I have read this document.
Mao Zedong
October 15, 1970
The correctness of the ideological and political line determines everything. [2]
She likes to praise but not criticize, loves to listen to gossip, and cannot withstand the storm.
[3]
These are Marx's words, I am just repeating them. [4]
One tendency conceals another tendency. The victory of the Ninth Congress, becoming a
member of the Central Committee, is great, and the line of the Ninth Congress has been
thrown out of the window. The Chen Boda [5] network line against the Ninth Congress has
gained the upper hand among some comrades. Comrades, please study this and see if it is
true. [6]
Why do comrades who have been against reading Marx and Lenin for many years now seek
help from them? The topic is so-called on genius. Didn't we discuss it at the Ninth National
Congress? Why are we so forgetful? [7]
The materials are used directly, so there is no need to analyse them. The materials are the
same, no matter who makes them, they are the same. Doesn't it count as being cheated if
someone else makes them? [8]
Have you ever fought against him? How can you fight him when you listen to him
ideologically and politically? [9]



If you don't get fooled, you won't turn around, so being fooled is a good thing. Chen Boda is
a very suspicious person. [10]
This is extremely important. How can a Communist Party member not read a little Marx and
Lenin? I am mainly referring to those who hold senior positions. [11]
They didn't mention the Ninth National Congress or the Party Constitution. They didn't listen
to me. Once Chen Boda started talking, they got excited. Many comrades in the Military
Commission's office group were like this. [12] The Party's policy is to learn from past
mistakes to avoid future mistakes, and to cure the sickness to save the patient. Except for
Chen Boda, who is still under investigation, this is applicable to all those who were deceived
by him.
Lin, Zhou, Kang and other relevant comrades were invited to read it. After reading, it will be
returned to the Central Office for storage.


[1] Ye Qun was then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, a
member of the Central Military Commission’s Office, and the director of Lin Biao’s office. On
October 13, 1970, Ye Qun wrote a letter to Mao Zedong to criticize her support for Chen
Boda’s advocacy of the “genius theory” and the establishment of a state president at the
Second Plenary Session of the Ninth CPC Central Committee. Chapters 1, 11, and 12 of this
chapter are Mao Zedong’s comments on Ye Qun’s letter of criticism; Chapters 2 to 10 of this
chapter are his comments on this letter of criticism. During the “Cultural Revolution”, Ye Qun
actively participated in the conspiracy of the Lin Biao counter-revolutionary group to usurp
the party and launch a counter-revolutionary coup, and was the main culprit of the Lin Biao
counter-revolutionary group. In September 1971, she was killed in a fire accident when she
defected with Lin Biao. In February 1973, the CPC Central Committee decided to expel Ye
Qun from the party and remove all her posts inside and outside the party.
[2] Ye Qun said in her letter: "The mistake I made this time was serious and it was a line-breaking mistake." Mao Zedong drew a line under the words "was a line-breaking mistake"
and wrote this comment.
[3] In her letter, Ye Qun mentioned that Huang Yongsheng and Wu Faxian called Lin Biao and
her in mid-August 1970 to reflect the debate on the "genius" issue at the Central
Committee's Constitution Revision Group Meeting. She said: "When we were in Beidaihe, we



received several calls on this issue. They were out of love for the Chairman at the time.” Mao
Zedong drew a line under "received several calls on this issue" and wrote this comment.
[4] Ye Qun wrote in her letter: "Chairman has said: 'When studying a problem, avoid being
subjective, one-sided, and superficial.' All conclusions are drawn at the end of an
investigation, not at the beginning. Mao Zedong drew a line under "All conclusions are
drawn at the end of an investigation, not at the beginning," and wrote this comment.
[5] Chen Boda was then a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the
CPC Central Committee. During the Cultural Revolution, he actively participated in the
conspiracy of Lin Biao and Jiang Qing's anti-Mao group to seize the highest power of the
party and the state. In 1970, he was re-examined at the Second Plenary Session of the Ninth
CPC Central Committee. In August 1973, the First Plenary Session of the Tenth CPC Central
Committee passed a resolution to expel Chen Boda from the party and revoke all his
positions inside and outside the party. In January 1981, the Special Court of the Supreme
People's Court of the People's Republic of China confirmed that Chen Boda was the main
culprit in the Lin Biao counter-revolutionary group case and sentenced him to 18 years in
prison and deprived him of political rights for 5 years.
[6] In her letter, Ye Qun wrote: "Chairman has said that 'contradictions should be exposed as
much as possible. Contradictions should be exposed and resolved. Covering up
contradictions is not in line with dialectics. Since I did not mention political and
organizational principles to understand this issue, I always used superficial views to persuade
Comrade Lin Biao not to get angry, to smooth things over, and to try to keep things quiet. As
a result, I did more harm than good." Mao Zedong underlined the quotation and the
sentence "I did more harm than good" and wrote this comment.
[7] In her letter, Ye Qun mentioned that on the evening of August 24, 1970, she participated
in the discussion of the Central South Group of the Second Plenary Session of the Ninth CPC
Central Committee. She said, "When I arrived at the meeting that day, I happened to receive
a copy of the Quotations on Genius sent to me by the comrades of the working group. In
order to save trouble, I partially quoted a few sentences when I spoke. "After I finished
speaking, I learned from the phone call of the comrades of the working group that it was
Chen Boda who did it. ” Mao Zedong drew a line under the first sentence and "I learned
from the phone call of the comrades of the working group" and wrote this criticism.
[8]  Ye Qun wrote in her letter, "Although I did not participate in the compilation of the
quotations, I did not analyse them because I had a poor sense of smell. This indirectly
allowed me to be used by the bad guy Chen Boda and I fell for him, a counter-revolutionary
fake theorist." Mao Zedong drew a line under the words "did not analyse" and "indirectly",
put a question mark next to the three words "indirectly", and wrote this comment.
[9] Ye Qun wrote in her letter, "Because of my low level of political awareness, I did not fully
understand Chen Boda's reactionary nature and was not vigilant enough, so my struggle



against him was not strong enough in the past." Mao Zedong drew a line under "My struggle
against him was not strong enough in the past" and wrote this comment.
[10] In her letter, Ye Qun wrote, "According to recent revelations, Chen Boda may be a
traitor, a spy, and a colluder with foreign countries"; he came to see Lin Biao without saying
hello on August 23, 1970, "Now it seems that he came this time with ulterior motives and
was plotting a conspiracy"; Chen Boda's wife "firmly refused to join the work of the Yan
Weibing special case team at the beginning of the "Cultural Revolution", which is also very
suspicious." Mao Zedong drew a line under these sentences and wrote this comment.
[11] In her letter, Ye Qun wrote, "In the future, I must strive to learn and apply Chairman
Mao's works (especially Chairman Mao's philosophical works) and read several works of
Marx, Engels, and Stalin carefully according to Chairman Mao's instructions." Mao Zedong
drew a line under "read several works of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin carefully" and wrote
this comment.
[12] Refers to Huang Yongsheng, the head of the Central Military Commission's office group,
Wu Faxian, the deputy head, and Ye Qun, Li Zuopeng, and Ting Huizuo. They are all the main
culprits in the Lin Biao counter-revolutionary group case.