Yu Zeming

Yu Zeming (Baiyu: 于泽冥; 31 August 1901 – 4 June 1989) was a Bai military leader and statesman who ruled Bai as its Crown Regent from 1962 to 1989. Presiding over Bai's redevelopment, he oversaw its transformation into a developed country and regional power in Northern Archanta. His rule was commonly known as the Regency Era, which has been criticised as authoritarian, with mass persecution of political critics, purging of other warlords and imposition of martial law over certain areas of the country.

Born in Huoyuan, Neilu Province, Yu was initially a member of his father's Bai Fascist Solidatory Party (BFSP). Following political differences with his father, he and his wife Chang Meisheng defected from the regime and remained in Izaland for the remainder of the fascist era. Returning to Bai in the 1950s, he established a new government and organised a coalition of forces (including warlords of Fascist remnants) known as the New Alliance for the Reunification of the Bai People. As commander-in-chief, he led the Eastern Expedition, defeated the various factions and reunified Bai in 1962. Through a referendum, he restored the Bai monarchy but installed his son as the de jure head of state while he continued to rule as the country's de facto leader.

During his rule, he implemented the Weixin Programme that restored and modernised the national road and rail systems, alongside a series of economic reforms. The re-establishment of ties with foreign powers and foreign-direct investments of the 60s and 70s led to the recovery of the Empire's economy, which became industrialized and technology-oriented. In the 80s, he began to delegate more authority to his son, and successfully bided and hosted the Xiongjing Pax Nova Games in 1988. Shortly after, on 4 June 1989, he died of a fatal stroke and was given a royal funeral. He was buried along with the other former Middle Bai Emperors.

Early life
Yu Zeming was born on 31 August 1901. His father, Yu Shanliu, was still serving in the Bai military and hence Yu had a closer relationship with his mother and grandmother who raised him. In his memoirs, Yu stated that he had a 'strict and rocky' relationship with his father, pressuring him to work hard. Yu Shanliu appeared to his son as an authoritarian figure, sometimes indifferent to his problems. Yu recalled that his father 'never batted an eye' once when he fell severely sick with a fever when he was five or six, never bothering to check on him. When he was ten, as his father became Chancellor, he and his family moved to Xiongjing, where he continued his early studies.

Many classmates and teachers noted that he was a 'very sociable and mischievous boy' who liked to pull pranks. Zhao Xilang, a childhood friend of Yu who would serve as Chancellor under him, remembered that Yu liked to play Bai chess (Xiangqi) and puzzles like Tangram. Many teachers remarked that Yu was a very diligent boy 'willing to work hard'.

Yu Shanliu had wanted his son to join politics, although the young Yu expressed disinterest and wished to become an engineer. After some arguments over his ambitions, Yu Shanliu agreed that his son study law, although he also has to join the military as well. In 1919, Yu entered the Imperial College for Civil Service. Yu claimed he had no knowledge of his father's plans to coup the Emperor, although he noted his father became more distant in the days leading up to the coup.

Involvement in Qiongzhu Massacre
In 1927, Yu Zeming was transferred to Qiongzhu as a military police officer. By then, unrest and ethnic conflict were brewing in the province, particularly anti-Bai sentiments, ever since the 1922 coup. Following early demonstrations in 1922 and 1923 resisting the fascist regime, security on the Qiongzhu islets had only intensified, with martial law declared in 1924. Nevertheless, minor clashes continued, which culminated in the 1927 Qiong'ao Riots. The State Security Bureau brutally clamped down on the Riots, and a mass purge of civilians followed which would be known as the Qiongzhu Massacre.

Yu's role in the suppression of demonstrations and the Massacre was never made clear. An alleged assassination attempt on him led to the further tightening of security on the islands. Yu himself, in his autobiography, denied personal involvement, claiming to be only a clerk "vetting identity papers" during his brief deployment on Qiongzhu. Nevertheless, he had expressed regret for "failing to voice his opposition" against his superior's atrocities. In July 1987, during his visit to Qiongzhu, he made a speech offering an apology for his father's actions in the Massacre, although he did not directly admit any personal guilt.

However, some survivors of the Massacre said that Yu was "closely involved" in the interrogation process, and had "invalidated" much evidence that would have proved their innocence. Instead, he crafted "false papers" implicating various civilians for treason, which were signed by Qiongzhu's governor Wei Gongqia authorising their imprisonment and execution. Wei Gongqia's son, Wei Chentui, revealed in 1997 through his book Living in the Shadow of a Fascist that Yu "was a close friend" to him and the governor and remembered him often coming for late family dinners after work. Often also they would discuss "security matters" in Wei's personal study, which Wei Junior was forbidden to access. He believed then that Yu "was actively involved" in the arrests.

Shortly after the Massacre, Yu was said to be "homesick" and, for his safety, returned to Xiongjing in March 1929. Some commentators saw his return to Xiongjing as a pretext to return to the centre of his father's politics, which led to some doubts as to whether or not he was as ill as he had claimed. Investigation into Yu's personal involvement in the Fascist regime and the Massacre continued to be suppressed in the Empire, due to his legacy as the founder of the New Bai Dynasty. Nevertheless, independent historians claimed that Yu's possible involvement could have provided "inspiration" and "experience" for his subsequent implementation of martial law when he reunified Qiongzhu under his control during the Regency Era.

Ambassador to Izaland
Upon returning to Xiongjing, Yu was appointed to the BFSP Central Committee in July 1929, which made key decisions regarding the party's activities and policies. This allowed Yu to be more closely involved in party politics, which some biographers noted could be his father preparing for his son to succeed him "at some point". Already since his appointment to the Central Committee, some party documents published mentioned his name and importance in the BFSP's "continued future and legacy".

