Where are the graves! Always labeling people as "three-anti elements" and "May 16th". Even if they truly are three-anti elements, it doesn’t matter. China has so many people, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of bad elements—just let them be. The people will take care of them. What does it matter? ♦

Our Party must not kill people, including counterrevolutionaries. Preserve living evidence, do not kill. If mistakes are made, just correct them—it will be fine.

Prepare for war! Let civil war and foreign war both come! I can still fight a few battles.

Other people’s missiles can travel thousands of kilometers; one hydrogen bomb could wipe out Beijing. But they have an embassy here too, and it would be wiped out as well. I reckon they won’t bomb Beijing. When the United States attacked Japan, they chose two small cities to strike—one was Hiroshima, the other Nagasaki. They didn’t hit big cities like Tokyo or Osaka.

Once the fighting starts, it will become clear who truly wants to fight and who is colluding with foreigners, hoping to make themselves emperor.

(At this point, Mao directed everyone to sing the song "The Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention")

Only by marching in step can we achieve victory. Lin Biao did not march in step, so he couldn’t achieve victory. What big fleet, small fleet. Selecting concubines across the whole country—just in one province, three hundred were chosen. Is this something the Communist Party should be doing?

The method of mutual transfers was initiated by people from Henan. If you can’t stay in this military subdistrict, you get transferred a bit farther away, and that subdistrict will welcome you. If that subdistrict is transferred here, they’ll also be welcomed.

It was when Comrade Yang Dezhi led a brigade to Yan’an that I got to know him. He was out to catch deserters. I said, don’t catch deserters. If someone doesn’t like being with you, just let him go. If you want to catch him, treat him to a meal of pork, because he’s dissatisfied. You can’t make a couple by tying them up—can tying people up lead to revolution?

We have now invited a chief of the general staff[1]. He—some people are afraid of him, but he handles matters

[1] Here referring to Deng Xiaoping.

quite decisively. His life is probably about 30% faults and 70% merits. I’ve invited your old superior back; the Politburo invited him back, not just me alone. As for you[1], some people are a bit afraid of you. I’ll give you two phrases: "Steel wrapped in softness, a needle hidden in cotton." Be outwardly gentle, but inside, be a steel company. As for past shortcomings, gradually correct them over time.

If you don’t do work, you won’t make mistakes. But as soon as you start working, you’re bound to make mistakes. Not doing work is itself a mistake, and then you’ll have to become an ordinary citizen. In the countryside or the factories, criticism can be quite fierce.

Always labeling people as "three-anti elements" and "May 16th." Even that letter from Li Qinglin in Fujian—I thought it was quite good. Some say there are thorns in it. But there must be thorns! I kept it here for several months, read it often, read it three and a half times, and only then did I decide to write a reply. Liaoning published a letter by Zhang Tiesheng; some people discussed it, saying it was wrong. Wasn’t it later published in *People’s Daily*? Still, they said it was wrong.

I think, in Beijing, the professors from the eight universities should be gathered, have a batch of exam questions set, and make them take the exam. They always look down on students.

Nowadays, many people also look down on the Children’s Corps. I came through the Children’s Corps myself—so did all of you, right? You, in your youth, at the age of a teenager or in your twenties, were so brilliant? I just don’t believe it.

Prepare for war!

V

Don’t believe that crap! In the old society, the Kuomintang had so many newspapers and broadcast stations blustering every day—did we turn into the Kuomintang? No! We are still the Communist Party. Now if a couple of big-character posters are put up, it’s no big deal.

[1] Referring to Deng Xiaoping.

There are always two sides. You’ve said that Sichuan is no good, some people don’t listen, don’t follow orders. That’s quite common too—just let them be! If there’s one who can get things done, that’s good. As for you all, you must hand over the leadership well. There are difficulties—unfamiliar people and places. Some criticize you, but the majority can’t bear to see you go. (To Han Xianchu) I told you before, didn’t I? For this kind of thing in the world, keep your heart broad, your courage strong. Heart broad, courage large. At worst, it’s just about holding office or making revolution—one not removed, the other not criticized. This meeting is about done, right? Tomorrow, in one day, it’ll be like "a deaf man setting off firecrackers" .

