The place where Wang Xi’s descendants live, the hometown of Chiang’s mother, and the country’s great hope

I have been to Chiang Kai-shek’s grandmother’s house in Gezhu Village, Xikou Town, Fenghua District, Ningbo City three times, and I have also published the article “Chiang’s Mother’s Hometown, Gezhu’s Storm”, the history and humanities of Gezhu The customs have been described in the article.

In my investigation of the Mingxi Nine Songs series, I originally planned not to rewrite Ge Zhu.

In my article introducing Dong Jiayan, the source of Mingxi, I revealed the special investigation plan for Mingxi Jiuqu. Netizen Mr. "Wang Jianping" left a message at the end of the article saying:

Teacher Yingzhi, wrote When visiting Gezhu, it is best to take the trouble to visit the extinct natural villages of Changtingwan, Panjiakeng and Fangyan. It has been almost thirty years since our family moved to Fenghua Fangqiao in Changtingwan, but the old house is still there. Although it has not been exposed to wind and rain, the relationship has become deeper and deeper. There are also persimmons at the door. The tree must have turned red too.

As entrusted by Mr. Wang, I once again made a special trip to Gezhu, and went to the natural village that Mr. Wang said had disappeared to find out.

The water of Mingxi River flows through Yiqu Yankeng, Erqu Hutan, Sanqu Mingxi, Siqu Minkeng and Wuqu Shimen. It gathers many streams along the way and flows to Liuqu Gezhu. The amount of water is getting bigger and bigger, and the stream is getting wider and wider.

Gezhu Village is located close to the mountains, with streams, rocks, shoals, and poetic landscapes that attract people's nostalgia.

Most people in Gezhu Village have the surname Wang, and it is reported that they are also descendants of Wang Xizhi, a famous calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

The Wang family originated in Taiyuan, Shanxi. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the branch moved to Langya, Shandong. During the Jin Dynasty, it branched again and moved to Shaoxing, Zhejiang. Wang Xizhi was one of them.

In the 11th year of Yonghe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, that is, 355 AD, Wang Xizhi served as the internal history of Kuaiji County, the county seat was in Shaoxing. Wang Shu, then the governor of Kuaiji County, was jealous of Wang Xizhi's talents and repeatedly rejected Wang Xizhi.

Wang Xizhi resigned angrily and stayed away from officialdom. He moved from the county town of Shaoxing to Jinting in Shan County, which is now Jinting Town, Shengzhou City, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, and lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests.

Wang Xizhi also built a separate business in Wanxiang Ridge, Yanyuan, dozens of miles away from Jinting, where he wrote and raised geese. The place name of Liuzhao Village.

Wang Xizhi had seven sons and one daughter. He was a prosperous family. The family continued to multiply and expand over hundreds of years. In the middle of the Tang Dynasty, his descendants separated and settled in Fenghua.

In the late Tang Dynasty, Wang Jingqi, a descendant of Wang Xi, served as the governor of Mingzhou and reached the rank of Yinqing Guanglu. In the chaotic times of the late Tang Dynasty, Wang Jingqi lived in seclusion in Wanzhu, Fenghua in his later years, which is now Dayan Town.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, Wang Jingqi’s fifth grandson, Wang Shuang, brought rice bags to Gexi to sell bamboo slips. At noon, the rice bags were still hot, so he knew this was a hot place, so he moved here.

At that time, this place was unknown. Wang Shuang missed his hometown of Wanzhu, so he replaced it with the word "Ge", which is similar to the word "Wan (ten thousand)", and named it Gezhu, which has been used for more than a thousand years.

This naming method is similar to Shimen Village in Xikou Town, Fenghua District. The Mao family in Shimen Village moved from Shimen Village in Quzhou, so they named Shimen Village after their ancestral home, Shimen. There is also Dongwu Town in Yinzhou District. The name Dongwu comes from Yu Shao, the righteous son of Sun Quan of Dongwu during the Three Kingdoms period. After Dongwu was destroyed and returned to Jin Dynasty, he lived in seclusion at the foot of Taibai Mountain. He did not forget his homeland and named it Dongwu.

The Wang family has thrived in Gezhu for thousands of years and has become a large village.

In the second year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, that is, 1863 AD, a daughter was born in the family of Wang Youze in the village, named Wang Caiyu.

In the twelfth year of Guangxu, that is, 1886, Wang Caiyu, who lost her husband and son and took up spiritual practice, returned to secular life and married 45-year-old Jiang Zhaocong in Xikou Town.

In 1887, Wang Caiyu gave birth to a son, named Chiang Kai-shek, who later became a man of the hour in modern Chinese history.

When Chiang Kai-shek was a child, he often went to his grandmother's house to play happily. Ge Zhu left a deep memory in him.

In 1913, Song Jiaoren was assassinated, and Chiang Kai-shek participated in the war against Yuan. After the failure, Chiang was wanted.

