Chapter 94 Jiang Qing, “The Empress of the Red Capital” Events 1972-1973

Journalist: “You criticized Jiang Qing for excessive interference?”

Mao: “Yes, in November 1974, during the cabinet formation, I criticized Jiang Qing for intervening too much. I told her that she should be the First Lady and the backstage boss, rather than a matchmaker. I wanted to cultivate her into someone who wielded power like me. However, her roots were in acting, and she enjoyed performing on stage. Her desire to perform was uncontrollable. Since she couldn’t become the backstage boss, she couldn’t truly lead the country or the party. She could only perform on the front stage.”

Journalist: “What about Jiang Qing’s play ‘Red Queen of the Capital’? Did it harm you?”

Mao: “Jiang Qing wanted to gain attention and had an American female writer, Vita Sackville-West, write her biography in English. In the No. 1 Courtyard on Guangzhou Island, Jiang Qing talked incessantly for dozens of hours, recording dozens of cassette tapes. She wanted it to become something like ‘Red Star Over China,’ which Edgar Snow wrote for me. It involved a large amount of confidential information about the party and the military. She hoped it would bring her broad international acclaim. There was also a translated version of ‘Red Queen of the Capital’ published in Hong Kong. Zhou Enlai handed the translated version to Zhu De, who brought it to me. When I saw it, I became furious and threw it to the ground, cursing: ‘Dog shit, bitch, worse than pigs and dogs!’ The cover featured Jiang Qing’s portrait. When a nurse tried to pick up the book, I shouted: ‘Don’t pick it up! Step on it a few times! Everyone should step on it!’ The medical staff dared not defy me and helped me step on it a few times to vent my anger and relieve my hatred.

I called Zhou Enlai and said, ‘She is utterly rotten. Not only did she leak a large number of military and political secrets without my knowledge, but she also wrote about how I had sexual intercourse with her in Yan’an, describing the size and length of my penis. She claimed to be my wife, but it was only in name. I haven’t touched her in over 20 years. We’ve been living separately for a long time.’ I scolded Zhou Enlai again, ‘You obviously dislike her and fear her. Why are you afraid of my wife? Always trying to drive her out of the Politburo, completely sever ties, never to meet again!’ I asked Zhou Enlai to bring some paper. My hands were trembling, and I wrote with a red pencil: ‘Jiang Qing expelled from the Politburo, go separate ways, never to meet again!’ Zhou Enlai asked what the book was about and if he could take a look. I said, ‘Don’t read it. It’s a pile of shit. It’s unbearable to look at.’ We arranged through the Hong Kong Underground Committee to buy the copyright of the Chinese version to prevent it from spreading.

One Liu Shaoqi, one Lin Biao, one Jiang Qing. These three individuals have caused me the greatest harm.”

Journalist: “Did you really expel Jiang Qing from the Politburo?”

Mao: “I vented my frustrations on ‘Red Queen of the Capital,’ but in reality, my feelings towards Jiang Qing are deep and complex. I both love and hate her, trust and restrict her. In the internal struggles within the party, the one I relied on and trusted the most was still my wife. Whenever Jiang Qing accused someone in front of me, most of the time it turned out to be accurate. When I wrote ‘expel Jiang Qing from the Politburo,’ it was just a momentary outburst of anger. Once my anger subsided, I restored my trust in her and continued to utilize her. Wang Dongxing was right, as long as I was around, she couldn’t stir up major waves. But once I’m gone, she might become a Wu Zetian.”

Journalist: “In 1975, during the ‘Red Queen of the Capital’ incident, were you really considering divorcing Jiang Qing?”

Mao: “No, I intentionally displayed a stance of wanting to sever ties with Jiang Qing to deceive public perception. I purposely wrote instructions to Jiang Qing, calling her ‘narrow-minded, ignorant, and unwilling to change her evil habits for 30 years,’ and immediately expelling her from the Politburo and parting ways. It was just an impulsive remark, an angry outburst.

Not long after, I told the Politburo, ‘Jiang Qing has a high level of combativeness and a firm class stance. We are in agreement. She won’t play both sides and can rally under a big banner. The stubborn faction opposes her.’ By the ‘stubborn faction,’ I was referring to Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, and Ye Jianying at that time.”