Comrade Xu Shiyou, are you reading *Dream of the Red Chamber* now? You need to read it five times before you have the right to speak. He hides the true events and writes them out with fictional words and village sayings. That’s why there are two characters—one named Zhen Shiyin, the other Jia Yucun. True events cannot be told directly—it’s about political struggle. Amorous affairs are used to cover it up. In the fourth chapter, there’s a "Protective Officers’ Charm," which says: "The Jia house is no lie—white jade halls, gold for horses. The Epang Palace, three hundred li wide, cannot house a Jinling Shi. The Eastern Sea lacks a white jade bed; the Dragon King seeks out the Jinling Wang. In bountiful years, great ‘Xue’—pearls like earth, gold like iron" . Among classical Chinese novels, this is the best one written. The very best. It created so many literary expressions.

You (referring to Xu Shiyou) only talk about fighting. Comrade, you should take up some literature in the future. "Forever regretting that Sui and Lu lacked martial skill, Jiang and Guan lacked literary refinement" (Sui, Lu, Jiang, and Guan refer respectively to Sui He, Lu Jia, Zhou Bo, and Guan Ying of the Han Dynasty). Change the character "regret" to "hate." Can you understand *Dream of the Red Chamber*? You must read it five times. *Water Margin* does not oppose the emperor; it solely opposes corrupt officials. Later, they accepted amnesty and enlistment.

"Sui and Lu lacked martial skill, Jiang and Guan lacked literary refinement"—Jiang refers to Zhou Bo. Zhou Bo was earnest and generous but "lacked literary refinement," and you,[1] you also lack literary refinement.

If revisionism emerges in China, everyone must pay attention!

[1] Referring to Xu Shiyou.

(Xu Shiyou said: Wipe it out! Not afraid—what does it matter!)

Not afraid? Then you be Zhou Bo. Go read *Dream of the Red Chamber*.

Going to a new place brings many difficulties. Unfamiliar people, unfamiliar places, unfamiliar Party, unfamiliar army. The Party, government, army, and people are all unfamiliar. The Party, government, army, people, and academia; east, west, south, north, center. Take it slowly, and things will get easier.

Anything else to say? Tomorrow we open a big meeting, and then it’s over.

(Zhou Enlai said: We still need to draft an order to encourage everyone.)

Oh, that’s good. You all take the lead. The political commissars below, the chiefs of staff, headquarters, provincial military districts, armies, military subdistricts, and the people’s armed forces departments—there are so many people. This issue is no big deal.

It’s always like this in the world (bringing both hands together): there are always two sides. Where there is honesty, there is necessarily corruption; where there is corruption, there is necessarily honesty. If there were only honesty and no corruption, that wouldn’t work either—then you’d have only one hand. This hand (raising the left hand) is honesty; this hand (raising the right hand) is corruption. It’s the unity of opposites.

I spoke to Kissinger for about three hours. Actually, it boiled down to one sentence: Beware! The polar bear[1] wants to get you, the United States! First, target your Pacific Fleet—the Seventh Fleet. Second, target Europe. Third, target the Middle East.

The Soviet Union is now trying to reestablish ties with us. Recently, at some reception held by their Ministry of Culture, they had a conversation with someone from our military attaché’s office stationed in the Soviet Union. Our conditions are mainly two: First, withdraw troops—back to the way it was in Khrushchev’s time. Second, admit mistakes—starting from the Bucharest Conference.

You, Commander Chen,[2] and Comrade Yang Dezhi in Jinan, Comrade Xu Shiyou in Nanjing—these comrades have stayed in one place for too long. Comrades Li Desheng, Zeng Siyu, and Ding Sheng, on the other hand, haven’t stayed quite as long. You take the lead, and the provincial military districts, military subdistricts,

[1] Referring to the Soviet Union.
[2] Referring to Chen Xilian.

and people’s armed forces departments will follow suit.

(At this point, Zhou Enlai suggested singing a song, so everyone sang the first verse of "The Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention")

Right, this is the critical rule. And the Eight Points for Attention—the first point of attention, the fifth point of attention. The first point of attention: Speak kindly. The fifth point of attention: None of that warlord style.

(Mao again personally directed, and everyone sang "The Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention" together. After singing, there was applause. Mao declared the meeting adjourned.)

December 1973. At a Politburo meeting, Mao earnestly said: A few times I listened to Lin Biao’s one-sided account, and it just didn’t work. I’d like to make a bit of a self-criticism to comrades. The image depicts Mao during the "Cultural Revolution."