It was then unclear why, two years soon after, Yu was suddenly deployed to Izaland as ambassador. Yu himself said he was "very surprised" with the appointment, but has "no choice" but to follow through with his father's wishes. He was forced to leave behind his girlfriend Jia Huining, a fellow party comrade, before leaving for Izaland. He never saw Jia again, for she was accused of treason shortly after his departure and "quietly purged" soon after. Some historians speculated Yu might have had a disagreement with his father over the upcoming war preparations, or that the senior Yu did not want his son involved in battle.

Return to Bai and rise to power
In 1951 or 52, Yu returned to Bai in preparation to lead the Bai reunification movement. Before returning to Bai, Yu met with his old friend Guo Xuanqian, who held a senior position in the Reformed Government, a fascist remnant led by many of his father's subordinates. Guo managed to forge papers that allowed his safe return to Bai under the pseudonym Yu Jin'an.

Yu met with then-president Tang Jisheng, the former Supreme Commander of the Fascist Navy before he fled with other commanders during the collapse of Fascist Bai and established the Reformed Government. While Yu recalled that Tang welcomed him "with open arms", Tang personally said he held a "low opinion" of the junior Yu, stating he became "greatly disillusioned" with the fascist ideology ever since Yu committed suicide. However, Tang eventually agreed and pledged to assist Yu's quest to reunite the country, stating he was "greatly enticed" by his proposals, especially a promise that Tang would be a "co-leader" of a united Bai.

Commander-in-chief of the New Alliance
On 18 February, Yu was granted the title "Commander-in-Chief of the New Alliance", whilst Guo Xuanqian was made chief-of-staff. The New Alliance was reorganised into four "collective armies".

Legacy
Yu Zeming remains a controversial figure in the Bai Empire. The Regency Era, also known as the Benevolent Terror, is considered to be one of the most widely debated topics for the Bai public, politicians, and scholars. For some, Yu was a national hero who led the victorious Eastern Expedition against the other warlords in 1962 and helped achieve Bai unification. Supporters credit him for bringing political stability and building the economic foundation of the country, leading Bai to economic and global prominence. On the other hand, opponents, largely of the younger generation, condemn his authoritarian way of ruling the country and claim Yu hindered political reforms and Bai's transition to democracy. A poll from the state-run Imperial Press Agency in 2017 claimed that roughly 75% of the 12,045 respondents surveyed felt that Yu's achievements outweighed his mistakes.

Yu had been acknowledged by many Bai people as an exceptionally efficient leader who ended the political instability of the Warlord Era and restored the monarchy. As Regent, Yu presided over many of Bai's advancements, modernising national infrastructure and rebuilding the economy, leading to the growth of Bai's Gross National Product and the reduction of unemployment rates in the country. He had also been praised for various social policies such as improving and mandating higher public standards for education, sanitation and hygiene, whilst concurrently improving public health by expanding modern health care and greatly increasing the quantity and quality of high-rise affordable housing for working- and middle-class families. Due to his economic and political achievements, the Bai government continues to officially regard Yu as a national hero and has awarded him the Royal Order of the Chrysanthemum.

In contrast, Yu is regarded by various opponents as a highly repressive autocrat who curtailed freedoms and committed human rights abuses during his rule. Some, including prominent political exiles like Wei Chentui, even compared his rule with his father's fascist regime, especially measures such as detaining people without trial to round up political critics. Yu is generally unpopular among the islanders of Qiongzhu, who suffered much from Yu's authoritarian rule and believed his annexation of the islands was "illegitimate", giving rise to the Qiongzhu Independence Movement. However, supporters argued in retrospect that his actions were necessary for the country's early development, and various international political analysts note that Yu's governance was generally pragmatic and benevolent.

As the father of the Fengyang Emperor, Yu remains protected from criticism in Bai. Even today, after his death, various Bai scholars and political opponents who express unfavourable opinions of Yu have been subjected to censorship and political prosecution. Yu's status as royalty has prevented scholars and independent researchers from investigating the true extent of his political suppression under his rule.

Cult of personality and portrayal in media
During his reign, even as de facto leader, a personality cult was centred on Regent Yu and his son the Fengyang Emperor. Yu's portrait was hung along with his son's in prominent places such as schools, government offices and train stations. Statues of Regent Yu were erected all across the country, even outnumbering those of the reigning Fengyang Emperor at one point in the 70s. Upon his death, many portraits were taken down, while the statues were relocated and placed in museums due to his son's rise to prominence and controversy surrounding Yu.

In 2001, the Fengyang Emperor tried to issue an Edict prohibiting the naming of "institutions, streets, parks or other public sites, or erecting busts, statues or other forms of tribute" honouring the late Bai leader in keeping with his father's wishes to prevent the development of an extensive cult of personality around him. Some commentators noted nevertheless that the Emperor, through this law, wanted to turn more focus on him than on his father. The law was never rectified by the Yihuiting. While the extent of Yu's personality cult diminished in the 21st century, numerous museums and memorial halls remain dedicated to his memory, such as Yu Zeming Guangzhang in Xiongjing commemorating the Eastern Expedition.

Bai media and popular culture continue to portray Regent Yu in a positive light. Several historical films produced in the Empire showcased Yu as a national hero and a reasonably competent leader who elevated Bai's international standing. A state-sponsored autobiographical film The Last Princess depicted Yu as a "noble fascist" who defected from his father's regime to help prevent the capture of Princess Chang Meisheng from other agents.