The wife of Beijing's second-in-command, Li Peng, has given a rare interview to deny rumours that she had run a company, owned stocks or bonds or had a personal beautician.
The Legal Daily published the story - an excerpt from the magazine Elite of China - about Zhu Lin on Saturday.
Ms Zhu appears often at official functions and meetings with her husband, who was premier for 10 years until 1998 and is now chairman of the National People's Congress. He ranks second in the Communist Party to President Jiang Zemin.
Like wives of other leaders, Ms Zhu rarely speaks in the press but has a bad reputation among the public, who believe she has abused her power to make money in real estate and stock trading. One story suggests she never wears the same outfit twice and buys or is given new clothes on foreign visits.
The interview appeared to be an attempt to combat such rumours. It also could suggest a more serious attack within the Communist Party against Ms Zhu and her husband ahead of a party plenum next year, where their opponents want Mr Li to give up his position as a member of the Standing Committee.
'Since primary school, I did not like maths and did not have the time or patience, so I did not like lotteries or shares. I have never had a single share or illegal bond. I do not oppose others trading shares but I really do not have this ability,' she said.