, Jong took me into the secret room and asked me if I could get ready to leave Xi' an's plane in ten minutes. I said yes.

When I arrived at the airport, I found that there were already four roaring squads on alert, all facing outward, bayonets on their guns and bullets loaded. I jumped out as soon as the car stopped next to the plane. At this time, I noticed that in the corner of the airport, a large group of students were holding shiny banners and slogans, and there was a band next to them. They stood there with shiny instruments.

Jong's three cars headed for the plane at full speed, and then I heard the long, sharp brakes of the tires when turning. Seeing the car in front of the plane, the students rushed forward. Jong got off the first car and ordered the soldiers to push the students back. Jong entered the cabin and sat in the passenger seat next to me. Later, I heard a woman's voice behind me. She said with an American accent, "Are you ready?"

I turned around and saw the most beautiful China woman I have ever seen. This lady sits in the first row on the left-hand side of the cabin. She is Mrs. Chiang Kai-shek. "all right." I replied, "You can take off at any time."

"Very good." Lady whispered, "get out of here! Go! "

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Ok, I'm ready!" Mrs. Jiang said impatiently, "Everything is ready."

Five minutes after takeoff, Jong turned to me. His face was tight and serious. He pointed behind me. Looking back, I was surprised to find the slender figure of the commander-in-chief I saw him lying on the only couch in the cabin with his eyes closed and his face gaunt. I smiled at rumbled.

"Fly to Luoyang." Jong said. Half an hour later, I circled over the criss-crossing trenches outside Tongguan. We crossed several controlled fronts and dropped letters containing reconciliation. Jong looks really relaxed at this moment, the pressure is not so great, and he is beginning to feel sleepy. From time to time, I look back at the situation in the cabin: my wife looks out of the window with a happy smile on her face, and she is giggling alone. Song Ziwen spends most of his time resting and occasionally reading newspapers. The commander-in-chief is still sleeping. It was just dark when we arrived in Luoyang. Jong asked me to hover in the air for a circle or two first, so that the people below would know that we were going to land.

"No one sent a message that we were coming?" I asked strangely.

"No," he replied, "not many people in Xi 'an know that we are leaving, and I don't want anyone to know that we are coming. "As soon as the plane landed, the small airport full of sand was crowded with students and soldiers running towards us. Seeing Mrs. Jiang coming out of the hatch, they stopped in the rising dust and all stared at her. As soon as her feet touched the ground, they immediately saluted, and two of the officers came forward to help her. Jong followed Mrs. Jiang. As soon as he set foot on the ground, four soldiers pointed their guns at him.

"Are you going to kill him?" A soldier asked.

"no!" Mrs. Jiang replied categorically.

Mrs. Jiang put her arm around Jong's waist, and Jong put her arm around her.

The commander-in-chief was helped off the plane. As soon as his feet landed, the people who came to meet him were ecstatic. They threw their hats into the air.

The next morning, the commander-in-chief, Mrs. Jiang and Duanna continued to fly to Nanjing by several planes that arrived in Luoyang the night before. A few hours later, it was escorted by an escort plane, followed by our Boeing plane carrying Zhong and Song Ziwen.

A sandstorm from Mongolia gave Jong a chance to change his fate. China's escort plane was dumped by Boeing and soon disappeared in turbulent Huang Yun. At this point, Jong could have ordered me to fly to any place in China, but he didn't, and decided to continue flying to Nanjing. (Add WeChat: aigushi360 to share wonderful stories)

We arrived at a military airport. People were so excited and noisy that I had to park the plane in the middle of the runway to let the people on the plane down. Then, a large group of soldiers immediately opened a passage for Jong with their bodies.

"Be more careful now!" I reminded him when he climbed out of the cabin. "Maybe you don't care that someone wants to kill you, but someone wants you to stay with us. Don't take any risks!"

He turned around and shed tears. This is the first time I have seen him cry. He held my hand tightly with both hands.

"Thank you!" He said, "Thank you very much! Now let's say goodbye. No matter what happens to me, you should take good care of yourself. Maybe I'll never see you again. "

He took a few steps, came back and silently shook my hand again.

I watched it rumble. He wore a black uniform and a black cylindrical hat, with his head held high and tears running down his cheeks. (Excerpted from "I Fly for China —— An Account of Chiang Kai-shek's Private Pilot Zhang Xueliang", translated by Leonard and Liu, published by Kunlun Publishing House)

Zhang Xueliang on his way to Nanjing