Whispered reports are even more lurid. Zhou is said to have plotted to murder his first wife, and there are rumors that at the height of last year’s scandal involving disgraced former Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai, he attempted to assassinate Xi in the leadership compound at Zhongnanhai.
广为流传的报道可谓耸人听闻。据说周永康曾设局谋杀首任妻子，还有传闻说，去年的前重庆市委书记薄熙来（现已被定刑）丑闻的最高潮亦是周永康试图在中南海刺杀习近平。