la i . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Ma o ' s ▁designated ▁successor ▁H ua ▁Gu of eng ▁had ▁assumed ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁party ▁chairman . ▁H ua ▁was ▁una ware ▁that ▁the ▁Gang ▁of ▁Four ▁were ▁plot ting ▁his ▁down fall ▁until ▁Def ense ▁Minister ▁Ye ▁J ian ying ▁and ▁several ▁gener als ▁war ned ▁him ▁about ▁this , ▁saying ▁that ▁he ' d ▁better ▁do ▁something ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁too ▁late . ▁H ua ▁was ▁a ▁bit ▁surprised , ▁but ▁he ▁agreed , ▁and ▁in ▁October ▁the ▁Gang ▁were ▁arrested . ▁None ▁of ▁them ▁put ▁up ▁any ▁resistance , ▁although ▁one ▁of ▁Ji ang ▁Q ing ' s ▁house keep ers ▁reported ly ▁sp at ▁at ▁her ▁as ▁she ▁was ▁being ▁taken ▁away . ▁ ▁The ▁dem ise ▁and ▁arrest ▁of ▁the ▁Gang ▁of ▁Four ▁prompt ed ▁nation wide ▁celebr ations , ▁including ▁par ades ▁in ▁the ▁streets ▁of ▁Be ij ing ▁and ▁other ▁major ▁cities . ▁The ▁Gang ▁of ▁Four ▁symbol ized ▁everything ▁that ▁went ▁wrong ▁during ▁the ▁ten ▁years ▁of ▁cha os ▁of ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution , ▁and ▁their ▁dem ise , ▁the ▁general ▁popul ace ▁had ▁expected , ▁would ▁mark ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁era . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁the ▁state ▁propag anda ▁machine ▁was ▁working ▁over time ▁to ▁promote ▁H ua ▁Gu of eng . ▁He ▁was ▁bil led ▁as ▁being ▁Ma o ' s ▁personally ▁appointed ▁successor ▁and ▁as ▁having ▁saved ▁China ▁from ▁the