Chiang Kai-shek fled back to his hometown and came to his grandmother's house. He was led by his uncle Wang Yunlai and sneaked to Sichuangyan for refuge.

During the period of refuge, his uncle Wang Yunti and his disciples took great care of Chiang Kai-shek, and Chiang Kai-shek later reciprocated. This is a story later.

In June 1921, Wang Caiyu, who had a rough life, died of illness at the age of 58. Before his death, Wang Caiyu repeatedly told Chiang Kai-shek to set up schools to educate children in his hometown and repay the kindness of his close relatives and friends.

Chiang Kai-shek followed the instructions carefully and realized them one by one.

In 1924, Chiang Kai-shek was appointed as the principal of Whampoa Military Academy. Wang Zhennan, son of his uncle Wang Yunti, was summoned to Guangzhou to help prepare for the establishment of the military academy.

Wang Zhennan later served as a military judge in the Military Justice Division of the Political Department of the Whampoa Military Academy, and was later awarded the rank of Major General in the Army. He rose to the rank of Director of Military Justice of the Military and Political Department of the Kuomintang, Director of the Military Legal Department of the Military and Political Department, and President of the Special Tribunal specializing in the trial of Japanese war criminals. Equal grade.

What is the relationship between Wang Zhennan and Chiang Kai-shek?

Wang Youze, the father of Jiang’s mother Wang Caiyu, had three brothers. The third brother’s name was Wang Youjin, and Wang Youjin’s son was Wang Yunti.

Wang Caiyu and Wang Yunti are cousins, and Wang Yunti is Chiang Kai-shek's cousin.

Wang Yunti had six sons, and the sixth son was named Wang Lianghan, also known as Wang Zhennan.

Wang Zhennan is Wang Caiyu’s cousin, who is also Chiang Kai-shek’s cousin.

Wang Zhennan was born on September 15, 1892, five years younger than Chiang Kai-shek. When Chiang Kai-shek came to play at Ge Zhu's grandmother's house when he was a child, Wang Zhennan was his playmate.

After Wang Zhennan graduated from the Zhejiang Provincial Legislative School, he worked as a secretary in the Sheng County Government. After going to Guangzhou to follow Chiang Kai-shek in 1924, he was of great help to Chiang Kai-shek. Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek was grateful to his uncle's family. , respectfully called his uncle Wang Yunti "Xianjia".

In 1930, when Wang Yunti celebrated his 80th birthday, Chiang Kai-shek personally inscribed it with the words "The Hometown and the Country Highly Hopes" and the title "In Memory of the Xianjia Mother-Uncle".

Shao Lizi wrote "Preface to the Eightieth Life of Mr. Wang Yunti (Xianjia)" and engraved it on the screen.

In 1936, Wang Yunti and Wang Zhennan, their father and son, rebuilt the Wang Mansion on a large scale and built on the edge of the mountain. When Chiang Kai-shek came to Gezhu, he usually stayed at his cousin's house.

The former residence of Wang Zhennan is a major attraction of Gezhu Village. The four words "The Hometown and the Country Are Highly Hoped" inscribed by Chiang Kai-shek are hung in the middle hall.

Gezhu Village was originally under the jurisdiction of Shengxian County, Shaoxing, and belonged to Huixi Township, Shengxian County.

In 1931, at the behest of Chiang Kai-shek, Huixi Township was placed under the jurisdiction of Fenghua, and Gezhu Village was therefore subordinate to Fenghua.

In 1934, Chiang Kai-shek built the Wuling School Gezhu branch in Gezhu, and students from Gezhu and surrounding areas could enroll.

After liberation, the Gezhu branch became Gezhu Primary School. Now all the students go to school in Xikou Town, and the school has long been empty.

The old site of Wuling School Gezhu Branch is still there, looking back at the changes over the years.

Wang Caiyu’s former residence is also dilapidated and withered.

Wang Shihe, Wang Xicun and others in the village all held important positions in the National Government, and there are also old residences in the village that you can visit.

In 1956, Huixi Township and Banzhu Township merged to form Gezhu Township. In 1958, it was renamed Gezhu Commune. In 1960, it was assigned to Yuyao County. In 1983, it was reclassified to Fenghua and was called Bazhu Township.

In 2001, Banzhu Township was abolished and merged into Xikou Town. Gezhu has since been affiliated with Xikou Town, Fenghua.

The young people in Gezhu have all bought houses in the towns. Only the elderly stay in the village. Only on weekends and holidays, young people return to the village for vacation, and tourists come for sightseeing, so the village will become lively again.

After introducing the past and present of Gezhu, let’s take a look at several extinct natural villages mentioned by netizen Mr. “Wang Jianping”.

From Gezhu Village to the southwest, there are two ancient roads, passing through Changting Bay and Panjiakeng respectively, and converging at Longtan on the mountain peak, forming a large loop, collectively known as the Baibujie Ancient Road.

