Editing Jiang Qing (section)

== Early political activities ==
[[Image:Young Jiang Qing and Mao6.jpg|thumb|[[Mao Zedong|Mao]] and Jiang writing together in [[Yan'an]], 1938]]

=== Yan'an ===

==== Drama teacher ====
She went first to [[Xi'an]], then to [[Yan'an]]. In November, she enrolled in the [[Counter-Japanese Military and Political University]] for study. The [[Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts|Lu Xun Academy of Arts]] was newly founded in Yan'an on 10 April 1938, and Jiang became a drama department instructor, teaching and performing in college plays and [[Chinese opera|operas]].<ref name=":10">{{cite news |last=Kristof |first=Nicholas D. |date=5 June 1991 |title=Suicide of Jiang Qing, Mao's Widow, Is Reported |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/05/obituaries/suicide-of-jiang-qing-mao-s-widow-is-reported.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808141435/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/05/obituaries/suicide-of-jiang-qing-mao-s-widow-is-reported.html |archive-date=8 August 2013 |access-date=13 December 2012 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name=":6" /> The conditions in Yan'an were harsh, but Jiang was able to make it there and persist. Jiang was striking in appearance and had several talents; she could sing opera, write well, and her calligraphy was particularly impressive, especially in [[regular script]]. On one hand, she was relatively quiet and reserved—she didn't enjoy shooting, but liked playing poker, knitting, and was skilled at creating various patterns. She was also adept at tailoring and made her own clothes beautifully. On the other hand, she had a lively and bold side—Jiang enjoyed horseback riding, especially taming wild horses; the more ferocious the horse, the more she liked to ride it. This combination of traits allowed her to excel as both a homemaker and adapt to the tough, military lifestyle, earning the admiration of revolutionary leaders.<ref name=":6" />

==== Secret marriage ====
[[Image:Mao and Jiang Qing 1946.jpg|thumb|Mao and Jiang in 1946]]In the autumn of 1937, [[He Zizhen]], the wife of Mao Zedong, left Yan'an. When news of Jiang Qing's romance with Mao Zedong broke, it sparked significant opposition. The most vocal critic was [[Zhang Wentian]], who believed that He, as an outstanding CCP member, having endured the [[Long March]] and sustained multiple injuries, deserved respect. However, some felt that Mao Zedong's personal matters, including his choice of a wife, were his own business, and others should not interfere. Among those who supported Mao, the most vocal was [[Kang Sheng]].<ref name=":6" />[[File:Young Jiang Qing and Mao4.jpg|thumb|[[Li Na (daughter of Mao Zedong)|Li Na]], Jiang and Mao in Yan'an in 1943]]Figures like [[Zhou Enlai]] and [[Liu Shaoqi]], however, were more cautious in their support of Jiang Qing. They sent telegrams to the Communist leadership in Shanghai, requesting them to clarify Jiang's conduct in Shanghai, where she was suspected of being a "secret agent" of the Kuomintang.<ref name=":6" /> {{Ill|Yang Fan (politician)|lt=Yang Fan|zh|揚帆 (政治人物)}}, a party leader in Shanghai, secretly written to Yan'an arguing that Jiang was unsuitable for marriage to Mao.<ref name=":5" />

Nevertheless, on 28 November 1938, Jiang Qing married Mao Zedong with the eventual approval of the [[Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party|Politburo]], but with three restrictions as follows:{{notetag|Various accounts suggest that her role came with certain restrictions, although the specifics varied across sources. When the Kuomintang forces captured Yan'an, they reportedly seized a diary belonging to [[Wang Ruofei]], which detailed the so-called "Three Conditions" imposed on Jiang. Although the original manuscript has not been publicly verified, the version released in [[Taiwan]] is considered among the most credible,<ref name=":6" /> and used in this article.}}<ref name=":6" />
# Since Mao and He Zizhen had not formally [[Divorce|dissolved their marriage]], Jiang Qing was prohibited from publicly assuming the title of Mao Zedong's wife.<ref name=":6" />
# Jiang Qing was tasked solely with caring for Mao Zedong's daily life and health, and no one else could make similar requests to the [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|Party Central Committee]].<ref name=":6" />
# Jiang Qing was restricted to managing Mao's private affairs. She was barred from holding any Party positions for 20 years and was prohibited from interfering in Party personnel matters or participating in political activities.<ref name=":6" />
[[File:Mao Jiang Qing and daughter Li Na.jpg|thumb|Jiang Qing, Mao Zedong and their daughter Li Na]]
In the early years of their marriage, Mao Zedong and Jiang Qing shared a harmonious life. Jiang primarily took on the role of a homemaker, attending to Mao's daily needs. In 1940, she gave birth to their daughter, [[Li Na (daughter of Mao Zedong)|Li Na]]. After Li Na's birth, Jiang Qing largely withdrew from the public eye.<ref name=":6" />

