Editing Jiang Qing (section)

=== Coup d'état ===
{{see also|Smashing the Gang of Four}}

On 5 September 1976, Jiang Qing was informed of the critical illness of Mao Zedong and soon returned to Beijing.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=323}} On the evening of 8 September, she drove to [[Xinhua News Agency]] trying to find supporters, and returned to Zhongnanhai late in night, where high-rank Chinese officials and Mao's family members were present. Jiang could not fall asleep.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=324}} She needed to confront two other factions within the party, Hua Guofeng who had received a note from Mao saying, "[[With you in charge, I'm at ease|With you in charge, I am at ease]]," and Deng Xiaoping who was being attacked by Jiang.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=323}} She approached Hua secretly, proposing to expel Deng in the Politburo meeting before Mao's death, but she did not succeed.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=326}}

Mao died on 9 September. The funeral services were hosted by Wang Hongwen, with a million people assembled at Tiananmen Square to mourn his death. Jiang sent a large wreath of chrysanthemums and greenery, as his student and comrade, rather than his widow.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=325}} Hua was the designated successor of Mao and soon became the party chief and became embroiled in a power struggle with the Gang of Four.<ref name="zheng_2010">{{cite web |last1=Zheng |first1=Haiping |year=2010 |title=The Gang of Four Trial |url=http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/gangoffour/Gangof4.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230122458/http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/gangoffour/Gangof4.html |archive-date=2017-12-30 |access-date=2017-12-31 |website=University of Missouri-Kansas City}}</ref> Jiang went to Baoding to rally the [[38th Army (People's Republic of China)|38th Army]], preparing to replace Hua as a party chief.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=326}} In response, both Ye Jianying, one of Deng's allies, and Hua mobilised their military forces in Beijing and Guangzhou. [[Xu Shiyou]] warned a north expedition from Guangzhou, if Jiang had not been arrested in Beijing.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=327}} In 4–5 October, Hua continued to negotiate with Jiang's allies on the personnel arrangement and agreed to continue the talk the following day.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=327}}

On 6 October, Zhang Chunqiao and Wang Hongwen were arrested when they arrived at Zhongnanhai.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=327}} Jiang Qing and Yao Wenyuan were arrested at their homes.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=328}} Hua – supported by the military and state security – had Jiang and the rest of the Gang arrested and removed from their party positions. According to Zhang Yaoci, who carried out the arrest, Jiang did not say much when she was arrested. It was reported that one of her servants spat at her as she was being taken away under a flurry of blows by onlookers and police.<ref name=":15">{{cite web |title=Communist Party History: Memoirs of Jiang Qing on 6 October 1976 |url=http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64162/64172/64915/4671507.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226062508/http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64162/64172/64915/4671507.html |archive-date=26 February 2012 |access-date=13 December 2012 |publisher=Cpc.people.com.cn}}</ref> In May 1975, Mao Zedong once criticised the Gang of Four for leaning too heavily on [[empiricism]]. However, he downplayed the severity of their issue, stating that it was not a significant problem but needed to be addressed. Mao remarked,<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |last=Zhang |first=Lifan |author-link=Zhang Lifan |date=2014-08-25 |title=逮捕"四人帮"是毛泽东的生前部署吗？ |url=https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20140825/cc25zhanglifan/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=The New York Times |language=zh |archive-date=26 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026001137/https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20140825/cc25zhanglifan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=If it cannot be resolved in the first half of the year, then address it in the second half; if it cannot be resolved this year, then next year; and if not next year, then the year after.{{efn|{{lang-zh|s=我看问题不大，不要小题大作，但有问题要讲明白，上半年解决不了，下半年解决；今年解决不了，明年解决；明年解决不了，后年解决。}}}}}}

The remark served as a justification for Hua Guofeng to arrest the Gang of Four.<ref name=":16" />