護法運動
On 18 March 1925--six days after Sun's death--Tang Jiyao, leader of the Yunnan clique, claimed to be the rightful leader of the Kuomintang against acting generalissimo Hu Hanmin and party executives. He had been a revolutionary since the Qing dynasty, was one of the most prominent leaders of the National Protection War against Yuan Shikai, co-founded the Constitutional Protection Movement and assisted Sun during the Guangdong-Guangxi War and Chen Jiongming's rebellion. Despite this, his relationship with Sun was not solid. He had previously negotiated with the Beiyang government and other northern warlords, resisted Sun's call for the Northern Expedition and was unwilling to provide the National Assembly long-term shelter during the Guangdong-Guangxi War. Sun had also recognized the authority of Gu Pinzhen, who had briefly overthrown Tang in 1921.