=== Beijing and Moscow ===
{{Blockquote|text=Sex is engaging in the first rounds; what sustains interest in the long run is power.|author=Jiang Qing<ref name="time quote"/>|title=|source=}}

==== First Lady ====
After the founding of the [[People's Republic of China]] in 1949, Jiang Qing became the nation's first lady.{{Sfn|Li|2023|p=226|pp=}} However, her role was concealed from the general public in China or beyond throughout the 1950s.{{Sfn|Witke|1977|loc=|p=235}} During the 1950s, Jiang Qing left a generally favourable impression on those who interacted with her.<ref name=":6" /> In 1949, after [[Soong Ching-ling]] attended the founding ceremony in Beijing and returned to Shanghai, Mao Zedong sent Jiang Qing to see her off at the train station. It is said that Soong later remarked that Jiang was "polite and likeable." In 1956, Soong hosted [[President of Indonesia|Indonesian President]] [[Sukarno]] at a banquet in Shanghai, where Jiang and [[Liu Shaoqi]]’s wife, [[Wang Guangmei]], were also present. Soong reportedly praised Jiang for her refined manners and tasteful attire. During their conversation, Jiang even asked Soong to encourage Mao to wear a [[Suit and tie|tie and suits]], noting that [[Sun Yat-sen]] often did so and suggesting that foreigners found the simplicity of Chinese officials' clothing too monotonous.<ref name=":6" />

==== Film bureaucracy ====
[[File:1967-11 1967年 午门前批评 清宫秘史.jpg|thumb|A demonstration against ''[[Sorrows of the Forbidden City]]'' at the [[Meridian Gate]] of the [[Forbidden City]] in 1967]]
She served as the deputy director of the [[Film censorship in China|Film Guidance Committee]], overseeing the evaluation of film projects from 1949 to 1951.{{Sfn|Li|2023|p=226|pp=}} In 1951, Jiang Qing was given a minor position of Film Bureau Chief. After her appointment, Jiang engaged in three attempts in establishing the standard for socialist art. Jiang's first attempt was her advice to ban the 1950 [[Hong Kong movie]] ''[[Sorrows of the Forbidden City]]'', of which Jiang believed to be unpatriotic. Her opinion was not taken seriously by the communist leadership due to the minor political influence of her office and the movie was distributed in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Mao intervened to support her.<ref name=":12">{{Cite thesis |last=Ludden |first=Yawen |title=China's Musical Revolution: From Beijing Opera to Yangbanxi |date=2013-01-23 |access-date=6 May 2023 |degree=PhD |publisher=[[University of Kentucky]] |url=https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=aa67e5d8700121f1733de6c83434ffd4d28a6816 |place=Lexington, KY |pages=114–202 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506200649/https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=aa67e5d8700121f1733de6c83434ffd4d28a6816 |archive-date=6 May 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Later that year, Jiang critiqued and objected to the distribution of the movie ''[[The Life of Wu Xun]]'' for glorifying the wealthy landed class while dismissing the peasantry. Again, Jiang's opinion was dismissed. Mao had to intervene to support her again.<ref name=":12" />

Jiang's third attempt involved the role of literary criticism in the development of socialist art. She asked the editor of ''[[People's Daily]]'' to republish the new literary interpretation of the classic novel ''[[Dream of the Red Chamber|Dream of Red Mansions]]'' by two young scholars at Shandong University. The editor refused Jiang's request on the grounds that the party newspaper was not a forum for free debate. Again, Mao spoke up on Jiang's behalf.<ref name=":12" />

Jiang was a member of the Ministry of Culture's steering committee for film production.<ref name=":022">{{Cite book |last=Li |first=Xiaobing |title=The Cold War in East Asia |date=2018 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-138-65179-1 |location=Abingdon, Oxon}}</ref>{{Rp|page=155}}

