In 1965 the Group commissioned a study of the play Hai Rui Dismissed from Office, written by Vice-Mayor Wu Han, which came under suspicion for being an anti-Mao allegory.
[7] The other members were Lu Dingyi, the head of the Central Committee's Propaganda Department, Wu Lengxi, the editor of the People's Daily, and Zhou Yang.
[4] From January to November 1965, the Five Man Group was essentially dormant, playing little part in the events that were to precede the Cultural Revolution.
[8] However, the publication of Yao Wenyuan's criticism of Wu Han's play Hai Rui Dismissed From Office spurred the group into action.
[8] Technically, the Five Man Group had to be consulted before attacks on senior figures like Wu Han were made,[9] and Yao's failure to do this displeased Peng.