Gao Gang sidelining Zhou Enlai?

So it seems that between 1950-54 Gao Gang tried to usurp Zhou Enlai and Rao Rishi tried to usurp Liu Shaoqi.

But Mao ultimately came down in favor of Enlai and Shaoqi and put this conspiracy down. On the other hand, he complained of the former to Gang, which he misread as a go-ahead. Would Mao ever actually greenlight this? What would it take? what are the ramifications?

How competent would Gang have been in Zhou's position? What direction would the economy go? Foreign affairs?
 
Ultimately Zhou Enlai didn't even have enough authority. To institute a better policy on gay rights when he was probably a gay man himself.
 
Nobody else? Wouldn't Gao Gang replacing Zhou Enlai and Rao Rishi replacing Liu Shaoqi have drastic effects?

Considering Zhou Enlai was China's flagship diplomat and Shaoqi replaced Mao during the period between the Great Leap Backward and the Cultural Revolution, them being replaced would have huge butterflies.
 
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