Abstract

In 1953 when the "new system of political discussion" promoted by the CCP had not yet faded from history, fairly outspoken figures such as Huang Yanpei and Chen Mingshu were still being invited to VIP meetings. At one meeting that year, one of Mao Zedong's old pals, the philosopher and social activist Liang Shuming, quoted a simple and earthy homily that unexpectedly outraged Mao and triggered one of the most famous public cases in the history of the CCP.