4-5 The "Core Leader"

Four: Villain Holding Sway
5: The “Core Leader”


After fixing the Yang brothers and Chen Xitong, Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong often schemed together as to how they could strengthen their position. Two things they identified were to win over more officials through bribery, and to place their trusted men in key posts. Jiang Zemin, in the process, discovered another useful trick of corruption: to get rid of those who don’t swear allegiance, through the “anti-corruption campaign”.

As long as Deng Xiaoping alive, however, Jiang Zemin would never have real peace of mind. In Dec. of 1996, Deng Xiaoping, having been plagued by Parkinson disease for years, was hospitalized for his worsening medical condition. Jiang could hardly wait for Deng to die. The waiting was excruciating.
Two months later, Deng was pronounced dead, on the evening of Feb. 19, 1997.

During the ceremony to pay the last respect to Deng’s body, Jiang Zemin feigned a sad voice for his eulogy, wishing to conceal...