Gezhu Village was under the jurisdiction of Shengxian County before 1931, and the ancient road was once the only way from the local area to Shengxian County.

After Gezhuhua came under the jurisdiction of Fenghua, especially after the Jidong Line, the extension of the Dongdong Line, was built in 1998, the ancient road declined. In recent years, it has been developed as an ancient road, and travelers occasionally visit the ancient road to explore its beauty.

I plan to follow the circle diagram and walk the entire ancient trail, passing through Panjiakeng and Changting Bay, and then back to Gezhu.

I first set off in the direction of Panjiakeng, went up the mountain, and then down the mountain. I came to a valley between two mountains. The village that the gentleman mentioned has died out.

Being alone in a valley isolated from the world, there was a vague feeling of fear in my heart.

The ancient road went upstream along the creek. Where the two mountains came together, I saw the sign of Panjiakeng. This is the Panjiakeng mentioned by Mr. Wang. Now only the name of the place is left, and the people and things are empty. There are dense forests and no trace of the old houses can be found.

Panjiakeng has completely disappeared.

Only a bamboo forest can prove that people once lived here.

The picture shows that Panjiakeng is 2.8 kilometers away from Gezhu Village. Because we have to go up and down the mountain, the journey feels very long and there is no one around. At this time, I am tired and a little scared.

The ancient trail is nearly ten kilometers long. I mustered up the courage to continue moving forward, climbing from Panjiakeng to the peak of Longtan.

After finally climbing to the top of the mountain, a three-way intersection appeared. From the road sign, I didn’t know which direction to go to Changting Bay.

When I opened the map on my mobile phone, I saw that it was not far from Changting Bay, but it couldn’t tell me whether I was going left or right. I was very worried about getting lost in the forest.

I have seen snakes walking through the forest twice on the road, and there is also a "Beware of Poisonous Insects" sign on the roadside. There is no one in front of me, and my fear is getting worse. I gave up looking for the way to Changting Bay. Road, return to the original road.

When I returned to Gezhu, it was already past 12 noon. I was unwilling to complete Mr. Wang’s request. I planned to start again from Gezhu Village and go directly to Changting Bay, where Mr. Wang’s hometown is.

The road signs to Changting Bay were not obvious. I asked the villagers to find the way to Changting Bay. However, as I walked, there were no road signs at several intersections, so I returned to the village. , asked for the direction of the intersection, and went up the mountain again. Although the distance was only 2.4 kilometers, it was a tossing back and forth. The whole journey was up the mountain, which was very tiring.

Finally I saw the sign of Changting Bay. Tired, I leaned on the bamboo and let the fatigue dissipate.

A house hidden among the weeds and dense forests was Mr. Wang’s childhood home. As expected, there was a persimmon tree in front of the house. It has been nearly 30 years since Mr. Wang’s family moved away from Changting Bay.

The grass in front of the house is taller than a person. I pushed aside the grass and came to the house. I saw that the house with earth-and-wood structure had no one to take care of it. It was exposed to wind and rain. The back half had collapsed, and only the front part was left standing.

The furniture and farm tools once used in the house are still there, and the scenes of former farm life can still be imagined.

The persimmon tree in front of the house is tall and big, and the persimmons on the tree are big and red.

Mr. Wang is right, the persimmons at the door are already red.

No one picked the big, red persimmons, and they were left to fall to pieces.

If I picked some persimmons and went back, Mr. Wang would not blame me, but I had no tools to use and was exhausted both physically and mentally. I didn’t want to climb the tree anymore and went back down the mountain.

Mr. Wang’s childhood home was located in the increasingly dense mountains and forests, despite the baptism of time and wind and rain.

The pace of human progress is getting faster and faster, cities are glorious, and more and more villages are disappearing.

It was already after three o'clock in the afternoon when I returned to Gezhu Village. I sat by the stream for a long time, eating snacks and replenishing my strength. Suddenly, I felt that being a farmer without fighting against the world was actually quite satisfying. good.

However, in the world of mortals, how many people can make decisions for themselves!

The Mingxi River gurgling down, with seven curves standing on the ridge, eight curves of mottled bamboo, and nine curves of great darkness, the infinite scenery is still ahead.

The Mingxi Jiuqu inspection trip was originally planned to be completed in eight days (including the previous partial inspection schedule), but this trip to Gezhu took an extra day to complete the Mingxi Jiuqu. Add another day to the trip.

There are nine songs of Mingxi and three songs of cultural scenery, which are ahead and will be shared in the near future.

Gezhu Village transportation guide:

By car, just navigate to Gezhu Village.

By bus, take bus 987 or 988 from Ningbo Railway Station to Xikou Station, then transfer to Fenghua bus 572. The terminal is Hutan Village. Passing through Gezhu Village, you can follow Mingxi Jiuqu, you can visit at will.