==== Medical treatment ====
Jiang was in poor health for much of the 1950s, leading her to step back from her official duties.{{Sfn|Li|2023|p=227}} As a result, she had to move back and forth between Beijing and [[Moscow]].{{Sfn|Witke|1977|loc=|p=235}} In 1949, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and underwent four rounds of treatment in the Soviet Union.<ref name=":6" /> In March 1949, she travelled to Moscow and [[Yalta]], returning in the autumn.{{Sfn|Witke|1977|loc=Chronology}} She visited Moscow again in 1952, staying until the autumn of 1953.{{Sfn|Witke|1977|loc=Chronology}} Due to severe pain in her liver, while the Chinese doctors were unable to fulfil their duties due to the [[Three-anti and Five-anti Campaigns|Three-Antis Movement]], the Soviet doctors explored her liver through surgery.{{Sfn|Witke|1977|loc=|p=256}} Her life in the Soviet Union was rather reclusive, with only Russian doctors, nurses, bodyguards, and all reading materials only from the [[Sino-Soviet relations|Chinese diplomatic mission]].{{Sfn|Witke|1977|loc=|p=258}} In 1956, she made another trip to the Soviet Union for treatment and returned in 1957.{{Sfn|Witke|1977|loc=Chronology}}

During this period, as a foreign dignitary, she gained access to a wide range of films banned in the [[Soviet Union]], including many [[Hollywood movie|Hollywood productions]]. This exposure allowed her to stay informed about Western art trends, which later influenced her transformation of the [[Peking opera|Peking Opera]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last=Ludden |first=Yawen |date=2017-09-01 |title=The transformation of Beijing opera: Jiang Qing, Yu Huiyong and yangbanxi |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/jcca.4.2-3.143_1 |journal=Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=143–160 |doi=10.1386/jcca.4.2-3.143_1 |issn=2051-7041|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1957, Jiang recovered from cervical cancer, though she believed she was still unwell, contrary to her doctors’ assessment of her good health.{{Sfn|Li|2023|p=227}} Therefore, they recommended that she engage in therapeutic activities such as watching films, listening to music, and attending theatre and concerts.{{Sfn|Li|2023|p=227}}

==== Cover-up ====
During the [[Campaign to Suppress Counterrevolutionaries]], Zhao Yaoshan, the [[Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics|Zhongtong]] agent who interrogated Jiang during her arrest in the 1930s, was executed.<ref name=":5" /> In January 1953, {{Ill|Yang Fan (politician)|lt=Yang Fan|zh|揚帆 (政治人物)}}, who had secretly written to Yan'an about Jiang's experiences in Shanghai, was imprisoned. [[Pan Hannian]], the Communist intelligence chief who defended Yang, was also jailed.<ref name=":5" />

In December, Mao Zedong travelled to [[Hangzhou]] with Jiang Qing. After his departure on 14 March, Jiang received an anonymous letter from Shanghai later that month. Initially disturbed and then angered, she sought out Zhejiang party chief [[Tan Qilong]], asserting her revolutionary commitment and requesting an investigation. Despite extensive police efforts, the sender's identity remained unknown.<ref name=":5" />

In 1958, while Mao attended a meeting in [[Nanning]], he met [[Huang Jing|Yu Qiwei]],'''{{Notetag|He was known as [[Huang Jing]] at the time and had married the journalist Fan Jin in Yan'an.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=208|pp=}} Yu Qiwei and Jiang Qing had lived together but they did not have any [[Marriage certificate|certificate]] or [[wedding ceremony]].{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=34|pp=}} Their relationship could be deemed as a "modern marriage",{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=34|pp=}} or a form of [[cohabitation]] as per Chinese-language literature.<ref name=":6"/>}}''' who had a [[romantic relationship]] with Jiang. After being criticised by Mao, Yu suffered severe mental and physical distress. Upon arriving at [[Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (former)|Guangzhou Airport]], he [[kowtow]]ed before [[Li Fuchun]], pleading to be "spared." Li then escorted him to a military hospital. There, Yu attempted suicide by jumping out of a window, resulting in a broken leg. Yu died a few months later, and Mao sent a [[wreath]] in his name alone as a gesture of condolence.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=208|pp=}}

In 1961, Zhu Ming, the widow of [[Lin Boqu]], wrote to the Party Central Committee regarding her late husband. Her handwriting matched that of the anonymous letter. When confronted, Zhu admitted to writing the letter and subsequently committed suicide.<ref name=":5" />