. ▁In ▁this ▁regard , ▁D eng ▁borrow ed ▁much ▁from ▁Soviet ▁leader ▁Nik ita ▁K hr ush chev ▁when ▁the ▁latter ▁had ▁ended ▁St alin ' s ▁terror ▁state ▁and ▁established ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁using ▁more ▁peace ful ▁methods ▁to ▁dispose ▁of ▁his ▁political ▁riv als . ▁To ▁that ▁end , ▁C CP ▁figures ▁such ▁as ▁H ua ▁Gu of eng ▁were ▁merely ▁dem oted ▁to ▁un important ▁posts , ▁but ▁otherwise ▁retained ▁their ▁party ▁membership ▁and ▁state ▁p ension . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁the ▁C CP ▁made ▁a ▁p ledge ▁to ▁the ▁nation ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁never ▁again ▁emb ark ▁on ▁mass ▁campaign s ▁like ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁Gang ▁of ▁Four ▁went ▁on ▁trial ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁on ▁charges ▁of ▁counter re volution , ▁attempting ▁to ▁over throw ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁plot ting ▁to ▁assass inate ▁Ma o . ▁Only ▁Ji ang ▁Q ing ▁tried ▁to ▁defend ▁herself , ▁repeatedly ▁interrupt ing ▁the ▁proceed ings ▁with ▁h yst er ical ▁out bur st s ▁and ▁so bb ing . ▁She ▁argued ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁never ▁done ▁anything ▁more ▁than ▁follow ▁Ma o ' s ▁orders , ▁saying ▁" I ▁was ▁his ▁dog . ▁Who ever ▁he ▁told ▁me ▁to ▁b ite , ▁I ▁bit ." ▁and ▁d aring ▁the ▁authorities ▁to ▁cut ▁off ▁her ▁head . ▁The ▁others ▁were ▁given ▁life ▁in ▁prison , ▁but ▁Ji ang ▁was ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death . ▁However , ▁Ma o